Another World Metal Factory

Chapter 11

It was lunchtime the next day.

It was noon, a time for rest after eating the lunch Richel brought. Richel was combing Illia’s hair and tying a ribbon, and the Factory Manager was smoking and flipping through the newspaper.

Channing’s snoring filled the factory as he lay sprawled on a cardboard box on the floor, fast asleep.

“That Channing, he can sleep even on the bare floor.”

“I know, right? I told him to go sleep in his room, but he said it was too much of a bother.”

Richel said, looking at Channing, and Illia replied with a sigh. Richel burst into laughter after hearing that.

“He’s something else.”

“You’re telling me. Seeing Channing-oppa makes me wonder if all elves are like that.”

“He’s the only one like that. It would be unfair to elves to say they’re all like him.”

Illia burst into laughter at Richel’s reply.

“Is it that different?”

“Yes. Just look at Channing’s father, how dignified he is. He rarely speaks unless necessary. Other traveling elves, merchants, and even the elf artisans working in our alley are all polite and quiet.”

“Hee… I wouldn’t have guessed that from Channing-oppa. I thought they’d all be loud, love drinking, and make silly jokes.”

“At least among the elves I’ve met, Channing is the only one like him. If you told other elves about him, they’d say he’s not an elf, wouldn’t they?”

At Richel’s affirmation, Illia burst into laughter again, and Richel laughed along with her.

Unaware of their conversation, Channing was still in a deep sleep, and the Factory Manager was idly flipping through the newspaper.

That day, too, was just another ordinary lunchtime.

“There. All done. You look pretty.”

Richel said after finishing braiding Illia’s hair, and Illia checked her hair in a hand mirror. The back of her head was braided across, secured with a red ribbon.

Illia was so pleased that she looked at Richel.

“Thank you, Richel-unni.”

“You’re welcome.”

While they were talking, the back door opened and someone came in.

“Anyone here?”

The Factory Manager, who had glanced at the person who came in with a greeting, recognized him and got up from his seat, putting down the newspaper.

It was the dwarf who had requested the hammer from the Factory Manager.

“Ah, the one who commissioned the hammer.”

The dwarf who entered smiled brightly at the Factory Manager’s greeting.

“Yes, you told me to come the next day, is it already finished?”

“One hammer is a piece of cake. But are you sure about this size? It weighs as much as a person.”

“It has to be this big to be useful. Let me see.”

The Factory Manager dragged the hammer that was leaning against the corner with a grunt. It was so heavy that even the Factory Manager had to put in considerable effort.

Seeing the hammer, the dwarf’s eyes widened, and he smiled brightly, stroking the handle.

“Oh! It’s even more magnificent than I imagined. The handle is metal, so I don’t have to worry about its durability… And this wrapping, it’s not leather. I don’t know what it is, but it feels good in my hand.”

The dwarf lifted the hammer with a grunt. He looked surprisingly light on his feet.

The Factory Manager nodded as he watched the dwarf effortlessly move the hammer, as if he was used to handling it. However, the Factory Manager thought it looked a bit awkward since the hammer was as tall as the dwarf himself.

After examining the hammer a few times, the dwarf slammed it on the floor with a thud and exclaimed in admiration.

“Oh. Good. Good. This is what I’m talking about. It has to be this heavy to make hammering fun.”

“Well, I’m glad you like it, but isn’t it too long? The proportions seem off.”

As the Factory Manager pointed out, the hammer was taller than the dwarf, making it unsuitable for him to wield.

As if noticing the Factory Manager’s question, the dwarf nodded and opened his mouth.

“Ah. Indeed, the hammer is long for me to use. But I’m not the one who will be using this hammer. Hey! Come in here!”

The dwarf shouted outside the factory, and someone walked in.

This time, it was the Factory Manager who was surprised.

“Yikes!”

Illia also screamed softly in surprise and hid behind Richel. Only Richel remained relatively calm, watching the person as she hugged Illia.

Channing, awakened by the commotion, stretched and rubbed his eyes, then jumped up in surprise when he saw the newcomer. He shouted.

“An Orc?!”

Channing’s cry revealed his identity.

Orcs weren’t that uncommon. There were Orcs living in Polchis, and there were also villages inhabited by Orcs nearby.

However, due to their distinct appearance, Orcs were often feared by many other races.

Except for Richel, who was accustomed to Orcs due to her work at the restaurant, Channing and Illia couldn’t help but be surprised by his appearance. The same went for the Factory Manager, who was seeing an Orc for the first time.

Seeing them, the dwarf waved his hands and said.

“Ah, please don’t be alarmed. He’s an Orc, but he’s my business partner. He’s a good friend, so don’t scare him.”

“Damn it. That’s why I said I wouldn’t come. People tend to get scared. I see the little miss is quite frightened.”

The man with green skin and a height of over two meters scratched his half-bald head and grinned. However, with his lower fangs protruding, he looked more intimidating than expected.

Illia hid behind Richel, and the Orc chuckled and stepped back slightly.

Illia, peeking out from behind Richel, looked at the Orc and cautiously stepped forward.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen an Orc before…”

“Haha! They say our kin up north eat humans, but I don’t, so don’t worry. The Orcs living in and around Polchis are different.”

The Orc patted Illia’s head with his massive, pot-lid-like hand. It was a hard and rough hand, but Illia’s fear subsided.

Turning his gaze, the Orc looked at the hammer again and exclaimed in admiration.

“Oh! So this is the hammer. It’s amazing. It’s a fantastic hammer. I’ve never seen such a magnificent hammer. The handle is made of metal too. It must be sturdy!”

As soon as the Orc saw the hammer in the dwarf’s hand, his eyes sparkled, and he started examining it from all angles. The dwarf handed the hammer to the Orc.

The Orc, receiving the hammer from the dwarf, grasped the handle and swung it around.

The Factory Manager was so surprised that he couldn’t speak as he watched the massive and heavy hammer being swung around so effortlessly, making whooshing sounds.

“Wow… He’s incredibly strong. He’s swinging that heavy thing around like it’s nothing.”

“My father also said that Orc mercenaries were the scariest on the battlefield.”

“Ah. That’s right. Uncle Oscar used to be a mercenary, didn’t he? He managed to survive fighting against people like that.”

“Now you’re just being mean.”

While Richel and Channing were talking, the Orc continued to swing the hammer tirelessly, then slammed it down on the floor with a thud. Everyone was startled by the sound and looked at the Orc.

The Orc, receiving everyone’s attention, smiled brightly and declared in a loud voice.

“I want to take this and test it out right away. How about it, Master Craftsman! Would you like to come and see?”

“Huh? Me too?”

The Orc nodded vigorously.

“Well… I don’t think I need to go…”

“It would be good to see how the things you made are being used.”

The Factory Manager thought for a moment and nodded.

“Well, it would be a good experience to see how the things I made are used in action. Alright, let’s go together. Channing! You come too.”

“Huh? Me too?”

Channing asked back in surprise, and the Factory Manager nodded.

“You should see the field too.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

“Wait a minute! What about the factory and Illia?”

As they were about to leave, Richel asked urgently, and the Factory Manager thought for a moment, then grinned at Richel.

“Richel, I need a favor. If any customers come, tell them to go to Popper’s place down the street.”

“Me?”

“You were just hanging around here because you didn’t want to go to the restaurant anyway. This is a good excuse for you, so stay here with Illia.”

“Ugh… Seriously! If my mom gets mad later, you’d better deal with it, mister!”

At Richel’s words, the Factory Manager waved his hand and left the factory with the others.

4.

They rode the carriage that the dwarf and Orc had come in and headed out of the city. After about 30 minutes, a quarry appeared.

The quarry was located halfway up a low, rocky mountain. It seemed like they had been quarrying stone for a long time, as there was a wide, open space near the quarry, devoid of any trees.

The sounds of hammering could be heard from everywhere, along with the shouts of people. The sound of stones splitting and cheerful cheers echoed through the air.

The Factory Manager, arriving near the quarry, whistled and looked around.

“Whew! This is quite a large quarry.”

“Indeed. The stones produced here are sold to various cities besides Polchis. That’s why we’re always busy. That’s why various races work together here. Humans, dwarves, elves, and even Beastmen, Orcs, and goblins. They’re all valuable employees with their own strengths.”

“Enough with the explanations. I need to test this hammer out.”

The Orc interrupted the dwarf’s explanation, took off his suit jacket, and lifted the hammer in his shirt sleeves.

It was a massive hammer, but it didn’t look too out of place in the hands of the giant Orc.

“Hey! Get out of the way!”

He shouted at another Orc who was about to strike a steel stake slightly wedged into a granite rock with a large hammer, and the Orc moved aside. The Orc then took his stance and raised the hammer high.

“Everyone, stand back!”

The Orc swung the hammer down with incredible speed.

He struck with such force that the wind pressure could be felt, but the hammer head accurately hit the steel stake, and with a tremendous sound, the stake was driven into the granite.

As if the stake had been hammered into a pre-existing hole, it sank in smoothly, and the massive granite rock cracked with a loud crack.

“W… Wow!”

Channing gasped in amazement, and no one else could speak.

“Whew! I hit it so hard, but the hammer’s fine? If it were any other hammer, the handle would have shattered by now.”

“Woohoo!”

The Orc grinned and said, and finally, the others cheered and rushed towards the Orc, showing interest in the hammer.

To the Orcs, who had never seen a hammer that could withstand such force, the hammer seemed like a truly remarkable object.

Everyone rushed to touch the hammer, causing a commotion.

“Wow! I really like it! Let’s make a deal right now! Let’s start with 50.”

Seeing this, the dwarf grabbed the Factory Manager’s hand and said, and the Factory Manager smiled and looked at Channing.

“Channing! Can you make them?”

“What?! Me, all by myself? Please help me, Factory Manager!”

“Then let’s talk about the price. We need to buy materials, and as I said, I only have this guy under me, so it’ll take some time.”

Ignoring Channing’s grimace, the Factory Manager started talking with the dwarf, and Channing let out a deep sigh.