Akros Zero
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15) Stove
🕑 Added 2025-11-26 18:24:17 +0000 UTC...
{3rd Pov}
The next day, after forcing down yet another half-cooked breakfast that barely qualified as edible, Subaru sat down and sketched a rough, simple diagram of a stove on a piece of paper.
He wasn’t aiming for anything advanced or overly fancy—just something practical enough to work in this world with the resources he had.
Subaru already understood that getting access to gas or anything remotely similar as fuel was impossible here, so he settled on the idea of building an oil-based stove instead.
Fortunately, he had a decent stockpile of oil that he brought from Otto—quite a lot, actually—so fuel supply wasn’t the issue.
The real problem was the construction.
Subaru had zero knowledge of welding, crafting, metal shaping, or any of the skills required to turn iron into a functioning stove.
He wasn’t magically going to become a blacksmith overnight either, so he needed someone else to do the job.
What he required was a craftsman—preferably someone skilled enough to make the stove easily, cheap enough not to drain his funds, and loyal enough to keep producing them for him in bulk without asking too many questions.
He also needed a person who wouldn’t panic or think he was insane for suggesting this weird contraption.
But even after securing the metal frame from whoever he hired, he still had to test it thoroughly.
Fuel wasn’t enough—he had to determine which material would work best for the wick.
He didn’t have a wide variety of options in this fantasy world, yet thankfully cotton and especially linen were extremely common and easy to find.
So acquiring them wouldn’t be a major problem.
He just needed to figure out which one performed better without burning too fast or failing at the worst moment.
That was exactly why, with his rough stove design in hand and a small pouch of money tucked away, Subaru set out toward the city. Walking for dozens of minutes under the morning sun made him painfully aware of how slow and inefficient traveling on foot actually was.
He genuinely needed to figure out some way to move faster, because wasting this much time every single day was going to drive him crazy.
His gate was still in the middle of healing—thankfully not shattered beyond repair, but still completely unusable for anything serious—and while his physical strength had improved to the point where it would be considered athletic back in his old world, it wasn’t enough to make long-distance walking any less annoying.
As he mulled over the issue while entering the city gates, a strange yet tempting idea formed in his mind.
‘If I use Invisible Providence to wrap around my body… and then force it to move me forward… would that actually work?’ Subaru wondered, imagining himself zipping around with shadow arms like some kind of haunted rocket.
But reality hit him immediately.
His control over the Authority was still shaky at best, and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally twist his own limbs, tear a muscle, or straight-up snap a bone because he gave a careless command.
Just thinking about that scenario dragged up a bunch of memories he’d rather bury six feet under.
He didn’t want to relive the pain, the helplessness, or the repeated deaths any more than necessary.
‘Yeah… maybe I should try that only after I properly master this ability,’ Subaru concluded, dropping the idea for now before it could tempt him into something stupid.
After asking a couple of locals for directions, he started heading toward the Commercial District, mind still half-distracted, when he suddenly came across a familiar face right in the middle of the street.
“Halibel! Nice to see you!” Subaru called out with a broad grin the moment he spotted the NEET wolf standing lazily near a row of merchant stalls.
Halibel’s wolfish ears twitched, and he returned the smile with his own relaxed, half-lidded expression.
“Pleadchi, what’re ya plannin’ today?” the wolf-man asked, tilting his head in that casual way that made him look like he had absolutely zero responsibilities in life.
Subaru, meanwhile, briefly wondered how he managed to run into Halibel this easily.
The city wasn’t small, and the Commercial District always had people moving around nonstop. But then he remembered exactly who he was dealing with.
‘Right… Halibel is a NEET wolf. He probably wanders around all day doing absolutely nothing except looking for odd jobs or simply killing time.’
Subaru nodded to himself as if he had just solved a grand mystery. No wonder their paths crossed so naturally here of all places.
What Subaru didn’t know, however, was that Halibel had sensed Subaru’s scent long before they saw each other.
The moment he picked it up, Halibel practically abandoned the small errand he had been handling.
He rushed over immediately, not out of excitement or friendliness, but out of pure caution.
The last thing the wolf-man wanted was for Subaru to accidentally—or worse, intentionally—destroy Banan over something trivial if he happened to get annoyed.
Better to stay close and keep an eye on the walking natural disaster.
Halibel still hadn’t fully evaluated Subaru’s true nature, and whether the boy genuinely was the harmless, somewhat clueless human he presented himself to be.
His instincts screamed otherwise.
Every time Halibel stood near Subaru, an overwhelming, suffocating sensation washed over him—something primal inside him warning that he was in the presence of a creature who could bring death without even trying.
‘At least Pleadchi ain’t weak… far from it,’ Halibel thought, his beast instincts screaming danger loud enough to drown out the busy street around them.
“Ah, Halibel, why don’t we head over to the corner for a moment?” Subaru suggested, lowering his voice slightly.
He had decided that if he wanted reliable information about craftsmen in Banan, then asking a local—especially one who wandered around all day—was the smartest move.
Halibel gave a small nod, and the two of them stepped away from the busier part of the street until they reached a quieter corner.
Subaru glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then unfolded the simple yet strangely technical diagram he had drawn earlier and held it out for Halibel to see.
Halibel leaned in, ears flicking curiously.
“Oh? And what’s this little trinket supposed to be?” he asked, staring at the somewhat messy but noticeably detailed sketch before flicking his gaze back to Subaru, clearly waiting for an explanation.
“You see,” Subaru began, clearing his throat, “this is… well, something I’ve been working on. You could call it an invention, or at least a prototype of one. I need to find a craftsman who can help me turn this drawing into an actual product. So, I was wondering—do you know where I can find someone capable of making something like this?” Subaru asked, hope shining plainly in his eyes as he waited for Halibel’s judgement.
Halibel took the paper again for a closer inspection, squinting a little.
“Is it made of iron?” he finally asked, tapping a claw at the sketched outline.
Subaru nodded quickly.
“Yup! Think of it as a… uh, complicated iron pot, I guess,” he said with an enthusiastic grin, even though he knew the description was pretty inaccurate. Still, it was close enough.
“I see, I see.” Halibel rolled the diagram gently and handed it back.
“If that’s the case, Pleadchi, then you can get it made at a blacksmith’s workshop, or maybe by a tinker if they’re skilled enough. As it happens, I know a couple of guys who handle ironwork around here. If you want, I wouldn’t mind guiding you to them,” he added casually, tail swaying as he offered the help without much hesitation.
Subaru’s eyes brightened at the offer, grateful that his gamble on asking Halibel had paid off so easily.
“Is that so?!” Subaru exclaimed, genuinely excited by the opportunity.
“Great! That would really help me out, Halibel. If you can introduce me to some reliable craftsmen, I’ll owe you one. It’s just that…” Subaru lowered his voice a bit, glancing around before adding, “I want to make absolutely sure they keep this design a secret. I don’t want it getting copied or stolen before I even finish the first prototype.”
Halibel let out a small, knowing smile, as if he had expected Subaru to worry about something like that.
“I get it, I get it! Pleadchi doesn’t want anyone else snatching his idea, right? Then you can file a legal claim at the Merchant’s Trade Union. They manage those sorts of things—protecting designs, inventions, merchant tricks, and preventing rival companies from just grabbing someone else’s hard work.”
Subaru stared at him, momentarily stunned.
Copyright existed here?
Or at least some medieval bootleg version of it?
He honestly hadn’t expected that.
For a world where magic beasts roamed around, he didn’t think paperwork and legal protections would be so formalized.
Halibel continued casually, “But, of course, you’ll have to pay a monthly fee to maintain that claim. If you stop paying, the protection lapses, and then anyone can imitate it freely.”
Subaru’s eyebrow twitched hard at that part.
Paying monthly?
So basically a subscription fee disguised as legal protection?
It sounded suspiciously like a medieval, fantasy-world version of being robbed politely.
‘I swear, even in another world they found a way to charge subscriptions…’ Subaru thought bitterly.
‘I’ll deal with this third-rate copyright system later. I don’t even have the prototype yet, so no point stressing over it right now.’
For now, getting the stove made was the priority.
Everything else could wait.
Although Subaru acknowledged that the stove idea was considered innovative in this world, he also fully understood it wasn’t complicated at all.
Anyone with a bit of technical curiosity could eventually dismantle one and copy the entire structure after seeing how the parts fit together.
The simplicity that made it easy for a craftsman to build also made it incredibly easy to rip off once it reached the market.
‘I guess something like a printer would work far better in a situation like this,’ Subaru thought, already drifting into a completely different world of possibilities.
A stove might be useful, but a printer—an actual functioning printer—would give him a monopoly on written content.
He could mass-produce stories from Earth, light novels, manga-style chapters, or even textbooks.
And since no other company would have the machine itself, none of them would be able to compete with him in production speed or quality.
As he imagined the possibilities expanding—novels distributed across kingdoms, books with crisp pages, and even illustrations resembling anime art styles that nobody here had ever seen—Subaru’s grin slowly grew wider and wider.
The idea of dominating the entire printing and publishing market excited him far more than the humble stove he was currently working on.
Halibel, meanwhile, watched Subaru’s face cycle through excitement, calculation, amusement, and something that looked disturbingly close to world-domination scheming.
The Wolfman started sweating internally as he sensed a dangerous shift in Subaru’s mood.
‘Don’t tell me Pleadchi is already thinking about overthrowing the entire Merchant Trade Union…’ Halibel thought with growing dread.
The idea of Subaru challenging an entire economic structure made his fur prickle.
If anyone could do it, it was probably this terrifyingly unpredictable human whose presence alone radiated danger.
“Okay, Halibel. I’ll visit the Merchant Trade’s Union later. For now, just introduce me to a blacksmith who’s reliable and trustworthy,” Subaru said with a confident smile, trying to keep his tone casual.
Halibel let out a long breath of relief, clearly glad that Subaru wasn’t immediately scheming something too ambitious.
Following Halibel’s lead, Subaru soon arrived at a well-sized blacksmithing workshop, its forge glowing faintly through the open doorway.
The shop had a neat but busy atmosphere, with iron tools and half-finished projects scattered about.
As they stepped inside, Halibel called out in his usual relaxed manner, “How’s it going today, Yasuo?”
“It’s been a productive day so far, Sir Halibel. I hope your day has been just as pleasant,” Yasuo replied politely, wiping his hands on a cloth as he glanced at them.
His tone was respectful but curious, clearly wondering about the sudden visit.
Halibel gestured toward Subaru and explained, “Ah, yes. I’ve brought an important friend of mine. He has a very private commission that needs careful attention. I want you to check with Bruno and see if he’s willing to take it.”
Yasuo’s eyes flicked to Subaru, widening slightly in surprise as he studied him for a moment.
Subaru stepped forward and extended his hand slightly.
“Nice to meet you! I am Pleiades… but you can call me Plead,” he said with a polite yet confident tone.
Yasuo nodded, returning the gesture.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sir Plead,” he replied courteously.
Then, glancing toward the back of the shop, he added, “Just give me a moment—I’ll go ask the boss about it right away,” before quickly hurrying toward Bruno, presumably the master blacksmith.
Subaru stood there for a moment, quietly observing the shop, already imagining how the iron stove he wanted could come to life under the hands of a skilled craftsman.
A few minutes later, a man emerged from the back of the workshop.
He wore a simple kimono, his face and neck glistening with sweat, grey hair and a short beard framing a rugged, yet muscular build that spoke of years of hard work.
His presence immediately carried a sense of authority and skill.
“How rare it is to see Sir Halibel bringing along someone who appears to be his important friend,” he said in a deep, gruff voice, his accent unmistakably Karagian.
There was a subtle mix of curiosity and respect in his tone as he observed Subaru closely.
Halibel smiled faintly and gestured toward Subaru.
“Bruno, my friend here has an intriguing design. I trust that you might be capable of constructing exactly what he needs. Take a good look, I think you’ll find it a worthy challenge.”
Subaru stepped forward confidently and extended the folded sketch.
“Sir Bruno, you may call me Plead. This is the design for a piece of equipment I’ve been working on. I would like you to build it, if possible,” he said politely, handing over the detailed drawing.
Bruno took the design in his hands, studying it carefully.
His experienced eyes flicked over each line, each measurement, and his mind began turning over the possibilities of how it could be brought to life.
After a few moments, a broad grin spread across his face.
“Interesting design, I must say,” Bruno finally said, nodding approvingly.
“Don’t worry, lad, I can make this for you. All you need to do is tell me when you want it finished, and I’ll see to it.”
Subaru’s grin widened at the affirmation.
This was exactly the kind of skilled craftsman he had hoped to find, someone capable of translating his ideas into reality without messing up the details.
“Sir Bruno, I would like it to be made as soon as possible,” Subaru said earnestly, not hiding the urgency in his tone.
He quickly added, “I am even willing to pay extra if needed—”
Before he could finish, Bruno raised a hand and interrupted firmly but kindly, “No need to pay extra, lad. You’re with Halibel. Out of respect for him, I’ll have this made in just a few hours.”
Subaru blinked in surprise, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden generosity. He wondered silently why Bruno would offer a discount so readily.
Then his gaze shifted toward the unemployed Wolf standing nearby, Halibel himself, and the pieces began to fall into place.
‘I see… Halibel and Bruno must be good friends,’ Subaru thought, analyzing the situation carefully.
‘And since Bruno knows Halibel’s financial situation, he’s giving him this courtesy. And because I’m accompanying Halibel, he must be extending the same treatment to me, assuming my situation is similar.’
Subaru felt a twinge of embarrassment at being lumped in with an unemployed NEET Wolf, even if the comparison was indirect.
However, thinking about the practical benefits of the arrangement and how much easier it made getting his project started, he quickly dismissed his shame.
After all, a discount this generous saved him both time and money, and in the end, that was far more important than pride.
(A/N: Now this is bit ironic)
“Sir Bruno, if you don’t mind, I would like to wait here while the work is being done,” Subaru asked politely, his tone calm but confident.
Bruno chuckled warmly at the request.
“Consider this place your home for now, lad. While you’re here, why don’t you take a look around the shop? You might find something useful, just in case you need it,” he said with a friendly grin.
Subaru gave a small, wry smile but still nodded respectfully.
“Sure, that sounds good,” he replied.
Over the next few hours, Subaru spent his time exploring the blacksmith’s workshop.
Halibel took the opportunity to show him various weapons, tools, and equipment, explaining in detail the situations and methods in which each item would be used.
Subaru listened carefully, occasionally asking questions and making notes in his mind, thinking about how he could adapt some of the designs for his own purposes.
Later, they went to a nearby tavern for lunch.
As usual, Subaru insisted on paying for the meal as a gesture of thanks toward Halibel, who looked at him with a confused expression.
He couldn’t quite understand why Subaru acted that way sometimes—almost as if he were looking at him with pity or treating him like someone in need of help.
It didn’t make sense.
Even if Subaru didn’t show it outwardly, he must know that Halibel wasn’t just anyone.
He was Halibel, one of the strongest people in all of Kararagi!
There was no reason for Subaru to treat him like he was weak.
Despite his confusion and slight irritation, Halibel kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he silently wondered about Subaru—who he really was, why he seemed so dangerous, and how someone who looked so ordinary could radiate such a strong aura of power.
After finishing their meal, they returned to Bruno’s workshop.
The blacksmith had apparently completed his preparations and called for them, signaling that it was time to see the finished work.
Subaru’s eyes widened in surprise as Bruno presented him with two completed prototypes.
“Damn, that was incredibly fast!” Subaru exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine amazement.
“And to think you actually made two of these! I didn’t expect it to be done so quickly, let alone have two finished prototypes ready!”
Bruno nodded calmly, setting the prototypes down on the workbench.
“I used slightly different materials for each one, so you can compare and decide which works best,” he explained, handing over a neatly written list of materials and specifications for both models.
Subaru took the list and read through it carefully, analyzing each detail.
In the first prototype, Bruno had used mostly iron, giving it a sturdy, robust structure.
The second prototype had copper integrated into the mesh section, which would likely improve heat distribution and efficiency.
Subaru was impressed—he hadn’t even explained to Bruno the exact purpose of this device, yet any competent craftsman could figure out that it functioned similarly to an oil lamp.
“This is amazing! Thank you so much, Sir Bruno, for your fantastic work. I’ll give your service a five-star rating for sure!” Subaru said enthusiastically, giving a thumbs-up with a wide grin.
Bruno chuckled at the gesture.
“Though I’m not entirely sure what this ‘five-star rating’ means, lad, I’m glad to hear you’re happy with my work,” he replied warmly, clearly pleased that Subaru appreciated the effort he had put into the prototypes.
“Also, don’t worry about your design being leaked,” Bruno suddenly added, glancing at Yasuo with a serious expression.
“Right, Yasuo?”
Yasuo nodded firmly and said, “As the boss says, we never expose the private affairs or work of our clients. Your secrets are safe with us, Sir Plead.”
Subaru gave a small nod in acknowledgment.
While he didn’t fully trust them yet, he didn’t particularly care either.
If they attempted to betray him or double-cross him in any way, he was confident he could neutralize them before they even realized what was happening.
Although this might seem like an overreaction to some, Subaru already understood the nature of this unpredictable world.
People could appear kind, helpful, or trustworthy on the outside, but deep down, many were nothing more than selfish or treacherous individuals.
He had learned the hard way not to rely on appearances alone.
From this point onward, Subaru decided that everything would proceed strictly on his own terms.
He had the Witch of Envy as his personal asset—a power unlike anything else in this world—and he had no intention of hesitating to use her if necessary.
After all, having someone he hated so much willingly under his control and then failing to take advantage of that would completely defeat the purpose of enduring her presence and keeping her close.
“Also, may I ask how much these two stoves cost?” Subaru inquired, wanting to get a rough estimate of the material and labor costs for the two prototypes.
Bruno considered for a moment before replying, “The one made entirely of iron will cost ten Kararagi Shells, and the one with the copper mesh will cost fifteen Kararagi Shells.”
He had calculated the prices carefully, taking into account both the materials he used and the effort he invested in crafting them.
While it wasn’t an extremely simple task to build the stoves that Subaru had commissioned, the materials themselves were fairly common: iron for the basic model and copper for the mesh on the second.
Additionally, the work required wasn’t nearly as demanding as forging a sword. Unlike weapons that need precise grinding and shaping, these stoves only required basic construction similar to ordinary tools.
In fact, the stoves didn’t even require the fine sharpening or meticulous polishing that knives or scissors would need.
In simple terms, any skilled blacksmith—or even an experienced tinker—could craft these stoves fairly easily once they understood the design and process.
Subaru happily handed over the money without hesitation.
When converted to Lugunica’s currency, the total came to just 2.5 silver coins for both stoves, an incredibly low price considering the amount of Royal Gold Coins he still had remaining.
It was a bargain, and Subaru felt satisfied knowing he had acquired a practical and useful tool without spending a significant portion of his funds.
‘Thank god, I made the right call and earned these thirty Royal Gold Coins for saving the village,’ Subaru thought to himself with a satisfied grin.
After settling his mind on that, he took a moment to sincerely thank both Bruno and Halibel for their assistance before heading back to his house.
Of course, he didn’t leave the city empty-handed—he stopped by the market to purchase some linen and cotton for his project.
By the time he returned home, it was already late in the afternoon.
Thankfully, he had discreetly used his Invisible Providence ability to cover his hands while holding the heavy bundles, which made the journey back much less exhausting than it would have been otherwise.
Subaru appreciated the convenience, knowing that without this trick, carrying such a load would have left him completely drained.
Once inside his house, he quickly got to work on preparing the threads.
Both the cotton and linen threads were carefully processed, and he finally inserted them into the mesh of the stove he had commissioned.
These threads would serve a crucial purpose—they would connect the oil container situated beneath the mesh to the stove itself, allowing for the controlled distribution of fuel.
In addition, Subaru designed a primitive mechanical switch that could raise or lower the mesh, thereby giving the user the ability to adjust the intensity of the flames.
The overall design Subaru had meticulously created functioned in a straightforward but effective manner, combining simplicity with practical utility.
The design Subaru had come up with looked like this:
┌─────────────── Cooking Pot ────────────────┐
│ │
└───────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────┴──────────────┐
│ Iron Cooking Grate │ ← adjustable height
│ (mesh + frame structure) │
______└─────────────┬──────────────┘______
/ │ \
/ │ Lift Rod \
/ │ \
/ ┌─┴─┐ \
/ ┌───────┴────────┐ \
/ / | \ \
/ / | \ \
/ __/___________|___________\__ \
/ .´ . . . . . VENT HOLES . . . `. \
/ .´ ● ● ● ● ● ● `. \
| .´_______________________________________`. |
| / ANGLE-FORGED IRON BODY \ |
| / \ |
| | | |
| | ┌────────────────────┐ | |
| | │ Oil Reservoir │ | |
| | │ (clay/iron cup) │ | |
| | └─────────┬──────────┘ | |
| | │ Wick Tube | |
| | │ | |
\ | (Flame) | /
\ | │ Linen Wick | /
\ \ │ / /
\ \___________________________________________/ /
\ Base Support Ring /
\_______________________________________________________/
And then Subaru began the testing of his newly built stoves, and he couldn’t help but feel genuinely impressed by the results.
First of all, the design he had conceived was fully workable, far superior to the primitive clay stoves most people in this world used, which were cumbersome and inefficient.
This new stove was a huge improvement, not just in terms of usability but also in performance.
Subaru proceeded to conduct a series of tests to evaluate the performance of different materials.
He first burned linen and then cotton in the same stoves for a same amount of time, carefully observing the differences and taking detailed handwritten notes.
In total, he carried out four separate tests—two for each stove—to ensure he had reliable results.
After completing all the tests, Subaru concluded that the combination of copper mesh and linen was the optimal choice.
Linen, surprisingly, was not only cheaper than cotton but also functioned better as a thread for his stove design.
The copper stove, on the other hand, delivered significantly more heat, which Subaru confirmed through a simple test of boiling water.
He didn’t stop there; Subaru conducted another test, this time adjusting the lift rod to see how heat control could be affected.
Once again, the copper stove proved superior, offering precise and responsive control over the flame intensity.
However, he also noted that the iron stove, while less efficient in comparison, was still completely functional and practical for everyday use.
Overall, Subaru was more than satisfied—his design worked exactly as he had envisioned, and he now had a reliable, efficient stove ready for use and then sell.
Subaru was so engrossed and completely lost in his excitement that he continued experimenting with the stoves well into the night.
He was so absorbed in testing the designs, trying different materials, and adjusting the lift rods that he completely lost track of time.
It was only when the oil in both stoves finally ran out that he realized how late it had gotten.
“Damn, time really passed so quickly while doing these experiments. Thankfully, I didn’t fill the containers of the stoves completely, otherwise I might have stayed up the entire night,” Subaru muttered to himself, a mix of amusement and relief in his voice.
Thankfully, through his tests, he had also figured out the burn duration of the oil.
Since the containers had been roughly half-filled and the oil lasted for almost seven hours,
Subaru calculated that with a full container, each stove could easily sustain a burn for around fourteen hours.
And mind you, he had been using medium flames the entire time, which meant there was still room for optimization.
He knew he would need to conduct a few more tests to confirm exact durations, but the preliminary results were extremely promising.
Subaru laughed aloud in pure excitement.
For the first time in his life, he was genuinely having so much fun.
Who could have imagined that tinkering with an oil stove in a medieval world could be this enjoyable?
The sense of accomplishment and discovery filled him with energy he hadn’t felt in years.
After finishing his experiments, Subaru used the copper stove he had built to cook his dinner.
The stove performed flawlessly, heating the food evenly and efficiently.
After eating, feeling satisfied and accomplished, he finally went to sleep, his mind buzzing with ideas for further improvements.
Meanwhile, his shadow stirred slightly, Satella emitting a faint, disappointed buzz.
She wasn’t happy that Subaru hadn’t summoned her at all today, clearly feeling neglected despite her constant presence within his shadow.
To be continued...
