「Young master Alec, may I have a moment?」
「……Hm?」
There was a knock on the door to my room, and Nana-san’s voice followed.
It is not that I mind, but that way of addressing me always catches.
When there are people around, or when someone might overhear, Nana-san calls me 『Young Master Alec』 instead of 『Master』.
Normally, Nana-san addresses people with 『-sama』. Before, she used to call me 『Alec-sama,』 but I could never get used to 『-sama』.
So I asked her to change it, and as a result, I became young master(bocchan) Alec.
Was 『-sama』 still better after all?
But 『Alec-sama』 also feels wrong somehow…….
「Young master? Young masteeeer?」
「Ah, you can come in」
I had been lost in thought for a moment, and she started calling 『young master』 repeatedly, so I hurriedly invited Nana-san into the room.
「Excuse me」
「Yeah」
「Oh? Even though summer ended quite a while ago, are you still making float rings, Master?」
「Well……」
Just as Nana-san said, I was quietly working on making float rings in my room.
On the float ring stand in the corner of the room, three completed float rings were stacked, and around my hands were a half-finished float ring and wood shavings scattered about.
「You have already made quite a lot. Are they still not enough?」
「Who knows. During summer they were nowhere near enough, so I am making some extras for now……」
「Master’s float rings were very well received, after all」
「Yeah……」
……It was probably almost a month ago now.
When I first released the float rings into the 4-1 area, I prepared twenty-four of them. Twenty-four float rings. Enough to fill three float ring stands.
After setting them up in the 4-1 area together with the stands, I quickly put up a sign nearby that read, 『Please feel free to use them. When you are done playing, please return them here』, and then promptly left the area.
Watching the float rings from a distance for the time being…… before long, elves in swimsuits gathered around and began poking and squeezing the float rings with curious interest.
I was happy they showed interest, but when I thought about it, none of them actually knew how to use float rings.
What should I do? Should I go out and explain after all?
While hesitating a little like that, I decided to watch patiently.
While that was going on, perhaps they figured out how to use them on their own. The swimsuit elves headed toward the lake while holding their float rings.
Passing their bodies through the holes or sitting on top of them, the swimsuit elves floated out onto the lake.
For now, the float rings themselves seemed to have no problems. They did not tear or sink, and they properly fulfilled their role as float rings.
Watching the elves drift along, bobbing gently atop the float rings, I felt vaguely satisfied and decided to head home.
However, just as I was leaving, I saw something I could not ignore.
「Swimsuit elves staring enviously at the completely empty float ring stands, while float ring elves drifted away……」
「Float ring elves and swimsuit elves……」
「It made me feel strangely sad…… Seeing that kind of scene, how could I not work harder on making float rings?」
「I see……」
After that, every day I kept repeating the same routine. Make float rings, set them up in 4-1. Make more, then set them up again.
……But in the end, before I could ever provide a sufficient number, summer came to an end.
By the way, everyone took turns using the float rings.
I had worried just a little that people might fight over the limited number of float rings, but these were the gentle and easygoing elves of Meiyu and Lukmine. After drifting around the lake once, they would switch with the next person.
That peaceful and heartwarming scene also became fuel for my motivation.
Let’s do my best. For everyone’s sake, I will work hard and make more float rings.
「So that next summer we will not have a shortage of float rings, I am working hard starting now」
「You are preparing that far in advance……」
「It works. I will be an ant. Not a grasshopper, but a hardworking ant, Nana-san」
「Honestly, it is starting to feel like there might be too many…… How many have you made so far?」
「Hm? How many? Um…… sorry. I do not really know」
I had not been counting very carefully. For now, I was just making as many as I could and stuffing them into the changing room in the 4-1 area.
Keeping them at home would just get in the way, so for now I am storing them in an unused changing room.
When summer comes and the changing rooms are needed again, I can bring the float rings back out at that time.
「I do not know the exact number, but the changing room I am stuffing the float rings into is almost full」
「It really does feel like there will be leftovers……」
Well, that would be fine too.
In that case, I could sell them. There will probably be people who want their own personal float rings instead of renting them.
「By the way, Master」
「Hm?」
「Watching you make float rings, something occurred to me――」
Nana-san cut herself off mid-sentence, then casually picked up one finished float ring and placed it on the floor.
「Use this as a mold」
「A mold?」
「Then place the wood shavings here……」
Nana-san scattered wood shavings over the float ring on the floor, letting them fall lightly across it.
「What if you use 『Varnish Coating』 here?」
「Hm? On these wood shavings? Ah, I see…… I see!」
「That should complete either the top half or the bottom half of the float ring」
「That is true……!」
Up until now, I had been fixing the wood shavings bit by bit with 『Varnish Coating』 to form the float ring shape.
But with this method, all I had to do was use 『Varnish Coating』 on wood shavings that were already shaped like a float ring.
「Th-then, I will try it out real quick?」
「Please do」
「Alright, 『Varnish Coating』――――O-ohhh!」
「Oooh」
When I used 『Varnish Coating』 on the wood shavings, a new top half of a float ring formed, covering the original float ring that served as the mold.
It worked…… In no time at all, half a float ring was finished…….
If I make another one and join them together, that is a complete new float ring.
「Amazing! Amazing, Nana-san! You are a genius!」
「That is correct」
「O-oh…… No, but seriously, that is really amazing!」
Amazing. Honestly, the fact that she came up with a float ring method I never thought of is impressive enough, and accepting the title of genius without a hint of modesty is impressive in its own way too.
「Haa. I see, a mold. I never realized there was a method like this. I kept thinking there had to be an easier way……」
「Then this should make float ring production easier, should it not?」
「Yeah. Making half a float ring this easily…… huh?」
「Is something wrong?」
I tried to peel the freshly made top half of the float ring off the float ring used as the mold, but――
「It will not come off」
「Pardon?」
「The varnish stuck to the varnish」
「Eh……」
I had cast 『Varnish Coating』 without thinking too much, so the varnish bonded to itself.
「Um, you cannot peel it off?」
「That would be pretty difficult……」
With 『Varnish Coating』, I can add or remove varnish, but separating it cleanly is not really possible.
「Uh……」
「Yeah……」
Somehow, an awkward atmosphere settled over the room.
「……Ah, no, but I think the method itself is not wrong. I will make a mold that 『Varnish Coating』 will not stick to, and then try again」
If I wrap the float ring in monster hide, I should be able to make a mold that the varnish will not stick to.
Maybe I will ask Jeredd Papa about it. He seems to have some free time right now.
「Thank you, Nana-san. You came up with a great idea」
「No, it is fine. Devoting myself to Master is my duty. I, Nana Ambrotivi von Ratrius D. Macmillan Tetestetes Vanessa Ako Marcellit El Rosemary Yamada」
「……Yeah. Thank you」
She very obviously padded out the character count, but since I am truly being thankful, I could not exactly stop her…….
Well, whatever.
Thanks to Nana-san, I now have a clear path toward mass production.
With this, there should be no chance of not having enough float rings next summer.
Then everyone will be able to enjoy them without worrying about time or turns.
I definitely want to enjoy float rings next year too.
This summer, I was so focused on making them that I never actually used one myself.
Next year as well, there will surely be a large number of elves floating along the lake on float rings.
Next year for sure, I want to join them.
Together with everyone else, I want to float along slowly and lazily too.
next chapter: Good News and More Good News
Leave a Reply