Section 5: Father Check 5/A Present for Me

Good grief. Another area, another place full of ordinary objects at ridiculous scalebedroom ones, in this case.

As much as this place may feel like a fairy tale, it still gives me the creeps. There's just...something about it that makes me uneasy.

That we are seeing so many signs of life here, but a total absence of any other people around isn't helping that feeling, either.

Aren't fairy tales always like that? Personally, I think it's nice that things are so quiet and peaceful.

Even if someone who could use all these giant things did live here, they'd probably be the only one of their kind in this world.

For that matter, who knows if they would even use these things at all?

...Speak of the devil.

Welcome to the final checkpoint, everyone.

Whether you feel good about your previous test results and want to keep your momentum going...

...or you're worried you might not be passing muster and want to make up for lost ground...

...I hope you'll all keep doing your best to be perfect papas till the very end.

Now, let's head to our testing venue, shall we?

Hm?

？！

Out of ideas already? I thought we'd be getting something related to a bedroom this time around.

Unfortunately for you, I'm neither out of ideas nor trying to conserve resources.

I only thought this would be the best venue for the test, just like it was for the cooking test.

What's more, this isn't the only room you'll be using this time. This way, please.

？！

All right, here is your trial. The theme for this final checkpoint is...

"Perfect fathers give great presents!"

Hmm, I see. So we choose something from the selection here, and we'll be scored on our taste in gifts.

At least that sounds nice and straightforward.

As for whether a father's gift-giving sensibilities are indicators of perfection...

Well, perhaps from a child's perspective, I suppose.

It would be the height of tackiness to choose your presents right in front of the recipient, right?

That's what the living room is for. I'll be waiting there while you figure out what to give me.

Oh, incidentally, if you decide you'd rather give me something that isn't on any of these shelves...

...you're also welcome to get it somewhere else.

Somewhere else like, where?

This house's backyard is fully equipped with a VR system just like the one you used for the outing test.

All you need to do is virtually recreate wherever you need to go to get the materials you need.

While the items you get there may only be 3D projections...

...they'll still be counted as real gifts for the purposes of this father check.

I still don't know how any of this works, but the technology is certainly impressive.

It sounds like there's a strong emphasis on freedom of expression.

I'm guessing the thinking here is that fathers should have a wide array of options to choose from when it comes to gift-giving?

As usual, don't expect any hints from me. Now, are there any other questions?

？！

Since this is the last test, I'll make things easier for you.

Each of you will give me a different present, and I'll count the best score as the score for the whole team.

Oho! That gives us a bit of an advantage.

This way, even if three of us fall flat on our faces, the last one can still make up for it as long as they choose well.

Hang on, are you counting me for this? I'm just the bodyguard.

Of course I am.

Four presents means four times the chances to get a good score.

We can't leave you out just because you're on security. If I had a hundred subordinates here, I'd make all of them participate.

Got it. Then I'll do the best I can with what I have.

？！

Since we don't have any hints, we'll all just have to rely on our own innate gift-giving sensibilities.

So just like before, we'll go into this expecting to fail, but also do our best to establish a benchmark for the next run.

All that being said, it would certainly be a huge waste if two of us ended up giving the same present...

...so we should at least have a brief discussion before we go about it.

Now, does anyone have any thoughts they'd like to share?

I don't know anything about these kinds of toys, especially when it comes to figuring out which is supposed to be better or worse.

Plus, I get the feeling it'd be better to put our own unique spin on these gifts.

So I think I'll try making the kind of forest I'm familiar with in VR and look for something there.

That sounds good. I think I'll go with you then.

Hmm... Then as the rare mage who's said to be both "hip" and "with it," I'll see what I can find in this store.

How about you, Fujimaru?

？！

Very good. Then in order to avoid wasting time and effort, let's all start by taking a look around the store.

After that, we'll go use the VR and you two can look for your presents there.

But I want you to begin by coming with us.

You may think this place and these items have nothing of interest for you...

...but who's to say inspiration won't strike and lead you to something great?

That's not just true for gift-giving, mind you. It applies to all sorts of things.

Instead of writing new things off before you've even given them a chance...

...life tends to go better when you expect them to work out, even if you don't always understand why.

You know, I'm convinced. You can be surprisingly insightful sometimes.

What do you mean "surprisingly"?

Anyway, let's get started!

Make sure you all do your very best to choose gifts you feel embody what it means to be a perfect papa!

Welcome back, Fathers. Did you find some lovely presents for me?

？！

Teehee. Nice. Very nice.

I never get tired of seeing insects put up a valiant struggle.

Now then, who's going to be the first to give me a gift?

I will. I'm not at all confident in my choice, so I can at least go down swinging.

That's the spirit, lad. Have at it, then!

This is from me.

A bag? What is this?

(Sniff, sniff...) I don't recognize this aroma.

Hm, it doesn't smell bad, though. Kind of like medicinal herbs.

It's a custom wild animal ward I made by combining my magecraft with materials I found in the forest.

Even if a child were to end up lost in the woods by themself...

...as long as they had that ward, they should be safe from wild animals for at least fifty hours or so.

It'll protect them from wolves, wild boars, snakes, rats...even spiders, poisonous insects, leeches, and so on.

Yaaay! Thank you!

I thought you were probably the earnest sort of father, and this extra practical gift tells me I was right!

Even this weird aroma is kind of nice once you get used to it.

And I especially like how unique and special it feels by virtue of being handmade.

？！

Well, I figured a father's first concern would be his children's safety.

Which is why I thought I couldn't go wrong with something that would help keep them, uh, safe.

Bit of a curveball, but I guess it worked out better than I expected.

Oh, I also made the bag's string extendable, so you can easily wear it around your neck

Sixty-two points. I'll just put it over here.

Hm? Did you say something?

... ...No. Nothing important...

Don't cry, Kadoc! I'll avenge you!

I'm not crying!

Listen. You should have been more confident in your choices.

A perfect father never doubts himself.

Thinking about him now, my father certainly had his share of peculiarities...

...but I always respected him for his unshakable confidence.

That helped me realize I should follow suit and give a present I was completely sure would go over well.

That is how a perfect father fathers perfectly.

So, just like how my own papa's present awakened me to one of my favorite hobbies...

Take this!

I elegantly stroke my mustache... Gaze at my child with affection... And say:

"Here you go, honey. A little gift from your father. It's a model of a top-of-the-line supercar."

"What do you think? Pretty cool, right?"

Fifty points.

Oh, but I guess I can leave it here as decoration. Nice try.

？！

Dammit! I thought this was one of those times where you're supposed to be true to yourself!

？！

？！

Ooh! Thank you!

Oh, excellent design, very soft to the touch...

...and its eyes are so round and cute!

？！

Huh? You mean, this creature actually exists?

？！

(I see. So he means to use the plushie to elicit interest in the real fur ball, thereby persuading her to let us out.)

(And that, right there, is why you're Chaldea's pride and joy!)

(Of course, whether your plan actually works or not is another matter...)

So, this creature really exists, huh? Hmm...

？！

That? I just used data I happened to find on hand as reference.

Which is to say, I got it from Chaldea's public and private databases.

Reading other people's private databases seems like the sort of thing you really shouldn't do...

...but I suppose it does explain why you had so many miniature cars that were perfectly suited to my tastes.

At any rate... You're right!

This plushie is indeed simple, nicely made, and adorable. I give it...eighty points!

Good. We've managed to keep our score at about the same level.

Way to go. Nice job making up for our failures.

And that's not all. We still have one last ace up our sleeves!

Go on, Oberon!

Of course. Leave it to me.

The truth is, I had to think long and hard about whether to go modern or classic.

A modern gift would need to be useful in daily life. A classic one would need to be memorable.

Both seemed equally valuable to me, so I couldn't choose one over the other.

But since we're in a fairy-tale world, I decided to go with something that reflects my princely side!

And on that note... Here you are, Kazuradrop.

What is it?

It's a crown I made out of flowers. Naturally, I made sure to avoid anything poisonous.

I once made something similar for the fairies, you see. Not too shabby, right?

？！

(Indeed. The hint of awkwardness and bluntness should actually enhance its appeal. I'm sure of it.)

(So there's something special about this, beyond what sheer polish can do. Huh. Good to know.)

Well!? What do you think!?

Oh, this is worth seventy-eight points. Thank you.

I'll still hang it up here, but honestly, this is exactly the kind of thing I expected from you. I'm a little disappointed.

Oh. I suppose you didn't care for it, then. (Looks like I was a little TOO straightforward.)

Well, at least you accepted it, so it wasn't a total waste. I was prepared for the possibility that you might just throw it out.

I don't recall asking for your commentary.

Besides, I thought things might go this way. Flower crowns are really supposed to be given privately, not in front of an audience.

？！

I understand. That flower crown might have looked like it was thrown together unceremoniously...

...but considering your character, it was actually one of the most special presents you could have given.

So for it to fall so flat, well...

Even if you had just thrown it together, the emotional damage would have to be significant.

Just imagining how it would feel if I had been in your shoes makes me want to curl up in a blanket!

Ahaha, you really don't get how princes work, do you, Goredolf?

Fairy-tale princes fail way more often than we succeed. And we're never around when it really matters.

Anyway, it looks like, thanks to Fujimaru's gift, we'll be walking away from this with eighty points.

So now the question is, did we only do okay, or did we manage to keep our score high enough?

Teehee. Nervous? Excited? Trembling with anticipation?

All the results will be made clear once you cross the finish line.

And now that you've finished the final checkpoint, I don't want to draw things out either, so I made the rest of the course nice and short.

Please enjoy the final leg of your trip as you make your way to the finish line.

Bye for now!

Good grief.

Even after everything that's happened, it looks like our only choice is to keep heading for the goal.

Indeed. Now that we've come this far, we'll just have to see how we ultimately did.

All right, let's get going.

We've still got at least one last fun drive ahead of us, so we may as well enjoy it!