Since I was currently completely energized, I decided to try my hand at producing gold in the alchemy workshop. I would be creating gold from scratch and first wanted to determine how much mental energy it would take to produce just one gram. Considering the specific gravity of gold is 20, one gram occupies 0.05 cubic centimeters. The cube root of that would be tedious to calculate, and even if I knew the number, I couldn't measure it precisely. So, I opted for an estimate of 5 milliliters, or about 2.5 grams of gold to produce.
"Here we go! Gold, come on!"
Indeed, gold had been created. A pure gold die, measuring 5 millimeters on each side, emerged from the alchemy workshop. I felt a little tired, but it was nothing serious. At this rate, I could easily create a cube weighing around 20 grams per cubic centimeter.
"Let's do this! Gold, come on!"
Inside the workshop, a 1-centimeter cube of pure gold was completed, but this time the fatigue was unmistakable. I took a stamina potion and felt revitalized, even more energetic than when I first started making gold.
"One more time. It's a bit of a gamble, but I'll make a 2-centimeter die. That's eight times larger, so it should weigh 160 grams. Given gold's density is less than 20, 150 grams might be more accurate."
"Here we go! Gold, come on!"
It wasn't physical exhaustion, but I found even moving felt burdensome as fatigue washed over me. Still, it wasn't to the extent of being unable to stand like when I created the supreme healing potion. I quickly drank a stamina potion, and miraculously, the fatigue vanished.
150 grams felt disappointingly small, so despite my reluctance, I decided to endure and make another 2-centimeter cube of gold.
"Let's go, gold, come on!"
I was slightly less motivated this time, but despite the fatigue, another gold die was formed. Naturally, I drank another stamina potion to recover.
With this, I had created gold equivalent to 300 grams, excluding a small amount. Since the buying price per gram was around 8,000 yen, selling 300 grams would yield 2.4 million yen—a substantial sum. Tomorrow, I'll hop over to Japan to cash it in.
I had thought I was done for the day when someone knocked on the door.
"Master, is everything alright? I heard a loud voice and came to check on you," came Lisa's concerned voice.
"It's just me talking to myself. Don't worry about it; it's nothing unusual," I replied. While technically true, she might have thought I was a bit unhinged—which was probably accurate. But it was too late to worry about that now.
Once I finished my alchemy, I took a bath before dinner. Next, it would be the children's turn. They would probably take a while to finish, so Lisa would end up bathing after dinner.
I was a bit worried since it was likely the children's first time in the bath. But it wasn't like I could join them to supervise. So, I called out, "Hey, you guys, come down for a bath! Bring your change of clothes!"
"Yes, we're coming!" they chorused in response.
By the time they arrived, I had already changed the water in the tub and refilled the hot water tank.
As soon as the four of them burst into the changing room, they started taking off their clothes without a word.
"Hey! You're not getting into the bath yet!"
"Huh?"
"I thought I explained how to use body soap and shampoo, but I can see you're still unsure. So, I'll show you in the bath once more."
At that, the four of them started to take off their clothes again.
"Wait, you don't need to undress yet! Just get into the bath as you are. You'll get properly naked and bathe only after I've finished teaching you."
"Okay."
"First, pour some hot water from the bucket over your body, and gently wash yourself with your hands. This is called pouring water over yourself. Normally, that's enough to soak in the tub, but since you probably have dirt on your bodies, you need to wash thoroughly with body soap first.
"This rather stiff towel is for exfoliating. Put body soap on it like this, and use it to scrub your body. At first, you might not see any foam because of the dirt.
"After washing your entire body, rinse off with water, then rinse the exfoliating towel and apply more body soap to wash your body again. This time, it should foam well.
"Once you're done, rinse off any bubbles and slippery residue with water. Give the exfoliating towel a light wash as well.
"Then, soak in the tub up to your shoulders to warm up.
"Once you're warm, get out of the tub, and it's time to wash your hair.
"Start by pouring water over your head and scrubbing it. Rinse again, then take a little shampoo and massage it into your hair and scalp."
With your current hair, I doubt you'll get any foam on the first wash, so start by rinsing your head under warm water. Then take some shampoo and massage it into your hair and scalp vigorously. By the second wash, you should see some lather. Once you've scrubbed and any itchiness is gone, rinse your head with warm water two or three times to wash away the foam and residue. Finally, soak in the bath one last time up to your shoulders to warm up before stepping out.
That's about it. There will be a large towel for each of you in the changing area, so dry your head and body well before getting dressed. You might want to wrap a shorter towel around your hair too.
Sorry for the long explanation, but if you all remember this while you're in there, you should manage just fine. "Yes!" the kids replied. I left them and returned to my room. I could hear their cheerful voices and laughter coming from the bathroom—it's nice to have a lively atmosphere.
After about 30 minutes, the kids emerged from the bath, all with towels wrapped around their heads. It would have been great to have a hairdryer, but there's no helping that. Before dinner, everyone took off their towels, and their hair was indeed sleek and shiny. They might have become even silkier with some conditioner, but this was good enough.
After dinner, while Lisa and the children were cleaning up, I went to the bathroom to refill the tub for Lisa and add more hot water to the tank. It was a surprising burst of productivity from someone like me, who usually just lazes about.
"Lisa, when you're ready for a bath, ask the kids how to use the body soap and shampoo," I suggested.
I returned to my room, turned on the lamp, and lay down on the bed, my mind drifting to the creation of a Supreme Healing Potion. Crafting one was a tedious and exhausting task, but I desperately wanted another. Still, knowing the heavy toll it took, I decided to wait until I felt more energized before attempting it.
In comparison, transmuting gold was relatively easy. While the amount I could create at once was limited, it was nothing short of miraculous to generate gold from nothing.
Since it was nearly bedtime, I thought making some gold could help me sleep well. After all, I would have some gold and be tired enough to fall asleep quickly.
With that in mind, I turned off the lamp, lay back down, and created a 150-gram block of gold, about 2 centimeters on each side, before quickly slipping into sleep.
The next morning, after getting ready, we gathered to enjoy a breakfast made by Lisa. It wasn't bad, but it felt slightly off. I considered adding some chemical seasonings, but since I had no cooking skills myself, I wasn't sure what to bring.
Today, my plan is to return to Japan and convert my money into cash. This should be a straightforward task. After that, I'll focus on ordering generators. I don't have a catalog, so I'm unsure of the prices, but I believe I can get a decent one for around 500,000 yen each. Depending on their capacity, I aim to purchase either two or four units for alternating operation. While expenses like these will quickly deplete my funds, I can easily replenish them by creating 150 grams of gold each night, so it's not a concern.
I sent the wholesale potions I made for the children on their way and returned to my apartment. Since I was wearing shoes, I shifted them to the entrance leading to the kitchen, where I stored my slippers.
I kicked off my shoes, entered the room, opened the curtains, and threw the windows wide open to freshen the air. Changing into more traditional Japanese clothing, I checked my smartphone for what I needed to convert my gold into cash. According to the information, I required my My Number Card and bankbook. Thankfully, I had made the My Number Card to collect points, so that worked out well.
With those two items ready, I placed them in my item box and locked up the apartment before heading to the nearby jewelry shop I had searched for on my phone. Upon entering the store, I announced my purpose and laid three gold pieces, each measuring two centimeters on a side, in front of the clerk.
"That's an unusual piece of gold. I'll analyze it, so please wait," the clerk said as he carefully placed the gold dice on a tray and stepped into the back room. After a few minutes, he returned with the tray in hand.
"All of them are pure gold. Each weighs 154.5 grams, totaling 463 grams. Today's buyback price is 8,100 yen per gram, which comes to just over 3.75 million yen. Shall I proceed with the sale of all three?"
I readily agreed, showing him my My Number Card and bankbook. The clerk made copies of both documents, returned to me with a form attached to a carbon paper, and said, "Please sign here. The payment will be made via bank transfer, and you should see it in your account in about an hour. Please remember that you will need to file a tax return."
I tuned out his warning, signed the document with the pen he handed me, and left the store. I had considered myself reasonably well-off in my previous world, but there's something comforting about the sound of "¥3 million" compared to "gold coins."
With no shopping plans for the day, I headed to a nearby café, ordered an iced coffee, and checked my smartphone for generator options. While there are decent generators available for under ¥500,000, their continuous operation time is quite limited. I suspect this is due to the size of the fuel tank. If I were to install a larger tank, I could achieve longer run times, and if something broke, I could simply replace it.
Ideally, I want an expert to help me obtain a proper generator, but I can't bring an expert into that other world, which is quite a dilemma.
As I fiddled with my smartphone at a café, an hour slipped by unnoticed. When I checked my bank balance, I found the money had been transferred, which relieved my worries.
Now that I had the cash, I impulsively ordered a 400,000 yen engine generator. It's scheduled for delivery in three days, and I must remember to be at my apartment then.
The fuel is gasoline. It's not sold in that other world, but gasoline is primarily made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with some additives. If I can get a small amount from a gas station, I could replicate it for mass production almost immediately.
With that in mind, I headed to the nearby gas station. I bought the smallest portable gas can available, filling it with about two liters of regular gasoline. After ensuring no one was watching, I stored the gas can in my item box, then moved it to my duplication box and concentrated on copying it. I was able to create a gasoline can filled with two liters of gas without any fatigue. This solved my fuel problem for now.