#1215 Transportation Problem 

My little “make-something” workshop that I organized took an unexpected turn. 

Some of the pioneer students in the pottery class had their pieces picked up by the Pandemonium Trading Company.  
Before I knew it, Mr. Shax, the head of Pandemonium, had slipped into the lesson and zeroed in on anything he thinks he can sell.  

“I’ll launch this in the Demon Capital,” he announces, whisking a few cups and plates off with him.  

He’s got the gall of someone who kind of asked permission but didn’t really wait for an answer. 

— “Lord Saint! Please, let me take this one for myself! Is that all right?” 
— “Uh...Yeah, sure.” 
— “Excellent! I’ll bring you good news soon!” 

That’s basically how it went.  
Later, Platy scolded me, saying I give in too easily. 

But hey, these are the first ceramics our pioneers have ever thrown.  

I didn’t expect them to be hits, yet apparently, they sold like hotcakes.  
One of the students, some guy they call Mar? Was that his name? 

Anyway, he made a coffee cup with such character that a small but devoted fanclub sprung up.  
It even fetched a startling price, and he ended up with a chunk of cash he never dreamed of.  

True to form, Mr. Shax generously cut the original creator a healthy share. After all, that’s what big merchants do. 

In the end, he netted enough to live comfortably for years. I can’t help but think: maybe he’ll dive fully into the pottery world now.  

Even Aileron, their teacher, raved that it was a wild masterpiece, nature’s beauty fused with human passion. 

But when I asked Mar if he planned to switch careers, he just laughed and shrugged... 

“It’s obviously a fluke,” he said. “An amateur like me barely kneads some clay and suddenly tops the charts? No such luck. You hear stories of soldiers riding high on one victory, then charging too deep and getting wiped out. It’s the same in any field.” 

He’s one of our human pioneers, most of whom have adventuring, and before that, mercenary backgrounds.  
Because of that, he’s got zero illusions about how brutal reality can be. 

“The people who bought my pieces probably just wanted something different from elf-made pottery. Once they get tired of it, it’s over. I’ll think of this money as a gift from the gods. Better to save it, who knows what’s next?” 

He’s prudent to the last.  
I wonder if he’s got some life-philosophy about saving everything for a rainy day. 

“But I’ll keep making pottery on the side. It’s fun to knead clay, and cups and plates are always useful.” 

So, Mar continues crafting his simple-yet-distinctive tableware.  

Someday, his humble wares might even become a signature specialty of the Farm Kingdom. 
But that’s a story for later. 

*** 

Over winter, there’s plenty more to figure out.  

The Farm Kingdom is still just a developing frontier. 
Sometimes it’s called a “development site,” sometimes a “kingdom,” and the two terms get mixed up more than you’d think.  

Without outside aid, nothing moves forward. 
In fact, we can’t even maintain the status quo.  

Now that winter’s here and production has plunged, we’d starve if supplies didn’t arrive from abroad.  
Well, if it ever got really bad, the farm would pull through somehow, but still. 

Officially, setting up the Farm Kingdom is a collaborative world project, so support from every country is crucial.  

Right now, our big question is: how do we actually transport all that aid? 

Moving goods takes effort, time, and money.  

Even in my old world, transportation was the lifeblood of the economy.  

If we could haul people and supplies faster, cheaper, and more efficiently, that alone would spark economic growth.  

We owe it to our benefactors to make the most of their gifts. 

So, how do we get all that aid into the Farm Kingdom (still a development site)?  

Let’s brainstorm! 

“Why not just load it onto wagons?” someone suggests. 

That’s the baseline, of course. 

Wagons were originally for hauling heavy loads in medieval times. 
Using them to carry passengers only becomes common later, after the Renaissance.  

Before steam engines emerged in the nineteenth century, horses were the backbone of transport. 
You could even argue humanity owes much of its progress to them.  

We should be grateful to our equine friends every day. 

Naturally, horses are a key part of the transportation industry in this world, too. 
After all, this is a medieval fantasy world, which means the level of civilization is more or less medieval. And that means, when it comes to transport, horses are king. 

But of course, there’s a limit to how much a single horse can carry. 
One horsepower, two horsepower... as the term suggests, each horse can only pull so much. 

So, how many horses would it take to move all the aid coming in from different countries? 

Horses aren’t unlimited and organizing them costs money. 
Which is why I’d like to make the most of my reincarnation (not technically one) into another world and look for a more efficient way to handle logistics. 

And if that frees up the horses, they can go have their little Uma-pyoi dance in peace! 

So, does anyone have ideas?! 

“The most realistic option might be… teleportation magic.” 

Teleportation magic! 

Now that’s a game-changer! 
Instant travel through magic and bam, just like that, the distance problem vanishes!!! 

Using teleportation magic for logistics! 
It would be revolutionary! 

“Um, if I may…” 

Yes, Belena? 
Right, you’re the leading expert on teleportation magic. Please, go ahead!! 

“Teleportation spells are designed for personal travel. While you can bring one or two passengers with you, it costs a huge amount of extra mana. It's not really efficient for cargo.” 

I see. 
If you converted the weight of two people into cargo, how many boxes is that…? 

“In terms of freight, it’s nowhere near enough. Transporting that little isn’t even worth the mana cost. And anyone capable of using teleportation magic is a high-level mage, which means… pride might get in the way.” 

Nonsense! Logistics is a noble profession! 
In fact, it’s one of the most vital roles in society! 

But yeah, I can already hear them saying: “I didn’t spend years studying magic just to deliver crates…” 

Maybe there’s a way to invent a spell specifically for transporting cargo? 

“At the moment… all we can do is hope magic technology evolves to that point someday.” 

Mmm…  
So, a magic-based logistics revolution is off the table. 

Then let’s shift our thinking. 
This is a fantasy world, so we’re not limited to just horses. 

Surely there must be some creature faster than a horse, and capable of carrying even more cargo? 

Like, say… a dragon? 
They’re huge, and Veil has flown in with ten or more people at once before. If we could turn that into a system… 

“You want me to work for humans?” 

Veil shoots me a sharp glare, and I instantly shut up. 

...Right. Dragons in this world are proud, powerful beings far beyond humans. 
If they do lend a hand, it’s on their terms, not ours.... 

So, magic’s a no-go. Dragons are out, too. 
Looks like it’s not so easy to innovate with what this world already has. 

Which means… the only option is to bring something new into this world. 

And I do have knowledge from my own world to draw from. 
Time to spark a logistics revolution...!