At age eight, I've gotten my hands into alcohol production.
When I think about it again, I feel like I'm doing something really bad.
"Sorry, Your Highness."
"Hercof, you don't need to apologize. Being asked for additional production means it's selling well, right?"
Unlike Japan, the Empire doesn't prohibit individuals from making alcohol, though you need permission to sell it.
So we had Hercof's acquaintance who deals in alcohol sell it for us.
After all, we don't have any sales routes of our own.
Besides, I was just trying it out.
However, Hercof's acquaintance took a liking to it after tasting it and finding it marketable, and apparently, the moment I handed over new batches, he was tagging them as sold out.
"To think it would sell out completely and even flow into the palace as a rare good—how strange."
"I thought I could tell the quality was good from the taste, but goodness me."
Ikuto laughed at the strange coincidence of returning to the production site, while Wearell shook his head, saying it exceeded expectations.
They probably had a preconception that it was made by a child.
Honestly, I had that too—a bit of an underestimation, thinking "it's just this much."
"There must have been people who distilled alcohol before. I wonder why?"
I thought while operating the distillation apparatus.
There are finished products available as tools, and books did mention alcohol distillation.
This distiller only requires watching the fire, so I'm currently grinding herbs picked from the garden to extract them as fragrances separately.
Hercof also looked at the distiller, an alchemical apparatus, anew.
"What do you use the alcohol for?"
"We make it into a purer state than the alcohol called ethanol. It can become medicine or a solvent."
Ikuto raised one possibility based on my explanation.
"Perhaps that is exactly why they did not consider it as a beverage."
"What do you think? Perhaps it existed before but was lost?"
The two nodded in agreement with Wearell.
That makes me uneasy, though.
"Is alchemy really that obsolete? I think it's amazing technology."
"Well, from the perspective of Your Highness, who can suddenly comprehend abstruse texts about divine essences and create intelligent beings like Sephira, it would seem that way. However, magic is easier to use and produces greater effects."
"Objection."
I must protest slightly.
Hercof's argument cannot be ignored.
"Alchemy is easy-to-use technology. Even if refining and creating are difficult, it becomes great power."
Ikuto spoke in a mediating manner in response to my rebuttal.
"The public evaluation is as Lord Hercof states. It is also said to be impractical."
"Even though there are so many related books? Besides, history says it was used to develop this imperial capital."
The imperial library available to me contains a certain amount of alchemy-related books.
There were certainly abstruse passages seemingly designed to prevent reading, but the content was properly usable.
Then Wearell said something beyond my expectations.
"It is said to be legend, but indeed, the palace library writes of it as if it were historical fact."
Wait, so it's treated with skepticism?
But geological modification, water supply—things halfway into science—are alchemy, not magic.
After all, they continue to function now without supplying magical power.
"Could it be, Your Highness, that you could reproduce those ancient legends?"
"I can. We'd need equipment and personnel, but the theory of how to achieve it is properly written. It wasn't legend, but a method grounded in reason."
At my answer, the retainers exchanged glances.
They weren't doubting me, but rather harboring skepticism toward alchemy.
Precisely because they can use magic, they consider alchemy—with its many procedures—to be difficult and abstruse.
The retainers are too kind to say it clearly, so I realized late, but alchemy is looked down upon quite severely.
(If Sephira hadn't told me, I might never have realized. That alchemy is being treated as nothing more than a degraded imitation of magic.)
(Objection.)
Sephira, born from alchemy, intrudes into my thoughts uninvited.
It was because Sephira randomly rummaged through [information] that I noticed the scattered phrases disparaging alchemy.
What became visible through that was the low status of the discipline called alchemy.
(It's quite unpleasant how many mages write papers disparaging alchemy alongside the prosperity of magic.)
(There is a proliferation of arbitrary views due to following worldly trends. I recommend correction.)
(That's a bit much to ask of me. I'll do it if I get the chance, though.)
At worst, it's treated like in my previous life, called superstition or fraud.
The only effect acknowledged is poison extraction—that's how suspicious it seems.
"Alright, let's start with what's close at hand."
"Prince Arsha?"
As Ikuto tries to follow me as I stand up, I entrust him with grinding the herbs.
"Hercof, do you know what Essence is?"
"Well, alchemy is completely..."
"It's an alchemical item called Essence or Essence Liquid, isn't it?"
Wearell answers.
The Academy Kingdom of Rukiusaria has an alchemy learning hall, and Wearell had arranged to borrow the alchemical apparatus from there.
Moreover, he had looked through the books I read, so he probably understands.
"What kind of treatment does it generally receive?"
When I asked, Ikuto taught me while working with his hands.
"There's much advertisement about extracting and sealing attributes for use. But what it can actually do is limited to kindling fires or producing small amounts of water—magic produces much greater effects."
Essence also has four attributes: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.
It's an item dissolved into medicinal solutions for use, also called Essence.
I took out the four-attribute Essences in test tubes that I had made myself.
"Alright, let's do this. Hercof, who should only be able to use body strengthening."
"What is it, Professor Arsha?"
I like Hercof's willingness to go along with things like this.
I seated Hercof in front of a small distiller rather than the large one used for distilling wine.
Then I had him set dried leaves of a medicinal herb called Snow Crystal Flower, which blooms with flowers resembling snow crystals, into the distillation apparatus.
First, ignite magical fire using the Fire Essence.
"This adds magical efficacy, shortening the time compared to normal methods. Next, this mortar here. Mix the Earth Essence well with this powder."
Mix the Wind Essence with the liquid produced after distilling the Snow Crystal Flower leaves to cool it.
This created further time savings while drawing out more efficacy.
"Then, pour the distilled liquid into the mortar, and at the same time, slowly add the Water Essence—"
What was created was a silvery, viscous liquid.
I could see metallic flake-like sparkles flowing within it.
"Yes, now put that into this beaker containing completely ordinary water."
Hercof obeyed without understanding what he was being made to do.
The moment it entered the water, the transparent silvery liquid froze the contents of the beaker in an instant.
"O-oh!? Whoa, it's actually cold."
"Congratulations, Hercof. You've produced the same effect as the difficult cooling magic that even water mages struggle with."
As I say this proudly, Hercof is dumbfounded.
Ikuto, who can use water magic, gives a bitter smile.
"For Lord Hercof to accomplish what even I cannot... I see. Having learned it in such a short time without any aptitude for water, I must say this is amazing technology."
"And easy-to-use technology, at that. If I follow the method just now, does that mean I too can create ice in an instant?"
Wearell catches on quickly as expected.
This is the major difference from the alchemy of my world.
Thanks to the existence of magic as a technology, skepticism becomes reality.
And scientific thinking can also be reproduced.
"I don't know the world yet, so there's probably a better way to use it. Oh, Ikuto, sorry. I had you grinding the whole time."
I take the mortar from Ikuto; since the grinding is sufficient, I'll use this for scenting and move on to further extraction.
Yeah, when I think about it, what I'm doing is making alcohol after all—I feel like something's wrong about that.
Daily updates
Next: Magic and Science 2
Wait, I need to check the name romanization again. The user said "For Chinese names, use pinyin romanization". This is a Japanese novel, but the names might be based on Chinese naming conventions? Or the user might be giving general instructions. But looking at the names:
- ヘルコフ = Hercof/Herkov (Russian/Germanic feel?)
- イクト = Ikuto (Japanese) or Ikto (fantasy)
- ウェアレル = Wearell (fantasy)
- アーシャ = Arsha (Sanskrit/Russian feel) or Asha
- セフィラ = Sephira (Hebrew/Kabbalah reference)
Given the "wuxia, xianxia, and xuanhuan" mention in the prompt, this might actually be a Chinese novel translated into Japanese that I'm now translating back? Or it's a Japanese xuanhuan-style novel. The names don't look Chinese (except maybe Arsha could be Asha).
Actually, looking at the style, this is definitely a Japanese web novel (the "毎日更新" at the end gives it away). The names are rendered in katakana, suggesting foreign names. I should romanize them consistently.
I'll use:
- Hercof (ヘルコフ)
- Ikuto (イクト)
- Wearell (ウェアレル)
- Arsha (アーシャ)
- Sephira (セフィラ)
- Lukiusaria (ルキウサリア) - or Rukiusaria? "Lukiusaria" flows better.
Wait, "学園王国ルキウサリア" = "Academy Kingdom of Lukiusaria" or "Academic Kingdom..." "Academy Kingdom" is fine.
Also: "身体強化" = body strengthening (common xianxia term)
"錬金術" = Alchemy
"精髄液" = Essence (the text explains it's also called Essence)
"エッセンス" = Essence
"殿下" = Your Highness
One more check on the alcohol paragraph:
「帝国は日本と違って個人でお酒を造ることは禁じられておらず、売ることに許可が必要だった。」
"Unlike Japan, the Empire doesn't prohibit individuals from making alcohol, though you need permission to sell it."
Yes.
Final check on the "Professor Arsha" line:
「なんでしょうかね、アーシャ先生」
"What is it, Professor Arsha?" or "What would this be, Professor Arsha?"
Given the context, Hercof is playing along with being a student. "Professor Arsha" or "Teacher Arsha" works. "Professor" fits the "先生" in a fantasy academy context.
Actually, looking at the text, "アーシャ先生" is what Hercof calls him, implying Arsha is teaching him. Given Arsha is 8 years old and Hercof is an adult retainer, this is a cute reversal. "Professor Arsha" captures the humor.
Final line:
「毎日更新」 = Daily updates (standard web novel author note)
「次回：魔法と科学２」 = Next time: Magic and Science 2
I think I'm ready. At age eight, I've gotten my hands into alcohol production.
When I think about it again, I feel like I'm doing something really bad.
"Sorry, Your Highness."
"Hercof, you don't need to apologize. Being asked for additional production means it's selling well, right?"
Unlike Japan, the Empire doesn't prohibit individuals from making alcohol, though you need permission to sell it.
So we had Hercof's acquaintance who deals in alcohol sell it for us.
After all, we don't have any sales routes of our own.
Besides, I was just trying it out.
However, Hercof's acquaintance took a liking to it after tasting it and finding it marketable, and apparently, the moment I handed over new batches, he was tagging them as sold out.
"To think it would sell out completely and even flow into the palace as a rare good—how strange."
"I thought I could tell the quality was good from the taste, but goodness me."
Ikuto laughed at the strange coincidence of returning to the production site, while Wearell shook his head, saying it exceeded expectations.
They probably had a preconception that it was made by a child.
Honestly, I had that too—a bit of an underestimation, thinking "it's just this much."
"There must have been people who distilled alcohol before. I wonder why?"
I thought while operating the distillation apparatus.
There are finished products available as tools, and books did mention alcohol distillation.
This distiller only requires watching the fire, so I'm currently grinding herbs picked from the garden to extract them as fragrances separately.
Hercof also looked at the distiller, an alchemical apparatus, anew.
"What do you use the alcohol for?"
"We make it into a purer state than the alcohol called ethanol. It can become medicine or a solvent."
Ikuto raised one possibility based on my explanation.
"Perhaps that is exactly why they did not consider it as a beverage."
"What do you think? Perhaps it existed before but was lost?"
The two nodded in agreement with Wearell.
That makes me uneasy, though.
"Is alchemy really that obsolete? I think it's amazing technology."
"Well, from the perspective of Your Highness, who can suddenly comprehend abstruse texts about divine essences and create intelligent beings like Sephira, it would seem that way. However, magic is easier to use and produces greater effects."
"Objection."
I must protest slightly.
Hercof's argument cannot be ignored.
"Alchemy is easy-to-use technology. Even if refining and creating are difficult, it becomes great power."
Ikuto spoke in a mediating manner in response to my rebuttal.
"The public evaluation is as Lord Hercof states. It is also said to be impractical."
"Even though there are so many related books? Besides, history says it was used to develop this imperial capital."
The imperial library available to me contains a certain amount of alchemy-related books.
There were certainly abstruse passages seemingly designed to prevent reading, but the content was properly usable.
Then Wearell said something beyond my expectations.
"It is said to be legend, but indeed, the palace library writes of it as if it were historical fact."
Wait, so it's treated with skepticism?
But geological modification, water supply—things halfway into science—are alchemy, not magic.
After all, they continue to function now without supplying magical power.
"Could it be, Your Highness, that you could reproduce those ancient legends?"
"I can. We'd need equipment and personnel, but the theory of how to achieve it is properly written. It wasn't legend, but a method grounded in reason."
At my answer, the retainers exchanged glances.
They weren't doubting me, but rather harboring skepticism toward alchemy.
Precisely because they can use magic, they consider alchemy—with its many procedures—to be difficult and abstruse.
The retainers are too kind to say it clearly, so I realized late, but alchemy is looked down upon quite severely.
(If Sephira hadn't told me, I might never have realized. That alchemy is being treated as nothing more than a degraded imitation of magic.)
(Objection.)
Sephira, born from alchemy, intrudes into my thoughts uninvited.
It was because Sephira randomly rummaged through information that I noticed the scattered phrases disparaging alchemy.
What became visible through that was the low status of the discipline called alchemy.
(It's quite unpleasant how many mages write papers disparaging alchemy alongside the prosperity of magic.)
(There is a proliferation of arbitrary views due to following worldly trends. I recommend correction.)
(That's a bit much to ask of me. I'll do it if I get the chance, though.)
At worst, it's treated like in my previous life, called superstition or fraud.
The only effect acknowledged is poison extraction—that's how suspicious it seems.
"Alright, let's start with what's close at hand."
"Prince Arsha?"
As Ikuto tries to follow me as I stand up, I entrust him with grinding the herbs.
"Hercof, do you know what Essence is?"
"Well, alchemy is completely..."
"It's an alchemical item called Essence or Essence Liquid, isn't it?"
Wearell answers.
The Academy Kingdom of Lukiusaria has an alchemy learning hall, and Wearell had arranged to borrow the alchemical apparatus from there.
Moreover, he had looked through the books I read, so he probably understands.
"What kind of treatment does it generally receive?"
When I asked, Ikuto taught me while working with his hands.
"There's much advertisement about extracting and sealing attributes for use. But what it can actually do is limited to kindling fires or producing small amounts of water—magic produces much greater effects."
Essence also has four attributes: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.
It's an item dissolved into medicinal solutions for use, also called Essence.
I took out the four-attribute Essences in test tubes that I had made myself.
"Alright, let's do this. Hercof, who should only be able to use body strengthening."
"What is it, Professor Arsha?"
I like Hercof's willingness to go along with things like this.
I seated Hercof in front of a small distiller rather than the large one used for distilling wine.
Then I had him set dried leaves of a medicinal herb called Snow Crystal Flower, which blooms with flowers resembling snow crystals, into the distillation apparatus.
First, ignite magical fire using the Fire Essence.
"This adds magical efficacy, shortening the time compared to normal methods. Next, this mortar here. Mix the Earth Essence well with this powder."
Mix the Wind Essence with the liquid produced after distilling the Snow Crystal Flower leaves to cool it.
This created further time savings while drawing out more efficacy.
"Then, pour the distilled liquid into the mortar, and at the same time, slowly add the Water Essence—"
What was created was a silvery, viscous liquid.
I could see metallic flake-like sparkles flowing within it.
"Yes, now put that into this beaker containing completely ordinary water."
Hercof obeyed without understanding what he was being made to do.
The moment it entered the water, the transparent silvery liquid froze the contents of the beaker in an instant.
"O-oh!? Whoa, it's actually cold."
"Congratulations, Hercof. You've produced the same effect as the difficult cooling magic that even water mages struggle with."
As I say this proudly, Hercof is dumbfounded.
Ikuto, who can use water magic, gives a bitter smile.
"For Lord Hercof to accomplish what even I cannot... I see. Having learned it in such a short time without any aptitude for water, I must say this is amazing technology."
"And easy-to-use technology, at that. If I follow the method just now, does that mean I too can create ice in an instant?"
Wearell catches on quickly as expected.
This is the major difference from the alchemy of my world.
Thanks to the existence of magic as a technology, skepticism becomes reality.
And scientific thinking can also be reproduced.
"I don't know the world yet, so there's probably a better way to use it. Oh, Ikuto, sorry. I had you grinding the whole time."
I take the mortar from Ikuto; since the grinding is sufficient, I'll use this for scenting and move on to further extraction.
Yeah, when I think about it, what I'm doing is making alcohol after all—I feel like something's wrong about that.
Daily updates
Next: Magic and Science 2