Chapter 98: Opaque reality [ 18 ]
It was afternoon, and most of the adults—even the teenagers and children—in the village were joyfully carrying out different tasks, working together towards the benefit of their beloved lands. Most of the soldiers worked on the guardhouse projects at the different borders, the farmers cultivated their lands—everyone worked hard.
At the farm area close to the southern border, a large number of farmers could be seen working diligently on their various plots of land—some could be seen weeding the grasses, while others were either harvesting the mature crops or engaged in other tasks.
As the sun cast its warm glow over the ripening fields, the breeze carried the sweet scent of blooming flowers and ripened fruits mixed with the earthy aroma of freshly turned soil—birds chirped melodiously from the treetops, adding a cheerful soundtrack to the bustling activity below.
Children laughed as they chased butterflies while picking ripe fruits from the ground —their joy infectious to all who heard. The farmers smiled as they worked, sharing stories and helping one another—their hands busy but their hearts light.
Some of the old farmers stopped working constantly to observe the happy scenes which made them even more grateful to Lord Rowan for conquering their tormentor.
The farmers were still working cheerfully when they began to hear the voices and footsteps of their men approaching.
Some of the farmers stopped working to look at them and they were shocked to see them pulling on tiny flexible objects that appeared more like snakes to them.
"What are they pulling?" Most of the farmers asked.
"Did they face off any sort of snake monsters in the forest?" Some questioned.
"Dad, what are they doing?" Some of the kids couldn't help but ask with curiosity.
Rowan and his men finally made it to the farms with the hose they have been pulling for the past few hours.
The first few hours of pulling for the soldiers was hectic, but the last few hours the hoses became very light all of a sudden making it pretty easier for them to pull — but they were already tired for the first few hectic hours, they were all breathing fast at this moment and their clothes were soaked in perspiration.
Some of the farmers dropped their tools and approached them.
"Welcome everyone, welcome Lord Rowan." They greeted.
Rowan and the soldiers nodded their heads as they let go of the hoses. Brandon and the soldiers collapsed on the ground and began breathing really fast to catch their lost breath.
"You guys did a marvelous job, thank you for your hard work." Rowan complimented his soldiers with a smile.
At this moment, all the farmers were standing in front of Rowan and the soldiers, forming a large crowd.
Their eyes were fixed on Rowan and the pipes with curiosity evident in their gazes.
"Lord Rowan, what is that?" they asked, eyes wide with curiosity as they pointed at the long, flexible tubes sprawled across the ground.
Rowan wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and smiled warmly at the assembled farmers. "These," he began, gesturing to the hoses, "are called hoses. They're special tools that allow us to bring water from the river directly to your fields."
The crowd exchanged puzzled glances. An elderly farmer stepped forward, his weathered face etched with skepticism. "But how can water travel through these? Is it even possible?" he asked, gently prodding a hose with his walking stick.
"It's quite simple, really. We'll connect one end of these hoses to a large windmill like the one over here, by the river. The pump will push the water through the hoses all the way here. Think of it as guiding the river's flow straight to us, you can use it to water your crops and even drink without fear of getting ill as the water are purified."
The ground became noisy as they all began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Does that mean we don't have to carry heavy buckets anymore?" One of the young teenager asked with wide eyes.
"Exactly," Rowan affirmed. "You'll save time and effort, which means you can focus on other important tasks. It will also prevent you guys from the horror of the forest!"
A moment of stunned silence followed before a wave of joy washed over the farmers. Laughter and cheers erupted as they began to grasp the impact of this innovation. Some clapped their hands, while others embraced one another, their faces alight with gratitude.
"Bless you, Lord Rowan!" a woman exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes. "You've lifted a great burden from us."
An elderly man approached Rowan, extending a calloused hand. "You've not only conquered our tormentors but also our daily struggles. We cannot thank you enough."
Rowan shook his hand firmly. "It's the least I could do. Together, we'll make this land flourish."
The farmers continued to dance and sing around in joy, some of them even breaking down in tears.
The soldiers felt happy seeing that their hard work paid off and made the people even happier. Even Brandon was all smiles as he watched their happy reactions.
Rowan was able to gather more than one million evolution points from their joy.
'This is what I am talking about!' Rowan rejoiced inwardly.
After they celebrated for a few minutes, Rowan proceeded to show them how it works.
With renewed energy, the farmers gathered around as Rowan began demonstrating how to lay out the hoses properly and switch it on. The soldiers joined in, guiding them on how to handle the equipment.
It was really easy to understand and the people grasped the mechanics in a matter of minutes.
When Rowan turned it on in front of them for the first time, they yelled in amazement.
Rowan even let some of the farmers and children hold the hose and experience how it feels to pump water.
Since the hose has become light, even the children were able to hold it and play with it, spraying water on their friends while laughing happily.
The adults watched with smiles, some even breaking down in tears.
Rowan observed the scene for a few minutes before leaving to inspect other tasks taking place in the village.