CH 242

Mine's manager

***---***

It seemed that the reason why Alonzo, chairman of the Robere Company, was visiting the Dukas Company was to protest the recent rescue operation.

It seemed that most of the 38 rescued people wished to transfer from the mines of the Robere Company to the Dukas Company.

For the Robere Company, in order to revive the mine and collect the bodies of the deceased, they must re-excavate the tunnel.

Under such circumstances, allowing a large number of transfers all at once would lead to a significant decline in the labor force.

So, while persuading the miners not to transfer, Alonzo himself came aboard and negotiated directly.

"I explained to Alonzo-san that you needed a place to use the repatriation technique, but he said that even the Robere Company had a place like this, and it was hard to convince him."

"After all, wouldn't it have been better to send them back near the entrance to the mine?"

"Nope, people would have gathered near the entrance of the mine, and the surrounding area would be full of mountains. It would be difficult to secure an open space."

"In the end, was Alonzo-san convinced?"

At my question, Orlean-san shook his head with a wry smile.

"Alonzo seems to suspect that the purpose of the rescue was to recruit the miners."

"Did his son Angel-san as well?"

"No, Angel came to stop his father from going out of control."

Orlean-san was the current chairman of the Dukas Company, and Angel-san was said to be the next chairman of the Robere Company.

Since the two met at a bar and hit it off, they seemed to have been interacting on a regular basis.

Simultaneously, while the companies were in a rivalry, they were also in a relationship of cooperation, including in cases such as this accident, as the main industry that supported Marburg.

Angel-san seemed to be interested in Orlean-san's method, and Orlean-san also thought that if the long-established Robere Company adopted the new employment system, it would contribute to the stability of the lives of the miners, he seemed to have told him what he thought.

"For Angel, he has a flexible way of thinking, but if you put it in another way, he feels like a young boy who hasn't lost his naivete."

"Orlean-san, do you want to entice Angel-san to your side?"

"Enticing ... It's a bit different from that, it doesn't have to be the same as my way of thinking. The most important thing is to stabilize the life of the miners, so if we agree on that point, I welcome exploring other methods."

"Is it like making money together with the people who work in the mines?"

"Right, right, that's right."

"I see ..."

On the way from Bakkenheim to Volzard, I heard that the current chairman of the Dukas Company had been growing rapidly in the last five years.

Orlean-san, who was sitting in front of me, was a talented manager, but it seemed that he was not just a person who was good at making money.

"Kent-san, is something wrong?"

"Orlean-san, would it be alright if I consult with you for a moment?"

"Of course. If it's a consultation with Kent-san, who is the benefactor of my wife and daughter, I don't mind throwing away my fortune."

"No, no, it's not about money, it's about managing a mine, how to successfully govern a territory like Marburg ... something like that."

"Is it governing a territory? That's a pretty big deal, isn't it."

"Yes, actually ..."

I briefly explained to Orlean-san about the uprising caused by Havre Calvine in Resenburg, on the other side of the Devil's Forest.

"So that's what happened, is it. I've heard that the Lord of Calvine was ambitious, but ..."

"That's right, the Feudal Lord, Havre, is in a state of being restrained, but the territory is still closed due to snow and is not yet under control of the Royal Family."

"I see, so Kent-san is going to take control of Calvine's territory, which has no Lord."

"Huh? No, no, that's wrong. It's not about me governing, I want to know how the Resenburg Royal Family can govern it well."

"Is that so, is it a request from the Resenburg Royal Family or something?"

"M, maa, something like that."

It would take some time to start talking about my relationship with Resenburg, so I've omitted it for now.

"Kent-san, what do you think is the main motive for the miners to work?"

"Motive ... is it?"

"That's right. To put it a little more plainly, what do people work the hardest for?"

"That's ... It's money, isn't it."

At my answer, Orlean-san slowly shook his head.

"If it's not about money, family ... That's not relevant to single people ..."

"Kent-san, the strongest motive is life."

"Life ...?"

"Of course, it's not done currently, but in the past, even if Marburg, criminals and people with large debts were forced to work in the mines. If you were asked to work or die, you would have no choice but to work."

Orlean-san's words reminded me of Camilla's appearance when we were summoned.

When we were shown their overwhelming power, had a Slavery Bracelet put on, and were forced to choose between obedience or death, there was no choice but to obey.

"It's not done in Marburg, but I hear something similar is still being done in the Calvine territory."

"Eeehhh! Is that true?"

"As someone who also runs a mine, I have had the opportunity to hear stories about the Calvine territory, and I have heard many of them."

In the Calvine territory, the mine managers had a lot of power, and the miners continued to be exploited.

"It's a cruel way of making them work to the point where they don't die. Expulsion may not sound bad, but if you have everything confiscated and are kicked out of the territory, it will be extremely difficult to start over in another land."

"In other words, they're going to die on the road."

"That's right. If, if I were a member of the Resenburg Royal Family, I would dispose of all the managers of the Calvine territory."

"Ehh ... Dispose of, is it?"

I was taken aback by the harsh words, but Orlean-san did not lose his smiling expression.

"Of course, just in case, it wouldn't be a bad idea to dispose of them on the grounds that they were complicit with Havre Calvine, who rebelled against the Royal Family."

"But, if you get rid of the managers, won't the mine be unable to operate?"

"That is so, it will stop operating temporarily. But, isn't the result still the same?"

"Ahh, that's true ... It's not going the way the Royal Family wants."

"Kent-san, it is the people who actually work in the field that make the mine run. Even if there is a temporary chaos due to the absence of the managers who were in charge, if you prepare an environment where the people in the field can work, things will go back to normal."

From Orlean-san's words, I could feel the weight of a person who had been involved in mining for many years.

"Even if we dispose of the managers, will the confusion be easily settled? It seems that it will not be easy to bring the people working in the field together ..."

"That's right. If it's a job that anyone can do, there would be no reason for me to exist."

"As expected, the ones who follow the ruffians are ..."

"Kent-san, that's not true. It's true that the managers of a mine might have an image of suppressing people with a violent temper, but miners are no different from ordinary workers."

"Is that true?"

"Yes, so, let me ask you again. What motivates them to work?"

"Ehh? That is, life ..."

At my answer, Orlean-san slowly shook his head again.

"Sorry for asking in a slightly nasty way. But, satisfying the miners' montivation to work is the best way to keep them together."

"I see, they are the people who have been forced to work by having their lives threatened. They need to be given fair wages and a guarantee of livelihood, not have things continue the same way."

"That's right, that's exactly right. It's wonderful that you can think that far at Kent-san's age. Why don't you try managing a mine?"

"No, no, I'm just an amateur, so it's impossible."

"Hahahaha, I'm not talking about right now. But, if you keep thinking like you do now, you could be a good manager."

"That's right. I'm lacking in thinking, so I'll try to think a little more deeply before I act."

"In another ten years, my daughter should have grown up beautifully. How about being my son-in-law ..."

"No, no, no, my wives, I have enough ..."

"Hahahaha, if you become an S-rank adventurer at that age, a lot of women will be attracted."

The number of bridal candidates has increased, it's a little girl from Marburg ... If I say such a thing, my life will be in danger.(TN:You already promised Leela, the little fox girl, you're already in danger. Imagine if she was a genius and skipped grades to graduate early and showed up at your door saying she graduated so here she is. Pretty sure that won't happen, but just saying.)

"Orlean-san. Let me get back on topic, but the people who are in charge of managing the mines still need expertise in the mines, right?"

"That is so, it would be nice to have it, but if you have someone you trust to help you, you probably don't need it. It's more important to be able to see the big picture and make the necessary decisions."

"Don't you need arm strength?"

"Yes, it's not necessary if you have someone to assist you."

"I see ... Considering the situation in the Calvine territory so far, it seems like the people who work in the field will be on your side if you create favorable conditions, right?"

"There is no doubt about that, but the problem is what kind of grip the managers have on them."

"Grip ...?"

"Yes, are they in control of the lives of the miners, are they in control of their property, or are they in control of their family's safety ..."

"I see, if their family was taken hostage, they wouldn't be able to go against them."

"I'd like to think that it's not such a terrible situation, but I've heard rumors about that sort of thing ..."

"Is that so ..."

I had heard that the people were treated poorly in the Calvine territory, but from what Orlean-san said, it seemed necessary to make a downward revision.

"Kent-san, it's not a bad thing to organize your thoughts, but it's pointless if it's not based on accurate information. If you don't know what's going on with the current Calvine territory, what kind of attitude they're going to take towards the Royal Family, and the relationship between the managers and the populace, no matter how much you think about it, it's nothing more than desk theory."

"Is that so, you're right. I'll do some research."

"That's fine, but isn't the Calvine territory snowbound at this time of year?"

"I and my genus can move using shadows, so the snow is not a problem."

"Is that true? No, it must be possible because you went to the depths of the mine shaft where the accident happened. Kent-san, if you figure out the state of the Calvine territory, would you be able to tell me?"

"I don't mind, but ..."

"The Calvine territory is the cornerstone of the ore production of neighboring countries. If production continued to halt at this rate, we could consider exporting iron and copper from Landshelt."

"Understood. In exchange for that, it would be helpful if I could consult with you like today."

"Of course, I'd be happy to ..."

I shook hands with Orlean-san and promised to exchange information.

Nothing would be more reassuring than having a talented manager from Marburg serve as a supervisor.

For a certain pseudo-supervisor who is only stingy with fledgling adventurers, I'd like to make him drink a concoction of dirt from Orlean-san's nails.

I left the Dukas Company and went into the shadows, but where should I go.

[ Kent-sama, are you going to the Calvine territory? ]

"Hmm ... Aldaros first ... Ahh, Fred, how is the Robere Company?"

[ Chairman Alonzo has a tyrannical disposition ... He doesn't listen to Angel's words ... ]

"I see, it would be nice if there weren't any disputes with the Dukas Company ... But it would be wiser to leave it to Orlean-san rather than me interfering."

When I moved with Hart as a landmark, Camilla was in a room that looked like a conference room and was having a discussion with the Knight Commander and his subordinates.

I waited for a good break, while stroking Hart, and was approached by Mart-tachi and it became a Mofumofu Festival ... Wa, hold on, the pressure from Zeta-tachiiii ...

A large map of Resenburg was spread out on the desk where Camilla and the others were discussing.

[ Apparently, they are discussing countermeasures against desertification in the western part of Resenburg. ]

"Haa, haa ... It seems so. Does it feel like it's finally happening?"

[ Finally, it's really late, but it's better than not doing it. ]

Listening to the story, they built a wall on the river bank in the area where desertification was progressing and stopped the progress there.

The basic plan seemed to be to deploy wind and earth attribute magicians to push back the sand when the wind direction changed to the east.

"Camilla-sama, I understand the gist of the plan, but the problem is what to do with the pushed back sand."

"I know. That's why I'm assigning earth-attribute magicians. When the sand that's pushed back reaches a certain amount, it will be hardened and used as a material for the erosion control wall."

"Are you going to build a wall with sand? Won't that cause problems with strength?"

"I understand that, but at present there is no other way. We have to harden it regularly to maintain its strength, or cover the surroundings with soil to supplement its strength."

At the start of the desertification, the sand would have been pushed back as it was, but since it had progressed to deep areas, the amount of sand had become enormous.

The distance to push back was too far from the desert.

"Reinhardt, does the sand not harden even if hardening magic is applied?"

[ It's not like it won't harden at all, but it's weaker than clay soil. ]

"It can't be helped, shall I send it to the middle of the desert with the repatriation technique?"

[ Kent-sama. If you just want to move the hardened sand, it would be enough to go through the shadow space. ]

"Ahh, I see. Recently, I've been using the repatriation technique frequently, so I've been thinking about it all the time, but it's easier to go through the shadow space."

Well then, should I interrupt the discussion for a moment.

I put out a shield of darkness in front of Camilla's line of sight and stepped into the conference room.

"Maou-sama, it's been a while."

"Aahh, you can continue the meeting without doing anything exaggerated, I just took a peek, but it's a countermeasure against desertification, right?"

"Yes, in order to stop further desertification, we will build a wall along the banks of the river that flows through the Count Saruel territory to stop it."

"Yup, then push the sand back."

"Yes, you are right."

"As for that sand, if you harden it to a suitable size, I will have it carried to the middle of the desert."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup, in exchange, let's make it possible to resume farming as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much. I plan to mobilize magicians belonging to the knight order, as well as magicians from the territory, to proceed quickly."

"Yup, let's continue the meeting. After we're done, we'll have a discussion about the Calvine territory."

"As you wish. Then, excuse me, I'll decide the staffing and schedule, so please wait a moment. Hey, bring tea for Maou-sama!"

I sat down at the top seat of the large table and observed the state of the meeting while drinking tea.

Both Camilla and the knights seemed to be working energetically, probably because there were no more Idiot Princes who get in their way.

Or rather, this must be their normal.

The construction period, personnel, and location were decided, there was a slight conflict with the knights who wanted to have some leeway in the construction period in case of bad weather or accidents, but it seemed that it was settled on a schedule closer to what Camilla wanted.

The contents of the meeting would be recorded by the secretary, confirmed by Camilla and the Knight Commander, and a copy would be distributed at a later date.

"Maou-sama, thank you very much for your patience. Was there a problem with the Calvine territory?"

"It's not a problem, it's still at the consultation stage, so I don't mind if the knights over there go back to work. Aahh, but if possible, could the Knight Commander stay?"

"As you wish. Then, Berdets stay behind and the others return to their duties."

"Yes!"

The knights all left the room after giving a crisp sounding salute.

Sitting diagonally to my right was Camilla, and diagonally to my left was Knight Commander Berdets Orden, and we talked while drinking tea.

"I got acquainted with the chairman of the Dukas Company, which is rising in Marburg, and asked him for his opinion on the Calvine territory."

"Marburg is a mining city in Landshelt, isn't it."

"So, according to the chairman of the Dukas Company ..."

Both Camilla and the Knight Commander nodded their heads many times when I talked about Orlean-san.

"Certainly, just as Maou-sama says, the Calvine territory's notoriety has reached the knights order. However, because it is a frontier territory, we are unable to interfere."

"Knight Commander. Are things really that bad in the Calvine territory?"

"As for us, we haven't been to the site to check it, but according to the merchants who do business with the Calvine territory, with Havre at the top, most of the industries and residents are controlled by five managers."

"Specifically, how are they controlled?"

"That's right. The mines in the territory are basically owned by the Calvine Family, but the rights are managed by five managers, and I hear that they not only manage the rights of the workers, but they also manage the rights of the stores and collect taxes on their behalf."

"Somehow, their families are being held hostage ... I've heard stories like that."

"That would be the collective housing of those who work in the mines."

"Collective housing?"

"Yes, it's ostensibly a housing complex, but it is said that it looks like an internment camp from the outside."

"Do you mean that the miners and their families are trapped there?"

"On the surface, it's a residence, and you can come and go freely, but you need to notify the guard's office to come and go, and it seems that the gate is closed at night and they can't go out."

The people who worked in the mines of the Calvine territory were born and raised in that camp-like housing, and both men and women worked in the mines.

Those who could no longer work would be supported by their families, but those without relatives would be expelled.

If you got old and were expelled from the territory, what awaited you was death on the road.

Residents said that even if they wanted to help their old friends and acquaintances, they couldn't afford to help because they couldn't even afford to help themselves.

"Camilla, do you intend to continue this situation in the land under the direct control of the Resenburg Royal Family?"

"Of course, I have no intention of allowing such a thing. It depends on how the managers deal with it, but I intend to strip them of their rights and turn it into a land where the residents are given priority."

"Alright. Whatever the road, the problems with the Calvine territory won't be discussed until the snow disappears, so I'll find out how the managers are doing in the meantime."

"Thank you very much. Please, lend me your power, Maou-sama."

"But, it's Camilla and the others who will actually control and manage it. Otherwise, the people won't be convinced."

"Yes, you are right. Up until now, the Royal Family's authorization has not reached the edges of the kingdom, the areas called the frontiers. From now on, I intend to ensure that the protection of the Royal Family extends to all citizens."

"Alright. Then, I'll scout out the Calvine territory and report back."

"Thank you very much."

"Knight Commander, if it's decided to suppress them with force, is it okay to leave it to you?"

"Of course. If something like that happens, I'll show you how terrifying the knights of Resenburg are."

After shaking hands with the Knight Commander who smiled fearlessly, I returned to Volzard in the shadows.