“Hmm, the water vein has completely stopped,” Hanako said, walking across the dry pond. She occasionally sat down and placed her hands on the ground, checking the surface.
“I can’t understand it at all,” the village chief said.
“Oh, me neither. Kent, Hanako is your sister, so she should understand, right?”
The village chief and Parker couldn’t understand what Hanako was investigating, so they asked Kent for an explanation.
“Even if you say that, I don’t understand what I’m doing either,” Kent replied.
“Is that so?”
Kent couldn’t answer Parker’s question, and Parker looked disappointed upon hearing it.
“Hmm, there’s a gap here.”
“What do you mean by a gap?”
Hanako found a hole large enough for a person to enter and pointed to it, speaking to Kent and his companions. However, not understanding her meaning, Kent asked Hanako again.
“Hmm, I’m talking about a gap in the water vein. It was originally where the water vein was, but for some reason, the water vein was severed, and a large cavity formed over many years. It’s not the water vein that supplied this pond, but something that existed before. It collapsed over time, connecting the pond and the cavity, causing all the pond water to drain out. At that time, the fish and aquatic plants that originally lived in the pond were also sucked in.”
“In other words, there’s a large cavity under the pond, and the pond water has fallen into it? Then, if we attach a device to pump water from that hole, we can get water, can’t we?”
After hearing Hanako’s explanation, the village chief thought of a solution to the water shortage.
“Hmm, that’s impossible. The cavity below the pond is intricate and very deep. Pumping water from such a place is technically impossible.”
“Kk, what a shame. But you said it was different from the water vein that was the source of water. Where is that?”
Hanako told the village chief that it was technically impossible to pump water. Then, the village chief asked Hanako about the water vein that was originally the source of the pond’s water.
“Hmm, the water vein that supplied water to this pond is here.”
Hanako started walking and stopped at a certain spot, saying, “It’s here.”
“Even if you say it’s here, there’s nothing?”
“Hmm, only the ground here is different from the rest.”
The spot Hanako indicated was just bare ground. When the village chief stated that there was nothing there, Hanako gave him a hint.
“Ah, now that you mention it, there might be a few more small pebbles in this area.”
“I see, just as Kent said. Perhaps water used to come out from the gaps between these pebbles?”
As Kent compared it to the ground in other areas, he noticed that it contained more small pebbles, creating gaps. Seeing this, the village chief speculated that water might have flowed out from these gaps.
“Hmm, correct. There was a water vein beyond the place where this water seeped out. But now it’s completely blocked. It got blocked due to the impact of the water falling into the cavity.”
“So, if we open up the blocked part, water will come out, won’t it?”
“Hmm, that’s also impossible. A thin and weak waterway formed by chance, which is why this pond was created. It’s been completely destroyed by the impact, so water will never flow through it again.”
“Is that so… It seems we have no choice but to give up.”
After being told by Hanako that it couldn’t be repaired, the village chief thought that their only option was to abandon the village.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about at all, but does it mean we have to abandon the village? I can’t abandon the village where my ancestors have lived for generations.”
“Me neither. But people can’t live without water.”
Parker, who had been unable to join the conversation due to its complex nature, finally opened his mouth upon hearing that they had to abandon the village.
“Hey, Hanako. Can’t you do something about it?”
“Hmm, if it can be done, it can be done.”
“You can do it?”
Kent, on a long shot, asked Hanako if there was a solution, and she immediately replied that she could solve it.
“So, you can do it? But it will cost money, won’t it?”
“The village doesn’t have much money, and the lord wouldn’t invest in our village, so we probably won’t get any support. After all, money talks.”
The village chief and Parker, thinking that the solution would require a lot of money, spoke with a sense of resignation.
“Hmm, it doesn’t cost any money.”
“Eh?”
At Hanako’s words, a glimmer of hope returned to the eyes of the village chief and Parker.
“Hmm, I’ll start the work right away. First, I’ll fill in the cavity under the pond. Get out of the pond, it’s dangerous.”
“Well then, Hanako. Please take care of it.”
“Hanako, please take care of it.”
Saying that, Parker and the village chief walked out of the pond.
“Hmm, Master, you should also get out of the pond. It’s dangerous to stay here.”
“Understood. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Hmm, I want a reward when the work is finished.”
“Alright.”
Kent intended to stay, but Hanako urged him to get out of the pond. Involuntarily, Kent left the pond, leaving the rest to Hanako.
“What will Hanako do?”
“I don’t know even if you ask me.”
“She is a mysterious child.”
Kent and his companions sat near where the pond had been and watched Hanako’s work. Hanako moved to the hole of the gap, checked something, and moved away. Then, after moving a certain distance, she suddenly started jumping.
“She’s started jumping, but what’s the point?”
“Look at Hanako’s feet.”
As Parker spoke while watching Hanako’s strange behavior, the village chief noticed a change and told Parker and Kent to look at Hanako’s feet.
“The ground is sinking!”
“Whoa, is this some kind of joke?”
Kent and the others could see the ground where Hanako was standing sinking with each jump.
“It’s getting closer to the hole, and the sinking seems to be getting greater.”
Parker said, watching Hanako’s movements. She gradually moved her jumping position towards the hole where the gap had formed. As she moved, the ground sank more and more, creating a depression that reached far beyond Hanako’s height.
“It seems to be sinking further. Wh-what, it’s water, water is coming out!”
“It’s true. This will save the village.”
The water that welled up flowed into the depression created by Hanako’s steps. Then Hanako moved away from the hole again, changed her position slightly, and approached the hole again while jumping in the same way. Each time, water gushed out from the hole, and it collected in the depression that had formed first. Seeing the water flowing out, the village chief and Parker looked relieved.
“If you look closely, there are fish in that water.”
“It’s true. There seem to be aquatic plants other than fish as well.”
“I don’t quite understand, but isn’t this amazing?”
Kent noticed that the gushing water contained live fish. The fish swam energetically in the water that had collected in the depression.
“Hmm, here goes!”
*Bonk!*
“In-incredible, what power.”
“The hole is sealed!”
After creating about three depressions, Hanako moved to the hole of the gap and punched the ground. Then, the surrounding soil collapsed, completely sealing the hole. Parker and the village chief, who were watching, exclaimed in surprise.
(I see, she pressed down on the cavity from above, forcing the water inside out.)
Kent, recalling a toothpaste tube, understood the principle behind the phenomenon he had just witnessed.
“Oh, Hanako is coming this way.”
Hanako, after filling the hole, walked towards where Kent and the others were. Parker, the first to notice, called out to inform Kent and the village chief.
“Hanako, I don’t know how to express my gratitude, but thank you.”
“Hanako, thank you.”
With the water collected in the depressions created by Hanako, they secured water for the time being, so the village chief and Parker thanked Hanako.
“Hmm, the work is not finished yet. What I’ve done so far is just to seal the hole and prevent water from flowing out again. The real work starts now.”
“S-so, you mean?”
“Indeed, just sealing it won’t create new water. It will be gone once it’s used up. So, what will we do from now on?”
After hearing Hanako’s explanation, the village chief asked what they would do next.
“Hmm, I’ll open up a gap in a nearby water vein and draw water here. There are two in total, so you can choose whichever you like, Village Chief.”
“How do they differ?”
Hanako informed them that there were two types of water they could draw from, and asked the village chief to choose.
“Hmm, one is warm water, which is a little hot. Most of the pond creatures will die, but if it’s developed as a hot spring, the village will earn a lot of money. If you can collect the steam well, you can secure drinking water and water for daily use. The other is water similar to the conventional quality. The creatures in the pond can live as they always have. However, it will only return life to normal and won’t lead to income.”
“I see. If it’s to enrich the village life, it’s the former, but I cannot kill the creatures that have always benefited the village in this way. Without hesitation, it’s the latter.”
Of the two options Hanako presented, the village chief immediately chose the latter.
“Are you sure? Village Chief. You’re telling me it’ll bring in money. It could solve the hardships that everyone is experiencing.”
Parker presented to the village chief the opinion that could arise from the villagers.
“Yes, I believe my choice is not wrong. It is our duty to maintain an environment where living things can coexist and live. We must not destroy them solely for human convenience.”
“If the village chief insists, then so be it. So, please, Hanako.”
“Hmm, understood.”
Hanako, after hearing the village chief’s answer, walked away a short distance.
“Hmm, HAAAAAAAH! Here goes!”
“Whoa, is this an earthquake?”
“The ground is shaking.”
“Oh dear, it’s painful!”
Hanako suddenly struck the ground with spirit. A strong tremor, like that of an earthquake, occurred, and the village chief lost his balance and fell backward.
“Whoa, the ground is cracking!”
“W-water is gushing out!”
The ground Hanako struck cracked for several meters, and water spouted from it.
“Hmm, there we go. Work complete.”
Hanako said that and climbed out of the pond, rejoining Kent and the others. The gushing water remained as a high water column for a while, but gradually lost its momentum, and the water column disappeared. By then, the pond had filled with water, and it was also flowing into the river leading to the village.
