Zuuu…… Somehow I’m tired……
It might just be the accumulated fatigue from the long journey finally catching up, but both my mind and body are saying they’ve had enough.
Well, it is not only the journey. My body also went through that fierce battle with Nash, so that makes sense, but I never expected to get mentally exhausted in an herb garden……
Right now I am being served herb tea, so I have my cheek pressed against the table, lying there limply while making a weak “kyuu” sound.
「Piiii…… piroloro……」
Every time I breathe through the whistle grass in my mouth, a powerless tone comes out, but I wonder if even blowing it like this is helping me recover……?
Everyone was worried about me, but when I told them I would be fine if I just lazed around like this, they left me alone.
『『……?』』
In front of me, the spirits are staring at me with curious faces as I lie collapsed on the table.
Then something started…… It seems they saw my fight with Nash earlier and are now reenacting it.
Yeah, yeah, fight bravely…… Wait, did I really walk that weirdly after getting hit in the crotch?
Also, there seem to be more spirits that have taken human-like forms.
Is it because I looked so pathetic?
Maybe they decided I am not worth being cautious about……?
In fact, if I casually place my finger near a spirit now, they come right up to touch it without any wariness.
They use my finger as a chair and bounce their bottoms on it, cling to it, or lift it up while playing.
What is it? Do they want to play?
Can’t be helped…… I raise two fingers to look like legs and make them walk toward the spirits.
The spirits immediately understand my intention and start running away.
They do not seem scared, just having fun, which is good.
But please do not make dissatisfied faces when I stop moving my fingers.
I am tired, you know.
……No good? I have to play? I see.
Then…… shall I make some simple toys?
Sorry for keeping my cheek on the table, but I will make various things.
……For starters, how about a jungle gym and a swing?
Do you like them? I see…… Then go ahead and play…… Ah, you are still chasing me? Okay.
Nnn…… Then how about this!
A skateboard. Let me test it with my finger…… Wait, I feel like there was already a toy like this.
They look very interested in how to play with it.
Fufufu. I will show you my splendid technique.
With my DEX raised to its current level, any trick is possible!
「Oh, Master-sama, what are you doing?」
「! Ah, um…… Mazetta-san……?」
Since the voice came from a direction I was not facing, I hurriedly lifted my head and turned around. There stood Mazetta-san, the motherly elf.
That was close. To someone who cannot see spirits, I probably looked like a suspicious adult man doing something weird all by himself.
Spirits, let us pause for a moment.
You can play with the playground equipment as much as you like, but please do not puff out your cheeks just because you cannot play tag.
It is cute, but right now answering Mazetta-san takes priority.
As Wendy’s master, I cannot show her a sloppy side!
「Ahahaha. You look quite tired. I heard you fought with the vegetables in the field? They were pretty strong here, weren’t they?」
「Ah…… I was surprised. I thought they would just run away.」
「Fufufu. The soil is very rich in nutrients, so they are overflowing with energy. That is why they taste better than vegetables from outside. It cannot be helped.」
「They certainly were delicious, but I am weak, so it was not worth it for me……」
「Ahahaha! You are still young, so there is plenty of time ahead!」
Well, compared to elves I am young, or rather, I might be like a baby to them……
Still, someday I want to become strong enough to beat Nash easily.
My goal is to defeat Nash. Having a goal is nice, isn’t it!
「How was the herb garden? Those are my proud herbs, you know.」
「They were wonderful, to put it simply. They were full of love and care. Every single one was glossy, exceptionally large, and seemed to have strong medicinal effects.」
「Ahahaha. Being praised by Master-sama makes me happy. By the way, you wanted some pills, right? I will prepare plenty, so take them with you.」
「Thank you very much. I will pay the proper price.」
「No need, no need. They are souvenirs. I cannot take money for that.」
「No, I cannot do that……」
「Young people should not be so reserved.」
Uuu……
I am grateful, but…… no, I should handle the money matter properly.
Being too reserved might also be rude, but since this involves Wendy’s prestige, I think I should not take advantage too much.
「Ahahaha. You do not look convinced. What a stubborn Master-sama. Then, please accept the basic pills as souvenirs. In exchange, buy the special ones from the shop.」
「Even that feels quite apologetic, but…… special pills?」
「Yes. I will brew some now, so if you like them, please buy some.」
With that, Mazetta-san took out a glass cup and began pouring hot water into it.
It is not wood…… I thought with a slightly prejudiced idea that elves would only use natural materials, while wondering if this was a pill meant to be drunk with hot water.
Mazetta-san then took out one pill.
「This is the culmination of my work as a pharmacist.」
She dropped the pill into the hot water with a plop. It immediately began to dissolve with a soft fizz.
The dissolved pill dyed the water a vivid green, and the particles slowly settled to the bottom of the cup.
Is this tea? I wondered, when a single flower bud emerged from the dissolved pill, floating upward and resting on the settled green layer as it slowly opened its petals.
「Ooooh……!」
「Fufufu. It bloomed nicely.」
The petals opened beautifully atop the calm, settled green at the bottom, just as Mazetta-san had said, as if the flower were blooming underwater.
The slow unfolding looked like watching a time-lapse of a flower blooming, and I could not take my eyes off it until it reached full bloom.
It was like a single piece of art, like witnessing a beautiful scene of nature, and I found myself staring wide-eyed with my mouth slightly open.
I think there were similar blooming teas in my original world, but none quite like this.
「Here you go, Master-sama. First, please try the upper layer.」
「Ah, yes……」
As instructed, I took a small sip of the lightly colored upper layer.
A faint, sweet taste like young sprouts spread through my mouth.
It had the easy-to-drink flavor of tea and was very delicious, though I felt it was slightly thin.
「Ooh…… It is easy to drink and very good.」
「Fufufu. Then, please try this next.」
With that, Mazetta-san took a wooden spoon and stirred the settled pill, swirling it through the water until the entire cup turned a deep green.
At the same time, the flower was also broken apart. Once the flower sank, the deep green water transformed from a pale green into a clearer, more transparent green.
The color was now close to that of green tea.
When it first dyed the water, it looked like matcha made even thicker, but it had now changed into the color of proper tea. It was surprising.
Does that flower contain such components?
「The taste changes depending on how well you mix it. Since I thought Master-sama would prefer something with less bitterness and easier to drink, I kept it at this level.」
「Thank you…… Nn. Haaa…… It is delicious……」
Nnn…… It has a gentle sweetness, with the bitterness and astringency kept mild. It is a smooth and delicious tea……
And yet, my tired body feels a little lighter.
I see. Since she used pills, there is also a medicinal effect.
「Pills made by directly using herbs are usually bitter. So, I made them into a form that can be enjoyed as tea for easy drinking, while also making them beautiful to look at and preserving the medicinal effects. That is all, but it is what I have aimed for as a pharmacist.」
She says “that is all”, but I cannot even imagine how much effort went into it.
It truly is a culmination…… filled with that much dedication and perfection.
It tastes good, has medicinal benefits, and is enjoyable to watch like a piece of art.
I also care about the taste of my potions, but I can respect that Mazetta-san has taken it even further.
「……Amazing! I am truly impressed!」
「It makes me happy to hear that. If you like it, please buy some at the shop.」
「I will buy quite a lot. In fact, I would be grateful if you could mass-produce them before we leave.」
「Ahahaha! Are you planning to buy my entire stock? That is a happy problem to have. Well then, since Master-sama seems satisfied, I should go show these to Wendy-sama and the others.」
With those words, Mazetta-san left with a smile.
She left behind two pills, but their colors were slightly different…… which probably means they are different types.
This…… is fun!
I want to finish the tea right away, but since it is delicious, I will savor it properly while trying the next one.
Nn, next is a roasted tea! The fragrant aroma is wonderful too!
Ah…… It is so tasty and enjoyable that before I knew it, my fatigue seems to have disappeared somewhere.
Hm? What is it, spirits? If you have recovered, shall we continue with the skateboard?
Ah, all right, I understand. Very well.
This time I will show you my superb skateboard (finger) technique!
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