"Are you ready, kids?"
In front of the Homu Pirate Ferris Wheel, a kindergarten teacher stood leading a group of children.
"Yes, Captain!" XN
"Yay!"
"Certain adults, please stop casually imitating children!"
Zofia pulled Vill-V, who had been joining in on the fun, out from the middle of the kindergarten crowd.
...
Lying inside one of the cabins of the Homu Pirate Ferris Wheel, Vill-V's face was deathly pale.
"Ahhh—I'm going to die....."
Id Vill-V curled up in Hua's arms, her small body trembling violently. Wrenches, spare parts, and magic props were scattered all over the floor.
"What's wrong? You were all lively and excited just a moment ago."
That was an act. How could I show weakness in front of everyone?
Even kindergarten kids aren't afraid!
How could Vill-V be afraid?
A mere twenty-meter Ferris wheel....
"I-I'm not afraid of heights. It's just that this cabin's design is far too unsafe... This isn't all-ages-friendly at all!"
The amusement park's engineering had not been designed by Expert, but by Conductor. Engineering was originally Conductor's specialty. Hearing Id's complaints, she deliberately imitated Expert's tone and replied:
"Id, do you have any dissatisfaction with my work? If so, please clearly write it in the visitor satisfaction survey."
"It's not like the cabin is even shaking....."
"Whew, Hua-chan's chest is so reassuring."
Hua held Vill-V's head in her arms, then happened to glance at the adjacent cabin. The kindergarten children next door had opened their cabin door and leapt out directly.
"Boarding action, attack!"
The Homu Pirate Ferris Wheel was a twin Ferris wheel. The neighboring wheel ran right alongside it, only a single step away, making it easy to cross over.
Of course, even if they failed to make the jump, there was nothing to worry about.
"The ship's sinking—into the sea we go!"
Each Homu cabin was equipped with a Homu emergency airbag. Once the cabin door was opened, it would automatically deploy. In an instant, an inflatable slide would burst out, extending straight from the cabin down to the ground. This was one of the signature features of the Homu Pirate Ferris Wheel.
True warriors dare to jump from a Ferris wheel at high altitude!
Many of the children who leapt out had boarded precisely to experience the high-altitude slide.
The inflatable slide was extremely safe. Though it looked ordinary, its base was equipped with anti-fall airbags and shock-absorbing devices. There was no possibility of a child falling out midair. Their physical condition would be monitored throughout the entire descent to prevent any collision or sprain.
Even if a child changed their mind halfway, safety Homu balloons would gently carry them down to the ground.
Quite a few children were now sitting in safety Homu balloons, waving to their parents below.
Yes, the Homu Ferris Wheel's safety was so reliable that parents felt completely at ease without accompanying them.
The kindergarten kids next door were already jumping off the Ferris wheel. Naturally, Vill-V refused to be outdone.
She stood up.
"...Dragon Knight Vill-V will one day ride a mighty dragon.... How could I possibly... Waaahhh—"
Before Id Vill-V could finish speaking, one glance at the scenery outside frightened her so badly that she threw herself back into Hua's arms and resumed playing dead.
"Damn it. When the situation overpowers you, you endure. I'll record this grudge for now."
"One day, when I return to the vast earth below, the face Vill-V lost today will be reclaimed on the Homu seesaw!"
"By any means necessary, muahahaha—"
(Conductor: Are you a child?)
...
The Homu Family Park was a very Vill-V-style non-powered amusement park.
All the attractions were designed in a retro steampunk aesthetic.
As a family park, it would never neglect adults just because children were present.
Nowadays, many non-powered parks were obsessed with the concept of "learning through play." Parents constantly called for more educational projects, talking about stimulating children's curiosity and spirit of exploration.
To that, Vill-V had only one response: stimulate my foot. If you don't just have fun at an amusement park, what kind of amusement park is that?
If anything needed stimulating, it should be the adults' interest. Don't be fooled by parents chanting "learning through play" for their kids. Build something truly educational, and they suddenly refuse to bring their children at all.
What those parents really wanted was their own enjoyment. They had no desire to spend an entire day bored while watching their kids.
Designing attractions that genuinely appealed to adults wasn't easy—but for Vill-V, who possessed knowledge from the future, it was nothing at all.
Creative steam-spring seesaws, Krabby Patty ocean ball pits, and Tornado Destroyer climbing frames all employed ahead-of-their-time designs. They were stylish, visually striking, and irresistibly fun, attracting plenty of adults to play.
The Homu Family Park had also become the zone with the highest visitor satisfaction rating.
For children, it might feel a bit childish.
For adults, it was just right.
Take the Brick Bumper Cars, for example. You could select building blocks to construct your own bumper car. Every scene element in the arena could serve as a component, and there was no need to worry about running out of materials—robots continuously replenished commonly used bricks.
Parents could build their dream bumper car together with their child, showcasing their competence as adults while strengthening parent-child bonds.
As for safety, there was no need for concern.
Since it was a non-powered park, the bumper cars used low-energy components such as inflatable springs and rubber fans for propulsion. Their destructive force was limited. They wouldn't hurt children—at most, they would smash the bumper car back into scattered bricks.
Of course, you could also choose pedal power. Huck had chosen pedal propulsion.
Ordinary human strength was roughly equivalent to those low-energy components—but Huck was no ordinary person.
Thus, he became the flashiest presence in the bumper car arena. Like a raging bull, he rammed aside every child and adult blocking his path, reducing their bumper cars to piles of bricks.
"Chargeeeee!"
"I'll crush all of you! Nothing can stop me!"
"I! Am! War!"
Brick Bumper Cars required intelligence, luck, and strength. Huck possessed superhuman strength, so naturally he had no need for intelligence or luck.
"Hahaha, combat—so refreshing!"
Huck's bumper car slammed toward Vill-V's Homu bumper car—only to find himself flipped over instead...
Theoretically speaking, even without considering Huck's "pedal power," his muscular build made him far heavier than the slender girl Vill-V. No matter how you looked at it, Vill-V should have been the one sent flying...
"Wait a second... Vill-V, why is your bumper car a tank?"
Not only that, but to enhance the tank's stability, Vill-V had placed a massive rock on top as ballast, compacting the bricks.
The bricks, which would normally scatter easily, had been transformed into a genuine armored vehicle.
"Normally there wouldn't even be rocks in a brick arena! Where did you dig that up?!"
"Hehe~ This move is called—The weight of rock is reassuring."
Standing atop the bumper tank, Magician proudly explained.
To secure victory, Id had even called out Magician. Go—bring me triumph!
"The hell do you mean reassuring? Anyone who crashes into you is going to rest in peace, alright? It's just bumper cars—was all this really necessary?"
In truth, this was already the most reassuring tactic available. Aside from this, Magician had also prepared bounce-bounce bombs and Count Bunny inside the vehicle. If she truly couldn't win, she could even activate the self-destruct button and take everyone down with her.....
This was no longer a bumper car. It was a gunpowder barrel that would explode on contact. Huck's complaint wasn't wrong at all.
Don't ask where the bombs came from in a brick arena. If you must ask—handcrafted from scratch.
Placing one hand over her chest, Magician declared in a theatrical tone, her voice rising passionately:
"The bumper car arena can also be considered a stage. And since it is a stage, there must be one who stands in the brightest spotlight. Naturally, that person is me—and can only be me—"
"The genius Vill-V who commands the gaze of all!"
"This is a contest of skill, a magnificent performance, a duel fought for honor! Applaud and cheer for the birth of the Bumper Car King!"
"Please, Swan Lake—crush them!"
As expected, Vill-V soundly defeated all the kindergarten powerhouses and became the Homu Bumper Car King of this round....
A final great demon king who struck fear into both adults and children alike.
"Uh, Vill-V, try not to give people psychological trauma. If they stop coming, that'd be bad."
Huck brushed the broken bricks off his body and spoke helplessly.
"How could that be? Just look at those kids' expressions."
Huck glanced around. The children who had been defeated by Vill-V showed little discouragement.
On the contrary, their eyes shone with dazzling light.
At their age, failure wasn't a negative emotion. Instead, it made them realize they still had room to grow stronger in the future.
They longed to become like Vill-V, to build a super-cool battle tank of their own.
Some of the children had already banded together, beginning to imitate Vill-V's design.
Though crude, their enthusiasm was unmistakable.
"This is the power of innocence and original aspiration."
Just as Vill-V was speaking eloquently, a sneer sounded from afar.
"The power of innocence and original aspiration? Hmph. With ambition that small..... Laughable, Morch."
"Yes, Milord."
The "charging" brick battle tank was halted by an elderly man with a single outstretched palm.
He wore neatly groomed British-style gentleman's whiskers, dressed in a simple yet dignified black tailcoat, paired with spectacles. His entire bearing exuded pride.
At this moment, his arm was extended straight forward.
"Hah!"
With the old gentleman's sharp shout, the brick battle tank was engulfed in violent tremors.
Hahaha.
In just an instant, the brick battle tank collapsed.