Episode 7 – Factory Workers and Group Photo (Part 3)

 

「Oh you〜, if you made something like that, then why didn’t you took a picture of us〜」

Ellen asked Falma playfully.

「No, uhm. I didn’t know if it would work well, and recently, it was always cloudy. It’s a nice weather today, so I think that a good picture would be taken」

It was not an excuse or anything, it was an honest reason. The picture would be darker when there is low light exposure. For some reason, the picture of Falma’s room was taken very well although it was always cloudy recently leading to the fact that it was because he’s inhuman. But Falma has yet to realize that.

 

「And so, let’s go take a picture. This place seems good」

Falma chose a place in front of the factory where the whole of the factory could be seen.

After the location was decided, a tripod was installed into the wooden box after measuring some distances. Falma separated the two hundred factory workers into five different groups. While the workers had questions about what’s going to happen, the first group was arranged into four rows with ten people each row.

 

「The first row should sit down on the ground. The second row should kneel, and the rest should just stand up」

Falma stood beside the wooden box and gave instructions while looking at them all together.

He got a rough estimate of the exposure time from the sun. Although pinholes have a small amount of light exposure, the photographic plates are sensitive to light, so the exposure time or the shutter speed can be just several seconds.

 

「Starting now, we are going to take group photos of each group. Please look at this box and don’t move during the few seconds instructed」

They were told not to move, so some of their faces twitched.

After leaving the photographing and exposure to Adam, Falma, Ellen, Lotte, and Cedrick settled in the center.

「Everyone, smile」

The photo shoot was a bit unnatural, but even so, the picture was taken. There were not many photographic plates prepared, so there were only two shots per group. There was no retry even if someone moved.

The group photos were taken somewhat how it should be. All of the group photo shoots finished without problems.

 

「Thank you very much. Well then, you are dismissed」

Falma asked Adam to distribute the Precepts for the Preservation of Health – Different World Pharmacy Edition copies made using the mimeograph.

「Please read that guidebook very carefully」

They dismissed after telling them to wait for Adam’s summons, because those who were diagnosed with illness would be given another diagnosis and treatment later.

After receiving their new employee ID card from Adam, the workers left in small groups.

 

Lotte and Cedrick helped Falma who started to put away the photos while being surrounded by the villagers of the Esthark Village.

「Let me see the photo taken earlier! I wonder how it looks」

Ellen asked Falma.

「How exciting!」

Lotte cheered. The photos were taken while they were making a serious pose towards the wooden box, so everyone was curious in how it looks.

「You still can’t see it. We need to develop, process the photographic plate」

Ellen looked fed up by Falma who started to explain the following work while counting with his fingers.

「Falma-kun, you’re doing that develop thing, in addition to giving many workers medical examination. The things you need to do increased again, are you okay?」

Ellen lamented “why does this happen every time” while making a wry smile.

「Health management of the workers is a necessary thing, because if the factory workers got infected by infectious diseases, the factory would be done-in including the products. Also, we need to take photos of the employees, since we won’t know if it’s our employee or not when some suspicious people come in」

「That, shouldn’t you just issue them such identification?」

「I will, although with photos」

It seems that Falma plans on cutting the faces of the workers from each group photo to create an ID with photo. The factory would use many kinds of toxic substances and combustibles. They must not allow suspicious people to freely enter inside. Falma believed that they must be thoroughly secure.

And while Falma and the rest were having that kind of discussion,

 

「It’s been a while, Medicine God-sama」

A familiar voice landed on Falma’s ears.

It’s the flame-attributed female priest Kiara. She’s the priest who rode a horse with Falma when he left the Esthark Village, heading to the imperial capital.

「Ah! Kiara-san. You have helped me a lot at that time」

「N, No, it is my honor」

Seeing Falma bow his head, Kiara continuously bowed her head in return.

「To think that we would meet in such a place. Weren’t you a priest?」

Falma was happy meeting her again, but at the same time, he worried that she might’ve been fired as a priest.

「I am the same with everyone from the Esthark Village. I applied to become a worker because I want to train here in this factory. Ah! The training would be very helpful for myself, so I do not need compensation. I will happily serve」

Kiara is a medical priest and participated in charity service like free clinics.

Although she is called a medical priest, it does not mean she has a special ability such as healing and the like, so it might be better to call her a nurse. She said that she came to train with the temple’s permission, so she was not dismissed or anything.

「Oh, training!」

「Ara, Falma-kun’s acquaintance?」

Ellen interrupted.

Kiara acted so respectfully, so it made Ellen curious.

「Ah, Kiara-san is a flame-attributed priest right?」

「You are correct」

Kiara answered faithfully with hands above her chest.

「Is there any other medical priests who came?」

She said that medical priests of all attributes came to train.

 

「Oh, that’s great! There’s something that I wanted help with divine techniques」

Falma had a flash of inspiration.

He thought that if there was a divine arts user, the manufacturing process of the medicine could be considerably improved, cutting down the costs.

 

If a flame divine arts user is around, they would be able to heat and sterilize the bulk drugs, wind divine arts users can be in charge with drying the medicine, water divine arts users can cool fluids by making them pass through cooled pipes, and ice divine arts users can preserve the finished medicine in low temperatures. Up until now, Falma did not have the idea of using divine arts in manufacturing medicine, but on a second thought, he realized that it was a world where divine arts exist.

Those abilities can compensate for the shortcomings of pre-modern factories without electricity.

 

「Yes! Please let us help」

Kiara looked happy.

「I am looking forward to working with you. Let’s increase the hiring spots for divine arts users so we can make shift schedules」

 

Several days later in front of the entrance to Different World Pharmacy Marseille Factory, all of the employees were shown the black and white group photos placed in frames.

The factory workers also received their IDs with photos, and it was said that they bragged about it to their families.

 

「Photos are fun right, Eleanore-sama!」

「The part where we won’t know how it would look until it was developed makes me excited」

「If only Falma-kun would take more pictures of yourself. You’re such a handsome boy too」

「Actually, I’m not good with photos」

「Eh〜, although you’re the inventor?!」

Ellen and Lotte had taken a lot of liking with the camera. They changed places, changed their poses, and took many pictures of each other. Cedrick was forced to accompany them every day, so it was said that his skill in photography increased quite a lot. However, although they have taken the photos, developing it could not catch up with the pictures being taken. They felt bad for bothering Falma to develop their pictures, so they learned how to process the pictures and busily printed them.

Falma was impressed, thinking that girls like self-photos no matter which era it was.

 

「The world’s first photo collection might be made」

“Maybe we should combine it with the mimeograph, there are probably people who would buy photo magazines if they’re sold” Falma suggested jokingly seeing how many photos they have.

 

「Before that, shouldn’t it be Her Majesty’s photo collection?」

Hearing Ellen’s words, Falma turned pale.

「Ah!」

「Did you forget? It’s impossible to release a photo collection before Her Majesty does, that’s disgracious」

「O-Of course I haven’t forgotten about Her Majesty!」

 

Falma swore to himself that he must not forget presenting the camera to the Empress after he returns from Marseille.

 

 

 

 

E7 Part 2 – Isekai Yakkyoku – E8 Part 1