Chapter 66

After walking for a few more minutes, Ichirō and the others arrived at a large river flowing in the northern part of Isteria.

The river is about 20 meters wide, but due to the drop in water level, parts of the riverbed on both banks are exposed.

"This is quite a large river... I wonder where we can set up a water wheel..."

Ichirō climbed up a large rock nearby and looked around for a suitable place to set up a water wheel.

The river runs almost straight, and from a distance, several tributaries leading to the grain fields and the city of Isteria can be seen.

To set up a water wheel, it would be necessary to create a water channel next to the river, just as they did in Gricia Village.

"Let's set it up over there. I'll give the instructions, so please dig the ground to create a water channel for the water wheel."

Ichirō found a dry water channel that had been dug near the river, jumped down from the rock, and approached it.

The water channel is connected to the river, but due to the low water level, it is currently dry.

If they dig this water channel deeper and modify it into a water channel for the water wheel, it should work.

"Please dig this water channel to a depth where it can take in water from the river. The digging range should be from here... to here, please."

Ichirō picked up a stone that had fallen nearby and traced it on the ground to mark the spot.

They would create a water channel of almost the same width as the one they made in Gricia Village.

"Also, please dig holes to set up the supports for the water wheel. Those who are free, please help assemble the water wheel and the wooden water channel to receive the lifted water."

As Ichirō gave the instructions, Zirconia immediately assigned tasks to the nearby attendants.

The attendants ran to the wagons, took out shovels with bronze teeth and flat spades, and started working all at once.

"Alright, let's start assembling the water wheel. I'll teach you how to assemble it, so please learn as you do it. We need to assemble several more water wheels besides this one."

"You should also help assemble the water wheel. The others should work on creating the wooden water channel."

Since most of the attendants were assigned to digging the water channel, Ichirō also assigned tasks to about ten of the guards.

It might seem like there are too many people, but it's better to have more than not enough.

"Kazura, are you going to install all the water wheels you have in the grain fields?"

"No, we don't have to install all of them. Once the water channels in the grain fields are receiving enough water, we'll install the remaining ones in other places. We'll also make improvements to the water wheels at that time."

"Improvements...?"

"Yeah, improvements."

Zirconia tilted her head, looking puzzled, and Ichirō turned to her with a slightly confident expression.

"The water wheel isn't just a tool for lifting water. With a little modification, it can also be used as a power source for various tools."

"Um... what kind of tools, specifically?"

"For example, a flour mill that can keep running indefinitely, linked to the movement of the water wheel. It would greatly increase work efficiency since it doesn't require human power."

"Greatly...?"

When Ichirō gave an example of a machine powered by a water wheel, Zirconia muttered, seemingly finding it hard to believe.

It's probably hard to imagine such a use for a water wheel, which she had always thought of as just a tool for lifting water, without seeing it in action.

"If the grain fields are revived according to my instructions, the food production in the grain fields will increase significantly compared to before. However, this will also increase the amount of work needed for post-harvest processing."

Thanks to the effect of the compost spread in the grain fields, if things go well, they should be able to harvest a large amount of crops in a few months.

Although many of the crops are currently withered, the next harvest should be quite promising.

However, this will also significantly increase the amount of work needed for threshing and milling the harvested crops, especially the grains used for making bread.

If they can process these crops efficiently, the increased production will help lower food prices, making life easier for the citizens.

"I don't know much about agriculture in this country, so I'd like to ask you. How do you thresh and mill the grains used for bread?"

"For grains used in bread, such as wheat, the ears are bundled and placed on a platform with several wooden poles, and they are threshed by hitting them with poles. For rye, which is also used for porridge and feed, the bundled ears are roasted to thresh them. For milling, both are ground using stone mills."

It seems that the threshing methods in this world are quite primitive.

The method of threshing by hitting the ears with poles is something Ichirō vaguely remembered from history lessons in elementary or middle school, but the method of roasting the ears is something he had never heard of before.

"Roasting... I've never seen it, so I'm not sure, but won't the rye grains catch fire?"

"They are immediately stepped on to extinguish the fire as soon as the ears fall to the ground, so the grains won't catch fire. Would you like to see it? It's quite fun."

As she explained, Zirconia smiled nostalgically, as if recalling the scene.

Ichirō had seen Zirconia smile many times before, but this was the first time he saw such a natural smile.

"Yes, I'd like to see it... By the way, have you ever done such work, Zirconia?"

"Yes, I used to be a farmer, so I used to take care of the fields and harvest every year. However, I haven't done it since I married Nelson at the age of 16."

Ichirō was surprised by Zirconia's unexpected response.

He had always thought she was a pure noble, but it seems she wasn't.

What kind of circumstances led to her marriage with Nelson, a noble of such high status despite her farmer background?

("She was a farmer... I'm quite curious about the circumstances leading up to her marriage... By the way, how old is she?")

Zirconia looked quite young.

Intuitively, Ichirō thought she wasn't much older than him.

"So, this is a task you're familiar with... But, after so many years, have you forgotten the feel of it?"

"Yes... It's been 10 years since I stopped doing farm work, so I might not be very good at it now. I might try it again sometime..."

(So, she's 26. She's just one year older than me, so we're almost the same age... Wait a minute...)

He managed to find out Zirconia's age by skillfully steering the conversation.

However, this raised a question in Ichirō's mind.

The relationship between Rize and Zirconia.

(...How old is Rize, anyway?)

Rize looks to be in her mid-teens, but if that's the case, Zirconia would have given birth to her at around 11 years old.

Considering the age Zirconia mentioned when she got married, that seems impossible.

(Is Zirconia Nelson's second wife...? But now isn't the time to speculate about such things.)

Realizing his thoughts were straying, Ichirō quickly corrected himself.

"...So, let's not just make a flour mill, but also a threshing machine. If we don't find a way to lower food prices, the common people will suffer."

"Yes. I can't even imagine how it will turn out, but please do your best. I'll prepare anything you need, whether it's people or materials."

The conversation about farm work seemed to have relaxed Zirconia, and she felt a slightly softer atmosphere from her.

Until a moment ago, Zirconia had been tense, probably due to the large task of reviving the grain fields.

Ichirō preferred to work in a relaxed atmosphere, as he did in Gricia Village, so he was relieved that she was back to her usual self.

This is something Ichirō learned from his professional life: as long as the atmosphere on the ground is good, things can generally be managed even in a busy situation.

Zirconia, like Ichirō, works late into the night every day, so she is probably physically and mentally exhausted and lacks the mental space to relax.

It might be necessary to give her a restorative like the one Isaac and the others used, or to force her to take a break.

"Um... Lord Kazura, Lady Zirconia. Could you please teach us how to assemble it..."

Seeing that the conversation between Ichirō and Zirconia had come to a pause, a guard who had just finished unloading one set of water wheel parts from the wagon called out.

"Oh, sorry. I completely forgot about that."

Ichirō, reminded by the guard's voice, quickly started giving instructions to the guards.

About two hours later.

The attendants managed to modify the existing water channel for the water wheel and finished digging the holes for the supports.

The water wheel and the wooden water channel had been assembled and were now being installed.

"Don't set it up too forcefully, or the shaft might get damaged. Lower it slowly... Ah, that's a bit off. Please move it a little more this way."

Ichirō gave instructions while circling around the water wheel being lifted by the attendants, and slowly had them install it on the supports.

Once the water wheel was installed, he checked to make sure it was properly placed on the supports and demonstrated by turning it with his hands.

"Alright. Next, let's install the wooden water channel to receive the water from the water wheel."

Following Ichirō's instructions, the attendants set up the assembled wooden water channel next to the water wheel.

Once it was installed, Ichirō had the attendants move away from the water wheel and took a shovel to the point where the river and the water channel meet.

"I'm going to let the water flow."

Ichirō called out to everyone and removed the soil separating the river and the water channel.

As the soil was removed, water from the river flowed into the water channel with force.

The water wheel's paddles were pushed by the flowing water, and it started to rotate slowly.

As it rotated, the water wheel took in water from the water channel into the wooden boxes for lifting and discharged it into the wooden water channel set up at a higher position.

The sight of the water wheel lifting water forcefully made the attendants and guards watching it gasp in surprise.

"I see, the water in the water channel in Gricia Village was also lifted from the river like this."

Zirconia, impressed, looked up at the water wheel as it lifted water one after another.

"Yes, the water wheel in Gricia Village is exactly the same... Wait, what's this?"

Ichirō, who had returned to Zirconia's side and was taking a break while looking up at the water wheel, seemed to have noticed something and walked over to it.

"Is something wrong?"

"...The rotation speed is inconsistent."

Ichirō answered and beckoned Zirconia to come over.

"Please look at the part where it lifts the water. I think the timing is not consistent..."

"...Indeed, there is a variation. It should rotate at a constant speed, right?"

After being pointed out by Ichirō, Zirconia watched the water wheel lift water for a while and then asked, frowning, while still looking at the water wheel.

Although it seemed to be working fine at first glance, upon closer inspection, it was clear that the rotation speed was inconsistent.

"Yes, that's right. I gave you the same parts diagram as the one used in Gricia Village, so this is a mistake in the manufacturing process."

"...I am very sorry. I will immediately investigate the cause and have it remade."

"Thank you. If the rotation speed is inconsistent, the water wheel will wear out faster and the work efficiency will be poor... But, let's keep this water wheel running for now. We need to send water to the grain fields, even if it means sacrificing some efficiency."

Ichirō said this and then wondered what the cause might be.

The water wheel in Gricia Village was made under Ichirō's direct supervision, so it was in perfect condition.

However, the diagram given to Zirconia was the same as the one used in Gricia Village.

There should be no problem with the diagram, so there must be some issue with the manufacturing process.

The most likely reason is that the work precision was compromised due to the rush to mass-produce the water wheel parts, but he felt there was more to it than that.

(Come to think of it, I haven't seen many of the tools used in this world... If the tools are not good, that could be a reason for the poor precision.)

When he did the work in Gricia Village, he used not only the bronze chisels and other tools that were already in the village but also the Japanese tools he brought in large quantities.

However, the craftsmen in Isteria, who were tasked with making the water wheel parts, did not have such tools.

It might be an unreasonable request to expect them to make something of the same quality as the water wheel in Gricia Village under such conditions.

However, the most important thing now is to get water to the withered grain fields as soon as possible.

Even if some of the water wheels collapse due to poor work precision later, they have enough parts to make 30 of them, so they can replace the broken ones with new ones.

While it would be a problem for the water wheels that will be connected to machines like flour mills, for the water wheels used for lifting water, it is necessary to overlook some issues for now.

"Please stop the production of water wheel parts from tomorrow. When we resume, we will thoroughly investigate the cause and take appropriate measures."

"Understood. I will take early action... I am truly sorry. It is my responsibility."

Feeling responsible, Zirconia showed a clearly dark expression.

"No, no, don't be so down. I gave an unreasonable request, so it's not just your responsibility."

While trying to console Zirconia, who was completely dejected, Ichirō looked at the vast grain fields.

They had successfully installed one water wheel, but there were still many more places where they needed to install them.

It will take a lot of time before Ichirō can take a break.