Day 70 of Banishment: Iron Sand Collection (2)
Now then.
It was the 70th day of Marylia’s banishment on the island.
She had been continuously crafting parts for her Terracotta Golems and trough-like structures for sluicing.
"It should be just about time for the first batch to finish baking. Hehe…"
The long, tile-like objects she had made could essentially be described as *troughs*.
They were designed to channel water. Specifically, they were tubes cut in half.
However, there was one feature that regular troughs didn’t have—grooves on the inside.
Marylia had crafted these grooves along the inner surface of the troughs where the water would flow. The purpose of these grooves was to catch the heavier iron sand, causing it to settle while the lighter sands flowed away. This was the tool she had created!
And so, the firing of the troughs began.
The firewood she had cut and dried earlier was now ready to be used, so she selected the driest pieces. Of course, she would need more firewood soon, so more cutting would be necessary.
"Oh, right. I should also start preparing to make charcoal soon… So many things to do~…"
Charcoal would be necessary as well, both for refining iron and for keeping warm indoors during the winter. Charcoal was preferable to firewood because it produced less smoke.
"I’ll make the charcoal kiln once I’ve got the iron sand collection going properly! Until then, I’ll need to prepare a lot of firewood… It’d be better to dry it with fire. Considering the amount I’ll need for winter and for making charcoal, this definitely isn’t enough…"
For now, Marylia left the Terracotta Golems to oversee the firing of the troughs and eagerly continued gathering firewood.
…Yes.
From now on, she would need an immense amount of firewood. For refining iron, for daily fuel—it was essential. To gather it efficiently, she wanted to cut down thick trees and split them. Split logs dried faster, and it was far more efficient to process larger trees. If she could cut them, that is.
… And so.
"I wonder if I can make a saw out of stone…"
Marylia decided to try crafting a saw.
A saw, as simple as it seemed, was actually quite a complex tool.
It wasn’t just about having jagged teeth; the teeth needed to be angled alternately to the left and right.
This allowed the saw to clear away wood shavings as it cut, preventing the blade from getting stuck. Such precise craftsmanship, however, was impossible with a stone saw!
"I just need to change my thinking. It doesn’t have to be a saw for cutting wood… it can be a grinding tool."
Thus, Marylia came up with a new idea.
"Yeah, instead of using a saw, I’ll cut the wood with an abrasive."
… She had thought up a plan that might just outdo the saw!
So, Marylia began instructing her golems to grind down some hard stones—chert that she had picked up from the coast.
The plan was to first try cutting wood with a simple stone saw, with just a jagged edge. If that didn’t work—though it probably wouldn’t—she would repurpose the saw as a tool to hold abrasives and grind down the wood!
In the Fractalia Kingdom, where Marylia came from, there was a technique that used abrasives and metal wire or chains to cut wood. The iron wire, twisted from thin iron threads, or chains were coated with abrasive paste—a mix of hard mineral sand and mud—and used to grind through the wood.
The key was that the metal wire or chain wasn’t cutting the wood, but the abrasive material was. Essentially, it was like filing the wood away. This method was still quite effective for cutting.
The stone saw she was creating now would have a jagged edge, with the grooves holding the abrasive material. The idea was that it would help cut the wood more effectively.
"Maybe I could try using rope instead… If the saw doesn’t work, I’ll give it a shot."
For the time being, Marylia had her golems continue crafting stone tools while she herself returned to making pottery.
… Ever since coming to this island, she felt like she had been endlessly kneading and firing clay. But it couldn’t be helped. After all, humanity had advanced through the elements of earth, water, and fire…
It would still be a while before the saw was ready. Saws weren’t something that could just be sharpened; the jagged teeth had to be carved out, which was quite labor-intensive.
So, in the meantime, Marylia continued cutting down thinner trees with a stone axe, gathering firewood, and stacking it around the furnace where the troughs and golem parts were being fired to dry it.
"Let’s start preparing for the charcoal kiln too."
…… Time to start preparing for charcoal-making!
Charcoal is, in essence, "leftover wood that didn't fully burn."
When you burn firewood normally, it eventually turns into charcoal. And if you extinguish the fire at that point, the charcoal remains.
However, obviously, making charcoal this way is highly inefficient!
… So, Marylia has to build a kiln to make charcoal. In order to efficiently cause incomplete combustion of the wood, she needs to create a kiln where not too much oxygen gets in. If you heat wood in a low-oxygen environment, the wood doesn't burn—it just heats up and turns into charcoal. This is why a kiln is necessary!
The structure of a charcoal kiln is not particularly difficult. The key point is being able to heat almost fully sealed firewood.
So, she built a chamber to put the firewood in, leaving an opening for exhaust and for adding fire, and sealed off the rest with mud to cut off the oxygen supply. For insulation purposes, she really buried it. She buried it deep. As a result, the kiln grew several times larger than the chamber for the firewood.
… Given this structure, she decided to just dig it into the ground! If Marylia is going to bury it under soil anyway, she might as well dig it out to begin with! That way, insulation and sealing are easier—it’s already buried!
"Hmm, when you burn firewood, water comes out, right? What should I do about drainage?… Well, let’s make a little dip at the bottom of the hole. Hopefully, the water will collect there and then evaporate…"
Marylia dug out more of the hole’s interior and applied clay to the sides, shaping it as she worked… and for today, that’s the end of it.
… Even with seven Terracotta Golems helping (not counting the ones making the stone saw or firing the pipes), digging a hole big enough for Marylia to fit in and making a kiln was tough!
Day 71 of banishment. Today, once again, Marylia fired pipes and golem parts while building the charcoal kiln.
"Hmm, I’ll need to make a smoke vent and a fire entrance… Oh, what should I do about the chimney? It’ll be a problem if it collapses while it’s baking… Hmm, let’s use the pipes."
For the exhaust vent, she inserted two pipes together and buried them. That should secure a proper exhaust channel.
As for the fire entrance, once she starts the fire, she will gradually seal it off…
"… Time to cut some wood."
Marylia was finally getting around to gathering the wood she would turn into charcoal.
"I feel like I’ve been endlessly cutting wood lately…"
So, Marylia cut wood. She gave the golems stone axes as well, and they all kept cutting wood. With the golems carrying the cut wood, the work went surprisingly fast.
"I can’t wait for the saw to be done…"
While thin wood is enough for making charcoal, thinking ahead, it’s better to be able to cut down thick trees efficiently. Dreaming of the saw, Marylia kept swinging her stone ax and felling trees.
Once she had cut plenty of wood, it was finally time to pack it into the kiln.
Yes. Pack it. Tightly. If she doesn’t pack it full, it’ll leave space for oxygen. So, she’ll stuff as much in as possible.
"Oh my? Do you want to get packed in too? Haha, well, if you really want to be burned… heave-ho!"
… A slime that had been wandering in among the firewood was plucked up by Marylia and tossed into the fields. A merciful act.
After packing the wood, the day began to wane, so she called it a day.
After checking the fired pipes and creating new Terracotta Golems, she went to bed early… and then the next day came.
Day 72 of the banishment.
Today is the day to cover the wood with clay.
… Yes. To block out the air, she also has to seal off the top. So, Marylia went out to cut some grass, layered it over the firewood, and then covered it with clay.
Here, she needs to go thick. A thick, generous layer of clay, enough to provide insulation.
In charcoal-making, insulation is crucial. With great care, Marylia heaped on plenty of clay!
… And so…
"Now, let’s fire it up!"
…The time had finally come to light the charcoal kiln!
Marylia piled up firewood at the fire entrance and lit it. The fire gradually spread to the firewood inside the kiln.
"Ahh~ I can’t really see it that well… Let’s just go with my instincts."
While keeping an eye on the fire, Marylia began sealing the fire entrance with bricks and clay. The goal was to cut off the air as much as possible, leaving only a fire burning at the entrance. Once that happens, the fire inside the kiln dies out, and the wood simply carbonizes at the high temperature.
"Hmm, the smoke is… coming out properly. Phew, good~"
Smoke billowed from the exhaust vent. If she cools that smoke down and collects the liquid, she could get wood vinegar, but she doesn't have the resources for that right now. Once Marylia can make pipes, she would definitely want to try.
"Well, I’ll check the charcoal tomorrow."
Leaving the fire in the kiln for the golems to maintain, Marylia took the pipes that had finished firing yesterday.
"Alright. Now, let’s go collect some iron sand!"
There’s no point in just having charcoal. Marylia, aiming for iron-making, set off to collect iron sand!
What do you think about this chapter?
