On a clear afternoon, after I finished brushing Bell, I decided to take a look at the special subspace in my backyard.
The door there connected to a pocket dimension created by Canalis, housing Nebula and Illness's workshops, as well as the fields where the tea and cacao trees grew. While the space was primarily used by Nebula, Illness, and Canalis, I’d been told I was welcome to come and go as I pleased, so I figured I’d see how the crops were doing.
There was only a single door, but by shifting a sliding plate above the handle, you could change the destination to the workshops, the fields, or other areas. When I reached the backyard and checked the plate, I noticed something new. There had only been two options before—the workshop and the fields—but now there was a third.
I’d intended to visit the fields, but this mysterious third space piqued my curiosity. I aligned the plate, turned the knob, and stepped through the hazy, shimmering veil. On the other side lay a vast, rolling meadow.
"Oh? Welcome, Kaito-sama."
"Hello, Canalis... Is this a new area?"
Canalis was already inside. She appeared after the air in front of me rippled like static, so I gave her a quick greeting and asked about the space.
"Yes, I created it recently. I suppose you could call it a ranch."
"A ranch? Does that mean you’re raising cattle?"
"It's more like selective breeding than simple raising. Taha~ I created some dairy cows to provide milk for Nifty, and I’m currently experimenting to see if I can improve the quality."
"Selective breeding? I feel like you could just use your powers to create a cow that produces the most delicious milk imaginable in a single go, Canalis."
"Precisely. I could certainly use my godly powers to manifest a cow that gives world-class milk, but that isn't necessarily the best approach. While I can make something objectively delicious, it's hard to generate true unexpectedness that way. If I make it perfect from the start, I lose out on the joy of discovering something surprisingly good or seeing a wonderful flavor emerge from an accidental mutation. It feels a bit hollow. Taha~ Please forgive me for prioritizing the romance of the process."
I see. It felt a bit disrespectful to compare it to Kuro’s Baby Castella, but maybe it was similar to what she called "infinite possibilities"? A new flavor could be born by chance in a way the creator never intended—like a combination that turned out to be surprisingly good. If you started with the final, completed form, you might overlook the unique things that could have emerged during the journey.
"Besides, tastes vary wildly from person to person. Even if I can create a flavor that most people find wonderful, it isn't necessarily the absolute correct answer. Well, I suppose I could solve that by giving the milk the property of changing to the drinker’s favorite flavor, but even then, people’s moods change by the day. There is no such thing as an absolute answer."
"That's true. There might be a flavor that most people consider 'good,' but there isn't one answer that works for everyone. So that's why you're doing all this?"
"That’s the gist of it. Since I’m a god, I can speed up the selective breeding process, even if it would normally take generations. I can iterate through all sorts of variations in a short amount of time. Taha~ Please forgive my modern, efficiency-minded ways!"
I gave a bitter smile as Canalis spoke in her usual lighthearted tone, her face remaining as expressionless as ever. Then, a thought occurred to me.
"...Canalis, by any chance... do you have any particularly delicious water?"
"Leave it to me! Behold, the reliable and proven God-branded mineral water! This water is... incredibly delicious! That is all. It has no other effects whatsoever! Please, have a taste."
"Thank you... Oh, wow. This really is good."
"Well, it’s only delicious within the realm of being water. It isn't going to move you to tears or anything."
The water she gave me was certainly excellent. But just as she said, it was simply high-quality water; it wasn't so tasty that it felt life-changing. It was just incredibly crisp and easy to drink—nothing more, nothing less.
"Actually, a guest I asked a favor of is coming to visit tomorrow. They hardly eat and only drink water, so I wanted to give them some as a thank-you gift... but your water is much better than the stuff I bought."
"Taha~ It’s God-branded, after all. As far as water goes, it’s second to none. Even if it is just water... Oh, wait. I do pride myself on being an insightful woman. I can see exactly what you’re getting at, Kaito-sama. How much should I prepare for you?"
"Um... as for the amount..."
It was a coincidence that the topic had come up, but since the person visiting tomorrow had agreed to a sudden request, I wanted to give them something high-quality. I decided to prepare Canalis's delicious water as a gift.
I hoped they would be happy with it. Since I hadn't spoken with them much yet, there was still a lot I didn't know.
Serious-senpai: "...Who is it? If they only drink water, it sounds like a Spirit... but someone Kaito hasn't talked to much?"