Chapter 14

I am now embarking on the study of golems after a series of twists and turns. However, it's not the rock-bodied golem that is often imagined. Rather, it's more like creating a homunculus.

In this world, the concept of a homunculus doesn't seem to exist yet, and rock-bodied golems are the norm. This is because the golems that occasionally appear in the labyrinth have rock bodies. According to what I've heard, there are also iron-bodied golems, known as iron golems.

To get back to the point, there are certain reasons why I decided to create a special golem. I can't say I have no interest in it, but as a farmer, I don't really need a golem.

However, my multifaceted personality has led to a shortage of manpower.

Helping with the family farm, taking care of my own garden, making soy sauce and miso, creating sweets, making soap, securing various materials—these tasks are quite challenging for me at just six years old. I'm even trying to start making bacon...

While physical enhancement would allow me to handle these tasks, I don't want to push myself too hard during my growth period. Height is justice, after all.

...Sigh, I really resent my own personality.

Anyway, the research on golems is progressing smoothly. The core of the golem is made from magic crystals, which I've accumulated a lot of from hunting monsters.

Monsters absorb ambient mana into their bodies and accumulate it to form magic stones. The larger the magic stone, the stronger the monster becomes.

Moreover, magic stones can be combined using a certain spell. Recent research has revealed that when monsters eat other monsters, they absorb the other monster's magic stone.

...Well, it's my research, after all.

When magic stones are combined to a certain extent, they become magic crystals, which are highly pure magic stones. Normally, magic crystals can only be obtained from monsters of S-rank or higher.

When I casually asked Lebrant, it turns out that magic crystals are incredibly expensive, with even a small one worth at least 500 gold coins.

...I could become rich just from this, but too much power only leads to conflict. History has shown this.

I need to become stronger myself and be able to protect what I want to protect before I can do what I like. That's what being an adult is about.

While magic stones can also serve as a core, they would only allow for a rock-bodied golem. So, I decided to experiment with using magic crystals, and it has yielded some results.

"I think I'm getting close."

Incidentally, what I'm aiming for is a fairy about 30 cm tall. A house fairy or a helper fairy, something like that. Mobility is important, and it would be ideal if it had a sense of self and could use magic, but that's quite difficult.

"Well, I have no choice but to continue this research."

In this way, I'm once again tying my own hands, but Owl is completely unaware of it.

---

By the time summer began to show its face, the farm work had started to settle down, and I finally had some free time.

"Seriously, this world doesn't even have the concept of smoking...?"

Indeed, the only methods of preservation are salting and drying, and even vegetables are mostly dried. I was disappointed, but also saw an opportunity to make money. It's a complex feeling, but bacon is justice.

"First, I need to build a smoking room."

To smoke food, you need the appropriate equipment. For simple smoking, you don't need much. You can make a smoker with just a drum can.

However! My goal is to create a high-quality smoker, and I want to use specific smoking chips! Recently, Lebrant brought in some rare items.

"Owl-kun, it's been a while. Today, I have the cheese you've been wanting. It was quite a struggle to get it..."

"Lebrant-san! I'll take all you have!"

"Sure thing, anytime!"

He sold it to me, and I got a considerable amount, which should last for a while. Lebrant must have known I would buy a lot, so he stocked up. ...I won't say how much, but it was enough to make me look like a wholesaler. I could probably eat it every day for three months.

---

So, while making bacon, I decided to also make smoked cheese. Even though I'm almost seven, I'm still a child. In this world, adulthood is at 15, so I can't drink alcohol yet. ...Ah, I want to drink soon. How about making some alcohol? If I start brewing now, I could have something to drink when I turn 15. Yes, I'll make wine. I can expand my garden by clearing a bit of the forest for grapevines. Yes, that's what I'll do.

...Oh, right, I need to build a smoking room first.

To build the smoking room, I decided to cut down trees in the area where I would plant the grapevines. With magic, cutting down trees is instantaneous.

The versatility of wind and earth magic is astonishing. Wind Cutter cuts beautifully, and raising the earth can remove stumps. The stumps can be used as firewood, which is eco-friendly.

---

In about a week, I built a simple smoking room. I immediately tried making bacon using the wood from a tree that bears apple-like fruit.

"Delicious! Is this too good? If you eat this, other meats will seem inferior..."

I shared it with my parents, and they were very happy, especially my father, who said it was perfect for drinking and drank a lot, much to my mother's displeasure. It was genuinely gratifying to hear that it was so delicious.

Following the same method, I also smoked cheese and river fish. With all this, I wanted to drink, but I restrained myself and continued making smoked foods.

I have a lot of orc meat, and I can get some herbs from my mother to make sausages. When smoked, they become crispy and incredibly delicious, known as smoked sausages.

Food truly enriches life. Mirei seemed to prefer the smoked sausages over the bacon. ...Well, she's a neighbor, and I made too much, so I shared some!

However, recently, Mirei's parents have been asking me about Mirei. I wonder what's going on. They must be worried about their daughter.

I sent a small amount of bacon and smoked sausages to Mrs. Mule anonymously through Lebrant. I had to sell a small amount to the observant Lebrant, but it brought in a decent amount of money, so I vowed to hunt orc-type monsters whenever I find them.

I spent a week making enough smoked foods for the near future, and my mother was happy about the long-term storage, so it seems the smoking was a success.

From that day on, fried bacon became a regular part of breakfast, which is far from the typical poor farmer's diet, but Owl, with his Earth memories, didn't find it unusual.

---

Before summer fully set in, I received a message from Mrs. Mule. It seems the smoked foods I sent last time were very well-received by the border lord, who wanted to buy more. He offered to pay double the market price, so I had no reason to refuse. I packed smoked sausages, cheese, and bacon into a wooden box and sent it to him.

The payment arrived quickly, but... isn't this too much? Even double the market price seems excessive... Ah, there's a letter. What does it say?

...

I see. He was impressed by the smoked cheese I didn't send last time and wants more, so he's sending the payment in advance. Still, this is too much. Is this the economic power of the nobility? Well, I'll give him a little extra.

So, I prepared various types of cheese using different smoking chips. The one I recommend is the one made with walnut chips, similar to apple chips. Ideally, I would use peat, but I haven't found any yet.

I have a regular supply of cheese from Lebrant, so obtaining it is not a problem. This could potentially be a form of alchemy... For example, if I buy cheese for one gold coin and smoke it, it becomes worth about four gold coins. The only materials needed are wood, and the labor is minimal.

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In this way, Owl had acquired a form of alchemy.

I'll update this bit by bit.

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