He handed the pieces to the blacksmith, ensuring the man could replicate them exactly. "You can come back in two or three days," the blacksmith said.
Okay. After we make cement, I'll discuss with them how to mass-produce it and also share some ideas on where to use it, like housing, roads, bridges, walls, and other things, Rafael thought to himself.
He waited for about half an hour until the limestone rocks glowed red-hot. With the help of another worker, he carefully removed them from the furnace and placed them into the basket. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed as the basket, made from plants and wood, quickly caught fire. "Do you have something that won't catch fire?" Rafael asked urgently.
"Well, I have some pottery that might be useful," the blacksmith suggested.
Rafael paid 20 coppers for two large jars to store the heated limestone, then carried them back to the church. Thanks to Aaran's prior arrangements, Rafael had no trouble entering. The day was hot, with barely a cloud in the sky, and Rafael guessed it was around 3 p.m.
He placed the jars on the table in front of the church. Okay, now I need water, he thought, scanning the area. He saw only a few guards and soldiers around. Where will I find water? As he pondered, Aaran appeared, holding a bag full of crushed pottery.
"Oh, you made it back, brother. Look, will this be enough?" Aaran asked, dropping the bag beside the jars.
"Yes, it will. Hey brother, where can I find water here? We need to pour it onto these rocks, and I'm thirsty."
"There's a river just behind those walls," Aaran said, pointing to the walls behind the mansion. "But as for drinkable water, it's hard to come by. The baron has his servants boil some for him."
"Can I have some? I prefer water over ale," Rafael replied.
"Don't worry, I'll see what I can do. Wait here; I'm going to bring a bucket of water for these rocks. Oh, I'm so excited! I can't wait to try making this liquid stone!" Aaran said eagerly as he went inside the church. He returned shortly with a wooden bucket.
While Rafael waited, he noticed three people praying inside the church—a servant and two guards.
Aaran poured the water into both jars, and they instantly saw a reaction. The water began to sizzle, producing bubbles and vapor. Rafael grabbed a stick and started stirring. "Whoa! What's happening?" Aaran asked, astonished. The cleric, unfamiliar with chemistry, was witnessing an exothermic reaction between calcium oxide and water.
"I-I don't know," Rafael stammered, unable to explain what was happening. Chemistry was not his fort.
Once the reaction ended, what remained was a white paste known as slaked lime. "Now we can store this or just mix it with the pottery powder. Want to give it a try?" Rafael asked.
"Can I?" Aaran asked, his excitement evident as he mixed the two substances and formed a small cube. He then made a brick to compare with the more expensive fired clay bricks. The table now held four sheets of drying paper, two bricks, and a small cube of cement.
"So this is liquid stone? Will it really turn into a rock?" Aaran was skeptical, finding it hard to believe that a mixture of strange white paste and crushed pottery could produce something as solid as stone.
Since Rafael had left the limestone in the fire for only half an hour, about half of the rocks in the jars were still unprocessed.
"I think an hour in the furnace would be enough next time. We'll get it right," Rafael assured him.
"Now we just have to wait?" Aaran asked.
"Yes," Rafael confirmed.
Aaran asked Rafael to help clean the church as they continued discussing these new ideas they believed were divinely inspired.
After some time, a group of five well-dressed men approached them. Their attire was finer than that of peasants but not as luxurious as that of the nobility.
"We are here to learn the papermaking method," one of them said. Aaran nodded and led them outside to explain the process by the table. Rafael stayed inside, continuing to clean the altar.
I'll ask Julius to teach me how to read and write. It will make so many things easier. I can pretend I'm interested in math and gradually introduce everything about it in a book. If we print lots of copies, it wouldn't just be a step but a huge leap toward a great civilization, Rafael thought as he finished cleaning just as the group left. Aaran walked back to him.
"I finished everything here," Rafael said.
"That's good. Now that they know the process, things should move quickly. I can't imagine the baron not rushing to start making money," Aaran said, sitting on one of the benches.
"Is he that greedy? What do you think of him?" Rafael asked.
"He's like most of the nobility—he doesn't care about the common people. All they want is more money, power, and land," Aaran replied.
"What is he doing for the war?" Rafael inquired.
"The high priest told me he sent some men to the north, but it wasn't enough. They're recruiting more commoners and peasants too," Aaran explained.
"Why the north? Why is the enemy attacking only there?" Rafael had wondered about this since learning of the war.
"Because that's where our kingdom's border meets the enemy's. They can't attack the entire west side because of the Swarbia kingdom. They've remained neutral in this conflict for now, thank God. At least they block the enemy from attacking other regions," Aaran said what he heard from others.
But for how long will they remain neutral? Rafael wondered.
"This Swarbia kingdom, are they big?" Rafael asked.
"From what I know, no. They're smaller than us and much smaller than Austrasia," Aaran replied.
"Hmm... This may sound strange, but what is our kingdom's name?" Rafael asked. The question seemed to surprise Aaran, as it was common knowledge.
"The Bavarian Kingdom. How do you not know that?" Aaran asked, blinking in disbelief.