Chapter 91 Grandad Is Sick. He Wants To Make Out-Cast Soul Salt Fish.
Dan saw Eros's frown and thought maybe Eros was dissatisfied with him.
Eros paused for a few seconds, and then he rushed for the window.
He looked outside at the waters far off in the distance.
An incredible idea immediately came to his head.
Eros turned and grabbed Dan by the shoulder.
"Yes! you are a genius boy!"
"i am!?"
"Yes. Now, I need you to get me Victoria and Jimmy. There is much work to be done."
immediately Dan heard the order, he ran out to get Victoria and Jimmy.
Meanwhile, Eros enjoyed his soup as many more plans came into his head.
In this world, Soul energy was practically in everything.
Whether it was plants or animals, it was all the same thing.
this allowed the technology development in this world to tilt in a different kind of direction.
Even though the world resembled European medieval times, it leaned technological wise in a different direction.
An example would be the lighting system.
Electricity was not used but rather soul lamps.
These soul lamps were as a result of harnessing soul energy from soul beasts and turning it into light energy.
Of course, in the Tate estate, only the Baron's manor could afford such a resource, but such was the way of this world.
Acquisition of most daily items were gotten from Soul beasts of all types.
This meant that a lot of the natural resources were left untouched. This included items that could be gotten from the earth itself.
Even metal to make weapons was not gotten from the earth but from metal soul beasts.
Most of everything was gotten from what could be found in soul beasts and not what could be processed.
A few hours later, Dan stood behind Victoria on her wheelchair with Jimmy by his side.
They stood before Eros at the shore.
It was winter and still very cold. Everyone had coats to keep them warm. Everyone except Eros.
He wore his usual tunic with his walking stick in hand.
Eros took deep breaths of the ocean. "Can you guys smell that?"
jimmy nodded, "yes, my lord."
"What does it smell like?"
"The cold putrid smell of salty waters, my lord."
"HAHAHHAH!!!" Eros laughed, "good! good!! you smelt right." Eros opened his hands wide, "this here lady and gentlemen is the future of the Tate Estate. From this place, we shall become the economy center of the Almace kingdom."
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Three puzzled faces looked at Eros like he had gone mad. But none of them dared to say it.
Eros understood their feelings and explained to them.
"Lady Victoria!"
"yes, lord Eros." she answered quickly.
"you come from a merchant family. So you know best. What is the most sort after product from the sea?"
"hmmm!" Victoria thought for a while, "if I were to say, the number one item would be fish. Food is resource that is always in short supply. Secondly would Soul Oyster pearls. The Royals most interested in that, but those are rare and quite difficult to find. The third would be the Out-cast Soul salt fish. Those are not so important in this parts, but in the kingdoms more inland that don't have access to water, they are just as valuable as the Soul Oyster pearls."
Eros nodded, "and why are they so important?"
"well, the Out-cast Soul Fish are soul beasts that her made entirely of salt. They are not exactly edible and other sea creatures avoid them for the obvious reason of their salt bodies, but when captured and their soul energy is drained from them, their bodies are broken down and sold as salt. Salt is necessary for food."
Victoria massaged her jaw a little and thought hard as she talked.
She was a lover of the scholarly ways but she had grown up in a family of merchants. Such knowledge about commodities was like reciting the alphabets to her.
"What exactly are you saying, lord Eros?" she asked as her curiosity was piqued.
"Simple. We are going to produce salt and sell it to the rest of the world."
Eros said this with a broad smile on his face.
However, Dan, Victoria and Jimmy looked at him weirdly.
Victoria signaled for Dan to draw closer and whispered into his ear, "has the winter flu gotten to him, or does he have a fever!?"
*Cough!*
Jimmy coughed as he stepped forward, "my lord, I believe you might have gotten some information wrongly. Firstly, the Out-cast soul Salt Fish can only be found off the coast and deep in the sixth sea area. Also, there is only a finite amount every year as it is greatly hunted during its season. Even if you decide to purchase some and rear them, they will most likely die in our waters as it isn't salty enough for their survival."
Eros nodded, "I know, but who ever said we will be needing the Out-cast soul salt fish? We can produce it on our own."
"On own own!?" Eros's audience all had question marks on their faces.
Dan nodded as he whispered back into Victoria's ear, "I think you might be right Lady Victoria. Grandad is sick."
Eros pretended not to hear the gossip as he laughed heartily.
It was not their fault. Necessity was the mother of invention. If there was no reason for it, no matter how complicated or simple it was to make, man would never make it.
Such was the way of human beings.
What Eros was saying to them was akin to saying that an octopus could fly.
In their world scope, it was an impossibility.
But for Eros that was once a psychology Professor, it was possible.
Although it was not his forte, he's love for knowledge from a young age exposed him to many books. Besides, from a young age, he had gone on many school trips to factories that produced all sorts of things.
In his arsenal of knowledge, making a functional Salt production factory was not out of the question. Even if he got some things wrong, he was still half god, and that part of him also had an abundance of knowledge.
But first, he had to make a short demonstration for the unbelievers that followed him.
With Eros's instructions, Victoria directed her workers to make pipes that went under ground and into the sea area, draining it of water into the mainland where the first crudely lead salt pan had been made and laid.
The water filled the lead pan.
With how serious Eros took this plan, the workers ensured to drop every other development that was being done on the estate and finish up for Eros's demonstration.
The water was left to fill the pan. Eros stood and supervised the process.
As he did, a smile was plastered on his face.
Dan on the other hand stood not so far away.
He could hear the whispers of some of the workers.
"Did you hear!?" first worker asked the second, "the baron has winter sickness!"
"yes, I did. How can he say that he will make Out-cast salt soul-fish from sea water? something must be very wrong with his head."
As they talked, Dan frowned. He could not take it an and turned to the men whispering amongst themselves.
Immediately they saw his eyes on them, they pretended to be whistling as they continued work.
Dan sighed loudly. He couldn't help but also think that his grandad must have run made.
He walked up to the smiling Eros.
"Grandad! are you feeling okay?"
Eros turned to him as he patted his head, "never better boy."
Everything was done just like Eros had instructed.
The method of making Salt Eros was about to use was a very crude method. It was not like the more modernized standard from his old world.
After all, he had to admit that many of the machines used in the more modern world would be very difficult to make here.
However, this method was still enough.
According to what Eros remembered, salt pans such as these were usually left to dry up before the salt could be gotten from them.
However, it was winter and the sun could not even be sighted in the sky even though it was day time.
If the salt water was left here, it was most likely to freeze than it was to dry up.
therefore, Eros thought of using a quicker method to speed up the process.
Another lead pan was made like a lid with little openings on top to allow water vapor to pass through.
Eros instructed that everybody moved away.
Since waiting for sun was not going to be possible for now, he was going to use a more crude method for this.
*Sun Palm of the Sun god!*
this was also another technique by one of his brothers. It was simple one and was not so had to use but effective for the matter at hand.
Eros placed a palm on the pan.
His palm suddenly glowed yellow and then red hot like the sun.
everyone from a distance could see what was happening.
Soon, the heat Eros produced evaporated the water in the pan.
Eros did not stop until he was sure of the results.
Afterwards, he called for them to come closer.