Chapter 2-6 : Magic Stove Ⅱ (part 2)

 

It’s too bad that I can no longer see its beautiful color after I pour the Suya tea into the cups, because the cups I bought at the general store are made of wood.

It’s good that they don’t break, but you can’t see the color of the tea, and I can’t smell the tea really well because the scent of wood interferes.

I don’t think wood cups are suitable to be used to enjoy tea.

「This is my first time drinking this kind of tea, but it’s not bad at all.」(Kate)

「I know, right? If possible, I want to drink it with a tea cup, but…」(Sarasa)

「I’m sorry. If only we were selling tea cups in our store…」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan apologized awkwardly.

Oops, I forgot that I bought these wooden cups in Lorea-chan’s store.

「A, Ahh, It’s not that I’m blaming your store. It’s understandable if your store doesn’t sell tea cups. They are fragile items and hard to transport after all. Besides, even if you sell them, I don’t think the villagers will buy them since they are kind of expensive. So, it can’t be helped. You don’t have to worry about it.」(Sarasa)

In the royal capital, people with a decent amount of money usually use glassware in their houses.

However, they are fragile and a little expensive, so they’re not widely used by the general public.

Because shipping fragile tableware like that is difficult, people who live in a town that has no glass workshop usually use wooden tableware.

「Umm… Since I’m used to making things from glass, I wonder if I can make tea cups myself… 」(Sarasa)

There’s a glass furnace in my workshop that is usually used to make potion bottles.

I think I can also make glass cups with it.

If I fail, I just have to melt the glass and make it over and over again until I’m satisfied with the result.

「Heeー So you can make glass cups? I’m looking forward to it! Drinking alcohol with a glass cup is different from drinking it with a wooden cup. Well, it depends on the quality of the alcohol, though.」(Kate)

「A, Alcohol, huh…?」(Sarasa)

Uhh, that reminds me of when I got drunk at my graduation party in Master’s shop…

「By the way, Sarasa-san, do you want to sell glassware in the future?」(Lorea)

「Nope. Glass is not my specialty, and the raw materials for making glasses aren’t cheap either, so I don’t think selling them will be easy.」(Sarasa)

「I see…」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan looked a little disappointed.

She might be thinking of selling them in her store.

However, I think it’s still too expensive for the villagers to use on a regular basis even though the shipping costs are zero.

Well, it’s not that the glass material is very expensive, but compared to the wooden tableware that doesn’t break, they are too fragile for the price.

「But… If it’s ceramicware… Then maybe…」(Sarasa)

I was thinking of making ceramicware, but I don’t have a kiln for ceramics.

While I was thinking, I looked at the square hole under the platform where I installed the magic stove.
The previous owner of this house probably installed his magic oven in that hole.

Of course, I also plan to install a magic oven there once I finish it.

And speaking of a magic oven, we can control the temperature just like a magic stove, and depending on the setting, it might can be used to bake pottery.

Un. I think if I make a magic oven that allows me to greatly increase the temperature, I can use it as a substitute for a kiln.

And since I don’t think the villagers here need a large amount of ceramicware, so I think it would be possible for me to supply it for them.

「Well, I think I’ll make some ceramicware when I feel like it. Lorea-chan, do you want to make them too?」(Sarasa)

「Eh? But… isn’t it difficult…?」(Lorea)

「Well, using a potter’s wheel is a bit hard, but I think you can do it. We will only make cups anyway, so it’ll be easy.」(Sarasa)

「Is that so? Then, let’s make it together when you feel like it.」(Lorea)

「Un. Let’s do it when I have free time.」(Sarasa)

I still have a lot of things to do now.
I haven’t even made the magic oven that will be needed to make ceramic ware.

「Store Owner-san, you sure can do a lot of things.」(Kate)

「Well, I’m an alchemist after all. I didn’t graduate from the Alchemist School for nothing.」(Sarasa)

「Was it difficult to graduate from that school? I only heard about that school from rumors.」(Kate)

「yeah, it was difficult. Really difficult. As you know, it’s not easy to enter the school, and even after you enter, you have to keep your grades up. If your grades are poor, you can easily be kicked out of the school.」(Sarasa)

We learned various skills associated with alchemy, such as glass making, earthenware making, woodworking, ect.

Even though we don’t have to be good at them, at least we have to be able to do it.

If you can’t, you will be expelled from school.

Because the rules were really strict, the school has prepared an environment where the students can learn as much as they want.

When I was at school, sometimes I practiced woodwork and glass-work outside of class hours, and of course I didn’t have to spend money to buy materials because the school provided us with materials.
Even a poor orphan like me could practice as much as I wanted free of charge.

「I see. As a result of strict rules, the alchemists who graduated from there can do various things, huh?…. Even Collectors who can fight like me and Iris will never win against you in combat. You are too ‘high spec’, you know?」(Kate)

「You’re flattering me too much. Well, if the alchemists who are fully supported by the country are actually just a bunch of ordinary people, other people would definitely hate them.」(Sarasa)

「Yeah, you’re right. I somehow prefer if they are talented people than if they are just a bunch of ordinary people who are lucky to get preferential treatment…」(Kate)

Kate-san said that in a low voice. Perhaps she remembered something unpleasant.

But after that, she smiled as if nothing happened.

「But this magic stove is really convenient. It would be much easier for us Collectors to camp in the forest if we have one, but… is it possible to carry this around?」(Kate)

「Well… if you have enough physical strength, I think it’s possible.」(Sarasa)

「Ahh… It’s made of iron plates after all…」(Kate)

Kate-san smiled bitterly. Perhaps she remembered the face of Iris-san when she was struggling to carry the iron plates.

If you don’t need too much heat, you can make it a little more compact.
It can still be used for boiling water and cooking simple food.

However, the problem is the price.

Even though it’s smaller, the price is still the same… No, it might be even more expensive than the normal-sized one.

You will need more time and put more effort to draw a magic circuit on a smaller iron plate after all.

「Yeah. They’re heavy, fragile, and of course, expensive. If you drop it, it will definitely break, as well as your heart.」(Sarasa)

「Haha… I can’t agree more…」(Kate)

「That’s why it’s not suitable to carry around. Well, if you have money, you can buy an artifact bag that can reduce the weight of the luggage to carry a magic stove.」(Sarasa)

「Umm… Store Owner-san, I don’t think people who have enough money to buy such an artifact will work as a Collector…」(Kate)

「Haha… You’re right.」(Sarasa)

I laughed bitterly, agreeing with Kate-san who said that as she put her hand on her forehead.

Uhh, I can’t say that I got an expensive bag artifact for free from my master!

「Not to brag, but my family is one of the families that have the most money in this village, but I don’t think my mom will buy a magic stove. It’s too expensive even for my family.」(Lorea)

「I see. Looks like the only person who would ever buy magic stoves from me is Diral-san, just as I expected.」(Sarasa)

There’s no way I will display magic stoves in my store, but just in case, should I make a poster telling people that I’m taking orders to make magic stoves?

Of course, I will also write the price.

Even though the chance is very slim, there may be someone who will order it one day.

 

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