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Unfortunately, I did not get the go-ahead, at least until I solved the water purification issue. Until then, it was more research and prototyping for me.
After two weeks, I ended up deciding on a three-step filtration system, four steps if I want to ensure it is safe to drink by boiling it.
The first step is the slime/worm pit that I already had.. This was to break down any solids in the dirty water.
When the slimes and worms finish their task, an operator will proceed to the next step by activating a pump similar to the one used to draw water from the well to the water tower. This pump will lift the dirty water into a tall version of a water tower. The only difference is that this water tower is already half-filled, but not with water. Instead, it is half-filled with layers of crushed rock, charcoal, sand, and scrap cloth. The dirty water will filter through all these layers, down to the bottom of the filter tank, and flow down a pipe to a basin.
This brings us to the last step. The basin where the water ends up is filled with aquatic plants, both floating and submerged. These aquatic plants were chosen during my research because they removed "bad spirits" from water, or in more scientific terms, they absorb and/or filter toxic substances in water. Once the tank is full, it will be left for a week for the plants to do their thing before it is used for drinking or other purposes.
When I showed a scaled-down prototype of the filtration system to my family, I brought along the town's alchemist to test whether the water was technically safe for drinking. I use the word technically because the tests the alchemist has can only determine if the water was poisonous or not, not if there were any parasites or pathogens in the water.
The alchemist scooped a cup of water from the basin, took out a straw that appeared to have a reddish-brown paste baked onto it, and dipped it into the cup of water. After ten seconds, the only change was that the reddish-brown part of the straw darkened due to getting wet.
"Lords and Lady Ironcrest, I would say you have yourself some clean water." the alchemist announced, and I fist-pumped a "Yes!" with joy.
"Well done, son." Dad and grandpa pat me on the shoulders while Mum gives me a kiss on the cheek, and grandma hugs me.
"From soiled water, you said…" I heard the alchemist say while pinching her and looking into the slime/worm pit.
I then looked at Dad and asked, "So, can I scale up and do this for the house?"
I could still see the reluctant look on my father's face, but after a light elbow from Mum, Dad agreed and told me to write up plans for the renovation.
***
After my plans were approved, Dad sent for more specialized craftsmen who could only be found in the capital.
While waiting, I decided to catch up on the backlog of armor and weapon jobs I had. I went to Dad's study and opened the small cabinet that my parent would put job requests in, and found that it was almost full.
This... this was a lot more jobs than I ever expected having, and I have been gone for quite some time. Did I miss any deadlines? "Dad!" I called out as I ran to the training yard.
"Dad! What are the deadlines on these jobs? What did you promise the client?" I asked while holding two handfuls of commissions.
At first, Dad had an alarmed look on his face, as if he might have forgotten something important, but when he saw the papers in my hand, his expression softened. "Luke, you scared me for a moment. You don't need to worry about a deadline for those. Just continue as you normally do. I have already explained to the clients that you were away from home and that you had a large backlog due to the recent popularity of your works."
"Popular? This exceeds the 'popular' amount of commission I currently have, which is more than some blacksmiths in the capital." I whined. Apparently, those gifts that my parents gave out caught more attention than I could handle. It was going to take me months, even years, of hammering away to complete all these commissions… not to mention all the commissions that come in while I am trying to complete the current ones.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I rushed back to Dad's study, gathered all the commissions, and went to my workshop to sort them out.
After I sorted the pile of commissions, I ended up with two smaller piles. The first pile was for individual items like a sword or dagger, or matching sets like a full plate armor that comes with a matching sword, but ultimately, they were uniquely crafted pieces.
The second pile of commissions was for bulk orders of identical items, like swords or armor with the same design. These orders were mostly for nobles who wanted to ensure their personal knights looked fly as fuck in my armor to show off. And who am I to deny them the manly fashion my armor would bestow upon them? I can personally guarantee they would get all the wenches when they flex in my armor.
But the main question is, where do I start? I could start in chronological order of the first person who sent in a commission, but by my calculations, doing bulk orders would get the most pieces out of the workshop the fastest.
Screw it, hammer first, think later. I grabbed the oldest commission and got to work.