Tensei Shite Inaka de Slowlife wo Okuritai

Chapter 251: Let's Make A Castle Of Sand

A match to decide which of us can make a greater castle out of sand on the beach. Having decided to play like that, Eric and I take a distance from each other, considering the space that will be required to let each of us make a castle.

Thinking of the size of the castle I’m going to make, it’s better if I simply took around 10 meters of distance from each other.

「Oi, Alfried. Don’t you think that’s too far a distance between us?」

「That’s cause I’m going to make a large castle. So it’s better to have a wider space」

「Just how big of a castle are you going to make」

Eric said while laughing scornfully when I answer like that.

Indeed, when you look at the space I took between us, it’s obvious that he will laugh scornfully at me. It’s impossible to be able to make something like a castle of sand no matter how infinite the sand may seem.

However, such an idea was only when you try to do it normally. It becomes possible if you use magic.

Giving a sidelong glance at Eric - who is diligently gathering the sand by hand -, I cast an Earth magic.

I control the sand in this spot using my magic power as they start to quickly gather in front of me.

It may be possible to make a life-size Misphilt castle using all of the sand in this place, but if I do that then Eric’s territory will suffer enormous damage so let’s stop thinking of making it like that.

And the entire village - including Eric’s mansion - will be going to get covered in its shadow if it’s a life-sized one.

A castle with a scale that is a little bigger than My Home should be just the right size, I guess.

I slowly start to make the shape of the gathered sand castle while recalling the image of the Misphilt castle I saw back in the royal capital.

I never went inside, but I’ve seen the bird’s eye view of the castle from the sky back then so I memorized the general shape of the castle.

Naturally, there are some parts I don’t know about, but it would be great if the real one is like this. Rather, I’ll add my own selfish desire to it.

When you make something huge using Earth magic, the point to keep in mind is that not to suddenly make the details but you have to first make the entire basic shape of the thing you want to create like a square shape. It’s easier to recall the scene from your mind while slowly shaping it so that it can be made more accurately.

And after you finished making the overall shape, next is smoothing out the useless square-shaped portion and making a roof, making indentations on the wall to create windows. And after you're done finishing the detailed works like that, all that’s left was the polishing.

It’s better to use magic for the rough parts, but in the end, you have to do it manually to make it practical.

After finding the rough parts using magic, I use Earth magic to create shaving tools and use my hand to make the castle closer to my ideals.

……what a nostalgic feeling this is.

I often played with sand in the park back when I was a kid in my previous life, making things such as mountains and sand dango.

However, I no longer play with sand or dirt anymore as I grew older.

The common reason not to play with them is mostly that your hands will get dirty by the sand and dirt when you play with them, but it also tends to be embarrassing to play with sand as an adult.

Well, it’s certainly like that but I’ve liked playing with sand and dirt to make things like sand dango or sand mountain since a long time ago. I mean, we can be free from other thoughts as we play with it - and without thinking of anything - and it was because I liked making things.

Though the scale is now different, sure enough, playing with dirt like this is fun.

As long as I have the time, I feel like I can make it all day long.

「……oi, Alfried」

Just as I was immersed in making the Misphilt castle, Eric call out to me from behind.

「What? I’m just at the good moment right now you know?」

I’m currently using Earth magic to make a ladder and climb on it to improve the quality of the windows of the Misphilt castle.

I can’t let go of my hands from the ladder now, so I’d like to talk later.

Not knowing my feelings, Eric opens his mouth without minding me.

「I was watching from the side, but don’t you think it has gone past the level of magic used in playing? It’s only been several minutes but a Misphilt castle the size of our mansion is already finished……」

「Eric, there is no such thing as being too much in playing you know? It’s fine as long as you’re having fun」

「I can understand that but I can’t accept it. I was brought up in this village, but I’ve never seen such an impressive work made out of sand」

Eric looks up at the Misphilt castle while being half-amazed. As expected, I’m feeling happy that the thing I made was being praised.

「It’s pretty good, isn’t it? But, we’re now in a match you know. So Eric should also return to your place and make a Misphilt castle」

「You think I feel like making anything after seeing something like this, huh!」

Eric says as he looks frustrated when I gestured with my hand as though I’m driving him away ‘shoo shoo’.

When I look to the place where Eric was, there is just a dense pile of sand mountain finished, a far cry from the Misphilt castle.

「Uーwa! Amazing! It’s a castle made of sand! Are you the one who made this!?」

Just when I was making fun of Eric, I heard a boy shout - who had come close to us at some point.

He has tanned, light brown skin and brown short hair. With green eyes, a friendly-looking smile on his face, and his front tooth can be seen to be missing a part.

He looks stu――I mean, like a typical naughty brat who seems to come from the countryside.

He talked to us in a very over-familiar manner, but is he Eric’s friend?

Wearing a white sleeveless shirt and blue shorts. Based on his clothing, he’s probably a kid from the village.

When I look toward Eric as if asking him about the kid, Eric also looks to be confused.

Apparently, Eric doesn’t even know him.

「O, oniichan that’s rude! That person, he is probably also a noble-sama since he is together with Eric-sama!」

While there is a confused atmosphere between us, a semi-long brown-haired girl comes running from behind the boy.

It looks like she’s this stupid-looking boy’s sister.

「Ueeeh!? Are you serious!? He doesn’t look like one at all! Uoh! Rather, Eric-sama is also here!」

The boy is surprised that I’m a noble and also that Eric was here.

Sorry about that. I don’t have the aura of a noble.

「Umm, I’m sorry. My brother was being rude, not knowing about noble-sama……」

「It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m from the same Baron house as Eric, and I’m not the type who cares about it that much」

The little sister desperately apologizes to her brother in a nervous manner when I look somewhat hurt by what he said.

You’re not gonna get particularly angry about it when you look at the imoto who looks really apologetic.

「O, ooh, I’m glad that noble-sama is generous」

「Onichan, please look more carefully before you act」

「Well, I can only rush over if there’s such an amazing sand castle here」

The little sister rebuked her somewhat amazed older brother.

Looking at her appearance and the atmosphere around her, the little sister gives the impression of being a shy girl but on the other hand, the older brother doesn’t seem to be that way.

Maybe the little sister has a higher hierarchy within the family? I become worried about it in spite of myself.

「Ah, I’m sorry. I am, the daughter of the daughter of this village’s decorator, my name is Kuina (クイナ)」

「I’m Kuina’s brother, Tornell…… (トルネル) Uuuh!」

And, just before the boy - Tornell - finish introducing himself, Kuina’s elbow dug into Tornel’s side.

「Kuina, that hurts!」

「Oniichan, politely introduce yourself」

「……my name is Tornell」

Tornell raised an objection to her action while pressing his side but perhaps he was overwhelmed by the intensity of Kuina’s serious tone and quietly obeyed.

And when Eric and I involuntarily look at Kuina, she turned her face down, looking shy.

It looks like she can say things confidently to her brother but otherwise, she’s a little weak in terms of talking to other people.

Well, I guess it’s the common type of relationship between an older brother and his younger sister.

Though I can’t talk with my sister so strongly……

「Then I think you already know, I am the second son of this lord’s territory, Eric Sylford」

「「Yes, I know 」」

Unfortunately for him, it does seem that they know Eric while they are the resident of the territory’, huh.

Oh well, it looked like the two of them know about Eric from the start, guess it was a waste of my expectation.

I mean, ‘Who is Eric here?’, if it were that kind of response that came out, then Eric will become greatly embarrassed though.

After Eric finished introducing himself, it was my turn as the remaining person not introducing myself yet.

While being stared at by the three’s gazes, I opened my mouth and was about to talk, but then I immediately close my mouth.

「I am Eric’s…hey Eric. We’re pretty much friends, right?」

「Unfortunately, due to the incident last time I am obliged to have that kind of relationship with you」

Eric returns an extremely rude reply when I ask him just in case.

Fine then. I was somewhat careful since I’m a noble from another territory, but since he had that kind of stance toward me, then I won’t care about it either.

From now on, I will consider Eric the same as Torr and Asmo, a bad company category.

「Oh well, I’m making a friend with such a troublesome fellow here, my name is Alfried Slowlett」

「Oi, what do you mean by ‘a troublesome fellow’!」

「Quiet. In any case, you have this kind of unsociable face and a troublesome personality anyway, you don’t have many friends, right?」

「Tha, that’s not true! I can talk to Titus, Urubas, and Garibasu just like before!」

Eric says in a strangely impatient tone when I confidently said that.

That, wasn’t that just talking to some ossan and not to people of your age?

And when I quietly stare at him,

「Come to think of it, I never saw Eric-sama talking to someone of his age, y’know?

」

「Oniichan! You can't say something like that!」

And the remarks of Tornell and Kuina are undeniable evidence of that fact.

I think Kuina was saying that in consideration of Eric’s feeling, but I think that just made it pierce deeply into the person in question the most.

And perhaps Eric - who had been refuting that fact - couldn’t stand it anymore that he has a depressed look on his face.

But when I think about it, I was also like Eric before I meet Torr and Asmo.

Speaking of a relationship with people other than my family where I can speak familiarly, it was only with Bartolo and Roomba. I didn’t have any friends of the same age as Eric, and I felt quite a bit of impending crisis in my life.

I unconsciously got angry at his rude answer earlier, but now that I think of it I can tolerate it.

So I put my hand on Eric’s shoulder and gently tell him.

「It’s fine. Eric. You have me as a friend, right?」

「Alfried. I also have the privilege to choose my friends, you know?」

This guy, I don’t care anymore. What a hassle.

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