The sales of [Iron-Blooded Alchemist] Volume 3 were several times higher than those of other fairy tale or comic books.
Not just compared to other books, but also significantly more than Volumes 1 and 2, with the biggest reason being, of course, the lottery ticket.
Many were eager to buy multiple copies to increase their chances of winning the limited edition Empire-certified alchemist pocket watch that could only be obtained through the lottery.
Thanks to that, commoners were able to purchase comic books without the lottery tickets at a much cheaper price.
Those who bought several copies also managed to recoup some of their money, so it worked out for everyone.
As the day of the pocket watch lottery approached, people began to gather in front of the Yuren Merchant Guild.
They could watch the lottery draw happening at the main store through the crystal balls distributed to each branch.
Only those with lottery tickets were eligible to see this draw for fairness, of course.
To maintain transparency, the head office of the Yuren Merchant Guild, where the draw was held, invited VIP nobles, and even people from the Magic Tower were in attendance.
In the center of the reception room was a giant cylindrical container filled with little pieces of paper for the draw.
This drawing machine had been custom-made at the Magic Tower to ensure a fair lottery.
When the button was pressed, a gentle wind spell whirled around the paper slips inside, and the first slip that passed through the entrance would display the winning number.
The fact that the Magic Tower guaranteed no tampering meant that even those with doubts could only take a step back; it was truly all in the luck of the draw.
This scene was being recorded by a video storage crystal and would be broadcast to all of the branch offices, while winning numbers were set to be posted on a bulletin board. However, the sheer number of people gathered at each branch who didn’t want to miss the moment was enormous.
And finally, the draw began.
“There will be a total of 12 draws! If two slips come out at once, only the first one counts, and the others go back into the draw!”
Given the importance of the event, the head of the Yuren Merchant Guild, Esteban, personally came out to conduct the lottery.
Normally, these events would be handled by the branch managers or staff, but…
‘The number of people gathered is beyond what I expected. There could be a riot if I’m not careful.’
He had anticipated the popularity, but the overwhelming crowd and their eagerness made Esteban decide to take matters into his own hands.
He was the best choice to prepare for any potential mishap.
—Woohoo!! Start already!!!
—Please, number 832… Please, number 832…
—I researched about these lottery ticket numbers…
While the waiting crowd knew their cheers and jeers wouldn’t reach Esteban’s ears, they couldn’t help but shout in excitement.
The mix of voices created an oddly warm aura, despite it being wintertime.
People’s eyes were filled with greed.
‘If I win, my fortune will change!’
On the day the pocket watch was displayed at the main office of the Yuren Merchant Guild, nobles carrying bags of gold came to demand to buy it from him.
Some offered jaw-dropping amounts of money, but Esteban firmly refused.
He declared that this pocket watch could only be obtained through the lottery, leaving everyone with no choice but to back down.
However, as the saying goes, “Desire awakens greed,” and starting that day, the number of thieves lurking around the Yuren Merchant Guild sharply increased.
Not just professional thieves, but even riffraff attempted to break in and steal the pocket watch. Yet they all ended up caught by the mercenaries hired by the Yuren Merchant Guild and traps installed with the help of the Magic Tower, landing them in the Empire’s prison—a rumor that had already spread far and wide.
The reason so many targeted the Yuren Merchant Guild had to do with a mysterious wealthy benefactor who’d put a bounty on the watch.
He declared he’d pay 100 gold for anyone who brought him the pocket watch, leading to a frenzied raid on the Guild.
That declaration set the minimum value of the pocket watch at 100 gold, which was one of the reasons why people were so enthusiastic about today’s lottery.
Of course, for those who simply wanted the pocket watch out of affection, the situation didn’t look so great.
“Darn it! That thing suits a true reader like me!”
Many believed the pocket watch was a rare treasure that couldn’t simply be measured in gold; only 12 existed.
Thus, with each person caught up in their own reasons for excitement, their eyes turned to the fingertips of the head of the Merchant Guild.
His hand was finally reaching for the button, and at that moment, the tiny slips of paper inside the cylinder began to flutter like cherry blossoms.
*
“It’s still a prototype, but the quality is good enough to sell already.”
“Not a chance! The movement of the joints isn’t smooth yet. Using Arachne’s thread was a good call, but I feel like we need to mix in something else.”
Ignoring Kroon’s words, I continued inspecting the new golem’s arm.
Incredibly precise parts meshed together, demonstrating natural movements.
Kroon’s boast that it could be made as long as the facilities and materials were available wasn’t a lie.
Of course, there were still essential parts left to work on.
Connecting the golem’s arm to the nerves required the technology of the Magic Tower, and this model, made as a prototype, was unbelievably complex, filled with too many components.
According to Kroon, just one missing screw would mean it wouldn’t operate, so practical use was out of the question.
Not only that, but the materials used were outrageous.
I couldn’t even tell if I brought a dwarf artisan or a gold-guzzling hippo, as Kroon’s love for materials had no bounds.
It was fortunate that there were no supplies of those crazy-expensive metals like mithril or orichalcum, or he would probably have caused a scene begging to buy them even if it meant selling himself into slavery.
‘Now, where do I even use this?’
Besides the high completion quality of the new golem’s arm, having it finished posed another problem.
While it was definitely an improvement compared to existing golem’s arms sold at the Magic Tower, the price was significantly higher, meaning not many could afford it.
The price for commoners was absolutely not feasible, and while it could be sold to knights who’d lost limbs, just how many of such knights are out there?
Since I had allowed Kroon to continue his research under the condition of hiring him, I definitely wanted to commercialize this somehow.
I wanted to recoup at least some of the costs, and if commoners could also use such products, many would regain hope.
I thought making a lot of money would solve all my troubles, but ironically, it only created more.
It seems that the list of things I want to do and have to do keeps growing.
I was sure at first that I’d be satisfied just getting enough to indulge myself a bit.
“I wish… I had more time.”
I fantasized about a place similar to the Room of Spirit and Time that appeared in the mega-hit comic, where I could go inside, create dozens of comic books, and bring artisans in to develop over-the-top technology.
(TN: https://dragonballuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Room_of_Spirit_and_Time)
But as I came to realize that such a dream was impossible, I felt dejected once again.
This sad feeling could only be filled with some late-night work.
“Sena, you did a great job today. You should head off and get some rest.”
“Already?”
“You’ve already drawn for 2 hours! Make sure to rest well.”
Though Sena insisted she wanted to draw more, I firmly sent her away from the workshop, knowing she shouldn’t be overworked from such a young age.
“Master! Does that mean we get to clock out too?”
“What are you talking about? Did you drink during work or something?”
Seeing Sena leave, the artisans crowding around me asked if they could clock out too, and I responded with a look that said, “Are you out of your mind?”
“W-Why!!! Why is Sena the only one leaving!!! We can’t go….”
“Guys, Sena is only twelve years old. She shouldn’t have to help with work when it’s time for her to be out playing.”
These people should be envious towards the right things!
Unable to counter my point, the artisans trudged back to their spots.
“So you should’ve worked through the night like I did yesterday! Hahaha, I’m off now!”
I watched Kroon getting up quietly and heading toward the door.
“Alain, close it.”
“Yes, Master.”
Alain, who was waiting outside the door, promptly shut it and locked it just before Kroon arrived.
“What… what the heck!! I did all my work!!! I stayed up late yesterday too!”
“Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. You say you did all your tasks? But we need to open the goods shop soon, and you’ve produced everything needed for the initial figure stock, is that right?”
“No, that’s not it… But I did complete a prototype of the new golem’s arm….”
“I’m quite disappointed, Kroon. I’ve promised full support for your research and development, but is your own research the only priority, while product production comes second?”
Kroon snapped back at my words.
“What nonsense is that! Do you mean that Kroon would betray his trust?!”
“No, of course not. Just produce the figures already. If you pull all-nighters this week, you should be able to meet the quantity requirements.”
“Of course! There’s nothing impossible for dwarves!”
Kroon stomped back to his station, all fired up.
I too wasn’t much different. Before I returned to my station, I downed a vial of vitality potion and sat back down to continue working on ✓Iron-Blooded Alchemist] Volume 4.
Since Sena was still at the stage of learning rather than being fast enough to help, I needed to draw as much as possible when I was alone.
‘Only three hours until Monk Manuel visits.’
At my request, the workshop was locked up from the outside, so no one could leave until someone opened the door.
Sometimes, people would try to escape under the excuse of needing the bathroom, so the restroom was inside the workshop too, and with food and drinks always stocked, they could only go out at regular intervals.
Plus, just in case someone didn’t want to leave but wanted to sleep, I had even prepared a simple bed.
Honestly, I was worried the artisans might throw a fit over such a comfortable environment, wanting to stay instead of going home.
But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
This setup was even better than facilities in the army!
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