"Ground spiders, huh..."
Goose sifted through his memories.
"In Fusou, they were said to have gone extinct long ago. According to lore, they lived in caverns and would catch and devour any living thing that ventured near."
"What?"
Saki let out a startled, dumbfounded cry.
She had been shown the ground spiders living beneath Hourai Island before; they were generally docile creatures that subsisted on free ether.
But...
(...Wait, could they be a different species?)
Thinking it over, even common spiders varied wildly in their ecology depending on the species. No one had ever claimed there was only one type of ground spider.
"This seems like it’s well worth investigating," Saki said.
"You think so too, Saki?"
"Yeah. Let's start by asking the shop where you bought the cloth, Goose."
Saki started to stand up, but Aaru gently held her back.
"Saki-sama, please rest for today."
Now that she mentioned it, it was already 9:00 PM. Factoring in the time she had spent on Hourai Island, Saki had been awake for over twenty hours. It was no wonder Aaru felt the need to intervene.
"In that case, how about we head to Loizart tomorrow?"
"Sounds like a plan."
With the matter settled for the night, Aaru helped Saki into a bath and eventually tucked her into a futon.
＊ ＊ ＊
The following day, the 21st, Goose set off for the capital of Loizart alone. He had insisted that there was no need for both of them to make the trip.
Although Saki felt a twinge of worry about letting Goose—who had only just naturalized—go by himself, his incredible memory meant he already knew more about Loizart than she did, and he was quite skilled in negotiations.
Saki and Toa provided him with a letter of introduction so he could stay at Jin’s mansion, which he tucked safely into his coat before departing.
Saki remained behind, deciding to focus on a more thorough examination of the ground spider materials.
"Heh, it’s a little lonely, but I suppose this is more convenient."
With Goose gone, Saki could travel to Hourai Island without any reservations.
"...And that’s the situation," she explained.
"I see. In Loizart, you say? I was not aware of this either."
Having moved to Hourai Island, Saki laid out the details for Laojun. To her surprise, even he hadn't known that ground spider silk (GSS) was being sold in a shop in Loizart.
"I wonder where Goose found that place?"
Saki was already starting to regret not accompanying him.
"Saki-sama, if that is the case, let us assign a Quinta in Loizart to follow Lord Goose."
"Yeah... could you do that?"
And so, Goose’s movements in Loizart came under Laojun’s watchful eye.
"Right then, time to investigate the properties of this ground spider silk."
"I shall assign Smith 151 and Perido 49 to assist you."
"Thanks."
With an expert in Craft Magic and an expert in domestic affairs at her side, Saki headed to her assigned laboratory. The room contained various chemical reagents that Jin had received from No. 700672. Laojun had analyzed most of those reagents and had synthesized or formulated identical versions for her use.
"Let's get started. Smith, Perido, I’m counting on you."
"Yes, leave it to us," the small golem squeaked.
"Understood, Saki-sama," Perido replied formally.
"Elsa was complaining the other day about how Hourai Island's materials are so high-performance that they can't be put into general circulation..."
If this ground spider silk—and by extension, the Ground Spider resin—turned out to be viable, it might be possible to provide it to the public. As an alchemist, Saki’s heart burned with professional excitement.
＊ ＊ ＊
Meanwhile, Goose had crossed Lake Tosmo and reached Loizart by the early afternoon.
A Quinta watching the pier—a boy-type Capella 7 known as Teraru—spotted Goose and immediately began tailing him, vanishing from sight with Invisible magic.
Goose first made his way toward Jin’s mansion to use as his base. He navigated Loizart with such familiarity it was as if he had lived there for years; his prodigious memory made short work of the city's layout.
"Why, Lord Goose."
Barrow greeted him at the mansion. Once Goose presented the letter, he was immediately ushered inside.
"I have received the instructions. Please, this way."
Barrow led him to a guest room.
"Please, make yourself at home here."
In truth, Saki had already contacted Jin via a Fellowship Bracelet, and Jin had in turn notified Butler D. Consequently, Barrow and Belle were already expecting him.
"Right, I'm heading out."
Having secured his base of operations, Goose left his personal belongings in the room and set out immediately.
"Have a safe trip, sir."
Seen off by Barrow, Goose left the mansion and headed straight for the area where he had originally purchased the fabric.
"Let’s see, the stall should have been around here..."
He reached the district where street vendors gathered. It was a diverse mix: merchants without permanent shops, businesses setting up stalls for promotion, and individuals looking to earn some quick pocket money.
"Ah, there he is."
Using his extraordinary memory, Goose spotted the vendor he recognized and approached.
"Welcome."
The man minding the stall appeared to be roughly the same age as Goose. Rows of unbleached, raw fabric were laid out on the display table. Goose quickly identified the ground spider silk among them and got straight to the point.
"Pardon me, but could you tell me where you get this fabric?"
The answer was exactly what he expected.
"I’m afraid I can’t disclose my sources."
Goose had prepared for this.
"Please don't misunderstand. I'm a scholar. I have no intention of interfering with your business. I'm simply fascinated by the material of this cloth and want to know its origin."
As he spoke, he pressed three silver coins into the man’s hand.
"I see, a scholar, huh? Well, I suppose it’s harmless enough....I’ll at least tell you who I buy the cloth from."
The man lowered his voice and whispered something into Goose’s ear. Even Teraru, who was standing nearby while invisible, couldn't catch the words, but that wasn't a problem; he only had to follow Goose.
"I understand. Thank you."
Goose handed the man three more silver coins and turned away. With the map of Loizart already etched into his mind, he immediately knew where the mentioned location was.
"...But... it’s there...?" Goose muttered.
His expression soured. The destination he was heading toward was the city’s high-end shopping district—the area exclusively patronized by the nobility.
The supplier the street vendor had mentioned was located in a corner of that district. Though he was dressed neatly enough, Goose’s commoner background was apparent, making him look somewhat out of place compared to the nobles, their attendants, and the servants bustling about.
Picking up his pace, Goose reached the designated spot.
"The basement here... huh," he whispered.
Steeling his resolve, he took his first step onto the stairs leading underground.