A Level 3 trait was essentially the equivalent of possessing a rare talent. In other words, I had acquired a genius-level capacity for creativity... but what did "Creativity" actually entail? Even with my Appraisal skill, the specifics remained vague. I wondered if it applied some sort of positive modifier to my production skills.
"If I don't know, I might as well test it out! And what I'll be making is... ginger ale!"
I had actually discovered something resembling ginger back in Aingurna. In my previous life, I had been a huge fan of ginger ale—though not the store-bought kind; I preferred the homemade version my mother used to make as a hobby. Man, that brought back memories.
Strictly speaking, since I would be using Decomposition to make it, the drink would technically end up as alcohol. I didn't have a way to produce carbonation on its own, so it couldn't be helped.
The ingredients were ginger juice, sugar, and water. As for the measurements... I honestly couldn't remember them. I'd have to figure that part out through trial and error. The most crucial part was ensuring the carbon dioxide generated during the alcohol fermentation process didn't escape. To achieve that, I needed to ferment it inside an airtight container. Unfortunately, I didn't own one.
Alright, I'll just go buy a large glass container! In this world, the technology for manufacturing glass from scratch was still in its infancy, yet high-quality glass products were in constant circulation. This was because glass items could be found in dungeon treasure chests. Potion bottles were the most common example. While some were bought and reused by apothecaries, many were melted down and repurposed. Consequently, even if the shapes were a bit irregular, the quality of the glass itself was usually quite good.
I knew a local general store wouldn't carry what I needed, but I figured the top merchant guild in Aingurna would have something. Or so I thought. Unfortunately, while they had artistic pieces like flower vases, they didn't have anything that could be sealed airtight with a cork.
Mmm... I was already completely in the mood to brew some ginger ale, yet I'd hit a wall at the very first step. If I placed a custom order, I could probably get a container made, but there was no telling how long that would take.
『What are you groaning about, Tort?』
"Oh, welcome back, Shiroru. You're home."
『Indeed. Halfa and Spira are with me as well!』
As I sat alone in my room, huffing in frustration, Shiroru called out to me. He had gone out with Halfa and the others, and it seemed the whole group had returned.
『So, what is it? Some kind of trouble?』
"Yeah, you could say that..."
I didn't think consulting him would actually solve anything, but I explained the situation to Shiroru anyway, starting from the moment I gained the Creativity Level 3 trait. Shiroru listened, nodding along with an occasional "hum-hum."
『A new drink, is it? Well, that is a matter of great importance!』
"Ahaha... But without an airtight container, the carbonation will just leak out even if I make it."
『Carbonation? So that is the key! Can't you just fix it with magic like you usually do?』
I doubted I could just "trap" gas using magic. Making a container myself seemed much more realistic. However, with the spells I had on hand... wait, hold on.
"If I recall correctly, the main component of glass is silicon dioxide. That's a mineral found in soil... In that case, isn't glass basically just a different form of earth?"
I was well aware I was using some rather shaky logic. However, there was a possibility it could work. Magic in this world had proven to be quite flexible, much like how I'd managed to facilitate fermentation using Decomposition. It might actually turn out well.
My plan was to use Create Golem to fashion a glass container. To be precise, a container-type golem. Considering how easily I could customize a golem’s body, modifying the shape shouldn't have been difficult. The real question was whether I could actually manifest a golem using glass as the medium.
For the materials, I gathered the glass bottles I had been saving for potions. I had over twenty in total, which should have been enough to form a decent-sized vessel. I lined them up on the table. All that was left was to try.
Glass is earth. Glass is earth. Glass is earth...
I repeated the mantra to myself over and over, focusing my intent... and then!
"〈Create Golem〉!"
As I finished the incantation, the prepared glass bottles slumped and melted into a pliable mass. The molten glass pulled together, gradually stretching into a cylindrical shape. And once the process finished, what stood before me was—the usual haniwa-type body.
"Ah, damn it..."
I had been so focused on convincing myself that glass was earth that I'd completely forgotten to visualize the container shape! In terms of making an airtight vessel, it was a total failure. However, I had succeeded in creating a golem out of glass. If I tried a few more times, I was confident I could realize the container-type golem.
"Uh, you're Petit No. 1, right?"
When I checked just in case, the petit golem gave a small nod. It appeared that even if the material changed, the ego remained the same. Because of that change, the golem seemed to be experiencing some serious discomfort with its new body.
Petit No. 1 tottered about, patting its own translucent torso. Perhaps the sensation of movement felt different than usual, because its walking—which had recently become quite smooth—had reverted to being awkward and clumsy. It kept losing its balance and nearly toppled over several times.
"Petit No. 1, stay away from the edge of the table, it's—ah!?"
The golem looked so precarious that I tried to order it away from the edge, but at that exact moment, it lost its footing. It scrambled desperately to stay on the tabletop... but its efforts were in vain, and Petit No. 1 went over the side.
『Hnuu! Just in time!』
"Whoa! Nice save, Shiroru!"
Just as the situation was about to turn into a crystalline disaster, Petit No. 1's fall came to an abrupt halt. It looked like Shiroru had caught it using Telekinesis. Of course, even if it had shattered into a million pieces and ceased functioning, I could have simply recreated the body with Create Golem and everything would have been back to normal. Still, having a golem "die" due to physical damage leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I was glad we avoided it. That was a total fine play by Shiroru.