CH 103

Takarakuji Ch. 103 Hazy

September 7, 2020oniichan69

The next morning.

The two finished breakfast and were discussing a piece of memo paper in front of them in Kazura’s room.

The memo paper was a list of items Valetta had written down last night that she wanted Kazura to procure.

‘Um, a circular blade of steel, fertilizer, nails and… oh, fireproof bricks? Are you planning to make steel, by any chance?

Kazura looked up at the words ‘fireproof brick’ written on it.

‘Yes. Kazura-san gave me a book that said a lot about it, so I thought I’d like to make one.”

I see. So that’s why you were burning charcoal. But there’s a forest nearby, so you didn’t have to burn the charcoal in the mountains.

To make a charcoal kiln, you need to use kamatsuchi, but the soil used for the kiln comes from the mountain. It doesn’t take much time to carry the soil all the way to the village, so we decided to do it all in the mountains.

Kamatsuchi is a fireproof mortar made of soil with a high silicate content that is kneaded into a mortar.

It is made from whitish soil found in the mountains and is an essential part of the charcoal kiln making process.

The reason Valetta asked Kazura for fireproof bricks this time is that Japanese fireproof bricks are of much higher quality than the ones she can make herself.

If all you need to do is to make a lump iron furnace Tetsuro, which is used to refine iron from iron ore, then fireproof bricks made by shaping and firing kamatsuchi will not be a problem.

However, Valetta had another plan in mind.

‘Oh, I thought we could get to the mountains in an hour by running… so you found iron ore in the mountains?’

Yes, sir. I have found a large vein of iron ore.

“…seriously?

Seriously.

Valetta smiles at Kazura, who is surprised to see her eyes peeled back.

‘I found it by chance along the mountain river. There was also a lot of crushed iron ore that fell on the riverbank. Maybe it was crushed by a flash flood or something and then stored up little by little.

‘Is there such a place could you tell me where it is?’

When Kazura held out the file with the map, Valetta flipped through it and opened the page that contained the map of the mountainous region.

The map was a photocopy on an A3 sheet of paper.

There is a vein of iron ore all along this river. The photograph of the Striped Iron Ore Deposits in the book matched the description in the book perfectly, so I’m sure it’s accurate.

Valetta crawled her finger over the single river depicted on the map and opened the book titled ‘History of Metal Refining’ that lay beside her.

The page that opened contained a color photograph with the name ‘Striped Iron Ore Deposit’.

It was a photograph of a red-black striped rock wall.

It’s about here. There’s a vein of ore all the way up the river, and there’s a lot of crushed iron ore in the riverbed on one side.

‘Hmmm, this river leads to the village, the reserves must be amazing.

‘I think if you cut through the rock face, you can mine quite a bit of it. There’s a tremendous amount of stuff down in the riverbed alone, so you can use it all you want.

‘That’s great. I’ve been thinking about how to install steelmaking technology, so it’s a relief to know that there’s material nearby. If we do decide to mine it, can I get some help?

‘Yes!　I’ve been exploring all over the mountains lately, so I’ll show you a lot of stuff next time!

Kazura nodded to Valetta, who nodded somewhat happily, and then looked down at the memo paper again.

”Wow, this is awesome…”

After getting ready to leave for Japan, Kazura let out an exclamation of amazement as he walked out the front door of the mansion.

Last night it had been too dark to make out much, but now that it was bright, he could see the entire village clearly.

Waterwheels of all sizes, including the mortar canal that runs through the village, are installed here and there.

The wooden fence that surrounds the village and the watchtowers on all sides of the fence.

Some of the buildings were under construction, and a lot of wood, which appeared to be posts and wall panels, was lying on the ground.

‘Mr. Kazura, here’s your lunch.’

As Kazura was looking out at the village, Valetta came out of the mansion with a wooden lunchbox.

She made and packed a quick meal with me when I made breakfast.

‘Do you think you’ll be home for dinner?’

‘Yes, I don’t have any plans for it to take long, and I think I can come back.

Valetta smiled happily when she heard the reply.

‘Good. I’ll make a feast and wait for you.’

‘I’ll try to get back to you as soon as I can. Is there anything else you’d like to buy additional to what was on your list?

‘It’s probably okay, but … oh, yeah. My dad was raving about how ‘I want that drink again’.

Sake. Then I’ll have to buy some other things besides sake.

With that, Valetta waved goodbye to her, saying goodbye, and Kazura left the mansion.

After seeing Kazura off, Baretta finished washing up and washing clothes in the waterway inside the village, and then came to the camp outside the village.

A soldier closes at hand called Isaac to her, and she turned her attention to the view inside the encampment.

Most of the soldiers were in plain clothes, and a few were wearing armor.

A laid-back atmosphere washed over the encampment, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their extra vacation.

Some walked towards the river with fishing rods in their hands, while others could be seen here and there heading towards the nearby forest.

Those heading to the forest are looking for Arcadian worms, a specialty of the area.

As Valetta was looking at such a scene, Isaac, dressed in armor, walked up to her shortly after.

‘Good morning, Isaac-san,’

Isaac smiled as Valetta bowed her head in a bobbing fashion.

‘Good morning. Have Kazura-sama gone to the Kingdom of God already?

Yes, He just left.

‘I see. Well, shall we begin immediately?

‘Please. But first, there are a few things I want to discuss with you.

‘All right. Let’s hear it in my tent.

As Isaac said this, he began to move forward through the encampment with Valetta in tow.

On the way, the soldiers who saw the two of them said, “Isaac-sama, you brought a cute girl with you,” or “Isaac-sama does it when he wants it too, doesn’t he? I’ll go talk to him too,” and so on, in a blatantly misunderstood manner.

Isaac walked quickly without showing any signs of concern and moved to his tent.

‘Come this way. Let’s leave the entrance open.

Isaac entered the tent and opened the entrance and secured it securely with a cord.

He pulled out a chair at a simple table in the back and recommended it to Valetta.

‘Then let’s hear your business. I will help you as much as I can, so please let me know what you need.

After sitting Valetta down, Isaac smiled cheerfully as he himself sat down in the chair.

Valetta, who was a little nervous, relaxed her shoulders at Isaac’s appearance.

”Thank you. The first thing I’d like to discuss with you, I’d like to ask you to arrange for a ‘wax stone’.

A wax stone? Is it used for writing?

A waxstone is a soft, milky-white ore that looks like wax.

It is also used as a stone brush and can be used to draw lines on stone slabs and other surfaces like chalk.

In the streets of Isteria, the letters on the stone slabs in shops are written in waxstone.

They are not used for signs that are to be set up for a long period of time, as they are faded by the wind and rain in a few days.

In Isthmian territory, waxstone is also mined from the same area where obsidian was mined.

It is a rather common mineral and very cheap.

”No, it is used to make certain things. If possible, I would like you to arrange for a wagonload of it.

A thing, is it? Is that one of the techniques you learned from Kazura-sama?

‘Yes. It’s just that I can’t even tell Isaac what it’s like yet… I’m sorry.

‘It’s fine. You’re going to use it to help Kazura-sama, right?

Isaac smiled at Valetta, who looked apologetic.

What Valetta is trying to make is a waxstone brick made by mixing waxstone with clay.

It will be molded and shaped and then fired in a kiln to make a fireproof brick.

If we can build a strong furnace with the fireproof bricks Kazura will bring us, and bake them at a high temperature, we will be able to produce any number of high quality fireproof bricks that can withstand quite high temperatures.

‘Yes. I thought I’d prepare for it now, in case Kazura-san decides to introduce that technology to Arcadia. I haven’t even told Kazra-san that I’m preparing for it.

‘What? You haven’t even told Kazura-sama?’

‘Yes, I didn’t want to bother Kazura-san too much. I don’t want to make you worry about me either.

Isaac was surprised when Valetta said she would work on the project in secret from Kazura, even though it was preparation.

However, it seemed that Kazura had already taught Valetta the technique.

Valetta is trusted by Kazura to the extent that she can learn an unknown skill ahead of time.

If that’s the case, you shouldn’t dictate what you can and can’t do.

Incidentally, Valetta’s words of ‘I don’t want to bother Kazura’ and ‘I don’t want to make her worry’ are half honest and half false.

”Hm…….I understand. I’ll also not say anything to Kazura-sama. Leave the arrangements for the wax stone to me, too.

‘Thank you. And the second thing I’d like to discuss with you is if you could tell me more about the work you’re currently doing with Isteria, which is led by Kazura-san. Also, I’d like to know the work plan you have in mind for the future and the type of tools you are planning to make.

‘That’s fine, but don’t you want to ask Kazura-sama directly?’

‘I’ve asked Kazura-san about a lot of things, but to ask him for too many details would be… well… he’d realize…’

Is it that obvious? What?

Isaac tilted his head curiously at Baretta, who was clamoring toothless.

Valetta was silent for a bit as her gaze swept over the desk, but when she looked up a bit, she opened her mouth.

‘I’d like to help out beside you, Kazura. But I don’t want to have you by my side just because we’re close.

“…hmm?　What do you mean?

Unsure of what she meant, Isaac asked again.

‘I want Kazura to recognize my abilities. I don’t want to ask him to stand by me, but I want to be there because he needs me. I don’t want to be a drag anymore, so…

Isaac twisted his head for a moment to think about it as Valetta slumped down in embarrassment, blushing.

But he quickly nodded, ‘Oh, I see.

‘So that’s what I see. ‘I see, I see.’

As Isaac nodded his head in agreement, Valetta blushed even more with a depressed look on his face.

”But what Valetta-san is trying to do… no, I’m sorry. I’m sure Valetta-san will pull it off.

Yes, I’ll definitely do it.

Valetta looked up and nodded with a serious expression on her face.

”So, I wanted to ask Isaac-san to help me with a lot of things, could I ask you to do that?

Of course. I’ll help you in any way I can. By all means, please do your best.

Valetta breathed a sigh of relief as Isaac replied reliably.

”I’m glad. Also, one last consultation or rather, if you know of anything else, I’d like you to tell me”

You can ask whatever you want. I’m at your disposal.

‘Well…’

Valetta clammed up as her gaze swept over the desk again, but eventually she opened her mouth.

‘Liese-sama and Kazura-san, um… are they close to each other?’

….

…Um…well?

Noticing Isaac, who had lost his expression and was frozen like a sculpture, Valetta called out to him with concern.

‘Oh, I’m sorry … yes, they seem to be very close.’

Isaac turned his gaze away from Valetta and gave her a faraway look.

‘I mean, they’re not dating or anything…’

”Well I don’t know that much either. However, it appears that Liese-sama is very fond of Kazura-sama.

Yeah, well I’m sorry about…

Isaac, who had suddenly become low-tension, apologized to Valetta, not knowing what to do.

Then Isaac turned a serious look at Valetta.

‘Valetta-san,’

Yes, sir.

Good luck.

But I’ll do my best.

Valetta managed to nod, breaking out in a cold sweat at the strange power.

Meanwhile, at that time.

Havel and Marie were sitting side by side on the river bank, preparing to fish.

The fishing rods were the ones Havel had brought from home, and the bait was insects from overturned stones nearby.

In addition to Havel and his men, soldiers and followers of the unit were sitting on the riverside fishing.

Farther downstream, some of them seemed to be bathing in the river.

‘We’ve got to catch a lot of fish today. Let’s do our best to get some for Kazura-sama and Isaac-sama.

”Master Havel, as was the case last time, I still can’t miss work as a slave…….”

Marie has a troubled look on her face as she accepts the baited fishing rod offered by Havel.

It’s the courtesy of Kazura-sama, so you should be grateful for his kindness and let him rest. Besides, you need to rest when you can, or you’ll collapse again like you did when you were at home.

When she was a child, Marie had often fallen ill in bed with a fever.

The reason for this is that her slave status made her work day after day without a break, and she was already sickly and stressed out.

The main reason for the stress was my brother-in-law, Alond.

‘But I can’t just leave everything to others…’

‘It’s fine. Besides, you told me to go play, and you’re not going to turn it down and work. Thank you for your kindness and play hard to get.

Earlier this morning, as Marie was about to begin her work as usual, the other servants called out to her to go play.

Marie was the youngest of the servants working at Nelson’s house, and the closest one was three years older than her.

She was treated like a little sister by everyone who worked hard without complaining about anything.

It seems that her attitude of never going against what her seniors told her, and always moving around to help others, was also highly valued.

”You don’t even have an older brother in Nelson-sama’s mansion, so you can take it a little easier,”

During his time at the Ruzon estate, her older brother, Alondo, had a habit of cursing and occasionally assaulting Marie.

As a result, Marie tries her best not to displease him, and she always pays attention to her surroundings.

Behind her hard work, there is an underlying fear of others.

For some reason, Havel has shown concern for Marie since he was a child, and he had once directly asked Alondo to stop a violent attack on her before he joined the army.

But soon after that, an enraged Alondo had beaten him with the punch with all his might.

Havel was completely deflated by Alondo’s sudden act, which had usually been relatively friendly to him, and after that, he only watched Marie from a distance.

While the other servants had turned a blind eye to the situation, fearing the damage it might cause, Marie’s mother had taken a stand and protected her.

That mother, too, had been sold off by her father, Noll, about five years earlier because she was too ill to take care of herself.

It was shortly after that that Havel enlisted in the army.

Because of his wartime enlistment, he received intense training in the military after his enlistment and then went to the battlefield and did not return home until the armistice.

After returning from the war, Havel had become unapologetically protective when he saw Alondo taking hard hits on Marie.

Naturally, they got into many fistfights, but no violence occurred after both of them were beaten up by Noll.

Incidentally, the next day after the fistfight, Alondo was treating Havel as if the fight had never happened.

However, there were many times when he made light remarks and teased him in a way that touched his nerves, so Havel was left with a hazy feeling.

”Yes……..”

Not paying attention to Marie, who nodded with a complicated expression, Havel waved his fishing rod with his face to the river.

‘You seem pretty busy every day, is your body okay?　If you feel sluggish or feel like you’re going to be sick, tell Kazura-sama or Eira-san right away.

‘It’s all right. Ever since I started working at Master Nelson’s mansion, I’ve been feeling really well every day.

‘I see. How are things going with the other servants?

‘Yes, everyone has been very good to me. Especially Eira, who cares so much for me…

‘Eira-san seems to take good care of you, don’t you think? It’s a good thing you’re a kind senior.

”Yes … um, thank you so much for me for this. I don’t know how to thank you…

Havel chuckled at Marie, who glanced at him to get a look at his face, while he kept his eyes on the water.

‘It would be nice if you could be a little more shattering to me. Well, I’m not saying you have to,

‘I’m sorry, too!　Uh, um …….. brother ……

Havel patted Marie’s head as she called him brother in a panic.

My heart is filled with regret, but I don’t show it on my face.

See, you can’t catch fish holding a fishing rod like that. You can’t catch fish by holding a fishing rod like that. Did you know that?

‘Yes, sir!　And… ah!　Needles on your clothes!

Marie is panicking as she swings the hook caught in her clothes, the whole rod, and she is panicking.

‘What the hell are you doing catching yourself……..’

Havel put his own fishing rod beside him, then he held Marie down, and removed the hook.