Overwhelmed by the indescribable pressure from Jered-papa, I ended up making float rings after all.
For now, I left Jerepapa’s home center and went straight to Fleur-san’s Fleur Construction Company.
I bought some lumber, also bought the wood for the life-sized doll we had promised before, chatted a bit, and then returned home.
And at home, I devoted myself to making float rings.
――That was just yesterday.
「Hmm. That makes five finished」
I squeezed the newly completed float ring firmly, checking that there were no problems with hardness or air retention, then tossed it onto the 『Float Ring Stand』.
The float ring stand, basically a ring-toss stand.
It is a base with a wooden pole standing upright, a stand for slipping float rings onto the pole for storage.
I plan to place these float ring stands together with the float rings in the 4-1 area.
And I am thinking of renting out all the float rings for free.
Somehow, I figured that would mean I would not have to make as many……
「That said, five is obviously not enough. How many should I make?」
Or rather, isn’t there a way to make them more easily……
Since yesterday, I have been making each Alec-brand float ring by hand.
Holding several wood shavings together by hand and fixing them with 『Varnish Coating』. Then layering on more and fixing them again with 『Varnish Coating』…
That is the 『Shaving-Varnish method』 I am using, but surely there must be a better way……
It is quietly tedious and time-consuming, and I use 『Varnish Coating』 nearly ten times just to make one float ring. If possible, I would like to reduce that number too.
And then there are the float ring stands……
It looks like each stand can hold about seven or eight float rings.
That means I would need to make a lot of stands as well. Depending on how it goes, making the stands might take even more time than making the float rings……
Hmmm. Problems are piling up……
◇
Eight float rings were enough to completely fill one float ring stand.
Just as I was about to make a second stand, a thought occurred to me, and I headed toward the living room.
「Father」
「Hm? Alec, what is it?」
「I have a small favor to ask…huh?」
Just as I spoke to Father, I noticed there was a guest in the living room.
「Sorry to intrude, Alexis-san」
「Hello, Ralina-papa-san」
Ralina-papa, the highly capable merchant, was talking with Father in the living room.
And Ralina-papa’s eyes were glued to the float ring I was holding.
As expected of a sharp merchant, he noticed its value right away.
「Alexis-san, that is……」
「It is a tool called a float ring. A ring that floats on water」
「……I see. You ride on it and drift leisurely, correct? It is perfect for the 4-1 area. It looks like it would sell well」
「Yeah……」
He really is too sharp……
He picks up on things far too quickly……
「That said, I have no intention of selling this.」
「Is that so?」
「I am thinking of placing them in the 4-1 area and lending them out」
「I see, I see. And how much do you plan to charge per day?」
「It will be free……」
As expected of a sharp merchant. He is always eager to make money……
However, I have no intention of charging rental fees for the float rings.
I plan to set them up in the 4-1 area together with the stands, put up a sign that says something like, “Please feel free to use these. After playing, please return them here”, and leave it at that.
「More importantly, I came to ask Father for a favor」
「Hm? Me? What is it?」
「I want you to try riding this」
What I wanted to ask Father was to check the quality of the float ring.
Of course, I tested it myself, but I had not checked whether it would be fine for an adult.
I want him to ride it too and confirm there are no issues with the size or strength.
「Um, you want me to ride this?」
「Please. Ah, before that, could you also try holding it under your arms?」
「Holding it?」
「Yeah. For now, get inside the hole. Come on, Father, come on, come on」
「Eh, okay……」
I placed the float ring on the floor and urged Father to stand inside the hole.
「Alright, could you try holding the float ring with both hands?」
「L-like this?」
Father, looking slightly confused, lifted the float ring while keeping his body inside the hole.
「Looks fine」
「I do not really understand, but does it really look fine……?」
「Looks fine」
It seems the hole size is not an issue either. Even with his clothes on, the float ring lifted smoothly up to around Father’s waist.
Still….
「Fufu……」
「Alec?」
「Ah, sorry. It is nothing」
Seeing Father holding a float ring inside the house made me laugh a little.
He looked like a child who is too excited for a beach trip the next day, cannot hold back, and ends up inflating and wearing a float ring at home.
「Alright, next, could you sit on top of the float ring? Like sitting on it」
「Okay…… like this?」
「Yes, yes」
Father placed the float ring on the floor and sat on it, lowering his hips into the hole.
「How is the strength? Does it seem okay?」
「Yeah. Probably」
「Hmm. Could you try bouncing a little?」
「Eh? On top of this? Is that safe?」
「That is what I want to check. Come on, come on」
「Eeh……」
Father cautiously bounced up and down on the float ring.
「Fufu……」
「Alec……?」
「Ah, sorry. It is nothing」
Even though we were inside the house, watching Father bounce on a float ring made me laugh.
Even a child looking forward to going to the beach would not get this excited at home.
「That is quite sturdy. Is this made with your 『Varnish Coating』, Alexis-san?」
「Yes. It is made from wood shavings and varnish」
「I see, wood shavings. To be able to create this from mere wood shavings is an impressive skill art」
「No, thank you」
Even though it is my own skill art, I think 『Varnish Coating』 is incredibly versatile. Almost frighteningly so.
Even now, Father is bouncing on top of it, and the varnish is holding him without any issue. Just as Ralina-papa said, it is very strong.
……Varnish that can support a full-grown adult jumping on it.
At this point, can it really still be called varnish?
Is it even okay to call something like this varnish……?
「Hey, Alec. This is kind of embarrassing, you know……?」
「Ah, sorry, Father」
While talking with Ralina-papa and watching Father bounce, it seems Father had finally begun to feel embarrassed.
「Sergent-san, if you do not mind, may I try it as well?」
「Eh? Ah, go ahead」
「Alexis-san, is that alright?」
「Please, go ahead」
Father stepped off the float ring, and Ralina-papa took his place inside it.
「Hmm, hmm. I see. This texture, this elasticity……」
「Fufu……」
「Alexis-san?」
「Ah, sorry. It is nothing」
Watching the adults take turns bouncing on the float ring is still amusing…….
「By the way, Ralina-papa-san, have you ever seen anything like this float ring anywhere else?」
「Somewhere else? No, I do not think so」
「I see. So there really is nothing like it……」
「Even if someone else were to try making one, it would be difficult to create something this well made. I believe it would be quite hard unless one possesses special skill arts like you do, Alexis-san」
Ralina-papa says this while bouncing up and down.
I see. So there is nothing else like a float ring, and it cannot be made by others.
That I am the only one who can make them is a bit of a problem. It is troublesome that I have to make so many myself, but it is also troubling that no one else can make them…….
Somehow, it reminds me of the issue of traditional crafts lacking successors, and it makes me a little uneasy.
If there is no one to succeed me, what will happen to float ring making?
My lifespan is, at most, about a thousand years. After that, what will happen to float ring making――
……A thousand years, huh. Somehow, it feels like things will be fine.
If that much time passes, the world will probably develop a bit more, and people will be able to make float rings on their own.
I imagined a future where I, the maker, am gone, and the Alec float rings become out-of-place artifacts, but that probably will not happen.
……Somehow, that feels just a little disappointing.
next chapter: Elves Drifting Along, Bobbing Gently
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