Kays Translations

Chapter 40: Possibility of Foamed Urethane

Isamu and the others had created boxes of similar size from wood and foamed urethane-like material for their experiment. They were now looking for Annemarie to help with the experiment.

As tea time was approaching, they decided to check the lounge, where they found Annemarie and Nicolette having tea.

Nicolette noticed Isame and the others walking in with boxes and called out.

"Oh, Isamu-san, why are you carrying those boxes? Didn't you mention something about experimenting with the stone magic tools?"

"Yes, that's correct. We were looking for both of you to ask for your assistance. It's an extension of the experiment involving the stone magic tools, and I need your help."

"Assistance?" 

Annemarie, who had not been directly involved in examining magic tools or magic circles, looked puzzled.

"Yes, it's related to the magic tools that produce the stones. It seems they can create unusual stones. I want to check if the properties of the created stones match my expectations. Both of you are capable of using ice magic, right?"

As Isamu spoke, he put down the two boxes that he and Eto were carrying.

"We can use it, but what do you want to do?" 

Nicolette asked.

"This stone I'm holding looks like something called urethane foam in my world. If it has similar properties, it should have excellent insulating qualities. So, I want to have you create ice of the same size using ice magic, put it into these boxes made of wood and this stone, and see how they melt. If the insulating properties are good, just covering a refrigerator with this could help maintain its coldness for a longer period."

"Oh, that sounds interesting. It would be quite useful if we could make our refrigerators last longer since the ice magic stones used in refrigerators are quite precious."

"So, all we need to do is create ice that fits in these boxes, right?"

"Yes, please put one on each of these plates."

"Understood."

Annemarie concentrated, gathering her magic into her hands. The dense blue magic energy that Isamu had seen before accumulated in her hands, and she began her incantation.

"In these hands clad in freezing air, bring forth the cold, icy fragments of ice, Ice Bullet!"

A softball-sized piece of ice rolled onto the plate prepared for it.

"Wow, that's perfect!"

"Then I'll make one more."

Annemarie smiled as she created another ice ball.

Isamu placed the ice into each of the boxes and closed the lids. 

"Great. Now we just need to wait. Eto-san, Willem-san, would you like some tea while we wait?"

"That's a good idea. We've been experimenting since morning."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't had lunch yet... I'm starting to get hungry," 

Eto and Willem realized, chuckling.

"I’m shocked. Why are all men in our group like this? “Hehe, everyone forgets to eat and sleep when they get so absorbed in it. Karina, prepare some light refreshments."

"Of course."

As if they had foreseen this situation, sandwiches were quickly prepared.

By the way, this was one of the things Isamu had mentioned to the Klaufeldt family. In this world, bread was often firm, so it was common to eat it with soup, and the practice of making sandwiches with thin slices of bread was non-existent.

"Oh, you've filled the sandwiches with various ingredients. Yes, they taste good."

"They not only taste good, but it's also convenient to eat."

Eto and Wilem, who were trying sandwiches for the first time, seemed to enjoy them.

Isamu sipped his tea and savored the sandwich. The combination of the savory flavor from the ham and cheese and the freshness from the tomato and cucumber-like vegetables made it a delicious sandwich.

While satisfying their appetites and enjoying their tea, a little over an hour passed.

"All right, it's about time."

Isamu checked the time and opened the lids of the two boxes to examine the results.

First, they checked the wooden box. It had melted somewhat, and there was some water in the plate, but the ice was still relatively large. It seemed to have reduced in size by about 20% or so.

Next, they inspected the box with the foamed urethane-like material.

"Wow, this one is amazing..."

Eto, who was peering into the box with Isamu, couldn't help but exclaim. The ice inside the urethane-like box had maintained its shape with very little melting. There was hardly any water in the plate, which confirmed this.

"This is... it may have even better performance than I imagined. It's undoubtedly a reliable insulating material."

Isamu himself was astonished by the results. Although he couldn't verify it, it might be more efficient than urethane foam on Earth.

"As Isamu-san said, using this to create refrigerators might extend their lifespan significantly!"

"That's right. I didn't expect it to perform so well. However, I can't read the magic circle of the refrigerator, so I don't know how long it will last... even if the box's performance has improved."

"What do you mean?"

"It depends on the specifications of the cooling mechanism. The simplest scenario is one where it cools at the same temperature and strength continually. In that case, the amount of time the magic stone will last won't change, although the temperature inside the refrigerator will likely become colder."

"I see..."

"If the cooling mechanism can adjust the cooling strength based on the temperature inside the box, it would be great."

"We have two refrigerators in our home, so it's probably quicker to try it out for real. We can enclose one of them with that stone and leave it for half a day. Then we can compare which one is colder, right?"

"Yes, that should reveal the results quickly. Well, even if it simply continues cooling, there's a direction we can explore by changing the size of the box. If it goes well, we might be able to cool twice the amount with just one stone."

"I see. That makes sense!"

Nicolette clapped her hands as she had an epiphany.

"As it was, Guido told us we'd have to be selective with what we put inside since there's not enough space. Making them larger should be good enough."

"Eto-san, in that case, could you go to the kitchen later to measure the size of the refrigerator? I'll start preparing for the other part that will improve its sharpness."

"Understood. I'll make sure to measure it accurately."

"Please do. Also, Nicolette-san, may I borrow a few standard swords used by the knights for the sharpness experiment?"

"You need them for testing the sharpness, huh? Alright, I can't lend you dozens of them, but we do have a few spares. Please use those. Anne, please guide him to the armory."

"Of course!"

"Thank you. I'm sorry to ask, but may I leave that to you, Willem-san?"

"Of course. Miss, I’d appreciate your guidance. Thank you."

With this flow, the tea party came to an end, and everyone divided their tasks to prepare for the second part of the experiment.

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