13. Craftsmanship and Sulfur-chan
11-17-2022
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It had been a few days since you had created Suika's glasses. It was time to begin true glass-making.
"YEAH, LET'S CRANK IT OUT!" You heard Chrome cry out as he was creating insulation for a glass furnace with Senku.
On the other hand, you and Kohaku were using all your stamina to melt down iron. Since you were healed, it was much easier for you to heat the iron with the new-and-improved air pumps. Using the melted iron, you would create iron straws for glass blowing, an important technique for making the items you need.
Unfortunately, all the glass-blowing that Senku and Chrome did not look like what it was expected to be.
"It looks like shit," you blankly stated. It looked like glass poop.
"Kukuku...you don't have to be so rude, slowpoke," said Senku with a chuckle. "It's only to be expected at first. When I learned to make earthenware, it took me a few months of straight-forward and steady, honest work of making them."
"HUH?! But we don't have months!" cried Chrome.
"Yeah, what about Ruri-nee's condition?" Kohaku crossed her arms in disappointment.
You mentioned, "Well, we don't really have an artisan, let alone a glass one to help us. So, all we can do is trial and error."
"An artisan?" The brunette wondered, then his eyes widened. "Hold on! Wait here, I know what to get!"
He then ran off towards the village after grabbing some rope from the warehouse, leaving all of you confused. Chrome then came back, but when you saw him crossing the bridge, he was guiding an elderly man bound in the rope. He was quite short with a large, white beard. His scalp was completely bald, with bushy, white eyebrows that covered his two eyes. The old man reminded you of a gnome with his slightly pointed ears and big nose.
"Who's the old man?" Senku wondered.
"Why is he bound in rope of all things?" You added.
The boy then stopped and put his hands together. "Please, Kaseki! We need your artisan skills!"
"So binding people in straw rope for your kinky role-play is your way of asking for help?! There's no way I'm gonna help the likes of you!" The old man screamed at him.
Chrome protested, "That's not what's going on here, dammit!"
Suika then approached the old man, holding up the bottle of lacquer that you used when making the magnetized iron bar. "It totally slipped Suika's mind, and shr forgot to give back the lacquer she borrowed."
"So this old man was the one who created the fine shield? All without iron tools and the least bit of dyes?" Senku looked over towards Kohaku's red and yellow shield, which was resting on her back.
"Yes. It was originally a gift to Kohaku's father after he won the last village games. Ah...it takes me back. I put my all into making it..." said Kaseki as he was reminiscing about the old days.
"We need a high crafting skills to be on par with the level of our civilization, so we were looking into finding an artisan," you mentioned.
"But we didn't think it'd be this hobbling old man. The incredible suspension bridge is also your work as well then?" Senku questioned him.
He replied with outrage, "Yes, that's right, and you guys went and ripped a plank from it! I'll never help the likes of you--"
You moved out of the way to show him the ugly glass piles that you called "failures." Kaseki's eyes widened enough for you to see them under the eyebrows. You figured he needed some convincing to help you in making glass items.
"What is this clear masonry?!" He asked. Senku and Chrome had the look of mischief on their faces when they saw how the old man reacted to the glass.
"Well, we were crafting something with a new material, but it seems as though you don't want to help us..." you mentioned with a tone of disappointment.
The scientist chuckled, "Kukuku, if (Y/N) says so, then I suppose you can just sit back and watch, old man. But Kaseki, I'm ten billion percent sure that this will excited you..."
You heated up the material again with the air pumps to make sure it was hot enough to grab. The two boys took their iron straws, dipping it into the melted glass to stick a bulbous chunk of it at the end. Kaseki seemed to be studying the process of glass making. However...
"Aw crap, I over-blew it again!" Chrome cried as he saw what had happened to his molten ball. Large bubbles had formed on the side as he was making an orb, which made it impossible to use as a vessel.
The old artisan was jumping out of annoyance with how he had handled the mass. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Senku had grin on his face, knowing that he was getting what he wanted out of the man. He then took his straw, after blowing a bubble, and began to spin it around unevenly. It caused the molten glass to sway side-to-side, making the vessel bumpy. The boy then looked over to see that the old man was quite miffed by how they were trying to create the glass flasks.
"Kukuku, as a man who is dedicated and devoted to craft, can you really sit quietly there as the feat of glass-making dangles before you, old man Kaseki?!" The scientist challenged.
"Grr, of course not! Fine, I admit that I can't resist! So, let me do it!" Kaseki broke free from his bindings and shirt, only for you to see that he was incredibly muscular under his clothing.
You were shocked. "He's actually ripped?! What the fu--"
"Seriously?!" Senku interrupted.
The artisan used the straw to get some of the material to spin, and was able to blow a perfect ball of glass with his steady hands. Suika would help him cut the end off with water, then he would use Senku's metal clackers to create a long neck for the flask.
"Whoa, that's awesome! This is the first time old man Kaseki's seen glass, isn't it?!" Chrome was impressed.
"That's the difference between an amateur and an expert in craft," you mentioned.
Kaseki informed all of you with pride, "I've been an artisan for fifty years now, so I'm quite skilled."
The scientist grinned, "This is something that exists, no matter what era. Someone who exists quietly, devoting their whole life to their work. He is a man of true skill. Now then, since we have our glass artisan, we should start making a lab to put all the glassware in."
The five of you, including Kaseki, had gotten to work, helping each other create the lab that Senku was waiting for.
.
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[CHEMISTRY LAB ACQUIRED]
.
.
"Woohoo! We can finally make some medicine!" Chrome cheered with Kohaku.
You saw that Senku wasn't saying anything. His arms were on his waist as he stared at the laboratory, with it's walls lined up with different glass tubes, beakers, flasks, and pots with some of the materials from Chrome's own collection. The table lay in the middle with its clean, sleek surface.
The scientist's eyes were welled up with what you saw as nostalgia, and a soft smile appeared on his face. You remembered when he told you the first day he got his own laboratory in his room, and how happy he was to have everything his father had given him. The little memory made you elated, grinning side-by-side with the boy.
"What's wrong, Senku? We finally got our lab! Shouldn't you be happier?" Chrome questioned him.
He let out a small laugh. "Yeah. I am happy. Today, the sun rises on the dawn of chemistry. Things are finally getting interesting!"
You joked, "How amusing. Compared to Tsukasa-land, we now have way more interesting attractions in the Kingdom of Science."
"Damn right. This is exhilarating!" Senku let out an evil laugh.
You then saw the two brothers approach the laboratory from the corner of your eyes, sparkles in their own. You turned to see what they had to say to you.
"You know, with all this stuff you have now, you can totally make a shiny spears for us! I mean, we totally need it for the Grand Bout and it'll help us improve our training! Especially with Kinro, he can see it and be able to hit the opponents better!" Ginro told you as he pointed at all the glassware on the walls.
Senku leaned over to you and whispered with sweat dripping down his temples, "I don't know much about fighting, so what do you have to say about this?"
"No, they just want gold and silver spears," you quietly stated.
"Surely, with all this glass, you can make a silver spear, right?" The blonde boy wondered as he walked around the lab.
The scientist stopped and thought about it. He then suddenly released his evil laugh, and grinned. "Kukuku, that's right...now that we've got glassware, it's time to get the hardest ingredient for the cure-all! Very well, I shall make you a silver spear, just for you."
Both boys were shocked, but they were different for each of them. The older brother was slowly dying inside, while the younger brother was happier as ever.
Ginro, with all the fake pity in the world, spoke to Kinro, "Ahhhh, too bad for you, Kinro! I'm just the type of person that people feel sympathy for!"
You sighed and put your palm on your face. "I thought that you wanted to get the spear for Kinro too?"
"I don't have a single millimeter of sympathy for you, Ginro. The price of this is high...high enough for you to die...and truly, you may as well die in this maximum, danger-level area!"
"Eh?" The boy slightly panicked. "Die...? I'm gonna die?"
"(Y/N), we're using the same method as how we had gotten Kinro's gold spear, so get all the materials for boiling," Senku instructed as he ignored Ginro.
You nodded and got everything needed to heat up some water. Everybody followed you outside as Senku went into the warehouse to get a silver root-like material to use as the base for silver coating. He slightly ripped it apart and put it in the pot. As it had mixed, you snatched the blonde boy's spear from his hand and gave it to the scientist, who dipped the tip into the concoction. Once it had dried, he gave the spear to Ginro, who was ecstatic.
"FINALLY, A SILVER SPEAAAAAR! THANK YOU, SENKUUUU, (Y/---N)!" he cried with tears of joy.
You had sweat dripping down your temples, continuing to pity Kinro for how Ginro acted. "You're welcome..."
"I don't give a damn about your thanks, as I didn't make it for you. We need to hurry up and get going already, on our journey to get the most important and most difficult material to acquire," said Senku. "Now, Ginro, your job is to protect the team."
His eyes sparkled with determination, but you could probably imagine what's going on through that head of his.
"What material are we going to get? You claimed it as dangerous, so I want to know what we are dealing with," You asked him as the others left to prepare for the journey.
"You've heard of it before..." he informed you. He leaned down and whispered it into your ear.
"Sulfu--?! How are we going to get it without proper equipment?" You snapped at him. "They can die if we aren't careful--"
"Quiet down, slowpoke," Senku shushed you as he put his hand over your mouth. Reassuring you, he added, "They won't die. I just need to know the location first and depth of the gas. We aren't going to get it right away."
"But they do not have the experience and it's dangerous. If anything, why couldn't we coat my bokken with the silver coating?" you questioned him as you pushed his hand out of the way.
"You need it to train Kinro and Ginro, and it is best if you have it to defend yourself. It will corrode after awhile. Plus..." the scientist stopped talking, causing you to raise an eyebrow from what was to come next. He shook his head and sighed. "Let's get going. We are wasting time."
He walked away to the warehouse. You were left behind with your own thoughts and fears, hoping that nothing were to go wrong on your journey and for what was to come.
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"Isn't this the hot springs that I always come to get hot water?" Kohaku questioned.
Chrome added, "You said it was maximum danger level, so I had to brace myself."
"No, the real danger is ahead," Senku reminded them.
The five of you, carrying supplies with food and bags for sleeping, were at the hot springs that was located in Hakone. Senku was the only one carrying a large bag full of empty pottery, which would be used to take back the liquid needed for the cure-all. Ginro was carrying his spear and spinning it around proudly.
"Ginro, stop screwing around and walk with the spear pointed forward," you scolded him. He seemed to flinch a bit when he had heard your voice.
"Are you his mother now? You seem to be acting like one after training him for a good bit," Kohaku chuckled. You let out a long sigh.
Ginro had a look on his face, which you had thought to be ugly, "She's not my mom, but she can be my momm--"
Senku immediately grabbed the spear and pointed it in the direction of where all of you needed to go, which stopped Ginro from finishing his sentence. He had a serious expression on his face as he spoke, "Listen to (Y/N) and face forward. The spear is to act as our sensor, which is why I made it. If the silver tip were to change color and become black, you will die within a few seconds, so you need to book it the moment that happens. If it does, we will be running our asses off too!"
What the scientist had said seemed to scare the hell out of the boy because once he let go of the spear, Ginro went straight to hesitantly pointing the spear forward. As your group went farther ahead to a river with green chatsubomi moss, as stated by Senku, the blonde boy kept staying in the back.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN' WALKING IN THE BACK, GINRO?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OUR SENSOR!" Senku screamed at him.
"B-B-BUT YOU SAID I WAS GONNA DIE! I-I'M SCARED!" Ginro cried out with tears in his eyes.
"Should I take your place? Gimme that spear," said Kohaku with a disappointed look on her face.
He stopped crying and instantly replied, "No way. I'll do it."
He then walked ahead of the group with the spear facing foward, and he was the quickest to go up the nearby mountain. As he made it to the top, he called out for the four of you. He was staring as if he was looking as if it were the most gorgeous thing in the world. You had to drag Senku to the top just so he wouldn't die from exhaustion.
"We've made it, Senku, (Y/N)," said Chrome, breathing heavily.
"Yeah, sure enough...the source of the hardest material to acquire..." Senku breathed out.
Kohaku was in awe from what you all had seen. "Even me, who has no idea what we came here to get, can well enough tell that this is our goal. That is just how divinely beautiful this place is..."
They weren't wrong by how they described in. In front of all of you was a large basin with a turquoise lake in the middle of it. The water shined, reflecting the sun onto the rest of you.
"It is quite beautiful..." you mentioned hesitantly.
You put your hands on your arms and frowned, as you were nervous about the layout. Senku noticed this, as he had a serious look on his face as he had examined the basin itself.
Chrome noticed how the two of you were reacting. "What's wrong, guys? Is this not our goal?"
"No, it is. We're going to collect the liquid from this lake," you firmly stated, "but I'm worried about how we're going to get it..."
"Exactly. The poison gas that comes from the green spring, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, are heavier than air, so it would collect and sit at the bottom of the basin," the scientist explained.
"Ohh, I get it! So then you can tell if that poison gas is there or not with that silver spear, right?!" the brunette figured.
"Yeah, when the silver turns black, it's reacting to hydrogen sulfide--" He immediately stopped when he saw the blonde walking off towards the lake. "GET BACK, GINRO!"
Without another thought, you immediately ran off to pull him back, noticing that the spear was about to turn completely black. Kohaku did the same, grabbing the both of you by the arms to help pull you out from the basin faster. You then looked up to see a flock of birds heading towards the lake, immediately dying as it breathed in the gas. Their bodies fell and disolved as it sunk to the bottom of the lake, causing Ginro to scream in hysterics.
"What the hell?! What is that spring water, Senku, (Y/N)?!" Chrome demanded from the both of you.
Ginro was on the ground, huddled in a little ball, Kohaku sitting next to him to make sure he was okay. You were sitting on the ground as well, shaking slightly from anxiety.
"During the research of alchemy, scientists had discovered this forbidden nectar, which presently is one of the fundamental cores of all chemical industries," Senku explained. He took you by the hands to pick you up from the ground and held it tightly to help calm you down.
"This chemical's name is sulfuric acid."
-To be Continued-
A/N: Wattpad pissing me off by deleting all the media I attach to each chapter. \(｀Δ')/
Anyways, hope you liked the chapter!