Chapter 510: The Well-Digging Master

“Lionel, was there any trouble with the waterway?”

“Yes. There were no abnormalities anywhere. As expected of you, Julius-sama. I also showed the villagers how the waterways run. They said they’ll take care of managing it themselves from now on.”

“That’s good. Then it seems I can leave it in their hands. I’ll just have to remind the village chief to write to me immediately if anything comes up.”

If the villagers are willing to maintain the waterways themselves, then there shouldn’t be any problems. That way, the channels won’t get clogged with dirt or debris. And if anything breaks, they can just call for me.

That night’s dinner was even more lavish than yesterday’s. Apparently, the villagers had been bringing food one after another without pause.

…I feel like I made them go to too much trouble. But refusing their kindness would be rude, and besides, Mira looked so happy. Let’s just accept it. She was practically sparkling at the sight of the fruits. We’ll take the leftovers back with us and have them made into dried fruits later.

The next morning, after breakfast, we set out right away. Once Fabienne and Rosalia were ready, we left the village chief’s house. The weather was good again today — perfect for some digging.

“Julius-sama, what do you plan to do today?”

“Today, I was thinking of digging a well near the fields farthest from the waterway.”

“A well… Somehow, I feel that Julius-sama could really pull that off.”

Fabienne seems to have grown quite used to me. She’s already reached the point of accepting anything I say without question. Nero, on the other hand, had his eyes wide open in surprise. When I mentioned it to Lionel, he made the same face.

“You mean to dig a well? Such a thing… Are you sure that’s all right?”

“It’s fine. I already confirmed where the water veins flow yesterday, and I plan to reinforce the well thoroughly with earth magic.”

“I… see.”

He still looked unconvinced, but once he saw the result, he’d understand soon enough. Together with everyone, I headed toward the spot I’d chosen for the well.

The villagers were out working in the fields again, but it looked like the watering was already done for the day. Everyone was smiling brightly — the mood of the village was clearly better than before.

“We did a good job.”

“Indeed. As expected of Julius-sama.”

Fabienne’s warm smile healed my fatigue as we reached our destination. I double-checked the ground with magic, just in case. There was indeed an underground water vein here. If we dug a well around this spot, it would be perfect.

This field was far from the waterway, so it made a good location. Even though the distance to the water source was much shorter than before, it still felt rather far to me.

“We’ll build the well around here.”

“To think that water is flowing beneath this ground… It’s hard to believe.”

“You can’t see it or hear it, but there’s definitely an underground stream down there.”

As I checked the ground, several villagers began to gather. The spot I’d chosen didn’t interfere with any of their fields, but it was best to confirm.

“I’m planning to dig a well here. Would that be all right?”

“Of course, that’s fine, but… a well?”

The villagers looked puzzled. Well, it’s only natural — I didn’t have any of the usual tools for digging. But that’s where my secret weapon comes in: magic. With magic, anything is possible! …Well, maybe not anything, but close enough.

Once I got their approval, I began the work. First, I hardened the surrounding ground using Gaia Control. I made it solid as rock, and while I was at it, I raised the area around the well slightly to prevent anyone from falling in. With that, preparations were complete.

“All right, let’s start digging.”

From there, I carefully began to dig downward, using Gaia Control again. This was my first time digging a well, so I decided caution was best. Once I got the hang of it with this first one, I’d be able to do it faster next time.

“Amazing! I can’t even see the bottom anymore.”

“I wonder what it looks like inside.”

Fabienne and Rosalia leaned over to peer into the hole. I worried they might fall in, but Nero and Lionel were there to keep them safe. As for Mira — well, she could fly, so no problem there. She was perched on my shoulder, watching the hole intently. Occasionally, her fur brushed my cheek, tickling me.

“All right, we’ve reached the water vein. Now we just need to test it.”

We tied a rope to the wooden bucket a villager had brought and lowered it into the well. Splash. The sound echoed faintly. The well wasn’t that deep, so it shouldn’t take much effort to draw water. It would’ve been nice if I could’ve made a hand pump, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the materials here. Soon after, the bucket was pulled back up.

“It’s a little cloudy, but it’s definitely water! Amazing… I never thought you could really make a well!”

“The cloudiness should clear up in a day or so. Still, it’s probably best not to drink it as it is.”

“Thank you very much. This will make watering so much easier.”

They thanked me, but I still felt the setup was lacking. We needed at least a pulley system. I asked Lionel to fetch some wood so I could improve the design.

While the knights went to gather timber, we took a short break. It was about time for a mid-morning snack anyway. Nero efficiently set up a resting area.

“How many more wells do you plan to dig?”

“Just one more. Once that’s done, life in this village should become much easier.”

We sipped tea leisurely, making sure no one felt rushed. Relaxing like this in the middle of nature wasn’t bad at all. After I finish reforming the magic potion system, a life like this might not be so bad.

Once the knights returned with the wood and had a chance to rest, we resumed work. This time, I had Rosalia help too.

“Rosalia, let’s make a pulley. With this, drawing water will be much easier.”

“Understood! Please teach me, Oniisan!”

She’d probably been getting bored — her voice was lively and eager. I glanced at Fabienne, wondering if she felt the same, but she seemed fine. In fact, she looked quite entertained just watching me work. In that case, I’d continue as planned — and make sure to give Fabienne plenty of fun this afternoon.