Chapter 81

After finishing his shopping at the burner workshop, Ichirou made his way to the reception room of a company he had researched while staying at the mansion, a company that manufactures and sells hand pumps.

This company, located a bit away from the city, is not very large in scale, but it handles a wide range of products, from serious hand pumps for deep wells to antique pumps for gardening.

In the reception room where Ichirou was led, there were several hardcover books on the bookshelf, detailing the history of hand pumps and well digging. The company's name was listed as the author, indicating that the company had supervised the creation of these books. Ichirou pulled one of the books from the shelf, sat on the sofa, sipped the tea that had been served, and began to flip through it. The content of the book seemed to be written in a way that would keep the reader engaged, covering the structure and digging methods of wells through different eras, as well as the history of well-related jobs. It also included explanations of the ethnic history of the region, making it very easy to read.

While Ichirou was engrossed in the book, the door to the room was knocked on, and a middle-aged man in work clothes entered. The man took out a business card from his pocket, bowed deeply, and greeted Ichirou. Ichirou reflexively stood up, bowed, and took the business card. The card listed his title as Section Chief.

"Thank you for coming to our company. I understand you want to consult about purchasing a hand pump and well digging?"

"Thank you for accommodating me on such short notice. There's something I really need to consult with a professional about..."

Encouraged by the section chief, Ichirou sat back down and began to explain the problem with the well water in Isteria. The content of his explanation was exactly what he had heard from the well digger in Isteria. He described how the water from the dug well was of poor quality, turning towels red when used for laundry, and provided details about the soil conditions as the digging progressed.

The section chief, nodding as he listened to Ichirou's explanation, said, "I see," and then continued, "The water from the well Mr. Shino dug is likely what we call 'Kanake water,' which is rich in iron and not suitable for use. The layer of soil from which the water starts to flow is called 'Yamazuna,' and the water from this layer is not of good quality."

According to the section chief, the depth and soil conditions of the wells being dug in Isteria often result in water with high iron content. Such wells tend to become murky and rise in water level when it rains, sometimes to the point where the water can be scooped with a dipper. However, if there is little rain, the well can dry up, making it an unstable source of water. Based on the condition of the well in Isteria that Ichirou described, the section chief deduced that beneath the 'Yamazuna' layer, there is a layer of fine sand called 'Umizuna,' from which high-quality water can flow steadily. The water that comes from above the rock layer is called 'Uwamizu.'

"I see, so we need to break through the rock layer and continue digging, right?"

"Most likely. Alternatively, you could shift the digging location to find a spot without the rock layer. If you could tell us the location of the well Mr. Shino dug, we can investigate the strata for a fee. We can also undertake the construction work for you, if you'd like."

"No, that's okay. We want to do it ourselves, so if you could just sell us the necessary tools, we'll try to manage."

The section chief nodded in agreement.

"I see, I see. Well digging is a romantic endeavor. Please do your best. I can provide you with the necessary tools and instructions, so I hope you'll get everything you need from us."

"Thank you. Also, I'd like to buy this book. I got really into it while reading."

"Ah, I see. The book was written by our president, so I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear that."

Thus, Ichirou listened to the professional's explanation and gathered the necessary tools, including a hand pump. The well-digging tools he purchased included one gasoline-powered engine breaker, two small well-digging machines for driven wells, two bronze hand pumps (which are quite popular due to their color), and one air compressor for ventilation during excavation. The purchased items were heavy, so he arranged for a delivery company to transport them directly to the mansion.

The engine breaker is a device that crushes rock by pressing a metal chisel at the end of the device against the rock and using the impact force generated by vibration. It is about 80 centimeters in diameter and weighs over 20 kilograms, but it is easy to handle due to its gasoline engine and has tremendous impact force. A smaller tool called a concrete hammer was also introduced, but since Ichirou had drums of gasoline in Isteria, he decided to go with the more powerful, larger engine breaker.

The small well-digging machine, as its name suggests, is a tool for digging wells. The one sold by this company is designed to dig a small hole about 20 centimeters in diameter continuously. The method of operation involves twisting the handle of the cylindrical well-digging machine, which is first inserted into the ground, to rotate and dig the soil. After that, the well-digging machine is pulled out of the hole, and the excavated soil is discarded. The excavated soil is stored inside the well-digging machine, and since there is a valve at the tip that prevents the soil from falling out, the hole can be dug deeper by repeating this process. However, if the machine hits hard rock, it becomes ineffective, and since the machine is pulled out manually, there is a limit to how deep it can dig.

The engine breaker he bought this time produces a tremendous noise, so if it is used, it will be in an uninhabited area outside Isteria, such as when creating farmland away from a river. The small well-digging machine should be useful in areas without rock layers and is suitable for test digging in the city, as it does not produce much noise and requires a small digging space, allowing for discreet work, although it will take more time.

In addition, he received a super steel chisel that had been left unused in the company. He originally planned to buy one from a home center, but they do not sell chisels for rock excavation. If he ever needed to penetrate rock layers in the city of Isteria, he would need such an analog tool, so he asked the section chief to arrange for about 30 of them. When asked why he was buying so many, he said he would distribute them to acquaintances who had helped him.

Breaking through the rock layer with a chisel and hammer will take a lot of time, but it can be done discreetly. The efficiency of rock excavation should be much higher than with the bronze chisel currently in use, but he must be careful not to lose the tools and must carefully select the personnel for the job.

Teaching the method of iron production would make things easier, but the discovery of iron in ancient times was a revolutionary event, so it would be inappropriate to casually share the method. However, depending on the situation with neighboring countries, it might be better to introduce iron production. When he returns to Isteria, he should discuss this with Nelson or Zirconia. If iron is already being produced in other countries, it is only a matter of time before it is produced in Arcadia, so it would be acceptable to teach the method. In preparation for this, he should collect books on iron production.

In addition to the machinery he purchased, he also received copies of the design drawings of a hand-cranked blower used in the Meiji era and a hand pump used throughout Japan in the early Showa period. With these design drawings, it should be possible to mass-produce the tools in Isteria, although it may take some time.

"Thank you for your purchase. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us."

"Thank you. I will definitely do so."

Thus, Ichirou successfully obtained the well-digging tools and various design drawings and left the pump company.

That night,

Ichirou stayed at a business hotel in the city. He sat on the bed, opened his university notebook, and drew lines through the tasks he had completed that day. The tasks included purchasing glass-related items, well-digging tools, design drawings of agricultural machinery such as flour mills and threshers, and collecting materials on ice houses. After leaving the pump company, Ichirou visited a local history museum in the city to gather materials on flour mills and other equipment, obtaining design drawings and ethnic history materials. He then drove around to collect information on ice houses, using the internet at an internet cafe to gather information that could not be found in books, printing it out and filing it.

He had considered visiting specialized companies to gather information on ice houses and agricultural machinery, but since he had obtained a significant amount of material and the design drawings themselves, he probably did not need to visit them. He also wanted to research the manufacturing methods of home refrigerators using ice, but since the need for refrigerators was still far off, he decided not to pursue it this time due to time constraints.

Incidentally, he prepared two copies of all the materials and design drawings, thinking that Valeria might want to see them.

"Really, I'm so tired today... Or rather, I'm tired today, as usual..."

He fell back onto the bed with the university notebook on his lap, gazing at the ceiling and taking a deep breath. He had many things to do the next day, but the remaining tasks were to purchase books and tools as requested by Valeria, and to buy food, books, and household appliances for himself. The generator and well-digging tools would arrive at the mansion in the morning, so he would start shopping in the afternoon.

"Ah, by the way, I need to look up how to make butter... And a centrifuge. Where can I buy one of those?"

While muttering to himself, Ichirou's phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and checked the caller. It was his father, Masaharu.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ichirou. The copper, tin, and propane tanks you asked for will be delivered to the mansion at 10 AM the day after tomorrow. I ordered the materials in the form of round bars. Is that okay? I also included a hacksaw, just in case."

"Yeah, thanks. That helps a lot."

Ichirou sighed in relief that the materials would arrive on schedule. He had been worried about how long it would take to procure the metal materials, but it turned out to be a needless worry. With a hacksaw, cutting the materials should be easy.

"Also, ...haven't you gotten into any dangerous situations? Or been involved in any troublesome matters?"

"Hmm? No, I haven't gotten into any dangerous situations... yet. Troublesome things... well, they're inevitable, I guess... Hmm."

Ichirou gave a vague response to Masaharu's hesitant question. It was a subtle conversation where they both understood each other to some extent but not entirely.

"...Hey, right now, you..."

"Hmm?"

"...No, sorry. Never mind. If anything happens, feel free to contact me anytime."

"Wait, what—"

The call suddenly ended, and Ichirou muttered, "What the heck was that all about..."