第１０７０堀：問題は元から解決しないと意味がない (Part2)
Well, I suppose it’s a natural reaction to be that excited when you thought all hope was lost and then suddenly someone offers to help...
"Yes, yes. Please, calm down. There is no reason for us to lie or deceive you in a place like this."
"That is correct. However, we are only at the stage of consideration. We cannot do anything without hearing the details of the situation on the ground. It’s not as simple as just sprinkling some water on the dirt once, is it?"
"Ah, yes. My apologies."
Just as she was about to jump at the offer with a face full of joy, Ratz and Eris immediately snapped her back to reality.
Yeah, they’re ruthless. I think it would have been fine to let her be happy for a little while, though.
"As the two of them said, we can't do anything about the water situation without hearing the specifics. So, would you mind telling us the details?"
"Yes!"
And so began the usual information-gathering session. We started discussing the current state of the Dafaio Kingdom and where and how the water should be delivered.
"Yawn... I’m starting to get sleepy~"
"Riel, you can't fall asleep."
"Honestly, Senior, that’s not like you."
"I knooow, I’m not sleeping~"
In the reception room, Yuki and the others spread out a map of the Dafaio Kingdom on the table to confirm the schedule.
"In other words, as an emergency response, we will first supply water to the reservoirs in the villages that need it, and then you would like us to cooperate in investigating the water source, correct?"
"Yes. Even if we have no choice but to rely on Weed for water supply this year, our country honestly cannot continue to do so every year. Furthermore, I am well aware that our reputation with Roschur is not good, so I would very much like to identify the cause and resolve it."
Hmm, I see. Since each village has a reservoir, it seems they intend to supply water there first as a stopgap measure, and then investigate the mountains where the water source is located.
"Well, that’s reasonable. I was expecting them to be completely dependent on Weed, so this is a bit of a surprise."
"Right? I thought for sure she was going to ask Yuki for a magic tool that produces water."
"I thought so too, but I can understand where Fiora-san is coming from. Weed can't help us forever, and it’s better for the future if we can identify the cause and deal with it ourselves."
Yeah, this Fiora-san might be thinking further ahead than I anticipated.
"Indeed, that would be for the best. After all, the Queen was originally the Second Princess of Roschur. She is still on good terms with Aria, the next Queen of Roschur. We wouldn't want that reputation to be tarnished."
"Yes. Please, keep this matter confidential. On the surface, we will say you are visiting merely for tourism."
"Understood. Besides, this is just a natural disaster. No one is to blame. However, what about the situation with the other country? I heard the villages and towns are on edge."
"That point is currently under control. For now, we have moved the villagers suffering from water shortages to other regions."
I see, they’re temporarily evacuating them because of the water shortage. Well, it’s only a temporary fix, but it’s an effective method.
"However, our budget is limited, after all..."
"Well, if you evacuate all the villagers, you can't collect taxes, and your funds and supplies will only continue to dwindle."
"Yes. That is why we would like you to respond as quickly as possible."
"...Hmm. I will check our schedule and make the necessary adjustments. May I give you an answer tomorrow?"
"Yes. Thank you very much. I look forward to it."
With that, today’s discussion concluded, and Fiora and her party returned to their inn. As for Yuki and the others who remained...
"As I thought, Princess Fiora is quite capable. She didn't just end the conversation by asking us to solve everything for her."
"Indeed. Though, I suppose a member of the royal family should be able to handle that much of an exchange."
"Ratz is surprisingly sharp-tongued. But it’s a good thing. She’s someone who can think ahead, so it saved us the trouble of explaining things. I was already worrying about how to talk her down if she had just asked for water."
"Well, that would have been a real headache if she had asked for something like that."
"True. A magic tool that can constantly produce enough water for a village to live on—that’s a national treasure by any standard. It’s surprising enough that we’re even developing such things."
"Even so, we have enough magic power to easily fill two or three reservoirs."
"As Tori says, that wouldn't be a fundamental solution. As Princess Fiora said, we will focus on investigating the cause."
" " "Yes." " "
Well, it seems that even though we just got back from Zlable, another adventure awaits us. The goal is to solve the root of the problem, not just the surface symptoms. There’s no point in just repeating the same thing over and over.
That said, solving the root cause is surprisingly difficult.
Now then, how shall we go about it?