Some people still have their eyes glued to the experiment tools, but since I feel bad if the officer and the boy kept holding the heavy bottles filled with water, I signaled both of them to put away the tools, then asked the people in the room to shift their attention away to my drawing.
“Um… Since now we have a way to transport the water from Mount Krumsche, the rest is relatively easy. We just need to hurry and create an aqueduct. Using a wood pipe is fine since we only need it to last until the place where the refugees will go is decided.”
“Can we draw the water from the lake to the capital while maintaining its exact volume?” ask Count Engelbert with a face full of interest.
“I would say that maintaining the exact volume will be difficult and there might be some loss. As for the details, it will be better to consult it with an aqueduct specialist.”
“Won’t sand piled up inside the aqueduct?”
“Yes, it will. I have a solution for that, though we will need to create a stopper. On this side…”
I marked the lowest point on the bridge’s drawing.
“We need to create a hole to drain the water. The hole will normally be closed by the stopper but once in a while, the stopper will be opened so the sand and mud inside the aqueduct will be washed out along with the water.”
“I see.”
The sight of water coming out of the hole on the Tsujin Bridge became a tourist attraction, but originally the hole was created for this purpose. Count Engelbert that asked me nodded in understanding and his eyes moved to Duke Seyfart.“I see. Sir Welner, where did you learn this?”
“Ah, um… When I was a child, I accidentally discovered it while playing,” I hesitantly answered the Duke’s question.
Technically. It’s not a lie. I learned about the inverted siphon principle as part of my mandatory education, so I did learn it when I was a child. Then, half of my science experiments at that age are no different than playing. Yup. Not a lick of a lie.
Anyway, I’m not a specialist in this field so can all of you stop asking too many questions!? It’s just something that I thought ‘maybe that can be used’ on the spot!
“You, come here.”
Probably without noticing my inner turmoil, the Duke nodded. He then called one of the civil officers that were standing near the wall. With a nervous expression, the officer wallet to the Duke’s side.
“Go to His Majesty, Minister of Works, and Director of Waterways. Ask them to set aside some time for this afternoon.”
“As you wish.”
Huh?
“Sir Welner, I would also like to ask you to set aside your time for this afternoon. Will that be fine?”
“Of course, there will not be any problem.”
That’s the only answer I can give but why? Huh? Just what is happening here?
After that, the meeting regarding the refugees continued. Then, the officer that was ordered to bring the Duke’s message earlier, returned hurriedly. He approached the Duke and conveyed something to him with a low voice. The Duke nodded.
“I was the one that asked for their time on short notice so I can’t complain. I will go immediately. Sir Renwardt, take care of this meeting.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Come with me, Sir Welner. Let the two that helped with your experiment earlier bring the tools and follow us.”
“Understood.”
So Count Engelbert’s first name is Renwadt. While I was having that realization in my mind, the Duke stood up, so other nobles also quickly stood up and bowed to the Duke. The Duke and I then left the room.
Somehow, the experiment becomes a big deal, I don’t know what’s what anymore. Sigh… I want to go home. After walking through the corridor, we arrived in front of another meeting room. I looked back. The officer and the boy that followed us looked at me with the expression as if they also wanted to go home.
“Thanks for your hard work. I’m Seyfart.”
“We have been waiting for you. His Majesty is inside.”
“Uh-huh.”
When the Duke talked with the guard standing in front of the meeting room, the guard bowed respectfully and opened the door. Obviously, we won’t knock on the door ourselves.
“I am Seyfart. Let me express my deepest gratitude for your willingness to come here despite the short notice.”
“Yes. We’ve been waiting for you.”
His Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince, Rademacher the Minister of Works, and Gebhardt the Director of Waterways have been waiting for us inside the meeting. It feels unreal to be meeting this many bigshots, to the point I feel calm.
Your Highness, I didn’t do anything so can you stop laughing while looking at me!?
“Your Majesty, first please take a look at this discovery of Sir Welner.”
Urgh…my discovery you said? I’m not even a scientist. I’m fine with claiming the game knowledge as my own but if it’s a discovery or an invention of scientists in my past life, I feel like a thief.
Perhaps misunderstanding my bewilderment as something else, the Duke told the boy and the officer to prepare the experiments. Poor boy, the gaze of His Majesty and His Highness made him look frozen solid. I’m really sorry. I will give you some sweets as an apology later.
As the water inside the tube climbed up, the Minister of Works, Director of Waterways, His Majesty, and His Highness all showed surprised expressions. It looks like an inverted siphon is a really unknown thing in this world.
But the palace has fountains. If an inverted siphon is unknown, what’s the principle behind those fountains?
“So it’s taking advantage of how water will seek its own level. But to use it to make the water itself move…” His Highness who identified the principle in a glance is as amazing as always.
“What is the maximum height difference between the lower and upper part of the aqueduct?”
“I have never experimented with that so I do not know. But the pipe might not be able to handle the pressure if the height difference is too large,” I hesitantly answered the Director of Waterways’ question.
“That’s for sure.”
Half of it is a lie, sir. I learned in science class that theoretically the maximum height difference is 10 meters. But things created using this principle have at most 7-8 meters of height difference. It’s true that I’ve never done an experiment with that height though.
I can’t tell this detail. I mean for something I claimed ‘discovered when I was playing as a child’ it will be strange if I know too much detail.
“I have not seen the actual terrain, but I believe it is enough to make the water cross the crevice and the basin.”
“That is true.”
Is it just me or is there something else hidden behind that word? While questioning that, the Duke gives permission for the officer and the boy to withdraw. Ah… I also want to leave.
“Well then, Your Majesty, May I?”
“Yes.”
After the Duke received His Majesty’s permission on something, he turned to me.
“Sir Welner. Keep what you hear from now on a secret.”
“Yes.”
Huh? I feel like I’m going to get pulled into some troublesome thing.
“The truth is for the past few years there has been a water shortage in the capital.”
“…”
My feeling turned out to be right. That’s a surprise. A water shortage in the capital? That’s the first time I heard about it!
Though I failed to keep my poker face, I want someone to praise me for not yelping in front of His Majesty and His Highness.
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