Ball bearings.
They’re devices used for things like axles that reduce friction, making rotation much smoother. I’d considered using them for our carriages.
But it was no go. A total failure, really.
First off, as the name implies, ball bearings require balls. You have to place several of them around the axle, and since they bear a lot of weight, they need to be incredibly hard. On top of that, every single ball must be exactly the same size.
With our current ironworking technology, it was impossible. I hadn't realized this because I’d carved a wooden ball bearing sample using the Universal Farming Tool.
"It’s a shame, especially since it spins so well," one of the Mountain Elves said, idly rotating the wooden sample I’d made.
I wondered if I could turn it into some kind of toy, but nothing came to mind. I felt a bit dejected by my own lack of imagination.
Next, I turned my attention to the carriage axles. Currently, standard carriage wheels are fixed to the axle, and the entire axle rotates. The benefit is that they’re easy to build. The downside is that the axle directly absorbs the vibrations and shocks from the carriage body, meaning damage builds up quickly. Apparently, they snap quite often.
Since the axle is just passed through two holes in the bottom of the carriage, even a slight shift in balance sends the stress straight to the axle. Plus, roads aren't always flat. Most of them are bumpy and uneven. An axle takes a hit just from the left and right wheels being at different heights, so I can see why they’d break.
The suspension the Mountain Elves and I had been working on was installed between the body and the axle mounts, separating the two. Because of that, it was already well-regarded for making axles last longer, in addition to smoothing out the ride. Still, it didn't make them unbreakable.
So, what was the next step?
I decided to fix the axle to the carriage body and place the rotation point between the axle and the wheels. It would have been perfect if I could have used those ball bearings here, but regular bearings would have to do.
"Village Head, wouldn't that just move the breaking point to the wheel section? The damage would be about the same, wouldn't it?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. This is the main feature."
I cut the axle in half. Then, I fixed the pieces to the center of the carriage’s underside so they could move up and down. Finally, I mounted the suspension near the wheels.
How’s that?
"Huh? If we do it like this... oh! By making the wheels independent, the axle won't take nearly as much damage even on rough roads."
Until now, we’d used suspension primarily to reduce the carriage's swaying, but this design used it to let the wheels move independently and keep them pressed against the ground. It would still suppress the shaking, so there shouldn't be any issues.
"As expected of the Village Head! You’re a genius!"
Hahaha. It was just knowledge from my old world, though.
...Except it failed.
The entire weight of the carriage shifted to one wheel, and the whole thing popped off.
"It worked perfectly on the prototype we built in the Village of the Great Tree... why?!"
Apparently, wood from the Forest of Death is exceptionally sturdy. Is that so? I feel like I’ve heard that before, but...
Regardless, I was glad I’d tested it in Village Five before trying to spread the design everywhere.
Back to the drawing board. Well, I just needed to make the axle stronger. I swapped it out for an iron one.
...Iron bends surprisingly easily, doesn't it? I thought it would be much harder. It was also incredibly heavy.
After a lot of trial and error, it ended with only a single, all-wooden new model carriage operating back in the Village of the Great Tree. Technology is built up one step at a time. That autumn, I learned that you can't just achieve everything overnight.
On the other hand, the ball bearing samples became a hit with the kids.
"They just spin, don't they? Is that really fun? ...I don't get it."
I didn't understand the appeal, but since they kept asking for them, I made more.
"Thanks, Papa!"
They seemed perfectly satisfied.
Because we’d expanded the fields, our water supply was starting to run low. We had wells, so we weren't in danger of drying up completely, but the reservoir's water level was definitely dropping. More water was going out than coming in.
I couldn't just leave it like that. I had to come up with a solution.
...Well, there was a river nearby. I could solve the problem simply by widening the current waterway or digging a new one. Unlike the old days, I actually had people to help me now.
Ah, I don't mean to say I was unhappy with the help from Zabuton's children. You guys helped out plenty back then, too. Are you going to help this time as well?
Haha. Alright, I’m counting on you.
We decided to construct a new waterway from the river to the reservoir. We’d build it right alongside the existing one. Since we had bamboo, I thought about using that, but considering how fast it rots, it was safer to stick with earth like we did last time.
"Let’s do this!"
"Yeah!"
High Elves, Mountain Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, and Lizardmen all gathered to start the work. Lu used her magic and Tia created golems to help out. Zabuton's children pitched in by carrying soil. I was grateful for all of them.
We finished the five-kilometer waterway in about ten days. Water came rushing into the reservoir through the new channel. That was fast. Part of it was likely because I’d gotten so used to using the Universal Farming Tool, but it was still incredibly quick. It was all thanks to everyone’s hard work.
I had to show my appreciation. As a celebration for the completion of the new waterway, we held a barbecue near the reservoir.
"Cheers!"
Hey, make sure you eat your vegetables too, not just the meat. Huh? You’re going to grill tomatoes? Well, I’m sure they’re good grilled, but... In that case, throw some asparagus on there next to them. Ah, I think I harvested a bit too much. We’ve got to finish it all. You should have some too.
"Village Head, Village Head."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Um... I just noticed something."
One of the High Elves pointed toward the reservoir. What? ...I thought maybe a monster had been swept in, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"What's wrong?"
"The water level."
The water level? The reservoir was a fairly large pond. The level didn't just rise or fall on a whim. That was exactly why I’d been worried when it started dropping in the first place.
"It’ll take a few days for the level to noticeably rise."
"No, it’s not that. Even though we’re using more water now, the amount flowing in is much greater than the amount flowing out... Don't we need to build an outflow waterway as well?"
...
..................
Oh.
After the barbecue, I found myself digging a waterway from the reservoir back to the river. This one was just a matter of digging. I had help with moving the soil and such, but I was the main laborer.
My deadline was whenever the reservoir decided to overflow. To prevent the village from being flooded, I had to work my hardest.