It all started with a chance encounter. I had asked Elise-san to recommend some coffee beans, and while I was at it, I figured I should get Ozma-san’s opinion as well.
That part of the trip went perfectly fine; he gave me plenty of suggestions for beans and shops. I was just thinking of stopping by a few on my way home when I ran into Kong-san by pure coincidence.
"Hmm... That sounds pretty good," he rumbled.
"I’ve found them quite easy to use personally. I’ve really taken a liking to them," I replied.
We were just making idle small talk, but when the topic of the specialized brushes came up, Kong-san showed a surprising amount of interest. It might be rude of me to say, but he bit onto the story much harder than I expected and started asking all sorts of questions.
Certainly, Kong-san is a beastman-type demon with body fur, so specialized brushes would suit him... but he didn't exactly strike me as the type to fuss over his appearance. I wondered if he actually had a hidden sense of aesthetic.
"I can buy one of those too, right?"
"I believe so. They have brushes for dragons as well, so I’m sure there’s a model suited for your physique, Kong-san. But... do you really care that much about the luster of your fur?"
"Well... personally, I don't give a damn. But the thing is, I’m one of the Five War Generals. Sometimes I have to tag along with the Boss to formal, stiff-collared events. At times like that, Big Bro Ozma and the others dress themselves up all sharp. The Boss and Big Bro keep telling me I need to be careful every day so I don't look like a slob when those times come."
"Ah, I see. If you’re attending as a guest of honor, you really do need to look the part."
It seemed Kong-san himself didn't care about beauty, just as I’d imagined, but his position forced him to mind it.
"And so, the Boss tells me to make sure my magic power penetration rate is properly adjusted, but I’ve never been any good at that kind of delicate manipulation. I’m still struggling with it. But if I have that brush, it’ll make the adjustments easier, right?"
"According to Flare-san, that’s exactly the case."
"Then that’s great! If I can shorten that tedious process, it’s a grand welcome from me! So, where do I go to buy one?"
"You can get them at the Victor Trading Company, but it might be best to check with them in advance. They’d probably be shocked if you just showed up unannounced, Kong-san."
"Ah, I guess you’re right. Fine, I'll have Bacchus send a letter for me. I just need to tell them I heard about it from Kaito, right?"
"Yes... Ah, actually, it might be smoother if you sent the letter to Cornelia-san of the Sharon Count House instead."
While the chairman and the monster scholar at the Victor Trading Company knew I’d bought the brushes, it was doubtful whether a random letter to the company would be recognized as my referral. I figured it would be safer to go through Cornelia-san first. When I told him that, Kong-san gave me a boisterous thumbs-up and agreed.
The day after my talk with Kong-san, I was discussing the brushes in a different location entirely. My conversation partner this time was Gluttony-san. Since our first meeting, she had invited me for tea about once every few months, and so I found myself in the subspace where she resided.
As usual, the tea and sweets were exquisitely unappetizing, but Gluttony-san seemed so happy to see me that I didn't mind the poor taste.
She had helped me out many times during the Harmonic Symphony and the shipboard party, so the least I could do was spend a little time with her. She was actually quite considerate of my schedule, only reaching out every once in a while... She was far more normal than Machina-san, who dropped by about five times a week.
"I see. If it is a brush that Kaito-sama is fond of using, then I would certainly like to acquire one myself."
"Is it for your Dimensional Beasts?"
"Yes. Biologically, Dimensional Beasts are close to monsters; many possess fur or horns."
Since we were alone, Gluttony-san was speaking directly in her plush doll form, her interest in the specialized brushes clear.
It made sense; her Dimensional Beasts were essentially pets to her—though more accurately, they were her subordinates or kinsmen. Getting brushes for them seemed like a logical step.
During our first meeting, she had kept them elsewhere so they wouldn't be a nuisance, but normally, this subspace was teeming with Dimensional Beasts. I had seen them many times by now.
How should I put it... most Dimensional Beasts looked like something out of a Cthulhu-esque horror story. Their designs were truly bizarre. It was enough to make me think Natasha-san being a normal girl was some kind of freak mutation.
The sight of this subspace, with tens of thousands of Dimensional Beasts flying around, was practically a horror movie come to life. I had a feeling Hina-chan would have screamed and run for the hills.
While lost in thought, I lightly stroked the head of a Dimensional Beast that had wandered near my seat. It looked like a dog whose face had been half-melted by acid. It felt soft and squishy like a slime, but this dog-like creature did indeed have fur.
It seemed happy to be petted; it rubbed its squishy face against me with a gesture that was actually quite dog-like and cute. The face was pure nightmare fuel, but once I got used to it, I didn't really mind.
"If you're interested, you should try asking about them."
"Indeed. I shall reach out to the Sharon Count House. You have my heartfelt thanks for this valuable information. By the way, what do you think? I created that particular Dimensional Beast with an emphasis on its pet-like qualities rather than its combat power..."
"...The texture is quite nice. And its gestures are cute."
I deliberately didn't mention its appearance. One of its eyeballs was hanging halfway out... and I couldn't tell if its face had melted or if it was supposed to look like that. Still, the gestures were cute. Mostly.
[A Cthulhu-esque Dimensional Beast that causes mental damage upon sight has appeared.] [The Cthulhu-esque Dimensional Beast initiated a SAN Value check.] [Kaito’s SAN Value did not fluctuate even slightly.] [Kaito is petting the Cthulhu-esque Dimensional Beast’s head, appearing entirely unconcerned.] [The Cthulhu-esque Dimensional Beast’s SAN Value dropped.] [The Cthulhu-esque Dimensional Beast has become attached to Kaito and began to curry favor.] [Kaito is absentmindedly thinking that its gestures are cute.]