Volume 4 Chapter 19 Don't Look Like You're Ecstatic Over Coal
We head to the special warehouse at the port, 3 of us together.
This place was where Miloslav attacked, and there are more guards now, but really, he came after me, so adding more guards doesn't make much sense.
Still, if I talk about the real reason for the attack, it brings up a lot of problems, so I keep quiet.
"The contents of this box are coal. As per Lord Huntwerker's instructions, I've brought in a larger quantity this time."
"Ah, thank you very much. Good job!"
Not just coal, it seems the captain also selected cargo that I asked for, and there are even some edible plants this time.
...I mean, it's not just that──
"Captain, by the way... what are those?"
"Those are cows and sheep."
Pointing to the animals tied at the edge of the warehouse, the captain gave a straightforward answer.
No, that's not it.
I didn't want to hear that kind of answer.
"No, I wanted to know why there are cows and sheep here..."
"Ah, I'm sorry. According to the scholar who came with us, those species don't live on this continent, so we brought a few pairs. They should be useful for meat, milk, and wool."
Oh, I see.
If we can breed them in Sartzstadt, it could be a big profit.
They really are doing a great job.
"But, the animals must be struggling in the warehouse. Now that I've confirmed, can't we move them to the farm soon?"
First of all, it's smelly in here because of their waste.
It's way too stinky.
I wondered why it smelled so bad at first.
"Right. There is a farm that the scholar can introduce us to, so I will talk to them right away and arrange for transport."
"Please do that. If we can't find it, we should consult Lord Reichner or the merchant guild urgently. ...Anyway, I got off track. Aine, the coal is──"
Just as I was about to say that, I turned around to see Aine, her face showing pure bliss, cradling the coal she had taken from the wooden box in both hands.
Whoa... no, I mean, that's kind of unsettling.
"Hey, get back to work, Coal Expert!"
"Huh!? N-no, that's not good. Um... this time we have a lot more than last time, so it includes some bituminous coal along with the anthracite. But still, the anthracite is the majority."
According to Aine, who snapped back to reality when I called her, anthracite needs to maintain its heat to be useful, so it's better to have more bituminous coal.
Still, it seems there won't be a problem using the anthracite to boost the heat for the bituminous coal, so it looks like there are uses for anthracite too.
Then I should learn about the characteristics of bituminous coal and arrange for higher quality next time.
"But, coal has to be carbonized before we use it, right?"
Carbonization is the process of changing wood into charcoal by steaming it without fire in a kiln.
I heard from Aine before that coal can be used efficiently after going through this process.
"Yes, that's correct. If you use coal as it is, toxic fumes will be released. Well, that doesn't mean they won't come out after carbonization either..."
"Then, we need a kiln to carbonize the coal too... Things are getting a bit busy."
Since toxic fumes are released, I can't use the same kiln as for charcoal, and I can't build it near homes either.
It's a lot to handle, and it gives me a headache, but everything is necessary.
"Um, I have a simple question... What do we use coal for?"
"Huh? Oh, right! It's for making iron. We have plans to build a new wall for Sartzstadt, and we need iron for that. We need a lot of iron, so we need coal too."
"I see. That's why you wanted to bring back coal and iron ore."
The captain nodded, looking satisfied with my explanation.
"That's correct! This time, along with coal, I asked you to bring back iron ore too."
...Oh!
I just remembered something very important about the collection.
I had actually requested something really crucial.
"Captain, by the way, did you manage to get that plant I asked for?"
"That plant... Oh!"
The captain looked confused for a moment, but then it seemed he remembered what I had asked.
He clapped his hands.
From his reaction, it looks like he didn't forget and got it done.
"Here's a box for that. I used magic stones as you specified and stored it safely."
The captain pointed to the box, which had some spots frozen on its surface.
I understood why.
This box used a special magic stone called the "Magic Stone of Permafrost" inside, which is not very powerful.
"Ah, thank you very much. You must have had a hard time detouring just for this."
After all, the contents of this box could probably only be found in the northern parts of the western continent.
Considering that you had to go all the way to the northern port to get it, I couldn't help but feel grateful.
"Well, I found out that I can get many interesting things, so I can say I got useful information for future deals... if that problem gets solved, of course..."
The captain has a complicated look on his face.
After all, unless I get permission from His Majesty the King to head to the western continent, I probably won't set foot there again.
"Well, let's wait for news on that. Now..."
I struggled to pry open the lid of the ice-covered box and checked what was inside.
Inside, I found exactly what I imagined, and I couldn't help but smirk.
With this, I should be able to create that magic stone.
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