YOAW 65

Chapter – 65

 Lifting the Future, and the Dream of the Waterwheel

The papermaking project that began under Akio’s guidance quickly became a major topic of interest throughout the village. Witnessing Lady Celestina’s passion and the children’s joy of learning up close, Ayane and the other women eagerly volunteered to help Akio, working day after day to improve the quality of the paper.

Using fibers from various plants selected by Sylvia—soft inner bark from trees, hemp-like grasses, and straw left over after harvest—they experimented with everything: how long to boil the fibers, how vigorously to beat them, the amount of water used in the vat, the density of the fibers during sheet forming, and even the drying methods. Akio’s fragmentary knowledge from Earth, Sylvia’s deep understanding of plants and natural materials, and the villagers’ repeated trial and error all came together in this process.
Dorgan also lent strong support from the tools side, crafting improved wooden mallets to beat the fibers more evenly and finely adjusting the mesh of the suketa (the papermaking screen) used to scoop the pulp.

At first, all they could produce was something barely worthy of being called paper—thick, stiff, and prone to tearing. But after several weeks, they gradually succeeded in making practical sheets that were easier to write on and absorbed less ink (which Sylvia made from nuts and soot). The color was still mostly off-white or light brown, but even so, it was a revolutionary invention for the village.

Holding the finished trial sheets in her hands, Lady Celestina bowed deeply to Akio, overcome with emotion.
“Akio…! To think you would give us something so wonderful…! With this, the children will be able to learn and record so much more. Truly, thank you.”
Tears of pure joy and gratitude shimmered in her eyes. The children were beside themselves with excitement at having “paper” they could use, immediately drawing pictures and writing newly learned letters on it. Smiles spread throughout the village.

One evening not long after, a regular meeting was held in the central hall’s assembly room to discuss the village’s current situation and future challenges. Akio, Sylvia, Ayane, Dorgan, Leonora, Kina, and Lady Celestina—the core members—were all present. While the success of the papermaking project filled everyone with a sense of accomplishment, it also gave rise to new desires.

“With paper, record-keeping and education will advance greatly,” Akio began. “But if we want to further enrich our lives, there are still many problems we need to solve.”
Ayane nodded. “Yes… especially the daily flour-milling for bread. It’s a heavy burden on the village women. With hand-turned millstones, there’s a limit to how much we can produce…” As livestock numbers and harvest yields increased, their capacity to process grain simply couldn’t keep up.
Kina chimed in as well. “Us beastfolk love powdered nuts and grains too, but crushing them by hand every day is backbreaking work. Ain’t there a way to make it easier, boss?”

At that, Dorgan crossed his arms and grumbled thoughtfully.
“Hmmm… milling, eh. It’s true, turning those millstones by hand all day is exhausting. If only we could rotate a larger millstone using some other kind of power…”
Those words brought a long-cherished idea vividly back to Akio’s mind.

“A waterwheel,” he said.

“A waterwheel?” Everyone looked at him blankly.
“Yes. We use the flow of a river to turn a large wheel, and that power can drive millstones—or be used for other kinds of work. In my homeland, we ground large amounts of flour and even processed timber that way.”
As Akio drew a simple diagram of a waterwheel on the ground with a stick and explained it, the expressions around him gradually lit up.

“Using the river’s power to turn millstones, you say? Fascinating! If we could make it work, milling would become dramatically easier!” Dorgan exclaimed excitedly.
Sylvia nodded in agreement. “Indeed, the river near this village has a stable flow. If we choose the right location, installing a waterwheel should be possible. Turning the blessings of the forest into motive power… it aligns well with the laws of nature.”
Lady Celestina clasped her hands, eyes shining. “If that becomes reality, we’ll be able to prepare enough bread for the children, and the entire village’s diet will improve immensely!”

However, Akio added soberly, “That said, building a waterwheel won’t be easy. We’ll need precise gears, bearings, and careful design of the water channels. Given our current level of technology and manpower, whether we can start right away is…”
A brief shadow of concern crossed everyone’s faces, but then Kina broke the mood with her usual cheer.

“What’s that, boss? You won’t know until you try! If it’s tough, we’ll just help with all our strength! A waterwheel sounds exciting as hell!”
Her words quickly brought the energy back to the group.

“You’re right,” Akio said with a nod. “A waterwheel is an extremely important goal for our village. Even if it takes time, I want to make it a reality. For that, we should first improve our ironworking skills so we can make more precise parts, and build up the village’s overall strength.”

By the end of the meeting, the “power revolution through a waterwheel” had been firmly etched into everyone’s hearts as a grand vision for the future. Just as papermaking had brought cultural growth, one day the waterwheel might fundamentally transform life in Akio’s town. With that dream in mind, they shared yet another step forward—new knowledge and renewed hope.