When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 758 - 713: Kerben Mithril Refining Method

Stepping down from the low-key black oak carriage of the Pope's Palace, Horn was followed by Kerben and Senius.

Underneath the iron plaque of the Dragon Language Alchemy University Institute, one could see a dozen neatly arranged alchemical reaction vessels.

Compared to the tall and bulky alchemical reaction vessels used for refining mountain copper and peat, these experimental reaction vessels were relatively smaller.

They were clamped in the middle by wooden or iron stands, less than a meter high, placed on tabletops, with an inlet at the top and various outlets at the bottom.

These long, red ceramic pots had a dark red metallic glaze, and the electric gold inlays on the alchemical vessels emitted a faint watery glow.

Horn and the others arrived just in time as the fourth replication experiment was nearing its conclusion.

In front of a peat furnace, several alchemy students were venting and cooling down an alchemical vessel.

It was a dirty alchemical vessel, seemingly wrapped in refractory materials made of a slurry of mortar and quartz sand, with hardened slime gel material in the seams.

Taking advantage of this moment, Horn turned to Kerben: "How did you discover the secret of Hollow Soil?"

"In fact, this is related to our recent research at the Dragon Language Alchemy University. Based on Her Highness Hilov's theory of regularity, we compiled a large number of alchemical books and formulas, summarizing the three laws of alchemy."

Kerben raised three fingers: "First, the spirit determines the properties of transformation, while the substance determines the characteristics of the body.

Second, spiritual properties in alchemical reactions will only transfer, neither increasing nor decreasing, maintaining conservation.

Third, only when the spiritual and natural properties of each element match can the formula succeed."

With Kerben's explanation, Horn immediately recalled.

Kerben's recent research direction was to find a law that could explain the rule of compatibility among all elements.

Horn had even guided him earlier, suggesting he try using "pure substances" irreducible by alchemy to sort and summarize.

It seems that the shared alchemical data following the establishment of the Black Snake Bay Federation had provided these alchemy students with considerable assistance.

"According to the first law, if you consider only the properties of matter, like mass density, etc., this soil should not be this light.

So, I suspect that spiritual properties are at play.

According to the second law, spiritual properties only transfer and do not disappear or emerge out of nothing, so I reasonably suspect that the substance in the Hollow Soil has a spirit property that makes things lighter.

When it comes to what can make things lighter, nothing exceeds mithril, so I hypothesize that what is in the Hollow Soil is mithril.

Then, I began trying to restore the 'lightening' spirit properties from the Hollow Soil, so we could decompose the original substance.

From April to October last year, over six months, I conducted nearly a thousand experiments, trying countless alchemical formulas but all in vain.

However, come November, I recalled that naturally occurring mithril is formed near volcanic regions, like the Furnace Plateau.

So, I wondered, could it be that volcanoes act as large reaction vessels that enrich and displace the mithril in the soil?

To test my hypothesis and guess, I added peat and blowers to the reaction vessel.

Using refractory material wrap and hardened slime gel sealant, I increased the heat and added flame flowers, volcanic ash, and igneous rock.

In the fifty-fifth experiment with a new formula last night, a miracle occurred. Metal began to grow crystal-like on the rock covered with Hollow Soil!"

As Bachelor Kerben narrated, the temperature of the alchemical vessel gradually fell.

The unknown black sandy gravel inside was poured out, entering a hand-cranked cylinder, with dust dispersing, and the gravel and metal particles dropping from a funnel.

Horn stepped forward, picked up a thumbnail-sized mithril alloy, and felt a faint warmth in his palm.

Grabbing a handful of mithril granules mixed with other metals, Kerben shook his head and loudly said to Senius standing before him: "This is my Kerben Mithril Extraction Method, ah, Senius, do you have such an extraction method?"

Ignoring the nearly breathless Senius, Horn kept rubbing the metal particles in his hand: "What is the approximate production ratio?"

To know, the current major limitation of the helical gun and spring cannon power is weight.

If we could use mithril alloy to solve the weight issue of guns and cannons, the mana consumed for firing could continue to decrease, allowing monks to carry more ammunition.

Not to mention mastering the mithril production for locking devices of spring engines, spiral mithril firing rods of helical guns, etc.

For the crude and heavy Spring Industry, mithril is really too important.

"Approximately from 100 kilograms of Hollow Soil, about 10 kilograms of mithril mixed metal and less than 1 kilogram of other metals can be extracted..."

Due to the strict experimental rules set by Hilov, requiring data from every experiment to be recorded and preserved completely, Kerben knew at once.

"Oh, damn." Senius couldn't help but exclaim.

This equates to producing one ton of mithril from ten tons of Hollow Soil?

The dwarves on the Furnace Plateau, in their most challenging times, hadn't sold over ten tons of mithril a year!

According to this production ratio, Horn could match the Plateau dwarves' annual mithril output by excavating a hundred tons of Hollow Soil.

You can imagine how future mithril prices will have a dramatic fall.

Why does everything drop in value once it reaches the Saint's Grandson's hands?

Kerben ignored Senius's exclamation and continued narrating: "...but these mithrils are mixed with other metals, if you want to refine them into pure mithril, further refinement is necessary.

We've weighed the mithril alloy with the corresponding pure metals, the mithril content is about fifty to sixty percent, that is, five to six kilograms.

However, according to my analysis, the Hollow Soil hasn't fully reacted; there should be more mithril inside, but our current technology can't perform further deep purification."

"Good, good." Horn nodded repeatedly, the satisfaction on his face even uncontrollable, "I'll immediately write the budget approval report for the Dragon Language Alchemy University."

Senius's body trembled in the cold wind: "Your Eminence, I'm feeling unwell, may I return first?"

"Of course, take care of your health, we still rely on experts like you."

After seeing off Senius, Horn quickly gave instructions to Raphael and Robert who were rushing over: "I have something to say, note it down."

People around quickly pulled out small notebooks and charcoal pencils they carried with them.

"Immediately have the Industrial Department evaluate and collect information to see if mass production is feasible, and quickly submit a report.

Remember to seal the news, don't publicize it before scaling up production.

Raphael, you send a message to the Black Snake Bay Constitutional Army, have them send people to check those Hollow Soil sites, occupy them if possible, buy them if not.

The Pope's Palace will finance it, find a place close to the river to establish a Hollow Soil mining operation, then build refining and purification plants by the river.

The sites should ideally be connected by waterways, or simply use horse-drawn trains or even spring trains.

Supporting houses and infrastructure need to be constructed, collect information first, and once the evaluation report is out, write the project report and start the project as soon as possible, understood?"

"Yes, Your Eminence."