The Waterwheel.

It resembled a cogwheel, but its size was comparable to, if not larger than, an average household. Mostly made of wood, it had a distinct creaking sound, which I particularly liked.

Creek… Creek…

When I gently nudged the still waterwheel with my hand, it slowly started to move. I loved this sound.

"You said you wanted to see the waterwheel, but did you really mean it?"

"It's possible. I get it."

I could hear some murmurs behind me, but I chose to ignore them. Right now, I just wanted to enjoy the sound of this wheel.

The waterwheel has been a great help to many people. It connects two bodies of water at different heights and assists with various tasks using the power of water.

In essence, it functions like a cogwheel, but with the added component of water driving its motion.

"Um, shouldn’t we stop now? It feels like you're getting closer and closer to the waterwheel…"

"…No way."

The windmill is similar. Unlike the waterwheel, which operates by water, the windmill runs on wind power.

And unlike the exposed waterwheel, the windmill operates from inside a building. However, both share the similarity of being made of wood in this world, and you can hear that distinct wooden creaking sound from a windmill, too.

Creek… Creek…

Ah, such a nice sound.

Maybe because it was crafted by a grand wizard, the sound seemed even better. I wonder where the source of this sound comes from? Maybe if I explore a little deeper, I can figure it out…

"Huh?"

Splash!

"Ah, you fell in after all!"

"Hurry, we need to rescue them!"

"Louie!"

...

"…There’s a strong magic formation in place here. Judging by how it pulled me in, it must have reacted to my mana."

"…."

"I definitely didn’t fall in because I was curious. I lost my balance due to a small mana storm, that’s all…"

"Raphirie, is there even such a phenomenon? I’m a knight, so I don’t really know, but you should, right?"

"…Not really."

"Anyway, thank you for saving me, Hero."

"…Mm."

"But don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not that interested in the waterwheel."

Ahchoo.

"Louie, I get it, so let's dry you off. I’ll help dry your hair…"

"Rie, can you take care of Louie? I’ll go change into some dry clothes too."

"Ah, okay!"

"Come to the village chief’s house when you’re done. The administrator is waiting for us."

The hero, now stripped of their armor, wrung out their clothes and went back up.

"I can do it myself…"

"I’ll do it. Just stay still."

I had no choice but to change into new clothes too, as everything under my robe was soaked. Raphirie gently started drying my hair with a soft towel.

"Louie, was this all part of your plan?"

"What?"

That’s when Raphirie said something strange.

"You know, you fell in, and now Aswell’s all wet too."

"And?"

"So, was your plan to strip Aswell of his armor and show off his muscular body?"

What a perverted elf! Did she really think I jumped in just to see that?

I wanted to protest immediately.

"Or… did you really just like the waterwheel?"

"…Actually, yes, it was all part of my plan to give you a good view, Raphirie."

If I denied it, the only conclusion left would be that I really did fall in because I was fascinated by the waterwheel. So, in the end, I just went along with Raphirie’s suggestion.

"Oh… I knew it! You’re amazing, Louie!"

I have no idea what’s so amazing, but at least the situation was resolved smoothly. With Raphirie’s help, I quickly changed and headed to the village chief’s house.

"Ah, you’ve arrived!"

A warm greeting from Aria revealed a man standing behind her. He was middle-aged, with a scruffy beard that seemed to have gone untrimmed for a long time.

'But his eyes…'

They held a deep sadness, as if carrying the weight of fifty thousand stories.

I grabbed Raphirie’s robe and took a step back.

Soon, the hero entered the house with the village chief.

"Thank you all for accepting our request, Hero Party!"

It started with the usual formal thanks, followed by a long explanation about how past wizards had failed to fix the issue, leaving the village in sorrow.

"…And despite Winston’s efforts, no real solution has been found…"

"Winston? He’s a third-rank mage."

What does “third-rank for now” mean? Did he have some kind of special circumstance that stopped him from advancing further?

Fortunately, the hero, picking up on my intense stare, asked the question.

"What do you mean, ‘for now’?"

"…It’s just something from the past. Anyway, I’m a third-rank mage and can’t handle more advanced magic. So, Hero, are you going to fix the waterwheel?"

"Ah, no, our party’s mage will… Louie?"

"I’ll fix it."

I stepped out from behind Raphirie and spoke with a determined look. Winston snickered.

Oh, you think this is funny?

"Well, if you’re with the Hero Party, I suppose fixing a waterwheel is child’s play. Ask me if you have any questions, but otherwise, don’t bother me."

With that, Winston left the chief’s house.

"I-I’m so sorry, Mage. Please forgive Winston’s rudeness."

"Louie, he seems to have a story behind him… Louie?"

"…How dare he provoke me."

I was planning to fix it quickly because of our schedule anyway. But now, since he dared to provoke me, I’ll make sure he cries tears of gratitude when I finish.

"Let’s go."

"Huh? Louie?"

"The Hero needs to help me, so we can finish faster."

This was no ordinary repair job. It was a battle against a third-rank mage who didn’t know his place and dared to challenge me.

I picked up my pen and began sketching the entire structure of the waterwheel in the air.

"Louie, what should I do?"

"For now, just stay put."

I’ll give you something to do when I need it. Until then, just sit nearby and cheer me on.

"The external structure looks fine, and there doesn’t seem to be any defects in the waterwheel itself…"

I swiftly sketched out the three-dimensional structure of the waterwheel, taking it apart and analyzing it from various angles—side, front, and bottom. If I can grasp the problem now, it will make the rest of the process much easier.

"It’s best to preserve as much of the original material as possible…"

Now it was time to examine the magic formulas carved into the waterwheel.

I removed the illusion of the golden waterwheel and approached the real one.

"…Hero?"

"Ah, sorry. I thought you were going to fall in again."

The hero suddenly grabbed the hood of my robe from behind. Curious, I turned around and heard his explanation.

Good grief, someone might think I’m obsessed with the waterwheel and that’s why I fell into the pond earlier.

"Hero, don’t be alarmed."

"What?"

As I touched a specific part of the waterwheel, something colorful burst forth. I could feel the hero flinch, his grip on my hood tightening.

It seemed like he wanted to hide his surprise, but unfortunately for him, I had already noticed.

"I’ve changed the spell to make the magic visible. This is the formula the creator of the waterwheel inscribed."

"Oh, I see…"

"Are you surprised?"

"…No?"

"Heh."

The magic formation burst out like a fountain, spreading in all directions. Each wizard has their own unique style, and mine spirals like a whirlwind.

"I now understand why the previous wizards failed."

"Really?"

"Yes. The magic symbols in the formation have been deliberately distorted, making them extremely difficult to decipher."

It was clear that several previous attempts to decode the symbols had been made, but all wizards seemed to have given up within the first ten characters.

"A pen won’t be enough for this."

I dismissed my golden-inscribed pen and, for the first time in a long while, pulled out my staff.

"Is that…?"

"It’s the staff I normally use."

Ever since I developed the pen, I’ve rarely used the staff. The pen functioned as a miniature staff and was far more convenient. But I hadn’t abandoned my staff because high-level magic formulas required its use.

The staff had a matte white finish, adorned with gold lines and engravings. At the top was a blue crystal, around which two large and small white rings hovered, rotating in midair.

"I’ll tell you a secret, Hero. This staff is called the Master Key."

It’s named so because it can interact with almost any magic. But the real reason is that my unique magic requires this staff to work.

"It’s a beautiful staff."

"Thank you."

A compliment to my staff is a compliment to me. Grasping the Master Key with both hands, I closed my eyes.

"Unlock."

Ching.

The two rings responded to my command, spinning at incredible speed.

"Analyze. Decode. Repeat. Automate."

I input four spells and aimed the Master Key at the waterwheel. Shortly after, a platinum light enveloped the magic formula.

"Just leave it like this for now."

"Huh? That’s it?"

"Yes. The staff will handle the rest. All I have to do is stand guard here until it’s done."

"Oh…"

"You didn’t need to come, Hero. You can leave now."

"But we need to wait, right?"

"Yes, but I can wait by myself."

While waiting, I could continue my research with my pen. Meanwhile, it would be more beneficial for the party if the Hero spent this time strengthening his relationships with the heroines...

"I’ll wait with you."

"…What?"

With that one sentence, my entire plan went up in smoke.