Chapter 407: Secret of the Black Steel Pit
I instructed the Earthkin about the design then entrusted the work to them. Ah, I’m gonna be the one to make the kennel! The one they’re using isn’t ebony, but something that has a similar color as the reddish hue of a cedar’s core. The Earthkin taught me that this type of wood doesn’t easily rot, comparatively.
「Soleil of the Water and Stone Island. 」
Gamri of the Black Steel Pit called me. He started addressing me that ever since I showed them the waterways on the island.
「What’s up? 」
「You’ve provided us with the Goddess’s most precious giant trees, spirit silver, and even imparted technology that is beyond what we knew. Our gratitude isn’t enough! 」
「Far from enough! 」
「We are grateful. 」
「We are grateful. 」
「Truly grateful. 」
They’re still the same as ever, taking snippets of the representatives words and repeating it over and over like they’re singing a round. The low voices resounding all over the cave was unexpectedly pleasant.
「It’s okay, don’t mind it, I also asked you to make a lot of stuff for me. 」
「We will return the favor of materials with our crafts! The techniques will be returned with techniques! 」
「The techniques will be returned with techniques! 」
「With techniques! 」
「With techniques! 」
This way of talking takes too much time just to get the gist, though!! Their way of speech is more like an expression of agreement from everybody present, instead of talking with individuals, apparently.
「We, the folks of Black Steel Pit, decided to show the smithy of our clan to Soleil of Water and Stone Island. 」
「We will show the smithy of our clan. 」
「We will show it. 」
「We will show it. 」
「Follow us, Soleil of Water and Stone Island! 」
「Follow us. 」
「Follow us. 」
「Follow us. 」
And with that, Gamri turned around and started walking, so I followed after him.
Another bearded Earthkin, probably his assistant because he spoke the second longest phrase among the clan, followed after Gamri too.
We entered a narrow grotto.
「Please pardon the intrusion. 」
They pretended that we’re only going to the grotto, but we were obviously trespassing through the area where the Black Steel Pit clan lived. Gamri and the other guy walked on without a care, but I can’t help but greet the folks we passed by. Sorry for disturbing your happy family get-together ~
After going through all that, we finally arrived at an ginormous open space carved out of jet-black rock.
「This is the remnant of the era when the Earthkin flourished. We had built an underground kingdom in the olden days. 」
「Ahh, I see. 」
You guys really resemble dwarfs. I couldn’t help but nod.
「The days of prosperity vanished, and many of the traditional crafts were lost, never to be passed down the generations that followed. We now survive and live by relying on fragments and connections from those days ー Come, we’re here. 」
A flash of orange was immediately revealed when Gamri opened the heavy metal doors. Inside was a rock shaped into the head of a massive dragon, and an it’s half opened maws were glowing orange from within.
It’s not fire, but it’s not lava either. I could keenly feel the intense heat coming from it.
The stone dragon opened its eyes ー ah, no, the rock didn’t move. Seems like a spirit with the exact same shape as the rock covered the entire thing, existing just like that.
The orange glow became even more intense when the rock dragon spirit breathed out from its nose. The languid, half-lidded spirit reminded me somewhat of Uncle Boulder.
「This is the legacy, the pinnacle of majesty and splendour once enjoyed by our kingdom. It is the secret of our Black Steel Pit. 」
「Is it a furnace? 」
「It is a furnace, but at the same time it isn’t. It melts ores, but it can’t burn wood. Actually, we are drying the Goddess’s colossal woods that you, Soleil of Water and Stone Island, gave us in there once more. 」
Gamri said.
「Eh, how did you bring those here!? 」
The
Even if the wood had been chopped into smaller lumber pieces to make it easier to process, they were still pretty long and huge, right!? Back when you guys were working in the tower on the island, I had to carry the materials using 【Storage】because you can’t bring them through the narrow staircase, right!?
「Just like the ability that you, Soleil of Water and Stone Island, possess, we also have a treasure box that has a similar function. 」
「So you have something like a storage box, huh… If the heroes discover that you have that, they’re gonna target you so be careful, okay. 」
「Mm. You too, Soleil of Water and Stone Island. 」
They showed the box to me, and it was unexpectedly simple, kinda similar to a wooden wine crate. Not only that, it was stacked together with ordinary wooden crates. Well, it’s just as the saying goes ー if you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest, huh!. I totally can’t tell them apart!
Since we were already here at their secret place, they dried my ebony too. The rock dragon was pretty huge, but the trees were much, much bigger, so we couldn’t just chuck the logs as they were in there.
「Heh, how mysterious. 」
「The insulation will also get better, and it won’t be affected by the water in the air. Plus, it will not expand or shrink that easily, if it does it will only be minimal. This is really great!」
Gamri commented.
Atmosphere water, does he mean moisture or humidity? So, lumber here won’t swell or shrink? That’s pretty good, right? Plus, that sort of lumber is easier to handle.
Speaking of wood expansion and contraction, I’m reminded of the azekurazukuri design of the Shosoin Repository. Based on an old theory that trees swell and shrink based on weather conditions, the triangular interlocking logs would create gaps or close them, regulating the indoor conditions of the building. The mechanism had been disproven after measuring and observing the indoor and outdoor environment, but I can’t help but think it’s quite visionary.
Well, most of the ebony wood will be used for Doggy’s desert house, so it won’t have anything to do with moisture! Ah, but Es comes with the raging river flow, so I guess it would be damp then?
Since the ebony had been treated with extreme heat and it’s also highly recommended by the Earthkin folks, I don’t think that would damage the wood, but still… let’s bring a block of stone and put it on top just in case.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
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