Chapter 840: Swan Race Facility Enhancement

Setting the dividend calculation aside, we continued with the enhancement of the swan race.

Like spectator seats installation.

So far, each of the guests would be standing around the pond so we will set up spectators’ seats and we’re going to build it near the finish line.

Well, I asked the carpenters of Village Five to do it and they are just chaise lounge without backrest.

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We also need to set up sheds for the swans participating in the race.

There are around 30 swans participating in this race.

Thus, we built around 200 sheds. Each is big enough to accommodate a big dog.

Too many?

I don’t think so since there will definitely be more.

Me and the high elves of Big Tree Village were the ones who made them.

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And we also added additional ponds for the swans to practice.

Yes, more ponds.

There are not enough ponds.

It would be a problem if the swans on standby couldn’t enter the ponds during races.

Swan’s staple food is leaves and stems of aquatic plants after all.

They will not be able to eat during races.

Also, they cannot practice during races.

I don’t care if it’s just a small pond, but it would be great if there were two.

Impossible?

If you can’t, so be it.

We’ll take care of it.

It’s just that you built this pond yourself so I thought I could leave it to you.

If it’s impossible, I don’t mind.

If it’s impossible for you….

[I-I can do it!]

Odette worked hard and built two ponds.

However, she worked very hard and was obviously too exhausted.

She couldn’t even maintain her human form and is now a giant swan.

[P-praise me]

Of course.

You did well.

You’re awesome.

[No!]

Hnn?

[At least say, “You’re still beautiful even if you’re exhausted”.]

……

Well, the ponds were completed.

And it’s true that Swan is beautiful whether she’s a swan or in human form.

I praised her.

Ah, she recovered a bit.

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Since we’re going to collect money, we must have a good security system in place.

We also need living spaces for Odette and Odile.

Why not just go to the shrine?

A shrine is a shrine.

You want to be independent.

Right, there is also a need for a resting place for the guards, a waiting area for lost children, and a simple infirmary for those who are not feeling well.

The high elves of Big Tree Village and I built all of those in one fell swoop.

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We also prepared a place to sell betting slips and a place to give out winnings.

After the race is over, the winnings will be given to the people whose name is on the list.

That’s some high level of trust.

What if the house lies?

Or what if names go missing on the roster?

…….

Someone’s going to get beaten up?

I see.

That’s a little scary.

Well, we won’t lie to them.

I proposed a ballot system.

It is the style of horse and bicycle racing were using in my previous world.

People will be asked to buy tickets for the swan they think will win and payouts will be determined by the sales of the tickets.

The winning swan ticket will be redeemed after the race.

I wanted to use paper but there were preservation and other issues, so we decided to use wood stamped with hot iron.

To prevent counterfeiting, it was decided to use special wood for the wooden plates and to put a hidden mark as it was stamped.

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Since the multiplier, or rather, the dividend rate, was to be introduced as a variable system, the progress and final results had to be indicated.

There comes the literacy rate of guests problem.

Not everyone can read.

I would at least like to think that they can read numbers but there are some suspicious people out there.

In previous races, the swans wore capes with numbers written on them but some of the guests did not recognize them as numbers but symbols.

Even if we name the swans, some people won’t be able to read it.

Even if you show the competitiveness rating of the swans, some people just can’t read.

I wondered what to do but…..

Let’s just go with all.

The swans will be named but they will still be required to wear capes with numbers.

In other words, the same as before.

The competitiveness rating will fluctuate but it will not indicate a lie.

So even if they can’t read them, it doesn’t mean they can’t win.

It only changes the degree of expectations for the payout when you win.

For the house, whether the guests can read the multiplier or not, as long as we receive a winning ticket, we will pay out the corresponding amount.

That’s all.

So, please get help from someone who can read or learn to read by yourself.

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Next, the road.

The shrine is located on a mountain northeast of Village Five and the pond is at the foot of the mountain where the shrine is located.

From the shrine, the pond is at west-southwest direction and from Village Five, it is at north-northeast.

In other words, the pond is a little north of the road connecting Village Five and the shrine.

From the road connecting Village Five and the shrine, a path had been created that led to the pond.

It’s more of an animal trail but it’s easy to find because people are using it.

I see.

Then, we decided to further develop this trail.

Though we left it to the craftsmen of Village Five.

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As for food and beverage, there is a line of stores on the road to the shrine so there is no need to build near the pond.

I find it hard to invite the Goroun Company and the others since they can only make money on days with races.

Or so I thought but the Goroun Company asked me for a place to open a stall just on the days of races.

Since they asked, let’s prepare a place for them.

However, it will be too much work for the silver foxes to manage the stalls, so I had the Goroun Company take care of it.

I want it to be managed with the cooperation of the Goroun Company.

And as everyone would have already expected, I don’t want to make the cost of opening the stall too high.

Though I don’t mind those who are willing to pay more get a better place.

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So, is that how things will be?

Well, we’ll just have to figure out the rest as we go along.

……

Right.

We just left out the biggest problem.

No, it’s not about the dividend calculation.

That one is manageable.

I’m talking about the greatest problem of the swan race itself.

The swans.

They are migratory birds.

And since their stable diet is leaves and stems of aquatic plants, they are very territorial.

They need to claim their territory and monopolize food in order to survive.

In other words, wans are not the kind of creatures that will inherently stay in one place and race.

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Village Chief: Can you do something?

Odette: Can I?

TN: I missed the last part of the . I just updated it. Kindly check it out.