Chapter 109: Alfried’s Sky Fort
Author note: Please note that this time I changed the writing style in the latter half of the story.
「The sky is also blue today……」
I looked up at the sky that spread out and filled my field of vision while lying down on the observation platform.
The observation platform is at the top of the mainmast, it has enough space for two adults to stand. If people squeezed themself, then maybe it can hold four people.
With that much space, a seven years old boy like me can lie down with room to spare.
This small cramped space is just like my own secret base, and it’s fun.
Properly speaking, this narrow space here is cramped, but when you think about the walls surrounding it, it seems to be okay. Oddly enough.
Just with this small space alone, it won’t be invaded by just anyone as it became my base.
For that reason, I’m feeling excited in this cramped place.
And besides, this base is around thirty meters above the sea surface.
There is no other guy who is as tall as me.
People can’t invade this place without climbing the shroud to come here.
Of course, since I’m here I won’t let people do such a boorish thing.
Just by hanging on the shroud alone, the weight of your body will make the shroud make a creaking sound, so if people climb up I will be able to notice it immediately.
So as soon as Irvine or Mort and the others climbed up, I can just pour some boiling water on them.
Fufufu, isn’t this a perfect fort! This is truly my own Sky Fortress! No one can violate my sanctuary!
If I have this fort, I’m confident I can intercept Eleonora-neesan before she can invade.
But well, let’s leave that sister of mine and take a nap or something.
The ship is sailing with the wind, it moves forward while being swayed by the waves.
The swaying from the waves spread throughout the entire ship, and even the observation platforms slightly sway.
However, judging from the feeling of lying down on the observation platform, I feel so comfortable, just like a baby being soothed in a cradle. It’s as if the constant swaying from the surging and receding of waves are inviting me to the land of dreams.
There are sea birds above me, chirping while flying around *kuu kuu*.
When I heard that, it made me think ‘Ah, I’m on the sea right nowー’.
The chirping of birds in Koryatt village is pleasant, but the chirping of seabirds is also nice…
The moderate sounds of birds chirping that echo without them being noisy makes me feel relaxed.
Not all things with a small body are bad.
Because of that, I was able to enjoy it in this manner now. Let’s fully enjoy it.
However, if I were to say my dissatisfaction here then I guess it would be that the sunlight is too strong.
The season now is just after spring, but unfortunately, since there is no roof here, the sunlight completely shone down on me.
Even if someone said so many times that it’s not summer, basking in the sunlight thirty meters above the sea surface is harsh.
Let’s cover this place with a little cloth cover or something.
I use Space magic, I thrust my hand into the subspace while imagining a black cloth.
After that, a black cloth was grabbed with my hand, so I pulled it out.
Sure enough, the ultraviolet rays are absorbed by the black cloth. A white cloth to reflect the ultraviolet rays is also fine but, I have a lot of cut black cloth, and it’s not dazzling to the eyes.
Now then, I wanted to cover the place with the cloth but it seems like there is no protrusion here where I can fix the cloth as a cover.
I feel kinda bad but let’s shoot a small thumbtack with Earth magic here.
It’s fine. It’s just a fairly small thumbtack after all. It won’t be a problem with such a small hole.
I hammer in the thumbtack with the hammer I took out just now, then lie down again after covering the place with the cloth.
「Ooh, it’s not as blinding as before, and it’s cool.」
I can hardly see the sky but I think this is good.
If I want to get some sunlight again, all I have to do is just roll up the cloth.
I slowly close my eyes.
Aaah, but the floor is a bit hard.
Then, should I also lay out a blanket…
We mustn’t be greedy as human beings. Even if we’re satisfied with one thing, next will be that, and there is no end to that ‘next’.
However, for me who is faithful to living idly, I have no intention of restraining myself.
I immediately took out a blanket from my subspace and lay down on it.
And then, I take out a fresh towel blanket and place it neatly on my stomach.
After doing all that, I used Ice magic to spray around the cold air and lowered the temperature in my surroundings.
Aah, it feels nice and cold.
Should I make a bucket with Earth magic and toss some Ice inside it to maintain this cool feeling……
With this, it will naturally result in a pleasant sleep……
◆◆◆
Irvine realized that Alfried was not around, so he asked Mort who was lying down casually on the deck.
「Oi, Mort. Where’s Alfried-sama?」
「Ahh? Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him since some time ago. Just where did he go?」
Mort slowly raised himself and looked around the surroundings.
They hadn’t seen Alfried after they got tired from playing tag and Tarzan rope. They took a quick look at his cabin to kill time just now, but Alfried’s figure is nowhere to be seen.
After realizing that they can’t find Alfried’s figure anywhere on the ship, Irvine nervously said the worst-case pattern out loud.
「Oi oi, maybe he fell from the ship unnoticed by anyone or something?」
「Yeah, he’s a kid after all. Maybe he fell when he tried to look into the sea……」
Hearing what Irvine said, Mort’s face suddenly turned pale as he muttered.
At any rate, Alfried is a small seven years old kid.
It’s quite possible that he fell from the ship as he tried to look into the sea.
「Not good! If our escort target falls to the sea unnoticed, then this is a serious matter!」
「Wait, wait! Before that, let’s check the ship once again to make sure and ask the people around.」
Hearing Mort speaking, Irvine regained his calm.
That’s right. Alfried is a small kid, after all, so they might just overlook him.
Then, just when they thought to immediately ask other people, Aleutia called out to them.
「What are you being so noisy about this time?」
Maybe because Irvine and Mort had been making a fuss all the time, her gaze seems to say that they must have done something bad again or something.
「Ooh, Aleutia! Did you see Alfried-sama!? We can’t find him anywhere, y’know!」
「He may have fallen into the sea!」
When Irvine and Mort keep on talking, Aleutia puts her hands on her waist, looking exasperated.
「He’s not. That kid is at the observation platform on the mainmast.」
「Mainmast’s observation platform? What is he doing in such a cramped place?」
「Rather than that, just when did he climb that place……」
Irvine and Mort look at each other unconsciously.
「………haa, our escort target is a child, so look after him properly, will you」
Looking at the two’s appearance, further deepened Aleutia’s exasperation.
Although it’s their free time, adventurers can’t rest - even for a moment - as long as they have their escort target with them.
No matter how many colleagues you have watching over the target, not knowing the location of your escort target is not something that can be accepted. The two of them had taken a lot of escort quests, so they can’t retort to that because they understand that much.
「……in any case, shall we check the observation platform, then?」
「That’s right.」
◆◆◆
When Irvine and Mort climbed to the observation platform, they found a black cloth covering the platform.
「Ahh? There’s a black cloth on the observation platform?」
「A blind?」
Irvine and Mort tilted their head while putting their hand on the cover―however, there is a light brown nail-like thing fixing the black cloth in place and can’t be rolled up.
「……it’s been fixed with something that looks like a nail」
It looks like iron, but it’s not. This is something created with Earth magic.
The Jenga that Alfried made is also in this color.
At any rate, there’s no doubt that the kid is here, Irvine thought.
「Oh, this part here is not fixed in place. Imma roll it up.」
Mort beckoned, and Irvine moved to the other side.
And then, when he rolled up the black cloth, they could see Alfried’s figure as he slept soundly.
His small body is lying on the narrow space that is the observation platform.
Furthermore, there is a carefully laid blanket and a towel covering his stomach.
One can see just how serious he was trying to take a nap.
「This kid, sleeping in a place like this.」
「Rather than that, did Alfried-sama climbed here while carrying these blanket and towel by himself?」
「Does he want to sleep here that much………」
The two of them were utterly amazed despite themselves, but suddenly, they noticed that the surrounding air is cool.
「……somehow only this place feels cool, don’t you think?」
「Yeah. Only the air in this place is strangely cold……」
Just where does this pleasantly cold and refreshing air come from?
Irvine and Mort looked around to confirm it.
「Oi, there’s something in that bucket.」
「You’re right. It’s made with Earth magic. Amazing. There’s no distortion in the shape. Isn’t his skill better than Ilya?」
As long as you can use Earth magic, you can make anything. However, it is only possible to accomplish that when you have extraordinary skill in magic.
But even an ordinary Earth magician can at most make a simple wall or things with Earth magic, and it is difficult to make something like a tool. A magician is neither a blacksmith nor a designer.
If you don’t have remarkable observation and artistic skill, you won’t even be able to make a proper bucket.
If an ordinary person were to be the one to make them, it might result in a distorted shape or there might be holes in them.
And yet, Alfried said something ridiculous like he easily built his own My Home.
Even the royal court magician would be amazed.
「Aah, Ilya was depressed after seeing the Jenga.」
Surprised by Alfried’s elaborately-made Jenga, Ilya asked for a Jenga part from Alfried and has been practicing desperately, trying to recreate it.
That’s about it for the topic about magic, Mort leaned his body forward, trying not to wake Alfried as he touched the bucket.
「Cold!」
「Haaa? Why is the bucket cold? There’s no way there’s something like ice inside, yeah.」
Irvine said that as a joke, however, there is actually ice inside.
Mort grabbed the bucket and looked inside.
「……there’s ice.」
「Haa?」
Looking at Mort mutter seriously and gravely, Irvine also looks inside the bucket hurriedly.
It was densely packed with ice, emanating cold air continuously.
The two of them reached out for the ice involuntarily.
「Oi oi, how could there be ice in this kind of place!? It’s, spring has just passed, right? Was there ice in the cabin or something? 」
「There’s no one who would bring ice on a sea trip……rather, this is real ice. It’s really cold」
Later they thought, ‘If that’s the case, this is made with magic, right?’
They couldn’t think of anything else other than that. Who else in this world would pack a bunch of ice into the ship?
It was bound to melt and became useless if people decided to carry it.
And yet, Alfried-sama can make as many of them as he liked.
「……wanna borrow and use these?」
「……that, sounds good.」
When they end up thinking in that direction, there’s no hesitation at all. They look at each other's faces and laugh.
Author note:
『I, can talk to animal and monsters』
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