Chapter 52 - 52 Safety Shoes
To check on the construction status of the second factory, Steve had come to the construction site along with Nick and Cyril.
Cyril had returned to the Archibalt Territory after completing all matters related to his marriage. Incidentally, his house was also currently under construction.
While he might return to the Royal Capital in a few years, it wouldn't do for a newlywed noble couple to live in an inn, so it was decided to build a house. The location was the Third Village, chosen for its proximity to his workplace.
Furthermore, the Emmanuel Trading Company was undertaking all aspects of the construction. In the Archibalt Territory, where construction work was plentiful, there were even apartments for the carpenters who received work from the Emmanuel Trading Company. Since this had been the case even before the territorial expansion, there was no shortage of carpenters now, but demand for construction was rising across the entire western region, leading to a shortage and a scramble for carpenters.
The second factory was planned to produce furniture, and even the Industrial Guild, which had complained for a time, was now able to differentiate between high-end furniture—for which demand had risen thanks to the economic boom—and budget furniture.
Some had attempted to enter the budget furniture market, but they could not match the efficiency of Steve, who had invested massive capital, and gave up, realizing it was no contest.
As for Steve, rather than changing the setup on the toy production line to make furniture, he decided it would be better to build a dedicated line, which led to the construction of the second factory. If the demand for toys decreased, he could change the setup to produce furniture at the first factory as well, and he was also moving to create a product development department to generate new demand.
As the three of them walked, Nick spoke to Steve.
"You ain't got the young lady with you today, I see."
"It's her day off. She says she doesn't need them, but since the number of retainers will be increasing from now on, I won't be able to give Bella special treatment anymore. Besides, if the senior doesn't take time off, it'll be hard for the juniors to do so too."
The one Nick called "young lady" was Bella. Bella often acted as Steve's guard, and many people, like Nick, assumed they were always together.
Some even rumored that Steve had already taken a mistress. While Bella harbored romantic feelings for Steve, Steve did not see her in that light.
Steve considered Bella an excellent retainer and was currently training her, thinking he might be able to have her defeat the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander and take that position even before Daphne. Whether it was a small factory or a poor territory, he didn't believe in barring women from the same work as men just because of their gender. His mindset was to let those who could do the job do it.
This was because it was difficult to gather many talented people, so he was in a situation where he would use anyone available—man, woman, child, or elderly. In fact, at Steve's company in his previous life, they had middle-aged part-time women operating machining centers.
She could even do minor program corrections and handle tasks like changing the cutting oil. It wasn't a company that thought women shouldn't carry heavy oil and should only do inspection work, so that was how they operated.
"With more retainers, factories, and residents, the peaceful Archibalt Territory of old is gonna vanish, ain't it?"
"I don't want to go back to the days when people starved to death."
"I feel bad for the Lord, but I sure don't want to go back to those days either. This place was barely more than a patch of hair on a barren plot of land, but now it looks like we'll get decent agricultural production. To think of spreading that jellyfish stuff on the ground... you really come up with some things, Wakasama."
Nick felt nostalgic for the Archibalt Territory of the past while also reflecting on its current development.
The land where crops had been difficult to grow had seen its yields improve dramatically due to crops that grew even in poor soil and the soil improvement effects of the Jellyfish Chips.
As a side effect, the trading price of jellyfish—once a nuisance of the sea—had risen, to the point where fishermen were appearing who tried to catch jellyfish instead of fish. If jellyfish became too expensive, the demand for Jellyfish Chips would drop due to the cost-benefit ratio, so Steve actually hoped for a jellyfish bloom.
As for Nick's question, it was very difficult for Steve to answer. After all, it was knowledge from his previous life, so he couldn't explain that.
"There was a book written about sea creatures. I figured if there are big fish in the sea, there must be nutrients there too. And if it's just jellyfish that are being thrown away, the materials can be sourced cheaply."
"Same as with the Soba, you find value in things nobody else notices. Even though you caught yourself a beauty of a fiancée who everyone knows is high value."
"That encounter was a coincidence. It's not something you can do by aiming for it."
"Well, I suppose so. I asked Lady Christina herself when you weren't around, Wakasama, and she said the same. Still, it's a bit too perfect for a coincidence."
"There's also my parents' intentions. At the time, they saw me defeat the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander right in front of them, so they probably wanted to get their hands on me."
Just as Steve said, Count Mackintosh had made his daughter Steve's fiancée in order to secure Steve. At the time, nobles who didn't know Steve well had made various speculations about this engagement. As a result, when Steve was awarded the Dragon Wing Medal, Count Mackintosh's foresight came to be highly regarded.
However, Steve thought that anyone would want to get their hands on a child who could beat the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander, so he didn't think Count Mackintosh had particularly exceptional foresight.
It was a judgment made because he knew the inside story.
"I'm just glad you weren't taken away to that house as you were, Wakasama. If that had happened, the Archibalt Territory would still be the same as it was back then."
"In that case, I think I would have just used their funds to bring the research results here."
"That's true too. Maybe that way I wouldn't have had to deal with you asking the impossible of me, Wakasama."
When Nick said that, recalling his past hardships, Cyril, who knew of them, laughed.
As Nick walked while looking up and reminiscing about the past, he suddenly cried out.
"Ow!"
"What's wrong?"
When Steve looked at Nick, it seemed he had stubbed his foot on a piece of timber; he was hopping around while clutching his toes with his hands.
Nick was wearing sandals, and he had hit his exposed toes against the wood. Steve immediately treated Nick with magic.
"Thank you, Wakasama. This is what happens when I walk without paying attention."
"Well, you are wearing sandals."
As he said that, an idea flashed in Steve's mind.
"Shall we make Safety Shoes?"
Safety Shoes are shoes with steel or similar materials in the toes so that one doesn't get injured even if something falls from above. Sandals are common for commoners in the Kingdom of Cascade. They even wear sandals for factory work, but there is a risk of injury in that.
By making Safety Shoes, he intended to make the workplace one where injuries wouldn't occur.
"What are these 'Safety Shoes' you speak of?"
Cyril immediately took the bait.
"They're shoes with iron inside the tip, the toe part. They're shoes to prevent injury even if something falls from above. Since the iron boots of metal armor are heavy, you can think of them as shoes where the protection is limited to specific areas."
"However, if they have to be made to fit each individual's foot, the cost will be quite high, making it difficult to provide them to all workers."
"That's where we do the same as with the furniture; we'll prepare certain standards on our end and have them choose the one that fits them best. That way, mass production becomes possible. Besides, they're not for constant use, only for work, so they don't have to be a perfect fit. However, we'll probably have to create standards for the Safety Shoes."
Cyril smiled happily at the mention of standards.
He was quite the workaholic.
"What kind of standards shall we set?"
When asked, Steve searched his memories from his previous life.
The standards for safety shoes changed their impact resistance performance according to the nature of the work. Then, a weight would be dropped from a certain height, and the evaluation would be based on how much the clay placed inside the shoe was crushed. Though he said 'how much it was crushed,' it was actually the gap between the clay and the shoe.
He recalled this and conveyed it to Cyril.
"Indeed, injuries would hinder the work, so it is a good idea. I would like to report the proposed standards to the Royal Research Institute along with samples."
"I can make shoes myself, so I'll gather the materials and try making them."
Nick said to Steve with a somewhat exasperated face.
"I didn't think you could make shoes, Wakasama, but I'm tired of being surprised by your usual antics."
"When I was making outfits, I made shoes to go with them. I took the opportunity to observe the work."
"To learn just by watching... any craftsman would be envious."
"I'm grateful to my mother for giving birth to me with such a quick-learning mind."
People often say 'learn by watching,' but there is no one who can learn everything just by seeing it once. There are many things, like the degree of force to apply, that one doesn't understand without trying. Steve, who didn't need that, was someone Nick envied.
"Well, in any case, it's a good thing to stop getting injured. My master used to scold me, saying 'The one who gets hurt is the one at fault. Pain is proof you're alive.' All the other workshops are pretty much like that too."
"Attention can't help but wander sometimes. Since we've decided to make them, I'll immediately ask Emmanuel to source the materials for the shoes."
"What about checking the factory construction?"
"The shoes are more urgent. If they're work shoes, they won't compete with the shoemakers. I was thinking it might be good to make Safety Shoes at the new factory too."
Saying that, Steve teleported to the Emmanuel Trading Company.
Left behind, Nick and Cyril looked at each other.
"As usual, he's quick to act and can't sit still."
"Well, that is also one of the good points of the Dragon Wing-dono. I suppose I should start making my own preparations as well."
"Chief Engineer, I'm heading back to the factory."
"Yes, please do. I want to summarize the previous discussion before I forget it."
Thus, the check of the factory construction site for the day ended halfway through.
A few days later, Steve brought the completed Safety Shoes to Cyril and Nick.
He had made the shoe sizes to fit the two of them.
Since they were prototypes, Steve had used Measurement on their feet and made them accordingly, so unlike mass-produced items, they fit perfectly.
There were two types of Safety Shoes: one with iron plates combined like iron boots, and another with leather pasted over the iron plates. Cyril's were like the iron boots, while Nick's had leather over the iron plates, like the safety shoes sold in Japan.
"They're light for being made of iron."
"That's because there's only iron at the tip. Unlike protecting oneself on the battlefield, there's no need to protect the ankles. Nick, put your foot out here."
"Yes, sir."
Nick took a step forward with his right foot as told. Steve vigorously stepped on Nick's extended foot.
"Wakasama, what are you doing?!"
"It doesn't hurt, does it?"
Nick was angry at having his foot stepped on, but he realized it didn't hurt when Steve pointed it out.
"You're right."
"That's the effect of Safety Shoes."
"With these, you definitely won't get hurt."
"Now, the question is which one would be better to produce. Nick's version is easier to make."
When told that, Nick compared his Safety Shoes with Cyril's.
Since Cyril's version involved assembling multiple iron plates by folding them over each other, he knew it would take more man-hours and have more parts, so Nick chose his own version.
"Since amateurs will be doing it, the simpler one is better. So, how are you gonna mass-produce these? Knowing you, Wakasama, you've already thought of something."
"Well, yes. However, for the iron parts, I intend to create them using my magic for now. In the future, I want to be able to make these with molds."
There was a reason why Steve said 'in the future.' Since soft iron could not yet be mass-produced, plastic working was not possible.
"So that means everything except the iron can be managed without magic?"
"That's right. Well, whether we can buy materials in bulk depends on Emmanuel. I want cowhide in large quantities. Or rather, without it, shoemaking can't even begin."
"Needles and thread too. Also, sewing takes time, so I'd like you to introduce that machine called a sewing machine."
"A sewing machine, huh..."
Steve glanced toward Cyril.
"I have been stopped by His Majesty the King, as the spread of such a device might cause tailors to lose their jobs. Currently, there is only a prototype at the Royal Research Institute, and the prospect of handling it is hopeless," Cyril explained.
Regarding the sewing machine, Steve, along with Cyril and Nick, had sent a prototype of a treadle sewing machine to the Royal Research Institute. It was something he had made from his vague memories, and because it was incomplete, the engineers at the Royal Research Institute had made an improved version.
Even in Earth's history, Barthélemy Thimonnier, who made a sewing machine, had his factory burned down by tailors who feared unemployment. Steve had conveyed to Cyril that such a thing might happen, and had him add it as a concern in the report.
Nick, who had only assisted with the prototyping, didn't know that background, which was why he made the previous request.
"Well, it can't be helped, so it'll be hand-sewn."
"Even with cutting the leather, how many people do you think we'll need?"
"I intend to use cutting dies for the leather. We're not fitting them to individual feet, but making items of the same dimensions, so we have to reflect that advantage in the process."
Nick's face turned sour at the mention of cutting dies.
Think of a cutting die as the metal mold used when making cookies. They are also used for punching out leather. Punching holes in leather belts is exactly the kind of work that uses a cutting die.
However, whether it would punch out the intended shape wouldn't be known until the mold was made, and it was also unknown how many shots the mold would last.
As the person in charge, Nick had many points of concern.
"Making the molds seems like it'll be a lot of work too."
"I'll make those with my magic. Eventually, I want the technology to make cutting dies to be something we can do with science instead of magic."
Steve, understanding Nick's worries, had decided to use magic as much as possible for the Safety Shoes. Since it had started from a sudden whim, he hadn't spent time on preparation. Even so, he wanted to prioritize safety, so he decided to use magic.
Normally, he aimed for businesses that could continue even after he passed away, so he wouldn't do things that required magic.
Thus, the production of Safety Shoes began.