The first penguin. The brave penguin that leaves the group and is the first to dive into the sea.
I wanted to become that first penguin.
I wanted to become that kind of pioneer, overflowing with a spirit of challenge.
…However, unfortunately, I was unable to fulfill that dream.
The role of boldly revealing swimsuits to the world ended up being handed over to Fleur-san.
Now, Fleur-san is a beautiful architect, a beautiful master carpenter, and――the first penguin in a swimsuit, Fleur-san.
「…You are fast, Fleur-san」
「Really? You think so?」
「For now, congratulations」
「Hm? Thank you?」
I casually offered my congratulations to Fleur-san, who had successfully claimed the position of first penguin.
Fleur-san looked slightly confused by the sudden celebration, but still thanked me.
Putting that aside,
「It looks great. It suits you very well」
「Thank you! But this is embarrassing! It is really embarrassing!」
While patting the swimsuit she was wearing, Fleur-san looked shy.
From the outside, it just looks like a T-shirt and half pants, so it is not very revealing, but perhaps it still feels different somehow.
For now, seeing Fleur-san shy about wearing a swimsuit for the first time makes me feel warm.
「Ugh, it is embarrassing!」
「That much?」
「Maybe I should wrap a towel around my head after all?」
「No, you are about to swim……」
Fleur-san usually wears a towel wrapped around her head in her carpenter outfit, but this time she seems to have properly taken it off. She has transformed from a beautiful master carpenter into a swimsuit beauty.
Well, no matter what she wears, she is beautiful in the end. As expected of an elf.
…Wait, does wrapping a towel around your head reduce embarrassment? Is that a thing?
「Well, whatever. Let’s swim then. What about you, Alec? Are you staying like that?」
「Ah, no, I will change too. There are swimsuits for men as well」
「I see. Then I will wait!」
「Yes」
…Thank goodness. It seems Fleur-san really was planning to play with me.
I was a little worried that she might just send me home.
Alright then, I should go change too.
That is it, the penguin thing. I will go become the second penguin.
Compared to the first penguin, it has much less value, but I should at least secure the title of second penguin.
Well then, straight to the changing room—or rather, before that……
「Um, what are all of you doing……?」
To be honest, I had been curious for a while about what was happening around us.
A large number of explorer elves were gathered nearby, watching us with obvious interest.
Uh, what is it? What is going on?
◇
「Rock, paper, scissors――shoot!」
I raised my hand high so everyone could see and held up two fingers.
「Alright. I threw scissors. Anyone who did not throw rock, please sit down. If you did not throw rock, please sit down, okay」
The explorer elves in front of me started sitting down one after another.
「Those of you who threw scissors, you might not like sitting down on a tie, but please sit anyway. Sorry about that. That is just how it works」
And so, I am currently playing rock, paper, scissors.
One versus many. Me versus the explorer elves.
When I asked the explorer elves who had been watching us with curiosity what was going on, it seems they were interested in the swimsuit Fleur-san was wearing.
So I explained swimsuits to them, and then—they all said they wanted one too.
Personally, I am very happy about that, but…… I do not have enough to give to everyone.
I only have twenty swimsuits. Just twenty, and yet more than that number of explorer elves had gathered.
After thinking about what to do, the solution I came up with was a rock, paper, scissors tournament.
「――Shoot! Alright. I threw scissors again. Two scissors in a row. Oh, are you the last one on that side, miss? Congratulations. Please come this way」
For now, I had them split by men and women, and decided to give the swimsuits to the people who remained until the end.
「Sorry to speak from up here. These are the swimsuits you have won as prizes. Congratulations」
So, everyone can see, I climbed onto a wooden platform and ran the rock, paper, scissors match.
I handed the swimsuit to the female elf who reached out and offered my congratulations.
「The changing room is over there. The red symbol is for women, so please go that way」
I explained the changing room to the female elf.
――And at that moment, a male elf in a swimsuit came out of the changing room right on cue.
Ah…… that person was the eleventh one I gave a swimsuit to. The eleventh penguin…….
While I was leisurely holding a rock, paper, scissors tournament, penguins kept flying off one after another…….
Following Fleur-san, the first penguin, then came the second, third, fourth――and eventually, the eleventh penguin…….
For the record, I already had Fleur-san go swimming.
At first, she was waiting for me, but I felt bad about that, and it was clearly going to take a long time.
So, I asked her to go ahead and enjoy this area freely.
「Alright, let’s continue. All the ladies, please stand up. We are resuming. The men have four left now. Here we go. Rock, paper, scissors――shoot」
Or rather, what am I even doing……?
Why did I choose such a time-consuming way to decide this?
Even if I was going to use rock, paper, scissors, there had to be a better method…….
How did things even end up like this……?
◇
「Alright. With that, the Swimsuit Giveaway Grand Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament is now over」
At long last, the tournament ended. Somehow, I saw it through to the very end.
「That is all for the swimsuits. I have handed out every swimsuit I had. All I have left now are the naughty swimsuits」
I tried slipping in a bit of humor at the end.
It got a small laugh, but no one said something like I still want one. What a shame.
「I do not have any more, but if you want swimsuits, Jered-papa-san can make them. If you pick up toad hides in the 2-2 area, please be sure to visit Jered-papa-san’s shop」
Alright, alright. If I say it like that, everyone will probably make their own swimsuits.
They should each choose the patterns they like and place orders with Jered-papa.
「Well then, everyone, thank you very much for today. Thanks for your hard work, everyone」
I announced the end of the event and stepped down from the wooden platform while receiving applause and words of appreciation from the crowd.
Ah, it is finally over…….
It took quite a while. People kept joining halfway through, and the tournament ended up taking even longer.
So, what should I do now……? Maybe I should just go home. I am tired, and swimming alone at this point feels kind of—―
「Alec, good work!」
「Huh? Oh?」
It was Fleur-san.
「Eh, did you wait for me?」
「Yeah! Well, it is not like I was just standing around waiting, but I was swimming, taking breaks, and glancing over now and then!」
「Ah, I see」
「You looked like you were having fun, Alec, but are you pretty tired?」
「Having fun……?」
Huh, did I look like I was having fun?
I wonder…… Mentally, I was thinking, what am I even doing, the whole time, but maybe I was enjoying it more than I realized?
「What should we do? If you are tired, want to head home? Or do you want to play a bit more?」
「Ah, yes, please. If Fleur-san is not tired, then I would love to」
「I see! Then let’s play a bit more!」
「Yes!」
That is Fleur-san for you. Just a moment ago, I felt tired and ready to go home, but my energy came right back.
「Then I will go change too. Sorry for making you wait so many times」
「It is fine! Have fun!」
「I am going!」
Thinking about it, Fleur-san’s sorry to keep you waiting did not actually make me wait at all, but my own sorry to keep you waiting really did keep her waiting for a long time.
Even so, I am grateful that Fleur-san waited for me properly.
Alright then, even if it is late, I will become a penguin too.
I am quite late to the party, but I will at least become a penguin.
All twenty swimsuits I had are already handed out, and everyone has flown off as penguins.
Which means I am the twenty-first—―
The twenty-first penguin, huh. Well, I guess I am still a first penguin, in a way.
next chapter: Infinite Toad Hell
Leave a Reply