Chapter 65

Penguin wobbled back, but perhaps because his flippers are shorter than human arms, he seemed to be struggling to hold the large bottle containing the soda ash, almost dropping it.

Seeing his flippers trembling, I couldn't stand it any longer and rushed over to support the large bottle with my own hands.

"It's not heavy. I can hold it normally."

"But still, it must be difficult without fingers."

"You're right. I realized how convenient humans are after becoming this body. However, penguins have their own pride. Flippers are excellent for swimming."

"Of course, penguins are at their best in the water."

"Hehe. Biological issues are trivial. I have someone to move my hands for me. The environment you prepared is very favorable. I have great respect for these craftsmen."

"Torre and the others are really skilled. They can make anything."

"True. How's the water?"

"It's boiling right now. It should be ready soon."

I used a combustion stone to boil the water quickly.

Thanks to that, the water in the earthen pot was starting to bubble.

I crushed the Stuca branches and added the torn leaves. Then, I added the soda ash that Penguin brought over.

I didn't know the right amount, so I added it roughly.

I made sure to remember how much I used.

It's necessary for paperwork, but even for taking notes, paper is essential.

It's not that I can't live without it, but without paper, everything will be difficult from now on.

We need to get paper production on track before the governance system is established.

Sequoia and Nathan peered into the steaming earthen pot, holding their breath.

On the other hand, Penguin stood next to me, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, watching from a distance.

It felt like two adults watching an excited child, and I couldn't help but smile.

This isn't so bad.

I don't mind waiting. It's because I can enjoy this relaxed feeling.

"Master Joshua! Fish! Lots of them!"

"Oh, thank you, Aruru. That was quick."

The basket I borrowed from my disciples was stretchable, like a fishing net.

It seemed to be made from reed stems. I thought it was tough to use reeds so cleverly.

I heard that the townspeople also make rugs and baskets from reeds.

With a "hoist," Aruru placed the basket full of fish in front of me.

Peeking into the basket, I saw small fish jumping around inside.

Each fish was about 15-20 centimeters long, and there were easily over 20 of them.

"Did you catch them by hand?"

"Yeah! Not as much as Eri, but Aruru can catch them by hand too."

"Wow, you two are amazing."

I stood up, taking a deep breath.

"Everyone! Aruru caught some fish, let's have a meal!"

I raised my voice so that not only Garam and Torre inside but also the disciples working by the river could hear.

By the time we finish eating the fish, the Stuca branches and leaves should be well-cooked.

◇◇◇

By the time we finished our late lunch, the sky was already turning to sunset.

It was almost time to go home, but since Nathan was here, I decided to ask him.

The earthen pot, which I had stopped heating, was full of scum, and there was a lot of sand and dust mixed in.

I don't understand the purification mechanism. It's better to ask the user.

I bent down and put my hand on the shoulder of the boy who was peering into the pot as soon as he finished eating.

"Nathan, purification is for cleaning dirty water, right?"

"Yes! If you use it on muddy water, it separates the mud and water!"

"Then, where does the mud go?"

"If you think 'purification' and hold your right hand over it, the mud comes out of your left hand!"

So, if you touch the object with your right hand or hold your palm over it, impurities come out of your left hand.

Does Nathan specify the impurities? No, mud is a mixture of various substances and can't be treated as a single impurity.

There are two possible scenarios.

One is that the water is "purified" to match what Nathan imagines in his head. Anything that gets in the way of his imagination is expelled from his left hand.

The other is that everything except specific substances is removed.

In the case of muddy water, everything except pure water would be removed.

Hmm. In the latter case, what happens to bacteria and other things? But, we won't know until we try.

"Nathan, can you purify the earthen pot?"

"Sure. Here we go."

When Nathan held his right hand over the earthen pot, impurities started coming out of his left hand, which was pointed at the ground.

I remember that there was a step to remove impurities and other debris before papermaking.

If we need to remove impurities in detail, it will be a very difficult task. Without fine-meshed cloth, it might be impossible to remove impurities even with a sieve.

But with the gift of purification, we can skip that step.

"Amazing. Can we use this for papermaking as it is?"

"Sure. Let's try it tomorrow."

Sequoia and I looked at each other and nodded.

We can't say more until we try it.

From what I can see, the fibers are still in the pot, but I have no idea which components were removed and which were left.

"Great, Nathan. With your gift, we can start papermaking right away."

"I'm happy too!"

Despite a slight unease in my heart, what Nathan did was significant.

So, I sincerely praised him.

"Let's try papermaking tomorrow. I might not be able to participate, but you can do it while asking Sequoia."

"Sure!"

Nathan's strong and cheerful response made both Sequoia and me smile.

It's nice. The innocence of this boy. (Second time today)

Just as I was feeling touched, Penguin raised his flippers and opened his beak with excitement.

"Hmm. This is very, very interesting."

"Right? Can we use purification for refining?"

"We can't say for sure until we try, but some substances might be extractable without a catalyst."

"Right. One experiment I want to try is distillation. What happens if we purify alcohol without distilling it?"

"Interesting. Very interesting. The components expelled from the left hand might be useful for refining."

"True. If we consider substances with low concentrations as 'impurities,' the expelled substances might be what we want."

Let's make good use of Penguin and Nathan together.

If paper production goes well, Nathan will have a lot more to do...

Since he also wants to do blacksmithing, we need to ask him what he wants to do if he gets too busy.

I don't want to force him to live only by purification.

I want him to do what he wants to do.