Prev | TOC | Next
———
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
______
CHAPTER 19 - DISTILLATION WITH THE BLESSING OF SPIRITS INTO CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID (PART 2)
Guiding the two into the cabin, Souta efficiently arranged the equipment. The glass distillation apparatus and flasks that the goddess had brought were set up. The distillation apparatus had been slightly modified by Souta to allow for a different usage than its original purpose.
"I thought I'd borrow some equipment from this cabin that happened to have old gear."
*Note: Souta asking the goddess for tobacco leaves is an item he wanted.
"Was something like that in this house?"
*Note: There wasn't.
"It was here in this house, and it belongs to this house, right? I'll be borrowing it."
"Huh? Oh, yes... Was it here, I wonder?"
*Note: There wasn't.
"Wasn't there? Maybe Mother just tossed it in randomly."
"That's right, she might have... So it was here."
*Note: There wasn't.
"Yes, it's a waste not to use what's available."
Setting that aside, the elven mother and daughter were somehow convinced by Souta's confident attitude and the casual flow of conversation.
—It was a bit of a struggle, but it worked out somehow.
Souta had learned how to deal with the elves. Even though these antics worked with them, it was due to the elves being pushed into a corner.
"Today, we'll be working with this."
Souta took out a bag of white powder and showed it to the two.
"Oh, did you crush alum?"
Asugi, who often worked in the kitchen, was the first to notice. Souta nodded happily. It wasn't exactly the same as praising, but it was better to get them excited.
"Yes, that's right. What do you use this for?"
"We use it for pickling vegetables, preparing wild vegetables, and even for weaving. The clothes Souta-san is wearing right now were dyed using alum."
"Yes, thank you. Actually, this alum is a very important ingredient for a medicine."
"Oh my... I wonder what kind of medicine it becomes."
"Well, that's something you'll have to wait and see... Now, let's get started."
Souta then prompted Ayahi to speak. After all, she was the main focus. It wouldn't make sense if her motivation wasn't elevated.
"Alright, Ayahi-san, next it's your turn. I heard today from Assam-san while helping with his work that this village trades with the Dwarves for alum."
"It's not just alum. It's things like salt and iron too, various essentials for both sides to survive. They even consume wheat and livestock meat, and sometimes they buy the excess opium. I heard that this trading practice was imposed on us by the human nation long ago."
Souta nodded with a smile in response.
"I heard the same thing from Assam-san today. Aside from being self-sufficient, they also engage in some agriculture for export purposes. Why do you think humans are imposing these trade practices?"
"Why? Forest Elves and Hill Dwarves don't get along well... Maybe it's a form of harassment? But we can't just suddenly stop trading now."
—Creating a situation where they couldn't stop was likely the initial goal.
—According to the goddess, the first arrivals in this world were probably trying to protect humanity, and it's highly possible that they were also attempting to stop conflicts between other races.
Souta had some imagination about this, but without saying anything more, he nodded in satisfaction once again.
"That's right. So, consider this as homework. By reflecting on the reasons behind their actions, you can gain a deeper understanding of humans. This is the first step in studying about humans. Even though I'm your teacher, I don't necessarily have all the answers, but this might not just be mere harassment."
"Huh? Yeah, I got it."
"Now then, today we'll make a medicine from this alum. It's a dangerous poison called sulfuric acid."
A dangerous poison. Hearing that, the mother and daughter wore similar fearful expressions.
After confirming that, Souta continued in a somewhat playful tone to ease the tension.
"However, using this sulfuric acid, you can make a magical medicine called diethyl ether that efficiently harvests opium."
"Isn't that dangerous!?"
"Sulfuric acid is dangerous. But compared to sulfuric acid, diethyl ether is safer. Understanding what kind of medicine it is, how to handle it safely, or what makes it dangerous – that's what human science... chemistry is all about."
Beside him, Asugi wore a complex expression, while Ayahi's eyes were shining.
"It's interesting! What are we going to do next?"
Souta placed alum into the test tube that the goddess had brought and sealed it with a lid that had a straw-like attachment. He slightly angled the mouth of the test tube downward and fixed it onto the stand that came with the distiller.
"I was actually planning to ask for Ayahi-san's help. Ayahi-san is skilled in elemental magic, right? Since I'm just a novice in this field, would it be alright to borrow some of your power?"
"What should I do?"
"Could you ask the element to heat up the alum for me?"
"How... how strong should I...?"
—Specifying the temperature too precisely might not be understood at this stage. Moreover, increasing the parts that one can judge based on personal experience would facilitate better learning.
Souta had already considered what to do.
"Start with the lowest possible level of heat. Let me know when it's just right. If I say 'stop,' please try to stop as quickly as possible."
"U-Understood. E-Everyone, please. 'Warm'."
Just with Ayahi's simple command, the temperature inside the test tube began to rise, and a popping sound could be heard. Steam then started to gently flow out from the straw-like part.
"Ayahi-san, please maintain the temperature like this."
Gradually, the alum at the bottom of the test tube began to solidify with a clicking sound.
"Souta-san, is this calcined alum?"
"No, it's different, Asugi-san. This time, I'll heat it a bit more."
The lid of the flask was secured, but a gooey liquid began to accumulate near the mouth of the test tube.
"Finish heating."
"Y-Yeah! Everyone, 'End'!"
Souta waited for a while after that.
After all, freshly reacted concentrated sulfuric acid was extremely hot. He opened the test tube's lid and collected the viscous liquid into a small flask. A sharp smell spread in the air.
"This is concentrated sulfuric acid. Most things will turn into black charred remains if they touch this. Both of you, please don't touch it casually."
As he said that, he let a tiny drop fall onto the table. The reaction was instantaneous. The small amount of concentrated sulfuric acid that touched the table emitted smoke and carbonized the surface. Asugi was startled, and Ayahi let out a small scream, instinctively stepping back. Souta nonchalantly touched the residual sulfuric acid on the charred spot. The heat of the wood after it had turned into charcoal remained the same, but the concentrated sulfuric acid didn't cause any harm to his skin.
《Message: 'Toxin Resistance' has been activated. It nullifies all damage caused by sulfuric acid, including damage to the skin.》
《Message: Due to the activation of 'Toxin Resistance,' the skill 'Toxin Resistance' has grown. It has increased from Rank B to Rank B+.》
Having confirmed this safely, Souta got carried away.
"But it doesn't work on me."
Saying that, Souta quickly drank the sulfuric acid from the flask. Naturally, thanks to his Toxin Resistance, he suffered no damage. However...
"Ah, Mother! Aaaahhhhhh!?"
Asugi fainted.
"Hyaaahhhh!?"
Ayahi let out a high-pitched scream that could shred silk with her prideful singing voice. Nearby villagers who heard the scream rushed over, and Souta had to explain and come up with excuses. Later, they scolded him severely.
Originally, Souta would perform a stunt every year for his students where he would neutralize a diluted sodium hydroxide solution, similar to dilute hydrochloric acid, and turn it into a saline solution before drinking it. This had been a big hit back in his original world, but it didn't work in this new world.
――Even conducting experiments can be quite challenging.
Souta felt genuine remorse for his actions.
※Attempting to drink synthesized saline water in one gulp is dangerous and should not be imitated.
We hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can vote for this novel translation and drop a review on Novel Updates!❤️
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments
What's on your mind...