After having coffee with Elise-san, she pointed out some coffee shops and recommended their best beans in the Sinfonia Royal Capital, so I’d stopped by to pick some up on my way back.
Anticipating the brew, I returned home to find Nebula waiting to greet me.
"Welcome home, Master. A delivery has arrived for you."
"I’m back, Nebula... A delivery?"
"Yes, the specialized monster brushes you commissioned from the Victor Trading Company. The box was quite large, so I had it moved to the backyard warehouse."
"Oh, they’re here already!"
That was faster than I’d expected. Since I had ordered every possible combination of types, I’d assumed it would take several months. To think they’d arrived in less than thirty days... They must have given my order significant priority.
Regardless, these were the specialized brushes I’d been eagerly awaiting. With a spring in my step, I headed to the backyard warehouse with Nebula. Sure enough, a massive crate was waiting there.
"Master, here is the letter that accompanied the shipment."
"Thanks. Let’s see... Ah, I see. It’s not the whole set; they sent the ones that were finished first."
Checking the letter, it seemed that while the full order wasn't yet complete, the first batch was ready: twenty for Bell, forty for Rin, and forty for Sera, totaling a hundred brushes in all.
This was actually quite helpful. Even if the entire order had arrived at once, I wouldn't have been able to use them all together. Receiving them in installments made it much easier to test the individual feel of each one.
I assumed the lower count for Bell's brushes compared to Rin and Sera's was due to their larger size, which likely made the manufacturing process take longer.
For now, I decided to inspect the ones that had arrived.
"...These are all wonderfully crafted. This one, for instance, has a level of stiffness that seems perfect for Bell’s coat... I’ll try them all eventually, but I’ll start with the one that feels like it’ll be the best fit."
"The firmness of that one is close to what you usually use. However, I see... I can indeed sense a faint magic power wavelength compatible with Bellfried and the others. It appears you will be able to brush them without causing any stress at all."
"Yeah. Let’s give it a try right away."
"I shall assist you as well."
"Thanks, Nebula. I’d appreciate it."
Eager to test the new equipment, I selected a brush that felt similar to my usual one and headed over to Bell and the others with Nebula.
The brush felt great in my hand, but the true test was how Bell and the others reacted to it. I’d promised to mention them to Flare-san and Magnawell-san if they were good, so I intended to judge them strictly.
I began by brushing Bell... and the results were immediate. It was fantastic. The brush glided through his fur with incredible smoothness, and I could feel through my Sympathy Magic just how much Bell was relaxing.
"...Bell, how does the new brush feel?"
"Gau!"
Bell was quite sensitive to magic power, so using a brush tailored to his own wavelength seemed to be an amazing experience. He nodded happily in response to my question.
Just as it was with human skin, the impact of stress was a major factor. Whether or not Bell could truly relax would greatly affect the luster of his coat. With this, I was certain his fur would become more magnificent than ever.
"...Hmm. I see."
"Nebula?"
"Oh, no, it is just that while these brushes are already excellent, they could be made even more effective with a few slight modifications."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yes. Please wait a moment... Canaris-san! Could you come here for a bit?"
"Yes! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
The moment Nebula called out, Canaris-san appeared. While I tilted my head, wondering what was planned, Nebula gave Canaris-san an explanation. Canaris-san nodded and proceeded to manifest a small device.
"Now then, Kaito-sama, please attach this to the handle. It is detachable, so it can be moved to other brushes as well."
"...What is it?"
"To put it simply, it is a tool to convert your magic power into the brush's specific magic power wavelengths when you channel it through the handle."
"By allowing magic power to permeate the fur while he is in a relaxed state, the coat quality will improve. Master's magic power possesses wonderful adaptability; by infusing it through the same wavelength, we can achieve an even higher level of quality. A very light amount of magic power will be plenty. Too much would actually be counterproductive..."
I see. So by channeling my own magic power, the brush’s internal magic power amount increases, leading to even greater relaxation and better fur. Well then, let’s give it a shot.
"...Gauuu~"
As I lightly channeled magic power through the brush, Bell’s expression shifted visibly into a melting look of pure bliss. It clearly felt incredible.
Not only that, but the luster of his coat was visibly increasing as I brushed. T-To think it would make this much of a difference... Incredible. While the tool Canaris-san made certainly helped, the sheer quality of the specialized brush itself had combined for a perfect result.
I’d really made a great purchase here... I’ll have to give these a glowing recommendation to Flare-san and Magnawell-san.
Serious-senpai: "Kaito... I hate to ruin your excitement, but this is basically a death sentence for Cornelia. I’m pretty sure the dramatic results are mostly thanks to the tool Canaris made, but since you’re so hyped up, you’re going to give all the credit to the brushes themselves, aren't you?"