“Well, that’s the preparations finished.”
“Mm. Everything’s ready.”
By June 16th, Jin and Elsa had finished creating their entries for the Technology Expo. Furthermore, the plan to return Elsa to the Shouro Empire and have her status officially recognized was now fully developed.
“Elsa, you remember the plan?”
“Mm. Perfectly.”
Elsa nodded with absolute confidence.
“Good. Now we just have to wait for the opening.”
Jin stretched, looking up at the clear, blue sky of Hourai Island.
“Well, I’ve left things here entirely to Laojun lately. I should probably get a status report,” Jin muttered. He called for Laozi, Laojun’s mobile terminal.
“Yes, My Lord. You called?”
“Yeah. I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve neglected the island’s affairs. Has anything changed while I was away?”
As Laojun’s terminal, Laozi shared all of Laojun’s knowledge and could answer in his stead.
“Yes, My Lord. You are aware that our agricultural efforts have expanded?”
Jin nodded. He had already heard that they had found rice, prepared the paddies, and finished the planting.
“As for marine products, nori cultivation is progressing smoothly. We are only having a minor issue with the collection of kombu.”
“Nori is fine, but what’s the problem with the kombu?”
“Well...”
Asked by Jin, Laozi uncharacteristically hesitated. “...It may be a variety of seaweed that is actually different from kombu.”
“Eh?”
According to Laozi’s explanation, while the seaweed looked very similar, it seemed to be a different species altogether. It could produce a decent dashi and could be processed into something resembling shredded kombu, but that was where the similarities ended. Crucially, it turned red when dried.
“Kombu is supposed to be a greenish-black... like Rishiri or Hidaka kombu... Ah!”
Jin suddenly remembered. Real kombu was harvested in northern seas like those around Hokkaido; it wasn't something found in the warm waters of Hourai Island.
“Ah... I completely forgot...”
It seemed that while it looked the part, it was a different plant with different properties.
“Well, please continue to research what cooking methods might make it useful,” Jin instructed, feeling a bit disappointed.
Unbeknownst to him at that moment, Laojun would eventually command the Air Force and the underwater golem units to search the northern seas until they found true kombu, though that success was still a little while off.
“Is there anything else?” Jin asked, shaking off his disappointment.
“Yes. It concerns the extraction of baking soda from the water in Kaina Village.”
“Right. What about it?”
A short while ago, Jin had noticed that some of the water in Kaina Village contained trace amounts of baking soda—specifically, sodium bicarbonate. Since the hot springs in Kaina Village were bicarbonate springs, it stood to reason that some of the groundwater would contain it as well. He had ordered an investigation into its source.
“We found water with a high concentration of baking soda flowing from a specific section of the glacier-covered mountains. It contains approximately ten grams per liter, which is quite significant. We are currently constructing a baking soda extraction plant.”
“Oh, that’s great.”
Baking soda served as a leavening agent. When heated, it decomposed and released carbon dioxide, which made bread or cake dough rise. With baking soda, Jin could make things like pancakes much fluffier. He was already looking forward to it.
“Furthermore, we have established a prospect for the regular collection of eggs—a poultry farm, of sorts.”
“Oh, really?!”
Jin was delighted; eggs were incredibly versatile in cooking.
“The birds are a species native to Hourai Island, similar to junglefowl. When kept in a fenced enclosure, they lay about one egg every three days.”
“That’s excellent. And the preservation?”
“If stored in an ether stocker, semi-permanent preservation is possible. However, this only applies to these specific eggs, not those purchased from other regions.”
Because the eggs produced on Hourai Island contained a large amount of ether, they possessed incredible shelf lives.
“Hmm, I really want to know more about ether... I should consult with Saki next time.”
Ether was an element that existed in this world but not on Earth, yet surprisingly little was known about it. Even the knowledge inherited from the Predecessor lacked detailed information regarding its fundamental nature.
After finishing his talk with Laozi, Jin returned to Kaina Village and headed toward Nidou Castle. He was certainly keeping himself busy.
As he emerged from the shelter and stepped into the castle, a sweet and sour aroma wafted through the air. At that same moment, a sudden scream rang out.
“Kyaaa!”
“What was that?”
“That sounded like Miss Belle,” Reiko identified the voice immediately.
Jin hurried toward the kitchen, wondering what could have happened. There, he found a flustered Belle standing next to Mine.
“Jin-sama, welcome back,” Mine greeted him calmly. In contrast, Belle was hovering about, looking distressed.
“What’s wrong, Belle?” Jin asked again.
Belle looked down, peering up at him with an expression like a scolded puppy. “Um, the marmalade you made the other day looked so delicious that I thought I’d try making some here. I was using citrans, but...”
“...She let it burn, Jin-sama,” Mine finished for her.
Looking closely, Jin saw a large pot made of light silver sitting on the magic stove. A faint, acrid scent of char was cutting through the sweetness. He realized what had happened. She’d likely been careless; once sugar is added to a pot, it scorches quickly if not stirred constantly.
“It’s okay. Transfer the contents to another pot, and I’ll clean this one for you.”
Jin comforted the teary-eyed Belle. He had Reiko move the unfinished marmalade to a different vessel.
“Hmm, I see...”
Inspecting the burnt residue on the bottom of the pot, Jin noticed that the scorch marks perfectly matched the shape of the magic stove’s heating element. This was caused by the poor thermal conductivity of the light silver.
He knew the feeling; back on Earth, he had scorched stews several times in stainless steel pots. Aluminum pots, which conduct heat much better, were far less prone to such accidents.
“Right, light silver doesn't conduct heat very well.”
Even while the contents were simmering, the upper rim of the pot was cool enough to touch. That was proof enough that the heat wasn't spreading evenly.
“It’s a shame, since I went to the trouble of making this pot...”
It was frustrating to have a tool that was difficult to use. Jin began thinking of a way to improve it.
“As long as I can improve the thermal conductivity... I know, I’ll laminate it.”
He would create a composite or multilayered material.
“Let’s see... I’m pretty sure diamonds have excellent thermal conductivity...”
He vaguely remembered seeing a commercial on a home shopping channel for diamond-coated frying pans.
“If that’s the case, why not wrap diamond in a layer of light silver?”
There were plenty of diamonds stored beneath Hourai Island. Since diamonds are formed by intense heat and pressure, the island’s subterranean depths produced them in abundance. Jin hadn't used them much, mostly because they were so hard they tended to scratch everything else, but also because he still carried the Earth-based perception that diamonds were prohibitively expensive.
“Yeah, I can’t make good things if I’m bound by common sense.”
After convincing himself, he asked Reiko to fetch about five hundred grams of diamonds.
“Yes, Father. Leave it to me.”
Reiko replied instantly and vanished like the wind. She flew out of Nidou Castle, went through the shelter to Hourai Island, collected the diamonds Laozi had prepared, and returned in a flash. The entire errand took her about three minutes.
“Thanks, Reiko.”
Jin patted Reiko on the head. Since receiving her tactile sensors, Reiko seemed to find his praise even more rewarding.
“Alright, let’s make a pot....'Forming'.”
After several steps, a pot made of diamond encased in a very thin layer of light silver was complete. Jin had no idea what the market value of such a thing would be, but on the outside, it looked like a simple, dull silver-gray vessel.
Jin called for Belle. She had finally finished simmering the citran marmalade and had just turned off the heat.
“Yes, Jin-sama?”
“Try using this pot from now on.”
Jin handed her the newly finished piece.
“Um, is there something different about it?”
Belle, who had been stirring frantically to prevent further scorching, hadn't noticed what Jin had been doing. Mine was equally curious.
“Yeah. I modified it so it’s much harder to burn the food.”
“Wow, really? Thank you so much!”
Belle wasn't particularly interested in the engineering behind it; she accepted the pot with simple, honest joy. The fact that Jin had gone to the trouble of making it for her was enough to make her happy.
“I’ll do my best to make even more delicious food!”
As Belle beamed at him, Jin couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth from her smile.