The western border town.
The washing stones bought from Silver City filled four entire ships, and unloading them alone took several days.
Now that we have enough raw materials, the soap production plan should be formally put on the agenda.
The supporting factory buildings and warehouses were completed long ago—the soap plant sits right next to the industrial park, adjacent to the No.2 steam assembly plant, with identical designs. All structures, including roofs, beams, columns, and wall panels, are wooden, with slightly smaller dimensions. Since Witch handled the wood cutting and hoisting, the construction was completed in just one week.
The production of soap using washing stone (natural soda) fundamentally involves a series of chemical reactions. The required raw materials are quite common: besides soda ash, large quantities of lime milk and fats are needed. Lime milk is a suspension formed by immersing lime in water and allowing it to settle at the bottom of a container. This mixture reacts with soda ash to produce caustic soda, which then reacts with fats to form higher fatty acid salts and glycerol. The former serves as soap, while the latter is a crucial raw material for explosives.
During soap production, Roland had already tested the complete reaction process in the castle's backyard. The principle remained largely the same, but scaling up a small trial batch to mass production required establishing proper techniques and standards. More crucially, it demanded guidance from specialized chemical professionals.
To this end, he summoned the Chief Alchemist into his office.
"Your Highness, I've devised a feasible plan for mass-producing sulfuric acid," Kaimoschuir declared as he entered. "But this requires substantial lead and blacksmiths to forge containers. I've heard your Witch has a metal-cutter who produces those rumbling iron blocks. May I..." "Certainly," Roland gestured for him to sit, "provide the container's specifications, and I'll assign the Witch Alliance to execute it. I summoned you today not for acid production, but for another mission." "Your Highness, I've been swamped lately," Kaimoschuir shook his head. "Mass acid production is a daunting challenge requiring my full attention. My disciples can't be absent—they're all assisting me in preparation." "Rest assured," Roland sipped his tea, "it won't take much of your time. No need to deploy your top disciple; just a few apprentices suffice." "What then?" "To create soap—a budget-friendly version of the soap sold at convenience stores. It's identical to regular soap in function, except for its scent. It can be used for bathing, laundry, and dishwashing." "Is this the saponification reaction from Elementary Chemistry?" Kaimoschuir stroked his beard. "The one where sodium hydroxide reacts with fats to produce alcohol and salts." It must be said, hearing a standard chemical term from an alchemist is an utterly peculiar experience—especially one he himself coined. Roland suppressed a laugh and nodded solemnly. "Exactly, the saponification reaction recorded in ancient texts. It was from this that I derived the soap-making method." "What then do you need me for? If it's not critical, I'd suggest postponing production. After all, your subjects can survive without bathing for days—clothes and dishes can be soaked in river water." "It's crucial," Prince emphasized. "Not the soap itself, but the byproducts of its production are what I urgently need." "You mean... alcohol?" Kemo responded dismissively.
"Exactly, it's alcohol—what you might call glycerin," Roland explained. "This is a crucial ingredient, second only to acids in importance." "Alright," Kaimoschuir shrugged. "But let's be clear—I don't have time to handle this personally." He let out a sigh, acknowledging the exhausting nature of working with a chief alchemist. "Just pick a few quick learners and demonstrate the process to them. I'll recruit some villagers for production, but since they're clueless about chemistry, someone must supervise every step." Prince paused briefly. "Think of it as a chemical experiment never attempted before—this process alone could lead to the discovery of multiple alchemical formulas in an alchemy workshop, enough to earn an apprentice the title of alchemist." The last words probably convinced Kaimoschuir. "If that's the case, I'll dedicate an afternoon to teaching the apprentices what you've assigned." "Perfect," Roland smiled. "You should know that the key to production lies in producing sufficient sodium hydroxide." He wrote down the reaction formula on paper. Before synthetic alkali was invented, natural alkali—the main component of which is sodium bicarbonate—was the primary raw material. Heating it decomposed into sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide, and water. Thanks to its abundant availability and simple process, it remained in use until modern times. "By heating washing stones, decomposing them, dissolving water, and filtering, you can obtain a relatively pure sodium carbonate solution." "Next, heat it with lime milk to produce a sodium hydroxide solution. The purification method should be straightforward," he explained while writing. "Clarify, distill, mix, and repeat this process until the solution becomes concentrated enough to form crystals upon cooling." These are all topics covered in *Elementary Chemistry*. Since the two alkalis have many nicknames (e.g., caustic soda, soda ash, baking soda, baking soda, soda, etc.) and are crucial exam points, he had memorized the textbook content thoroughly back then, so he still remembers them clearly today.
"I see," the Chief Alchemist reviewed the reaction formula thoroughly. "But Your Highness, what about the fat?" "I'll have someone deliver these materials to you." Animal fat remained a luxury in this era, though Border Town had secured a reliable supply of vegetable oil after the last royal guard's olive tree seed procurement from Fallen Dragon Ridge. While currently cultivated only in small plots behind the castle, the leafy plants' vigorous growth meant harvesting a bountiful crop daily was effortless.
Olive oil extraction is remarkably simple: once the olives ripen, they are pressed using cold-pressing techniques to yield oil. After filtering through a sieve to remove debris and residue, the clear oil is obtained.
Roland only let Kemoschier leave the office after briefly explaining the soap-making process and the requirements for retaining glycerin.
This way, when the soap factory started up, he had a steady source of glycerin.
With glycerin, the development of true smokeless propellants and high-powered explosives is also within reach.