139-S014 Tommy Fishing (5)

I've graduated from being an adventurer. I've been working on a prototype of a tool for making mincemeat for a while now.

The shape of the tool requires casting instead of forging, so I've been grinding wax and making molds every day.

I've been working on it almost all the time, but since it doesn't compete with my master's work, he has rather encouraged me to work on it.

Well, if my master and I were both making weapons all the time, there would be an oversupply.

As for me, my ideal is to be a "blacksmith known only to those in the know" who makes a very small number of ultra-high-performance weapons, so I'm grateful to have other profitable products.

I think it's the right decision to seek a different direction from the master in order to set up store, since I know Toya and his friends well in this town.

That's why I'm working hard on the prototype, but it's not looking good.

The only thing I know is that minced meat comes out when you turn the handle. I don't know what's inside.

It probably has a blade inside, and if you turn it around, the blade will chop the meat into small pieces, but I don't know how to make the mince come out. .......

One day, after a long period of trial and error, Natsuki-san and Nao-kun visited the store.

It's been a while, Tommy. How are you doing?

Thanks to you, I've been able to live a decent life. What's today?

Weapons orders, sir. I want a cleaver that is as strong as the small sword you made for Haruka and the others.　Can you do that? - No, no. Considering the centrifugal force, I'd say even more than that.

So it's like that little sword.

I was able to make it both strong and sharp, but I was not satisfied with the weight and shape. It is too thick to be called a small sword and lacks elegance.

A naginata has a large blade, so that part is not a problem.

It's going to be very heavy. Are you okay with that?

Yes. This body is different from the one I had in Japan.

This body is different from the one I had in Japan." Natsuki smiled.

She's still as beautiful as ever, but in this world, looks don't equal strength.

I understand. What about you, Nao?

I'll be guarding Natsuki, I think. Didn't you hear from Toya?　Didn't Toya tell you there's a mine wandering around?

Oh, by the way... They're like floating mines.

Oh, that's a good one, huh?　So I'm a minesweeper then?　A guy like you could be my classmate. ...... Too many people are in trouble, aren't they?

Hahaha ......

I myself have a hard time agreeing with Nao and the others just because they bothered me when I first met them .

But it's also hard to deny. If you can put people who have taken [skill robbery] in the "troubled people" category, then surely more than half of them will be in the "troubled people" category. .......

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to do. ...... No, I think I should have three of them.　What do you think, Natsuki?

"For close combat?　I think it would be better for me and Toya to have them.

I heard in detail that Nao and Natsuki, who use long weapons, find it difficult to attack in tight spaces or when the enemy is right next to them.

If it was one on one, they could just keep their distance, but if it was multiple opponents, or if they had to pull back and the attack would go to the rear guard, they couldn't do that, and there were some dangerous situations.

He said that he sometimes used a knife for stripping, but that was dangerous, because it was sharp but not strong.

I get it. Are you sure you want the same one as last time?

No, it's a spare, so it's a little shorter. Can you put it behind your hip so it's out of the way?

Yes, that's fine. The shorter it is, the smaller the width of the blade will be, and the lighter it will be.

It's a little bit longer than a stripping knife, I guess.

It's meant for close combat, so I guess it's more like a survival knife.

This one will be ready in a few days, but the cleaver one will need a little more time. ......1 Can I have it in about a week?

"No problem. Give me a good one, please.

Yes, of course!

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

...... Of course, I don't mean to cut corners when Nao asks me to do something, but I'm a man, I can't help it, right?

I'm sure you'll understand. I'm not going to cut corners on what Nao asks me to do, but I'm a man.

Oh, that's right. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

Food processor!　It's true that you can still make mincemeat with it. The structure is simple.

I've seen a food processor before. I've seen food processors before.

The structure is very simple: just turn a shaft with a blade attached. If you put a handle on it instead of a motor,......, it won't be fast enough?

I'm sure you can find a way to make it work.

I've been trying to figure it out. ...... Well, Toya did say that he hadn't decided to order one, but...

So you don't need any special tools to make mincemeat?

"A mincer?　No, if you can make it properly, a mincer is more valuable because it can make minced meat of uniform size.

That thing is called a mincer.

But it's worth it, or.

I'd like to make one, but the structure is .......

Natsuki-san, do you know the structure of a mincer?

"The structure?　Yes, at least.

I'm sure you've heard of it.

Wow, he can really do it all. He's too good.

Are you going to use this spiral to send the meat to the back?

"Yes. For example, if you turn the head of a wood screw, it goes into the back, right?　It's the same thing. The blade at the end chops the meat, and the size of the minced meat is determined by the size of the hole at the end.

Do I need a gear?　You can't just attach the handle directly to this spiral piece.

The gear ratio amplifies the force, so it's necessary to make it compact. You can replace it by increasing the length of the handle, though.

So it's a matter of physics.

"Yeah, but in this world, everyone has strong arms. If you don't consider that it will be used by weak women, it might be okay without gears.

That may require some experimentation.

The performance of the user would be different, but the type of meat to be minced would also be different.

I'll just have to try it out.

If the handle can be stretched a little and it can be used without gears, that's better for cost reduction.

Tommy, can you make it?　Structurally, it's not the kind of thing you can make, is it?

"It's a casting. You make a mold and pour molten metal into it.

...... Oh, I had an image of a blacksmith beating metal, but is that a part of blacksmithing?

It's cheaper to make daily necessities there. Mr. Ganz doesn't do much of that.

We have a lot of cast iron cooking utensils, you know.　They're a little heavy, though.

I didn't know that. ...... I don't use it everyday, so I didn't notice.

That's understandable.

I also had an image of a blacksmith as someone who hits with a hammer.

Perhaps the impression of a swordsmith is too strong for Japanese people.

It may not be easy, but I'd like to make it if I could. "It may not be easy to make, but I'd like to if I could. If you mince it and mix it, even scraps of meat will be easier to eat.

I'd like to make it too. I think hamburger steak is easier to eat between bread. It's hard to bite into a piece of meat if it's just roasted. ...... Toya will eat it regardless.

I'm not sure if it's because he's a beast or not.　I do have a hidden knife, though.

The last time Toya shared a hamburger with me, it had hamburger meat in it, but it took a lot of time and effort to mince the meat, and sometimes the meat was just cooked.

That's why they are making a food processor. ...... Yeah, I'll do my best to develop one and give you a mincer.

I'll do my best to develop a mincer for you.

I'll be back in a few days.

I was quite satisfied with the small sword and the naginata that I delivered a week later.

The naginata, in particular, did not distort even when I slashed the log with all my might, so it is unlikely to break.

It would be a traumatic experience if someone died because of a broken weapon I made, so durability is important.

After that, I started to make the mincer, but it was a series of difficulties.

There were two problems.

The first is to make a uniform spiral.

If the axis is off, it's out of the question. It will interfere with its surroundings and will not turn.

Of course, it is not enough to have a straight shaft, but the size of the gap with the outer frame and the shape of the spiral must match well, or the meat cannot be fed.

Even if we managed to solve this problem, there was one more problem waiting for us, that of strength.

The metal used for ordinary castings is not durable enough, and the shaft often breaks after several times of use. Moreover, in the case of hard meat, since a great deal of force is applied, it can be easily twisted off.

Even though white iron is the best material for strength and rust prevention, it cannot be used for casting as it is due to problems of melting temperature and fluidity.

Although I received an order for a dynamic pulley in the middle of the project, it took a long time to develop, and in the end, I completed the mincer only after relying on my master's help and getting advice from a blacksmith who was good at casting.

It's a pity that I couldn't finish it on my own, but the mincer I gave to Natsuki and his friends was a gift, so I guess it's all good.

He had already finished the food processor a long time ago, but there are some dishes where it's easier to use a uniform size mincer, aside from hamburgers, so it seems to be working well.

If possible, I'd like to try that dish too. ...... I can't tell you that, though.

I think we've gotten to know each other well enough to be friends, but I don't have the iron face to barge into a friend's house and say, "Let me eat! I think we've become friends enough to be called friends, but I don't have the skinny to barge into a friend's house and ask for dinner.

"Hey Tommy, what's your name?

"Hey, Tommy, what time is your day off?

That's what Toya asked me when he came to visit me that day.

"What?　Basically, no?

There's no concept of holidays in this world.

If you have a regular day job, you won't be able to save any money if you take time off.

Even the money you work so hard to save will disappear as soon as you get sick, so it's a hard world to live in.

I also work every day, except when I go with Toya to kill goblins.

I'm making a lot more money than I did when I was a day laborer, but I need to save up to open my own store someday.

Oh, I see. I thought I'd go fishing.

"What?　You guys are going fishing again?

We'll have to arrange a vacation somehow!

I'm sure Master can help, but if we miss this opportunity, who knows when we'll be back?

All the training we've done to defeat the goblins and continue to do is just in case we go fishing!

No, it's not that we're going, it's that Haruka and the others want us to take you with us.

No, it's not that we're going, it's that Haruka and the others want to take you with them." When I asked about it, I found out that it was only Toya and Nao who were going fishing, and that their main purpose was to take me with them, not because they wanted to.

It seems that Haruka and the others had heard that Toya's words were the reason for developing the mincer I gave them, and they told me to go if I had given them hope.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that.

I felt a little bad because I was trying to thank them for everything they've done for me.

But it would be a lie to say that I had no expectations.

"Oh, no, you mean you're taking me with you?

"Yeah, you got three seconds to get ready!

Okay, here we go.

--Three seconds was a joke, but three days later, my first fishing trip in this world went ahead.

Unfortunately, it was a one-day fishing trip because I was not sure if I would be able to stay overnight with just Toya and Nao since I was not much help to them, but we left Laffan early in the morning - well, midnight - and thanks to our continuous running, we were able to reach our destination by early morning. I was able to reach my destination by early morning and caught enough fish.

As Toya said before, I was surprised at how easy it was to catch fish, but it was certainly a lot of fun.

Since then, I have been able to accompany Toya and his friends on their occasional fishing trips.