"You look very different from the last time we met." John Deere looked at Gale through the mirror and showed a gentle smile.
"I think that's normal. We grow quite fast during puberty, especially in the environment I live in," Gale said while checking the blueprints in his hands.
Although it seemed as if only a few days had passed for John, for Gale an entire month had gone by.
"Are you real, or just a dream?" John crossed his arms as he sat in the chair of his office, looking at Gale, who was clearly a different age from the one he remembered.
"I thought you were dead too, but judging by what you're saying now, it seems you have the ability to connect with people who are dead and who made significant changes in human history."
John Deere smiled, a little embarrassed, and said, "I didn't think I was that important, but as you told me the last time we met, you only dream of extraordinary people."
"You greatly underestimate the changes that you and your company brought to agriculture. That knowledge I don't possess will be of great help to the people of my country, who are held back by the government that controls us."
"Really?" John looked at Gale with a slightly surprised expression, wondering what kind of government would hold its people back from progress.
"The details don't matter. Instead, you wanted to learn the design of the water wheel, right? I've prepared it in a way you'll be able to understand. I've also designed some tools that will help you a lot."
John extended his hand, and a sheet of paper instantly appeared in Gale's hands. This was the world of dreams, so they could change things with their consciousness, improving the workshop that had previously been nothing more than an enclosed room.
"Thank you." Gale stepped closer to the mirror and quickly memorized the design.
He had a good memory and had already drawn a basic template beforehand in reality.
All he needed to memorize and supplement were the precise data, such as the length and proportion of the axle.
The water wheel was not complicated. It was basically a frame with a wooden wheel at its center, using the force of water to make it rotate.
Last time, he had already learned how to assemble the wheel and the frame, but he did not know the precise measurements.
Refining the data was a very complex process. Even Gale did not have the resources or time for research and development. With only the data from this finished-product diagram, he would be able to build the water wheel before spring ended.
"I remember you said your place is like a medieval world, right? Will you build this to make money?" John did not know much about Gale's world, but he knew his situation was not good.
"It's to save lives. If a water wheel can be built, it could save tens of thousands of lives."
"Is the situation really that critical?"
"John, I know it's very troublesome to say this, but I would like to learn how to smelt iron and make plows the next time we meet. I hope you can teach me. Please, this is very important to me."
"Of course. I'll take care of designing the most advanced ones you can imagine."
…
Gale then woke up, and the first thing he did after getting up was take out his paper and pen and quickly write down the data he had memorized.
"The axle of the water wheel is at a 45-degree angle… As for the runner, it must be submerged in water to a depth of 0.8 to 1 meter."
"The trough is located about one meter behind the axle of the water wheel…" Gale noted down the data, took out the unfinished design drawings, and began scribbling and drawing frantically.
He spent the entire morning sitting at his desk, refining the design drawings.
Armin passed by once late at night. Seeing how focused Gale was, he placed a piece of bread beside him and left quietly.
"Done!" In the afternoon, Gale finally finished the wheel design. He took the paper excitedly and went to Eren's room to show it off. "The water wheel design is complete!"
Gale showed the paper in his hand to Eren and the others.
"This… is amazing!" Armin studied the design carefully. "If it really can rotate, it could irrigate the fields day and night!"
"That's right. As long as we can promote it, this year's grain production will definitely increase!" Gale knew that wasn't its only use, but it was certainly the most basic one.
"Armin, this is the list of carpenters." Gale took a piece of paper out of his pocket and then said, "These are the carpenters I selected last time. There are four in total. Let's recruit them together."
"Eren, Mikasa, let's stop making gunpowder for now. You and the other children should observe how the fields are cultivated. We'll also start with artichokes—we have seeds."
"Find some acquaintances and ask them to come help us. Tell them they can earn five copper coins a day and that Mr. Hannes sent you to recruit labor."
"We need to build the water wheel model this week!"
"Alright!" Eren clenched his fist and shouted, "Mikasa, let's go."
"Mm." Mikasa followed Eren toward the door.
Gale and Armin went to visit the carpenters in the settlement one by one. Two of the four carpenters had already received commissions to make furniture for other people, so they declined Gale's request.
Gale immediately launched a monetary offensive. "Sir, you wouldn't want someone else to earn this gold coin, would you? It's fine, it's fine if those clients are delayed a few days. If you offer them a small discount, they won't mind."
Thanks to that, he gathered all four carpenters at the workshop, and Eren also called in his people.
"They're all our former neighbors," Eren said as he introduced Gale to more people than he had expected to gather. "My dad was a doctor, so he knows a lot of people. Don't worry, they're all good people."
By evening, the construction of the water wheel finally began.
Although Gale had not yet been able to contact Hannes, he had already started using his name.
There was no other choice. Young people did not have much credibility. If he said he was doing it himself, the workers and carpenters would probably not work honestly, but instead investigate where his money came from, and in serious cases, might even rob him.
After all, the newly established territory was still quite unstable.
He told these people that this was a job commissioned by the government under the leadership of Hannes to manufacture an agricultural implement called a water wheel, using the names of soldiers and the government to keep the workers in check.
"Mr. Hannes will pay all your wages. He's been very busy lately, so he entrusted his work to us. We hope everyone will cooperate to build the water wheel as soon as possible."
No one doubted Gale's statement because he had taken out a large amount of money. They thought that a child—especially a refugee—would not have that much money; it had to be government funding.
"I never expected the government to care about us."
"I've seen the design plans for that agricultural tool. It's incredible. It must be the work of a master craftsman."
"Let's do it! We'll definitely survive inside Wall Rose!"
The workers' determination was ignited, and Gale took the opportunity to gather the adults and obtain axes for felling trees.
On the first night, they transported the wood to the upper part of the river. The next day, a dozen people began planing it, making various parts, and crafting axles from hardwood and grease.
Eren, Gale, and the others were all on the wood-planing team.
The construction of the water wheel was in full swing, and by dusk of the next day, they had already installed frames on both sides of the river.
Rotating drum, flowing water trough, buckets…
Piece by piece, the parts were assembled.
Thanks to Gale's financial incentives, the workers labored day and night. This newly formed team, under Gale's leadership, quickly became a cohesive unit.
The third day, the fourth day…
At noon on the fifth day, they finally assembled the eight large floats, and with the combined efforts of ten people, mounted the massive rotating wheel onto the frame.
With the grinding sound of wood, all the gates were assembled.
The workers let go, and the water wheel began to turn. Driven by the force of the river, buckets of water were lifted and poured out when they reached the top.
The water flowed through the channel to the riverbank.
By slightly extending the channel, it could irrigate the fields and also be used to turn a mill wheel, making it easier for residents to draw water.
Everyone stood to the side, watching the enormous wooden structure and expressing their sincere admiration.