Big and Beautiful (3)
Demonstrations broke out in Machina, the land of dwarves. I found out about it through the newspaper.
From my point of view, the protest broke out without any warning, so I can’t help but be embarrassed in many ways. Machina was a very important country for me as well.
The Minerva Empire is known as the country with the strongest economic power, but its productive capacity lags behind than expected.
Although productive power is directly related to economic power, the reason for the strong economic power of the Minerva Empire is due to its dense economic structure.
It was the first to issue a ‘central bank’ to strictly manage the national treasury, and there are even institutions that manage finance.
The productivity is also not left behind, the Minerva Empire has the largest number of people in the world.
The productive power and unique economic structure are combined to show off the mighty economic power.
Although the demon worshipers are faltering because they printed ‘counterfeit money’, it is a shame because it is the Minerva Empire, and in any other country it would have been directly linked to the Great Depression.
However, even in this Minerva Empire, it is far behind Machina in terms of ‘productivity’. It is no different from the Soviet Union, which is in full swing with some exaggeration.
Moreover, unlike other countries, Machina has one craftsman. lack of production? If you go down the road, pick someone and put it in and you’re done.
What humans call ‘technology’ is nothing more than ‘play’ to Dwarves. It can be said that it is truly a race of artisans.
[King of Machina, Bourges V. Nothing happened.]
[Protesters are now disbanded and returned to work.]
However, just because it is a race of artisans, it is absolutely not a ‘machine’. The protests that erupted this time also piled up and the accumulated things exploded.
As seen in the newspaper, the protests ended quickly and the king himself replied that nothing was happening, but I could intuit it.
This was clearly suppressed. They must have treated the protesters with violence or taken them to prison.
There was a similar history on Earth, no, very similar history, so I could guess. The difference is that it happened before the Industrial Revolution even broke out.
Beneath this unmatched productivity lies this darkness. It’s no different with Machina.
“One of the printing shops is down right now. We just can’t keep up with the demand.”
As I was carefully examining the newspaper, someone from the front spoke quietly. I took my eyes off the newspaper and looked straight ahead.
Musk has a darker face than usual. My cheeks became thin as I had suffered quite a bit.
The protest, and also the dwarf factories related to papermaking, must have had an effect on the publishing house as well.
It turns out that as the protests broke out, supply could not keep up with demand. It was an intermittent situation, but in the end, it was on the verge of stopping operation.
Currently, not only Blood and Steel, but also Xenon’s biography is still being published. Most of all, now is the heyday of ‘books’.
Originally, ordinary people did not read books well, but after Zeno’s biography, the amount of reading increased rapidly. It is a bonus that the number of students entering the department of literature has risen sharply.
As Xenon’s biography acted as a kind of stepping stone, the number of people who came close to the book exploded.
“The printing house is fine. Then the new book…”
“I’m sorry, but even if you give me the manuscript, it will be difficult to print it right away. We need at least a full week to accumulate spares.”
Paper production, that is, papermaking, is mostly done by hand. Even if there is an assisting machine, it will unconditionally ride a human hand.
An enormous supply of paper from Xenon’s biography to blood and steel. This is literally the replacement of dwarf factories.
In other words, the root cause lies with me. I was just writing a book and it made me feel uncomfortable that it caused such harm.
‘But why didn’t I know this until now?’
Unlike when I first investigated Machina, the illness is worse than expected. Although there was media control, he knew very little about the known information, that is, the damage to the Dwarf factories.
Why? If I had seen the actual situation of Machina, I would have written more about the founding of the Soviet Union.
As I was making a face that I did not understand, Musk looked at my face and opened his mouth quietly.
“Where do you feel uncomfortable?”
“Yes? No. It’s not like that, I’m just curious.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why didn’t I get this news? If I had known that the dwarf factories were suffering like this, I would have made adjustments.”
Right now, around me, there are acquaintances who are at the level of national leaders. Even without the Dwarfs, he could fully understand the actual situation.
But no one told me about the situation. No, it’s close to the part that I didn’t know at all.
Machina may have been able to control information that well, but it feels like something is wrong.
“·············· So complicated that it is difficult to say precisely. First of all, it is basically trying to cut the buds of the revolution.”
When I asked the question, Musk pulled his mustache and was worried, but he came up with an opinion.
I thought I knew what you were talking about, so I asked a question.
“Is this because of the Zeroth Revolution?”
“Yeah. If there was a revolution in Machina, other countries would have no choice but to take notice. It’s a bad timing in terms of the social atmosphere now that the devil worshipers are in trouble.”
“Well······”
I nodded at his reasonable explanation. After all, this person should have been in politics, not in business.
If the situation was not disturbed by the demon worshipers, then you are right! He must have attacked Machina.
There was no justification, but Machina hated the neighboring countries, but there were many things to attack.
But, as he said, the current situation is not very good. In particular, the Minerva Empire is struggling as a demon worshiper.
Fortunately, while I was holding the ‘event’, I calmed down to some extent, but I was insulted in many ways.
If anything from Machina to a revolution explodes here, the embers could spread out of control.
“There is this, but the biggest reason is probably Isaac-sama’s existence.”
“Me?”
“Yes. If the Dwarf factories stop production, the publication of works will naturally be delayed. If Isaac’s reputation is a little lower than it is now, the wind is so high that he will have no choice but to cry and eat mustard. Probably Bourgeois. Even a five-year-old must have taken advantage of this point and overcame it.”
It’s called a cause. The later my work comes out, the more you will lose, right? He must have put pressure on it.
This can also be seen as a disaster because the priesthood was too strong. No matter what I say, Makina’s side will protest, saying it’s unfair.
They just did it for God. You worked hard for God. Why are you saying that? We are afraid of God’s wrath.
I’d like to give a cool answer to those people, ‘f*ck it,’ but it’s not a fundamental solution.
‘It will be difficult for people like Marx or Lenin to come out.’
After the Industrial Revolution, Marx saw the treatment of workers and refuted his own philosophy, and Lenin was also influenced by Marx.
However, as the times are the times, it is difficult for humans and other races to come up with similar ideas.
In addition, Machina has a clear control of information, making it difficult for foreigners to know the actual situation. Even I didn’t know right now.
Protests still broke out, but they were treated as ‘riots’ and were neatly controlled at the national level.
If the Internet existed, you would have known to some extent. However, in this world, information can only be obtained through rumors and the media.
Fortunately, I was able to see the truth with my own eyes because the people around me were amazing, so it would be difficult for the general public to know.
‘Even the complaints of factories are accepted as simple complaints.’
That’s why Musk came to me now. Production has been slowed down because the Dwarves have been protesting for absurd things.
In fact, how would you react if you found out that such a trivial task is too much work? Musk is known for being nice to his employees.
So I brought up a question to test him and get some information.
“Mr. Musk.”
“Yes, you tell me.”
“Mr. Musk, how many hours per day does Mr. Musk work?”
“···········?”
Musk blinks at my question. It is a face that thinks deeply about what the intention of asking the question was.
But I just stare with a smile on my face. A harmless expression that said there was no intention in it.
At that, Musk tilted his head with an ambiguous expression and said calmly.
“I work from 9 am to 5 pm unless on duty.
“How much is your salary?”
“It depends on the rank and position. High-end people like accountants pay close to 80 goals a month. When the day comes when you have to calculate your taxes, you pay extra.”
“What if an employee gets into an accident?”
“Since we’re a publishing house, we rarely have accidents, but do you know when I was ambushed by a demon worshiper?”
every time you know Buying a temple for that reason, I was trying to do something that a criminal could never even imagine.
Now, we moved the company to our estate, but it was a dangerous case.
“If that happens, I would recommend taking a break for about half a year as well as the cost of treatment. Of course, the salary comes out every now and then. Trauma is no joke because it happens once.”
“then······”
After a moment’s silence, I remembered my past life, that is, the poor conditions of the workers. Although standards differ from country to country, I know that it was the worst.
“Working 16 hours a day.”
“yes?”
“There is no rest period, and there is no compensation in case of an accident while working. Children can work, but the conditions are the same.”
“·······”
“If you had a job like this, what would you think?”
Musk blinked, wondering what he had heard. Then he replied in a sullen voice.
“I want an employee, not a slave?”
“Can I make more money this way?”
“I don’t buy or sell people’s lives. No, does such a top exist before that?”
I thought that was a really good answer. I shook my head, fed up with his words that I didn’t understand at all.
The exploitation of dwarf factories is only my imagination. It will take a few days to get the right information.
“I don’t know. Anyway, I will publish a new book slowly. Instead, I have to take measures so that I can’t do weird things using my name.”
“If there is such a person, they will be punished.”
“The gods won’t intervene just like this.”
If God intervenes, it would be like a Savior caught up in fanaticism. Actually, I’m not even a saint.
Of course, safety devices need to be put on. Because I don’t know what to do in Machina, where information control is strong.
‘I need Kate’s help to do that. But when is this woman coming?’
It’s been three months since Kate left. I don’t know what they are doing without contact.
‘I’ll have to wait a little bit.’
Let’s focus on the present for now. After I told Musk what I was going to say to the press, I pulled out the items I had prepared in advance.
Musk said with the nuance of knowing what to expect when I put it on the table.
“Is this a new picture?”
“Yes. The new book will come out later anyway, so I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to publish the illustrations in advance.”
Illustration of Hitler and Guderian looking at the Tank 1 being produced at the factory.
It is important because it is the first scene where the tank appears, but it doesn’t matter. What is everyone doing when they see this in the first place? because you want
Luminus said that three dwarves would come to our territory by inventing a tank.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t care.”
He didn’t say when that was, so he was reassured.
*****
[Zeno’s tips on seeing Machina’s protests. Do not use me as an excuse to make the factories suffer.]
[Blood and Steel will be published at a later cycle for the time being for the dwarf factories.]
[If there are people who want to use their name…]
Protests that broke out in Machina spread around the world, reaching Isaac.
Isaac delayed the release cycle as he had discussed with Musk, and warned the factories not to use him for the sake of convenience.
Naturally, the news went viral, and Machina agreed, even if she had some complaints.
It was impossible to dare to stand on an equal footing with a saint who was blessed by God, and he could have been attacked by concentrated fire from neighboring countries.
“Move faster! Move faster. You useless bastards!”
“Joe, if you give me a little rest…”
“Are you talking back to the factory topic?!”
“aah!”
However, that does not mean that the treatment of factories has improved. Rather, as if he did not want to develop a sense of rebellion, the whipping only grew stronger.
The number of factories that were toppled by hard labor gradually increased, and the violence against them by factory owners grew stronger.
carrot? There is no such thing as carrots. If one factory collapses, it is enough to replace it with another factory.
Literally, something like a ‘part’ of a machine. The factories moved their limbs without saying a word even though they were tired and piled up.
“Freedom for us! Creation for us! Rest for us!”
“Give us a chance, Bourges V! Give the child a pen, not a hammer!”
But that didn’t mean he didn’t raise his voice. Maybe it’s because of the ruthless suppression of the last protest.
Dwarf factories from time to time gathered in squares and streets to protest violently.
It is no longer a paper-making factory, but a situation where factories in each field have gathered together.
The only way to raise their voices was to raise their voices, as they had directly witnessed that the state did not care about them.
But······
“Power Fire!!”
The state responded with even greater violence. An arrow specially made for suppression is fired, and the arrow is directly shot at the factories.
“Ahhhh!!”
“Do, run away!”
“What did we do! What did we do!”
The protesters, who were advancing from the plaza to the royal palace, started to run away, horrified by the rain of arrows being shot.
Fortunately, the tip of the arrow was blunt and there were no fatalities.
“aah! My, my eyes! My eyes!!”
“Tongue, brother! Hurry up the priest! Call the priest!”
But there were no fatalities, but there were many wounded. There were even dwarves who were blinded by the tip of the arrow being hit in the eye.
In this way, the power of the protesters is powerless in the face of the armed forces of the state.
Now, when we need a ‘revolution’, not a protest. The dwarves gradually intuited it, and the social atmosphere went that way.
“You can’t hold your breath anymore! What did we do wrong? Did we want too much? We just needed a break and a cold beer. We never wanted this kind of treatment!”
“Right! Right!”
“After all, a learned person is very good at talking!”
And for the revolution, a certain ‘central point’ is needed, as was the case with the Zeroth Revolution. Just like the dwarves who speak hard on the podium, Geas.
Ain’s close friend and colleague, Gias, stood in front of the podium and looked around the factories that were enthusiastic.
In the meantime, the faces are devastated by the harsh persecution and poor environment. But in their eyes there is a blaze of fire.
If these lights are gathered together, it will become a huge fire horse that can burn even the nation. Geas was satisfied with the response from those around him and smiled.
Beep profit!
But even that smile didn’t last long. Protesters, including Gias, turned their heads when the whistle reached their ears.
“There are reactionaries over there! Arrest them!”
It was properly caught by a soldier who was on patrol. That number isn’t even outrageous.
Due to frequent protests in recent years, King Bourges V has greatly strengthened patrols. Literally, pressure to press down.
“These are the slaves of Bourges V!”
“Damn you bastards!”
“Everyone run away! It’s not time to fight yet!”
The protesters dispersed as the soldiers appeared. But there was no more fear on their faces.
Protesters have long since abandoned hope from the state. Not fear, but anger.
Geas also hurriedly escaped before being caught by the soldiers. He slipped through the alleyways and avoided the chase.
“Whew…”
Gias sighed in relief at the thought of getting out. Then he poked his head out of the alleyway.
Fortunately, no soldier was stuck behind. It was a little noisy, but I didn’t hear the noise of grabbing myself.
Gias then pulled out a piece of paper from his chest. Judging from the material, it was assumed that it was part of a newspaper.
“It’s a train…”
The identity of the paper in his hand was none other than a chariot, that is, a pre-published illustration by Isaac.
A tank that Hitler and Guderian looked at with happy faces. But Geas focused on the tank itself, not on Hitler and Guderian.
‘It is almost similar to what Ains is making.’
Ains is also working on a weapon similar to the picture. A steel fortress powered by a magical engine.
For strong firepower, a ‘cannon’ was mounted on the upper part, and a loadable crossbow was mounted below it.
However, it has been struggling to make progress recently, none other than the rough and rough road conditions of Machina.
It was difficult to operate because it rattled too much to use the wheels. I can’t go any further because of one wheel.
‘If it’s a structure like this…’
Geas focused on the caterpillar, the symbol of the tank. If it is this type of wheel, it can be operated sufficiently on rough terrain.
‘how?’
How did Xenon, or Isaac, come up with such a weapon? Although it is similar to the steel weapon Ains is inventing, it is too easy.
no. Beyond similar things, even the clogging part! pierced it In terms of technology alone, it is one step ahead.
The steam locomotive in Xenon’s life, and the current tank.
‘Are you really from the future?’
I said no, but now I’m not even sure about that. Without future knowledge, such a steel weapon would be unimaginable.
‘It doesn’t matter. If only it could be the center of the revolution.’
Geas cherished the painting in his bosom. Ains and Handi are so engrossed in inventing the tank that they hardly know anything about the outside world.
He only asked himself, who was good at speaking, to become the center of the revolution.
‘That’s enough.’
What a craftsman who has been honing his skills for decades needs.
‘We can also be armed.’
There is only one blueprint.