I spent some time brainstorming which statue should adorn the Yagura the Giant Race would pull during the parade.
Should it be a representation of grain?
Perhaps a straw bale?
For the time being, I tried carving one.
...
It was a straw bale, alright. The kind I’d seen in period dramas. I think they were supposed to hold sixty kilograms of rice. It was a magnificent bale, but having them pull a float with nothing but this on top... felt a bit off.
No, I shouldn't rely solely on my own sensibilities. I needed a second opinion. As luck would have it, three High Elves were nearby.
"Is it an archery target?"
"A tackling dummy for training?"
"Don't be silly. This is an outdoor chair."
...
I gave the Statue of a Straw Bale to the three of them as a gift. They were free to use it however they liked. Honestly, if they wanted a bale, it would be much more practical to make one out of real straw.
I didn't know the first thing about making them, though. The High Elves had been weaving grass into goza mats lately, so they might be able to figure it out if I asked. Well, that was a project for another time.
Back to the drawing board. I should just be straightforward and go with a statue of God. The Agricultural God should do nicely.
...
Actually, hold on. The Giants were covered in hair from head to toe. To be frank, they looked a bit stifling. Would it really look right for them to pull a float carrying a statue of the Agricultural God—an old man? Visually speaking, I wanted something with a bit more flair.
...
Should I try a goddess?
No, wait, wait. If I carelessly carved a Statue of the Goddess, the women of the village might make a scene. What about a young, handsome version of the Agricultural God?
Wait, would that be even more dangerous?
Hmm. Maybe it would be fine as long as I kept it out of sight for now. I decided to carve both.
First, the Statue of the Goddess.
Oh? I was in the zone. The Statue of the Goddess came together incredibly smoothly.
...
Isn't this a bit too beautiful? Is it really supposed to look like this? The Agricultural God was the original owner of the Universal Farming Tool. Was the tool playing favorites?
Well, whatever. Next, I tried carving a young, handsome version of him. The Slender Muscular Statue was the result. It wasn't bad, but compared to the Statue of the Goddess from earlier, it felt about twenty percent inferior.
Did the Universal Farming Tool think the Statue of the Goddess was the better choice? To be honest, if I didn't think too hard about it, I’d choose the goddess statue too.
But there was the problem. If I voluntarily made a Statue of the Goddess, the village women would... Maybe I was overthinking it. It was a statue of a god, after all. There was nothing wrong with it being beautiful.
Alright, I’ll go with the Statue of the Goddess. I’d have the Giant Race pull it next year. Until then, I’d keep it in the Storehouse—hm?
W-who's there? Who just put their hand on my shoulder?
Hahaha. It was Progenitor-san. Phew.
"What's the price? It's not for sale. Besides, this isn't the Creator God; it's the Agricultural God. No, look, it's not a matter of how many gold bars you offer."
I ended up carving a brand-new Statue of the Goddess specifically for Progenitor-san. I don't know what it was, but the goddess form of the Agricultural God was remarkably easy to carve. Progenitor-san beamed at the finished product. Since he seemed to want the Slender Muscular Statue as well, I just gave that to him too.
Phew. Anyway, I’d unveil the first Statue of the Goddess I carved during next year's parade. Until then, it would stay in the Storehouse.
...
Before I knew it, the women of the village were already inspecting it.
"Is this the ideal breast size he's looking for?"
"I can feel the dedication in the curve of this waist."
"So this is the kind of hairstyle he prefers."
"By the way, this face... it's not Lady Lu, is it?"
"It's not Lady Tia, Lady Flora, Lady Ria, or Lady Ann, either."
"It doesn't look like Lady Frau, Lady Hakuren, Lady Rusty, or Lady Sena."
"Then who on earth is it?"
"Could it be... someone outside the village?"
I felt a dangerous tension in the air. I managed to survive the ordeal by placing a sign reading 'Agricultural God' in front of the statue. For a short while after that, a fashion trend inspired by the Statue of the Goddess’s outfit swept through the village.
Good grief.
Hearing a commotion outside the mansion, I went to check things out. The Pond Turtle was by the side of the reservoir, and one of Kuro's Children was barking to get my attention. The Pond Turtle looked apologetic.
What was the matter?
Behind it stood another Pond Turtle, one size smaller, with a shell about a meter high.
"Did your numbers increase?"
I received three new pieces of shell skin.
...
Leaving the matter of handing the skin over to Lu for later... how did this new Pond Turtle reach the reservoir? At that size, it seemed unlikely it had just been washed down the waterway. I had to assume it walked here along the bank.
Hmm? One of Kuro's Children had a look that said, "I know the secret." I let it guide me.
This was... the 20-meter Square Reservoir I’d built north of the Ranch Area? I’d set it up to drain through the Ranch Area toward the river to the east, but since there was already a pond there, I’d let the water flow into it. Right, that was the Pond with a Large Frog.
Could the Pond Turtles have been living there and followed the waterway into the village? Based on the dog's reaction, that seemed to be the case.
Wait, but the waterway here doesn't connect to the West Side Reservoir. Apparently, they went from the northern pond toward the river to the west, followed that waterway, then cut through the middle of the Fruit Tree Area to reach the West Side Reservoir.
I see.
...
Then those three small shells I saw in the Fruit Tree Area must belong to Pond Turtles currently in transit. Kuro's Child barked as if to say "exactly."
I’d have to tell the first Pond Turtle that they didn't need to offer up their shell skin every time their numbers increased.