Chapter 85

I approached the shed and peered into a small jar. There was no sign of oil floating, indicating that the saponification was complete.

Part of it felt soft, like solidified cream, but it should be fine to use. However, if left too close to water, it might melt quickly.

I tried to mix it, but it was quite solid and wouldn’t blend easily. I might need to get a small wooden mold to shape it and then remove it.

I brought my nose close, but the smell hadn’t changed from that of used oil. Perhaps my memory was off, but the scent seemed slightly weaker.

Well, compared to the unscented soaps in Japan, it does have an odor, but for the people in this world, it’s a first. They probably won’t mind.

Moreover, the people here have a strong body odor. I have a bit of a Japanese obsession with cleanliness, but I can definitely sense it.

Now, my nose might have become less sensitive, but when I first arrived, I strongly felt it.

However, when it comes to girls, there’s always a sweet fragrance, which might be my instincts playing tricks on me.

Even without using scented oils, when I hug Liz, I sometimes feel a sweet scent mixed with her body odor.

Also, if the oil is fully saponified, there’s a possibility that the alkalinity is high.

I’ll have Liz and Tisha do a patch test. If there’s a reaction, we can use divine magic.

I took out a small piece and headed to the kitchen.

I asked Liz and Tisha to apply the piece to their skin and wrap it with a cloth, and to leave it on overnight.

“Um, is this the thing you were making before? What’s it for? Is it medicine?”

“No, it’s a substitute for the soap nuts I mentioned before. It can be used to clean the body, but it might not be suitable for everyone. Please help me with the test.”

I continued explaining and got their agreement. The concept of clinical trials is familiar to the Apothecary Guild, so the conversation went smoothly.

If there are no issues, I’ll consider it a success. I’ll explain the actual usage after we return from town.

I asked them to continue stirring the mixture, which also helps with drying. If it’s too hard to stir, I asked Tisha to stop.

After that, we finished our meal, cleaned up, and went to bed. I also told them about our visit to town and that we’d be away for a few days.

Liz, lying next to me, seemed to be fidgeting with the cloth she had wrapped around her.

When I asked if she felt any itching or pain, she said no. Maybe the people here have particularly strong skin…

“What is this? Soap nuts are used for laundry, right? What happens when you put them on your body?”

“When you wash clothes, the dirt comes off, right? The same goes for your body. Even after wiping with water, it’s still dirty. This is meant to remove that dirt. It can also kill the source of diseases.”

Explaining a concept that doesn’t exist here is really difficult. They seemed to understand it somewhat, so I’ll let them experience it firsthand.

Strictly speaking, soap’s cleaning effect is more about removing bacteria rather than killing them, but explaining that would be too much, so I gave up.

While talking, I dozed off and fell asleep.

The next morning, I checked Liz and Tisha’s test spots, but there was no reaction at all. They weren’t even red.

Hmm. I’ll consider this a success for now, and I can gather more samples later.

After breakfast, I headed to the Adventurer’s Guild.

The two were already waiting. Fia is a farmer, so I understand why she’s early, but I’m impressed by how early Lot is. He’s definitely from a merchant family.

“Good morning. Shall we head out?”

We boarded the first regular morning carriage.

I continued chatting with everyone while occasionally activating water magic.

I’ve gotten used to the simulator, so I can now perform magic while talking.

“How much do you understand about the new territory?”

Lot, as expected, is concerned about the future.

“I’ve been given a rough explanation of the location and content. The conditions are quite good. There’s an open-pit iron mine to the north, and the forest to the east is under the influence of the god of plants. The southern forest is small, and if you travel for about a week, you’ll reach the sea.”

“The sea, huh. I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never had the chance to go. What advantages do you see in the sea?”

“Salt production. Establishing the right to produce salt. Additionally, I’m considering the production of seafood products like fish and seaweed.”

“Salt… That’s a significant matter. But won’t the quality be poor?”

As expected of a merchant, he’s quick to talk about money. Producing rock salt is costly.

Producing sea salt is also costly, but in Japan, methods for producing it in large quantities have been established since ancient times. It’s not a losing bet.

Incidentally, I’ve confirmed with Norwe that the sea here is salty and contains seaweed and fish.

There are apparently fishing villages within the kingdom, but they are small settlements focused on fishing.

Some sea salt is produced, but without the concept of removing nigari, it’s of poor quality and doesn’t circulate much.

This lack of quality and the lack of development due to the lack of a comfortable lifestyle is a significant issue.

They understand the importance and appeal of salt, but if they have other options like rock salt, they’ll choose that.

I’ve confirmed the existence of soybeans, so I can look forward to tofu. There should be kelp as well. I hope for some hot tofu when it gets cold.

If I can capture koji, I can develop miso and soy sauce. There’s also the possibility of crop rotation between corn and soybeans. The possibilities are exciting.

Incidentally, I noticed the corn and soybeans when I saw the knight taking care of the horse’s feed during the battle. I almost shouted, “There they are!”

Honestly, I had a lot of comments, but for the sake of future rights, I held back. I just thought, “What a waste.”

“Sea salt is often disliked because it’s bitter, right? But that bitterness can be removed.”

“Really!! Then the rights to the sea will be enormous!!”

“Your voice is so loud… Honestly, I have a good chance. But if we prioritize the iron mine, it won’t be as profitable, right?”

“Hmm… Yes, that’s true.”

Lot fell silent.

Indeed, digging up iron doesn’t necessarily generate much profit.

Iron would be valuable if it were rare, but given that this world is a copy of Earth, there’s a significant amount of it. Raw iron ore before smelting has little value.

I don’t know how much demand there is for iron in the kingdom, but people can live without iron, whereas they can’t live without salt.

That’s a reason to be less interested in the iron mine.

“So, I’d like to focus on expanding south in this discussion.”

I was enthusiastically talking about the future, but when I looked to the side, my two childhood friends were running and talking as they jumped off the carriage.

They said it was training, but that’s not an easy task. The carriage is moving at a speed of 6 to 8 km per hour, which is a brisk pace.

Running with equipment on… High school girls are so energetic, I thought when I saw them at the train station in the morning, but seeing it firsthand is genuinely surprising.

As autumn deepened and the sky turned a clear blue, the carriage slowly continued down the road.