Yu○bo Summoned! But What About Fuel?

Now that business was going well and my savings had grown, I decided to establish a base so I could enjoy a slow life in another world.

I tried cutting down some large trees and leveling the ground to build a small log house in the forest, but――.

I was far too weak. I couldn't even deal with the stump of a large tree, and in a fit of rage, I summoned a backhoe power shovel from Shangri-La.

What I bought was a green piece of heavy machinery. It was a medium-sized model commonly used for roadwork in town and the sort of thing you saw everywhere. It was a little worn and had some rust showing, but it had a dozer blade, and as long as it ran, that was good enough. It cost about 1.2 million yen.

It was a huge purchase, but it would surely come in handy for all sorts of things. For example, digging a deep hole with a shovel was incredibly difficult, but heavy machinery could do it in less than a minute without tiring me out.

If it broke, I wouldn't be able to repair it, but... I'd manage somehow.

Shangri-La even sold welding machines, lathes, and milling machines. Unless the problem involved electronic components or something, I should be able to manage somehow... probably.

If all else failed, I could just buy a new one. By then, I would probably have earned more money――though that was merely optimistic speculation.

Anyway, I might as well try running it――. I sat in the slightly torn black vinyl seat and looked to the right.

The key was beside the seat, so turning it started the engine. The heavy machinery roared to life, and vibrations ran through the seat.

But when I heard the engine――I suddenly realized something.

Isn't this diesel?

Of course it was. Heavy machinery used diesel, didn't it? What was I supposed to do for fuel?

I hurriedly searched Shangri-La for diesel fuel――of course, it wasn't sold. But I found that additives were available.

They were chemicals that converted kerosene into diesel fuel so it could be used in diesel engines. There was also talk that you could just mix in ○st Oil instead of buying something like this, but...

In my original world, doing that would get you arrested for tax evasion, so don't do it. But it should have been okay for use in a diesel generator on private property.

In that case, kerosene itself would be fine, but when I searched for it before, while using a lamp, it wasn't available, was it...?

Was I out of options? No, wait. I couldn't just give up after making such a huge purchase. I searched for kerosene again and checked all the way to the end――.

Among the related products, I found something called paraffin oil. The product description said that it was white kerosene.

White kerosene was kerosene refined to prevent soot and smoke, and it was used in lamps and the like. This might work.

I searched for white kerosene as well――I see, it was sold as camping equipment. It cost 1,800 yen per liter, which was expensive, but it was my only option.

There was a chance that the kerosene made from sea-beast oil and sold in town would work, but a medium-sized jar――roughly four liters――cost 10,000 yen.

Four liters of white kerosene from Shangri-La cost 7,200 yen. It was cheaper, and the quality should be more consistent too.

The additive for making kerosene usable in a diesel engine cost 5,000 yen for four liters. I also bought an additive for raising the fuel's cetane rating, just in case, for 2,000 yen.

Calculating everything, it came to around 2,500 to 3,000 yen per liter――an appallingly expensive fuel.

But if the heavy machinery worked, I would be able to do things one person couldn't manage alone. It couldn't be helped.

Still, can I really use this stuff?

It was certainly worrying. If the machinery wouldn't run after I put in this fuel, I'd be in serious trouble. Was there any good way to test it...?

Looking for a useful clue, I searched for diesel engines――and found a diesel generator made in a certain country that cost around 90,000 yen.

That's it――I'll buy this and try running it on the white-kerosene-based fuel. It meant spending more money, but that was better than destroying a 1.2-million-yen piece of heavy machinery, and a generator would have all sorts of uses.

All right! Summon the generator! Click.

A yellow diesel generator, still without any packaging, landed in the forest's leaf mold with a heavy thud.

I'd used generators plenty of times, but this was my first diesel one. I looked at the manual that came with it――I couldn't read it. It wasn't in Japanese!

Could it really work? I was starting to have doubts, but there was nothing to do except try it. I poured the white-kerosene-based fuel into the tank.

Since it wasn't a gasoline engine, it didn't need a choke to start. I turned on the switch and tried to pull the recoil starter, but it was incredibly heavy!

The diesel engine had such high compression that I couldn't pull the starter.

What the heck is this? What am I supposed to do?

I tried to read the manual, which was written in unfamiliar kanji and English――and found the answer. Apparently, it had a decompression lever.

A decompressor was a device for releasing compression. I used to ride a single-cylinder motorcycle made by Y○maha, and it had one too.

Apparently, the instructions said to pull the decompression lever, bring the engine piston to top dead center, and then pull the recoil starter.

I followed the instructions.

I did it!

The engine started with a deafening roar. It was belching white smoke, but it ran――though it was an insanely noisy engine, clanging and banging away.

I'd leave it running for about an hour and see how it went. If there was a problem with the fuel, this should reveal it.

Running it unloaded for a long time could cause problems, so I bought a reel-type extension cord from Shangri-La and lit two 100-watt bulbs.

The bulbs shone brightly with an orange light――.

Wow! The first 100-volt electric light in this world. But perhaps because the voltage fluctuated so much, the bulbs looked as though they were flickering and rippling.

Appliances with electronic components wouldn't work like this. That's what you get with products made in a certain country――naturally, connecting a PC or anything like that was out of the question.

――Two hours later.

I ran the generator for two hours just to be safe, but it continued running without any problems. There might be issues with the fuel pump or something if I used it long-term, but this was the only thing in this world that corresponded to diesel fuel.

It was already beginning to get dark. Since I'd gone to the trouble of making a space, I decided to spend the night here.

The noisy generator ruined everything, so I quickly stored it in my Item Box. It might never get another turn.

When I tried trading it in, the appraisal came to 40,000 yen, so I might let it go.

If I were buying a generator, a Japanese gasoline generator would be far more powerful and much quieter.

However, generators from Japanese manufacturers were sometimes made in a certain country too, so I had to be careful.

I gathered the wood chips left over from cutting down the large trees and made a campfire.

That's right. If I'm going to live in the forest, I want that insect-repelling magic stone Myaree, the beastwoman, mentioned.

It was probably something I'd need to survive in this world, so I decided it would be worth buying one.

The old man's tool shop, where I'd brought the silver coins, might carry one. I'd go there tomorrow before setting up my stall.

I'm hungry――now, what should I eat?

I still had some vegetables left over from the drinking party with the beastmen. Maybe I'll make an anything-grilled dish.

Anything-grilled was made by chopping up whatever vegetables were left in the refrigerator and the like, mixing them with flour, and cooking them.

It was eaten with mayonnaise and sauce. It was a variation on okonomiyaki, but if you called something like this okonomiyaki, some people might get angry.

The meat was gone, so I bought some more. I wanted eggs too.

I searched for eggs on Shangri-La――and found some. 【Imperfect】 40 Uneven Eggs cost 800 yen, but they were nonstandard products.

Even if they were nonstandard, the contents were the same. If I bought a lot, they wouldn't spoil as long as I kept them in my Item Box.

In my original world, there was a poultry farm near my home, and I'd bought nonstandard eggs there before. Some were different sizes, while others were misshapen.

The interesting ones were the double-yolk eggs. Apparently, some people avoided them because they found them unpleasant, so they were all removed during inspection.

They were sold at the poultry farm's shop. Of course, every egg they sold was a double-yolk egg.

Double-yolk eggs had more yolk, so even with the same amount, they made things like pancakes taste richer.

Since I had a fire going for the firewood, I decided to cook the contents of the frying pan directly over the flames. With all the far-infrared radiation, maybe it would cook nicely.

The sizzling sound of the anything-grilled dish filled the forest. It was truly quiet in the darkness.

But if I was going to be attacked by those black wolves even here, I would have to abandon my plans for this place.

While I was working out my plans for after I leveled this place, the anything-grilled dish finished cooking nicely.

Wow, it somehow seems fluffier than when I cook it over gas.

Then I poured mayonnaise and sauce over it. The mayonnaise was ordinary K○○pie, but after trying various sauces, I settled on O○○fuku Sauce.

I'd always used I○○ri Sauce, but I tried O○○fuku Sauce on a whim and got hooked. It was my standard now.

It might have been my imagination, but it seemed tastier than what I usually ate. Maybe it was because I was eating it in the middle of such magnificent nature?

Once my stomach was full from the anything-grilled dish, I set up my tent.

I couldn't go to sleep without taking any precautions. I had to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

As I sat by the campfire in the darkness and searched Shangri-La, I found 12-volt infrared sensors for sale.

They were the things installed near the entrances of houses and such, which turned on a light when someone approached. They cost about 400 yen each, so I bought four.

If any living things came, they would probably come from deep in the forest.

I also bought a 12-volt battery and some electrical wire and connected them to the sensors. Then I connected 12-volt lights and buzzers to the sensors' outputs.

As a test, I approached one of the sensors――the light came on and the buzzer sounded――success!

This should let me prepare for approaching creatures and the like. I would probably need to modify it later by adding switches and such, but it could be used as it was.

Well, time for bed――maybe it was because of all the physical labor, but I was exhausted. I wanted to take a bath, but... I would wash myself in the river on the way to the market in the morning.

Oh, I left the power shovel sitting out... Well, whatever.

------◇◇◇------

――The next morning. I woke up in the forest. The alarm buzzer hadn't gone off, so apparently no living creatures had come by.

I took some bread out of my Item Box and decided to try storing the power shovel in it while I nibbled on it.

I suppose even something this huge will fit. Well, a large log fit, so...

Contrary to my worries, the power shovel was sucked into the Item Box. The display read 【Backhoe Power Shovel (Medium)】×1.

I took a mountain bike out of my Item Box and rode along the road I'd made for the first time.

It was quite comfortable. I couldn't ride as fast as I could on a paved road, but this was more than good enough.

But wait. I stopped the mountain bike and searched for asphalt on Shangri-La――and found it for sale.

Asphalt was indeed available, but it cost 1,600 yen for 10 kilograms, which was quite expensive. There was no way I could pave this entire road with it. That wasn't going to work.

It took about ten minutes to reach the river from the forest. It was definitely much faster than walking. I put the mountain bike in my Item Box and decided to wash myself in the river.

By “wash,” I didn't mean jumping into the river stark naked like the beastmen. I would just take a little water and wipe myself down.

Ahh, I want to take a bath.

That's right, I could take a bath. They sold a drum-barrel Goemon bath for 20,000 yen, didn't they?

If I filled a plastic tank with river water and put it in my Item Box to carry it, I could take a bath in the forest.

Or――if I could fill the drum with water here and store it directly in my Item Box, that would be even easier.

All right! Today was bath day.

Now that the road was finished and I had a base in the forest, I didn't need to stay at the inn anymore.

I should go say goodbye to the innkeeper.

------◇◇◇------

Good morning.

Oh, Kenichi, where have you been?

Azalea came out to greet me.

I made a place to live. You took good care of me here, so I thought I should come say goodbye.

A place to live? Where are you going to live?

In the forest.

What~?

It was no wonder Azalea was shocked. Apparently, no one in this city was eccentric enough to live in the forest.

Even when I worked all day, I had never actually seen a single person there.

Besides, when I asked her, she told me there was apparently a taboo against living in the forest.

Even though it was called a taboo, there were no penalties for living there. It seemed more like an unspoken understanding that had continued since ancient times.

It was only for a short while, but thanks for everything.

Are you serious?

Completely serious. Hahaha.

She was utterly dumbfounded, but it couldn't be helped.

But I can't refund the lodging fee you paid in advance...

Yeah, I know. I only came to say goodbye.

After saying goodbye to the innkeeper as well, I headed toward the market――but first, I had to visit the tool shop.

I passed through the market and arrived at the old man's tool shop.

The shop was as dim as ever. Since he seemed to be able to use magic, I wondered why he didn't just use magic to brighten it up.

It really is dark in here.

Mind your own business.

Whoa! Old man, don't scare me like that.

It really felt as though the old man had appeared from the darkness. I couldn't even tell whether he had been there all along. Maybe he was using some kind of concealment magic...?

What brings you here today? Have you brought some strange item again?

Old man, that's no way to talk to a customer. Do you have that insect-repelling magic stone here?

I do. This one.

The old man took out a blue, oval-shaped stone from a piece of furniture like a medicine cabinet, where countless boxes were lined up in the shop.

I heard it cost two silver coins (100,000 yen).

When I took silver coins out of my Item Box, the old man's eyes lit up.

So that's the Item Box I've heard about.

Apparently, there was a rumor going around that someone at the market used an Item Box.

Well, it seemed to be an extremely rare ability, so it was no wonder people were talking about it.

That's right, but...

Don't you have anything rare inside it?

Something rare? What if I did?

I'd give you a discount on the magic stone.

Really?

He seemed serious, but there was no way I could take out some item that was beyond this world's technology.

I checked the window displaying the contents of my Item Box.

One convenient function of the Item Box was that if I put an empty box inside, I could drag and drop other small items into it.

But if I tried to put something large into a small box, the message 【Insufficient capacity】 appeared.

Using that function, I took out one mandarin orange that had come with the assorted vegetables I'd bought.

What's that?

A foreign fruit.

I peeled the mandarin and encouraged him to eat it.

Hmm, this is unusual――and sweet and sour, but delicious. However, this alone isn't enough...

Then maybe I'd have him try this too――Azalea had liked it, after all.

I took out a plate and some milk and decided to have the old man try granola.

But you're an old man. Maybe your teeth are too bad to eat it?

Don't insult me.

True to his word, he ate the milk-covered granola with a crisp crunch, looking delighted.

This is sweet and delicious! I've never eaten anything like it! If you give me a little more, I'll knock two small square silver coins (10,000 yen) off the price of the magic stone.

All right, we have a deal.

I had the old man prepare an empty small jar, then filled it with granola.

Yes! I got the insect-repelling magic stone.

Later, the old man took inspiration from the granola I'd given him and made travel rations to sell.

They were like salty rice crackers, made by kneading in dried potatoes and dried fruit and then baking them.

Apparently, you broke them into pieces, put them in a plate or cup, and poured water or milk over them. Adding hot water turned them into soup as well.

Thanks to my introduction, he also began wholesaling them to the Marrow Company, and apparently they sold quite well――the old man was no slouch.

------◇◇◇------

My stall's sales for the day came to just under 20,000 yen.

Clothespins had also started going on sale at shops affiliated with the Marrow Company, so I wasn't selling as many of them.

Of course, when the Marrow Company sold them, the same product became a branded item.

As evening approached, I packed up my stall――and decided to put my bath plan into action.