Delia took me to the river.

After two days of torrential rains, the water was a bit higher than before.
The muddy river is flowing with increasing force.
But.

'There's not much water in the river.

There's less water than I thought. Normally, the water level should be a little higher.

The reservoirs scattered around the area had recovered their water levels to a certain extent after this rain. It is not yet safe to say that we are safe, but for the time being, we have overcome the critical situation and the water level has reached the level of storage. It is about 30%.
In order to stabilize the water level in the reservoir, we need to release water from the river.

'I think we'd better call Estella.

The forty-second district is an area of high rainfall as well. Combined with the fact that it is the lowest part of the city, a considerable amount of water flows into the city every year at this time.
For this reason, the capacity of each reservoir is quite large.

In extreme cases, if the reservoirs contain about 40% of water, there is no need for daily life.
The remaining 60% is a "flood prevention measure" to prevent too much water from overflowing.

Therefore, even if the river seems small at a glance, it does not interfere with our daily life. ...... I feel that the current river is much more than that 'little bit small.

'That's why the river is not flowing.

Delia points upstream and complains.

Ever since she came to the Sunlit Pavilion, Delia has been complaining about the same thing, without hiding her impatience.
Since she doesn't have a clue what's going on, we've come to do a field survey. ......
I'm not sure what you mean by 'the river won't flow', but doesn't that mean 'the water level won't return'?

'With all that rain, the water in the river should have doubled.
'It means the water level didn't increase as much as expected because of the drought this year, right?
'That's not true!If it rained in District 42, it must mean it rained in the upper river, right?

Does the upper river ...... mean the 29th district?

'The water from the two rivers, the one above and the one here, should be flowing here!

It may not be simply twice as much, but it certainly seems less than the amount of rainfall.
What happened to the river above ...... the twenty-ninth district?

'Let's go to the New Town.
'That's upstream!All right, let's cut through the forest!
'Wait a minute!It'll be faster if we take the city road!

Delia runs upstream across the riverbed.
The upper reaches of this river lead into a deep forest, a dangerous and rugged petit jungle inhabited by wild beasts.
The forest over here extends to the cliff side of the 42nd district and leads to a swampy area.
It is an unspoiled wild forest, untouched by the Shoka Guild. If you are not a Delia, you will have a hard time cutting through it.

Fortunately, the upper reaches of the river go through the forest and out to the New Town.
It's faster to take the well-maintained road. Especially if I'm with you. I'm a city girl.

'Well, Loretta's damming it up. ...... He's so mean to me. ......!
'No, wait, wait. How can that be?
'If Loretta is being mean to me, I'm going to spank her!

That sounds painful, Delia's butt spanking.

'What if it's Umaro who's damming it up?
'I'm going to crush her ...... ass!

No pressure at all. I'm sure it's the same thing.

'Well, they have no reason to dam up the river. There must be some other problem.'
'Hey, Yasilo, ......'

Delia's expression instantly became anxious.
......?
I'm not sure what to do.

It's a good thing that I'm not the only one.
In the first place, if I was not in the 42nd district, this problem would have been a problem that had to be solved by the lord and Delia, the guild leader.

You have to be a little more firm with Delia.

So ......

'I'll figure it out with you, so don't look at me like that.
'...... Yeah.'

...... Let's teach Delia how to deal with situations like this. I'll teach her how to deal with these situations so that she can do it properly on her own.
It will save you a lot of trouble in the future, and it will also be beneficial to Sunlit Pavilion if the river fishing goes smoothly.
This time, I'll give you a lecture on how to do it. That's all.

Hehe, ...... thanks, man. Yashiro.

I don't know what you're so happy about.
Delia shrugged her shoulders, her mouth slackening into a grimace.

'Yashiro is kind to those he cares about, isn't he?

I've forgotten that conversation.
I'm not going to say anything about it because it would be a violation of the ...... "Judgment of the Spirits".

'Heh heh ............ kuhii'.
'I know it's a big deal for the river. ...... Let's get a move on.


'Oh!

...... You look so happy. Even at a time like this.
We left the riverbank, calling out to Delia, who couldn't stop smiling.






When we left the riverbank and entered the street, we saw someone running towards us.

'Oniichan!

........................ Nnnnnggggg!

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
...... Fast, fast Hammaro.

I'm not sure what to do.I'm not sure what to do.

...... You yourself can't handle the speed of your own feet, can you?

I'm not sure what to do.Just come back here!
I'll be back.

He noticed me and came back at a more moderate speed than before.
...... So, how did I recognize this guy as Hammaro at first glance? ...... What can I say?

I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

'...... Hammaro?
'Oh, thank God. I guess I didn't get the wrong guy.

Only Hammaro would react like this.
It's definitely Hammaro.

I'm scared. If I can tell these guys apart, they'll think I'm part of the Loretta family.

'Hey, man. This is a big deal for our family!
'What's going on?
'Well, you know...'
'Wait a minute, Hammaro!
'Ah!Master!

As if he had just noticed, Hammaro spread his arms toward Delia.
He seems to be pining for her. ...... The other brothers seemed to be frightened, though.

'Hammaro!You can't do that!
'Hammaro?
'Hmm?No?'
'No?'
'Hmm?
'Hmm?'
'Don't talk on the same level, guys. You're leaving me behind.'

He's Hammaro, so let's move on, Delia.
What are you trying to say?

'Yashiro will do me a favor. You come later.'
'What number?'
'What?'......, yo, fourth!
'Two more, whose favor do I have to do ......?

Don't add more, just do it.

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'So, what's going on?
'The river water refused to come to work!

Delia's eyes widened at Hammaro's words.
She turns her face towards me, a mixture of surprise and anxiety.

'Yashiro......, hurry, hurry, let's go!
'Well, calm down!We'll listen to what Hammaro has to say first.
'Why don't we listen as we go!Hammaro!Come on, come on!
'It's no use being in such a hurry. If you lose your equilibrium, you might make an unexpected and painful mistake. Just calm down.'
'But come on, ......!

Concerned about the river, Delia was now in a great hurry. She's almost overwhelmed with anxiety.
In such a situation, if you see a shocking sight ...... such as the water level of the river dropping or the waterfall thinning, ...... you don't know what kind of outburst you will get.
They might say, 'Let's collapse the cliff! And if Delia gets serious, she might be able to destroy it.

At this point, it would be better to listen to Hammaro here and let him cool down.

'Hammaro. Calm down and tell me the story step by step. What happened in Newtown. What did you see? And what's the big deal for the family? Answer them one at a time.


'Yeah!
'Oh, it's ............ so frustrating.'

Delia looks at the carefree Hammaro with a pained expression on her face.
Delia should learn to be patient in such situations.
In order for her to grow up to be able to solve these kinds of problems on her own in the future.

'I was forbidden to go to the river until it rains!

That's what Loretta said. 'I'm forbidding my younger siblings to play in the river because the water is getting too strong and dangerous. She said on a day when it was raining heavily that she had banned all her siblings from playing in the river because small children would imitate her.

'It stopped raining, so we all went to play in the river this morning!
'So!What happened to the river?
'Delia. Don't rush me. Let Hammaro talk at his own pace.'
'Mmm~............!

Delia, hold on.
It's for your own good.

'Waterfall, it's almost gone!
'What?

Delia was the one who let her voice leak out, but as expected, I was also surprised.
The waterfall was ...... gone?

I'm not sure what to do.

Hammaro made a circle with his thumb and forefinger and squeezed them together.
Even if that is too much, it is true that the appearance of the waterfall has changed drastically.
Choro-choro-ka ......

In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it for a lot of things.

'Yashiro!Let's go!Let's go!I can't take it anymore!
'Wait!One last thing!

We still haven't heard what Hammaro wanted to talk about the most.

'What's the big deal in your family?
'I can't bathe!

What a joke!

'Take a bath in the river. ......'
'There's not much water in the river, so I'm wondering if I can go in!

You're worried?
I thought you said you were worried.
Are you saying you're still wondering at the waterfall?

'Onee-chan's in distress!
'Delia, hurry up!Come on, Hammaro!

Carrying Hammaro by my side, I whip my motor skills into shape and start running at full speed.

'Wait!Yashiro!What's wrong with you all of a sudden?

Loretta's having trouble with her suds!What if I don't peep ...... and go help her!

I'm not sure what you're talking about.
'The situation is changing every second while we are standing still like this!Time is money!Time is money! We don't have time to stand still, do we?

I'm turning into the wind now!

With a runaway locomotive's worth of speed, I reached New Town in no time at all.






'Aaah!Onii-chan!

I went straight to the waterfall without a second thought, and was greeted by my younger sister, wearing only a bath towel wrapped around her body.

'Onee-chan!I've called your sister!
'You're good!I'll praise you!
'Isn't that your sister?
'Hmm?That's my nee-chan!
'That's my husband!
'No, she might be my sister from Hammaro's point of view, but come on!

When you say 'nee-chan', you might think it's Loretta, but usually!

'Hey, lady, you're not dressed well...'
'This is the moment I can't get married!
'Go, go, go!A naked child doesn't count as a thing!

And you're wearing a bath towel.No, no, no, no.
I'm sure Javier is the only one who would be happy with this.

'............ I'm tired.'

I'm not sure what to do.
...... Oh, my heart. It's going to burst. I'm going to throw up. ......



'Oi!Hey, Yashiro!Don't leave me here. What's up with ............?
'I'm about to face the sad reality!
'Hmm?What?That's my sister. Where's Loretta?
'Hey, sunny side up!

That's right!
Because Delia came right after we came back from the church's dinner, and since we've been doing various things since then, it's almost time for Loretta to go to work at the Sunken Pavilion.
She can't be here!
I could have figured that out with a little thought, d*mn it!

'Oh, dear!

Delia screams from the bottom of her stomach as I stare at the ground, feeling a bit weak and unable to recover. It's a scream that, if Omero were to hear it, he would have his soul pulled out ten times more likely than Mandragora.

'Yah, yah, yah!Oh, look!Look at that, look at that!

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

'............What?'

There was a scene there that was a bit hard to believe.

'......Seriously, there's no waterfall.'

Hammaro's story was neither exaggerated nor exaggerated, and the waterfall had really disappeared.
I thought there would be a thinner waterfall where the water volume would have fallen. ......

The waterfall had completely stopped.

'Yashiro ......, what is this, what is this, what is this, what is this, what is this?Explain it to me in a way I can understand.'

I don't understand the situation either. There's no way I can explain it. ......

'Yashiroo!

Estella's voice echoed through the New Town.
An urgent, serious voice.

'It's Estella, Yashiro. What's going on?
'......, I guess.'

In Estella's hand, she is running towards me, holding a luxurious-looking piece of parchment.

I stand up and Delia straightens her back. She must have sensed something unusual in the air.
The expression on Estella's face was so grim that Hammaro and her sister in a bath towel were clinging to my waist.

I'm not sure what to do.

Estella said, almost without blinking, her breathing uneven.
On the letter in her hand was an emblem that she had never seen before.

'To tell you the truth, I was planning to get through the troubles between the lords on my own, without relying on Yashiro. ......'

With that preamble, I looked down at the letter that was presented to me.
Delia also peeked at me, but her eyes slipped and she quickly looked up and seemed to be focused on staring at my profile.

'............ What's this?

I don't know where to point it, anger, dismay, surprise, or some other emotion gushes out like sludge and chokes in my throat.
I can't get the words out.
What is this?
What's going on?

'Hey, hey!Yashiro, Estella!What's going on?

Delia rushed me, but I couldn't understand the situation myself.
I couldn't believe what was written here and couldn't explain it right away.

'You know what, Estella!Right now, Yashiro is listening to me and Hammaro's request and trying to do something about the missing waterfall!It's very important and it's very urgent!Can you please wait until later to bring trouble?
'Don't worry about that, Delia. ......'

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
The mouth is trembling slightly, and a dry smile is on her face.

'The trouble I've brought you is also because of this waterfall. ......'
'Huh?Does it have anything to do with the fact that the waterfall is gone?
'It has nothing to do with ......'.

Sometimes when something doesn't make much sense and there's no clue to the solution, people let out a laugh.
Now is just such a time.

'I got a notice from the 29th district. Well, to be precise, it's the joint name of the lords including the 29th district. ......'

Estella's voice trembled distortedly.
I think I'm going to laugh, too. ......

'They said they dammed up the river in the 29th district with a sluice.
'Huh?Why?

The reason they dammed it up is...

The reason why they dammed it up is because of the abnormal weather in the 42nd district, causing a water shortage.

--It's a reason that makes no sense.

'......, huh?What do you mean?



Delia's gaze turned from Estella to me.
So, I'm going to read to you what's written here, 'the foolishness that caused the abnormal weather in District Forty-two'.

'The 42nd district used a weapon called "fireworks" and concentrated fire in the sky, causing the clouds to disappear and the current drought to occur.
'Fireworks...... are, uh, fireworks?'

The fireworks we shot off at Wendy's wedding.
They say it burned away the clouds.
As a result, this drought was caused. ......

They want us to compensate for it: ......
They even closed the floodgates and dammed up the river to prove that they weren't threatening. ......

'............ Are you an idiot, District 29?

It was a rare thing for me to hear those words leaking out of my heart.
Exposing one's true emotions to others is something that no con artist should ever do. ......

'They're telling me to come to the 29th district tomorrow afternoon to talk to them.
'Well, even if they don't tell me, I'd like to punch them in the face. ......'
'Yashiro: ......'

Estella gives him an apologetic look.
She looks somewhat frustrated, and even a little tearful.

'I need your help, please. This one is a real pain in the ass.

On the letter, along with the names of the seven men, the symbol 'BU' was stamped.
'BU'?
Earlier Estella said it was 'the name of a federation of lords, including the 29th district'. A federation of ............?

I'm sure you'll be able to tell me more about the fireworks than I can, and I'm sure you'll be able to tell me more about the fireworks than I can, and I'm sure you'll be able to tell me more about the fireworks than I can. It's a negotiation that can't fail. ...... So, ......'

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.
...... Idiots.

'It's too late for that. I'm not sure what to make of it.
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

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Estella has rarely relied on me for negotiations between lords since she assumed the position of lord.
I've heard from Natalia that she is facing her duties head on now that she is a lord.
When he calls on me, it's when he really can't help himself.

It's only when I decide that it's best to put the people of District 42 first, rather than my own selfishness.

Perhaps Estella had at least thought of a rowing water mill.
Umaro had said that there was a water mill in the 29th district. It's no wonder Estella has seen one.

And then she brought me in to help the people in District 42 who were in trouble.
As usual, I'll show you how it's done.

...... I know exactly what he's up to.

I'm sure you're one of them, aren't you?
If I help the residents of the 42nd district, my stock will rise. In other words, they'll like me.
If the people like me, I won't be able to leave District Forty-two on my own.
The more people I care about, not just Jeannette and the others, the harder it will be for me to leave ....... I guess that's what I'm thinking.

That's how you care about people,...... how you care about me,...... how you push yourself to the limit and always get wobbly, right?
Idiots.

'You deserve credit for asking for help before it was too late.
'What ...... are you talking about, ......'.

Just take it easy. You new lord.
Don't think that everything will be fine from the start.

I'll listen to a little recklessness until you get it right.
If the 42nd district is threatened, my business will suffer and my profits will decrease.

Besides, ......

Well, you're a pretty important guy too, aren't you?


'I got a bad feeling about this letter just reading it. ......'

I shook the letter in my hand and warned him.

'They're going to exploit us. With all kinds of threats.'
'...... Yeah. I guess.'

Then I'm not sure Estella can do it alone.
This one, unlike the other lords, is not good at messing around.
She's a naive girl who can only deal with straightforwardness, sincerity and honesty.

You're as much of a sucker as Jeannette, you know.

'I don't know what kind of people you are, but ......'

He glared beyond the dammed up waterfall.
With his chest outstretched, he stretches out his arm and points to the twenty-ninth district and declares.

'I'll buy you this fight. I'll make you regret making an enemy of me!


For the first time in a long time, let's ...... suck up to these suckers, right down to the bone.


'...... Yashiro, your face looks like the master of evil.
'I'm sorry.
'I was just stating a fact. 'But ......'.

He smiles at me, still hard.

'I'm relieved to see such a face, even though I'm pretty much the same.

Estella shrugs her shoulders and laughs.
It seems to have cleared up some of your worries.

Now, ......, what should I do? This case.



'Hey, Yashiro ......, I didn't understand a thing you just said. But I do know that something happened that I need to brace myself for.'
'Oh, ...... I'll break it down for you later so you can understand.'

Delia's expression tightened.
When it comes to the river, Delia is no stranger to it.
The expression on Delia's face right now gives me the impression that she is on edge.

In spite of this, I can hear a tense voice around my waist.

'Oniichan, I'm still all tucked in!
'Get dressed, you'll catch a cold.
'I'm dressed!I like your clothes!
'No, I'm not talking about you, Hammaro.
'Hammaro?
'...... By the way, Yashiro. What's your choice for this chaotic member?

I didn't choose them.

At any rate, I decided to let my sister go back home with Hammaro and return to the sunlit pavilion with Estella and Delia in tow.
I'm in the mood to have a bite to eat and get things in order.


After taking another look at the dammed up waterfall, we left New Town.