Chapter 37: The Light-Collecting Lamp

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In my room, I poured the slime gel into a bucket and mixed it with a powder made from a purple stone called Shoku Stone. After stirring the gel thoroughly, I transferred it into a wooden cup, filling it halfway, then added a small magic stone, and topped it off with more gel.

After waiting for it to solidify, I tried to remove it by turning the cup upside down, but it wouldn’t come out. I had no choice but to cut the cup in half to get it out.

Then I added decorations to it. Using my transformation skill, I crafted some iron embellishments.

"All done!"

• Light-Collecting Lamp: Absorbs light during the day and emits it at night.

This is a magical device that absorbs sunlight, storing mana and then glowing like a lamp at night.

The slime gel and magic stones can be found in the dungeon, while Shoku Stone can be mined from one of our old pits. Although it’s a purple stone, it’s cloudy and unsuitable as a gem, so it was largely ignored, leaving plenty scattered throughout the mine.

When slime gel and Shoku Stone powder are combined, they form a vivid purple gel that, once solidified, becomes nearly transparent with a slight purple hue. In this form, it can absorb light, and with the addition of a magic stone, it works as a storage unit, transforming it into a light-collecting lamp.

It’s a straightforward magical device that anyone can create, not just me.

For reference, if I were to use my transformation skill directly, I could make a light-collecting lamp from 300 grams of slime gel, 100 grams of Shoku Stone, and a single low-grade magic stone with a mana cost of 70 points.

I also transformed some separate decorative pieces. Iron, copper, silver, or gold can be used, though gold and silver are beyond my current capabilities. Copper, while mana-intensive, is doable.

In total, I made three light-collecting lamps.

One is a basic room lamp. The other two are more elaborate, resembling chandeliers.

After dinner, I showed the lamps to my father and mother.

"Oh my, it’s beautiful!"

My mother gazed at the chandelier-style light-collecting lamp with fascination.

"It doesn’t seem to use candles…?"

"Yes. This is a light-collecting lamp. It absorbs light during the day, then releases it at night."

"And where did you get something like this?"

"I made it."

"You… made it? Well, I suppose, being Toma…"

Wait, why does he look so convinced just because it’s me?

"This one is for rooms with more traffic. This other one is a simpler room lamp."

The room lamp has modest decorations, while the chandelier-style lamp is much more elaborate, featuring plenty of glasswork that I crafted. I doubt there’s anything quite like it.

"If we install these along the main street and around important facilities, the village will be well-lit even at night."

"That’s excellent. The brewery was recently broken into because the area was pitch-dark at night. We’re stationing soldiers for night patrols, but torches require wood and present a fire hazard."

As expected of my father, he grasped the lamp’s utility immediately.

"This could be very useful! Is it possible to produce more of them?"

"The materials for the light-collecting lamp itself are all available in Ashud Territory. However, the intricate decorations would require a specialist."

"Hmm… Do you think Bowman could handle it?"

"While he might be able to manage it, it would be more suitable for a craftsman or goldsmith."

"We don’t have either of those professions in our territory."

"Perhaps Bowman could handle simpler street lamps for now?"

"What about chandeliers like these?"

"That would be challenging. After all, I’m the only one who can make glass here."

"Then could you craft a lavish chandelier to send as a gift to Duke Bayerlein?"

"Certainly."

The saying goes, “lean on a sturdy tree,” and with the Roxfall family having cut ties with the Lightstar family, it’s essential to foster a good relationship with the Bayerlein family. If a gift like this can strengthen our bond, it’s a small price to pay.

The next day, the envoy from Duke Bayerlein arrived.

Father, Mother, and I waited at the entrance to greet the envoy.

“Is that… Alexander-sama?!”

Expecting an envoy to arrive in an extravagant carriage befitting a duke’s family, I was stunned to see Alexander, the duke’s heir, stepping out instead.

I’d studied the Bayerlein family’s lineage, so the moment I heard “Alexander,” I tensed up, dropping into a deep bow. My bent posture was starting to tremble slightly from the strain, hoping he would acknowledge me soon.

Peeking upward, I saw that Alexander-sama seemed thoroughly shocked, staring blankly. What’s wrong?

"Alexander-sama, perhaps a word?"

The old butler whispered to him, and at last, Alexander-sama seemed to regain his composure.

"Ah… My apologies, Lord Roxfall. I’m feeling a bit unwell."

"You must be weary from the journey. We’ll prepare a room for you, though it may be modest. Please rest there."

It seemed he was suffering from motion sickness, his face pale.

If he collapses here, it could create a rift between us and the Bayerlein family. I hope he recovers soon.

But why is Alexander-sama, the heir to the duke, acting as the envoy? Surely, he could have delegated this to someone of lower status.