I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Extra Chapter 53
3-3. Water Wheel Repair
The water wheel is located a little away from the fields. Due to its large size, it needs a relatively strong current to turn, so it ended up being placed in a location where the flow is relatively fast.
However, the water flow is indeed swift. The lifted water quickly travels through the constructed waterway and reaches the fields.
Amariaz and I were walking towards the direction of the water wheel, using the waterway as a guide. If we follow the flow of the water, we should be able to reach the location of the water wheel. But it’s really huge. Could it be supplying water to all the rice fields in the oni village?
What was its name again? The water-fetching water wheel?
Thinking about such things, we surprisingly reached the location of the water wheel rather quickly. Six water wheels were lined up in a slightly wider part of the river. Large troughs were provided, and buckets attached to the water wheels lifted water, pouring it into the troughs. The sound of splashing water could be heard well because of the slightly fast flow of the river.
Six oni and my mother were gathered around one of the water wheels, lifting it with oni strength. It seemed that my mother and an elderly oni were conducting repairs.
“Hey! Everyone!”
“Hmm? Oh, Yuuzen-kun and Amariaz-kun! What’s up?”
“I thought I’d help!”
“That’s appreciated!”
“Oh, Yuuzen. Is training over already?”
“I cleared my quota. Uchikage-Ojichan has returned to work.”
After a brief explanation, I joined the group. Amariaz, however, stayed on the sidelines, observing the area where the water wheel was installed. He seemed to be deep in thought with his chin resting on his hand, but I’ll leave him alone for now.
Oh, this Ojii-san (Grandpa) is a carpenter, right? He also made my house. I can tell from the way he wraps a cloth with holes around his head. (The hole is for his horn maybe?)
“Ojii-san, how’s it going now?”
“Well, it’s been working for a long time, so it’s starting to wear out. The parts where the water buckets are installed and the water wheel itself are quite worn out. I might need to check the others too.”
“Can it be fixed?”
“At worst, we might need to remake the water wheel. It might temporarily hold up, but… Hmm, why is it so worn out like this?”
The elderly carpenter seemed quite troubled. Making one water wheel already takes a lot of materials and time, and he probably wants to do something to keep it going until a replacement is ready. However, this… seems difficult.
When I touched the water bucket, it moved quite loosely. It could break at any moment.
The other buckets were in a similar condition. Apparently, there are many light stones in this river, so the strong flow of the river causes the stones to fly around and damage the water wheel quite a bit.
However, according to the elderly carpenter, it’s excessively worn out. There are times when fish do bad things too… It might be a good idea to set up a net to prevent fish from entering next time.
“Hey, everyone!”
“What’s up, Amariaz?”
“Come here.”
Amariaz, who had been cautiously examining the installation site of the water wheel, seemed to have noticed something. As everyone gathered and looked in the direction he pointed, they saw a large stake supporting the water wheel. The flow of the water was intense, making it difficult to see underwater, but Amariaz pointed at the base. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that the base of the stake had been shaved off as if cut by a Katana, leaving a large crater.
“Whoa! This is…”
“It’s a territory dispute among Maletanago. It becomes a battle between groups, so there are often broken stones and such. This area seems to be their battlefield.”
“As knowledgeable as ever.”
“What should we do?”
“Well…”
Even Amariaz seemed to be in thought as he explained.
“At this rate, even if we remake the water wheel, it will break again soon. Considering the good condition it’s in now, I think the rapid deterioration is due to the sharp fragments of stones and rocks that Maletanago broke during their battles and the significant damage caused during territorial disputes. It’s a smart combat fish, so it probably managed the area as well.”
“So, we need to do something about Maletanago?”
“Yeah. But, you know…”
“Yeah…”
Everyone present was in a dilemma. After all, Maletanago is a dangerous fish…
Um, let me explain a bit. Maletanago has been living here for a long time and uses a magic called ? Part Reinforcement (Sharp) ? . While there is some variation in individual attack power, larger Maletanago generally unleash sharper attacks. It can only activate underwater, so it’s harmless when caught, but capturing that fish is extremely difficult…
So, it’s better to use net fishing, but underwater, they use magic, and the net quickly gets holes. Even if you manage to catch some, it’s only a few. Moreover, preparing bait is troublesome. Maletanago’s favorite food is surprisingly other Malatanago, a fish that practices cannibalism. Yet, its reproductive power is high, so their numbers don’t decrease.
Well… in simple terms, dealing with Maletanago is not an easy task!
The carpenter Ojii-san seems to be troubled. Even if we understand the cause of the water wheel’s near breakdown, there seems to be a greater obstacle ahead…
“Mom, do you have any ideas?”
“I don’t know… It might be better to ask Uchikage-Ojichan.”
“Oh, Uchikage-Ojichan. Well, that makes sense.”
In times like these, it’s best to turn to the wisdom of the elderly. Even if this carpenter, Ojii-san, is also old.
Alright, I’ll go and ask Uchikage-Ojichan!