Chapter 7

"Wow, what a beautiful river. I've never seen such a clear river before."

"Is that so? I think it's just an ordinary river..."

The morning after it rained in the village, Ichirou and Valletta came to the river where the villagers draw water. The path to this river was flat all the way, and the ground was dry and cracked like a barren wilderness. Short grass grew around the river, but there were no tall trees or grass. The river was about five meters wide, and the water was so clear that it was unimaginable in modern Japan, making it very beautiful. The deepest part of the river was probably about one meter deep.

"A few months ago, the river was wider and had more water, but it has become much narrower due to the drought."

"I see... It's good that there's a river within walking distance from the village, but it's quite a distance to carry water back and forth."

It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the village to the river, so it would take more than an hour to carry water back and forth. Ideally, they could divert the river water directly to the village, but the river's surface is slightly lower, making it impossible to do so. Even if they tried to divert water from further upstream, the river bends away from the village, and there are hills and other obstacles in the way. Additionally, they lack the proper tools to build a water channel.

"Maybe we should bring a fire department suction pump... but..."

They need to find a way to divert the river water to the village, but it's extremely difficult to do so with only the tools available in the village. Ichirou thought about bringing a gasoline-powered suction pump from Japan, but that would be too technologically advanced. If the situation were urgent and people were dying from lack of water, it would be a different story, but thanks to the rain yesterday, the reservoir is about half full, so they should be fine for a while. Ideally, Ichirou wanted to solve the problem using tools and methods that the people in this world could create.

"Valletta, have you ever heard of a water wheel?"

"Water wheel... I've never heard of it. What is it?"

"Well, it's a large wooden wheel placed vertically in the river, and it's a device that uses the force of the water to turn the wheel."

"Hmm... I've never seen or heard of it."

Ichirou explained to Valletta using stones to draw on the ground, but she had never seen one. If she had, there would likely be someone in this world who could build a water wheel, and he could have asked them to make one. However, it seems that's not possible at the moment.

"I see... In that case, we'd have to build a water wheel ourselves... but that's impossible. I don't think amateurs can make one easily."

He briefly considered working with the villagers to build a water wheel, but quickly dismissed the idea. While they could build a simple irrigation channel with wooden boards, it would be impossible to create a precise device like a water wheel. Ichirou had seen water wheels before, but building one was a different matter. Without any expertise, it's not that easy for amateurs to build a water wheel.

"Um, if it's too difficult, we can manage somehow..."

Seeing Ichirou's troubled expression, Valletta hesitantly spoke up. However, the village had ended up in such a dire state because they couldn't solve the problem.

With a slightly worried look on her face, Ichirou smiled and said, "Don't worry."

"I'll bring a water wheel from my country. Let's head back immediately..."

Ichirou was about to say that when he suddenly remembered something and took a can of peaches (domestic) from his bag.

"Oh, a can of peaches?"

"Yes, since we're here, let's cool the peaches in the river and eat them before we go back to the village."

Ichirou walked to the riverbank and placed the can of peaches in the water, securing it with stones so it wouldn't float away. The water flowing from the mountains was cold, and it would soon be ready to eat.

"But, didn't you give all the cans of peaches to the villagers yesterday?"

"That's true, but I had one left. I brought it here to eat."

Of course, he had given one to Valletta's family, but thinking that "it's better to enjoy delicious things with a cute girl," he decided to eat it with Valletta for breakfast. Forgive me, village chief.

"By the way, wouldn't it be better to move the village closer to the river so they don't have to worry about water?"

While cooling the can of peaches and sitting by the river, Ichirou suddenly asked a question. Living in a place where they have to fetch water from a distant river every time a drought occurs seems inconvenient.

"Yes, that's true. But during the rainy season, the river often floods, which is dangerous."

Sitting next to him, Valletta nodded. The current season is so dry that a drought has occurred, but during another season, there is too much rain, causing floods. It seems to be a very difficult place to live.

"Besides, we can't move the village to any other location except the one designated by Lord Nelson. We have to stay in this location."

Ichirou had heard the name Nelson a few times before, so he decided to ask about his position.

"Is Nelson a local lord or something?"

"Yes, he is a nobleman entrusted by the royal family to govern this region. He is the head of the Istelle family, known for his bravery, and he played a significant role in the recent war."

"Wow, there are nobles and a royal family. So, there are probably large castles and knight orders too, right?"

While Ichirou was daydreaming about the royal family and nobles, which he rarely heard about in Japan, Valletta looked at him closely.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no, nothing. So, do the villages governed by him have to pay crops?"

"Yes, we have to pay the designated crops at specific times. This time, due to the severe drought, there are almost no crops to pay... but it's about time for Lord Nelson's messenger to come and check the situation."

"By the way, if they can't pay the crops, are there any penalties?"

"Yes, if a household can't pay the designated amount of crops, their property is confiscated."

Hearing Valletta's answer, Ichirou nodded. It's natural that there would be penalties for failing to fulfill obligations.

"But, even in the case of a natural disaster like this, is their property still confiscated?"

That's the problem. If the lord imposes the same penalties during normal times and emergencies, he is either a fool or a monster. If Nelson, the noble, is a fool or a monster, it could become a very troublesome situation.

"It seems to vary by region. Lord Nelson reassesses the amount of crops to be paid after thoroughly investigating the extent of the damage caused by natural disasters. Three years ago, when the crops failed, he instructed us to cut wood from the forest and pay it instead of crops."

Hearing this, Ichirou felt relieved. It seems that Lord Nelson is a thoughtful ruler who considers the village's situation. In such a severe situation, he probably won't demand crops. If he asks for wood, Ichirou could bring an iron axe from Japan to help with the labor shortage, or even a chainsaw if necessary. If all else fails, he could buy wood from Japan.

"But, I've heard that Lord Darius, who governs the neighboring region, punishes people harshly even if crops fail due to natural disasters. It's rumored that young men are sold to slave traders, and beautiful women are taken as concubines until they are tired of them, and then sold to slave traders."

"Wow... I'm surprised there hasn't been a rebellion... Hasn't the royal family reprimanded him?"

He sounds like an extremely evil noble from a game or manga. Ichirou imagined him as a fat, evil creature wearing overly ornate rings.

"That's true, but Lord Darius is very skilled in business and pays a significant amount of money to the royal family, so they don't say anything. Plus, he has a large private army, making it impossible to rebel."

In short, while he is a despicable person, he is a skilled businessman. Ichirou realized they were having a rather gloomy conversation while enjoying the beautiful river and a cute girl.

"Well, the peaches should be cold by now. Let's eat them."

"Ah, yes. That's right."

The atmosphere had become somewhat somber, but eating the peaches would brighten it up. Ichirou retrieved the can from the river, opened it, and handed it to Valletta along with a plastic fork from his bag.

"Here, have half first."

"Ah, but I can't eat before you, Kazura-san..."

Seeing Valletta fidgeting with the can, Ichirou encouraged her to eat.

"Go ahead, it's fine."

Valletta, feeling embarrassed, said, "Thank you," and took a bite of the peach with the fork.

"---!?"

"How is it? It's quite delicious, right?"

Valletta, with wide eyes, nodded vigorously in response to Ichirou's question.

"It's so sweet! I've never tasted anything so sweet and delicious!"

"I'm glad. You can eat all of it. I don't mind."

While fruits might exist in this world, they probably aren't as delicious and well-cultivated as these peaches. Seeing Valletta's reaction, Ichirou decided to let her have the whole can.

"Ah, that's too much..."

While looking at the can and Ichirou, Valletta blushed and said,

"Well, as a reward for your hard work, go ahead and enjoy it."

"Um... then, I'll have it."

She blushed and happily took a bite of the peach.

Watching Valletta enjoy the peach, Ichirou felt the atmosphere lighten. After returning to the village, he immediately said, "I'll arrange for a water wheel," and went back to Japan. He searched for a water wheel manufacturer on his phone and visited the company to place an order.

"So, a lift water wheel. For the size you specified, we would need to custom-make the lifting accessories for this grade of water wheel, which would take 20 days and cost 3 million yen."

While showing the catalog, the kind-looking president, with some gray hair, explained the features and production time. The water wheels in the catalog looked rustic and would fit well in the countryside.

"I have a bit of a rush. Can you make it in a week? I don't mind if the cost is higher. I can assemble it myself, so please deliver the parts separately."

"One week? That's a bit... We don't have many staff, and even if we rush, 15 days is the limit."

"Please try. I'll pay 5 million yen upfront and another 5 million yen upon delivery. I'll cover the shipping costs too."

When Ichirou offered a total of 10 million yen, which was more than three times the usual price, the president was surprised and said,

"Wait a moment! I'll be right back!"

He left the reception room, taking out his phone. Ichirou sipped the tea and thought, "A week might be too much to ask," while looking at the catalog. After about 10 minutes, the president returned with a smile.

"Mr. Shino, we can deliver it in a week. With the amount you offered, we can deliver it without compromising quality."

"Really?"

"Yes, we managed to get help from a friend's company."

Hearing this, Ichirou immediately took out a check, wrote the amount, and handed it to the president. He felt a bit emotional, as he had always wanted to experience the dream of a commoner by writing a large amount on a check and handing it over.

"Thank you. We'll deliver it to the address you specified in a week."

"Thank you. Please include the shipping costs in the final bill."

The president left the reception room, watching Ichirou go, and muttered, "Even in this economic downturn, some people are doing well."

"Thirty hand axes, twenty saws, sixty sickles, flat shovels, four-pronged shovels, shovels, and pickaxes... Are you leading a pioneer group?"

"Something like that. I'll pay by card."

After leaving the construction company, Ichirou bought a large amount of farming tools at a home center. The wooden tools in the village were inefficient and caused unnecessary fatigue, so he wanted to give them to the villagers. The quantity was so large that he had to make multiple trips with the help of the store staff. Eventually, he had to rent a truck to make two trips between his house and the home center.

His impressive actions earned him the nickname "Pioneer Leader" from the store staff, but Ichirou was unaware of this.