Chapter 40

With a twist of fate, I recruited Helkov's nephew, a young bear cub. The three of them were the woodworker Renato, the blacksmith Terenti, and the glassworker Elast.

I introduced them to Molly on a different day.

"Oh, the nephews. Have you talked to the workshop about it?"

It seems they know each other.

Their skills are decent, neither particularly good nor bad, and not at the level where I can entrust them with special tasks.

The reason they were told to return to their hometown was that their skills, while not poor, were sufficient for repairing daily items.

"First, we'll start with prototypes and models. We need to devise a mechanism that works reliably. That's why I chose them based on their passion for creation."

In response to my explanation, the three bear cubs raised their arms to shoulder height, as if making muscles.

Is this a sign of their enthusiasm?

Given their cub size, they looked more cute than intimidating.

"Indeed. If you can make a stable furnace, let's start with something small. Once it takes shape, we can ask a place with a tight-lipped reputation to take it on and then move on to larger projects. By then, we might even take the three of you on?"

"No problem. They say they want young apprentices."

"No problem here. I haven't been included in major projects yet."

"I'm just kept around for odd jobs, so no problem at all, ha ha."

What's up with Elast?

Even though he has a bear face, I could tell he was smiling very seriously.

"I can only get away at this time, but why is that?"

"Oh, no, no. Dinker. We'll make some adjustments on our side."

If Helkov is being vague, it means we'll get the details back at the palace.

"Right, then let's get to today's agenda since time is limited."

I started the alcohol distillation equipment that Molly had prepared and explained how each piece worked and the principles behind them.

"Temperature is crucial. When it boils, water also turns into steam. If we separate them, the point of concentrating them is lost."

"Wait, I can't keep up."

"Steam is the vapor, right? It doesn't appear unless it boils?"

"Concentration means boiling down, right?"

Ah, they don't get it.

Their understanding is on par with Helkov's, meaning they have no basic knowledge of science.

I need to explain from the basics, including the properties of gases, liquids, solids, and water.

But they can still become craftsmen.

Or maybe they can if they only know the specific processes that lead to the results?

"I only learned how to use this equipment. I didn't ask why it works. Herry, what kind of tutor do Dinker and the others have? There are no famous alchemists these days, right?"

"The scary thing is, one is right in front of us. A famous alchemist in the making. He got alchemical equipment through some connections and learned on his own."

At Helkov's words, the bear cubs all looked at me.

"Dinker, how old are you?"

"Eight years old."

"How did you learn on your own?"

"By reading related books and starting with what I could do with the equipment I had."

"Why alcohol, then?"

"Because it's used in alchemy, and I thought it might sell if it's drinkable."

The bear cubs tilted their heads in unison.

Helkov spoke to them.

"It's the other way around. Dinker isn't trying to make alcohol. He's using alcohol as a byproduct of his alchemy."

"I don't drink alcohol, though."

Terenti tilted his head even more.

"Then what do you usually drink?"

"Oh, right. Beastmen use water as a substitute. ... Tea, maybe?"

"Right, you're a noble!"

Renato covered his eyes with his fluffy, round hands.

Water needs to be boiled, but the cost of firewood for drinking water alone is significant.

So, it's common to use low-alcohol beverages for hydration.

And tea is more of a luxury item than alcohol.

"Anyway, why can this be immersed in water? If water is needed, the size of the object being made might determine the location of the factory. Alchemy is said to pollute waterways."

"That's a matter of crisis management for alchemists. Ideally, I'd like to see the process. Hmm, if cooling can be done without water, there are methods."

When I looked at Helkov, he thought for a moment and realized.

"The essence?"

"Yes, that. With the right tools and materials, even Helkov can make it."

"Wait, Uncle, you can use alchemy?"

Elast's fur puffed up.

"Alchemists say that as long as the procedures, tools, and materials are correct, anyone can do it regardless of race."

"Wow, really?"

Hmm, the awareness of alchemy is terribly low.

Alright, I'll make these four understand what alchemy is and help improve its image.

"Anyone can use alchemy, but if done carelessly, it can cause trouble for everyone. To brand it, we should start with a high-end approach and not immediately reveal that it's alchemy."

"Yes, that's right. By recovering funds and developing larger alcohol production equipment, we can gain a certain level of recognition. It's better to announce it ourselves rather than have it labeled as alchemy by outsiders."

Molly is positive about promoting the alcohol, including the fact that it's made through alchemy.

She wants to work hard to bring it to her own table.

"Being able to make it on a desk is surprising, but with this size and quantity, mass production is impossible. Moreover, the specialized equipment makes it difficult to scale up."

"Simply scaling up would be inefficient. I want to create new equipment from scratch."

Currently, it's only possible on a desk, but for mass production, it needs to be industrialized.

The current setup of connected glass flasks won't work.

This process involves repeated distillation to increase concentration, adding water for aging, and diluting for sale, which is too labor-intensive. For now, I'm reducing the number of distillations.

"Even if we make it in this form, the simplest way would be to connect equipment that repeats the distillation process from the beginning."

"No, that would be difficult. The glass needs to be as thin and uniform as possible."

Elast, the glassworker, gave a technical critique.

"We also need metal supports to prevent the glass from breaking. Can we use molds or pour it in?"

Terenti, the blacksmith, seemed to be thinking, but Renato, the woodworker, was confused.

"Why am I here?"

"That's because, although we're using glass now, there are parts that can be replaced with barrels. We also want to discuss the barrels for storing the alcohol after it's made."

Distillation removes everything except alcohol, so the flavor and aroma are lost.

"To be honest, distilled alcohol isn't tasty. Aging is necessary to improve the flavor."

This involves storing it in barrels and managing it over time, like with whiskey.

"Once we can produce it stably, we'll get to that."

While explaining the distillation process, I noticed the room had gone quiet. When I looked up, everyone was staring at me.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm wondering what I was doing at eight. Could I have thought that far ahead?"

"I was, Dinker was thinking about it when he was five."

Molly and Helkov nodded in understanding.

The three cubs began to murmur to themselves.

"Those who succeed are really special from a young age."

"But since we're being relied on, we have to respond."

"On the contrary, it's because they're children that they can do it, yes, that's right."

They seem to have a lot on their minds, but in any case!

"Right now, we can only make it on a desk. Next, we'll move to a form that can be made indoors. The equipment for this was created by old alchemists to ensure quantity, and only the blueprints remain."

There is actually existing equipment to upgrade the distillation process from a desk-level science experiment to a kitchen-level setup.

I spread out the blueprint I had copied.

I want to build this, make it operational, and then scale it up to a factory.

That's my plan.

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Next: The Three Bear Cubs 5