Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 211

In the evening, when I returned to the shop, the piles of wooden crates and materials had completely disappeared, and the usual neat and organized shop interior had returned.

“Good work! Did everything go smoothly?”

“Yes! Just a little while ago, master and I delivered everything to the Adventurers’ Guild!”

“You really finished by evening, huh?”

“If I get serious, something like that is a piece of cake.”

I wanted to tell her to get serious sooner, but knowing Saffy’s personality, that was impossible.

“Alright, Shuu-san! Show me the materials you gathered this time!”

“I don’t mind, but shouldn’t you take a break first?”

Lumia’s complexion looked worse than usual, with faint dark circles under her eyes. She was clearly sleep-deprived. I thought it would be better to check the materials tomorrow and let her rest today.

“I’m fine! More importantly, the materials!”

Even though I voiced my concern, Lumia didn’t seem to listen at all.

“Shuu-kun, if you had some unknown materials right in front of you, would you just turn back and wait until tomorrow because you’re tired?”

“Yeah, that’s impossible. I’ll bring them out right away.”

Understanding their feelings all too well, I decided not to press the matter further and pulled the materials from my magic bag.

“A Queen Ant’s nectar sac… It’s highly elastic and water-resistant. Seems like it could be useful for something.”

Saffy held up and examined the Queen Ant’s nectar sac.

The nectar inside had been completely removed, leaving just a squishy sack, but it seemed useful, so I kept it.

“This one is demon wood! It holds high-quality magic power and can be used as a medium for weapons or magic tools!”

Lumia picked up a piece of demon wood. My appraisal had already revealed that it was a universal alchemy material, so I made sure to gather more than just what I needed for my own use.

As expected, it seemed to be a highly prized material for alchemists.

“Queen Ant’s carapace, fangs, eyeballs, olive oil, bombcorn, sky fish fins, rubber leaves… A mountain of materials you rarely see. As expected of a gourmet sanctuary that attracts rare creatures and resources.”

Even Saffy, who was used to handling rare materials, couldn’t help but be impressed by the rarity of the resources found in the gourmet sanctuary.

“Once we’ve finished sorting and cleared the table, I’ll bring out the Galargon materials.”

At those words, Lumia and Saffy quickly organized the materials and cleared the table.

They seem eager to see the Galargon materials as soon as possible. Responding to their request, I took the Galargon materials out of my magic bag.

“Ohhh! So these are the Galargon materials!”

“The jet-black carapace and silvery-white fur are beautiful!”

Saffy and Lumia’s eyes sparkled as they gazed at the Galargon materials spread across the table.

They looked just like children who had discovered a new toy.

“The beak is very hard and heavy.”

“With just a little processing, it could be turned into a hammer.”

The chefs of the Artorius family had struggled quite a bit to carve the Galargon’s beak. With this level of strength, it would certainly make an effective weapon.

“Hmm, the feathers seem to hold wind magic…”

“Really!? How can we draw out its power?”

“It’s simple. Just infuse it with magic and swing it—like this.”

Saffy infused the Galargon feather with magic and swung it.

The feather glowed with a jade-colored light, and a gentle breeze swirled through the room.

And then, a problem arose.

There was one girl in this room wearing a skirt.

As soon as the wind blew, Lumia’s red skirt fluttered up.

“—!?”

Lumia had been focused on the Galargon’s wind magic, but the moment she realized her skirt was lifting, she hurriedly pressed it down with both hands.

I quickly averted my gaze, but not before I caught a clear glimpse of the pink fabric underneath.

With how dramatically it had blown up, it was inevitable that it would be seen.

“Master!”

“What? You were the one who told me to try drawing out the wind magic, Lumia.”

“That may be true, but there’s a proper way to do things!”

“It’s not like losing a little dignity is going to hurt you, is it?”

“That’s not the point!”

Being judged by Saffy’s low sense of shame must have been unbearable for her.

“What will you do about the materials?”

To change the awkward atmosphere, I brought up a different topic.

If I hadn’t, the conversation would have just gone in circles.

“I’ll buy all of them. How about this price?”

The amount Saffy offered was almost the same as what Artorius had proposed.

“That’s quite a large sum—are you sure it’s okay?”

I was glad they were willing to pay a fair price, but knowing the financial struggles of their shop, I couldn’t help but worry.

“We’ll figure something out, right?”

The workshop chief seemed carefree as ever, so I glanced at Lumia out of concern.

“…If we let this chance slip by, we might never get our hands on Galargon materials again. It can’t be helped. Yes, it can’t be helped.”

The way Lumia kept repeating “it can’t be helped” sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.

Yeah… they must really be struggling.

“Since you’re buying so much, should I lower the price?”

“Lowering the purchase price of materials means lowering the value of the materials themselves and the value of the gatherer! I could never do something so cruel!”

I made the suggestion, but Lumia shook her head.

“Please keep the price as it is.”

“Understood. Then, please transfer the payment to the usual account.”

Since this was a line she wasn’t willing to cross, I decided to respect her decision.

“Ugh… the guild earnings…”

It seemed they had made money from commissions like crafting raincoats and slime shoes, but the purchase amount this time was far greater. This deal would definitely put the shop in the red.

“What? Are you telling me to work again?”

“That’s exactly right. Specifically, I want you to accept the request from the Reilert family.”

“No way. Too much trouble.”

Seriously, this person never wavers.

The shop wasn’t going to go under immediately, but watching Lumia pore over the account books so intently was pitiful.

“If you accept the request from the Reilert family, I’ll give you something good.”

“Oh? Are you saying you’ll provide materials even better than the Galargon’s?”

“Yes. I believe it will be of even greater value to you, Saffy-san.”

Saying that, I pulled a bottle of fizzy water from my magic bag.

“…What is this?”

“It’s fizzy water sourced from the gourmet sanctuary. Try drinking it.”

“Bubbles burst in my mouth. It has no taste, but the refreshing sensation as it smoothly passes down my throat is quite pleasant.”

“Right?”

“An interesting water, but this alone won’t be enough to move me.”

“That may be true for fizzy water on its own, but what do you think would happen if you mixed it with alcohol?”

“…What?”

I pulled a glass from my magic bag and dropped in some ice created with magic.

Then, I carefully poured whiskey over the ice, letting it weave through the gaps.

“That’s ‘Black Raccoon’ that only comes from Eld.”

As expected from a liquor lover. Just from the label, she immediately recognized the whiskey.

Whenever Baris sent me distilled spirits, he would also include other recommended bottles like this one.

I had originally set it aside as a gift for a noble, but now I would use it to persuade Saffy.

I poured about three fingers’ worth of whiskey, then added the fizzy water.

“Ah… to mix something like that…”

For once, Saffy seemed flustered.

Since it was a high-quality liquor, she likely felt guilty about diluting it. But there was no need to worry.

This whiskey was delicious even when mixed.

As the carbonation burst, the whiskey’s aroma expanded instantly.

Finally, I placed a bar spoon into the glass, gave it a slow stir, lifted the ice slightly, and then handed the glass to Saffy.

“Here you go. A highball.”

Saffy carefully observed the highball with a serious expression, then picked up the glass and brought it to her lips.

“By mixing it with fizzy water, it becomes much easier to drink compared to on the rocks or straight! On top of that, it pairs perfectly with the whiskey, making the refreshing sensation stand out even more!”

After voicing her thoughts, Saffy gulped it down.

“Ahh! While the flavor and alcohol content are slightly reduced, the fact that it can be drunk like an ale is great! Could this fizzy water also be used with other alcohols?”

“Yes, it can be applied to other cocktails as well. It greatly expands the ways to enjoy alcohol.”

“Give it to me!”

Here it is! I knew that if I taught Saffy, a true liquor enthusiast, the wonders of soda-mixed drinks, she would take the bait.

“If you want it, then accept the hybridization request from the Reilert family. There’s a spring in the Gourmet Sanctuary where fizzy water naturally wells up, and if you take on the job, they will undoubtedly send it to you regularly.”

“…Then I have no choice. It’s a hassle, but I’ll take the request.”

“What!? Master, you’re actually accepting the request!?”

“It’s for the sake of good alcohol.”

“Master actually accepting a request… Shuu-san, thank you so much.”

Lumia, overwhelmed with gratitude, took my hand and expressed her thanks.

To think she’d be this thankful just for getting a request accepted.

It really showed just how lazy Saffy usually was.

“Lumia, help me find the request letter from the Reilert family.”

“What do you mean you can’t find the request letter from a count’s family!?”

Lumia, who had just been relieved, suddenly changed expressions and rushed off.

At any rate, with this, the shop’s finances should stabilize, and I would have fulfilled my obligation to Franryule.