Episode 129 Interlude (1)
"So, you're saying the Tourail Trading Company asked to delay payment for the bituminous coal?"
"Y-yes…"
"And you just accepted it?"
"B-but I didn't just agree to it! I properly received interest according to the grace period, and I was able to increase our share in future transactions…"
"Tsk, you still haven't learned your lesson! Interest? Future transactions?"
Hubert's Trading Company, the company owner's office.
A short Dwarf was roaring at a merchant.
Several merchants who had come in for work reports were just watching, and Howard, who had been fuming, took a deep breath and continued in a calm voice.
"Whew, you know that bituminous coal is necessary for refining, right?"
"…Of course."
"And you know the current situation up north."
"…Yes."
"And you, knowing that! You handed over something that's practically a military supply in this wartime, and what? Interest? Interest?!"
But his calm demeanor didn't last long, and he started shouting again.
Iron was the most basic material for weapons, and bituminous coal was an essential fuel for producing high-quality iron.
It meant that there were countless buyers in this wartime, when weapon production had surged.
But he had accepted 'ordinary interest' and a 'vague promise of concessions in future transactions' in exchange for delivering the goods, even risking having his funds frozen because of unpaid bills…
It was a situation where he couldn't help but be angry.
"…There's no way a merchant wouldn't know such a basic thing."
Howard, who had been venting his anger with a flushed face, muttered quietly and stared at the merchant who was just bowing his head.
Howard's presence, which should have been just that of an ordinary Dwarf craftsman, quietly consumed the space, creating a suffocating atmosphere.
"It seems like you tried to line your own pockets while Hubert was away. Did I look that easy to you?"
"N-no, sir! That's a misunderstanding…!"
"We'll find out if we investigate."
"W-wait! Master Howard! Please listen to…"
The guards, who entered at his signal, took the merchant away, and a momentary silence fell over the office.
"What are you doing? We don't have time, so report quickly!"
But it didn't last long.
The uncomfortable meeting finally ended after Howard, who had heard all the merchants' reports, gave work instructions.
"Then I'll be going, so unless it's really important, handle things at your discretion and report later!"
The merchants of Hubert's Trading Company were finally able to breathe comfortably after Howard left.
"Whew— It feels like working with the company owner himself."
"You felt that too? At first, I wondered why they put an unknown Dwarf in charge as the owner's representative…"
The merchants of Hubert's Trading Company whispered among themselves and left.
Naturally, they couldn't help but feel resistant when they heard that Howard had become the owner's representative due to a sudden incident and Hubert was away.
After all, an unfamiliar Dwarf they had never seen before had suddenly become their superior.
How could the merchants who had built the company so far sincerely follow someone whose abilities hadn't been proven, someone who was interfering in the company's operations?
Of course, no one was foolish enough to show such feelings in front of Harley, who had suddenly barged in.
"Well… it seems like he's really in contact with the company owner. The work instructions also seemed like something he would give."
"Actually, I was also worried. I thought it might be a conspiracy to steal the company, starting with the company owner's disappearance… But it seems like it's okay to relax for now."
They were following Howard for now because Harley, who was practically a co-CEO, had personally appointed him as the representative, but the merchants were keeping a close eye on his actions.
They were wondering if this was all a scheme by someone to steal the company.
But he was only making efforts to maintain the company as usual and didn't show any signs of embezzling profits or assets.
The most he did was supply various materials to his personal workshop.
Of course, that wasn't a problem because Hubert had allowed it from the beginning.
"By the way, did that Kaol guy really take a bribe from the Tourail Trading Company?"
"Ugh— It's too early to jump to conclusions, but it's definitely suspicious."
"He's really fearless."
"Tell me about it."
The merchants clicked their tongues and shook their heads.
They understood that he was tempted because the captain of the ship was gone, but acting on it was literally an act of fearlessness.
And Harley himself had even warned him.
The top priority of Tarak's merchant world was currently supplying the Iron Fortress, which could be considered the front line.
Naturally, news from there was relayed in real time, and the hottest topic lately was Harley's monstrous performance.
'And Tarak's security forces are openly patrolling and paying attention to the company, so it's foolish to act rashly here.'
Of course, Kaol also seemed to have noticed something and prepared an excuse, as if he hadn't just embezzled funds…
But as Howard said, it was no different from ignoring him.
'It wasn't just about parroting the company owner's instructions. And that suffocating charisma… I need to double-check if I've missed anything.'
The merchant, who had sincerely submitted, hurriedly left to reconfirm his tasks.
And he wasn't the only one who thought that way.
And so, despite Hubert's absence—.
Thanks to Howard's efforts and Harley's influence, the company was continuing its smooth operation.
____________________
"Ugh, Hubert needs to come back soon! I'm wasting so much time. But I can't just neglect the company!"
Howard grumbled as he entered a building.
He was currently handling the company's affairs due to unavoidable circumstances, but his original goal was to take advantage of the time difference and cram as much knowledge from Earth into his body as possible.
Of course, considering the time difference with Earth, the time he spent handling work was insignificant, and he was still spending most of his time in the workshop…
But every second was precious now that he was building his foundation from the ground up.
'And even though the time ratio is ten times different, the time it takes to internalize something isn't the same as just knowing it theoretically.'
Because of that, he was far behind his daily quota.
He had to work diligently from now on to make up for it.
"Ahem! Then shall we begin today's work?"
Howard, who had changed into his work clothes, lightly stretched and approached the furnace that was emitting heat.
It was a magic furnace that maintained its heat even when he was away and had safety features to prevent fire hazards.
Thanks to his generous spending, there were many such conveniences throughout the workshop.
So that he could focus solely on improving his skills.
'Hmm, I need to raise the temperature.'
Howard checked the temperature by subtly extending his hand towards the furnace and then skillfully threw in a pile of coal.
The rapidly rising heat slowly stabilized after reaching the optimal temperature he desired.
'Perfect.'
It was surprising considering he had only started practicing in earnest a short time ago, but it wasn't anything special to him.
'Dwarves definitely have different senses from humans. There's a reason why they're called the artisan race.'
What humans had to learn through experience over countless years, Dwarves could do instinctively.
He could adjust the temperature of the fire to the decimal point just by looking at it and feeling it with his skin.
And by holding coal in his hand and assessing its weight and particles, he could instinctively tell how much the temperature would rise when it was put in the fire.
The optimal center of gravity he naturally felt when holding a hammer and the characteristics of the material vividly transmitted through his fingertips were also something humans didn't have.
And since they were born with delicate dexterity and strong bodies, they were far ahead of human artisans from the starting line.
It was almost cruel to make them compete on the same level.
'Well, it's a good thing I'm a Dwarf this time.'
He couldn't imagine how long it would have taken if he had to start from scratch without such advantages…
He felt grateful once again to Zaonic, who willingly gave him his pickaxe, Elinne.
"Ahem! First, let's start with refining iron ore!"
Howard diligently continued his training, gathering bituminous coal, limestone, and other materials piled up on one side of the workshop.
The knowledge from Earth was imprinted in his mind like a sponge absorbing water in extreme concentration.
Information processed through various media, such as photos, videos, and documents, was reproduced by Howard's hands and became his flesh and blood.
Clang! Clang—!
And so, a craftsman was steadily growing in a small workshop that no one was paying attention to yet.
____________________
Warm light enveloped Hubert, who was lying on the bed, groaning.
"Auterica Holy Magic", imbued with healing power, helped his body recover and revitalized him.
'This is faster than I expected. I'll be able to move around in a day, no need to wait for several days. I underestimated myself.'
The recovery of the damage, which had been reduced to a critical injury by "Instant Death Immunity", was faster than expected.
The synergy between Heinrich's healing holy magic and "Super Recovery" was beyond imagination.
Actually, the reason why I had estimated a long recovery period was largely because of Heinrich's experience.
A strong body built through extreme training, the protection of holy power and blessings, and even the common skill "Super Recovery".
Even Heinrich, with such optimal conditions, had to recuperate for nearly a month in the best environment, the Roselia Cathedral, after the battle with Immortal King Hans.
Naturally, he had to underestimate Hubert's recovery time because his physical condition was worse, and the level of healing holy magic he received was lower, excluding "Super Recovery".
'But I overlooked the fact that Heinrich's opponent was the Immortal King.'
Even though they were both critical injuries, the level was completely different.
Unlike Heinrich, who couldn't recover properly because he was riddled with a vicious curse, Hubert's heart and internal organs were just crushed, weren't they?
'Well, that's actually more serious… But thanks to "Instant Death Immunity", it only ended up with heavily damaged internal organs.'
And such injuries could be quickly healed with the combination of "Super Recovery" and holy healing.
He would even be able to send Hubert back to Auterica as soon as the transfer formation's cooldown ended.
"Hmm, once Hubert goes, I'll have to do that boring task again…"
I looked at Hubert, who was lying down and operating the tablet with just his fingers, with a disgruntled feeling.
Of course, it was the process of transferring blacksmithing knowledge to Howard.
Howard's mind would 'understand' it once he read it, but the process itself was still annoying.
Sitting blankly and cramming that vast amount of knowledge into his head couldn't be fun.
'With avatars, I can filter out such emotions with "Mind Hub", so it doesn't matter even if it's a repetitive task, but I have to endure it with my pure mental power.'
Of course, my mental power had already surpassed that of humans through several enhancements, but I couldn't really feel it.
It was because…
'I have eight bodies moving simultaneously.'
And except for Hubert, they were all guys who consumed a lot of mental power.
And they also had to adapt to the time difference between dimensions, and even though "Mind Hub" was the main skill, it still consumed a bit of mental power to block mental contamination.
Mental power was a resource that always felt lacking, no matter how much he had.
'There's only one thing that can solve this situation.'
But as always, there was a breakthrough prepared for me.
It was to enhance his unique skill and create a new clone.
"Avatar" was the best.