Chapter 31

"Ah, so the army just stopped by for a military drill while inspecting the village, huh?"

"Yes, Father just accompanied Isaac as usual for the village inspection, and the army returned to Isteria. Thanks to everyone in the village handling the situation well, nothing went wrong."

Under the clear sky, Ichirou walked along the riverbank with Barretta, heading towards the location of the second water wheel, while receiving yesterday's report.

From Barretta's account, it seemed they had managed to overcome this disturbance smoothly.

There had been some dangerous suggestions from the villagers, but Barretta skillfully guided them, and everything was resolved peacefully.

Since Isaac had asked various questions about the water wheel and crops, there might be an order to report in detail on the manufacturing methods of the water wheel and agricultural practices to Isteria soon, but that can't be helped.

"That's good... But, Barretta might be summoned to Isteria to explain how to make the water wheel... I feel bad, as if I've put her in a difficult position..."

"Oh, don't apologize! You've helped us so much, so this is the least I can do. Besides, if I'm summoned, I'll make sure to return quickly."

While talking, they arrived at the water channel where the second water wheel was installed.

Yesterday, Barretta had closed the sluice gate with wooden boards, so the water wheel wasn't moving now.

Barretta immediately approached the water wheel and peered at the shaft.

"This part of the shaft seems to have worn down from use..."

Ichirou, taking Barretta's place, stood in front of the water wheel and peered at the shaft.

"Hmm... Ah, this is quite worn out. It's good we noticed it before it broke."

Ichirou checked the condition of the shaft, which was not moving, and opened the university notebook he was holding in one hand, making notes in red pen on the drawing of the water wheel.

It seemed that some measures needed to be taken promptly, as the second water wheel might become unusable otherwise.

"Maybe we should reinforce the shaft or the bearing with metal... We could use copper from Japan, but it might be better to use something bought in Isteria."

If the shaft or bearing could be reinforced with bronze or pure copper, the wear from rotational friction would be manageable.

While it would be quicker to bring the materials from Japan, it might be better to procure them in Isteria to avoid questions from Isaac or Isteria's officials.

"If we're going to process the materials in the village, we'll need to build a larger furnace. The village only has small furnaces for repairs like chisels...!"

While making notes in the university notebook, Ichirou suddenly turned around when he noticed Barretta choking on her words.

"How is the water wheel?"

"..."

Turning around, Ichirou was speechless at the sight of three soldiers suddenly appearing.

Barretta was trembling slightly, staring at the man who looked like a commander—Isaac.

Isaac's tone was friendly, but his eyes were cold as he looked at the two of them.

While this was happening, the two soldiers behind Isaac moved to surround Ichirou and Barretta.

"Who are you? You're not a resident of Gricia Village, are you?"

After confirming that his subordinates had surrounded Ichirou, Isaac stared directly at him and questioned.

Initially, Ichirou's thoughts had frozen at the sudden appearance of the soldiers, but seeing Barretta trembling beside him, he regained some composure.

From the situation, it seemed the soldiers had been lying in wait, anticipating Ichirou's appearance.

While he didn't know how they had detected his presence, he needed to break this dire situation somehow.

If he couldn't talk his way out of this, not only Ichirou but also Gricia Village itself would be in serious trouble.

He had to take charge, as Barretta was in a state of panic.

"Isaac, this person is..."

"Be quiet."

Isaac glared at Barretta, silencing her, and then stared at Ichirou again.

"Answer quickly. Or is there a reason you can't?"

While being questioned by the man,

"(So this is Isaac. He's quite young.)"

Ichirou thought idly, considering how to respond for a few seconds.

If the Isaac in front of him was the same person described by the village chief and Barretta, there might still be some hope.

It was unlikely that he would immediately have Ichirou executed without listening to his explanation.

However, the situation was still critical.

"...I'm a traveling merchant. I wandered around this area and eventually found Gricia Village, where I've been staying for a while."

When Ichirou answered, Isaac didn't seem particularly surprised and instead focused on the university notebook in Ichirou's hand.

"A merchant, huh? Can I see the book in your hand?"

Ichirou handed the university notebook to Isaac and whispered to Barretta, who was looking at him fearfully, that it would be okay, with a smile.

Isaac took the notebook, stroked the cover with his fingers, and then flipped through the pages, muttering at the paper quality.

"...Designs for a water wheel. There are other writings as well... Did you design this water wheel?"

"Yes, I did."

"I've never seen the writing in this book. Where are you from, merchant?"

While trying to calm Barretta with a smile, Ichirou couldn't think of a good strategy in such a short time.

He had answered that he was a merchant, as he had told the villagers when he first arrived, but trying to deceive them further would only make things worse.

It seemed he needed to take a bold approach.

"From a world deep in the forest behind Gricia Village, do you understand?"

"...What?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Isaac asked back.

The two soldiers surrounding Ichirou and Barretta also looked at him with puzzled expressions.

While under their gaze, Ichirou took a deep breath and, looking straight at Isaac, said:

"I come from the world of the gods. To save the people of Gricia Village."

"..."

Isaac and the others exchanged glances, clearly confused by the unexpected response.

Despite the internal cold sweat, Ichirou appeared calm on the surface.

He was confident that if he could show Isaac some of the tools he brought from Japan, he could convince him that he was from the world of the gods.

However, all he had on him now was the notebook and a ballpoint pen.

Thinking that showing Isaac his mobile phone once they returned to the village might convince him, Ichirou was interrupted by Isaac, who still had a puzzled look on his face.

"You just said you were a merchant who wandered into the village. Your story doesn't add up."

"...That's just a figure of speech. Even a merchant from the world of the gods can get lost. I was trying to reach Gricia Village but got lost in the forest and wandered for a while."

Pointing out the inconsistency in his statement, Ichirou answered in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, but from Isaac's expression, it seemed he was only increasing the suspicion.

"No, you just said you were living in the village..."

"Really! This person is Gracior, who came from the world of the gods to save the village!"

Interrupting Isaac, who was about to point out another inconsistency, Barretta spoke up.

She must have realized the situation was getting worse.

...The mention of "Gracior" and the additional inconsistency didn't help.

"Gracior...?"

"Gracior!"

"Are you saying this man is Gracior?"

"Yes!"

After Barretta's assertion, Isaac sighed deeply, looking exasperated.

"...I didn't know Gracior was a merchant."

"...Ah."

"No, in the world of the gods, he also does business..."

Ignoring Ichirou's attempt to smooth things over, Isaac ordered the soldier standing next to Ichirou:

"Bind this man's arms."

In the silent forest, the adjutant, having received a report from Isaac's messenger, was giving instructions to the gathered soldiers.

The soldiers' expressions were tense, and they all seemed on edge.

"Our objective is to keep the villagers inside their homes. Wait for further instructions from the captain, and do not leave your posts until then."

"Adjutant."

When the adjutant explained, one soldier raised his hand.

"If the villagers resist, can I use this to hurt them a little?"

The adjutant shook his head at the soldier, who was holding a short spear.

"No. Do not resort to violence just because they show some resistance. Try to persuade them to stay inside. If it gets out of hand, call me."

Most of the soldiers showed signs of dissatisfaction.

They probably thought it was unnecessary to treat mere peasants so politely, being part of the military and nobility.

The adjutant, while also thinking that if he were the captain, he would use more forceful methods to ensure the mission's success, knew that Isaac preferred a different approach.

After a year of working together, he understood Isaac's thinking and knew how to act to gain his approval.

"This is an order. No objections."

The adjutant strictly commanded,

"Alright, everyone, start your tasks."

And the soldiers began to carry out their orders.

While Isaac's subordinates were executing the operation to control Gricia Village, Ichirou and the others were walking slowly towards the village.

Ichirou's hands were tied behind his back, and the knots were tight, making it difficult to free himself.

From the outside, he looked like a criminal.

Barretta, walking next to Ichirou, was not bound, but two soldiers were closely watching her from behind.

"This... Can you write without ink?"

Isaac, using the ballpoint pen he had taken from Ichirou, was testing it on a piece of parchment as they walked.

Unlike the quill pen he usually used, the ballpoint pen didn't require dipping in ink.

Impressed by the convenience of the ballpoint pen, Isaac muttered to himself.

"This is called a ballpoint pen. When we return to the village, I have several tools from the world of the gods."

Ichirou, thinking about the items he had left in the village's house, felt relatively calm.

In addition to the Boston bag he had brought this morning, there was a suitcase given to him by his father in his room.

While he hadn't checked the contents of the suitcase, he was confident it contained items that would interest Isaac.

Even the contents of the Boston bag alone would be enough to prove he was from the world of the gods.

While the conversation at the water wheel earlier had left Isaac suspicious due to his poor answers, Ichirou believed showing him the items from Japan would resolve the situation.

"One more question."

Isaac, who had been staring at the ballpoint pen, stopped and turned to Ichirou.

"How many days have you been in Gricia Village?"

"Um... About 30 days, I think."

Recalling the date he had quit his job and today's date, Ichirou answered.

It had been 34 days since he first arrived in this world.

"30 days... I came to the village 20 days ago..."

Isaac muttered, then fell silent, deep in thought, and resumed walking.

The other two soldiers followed silently, not interrupting their superior.

When Ichirou looked at Barretta walking next to him, she also seemed deep in thought, walking silently.

She was probably considering how to act once they reached the village.

"(Before we get to the village, I need to get these ropes off... This situation is exactly like the legend of Gracior...)"

If the villagers saw Ichirou with his hands tied behind his back, they might recognize the situation from the legend and rise up to protect him.

While walking to the river to check the water wheel, Ichirou had heard from Barretta about the villagers' and the village chief's interactions the previous day, and he believed it was highly likely that the villagers would arm themselves and revolt.

With about 20 minutes left until they reached Gricia Village, the gears of fate were about to start turning.