Distracted by the goats, we walked for about ten minutes before a giant boulder blocking the waterway came into view.
As the villagers had complained, the waterway split just before the boulder.
“…It’s big.”
Sara, held in her mother’s arms, muttered as she gazed up at the massive rock.
“It really is huge, isn’t it?”
The boulder was about as tall as my father and nearly twice as wide and thick as its height.
“Do you think it fell from over there?”
On the right bank of the waterway, there was a rocky mountain with a cliff face a short distance away.
When I looked up toward the top of the mountain from afar, I could see traces of a landslide.
It seemed that the giant rock had fallen from the mountain, rolled across the ground, and come to a stop on the waterway.
Yet, something felt off.
“This seems… suspicious.”
The boulder gave off an unnatural air, as if it weren’t entirely formed by nature.
I had no proof—it was just a hunch.
“…Mother, I think we should have an expert look into this.”
“You’re right. Let’s investigate thoroughly. And of course, ensure everyone’s safety.”
“Understood.”
After issuing instructions to a servant, my mother stared at the boulder for a while.
“Hmm… How long do you think it would take to remove it?”
“Depending on the budget, it would usually take about two months,” replied the eldest servant in charge of outdoor security.
“And if we spare no expense?”
“It could be shortened to about one month.”
Hearing this, my mother whispered in a voice so quiet that the villagers couldn’t hear,
“Which would be more expensive: spending the budget or exempting taxes?”
That whisper was undoubtedly meant for Sara and me to hear.
If the cost of the work exceeded the revenue from the village’s taxes, it would be more practical to waive taxes and carry out the work at a slower pace.
The duchy might even save money by providing financial aid to the villagers to sustain them.
While my mother was deep in thought, I addressed the senior servant.
“You seem quite knowledgeable.”
“He’s an exceptional servant, often serving as a butler’s substitute. Of course he’s knowledgeable,” my mother said.
“You flatter me. I am humbled,” the servant replied with a deep bow.
He was likely one of the higher-ranking servants sent by my father to manage the staff at the estate.
After thinking for a moment, my mother addressed the villagers.
“By when would the waterway need to be restored for this year’s farming?”
“It’s already critical as it is,” a villager responded.
“What about one month from now?”
“It would be far too late for this year’s farming.”
It seemed that removing the boulder wouldn’t allow the farming to proceed in time.
“What about creating a bypass channel?”
When I asked, the servant quickly answered.
“Constructing a bypass channel isn’t simple, but if we rush, it could be done in about a week.”
“Even a week wouldn’t be enough… The work should’ve been completed three weeks ago.”
Hearing the servant’s reply, the villagers spoke sadly.
“This is quite the problem.”
Mother muttered, then quietly asked Sara,
“Sara, what do you think we should do?”
“…Cancel the taxes… and deliver food?”
“Yes, that might be the only option. What about you, Luria?”
I thought for a moment.
Sara’s idea was a way to prevent the worst-case scenario. Ideally, the farming should proceed, and taxes should be paid.
“Move the rock?”
“How?”
“With the help of animals.”
I was confident that the goats watching us could move the rock.
“Animals? Like oxen pulling it? But with a rock this big, the village’s oxen alone…”
“It’ll probably be fine. I’ll ask my friends for help.”
Mother and Sara looked puzzled. It would be quicker to show them.
“Just wait a moment. Hey, you goats over there, come here!”
I called out loudly to the goats.
“Luria, what are you doing?”
Everyone—Mother, Sara, the maids, the servants, and the villagers—stared at me in bewilderment.
“Just watch.”
The goats looked at each other and then started running toward us. Their wagging tails were adorable.
As the goats approached us, the servants tensed.
“Everyone, stand ready!”
“Wait, wait! They’re not enemies!”
I quickly intervened to stop the servants and goats from clashing.
The goats were enormous, which probably alarmed the servants.
Their tense posture made it clear they were ready to fight if the goats got any closer.
“Calm down, everyone. They’re my friends, okay?”
“Luria, who are ‘they’?”
“Oh, you know, the goats, cows, and boars over there.”
At my words, the atmosphere changed. Mother turned to look at the animals and let out a small shriek.
“…They’re huge.”
Sara clung to Mother, equally astonished.
“Whoa!”
“W-What are they? Where did they come from?”
The villagers were in an uproar.
“They’ve been here the whole time?”
“We couldn’t see them before.”
Apparently, even the villagers hadn’t noticed them earlier.
“You didn’t see them? But I could.”
“We couldn’t see them, my lady,” the servant admitted.
“But you all were on guard earlier, weren’t you?”
“We sensed the presence of something large and invisible, which made us cautious.”
It seemed even the servants couldn’t see the animals.
“Is that possible?”
“They likely used a cloaking spell,” the servant explained.
“A cloaking spell?”
“Yes, such magic renders them invisible to most unless they are very skilled.”
I had assumed everyone could see them since I could.
These animals weren’t spirits, which were typically invisible to most people. But perhaps they were guardian beasts or something similar.
“Divine beasts? Sacred beasts, maybe,” a servant muttered.
This might be troublesome. Standing out too much wasn’t ideal.
But this was about the villagers’ survival. If they couldn’t farm, they wouldn’t have enough to eat, and the weakest would perish first.
Even if it meant being judged or scrutinized, I believed saving the village was more important.
“Anyway, that doesn’t matter! Goats, could you help move this rock?”
Ignoring the servants’ protests, I addressed the animals.
The goats, cows, and boars responded confidently, “Leave it to us!”
With their combined efforts, they managed to move the massive boulder, allowing water to flow through the waterway once again.
“Amazing!”
The villagers stood in awe, some even cheering.
