SMW C25 Mandoline Slicer

Alexander entered the makeshift laboratory—a previously neglected storage space transformed into his soap experimentation workshop.

The chamber contained everything necessary: a large stone slab for mixing, wooden preparation table, small hearth with iron grating, two iron cauldrons, clay pots for lye storage, wooden buckets, and testing bowls. Simple tools lined the workspace—stirring paddle, knives, measuring cups, straining cloth, and both large and small wooden molds lined with cloth. Along one wall, wooden shelves held organized materials: wood ash baskets and rendered fat containers, with space prepared for additional ingredients.

Alexander surveyed the entire setup with obvious satisfaction. "Excellent work, Fritz. You've arranged everything exactly as I specified."

He was genuinely impressed that Fritz had managed such thorough preparation in minimal time, even with assistance from servants and guards.

Fritz glowed with pride at the praise. "The servants and guards were essential helpers, young lord. I couldn't have managed alone."

Alexander nodded approvingly. Everything is perfectly prepared and ready. Soap production can officially begin!

"Let's commence," Alexander announced, rolling up his sleeves with businesslike determination. He gestured toward a wooden bucket filled with carefully collected wood ash. "First, we need to create proper filtration."

They began lining the bucket with clean linen cloth, creating a careful filtration system before layering the wood ash inside.

"What happens next, young lord?" Fritz asked, following along despite finding the entire process utterly mystifying.

"We need water to pass through slowly, extracting potash without carrying ash particles," Alexander explained with focused intensity, completely absorbed in the technical process.

The setup proved tedious, but Fritz maintained his cooperation despite not understanding their ultimate goal. They poured water through the ash layers with deliberate care.

Alexander stressed the importance of gradual water addition, so Fritz carefully mimicked his measured approach.

Fritz remained unaware that pouring too quickly would disturb the ash layers and weaken the resulting lye solution.

By late morning, Alexander watched pale liquid drip steadily into the clay pot positioned below their filtration system.

"Now we wait four to six hours minimum," he informed Fritz. "We can attend to other tasks while the extraction continues."

Fritz nodded, feeling somewhat drained by the unfamiliar work. While he knew they were creating something to improve cleanliness, the process seemed far more complex than any food preparation he'd ever attempted.

Just then, a castle servant appeared at the laboratory entrance. "Young lord, the noon meal will be served within the hour," the man announced before turning to Fritz. "Master Fritz, the kitchen requires your attention for meal preparation."

Fritz suddenly remembered his primary responsibilities and excused himself with obvious regret. "My apologies, young lord. I must return to my duties."

Alexander nodded with complete understanding. "Of course. We'll resume this afternoon."

With his soap experiment safely progressing on its own, Alexander also headed toward the Great Hall, already anticipating the next phases of his revolutionary hygiene project.

Alexander took his seat at the Great Hall table, positioned between his little sister Adelheit and his mother Ermelinde, who sat close beside his father Aldric.

While awaiting the meal, Aldric initiated conversation. "I understand you summoned two craftsmen today—a blacksmith and a carpenter?"

Alexander nodded. "Yes, Father. They'll be crucial for my upcoming venture."

"I'm quite curious about this mysterious project of yours," Ermelinde interjected with maternal interest. "Your father mentioned it earlier."

"I prefer to keep the details secret for now—it will make for a delightful surprise," Alexander replied with deliberately mysterious eyes. "All I can reveal is that it's a product that will greatly benefit our barony."

Aldric and Ermelinde exchanged amused glances, both charmed by their six-year-old son's earnest concern for baronial affairs.

"Well then, I certainly look forward to this revelation," Ermelinde said with a warm smile.

"As do I," Aldric agreed, then pressed gently, "When might we expect to see this miraculous product?"

Alexander considered the timeline carefully. "You should see results within a few weeks."

"Excellent. I await it eagerly," Aldric nodded with genuine anticipation.

Their conversation continued pleasantly until servants arrived with the meal half an hour later. Alexander observed the dishes with growing concern—primarily potato-based foods again. Today featured potato fries, mashed potatoes, bread, and the usual simple fare, but notably no costly ingredients.

The castle is clearly operating on a tight budget, Alexander realized grimly. Our treasury must be nearly depleted. I need to produce profitable results quickly.

He wondered how much difference his potato chips and soap could make to the castle's finances and the broader barony's economic situation. While they wouldn't solve everything overnight, any improvement would be better than their current precarious state.

The pressure to succeed weighed heavily on his young shoulders, but Alexander felt confident that his modern knowledge would provide the breakthrough they desperately needed.

---

Time passed, and by afternoon Alexander and Fritz returned to the laboratory to test their lye solution. Alexander carefully lowered a fresh egg into the pale liquid they'd extracted from the wood ash.

The egg sank completely to the bottom of the clay pot.

"It's not strong enough," Alexander sighed with disappointment.

"What does that mean exactly?" Fritz asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"It means our lye solution is too weak for soap-making," Alexander explained patiently. "A proper lye should be strong enough to float an egg with just a small portion visible above the surface."

Fritz looked exhausted at the prospect of more work. "Must we start the entire process over again?"

"No, we'll continue with additional filtrations," Alexander reassured him. "Strong lye typically requires two or three passes through fresh ash. We're making progress."

Alexander immediately set to work preparing their second filtration cycle.

---

Two weeks passed, and Alexander's various projects finally began bearing fruit. While his soap remained in prototype stages, he and Fritz had made significant strides in perfecting their lye production and basic formulations.

Simultaneously, the mandoline slicer commissioned from Ranulf and Osmund reached completion. The two craftsmen presented their work with obvious pride.

"It's finished, young lord," Ranulf announced confidently. "This device can slice meat thinner than any knife I've ever forged. I made the blade as sharp as humanly possible."

"And the wooden framework I crafted makes it stable and comfortable to operate," Osmund added with satisfaction. "The adjustable guides ensure consistent thickness."

Alexander examined their creation with growing excitement. The mandoline featured a sturdy wooden frame holding a razor-sharp iron blade at a precise angle. Wooden rails guided food smoothly across the cutting surface, while an adjustable guard controlled slice thickness. A collection tray caught the sliced pieces efficiently.

"Excellent craftsmanship," Alexander praised genuinely. "This is exactly what I envisioned."

"With this tool, I can slice potatoes thinner than ever before possible," Alexander couldn't contain his smile. Though it wouldn't achieve the paper-thin consistency of modern chip-making equipment, it would definitely suffice for his purposes.

"You're planning to use it on potatoes?" Ranulf asked with genuine surprise. He'd assumed the device was intended for slicing meat, cheese, vegetables for cooking, or perhaps herbs for medicinal preparations.

Alexander nodded enthusiastically. "Let me demonstrate why I commissioned this particular tool." He gestured for both craftsmen to follow him to the kitchen.

Once there, Alexander selected a large potato and began peeling it carefully while instructing Fritz to heat a cauldron of rendered fat over the fire.

"Fritz, please heat a large pot of fat until it's properly bubbling."

Fritz, Ranulf, and Osmund watched in fascination as Alexander demonstrated the mandoline's true purpose. He positioned the peeled potato against the blade guide and drew it smoothly across the cutting surface, producing remarkably thin, uniform slices that fell into the collection tray.

"By the saints," Fritz whispered in amazement. "I never imagined potatoes could be cut so fine."

"Like delicate leaves," Osmund added, mesmerized by the paper-thin potato slices accumulating on the cutting board.

After accumulating a substantial pile of paper-thin potato slices, Alexander carefully lowered them into the bubbling fat. The kitchen immediately filled with an entirely new aroma as the slices began to fry and crisp.

Everyone stared in wonder at this unprecedented cooking technique, completely mystified by what their young lord was creating.

"What... what are you creating?" Fritz asked in wonder, watching the thin potato slices bubble and crisp in the hot fat.

Alexander smiled mysteriously as he lifted the golden chips from the oil with a slotted spoon.