kscans

Chapter 217 - # The Artisans 3. The Painter

After leaving the ornament artisan's shop, Yuri and his party went straight to the paint shop Ems had recommended. The owner was apparently a professional painter, but he also sold paint for woodwork on the side.

"There are all sorts of paints, you know... What exactly are you planning to paint?"

"A sword's sa..." "A wooden box."

Yuri almost blurted out the truth, scabbard, but Adon cut in just in the nick of time, his voice overlapping Yuri's.

"Just 'a wooden box' doesn't tell me much... Will it be kept inside or outside? In a damp place or a dry one? Will it be in direct sunlight? Does it need to be insect repellent? Is this an undercoat or a topcoat? Will you be coloring it or not? Will it be touched by hand often... The right choice changes depending on the conditions, you see."

Apparently seeing Adon as the boy's guardian, the shopkeeper's tone became a bit more polite. Adon, however, wore a sour expression, sensing this was about to become more complicated than he had expected. While he did deal in crafts of a sort, he only handled finished products. He knew little about materials. As he wondered what to do, a voice piped up from the side.

"Could you please start by giving us a rough explanation of the ones a novice could handle? I'm sorry to trouble you."

It was Yuri who had spoken. He had evidently understood Adon's interruption as a warning not to carelessly reveal his purpose, and decided to learn the basics of paint first. The shopkeeper glanced at Yuri again.

"...Are you the one doing the painting, sonny?"

"Yes. There are some circumstances, and I'm living on my own. So I thought I'd try to do what I can by myself."

If one didn't ask where he was living alone, it could easily be taken as an innocent child doing his best, or at least trying to. In fact, that seemed to be exactly what the shopkeeper assumed. In that case, something easy to handle and highly versatile would be best. With that in mind, the shopkeeper's answer was...

"Right then... In that case, I recommend this Jinbu."

"Jinbu?"

Yuri tilted his head at the unfamiliar name. He couldn't recall a paint like that.

"Aye. It's made by crushing young Jinbu fruit and aging it for over a year. The smell's a bit strong, that's its drawback, but if you paint it on your outer walls, it'll keep the boards from rotting, and it repels insects, too. We paint it on furniture and wooden bowls, and if you put it on rope or cloth, it makes them rot-resistant and keeps bugs away. Sometimes people use it on its own, other times they mix it with pigments, or they use it as an undercoat."

Listening to the shopkeeper's explanation that it was a very useful product and a good first purchase, something clicked for Yuri. ...Could this be what was known as "persimmon tannin" in his previous life in Japan?

(...If so, it should also be usable as a disinfectant or a topical medicine... It's not good to jump to conclusions, but I can't overlook this...)

Whether or not it could be used for its original purpose of painting the scabbard, this was something he should probably secure. Just as Yuri began to ponder this, a new customer arrived at the shop. As the artisan and shopkeeper stepped away to attend to them, Yuri whispered to Adon.

("Adon-san, the persimmon... I mean, the Jinbu paint. I'd like to buy as much of it as possible.") ("As much as possible?")

Adon looked bewildered.

("Yes. If I don't paint the outer walls of the houses in the village, I won't be able to do anything by myself if they start to rot or get damaged.")

At that, Adon understood. He had heard that Yuri's village was originally an abandoned one. The condition of the buildings was likely not perfect. If they weren't diligently maintained, rebuilding houses would be beyond the ability of a single child. The residents of End Village weren't that idle either. And it wasn't as if they could just dispatch carpenters and artisans all the way to Salt-Sour Mountain. First of all, no one would likely take the job. The conclusion, then, was that diligently maintaining the existing houses was the best course of action. That would mean they would need enough Jinbu juice for an entire village...

("...I understand. I will arrange for the Jinbu. It will be less conspicuous than you buying it in bulk, Yuri-kun.") ("I'm sorry. Oh, and could you please get assorted brushes and a bucket, too?") ("...Understood.")

Thus, the suspicious situation of a boy in his early teens buying up all the Jinbu juice was averted thanks to Adon's kindness. At the same time...

(If I mix it with pigments, it looks like I can use it to camouflage the particle board, too♪)

...another use was being schemed.

In the end, Yuri purchased a reasonable amount of Jinbu juice, a set of pigments, and some brushes, leaving the shop with a pleased look on his face.