How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 241: Industrial Monastic Order (2)

The small flint from Kin Issei’s disposable lighter refill was a ferrocerium alloy. It was overwhelmingly superior in performance, durability, and longevity compared to natural flints.

It was incomparable to expensive flints that needed to be replaced after firing 10 or 20 shots.

It could even create sparks when slightly wet with rain. Whether wet gunpowder would ignite was a different matter, but.

So far, no one knew about this.

They were just happy that the loading speed had doubled compared to existing muskets.

The overwhelming difference would only become clear decades later when the flintlock method was widely adopted in Europe as well.

For now, the knights and apprentices were just amazed.

These were simultaneously supplied to hundreds of Knight Order members? When did they make them so quickly? There’s been a lot of noise about building factories lately—is this the result?

"Silence."

As the apprentices chattered like this, Knight Commander Oitotan calmed them down and delivered another piece of news that would excite them.

"We plan to double the number of knights by next year, so those who wish to participate in the knighthood examination should apply from next month."

Double.

This time, the entire Knight Order became noisy at the news.

They couldn’t understand now.

They were ignorant, as in the case of the flints.

How? Wasn’t the limit about two knights per tractor? If so many knights are recruited, how will they be managed? It’s not like tractors can be dug out of the ground, and they can’t be produced in such large numbers? It’s impossible, isn’t it?

Of course, it was possible.

==

Tractors were the core technology driving the community’s economy.

Thanks to tractors, an abundance of crops were produced, enough for all members to eat and have leftovers, allowing everyone to live prosperously by exporting massive amounts of crops to the British Isles.

However, its limitations were also clear.

Since tractor production was absolutely dependent on resources coming from Kin Issei’s mansion.

The various steel pipes that make up the steam engine in tractors? They use pipes directly from Kin Issei’s house, bending and attaching them as needed. Similarly, for various parts? The same applies.

At most, only the boiler room, which requires less technical skill and can be made with cast iron, is made in the ironworks on Roanoke Island.

Since the amount of steel coming from Kin Issei’s house is ultimately limited, the production of tractors will eventually reach a limit.

And if the population increases exponentially while the number of tractors only increases arithmetically?

The land distribution of 25 hectares per person and the modern agriculture that has maximized labor efficiency would all become impossible.

In other words, Virginia community’s agriculture would collapse.

And before the industrial age arrives, the collapse of agriculture means the collapse of the system.

Therefore, the community had to choose one of two options.

Should they let the current system collapse? Or innovate tractor production?

"Here, this structure of an iron furnace is called a reverberatory furnace."

Obviously, Kin Issei had to choose the latter. Especially now that tractors were also going to be used in war.

21st-century educational comics became suspiciously detailed to satisfy parents’ demands along with market saturation, and thanks to that, Kin Issei could roughly understand what technologies increased steel production during the Industrial Revolution.

And that rough understanding was enough.

"Hmm? Isn’t this what we use to melt bronze?"

"What? You already have it?"

Those technologies didn’t just pop out of thin air either.

After months of trial and error, and following the angel’s future knowledge to reconstruct the reverberatory furnace and crucible methods from over a hundred years in the future, steel production dramatically increased.

Now it was time to innovate the tractor manufacturing process with that steel.

Following firearms production, now iron and steel making.

Having achieved some success with his rudimentary future knowledge, Kin Issei began to gain confidence and become a bit arrogant. Yeah, why couldn’t I do it? If Oitotan can play these isekai games, so can I.

So he immediately stormed into the tractor manufacturing factory managed by the Knight Order and said:

Oh, don’t you know? This is [The Wealth of Nations].

Is this not yet in this world? This is [division of labor]...

"Ah, you mean we should systematize the process?"

"That’s right. And..."

"And standardize the parts too."

"...Yes."

"Understood! Let’s do that!"

At the responses of the Knight Order technicians, who answered as if it was all too obvious, Kin Issei asked with a deflated feeling:

"Do you... know about division of labor?"

"What?"

"..."

"..."

It instantly became embarrassing.

It felt like leaving a comment after watching a knowledge YouTube video thinking you’ve mastered the world, only to be refuted by an expert.

Upon reflection, Kin Issei realized that The Wealth of Nations originated in England, and all the ironworkers here were English. Moreover, this was the early modern period.

The Netherlands, in the midst of its War of Independence, was enjoying success with the division of labor and standardization in shipbuilding processes, churning out massive productivity, and come to think of it, this was also an era when joint-stock companies existed.

It was already the early days of capitalism.

"...Then, why haven’t you been doing it this way until now if you knew?"

When Kin Issei, feeling awkward, asked, the craftsmen answered in confusion:

"Well... you kept producing improved versions... Haven’t the parts and structure been constantly changing?"

"..."

True. Due to the many trial and error experiences in the early days of tractor introduction, they kept making various modifications, which became a habit, frequently changing models.

As a result, tractor parts weren’t compatible with each other, and their production necessarily involved craftsmen intervening individually.

It was Kin Issei’s fault.

After Kin Issei, who had failed to become an isekai hero with future knowledge, quietly retreated, the instructed craftsmen began to improve the tractor production process.

After many trials and errors and improvements over the past few years, the overall structure of the tractor had somewhat stabilized. It wasn’t bad to introduce division of labor and standardization.

In the midst of the production process’s efficiency improvements, Kin Issei’s amateurish suggestions like "Introducing something called a conveyor belt might be good..." began to shine a bit.

In an instant, the scale of tractor production itself was inflated.

Tractors that previously came out at a rate of about one every month or two suddenly came out several at a time, leaving the craftsmen dumbfounded by their own accomplishment and urgently seeking people.

They needed a tremendous number of hands to keep this production belt running.

And only then did the craftsmen and Kin Issei’s hair stand on end.

’Now... when it’s hard to find people?’

Moreover, introducing division of labor makes work terribly boring and tedious. This was one of the major reasons why division of labor was only limitedly introduced until the capitalist system—resistance from the field.

They soon panicked, wondering if they had built a new factory and suffered for nothing, and spent several nights devising all sorts of strategies for recruitment.

And the day after posting the job advertisement.

The factory was full.

’Why?’

’Why are they rushing to work when they could just loaf around?’

People worked silently for reasons unknown even to those who employed them. Kin Issei pondered:

’Is it because the pay is high?’

It wasn’t.

’Or perhaps, with war approaching, they’re volunteering out of patriotism, like enlisting in the army...!’

That was partly true, but not the main reason.

’By the way, why are all the people who came here wearing the same clothes? The color is almost... gray? And isn’t that fabric for tents?’

There lay the answer.

The reason they participate in this monotonous, tedious, boring labor that treats people like machines...

"This is indeed suitable for meditation. Let’s invite other brothers and sisters to the factory as well."

"...Shh, now is the time for labor, so let’s remain silent. Let our hands move for the community, and our souls move for the Lord."

"For the holy community."

It was because of its monotony.

Labor that’s simple like 108 prostrations, good for training, not only receives compensation but gives something back.

As the community became materially prosperous, conversely, people seeking spiritual elevation emerged.

Those who wished to live frugally and modestly, adhering to strict moral codes.

Regardless of gender, they wore simple, undyed clothes.

Their buttons were made of wood instead of ivory or gems commonly used by others. Their sleeves didn’t have the lace that was currently fashionable in the community, and the fabric was the kind used for making tents.

They lived together around the factory in communal living.

Creating their own rules.

Tightening parts, cleaning, oiling, and meditating.

Under the belief that labor would make their souls healthy.

They were Virginia’s first "Industrial Monastic Order."