kscans

Chapter 187 - A Rare Wood's Welcome 1. A Long-Awaited Arrival

On the afternoon of the day Yuri explained the details of throwing tops to a smilingly insistent Adon, from whom Eto had made a swift escape, he was being led by Adon to Ems's workshop.

"My apologies for rushing you, Yuri-kun. But there are circumstances that make haste advisable."

"Circumstances... you say?"

For him to mention circumstances in this context, it must have something to do with Yuri, or more accurately, with the Rosewood heartwood Yuri had supplied. Yuri could guess that much, but... he could not understand what circumstances would require such a rush. The Rosewood heartwood might be rare, but it was hard to imagine it causing a situation that was a matter of life and death.

"Ems will probably explain the details, but to save some time, I will give you a brief overview myself."

The story Adon told was, in a way, deflating.

"...So... after all the heartwood I supplied last year found buyers, an order came in from some noble who heard the rumors..."

"Indeed. And that order was..."

"He wants to use it for a gift for his daughter, who is getting married this summer, you say..."

"Rosewood is known for its beautiful grain, but it is also known for being dense, hard, and time-consuming to work with. The client's situation is that he wants to get his hands on it as soon as possible."

"And when the master was pressured for the heartwood, he desperately replied that more would arrive in the spring, so..."

"The client is counting on that and hasn't sought out any other connections. Both Ems and his client have been waiting on pins and needles for the shipment to arrive."

It was surely a serious matter for them, but from an outsider's perspective, it seemed trivial, almost childish.

"...So that's why my 'pickup' came earlier than I expected."

"Yes. Given the location, he couldn't make a move until the snow melted. It seems he was anxiously awaiting your arrival. Given the circumstances, now that you're in Laurenzen, Yuri-kun, we have to get this to him as soon as possible..."

"Or the pressure on you will increase, Adon-san."

"Precisely."



For these reasons, they visited the wood workshop, where the proprietor, Ems, received the heartwood from Yuri, looking as if he were on the verge of tears.

"Man... you really saved me this time. The client's reminders have been getting harsher by the day..."

"Well, that can't be helped. The client will want to avoid a fiasco where he gets the material but the work isn't finished in time. It could tarnish his daughter's wedding."

"I get that, but... honestly, I was reluctant to take this job... The man was just so insistent..."

According to a haggard-looking Ems, there had not been a shipment of Rosewood heartwood that large in the last fifty years. Yuri had only brought one piece, or rather, a third of one, but since the original tree was massive, the volume of lumber was considerable. In fact, he said that heartwood as thick and long as a normal log rarely ever came on the market.

"Now that a new shipment has arrived, will you not get complaints from those who bought before?"

"I'm not so careless. I've already told them a second shipment was planned. ...Though I did say the details were undecided."

Taking the 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' approach, the brokers had apparently competed fiercely to buy it up.

"Even if a few more pieces get out, they can take them to another territory and sell them for whatever price they want. Besides, if there's more of it on the market, more uses for it will emerge."

One cannot get a large quantity of boards from Rosewood heartwood. However, if a large amount of Rosewood were to become available, it would become possible to make things like cabinets crafted entirely from Rosewood, something not normally feasible.

"So because of that, the cabinet wholesalers have been a real pain."

"Um... I only brought two pieces this time... will that be enough for the nobleman's request?"

"He's not trying to build a chest of drawers. One piece is more than enough, and I doubt his lordship would purchase that much anyway."

With the heartwood Yuri brought this time being of no less quality than the last, Ems, relieved of a great burden, spoke freely.

"And so, with word of the famous Rosewood getting out, a bunch of curious folks have been coming by to have a look... and among them, there's quite a few who ask me to spare them even just a scrap..."