Volume 5 Chapter 47, Part 2 Interlude , Part Physics and Chemistry
It seemed Randy had come to the same conclusion, so he rushed up to his room and silently started drawing plans.
Structurally, it was a thick syringe.
It had a large piston and a needle that was thicker than a usual syringe.
From what the plans showed, this makeshift syringe would be used as a lid for the container.
And there were several small air holes on the side where water would go in.
It was a very simple design, but with the completed plans, he thought, "This should be around here..." as he grabbed a clean, treated piece of large Valion leather (mimic beast, blends into its surroundings and hides its appearance) and hurried back downstairs.
He shaped a chunk of mithril according to the plans, using sturdy and elastic Valion leather for the piston seal.
Once the mechanism was ready, Randy filled the container with water and closed the syringe-shaped lid.
He sealed the joints perfectly with Craft, creating a container only he could make, but since this was just to test a hypothesis, the manufacturing process didn't matter right now.
He then inserted a straw into the small hole and sealed that gap neatly.
Using only the straw, Randy slowly inhaled... then exhaled gently.
He repeated breathing in and out several times.
The piston moved up and down with his breathing, ensuring it was tightly sealed.
Now, Randy was simply increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide.
After repeating this a few times, feeling a bit uncomfortable, Randy thought, "Is this good?" and completely sealed the hole before pushing the piston down hard from above.
Grrrroooowwwl
Bloop, bloop, bloop, bloop
The sound of the seal crying out and water being vigorously stirred inside the container echoed in the room, and Randy removed the sealed lid with Craft, saying, "...is this good?"
"How is it──?"
He poured water again into the cup, and this time, he could see small bubbles forming in the water.
"Oh, oh! Wow!"
Seeing this, Randy jumped with joy and brought his mouth to the water.
"This is amazing! It's slightly fizzy, but it's carbonation!"
Carbonated water made from Randy's own breath.
Probably no one else would want to drink it, but Randy was satisfied to have gotten sparkling water so quickly.
"If I repeat this a few times, it might become even stronger carbonation, right?"
With that idea in mind, Randy repeated the same actions again.
It was a rather dull and unappealing task.
Especially the process of pushing the piston back, which involved making and sealing an air hole next to the syringe each time, felt very haphazard and pointless to watch.
Still, the night was long.
Moreover, with each repetition──just blowing air, pressing down, making a hole, and sealing it──the speed of the task was increasing.
After repeating the same thing 5 times,
Randy once again removed the syringe cover and poured water into a cup.
This time, the bubbling was definitely that of carbonated water.
"Yes! For sure..."
Randy rummaged through the cupboard and pulled out some fruits he had bought for dessert in the morning.
"Where's the juicer... the juicer..."
He searched but couldn't find the juicer anywhere.
With no choice, Randy slowly squeezed an orange over the cup.
Juicy drops mixed with the sparkling water.
Holding back his excitement, Randy squeezed the orange completely and tilted the cup slowly.
"──! Mmmmmm!"
The smell of orange burst in his mouth, mingling with the fizz.
What he was looking for was right there.
"This would be even better with some sugar, right?"
Rummaging through the cupboard again, Randy found some sugar and mixed a little into the carbonated orange.
The slightly sweeter carbonated orange amazed Randy again.
In the end, he gulped it down all at once.
"This is great! I should find a way to sell it... oh──"
Randy, feeling satisfied, noticed the orange pulp splattered around.
It was fine to get carried away, but he knew he would get scolded by Rita if he didn't clean up.
Yet, Randy looked pleased as he started cleaning the kitchen.
"Alright. I'll surprise Liz and Ellie."
While cleaning, Randy smiled as he thought about tomorrow.
* * *
When Randy was still bubbling the water....
"What is this! "
"It's true! It has a bit of a kick to it..."
...Harrison and Rita were amazed by the carbonated water that Catherine had made.
Using Liz's decomposition skill, Catherine separated the components of baking powder, the baker's friend, and extracted sodium bicarbonate—the main ingredient and the largest portion of the powder.
She then mixed the baking soda with lemon juice (citric acid) to create a simple homemade carbonated water.
Harrison and Rita were amazed by her ingenuity.
As the two marveled at the creation, Liz, curious, took a sip of the carbonated water Catherine had prepared for her.
The sudden burst of fizz in her mouth made Liz instinctively lift her head, her eyes widening in surprise.
'Ellie, this is amazing!'
'Let me have a taste too! Share it with me!'
And so, unaware of Randy's earlier struggles, the two girls delighted in the chemical reaction that produced the bubbly sensation.
'Should we share this with Randy?'
'Indeed. Let's surprise him!'
By coincidence, they were thinking along the same lines as Randy had before.
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