"Upperhills Workshop! The winner!"
Waaaaaah!
A thunderous roar of cheers erupted for the 'Upperhills Workshop,' which was the first to cross the finish line.
Heh heh.
A hollow laugh escaped Tobin's lips. 'It actually worked...' To be honest, Tobin hadn't understood Isaac's blueprints.
He had simply thought, 'Since the hero sir drew it, it must be right...' and had memorized the result to reproduce it. Even so, his heart was full. Seeing the object he had created reach the finish line first made his heart pound.
How long had it been since he had felt such an overwhelming emotion? Tobin's gaze turned to the spectator stands on the hill. Isaac met his eyes and gave him a bright smile.
The small child next to him was also jumping up and down with excitement. In that moment, the crowd in the stands split in two. One group flocked to Isaac to offer their congratulations, while the other crowded around Gerik, pointing fingers and shouting.
Just looking at Gerik's state made him laugh. 'Serves the fool right.' Having taken so much investment and still lost the championship, his downfall was certain. '...
For someone in his position, he doesn't look too upset.' The expression on Gerik's face was clearly one of 'relief.' What on earth was he relieved about?
His own workshop was about to go under. It was a mystery... but, well, what's good is good. The era of the 'Horseless Carriage' was now over.
The new era belonged to 'Upperhills.'
"Master! We're first! First place! This is insane!"
Callen ran over and threw his arms around him. It had been a long time since he'd seen his disciple smile so brightly. No, had he been smiling like that ever since he started working with Isaac?
Tobin muttered.
"I know. I told you the world recognizes you if you have skill."
"That again?"
"Heh heh."
'If you have skill, you'll eventually be recognized.' It was a line he had habitually told Callen. However, even Tobin himself had doubted the truth of those words.
Over the past three years without any work, Tobin had softened a great deal. A moment later, other craftsmen flocked to them like a cloud.
"Tobin! What is this! How did you do it?!"
"Crazy! You actually beat the 'Horseless Carriage'?"
Amid the chaos, Tobin looked straight at his disciple.
Tobin spoke.
"Just three years. It was only that long."
"... I know. It felt like I was going to die all that time, but it's over now."
"See? I told you it would be bearable."
[A Sense of Calling - Regarding the 'Upperhills Workshop'] -Excerpt from the November issue of the carriage catalog 'The Empire's Dignity.'
We ask.
What is a calling? During three long years without a single commission, the two craftsmen, Tobin and Callen, silently lifted their hammers. Even when the world turned its back on them, they hammered iron and honed their skills.
We ask again. What is a calling? The driver Duncan did not abandon his client even in the face of an orc attack.
In this race, when everyone cried that it was impossible, he trusted his employer and raced at full speed. In a chaotic era where everyone claims to be the best, they showed action rather than words. Steadily, until they caught the attention of the 'Hero of the Capital,' Isaac Upperhills.
(Omitted)
The southern part of the Empire. The office of Count Everglow.
Creak.
The door opened and 'Gwendolyn Everglow' walked in.
"... What is it?"
Her father tensed at his daughter's sudden strange behavior. She acted normal outside, but when it was just the two of them, she was like a cat. Even Count Ludwig Everglow couldn't predict what his daughter would do next.
Flip.
Gwendolyn spread the latest issue of 'The Empire's Dignity' before her father. Ludwig looked at the article his daughter was pointing to and pinched the bridge of his nose.
[Upperhills Workshop, launched by Isaac Upperhills, wins the capital's Harvest Festival Chariot Race.]
What was this now? A question floated in Ludwig's mind.
He spoke.
"Wasn't that fellow a mage?"
"He is."
"Then why did he suddenly start designing carriages?"
"Who knows? But isn't it really amazing?"
Ludwig was at a loss for words at his daughter's comment. 'Has my daughter already fallen for him that much?' He was a likable young man, but he wasn't mentally prepared for this yet...
"But now that you mention it, Father, I'm curious. How did he do it without magic?"
"Hmm. I see."
At his daughter's innocent curiosity, Ludwig's thoughts shifted in a different direction. Unlike his daughter, who was a scholar, he was a warrior to the bone. Ludwig's instincts from his days as a corps commander kicked in.
The important thing wasn't 'how it was made,' but 'how it could be used.' 'A unit of combat mages chanting on unshakable carriages, firing spells the moment they stop...' The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine.
A new tactic that combined mobility and firepower.
Self-propelled artillery.
No, self-propelled mages. And if it was an item that didn't use mana stones, as written in the catalog... Its efficiency would shake the entire military system of the Empire.
'But it's not certain yet. If magic was used in the forging process, the cost-effectiveness would drop sharply.' If it was a part that required Isaac to stay up for several nights to process, its price would skyrocket.
'In that case, I'd rather just hire ten mages from the Imperial Academy of Magic on the cheap.' Should he order this now, or not? It was the dilemma of a lifetime.
He looked at his daughter's face again. Gwendolyn's eyes were filled with trust for Isaac Upperhills. My daughter seems to like it...
Should I buy it? 'No. Cost-effectiveness aside, placing a pre-order on something that hasn't even been commercialized is insane.
But...'
He recalled the strange Telepathic magic that had made him stagger. There was no concrete evidence, but... If a genius made it, wouldn't it also be cost-effective?
A look of determination appeared in Ludwig's eyes.
"Daughter."
"Yes?"
His daughter, who had been looking at the catalog, lifted her head.
"Should we buy that?"
"What? Why, when the price isn't even out?"
Ludwig felt betrayed by his daughter once again. Still, he had no intention of backing down.
A week after the chariot race. I headed to what was once 'Tobin Workshop,' but was now the 'Upperhills Workshop.'
[Upperhills Workshop] "What the.
When did they change the sign?" To see my last name plastered on the gate like that. It felt a little strange.
If I said anything about this, Tobin would probably evade by saying he named it after his disciple's last name. And so, everyone gathered. Tobin, Callen, and Duncan.
It was good to see them all grinning from ear to ear. I said to them, "Honestly, I don't think any of us expected things to get this big."
"That's true."
Originally, this was all supposed to end with me making one personal magical device. But thanks to Tobin and Callen, the 'magic-less suspension' was born, and thanks to Duncan, we were able to win the race. ... Of course, I still don't know why they decided to enter the race.
But hey, what's good is good. Thanks to them, I got to show Anna an interesting sight and watch a fair competition between craftsmen. 'Maybe I should start a sports league later when I make a lot of money?'
It would be fun, but for now, I decided to focus on magic. I said to them, "First, for the high-end 'magical device suspension,' I've already submitted a thesis to the Magic Tower."
"Already?"
"It's the most important thing. The problem is this 'mechanical suspension' that went into the chariot..."
I paused, choosing my words carefully. In this world where most of the ruling class consisted of mages, the intellectual property rights of technology without magic were not properly protected. In fact, in this 'romantic era' where drawing and quartering still existed, it was more surprising that property rights for magic were protected at all.
"This technology must remain our secret for the time being."
If I had made it alone, I might have just released it to the world. After all, I had coasted on knowledge from my past life. But I didn't want to give away the 'suspension,' created with the help of Tobin and Callen, to others for free.
This meant we couldn't hire additional craftsmen. It was unreasonable to expect professional courtesy in this romantic era, so even though I knew the efficiency of dividing labor, we were forced into a master-apprentice model. I asked Tobin and Callen.
"If we do this, expanding the workshop is out of the question. Are you okay with that?"
"I'm fine with it."
"Me too."
Everyone agreed with my decision.
Good.
Now that the most important thing was decided, it was time to talk business.
"So, how many orders have we received so far?"
Callen checked the ledger and answered.
"The Everglow family ordered ten carriage sets, for a total of forty units. But after that, nothing yet..."
"Fewer than I thought."
Everyone's face fell.
"But it was such an overwhelming victory. Why?"
Duncan the driver asked me.
"That's because I was involved."
"Sir? What do you mean?"
"Even though no magical devices were used on the carriage itself, they'll think my magic was used in forging the parts."
Did they think they'd hit the jackpot overnight? Unfortunately, the world wasn't that easy.
"It will take some time for the misunderstanding to be cleared up."
"Hmm... Then I guess we'll have to wait until then."
Just then, Callen raised his hand.
"Wait a moment."
He continued.
"Do we really have to clear up the misunderstanding?"
"... What do you mean by that?"
"What if we just say it contains the mystical energy of 'Isaac Upperhills' and sell it at a high price? Wouldn't someone buy it?"
Hm?
Is that so? ... Come to think of it, the princess was scheduled to go on a tour to the east in a few days. It seemed I could use that to present a showcase.
'Upperhills Workshop' employee of the year, 'Callen Upperhills,' has been decided.
A few days later, a gift from 'Isaac Upperhills' arrived at the princess's office. Inside the box were several suspension sets and a short letter.
[I prepared this for Your Highness, who must be busy with work. If you have urgent matters to attend to while traveling, or when meetings with nobles are awkward, it might be good to handle them inside the carriage.]
"My goodness..."
The princess's hand holding the letter trembled. The letter was filled with nothing but pure goodwill and consideration. 'I haven't been able to give him any real help, yet Isaac is...'
She had heard news of Isaac from time to time. He had taken over 'Tobin Workshop' and was running a workshop bearing his own name... He had even won a chariot race under that workshop's name.
She knew he was talented, but she had no idea he was this versatile.
"Hmm..."
The princess thought. She considered what would be the most helpful thing she could do for Isaac at this point. Lifting the suspension, the princess said, "It would be good to try this during the eastern tour."
It would also be a good idea to pick only roads in poor condition to travel on. 'I could also divide the carriages into those with and without the suspension and have them arrive at different times.' If word spread bit by bit like that, it would lend strength to the 'Upperhills Workshop.'