Chapter 52 Alchemy in the Kaldor, a Different World
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
With the addition of Narsht-san and Mei to the settlement team, our settlement has suddenly become a lively place, and Narsht-san has been asked to use the kitchen of the mansion to make a prototype of a dish that will become the specialty of the settlement.
Meanwhile, I had come to the small hut that had been built beside the mansion to help Narsht-san develop the dish with Mei.
”You said you were going to help Narsht, why did you come outside instead of going to the kitchen?”
”I am amateurs when it comes to cooking, there is nothing I can do to help Narsht-san with cooking. So I’m going to help Narsht-san with what I know how to do.”
”In your area of expertise, what exactly are you going to do this time?”
”That’s what I’m going to tell you when you get in here.”
With Mei looking excited about what I’m going to do this time, I open the door of the hut and enter.
Inside the hut, there were alchemical equipments that I had bought in the city.
”Is this a laboratory by any chance?”
”Yes, it’s my second laboratory.”
”Everything looks brand new, didn’t you bring it from your old lab?”
”Well, I was told to get everything I need for settling with my own hands, except for the bare necessities.”
”Research tools are not a necessity for settling the area, but you could have brought them as a hobby, right?”
”Sure, that might have been allowed, but I was thinking of using them for settling the land, so I thought it was wrong to bring them in.”
”Hmm, Neil is serious in a strange way, isn’t he? Well, as long as there are facilities for research, I’m fine with it.”
Because of her indifference to anything other than her research, or rather, her unapproachable noble-like character, she had no potential bride, and while most of the world’s nobles marry at the age of 15, or even 10, Mei was 20 years old this year, completely behind the curve.
In a world where political marriages are frequently arranged to strengthen ties among nobles, it is quite unusual for a daughter of a duke to remain unmarried at the age of 20, but as a fellow researcher who knows Mei well, I can’t help but agree.
”Oh, this is the furnace of Narutetsu. And this is an alchemy apparatus of Rensho! They may be small, but they have good stuff!”
”I thought it would be less wasteful to repeat experiments on a small scale until I establish some kind of production method. If there is talk of mass production, then I’m thinking of doing it again on a large scale.”
”I see.”
I explained like that, but in reality, it was only because I could not afford to buy a large scale equipment due to financial problems.
Now that none of that is out of the way, I decided to cut to the chase.
”Okay, let’s talk about what we’re going to do.”
”Oh, what was it, helping Narsht?”
”You almost forgot, didn’t you? You don’t really remember anything except what we’re going to do.”
”Okay, okay, that’s enough of that. Just tell me what we’re going to do.”
”We’re going to develop a new seasoning.”
”Oh, you’re going to make seasonings with alchemy?”
Mei sounds crazy at the thought of alchemizing seasonings.
No wonder she sounds like that. Alchemy is originally a method used to change base metals into precious metals or to make medicines.
When I suggested to use alchemy to make seasonings, it was natural that I would get this kind of reaction from her.
”Well, I thought you were going to destroy people’s sense of taste and make a medicine that makes everything taste good.”
”Who would make such a horrible thing!”
”But, isn’t it Neil who made a bioweapon out of soybeans and straw?”
”Don’t talk about Natto, I wasn’t trying to make a bioweapon, in the first place. Anyway, what we’re making is a safe, wholesome, and delicious seasoning.”
”It sounds like a bad product to me if you insist that much, but… okay, it sounds interesting.”
Mei’s abnormality was evident in the fact that she said it was okay because it looked interesting, despite the fact that she was talking about a dangerous product.
I’m afraid that she might cause a biohazard and destroy the empire, so I hope someone will take the lead soon.
”I understand that you are going to make seasoning with it, but how exactly are you going to make it? When Neil says something like that, you have a method in mind, don’t you?”
”Well, of course.”
I put that aside for the moment and place the crate on the desk, which I keep by the side of the lab, and remove the lid to show Mei what’s inside.
”I’m going to make a seasoning with this.”
”This is soybean, isn’t it?”
Yes, I chose soybeans as the material for this seasoning development, and soy sauce and miso are the only two seasonings that can be made from soybeans.
The reason why I chose soy sauce and miso out of all the seasonings is because I am originally Japanese, but the most important reason is simply that I have been growing more soybeans for the criminal slaves, and I had a large amount of them on hand.
”Why did you choose soybeans to make seasonings? Wouldn’t a more flavorful crop be better for seasoning?”
”Oh, that’s, you know…”
Normally, one would not think of using a less tasty crop for seasoning.
If asked why, the reason would be that I know of a seasoning made from soybeans, but of course I can’t say that, so I twist my head to make up a reason that sounds like it.
”Can’t you just say that I like soybeans…?”
”……”
I can’t, I can’t come up with such a reason on the spur of the moment.
Mei’s look at me hurts, but I can’t help it, because I can’t just say it.
”Neil, you’re really funny sometimes, aren’t you?”
”Hey, could you choose your words a little more politely?”
I guess it’s true from the outside, but the directness of her words hurt my feelings a little.
”Well, you come up with ideas that no one would ever think of, and I have no idea where you’re getting your ideas from. So, I don’t really care as long as I can experiment.”
”That’s why there are no to take a you as a wife, you know.”
Like a little child, Mei had a bad habit of losing interest in the subject after a moment and then throwing it away.
Well, thanks to this bad habit, she had never asked me why I had come up with the idea, which is a good thing for me.
”So, you will use soybeans, but you’re not going to get into a situation like the Natto fiasco, are you? Even I don’t want to die from the research of seasonings.”
”Don’t worry, I have prepared a ‘doll’.”
Saying this, I take out five metal dolls and place them beside the wooden box containing soybeans.
These dolls are substitute dolls used to check the effects of new medicines made by alchemy.
In my previous world, these dolls are equivalent to experimental mice, and in this world, these dolls are used before they are used on humans.
A part of the human body, usually a hair, is placed inside the dummy, and by reading the genetic information from the part, it is possible to obtain results that are comparable to those of experiments on real humans.
”With this, we won’t be stupid enough to eat miso or soy sauce and die.”
”Soy sauce?”
”W-well, I’ll call it that when I make the seasoning.”
”You’re so quick to think of it before you make it.”
”That’s all right, let’s get started! Making seasonings takes time and patience.”
Thus, with Mei’s help, I set out to develop a seasoning using alchemy.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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