Ch.57Bone Ash Vessel

“Can you really make porcelain from bone ash?”

The aide asked me with an incredulous tone.

Even in this world, tea culture existed, and the teaware for it sold at high prices.

Moreover, porcelain could be adjusted in quality so that even commoners could afford it, making it yet another profitable product born from my hands.

“Yes, I’m telling you! When have I ever lied?”

“…”

After my confident declaration, the aide bowed his head with a resigned expression.

More precisely, he was bending down to pick up parchment and a quill.

“Well then, I’ll now explain how to make bone china.”

“Yes. Please proceed.”

Scratch, scratch!

As the sound of ink being applied to the quill reached my ears, I began explaining how to make bone china, or bone porcelain.

“First, burn cow bones at high temperatures, then grind them very finely into bone ash, add feldspar, and then mix it with clay.”

“Should the feldspar be ground into powder as well?”

“That’s right. Oh, and the ratio is 6 parts bone ash, 4 parts feldspar, and 3.5 parts clay.”

“6…4…3.5… Understood.”

“And since the clay body is quite soft, traditional wheel throwing is difficult. You need to make a mold first, then pour the clay body into it to form the shape. After that, partially dry it, remove any protruding parts by hand and refine it, apply glaze, fire it once, apply glaze again for the second firing, add decorations, apply glaze once more, and fire it for the final time.”

“Mold… shaping… partial drying… refining… glaze… first firing… glaze… second firing… decoration… glaze… final firing…”

If you’re wondering how I know all this, I should mention that before coming to this world, I was an internet hermit who spent 16 hours a day in the digital realm.

When you see something thousands or tens of thousands of times, you eventually memorize it.

“But how do you make the glaze?”

“Ah… for the glaze, mix feldspar, silica stone, and limestone. Of course, after grinding everything into powder. Then mix it with water.”

“Hmm. I understand.”

Despite the lengthy explanation, the aide managed to fit all my words onto the parchment from end to end.

As I poured grape wine into a glass and began to drink to wet my throat, the aide looked at me with an expression of genuine wonder.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’m just amazed.”

“About what?”

“Your knowledge, Your Majesty. How do you know so many things that I don’t?”

“…”

I looked into the aide’s eyes.

Eyes filled with pure aspiration, the gaze of someone elderly but whose passion had not cooled, staring intently at me.

“…Well, that’s because I am a monarch. In life, sometimes the wisdom one seeks is found in the mind of someone completely unexpected.”

With those words, I silenced the aide.

Whether I came from Earth, Mars, or another world—that’s no longer important.

What matters is that I am the ruler of Amurtat. That alone is what’s important to me now.

*

Finding materials to make bone china wasn’t particularly difficult.

Since Amurtat already used kilns capable of withstanding temperatures over 1600 degrees, we could easily repurpose materials used for maintaining the Steelyard to build kilns for firing porcelain.

As for cow bones, they were readily available, and feldspar or silica could be gathered from stones lying around on the streets.

Limestone could be easily found in the limestone caves while wandering around the northern mountains, and clay could be harvested (quite literally) to death from the southern swamps. Essentially, the raw materials were practically free.

The challenge, however, was how to ‘properly’ mix these free materials to create ‘beautiful’ bone china.

You know those cartoons where a craftsman shouts “This isn’t it!” and smashes their carefully made pottery with a hammer? That’s how difficult making porcelain is.

Even in 21st century Earth, pottery manufacturing couldn’t improve working conditions without automation. It’s not hard to imagine how difficult it would be to nurture artisans in this world, where not even the most basic mechanization exists, let alone automation.

Moreover, porcelain requires careful handling.

Even the most thick-skinned person would wince if a well-made piece of porcelain shattered into tiny fragments.

“Now, we need to find master craftsmen, don’t we?”

“Do you have someone in mind, Your Majesty?”

“No? There are no porcelain masters in Amurtat. We’ll have to go out and find them.”

I said this while placing my hand on the aide’s shoulder.

“Do your best.”

“…As you command.”

Being a supreme leader is truly a wonderful position, I think.

A position where you can take all the credit while bearing none of the responsibility—how perfect is that?

As the aide left the office grumbling, I chuckled and pinched Michaela’s soft, squishy cheeks.

*

“I’ve found them.”

“Huh? Already?”

“Yes. When we posted announcements in the marketplace, surprisingly many porcelain craftsmen appeared. When I questioned them suspiciously, it turned out most were apprentices of porcelain masters who came to Amurtat because they could no longer afford to continue their education.”

“My, how pitiful.”

Throughout history and across cultures, the path of art has never been easy, and that’s no empty saying.

While manufacturing requires a certain level of skill and technique to make a living, in art, that threshold is much higher compared to other professions.

Well, extracting money from others’ pockets is never easy, but the story of someone unable to complete their studies and forced to abandon their dreams for manual labor is a classic tale that anyone would find sad.

“Actually, this works in our favor. Bone china has different properties from other porcelains, so those too accustomed to traditional porcelain might find it more difficult to work with.”

“Is that so?”

“There’s a saying that a little knowledge can be dangerous. Let’s invest actively in this project this year.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

There’s a significant difference between shaping with a wheel and forming by pouring clay into a mold.

Since bone china is formed by pouring clay body into molds, it allows for more three-dimensional shapes compared to traditional wheel-thrown porcelain.

With well-made plaster molds, the same porcelain piece could be reproduced multiple times.

“The bone china produced this year should not be exported but strictly reserved for domestic use.”

“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to export all of it…?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… You still don’t understand. Think about it, Aide. If we distribute it domestically, places like bathhouses and taverns will start using bone china, and by imprinting it in the minds of our citizens, we’ll inspire future aspiring porcelain craftsmen.”

“Ah…”

“Additionally, there’s a saying that the grass is always greener on the other side. Tourists who see Amurtat citizens using bone china will desperately want it for themselves. I can guarantee that.”

The aide placed his hand on his chin and looked at me with an expression of admiration.

*

On the opposite side of the northern mountains, away from the Steelyard, in what would now be called the Boneyard, hundreds of craftsmen gathered, anxiously waiting.

Though summer’s heat was fading and occasional breezes brought hints of cold, the craftsmen’s clothes were soaked with sweat.

The radiant heat from the extinguished kilns before them had dampened their backs.

“Well then… I’ll open it now.”

Gulp!

Among the many kilns, only this one remained closed. It contained the best pieces from two months of tireless efforts to create bone china, fired as a demonstration.

Glazing and firing, glazing and firing again, decorating, glazing once more, and firing again…

Though porcelain requires three rounds of fire to emerge beautifully, the hearts of these craftsmen had already burned to ashes long ago.

Hisssss…!

As the kiln door opened, heat that had not yet dissipated began rising toward the ceiling. After several dozen minutes, when the inside had cooled enough for a person to enter, the oldest craftsman went in and brought out the fired bone china.

Thud!

And thus, the first bone china in Amurtat’s history emerged into the world. The craftsmen carefully poured water to wash away the ash, then polished the surface with clean cloths to bring out its luster.

“…Beautiful…”

A teapot and teacups with a subtle, milky sheen.

This was truly the source of wealth.