The next morning.
We set out from the post town early in the morning and drew near our destination around midday.
After exchanging a few words with the coachman, Cindy reported to me.
"We will be arriving in the city of Medine shortly."
"Medine... That means we've entered Enlil Province, then."
"Yes."
"All right, pull over here."
"Huh? Ah, yes!"
Though caught off guard, Cindy quickly relayed the order to the coachman.
With a soft whinny from the horses, the carriage came to a slow halt.
"We haven't reached the city yet. Are you sure about this?"
"We'd end up getting down to walk the streets once we got inside anyway. Better not to draw attention right from the start."
"I see!"
"Have them wait outside the city, close enough that they can come the moment we call."
"Understood!"
Leaving Cindy to give further instructions to the coachman, I hopped down from the carriage alone.
Farther down the highway, the faint silhouette of the city was already coming into view.
I started walking ahead, and Cindy hurried to catch up.
"From a distance, it doesn't look like there's much damage."
"Huh? Ah, yes. It seems that way."
Walking side by side with Cindy, I approached the city.
Once we stepped through the gates, however, the signs of disaster were plain to see.
"It hasn't collapsed completely, but..."
"Roof tiles and outer walls are damaged here and there."
"Yeah."
"What would you like to do?"
"This way."
Saying that, I led the puzzled Cindy along behind me.
"Where are we going?"
"I have the general layout memorized—right here."
We arrived at the channel where the aqueduct ran through the city.
It was an aqueduct, yet not a drop of water flowed through it, and a closer look revealed severe cracks along its structure.
"This is... the aqueduct took damage, didn't it?"
"Looks like it."
"At this rate, daily life is going to be terrible for everyone."
"..."
Silently, I crouched down and touched the channel floor.
A layer of damp sludge, not yet fully dried, coated the bottom.
"Um... is something wrong?"
"No. I was just wondering how they're managing their daily water supply if the aqueduct is in this state."
"Now that you mention it!"
"Let's take a look around the city."
"Yes!"
I started walking with Cindy in tow.
Water is far more vital to human survival than food.
A person can go without food for a week and usually survive, but very few can go a week without water and come out unscathed.
If the aqueduct was out of commission, there had to be an alternative source.
We combed through the streets to find it.
It didn't take long.
"A water seller...?"
Reading the sign aloud, I frowned deeply enough to feel the scowl across my face.
My brows drew together in a hard crease.
A steady stream of people trickled in and out of the shop bearing that sign.
Most carried jars or barrels, paid their money, and left with water.
"It appears... they're buying and selling water."
"So it seems."
I approached, seizing a lull between customers to call out to the man running the stall.
"Got a moment?"
"Welcome—hm? Where's your container, customer?"
"I don't have one; I'm a traveler. What kind of shop is this?"
"What's it look like? I sell water here. Good for drinking, good for cooking."
"Selling water?"
"That's right—ah, welcome, granny."
"Yes, fill this right to the top for me."
With the arrival of the next customer, the man brushed off a pair of travelers like us and turned his attention to the elderly woman.
She handed over a well-worn jar and had it filled with water.
"Here you are. Since it's one of our jars, you get the usual ten percent off."
"...Let's go."
I murmured quietly, turning on my heel and walking away with Cindy.
Perhaps an aura of irritation was radiating from my back, as Cindy offered a sympathetic remark.
"He's a disgrace as a merchant. Exploiting a disaster just to run a business like that... Once life goes back to normal, he might not even be able to stay in this city."
"No, there's likely no danger of that."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Think back to the last thing the shopkeeper said."
"His last words...? Um, 'ten percent off,' was it? I can hardly believe that's enough to keep people from resenting him, though."
"No. He said, 'Since it's one of our jars, you get the usual ten percent off.'"
"Ah, yes. That was it."
"The jar that old woman brought was heavily worn and clearly had years of use. What does that tell you?"
"...That they've been buying and selling water since long before the earthquake?"
"Exactly."
"So that's why he doesn't have to worry about being run out of town."
"Ah..." Cindy murmured, looking thoroughly impressed.
It seemed she still hadn't grasped the core issue.
"You ought to know this, Cindy. In the Empire, any city above a certain size is required by law to maintain a Class One aqueduct."
"Ah, yes."
The Empire's aqueducts were categorized into grades based on water quality: Special Class, Class One, Class Two, and Class Three.
Special Class was pure enough to drink raw, while Class One was safe to drink once boiled.
Class Two was meant for washing and other uses where water came into contact with skin but wasn't ingested, and Class Three was for lower-grade utilities where any water would do.
As a warrior nation forged through constant warfare, the Empire understood the vital importance of clean water, making the maintenance of Class One aqueducts an absolute national policy.
Which meant—.
"It makes no sense for ordinary commoners to be buying drinking water day in and day out as if it were the most natural thing in the world."
"You're incredible, Your Majesty. You're right... A few wealthy elites might do so, but for commoners to buy water just for cooking and drinking when an aqueduct should be providing it is absurd."
"Let's ask around a bit."
"Yeah, let's split up."
"Yes!"
☆
After scouring the city for about an hour, I stood facing Cindy on the outskirts of town, my expression darker than ever.
"Reporting in."
"Go on."
"It seems that here in Medine, the water from the Class One aqueduct hasn't been fit to drink for quite some time. Because of that, drinking water sellers are scattered all across the city."
"Mm."
"So even though the aqueduct broke during the earthquake, everyone says it hasn't really changed their lives."
"That lines up almost completely with what I found. Did you hear any 'rumors'?"
"Yes. That the magistrate is pocketing the aqueduct's maintenance budget... In fact, rather than mere rumors, many pointed to the magistrate's extravagant lifestyle and swore it was an undeniable fact."
"Just as I suspected."
I let out a heavy sigh.
One of the reasons I, the Emperor, had slipped away from the imperial capital to come out here in person was because the number of fires reported was abnormally high compared to past earthquakes. I suspected foul play concerning the water infrastructure, and I wanted to see the truth with my own eyes.
Maintaining Class One aqueducts was a matter of state policy. For commoners to be forced to purchase drinking water on a daily basis was as good as definitive proof that corruption was rotting the system from within.
"What shall we do next?"
"...How long will it take to reach the nearest city from here?"
"If we make haste, we can reach it by sunset."
"I want to check that one as well."
"Understood!"
Cindy nodded firmly, and together we left the city, making our way back to the waiting carriage.
☆
The city of Scorc was located several hours past Medine.
Just as Cindy had predicted, by urging the carriage onward, we managed to pass through its gates around dusk.
We sent the carriage and coachman ahead to secure an inn, while Cindy and I set off to inspect the city.
I had the layout of this city memorized as well, and I led Cindy straight toward the location of the Class One aqueduct.
What met our eyes was—.
"H-How revolting..."
Looking at the aqueduct, Cindy was struck dumb.
Unlike Medine, this channel hadn't broken; water was still flowing through it.
Yet the water was so foul and murky it looked like pure sewage.
Cindy stared in horrified disbelief, but a moment later, her shock turned into utter speechlessness.
"Hic... urp..."
Though the sun had barely set, a man who was already visibly plastered came stumbling over. Without the slightest hesitation, he dropped his trousers right in front of the aqueduct and began relieving himself directly into the flow.
"H-How appalling..."
"..."
I glanced around.
Since it was just past dusk, plenty of people were still walking the street, yet not a single soul so much as batted an eye at the man's actions.
Under normal circumstances, guards and patrols were stationed at Class One aqueducts.
Even without guards, people drank from a Class One supply, so anyone witnessing a drunk urinating into it would naturally step in to stop him.
Yet no one said a word.
Which meant only one thing.
"This one hasn't been used for drinking water in a very long time either."
"Yes..."
"It looks like leaving the imperial capital to come out here was the right call after all."
I set my mind racing at full speed, calculating my next move.