Seiun wo Kakeru Chapter 62

Chapter 62 – The Tribal Chief of Mostori, Pierro (last part 1)

Eiji and Fernando, who finished their meal, returned back to their room and went to sleep.
As expected, the comfort of sleeping was overwhelmingly different, making them sleep soundly, to the extent of not having dreams.
Eiji felt like he would welcome the next morning before he would even know.
He thought he would like to experience this once again.

The morning breakfast was prepared. Everyone smacked their lips at the soft bread and freshly squeezed cow milk.
With each of them being a high grade product, they were unusually tasty.
Eiji felt like he was having the most luxurious thing since the time he had left the village.
Because these alone made Mostori village likable, one couldn’t treat a warm welcome consisting of a meal lightly.
Perhaps, Pierro as well, delivered this luxury upon understanding the change of emotions in his visitors.
Though aggressive, it was a strategy that one couldn’t dislike. – Eiji thought.

Following a short rest taken after the meal, Pierro put a smile on his face and said:
– Well, I’d like to start the negotiations soon, but can I have you bring me to your goods?
– Yes.  The preparations are done with Siena’s specialty being in the center of attention.
– Understood. Because we have lots of products, it will be hard for us to bring everything into this place. I’d like for you take a look at once in the warehouse.
– Warehouse?
– Yes. We have divided specialties gathered from every village into groups. It’s a pure masterpiece.

The place to which Pierro-san guided them was an unusually s.p.a.cious warehouse.
It was properly made with bricks, and at the wall near the ceiling, there was skylight gla.s.s inserted, which was rather surprising.
That was the first time for Eiji to see gla.s.s on this island.
Indeed, I’m nothing but being constantly amazed…. – he thought.
Eiji felt like there’s nothing that can surprise him anymore.
Despite thinking so, he prepared himself and entered the warehouse.

The inside was unexpectedly bright, which was probably thanks to the gla.s.s.
The area of the warehouse was s.p.a.cious; nevertheless, because it was packed with items til every nook and cranny was occupied, there was not much width for moving around.
Dried fishes, salt, bamboo, fur, and spices, it seemed that various things were stored inside wooden frames and pots.
Among them, including high grade dyes and minerals, there was an iron hoe leaning against the wall in the corner. Just from where did they acquire the hoe?
Just with whom did they trade for it?
Eiji could only stare dumbfoundedly at this unforeseen situation.
Because unfamiliar things appeared one by one in front of his eyes, there was no end to his fresh curiosity.

It seemed that Fernando’s eyes were glued to the bricks pilling up near the entrance.
Certainly, he was now imagining how to build using them, or similar things like that.
Eiji himself announced his candidacy by telling Fernando to leave him the negotiation job.
Pierro kept silent and decided to let them be immersed in their deep thinking until they had become satisfied.

– Not just the variety, but you also have large quant.i.ties of them, right?
– We have gathered at least one specialty from every village, you see. There’s no way for us to use them all. Most of them will be shipped again to other villages.
– And then spread through in all places.
– That’s right. Everything will go to all the villages, thus, there will be neither excess nor deficiency. This is the errand and specialty of our village.

At the time Eiji checked the things with his eyes, there was raw cotton preserved in large quant.i.ty and even its seeds were stored.
Even though things like these are basically not meant for sale, how do they collect them?
Was it because of the extent of trust mentioned by Pierro? Or perhaps due to his exceptional negotiation skills.
Eiji, who grasped a rough sketch of the warehouse’s content, went outside the building and returned once more in front of Pierro’s house.
Inside the cart borrowed from Pierro, Siena’s goods were acc.u.mulated.
Since the surface was covered with a fur, the content couldn’t be seen.
Til now, it was Eiji who had been constantly surprised by various things.
He too, had to grab a bit of Pierro’s attention.

– Were you content?
– Yes. I’ll tell you what we want after I discuss with Fernando.
– Well then, Can I have you show me your items this time?
– Unfortunately, this time’s most valuable thing isn’t the iron which you’d expect.
– Not the iron…..? Then, what it is?
– That would be… this.

As soon as Pierro saw what Eiji took out, his expression was painted with astonishment.
It was a lovely rainbow-colored fabric.
Taking the cloth in his hands, he observed it carefully and breathed out in admiration.
Its width was around a meter, and its length- 4 meters.
Even among the fabrics produced in Siena, this one was the cream of the crop.

– This is a cotton material, right?! Not to mention, it’s big. Just how much time do you need to weave this?
– We are considering the production of this from now on, even if it’s just a little.
– It’s splendid…. What’s more, this fabric was even thoroughly dyed. A beautiful and naturally cheerful color, right? Judging from my memory, I’ve thought that the only one capable of dyeing like this was n.a.z.ioni, but….
– There is someone who used to engage in dyeing coming from n.a.z.ioni, so we had this cloth especially made by that person.
– Hm. Certainly, this size and the appeal coming from dyes are not something that can be easily a.s.sessed. Even gems would be too cheap.

With the current methods of weaving, producing a big piece of fabric was unusually difficult.
Because of that, there were many clothes that would cobble together and become unattractive for display.
For instance, if one was to use this fabric, perhaps they could make appealing flags and canopies.

Also, because there were weavers built by Eve, it was possible to create big fabrics without much time.
And then, Eiji entrusted Katharina with the job of dyeing the fabric.
Katharina was reluctant at first as she originally planned to withdraw from doing that, but in the end, she accepted it gladly.
This fabric will probably become an effective material for trade.
It was an article which concerned lots of people in the village, and was filled with feelings of its makers.

Eiji wanted to sell it at the highest price possible.

– And then, this is the new alcohol that we have begun to produce in our village.
– Heh, Can I have a sip of it?
– Yes, go ahead. But first, please take a small dose of it so as not to be startled.
– Yes? ……Oh! It’s spicy!

Pierro held a strong interest toward the distilled alcohol.
He became responsive to the changes in Siena as he would gladly stare at the tools, savor the taste of the alcohol, and praise the fabric while earnestly checking it in his hands.
His eyes were probably more discerning than anyone else’s on this island when a.s.sessing things.
And more than Eiji, who had introduced various things, it looked like Pierro noticed the importance of these changes much further.

– Well then, like this, will it be fine if I conclude our business today?
– Please.

Actually, it was a satisfactory business.
Things like fish sauce and honey, which couldn’t be normally attained, were easily obtainable in this village.
As for Eiji, he was able to lay his hands on his personally desired raw cotton, which was enough to possibly make a thin mattress.
Were he to make a fluffy mattress like the one in this village, he would have to repeat the dealing 2-3 more times, however, Eiji decided to keep his wish for a later occasion.
He couldn’t suppress his unintentional expression of being pleased with himself.
Reversely, Pierro maintained his composure while putting up a smile.
Ah, no good no good. My expression is showing through. I’ve got to brace myself. – Eiji thought.
Was he able to hear Eiji’s internal voice? – Pierro wouldn’t cease his smile while asking him.

– Eiji-san, apart from this time’s dealing, there’s something I’d like to suggest, but…
– What is it?
– I think you learned from the talk yesterday about us dispatching teams of peddlers throughout the island?
– Yes.
– If it’s fine with you, can we bind your iron-made items with an exclusive contract?
– What do you mean?
– You can make dealings inside Siena at your own convenience. Regarding trade outside of your village, I’d like for you to sell us everything in large quant.i.ties.
– Please continue.
– Yes. We won’t be taking more than a regular commission. For example, even if your product is exchanged for an unusually large sum of money in some distant location, all of its share will belong to Siena after the commission is taken.
– But in that case, Won’t Mostori be the one to bear all the troubles? Wouldn’t it be meaningless?
– Our village can demand grat.i.tude in exchange. Again, just as what my grandfather and father were aiming for, it will be possible for both buyers and sellers to gain profit from a trade.
– But in return, we have to sell all of our products wholesale to Mostori.
– That’s right. Won’t there be mutual gains? As for Siena, you have this village near the riverbank, but when it comes to a distant place, to begin with, for the eastern direction, there there isn’t any intermediary. If it’s a village like Mostori with this this many achievements, I think it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try, still…

Eiji nodded.
I see, what Pierro says is reasonable.
Indeed, apart from Tal village, Siena had no other a.s.sociations.
Establishing a new connection is troublesome, and in the first place, there’s no way to reach the eastern side.
They didn’t have that plenty of time.
Eiji looked at Pierro.
On his face there was only a smile surfacing.
Still, Eiji felt an ulterior motif behind that smile.

– Sadly, I have to refuse your offer. However much I would consider that, I can’t follow your suggestion.

A crack appeared in his smile.