Chapter 45

In the living room of the harem, where Shojiro had been engaged in alcohol distillation for a long time during the morning, the smell of alcohol still lingered faintly even into the night.

In the afternoon, Shojiro had been training with Aura in the courtyard, so he had kept the living room windows open for ventilation. However, the smell still stubbornly remained.

Perhaps the evaporated alcohol had seeped into the furniture and carpets of the living room.

(Should I do it in the courtyard from now on?)

While thinking about this, Shojiro poured the homemade distilled alcohol, which he had placed in an empty whiskey bottle, into a pair of glasses. They were called "Satsuma Kiriko," a type of cut glass, with one having a red and the other a blue intricate pattern.

After repeated distillations, the homemade distilled alcohol had a high alcohol content and was almost colorless and transparent, with a slight amber hue.

"Can you try it? When I had the free maids taste it during the day, to be honest, the reviews weren't very good."

Shojiro said this with a wry smile and pushed the red cut glass in front of his wife, who was sitting on the sofa.

Even though it was something Shojiro had made by hand, it was not allowed for Shojiro, the king, or especially Queen Aura, to taste or test it for poison.

Therefore, he had had the off-duty maids taste it beforehand and confirmed that there were no abnormalities in their health before serving it.

As for the actual reviews... well, as Shojiro had just said, they were not good.

And it seemed that Aura's impression was almost the same.

"Hmm... It's kind of tasteless and lacks character."

After taking a sip from the glass, Aura said this clearly and frowned slightly.

"Yeah... sigh."

Shojiro, who was aware of this, could only agree as he slumped his shoulders.

Using an electric hot plate for distillation, the process itself wasn't particularly difficult because the temperature control was automatic. However, Shojiro, a complete novice, had no idea about the "tricks" to give the distilled alcohol flavor and aroma.

As a result, what he produced was just a high-concentration alcohol solution with a slight amber tint.

After taking another sip of the liquid, Aura said, as if to comfort the dejected creator in front of her,

"But, as you said, it is indeed a very 'strong' drink. This strength alone is a good selling point. You can add fruit juice or other flavors when you drink it. This is also a common way to enjoy poor-quality fruit or grain wines."

Encouraged by Aura's words, Shojiro snapped his fingers.

"Ah, I see. So, it's like how shochu is enjoyed. Sometimes it's drunk straight, but it can also be mixed with soda or lime water."

Saying this, Shojiro tilted his blue cut glass. Even Shojiro, who had only consumed sparkling wine and cheap whiskey while living in Japan, had to admit that this drink was "strong but lacked flavor," but he felt a bit better knowing it had some value.

"By the way, whiskey and brandy are aged in wooden barrels after distillation, right? Considering that, it makes sense that freshly distilled alcohol lacks flavor and character."

Relying on his vague memories, Shojiro muttered this. Aura, who had already finished her glass, put it back on the table and responded.

"Hmm, there seems to be room for improvement. By the way, is this 'distillation' process impossible to replicate without the special equipment you brought?"

In response to his wife's interested question, Shojiro tilted his head and frowned slightly before answering.

"Umm, not impossible. The principle is very simple. It's just a matter of heating alcohol to around 70 to 80 degrees Celsius and collecting the alcohol vapor that evaporates, then condensing it into droplets. However, temperature control is the tricky part... If you tried to do it with a regular wood fire, it would take a lot of trial and error to get the hang of it."

"I see. Temperature control, huh. What's the approximate temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Celsius?"

In response to Aura's question, Shojiro, still deeply seated on the sofa, looked up at the ceiling and thought.

"Um... How can I explain it clearly? Well, for example, the boiling point of pure water is about 100 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of the bath we usually take is probably around 40 degrees Celsius. So, it's kind of like the midpoint between 'bath water' and 'boiling water,' I guess?"

Shojiro thought this was a rather rough explanation, but it seemed to convey the meaning to Aura.

Leaning forward from the opposite sofa, Aura nodded deeply and responded.

"I see. That does sound quite hot. It's certainly not a temperature that can be 'felt' with the hands."

"Yeah, that would be impossible. You'd get burned."

Shojiro, perhaps imagining it, furrowed his brow and hunched his shoulders.

In reality, a brief touch at 70 degrees Celsius might not cause a burn, but the fact remains that it's unrealistic to 'feel' that temperature with your hands.

"But, there are ways to do it. Even though it's a different field, craftsmen who work with sugar syrup might have a feel for measuring water temperature."

In response to Aura's suggestion, Shojiro nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that's true. Distillation of alcohol has existed for a long time in the other world, so once you learn the basic method, the rest depends on the craftsman's intuition and experience."

The history of distilled spirits is long, and the process is fundamentally simple. Even without an electric temperature controller, it should be possible to replicate it with the skills and hands of a craftsman.

Ancient blacksmiths, for example, used the color of the flame to determine the optimal temperature for forging iron. It's likely that similar 'keen eyes' exist among the blacksmiths in the current Carpa Kingdom.

Compared to that, learning the optimal temperature for distilling alcohol through sight and touch doesn't seem too difficult.

Of course, practical implementation would require the right tools and specialized personnel. The question is whether there's enough value in investing in distilled spirits.

Even as a great nation, the Carpa Kingdom's treasury, still recovering from the war, is not in a particularly comfortable state.

Resources, funds, and time are all limited. It's not wise to invest in something just because it might benefit the country in the future.

For now, Aura decided to keep 'distilled spirits' as a hobby for her husband and moved on to a topic she was more interested in.

"I see. I'd like to try various experiments in the future. By the way, changing the subject, the development of 'glass' manufacturing technology is expected to start soon.

The budget is limited, so we can only assign about ten people, but they are all retired blacksmiths or blacksmith apprentices who have completed a certain level of training, so they are familiar with handling fire."

Puffing out her chest, Aura said this, and Shojiro, knowing the answer but asking just to be sure, responded.

"Retired or apprentices, but not 'active' blacksmiths, right?"

As expected, Aura chuckled and said,

"Yes, blacksmiths are a national treasure. While it was difficult to pull even apprentices away, the active blacksmiths are irreplaceable."

Saying this, she remained seated on the sofa and shrugged slightly.

Active blacksmiths are irreplaceable specialists. In a sense, they are even more valuable than skilled knights or excellent civil servants.

It would be impossible to divert these valuable resources to a new venture with uncertain returns. Or, more accurately, while it might be possible with Aura's authority, the resulting decline in domestic iron production would ultimately be a problem for the king, Aura herself.

Even if the impact wouldn't be immediately obvious with the diversion of one or two blacksmiths, it would certainly worsen the blacksmiths' perception of the royal family.

Skilled craftsmen, especially, tend to have high pride and strong connections with their peers. It would be best to avoid incurring their resentment.

"In any case, for now, that's the number of people we can allocate to 'glass development.' Of course, we can temporarily increase the workforce for tasks like transporting materials and making necessary tools.

Ah, it would be good to have a water wheel for the development facility. From the DVD you showed me, it seemed that a lot of grinding and crushing of materials, like bricks and sand, would be required.

With a small workforce, it would be better to use a water wheel to replace as much labor as possible from the start."

"Yeah, we do have water wheels."

In response to Aura's words, Shojiro recalled the lecture he had heard from Octavia.

Water wheels have existed since ancient times in the original world, and they are commonly used in the Carpa Kingdom, so it's not surprising.

In response to Shojiro's words, Aura frowned slightly and nodded.

"Yes, the Carpa Kingdom has many rivers. In rural areas, they are effectively used for milling. However, the technology originated in the northern continent, and our water wheels have a shorter lifespan. The gears tend to break easily."

"Is the short lifespan of the gears just because the number of teeth that mesh with each other isn't 'coprime'?"

While recalling the knowledge his middle school math teacher had once digressed into, Shojiro said this.

"Hmm? 'Coprime'? What's that?"

Just as Aura asked this, there was a knock on the door, and a familiar young maid's voice said, "Excuse me."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"What is it? Come in, please."

Interrupting the conversation, Shojiro gave permission for the maids to enter.

The door to the luxurious living room, made of a single piece of wood, slowly opened, and three familiar young maids entered.

"Excuse us for the late hour. The temperature hasn't dropped much tonight, so we would like to get some ice for Prince Carlos. Is it alright if we take some?"

The maid with blonde hair, standing in the middle, bowed to the seated royal couple and stated their request in a calm voice.

"Ah, yes. It's still a bit dangerous. Yes, go ahead and take it."

Shojiro readily gave permission.

Although Shojiro had a Forda refrigerator, the amount of ice that could be made in the freezer was limited. If the night's ice was taken away, Shojiro and Aura would have to endure the tropical night with just a bucket of water and a fan. However, for the sake of their beloved child, they could endure it.

The people of the Carpa Kingdom are naturally heat-resistant, but even for a one-month-old baby, the hot summer nights are tough. In fact, it's a relatively common story to hear of infants dying from the summer heat, even among the children of the wealthy.

The room where Prince Carlos, along with his wet nurse, sleeps and wakes is too far for an extension cord to reach, so a fan cannot be brought in. Instead, a threshold is set up to confine the room, allowing the cold air from the ice to fill the space.

To reduce the wet nurse's burden, one maid is assigned to stay up all night to feed the baby and change the diaper. This night shift is so coveted among the maids that it can be assumed that the prince's room is sufficiently cool.

The maids bowed politely and headed for the refrigerator.

"Hmm. I wish we could let Carlos sleep in our bedroom with us..."

As he watched the maids' backs as they opened the refrigerator, Aura muttered, as if she couldn't give up.

Of course, what Aura was lamenting was not the bedroom with the ice, but the fact that she couldn't sleep in the same room as her beloved child, Prince Carlos.

As a father, Shojiro fully agreed with his wife's sentiment, but he swallowed his feelings and tried to persuade her with a wry smile.

"That's not possible. You know that, right? Babies that age cry a lot at night. Pee, poop, breastfeeding. If you were woken up every time, you wouldn't be able to function during the day."

Even if the actual feeding and diaper changes were left to the maids, having the baby in the same room would still result in being woken up every time the baby cried. Repeating this shallow sleep would clearly interfere with daytime work.

Aura, who understood this intellectually, had no intention of pushing her own whims.

"...Yes, I know. It's frustrating that I can't even take care of my own child, but that's the burden of being a queen."

So, she just grumbled.

In agreement with her wife's complaint, Shojiro also spoke with a slightly bitter expression.

"You're still lucky. I'll have to stop talking to Zenkichi soon."

As he spoke, his emotions seemed to rise, and he sighed deeply.

"There's no choice. You speak a language from another world, not the Western language of the Southern Continent. It's clear that it would have a negative influence on the still blank slate of Carlos."

Aura said this and smiled to comfort her husband, who was sitting opposite her.

The roles had reversed, with the complainer and the comforter switching places.

"Well, I understand, but..."

Shojiro sighed again.

Until a child learns to speak, it's common practice not to speak to them in a foreign language. In this world, where automatic translation exists, this is common knowledge.

When a child, who has not yet learned any language, first learns to speak, they cannot rely on the 'word spirit' for help.

If two different languages are spoken around the child at this stage, there is a risk that the child will mix the two languages together.

After all, children cannot consciously suppress their magic to block the word spirit's function.

For example, if Shojiro taught Carlos the word 'papa' to mean 'father,' and then Aura and others taught him the equivalent word in the Western language of the Southern Continent, Carlos would hear it as 'papa' due to the automatic translation.

As a result, if the language learning continued, Carlos would end up speaking a bizarre mix of the Southern Continent's Western language and Japanese.

Imagine someone who frequently uses a suspicious language like "Let's meet at the Meat Dance Hall together!" and you get the idea.

To prevent this, it's necessary to limit contact with people who speak a different primary language until the child has learned a certain amount of words.

Shojiro understands this, but it's still painful to have his contact with his beloved child restricted.

"Besides, Zenkichi is a boy. When he turns five, he won't be allowed to enter the harem anymore."

Shojiro sighed again.

In the Carpa Kingdom, children under five are treated as genderless and are raised in the harem. However, the harem's rule of no males applies even to direct princes.

When Carlos turns five, he will move from the harem to the palace and gradually receive education as a prince under the supervision of his wet nurse and other tutors.

As long as Shojiro remains in the harem, he will inevitably become distant from his son in the future.

"Maybe in the future, I'll have a private room made for me in the palace."

While Shojiro muttered this to himself, the maids efficiently placed a large golden bucket filled with ice on a cart and moved it toward the door on the carpet.

The cart, which Shojiro had brought from modern Japan to carry the water turbine, had been more useful in reducing the workload of the maids than for Shojiro himself.

"Thank you."

"Good work."

"Take care."

As the maids bowed and left, Shojiro and Aura, still seated on the sofa, thanked them.

The door closed with a small thud, and the living room was once again the private space of the royal couple.

"......"

"......"

Under the light of six LED stand lamps, Shojiro and Aura sat facing each other on the sofa, spending a moment in silence.

Neither of them tried to force a conversation, indicating that they had accepted their alone time as a 'normal' state.

Breaking the comfortable silence, Aura sat up and spoke.

"Well, I think I'll go to bed now. I need to teleport the envoy of the Gazir border lord to the border lord's territory first thing tomorrow. Using major magic without enough sleep could interfere with my duties."

As she spoke, Aura's gaze was directed at the digital clock next to the TV stand.

The digital clock, of course, displayed the time in Arabic numerals, but Aura had learned to read them and the 24-hour, 60-minute, 60-second time system over the past year.

Recently, she had been teaching the royal civil servants Arabic numerals, but no one had mastered them as completely as she had.

Perhaps the young maids, known as the 'troubled trio,' who secretly competed for high scores on the 'falling block game' and 'kart racing game' on Shojiro's borrowed 'portable game console,' had learned them better than the civil servants.

In any case, declaring her intention to go to bed early, Aura slowly stood up from the sofa and asked her husband,

"What about you?"

After a moment's thought, Shojiro slowly shook his head and replied,

"No, I'll stay up a bit longer. I have my 'magic repetition practice' before bed. You go ahead and sleep."

In the past, Shojiro would have immediately followed Aura to the bedroom, but the situation was different now. Recently, Shojiro and Aura had resumed sleeping in the same bed, but they only cuddled and did not engage in direct sexual activity.

Even a woman as strong as Aura, who had survived the great war, would find it difficult to have another pregnancy and childbirth so soon after the first. It could interfere with her duties.

Therefore, they were currently in a 'temporary hold' on having more children.

Incidentally, when they discussed this, Shojiro deeply regretted not bringing rubber contraceptives from the other world. He even half-seriously asked Aura if it was possible to develop a 'time-space magic' to fetch items from Earth when the stars were not aligned, indicating how serious the issue was for him.

"Alright. I'll be in bed then."

"Mm-hmm. I'll be there soon."

As Aura wrapped her arms around Shojiro's neck in a natural gesture and kissed him, the embrace and kiss were a bit less intimate than before, perhaps due to her lack of confidence in her body during her diet.

"Good night."

"Good night."

As the embrace naturally ended, Aura disappeared into the bedroom.

"Alright. I'll finish my magic repetition practice and go to bed."

Shojiro, who had stood up a bit later, shook his head a few times to clear his mind and, in a slightly louder voice, said to himself. He then headed to the desk