Chapter 190: Glass Tiles
As I began crafting glass tiles for the mosaic, the Spirits gathered around me, their curiosity palpable.
I crushed sapphires, grinding them down.
I crushed tanzanites, grinding them down.
I crushed blue moonstones, grinding them down.
The sapphires ranged from a light blue, paler than cornflower blue, to a deep, almost black hue. It felt wasteful, but I ground them into powder, adding a drop or two of corresponding colored flower petals. If I miscalculated the magic power, it could clump together or lose the effects of the magic stone, so I had to be careful.
Once I finished mixing, the Spirits draped in blue garments and those with blue skin and fur flocked to me, eager for their turn. The other Spirits looked a bit disappointed.
I had gathered the magic stones I needed, either from my own stock or by purchasing them. But I couldn’t just expect to find the corresponding flowers in the same season, could I?
I remembered that the blue cornflowers had bloomed a little while ago, so I headed north to gather some. I also found violets in varying shades of blue and purple in the late-blooming deep forest.
On my way, I spotted some blue poppies on the mountain, but I decided against them; they seemed like they might have dangerous effects. From now on, I should diligently gather flowers and store them. Fruits would be fine too, but there aren’t many blue fruits, and it’s troublesome when the skin and flesh are different colors.
By the way, isn’t tanzanite named after Tanzania? Was it translated for my understanding? When I used [Appraisal], the name from this world appeared. The [Language] skill is so convenient.
“Alright, alright. I’ll need Spirits to help with the water purification too,” I called out as I mixed the other glass materials in their containers.
“Oh, this last jar doesn’t need purification, so feel free to do as you like. It’s for growing plants or for fish to inhabit,” I added, noticing a Spirit looking a bit down.
All the remaining Spirits crowded around! I pretended not to notice!
…Is this really okay? Well, it should be fine. It’s not directly about the glass; it’s about the effect on the water flowing above.
“What’s this? Boring. More glass?” Van appeared as I melted the materials in the crucible.
“I’m planning to make a mosaic with this. I bought a diamond as a thank you for the other day, so here you go.”
“Sure.”
With Van watching, I created glass. I wondered if he would come to visit every time I lit the furnace in this workshop. Maybe he was just waiting for me to forge a sword.
When I mentioned that I had forged a sword during my first glass-making session, he seemed intrigued. I had a feeling that one day, I would succumb to this pressure and end up making one, but it would definitely turn out poorly. Well, as long as I don’t take it outside, it should be safe, right?
Van pinched a diamond, raising the temperature with his fingertips, and just before it glowed and vanished, he tossed it into his mouth. He looked bored.
I continued my work, pouring the melted glass to create glass sheets. Once cooled, they took the shapes of diamonds, hexagons, triangles, and stars. I made a wish to the Spirits, and as I touched the glass sheets, they cracked with a sharp sound.
I asked the fire Spirit to melt the corners a little and round them off, and soon they were complete. The Spirits lifted the small pieces of glass, peering at them and rubbing their cheeks against them, making quite a commotion.
The Spirits can’t pass through glass, but they love shiny things, so they adore glass. Some of them might have had painful collisions in the past, which made them a bit reluctant.
“Hmph, it’s not bad, is it? Though I’m not fond of the color,” Van said, picking one up and holding it to the light before clenching it in his fist.
Flames swirled in his palm.
When he opened his hand, the piece of glass had transformed from blue to a beautiful orange. No, was it white wrapped in orange? It felt like I was gazing into a burning flame.
“This one is prettier.”
“Hmph. It doesn’t compare to the droplets, but I’ll give it to you.” Van dropped the color-shifted piece of glass into my hand.
“Thank you.”
“Hmm…” Van smirked and vanished.
Whoa! I managed to thank him with a calm face, but that was incredibly hot, Van! I’m wearing heat-resistant gloves for melting glass, and it’s still burning!!!
I hurriedly stored it away and cooled my hands.
With the work done, I thanked the Spirits and placed fresh water and flowers in the workshop to finish up. Since they helped me so much this time—though I could find water and flowers just a step outside the workshop, it’s the thought that counts. I should increase the flowers in the garden too.
Time to take a bath and wash off the sweat; I’m drenched! …Could that piece of glass from earlier create a bath that’s always hot? A bath with a view of the sea!
Feeling giddy, I jumped into the bath and reviewed the design for the Island Tower.
Originally, it was designed with a combat floor featuring a terrace at the top, an armory, living spaces, a kitchen, a management floor, a hall, storage, storage, and a watchtower. The hall is on the second floor when viewed from the courtyard, and you enter via stairs. The kitchen is where hot water is boiled, and the management floor has a hole in the floor to pour boiling water down into the hall to fend off enemies.
Other towers have dungeons underground, and while they differ slightly, they generally follow this layout. Some towers have fewer floors. My tower extends downward, clinging to the cliff, and it seems to overlook a shallow route leading to the castle’s dock. Evidence of this is the vertical holes in the bottom room for shooting arrows.
The hall connected to the castle wall, but I sealed that off, allowing access to the wall from the outside. There’s one door leading to the wall, but it’s secured with a massive bolt.
The hall should remain a hall. The bottom room is for lounging while gazing at the sea, and the one above has an entrance to a hidden passage, so it could work as a workshop. The upper floor will be a storage room, essentially just an empty room.
The management floor will have a dining area for guests, while the kitchen remains a kitchen. The living space will be a storage room, and the armory will become a bedroom. The tower is narrower due to the stairs, so it’s like one room per floor. The walls are thick enough that adding windows would create a shelf space even if they aren’t bay windows, making it feel much smaller from the outside.
Now, where should I place the bath? I want to add a window, but too many windows would disrupt the balance… What should I do?