CH 147

Diamonds are made by burning carbon which would suddenly emit a bright red light once they go beyond a certain temperature before disappearing in a flash. It’s kinda fun.

This gem is known to be the hardest substance known in my previous world, and they’re so hard that it’s very resistant to scratches. However, they do have a weak side in their molecular structure, so it’s easily broken by hitting that part.

Apparently, glass breaks because of the multiple tiny scratches made on its surface during the cooling and hardening process, so I tried pushing for a diamond-like scratch-resistant quality so that the glass will be more durable.

Glass windows go without saying, but I also want to build greenhouses too. I’ll be needing a huge amount of glass if we consider that goal. Well, I wanna have some mangoes and bananas… If it’s not a stand-alone type, but more like a sunroom I can add to the house, then half of that initial estimated amount would probably do.

And so, I diligently set to work. Thanks to Khadar’s considerate help, I have somebody to help me, so the job’s been easier. Yeah, that’s it. Let’s sell the technology for creating glass, then prioritize selling the finished products around.

I gave up.

「You’re starting a weird project again, huh. 」

Van peered with great interest at the orange glass floating over the tin. These deities like to pop out around me without warning, making my heart jump.

Oh, come to think of it, he’s a fire type, isn’t he? Unlike the other spirits, Halalfa and Van rarely drop by.

He seemed quite taken by it, so I asked him to lend a hand. I didn’t expect him to start pulling and stretching the glass that was still glowing orange with his bare hands, but he was a huge help.

「 You’re pretty rough on people, aren’t you… 」

Van liked the diamond that was on the verge of blazing. He ate it after throwing those words at me, then he disappeared.

He seemed quite pleased because it’s the first food (?) that he liked, but who knows what kind of taste it had. He told me he would come again, but that’s the most expensive food taste ever! This won’t do, I have to make sure diamonds stay cheap…

Oh, wait a sec, maybe it’s the type of world where you can make diamonds from pencil leads? Let’s experiment. But then, Van wouldn’t even put it inside the crucible; he would just burn it himself before popping it into his mouth, so it’s quite effortless.

The following day, I carried the finished glass stealthy to the empty house that I converted into a warehouse and with that, the job was done. There’s more people on the island; it might be temporary, but at least the population doubled.

The stonemasons and carpenters are organizing their own residences, and there’s more craftsmen to come later on. They’re fixing their own houses, so I also made them install their own toilets and sewage systems while at it. The islanders are also very busy; they took a break from fishing so that they could transport food, take care of the construction workers, and do other sub contractual work.

「You’re great at handling people. 」

「We have a role model, after all. 」

「It’s probably their reaction because they feel liberated after feeling so cooped up without any end in sight. Besides, they’re a tough bunch, very diligent. 」

Silver had on a poker face, exuding unfriendly vibes, but he was still carrying the paper bag of popcorn that I brought, and couldn’t stop tossing it to his mouth, so I didn’t mind.

The carpenters and masons already saw the site, so Gold and Silver will be discussing how to bring the design to life so that it would be according to what I wanted to happen. They already circled the entire island to check the terrain, and the fundamental structures are basically the same as the old fortress, so there shouldn’t be any major modification, or so I wished.

I left the island after checking the progress and replenishing their funds. I try to avoid meeting the construction workers, not to mention the islanders, so I don’t stay for long. Both Gold and Silver are also busy meeting up with the workers, buying materials and negotiating with merchants.

I asked the duo to buy cheap diamonds while they’re at it. And so, I pushed all the troublesome stuff to both of them before setting out for the northern east.

【Teleport】 to the woods, slay monsters and move on, stop and name spirits, rinse and repeat. Basically that’s how it went.

The woods changed from broadleaf trees to conifer ones. It’s cold, but there’s little snow fall, so the snow didn’t pile up on the ground. I imagined the north to be deep in snow, but it seems that they don’t have that 2 to 3 meters thick snow that doesn’t melt.

Oh, come to think of it, Japan is one of the world’s heaviest snowfall areas. I wonder if the snow will pile up more than what it does in Japan?

The lake I walked on was covered in thick ice, and the cracks that resulted from the expansion created pretty patterns on it. I didn’t sense any life, just spirits fluttering about.

Ice spirits, sleep spirits, cold spirits — their colors are the same as the ice lake, white and translucent black. The world is starting to become void of color the further I go.

Even the monsters that I had been defeating a while ago didn’t appear, and I was left shivering in the cold as I trudged on the ice. It’s hard gauging the thickness of the ice because it’s transparent and it blends with the lake’s color, but as long as I could see the cracks, the thickness is more than my height, apparently.

The lake was deep, and it’s too dark to see the bottom. It wouldn’t be strange if there’s a monster lurking there — In this case, the vague possibility was far more terrifying than the actual presence of monsters in this world. Nature is beautiful, but it’s also scary.

It’s getting too cold, so I 【Teleport】back home.

「Riche~ 」

I rubbed Riche’s chest, no, maybe rumple is the word? Ahh, nothing beats home.

「Thanks. 」

The fire spirits under my winter coat jumped into the fireplace as soon as I took it off and shook the snow that piled up on my neck.

I was cold, so the fire spirits were probably cold, too. Should I give them more mana, perhaps? Ah but too much and they’ll burst into flames, so it’s kinda hard.

I removed my shoes beside the fireplace then warmed myself. Poured myself coffee, then took a breather.

The monsters near the edge of the lake weren’t that powerful, but they did use magic. I’ve been using brute force against the monsters until now, but I guess it’s time for me to learn a new style of fighting.

Maybe I should cut some ice for summertime? Ah, but I have to check with 【Appraisal】 whether water from that lake is safe to drink.