I Kidnapped the Hero's Women-Chapter 222: Securing water resources (1)

"Oof, my head is killing me. Why does the population keep increasing...?" "Well, it's only natural since Master has cultivated such a wonderful estate." "..."

A recent issue had arisen that I hadn't noticed before. That issue was none other than the rapid increase in the population of Vermont Territory.

People had been migrating from other regions, and those who had been studying abroad were now returning, causing a sharp increase in the number of inhabitants. Moreover, according to surveys, the number of pregnant women had also surged significantly. It seemed that the birth rate next year would hit an all-time high. I needed to come up with a solution for the population growth before it got any worse.

'There's no way to expand the living area anymore...'

Vermont Territory is located in a basin surrounded by steep mountains. Because of this, the development of housing has already been completed, and there's no room for expansion now. The problem that urgently needed addressing was quite simple. Water.

Economically, Vermont had become a fairly prosperous region, but the lack of water resources had always been a major issue. Unlike Arient Territory, which is rich in drinking water due to a large river flowing through it, Vermont, located beyond the mountain ranges, suffers from a shortage of drinking water.

So far, there hadn't been a major sense of water scarcity. But with the rapid population increase, the problem was becoming more serious.

'Is there no way to draw water from Arient Territory...?'

The first solution that came to mind was to install a canal along the Vermont Highway to bring in water. However, that wasn’t an easy task. Building roads was a relatively simple task, requiring only time, money, and labor, but constructing a canal would be far more complicated than that.

Additionally, it would be an enormous project crossing an entire mountain range. The scale seemed unprecedented in the history of the Empire. Even if the construction was completed, the future of maintaining and operating it would certainly involve an immense cost.

This couldn’t just be solved by pouring money or labor into it. It was a problem in materials engineering. To solve it, I would have to either research and find a suitable material or create a blend of materials, then develop a method of burying the canal underground. But even then, I had no idea how long that would take.

Meanwhile, the population density would continue to increase rapidly. And due to the shortage of drinking water and other types of water, sanitation would seriously deteriorate. In the worst case, a plague might spread, causing significant casualties.

I could always resort to digging wells as a quick fix... But if the underground water runs out, it would be useless. Perhaps the ground might collapse due to the depletion of underground water, or the forest could wither away. If something happened to the forest, heating during the winter would become difficult, and it would cause a domino effect of problems.

'Maybe I should turn my attention to water purification...'

Behind Vermont Territory, there is a part of a river that serves as the upper reaches of the stream. The problem, though, is that the land is heavily polluted, so the water quality is very poor. Currently, the river is blocked by a dam to prevent it from flowing into the village. At present, purifying this river seems to be the most time-efficient and sustainable solution.

Of course, "relatively" time-efficient, but building a water treatment plant is no small task either...

Just as I let out a deep sigh, wondering where to even start...

[Kyaaack! Why did you bring this thing!?] [Kyaack! I came here because I heard there were delicious snacks! But why is the Great Earth Spirit here!?]

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The voices of the Great Spirits outside were loud enough to penetrate the windows. It seemed the kids had lured the spirits into the mansion with snacks. As a result, the old enemies, Muddy and Earthy, had collided once again.

"What’s going on? Are you fighting? I’m sure I told you to make up already." [Kya, kyaaack!? We’re not fighting!] [Kyaack! No, no! We just got excited and our voices got loud!] "Hmph. Is that so?"

At that moment, when Yuria appeared, the atmosphere instantly turned cold. Muddy and Earthy awkwardly hugged each other, nodding their heads like they’d never been growling just moments before.

"Well then, have fun, Muddy!" [Kyaack! Wait, human! Where’s the snack you promised me!?] "Snack? Wasn’t it the one Charlotte promised?" [That’s right!] "Charlotte is out right now. She’s probably at the training ground, so she won’t be back until evening." [Kyaack! My snack!!!] "Ah! Then should I share mine? I kept an egg tart for myself, but I didn’t eat it. I was planning to eat it later when studying."

Unlike Charlotte, who always eats everything immediately when snacks come out, Yuria tends to leave some behind and take it to her room. I guess she nibbles on it when she gets hungry in the evening. She kind of reminds me of a hamster that stocks up food and eats it bit by bit when it gets hungry.

[Kyaack! Egg tart! I want it too!!!] [Kyaack! I don’t know what it is, but if that guy wants to eat it, it must be a delicacy! Give it to me!] "Hmph. It’s a bit hard to give it for free... Ah! If Muddy does me a favor, I’ll give it to you!" [What favor? I am the Great Water Spirit! Even impossible things can be done by me!] "Look! Do you see the fountain in the garden? I want to see water come out of that fountain!"

[Kyaack... What? Is that all...?]

In the middle of the green garden, Yuria pointed at a fountain covered in moss. Muddy sighed in disbelief, walking forward.

'That fountain...'

Actually, the fountain had stopped functioning because it was too dirty.

The moss had built up inside after being neglected for so long. I had tried to clean it by letting water flow through it for three days, but it never came out clear, so I gave up. The corrosion seemed to have gone too far.

Yuria must have imagined a beautiful fountain with clear water gushing out, but I knew that wouldn’t happen.

Sighing bitterly, I turned around to return to my work.

[Kyaack! Making water come out of this small fountain is nothing! Watch, human!] "Wow, wow! So this is the fountain...!" "...!?"

At that moment, Muddy jumped into the fountain with a splash. The moss that had been stuck inside melted away, and soon clean water gushed out, spraying all over.

At that moment, my eyes widened. That’s it. That could solve the problem!

I immediately left my office and ran out to the garden.

[Kyaack! This is egg tart!? What is this sweet, soft, and crispy texture on the outside? It’s like it’s melting in my mouth!] [Kyaack... I want it too...]

When I arrived in the garden, I saw Muddy hastily swallowing an egg tart as if afraid someone might steal it. It looked like Yuria had briefly gone to her room and returned.

Did I really take that long...? I had definitely run as fast as I could...

This was the moment when I realized once again how pathetic Aslan Vermont’s basic physical strength was.

"I came because I had business with Muddy." [Kyaack! How dare a mere human like you face me!?] "Aslan is my benefactor, so you shouldn’t treat him roughly, Muddy!" [Kyaack... As a lowly Great Water Spirit, Muddy is honored to meet such a noble human...]

Now they were ready to talk. With a smile as if saying "See? I did well," I patted Yuria’s head and stepped forward.

"About that fountain you just activated. It was originally filled with moss and dust, so only dirty water would have come out. But somehow, clean water came out. What happened?" [Ahem! I have the power to purify the environment! Wherever water flows, I can purify it so that life can thrive!] "Ohh..."

Just as I expected. If we used Muddy’s ability, we could purify the valley on the back mountain. I unexpectedly found the key to solving the water resource problem right here.

"Let’s work on something together, Muddy." [Kyaack! What is it?] "There’s a valley blocked by a dam on the back mountain. The condition of the land there isn’t good, so I think you’ll need to purify it." [Kyaack! If the issue is with the land, it’s beyond my ability! My powers only work where water flows!] "Ah! Then we can work together with Earthy! Earthy can make a path for the water underground, and you can purify the water that flows through it!"

At that moment, Yuria clapped her hands, coming up with an excellent idea. As expected, she’s quick-thinking. It seems like a good idea even for reconciling the two Great Spirits who don’t get along.

[Kyaack! In that case, I’ll demand that you make Hawaiian pizza for me every day in exchange for my work!] [Kyaack! Hawaiian pizza? I don’t know what it is, but I want the same thing!] "You two... What are you even talking about? In exchange for your work, I have only one thing to offer. A discount on the Imperial Magic Academy's repair fees." [...?] [...?]

Both Earthy and Muddy tilted their heads in confusion, asking, "What are you talking about?"

"Did you forget? The repair fees for the fountain and cobblestones at the Imperial Magic Academy that you two destroyed while fighting. I paid for it. Instead of charging you, I’ll give you a discount. Is that not good? If not, I’ll apply an interest rate of 30% until you bring the money in..."

[Kyaack! How could I bring human money!? I accept!] [Kyaack! I’ll do the work in exchange for a repair fee discount!]

As soon as I pretended to retract the offer, Muddy and Earthy rushed toward me, urging me not to take it back. At this moment, they seemed to have completely reconciled, and they were getting along well.

It would be nice if they could get along like this when we actually do the work...

Of course, the part about paying the Imperial Magic Academy's repair fees was a blatant lie. But since Irene or the Emperor’s sister weren’t around to see through my lie, no one would ever know.