How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 76

Episode 76

84. The more items to sell, the better (3)

After briefly concluding negotiations regarding the production plan and distribution process of the items.

“Could I perhaps take a look around the workshop here?”

Separately, I requested the workshop manager, Mr. Lox, to allow me to tour the workshop for a bit.

“The workshop? I don’t think you’ll find it very interesting.”

“It’s fine. I’m not asking for a tour for entertainment purposes.”

I don’t have any major tasks to do right now, so if I went back, I’d just be lazing around in the accommodation.

Lowell left as soon as the negotiations were over, probably because he had other business to attend to.

It looks like I’m the only one who’s going to be idle.

I’d rather take a look around than do that.

“More than anything, I need to understand the technology here.”

I already have a grasp of the technological level to some extent through the original work [the game the protagonist played in their previous life], but I needed to see the work site with my own eyes at least once.

“……I understand. I’ll write you a letter of introduction, so you can look around as you please. I’ll have one of the kids who work here guide you.”

“Thank you.”

Mr. Lox immediately wrote the letter of introduction and then left somewhere.

He seems to have other business as well.

He’s probably busy running around to get quotes for the work I gave him.

‘Actually, there was something else I wanted to discuss separately. But he looks busy, so should I postpone it for now?’

I shouldn’t bother him unnecessarily.

As I waited alone for a moment, a boy who looked about twelve years old peeked his head in.

He’s probably the kid who’s going to guide me.

I gestured to him that it was okay to come in, and he rushed in, flustered.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t realize you were the guest the workshop manager mentioned…….”

He seems to have misunderstood that I was displeased with him peeking earlier.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it and just guide me. Um…… what’s your name?”

I can see it above his head [a common trope in these stories where characters can see names or stats], but it would be more natural to ask and hear it directly.

“It’s Kenil!”

“Okay. Kenil. Please guide me, I want to see it right away.”

“Yes!”

Kenil answered energetically, as if telling me to leave it to him, and took the lead.

“Our Pileros Guild’s workshop is largely divided into three parts.”

“Um. Wait? Kenil? Sorry to interrupt your explanation, but can I ask you something trivial?”

“What is it?”

I asked Kenil, who was tilting his head, a really minor question.

“By any chance…… are your workshop manager and Lowell…… the merchants, not on good terms?”

The reason I’m asking this really unnecessary question is because I felt an oddly uncomfortable atmosphere when I first saw them talking.

Also, it feels like they explicitly want to talk without Lowell.

It’s good to know, even if it’s trivial.

“……Ah. The artisans and the merchants are a bit…….”

“Ah, so they’re not on good terms?”

Kenil hesitated before explaining.

Basically, the group of technicians and the merchants, including Lowell, often have misunderstandings.

“Just recently, they even argued directly because the merchants who commissioned a product insisted that the level of completion was sufficient, while the artisans said it was unacceptable.”

“Ah, I think I understand roughly.”

I understand that those who prioritize selling and those who prioritize making things are uncomfortable with each other’s positions.

It’s the same in the company I used to work at, where each department looked down on each other.

‘In the end…… it’s hard to understand each other no matter where you go…….’

It’s a common occurrence.

The difference in perception between technicians and merchants is nothing new.

Still, it’s better to be careful about such discord.

If I’m not careful, I’ll be cornered with ‘Which side are you on!’ and it’ll become a hassle.

Anyway, let’s get back to the story.

“So, the workshop is divided into three places?”

“Yes!”

“What do you make?”

I can roughly guess.

Each necessary item will have different processes, so it will be divided based on that.

“First, there’s Workshop 1, which makes weapons and armor! Workshop 2 makes farming tools and various helpful things! And Workshop 3 handles miscellaneous tasks!”

In particular, Workshop 3 mainly creates small and precise sculptures such as ornaments.

Where should I go?

“……Let’s go to the workshop that makes weapons first.”

I’m curious about the others too, but I’m more interested in that one.

I heard that they not only make general mass-produced items but also special custom orders.

I have a rough idea of farming tools and household goods, so it would be much more helpful to see the workshop that produces weapons and armor.

I headed to Workshop 1 with Kenil as my guide.

A large workshop.

As I watched the artisans and apprentices busily moving around and heard the constant sound of hammering metal, I uttered my first words.

“……It’s hot.”

“Yes! Because we heat the furnace all day long.”

As Kenil said, there were as many as seven huge furnaces in the workshop, and they seemed to be working around them.

Even though I’m still outside the building, I can feel the heat blowing here.

“It’s hot.”

“Are you going inside?”

“Well, I want to see as much as possible. Let’s go in.”

I thought about cooling my body with spirit magic, but I decided against it.

Looking at their work, it would be troublesome if I raised the humidity by using Undine [water spirit magic] and caused problems with the quality of the iron.

‘There’s nothing particularly special.’

Most of it is not much different from what I expected.

Well, generally, mass-produced items are prioritized, so they usually only make ordinary swords or armor.

First of all, what I can see with my eyes is that casting is the mainstream.

“If possible…… I want to see something more unique. Um? Ah, there’s definitely something eye-catching.”

What caught my attention was the mountain of monster bones piled up.

I saw apprentices putting them into the furnace and melting them.

“Kenil, do you also melt monster materials like that to work with?”

“Yes. Ah…….”

Kenil nodded and then trailed off.

It seems like he can’t explain in detail.

That’s the limit of an apprentice.

Judging by his age, this guy is still a handyman, and it’s clear that he’s not yet at the level of helping with full-fledged processes.

He’ll probably start learning in about four years.

‘What should I do? Should I grab someone who seems easy to talk to and ask?’

The problem is that everyone looks busy.

I’ve already received permission from the workshop manager, so that much may be tolerated, but I don’t want to attract unnecessary attention.

“……All bones. Not melt. ……Fuel to make iron strong. Goblin bones.”

Then someone else gave the explanation that Kenil couldn’t give.

When I looked in the direction of the voice, there was a young man carrying a mountain of bones as well.

His sun-tanned skin, sturdy physique, and rough, short-cropped hair caught my eye.

His name is…….

Just as I was scanning him, he said his name.

“Meon.”

“……Um, Mr. Meon. I’m.”

The young man named Meon pointed with his eyes at the letter of introduction stuck in my pocket.

He seems to have understood that I’m a guest by looking at this.

“Guest coming. Heard……it.”

He answers with a slightly clumsy way of speaking.

When I listen closely, his accent is a bit stiff.

It seems like his dialect is different from here.

I wonder if he’s from a different place.

“……Mr. Meon is a blacksmith who specializes in processing monster materials.”

Kenil explained in a slightly small voice.

He probably noticed that the man’s self-introduction was lacking.

So he’s a technician with some standing here.

If so, that’s perfect.

“……That. Interested?”

“Yes. I happened to have something I wanted to find out. Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment, Mr. Meon?”

“……Taking a break…… Don’t mind.”

Meon nodded willingly.

Even though his tone is stiff, I can tell from his expression that he doesn’t find my request bothersome.

“But what? ……Is it?”

“Actually…… I have a slightly unusual material. I’m not sure if it can be used.”

As I spoke as carefully as possible, he tilted his head for a moment, put down his luggage, and turned around.

It seems like he’s telling me to follow him.

Easy to understand.

* * *

As he gestured to the break room, Kenil suddenly realized something and flinched.

“I’ll bring out some tea!”

And he disappears in a hurry.

As expected of an apprentice, his awareness is an art.

It reminds me of my days as a private [referring to mandatory military service]. Tsk.

Well, it would be hard to survive in such a busy place without being perceptive.

I can fully understand because I’ve had some factory life in my teens.

Waiting for Kenil to return is boring, and above all, it’s not a story that will end quickly, so I immediately brought up the main point.

“Actually, as I mentioned earlier, I happened to get my hands on a slightly unusual material. It’s related to that.”

“Hmm.”

Fortunately, even though his tone is stiff, there’s no problem with listening.

He nodded to indicate that he understood.

“What is the range of items made from monster materials here?”

If it’s just melting it down and using it as an additive like just now, I don’t need to see it again.

But…….

If they have the technology to make equipment in earnest, the story is different.

“Equipment…… Can make. Separate request.”

“Ah, you mean you make it by special order. Then is it possible for me too?”

“Ask…… Workshop manager…… Will be?”

“Um, then let’s just get some consultation here for now. I’ll ask that guy for a separate quote later. Is that okay?”

“Okay.”

Only then did he nod.

“First of all, the material I have is this.”

I put down my bag and pretended to take something out of it.

Magic bags are not often seen, but their existence is not so strange as to be surprising.

‘At least it’s more common sense than taking things out of thin air.’

It’s not good to show my abilities easily.

Information leaks.

I expanded the space inside the bag through the bag and took out what I had stored in advance in the subspace.

A giant rib bone of some creature.

As soon as he saw it, Meon’s eyes narrowed.

It’s a technician’s gaze.

“That is…….”

“I’d like you to take a look at it first. I’ll explain it afterward.”

From the moment he saw this, his eyes changed, so it’s clear that he’s interested.

I said it was okay to take a look and put the bone on the table with a thud.

It’s the giant’s bone I got from the black magician’s workshop before.

While he was carefully examining it, I slowly began to explain.

“Actually, it’s good that I got my hands on this, but I couldn’t find anyone to process it.”

I went to the blacksmith who was said to be the most skilled in the place I was staying at the time, but he shook his head as soon as he saw it.

‘I can’t handle this!’

‘I’d rather recommend selling it off.’

‘I can’t do it with my skills.’

I was rejected with various words.

I couldn’t help it.

Generally, the monster materials that can be handled in a common blacksmith in the city are limited to A-rank.

And here, A-rank commonly refers to monsters at the level of wyverns or drakes.

But this material is of a much higher rank than that.

In addition, it’s so rare that it’s hard to obtain, so there are few who can technically handle it.

It’ll probably be difficult to find someone who can do this.

‘There’s also a way to ask Cruse for a suitable introduction, but I have to ask her about something else later.’

In Cruse’s case, she’s a magician, so she specializes in magic tools. What she can introduce will be limited to that field.

It’s a bit different from what I want.

That’s the last resort.

“I want to make a weapon or armor with this if possible.”

“Hmm…….”

I also want to have equipment that is as powerful as possible.

Especially the armor, which is poor.

Other than the magic resistance wristbands, I wear ordinary leather outerwear.

I was tempted to wear metal armor once, but it didn’t suit my personality at all.

It doesn’t fit my physique, and it’s a hassle to manage.

“Is it possible?”

I asked Meon, who was carefully staring at it.

“……Want to check…… a little.”

He pretended to put an awl on a part of the bone.

Does he want to check the fragments a little? He’s cautious.

“As much as you want.”

I readily accepted.

I know that there’s a limit to estimating with just a glance.

I can allow that much.

Then Meon immediately struck the awl skillfully and carved out only a nail-sized fragment.

He doesn’t damage other parts, so his craftsmanship is not ordinary.

Then he puts it on a wooden plate, crushes it into small pieces, and starts checking something.

He looks more like an alchemist than a blacksmith.

“……Armor. Possible.”

“Oh! Really?”

“But…….”

Just as he was about to continue speaking with a serious nod, a familiar voice came from behind me, who was very excited.

“But the commission fee will be a bit high, you know.”

Those are truly terrible words.