The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations - Chapter 169

Chapter 169 – Let’s Do Our Best! (3)

“Hahaha!”

Galbarik heartily laughed. Ghislain’s confident tone struck him as both endearing and absurd.

“Listen, Lord. You might not know this yet because you’re young, but a concept without a blueprint is just a fantasy. And even if we could make it, an impractical object is the same as useless.”

Galbarik’s words were met with laughter from the other dwarves.

“Exactly, nobles always have endless requests without knowing anything properly themselves.”

“One noble once asked me to make a tool that could extract the medicinal properties of herbs. I told him to just buy a potion. What am I, an alchemist?”

“The lord where I used to work asked if I could expand his land to fit more residences. I mean, what am I, a god? How would I go about making more land?”

“There was also a noble who asked for a magically powered plow to increase the harvest. I mean, what good would that do? The soil and seeds are terrible in the first place.”

The dwarves clicked their tongues as they criticized the nobles they’d dealt with before.

Galbarik shrugged as he looked back at Ghislain.

“We despise making useless things. Whatever you had in mind, Lord, it’s probably no better than a toy.”

As Galbarik finished speaking, a heavy silence fell over the room.

Everyone stared at him, blinking in silence.

“…Ahem.”

Aside from a barely audible cough from one knight, there was no sound.

Caught off guard by their inexplicable reaction, Galbarik looked around, slightly flustered.

“What? Why? Why is everyone looking at me like that? Did I say something strange? Man, this estate is really peculiar.”

Ghislain chuckled as he watched Galbarik.

“Maybe you’ve been around humans too long? You spout all this talk about craftsmanship and artistic spirit, yet your way of thinking is even more rigid than humans. Do you think you can create true works of art with that kind of imagination?”

“What did you just say?”

“Don’t get me wrong; I get it. Doing the same tasks every day makes you unconsciously think that’s all you’re capable of.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“But with that mindset, you’re no more than a skilled technician, aren’t you?”

“How dare you insult us!”

The dwarves were infuriated. They believed no other race could rival their skills.

Even in servitude, their expertise meant that no one dared treat them carelessly.

Yet, this young lord before them genuinely seemed to regard them as a joke.

“Quiet down, all of you! I’m the representative here!”

Silencing the dwarves with a sharp shout, Galbarik glared at Ghislain.

“Do not trample on our pride, Lord. Such words will do you no good.”

Indeed, the dwarves were a fiercely prideful race.

Though they accepted their status as slaves, they refused to tolerate being treated like they were worthless.

“If you want decent weaponry, you’d better change your attitude toward us.”

Ignoring the sharp gazes of the dwarves, Ghislain curled his finger, motioning them over.

“Follow me. I’ll show you something interesting.”

The dwarves, having missed the moment to get angry, hesitated briefly before following Ghislain.

He led them to an enormous workshop.

“This is…!”

The dwarves looked around in wonder as they arrived.

The air was thick with a pleasant fragrance mingling with the smell of herbs.

Between the massive pieces of equipment filling the workshop, people dressed in white work clothes and masks bustled around, busy at their tasks.

“It’s a workshop for making cosmetics. Specifically, skincare cream.”

“Cosmetics?”

The dwarves tilted their heads at Ghislain’s words.

They knew what cosmetics were—a type of luxury item that nobles fussed over more than their meals.

But here, in this rural estate, they were actually producing such high-end products?

Seeing their bewilderment, Ghislain continued his explanation.

“The cosmetics from our estate are known as the best in the kingdom. They’re flying off the shelves in the capital right now. With that massive revenue, I was able to buy you guys.”

“What… So, you brought us here just to flaunt your wealth?”

“Yep.”

“…”

“Tsk, tsk. Your minds are so locked up. Just look closely. I’m giving you a special glimpse into how they’re making these cosmetics with those tools.”

Finally snapping out of it, the dwarves began to carefully examine the interior of the workshop.

After studying the cosmetic-making equipment for quite some time, their faces gradually turned pale. Some even began trembling.

“H-How did they come up with this?”

“They’re truly drawing out the maximum benefits of these herbs!”

“This… this is actually possible?”

Dwarves were often considered a race as close to godly as one could get when it came to craftsmanship.

A mere glance at the equipment was enough for them to quickly grasp its intended use and the effects it produced.

They could even deduce the roles of the various magic circles engraved on the equipment from its overall structure.

They’d had plenty of experience working with wizards while under noble patrons.

Excited, the dwarves soon gathered in a huddle, launching into a lively discussion.

“Indeed. By applying heat momentarily, they can create a concentrated extract while minimizing the destruction of active ingredients. Are the impurities handled separately?”

“This filter’s a bit lacking. If they drilled several smaller holes instead of one larger one, it’d be more effective.”

“So, they’re using rapid cooling here to achieve this formulation! The setup might be crude, but the concept is absolutely brilliant!”

The dwarves, faces flushed with excitement, all turned to Ghislain and shouted in unison.

“No way, does something like this really exist?”

“Who did this! Who came up with this idea?”

“Please, you must let us meet the genius who created this! Are they really in this estate?”

As the dwarves’ genuine enthusiasm heated the air, Ghislain pointed his thumb at himself.

Galbarik, eyes wide as saucers, stammered.

“The lord… created this?”

“Indeed, it all came from this mind right here.”

It wasn’t a lie. While it was knowledge copied from the future, it had come from Ghislain’s mind, after all.

The dwarves, thoroughly convinced by his confident stance, bought it completely.

A few of the dwarves, faces still flushed, spoke urgently.

“Let me, please, improve this!”

“With a few tweaks, I could increase its efficiency several times over!”

“My lord! Just looking at it is driving me mad with ideas! Please!”

The dwarves were frustrated—how could someone capable of such brilliant ideas be satisfied with such crude equipment?

Seeing the dwarves bursting with motivation, Ghislain nodded in satisfaction.

“Looks like your brains are finally starting to work. That’s exactly the attitude I was hoping for. So, you think you can increase production?”

“Absolutely! Just leave it to us! We’ll get it to at least double the output!”

“However… it seems there are still some among you who don’t feel like working.”

Not all had swallowed their pride. About half of the dwarves, including Galbarik, still stood stiffly, arms crossed.

They, too, had been quietly impressed by the workshop equipment, but they weren’t about to lose face by backing down in a power struggle with the lord.

Ghislain gave them an amused smile, then motioned with his finger again.

“Come along. I’ll show you something else.”

He led them to a newly built complex of communal housing.

Several dwarves with a particular interest in construction began to look around, their eyes widening as they took it in.

“No way, does a house like this actually exist?”

“To think of a design like this! It’s not just a simple tower-type structure!”

The communal housing didn’t incorporate any groundbreaking technology; it merely twisted the conventional idea of a “house.”

The dwarves soon started discussing the buildings again.

“If we use marble here, wouldn’t it be even better? The durability and aesthetic value would be…”

“Instead of heating with fireplaces, wouldn’t it be better to replace the interior materials so the heat spreads evenly…”

“We can improve the drainage system with a more effective design!”

Inspiration that the dwarves had long forgotten began to surge within them.

This was it. This was the spark they needed.

In the midst of their intense discussion, they turned to Ghislain and shouted.

“Let us improve this even further!”

There was no stopping the dwarves now that their eyes had been opened to these possibilities.

Galbarik stammered as he asked.

“Did… did the lord come up with this as well?”

“Of course. It all came from this mind of mine.”

“What on earth do you have in that head of yours…?”

It wasn’t just the techniques themselves that surprised them. What truly mattered was that he’d turned his imagination into reality.

Pioneers are the ones who go down in history and whose names are remembered for ages.

With a sly grin, Ghislain beckoned them once more.

“Follow me; there’s something else I want to show you.”

This time, he brought them to a large-scale farm. Although one harvest had already passed, new wheat was already sprouting.

“W-Wow!”

The dwarves gaped at the vast green field stretching out before them.

They could barely fathom the scale of the wheat fields that filled their view.

But that wasn’t all; each stalk of wheat was several times larger than the standard varieties.

It was hard to believe this was the same northern land known for its poor soil.

Tracing the horizon with his finger, Ghislain spoke.

“This wheat can be harvested at least three times a year. The next harvest is coming up soon, so you’ll be able to see just how much food this land can produce.”

His words sounded unbelievable, but with the evidence right in front of them, they had no choice but to believe.

Galbarik asked again in a trembling voice.

“This too… was the lord’s doing? But how…?”

“I’ll spare you the details, but I essentially used runestones to enhance the seeds and enrich the soil. The important thing is that it’s actually possible, isn’t it?”

Nods all around.

The dwarves all nodded in agreement.

Though they weren’t particularly interested in farming—since it didn’t involve any special engineering—they still admired his ability to conceive of such ideas and bring them to life.

Cosmetics, communal housing, even farming. The fact that one person had achieved all of this was astonishing.

Any one of these could revolutionize people’s lives and the development of technologies on their own.

And with someone who had already created so many breakthroughs, how many more inventions would he bring forth in the future?

The dwarves clenched their fists, feeling the long-suppressed fire of creativity rekindling within them at the sight of Ghislain’s inventions.

How fun would it have been to be part of these projects from the start?

Watching the dwarves, who were now so excited that even their nostrils flared, Ghislain spoke up.

“How about it? I have plenty more amazing plans in my head, things that are practical and can actually be made. I brought you here because I need people who can make these ideas a reality. So, how about working with me?”

Ghislain’s words hit precisely the spot for the dwarves, who had been craving an outlet for their creative desires.

And his next words delivered the final, irresistible blow to their hesitation.

“I can also teach you knowledge and techniques I know that no one else does.”

Ghislain was confident Galbarik would take the offer. The Galbarik he remembered was a dwarf utterly obsessed with technology, and he’d surely be no different now.

The response came immediately.

“We’ll do it!”

Galbarik and the other dwarves shouted boldly. Being taught new techniques was far too tempting to continue resisting.

It was, after all, an inescapable fate and instinct for them.

Galbarik spoke in a pleading tone.

“Please, teach us! If the lord desires, I’ll remain a slave!”

“…You’re already slaves, though.”

“That’s just a manner of speaking! I mean it—I genuinely want to work alongside you!”

“So, you’re saying you’ll give me your full cooperation for the next ten years?”

“Of course! But the lord must also keep his promises!”

“No backing out later?”

“Do you take us for fools? Don’t you know that once a dwarf makes a promise, they’ll risk their life to keep it?”

Hearing Galbarik’s firm declaration, Ghislain finally smiled and extended his hand.

“Good, good. Work hard, and I’ll keep my word to free you in ten years. Let’s do this together!”

“Yes, we look forward to it!”

Galbarik clasped Ghislain’s hand in a firm handshake, beaming with excitement.

The people of Fenris, observing the scene, looked upon the dwarves with pity.