Volume 1 Chapter 10 Knowledge From A Past Life Plus 'production Magic' Is The Way To Go
Revision: production => craft
It had been a little over a week since Randy had handed over all communication with the Marquis Braubelg family to his father, Alan. He heard that the Marquis and his wife were on their way just as the summer break was halfway through.
Meanwhile, Randy was...
"Sir Randolph, are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just a little more... Alright, it's done."
...working under the carriage while Elizabeth watched him with concern.
The reason he was doing this was that he and Elizabeth──well, Eleonora was there too──were working on modifying the carriage.
Carriages were the main means of transportation in this world, but they were really bumpy. Even in the well-maintained areas around the capital of Alexandria, they shook a lot, and in the rough roads around here, the carriage was practically a weapon.
Wealthy families could prepare slightly better carriages, but "slightly better" was still not good enough.
Most luxury carriages tried to make the seats softer to reduce the strain on the rear, but the shaking remained the same.
...Yes. Some people get motion sickness. Really badly.
So, they decided to create a carriage that would shake less even on bad roads. There was already something like a suspension on the carriage, but to Randy, who had been reincarnated, it was almost non-existent.
With only ten days left until he had to return to the academy by carriage, a less bumpy ride was a major issue for Randy.
Of course, there were other reasons for the modification. This project was part of rebuilding his territory after the material refinement.
What was helping them here was the beast materials Randy had hunted, 'craft magic', and Elizabeth's high magical power, which even the ancient great magician Eleonora acknowledged.
Creating tools from scratch required a huge amount of magical power. Tools that Randy, with his average magical power, couldn't make──like jacks and simple tools──were being shaped by the cheat noble girl.
Of course, the base was Randy's knowledge from his past life, but turning a blueprint into reality required Elizabeth's magical power and her clever mind.
They removed the primitive leaf spring that fixed the axle and replaced it with a new independent axle that Elizabeth made, using the leaf spring design Randy had drawn──this was easier to make than a compression coil spring.
They had just finished the installation work...
"Now, let's test it out."
"Yes."
Elizabeth got into the carriage, and Randy took his place on the driver's seat. The horse-drawn carriage slowly started to move.
(Oh! This is good. Long live independent suspension and beast materials!)
Thanks to the leaf springs installed on each wheel, it was definitely less bumpy than the previous carriage. Each spring could absorb shocks independently, and the materials they experimented with were working well. The springs that had been there before were so stiff that you would question if they were really meant to absorb shocks.
(There's still room for improvement in the spring design, but...)
"Miss Elizabeth, how does it compare to the high-end products?"
"It's amazing! This one shakes less!"
The muffled voice coming from the guest room was filled with joy, almost bouncing with excitement.
After finishing their inspection, the two of them were now having Harrison and a few others from the mansion who had the chance to ride in the carriage test its comfort. Well, it was mostly just Father Alan and the steward Keith.
All 3 of them felt quite positive about it, but especially Harrison seemed to enjoy it the most. Recently, he had been riding in the carriage the most as Randy's attendant, so it made sense. Harrison's joy was now directed at Randy with an impressed look.
"Wow. It reminds me of the rumors about the young master being a genius."
Harrison muttered, and Elizabeth responded with an unusually surprised voice, "A genius, you say?"
Perhaps feeling embarrassed by her reaction, Elizabeth withdrew, leaving Eleonora, who was now laughing heartily, in control of her body.
"A kid being a genius, huh?"
Eleonora leaned in with a smirk, and Randy pushed her forehead away with his finger.
"Show some respect. The great magician."
Randy grinned mischievously, and Eleonora returned the grin with a playful smirk.
"Well, I'll admit that we've figured out a way to make some money for now."
Nodding arrogantly, Eleonora peeked under the carriage and turned back to Randy, saying, "It looks like it could be quite profitable."
"Sorry, but I'm not planning to reveal this technique."
Randy snorted, and both Harrison and Eleonora exclaimed, "Huh?" at the same time. Eleonora murmured, "What do you mean?" It seemed Elizabeth had also been expecting to earn a decent amount of money.
"Young master, this is a great modification, right? Plus, we can use materials from our own territory... If we can handle everything from materials to processing and delivery, I think it could make a lot of money."
"Yeah, it could make money."
Randy nodded, and Harrison and Eleonora shot him looks that seemed to say, "Why not?"
"Because it can't just be about making money."
With those words, Father Alan and Keith nodded in understanding, while the 3 contrasting expressions of confusion appeared on their faces. They seemed to think, "Isn't it good if it can make money?" Randy then explained the potential risks of selling this technique.
"The biggest problem is that only Miss Elizabeth and I can make this."
Currently, only the two of them could use 'craft magic,' so it couldn't be helped. However, the consequences of that were not something to be taken lightly.
Handling orders, repairs, improvements──everything would have to be managed by the two of them. No matter how quickly they could create things with 'craft magic,' the effort would increase proportionally with the quantity.
For immediate funds, it was different from turning beast corpses into materials. Randy had no intention of treating Elizabeth as just a convenient tool.
"Secondly, if this continues, someone somewhere could copy it, and it would all be over in an instant."
The low productivity leads to the spread of similar products. If productivity is the same, being copied is not a problem. The other party cannot use materials from Beast Forest.
However, if the other party has better productivity, they will try to compete on price with cheaper materials.
Randy and his team do not have a solid craft system.
Although they are sturdy, they are still consumables.
Moreover, Randy and his team are too unknown.
The result is clear. A future where they lose market share awaits them. Once market share is lost, it is not easy to regain it.
"So, Sir Randolph doesn't plan to release this to the world until he establishes a mass craft system... is that right?"
When Elizabeth returned, Randy smiled and said, "That's a little different."
"What do you mean by different?"
"The one to reveal this technology will not be me, but someone else..."
"So, you mean you will only sell the technology?"
Randy nodded and continued as Elizabeth tilted her head in confusion.
"I will choose who to sell it to. I will select someone who cannot be easily challenged and has high productivity."
Yes. Randolph intends to sell this technology to a powerful party, using their name and productivity to quickly gain market share. What Randy is selling is only to one person. And that person has already been decided.
It is Elizabeth's family, the Marquis Braubelg.
With their sea routes and many talented people, the Marquis Braubelg family will likely offer a good price for this technology. I hear they have recently been hiring dwarves for processing trade in their territory.
"I see... so that's how it is."
"As expected of Miss Elizabeth."
"What do you mean by that?!"
Elizabeth was explaining Randy's thoughts to Eleonora, who had interrupted, and Harrison, who still did not understand.
The biggest advantage of this method is that it allows for monopolizing market share while reducing Elizabeth's burden. Monopolizing market share indicates the demand for materials.
While alternatives can be found, the performance and durability of high-level beast materials are well-known. Considering the running costs, using materials from Beast Forest is cheaper.
Eventually, they plan to hire craftsmen to produce the materials. Randy aims for the development of the entire territory. His goal is to create jobs and revitalize the industry.
Relying on something that only he can create is out of the question for Randy. That would only lead to distorted development and become a burden for both him and Elizabeth.
If the territory becomes active, naturally, more things can be done.
If more things can be done, there will be more options.
If there are more options, they can be stronger against unexpected situations.
A strong territory will become even more active.
This technology is just a stepping stone for that. Elizabeth, with her cheat-like abilities, will help shape things that could not be realized with just knowledge until now. Whether Randy can make good use of it depends on his skills.
Earlier, he told Eleonora to "show respect," but he himself does not know that he was called a "genius." He may not know, but he is a person with knowledge from a previous life. He is aware of the impression people had of him based on his responses as a child.
Randy had no hesitation in using knowledge from his past life. If it made things easier, he would use anything. That was Randy's belief. However, until now, he had no way to turn that knowledge into action.
Then came 'craft magic' and Elizabeth. In terms of intelligence and magical power, Elizabeth and Eleonora were far beyond him.
But when it came to resilience, he had no intention of losing.
How to use knowledge.
How to use skills.
How to negotiate.
He wasn't interested in being called a genius, but he appreciated the expectations placed on him by the hardworking servants. Plus, there were the skills that Elizabeth had worked hard to shape.
(Should I really give it my all?)
Since this wasn't a school, there was no need to hold back. It was fine to stand out, he thought as he glanced back at his father, Alan.
"Do as you like. This matter is your idea, after all."
Before Randy could say anything, Alan smiled, probably understanding his intentions. They had discussed some things beforehand, but having a supportive father was a blessing for Randy.
With Alan's permission granted, Randy smiled at Elizabeth.
"Well, from now on, leave it to me. I think I'll need you to join me at the negotiation table."
He felt a bit bad for Elizabeth, who looked worried, but he couldn't reveal the trading partner. According to his father Alan, the other party had strongly requested that Elizabeth be kept in the dark.
It seemed to be a kind of revenge for leaving without permission.
In simple terms, they probably wanted to surprise her. He had heard they were a great noble family, but when it came to their daughter, they seemed to be quite playful.
"Father, where is the other party?"
"Well, they should arrive at the Dukedom in about 2 or 3 days, and I expect they'll be here within a week."
With a cheerful smile, Alan explained Lord Braubelg's whirlwind tour. It seemed that the Braubelg couple had set off quite early, eager to see their daughter.
From what he heard, they planned to disguise themselves, pretending to be travelers, and enter the Dukedom by sea route.
"What a surprising person. They said, 'Being escorted by adventurers is quite a nice experience,' after all."
Alan shrugged, and Randy couldn't help but smile wryly inside (They really love their daughter too much). Still, they were important business partners. Since they were coming all this way, he had to make the most of it.
Randy turned to Harrison with a big smile.
"Harrison. Let's get to work."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"Go pick them up."
"I don't want to! The other party is a big──" *Mmmph!*
Harrison almost let slip a forbidden word, but Randy quickly covered his mouth. Even so, Harrison shook his head vigorously, and Randy made a mischievous face that only Harrison could see.
"Listen. Do you understand why we're using this carriage to pick them up? Depending on your presentation, the evaluation of our skills could go up... In other words, you get what I mean?"
At the hint of a success bonus, Harrison's eyes widened for a moment before he slowly nodded.
"Alright. Then leave it to me."
Harrison, driving the carriage happily, said with a smile, "Ah, it's nice that there's not much shaking," as he left the mansion.
"Well, it's not guaranteed we'll get paid, though."
Randy said with a wry smile, his words not reaching Harrison's back.
"Um... is everything okay?"
"It's fine. He's the kind of guy who can handle it."
Randy watched the small carriage disappear, but he truly believed what he just said. Like Randy, he had a sharp tongue, but he was skilled with a sword and, most importantly, he was friendly. Randy thought that Harrison would manage just fine, and he urged Elizabeth toward the mansion.
"Now, shall we prepare to welcome our guests?"
"Yes."
"For now, let's make some delicious coffee for a surprise attack."
"Coffee, huh?"
Keith and Alan watched the two of them disappear into the mansion with smiles on their faces.
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