I lent out the small floating gardens I’d designated as water tanks to the various villages.
In Village One, they used them as small pools, just as I’d expected. It was a heartwarming sight to see the young children so delighted.
In Village Two, they utilized them as water-hauling tubs. Apparently, being able to transport large amounts of water from the river or the well all at once was incredibly convenient. That made sense; since the tubs floated, even the children could move them. The kids were quite happy that their range of chores had expanded.
In Village Three, the tanks were being used as tubs for washing vegetables. Since the height could be adjusted by letting them float, the residents were grateful to be able to work while standing up. They even requested that I add floating gardens to the Reward Medal exchange list, as they wanted two or three more for the village. I promised to consult with Lu and look into it.
In Village Four, they attempted to use one as an elevator inside the castle, but the plan failed because Lu had restricted how high the gardens could float. Instead, they ended up using it to transport luggage to slightly elevated areas. I wondered if I should prepare a version without the height restriction for elevator use, but Lu’s decision had been based on safety—to prevent people from accidentally flying off and falling.
"Ah, that’s a difficult issue," Gou noted when I asked for his opinion. "It would be fine if the user belonged to a race that could fly or possessed magic, but for those who don’t, a limit is necessary."
Based on his judgment, the restriction remained in place.
As for Village Five...
"One is not enough," Yoko complained.
I suppose that was only to be expected. Because there was only one, the Village Council had apparently descended into an uproar over how to use it. I felt bad, but I’d also thought that not giving them any at all would have been a problem in its own right.
"If they didn't know about them, they wouldn't want them," Yoko added.
True enough.
"I’ve heard the talk about installing water tanks in Shashato City. It can wait until after that’s finished, but I’d like you to prepare about twenty for us. If Reward Medals are required, we’ll pay."
"Understood. I’ll talk to Lu about it."
"I’m counting on you."
By the way, I was curious—how exactly was that single floating garden being used now?
"..."
Why was she hesitating?
"Even though the Village Council Hall is at the top of the mountain, it still gets quite hot during the summer."
Well, on clear days, I imagine it would.
"It has become a foot bath."
...
"Of course, it’s impossible for every councilor to stick their feet in at once. Therefore, usage rights are decided by a lottery drawing every morning."
I wanted to say "Is that all?" but... wouldn't a normal tub suffice for that?
"With a normal tub, the volume of water is small, so it turns lukewarm quickly even if you add ice. Furthermore, one has to dry their feet whenever they move. However, with that floating garden..."
Because it held such a massive volume of water, the temperature was slow to rise. Better yet, the councilors could move around while keeping their feet submerged.
"Indeed. A few people even tried to take it home, so we had to ban it from leaving the hall... but the reputation is excellent."
I-I see. Well then.
"I am aware," Yoko said, sensing my look. "I, too, believe there are more meaningful ways to use it. However, this was the result of their deliberations. We have no choice but to abide by it."
I suspected it was a case where several influential opinions had clashed so intensely that choosing any of them would have wounded someone's pride, so the temporary foot-bath suggestion had been passed as a compromise.
Judging by the way Yoko looked away, I was probably right.
While I was in Village Five, I went to check on the shrine. My primary goal was to see the Whale Skeleton I’d acquired during the parade outside the village. It had been some time since it was enshrined, and I wanted to see how it was faring.
I asked Kon of the Silver Fox Race, who managed the shrine.
"There are no particular problems with the Whale God's Room," she reported.
That was a relief.
"However, after seeing that bones could serve as an object of worship, people have begun bringing other bones to be enshrined..."
"I-I see. Did you accept them?"
"I told them that raw bones would be a problem because of the odor."
That made sense. Raw bones smelled surprisingly bad. Various fluids remained inside, and no matter how much you cleaned them, bits of flesh often lingered. I’d prefer people to bring them after they’d been thoroughly dried or charred. My Whale Skeleton had been bone-dry when I brought it in, so it wasn't an issue.
"So, are people bringing them in after drying them now?"
"This is the result."
Kon led me to several small rooms within the shrine that had been converted into bone mounds.
"Wait, what god's room is this?"
"This is the Pig God's Room."
...
"And next to it is the Cow God's Room."
...
"And this one is the Chicken God's Room."
In other words...
"These are bones from Ramen Street."
The leftovers from making broth, then.
"It appears so. They are certainly not raw."
Was this... some kind of harassment against the shrine?
"No, quite the opposite. It is an act of gratitude for the trade they found through ramen. When they offer the bones, they even leave behind several medium copper coins."
"I-I see."
"It helps with the shrine's finances, but the bones are accumulating so fast that they’ll soon overflow into other rooms. I was just wondering what to do."
I thought about it for a moment. This called for a solution.
"Let's build a dedicated shrine for this. We’ll separate it from the rooms for the pig, cow, and chicken gods and call it the Ramen Shrine. We’ll make it the place that accepts all the bones used for ramen. We just have to make it clear beforehand that the bones will be burned and turned to ash after a certain period of time."
"May I build that shrine within these grounds?"
"That should be fine."
"Thank you very much."
"Make sure to build it on the larger side. I expect seafood bones and shells will start showing up soon, too."
"Understood."
After checking the shrine, I headed down to the pond at the foot of the mountain. I had Kon accompany me. If she had any complaints regarding the White Swan and Black Swan, I wanted her to be able to voice them while I was there. There were likely things that were hard to say when the Village Head wasn't around.
As I approached the pond, I was surprised to see a massive crowd. People were lining the entire perimeter.
"They are customers," Kon explained.
What kind of customers? I thought perhaps the White Swan and the Black Swan were putting on some kind of water play, but I was wrong.
There were eight swans on the water. They were normal, common-sized swans, but each was wearing a differently colored hat and a cloak with a number on the back.
Which meant...
"It’s a White Swan Race. They do three laps around a course marked by poles in the pond. It’s a system where you bet on which swans will come in first and second."
I figured as much.
"Any swan that flies is disqualified," Kon continued. "The betting tickets are sold over there. Rumor has it that the hit rate is higher if you buy them after praying at our shrine."
"Well, that’s good to hear, I suppose..."
I knew such races existed. I’d heard of mouse races in the Royal Capital, and even in the Village of the Great Tree, Kuro’s children used to race each other. I wasn't going to deny the existence of the sport itself.
What I did want to deny, however...
"Number six, go for it!"
"Move it! Right there! Body slam him! Do it, number two!"
"Did he fly? Did he fly? Hey, isn't that a disqualification? His toes were still touching the water? He’s safe? No way!"
It wasn't the excited spectators...
"Fufufufufufufufufufu."
It was the White Swan, who was laughing hysterically because she was making an absolute fortune.
I definitely wanted to deny her.
I called her over. "White Swan, come here for a second. That’s a rigged race, isn't it? You’re adjusting the payouts to maximize your profit, aren't you?"
I could tell. The swans were having staged fights in the middle of the water. That was clearly her doing.
"Where is the Black Swan? Is she in on this too?"
Apparently, she was reluctantly cooperating just to cover their "living expenses."
Living expenses? For eating and drinking in Village Five, I assumed.
"Call the Black Swan over as well."
She couldn't move because she was managing the betting pool? Fine. I told them she could come over after the race was finished.
I didn't tell them to stop the races entirely. What I did tell them was to stop the cheating.
"You're telling us to create an exciting show without 'directing' things?" she asked.
"If you make it too flashy and obvious, people will ruin themselves through gambling. That’s no good—especially since this is in front of a shrine. Let's keep the matches fair and square."
It would be fine. Fair and square competition had a thrill all its own.