Chapter 47

On this day, I had come to the center of Nishiru.

Nishiru, the capital of Almeria Province, is known as the City of Water, with a total of eleven water mains supplying abundant water to the city at all times.

In the center of the city, there is a large fountain made from one of the branches of one of the water mains.

The residents of Nishiru gathered around the fountain from a distance.

I approached the fountain, which was decorated for the ceremony, under the protection of soldiers.

A banner reading "Special Grade Water Inauguration Ceremony" hung over the fountain.

When I arrived at the fountain, I drank cup after cup of the water that had just gushed out.

Instantly, a loud cheer erupted.

"Wow, that nobleman really drank it!"

"Until now, even the first-grade water had to be boiled before drinking, but to drink it straight like that is amazing."

"It seems the prince did it, the special grade water."

"Wow..."

Amid the commotion, I took one last drink before slowly leaving the scene.

When I entered the tent set up away from the fountain square, Don, my subordinate, greeted me.

"Welcome back, Lord Noah."

"Yeah, the ceremony is over now."

"Yes. With the ceremony concluded, we will officially upgrade the Appia water to special grade."

I nodded silently.

The upgrade of the Appia water to special grade was the biggest project I had undertaken since arriving in my fief.

"Well, I was surprised when I came to Almeria. Water, water, water everywhere."

Don said, sounding impressed.

His gaze was directed at the water-flushing toilet in the back of the tent.

"I hardly ever saw such a thing even in the capital."

"That's right."

The tent was set up to include the public toilet because I was using it, but the public toilet itself was a common sight in the city.

Nishiru, the capital of Almeria Province, draws water from the surrounding abundant water sources through eleven water mains, ensuring clean water is available day and night.

The amount of water available to the people, when calculated per capita, is a staggering three times that of the capital.

"But isn't it wasteful to let so much water flow continuously?"

"If it doesn't flow, it becomes a big problem."

"Huh?"

"The water used in public toilets is third-grade water. First-grade water is for drinking and cooking, second-grade water is for baths and cleaning, which is not good to drink but is safe to touch, and third-grade water is used to flush this toilet and prevent the sewers from clogging."

"Prevent the sewers...?"

"Used water becomes dirty. If left alone, it will clog. That's why it needs to flow continuously."

"I see."

"Well, the unused portion of first-grade and second-grade water is also let flow continuously to prevent the sewers from clogging."

"I see! I've always thought that putting some kind of device at the end of the water mains to make the water flow only when needed would be less wasteful. It's for the sewers, then."

"That's right. ...For now, it's just one, but I plan to gradually upgrade the remaining ten to special grade."

"Why?"

"It's the same as a river. If the water is mixed with sand and soil, it will gradually deposit and clog. The same goes for water mains. The maintenance of third-grade water clogs is surprisingly expensive."

"Isn't special grade water more expensive?"

"At first, yes. But in the long run, it's cheaper. Besides, cleaning clogged water mains can sometimes be fatal."

People are precious.

It's best to avoid such situations as much as possible.

"To think you've considered it to this extent... As expected of Lord Noah."

I smiled back at Don and listened to the sounds outside.

The residents of Nishiru were greatly pleased with the inauguration of the special grade water that could be drunk directly.

☆

"..."

A few days later, in the study of the mansion's garden.

I had just returned from a letter from my older brother Oscar and couldn't help but sigh.

"Is something wrong?"

Don, who was handling the administrative work in the corner of the room, noticed my sigh and came over.

"It's a letter from my older brother Oscar."

"Is it an official document from the Ministry of Finance?"

"No, it's a personal letter for now. Just a personal one."

I sighed and handed the letter to Don.

Don read it, and I mulled over the contents in my head.

It was a response to my request for a budget from the Ministry of Finance.

One of the eleven water mains, the Yuria water main, required major maintenance due to the accumulation of impurities and damage along the way.

I had applied for a budget from the empire—specifically, the Ministry of Finance.

Oscar had gently declined this request in the form of a personal letter.

"Next year...?"

Don looked at me, and I nodded slightly.

"The Ministry of Finance is tight on this year's budget, and the war in the north has taken a lot of funds, so they can't allocate any. They're asking us to wait until next year."

"...I've heard about the war in the north."

Don's face turned serious.

"Indeed, the national treasury is being drained at an alarming rate. It's understandable that the Eighth Prince would say this."

"I understand. That's why my brother sent it as a personal letter. If it had been returned as an official document, it would have been recorded as a sign of the empire's dire straits."

In other words, the Ministry of Finance is in a "no money to give" situation.

"If we don't stop it soon, the water main itself will suffer serious damage. If that happens, the cost will be much more than just maintenance."

"...Wouldn't it be okay to leave the Yuria water main for a year? It's third-grade water, so it won't immediately affect the people's lives."

"The Yuria water main is the largest and most important. If it stops, it will affect public toilets and sewers. We don't know what kind of negative impact it will have. The sewers must not clog, and neither can the toilets. At worst, an epidemic could break out."

"But, no money to give..."

"...I'll cover it for now."

"Wh-What!?"

Don was shocked.

"Cover it, Your Highness? You mean with your own funds?"

"Yes."

"However, the repair and maintenance of the Yuria water main will require a considerable amount of money. It could affect your daily life. Please reconsider."

"I've already said it."

"Huh?"

"Frugality is a privilege of the nobility. That's how it is."

Don's mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Leaving Don in shock, I calculated the necessary amount and my current assets in my head.

I could cover it by selling a few antiques and treasures.

While thinking, I stood up and looked out the window.

I must maintain the cleanliness of this City of Water.

☆

A few days later, while handling administrative work in the study as usual.

Don reported that the maintenance of the Yuria water main had started, using almost all of my available cash.

"The repairs to the damaged sections are complete. It won't be shut down now."

"Good, then that's fine."

I stood up and, as before, looked out the window at the city of Nishiru.

The streets were as clean as ever.

The fountains for the common people, scattered throughout the city, sparkled in the sunlight, making the scene very beautiful.

Suddenly, I noticed something.

A fire had broken out not far from the mansion.

"Trouble."

"What is it?"

"Look."

I stepped aside from the window. Don looked outside.

"A fire. That area... the buildings are too densely packed."

Don immediately understood why I had murmured "trouble."

Yes, the fire had broken out in a bustling area with densely packed buildings.

Most of the buildings were built close together, making it easy for the fire to spread.

In fact, it had already spread to several buildings from the point of origin.

"What do we do?"

"You arrange for the evacuation of the residents. I'll go put it out."

"Eh? Ah, Lord Noah!"

Ignoring Don's stunned reaction, I jumped out the window.

In my invincible mode with all abilities at SSS rank, I leaped from the mansion to the roof of a nearby house and rushed to the fire scene via the rooftops.

I intended to use Leviathan to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.

Using Leviathan at full power would likely destroy a few buildings, but in a fire, that could be advantageous.

By destroying the surrounding buildings, I could prevent the fire from spreading and achieve a destructive fire suppression.

I took Leviathan out of my bracelet, restored it to its original size, and rushed to the scene—

"Hmm."

It seemed I wasn't needed at the scene.

The fire had broken out in a bustling area with densely packed buildings.

There was a market and many restaurants there.

And—there was a third-grade water main.

For example, it was used to clean meat after butchering, and there were more public toilets because of the high population.

This was a place where the third-grade water main ran.

Most of the residents were using the water from the main to form a bucket brigade.

Thanks to the abundant water, the fire, which had initially spread, was quickly brought under control and eventually extinguished.

☆

With no need for my intervention, I returned to the study of the mansion.

Shortly after, Don also returned.

"How was it?"

Don bowed and began his report.

"One building was completely burned, four were partially burned, and six people were affected by smoke inhalation... That's the extent of the damage. Considering the point of origin, it's almost as if there was no damage at all."

"That's true."

It was lucky that the damage was so minimal in such a densely packed area.

"...And?"

"Hmm? Is there something difficult to say?"

"No. The water used to extinguish the fire came from the Yuria water main."

"Hmm."

"If the Yuria water main had been shut down... it could have been a much larger fire, perhaps even a city-wide disaster."

"I see."

"Indeed... Lord Noah is amazing. If it had been shut down..."

Don's face showed deep respect for me.