chapter 23
Crank, who was thinking about the beer in front of him, drank it at once and stood up.
A guild employee sitting across from him raised his head.
“Would you like to think about the agenda?”
“no. I’ll accept it. However, I would like you to refrain from arguing with the guild about the contents of education. I will only help you with basic knowledge to increase your survivability.”
A young man in uniform and glasses quickly got up from his seat and bowed his head.
“of course! thank you Mr. Crank!”
“Tell me more about it tomorrow. Let’s go, Carrot.”
“huh? Where are you going?”
Crank was already leaving the guild cafeteria.
“To see a used automaton to send to the macro.”
Carrot asked, running with a gun.
“Are there kids in the studio?”
“That is too precious. And it is incomplete.”
Saying that, Crank headed for an automaton store a little far from the guild.
“Wow, it must be the newest one these days! Are you slim?”
Crank shook his head as he took a peek at the new automatons lined up inside the store’s show window.
“There hasn’t been much progress in powertrains or drivetrains yet. Only the appearance is different. Let’s go in.”
The employees inside the store were aghast when they first saw the crank, but were amazed when they saw the carrot coming in after them.
“Carrot? wow! It’s a custom automaton carrot! Then you crank adventurer?!”
“That’s right.”
“The owner of Carrot is coming to our store! Bring the store manager! hurry!”
After being contacted by the staff, the manager of the Automaton Dealership Association appeared. She was a gray-haired, white-faced woman who appeared to be in her thirties.
“Carrot! oh! It’s cute, I’ve encountered it a few times on the street, but this is the first time I’ve seen it up close. Nice to meet you. I am Coco, the manager of this store.”
Crank said the business right away.
“A used automaton? What is the price range?”
“Over 500 and under 800, 2 units.”
Coco, the store manager who was listening, put on a troubled expression.
“At that price point, it’s just in rough condition. Personally, I recommend 1200 lines.”
“It doesn’t matter. Are you there?”
“Of course there is. This way.”
Coco guided Crank and Carrot to the warehouse inside the store.
“wow-! There are loads of automatons!”
“Most of them are yawning. Until a few years ago, I made a lot of them and used them in the battle against the demon king’s army. These days, due to the trend of reducing armaments, it is sold to the private sector and used for personal security and defense. However, it is a bit expensive for use in small-town households. Some were sold in big cities,”
“Wow, do you use automatons in normal households? Not an adventurer or group?”
Coco smiled happily as she looked down at Carrot.
“Well, even in Argon, it’s rare, but there are quite a few. After all, if you have one, it’s worth the money. Find people who have used it.”
“Oh oh!”
Crank, who had been looking around, interrupted.
“I will use it for the village guard. Are there any military yawns with a lot of combat experience?”
“There is, but it is expensive. On the floor, they call them veterans.”
“and! First time I knew!”
Coco, who had been looking down at Carrot with a friendly smile, now looked at the crank and said.
“How about 40 million Leeds?”
Crank, who looked at Coco for a moment, shook his helmet.
“I will refuse. I want to see the real thing inside 8 million.”
“60 million!”
“Manager, I’m here to make a purchase.”
Coco smirked and turned around.
“Call me Manager Coco. I want to be friends with you in the future. crank.”
“I agree.”
Upon hearing Crank’s answer, Coco smiled ahahahaha and walked between the automatons in the warehouse.
Carrot, who followed, asked sneakily.
“What did 60 million mean? Who are you talking about?”
“It is you. The manager just suggested selling you for 60 million.”
“and! me?! 60 million! I’m originally worth 15 million! ha ha ha! So are you going to sell it?”
“It’s too cheap compared to the effort and money I’ve spent on you.”
Hearing that, Carrot giggled.
Coco stopped around the corner of the warehouse display case a few times and looked back.
“This line is all in the price range you mentioned. Among them, I would like to recommend this one and this one. The price is 16 million liz for two.”
Crank, who took a peek at the automaton, bought it right away.
“huh? Aren’t you bargaining?”
“Yes, no.”
Coco made a strange expression, then smiled and held out her hand.
“Thank you for your purchase.”
Crank, who held her little hand, paid the price and tried to leave the store with the automatons.
“wait a minute! Take this!”
An employee brought a heavy box.
“It is a service. This is a used part in relatively good condition. We also do dismantling work together.”
“thank you.”
Manager Coco, who was watching from the side, waved his hand.
“Come again next time. There are always sales and purchases.”
Crank received the box and nodded.
“If the opportunity arises.”
Carrot asked as they walked down the street and returned to the studio.
“When is that opportunity?”
“I don’t sell. Don’t worry. I will use you until I wear out.”
Carrot laughed. Then I looked back. Two automatons were walking.
“Your gait is pretty good, isn’t it? Are these guys going to do full tuning too?”
“Yes, the possibility has begun to sprout in the pioneer town of Macro. For the sake of my delicious potatoes, I will do my best.”
“You are a romantic.”
Crank, who had stopped, looked back and grinned. I couldn’t see it well because it was covered by the helmet,
Crank arrived at the studio and started working right away. When parts, wigs, and combat uniforms were newly ordered, the leisurely women’s association welcomed them, and parts stores began delivering them. And the number of people who want to sell their hair has also increased.
“Uh, these are the guys who want to sell their hair this time.”
The next day, Crank and Carrot greeted the people who came to the studio. Broker first? Short-haired Fluid, a red-haired girl and a dark-haired woman holding her hand, and
“Who is this? Are you my boyfriend?”
“omg! Oh no!”
Fluid’s face turned red and he waved. The man who looked at it with a single smile introduced himself.
“This is Jake from the guards. I am here as Miss Fluid’s bodyguard.”
“why? Did Fluid have an accident?”
Now Fluid covered her burning face with both hands.
“Remember the automaton named Green?”
“oh! It’s an automaton that my master fixed, what happened to Green?”
Jake made eye contact with Crank and continued.
“After the expedition, Green returned to the Trogen guild and was recognized for his performance, and now serves as the temporary guard chief of the Ark City, Trogen.”
Even Crank, who was listening, folded his arms in amazement.
“As Captain of the Guard, it just happened to be what Fluid wanted.”
“no! I am! I didn’t want my name to be known like this…!”
“Hey, so what?”
Jake continued.
“In the midst of our active efforts to maintain public order, we have been officially requested for security, so that people with ill feelings may not harm Miss Fluid.”
Carrot looked at Fluid.
“Wow! Awesome! Fluid!”
As if he didn’t want to talk anymore, Fluid let out a huge sigh and introduced the women he had brought, and Crank immediately brought scissors and a chair and opened his seat.
“Me, before that! Can I see the automaton?”
Crank looked at Fluid at the girl and woman with twinkling eyes. Fluid avoided Crank’s gaze by slightly turning his head.
“This way. I’m working on it, so don’t touch it.”
“Owaaa!”
Charleuk!
When the inner curtains were removed, the automatons were either lying or sitting on the workbench or hanging from the ceiling.
“The hair of the two people is going to be transplanted into the two generations on this side.”
“where are you going?! Are you going to catch a dragon?”
Crank looked at Fluid again. Fluid quickly turned his head.
“It is for security. It was ordered from the pioneer city, Macro.”
“to···.”
The red-haired girl looked disappointed, but the dark-haired girl nodded.
“There is my hometown. Cut right away.”
“huh? Is dry skin real?”
“Yes, I got a letter from my parents. i don’t need money Please make it well and send it to me.”
Crank immediately stretched out and cut the dark-haired girl Gunfi’s hair. The red-haired girl was a bit hesitant, but cut it in the end.
“You will grow up soon anyway! But I want the money! I have to add to my living expenses!”
Crank, who had his hair cut, brought out a bag of money and gave it to the two of them. Gunpi refused, but Crank insisted.
“Your heart must also follow the reward.”
In the end, Gunfi, holding a bag of money in his chest, opened his mouth slightly and looked up at the crank.
Jake, who was able to tour the studio thanks to the Fluid, expressed his impressions.
“I heard that you are an adventurer, but this place is almost at the level of a professional sales office. Can I change my job here?”
“I will not be working full-time.”
“yes? Isn’t it safer and better paid that way?”
Crank said, carefully combing his hair.
“If you change your job as an official repair engineer, you automatically become a member of the Automaton Maintenance Guild. Then I can no longer do what I want. Only the items specified by the guild need to be fixed. I hate that. I will do what I want to do even at a loss.”
“saw? Our master is the last remaining romantic in the world.”