Chapter 81 Chapter 81: Bedrock Crushing Plan After the purchase at glass workshop was over, Kazura was inside the reception room of a company that sold and produce hand pump, which he had searched on the internet at the mansion before . This company was located quite far from the city premises and its size wasn’t that big, but it had a wide selection of commodity ranging from the standard deep well hand pump to antique gardening pump . On the bookshelf in the reception room that Kazura had been asked to wait, there were numerous thick hardcover books that describe the history of the hand pump and well digging . Because the company name was written parallel to the author names of these books, it might be something that was written under this company editorship . Kazura took one of the books, sat down on the sofa and sipping the tea that had been prepared for him while flipping the pages and skimming the content . The book described the well construction and digging technique of each era, and then the history of well related work, it was written in a way that won’t be boring when someone read it . The explanation was mingled with the regional history, so it was easy to read . Kazura was engrossed in reading the book for awhile, then a knock came from the door and a middle-aged man in a work cloth entered the room . The man took out his business card from his pocket and then bend his waist to greet Kazura . Kazura also stood up, received the business card and bowed his head down . The title written on the business card was Section Chief . 「Thank you for visiting our company for this occasion . I heard that you want to purchase a hand pump and consult us about well digging?」(Section Chief) 「Despite the sudden visit, I am thankful for this reception . At any rate, I want to seek a professional opinion about this matter……」(Kazura) As gestured by the Section Manager, Kazura once again sat on the seat and explained Isteria’s well water problem . The content of his explanation was exactly what he had heard from Isteria’s well digger . He explained how the water that came out from the excavated place was of bad quality, and if someone were to use that water for washing then the towel would become bright red, and also the condition of the excavated dirt . After hearing Kazura’s explanation, the Section Chief nodded . 「I see . Perhaps the water that came out from the water well that Shino-sama had dug was 『metallic rich water』 that have too many dissolved iron content and isn’t useful for normal usage . The soil where the water came out was a sand layer called 『mountain sand』, the water that came from that soil layer had bad quality . 」 According to the Section Chief’s explanation, non-useful water that was contaminated with iron often came out at the excavated well depth and the type of the soil in Isteria . For this kind of water well, when the rain was falling, then the muddy water level would swell up that it could be even scooped out from the well just by using a ladle . However, the opposite happens, when the rain was few, the water well might become dried up, so it was a well that is unpredictable as a water source . The Section Chief guessed from Isteria’s well condition, which Kazura had explained, that if they penetrate under the bedrock layer then there will be a soil layer of fine sand called 『sea sand』 . Then he informed that it is possible for a water of good quality gushed out steadily from this layer . By the way, the water that came out from above the bedrock layer seems to be called 『top water』 . 「I see, then so we have to dig and break through that bedrock layer one way or another?」(Kazura) 「I’m afraid so, we have to . Otherwise, we shift the location of the digging and find a location where there is no bedrock layer . If Shino-sama could inform us the location of the well digging, then we could examine the soil stratum for a fee . We also could act as the agent for the well construction . 」(Section Chief) 「Ah, there is no need to go that far, we will be fine . I want my group to try it ourselves, so if you could only sell the needed tools to me then we will do the rest somehow . 」(Kazura) When Kazura said this, the Section Chief was “hmmm”-ing and nodded . 「I see . After all, well digging is a man’s adventurous dream, right? Please do your best . Since we could teach you any needed tools and the instruction for it, I hope you can entrust the preparation of these to us . 」(Section Chief) 「Thank you very much . Also, I also want to buy this book, too . I am engrossed in reading this . 」(Kazura) 「Oh, is that true? That is a book that the Director had written, I am sure that he will be happy to hear those word just now . 」(Section Chief) In this manner, Kazura kept listening to the explanation from a professional well digger while obtaining the hand pump and the related tools . The well-digging tools that Kazura purchased were one gasoline-engine jackhammer for rock breaking, two small water well drilling augers, two bronze hand pump (since it had charming hue, it was a popular item), and one air compressor to be used to ventilate the drilled hole . Since the items that he purchased were very heavy, it will be delivered by a transport company directly to the mansion . What is a jackhammer? It’s a device that using the vibration of a metal-tipped chisel to strike against the surface of a rock to break it . The size of the device is mostly 80 centimeters and weigh more than 20 kilograms . However, since it was powered by a gasoline engine, it was easy to handle and the strike power is also powerful . Though he had put smaller sledgehammer into his list, since he already brought gasoline drum to Isteria, he thought, “let’s have bigger power”, so he purchased a large jackhammer . The small water well drilling auger was just like its name, an auger to drill a water well . The ones that the company sold was a device that could continuously drill a small 20 centimeters wide hole . As for its working principle, first the auger cylinder was thrust into the ground and then when its handle was turned, it will dig through the soil .
Afterward, the auger was pulled out from the hole and the dug soil thrown away to the outside . The dug soil would remain inside the auger, but since there were blades at its edge the soil won’t fall down to the hole . By repeating this procedure numerous times, it was possible to dig a deep hole . However, if it hit a hard rock then it reached its limit, also since the well drilling auger was pulled with human power, it naturally had the limit on the depth of the hole it could dig into . So, the maximum depth was the depth where the well drilling auger still could be pulled out . Since the jackhammer that he purchased produced a very loud noise, he planned to only actually use it outside Isteria where there are no other people . It might be useful in creating farmlands in a place far away from a river . The small well-digging auger could be helpful in a place that has no bedrock, so it was most appropriate for digging test wells inside the city . Not only he didn’t need to worry about the noise, the size of the hole was small so it could be finished in a time span that won’t stand out . Other than these, he was able to obtain super steel rock chisel that was not used and neglected in the company . Originally, he thought about buying this in a Home Center, but it seemed that they didn’t sell a rock chisel for rock breaking . Since he really wanted hand tools in case they have no choice but to penetrate the bedrock inside Isteria city, he asked the Section Chief to arrange for 30 pieces of this chisels . Since the number that he requested was so much, the Section Chief asked,「Why you buy that much? What it’s for?」, but Kazura deceived him by lightly saying that it was something for a person he indebted to . It would take too a lot of time to break the bedrock with manual labor, but with stone chisels and hammers, the work could progress without being too conspicuous . The steel stone chisels had exceptionally better efficiency in rock breaking than the bronze stone chisel that had been in use for now, but he must be absolutely careful that no tool is lost and also need to select suitable workers for this job . Although it might be easier to just teach them iron metallurgy, the discovery of iron was a revolutionary event in ancient history, so it might be bad if he taught them the metallurgy method . Then again, depending on the surrounding country situation, there was a likelihood that it would be better to introduce iron metallurgy, so it might be better to properly consult this matter with Nelson or Zirconia when he returned to Isteria . If the other country already manufactured iron, sooner or later, even Arcadia would arrive at the Iron Age, so it wouldn’t be a problem if Kazura personally introduced the manufacturing method . In the case that he introduced iron metallurgy then it might be better if he purchased books about the history of iron metallurgy technology . Other than the machines that he had bought, he also obtained copies of the blueprint of hand cranked ventilator used in the Meiji era and hand pump that is popular in Japan at early Showa era . With this blueprint, though it might take quite a time and labor, it might be possible to mass produce them using Isteria’s tools . 「We are really grateful for the huge amount of purchases . If you have anything else, we will always happy to listen, so you are always welcome to contact us anytime . 」(Section Chief) 「Thank you very much . I will be depending on you when that time arrives . 」(Kazura) Like this, Kazura succeeded in purchasing well-digging tools and various blueprints and so he left the pump company . ✦✧✦✧✦Night . Kazura was staying in a business hotel inside the city premises . He sat down on the bed and opened his notebook as he put a line on the entry that he had finished today with a ballpoint . The business that he had finished today were; buying glass related goods, buying well digging related tools, gathered blueprints for flour milling machine, threshing machine, and others, then gathered documents about ice house . After he left the pump company, Kazura was buying documents about flour milling machine and the likes at the local history museum in the city, then obtained those devices design and historical documents . Afterward, he drove his car to several places and succeeded in gathering documents about the ice house . The information that didn’t covered by the books was collected from the Internet at a Net Café, printed out and then put into the file folder with other documents . He thought that he need to consult directly with ice house or agricultural machines related companies, but the amount of the documents and then the blueprint he had in hand was considerably a lot than expected, so for now there was no need to consult with agricultural machines company . He also wanted to investigate the production method of home refrigerators, but the refrigerator’s turn was still far in the future at this current point of time, so he put this matter off for now . By the way, the gathered documents and blueprints had two copies since he believed that Valetta would like to look at it . 「I am really tired today…… No, more correctly, I am also tired today, huh?……」(Kazura) He placed the notebook on his lap and then fell face up on the bed, catching his breath while staring at the ceiling . Tomorrow too, he will need to move around several places, but the remaining schedule was only buying books or tools that Valetta had asked, and then books and groceries for himself, finally, getting some electronic appliances . Tomorrow morning, the electric generator and the well-digging tools will arrive at the mansion, so the purchases might be on the afternoon . 「Ah, that’s right, I need to examine how to make butter…… Also, a centrifuge . Where to buy those, I wonder?」(Kazura) Kazura muttered these words and then after awhile, his consciousness became hazy, but at that time, the handphone in his pocket rung a tone . He took the handphone from his pocket and checked the caller . The one who was written on it, was his father, Shinji . 「Hello . 」(Kazura) 「Hello, Kazura . The copper and tin that you have asked, also the propane cylinders, will arrive at the mansion at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning . I asked the materials form to be in round bars, will this be a problem for you? Just in case, I also add metal saws . 」(Shinji) 「Ok, thank you, it saves me a lot of work . 」(Kazura) Since he succeeded in gathering the materials in the expected time frame, Kazura breathed a sigh of relief . Kazura was worried since he didn’t know how long the metal materials procuring will be, but it looks like he was just overly anxious . If he had metal saw then it will be easy to cut the materials . 「Also, that place…… you didn’t gather any bad attention, right? Or get involved in a trouble?」(Shinji) 「Hmm? I still didn’t encounter any bad attention…… Maybe a bit . Trouble? …… Well, it’s something that can’t be helped since I can’t help it…… So, yeah . 」(Kazura) Shinji was talking in a way that packed full with implied meaning, so Kazura also replied in a vague manner . It was a complicated conversation, whether both of them understood or not understood what each other want to say . 「…… Hey, right now, you……」(Shinji) 「Hmm?」(Kazura) 「…… No, sorry . It’s not important . If you have anything else, call me anytime . 」(Shinji) 「Eh? Wait . 」(Kazura) At the sudden disconnection, Kazura was muttering, 「Just what did he want to say? ……」