Today, Gardo showed up for the afternoon session with the kids again.

　Gardo was originally only paid for the morning session and has no obligation to do so. But in his spare time, Gardo comes to check on me in the afternoon as well. I'm not trying to be a goody-two-shoes kind of guy. This is a bare act, I don't feel like I can win in human terms.

'Thank God it's the afternoon, Chief Garde. You can take the leftover candy home with you.　　　

Plant manager, the kids would be delighted ... but the rain wouldn't be good.

　They call me the plant manager.
　But even in the rain, the work is going well, okay?

Everyone is working hard in the rain. Production is above par, but what's wrong with the rain?

It hasn't rained much around here, but the rivers are running a bit higher than usual. Upstream, in the Ares Mountains, we're expecting quite a bit of water, and depending on conditions, the river could flood.

　Hmm?　You don't hear much about river flooding in Europe?　But it's a different world just like that...

'We're on the outskirts of town, high ground, but I'm worried about the commute. Do you have a plan?　That and the employees who live in the lowlands can sleep in the factory. With all this moisture, we've made it a priority to finish rust-proofing the parts, and that leaves space open for ten people, okay?

Before everyone goes to work and returns home, we ask port officials to sound the alarm if they feel the slightest danger, even if there is no flooding. The shelter will be a delight to those who are concerned.

　We're in real danger of flooding this thing could be a holiday, depending on the conditions.

'I'll give you a separate disaster alert allowance, safety comes first. You can take the day off at Gardo's discretion, I'll add it to the director's authority. Could you do me a favor?

　This is a white workplace. No black!　Absolutely!　The warehouse was originally rented on a daily basis and the rent will increase, but can be extended somewhat.

'We all know each other, so we're happy to do it!　I'll get an allowance for my request, haha!　You can't beat the plant manager's good nature!

　In Japan, if there is a heavy rain and flood warning, the holiday is an obvious measure. However, it is limited to White. But the Garde responded seriously with just that.

　Compared to Japan, this world doesn't have any disaster countermeasures. But the cooperation of individuals and neighbors seems to make up for it.

I recognized the allowance as a fee for requesting the Alp Guard Garde!　Our mission is to protect all employees until the work is completed. I will do my best to make the guards proud!

　Garde took it on as a guard's job, not a department head. If there was any negligence, he was prepared to have his name tarnished as a guard. And after a brilliant salute, he ran to the arrangements.

　 Because the past doesn't change.

　After that, we managed to hold the water level despite our worries. Production is expected to be completed tomorrow or the day after. But then Garde ran into the factory after work was finished.

'Factory manager, it's bad news!　A raft transporting wood overturned upstream and it caught more driftwood, creating a dam. If the weir was breached, the water would come at once. Remove the equipment and release the factory as a shelter!　I'm trying to help everyone!

　Garde begs on his knees.
　But not all the citizens go in.
　There will be chaos.

"I don't mind releasing the warehouse, but not all of them. Isn't there any chance of a riot?
Riot I'm sorry, I'm not a guard... just my employees and their families, please...

　Anybody can lose their cool when they know their town is in danger.

At any rate, there may still be something we can do, let's get some information. Gardo will get a map of the natural weirs and the river, and I'll gather information on other warehouses and potential evacuation sites.

　Then he meets fists with the Garde and goes off to do his part.


*The situation in town was terrible.

　Accidents and traffic jams as those who learned of the weir attempted to escape in carts. The number of accidents and confusion is increasing because it was raining at night when the situation was discovered.

　Warehouses have been shut down due to the long rains and there is no room for them. In addition, the town was built on a small piece of land, so the roads are narrow. In the warehouse district, horseless wagons are parked here and there, making the roads even narrower. The high ground outside the town is too steep and difficult for children and the elderly.

　On the other hand, the information the Garde had gathered was a big deal. The map of the river was fairly accurate, with a rough estimate of the weir's expected time of breach.

　Success or failure was unknown and there were many problems, but...
　As far as the map is concerned, there is still some work to be done.

Tell me as much as you know about this river's undulations and the land below it.

　Unnatural swells in the river.

　There were several such places, and there were several places where rocks were the cause of the swell. Japan, which has a history of flooding, has a lot of history to deal with. There is a way to [deliberately break the dam]. Damage manipulation to inundate another part of the country so that only minor damage is done.

'Whose territory is this area and how many inhabitants do we have?　Think of it as a situation where the rocks bending the river's flow have collapsed and the water has flowed in.

This is a grazing land under direct royal control with only a few shepherds... You can't mean to tell me you can break the rock!

　Tired Garde has to go to the lounge for a cup of tea. I'll have him rest and calm down and return to a calm state.

　In the meantime, I headed for the armored car.
　I couldn't make any calls due to the horrible weather, but I did manage to text.


Email with Goddess (no "..." as it's an email)

Ryouta
'Goddess, this is Ryota. The town I'm in now is in danger of flooding. I'm going to blow it up and aim to cut it off on purpose. It will affect the environment, but please give me permission.

celestial probe
Currently, Ares is a temporary abandoned area. Also, although it is an environment, human flood control is an exception. There are many landslides in Japan due to neglected cedar mountains, but God has decided to stay out of it on earth. Also, Ryota belongs to the earth. I can't give you permission, but I won't stop you either.

goldenrod
'Earth-produced explosives are a problem. Window flowers are hiding explosives made from local coal. Strong, but dangerous. How do you know it won't kill you?　It's not Ryota's problem, you can run away.'

Ryouta
"This story is none of Goddess's business. Please delete the data. Thank you very much. End of telegram.


　If I had to go it alone, you wouldn't have any trouble with the goddess.
　Besides, I can't bring myself to run away.

"Window flowers, you heard the man.　Get the explosives ready with waterproofs, we'll break the rock!
I can't authorize the use of Shimose explosives because they are too dangerous, and a timed detonation with D charges is the limit. But I am still opposed to it.

　Drones can't fly due to bad weather, the place is rugged with little information and could flood at any time. Moreover, the success or failure of the project is unclear.

　I'm sure they'll be opposed to this, but this time we have to go through with it.