Chapter 13
For the Sake of Future 「Oh, this is convenient. Well, since it’s expensive.」
Kazura purchased a large amount of fertilizer at Home Center. By renting a truck to make several round trips between his Mansion and Home Center, the fertilizers had been completely transported. He also bought a folding pullcart.(TL For the reader who forgets; Home Center was j.a.panese term for large store that sell hardware and DIY kits. Kazura get Pullcart upgrade after 9 chapters.)The newly brought pullcart had maximum payload of 350 kg, with elegant efficient folding function. Of course, the tire was anti-puncture tire.(TL: It’s not too clear if the author means airless tire (solid rubber) instead.)He remembered the roadside storehouse where he arbitrary ‘bought’ his previous 300,000 yen pullcart. He had seen that the owner then bought a new folding pullcart. He though it was nice, so he decide to purchase the same model for his Pullcart No2.By the way, when he pa.s.sed the storehouse the other day he found a paper that was written with 「Take the vegetables as you wish」, so he inserted a sticker, 「I took 2 tomatoes. It was delicious.」 Today Kazura’s lunch was served with 2 giant tomatoes, he was gratefully eating it.Deep red fully ripe tomatoes, as expected from Professional Farmer’s skill, the fruit was sweet and delicious. 「Now then, for the time being let’s just load 300kg....... I wonder if the Tatami would be okay?」 While checking the condition of the tatami, Kazura loaded, one by one, with the fertilizer from the huge mound just outside the foyer in the pullcart.Kazura had expected that the Tatami would be a little dented due to the weight, but somehow, it wasn"t.「This tatami must be very strong.」Kazura was puzzled inside his head but he just accepted this as something he couldn’t fully comprehend. And so, he pulled the pullcart and crossed the border to other world. 「As always, please excuse me. Oh yes, please accept this.」 En route as always Kazura pa.s.sed while offering his apology to the lying skeleton corpse in the hallway. Not forgetting to offer him one cup of sake.![]()
Meanwhile in the alternate reality, Kazura was offering a can of sake or beer to the skeledude.✦✧✦✧ When Kazura returned to the forest, the humus that was collected by villagers from here and there had turned into a huge pile.The people that were collecting the humus before had divided themselves into two halves: the group who kept collecting the humus in the forest and the group who mixed the humus with the soil in the field. 「Welcome back, Kazura-san. Is that the fertilizer?」 Valetta pulled her pullcart while arrived at the place where Kazura rested his pullcart.(TL: You know “Real Cart Couple” sounded like a good K-Drama t.i.tle)Apparently, Valetta’s pullcart were used to repeatedly transport the humus from the forest to the fields. 「Yes, this will be scattered at the field similar with the humus. It"s a little smelly though.」 「Certainly, it has unusual smell.」 Valetta approached the fertilizer-packed pullcart and traced the ‘Manure’ character in the vinyl bag with her finger. 「How do you read these?」 「It is written "manure". In my country, it was manufactured from the droppings of a bird that we call Chicken.」(Fun Fact TL: The word ‘manure’ that I used, was originally called ‘Keifun’ in j.a.pan with meaning: ‘Poultry’s s.h.i.t’. As s.h.i.t is still s.h.i.t, I guess the word manure was still correct.) 「Well, because there is still a lot that was left in my country, I need to return there again....... Is something wrong?」 Valetta who was stiffened in front of the manure for some reason, answered Kazura. 「Ah... No.... Scatter this on the field, right?」 「That’s right.」 「This is a bird’s droppings, right?」 「Yes.」 Hearing Kazuras answer, Valetta’s expression become puzzled while alternating her gaze between Kazura and the manure.Looking at Valetta’s expression, Kazura remembered that this act had the equivalent meaning of offering bird’s dropping to G.o.d, so there might be some reluctance for it, that"s why he made a follow up remark. 「Don’t worry about it, it will be fine. Just like humus, G.o.d will use anything that can make the field healthier, even if it is bird’s droppings.」 「Is....... that so?........ Thank you very much for everything.」 For some reason, Valetta was thanking with apologetic tone. 「No need, it’s how I express my thanks to the village for accepting me.」 With that said, Kazura entrusted the fertilizer to Valetta and went back once again to j.a.pan. ✦✧✦✧ 「This is the last field, right?」 「Yes, this is the last.」 It was about the time when the sun concealed itself behind the mountains that all the remaining potato fields were finished being scattered with the humus, that the villagers had gathered, and the fertilizer, that Kazura had brought from j.a.pan.There are still fertilizer left in the pullcart, but it will be scattered on the other fields tomorrow. 「But, I think it wasn"t enough. Maybe I need to come back to my country.」 「Oh, for that, I thank you....... However, this fertilizer is really stinky.」 Hearing what Valin said, Kazura, who had transported and scattered the fertilizer, smelled his hand and clothes. It seems that the fertilizer scent had ingrained deeply in his cloth and body.The surrounding villagers also grimaced after sniffing their own scent. 「This is certainly stinky.」 「Yes, I wonder if the stink will gone after wiping it with hot water before dinner....? Well, if that happens, so be it.」 「I will head to home first to boil the water.」 Following Valetta, several other villagers were also heading to their homes. 「Ah, everyone please wait a moment.」
Kazura called the villagers that were going back, then he open a cardboard box that was piled on one corner of the pullcart.(TL: Cardboard box, or just cardboard?) (ED: Cardboard box is correct. Cardboard is just the material. It has to be made into a box for you to put stuff inside it, therefore, a Cardboard Box. Just like there is iron box, wood box and so on. =p) 「Actually, I had prepared a nice item for this kind of situation. Every family will receive 2 pieces, so please take it. Yes, here, for you....」 「Wah! Nice scent......」 Kazura gave a small box that contains a rectangular object to a village girl, who was unintentionally smiled because of the sweet scent that came from it.The other villagers that received it from Kazura were also voicing their compliment regarding the amiable scent. 「Ano, Kazura-san, what is this used for?」 Valetta, who also receive the same thing from Kazura, inquire while looking at the letters on the box. 「Eerr, this is called soap. It is something that is used for cleaning the body or clothes. It smelled better than just washing with plain water.」 「Eh? Soap? This is soap!?」 Yes, the ident.i.ty of the thing that Kazura brought was soap.While he bought the fertilizer, he can’t stand its strong smell. When he thought that the smell will linger in the cloth and body after scattering them on the fields, he made preparation. Just like what he had thought, the smell did loiter around, so to make a preparation for this was a correct decision. 「Ah, so you know it. In that case, does everyone understand how to use it?」 When Kazura looking around waiting for the answer to his question, only a few people nodded their head, while most of the villagers tilted their head in confusion.Apparently, although ‘Soap’ existed in this world, it was not a common thing. 「A, Ano, I had seen soap in the town before, but it wasn"t this hard. It was more soft and *guniguni*squishy*. Also, I never seen soap that smell this nice before.」 (Valetta)(TL: Guniguni = is a sound effect of something soft and squish) 「Eh? Really?」(Kazura) 「I also have never seen a soap that had this nice smell...... Besides, because the soap was quite expensive, farmer like us normally don’t use it.」 Valetta and Valin said while looking at the mysterious soap that Kazura brought.Maybe, the soap in this world might have different manufacturing method and materials from what Kazura know.If he went back to j.a.pan again, he will investigate about soap’s manufacturing. 「Fumu....... Then, please give explanation about how to use the soap to everyone.」 That was Kazura had said. So, in front of everyone, an explanation of how to use soap had begun.While Kazura was explaining to everyone, it seemed that Valetta and Valin was troubled and talked about something for a bit, but they soon seemed to settle things ans started distributing the soap to the villagers on behalf of Kazura who was still in the middle of explanation.(TL: Thanks to Kemm who help me in this confusing section.) 「So then, please follow the usage instruction. Also, it may have a nice scent but don’t chew on it, all right?」 The villagers, who received the soap from Kazura, expressed their thanks to him before returning to their own houses.Kazura’s group also went to Valetta’s residence after loading the left over fertilizer to the pullcarts.
✦✧✦✧ When Kazura’s group arrived at the residence, they will took turns to clean their body and clothes with a bucket of hot water and soap that was carried to the yard.Kazura, that had been persuaded by the two to go ahead and clean himself, entered the yard with a bucket and his change of clothes inside a travelling bag he was holding in his hand. At this point, it was still pleasant, but he troubled about what he should do with the clothes. Since there was no people watching, he just put on his birthday suit and start washing.(TL: I just realized that j.a.panese called traveler bag with Boston Bag. Generalization at its best. And birthday suit means nude, since you are born without clothes.) 「Wah.... Like usual, soap is nice. It’s different from just wiping the body with hot water.」 Kazura pleasantly sighed, while covering his body in soap bubbles.Until now, his body was wiped with a cloth and hot water. Although it was not something that he felt badly for, to have the idea of bringing soap along was something he was glad about from the bottom of his heart. 「Thanks to the waterwheel there is no need to worry about water, so it might be nice to have something like a public bath. I need to consult with those two later.」 Kazura was thinking along these lines. He was finishing his body wash while humming a tune. Using the water in the bucket he completely cleaned the soap from his body. Then he wore the clothes cheerfully. ✦✧✦✧ 「Then, I will take my turn.」(Va) 「Yea.」(Pops) 「Yes, take your time.」(Kaz) Valetta then left to the yard so she could wash herself, Kazura then immediately consulted with Valin about the public bath. 「Valin-san, there is something that I need to consult to you......」 「Hm? ....... Ah, I understand. Valetta will not raise any objection. Feel free to do it.」 「Eh?」 Kazura is puzzled by the affirmative consent by the nodding Valin. 「Even though she is my daughter, she can be called beautiful. We are indebted to Kazura-san, so I wield yield abut this. Feel free to peek at her body.」 「Wai-, What are you talking about!?」 Kazura give a loud tsukkomi to Valin who abruptly gave his permission for peeking. 「Dear me, this is not a consultation for permission to peeking?」 「Where in the world will be a man who ask the parent for a permission to peek at their bathing daughter!?」 Kazura was vehemently reb.u.t.ting Valin who played dumb for spouting such talk before. 「Wahahahahaha, That was that. Then, jokes aside, what kind of issue that you"d like to consult about?」 「Jo-, so it just a joke huh?.....」
Although Kazura, who had noticed that we was just being teased, had his feeling been awfully drained. Regardless, he still began to talk about the public bath that he though before. 「Err, about that, since there is no trouble to draw the water for the aqueduct in the village, then that water could be utilized in a public bath for the village..... I wonder if we can built a large bathtub that can be used by everyone.」 「If it’s a bathtub, then it means something that can hold a large amount of hot water?」 「Yes. Could something big like that be manufactured in this village?」 「......Hrm.」 Valin groaned while folding his arms after hearing Kazura’s proposal. It seems he was thinking about something.Kazura wonder if there was a problem when he saw that Valin had become silent and waited for his answer. After a while, Valin opened his eyes and apologized. 「If something like a public bath is built in the village, everyone would be very joyful. However, something like bathtub is something of luxury for n.o.bles. That’s why we in the village can’t just built it arbitrary without permission.....」 「Ah....... I see......」 Kazura got the general understanding about what Valin had said.Perhaps, if there are luxurious establishment in the village that can draw attention, the local feudal lord Nelson may turn his attention toward this village.Although until now the food support from Kazura was something good, establishing a public bath was something very conspicuous and might cause trouble.After thinking about that, Kazura noticed one serious problem. 「Huh? So that means, installing the waterwheel was something bad, right?」 Yes. The waterwheel.That thing was something that might not even exist in this world.In that case, when its existence is exposed, then Valin as the village’s chief will inevitably be questioned.Even if the waterwheel was a tool that already existed in this world, certainly they would inquire about its origin. 「That’s true. But, if that waterwheel didn’t exist then the village’s fields might be completely destroyed. For that we are really grateful to Kazura-san.」 「No need for that. But, if Nelson know about the waterwheel then.......」 「I think that it might be safe. Issac-san that inspect the village’s condition the other day, didn’t make deep inquiries about the aqueduct.」 「Really.....? Hmmm.」 That day, a person who was called Isaac came to inspect the village’s condition, so he might not see the connection between the village and the river.From Valin’s story, that day"s inspection somehow finished without any trouble, but the feudal lord Nelson, who will receive the information, might become suspicious. The existence of waterwheel might be exposed.Besides, in one way or another, the existence of waterwheel will be exposed sooner or later. These were Kazura thoughts.
(ED: Wow. Kazura’s logic was spot on. Holy foreshadowing, batman.) (TL: Well, he"s rich, just not as much as Bruce Wayne) If the existence of waterwheel were exposed then the existence of Kazura that brought it will also come into plain view. In the worst case, there is possibility that Kazura be restrained by Nelson.He already became familiar with this village, his ‘enjoying the life in other world’ plan would meet great hindrance. More importantly his first objective to explore this other world could also be ruined!Just like the people in this village, Nelson didn’t know about the country that Kazura had come from so that would be not a problem, but that likely wouldn’t be good either. 「Valin-san, I have a proposal.....」 To resolve this problem in front of him, for the sake of the future living in this village, Kazura presented a proposal to Valin.(TL: t.i.tle Drop!)