''Hmm......... It's difficult.........
What is it, sir?

　It seems that Linse, who happened to be knitting by my side, heard me blurt out.
　Well, it's not that I have anything to hide.

It's just that it's a bit of a kuon thing.
Kuon's?　What's going on?
'No, the opposite. Nothing, I mean...

　Compared to the other kids, I don't feel like I can get along with them. It's not so much with Yumina, but with me, I feel like I'm a stranger to her.

I don't know if it's right for a boy to be so close to his father, but...
Well, yeah, I guess so.

　I don't know how it was for me. My parents were both busy when I was a kid, and my grandpa played with me most of the time.
　The son of the same name as his grandfather had this kind of problem. You never know what life is like.

Why don't you play with him?　I read in a book that on Earth, parents and children play catch with each other.
Catch the ball...

　It's fine to play catch itself.... So?　That's what I said. You want to tell me something?　What's up? And?　Since it's Hisen, I asked, 'What do you mean?　No change, sir? I'm sure he'll just reply to me.
　I don't know much about Kuon to begin with, I don't know much about him. I don't know much about him, what he likes to eat, his hobbies and so on. Normally, I would get to know him when he's growing up, but my son came to me in a flash, so....
　I should know many things about him first. Okay, I'll ask the other siblings for now.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


'Is this Kuon's favorite dish?　I guess you could say hiyayakko (cold tofu) or sauteed chicken and vegetables. Oh, and I like matsutake mushroom soup, too.
'Reluctant!'

　At any rate, when I asked Arthia what KUON's favorite dish was, I got an answer that was not approximately childlike.
　If anything, isn't that the kind of food that older people like?　I'm just guessing.
　We have a mixture of Japanese and Western food at our house, but basically because I like rice, it's often Japanese food.
　When you think about it that way, it's not hard to see why KUON likes it... Isn't it usually a hamburger or curry if you're a kid?

What is your least favorite food?
No. She eats everything without a care in the world. Oh, though she doesn't like the local cuisine of Xenoas or anything too rich.

　The local cuisine of Xenoas........that's it? I've had it once, and it was a purple soup with some kind of eyeballs in it. It was very salty. I don't know how it tasted, but it tasted like dry cell batteries.
　You can't just dismiss it with the word 'I don't like it'. If you finish it, you're in danger of death.
　At any rate, I thank Arthia and now I'll go to Erna's place. Because they're close in age and I wondered if she knew anything about it. Eh?　I thought Lynne was closer in age to you than you are.　She's kind of ... well ... she's kind of sketchy, so there's a chance she won't be able to understand our intentions.
　Erna was reading a book on a window bench in the castle. Beside her, her mother, Else, was asleep, leaning against the window with her book open. As a wife, she's a little disappointed in her sleep. Elna is reading a book without a care in the world, though.
　She's been reading with Erna, but she's just getting sleepy, I guess.

''Kuon's favorite thing...?　I like animals and stuff. I talk to cats a lot.
'What?　Can Kuon talk to cats?

　You don't have that kind of ability?　Didn't we have that in Kuon's Magic Eye?　I think there was something about making an animal obey me.

'No, I had Amber translate for me. I used simple cues so that I could communicate with the cats. There were a lot of cats in the future Brunhild, but most of them knew Kuon.

　What is that, my son is the king of cats?
　No. Since Amber is like the king of cats, is Kudo, whose caretaker Amber is, the king's superior to the cats?　The Emperor?　Cat emperor?
　In case you're wondering, I'm the master of Amber........

I used to talk to the birds and stuff, but...
Oh, you're a red ball...

　Cats and birds are the eyes and ears in Brunhild. Everything they see and hear is passed on to Amber and Benidama, and from there the information goes up to the Prime Minister, Kosaka-san, the Knight Commander, Rain-san, and the Intelligence Director, Tsubaki-san.
　Of course, basically, they only get the information flowing about suspicious people and crimes. Even in the case of a sudden incident or accident, cats and birds run and fly to the knight's packinghouse to tell them what has happened.

''Kuon is an animal lover...''
Do you like animals, or do you just like talking to those kids?
'You like to talk?　It didn't look like that...

　It's kind of subtle that you like to talk to animals.... Yah, it's okay, though, right?　I don't think it's misanthropic.

It's important to see things from the animals' point of view in order to improve Brunhild. "To make Brunhild better, it's important to look at things from an animal's point of view, because you can see things that people don't notice. And that's how we can help our fathers.
That's a good boy!

　d*mn, I feel like I'm going to cry. I look up and hold my eyes. You're still so little and you're thinking of your parents what a kid you are!　That's just me and Yumina's son...!

Shut up... What are you screaming about?

　My heart's cry seems to have woken Else up. When I tell Erna that I was asking her about Kuon, Else, who still has slightly sleepy eyes, hugs Erna tightly.

'Oh, mother?'
Like Kuon, Erna is cute and kind and a good girl. Even now, she was studying for the sake of this country.
'What?　Really?

　The book in Erna's hands, which was a little telegraphed, was a specialized book on medicine brought back from Earth by Lean and translated into our language by Femme of the Library.
　The book is written in characters like 'introductory', but even then it's not something a child would be happy to read.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one. I can use recovery magic and 【Recovery】, so I was wondering if I could help in the medical field...
That's a good boy!
Right?

　Else returns my cries with my will. I stroked Elna's head as Else hugged me more. She's really sweet and nice. Maybe Erna will take care of Brunhild's treatment center in the future.
　Oh, no, will she leave this country when she goes to marry...?　Oh, I'm going to cry.
　Having caught a glimpse of a sad future, I thanked Erna and left as if to disguise it.
　Anyway, let's talk to the person himself. Maybe we can go somewhere together to play.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇


So, what's up?
What do you mean?　It doesn't change anything, though.

　Oh, shit!　I knew he'd bare it back!
　I called Hisato to the baseball field, and the words I said to him as I watched the game with excitement were the expected response.
　I felt like I was hit by a home run on a pitch I threw out to see how it went.
　The game is being played by two teams in our shopping district. It's a weekday and it's not a game between the country's knights, so the crowd is sparse. In fact, there are almost no customers in the bleachers (stand) where we are sitting.
　Basically, our baseball field can be used by anyone who pays a fee. That's why on weekdays like today, people who love baseball get together and play games. And some people who are not busy are watching the games. Because it is free of charge to watch the games, right?
　I tried to talk to him in a place where we wouldn't be disturbed, but I stumbled at the first word, and I was trying to figure out what to do next.

"Well, is there anything I can do to help?
Not particularly. I don't think it's a problem. Oh, I hit it.

　Cugh...... There's no way to get rid of it. We'll have to watch the game calmly first........
　d*mn it, we can't back down now. We need to have more and more conversations.

''Uh........do you have any kind of hobby, Kudo?
A hobby?　Well, not that there isn't one....

　Oh, what's that?　I don't have any special interests either. If I had to choose, I'd say music or watching movies. He's my son, so it's possible that we share the same hobbies, right?　If we had the same hobby, we might be able to talk about it.

'It's more of a hobby ... I like making models.
Yes?

　Model making?　Is that a plastic model or a diorama or something like that?

'Yes. I used to make these for a change. You know, like this.

　Kuon took out his phone from his pocket and showed me an album of photos.
　It's a picture of a sailing ship lined up in the harbor and about to leave the port. ........Hmm?　Something doesn't feel right... Eh, wait a minute!　Did you just make that up?

What, is that a model?
'Yes. Yes. The one I made a year ago.

　A year ago, you were five years old!　You're making this level of stuff at your age!
　The ships leaving the harbor, the rippling sea, and the people unloading at the docks are all very much like the real thing. Even if it were said to be the work of a professional modeler, I'm inclined to believe it.
　I've never seen a professional modeler's work before, so there's no way to compare.

However, there are some parts I made with magical tools.

　I heard that many of the magic tools used in this piece were made by Kuhn.
　I don't know much about it, but I heard that they sometimes use motorized things when making actual dioramas and plastic models, so maybe that's no surprise. I think Kudo's skill to use it is more amazing.
　When I told him that, he said

'Really?　Your father can make something similar with [modeling], can't he?
'No, mine is more like my skills...'

　I can't help but mumble at Hisato's words. The difference in consciousness around here is indescribable.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
　But to the people living in this world, magic is also a person's power, and it is the person's skill to manipulate it. That's not a cheat or anything. It's recognized as that person's ability.
　It's true that I think I've gotten better at it compared to when I started using [Modeling], but as a pure skill, I don't think it's comparable to Kuon's diorama.
　You can do the same thing in Babylon's [Studio], but that one doesn't have the homemade feel to it, though it's obvious...
　But it's really well made, isn't it? I wonder if we could get a grand prize if we submitted it to an Earth diorama contest or something.

Oh, yeah.

　I decided to project the image I had searched for in 'diorama' from my phone onto Kuon's front page. Various diorama images were floating in the air.

'Wow!　You've made this one so detailed!　Wow, this submerged town and all that is interesting...!

　KUEN bites into the screen with a smile on her face. It's the first time I feel like I've seen a childlike side of him. I remember when I made plastic models when I was a kid. It wasn't a real plastic model, it was just something you assembled without painting any colors.

You haven't made one since you came here?
''Uh......... I was busy with many things.... In addition, I need a lot of materials and tools to make it.

　According to what I've heard, you need some resin from a tree monster beast, and some kind of glue from a special slime. There are also brushes and spatulas and other tools.
　It seems that he left everything he had in the future in his room at the castle.

Okay, then let's gather the materials.
'What?　No, it's pretty messy, right?　Some of them are only far away, and some are rare species...
It's okay. It's okay. There's no reason to use the gate or search.

　I think I found similar tools in the Dr.'s 'storehouse'.
　All we need to do now is gather some materials and we can get to work.　Oh, I guess we need paints too. The Holy Kingdom of Arendt seems to have a lot of spirit paintings, so I'm sure they have a lot of painting materials.

All right, let's do some good. Let's get on with it!
No, no, I mean, but...

　Grabbing Kuon's hesitant hand, I opened the 【Gate】 and jumped from the stand with few people to the Holy Kingdom Arendt.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇


　The art supply store in the Holy Kingdom of Arendt had a great selection of art supplies, everything from a wide variety of brushes to paints in subtle shades.
　I told Hisato that he could buy anything he wanted, but he was still somewhat reserved, so I decided to request a diorama to be made by us.
　In other words, this is a job. We don't want you to make a half-assed one. So I told them to buy it without reservation.
　I told him that, and he finally agreed.

"So, what do you want me to make?
'What?　Oh, um, yeah........ So, our castle or something?
Castle Brunhild.

　I hadn't really decided on anything in particular, but Kuon nodded at one thing and immediately began putting art materials into the baskets that were in the store.
　One after another, he put in the products without hesitation. It's likely that he no longer has a diorama blueprint in his head.
　After purchasing various items at the art supply store, Kuon sent me an email with the items he had written down on his phone.

'Adhesive slime body fluid, cushion turtle shell, elder torrent hull...?'

　I have no idea what they'll be used for, but they'll need them anyway.
　For now, I'm going to send Kuon to Babylon's storehouse and ask Parshe, the caretaker, to find the tools he needs.
　In the meantime, I decided to visit the Adventurer's Guild to gather the materials KUON needed. Unfortunately, only the Cushion Turtle's shell was out of stock, so I hunted for it directly.
　I don't need anything other than the shell, so I'll sell the materials for that one.
　But this shell is very soft. It's like a low-resilience sponge. It seems to be resistant to damage from blows. I took it down with a slash, though.
　When I returned to the castle, a base of about a tatami mat has already been built in the center of the room I'm applying to Kuon. That's fast!

Well, I've got some material for you...
Yeah, just leave it there.

　Kuon was wearing what looked like a dust mask and goggles and was roughly scraping the material of the base on which it was placed with a grinder-like magic tool. Probably making ground.
　I placed the materials I had gathered in the corner of the room and watched Kuon work.
　When I asked him if there was anything I could do to help, he asked me to soak the shell of the cushioned turtle in various green paints, dry it and cut it into small pieces.
　It would get in the way here, so I moved to the courtyard, and when I returned after finishing the work I was told to do, Kuon had already made most of the roads and moats around the castle.

''Ah, Fuyao-san,''

　Yumina was sitting on the couch in Hisato's room. Beside her, Ember is also there.

''I came to call you for dinner and before I knew it, I was surprised to see you making something like this. This girl had this kind of hobby.''
I've never heard of it either. It's too high a level to be a hobby, though.

　It's been a long time since I've been enthusiastic about making a diorama, or perhaps Kuon had the momentum to not even take a meal, so I asked Arcia to make me some onigiri and sandwiches that I could eat while I worked, and had her bring them to my room.
　It might be better to take them to the dining room, even if it's really forcing them to, but even if they eat quickly and eat their food at random.

Once Kuon starts to concentrate, he doesn't stop. If you don't stop him at the right place, he'll definitely stay up all night.

　Hearing Frey's words, I couldn't overlook that indeed, so I forced him to stop when it was ten o'clock. Maybe it's my talent for being able to concentrate so far that has produced this ability.
　For now, I had Yumina take me to the next bedroom and put me to sleep. The rest of the day is in the morning.
　The diorama is already taking a rough shape. The process, which would normally take a long time, seems to have been shortened using magic.
　But it's well done.... I didn't think that the sponge that I tore off could be used as a leaf or a shrub.
　This grass on the ground looks real, but is it a real plant?　Moss?　I'm not sure.
　I would like to touch it, but I don't want to because I think Kudo might get angry with me if I break it.
　I left the room, looking forward to the completion of the project.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　When I removed the cloth from the wall, I was greeted with an exclamation of admiration from the people around me.
　The completed diorama of Brunhild Castle will be displayed in a glass case in the lobby of the castle. Today, they are unveiling it.
　The diorama made by Hisato is so beautiful that I thought it would be a shame to just leave it in the room.
　I thought it would be a shame to just display them in my room, since they would be available for all visitors to see.
　Everyone was very interested in the diorama that Hisato had made.

Everyone was intrigued by the diorama that Hisato had made, saying, "Wow, all the details are really well done!
It's amazing.... His Majesty the King and the Queen are there.

　Yes. There are miniatures of us in the diorama. Yae, Hilda, and Else are fighting on the training field, while Linse, Leanne, and Sakura are on the balcony drinking tea and knitting.
　Me, Yumina and Sue were eating Lou's bento boxes under the blooming cherry blossoms in the courtyard.
　There were other sisters Hanakoi and others, Prime Minister Kosaka-san, and various other castle people stationed all over the place.
　They were all snapping at the glass case with their eyes like plates to find themselves.
　I called out to the maker's son, who was standing next to me as I watched.

He says to the maker's son, who is standing next to me.
I'm very particular about that. It would be nice if I could create my own style while also making it exactly like the real thing.

　Are you particular about it? I know it's important for the creator, but I think it's too much to ask for everyone in the castle.
　Well, it's probably a good thing that everyone is happy with it.

''Will you teach me how to make it next time?''
'What?　But doesn't your father have [modeling]?
'I want to make it without magic. Like Kuon.
...if that's all right with you.

　Kuon nodded to me, a little embarrassed. Did we get a little closer?　
　What shall we make from Kudo's instruction? First of all, I should be able to make it from wood. Oh, it would be interesting to make a miniature magic train.
　Or maybe this castle could be expanded to a castle town. I'm getting excited.
　I was thinking about this when I gently patted my son's head.