Chapter 347 - Episode 11: Waterway Construction in the Flatlands
On the night of the inspection, after returning to the Ghost Mansion, Beatrix and I talked about what we heard during the day.
"The point is, it depends on Beowulf, right?"
That's the important part.
"That's true, but the other side's feelings aren't clear yet, and there's no use in rushing. Besides, the other side just came of age, right? There's no way they'll marry suddenly."
Well, I guess. I don't know how it is for royalty, but generally speaking, for commoners, men marry around thirty. Women range widely from their late teens to late twenties.
Incidentally, Lord Roberts and Gladys-sama are roughly on that line. In the King's case, it should have been in his early twenties. I think she's an older wife. In Gwyn-sama's case, it's also in his early twenties, and here too she's an older wife. In Eowyn-sama's case, it's also in his early twenties, and Aira will be twenty next year.
Thinking about it, even for royalty, the men all marry in their twenties. In other words, there are five more years.
Also, because there had been no frivolous talk until now, we got a bit carried away with Beowulf's case, but thinking about it, we'll be twenty-one next year. It wouldn't be strange if at least one of us got married.
"Well, in five more years, half of us will probably be settled."
"That's probably so, but if Beowulf becomes the Crown Princess of Primordia, what will happen to our dream?"
If a royal emerges, will the asset side be solved in one shot?
"No. Land bought by a royal of Primordia belongs to Primordia. Besides, Sertoria prohibits the purchase of land by foreigners."
"Which means..."
"Yeah, eight people become seven. We'll have to work harder for that portion."
"I guess so."
"For now, full support for Lyudmila."
The first year is about to end. In Lyudmila's plan, for three years, she will focus on grazing agriculture centered on clover, turnips, pasture, and weeds in the plowed fields to build the soil, and in the fourth year, she will divide the fields into four and start planting wheat, and the harvest from the following year will be the real challenge. She's making oats and rye in some parts, but it's only a token amount. This too will be in five years.
As for magic for farm work, currently, the Marcelo Company, which has high-level mages, handles it all, including the southern plains. After all, there are four of them. Only Paul-san and Beatrix can use the threshing magic Tornado Wind, but Angelica-san and Lyudmila can use substitute magic, so they are managing somehow. Since the prices are reasonable, they are in high demand during the season. In the near future, mid-level and below will also be subject to labor service, but there aren't many high-level mages. Most likely, their popularity will be maintained to some extent.
That Lyudmila, despite being twenty, still looks like nothing but a child. Her way of thinking has matured, and her knowledge is increasing, but she's not much different from when she graduated from the orphanage... no, from when she came to the orphanage at twelve. I think she might be cursed, but she can go in and out of the Great Church normally, so she seems to be fine.
"Is that girl eating properly?"
I'm getting worried.
"As far as I know, she's eating. She's small, but it's not like she's thin."
Our chests are the same, but her face isn't sunken.
"Well, if that girl grows up, that would be a problem in its own way."
That's true. If she becomes a completely male physique, it would be a problem to have her jump and hug me like she does now.
"Well, that is what it is, I guess."
Well, certainly, there's nothing we can do about it.
The next day, when I went to the Marcelo Company to make scrolls, I was told to follow them because they were going to Adolf-san's place in the afternoon.
Paul-san and Beatrix, who finished hunting in the morning, plus Lewis-san and his adjutant, arrived in a bowl together with Lyudmila.
When we all went to the town hall, Hanna-san guided us to the meeting room in the basement.
"Is there something?"
"It's the flood control problem of the Flatlands."
When Beatrix asked, Marcelo-san answered.
The Flatlands originally had no rivers. Drinking water was secured by digging wells. To create waterways for agriculture, there's no choice but to pull water from elsewhere. Fortunately, the water pipes for the Nakanohara town's water supply were expanded. And the method of moving water with teleportation magic circles was established. In the second phase of construction, they moved the water stored in the town's second reservoir with several large magic circles, secured a large amount of water, and created waterways. But unfortunately, it turned out to be completely insufficient.
Currently, because the eastern half is unopened, water is flowing even in ditches, but eventually, they plan to open it to the entire area. It's quite impossible.
"Is Translate still no good?"
"It'll be a flood."
It's flatly denied.
Well, I guess so.
"We plan to create several large reservoirs in the northern part of the Flatlands. That way, we can store rain and snowmelt. If we first secure the water to store in those ponds and fill them, it will hold out to some extent. After that, we'll manage with snowmelt and precipitation."
"Civil engineering work."
"Yes. Our company took the contract. The locations for the ponds have been selected. Since four of us can use magic to dig holes, we'll first make one prototype. If we dig it all at once before the snow piles up, harden the bottom of the pond, and store the water moved by teleportation, we'll manage somehow."
The entire Flatlands will be involved. That's why Lewis-san and the others are here.
"We will take charge of moving personnel and materials. Traffic control too."
In other words, they must have already consulted with the Royal Palace.
"Hardening the bottom of the pond will be labor service. We plan to bring in everyone living in the Flatlands and do it in two days."
They plan to make five reservoirs in total. Four in the north along the mountains. This is agricultural water. One to the northeast of the fortress. This is domestic water for the settlements. If the water from the second reservoir is used exclusively for domestic water, it can be sufficiently calculated. The place where Serena and the others mainly moved the trees was along the northern mountains, creating a belt of forest to prevent farmers from carelessly crossing the mountains and entering the territory of the orcs. In the valleys of the mountains, small streams and waterfalls are created when it rains. They plan to select such places to create reservoirs and flow the water south from there. The concept itself has existed for a long time, and the trees at the candidate sites for the reservoirs have already been moved, but they couldn't secure the labor to harden the bottom of the ponds. Now, there are seven hundred people living in the Flatlands, including the Light Infantry Corps. Now it's heading toward full-scale winter, and they've mowed the pasture and pulled the turnips to be used as livestock feed during the winter. In other words, it's the off-season for farming.
"We plan to make one in the week after next. There might be injured people, so Jeanne, could you come too?"
I have no choice but to go.
Now, on the day of the construction, quite a crowd gathered. Since we can't gather everyone at once and leave only children in the settlements, we've divided them into morning and afternoon shifts. Even so, more than two hundred people have gathered.
People on floating ships are being transported one after another to the northern edge of the pond's bottom. Surely, it's their first flight experience. They all arrived while cheering, and the people who had already arrived were welcoming them with applause. The Light Infantry Corps, wearing surcoats over chain mail, are providing security.
The shopkeepers of Nakanohara are also putting out stalls at the northern edge of the pond. The nearby bars and cafeterias are the same.
It's the coldest time. In the early morning, snow was fluttering here and there.
Soup made by dissolving wheat flour in goat milk and seasoning it with salt, with pieces of cheese, oats, and dried meat that has been beaten soft, is selling well. Our shop also put out bread baked by Miana and warmed goat milk. The stall personnel were transported early in the morning by the Paratroop Jaegers on floating ships. Since serving alcohol is prohibited, the residents of the Flatlands gathered to harden the bottom of the pond are surrounding several bonfires that have been lit.
Adolf-san appeared in a bowl of the Light Infantry Corps, explained the procedure from the air, and work immediately began.
The holes for the reservoirs have already been dug over a week. The guided residents are descending to the bottom of the pond in a line. It's not something that can be done for half a day straight. Men are in pairs. They stand in pairs around a weight made by attaching two wooden sticks like horns to the side of a round log. About fifty pairs are lined up in two rows with gaps between them. Women are also in pairs, standing as if to fill the gaps between the men.
"Now, everyone. Please do as planned at the signal! Men, please try to harden a place different from the one already hardened as much as possible. Women can stay in their spots."
Adolf-san's voice, using Loud magic, echoes.
"There, one, two, three..."
At the shout, one of the men lifts the weight and drops it on the ground with a thud. One of the women jumps on the spot. The remaining two count the numbers with Adolf-san. When they count to five, the men and women swap positions, and when they count from five to ten, they move two steps south and swap with the second group.
Since it's also hard for Adolf-san to keep shouting, he took turns with Lewis-san to count the numbers, and after an hour of continuous work, they took a break.
The stall group moved their carts forward just before the break, scooped water prepared in tubs into bowls, and had everyone drink in turn to catch their breath.
After repeating that three times, the work of the morning shift was over.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but when they were about to go home, many women had leg cramps when climbing the stairs to get out of the pond's bottom. Even those who were fine still have tomorrow. The women were picked up by the Light Infantry in bowls and gathered in one place, and I cast Recovery on all of them. Just in case, I had them take off their shoes, and some people had skin peeled off. Together with the medical staff of the Light Infantry Corps, I decided to cast Heal.
The men seemed to have wrapped towels they brought around sticks and held them from the middle, so there was no such thing for them.
As a preventive measure, I decided to have Defend cast on the hands and feet of the afternoon shift and tomorrow's shift in advance, and to have instructions given to the women to lightly massage their calves with their hands when they take turns to rest.
The stall group sold grilled salted fish and meat skewers made for lunch, and bread and cheese are also selling. They also sell cider. The prices aren't that high. Everyone is in a half-festive mood.
Of course, they could go home early, but the floating ships lined up by destination cannot depart until they are near capacity. People who came from far away have to wait while taking a break.
Compared to their serf days in Engrio, the difference in treatment was like heaven and earth, and everyone was saying one after another that they were glad they came here.
After about an hour of congestion, the afternoon shift arrived. They went back to the place that couldn't be hardened in the morning, and after that, it was a repetition. They hardened the soil to the shouts of Adolf-san and Lewis-san, and in the evening, the first day's work was finished.
Since the next morning is also early, Beatrix, Bonnie, and I decided to stay at the farm instead of returning to the Ghost Mansion. After seeing off Beowulf and Miana, we washed off our sweat in the stone-fired bath, ate dinner like the Boar Club, and stayed in the residential area. Since it's cold outside, Keira also stopped her night outing and decided to drink honey wine with us.
Beatrix put magical fire in the fireplace to provide warmth. We spread a bear fur and all circled on top of it.
"Hey, we're going for the sea snake subjugation with Crown Prince Edward of Primordia, right? For the sea snake, well, we'll ask Alex or someone, but for Edward-sama, is there anything you know?"
Immediately, Beatrix tried asking Bonnie. In Primordia, she joined midway, but until then, she had been acting separately as an attendant to the merchant group. She might have heard some stories about Edward-sama.
Incidentally, Keira lived in the forest and ruins, so her information about both is the same as mine.
"His personal combat skills are apparently outstanding. But since he has no actual combat experience, his command of the army is being questioned."
"Hmm. What about his personality? Like, does he have a bad drinking habit, or is he a womanizer?"
"He seems to be a strong drinker and often has drinking contests with his subordinates. I don't hear that he's a womanizer. Come to think of it, he can't seem to stand up to his cousin, Priestess Sianya. So, maybe he's kind to women?"
"Is that so?"
It's unexpected information. But they certainly felt like siblings.
"Um, Sianya-sama apparently taught him national law, economics, and other customs of the Royal Family and nobility since he was a child. And when he got injured in sword training, she always treated him."
Since he's an only child, he seems to have grown up with the King's sons. As for their reputations, the King's eldest and second sons are apparently not bad but just average people. And Sianya was smart, and Edward-sama was excellent in martial arts. Considering their abilities, it wouldn't have been strange if Sianya became the Queen. However, she became a priest due to the King's intention to have the children of the previous King succeed the throne. For Edward-sama, who is all about martial arts, he might feel a sense of inferiority.
"But you know, Primordia started reforms recently, right? Like, the social advancement of women who can use magic? There's a rumor that when Edward-sama becomes the King, he's considering putting Priestess Sianya in a position like an advisor."
Hmm. That's a good thing. The King said they were currently in the middle of reforms regarding that, but it would be an exquisite move as a preparation.
"Oh, right. There was an interesting story."
"An interesting story?"
"Yeah. Whether it's in brothels, bars, or among the palace servants, he apparently likes large women."
"Is that so!"
Beatrix and I shouted together without thinking. Keira and Bonnie twitched their bodies, then looked at us curiously.
"Ah, sorry. I shouted. Because, usually, men avoid tall women, don't they?"
I nodded desperately at Beatrix's excuse. It's a personal guess, but it's not a lie.
"That's true. But that means women taller than oneself, right? I don't think there are any women taller than Edward-sama."
I know that, but I just say, "I guess so."
"And you know, even in daily life, he can't see the faces of average-height women well. And they inevitably look like children to him."
The only exception is Sianya, who is practically his older sister. Well, certainly, the tiny Lyudmila looks like nothing but a child. In contrast, no one would treat Beowulf like a child. But with this, the possibility that he fell for Beowulf has been confirmed. As expected of a scout.
"Hmm. Being large is hard in its own way, isn't it?"
The short Beatrix crossed her arms and tilted her head. It's a convincing performance. No, she's actually short, so it might be her true feelings.
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"Eh, no, nothing."
She's quite sharp.
The next morning. It's the second day of reservoir construction.
The people hardening the bottom of the pond as labor service have swapped the morning and afternoon shifts from yesterday.
We are also putting out stalls for the second day in a row, but Miana's baked bread was so popular that it sold out in the morning yesterday. So, I'm continuing to bake in the bread oven together with Beowulf. Beatrix is the transport personnel and plans to carry the bread in wooden boxes with Warm magic circles drawn on them. So, I decided to leave the shop to Bonnie and the Alraunes.
Thanks to the efforts of Miana, Beatrix, and Beowulf, a lot of bread was sold.
The second day of hardening the bottom of the pond also ended safely, and on the third day, ten large magic circles made by Adolf-san and the Marcelo couple together were activated simultaneously. Two are jumping water from the second reservoir of the water supply, and eight are jumping water from the Nakanohara River.
The water that gushed out from the magic circles is creating a large puddle at the bottom of the pond in no time. I could even see fish jumping from time to time.
"After that, we just have to wait for it to fill. Since this pond is at the western end as you know, once it starts flowing into the waterways from here, it can cover a considerable part of the western Flatlands."
The remaining four will apparently be after the snowmelt.