kscans

Chapter 290 - The Road Home 1. Collecting Silica Sand (Part 1)

It happened a short while after the carriage carrying Yuri’s party had departed from Laurenzen.

"Um… if it’s alright, there’s a place I’d like to make a little detour to," Yuri said timidly.

Old Man Audel and Kudol, who were addressed, exchanged glances inside the carriage. There had been a bit of a fuss when they left Laurenzen, but once they were on their way, the rest of the journey was a simple trip from the post town of Han to End Village. A little detour would be no problem at all.

Incidentally, the "fuss when they left Laurenzen" was Adon childishly trying to delay Yuri’s departure. It wasn’t that they couldn’t understand his feelings, but Yuri had a pressing reason to return. It was a matter of utmost importance to Yuri and Old Man Audel, something that could even affect their identity.

"Um… but I need to start taking care of the fields soon."

Farm work.

Their stay in Laurenzen had dragged on longer than expected, and the calendar was about to turn past the first week of April. It was high time they returned and started tending to the fields. Otherwise, all the pepper, upland rice, coffee, and cashews he had bought in Laurenzen would go to waste.

Adon could sympathize with Yuri’s feelings, but he strongly wished for him to stay in Laurenzen. However, Yuri had powerful allies this time.

"It’s sad to see you go, but if it’s for the fields, it can’t be helped."

"That’s right, Father. Please don’t say such childish things."

Those were Adon’s wife and daughters.

Whether it was a blessing from the land they were grown in or because the person who grew them was who he was, the vegetables provided by Yuri had a phenomenal effect on their beauty. For them, who had become completely captivated by these benefits, the magic words "farm work" were incredibly effective. It would be a disaster if they detained Yuri any longer and the cultivation of those vegetables was delayed. Adon, yielding to the pressure from his wife and daughter to release Yuri, saw him off reluctantly, though in his heart he was half disappointed and half relieved.

Returning to the carriage. Kudol exchanged glances with Old Man Audel for a moment.

"Well, we don’t mind. Where are you headed?"

"Ah, I’d like you to take the side road up ahead to the right… east. You can get silica sand there."

"Silica sand?"

Come to think of it, Kudol remembered. Yuri had collected silica sand on his way back from Chippo Village last year as well.

"Wasn’t the amount you collected last year enough? You gathered quite a bit."

"Yes, there’s that, but… didn’t Adon arrange for some silica sand for you?"

Yuri, seeing that he wouldn’t have time to go to Chippo Village this time, had consulted Adon about acquiring silica sand. Adon would never turn down a request from Yuri and had immediately arranged to get as much as possible. As a result, a large amount of silica sand, properly washed and sorted, had been gathered for Yuri. From Old Man Audel’s perspective, it seemed there would be no need to buy or collect any more for a while.

(I need to consider building a greenhouse, and I’ll want some spares in case the glass breaks. I want as much silica sand as I can get.)

Yuri, however, still felt it was insufficient.

"Well, we don’t know the details of that… but can we get it if we go this way? Silica sand."

"Ah, yes. My master… Bunza-san wrote about it in his journal."