「Hmm. Thinking about layouts and floor plans is fun, though」
「It is fun」
The villa plan for the 2-1 Forest Area is something I keep thinking I want to build, but have not actually put into action yet.
While talking about houses and plans like that, Fleur-san and I move through the dungeon.
The stage construction request is done, but there are still various other errands to take care of.
So we pass through the 2-1 Forest Area and head to the 2-2 Area.
「Oh, there are quite a few people here」
The 2-2 Area is where the color toads with designs designed by Nana-san have been released.
I came here because I was curious about how it was going, and sure enough, there are quite a few hunters aiming for the color toads.
「Everyone here is collecting toad hides, right?」
「That is probably the case」
「Hmm, but the toads here mostly only drop hides, don’t they?」
「That seems to be the case」
That seems to be the case, or rather, I changed it to be that way.
Well, it would not have been a problem to lower the odds either.
People probably want the hides anyway, and there was also the strategy of increasing the drop rate of things like toad meat and lowering the hide drop rate, so they would fall into the hide gacha swamp……
But still.
In the first place, what I want is for lots of people to enjoy playing in the water. Having many different swimsuits would just make that even better. That is all.
If that is the goal, lowering the odds is not a good idea. Nana-san seemed to want to lower them, but I decided that was not the right call. So instead, I greatly increased the hide drop rate.
「If only hides drop, it sounds like they would be easy to collect?」
「Well, that is true」
If you just want to get one hide, it should be over pretty quickly.
And yet, there are a lot of people in this area.
The reason is probably――
「――I am not getting any good designs at all. Seriously, none are dropping」
「Huh? Diana-chan?」
「Hey」
It is Diana-chan. I did not notice her until she spoke to me, but it seems she was also hunting color toads here.
And judging from what she just said, it looks like Diana-chan has fallen into the design gacha swamp……
「Hello, Diana-chan!」
「Yeah…… hey」
Fleur-san greets her cheerfully, and Diana-chan gets pushed along by that energy.
……Huh? Come to think of it, did those two already know each other?
「Um, you knew Diana-chan from before?」
「Yeah. She came to hang out once」
「Hang out?」
「With Ralina, they came all the way to my shop」
「……I see」
That probably was not just hanging out……
Somehow, Diana-chan and Ralina-chan really do get along. The two of them team up and raid all sorts of places……
「So, Diana-chan, what do you mean by designs?」
「Ah, yeah. When you beat the frogs, their hides drop, but there are tons of different kinds. And if you are going to turn them into swimsuits, you want something cute, right?」
「I do!」
「Right? But like, none of the good ones drop at all. It is all just weird stuff」
「I see……」
So that really is the reason so many hunters are gathered here looking for hides.
No, wait………… weird stuff?
「Um, by the way, what kind of designs did you get?」
「Well, the worst one is this thing with only some random words on it」
「Only words?」
「Like, for example, this one」
「…………」
The toad hide Diana-chan pulls out of her magic bag has only the words 『Calm Mind』 written on it.
What is this supposed to mean…… Is this telling me to make a 『Calm Mind』 T-shirt out of it?
「And then there is this one」
「…………」
The next hide Diana-chan takes out has 『Heart』 written on it.
I see, a 『Heart』 T-shirt……
「There are ones like this too」
「『Turtle』 and 『King of the World』 and 『Comprehension』, huh」
Those characters are written inside circles.
That is probably a complete set, right? Congratulations, Diana-chan.
……No, seriously, Nana-san is doing whatever she wants.
「There are a lot like this」
「I see……」
「I just do not get World Tree-sama’s sense」
「Huh!?」
「Hm?」
「Ah, sorry, it is nothing……」
This is bad…… Nana-san’s joke designs are being mistaken for something Yggdrasil-san came up with……
Does this mean it is another entry on the sorry list……?
「There are normal cute ones too, though. Like this one, it is simple but kind of nice」
「Ah, that’s……」
Next, the toad hide Diana-chan pulls out has a single, very simple mark drawn on it.
If I had to describe it, it looks like a fishing hook, like the letter 『J』 tilted diagonally to give it a sense of motion――
No, wait. That is N◯ke.
It is completely N◯ke’s logo.
Seriously, Nana-san really is doing whatever she wants…….
Between this and that music piece the other day, her copying has been getting pretty bad lately.
……Is this what people call a knowledge cheat?
It feels a little different from the kind of knowledge cheat I know, though…….
「Anyway, that Ni―― um, that mark is nice」
「Hm? You want it?」
「Is that okay?」
「Yeah. I want something cuter」
「I see. Then, thanks Diana-chan」
And just like that, I ended up getting the N◯ke toad hide.
This is nice. It is a knockoff, sure, but it looks pretty good. I will have someone make a new swimsuit with this.
「Good for you, Alec」
「Yes. ……Oh, what about you, Fleur-san? If you are making a new designed swimsuit too, should we hunt some toads here?」
「Hm? Mmm, I think I will pass」
「Is that so?」
「Yeah. I still have the one you gave me last year, Alec. Since I have that, I am good」
「Ah…… I see. Well, um, how should I put this」
Somehow, that makes me a little embarrassed.
Hearing that does not feel bad at all. Knowing she treasures the gift I gave her really does not feel bad.
Honestly, I am glad I gave it to her.
「……tsk」
Do not click your tongue, Diana-chan.
◇
After finishing our inspection of the 2-2 Toad Area, Fleur-san and I moved on to the 4-1 Lake Area.
Once we arrived, we immediately split up into the changing rooms and changed into our swimsuits.
As always, Fleur-san seemed embarrassed about wearing a swimsuit, and the way she fidgeted shyly made me feel a little warm inside.
By the way, I did invite Diana-chan to come with us, but――
『Ah, no thanks. See, I am a good woman. A good woman who knows when to hold back at times like this』
She said something oddly suggestive like that and declined.
So that is why the good woman Diana-chan should still be over in 2-2, catching frogs right about now.
「Alright, for now it looks like we still have enough float rings, at least」
「Five left」
After checking the float ring rack, there were five rings remaining.
Technically that means we have enough, but it feels pretty close to the limit.
We could increase the number of rental float rings, but I do not really want to give any more space to the float ring area.
Maybe we should produce a few more float rings for sale instead.
「I am just happy that everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and using the float rings」
「That is good, Alec」
「Yes. Then let us get on the float rings ourselves and drift along all relaxed and――that is what I would like to say, but」
「Yeah. The request, right!」
「Yes. Let us save the drifting for later」
Even now, many elves are drifting along on the flowing lake. We will join them after we finish the request.
「So, about that, the wide lake over there…… no, let us talk while we walk」
「Okay」
And so we walked along the field.
There is something I want Fleur-san to build in this area, and the lake where we plan to set it up is a little distance away.
「Um, that lake there. It is quite wide, and it is pretty deep too」
It does not stretch as far as the eye can see, but it is still a fairly large lake.
「I want to float a boat here」
「A boat, huh」
A boat. Since we have such a big lake, I want at least one boat floating on it.
Also, Nana-san said she wanted to try something like rafting or river drifting, so I thought we could start by making a small boat and letting it float on the lake.
It seems Fleur-san can make boats too, so I decided to ask her.
Apparently she has never actually made one before. Skill-wise, she just feels like she probably can. As always, skills are kind of ridiculous in many ways.
「So, what kind of boat do you want to make?」
「Nothing too big…… let me think. I would like one that can carry about four people」
「About four people, huh. And what will you use the boat for?」
「Use it for?」
「What kind of purpose is the boat for?」
「Purpose?」
Even if you ask me the purpose…… if it is fun to ride, that should be enough.
「Um, I thought it might be fun to ride」
「……Huh? Fun?」
「I am not sure, but I think it would probably be fun」
「I see…… So it is not a boat for fishing or anything like that?」
「That is right. Well, fishing from the boat does sound fun too」
Not long ago, I enjoyed fishing in this area with Jisrare-san, and of course there are plenty of fish in this lake as well. Relaxing and fishing from a boat could be nice.
「Also, there is that thing…… a place to dock the boat. A pier, is it called? I think I want something like that too」
「I see, I see. That sounds like a fairly big project. So, when should we start? When would be good for you?」
「Um……」
It feels like she is asking about my schedule…… does that mean I will be helping again?
「Probably after summer ends. There are a lot of people here right now, and if we start construction in the middle of that, everyone would get distracted」
「Ah, so it is not that urgent?」
「Yes. We can start after summer and finish it by next summer」
「I see, I see. Then after summer――let us do our best!」
「……Yes!」
……Yeah, well, that is fine. I will do my best.
I am not sure what kind of role I have in Fleur-san’s mind anymore, but…… I will do my best to help.
next chapter: It is about time to go
Leave a Reply