Chapter 628: Hobby Shop and the Pasta Festival

We decided that the day after we finished our whirlwind tour of America would be another free, relaxing holiday. Doing whirlwind tours on consecutive days is tough, after all…

That said, it didn’t mean we would just lounge around the house, but rather a loosely planned holiday where we would do what we wanted to do nearby.

Yae and Yakumo, Hildegard and Frei, and Lucia and Arcia were apparently heading together to a nearby restaurant that had a bit of a reputation.

Everyone has gotten quite used to Earth by now, so I don’t think there will be any strange trouble, but I emphasized that they must contact me or my parents if anything happens.

Elze and Elna, Linze and Linne, Sakura and Yoshino, and Sue and Steph said they were going to the movie theater in front of the station to watch a movie. Apparently, they are going to see some American animated film. Is it one from that company with the mouse mascot?

The remaining six—Yumina and Kuon, Leen and Quun, and Alice and myself—have come to a nearby hobby shop, which was a rare request from Kuon.

This shop is famous even in this area for its rich assortment of products, ranging from model trains to plastic models, miniature cars, radio-controlled cars, figures, and military goods. It seems there is even an all-weather RC circuit next door. That’s amazing.

As soon as we arrived, the children were lured in by the capsule toys lined up in front of the store. Hey, aren’t you going inside?

“Leen-san, this cat doll is cute!”

“Oh, really. Shall we buy some as souvenirs for everyone?”

In fact, my wives were lured in as well. The capsule toys of Japan are to be feared.

Besides, I don’t have that many 100-yen coins… Can’t you spin them on the way back?

When I said that, everyone reluctantly began to enter the store.

“Wow, there are so many different things!”

Alice shouted as she entered the store and tried to run off, but I grabbed her firmly to stop her. No running inside the store!

Indeed, various hobbies are lined up here and there in the spacious store.

RC-related items are on the right, military-related items are behind them, boxes of plastic models are lined up in front of the counter, and further back are figures and model trains.

This really tickles a man’s heart. I feel like I’m reverting to childhood. Well, my body is that of a child, though.

Quun, with her eyes sparkling, went off toward the mini four-wheel drive plastic models and RC-related section.

She has liked them ever since she ran them in the garden… As for her mother, Leen, she is standing and reading a specialized magazine in the military corner. World Secret Weapon Encyclopedia is quite a disturbing title…

Kuon walked briskly straight to the plastic models. Naturally, Alice followed behind him.

The remaining two of us, Yumina and I, vaguely followed Kuon and the others.

About half of the plastic model shelves are robot-related. The rest cover a wide range, including tanks, airplanes, battleships, castles, cars, and bikes—so-called scale models—as well as beautiful girl characters and animal characters.

I don’t really get this cup ramen plastic model… And this one is a game console plastic model…? You can’t actually play games on it, right? It’s a deep world, somehow…

Kuon ignored the robot-related items and was comparing boxes one by one in the diorama kit section, looking at things like castles and a “Mountain Pass Teahouse.”

“He has refined tastes for my own child…”

“Well, that is Kuon, after all…”

Since Kuon stopped moving from there, I decided to browse the store myself.

The robot plastic models from the anime I used to watch before going to the other world were no longer there, and a new series was lined up. I haven’t had much time to watch anime lately, so they were all works I didn’t know.

This is probably the protagonist’s machine. Eh, the protagonist is a girl even though it’s a robot anime…? That’s the times for you.

Maybe I’ll buy a few as souvenirs for the doctors. They might serve as a reference for new Frame Gears.

Now that the Apostles of the Evil God have been exterminated, one might think Frame Gears would become useless white elephants, but that’s not the case.

Due to the fusion of the two worlds, giant beasts appear more frequently than before, and they can also be utilized for rescue during natural disasters.

As long as Golems exist, things similar to Frame Gears will eventually be created in other countries, and before long, they will likely be used for military purposes too.

So, the doctors are apparently considering leasing out the critical core components of the Frame Gears as a black box.

The idea is to rent out only a set number of critical core units, and let them build the exterior however they like.

We hold the important parts, so even if they try to build a new machine, they won’t be able to operate it without our consideration.

Well, it might not go that conveniently, but in reality, no one has yet created a Golem identical to the ancient “Legacy” machines from scratch.

Creating a G-Cube and Q-Crystal from zero is a feat of extreme difficulty. Just like that, the idea is for us to make only the critical central organs of the Frame Gears here and lease out a certain number.

Of course (I don’t know why it’s “of course”), they mentioned attaching a self-destruct device to prevent analysis.

It’s not a self-destruct device that blows up the Frame Gear, but one that causes the black box itself to melt and vanish if someone tries to forcibly dismantle it. So, calling it a self-elimination device is probably more accurate. Well, if they did such a thing, we wouldn’t lease to that country anymore, though.

If it goes well, in a few years, we might see unique Frame Gears that strongly reflect the characteristics of each country. Like a cold-weather specification for the Kingdom of Elfrau, or a jungle camouflage specification for the Kingdom of Mismede?

It might be possible to hold a tournament every few years where Frame Gears representing countries fight each other. The winning country could become the representative of the World Federation.

I mean, it’s not good for me to be the Chairman of the World Federation forever… I need to push it onto someone else around this time…

It might be interesting to have a school where one can specialize in learning about Frame Gears. While thinking about such idle things, I browse the plastic models.

Does this machine transform and change shape…? That could work. Doc Babylon would be pleased.

“Hey, hey, Your Majesty. Can you make something like this?”

“Hmm?”

Alice called out to me while I was browsing the plastic models. In her hand, she held a so-called beautiful girl character plastic model. The box illustration showed an idol-like girl wearing mech-like equipment.

“If you ask if I can make it, I think I can, but… I probably can’t make it look like this package, you know? I think Kuon could make it better…”

“No, not that. I want you to make a plastic model of me like this.”

“Hmm? Of ‘me’… You mean, make a plastic model kit of Alice?”

“Right. And then I’ll have Kuon build it. I’ll make him obsessed with me!”

That’s heading in a… rather peculiar direction…

It seems she is a little annoyed that Kuon is obsessed with plastic models. She has been ignored for a while now…

The light has gone out of Alice’s eyes. This is the dangerous kind…

But to ask to be made into a plastic model herself…

I think it is possible to use [Modeling] to create the base statue and then separate the parts in the “Workshop” to make it into a kit. I made the Frame Gear plastic models that way, too.

“It’s not impossible, but…”

“Yay! Then I’ll send you photos of me in various clothes!”

Wait! Not just one type?! Do you intend to make Kuon build that many?!

Alice happily started fiddling with her smartphone, and several photos arrived as email attachments. There are so many!

There’s even a swimsuit one… If her father, Ende, finds out, there might be a rain of blood…

If I have to make so many, I think it would be easier to make a base figure and just swap the clothes… wait, that would turn it into a dress-up figure…

Attaching clothes to a figure of Alice in her underwear—that would definitely get me killed by Ende.

What if Kuon’s proclivities get warped? In that case, Yumina would probably beat me up…

Watching Alice leave in a good mood, I decided to put this matter on the shelf of my mind until I return and consult with Ende… Of course, with Melle and the others present as witnesses. If Ende goes crazy, I’ll have them stop him.

Even if the figure can’t be made, if I say my parents didn’t give permission, no complaints should come my way…

“Oh, this bike is cool.”

Having moved my eyes from the robot model shelf to the scale model shelf, I picked up a box of a bike I liked and looked at the description and photos on the side.

Then, Quun came over from the other side carrying a huge box.

“Hey…”

“Father! This is an absolute buy!”

Quun slammed the large box down in front of me. This is a circuit course for running mini four-wheel drive electric cars, isn’t it? They sell this in stores…?

Whoa, it’s quite a price…

“One isn’t enough to make a sufficient course, so let’s buy five or six!”

“No, no, no, no.”

I understand what she’s saying. With just this one, it’s only a loop course. I get that she wants to buy a lot to make a complex course, right? I get it, but.

“You don’t need to go out of your way to buy it; Quun could make it with [Modeling], couldn’t you…?”

I also built and raced them when I was a child, but the course was my grandpa’s handmade one. Still, I raced enthusiastically with my friends.

“Father doesn’t understand anything! This is! The real thing! Not a knockoff! It’s an official course authorized by the manufacturer, you know!? What are you thinking, not buying it!”

I got scolded severely. No way.

From there, Quun’s furious presentation began, and having lost the battle of wills, I decided to buy them for her. Yes, six of them…

Well, if we were in the other world and strictly couldn’t get them, that would be one thing, but since we can get them now, I guess there’s no reason not to buy them.

It also supports the manufacturer making them… In Quun’s case, it feels like excessive support, though…

Fortunately, this shop seems to offer a delivery service, so I’ll have them sent to my parents’ home. It looks like they will arrive tomorrow, so I’ll ask Mom and the others to receive them…

Quun, now in a good mood, went off to browse the main four-wheel drive machines. I assume that won’t be just one or two either…

Sighing, I wander around the store. Perhaps because it’s a weekday, there aren’t many children. If anything, there are older men here and there. Are these people working…?

While thinking about unnecessary things, I came across Kuon holding a product and looking at the description on the side.

I thought it was a plastic model, but it seems to be something different. Like some kind of engine… what is that?

“What is that?”

“It’s a compressor for an airbrush. I had the future Doc make me something similar, but this one seems to allow for finer adjustments…”

I see, a compressor for an airbrush. …I see, I don’t really get it.

An airbrush is that thing that paints like a spray, right? A compressor is the thing that sends air for it, right?

“Sure, if you’re interested, let’s buy it.”

“Eh, but…”

“If you miss buying it here, you might not be able to buy it for a long time, you know?”

“Ugh… …Please.”

There is a shopping maxim: “If the reason you are hesitating is the price, buy it. If the reason you are buying is the price, stop.” In this case, we don’t need to worry about the price. Then it’s better to buy. Well, I wonder about buying many of them like Quun… No, she has a reason, so it’s fine…

“Is this the one you want?”

“Yes. It seems to have the best performance.”

The price is… Ooh… This costs quite a bit too… Hobbies sure cost money…

“Huh? Is this just the compressor? This sends the air, right? Wouldn’t it be meaningless without the spray-gun-like part at the tip?”

“Um, yes…”

Geez. Don’t hold back, kid. Since we’re at it, let’s buy everything needed for painting. This painting booth looks convenient too. With this, you can use the airbrush indoors. Since we’re doing this, bigger is better. Let’s go with this one.

“Um, if we spend too much money…”

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry. I still have war funds, and if push comes to shove, I can ask  Dad and Mom… (this refer to Touya’s parent)”

“No, not that. I’m worried that if my sisters find out I had this much bought for me, they’ll make a fuss…”

Ah… that. I forgot about that. They will definitely say, “Us too!” …No.

“Kuon hasn’t bought stuffed animals or anything until now, right? This is compensation for that, so there’s no problem.”

…Let’s push through with that. If asked, “Then what about Quun’s?”, I’ll say, “That’s for everyone!” and push through with that too… Can I push it through…?

Just in case, to curry favor, let’s buy some animal figures that the children would like…

Oops, I have to buy something for Fuyuka too. I’ll ask Yumina to help me browse for something cute.

Kuon seems to have started getting interested in crafting tools now. Alice is looking for beautiful girl plastic models and figures that resemble her.

Leen is stopping Quun, who is trying to buy various things without limit. That was good. I thought I’d be made to buy every type of mini four-wheel drive…

Even so, the store clerk was slightly put off by the considerable amount we ended up buying.

Since everyone except me looks like a foreigner, he seemed to think they were souvenirs for returning home and didn’t dig too deep. Well, “souvenirs for returning home” isn’t wrong.

I decided to have everything except the children’s souvenirs delivered. Receipt will be tomorrow.

We left the shop and almost carelessly started to go home, but Kuon pointed at the capsule toys in front of the shop and asked, “Are we done with these?” causing everyone to voice an “Ah.”

I handed all the 100-yen coins in my wallet to Yumina and the others and let them use the gacha within that limit.

Recent capsule toys are expensive, aren’t they… I feel like they were a bit cheaper when I was a child.

Grandpa used to say, “In the old days, you could buy them for ten or twenty yen,” but is that true? Well, the contents are probably different, and there’s the rise in prices too.

But what about the lineup of capsule toys here…?

Is there a demand for Buddhist altar fitting figures…? This one is just a stone, you know? What is a stone figure? This one is a cornerstone… I don’t understand the meaning anymore… I don’t understand the meaning, but I understood well that it’s a very deep world.

While putting the bought capsule toys into [Storage], we walked the path home. Just as I was about to contact Lucia to say we’d buy ingredients for today’s dinner, I spotted Arcia waving from the other side of the crosswalk.

“It looks like they were just heading back too.”

The signal turned green, and Arcia and Lucia, Yae and Yakumo, and Hildegard and Frei came over to our side.

“How was the restaurant?”

“It was quite delicious. Though the seasoning was a bit strong.”

“That ruins the taste of the ingredients. If they just held back the salt a little more, it would be just right.”

The reputable restaurant is nothing in the face of Lucia and Arcia. Restaurants have to make many types of dishes efficiently, so it might be hard for them to do it that finely.

“It didn’t quite suit me either. Though I do like noodles.”

“I felt it was a bit heavy too. Or rather, the sauce was heavy…”

“Really? It was plenty delicious to me, though.”

“Me too. But the portion was a little lacking, maybe.”

Yae and Hildegard weren’t impressed, but Yakumo and Frei seemed satisfied. It seems the sense of taste differs by age too. Normal people aren’t that particular, though.

“Ah, it’s Linne and the others!”

Alice, who was walking in front, suddenly dashed off. Looking ahead, Linne and the others were walking in a group. Oh, everyone ended up together.

“How was the movie?”

“It was fun! You know, the girl! Actually… Mmph.”

“No, Linne. No spoilers.”

Linze covered Linne’s mouth from behind as she started to talk about the movie’s content. So it was interesting. Then, so we can all watch it when it gets streamed, I’d better stop the spoilers as Linze said.

We decided to stop by a nearby supermarket together and buy ingredients for dinner.

It seems the restaurant Lucia and the others went to was famous for pasta, and now they are in the mood to make pasta today. …It’s a bit peculiar that they are in the mood to make it, not eat it… Are Yae and the others okay with pasta for both lunch and dinner consecutively?

“If it is different, I think there is no problem.”

“That’s right. If it’s something lighter this time.”

It seems it’s no problem. Something lighter would be Japanese-style pasta with tuna and grated daikon radish, or soup pasta with clams and mushrooms. Asari (clams) for assari (light)… No, a silly pun came to mind.

Anyway, it seems they will make many kinds. I was asked what would be good too, but… hmm, maybe a simple peperoncino would be fine. I want to eat something with a kick.

Naturally, for over twenty people, the weight of the pasta is nothing to sneeze at. Even though I put it in [Storage] once we leave the store, it became quite an amount.

Besides that, eggs for carbonara, minced meat for meat sauce, bacon for neapolitan—anyway, many types of ingredients are needed.

In the blink of an eye, the basket of the cart Elze was pushing became full. Even though it’s my own affair, a big family is tough…

That day’s dinner was a Pasta Festival. Not in the form of one plate per person, but a buffet (?) style where one takes small portions of what they like from many various pastas onto a serving plate.

Starting with the peperoncino I requested, there were known ones like neapolitan, bolognese, vongole bianco, arrabiata, pescatore, genovese, and meat sauce, as well as a few that looked original.

The curry-flavored pasta was surprisingly delicious. No, everything was delicious, actually.

Tomorrow is another whirlwind tour, and the final day after that is scheduled to be spent slowly at home.

This trip is also approaching its end. When we return to the other world, we will part with the children.

I can’t imagine life without the children anymore, but… will we be able to let them go…?