Chapter 56.2

As I mentioned before, people in this land have been making pottery and vessels for a long time.

But that was about it.

The structure of the kilns used in Arcadia had clear limitations.

The control over the fire was crude, and they lacked knowledge of the proper clay composition — the most crucial aspect of ceramics.

This is precisely why Eastern white porcelain is treated as a treasure.

‘I wish I could enchant this kiln too…’

Bisque firing takes up a lot of time, so I couldn’t help but click my tongue at the inefficiency of the production speed and output.

‘If I could deploy a barrier spell inside the kiln, the production time would be drastically reduced.’

Of course, enchanting the kiln was entirely possible.

After all, I’d seen it done before — a phenomenon where the flow of time inside and outside a space differed, thanks to a barrier magic I’d encountered in the depths of the Abyss.

‘But the cost is the problem.’

Spending that much just for ceramics would be overkill.

Time-altering barrier magic is one of the most advanced types of magic, and it would require at least a high-grade magic stone to make it work.

Compared to the magic stones I used for the drying room, this would be on a completely different level of extravagance.

“Let’s call it a day. As for sleeping arrangements… it’s too late to head back to the inner city, so let’s rest at the temporary dorms and return tomorrow.”

After one final glance at the ceramics placed inside the kiln, Teo, Mary, and I left for the day.

***

The next morning.

After a quick wash, I headed back to the second factory, where I found Mary and Teo already there.

The two of them were gazing at the bisque-fired ceramics inside the kiln with eyes full of excitement and anticipation.

“I think I understand now why Eastern white porcelain is so beautiful.”

“When so much time and effort goes into it, it’s no wonder it’s so beautiful.”

Although they didn’t say it aloud, their faces reflected the childlike excitement of kids on Children’s Day as they eagerly awaited their very own ceramic creations.

“Let’s get right to it.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

Inside the second factory, where all access was restricted, the three of us stood before about 20 bisque-fired ceramics.

The process was only about 70% complete, so the distinctive beauty and texture of white porcelain were not yet visible.

“From now on, we’ll paint designs using pigments.”

The three of us poured all our focus into the next step.

Mary and Teo approached this task with eyes sparkling with excitement, treating it less like work and more like a fresh, fun experience.

Their smiles, brimming with joy, were more childlike than adult-like.

‘Mary is carving swords and shields, and Teo is doing flowers and trees… It feels like they’ve swapped roles. Is Mary planning to gift hers to her sister? I recall Teo mentioning he’s been seeing a certain lady recently.’

As I watched them carve and paint their ceramics, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Meanwhile, I kept my design simple — a calm depiction of deer and forest animals.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“If we can mass-produce porcelain similar to Eastern white porcelain, the North will escape poverty for good.”

“Indeed. Currently, all the porcelain circulating throughout the continent features designs and shapes that cater to the taste of Easterners. But if we introduce ceramics with Arcadian-style designs, I guarantee that every single gold coin on the continent will flow straight into our hands.”

After finishing their paintings, Mary and Teo’s eyes glowed with conviction.

“That’s exactly right.”

I nodded, agreeing with their assessment.

The Arcadia continent was currently in the middle of a porcelain craze — similar to how Europe was obsessed with Chinoiserie during the Renaissance.

In the past, it was Eastern spices and silk that gripped Arcadia by the throat.

But that was no longer the case. Recently, Arad’s salt has been steadily eating into the spice market.

The silk trade was also on its last legs. About 10 years ago, the Empire’s southern region and the Royal Alliance successfully started their own domestic silk production.

But porcelain?

Not yet.

“Alright, if you’ve finished the design, carefully dip your pieces into this.”

With the painting and carving complete, we moved on to the glazing process.

After carefully applying the glaze, all that remained was the grand finale — the final firing, where the ceramics would be fired at 1,300 degrees for over 10 hours.

“Come back tonight. Have the soldiers guard the area thoroughly.”

We placed all the ceramics into the second kiln, which had been set up specifically for this final firing.

“Alright! Let’s get back to work!”

I led Mary and Teo, who kept glancing back at the kiln with lingering attachment, out of the factory.

It felt like I was guiding foreign tourists on a pottery workshop tour.

***

Late at night.

Mary, Teo, and I returned to the second factory.

“Everything’s clear during the shift!”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

After thanking the knights and soldiers who had been standing watch outside the factory since the previous night, we approached the kiln.

“It’s finally time!”

“……”

The sound of dry swallowing and heartbeats thudding echoed around me.

‘Did it succeed? The bisque firing went smoothly, but…’

I felt the same tension as them.

To be honest, even as someone from Earth, I didn’t know every detail of how to make ceramics.

All I was doing here was applying the MAX-level knowledge I’d obtained from the game Silver Age 1.

The skills I was relying on were under the life skills category of the game.

‘Since it’s knowledge from 100 years in the future, it shouldn’t have failed.’

The game Silver Age 1 was set in an arcane-punk version of Arcadia 100 years into the future.

If you compared it to Earth’s historical timeline, it would be like skipping the Renaissance and Age of Exploration with magical engineering, then jumping straight into the Industrial Revolution. It resembled the Belle Époque era of Europe.

Some areas even showcased magical technology that was far more advanced than modern Earth.

This created a large gap in cultural and technological differences between the early and late stages of the Silver Age.

There was even a growing movement to name the era that followed the Silver Age.

Some people were already calling it the “Platinum Age”, claiming it had surpassed even the Ancient Golden Age.

‘Phew…’

Even with the future knowledge of the Platinum Age at my disposal, I couldn’t stop the subtle nervousness from creeping in.

The success or failure of this ceramic business would have a significant impact on the future plans I had for this world.

“Let’s open it.”

With Mary and Teo’s expectant gazes fixed on me, I began removing the ceramics from the kiln.

“Woooow…!”

“Incredible…!”

As each piece of finished porcelain emerged from the cooled kiln, their eyes lit up with pure amazement and delight.

From their lips poured an endless stream of exclamations, like a waterfall of joy and awe.