Today Antón didn't have to wake up early just as I promised, I woke up at (7:00). We went down for breakfast and, as always, Durman was already there talking with Astrid. The morning atmosphere was refreshing. It didn't take long for my beloved to appear, and true to her little whim, she sat on my lap while she ate as best she could. Astrid, mischievous as always, didn't hesitate to make a couple of comments about our relationship, which Durman diffused by catching her midair and sitting her on his lap to imitate us. Astrid turned red but didn't deny her husband's gesture.
After breakfast and our goodbyes, everyone went their own way. I went straight to the company, where the workers had already been waiting for an hour.
― Pudiente ― You're late again today. ―
●― Late? What do you mean late? ―
■― In fact, you all got here early. ― he said, appearing behind me.
In the end, we had to agree on a temporary work schedule. We decided everyone would arrive at the company around (8:00), take a break from around (12:00 ~ 13:00), and leave around (17:00). I think making schedules is the first step into the stress people in the city live with. But since that's how it has to be for now, I can't oppose it much further.
Pudiente scolded us and explained that what we did was wrong… In the end, I left Hunt with the problem and snuck away to the workshop.
― Varo ― Sir, we've been waiting for an hour. ―
●― Pudiente already scolded us, don't worry, you'll all get paid. So… shall we begin? ―
― Varo Mateo ― Whenever you say, Sir. ― One look was enough to change his tone. ― Whenever you say, Neo. ―
There were five blacksmiths, five carpenters, and me. I started by explaining the sand casting method. Despite my assumptions, the blacksmiths seemed to know the technique. Still, I explained how I wanted to use it.
The explanation went quite well, since both blacksmiths and carpenters asked questions each about their own area, of course but I loved that they were proactive and engaged with me. Partway through, Pudiente came in and stayed to hear the rest of the explanation.
I gave him the task of finding clay and also checking if any steel or wooden screws were available to buy.
― Pudiente ― It's my job to get you all the materials you need. Leave it to me. ―
●― We trust you. ―
With Pudiente out of range, I put the carpenters to work on the wooden boxes. Square boxes, 7.5cm by 7.5cm and 10cm tall. With removable top and bottom parts. Two wooden handles. Even so, I drew them the standard mold diagrams used in our world.
― Fabian ― What kind of wood should we use? ―
●― You got me there eh, I don't know. Use whatever you think holds up best to heat. ―
At first, I only asked them to make five wooden boxes, but since they seemed excited and finished relatively quickly, I ended up asking them to carve all the letters of the alphabet. Although they didn't understand why, they didn't question it. I gave them a basic drawing of each letter and the shape of the patterns.
As soon as the carpenters began their task, I stayed with the blacksmiths and other members of the general services group who were willing to help.
First, I had to calculate how much filler sand we needed. The calculation is simple:
(7.5 × 7.5 × 10 × 50) / 10⁶ gives us just under 0.03 cubic meters. Of that, the special sand is 85% sand and 15% clay.
If the density of sand is around 1.6 tons per cubic meter and clay is around 1.8 t/m³, then the calculation is simple.
0.03 × 0.85 × 1600 gives us about 41 kg of sand, and 0.03 × 0.15 × 1800 gives us about 8.1 kg of clay. I hope Pudiente brings us at least 10 kg.
I asked them to show me the sand they were using, and although it didn't have many stones, I knew it wouldn't be very useful in that condition. I had to separate the pebbles and gravel from the fine sand.
At first, we tried sorting it by hand, but it wasn't the most effective method. Then I remembered an idea I had once seen on social media.
Inside the workshop, we placed two tables in a "V" shape, and I stood in front of them. Using a bit of magic to move the air, I began to blow gently against the "V." I told them to throw the sand into that breeze.
After a few adjustments to my magic, when they tossed in a shovel full of sand, the gravel and stones fell heavily at my feet, while the fine sand was carried by the wind and hit the tables, forming a small separate pile of clean sand.
Before the carpenters had even finished the first boxes, we already had about 20 kg of sorted sand.
― Paco ― We've got a good pile. Is this what we're going to use for the molds? ―
●― Well… it's not as fine as I thought, but I guess it'll do. ―
― Varo ― Are you sure about that? ―
●― No. But hey, it's worth trying, right? This is all trial and error. If we don't try, we'll never know whether this level of fineness is enough or if we needed something finer. Because if we waste time making it perfect now... what if it turns out it was too much? You know what I mean. ―
― Varo ― I guess you're right. ―
While we cleaned up the mess left after the experiment, Bruno appeared carrying about twenty kilos of clay, which we left in a corner of the workshop. We barely had time to breathe, and we were already getting ready for the next task.
●— Now it's time to clean the sand. ― I said, and immediately started giving orders.
I ordered several wooden basins to be brought. We couldn't work with the sand as it was it was full of dust. So we organized ourselves in small batches of a few kilos and began washing it with water.
It was slow work, but methodical. We'd submerge the sand, stir it well, let it settle, and pour off the dirty water. We repeated the process several times until it was clean enough.
Once washed, we brought the wet sand near the forge to dry it with the fire's heat, where Dome and Varo were in charge of turning it with shovels so it wouldn't clump.
It was dirty, exhausting work but necessary. If we wanted fine sand, we had to start from the bottom. Literally.
But before we could move on to the next step, Hunt showed up and told me it was time to prepare lunch, so I left the blacksmiths in charge of washing the rest of the sand.
I joined the general service group with Hunt and Pudiente to prepare the meal. We had to bring out the three cauldrons again. This time it was up to Hunt to come up with something, since the leftover stew from yesterday had been split between Hunt, Pudiente, and me about 10 poorly distributed portions.
Today, we made fried potatoes, though we didn't have sunflower or olive oil. We used lard, which isn't ideal since it doesn't reach as high a temperature as vegetable oils, but it would do for a few fried potatoes.
To go with the potatoes, Pudiente went out to buy a couple of eggs, which, though laid by hens, were as big as ostrich eggs. With 3/2 eggs we made scrambled eggs, and with the remaining 1/2 we tried making mayonnaise. For that, we sent Pudiente out again to get olive oil, garlic, and a lemon-like fruit.
We had to beat it by hand, so we sneakily left the task to him and let Pudiente make the mayonnaise.
Today's meal was also a complete success.
Just like we taught them yesterday, the children said goodbye to their fathers and mothers with lots of love and encouragement. After a break and a brief meeting, we got back to work.
I finished drying the sand using a bit of mana in the oven fire to make it even hotter.
― Varo ― No wonder Durman chose you as his disciple. ―
●― How do you know I was Durman's disciple? ―
― Varo ― To us, you still are. ―
I continued with the guys drying the sand in the furnace, and around the time we finished, the carpenters arrived with the first boxes. In an old cauldron, we mixed the fine sand and the clay according to the earlier proportions to create the best sand for casting.
We took one of the boxes and filled it with sand. I borrowed a hammer and pressed it in a little to make a test impression. Meanwhile, I had the guys start preparing some bronze.
(The use of mana as fuel is incredible normally, preparing bronze is expensive because it requires a lot of heat. But instead of using more wood or other techniques to increase the furnace temperature, they simply add mana.)
Everything was ready the sand had its shape, and the ladle was full of liquid bronze. Varo began to pour it in slowly and filled it. The rest he poured into an old mold they already had to make an ingot. (So predictable, this man didn't even need me to tell him.)
We had to wait for it to cool down to room temperature. In the meantime, we took a break and started chatting about life, their kids…
Then came the moment of truth. When we unmolded the piece, I realized the sand wasn't fine enough. The piece had many imperfections and pores. The blacksmiths and carpenters still found the result amazing but I knew it could be better. So we repeated the test a few more times to get multiple samples.
●― It's almost (16:00). You've got about an hour left, so let's start packing up. Once you're done, you can leave. I'll be heading out with Hunt. ― I left the room, disappointed. ― Oh, by the way leave all together, and let Pudiente know you're heading out, or come to the accountants' room to let them know, okay? ―
― Varo, Mateo ― Understood. ―
Thanks to Roxana's directions, I made it to the room where Hunt was. He was planning the experiment to measure one meter. I greeted Antón and sat down in front of Hunt.
●― Look, this is a clone of a hammer handle. What do you think? I find it really porous. I don't like it. ―
■― You're right it's not what we were hoping for. ― he said, analyzing the hammer.
●― The sand we have is bad. There's still a lot of gravel in it, and this is the result even after filtering and washing it."
■― Is there any solution? ―
●― I don't know. I suppose I could grind the sand down, but even then, the patterns will come out badly. We'll probably need to polish them afterward. ―
In the middle of our conversation, Pudiente brought us a glimmer of hope: he said he could get us a special stone wheel. That stone could grind anything.
Later, I went out with Hunt and Pudiente, accompanied by our guards, to another room where Hunt proposed an experiment. He wanted to give classes to the children of our workers—to teach them to read, write, and some basic math. Pudiente asked how much we would charge for the lessons, but Hunt clarified that they would be free. If the kids learned well, we could even create a private school…
We then tasked Pudiente with adapting a room to teach the children and getting a chalkboard. (We knew they existed in this world because Dalia had told us she used a big one to teach runes.)
While we were talking, someone knocked on the door it was Varo and Mateo, escorted by the others.
― Varo ― Excuse us, as Mr. Neo instructed, we're leaving now. ―
― Pudiente ― Very well. By the way, tomorrow you need to be here at (7:00), not (6:00). ―
― Mateo ― Quick question is this schedule change permanent? ― He looked at Pudiente, who looked back at him.
■― Come in, all of you. ― The ten craftsmen entered one by one and arranged themselves in a perfect half-circle. ― I don't like waking up early, so I propose we start work around (8:00). ―
●― You know, I'm not sure. Maybe I'd rather start earlier and leave earlier that way I get more time at home.
■― That's fair too. What about you, Pudiente, what do you prefer? ―
― Pudiente ― Mmm… I don't know. Up until now, we've always worked from sunrise to sunset. I don't even know what I'd do at home if I left early. ―
●― What, you don't have a family or something? ―
― Pudiente ― No. ―
●― Well, we'll have to fix that too. Anyway, guys, what do you prefer: starting early or later? ―
They started talking amongst themselves, contradicting one another, until Hunt, as usual, brought order to the room. He gave them three options, Start at (6:00), finish around (15:00), with a light snack break around 10:00. Start one hour later, finish one hour later, still with a light snack. Start at (8:00), eat between (12:00 – 13:00), and go home around 17:00. The workers asked if we'd still be serving lunch at noon.
■― If you want to eat here, we can arrange something. In the first two options, the morning snack is on you, and after work—though a bit later—we'd serve the meal we promised.
The workers seemed uncertain and didn't know what to choose, until Varo asked:
― Varo ― Why only work 8 hours anyway? The day has 24.
■― That's a very good question. We want you to have good working conditions. I'd rather you work because you're happy, not out of necessity. ―
●― My father used to say If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.
■― We want to make working with us as enjoyable as possible so coming in each morning doesn't feel like torture, but something you look forward to. Obviously, no one comes in excited every single day, but we'd like most days to be like that. ―
●― Let's do this: tomorrow we all come in at (8:00), have lunch at (13:00). Talk it over with your families and let us know tomorrow what you decide. ―
― Fabián ― You're going to let us choose our schedule? ― He asked, surprised.
We did our best to respond, and eventually managed to "kick them out" without too many more questions. Once we were alone again, the accountants and secretaries also wanted to ask about their hours. They, almost without discussion, decided to come in at (8:00).
When we got to Durman's house, only the servants were there the others would take a while to arrive. So I went to Durman's workshop to start on a personal project: designing a showerhead. If Levi or Antón were going to follow us everywhere, I wouldn't be able to shower in the subdimension or use the toilet there. The moment I arrived at the workshop; I saw Durman's pile of sacks…
Almost like a madman, I ran over to see what kind of sand it was. And of course what else could you expect from Durman? The sand was extremely fine.
According to Heny, it's sand used for making glass, very expensive, and Durman still hasn't had time to experiment with it. I sent Hunt a message and some pictures.
Since I didn't have anything else to do, I started reviewing the stove designs, but Antón got so interested I nearly had to explain how every last part worked.
After a long explanation, Astrid and Dalia arrived. And by nightfall, Durman too. We had dinner like one big family, and then the dreaded question came up.
― Astrid ― So, are you two planning to live with us after you get married, or not? ― (Shit...)
Dalia got flustered and started rambling nonsense. But Durman and Astrid laughed and tried to change the subject—though it did get me thinking.
●― You're right. It's not fair that I live here without contributing to the household expenses. Would half my salary be enough? ―
― Durman ― What nonsense are you saying? You're not a burden. In fact, I think you can help us save money especially with those recipes you've been using at the company. That soup you brought yesterday was amazing. ―
― Astrid ― By the way, you get paid? In your own company? Why? ―
●― You have to separate company assets from personal wealth. ―
Right now, all the gold we had went into the company, and Hunt, Pudiente, and I decided to give ourselves 1 gold coin per month, so contributing 5 silver coins a month to the household doesn't seem like much.
― Astrid ― Five silver coins? That's what we spend on food for two months! ―
●― Exactly. You already know things are going to change, and we'll need money. Trust me. ―
We kept talking about how to manage the household finances. Eventually, I said goodnight and went to bed early. Dalia didn't take long to follow.
In our room where Antón can't come in I opened the door to the subdimension and went in with Dalia. Hunt and Selene were already inside, enjoying the night breeze Hunt had programmed.
― Selene ― I see you two are also trying to escape the guards, huh? ―
― Dalia ― They're such a drag, always hovering around… ―
■― Tell me about it—we can't even move without pretending we're deep in thought about everything we do. ―
●― You know how much it pisses me off that I can't move faster because of them? ―
― Selene ― It's my fault… if I hadn't asked for those dresses… ―
●― You're not to blame for anything. ―
■― If I hadn't been tied up with that kid, I swear I would've cut that bastard's hand off. ―
We chatted for a while longer. I took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and shower. When I got back, Dalia asked if she could shower too, and I told her of course she could. While Dalia was showering:
― Selene ― You two really need to finish building the showers and toilets once and for all. Ever since I used your bathrooms, I can't stand the ones at home anymore. ―
■― That might be something worth working on… ―