Day 511-520/Day 511

Day 511 / 41th day
　While making various preparations to leave, I accompany him to the site of today's work to witness his first job.
　It was the time of day when more and more people finished eating breakfast and started working. Two Golem trucks, modeled after ten-ton aluminum van trucks, are driving down the paved road, carrying me and some of the employees who will be working today.
　Since this is also a practice run, the golem trucks are driven by a young man with a sack of meat and a man in combat.
　I get into the first vehicle driven by the young man and give him advice as if I were an instructor. As a beginner, the young man seemed to be very nervous and his body was stiff and unnecessarily tense. His eyes were moving busily and I could see that his hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel. I was so nervous that I was worried about what I was seeing, but it couldn't be helped since I was not used to driving and didn't have much experience.
　Besides, we had to be careful of not only the carts being towed by the large beasts that were freely moving along the road, but also the ordinary carts and walkers. If a collision were to occur, the damage to the other side would obviously be severe, not to mention the damage to the sturdy and heavy cart. If you are lucky, you may be slightly injured, but if you are not, you may be killed instantly.
　In the meantime, safety when driving is ensured by the performance and functions of the golem truck itself. As a golem truck is a golem, it can act independently, and automatic driving and emergency stop are some of its functions. It is able to stop automatically even if it jumps out of the vehicle. It can also proceed without problems even if you're dozing off. Otherwise, there's no way I would let a beginner who hasn't even practiced properly drive it.
　So, while it is not necessary to drive with excessive caution like the meat bag youth of today, driving safely is one of the basics to avoid accidents. So let's keep quiet about the various safety features for now.
　That's why the lead car of the young man with the bag of meat, who was driving more carefully than necessary, and the following car, which was in a similar situation, proceeded at a low speed of about 30 kilometers per hour.
　As they moved along, I felt the eyes of the people on the road gathering on me.
　This was probably due to the fact that the side panel of the golem truck carried an advertisement for the "Drunken Lance Company", a new business association. The golem truck, with its distinctly different appearance compared to the others, was the center of attention, so just moving it around had an advertising effect.
　It would be profitable if we could get some work later on after seeing the advertisement.
　We arrived at the meeting place a little earlier than scheduled, although we had to make a little detour for both publicity and practice. The meeting place was a small square near the main gate leading to the outside. Since this place is often used as a meeting place, there were many people around who were also killing time.
　After a few minutes of waiting and communicating with the employees, two boxcarriages with two guards riding on white wolf-like animals came into the square. Both of these carriages are not that unusual in design, but they look sturdy, and they are pulled by good quality golem horse hoses. The golem horse, which is powerful and tireless, is quite expensive, indicating that it is being ridden by someone with a certain amount of wealth.
　The first of the two carriages had jewels, glasses and a hammer engraved on its side. From that, I knew that the carriage in the front belonged to the "Lignadro Jewelers" who introduced me to my business partner this time around. And since the pattern of the carriages following them is different, they must be the carriages of the Adora Adora Mineral Shop, our business partner for today.
　The two carriages came straight here because the golem truck was large and conspicuous and carried advertisements.
　The first thing that comes to mind is the manager and his secretary getting out of the carriage of the "Lignadro Jewelry Store". While exchanging light greetings with the manager and his team, the door of the carriage of the "Adora Adora Mineral Shop" opened.
　What came out of the carriage was a well-built gray-furred werewolf. His upper body, covered with body hair, was thick and large, and he was wearing some kind of leather pants. There was a knife hanging from his waist, but from what I observed, he seemed to be good at hand-to-hand combat, so I guess he didn't use it for fighting, but for dismantling and other miscellaneous tasks.
　 　The sharp eyes on the wolf-like head stared straight at me, observing me in every detail, but I could not sense any hostility. After a few seconds of confrontation with the Blutbad, which was probably a guard, the Blutbad moved to the side of the doorway.
　The guards stepped aside and the next person to come out was a woman. She was dressed in a comfortable riding suit, and her sharp eyes gave the impression that she was strong-minded. However, contrary to my impression, she seemed to be a sociable woman and finished her self-introduction with a cheerful smile.
　The woman is one of the manager's important business partners for purchasing gems, and is the third generation female president of the Adora Adora Mineral Shop, which operates several labyrinthine mines. 
　It's also a big business association that has relationships with the seven major merchant fammilies and is one of the long-established businesses in the Free Trade City of Sectriad.
　It's going to be a pretty big deal from the first job, but if it goes well here, it will be easier in the future.
　After a brief greeting, we decided to get down to business. 
　This time, our job was to go and pick up the resources produced by the labyrinth mine operated by the Adora Adora Mineral Shop and bring them back.
　Before I left, I loaded the two carriages that the manager and the head of the shop had come in with into the back of the truck. The reason was that it would be faster to simply carry them, but it was also to show how they could be loaded and carried.
　The golem horses and the carriages themselves were secured so that they would not move inside. The size of the golem truck was such that there was still room for two carriages to fit in one of them, and the head woman merchant and the store manager -- the store manager was supposed to go home after I introduced him here, but out of curiosity, he decided to accompany me. --After the inspection, we moved to the front cabin where the driver's seat was located. The cabin had enough space for about five or six people. If we used the roof on top of the cabin, we could fit several more people.
　The first car was occupied by me, a young man with a bag of meat, the manager and four others. We followed the flow of traffic around us to the gate that led to the outside and got out without any hitches.
　 　The golem truck gradually increased its speed, unconcerned by the fact that the guards on the cavalry were following them, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. The meatbag youths were getting used to it, and the decrease in the number of wagons and pedestrians around them gave them more mental space. The speed increased to forty, fifty, sixty, and so on up the mountain road to the labyrinthine mine owned by the head of the female merchant. The mountain road leading to the labyrinth mine was a bit tortuous and had a large difference in elevation, but it was paved with something like concrete, as it had been mined for many years by the Adora Adora Mineral Shop. It was much easier to drive than the others, there was no oncoming traffic and it was wide enough to drive easily. We continued along the mountain road, leaving our escort behind, and arrived in less than an hour. The labyrinth mine was a large hole in the middle of the mountain. Nearby, there was a building surrounded by solid stone walls and a deep moat. The building was said to be a base for the miners and a place to collect supplies. To enter, we had to cross a drawbridge that looked like it was made of logs and pass through a gate with a mysterious pattern on it. The guards were very wary of our approach, but when the president opened the window and blew something like a dog whistle, we were able to enter without any problem.
　Once inside, we found a square where many wagons could come and go. I stopped at one of the corners and asked the chairwoman of the women's business and the manager what they thought of the meatbag young man who was weak after a day's work.
　According to the chairwoman, who was quite excited about riding in the golem truck, the ride was much faster and more comfortable than riding in a horse-drawn carriage. While earning good impression points, we quickly dismounted the carriage and decided to load the resources collected by the miners of the labyrinth mine.
　By the way, a labyrinth mine is a mine inhabited by dungeon monsters, mainly natural golems and other minerals. They are far more dangerous than ordinary mines, but depending on the type of golem, which is a mass of resources, they can be more profitable than ordinary mines.
　Even rock golems, which are lumps of rock, can be sold at a high price depending on the type of rock they are made of. Golems made of rare metals are even better.
　And this time, the resource was metal, which is heavy but highly valuable. The crates containing the resources were dismantled to some extent into arms, legs, torso, head, etc. for easy transportation. There were dozens of them stacked on top of each other, but by carrying them in relays one after another, we were able to finish loading them in a short time. In order to make it more efficient, we should consider building a resource accumulation warehouse that matches the height of the rear door. You may also want to lease a forklift-like golem to make things easier. If they can carry the goods easily, the miners will be able to work easily while we are not here.
　When I briefly explained my concerns to the female president of the company, who was watching the employees' transportation work, she became enthusiastic, and we were able to sign a contract for the future. The contract was signed by the wolf beastman, who was also my escort and secretary, so it was decided on the spot.
　The golem forklift was ordered as soon as possible, so we manufactured three of them using the materials we had on hand. Although they were improvised, we had experience in manufacturing golem trucks, so we were able to secure the minimum functionality. I also made a set of golem dimple keys to start the golem forklifts in case they were stolen. Each Golem forklift needs its own Golem Dimple Key to operate, so just keeping track of them will help prevent theft. We're only allowed to move within a certain radius of the base, but we should have some insurance.
　I explained how to handle the golem forklift, which was ready in less than thirty minutes, and let the miners drive it. It took a few bumps and bruises, but if it broke down, just refill the repair furnace in the back with golem cores and other debris and leave it there. There are plenty of materials here that can be used as repair materials, so it won't be a problem even if you treat it a little rough.
　I also made some wooden pallets while watching the children play with their new toys. 
　I explained to the head of the base and the head of the women's business how to use them.
　By mid-afternoon, there was nothing more to do here, so we returned with two wagons in the center, flanked by golem trucks. The back of the carriage was full of crates of resources, so this was a natural choice. The only people in the carriage were the bosses. The president of the company, the manager, and four others were riding in the first carriage, which was more comfortable. It's not a bad idea for us, as we can talk more.
　On the way back, we found out how they had been transporting the resources. According to the chairwoman, they had been using their own transportation unit. However, this was costly. It cost a lot of money to manufacture a transport vehicle that could withstand the weight, to secure workers, and to deploy guards in case of an attack by outside forces. There is a method of transportation that uses storage magic items that can be stored in large quantities and are easy to carry, but storage magic items are a relatively precious commodity. In addition, the more items that can be stored in large quantities, the more expensive they become, and the more difficult it is to find the necessary quantities. Considering the amount of items used by the miners in the labyrinth mines, it would be more economical to use wagons to transport them from the labyrinth mines to the city.
　In addition, if you try to buy all of them, you'll have to deal with rival merchant associations and even other merchant associations. You can find a lot of people who want to buy storage magic items, and if you force yourself to buy them all, you will incur unnecessary resentment from those who could not afford them.
　I want to cut back, but I can't. As a business owner, this was a headache that was difficult to replace for many years.
　And that's where we come in. We can change the way we do things if we can transport more and faster than before. 　It costs a little more, but it is still cheaper than before.
　We've also demonstrated how safe it is. The golem arm, which is normally stored under the vehicle, automatically deploys and shoots rockets out of the muzzle of its fingertip like a machine gun before the occasional monster attack can be eliminated by the mounted guards. It is a luxurious air gun that uses a magical gem that creates gusts of wind, and can be called a kind of magic item. The bullets were lying around, and the rapid rate of fire turned most opponents into a beehive. It would be difficult to get through to monsters that are stronger than a certain level, but there are still other mechanisms, so it should be okay. At worst, you can run over them if you hit them head-on.
　While asserting its high defense capability, today's work ended successfully. It looks like we'll be able to have a good relationship in the future, and that's the best we can say for now.
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PLACE TRANSLATIONS ABOVE THE BAR. THESE ARE THE RAWS, LEAVE THEM HERE. CLICK EXPAND TO VIEW THEM.
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“四十一日目　／　五■十一■目”
　出立する準備を色々と進めつつ、最初の仕事を見届けるべく今日の現場に同行する。
　朝食を食べ終え、仕事を始める人が増える時間帯。
　今日作業する従業員数名と俺を乗せ、十トンのアルミバントラックをモデルにした二台のゴーレムトラックが舗装された道路を走行する。
　練習も兼ねているのでゴーレムトラックを運転するのは肉袋青年と、戦闘要員の男性だ。
　俺は肉袋青年が運転する先頭車両に乗車し、教官のように適宜アドバイスをしていく。
　初心者である肉袋青年は非常に緊張しているらしく、身体はガチガチで無駄な力が入っている。忙しなく視線は動き、ハンドルを握る手はギュッと力が込められているのが分かった。
　見ている方が心配になるほどの緊張具合だが、乗車経験自体が乏しい事に加え、運転に不慣れだから仕方無い。
　それに道路を自由に行き交う大型の獣に牽引される荷車はもちろん、普通の荷車や歩行者にも注意が必要だ。
　下手に衝突事故でもしようものなら、頑丈で重いコチラはともかく相手側の被害が大変な事になるのは明白だ。
　運が良くて軽傷、悪ければ即死もあり得る。
　一応、走行時の安全性はゴーレムトラック自体の性能と機能で確保している。
　ゴーレムトラックはゴーレムなので自立的な行動が可能であり、自動運転や緊急停止も機能の一つだ。
　飛び出してきても自動的に停車できるようにしている。居眠りしていても問題なく進む事も出来る。
　そうでなければまともに練習もしていないような初心者に運転させる訳がない。
　だから今の肉袋青年のように周囲を過度に気をつけながら運転する必要はないが、安全運転をする事は事故を起こさない基本中の基本である。
　だから各種安全機能については、今は黙っている事にしよう。
　そんな訳で必要以上に慎重に運転する肉袋青年の先頭車両と、似たような状況にある後続車両は時速三十キロ程度の低速で進んでいった。
　移動中、道行く人々の視線が集まって来るのを感じた。
　 　その原因はゴーレムトラックのサイドパネルに新興商会≪商会≫の広告を載せているからだろう。
　他と比べて明らかに外観が異なるゴーレムトラックは注目の的なので、移動するだけで宣伝効果があった。
　広告を見て、後日仕事が来れば儲けものだろう。
　宣伝と練習も兼ねて少し大回りしながらも、予定の時間より少し早く待ち合わせ場所まで到着した。
　待ち合わせ場所は外に繋がる正門近くにあるちょっとした広場だ。ここは待ち合わせ場所としてよく使われるので、周囲には同じく時間を潰している者も多い。
　数分ほど従業員達とコミュニケーションをとりながら待っていると、白い狼のような騎獣に乗った複数の護衛を引き連れた二頭牽きの箱馬車が二台、広場に入ってきた。
　どちらもそこまで珍しくはないデザインの馬車だが作りは頑丈そうであり、牽引するのは質の良さそうなゴーレムだ。
　馬力もあって疲れ知らずのゴーレムホースは結構高価な品であり、ある程度以上の財力を持つ者が乗っている事を示している。
　そんな二台の馬車だが、先頭の車体には側面に宝石と眼鏡と金槌の紋様が刻まれていた。
　その事から先頭の馬車は、今回の取引相手を紹介しくれた≪リグナドロー宝石店≫のモノだと分かった。
　そして後続の馬車の紋様は違うので、つまり今日の取引相手である≪アドーラアドラ鉱物店≫の馬車なのだろう。
　ゴーレムトラックが大きくて目立つし広告も載せているので、二台の馬車は真っすぐコチラに来た。
　そして直ぐ側に来ると、まずは≪リグナドロー宝石店≫の馬車から店長とその秘書が降りてくる。
　店長達と軽く挨拶を交わす間に、≪アドーラアドラ鉱物店≫の馬車の扉が開いた。
　馬車から出てきたのは、体格の良い灰色の毛並みを持つ狼獣人だった。
　体毛に覆われた上半身は太く大きく、何かの革のズボンを穿いている。腰にはナイフが吊り下げられているが、観察した限り徒手空拳を得意とする感じなので戦闘には使わず、解体とか雑用で使う感じだろうか。
　 　まさに狼のような頭部にある鋭い双眸は真っすぐに俺を見つめ、こちらを細部まで観察するが、しかし敵意は感じられない。
　恐らくは護衛なのだろう狼獣人と数秒ほど対峙した後、狼獣人が出入り口の脇に移動した。
　護衛が脇に退き、次に出てきたのは一人の女性だ。
　動きやすい乗馬服のような服装の女性であり、やや鋭い目つきから気が強そうな印象を受ける。
　しかし印象とは裏腹に社交的な女性であるらしく、朗らかな笑顔と共に簡単に自己紹介を終えた。
　女性は店長が宝石を仕入れる重要な取引相手の一人であり、複数の迷宮鉱山を運営する≪アドーラアドラ鉱物店≫の三代目女商会長である。
　≪アドーラアドラ鉱物店≫は≪自由商都セクトリアード≫でも老舗の部類で、【七大商家】とも関係を持つ大きな商会だ。
　最初の仕事からかなりの大物になるが、ここで上手くいけば今後が楽になる。
　挨拶もそこそこに、早速仕事に取り掛かる事にした。
　今回の仕事は≪アドーラアドラ鉱物店≫が運営する迷宮鉱山から産出した資源を受け取りに行って、持ち帰る事だ。
　帰りは荷台一杯に資源を積み込む事になるが、その前に店長と女商会長達が乗って来た馬車二台を荷台に積み込んだ。
　単純に運んだ方が速いからだが、どういう風に載せて、運ぶ事が出来るかを見せる意味もある。
　ゴーレム馬や馬車自体が中で動かないように固定していく。
　ゴーレムトラックの大きさは一台に馬車二台乗せてもまだ余裕があり、それを女商会長と店長――店長はここで紹介した後帰る予定だったのに、好奇心からか同行する事になってしまった――が視察した後、運転席がある前面のキャビンに移動した。
　キャビンは五、六人くらいは余裕をもって乗れるスペースがある。キャビンの上部にあるルーフも使えば更に数名乗れる。
　先頭車両には俺と肉袋青年と店長達四人が乗り、少し窮屈になるが従業員達と御者二人は後続車両に詰め込み、出発した。
　周囲の流れに沿って外に繋がる門まで移動し、何の滞りも無く外に出る。
　 　騎獣に乗った護衛が周囲を警戒しながらついてくるが、それを気にせずゴーレムトラックは徐々に速度を上げていった。
　肉袋青年達も多少慣れてきた事に加え、周囲の荷馬車や歩行者の数が減った事が精神的なゆとりに繋がった。
　四十、五十、六十と速度を上げて街道を進み、途中で女商会長が保有する迷宮鉱山に向かう山道を登っていく。
　迷宮鉱山まで続く山道はやや蛇行し、高低差も大きいが≪アドーラアドラ鉱物店≫が長年採掘してきただけあって、コンクリートのような何かで舗装されたものだった。
　他よりも遙かに走りやすく、対向車もいないし幅も広いので走りやすい。
　護衛を置き去りにするように山道を進み、一時間もしないうちに到着した。
　迷宮鉱山は山の中腹にポッカリと開いた大穴だった。
　その直ぐ近くには堅牢な石壁と深い空堀に囲われた建物がある。
　建物は鉱山夫達の拠点であり、物資集積場でもあるそうだ。
　入るには丸太で作られたような跳ね橋を渡り、不可思議な紋様を浮かべた城門をくぐる必要がある。
　見張り番がこちらの接近に強く警戒していたが、女商会長が窓を開け、犬笛のような何かを吹くと問題なく中に入れた。
　中に入ると、多くの荷馬車が行き交い出来そうな広場があった。
　その一角に停車し、一仕事終えて脱力する肉袋青年を労いつつ、女商会長や店長に感想を聞いてみる。
　ゴーレムトラックに乗ってかなり興奮気味だった女商会長曰く、馬車に乗ってくるよりも遙かに早く、かつ乗り心地も良かったらしい。
　好印象ポイントを稼ぎつつ、さっさと馬車を下ろし、俺達は迷宮鉱山の鉱山夫達が集めた資源の積み込み作業を行う事にした。
　ちなみに迷宮鉱山とは、主に天然のゴーレムなど鉱物を採取できるダンジョンモンスターが生息する鉱山の事を言うらしい。
　危険性は普通の鉱山よりも遙かに高いが、代わりに資源の塊であるゴーレムの種類によっては普通に採掘するよりも利益が出しやすいという。
　岩の塊であるロックゴーレムでも、構成する岩の種類によっては高値で売れる。
　レアメタルで構成されたゴーレムなら更に良いそうだ。
　そして今回の資源は重量があるものの価値の高いメタル系だ。
　運びやすいように腕や足、胴体や頭部などにある程度解体された資源入りの木箱。それが何十と積み重なっていたが、次々とリレーで運ぶ事で積み込みは短時間で終わった。
　もっと効率良く入れるためにリアドアの高さに合わせた資源集積倉庫を作る事も視野に入れておこう。
　後はより楽にする為、フォークリフト的なゴーレムをリースして配置するのも良いかもしれない。
　荷物を手軽に運べるなら、俺達が来ない間でも鉱山夫達が楽に仕事できるだろう。
　気になった事を従業員の運搬作業を見ていた女商会長の横で簡単に説明するとアチラも乗り気になり、この場で今後の継続的な契約も結ぶ事が出来た。
　契約書は護衛兼秘書だという狼獣人が持っていたので、その場で即決だ。
　ゴーレムフォークリフトは出来るだけ早く、という注文でもあったので、手持ちの素材を使って三台ほど製造した。
　即席だがゴーレムトラックなどの製造経験もあり、最低限の機能は確保できているだろう。
　ただリースするので保管状況がどうなるか分からないし、盗難された場合も考え、ゴーレムフォークリフトを始動させるゴーレムディンプルキーもセットで作る。
　ゴーレムフォークリフトはそれぞれのゴーレムディンプルキーを使わなければ動かないので、それを管理するだけでも盗難防止になるだろう。
　一応拠点から一定範囲内までしか動けなくしているが、保険は幾つかあるべきだ。
　三十分もせずに出来上がったゴーレムフォークリフトの扱い方を説明し、実際に使う鉱山夫達に運転させてみる。
　多少ぶつけたりしていたが、壊れたら後部の修復炉にゴーレムコアとか残骸を補充して放置しておけば直る。
　ここでは修復材料になる素材がそれこそ売るほどあるのだから、多少手荒に扱っても問題ないだろう。
　子供が新しい玩具で遊ぶような光景をよそに、木製パレットも幾つか作る。
　それを使ったやり方を拠点の責任者と女商会長達に説明した。
　昼過ぎにはここでする事も無くなったので中央に馬車二台を配置し、前後をゴーレムトラックが挟む形で帰った。
　荷台には資源入りの木箱が満載なので、自然とこうなった訳だ。
　ただ馬車には御者しかいない。
　女商会長や店長達四人は乗り心地の良い先頭車両に乗っている。
　その方が色々と話せるので、こちらとしても悪い話ではない。
　そして帰り道、これまで資源の運搬をどうしていたか知る事が出来た。
　女商会長によれば、これまでは自社の運搬部隊で運んでいたそうだ。
　ただそうなると相応にコストがかかっていた。
　重量に耐えられる運搬車の製造費、作業員の確保、外敵の襲撃に備えた護衛の配置などなど。
　大量に収納できて持ち運びが簡単な収納系マジックアイテムを使った運搬方法もあるにはあるが、収納系マジックアイテムは比較的貴重な部類だ。
　しかも大量に収納可能な物になればなるほど高額であり、必要量を揃えるのは非常に大変である。
　迷宮鉱山内で鉱山夫達が使用する量も考えると、迷宮鉱山から都市まで運搬するのは荷馬車などの方がまだ価格を抑えられる。
　それにもし買い揃えようと思ったらライバル商会の横槍はもちろん、他の商会まで敵に回る可能性も出てくる。
　収納系マジックアイテムは欲しい者が多いから、無理に買い集めれば買えなかった者達から無用な恨みも買うと言う訳だ。
　削りたいけど削れない。
　長年代え難かった、経営者として頭の痛い問題だった。
　そこに登場したのが俺達だ。
　これまでよりも速く、そしてより多く運搬できればやり方も変えられる。
　費用もそこそこするが、これまでと比べればまだ安い。
　また安全性の高さも実演済みだ。
　たまにモンスターが襲いかかってくるものの、それを騎獣に乗った護衛達が排除するよりも早く車体下部に普段は収納されているゴーレムアームが自動的に展開し、指先にある銃口からマシンガンのように石弾を射出する。
　突風を生み出す魔法宝石を使った豪華仕様のエアガンであり、一種のマジックアイテムとも言えるだろうか。
　弾はその辺りに転がっているし、連射速度も速いので大抵の相手は蜂の巣になった。
　一定以上の強さを誇るモンスターには通じ難くなるが、その他にも機構はまだあるので大丈夫だろう。
　最悪、正面からぶつかれば轢殺できる。
　防衛性能の高さも主張しつつ、今日の仕事は無事に終わった。
　今後とも良好な付き合いができそうで、一先ずは最良の結果になったと言えるだろう。
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 3