「Ahhh… this water feels so good…」
「The quality of the spring is excellent… the temperature isn’t too hot either, and the openness of this outdoor bath is wonderful desu wa…」
「Indeed. I’ve grown quite fond of this hot spring myself. I always look forward to my liege bringing me here」
Ahh… I usually come here in the morning, so I’m alone most of the time.
And sometimes, when I just want to relax by myself, this place is perfect… but if Aina likes it this much, I should probably invite her more often from now on.
「Still, I’ve been wondering… Meira-chan, were you always this devoted and passionate?」
「Ara, I’m devoted and passionate whenever it’s for my own goals desu wa?」
「Yeah, but didn’t you once say something like you’d cut off any part of a man who cheated on you…?」
I could swear she said something really scary like that.
Wait, was that someone else? No, that was definitely Meira.
「That only applies if I married a man I didn’t care about desu wa. If I built up a fortune, I’d need an heir. I was thinking of some merchant’s son or something along those lines. But if it’s someone I absolutely must have, then I don’t mind being the second or even the third wife」
She gave me a bewitching smile, and I couldn’t help but feel a hint of Darwin’s cunning in her.
A merchant’s son would be considered a big catch by most people, yet she calls him someone she doesn’t care about…
The Darwin family really is scary.
And the scariest part is that Meira is just the adopted daughter, yet she’s starting to resemble them more and more.
「Still, it’s not fair desu wa… being able to soak in this hot spring whenever you like. Honestly, when are you going to make that magical bath device I asked you for…?」
「Ah… right…」
Come to think of it, I did promise her that, didn’t I…
Things got so busy afterwards that I completely forgot.
And then, after I got this hot spring myself, the urgency disappeared and its priority just kept slipping down my list.
「‘Ah… right…’? You only just remembered now? My, my. Well, I don’t mind if you bring me here again instead. Of course… next time it’ll just be the two of us」
「Sorry. No, I’ll make it, I promise….. A promise is a promise. And if you want to come here again, I’ll bring you」
「Ara, how generous desu wa. I’ll keep quiet about your teleportation skill from Father, so I’ll be counting on you」
So Darwin does know about space magic, but he doesn’t know that I’ve learned teleportation myself yet.
If he did, he’d probably try to use it for something… scary thought.
For that reason, if Meira wants to come here, I’ll bring her.
But a magic tool that lets you bathe anytime, huh…
Since it would need to purify the water and keep it clean, holy water would be indispensable.
I’ll probably have to ask Teresa for some when I go to the royal capital.
「Fufu. My liege is as busy as ever… If it’s the hot spring, I’ll always accompany you」
Aina was sitting on a large stone, soaking only her legs in the water to cool off.
Her front was covered with a towel, but since she scooped up water and poured it over her arms, it clung to her skin and turned transparent, making her look even more alluring.
And when she leaned forward to scoop water, the towel slipped slightly, and she hastily held it down. That was unfair. Thank you very much!
「…That was amazing earlier, wasn’t it desu wa…」
「What was? Ah, Aina-chan washing her chest, huh… Yeah, that was amazing. My heart was pounding. It was erotic…」
「Don’t say erotic… If someone tells me that, it makes me embarrassed…」
But there’s no other way to put it, it really was erotic.
The sighs that escaped her lips, the small gasps, the feel of her back…
Just remembering it… No, I’d better change the subject.
Otherwise, this will be dangerous…!
「By the way, didn’t Origol and the others have some business to do?」
「Ah, that’s right! I forgot! We had something important to do!」
「Haa… Please don’t forget. That’s the real purpose of today desu wa」
「Boo. So you remembered, Meira-chan?」
「Of course desu wa」
When it comes to work, Meira always gives off a serious impression. There’s no lie in that.
Though if Origol said she remembered, I definitely wouldn’t believe it.
「So, what’s the business?」
「Fufufu, do you want to know?」
What do you mean, do I want to know? You’re the one who has business, so if you don’t say it, the conversation won’t go anywhere.
「Hmm, should I tell you? Fufuun」
「How about opening a stall this time?」
「Hey!? I wanted to draw it out, so why did you say it, Meira-chan! I could have made onii-chan say this and that, but now it’s ruined!」
「It would take too long otherwise. And if we stay here talking too much, we’ll overheat」
Ohh, when Meira’s around, conversations with Origol move along so smoothly.
From now on, I want them to always come as a set.
So then…
「And why do I have to run a stall?」
「Because I recognize both your skill in making sweets and your ability in alchemy. However, you don’t own a shop, nor do you have any intention of opening one, do you?」
「That’s… true. At the moment, I don’t plan on running a busy shop」
There are still many places I want to visit, and above all, if I owned a shop, I’d be forced to work nonstop.
I had considered hiring staff and selling goods I made through alchemy, but in that case, it would be quicker to just put them up for auction.
「I thought so. But still, I can’t help but feel it’s such a waste. That said, it isn’t something I’d force on you. So I thought perhaps, as a trial, you could run a stall limited to the festival」
I see, a festival-only stall.
Hmm… that might not be a bad idea.
In fact, I’m actually interested.
But then the question is, what kind of stall should it be…
An accessory shop… no, that would end up too expensive for a festival.
Ideally, it should be something casual that even children could enjoy.
That means food and drinks would be best, right?
「Excuse me? Are you listening?」
「Hmm. It seems he’s lost in thought」
「Wow, that’s some concentration… it’s like he can’t hear us」
「Most likely, he’s thinking about what to sell」
「I see… in that case, I’ll take it as a positive answer desu wa」
Food and drinks, huh…
Okonomiyaki would overlap with the orphanage kids’ stall, so maybe takoyaki…? No, getting octopus would be difficult.
Ah, baby castella might work too.
「…How big is the tent space?」
「Ah, right… well… actually, it’s a bit cramped. You know the orphanage’s stall space, correct? It’s near there, but even smaller than that by one size」
Smaller than the orphanage’s tent, huh.
That’s such an awkward size.
「Hahaha! It’s just leftover space from how the other stalls were arranged. If it doesn’t work, we’ll just turn it into a temporary first-aid tent, so we’re not forcing you. But the location is the best of the best, right in Central Fountain Park! Even if a line forms, it won’t be a problem!」
「I see… then something compact and unusual would be best」
「Yes, exactly… and if possible, something that could become a specialty of Einzheil desu wa」
「A specialty, huh…」
「J-just kidding, of course」
A specialty. Hmm…
But the only specialty products of this region are bugs.
There’s no way I could work with caterpillars. That means I’d have to stand out with technique.
And with limited space, something like teppanyaki wouldn’t be able to handle enough customers. Too difficult.
So it needs to be visually new, something that makes people want to try it at first glance… the kind of food that feels perfect for a festival…
「…Meira. Can you prepare a large amount of coarse sugar?」
「Coarse sugar? I can. But what else will you need? I understand I’m asking a lot, so I’ll prepare whatever you require」
「No, for now just the sugar will do」
「Just sugar? Are you planning to make candy sculptures with it?」
「No. Though that does sound interesting… well, it’s not far off, I guess. I was thinking of making something from my original world, ‘cotton candy’」
Cotton candy would definitely catch people’s attention, and it’s perfect for a festival since you can eat it with one hand.
The machine might be complicated, but the method itself is simple, and anyone can learn to make it.
「Cotton candy…? Candy that looks like cotton?」
「Yeah. It’s sweet and fluffy」
「Ooooh… fluffy candy, huh… I don’t know why, but that makes my heart race!」
Well, she ‘is’ small, so of course she’d like that kind of thing.
But yeah, there’s something about it, you see it, and you just feel like taking a bite.
「My liege, is that something we could help make too?」
「Yeah. With a bit of practice, I think anyone can make it」
「I see. Then all of us can help. Running a festival stall with you… this year’s festival is going to be fun」
That’s the key point: anyone can make it.
Since it’s easy to prepare, we can take turns, which means everyone can enjoy the festival while running the stall.
And if cotton candy really does catch on as a specialty, then townsfolk will start making it themselves.
I won’t claim any rights or open a shop.
Instead, I’ll rent out the machines and make money through leasing fees and repairs.
If something breaks while I’m away, I’ll just have spares ready. If all goes well, this might be the first step toward my dream, earning money without working.
「So then… I can take that as a yes?」
「Yeah. I’ll do it」
「Great! That’s a relief. We’ve got all these fancy guests coming, but I was worried we didn’t have any real centerpiece from our side. You really saved me. I’ll prepare a reward, so I’m counting on you!」
「Yeah. If I’m doing it, I’ll take it seriously」
「Leave the sugar to me. I’ll gather as much as needed from the neighboring countries」
「We’ll figure out the order amount later. For now, Aina, can you go buy some sugar at the market once we’re back? I need it for testing」
「Understood」
Alright, once we’re back, the first step will be to build a test cotton candy machine.
I’ll probably need to rely on the rotating sphere again.
And thinking ahead, I should teach Mizera how to handle it too.
「Ah, there won’t be any bug stalls right next to ours, will there?」
「Huh? Oh, right. I’ll check」
If they were selling bugs nearby, especially right next to us, that would ruin everything.
But it turns out the stall selling the famous caterpillar skewers will be in the same central plaza, just on the opposite side.
With that reassurance, I once again gave my full approval to running the stall.
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