I Became a Slave to a Mythical Shepherd

Episode 30. aberration

It wasn’t difficult to convince the blacksmiths because of the work they had done so far and the help of Uncle Skleos.

However, working in practice after persuasion was a different story.

“Ha… I’m frustrated, so I’ll search.”

I let out a sigh as I chewed my fingernails and fiddled with the blueprints for the aberration wheel.

In the end, the content of the blueprint, which was transferred to expensive parchment for preservation, was simple.

The water turns the waterwheel, which pumps air into the forge as it moves back and forth like an old mill.

Originally, I was going to go with a much more complicated form, but since my technical skills were running out and my expertise was not on this side, there was a lot of trial and error.

“This, can’t you ever make it like this?” I had to watch the carpenters shake their heads several times.

As the shape of the aberration I thought of was based on what was used in the Middle Ages about 2,500 years later, I often encountered the word ‘impossible’.

On the contrary, while hearing the words “Why don’t you do this like this?”, I realized that the ancient people of this period were smarter than I thought.

It’s a fact that modern people often forget, but people’s abilities are so high that we were just born late.

– “Oh, I understand the basic principle. By the way, where are the wind holes drilled?”

-“Wind… a hole?”

-“What should I do if there is no hole for the air to enter if I keep blowing air in?”

I simply said, ‘Ah… this is a ‘bellows’. If you say, ‘I can keep blowing air’, I thought the carpenters would do somersaults like the Chileans who saw the door of an automatic taxi, but only the bottom line was lost.

It was the same even at the level of just putting a bellows on the water wheel, but in the next step… let’s not talk.

Moreover, steelmaking is not a simple ‘knowledge’, but a ‘skill’ that must be built up over time.

“How can we not find a Hittite blacksmith nearby?”

In the end, I asked Mr. Skleos, who was rotting my head, but Mr. Skleos only shook his head.

“Generations have passed since the Hittites were in turmoil. After Hattusha fell into ruin, most blacksmiths had already settled in nearby Phrygia or Lydia.

Not many of them came to the land of Troy.”

And the uncle tapped one of his lame legs.

“More than anything else, since blacksmiths are an asset to the city, they are not manpower that we can easily call upon as we wish. In particular, handing over a blacksmith from Hittite? Unless we’re going to war with that city…”

“It must be difficult.”

“yes.”

It would have been much easier if there had been a blacksmith from the Hittites, if there had been an engineer who was already knowledgeable about iron and steel making itself, unlike in this region.

It wasn’t like that, so I just had to bang my head into the ground several times to proceed with the work.

“Sir, do you need coal? Or is it possible with only charcoal? hmm···.”

“Can I help you?”

“no. Oh, by the way, didn’t you say that you learned a lot from the Hittites when you were making the furnace last time?”

“I’ve literally heard from Hittite merchants, basket makers, and miscellaneous people like that, but… just ask.”

“Well, let’s see… Coal? Why are you writing this…”

“Please take a look.”

That’s why I’ve been cosplaying as a genius by tossing out a few ideas so that Skleos doesn’t need any skills, but now I have to start working on my own.

Since it was about future knowledge, when I was wrapped up in my hair, the people around me couldn’t do more than throw a few words of advice and leave.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I took care of all the work.

“There is a small stream running south of the city.”

“Oh, I know. It’s a place I often go to feed the sheep.”

“The amount of water is constant throughout the year, and the depth and width are quite large, so this is enough.”

What about going abroad? Uncle Skleos was in charge.

Next to the man who hires carpenters and inspects the site, I can only occupy the position of ‘a meddlesome kid who is favored by Skleos-sama’.

For the time being, the achievement of this glorious invention would remain with the blacksmith Skleos, not the slave Paris, but there was little regret.

Uncle Skleos also took on other, most important roles.

“The price of lumber is so everything…”

“200 silver drachmas. If you think about cutting it down, you’ll throw it all into the sea, so you know that.”

“Ha… here it is.”

Also buy materials.

“Skeleos! Strike!!”

“what? For what?”

“I want everyone to bring bread and milk for lunch.”

“Turn it off. Listen to everything, and complete only the aberration, like that.”

Buy people too.

“I heard that Skleos-nim is doing something interesting.”

“I don’t know what you’re struggling with with worms in the countryside, but I hope for good results! Ha ha ha ha ha!”

“Ha ha ha ha… thank you everyone.”

Even the role of a stupid refusal to throw money at a novel attempt was all up to Skleos.

Anoitos, who occasionally came to see me, said he could lend me some money, but I shook my head.

“why? It seems that Skleos-nim is quite overpowered.”

“It’s okay now. I’ll call you next time I need help.”

Anoitus visited the waterwheel construction site several times and asked if I would help, but I always answered.

It was sincere when he said that he would call the next time he needed help.

Anoitus… Cassius…

Certainly, they were famous merchants in the royal capital.

Such resources could not be used now.

Because I have to face the war that will break out all over Troy.

And for that, I might go to the royal capital as a prince someday. At that time, I need someone to support me.

“Are you looking at the blueprint?”

“Ah, uncle.”

Uncle Skleos called me as I was wrestling with the papyrus.

“How are you? Seeing it in person, do you think it was made the way you see it?”

“Uh… roughly.”

“You seem to be having a lot of trouble these days. Wouldn’t it be better to take a break?”

Uncle Skleos, who said that, also had a shadow in his eyes.

2 years already.

Quite a long time has passed since I realized who I am.

I designed and destroyed about 5 waterwheels. There was no choice but to go through a lot of trial and error as no other source of power other than manpower had yet been established.

It collapsed twice because of my design mistakes, and it collapsed twice again because the parts made by the carpenters were misaligned due to unfamiliar large-scale work.

Finally, it worked, but it had much lower firepower than expected, so it had to be dismantled and rebuilt.

Of course, this didn’t happen just to develop one aberration wheel, and it took time to experiment with new types of forges and other devices… but the time wasted was too precious.

“Ha, if this doesn’t work, I’ll just jump into that river and die.”

“That doesn’t work. Do you know how much money I have poured into this? If you die like this, Hephaestus will send you directly to Tartarus.”

“…”

“It is a joke. The merciful Hephaestus couldn’t do that.

But remember. He also has really high expectations for this work.”

I guess so. If this succeeds, by today’s standards, steel will be just copied.

In the end, in this era, there were not many ways for me to significantly increase the national power of Troy.

Shall we increase agricultural productivity, a measure of national power in ancient societies?

Even if I swim across the Atlantic Ocean to dig up potatoes from America, that would be impossible within 10 years.

Can you make great technological breakthroughs in other fields?

Unfortunately, the ancient people who were born and raised in this era are naturally better at farming and making better boats than modern people who used to use smartphones.

i am a slave

A slave who can’t move freely, has nothing to learn, and even has a watcher attached to him.

If I look at Troia as a whole, it’s an existence that can’t have a great influence.

“Mister, this is my best.”

“Yes, I know. What you’ve been trying to make all this up. There is no other child of your age who suffers as much as you do.”

“There is no point in turning the bellows by hand. People or cows can move while rolling wheels, but moving with hydraulic power is much more efficient.”

But at least I know how to handle iron. I also learned to write.

It’s because the blacksmith hasn’t just been eyeballing it for the past few years.

Besides, Uncle Skleos will be by my side as long as Hephaestus supports me from behind.

It is not easy for me to enjoy such good conditions in other fields.

In addition, if steel, a precious metal and a major strategic material in the ancient world, could be produced in large quantities, it would definitely have an impact on warfare.

. . . must be successful.

“Did you remove that brace!”

“Not yet! I’ll kick you on the count of three, so everyone avoid it!!”

must succeed

Workers come and go, screaming. Class presidents approach Uncle Skleos and inform him that it will proceed soon.

“The sixth time… this time it will work, right?”

I raise my head with hope, but Mr. Skleos’s expression is unusual.

“Actually, I haven’t said it before, but if I fail this time.”

What is it? Why is your expression hardened?

“If this fails again… you will be out of money for a while.”

“How long will I have to wait?”

“About a year and a half?”

no, that doesn’t work

The remaining time until the war is now estimated to be 8 years. But if you cut off a year and a half here, it’s six and a half years…

Even if you succeed after that, if you want to start a business properly, it will take a year or two, so no matter how optimistically you look at it, you have 5 years left.

5 years… absolutely not enough?

“Gee, is it really that hard? At that time, even if I open my hand to Anoitus-sama…”

“Actually, no matter how much Anoitus-nim tried his best. Wouldn’t it be difficult for you to willingly invest in a plan that has failed six times in two years?”

Then, it means that you have to suck your fingers and stay stuck in this colonial city for the next 2.3 years.

···Can not be done. Putting the plan aside, Troia is ruined.

In a changed mythology, business messing might be added to Faris’ list of idiots.

Or maybe the skull was smashed by the hammer of Hephaestus, who was enraged at the investment fraud, and there was no record of it.

In the NaX Wiki Paris entry, it is written in bold font as ‘the culprit of the fall of Troy’ and ‘an example of how an unprepared prince ruins the country’…

“Ha, please, please, lord. Buddha, Jesus, please…”

“Which country’s god is that?”

“Once you pray, these are the people who listen. Uncle, hurry up and pray.”

Soon after, the shouts of the workers grow louder and louder.

Counting sounds begin to be heard.

“Three, two, one, get rid of the support here!”

“Here too!”

“I was kicked! damage!!”

I closed my eyes for a moment in tension… and then opened them…

“Go back!”

“Wowaaa!!”

ha, lived

The aberration consists of a vertical structure that is basically familiar to us.

When the river turns the wheel, it moves the rod connected to the shaft back and forth, maintaining the reciprocating motion necessary for bellows. That’s the basic working principle.

I made a bellows but haven’t connected it yet, but if the core power source, the water wheel, is properly completed, it’s worth trying somehow…

“Paris.”

“yes.”

“Wasn’t it originally a slanted design?”

“… sh*t.”

Rather, it should be that I am falling. It must be that the landscape in front of you is tilting as the 11-year-old boy loses his balance and collapses.

However, no matter how mentally he tried, the aberration in front of him was gradually leaning to the left, perhaps because he was envious of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which will be built in about 2,300 years.

“Waaa!!!!!”

“P, avoid!!”

“aaagh! Damn, where did something go wrong!!”

– Kikii Iik…

A scream made by the wood forming the aberration under stress.

A little while later, the axle would twist and the waterwheel, two or three times the height of an adult, would crush and crush the stone supports on its side.

“Oh, no···.”

It’s a mistake to be smashed right now, but soon the walls of Troy will be smashed and my neck will be smashed by the Greek soldiers.

I wasn’t even about to die, but a kaleidoscope passed by, and soon the illusion of a huge wooden horse shimmered in front of my eyes…

-thud!!

great roar.

Sooner or later, the sound of collapse would be heard in succession, and it was certain that the aberration wheel would be shattered like my hopes. My heart ached and I turned my head.

and···

“Paris, look over there.”

“I’m really sorry Mister, but I have nowhere to borrow money…”

“Stop talking white and turn your head first.”

At Uncle Skleos’ words, I opened my eyes and turned my head.

The aberration was still tilted.

But it didn’t even come crashing down. The wreckage was not washed away in the river.

“It’s down there.”

As the uncle said, I lowered my gaze.

Something was jumping out of the river.

Like human hands made of water, they supported the wheel, and under the water, a school of fish gathered and made a support with their bodies under the wheel.

“Um, what’s going on?”

The answer to that was not Skleos, who was blankly open like me, but someone else.

“Paris!!”

A familiar bright, nonchalant voice.

When I turned my head, I saw the same face I had seen since childhood.

“Uh, Ino?”

“The sisters said they helped! how is it? Did I do well?”

Ino jumps up and down, holds my hand and spins round and round.

For a moment, I remained expressionless, as if my mind had gone blank. It wasn’t until the exhausted Ino put my hand down and panted that the situation was understood.

“Ino.”

“Are you going to compliment me? it’s okay! Am I a great fairy too?”

“That… you… you saved Troia.”

“huh? What are you talking about? What am I looking for?”

I had no choice but to sit down.

I felt a sense of relief as if the ant, which had ridden all of my possessions in a falling market, had barely escaped on a rescue boat.

“Uhhhhh” it’s okay.”

“Paris. It seems to be a problem with the central axis.”

“If I narrow the distance between the supports over there, the length of the shaft will also be shortened, so it won’t break.”

In front of my eyes, I saw a wooden shaft barely holding up to its limit with the help of the fairies. It was bent like a bow and was on the verge of breaking.

“To fix that, I think we need to reinforce the stone pillars on both sides so that they are closer to each other…”

“one week. Even if you reduce it as much as possible, it will take a week more. Besides, if you want to reduce it like that, the money will be broken several times…”

“Mister, if you break that thing, you will break several times more money than that.”

When I finally said this while wiping away my tears, the old man groaned and nodded reluctantly.

Soon, the workers are called together with applause and shouting, and they shout and order to build a support again. Maybe for a while, the dog school will continue.

still lived

Looking back at Ino, it is very commendable that he was ecstatic without knowing what achievements he had made.

After a week passed, this time the water wheel did not collapse even after removing the support.

Next, sacrifices must be made to Hephaestus and the local river gods and nymphs.

In the future, there will be full-fledged construction, so you will have to look good in advance, but first of all, you have received great grace.

“God, please accept our tribute…”

Ah yes, this is familiar. I saw a video of a big catch rite in an anthropology lecture.

He kills some precious animals, sprinkles their blood into the river, and throws a tree carved into the shape of a penis into the river.

And the fairies who lived in the river took the wooden phallus and disappeared into the water with joy…

···what?

“What, what, just…”

“What’s wrong, Paris?”

“The thing the fairies carried, no way, I heard about it in anthropology class, but it’s just symbolic…”

“ah? that toy? From now on, these river sisters won’t play with me for a while!”

“Yes, for a while the river gods and fairies will help us. From now on, I will have to pay tribute like this periodically.”

“…”

When Ino and Mr. Skleos talked calmly, I was dumbfounded for a moment, but well, yes, it’s ‘common sense’ in this era.

After all, you’re blocking the flow of a river and using that power, so if you make money from steel, shouldn’t you give back to the people of that river little by little?

Only then did I realize that this era was in a myth.

I must behave differently than in my ‘ungrateful’ world, where I picked flowers, cut down trees, dug the ground, and killed animals without permission.

And it wasn’t just the river gods and fairies to be concerned about.

It was for this reason that so many workers now went to the forest with axes and oversized scissors.

A cart loaded with freshly slaughtered pigs and sheep followed us.

Ino and I were in the lead.

A forest located at the foot of Mount Ida, north of Antandros.

As men with axes rush in front of them, a bleak wind blows.

As if rejecting us, as if defying us, an unsuitable cold air pierces menacingly from the tips of our toes.

The wind blew from the forest.

Apparently, the forest was on guard against us.

to break those boundaries.

“Ino? please.”

“okay!”

There had to be a middleman in the ‘negotiation’.

As Ino sings, the menacing wind from before slowly subsides, and several leaves roll from the forest and start spinning around Ino.

Other leaves tumble slowly and roll across the ground, spinning at our feet. Just like before, the movement was sophisticated enough to be called natural wind.

A voice is soon heard.

[what?]

[Why do woodcutters bring fairies to this forest?]

[Did you come to break down the trees where the fairies live, and cut down the limbs of the forest?]

And when I closed my eyes and opened them, the leaves and wind had changed into the shape of a woman.

“…”

[Ino, why did you call us?]

[Paris says she has something to say to her sisters!]

[…Me, a boy?]

The eyes of the fairies turn to me. When Ino nodded at me, I bowed my head and bowed to the fairies.

“I have met you before. My name is Paris.”

[This is the guy who warned the shepherds before they attacked.]

[Thanks to you, I lived.]

[Many fairies escaped anger.]

[Thanks.]

also.

Perhaps because they are long-lived people, they also remembered their relationship from four years ago.

I looked up and told them.

“From now on, the proposal I am about to give will benefit everyone, so please listen.”

Soon there was a muffled chattering sound, as if a black kite was flying high and lightly. I thought that was the sound of fairies discussing.

[Tell me then.]

[Because I received grace.]

[Because we will listen.]

I answered there.

“I want to cut down the trees.”

And in an instant, the air changes.

The wind starts blowing hard.

[···what?]