The Tin Knight-Chapter 56: The Tin Knight and The City of Clockwork — Act 2 (5)

“Brother Smith, how could you plan something like this without consulting me? What if you get scammed!?”

“Hey, Sinc, how could you bring in someone like that without saying a word? What if the shop goes under because of this!?”

The Geppetto siblings’ glares clashed fiercely in the air, but only briefly.

Soon, both of them averted their gaze.

They had both acted on the idea of “let’s do it first and tell the other when results come out!” so there was no point in blaming each other.

After clearing her throat several times as if to dispel the awkwardness, Sinc said, “Ahem, well, isn’t it fine, anyway? Thanks to the cooperation of Miss Gale and, um, Miss Dorothea, was it? Anyway, the construction of the workshop is going smoothly! And there are these incredibly amazing workers from who knows where! At this rate, it won’t even take a week until completion!”

“Well...”

“What’s with that gloomy answer? Are you worried that customers won’t come once we start business in a good location? Lacking confidence, are we?”

“Shut up. As if that could be the case.”

Smith scratched his head.

“It’s that bastard Stromboli I’m worried about. To someone who’s been freely using Grandpa’s name for profit, us, the real bloodline, becoming competitors must be extremely annoying. He won’t just leave us alone like this.”

“Come on. That’s why we’re deliberately putting up the sign later and trying to act uninvolved by staying away from the construction site as much as possible. He probably doesn’t even know this shop is ours, so what’s the problem?”

“He’s not that easy to deal with. He’ll definitely use some petty and vicious tactics... Damn, I’m anxious.”

***Smith’s anxiety was spot on.

Stromboli’s deceitful and violent scheme was descending upon the construction site workers.

“What? Why would the Stromboli Company want someone like me...?”

“Haha, your modesty is excessive. No matter how much you try to hide it, a nail in the pocket will eventually stick out. It would be troublesome if you underestimate our company’s discernment. We know your abilities very well, and we promise to treat you accordingly.”

“Well, I’m very grateful for your words, but I’m already employed, you see...”

“Now, here are the specific contract details. I dare say it’s undoubtedly the highest amount in the industry.”

“Gaaah!”

Although the workers were satisfied with the working environment where they could eat and drink as much as they pleased and the work wasn’t very hard—or, more precisely, they vaguely remembered it that way—they were still only temporarily employed.

Few could resist the tempting amount offered by the Stromboli Company.

The conditions were so good that some even suspected it might be a scam, but...

“Wait a minute, isn’t this a scam? Aren’t you just going to take us away like this and then pretend nothing happened and not pay us later?”

“With our company’s reputation? We could never do such a thing.”

“Still, I can’t trust it. The place I’m working now isn’t bad either, so there’s no reason to betray them.”

“Hmm, can’t be helped. If you agree to the contract, we’ll give you an advance payment.”

“I must’ve been too suspicious! There couldn’t be a more trustworthy company than this!”

...Even such suspicions crumbled helplessly in the face of more money.

The Stromboli headhunters felt puzzled.

“Are these really elite workers hiding their skills? They just look like random street riffraff to me.”

“Weren’t they supposed to be incredibly loyal and devoted people who endured years of contempt and disregard from others while hiding their skills? They seem too eager to jump ship, no?”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems like the boss has misunderstood something...”

Stromboli was the top company in the Empire’s magic doll industry.

Of course, since magic dolls themselves weren’t such a hot commodity in the Empire, the company wasn’t that large in terms of scale, even so, being at the top of the industry meant that talent naturally gathered there.

The headhunters, who had brains instead of spaghetti in their heads, realized that something was going wrong and reported it to the higher-ups.

“Master, reports are coming in that all the newly hired craftsmen are complete idiots...”

“Master, the existing craftsmen are expressing dissatisfaction after learning about the contract terms of the newly recruited craftsmen.”

“Master, the team leaders from each department are claiming that all those hired this time are incompetent fools.”

And here, a truth of the world revealed itself once more.

The truth that even if the employees working on-site had brains, it meant nothing if the higher-ups didn’t accept it.

“Tsk tsk, everyone’s judgment has fallen so much. I’m truly worried about how our company will run after I retire.”

Charles Stromboli, sitting arrogantly on the sofa, took a big puff of his cigar and then spoke.

He began to lecture his foolish subordinates, “In the end, what moves people is money. But there are not a few people in the world who are swayed by trivial sentiments even after gulping down the contract money. Since they betrayed their friends for money, don’t they need some self-justification?”

“Self-justification, you say?”

“Yes, it would be a bit awkward for them to work hard on our side right after betraying. They might also be unsure whether their skills were really discovered or not. We should consider that they’re currently observing the situation.”

“But Master, if we show people receiving good treatment without working properly, it could negatively affect our existing employees.”

“How about creating a separate team to operate them apart from the existing employees?”

“Or should we pressure them to work properly?”

“Oh my, you clueless friends.”

Charles clicked his tongue while grinding his cigar in the ashtray.

“If we don’t mix them with existing employees and keep them together, will they try to adapt to the new workplace or conspire with each other? They need to see others working hard around them and feel some pressure to quickly come to their senses. And pressuring them? What if they go back to that Smith bastard because of that?”

Charles spoke so confidently that even the employees listening began to tilt their heads, thinking, “Is that so?”

It seemed to make sense when they heard it.

In fact, it was more accurate to say they hoped it was right.

Although he hadn’t inherited the title or domain, being pushed aside by the eldest son, Charles was still a member of the Stromboli Count family.

If he said so, his subordinates had no choice but to believe and follow him.

Charles smiled with satisfaction.

“And even if they don’t work properly, so what? Now that we’ve taken those workers away, it’s only a matter of time before that shop goes bankrupt! Hahahahaha!”

***“Hmm, is it just you this time?”

“Ah, yes.”

Faced with the cold gaze of the black beauty—the construction site workers had yet to learn Dorothea’s name—Dolton felt his body involuntarily stiffen.

It wasn’t simply because of the employer-employee relationship.

Although her physique was clearly more slender and frail than Dolton’s, the beauty’s eyes were full of intense will and formidable charisma.

When looking from afar, he had the leisure to chat idly with his colleagues about her beauty and figure, but now, facing her and having a conversation, he felt like a frog in front of a snake.

Rationally speaking, Dolton hadn’t done anything wrong, but he couldn’t help but feel like shrinking.

Damn, did everyone really go over to Stromboli? Should I have gone too?

Dolton found himself inwardly sinking with regret.

He, too, had received an offer from Stromboli, but ended up refusing it to come here instead.

Of course, it wasn’t because Dolton had any particular loyalty or strong work ethic.

Dolton knew well what his abilities were.

He also knew how a craftsman who received treatment beyond his abilities was treated by others.

If someone with Dolton’s abilities entered a large company—at least by Dolton’s standards—like Stromboli, he would become a prime target for contempt and ridicule by those around him.

That was right.

Dolton had refused the offer simply because he didn’t want to be cursed at.

“Hmm. Well, it’ll be hard to work alone.”

The beauty made a slightly sulky expression, but then shrugged nonchalantly, as if she had expected this outcome.

“Then you. From now on, you’re the manager.”

“Pardon?” Dolton reflexively asked back.

“I said you’re the manager now. There’s not much to do, just help with food distribution and sometimes hand out money when I’m not around. Leave the heavy lifting to that guy over there.”

Saying this, the beauty pointed to a knight in full armor nearby.

Only then, realizing that what he had heard wasn’t a misunderstanding, Dolton waved his hands in confusion.

“W-wait a moment! Manager? Why me?”

“Because the manager ran off. I’ll pay you more, so do a good job.”

“Do a good job? But there’s no one here!”

“I told you at the beginning, didn’t I? We’d hire new people if vacancies occurred. There were people who couldn’t join last time due to overcapacity, so we’ll gather people quickly. Ah, you can bring people you know if you wish. It’s fine as long as they’re physically strong. Also, today’s a break. We’ll start again tomorrow after gathering people.”

Dolton’s mouth gaped open.

Something... something about this situation was unfolding in a completely different direction that he had initially anticipated.

Although Dolton had initially tried to refuse somehow, while he was stammering, the beauty had unilaterally said what she wanted to say and left, and he had gained a new title as the site manager.

The following day.

“Um, Manager sir. Can we really eat this before working? All this food and alcohol?”

“Uh, well. Yes. Just eat it all.”

“Manager sir. Is it really true that it’s okay even if we have no experience or skills in this field? If they don’t pay us later saying we couldn’t do the work, we won’t stay quiet.”

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“That won’t happen, so just eat your meal.”

“Manager sir. Who exactly is that beauty over—mmph!”

“Enough, just eat your damn food!! Here’s some alcohol while you’re at it! Pour! Chug!!”

Stuffing bread into the mouth of a worker trying to spout nonsense, Dolton glanced at the beauty and the knight guarding her side.

Whether they hadn’t heard or simply didn’t care, there was no particular reaction.

Only after somehow finishing the food distribution and seeing the workers one by one lying on the ground snoring, did Dolton finally breathe a sigh of relief.

And then, one fundamental question arose.

But when do we start working? They’re all passed out. I didn’t notice when I was eating, but looking from the side, this is a complete mess?

“Um, er, employer...?”

“Good job. You’re doing well. Just keep doing this.”

Although Dolton couldn’t understand at all what he had done well, the incomprehensible events for him were just beginning.

The beauty who had moved towards the center of the workers clapped her hands.

Despite it not being a particularly loud sound, all the workers lying down flinched at once.

Some even trembled and convulsed, but when the beauty clapped once more, they soon settled down.

“Now, start work.”

At the beauty’s words, the workers sluggishly rose to their feet.

As if it was a lie that they had been drunk just a moment ago, they casually started stretching or inspecting the surrounding materials, preparing for work.

Some of them were Dolton’s acquaintances, and Dolton was left speechless, seeing people who had never done carpentry work in their lives skillfully handling wood.

“Employer. What, what is this...?”

To Dolton’s question, the beauty answered simply, “I’ll explain if you want to get deeply involved. Or do you want to just accept it as it is and move on?”

Dolton’s mouth closed.

And then opened again.

“How should I handle scheduling? I can’t stay here 24 hours, after all.”

“You can leave now if you wish. Just come back again at mealtime. Understand?”

“Yes.”

***“Master! The construction has resumed!!”

“Ha, so what? We’ve already taken away all the core talent-“

“There’s no change in the work speed! No, it seems to have gotten even faster!!”

“What!? What nonsense is this...? Ah! I see, were the first ones just a disguise? The real employees were separate!”

“Indeed, that would explain the incompetence of the newly hired employees!”

“But Master. Not a few people are seeing those employees moving and working directly!”

“Hmm... They might have mixed real and fake ones to deceive our eyes.”

Charles made a decision.

“Bring in the new workers, too.”

“The financial drain will be too severe!”

“I’m not saying to bring them all in. Watch carefully from the sidelines and pick out only the capable ones. Then, after that, put our own people in the empty spots to observe the internal situation, and after that, scouting will be easier, won’t it?”

“Oh! How wise!”

***“No, these bastards are clearly idiots no matter how you look at them, so why do you keep telling us to hire them!?”

“Beats me. What can we do when they won’t listen, no matter what we say? They made the mess, so they’ll have to take responsibility for it.”