In Another World, the Boy Was Spoiled by the Iron Knight!
Chapter 43: The Alchemist’s Apprentice

Chapter 43: The Alchemist’s Apprentice

"Well, you won’t know unless you try, right? One time, I soaked iron in a strong acid, and there was a huge explosion. It almost destroyed the entire building."

"You’re lucky to be alive."

Shiao Yi asked that while placing his hand on his forehead. Maybe he was getting a headache?

"Well, most of my experiments are dangerous, so I usually put up a simple barrier around myself. That way, I’m fine."

"...I see. The gas released during that reaction is called hydrogen. It can explode if it mixes with air, so you must keep it away from flames."

"Hydrogen?"

"It’s the element with atomic number 1 and is represented by the letter H. Also, when you burn niter and sulfur, you get sulfuric acid. H₂SO₄. It’s a deadly substance."

"Wait! Wait! Let me write that down! Paper, paper—pen and ink—notes, notes!"

Aaron quickly spread paper across the table and began scribbling down what Shiao Yi just said.

"Okay, so how do you write H?"

"Ah, right. This isn’t how we write it here. I’ll explain it in detail later. But right now, there’s something urgent."

"You’ll really teach me? Promise me! You have to—no backing out!"

Shiao Yi explained that he would first make sulfuric acid, then react it with niter to create nitrating acid. As Aaron listened to the method, he became completely absorbed.

—Amazing! This is incredible!

Shiao Yi knew so much about the properties of different substances, and he was also skilled in how to create them. He said it was all chemical knowledge.

Right in front of Aaron were the answers to the questions he had spent so long researching, the knowledge he had always wanted to learn.

—Shiao Yi is my teacher! Thank you, gods and spirits, for bringing him into my life! I will follow him wherever he goes!

Aaron was so overwhelmed with joy that he nearly hugged Shiao Yi and kissed him. But then he remembered the icy, steel glare of Captain Dominic and managed to stop himself just in time.

He was finally about to discover the kind of knowledge he’d only dreamed of—this was no time to die.

After that, Shiao Yi asked if there was anything they could use to extract vegetable oil—something suitable for making soap.

Aaron suggested the fruit of the nutpea tree, a common nut found in the local forest. It was full of oil, highly nutritious, and also useful as a raw material for candles and lamp oil.

—"Flour too? Or charcoal powder? That’s kind of unusual, isn’t it?"

Aaron couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Shiao Yi was planning to make with all these materials. Feeling excited, he happily began help him with the preparations.

As they worked on making sulfuric acid and nitrating acid, Shiao Yi explained in detail the dangers, handling, and properties of strong acids, including hydrochloric acid. Hearing it all made Aaron realize how careless he had been with these substances in the past.

At the same time, learning about their usefulness and the many experiments and results they could produce filled him with excitement.

These acids had strong reactivity and could be used to create many different substances.

In the end, they used up all the stored niter and sulfur.

After that, Aaron got some of the soldiers he knew to help gather a large amount of lapas fruit.

It was easy—well, maybe some of them looked half in tears while doing it, but still, there were plenty of helpful soldiers, knights, and mages who would listen when Aaron asked them for something.

They added water to the nutpea fruit and heated it, which separated it into fatty acids and a sweet syrup-like liquid.

Shiao Yi called this syrup "glycerin."

Aaron knew that mages and cooks both used this stuff as a sweetener, preservative, or stabilizer because of its stickiness and long shelf life.

However, from that point on, Shiao Yi started working alone.

"These next steps are secret," he said. "I can’t teach something like this to this world. Please, Aaron, don’t try to find out. I forbid you from researching it."

With that, Shiao Yi forced Aaron to leave the building.

Having no choice, Aaron went out to collect what Shiao Yi had asked for—several hollow tubes, sawdust and dried grass to stuff inside, and bags of flour.

...

The sound of horseshoes striking the ground in perfect rhythm echoed through the air.

The Iron-reinforced wheels clattered as they rolled, carving deep ruts into the soft earth.

Behind them came the strong, steady marching of hundreds of men, their footsteps pounding with force.

Inside the four-horse-drawn carriages sat men cloaked in robes.

The two-horse wagons behind them carried supply loads stacked high.

From the southwestern capital, the army moved steadily eastward, casting a powerful and intimidating presence over everything around it.

..

"Messenger! News just arrived—the army has left Rabanastre!"

"Messenger! They’ve already passed through Garamsythe!"

Garamsythe was just two towns away.

—The Dalmasca army... they’re fast! Much faster than we expected!

The captain still hadn’t returned.

"Where’s Shiao Yi? Where’s Shiao Yi these days? I haven’t seen him around lately."

At that moment, Lyon—Louis’s aide, who had been forcibly taken from First Unit Commander Misija Votyasch—looked up from the paperwork he was working on.

Why had Louis done such a thing?

It’s simple—Lyon was, without a doubt, the most competent administrator among all the units in the fortress.

Misija may have cried about it, but Louis, who had been dumped with full responsibility by the captain, had felt like crying too.

"Lately, he’s been spending all his time in the east wing with the mages. Seems like he’s been visiting Aaron every single day."

"Aaron? Why Aaron, of all people?"

Louis’s voice cracked with frustration.

He buried his head in his hands and slumped over the desk.

The loud thunk as his forehead hit the surface made Lyon flinch, but Louis couldn’t be bothered by that right now.

When people talked about the alchemist Aaron, the rumors were always wild.