Chapter 333: Complete Set of Pots
Today is Hauron’s day-off.
The practice session yesterday gave me the things I wanted to learn about magic, but it wasn’t enough. I still wanted to ask Hauron about a lot of things. Things might get more fantasy-like, so I tried requesting him and he agreed if it was tomorrow.
Butler gently told me to “let Hauron-dono rest”, so I’m reflecting on myself. He’s old yet he had to accompany me to the forest for two days straight, then he even had to drink.
And so, I decided to go to the Northern Continent to check the progress of the furniture. In order to reach the Black Steel Pit, I had to trudge across a challenging valley then go through a complex tunnel.
I already came here once before, so I did a shortcut and【Teleport】past the valley. Next up was the tunnel — I simply made my way through with the help of the stone I received from Gamri, which pointed the way for me. The smooth, dark gray stone has white arrows painted on its surface and they move.
This thing that was so similar to a compass didn’t show the four cardinal points, but instead it pointed to the right direction. If I wanted to enter the tunnel then it would point there, and if I needed to go straight then the arrows would also point straight. It was quite fun moving forward while looking at the stone.
「Pardon the intrusion. 」
I greeted as I passed through the passageway. Unfamiliar Earthkin watched me suspiciously, but they wordlessly drew back when they saw the stone.
The tunnel and natural caverns have passageways that connect them to make it easier to move between them. The ceilings of the man-made sections were a bit low for me since I was taller than the Earthkin inhabitants here. When you step into the natural caverns, either the ceiling was towering high you wouldn’t be able to see the end of it, or it would be incredibly spacious, making the passage filled with diversity.
From time to time, I also pass by irregular, cellar-like dwellings in this passageway. Because plenty of steel can be mined in the Black Steel Pit, the folks here craft swords and furniture made of wrought iron — jet black iron grills, staircase railings, gates — and stuff like thumbtacks.
It was extremely cold outside, but with the workshops and fires blazing inside, it was pretty warm, which only gets hotter the deeper you go into the tunnels.
「Ohhh! Soleil of the Island! My brother! 」
Gamri, who was stuffy as ever, and his comrades heartily patted me on the back.
「Here, presents for you guys. How is it going? 」
I gave them a huge batch of brandy taken from the pantry and the akvavit, a distilled spirit made from potatoes, that I made. Akvavit is a Northern European liquor.
It was spicy yet fruity mellow spirit. The dominant flavor was dill, enhanced with coriander, anise and citrus fruits. I remembered this particular liquor when I went to the Northern Continent before and I tried making it. 【Complete Cookery】 is really handy.
Khadar took interest when I filled the oak barrels with this alcohol, and in a blink of an eye it turned out like — you know the rest. It’s a fantastic wine that pairs perfectly well with fish dishes, but the alcohol content was so high I never served it to anyone else other than Khadar. I gave Gamri one bottle of that akvavit.
「Ooh, liquor, is it!? Thanks a lot, Brother! The decor on the door is almost done. The carpenter folks are still working on the furniture. It’s a shame I can’t handle the Great Tree from the Goddess, but it’s great that only the best of the best among the woodwork Earthkin is spearheading the work on it. Ahh, but I’m still the best when it comes to steel. 」
Gamri said, not forgetting to lift himself up too.
While Gamri was talking to me, the other Earthkin formed a bucket brigade while saying 「It’s liquor, it’s liquor 」, passing the cask on from Earthkin to another until they reached the table.
They broke the top part of the cask then ladled the brandy into cups. Although less than ten people were chosen to work here, I bet they could empty an entire cask all by themselves.
I gape in amazement as the cups, which were filled to the brim with brandy, were passed on to everyone, I also got one.
「Alright, cheers, let’s all drink up! To the Goddess of the Great Tree! To Soleil, the owner of the beautiful tower! To us, the craftsmen of the Black Steel Pit! Cheers! 」
「Cheers! 」
Gamri raised his cup, and the rest of the crowd cheered.
Their loud voices resounded, and everyone simultaneously tilted their cups with great gusto, and the place was filled with the sounds of gulping.
「Ohh! Good wine! 」
「Nice aroma! 」
「Great strength, too! 」
Things got boisterous pretty quickly. Are the Earthkin a rowdy bunch, or are they moody and taciturn — I wonder which impression is correct? Maybe they’re more cheerful when with their comrades? Normal conversations sounded like shouting matches, moreso once they drink.
They’re a jolly group of drinking buddies once you get used to it, so I don’t mind. Being with them lifts my spirits and makes me excited.
「Soleil of the Island! The pot you requested is finished. 」
Yes, I’m the one who requested this group of legendary artisans to make me a complete set of pots. Wok, stock pot, a saucepan for the fireplace, you name it.
「Whoa, thanks! 」
「No big deal, it’s just tinkering some stuff when we’re free. Morick of the Sulfur Valley said the distillation apparatus is almost done too. That guy is always slow with his job, but you’re gonna laugh at how fast he can be when he gets his hand on a tasty liquor.」
Gamri cracked up.
I got to see the work process last time, but not this time. They said everything will be ready in about another half month, so they told me to look forward to that. Maybe it’s their way of keeping their techniques a secret while gearing for a grand reveal of the finished product, I guess?
They confirmed the overall design and general direction of the progress. The items were already superb even in their unfinished state, so yep, I’m so looking forward to them.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks for the treat.