443-Battle pencil completion





 I was lounging in the living room after dinner when I unexpectedly felt a glance.

 Is that Sister Elinora? But he is lying on his back on the sofa, enjoying the slime pillow.

 He's busy lounging around and doesn't seem to be paying attention to me at the moment.

 Brother Silvio is not in the living room as he has returned to coloring his battle pencils.

 At the table, Nord's father and Erna's mother are chatting with each other while enjoying their after-dinner tea.

 The couple is a friendly sight as usual.

 As I was thinking that, Father Nord's gaze was diverted from Erna's to mine.

 Our gazes meet, albeit for a brief moment.

 ........what is it? It's not just that our eyes were looking at each other, it's as if they were intentionally matched.

 I felt an intention to say something.

 Hm? Is there something my dad would like to tell me, Nord?

 Or was there something I had to tell my dad, Nord?

 I don't remember doing anything bad lately, like lighting a fireplace, making dried fruit, or chopping wood.

 I don't have anything to report or discuss with you, but....

I'll show you what I'm working on, and we'll discuss it.

 As I was thinking back to such things, I remembered that I had made such a promise with Father Nord on my way to Silford territory.

''Ah.....

 I'm working on a battle pencil right now and I don't think I've ever reported anything to my Nordic father.

 I'm sure he must have found out, and he must have some idea why I haven't talked to him about it.

What's wrong with you, Al?

I've got something to tell your father, Nord.

Do you have something to report to me? Is that what you remember now?

 Smiling, Nord Dad asks me if I just remembered in the dark.

 'Oh, you know for sure this is me making battle pencils,' he says.

'No, I was just trying to find a good time to tell you.

 I'm not saying that I remembered it. I'm just saying that I remembered and tried to report the incident at a convenient time.

 There is no reason to be angry with me for confessing that I had forgotten about it.

I see. I understand. So, do you want to hear my report?

 Maybe he decided that he couldn't question me further as I cut the shira, or maybe Dad Nord said that.

 Either way, this time I haven't even finished it yet, nor have I spread it around.

 It's a far cry from the last time I didn't report it until I spread it around and sold it to Tory. I've come a long way since then.

"What? Did you make something weird again?

'Don't call it a weird thing. It's just a plaything.

 Sister Elinora, who had been lounging around, said so with her mouth, but came over to the table to see if she was interested.

'So what did you make this time?'

 I explained about the battle pencils to Nord Dad, who asked again.

'What, you're not playing with your body like a pitching target this time?

 Elinora's sister seemed a little disappointed with the idea of just rolling a pencil around indoors.

 The concept is to have fun playing indoors during the cold winter months. If you think of something to play outside, the concept is off.

I see, do you have the actual thing?

 I've been listening to the story and thinking about it, when Nord Dad asks me.

'Is it under construction? It will be finished when Brother Silvio finishes coloring.

'You've already advanced to that point. Al, for someone who usually says he's a pain in the ass, he's quick to act like that.

Heh.

It's not a compliment.

 I was unintentionally embarrassed, and Mother Erna said in a dumbfounded manner.

 What, you didn't praise her?

'Hmm, Silvio's doing it too.

 Sister Elinora says in a meaningful way.

 Perhaps it's not fun that she's not the only one among her sisters and brothers who hasn't joined in.

 Although she's not interested in making fun, she says it's not fun not being in the circle like this.

 I can understand a little bit of what you're thinking, but for once, there was nothing I could do to help my clumsy sister Elinora, who is a bit clumsy with her hands.

''Because this time it was the crafting type. If we have another physical activity like pitching targets, I'll ask Elinora to help me.

Yeah. Then it's okay.

 Elinora sister pulled back her dissatisfied expression as if she was satisfied with my follow-up.

 She's a bit of a pain in the ass, but I think she's adorable in this kind of way for her age.

 Elinora's sister, who is very athletic, is able to recreate the exact play that I imagined, so she is able to obtain valuable data.

'I've got a general idea of how to play, but I wonder if it's fun to just roll a wooden stick around?

'It's simple and that's what makes it fun. You'll have to play with it when you get the real thing.

 Even if it is explained how to play, the unfamiliar person will not understand it well.

 Kendama is also a game of manipulating a ball and thrusting it into a hole or placing it on it. I don't find it attractive even if it's only said in words.

 It's best to actually play with these kinds of sensory things.

'Anyway, I see you're building something like that. Thanks for reporting that. You're not going to sell it like Reversi or Jenga, are you?

'Yeah, I don't really have any plans to do that. I don't know if it would sell in the first place.

Okay.

 After hearing my response, Nord Dad seemed to be truly relieved.

 I didn't feel the need to make any more money.

 Thus, I was able to make a proper report to Nord-Dad, albeit at the very last minute.



 ◆



Al, I'm done coloring and coating!

 Two days after I reported it to Dad Nord. Brother Silvio finally brought me the battle pencils that he had colored and coated.

'Oh, so that means it's finally finished. Let's see, let's see.

 As I said this, Brother Silvio put a colored battle pencil on the table.

 Wow, the background of the illustration is also painted, the text notation is also painted in white to make it easier to see, and the text is also painted in black to make it easier to see.

 The bottom half of the spare part was also painted in a striped pattern with a combination of colors so that you won't get bored looking at it by itself.

Silvio's work is amazing. I'm amazed that you were able to paint it so beautifully.

Hehe, it took me a while to get the details right.

 With an embarrassed smile, Brother Silvio said humbly.

 No, he's a professional craftsman now. If you can paint on paper, but to apply so much coloring to a battle pencil that is so difficult to paint on....

 This must have been a discovery of Brother Silvio's unexpected talent.

''The coating is also stretched thinly enough.

'Yeah, I applied it carefully there because it wouldn't do any good if it prevented you from rolling,'

 The resin in the coating was not hardened or unnaturally puffy at all.

 It was perfectly coated without any stickiness.

 At first I thought I could play with the hexagonal wooden sticks with random illustrations and notations on them, but then I realized they were of a hell of a quality.

 It's not quite the same as the previous one, but it's pretty close to it.

 Even I was pretty excited about the workmanship, which even I know about Battle Pencil, was groaning.

'Alright, let's get to playing with it!

Yeah, let's do it!

 I was just about to play fast and loose with brother Silvio when there was a knock on the door of my room.

 It was Saara who knocked.

''Yes, yes, what's up?''

'Master Alfried, Master Triera would like to say hello.

Tory? Not one of your employees?

 The Toriela Chamber of Commerce is a large trading company that now has its headquarters in the King's Capital. Its principal Tory basically does business in the royal capital.

 Lately, they have been busy connecting with the nobility and promoting table tennis in Kagura, and often send only their employees to the village of Coriat to do business.

''Yes, Triera-sama himself.

 But this time Tory, who was supposed to be busy, seemed to have come all the way over.

 Did he think it was time to show his face, or did he have some kind of aim?

 I don't know, but to come right after the battle pencils are completed is probably too good of a timing.

''Well okay. I'll play with the battle pencils and then say hello.

No, let's go say hi right there.

 I said that in favor of play, but my brother Silvio chided me.