The drama performance was a great success.
The three-week run of *Cinderella* saw many residents attending multiple performances. While the premiere drew crowds through publicity and announcements, the subsequent two shows were entirely self-promoted. Some even visited the town hall to inquire about the fourth performance's schedule.
Roland was delighted by the overwhelming response—the story captivated everyone so completely that hardly anyone raised objections, wondering why Cinderella's savior was a Witch. When' Midnight Rooster 'airs next month, it'll likely be a show for the underprivileged, and it's unclear how serfs would react to the Witch who helped them in the play.
Another heartening development was the crew's settlement in the town and their acceptance of the Witch's presence. After three performances, Irene approached Roland to ask why the 'accompaniment' would suddenly play during the show, and Roland explained the echo phenomenon to her.
Under the nightingale's watchful eye, Irene was utterly astonished yet showed no trace of aversion. Later, God grew increasingly curious, circling Echo with questions and having her demonstrate the voice illusion technique multiple times. Echo eventually joined the production team as the mastermind behind the scenes. To prevent any mishaps, Irene only rehearsed with Echo when sound effects were required, keeping the rest of the crew completely in the dark. Undoubtedly, the next play would reach unprecedented heights in sound effects richness.
Another reason to celebrate is that Castle is about to enter the era of free-flowing water.
The towering water tower stands in the castle's backyard, its iron frame welded into a triangular structure. Atop the tower is a two-meter-diameter, three-meter-high iron bucket equipped with a float valve for precise water level control. Anna welded the tower, followed by Soloya applying a rust-proof coating. Finally, the Beeswax Hand reduced most of its weight, allowing it to be erected and installed on a pre-cast concrete base.
Due to the castle's height, the water tower in the backyard is taller than that by the Chishui River, reaching nearly twelve meters and almost level with the castle's top. To prevent collapse, Roland added connecting walls to the tower, integrating it with the castle as a single structure.
The steam engine was installed outside the back courtyard to supply water to the tower, with the water source coming from a well in the castle's backyard. This marked the third generation of steam engines, with the most significant improvement being a dramatic reduction in noise pollution.
At every connection point of the steam engine, gaskets were installed—these light blue gaskets, which were the very colors Soraya used to paint the sky, were soft and resilient, significantly reducing vibration noise during operation. The cylinder interior and piston edges were covered with grass-colored material, which reduced air leakage while improving operational efficiency. Vibration-prone components, such as exhaust pipes, were all replaced with coated hoses.
To shield the steam engine from sunlight and rain while further isolating noise, Roland constructed a dedicated chamber around it. The walls were coated with a honeycomb-like paint by Soroya, serving as porous sound-absorbing material. Tests confirmed that even during nighttime operation, the machine's noise never disturbed the sleepers in the castle.
Roland's attempt to automate steam engine feeding ultimately failed. His original design involved a flywheel in the steam engine governor to control the wooden box valve. When steam pressure dropped, the flywheel would retract to open the valve, allowing firewood to roll into the furnace. However, this required an oversized governor, as the flywheel's weight alone couldn't operate the valve. After careful consideration, Roland abandoned the idea. He concluded that the wooden box could only be loaded once, requiring manual refilling afterward. Instead, he opted to schedule daily water tank replenishment by workers.
The final step involves the installation of water pipes into the house, including faucets, showerheads, pipes, and corresponding drainage pipes.
Unlike the newly built brick houses in the residential area, the castle retains these holes, and the stone-built roof and walls make renovation extremely challenging. This step alone took nearly a week. For a better and happier life, Roland personally directed Karl to convert one room each on the second and third floors into bathrooms.
Soroya's newfound ability proved pivotal once again. After cementing the floor where the drainage pipes were laid and painting a thin layer of grass, the surface not only became waterproof but also gave the sensation of walking on a grassland when entering the bathroom. Inspired by this, Roland had her paint the entire room. The ceiling displayed an open sky with clouds, while the walls framed distant valleys and lush greenery. The bathtub walls, in particular, were crystal-clear, resembling gemstones.
On the day the water system was operational, Prince gathered all the witches in the bathroom to witness this remarkable achievement.
The water tank in the backyard was already full, and he turned on the tap, and the water gushed out through the pipe.
"From today onward, you won't need to fetch water from the well," Roland declared with a grin. "No more three-day water recycling—just stand under the shower and flip this switch." "Wait! Where's the water coming from?" Lightning licked the endless stream of droplets. "It's sweet." Maxi peeked out from Lightning's side and repeated the action. "Sweet, huh!" Roland held back Nana Wa, who was about to join the fun. "All drinking water must be boiled first. This water is only for washing hands and taking showers." "That's... a siphon, right?" Anna asked, her lake-blue eyes sparkling.
"What is that?" asked the hummingbird.
Through the training provided by the Book Teacher, the witches in class have now developed the habit of raising their hands to ask questions.
"Elementary Physics states that when two containers with different liquid levels are connected by a pipe, regardless of the pipe's shape, the liquids will naturally level under gravity," Anna explained while recalling the principle. "Since we're below the water tower, the water will keep flowing here." "Absolutely correct," Roland praised. The ability to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world applications truly makes one a genius.
"What about this?" Nightingale pointed curiously at the overhead showerhead. "Why are there so many tiny holes at the base?" Roland turned the valve, sending a fine stream of water. "For easy showering. Just stand under it, and you can wash yourself effortlessly." "So you spent a week in the castle just to enjoy a more comfortable bath?" Lily pouted and whispered. "No wonder you're a Noble who loves luxury and comfort." "Lily!" Shu Juan frowned.
"It's nothing," Roland waved his hand dismissively. "The pursuit of pleasure is one of the driving forces behind human progress, and I'm no exception."