It’s been seven years since I came to this world. I’m seven years old now.
Looking back, my sixth year was packed. The first half passed by peacefully enough, but once I hit Level 5 and spun the Cheat Roulette, everything changed.
Getting the ‘Woodworking’ skill… yeah, that was the big one. Actually, no, it was way too big.
The thing I’d been dreading, ‘What if I get flooded with orders for Reversi boards?’, well, it came true.
Little by little, the requests piled up until I was drowning in deadlines. Every day, all day, I kept making pieces and boards. No matter how many I finished, there was no end. An infinite Reversi hell.
Honestly, I regret not making the grid six-by-six instead of eight-by-eight. And if board games were going to blow up this much, I should’ve started with shogi instead of Reversi. Big mistake.
I’d been taught archery and magic, but I had almost no time to practice. It feels like I’m steadily walking the path of a carpenter.
My parents were worried, seeing me churning out Reversi sets with dead eyes, but I kept going. I told myself, ‘Reversi is the duty of an isekai reincarnator’.
…But no more. I can’t. I’ve reached my limit.
So today, I was heading to a certain place to break out of this mess,
「Here we are. Excuse meee…」
I called out as I opened the door. The building itself was just another wooden house like most in the village, except for the double doors, which was kind of rare.
Inside, though, it was clearly different from a normal home. Shelves lined the walls, stocked with weapons and armor. More weapons hung from the walls as well.
That’s right, this was the village’s one and only ‘weapon shop’.
「Does anyone in this village even use this stuff…?」
Every time I saw the heavy armor or oversized hammers, I couldn’t help thinking that.
This was an elf village, people mainly used bows. I couldn’t picture anyone gearing up in full plate for melee combat. Just stack bundles of arrows and call it a day, right? …Or so I thought.
But I guess the variety was part of the shopkeeper’s pride as a blacksmith.
「Though honestly, farming tools and cooking gear are in way higher demand here…」
Sure enough, tucked away in a corner, almost hidden, were furniture, farm tools, and cooking utensils.
Out of respect for the shopkeeper, I called it a ‘weapon shop’, but in truth, it was also a store for furniture, tools, cookware, and general goods. And I was pretty sure those sold better than the swords and armor.
――To be blunt, this place was the village’s only ‘home center’.
「You’re noisy, brat.」
「Ah, good morning.」
「Yeah, yeah. This is a weapon shop. The rest is just on the side.」
The gruff voice came from a man stepping out of the back and moving behind the counter. This was the shopkeeper. He made all the weapons, armor, and everything else by himself, and even handled repairs. …Now that I thought about it, that was pretty impressive.
And, of course, being an elf, he was a slender handsome guy. Not that I had a say in the matter, but… c’mon, shouldn’t a blacksmith be all rugged and muscular? Or was that just me being picky?
「Been a while, hasn’t it? I hear you’ve been busy, strange for a kid.」
「Well, yeah…」
「Oh, and thanks for the Reversi. And the yo-yo too, right?」
「Huh? Oh, right, I gave those to Jered-kun. Don’t mention it. He’s always helped me out, so it was the least I could do.」
「Still talking like a little old man, huh?」
Actually, this ‘home center’ shopkeeper was Jered-kun’s father.
Looking at him now, it was obvious Jered-kun had inherited his blunt speech from him. And Jered-kun’s short hair, unusual for an elf, was definitely from his dad too. Jered papa also had short hair.
「But really, that Reversi and yo-yo were well made. Where do you even get ideas like that?」
「Eh? Oh, um… I think it’s because I got the ‘Woodworking’ skill. It just… sparks inspiration, I guess.」
「Getting inspired from ‘Woodworking’, huh… Well, I guess that makes some sense.」
…It does?
Sure, the skill was insanely powerful, so maybe that was possible. Your technique improves, new possibilities open up, and that could lead to new discoveries or ideas.
Still… inventing Reversi with ‘Woodworking’ alone feels like a stretch.
「Anyway, what brings you here today? Jered’s not around, you know.」
「Actually, I came because I wanted to ask you for a favor, Jered papa.」
「A favor, huh? …And quit calling me Papa.」
He leaned on the counter, eyeing me like I was up to something shady. Was it because I was rubbing my hands together?
「It’s about Reversi…」
「Yeah?」
「Would you, um… make some too?」
「…Huh? Why the heck would I?」
Because I’m at my limit, that’s why. I thought it was my duty as a reincarnator, but honestly, the workload is way too much for a seven-year-old. Please, Jered papa, help me.
Next Chapter: Crafters’ Conversation
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