The reason why it was so smoky was because we had a fire in the house.
When the top of the table in the largest room I had ever called the dining room was removed, a huge fireplace appeared from inside.
It seems that the top of the table was placed on top of the stone enclosure.
That way it could serve as a table in the summer and a hearth in the winter.
When you lit a fire in the hearth, the smoke went all over the place.
For the time being, it seems that the smoke is being exhausted from the ceiling, but itās not catching up at all.
ā¦why the hearthā¦? The rest of the restaurant is Western-style, but why is this particular part Japanese-style?
Tanaka Varian didnāt know this, but it is said that fireplaces were invented in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Moreover, since chimneys were quite hard to make, it was necessary to wait until the 18th century before they became common in ordinary houses.
There are no fireplaces in the Amoros Kingdom yet.
And, probably due to the cost of heating, in winter the retainers would gather around the hearth of the mansionās dining room to eat.
ā¦it feels like home.
I absentmindedly gazed at the dining room, which had become a place for the servants to rest.
My mother, Rushieno, didnāt look displeased either, so Iām convinced thatās what sheās talking about.
ā¦..although this looks like what primitive men would come up withā¦
=======
I was astonished when I first saw the retainers gathering in the dining room.
Burping and farting sounds were natural.
The servants scrambled for food, grabbed and munched on whatever their hands could reach, and threw away the bones and other leftovers without hesitation.
Someoneās dog ate it and ran away.
At least, itās a dog Iāve never seen in this mansion before.
In addition to eating manners, there are some people who play unkind pranks on our female slaves, but they are unexpectedly easy-going, and with a certain amount of consent, it doesnāt seem to be a problem.
And here I thought their religion preaches about āFaithfulnessā.
[Somehow, itās amazing.]
I called out to my father, Rudolph, who happened to be by my side.
[Umu, Dekos is a brave man, and he once ate up the thigh meat of a wild boar.]
It seemed that Rudolph interpreted my āamazingā as a compliment.
But, I donāt understand why eating a wild boarās leg is a heroic act.
Dekos is a stout servant who deftly grabbed the soup in the middle of the table and slurped at it.
I donāt understand why they donāt use spoons, but maybe thatās what heroes are like in here.
By the way, the squireās meals are the same as ours.
I didnāt know if this is normal or Rudolphās policy, but I understand that my father treats his squire with great care.
Tired of the noise and smoke, I headed to the kitchen.
The kitchen doesnāt have a smoke exhaust system, so itās smoky, but itās better because itās not noisy.
Rona and her mother were there.
[Eh, Rona, youāre here?]
[Varian-sama.]
Rona happily invited me to sit next to her.
[Where is Rolo?]
[Rolo should have gone out to fetch firewood with Giroude-san.]
Rona answered my question.
Recently, Ronaās mother no longer tries to scold us even if weāre getting along well, but whatās going on with the change of heart?
[Rona, have you been living in the royal capital all this time?]
[Yes, we have been in this mansion ever since the old man started working here.]
I let out an impressedĀ [ehh]Ā voice.
To think that the loyalty has been passed down to three generations.
After chatting for a while, I brought up the main subject.
[ā¦Actually, I will be returning to the territory come springā¦]
When I muttered, Rona made a sad face.
[Yes, I understand. Master goes back and forth between the territory and the mansion every few years.]
[ā¦..I see.]
After a short silence, Rona sang a song.
The people of the Amoros Kingdom love to sing.
Even though there is no alcohol in the lively cafeteria, there are always people singing loudly.
Ronaās singing voice today had a melancholic tone.
She must be reluctant to part with me.
Rona likes meā¦as expected, Iām not so insensitive that I canāt understand this.
She is probably about 10 years old, two or three years older than Varian, but perhaps she thinks that I was kind and dependable because of my high mental age.
However, as expected, I just canāt invoke any romantic feelings as a 10-year-old child, and Iām not even a romantic enough to throw my life away with a love that overcomes social differences.
Itās impossible for me to respond to her feelings.
I also sang along with Rona.
I learned this song from Rona.
Before my voice changed, there was no reason for my body to match Ronaās voice.
And if I use the chorus tips I learned in music class when I was Tanaka, it seems that you can achieve a certain level of singing ability in this world.
In other words, straighten your back, open your mouth wide, and sing without embarrassmentā¦this alone makes a big difference.
Before I knew it, Rolo and Giroude had returned, and even Rudolph and the servants who were making noise in the dining room were listening.
ā¦Thatās right, letās teach Rona not only letters but also simple calculations, so that she can find a better marriage partnerā¦..
After our chorus ended, the servants cheered.
I couldnāt see Ronaās expression.
=======
The year had changed.
The calendar in the Kingdom of Amoros has 30 days in a month and 360 days in a year.
There may be a leap month, but Iām not sure about that.
The winter in the Kingdom of Amoros is snowy and cold, and I think itās even colder since the heaters and clothes are underdeveloped.
Itās so cold that even wearing a fur jacket and arm covers canāt keep the cold out.
Unable to endure the harsh winter, the poor districts naturally overflow with starvation and freezing deaths.
Although it is a matter of course, there is a hierarchy even among the poor.
Even if you say poor people, there are those who have citizenship and have some income, and there are sick people who huddle in the corner and had to scavenge for garbage dump for food.
In general, people without a place to live will die in the winter by the order of 1,000, and with the melting of the snow, new peasants will gather in the city.
It seems that the population of the city is maintained in a perfect balance.
By the way, the population of the Royal Capital is about 5,500 households, approximately 30,000 people.
And about 60% of them are commoners with citizenship.
Due to the fact that this is the āKingās homeā, the Royal Capital seems to be of a higher standard than a normal city.
ā¦..Public hygiene and nutritional value are important, but the cold is the worstā¦
If you canāt withstand the cold, youāll die.
In the face of this reality, sanitation and nutritional value will come second.
I was thinking of a way to warm myself while feeling the bitter cold.
An idea crossed my mind.
Itās a ćRocket Stoveć.
This is a highly efficient wood-burning stove originally created to improve living standards in developing countries.
Itās very simple to make, just pass a J-shaped pipe inside the outer frame and fill the gap with heat insulating material.
If you want to make one, you can make it with just an 18-liter can and an L-shaped chimney sold at a home depot.
I knew pretty well how to make it since I already did with my own children back on earth.
For the insulation, light stones such as naan sold at home depots are used, but if you donāt mind the weight, it seems that sand will work as well.
A rocket stove has a simple structure, and even a blacksmith in the Kingdom of Amoros should be able to make one.
Since it was originally invented for a poor country with a low level of technology, it is a perfect fit.
As the structure is simple, the size can be freely adjusted.
If it were made larger and a chimney was placed around the room, the radiant heat would provide excellent heating.
There must have been people in the world who made a strange seat called a āheating benchā by applying the radiant heat from the chimney.
If rocket stoves that can be miniaturized and carried around become widespread, the number of people who freeze to death should decrease at once.
The rocket stove emits little smoke, so it should be able to eliminate the problem of smoke inside the mansion.
Personally, itās quite disturbing to inhale the smoke every time.
However, there is one problemā¦the only way to tell people that this is good is to show them the actual product, but as a 7-year-old kid, I canāt make it with my financial strength and personal connections.
When I desperately explained, they would probably get away with saying ābrat bullshitā.
ā¦I want to become an adult as soon as possibleā¦
I canāt help but think about the same things that other 7-year-olds often do.
Well, thatās fine. Now is the time to stock up on ideas.
I can try it out when the time comes.
I decided to think things through.
A rocket stove would be a groundbreaking invention.
Perhaps, that itself would be an achievement.
Itāll be a bit of a shame if itās stolen by someone else.
Letās keep the idea warm until I earn some kind of achievement and gain myself a territory.
While I was idly looking at the snow and thinking, Rudolph went out with several squires.
He went to the Royal Palace to say our new yearās greetings.
Even though I refer to it as a Royal Palace, itās a fortress-like building with unglazed roof tiles on rough stone walls.
[Itās warm this winter, itās a good thing.]
Giroude suddenly called out to me.
According to him, itās pretty warm compared to the preceding wintersā¦ heās wearing a barbarian-like outfit with short sleeves and fur.
[What? Didnāt you go to the Royal Palace?]
During the winter, everything is blocked by snow and thereās not much you can doā¦itās boring.
The other squires should have made a fuss about going to see the Royal Palace to beat their boredom.
[Hehe, this Giroude-sama can boast that Iām a squire when Iām in the Lioncoeur mansion. But in the Royal Palace, Iām just a vassal and a retainerā¦ a retainer of a retainer even.]
Giroude mutteredĀ [and thatās boring].
I see, he seems to have some kind of obsession.
However, there really isnāt much you can do during the winter.
There is barely any entertainment in the Amoros Kingdom.
Even hunting, which was a pleasure in autumn, canāt be done because of the snow.
Everyone was so bored that they had to entertain themselves by singing childrenās songs.
The lack of entertainment is probably one of the reasons why people make a fuss about their meals and are open-minded about sex.
It took me a while to realize this fact because I go to the church library whenever I have time.
[Letās think of something we can do in our room.]
[Thatās fine, Iād like to ask for a lively guy.]
Giroude laughed happily.
Thereās nothing that I take for granted in this land.
Entertainment must have been a luxury in human history.
ā¦Shogi, playing cards, reversi, sugorokuā¦ what else was there?
I tried to recall my vague memories about tabletop games.