A production factory for Tracking Carts had been built at the Village Five Foothills.
Lu, Tia, and the Mountain Elves had been working hard for some time to incorporate golems into the workflow there. Yesterday, I received word that the implementation was complete, so I decided to go and have a look.
Golems producing parts. Golems transporting those parts. Golems assembling the parts into their designated shapes. Golems checking to ensure everything was assembled correctly. Golems aligning the components. Golems installing the components. Golems neatly organizing the units once the components were installed.
Various shapes of golems were moving with disciplined precision. Meanwhile, the Tracking Carts were gradually completed as they moved along the conveyor.
It was impressive. A truly automated factory.
"Our current production capacity is ten units per day," the Mountain Elves informed me with pride.
In terms of performance, they could technically increase the numbers, but there were concerns about securing enough materials.
"We need to have the materials for every single part ready, after all."
That made sense.
"The ones we really want you to see are the golems that align the assembled parts and the ones that line up the units after installation. Before we came up with the idea to place these, we were constantly plagued by issues caused by misalignment that affected the entire line. Their movements may look plain, but their contribution is massive."
"I-I see."
"Also, while they're not related to the production of the Tracking Carts themselves, we have the golems that clean up trash."
I noticed them crawling around the floor—they looked like a broom and a dustpan integrated into a single unit.
"Teaching them the boundaries of their cleaning area was quite a struggle. I wonder how many golems went missing before we got them working properly."
"They went missing?"
"They did. Three are still unaccounted for."
"Is there a chance they were stolen?"
"There's a system where they stop operating and sound an alarm if they move a certain distance away from the pillars that serve as the factory's Reference Points, so I doubt it."
So they were just off cleaning somewhere deep inside the factory, then.
"I hope we can find them soon."
"Y-yeah, me too."
After that, the Mountain Elves introduced me to the rest of the golems while regaling me with stories of their hardships.
"It was truly a struggle."
"But you had fun, didn't you?"
"Of course! There's nothing like the joy of seeing mechanisms chain together!"
Well, that was the most important thing. By the way...
"What is it? Lu-san and Tia-san are currently dead to the world, sleeping off the exhaustion."
I was aware of that. It wasn't about them. "What’s that smaller factory over there?"
I had seen the Tracking Cart factory several times before the golems were introduced, but I didn't recognize that building.
"Oh, that's a factory we built to test the golem implementation."
"So, are you making Tracking Carts there too?"
"No, lunch boxes."
"..."
"Lunch boxes."
"No, I heard you the first time. But... why?"
"We're at the edge of the Village Five Foothills here, so it's quite a distance from the central district of Village Five, right?"
That was true. Between the land needed for the factory and the space required to store finished Tracking Carts, we had ended up on the outskirts.
"There aren't many places to eat nearby."
"I suppose so, but you're making lunch boxes?"
"Yes. We've had requests from people working in the surrounding area as well."
"I-I see."
"This is the kind of lunch box we're producing."
the Mountain Elves brought over a lunch box in a paper box. It made me wish for transparent plastic, but... when I opened it, the box was partitioned, containing bread, salad, meat, mashed potatoes, and even a fork. It was a Western-style lunch box. It looked quite appetizing.
"Yes, it’s been very well-received."
"Does the menu change?"
"The bread and salad are staples, but the meat and mashed potato dishes change daily."
"Huh."
"Lately, even adventurers who've heard the rumors have been stopping by to buy them."
Ah, if they were heading south from Village Five, they would pass right by here.
"Since we're using all the revenue to procure the next round of ingredients, the contents have been getting a little more luxurious day by day."
"Right. We should probably discuss 'that area' regarding the sales revenue later."
"Understood."
I was shown the inside of the lunch box factory, and it was just as crowded with busy golems as the Tracking Cart factory. In fact, didn't their movements seem even more complex?
"Since we're making different dishes every day, the processes change, so it's unavoidable."
"I guess it's necessary."
"Yes. We've programmed them to reproduce the meticulous movements of the High Ogre Maids who cooperated in designing the cooking process."
That made sense.
"Tia-san mentioned that the golems for this factory were actually more difficult to design than the ones for the Tracking Carts."
I'd have to make sure to praise her for that later.
"Also, to maintain the high standards of hygiene management that you emphasize, Village Head, the number of required golems has ballooned. Beyond the floor-cleaning golems, we have golems to drive away insects, golems to prevent them from entering, golems to catch any that do get in, golems to monitor the room temperature, and even golems to collect floating dust."
"That... sounds like a lot of work."
"It was. But then, food poisoning is not something we can take lightly."
"True. Very true."
"Now that you mention it, Seles visited and watched the lunch box factory with great interest."
Saint Seles, huh? I wondered if she was thinking about whether products for the Korin Sweets Shop could be automated as well.
"I don't know the specifics, but she was talking with Lu-san and Tia-san for a long time. Lu-san and Tia-san were nodding along generously—perhaps because they were so tired."
...The number of factories might be increasing in the near future.
"It seems likely. I'm looking forward to it."
Now then, putting the lunch box factory aside, the Tracking Cart production could finally be left to the factory. The only remaining issue was the factory managers...
"Regarding that, we have volunteers from the Angels."
"Really?"
"Yes. Right this way."
I was introduced to three Angels.
"An easy job just watching golems work... Oh, excuse me. We would be honored if you would allow us to take charge of managing the Tracking Cart production—a job of immense responsibility."
Hmm. I recognized these three; they were the ones who had been put through the wringer during Suarurou and Razumaria’s training recently. But was this really okay?
"Is there a problem?"
"A house is provided, and we get a food allowance."
"The three of us can take shifts, so we don't see any issues at all."
...That was true. A new house for the managers had already been built. As for food, while there weren't many shops nearby, Angels could easily fly to the center of Village Five. The issue of Angels being viewed with caution in the Demon Kingdom was also being resolved in Village Five. Furthermore, this was the edge of the foothills. It seemed fine.
"Ah, do you have permission from Marubit, the Angel Race Leader?"
"We do!"
"When we told her we were going out to work, she gave us her blessing!"
"Marubit-sama was even shedding tears."
I-I see. In that case, I didn't mind. "You’re motivated, then?"
"Yes!"
"Of course!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Alright. I officially appoint you as the factory managers. I’m counting on you!"
A few days later, Suarurou and Razumaria came to see me. They told me quite firmly not to spoil those three.
I see. So they had permission from Marubit, but it had been done without consulting Suarurou and Razumaria. I didn't intend to meddle in the internal factions or chain of command of the Angels, but I'd have to be more careful about that sort of thing in the future.
However, I had no intention of spoiling them. Being a factory manager might sound easy, but I predicted it would be a demanding job. Just watching golems work? Not a chance. Just thinking about it for a moment, I could see plenty of tasks.
For example, the Magic Stones powering the golems are consumables—like batteries. Once they run out of magical power, they have to be replaced. Furthermore, if any trouble occurs, damage will spread unless an emergency stop is ordered immediately. You can't afford to be careless.
And unexpected trouble always happens. Always. Especially in a production factory that has only just started operating. They have no accumulated experience in handling mishaps. It’s bound to be a struggle.
I had assumed that as Angels who had lived far longer than I, they would understand that much without being told... but seeing Suarurou and Razumaria's reactions, perhaps they didn't.
...No, wait.
Even if those three didn't get it, Suarurou and Razumaria definitely did. So why would they say that to me?
Ah, I see. Telling me not to spoil them wasn't a complaint about the appointment. It was a proactive warning. They knew the three of them would inevitably run into trouble and come crying for help, and they were telling me not to bail them out when they did.
The Angels truly were fearsome. And to the three new managers: good luck. I offered them a silent prayer of support in my heart.