4th, 5th, 6th Days | Well Then... It's time to Dig the Well! (1)

The single, small patch of land where Anastasia had pointed out as their water source had been marked, and preparations were in place.

The butler, Sebas, had forgone his butler coat once more, the sturdy shovel resting on his shoulder as he observed the marked spot with interest.

Beside him, the armor-less knight, Martha, stretched her arms and body, ready for the labor ahead.

"Alright then, let's get this over with," the knight muttered, already bracing herself for the grueling work.

"Glad to see you're so eager, Miss Knight~," Sebas mused, amused by her determination. "Shall we begin?"

Martha shot him a side glance, exhaling sharply. "Yeah, yeah, let's start already."

And with that, the digging commenced.

The first day was all about breaking ground.

With shovels in hand, the ragtag duo dug through the dry earth, piling the excess dirt to the side in neat mounds.

"You two, make sure the pit doesn't exceed the planned width," Anastasia ordered, her voice firm as she overlooked the process.

Their mistress, Anastasia, supervised the entire process, occasionally offering feedback on the hole's dimensions.

Not only that, but she was also keeping a steady stream of fresh air flowing into the deepening pit using wind Arcana.

"E-everyone, I've made some lunch...!" Bella called out, balancing a tray of food and drink.

The maid, of course, took on the role of ensuring everyone was well-fed, preparing meals and refreshments throughout the day while also helping out in any way possible.

By the time the sun set on the first day, the well had begun to take shape, and the pit had already reached a depth of three meters... yet, there was still no sign of water.

"Hah... hah... is there really water here...?" Martha asked, a bit doubtful of their work. She was lying on her rear on the ground, tired and somewhat annoyed.

Hearing her knight's exhaustion, Anastasia felt a pang of guilt. "Martha... forgive me if I've troubled you..."

"Ah! M-my lady! I'm sorry! I did not mean to doubt you...!" the knight quickly added, sitting up straight in alarm.

She knew Lady Anastasia had been the one to spot this patch of land, and she would never doubt her mistress. So... the next best thing was to glare at the butler, who stood watching the well alongside a curious Bella.

"Oi, butler. Are you sure there's really a water reservoir down there? You're not joking here, right?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, it's there. Don't worry," Sebas said casually. "I can feel the water's strong mana, so we're digging in the right spot."

His certainty left Martha momentarily silent... before she let out a sigh. "Fine, I guess."

< | X | >

Now on the second day, the real challenge began.

The deeper they dug, the harder the soil became, requiring more force. The constant removal of dirt became an ordeal in itself, and with each passing hour, the air inside the pit grew heavier.

"Ugh..." Anastasia groaned, trying to maintain her focus as she channeled her wind Arcana.

She worked tirelessly to maintain a steady current of fresh air, ensuring that her two servants didn't suffocate in the confined space.

"Y-you can do it, everyone...!" Bella cheered on the side, trying her best to support the rest.

Their well-digging continued until sunset again, with the pit's depth increasing to six meters deep.

< | X | >

Then, on the morning of the third day—

Splurt!

"There it is!!!"

"W-what-!?!"

At first, there was only a faint trickle of water seeping in through the soil... then, all at once—SPLURT!—a sudden surge erupted from the ground, dousing both Sebas and Martha in an instant!

"Water~!!!" Sebas exclaimed loudly, finally getting the promised water!

On the other hand—

"—Bwah?!" Martha barely had time to react as the water soaked her face and her body to the bone.

Both Sebas and Martha leaped out of the well just as the water erupted wildly, surging all the way to ground level!

"Wha—?!" Anastasia gasped, stepping back in shock—not just from seeing her two servants jump out of the well but also from the burst of water shooting up from it!

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the strong surge of water continuously spurting, seemingly with no end...!

But eventually... her initial surprise melted into excitement.

"We did it! We did it!!!" she cried out, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

"W-what's going on?! E-everyone...!" Bella's frantic voice rang out as she came running toward the commotion.

However, she skidded to a stop upon seeing the source of all the noise.

"...Eh?" The maid blinked at the gushing water, then at the drenched duo, her brain struggling to catch up with everything happening.

But then her mistress turned around to her and quickly grasped her delicate hands in a tight grip.

"W-whu-?!"

"Bella! We did it! We found the water!" Anastasia beamed, practically bouncing in place as she shared her excitement with the startled maid.

Eventually, Bella came to her senses, her expression mirroring Lady Anastasia's elation.

"H-hurray~!!! My lady! You guys found the water!"

"We sure did~!"

Back to the drenched duo...

Sebas wiped the water from his face as he observed the bursting stream with satisfaction, a smile of triumph tugging at his lips.

"We did it..." Martha muttered, catching his attention.

He turned toward his digging partner and saw that she, too, was smiling—not just in relief but in genuine pride. Any doubts she had harbored before had been washed away, proving their efforts were not in vain.

But... the drenched knight suddenly realized something.

She looked down at herself and saw her tank top, which she had chosen for better mobility, clinging tightly to her body from being wet—turning it see-through under the sunlight!

Her eyes widened as she caught Sebas's gaze lingering on her. Her face flushed instantly, and she froze, realizing the state of her appearance.

"...!"

In a split second, her face turned deep crimson with embarrassment!

"D-don't look...!!!"

Without hesitation, she spun around and hid away her chest from Sebas's knowing gaze. The butler himself only threw a sly smile before turning away from the grumpy knight.

"I'm not looking, Miss Knight~."