Chapter 53
After our discussion with Nerphia, we headed straight to Drew's office together. On the way, I also picked up Rururia's letter from my room.
Rururia had carefully written down everything she could about tar's effects and cost, as well as how much tar would be needed to pave a given length of highway. It was a huge help.
I intended to have Drew make a rough cost estimate based on it, then have Nerphia report it to King Zeuracia.
"I suppose this is goodbye for now, Nerphia?" At my words, Nerphia, who had been walking beside me, tilted her head, then seemed to understand.
"It's true that the assistance the king ordered me to provide with bottling is over for now, but... Ah, yes. You accepted so readily, Roa-sama, that I forgot to tell you. For the time being, Sazaby and I will be overseeing the bottling workshop."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. And I would like to continue serving as one of Roa-sama's subordinates as well, if I may..."
"What!? I'd appreciate that, but wouldn't it be difficult to oversee the bottling workshop as well?"
In any case, having a capable civil official like Nerphia around was a huge help. She could even speak to the king directly. But wasn't she taking on too much?
"No, I already hold several positions concurrently, and the process for bottling has already been established. Since we know how it works, all we need to do is offer advice; there is someone else in charge. Besides, if anything happens, it's convenient for me as well to be able to contact Roa-sama, who knows about bottling, right away."
"Is that so? If that's the case, I have no objection."
"Thank you. Then I look forward to continuing to work with you."
"Likewise."
While we talked, we arrived at Drew's department. Drew was the only person there, so it was essentially her room. In fact, she seemed to live there, so calling it her room might have been more accurate.
"Drew, are you there?"
As usual, she didn't respond to my knock. I opened the door while calling to her softly.
From behind the piles of junk came a frail reply, like an insect's chirp: "Yeeees..." When Nerphia and I hurried inside, we found Drew slumped over her desk and making strange noises.
"Drew!? Are you all right!?"
"Ah... I just... haven't... eaten... anything... that's all... so I'm alri..."
Nerphia and I exchanged glances and sprang into action. I went to secure food, while I asked Nerphia to take care of Drew.
When I rushed into a department near Drew's room, its civil official seemed to know exactly what to do and said they would prepare something easy to digest. Did this happen often?
For the moment, I left solid food to them and returned with only milk. Drew was being tended by Nerphia and laughing, "Hee hee hee." She really might be beyond help.
Anyway, after I forced the milk down her, she let out a loud "Geh-hoo" belch, then said, "Look at this." Where she pointed was a single bottle.
It was an ordinary bottle... except that it wasn't. But I was probably the only person on the entire continent who could understand how extraordinary it was.
The rim of the bottle had spiral ridges and grooves.
Beside it was a cap with matching ridges and grooves.
This was a way to seal a bottle more reliably than a cork. It was the bottle design of the future, one that every country had eventually poured people and money into developing after bottling was invented in my future.
It was a technology I hadn't known how to make, so I hadn't even thought of trying to create it.
And Drew had figured it out all by herself?
Genius Drew.
I thought this wild-haired woman slurping milk was absolutely amazing.
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While Drew ate, I explained to Nerphia just how extraordinary this bottle was. At first, she didn't quite understand, but her eyes widened when she realized that it required neither cork nor wax and that the cap could be reused.
"This might be an even greater invention than bottling itself," I said. Drew, whose color had begun to return, replied, "As expected of you, Roa. You get it..."
"With this bottle, there's no doubt the shelf life of bottled goods will increase dramatically."
"I see. Then we'll have to consider mass-producing these bottles as well. Between this and the tar, people like you really can't be left unattended..."
Nerphia pressed a hand to her cheek and let out a deep sigh. I felt a little bad, but all I had done was borrow someone else's technology. I wasn't a true genius like Drew.
"So, Drew, is it really not that difficult to make these?"
"Nope. I'll teach you how. Shouldn't be a problem."
"I see. Then I'm sorry to ask, but could you urgently write down how to make these bottles? I'll report it to the king along with the matter of the tar."
"Tar? What's tar?" Drew reacted to the unfamiliar word, so this time I explained tar to her.
"Huh. Interesting. So we can buy it for the price listed in this letter... Yeah. That sounds good."
"What? You already worked out the estimate?"
"Yep. At this scale, it was easy."
"Then... I will request an audience with the king. I'm sorry, but I'll be leaving ahead of you."
After meeting Drew and me, Nerphia had acquired even more work: in addition to the bottling workshop, she now had to oversee mass production of the new bottles and report on importing tar for the highway expansion. She left at a light jog.
That left only Drew and me, with Drew slurping up bread soaked in soup.
"Oh, right, Drew. If you have some free time, there's something I'd like you to try making."
At my words, Drew immediately perked up.
"Something you want me to make!? What is it!? What is it!?"
She eagerly pounced, spraying soup from her mouth.