Chapter 75

With the assumption that I would be staying overnight in town, today is a complete day off.

After finishing the meal, Liz was quite reluctant, but she went hunting with Ast. Good luck.

Fia seems to be taking Lot around. As expected, she’s a carnivore. However, I don’t know if this will lead to friendship among the members or to affection.

Only the gods know. Oh no, it seems like something is coming from the god of marriage.

‘Tsk...’

There, I heard a sound like a tongue click.

So, I am heading to the carpenter’s.

I want to greet the Duke early and lay the groundwork.

It’s not like “If you want to shoot the general, shoot the horse first,” but the king holds the power to decide the budget, and the viscount alone is a bit weak.

The Duke is one of the major forces, on par with the Marquis. I should be able to work on the majority. We will proceed with the plan to credit the achievement of the pump to the viscount, and I need to take other measures.

“Welcome. What brings you here today?”

This is my first visit to the woodworking shop. A middle-aged man greets me.

“Excuse me. I’m thinking of making a new toy.”

As I say this, I hand over a piece of paper. The paper was bought cheaply from the guild. Parchment is expensive and the pen catches on it. Well, the quality of the paper isn’t that good, so it catches too.

“I’ve heard that you have paint, so please paint it in the specified colors. The parts with these lines can be painted in ink. Oh, the circumference of this circle should be a bit smaller than the grid. Please make the sizes uniform. Also, I would like a case that can hold half of these circles.”

To put it simply, it’s a classic, Reversi. It seems that in this world, games are extremely weak. I thought there might be chess, but it only went as far as military training pieces. Even those were very simple, like pieces for your own army and monsters.

I considered chess, shogi, and cards, but the classics are classics for a reason; the development effort is minimal. With a little extra effort, it could be a gift.

Also, since chess is almost exclusively a training exercise, I doubt the enjoyment would be conveyed. Finding someone to carve the pieces would also be difficult.

“Hmm. Should the thickness of these circles be uniform?”

“Yes. I think it would be faster to cut them out from a single board, painted on both sides.”

“In that case, we’ll need to consult with the blacksmith. Please allow extra time.”

“How long will it take?”

“It depends on the blacksmith, but about a week.”

“What about the price?”

“Hmm. It depends on the blacksmith’s equipment. I think it won’t cost more than 20,000.”

“In that case, I will pay 20,000 now. Please deduct the remainder from the next order.”

“Understood.”

After that, we decided on the detailed specifications and processed the scraps to solidify the final image.

By the time we were both satisfied, a considerable amount of time had passed.

I thought about going to the blacksmith, but I was tired and it was close to noon, so I decided to take a break, have lunch, and then go to the blacksmith.

I leaned against the shade of a tree and sat down, lost in thought.

I have various plans for the future, but for now, they are about returning to Earth.

I am told I can do as I please, but even if I return, there’s nothing to do.

Why? Because I once tried to gather knowledge about what I would do if I were transported to another world.

It was a futile effort.

For example, what I urgently need now is soap. I made it in a school science experiment. It should be easy to develop, I thought.

The materials I used were oil and caustic soda. The problem is the caustic soda.

Caustic soda is sodium hydroxide. How do you extract sodium hydroxide?

The easiest way is to electrolyze seawater and pure water. But I don’t have the equipment or the sea. It’s impossible.

In general, this is where search sites and libraries stop providing useful information.

When I found a method for making soap without caustic soda and got excited, I was disappointed to read that it involved breaking down commercial, additive-free soap.

There were also methods using baking soda or rice bran, but ultimately, gathering the materials was difficult.

I considered bringing materials with me, but there are quantity limits, and mass production is not possible.

It’s not something that can be done in one step.

So, I shifted to ancient soap-making methods.

Honestly, if I explore the southern forest, I might find olives. Getting seeds from a village that produces cotton to make cottonseed oil would also be good.

If I mix it with wood ash, it might be possible eventually.

However, the production cost would be enormous. The cost of plant oil is astronomical.

Unless my life as a lord is extremely successful, it would be difficult.

On the other hand, if animal fat is the base, the smell is strong.

I felt dejected, thinking that only someone with excess money or chemical knowledge could truly be a knowledge cheat.

I decided to try getting pig fat and experimenting with it when the opportunity arises, and stood up.

I had a light lunch and headed to the blacksmith.

We exchanged greetings, and I immediately checked the status of the hand pump.

“The wooden model was tested, and the suction was confirmed. The researchers were satisfied.”

Wow. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, but the experiment was successful.

“The next step is to make a bronze version by hand. Well, the path is clear. It’s almost there.”

Encouraging words.

“Did the researchers say anything?”

“No. They said that if we can come up with this idea, there must be others, so I told them to wait until it’s completed before they start talking.”

His usual hearty laugh continues. He has a good personality.

“By the way, I have a request.”

I asked for a 1 cm square stamp of the Duke’s simplified coat of arms and 5 mm square number stamps.

“That’s fine, but what are you going to use the Duke’s coat of arms for? You might get in trouble with the country if you’re not careful.”

“Ah, don’t worry. I just want to stamp it on a gift for the Duke.”

I explained the situation briefly and asked for coordination with the carpenter.

“Alright, please confirm that there were no issues on the way.”

I handed over two spears.

Why two? Because the spear I used in the individual combat command was never found.

I had to buy a replacement, but the modification would take time. It was tough to go three days without a modified spear, so I bought two and had them modified alternately.

Now, I have them as spares, but they are a bit of a hassle. I want to leave one behind.

“Hmm? Let me see... Ah, if you haven’t tampered with them, they’re fine. The blades are in good condition. Take them as they are.”

“Thank you.”

He returned them after checking the condition of the blades and the balance.

“Well, they’re almost new, so there shouldn’t be any problems, but if the wrapped leather gets damaged, bring them in.”

As usual, he did a thorough check.

We exchanged farewells, and I left the blacksmith’s.

I had some time left. If Liz were here, we could go on a date, but since she’s out hunting, there’s nothing to do.

There’s no entertainment.

Since there’s nothing else to do, I decided to train and headed to an open field on the north side of the forest.

I started with the spear, doing endless swings and training in feints.

My arms must have gotten stronger, or the effect of “Great Strength” is kicking in, because I’m not being swung around as much.

However, my endurance and belly fat are still the same. I glanced down and looked up.

Training, training before I get discouraged.

I used over an hour, and I was almost out of breath, so I took a short break.

Endurance doesn’t come overnight. I was frustrated by the difference between my endurance and belly fat.

However, my belly hasn’t changed at all. I poked it and felt muscles deep inside.

Oh no, am I turning into a sumo wrestler!?

With a sense of unease, I stopped resting and moved on to magic training.

Regarding wind, to be honest, the growth has slowed down so much that I don’t know what to do to improve. I can barely increase it by firing just before overreturn.

I’m tired of it, but I have no choice but to expand the scale by firing at maximum.

Regarding water, I can increase it by generating the same amount at a higher temperature. I check the range while paying attention to the coordinates.

The control of the spell is still improving, no matter what I use. I think I’ve just exceeded 20 meters by pacing. It’s a small difference, but it can be crucial. Extending and understanding the range is a matter of life and death.

I repeated this until overreturn started, and it was a good time in the evening.

Alright, time to go home.

I realized that I had been thinking of it as home without hesitation, and I felt a bit happy as I imagined everyone’s faces.