Based on the group's consensus, we decided that soft serve would be the payment for the fairies.
That gave me an idea I’d been sitting on for a while. I decided to pitch it.
“Since we’re already at it, why don’t we try making some sorbet too?”
“Oh? Another new food?”
“Well, the process is pretty much the same. I think we can pull it off if we swap out the milk and fresh cream for fruit juice.”
“Heh, sounds delicious!”
No one objected, so sorbet was added to the menu. I wasn’t aiming for anything gourmet; I just wanted something simple. I’d just mix sugar and juice while chilling it. If I used the magic tool for the soft serve, it should work just as well.
I left the soft serve production to Halfa and the others while I handled the juice. I’d been keeping my Storage Ring stocked with fruit whenever I found it. For this batch, I decided to experiment with two kinds: an apple-like fruit and a citrus-type.
Squeezing it all by hand would be a nightmare, so it was time for a golem to shine. I repurposed the iron mass I’d previously used for the Takoyaki Pan. I set to work creating a Press-type Golem. I wasn’t 100% sure on the mechanics, but as long as I got the general shape right, the golem would usually figure out the rest. If it failed, I could just recast Create Golem. That was the beauty of the golem method—it was easy to reshape on the fly.
After chopping the fruit into manageable pieces, I fed them into the press. It let out a series of unsettling creaks and groans, but it seemed to be holding together. Before long, fresh juice began to drizzle steadily into the container I’d placed underneath.
“Ooh!”
Shiroru cheered, staring at the container with rapt attention. Seeing her eyes sparkle as her tail wagged was adorable, but... I decided to scoop her up, just to be safe. I didn't want any "accidental" taste-testing.
While the juice was underway, the soft serve was coming along nicely. We made "mini" portions to match the fairies' size, though they were still huge from their perspective. For bowls, the fairies had brought over leaves folded into cup shapes.
“It’s so cold and sweet! I can’t believe something this delicious exists!”
Led by Roro, the fairies were instantly hooked. Some even started dancing in joy. They certainly seemed to have taken a liking to it.
Once we ran out of soft serve ingredients, it was time for the sorbet. I used Clean to scrub the magic tool before loading it up. I had Spira provide some extra ice, activated the tool, and then we just had to wait.
A few minutes later, the result was... yeah, not bad at all. The slight tang of the fruit gave it a great finish.
“This is amazing too!”
Roro cried as she twirled in the air. Her praise sent the fairies who had just finished their soft serve scurrying over to the magic tool, each trying to be the first in line.
“This is good!”
“It really is~”
“Right?!”
While distributing it to the fairies, Halfa and the others had already shrewdly snatched their own portions. My companions clearly approved.
Meanwhile, only Lowell was silently focused on the task, cranking out portion after portion. He was as stoic as ever. Seeing the fairies' voracious momentum, I figured they’d eat the whole lot if I didn't intervene, so I tucked a portion away for Lowell in my Storage Ring. It wouldn't melt in there.
Just as I’d expected, the fairies polished off every last drop of the soft serve and sorbet. There was a massive crowd of them, after all. Every time Roro shouted about how good it was, more seemed to appear out of thin air. There were at least a hundred now—maybe double that, if you counted the ones rolling around playfully in the flower field.
Still, we’d made a massive quantity. Since the fairies were only about the size of the Petit Golems, I figured everyone must have eaten their fill. Or so I thought.
“Wait, you’re still eating?!” I blurted out.
“But it’s just so good! Are we... taking too much?”
I was actually just worried they’d make themselves sick from overeating, but Roro took my surprise the wrong way and turned to the crowd.
“Everyone! Go find more rare flowers! Grass is fine, too! If we find more, we get more ice cream!”
Her call to arms was incredibly effective. The fairies playing nearby scattered instantly, likely heading off to gather more materials.
If that was the deal, I needed to get back to work. Honestly, in terms of market value, a few stalks of Goldidilla were already more than enough to pay for the ice cream. If they were going to bring even more rare materials, I had to make sure we gave them our absolute best in return.
By the time we finally used up every single ingredient we had on hand, the fairies were at last satisfied. I’m pretty sure some of them had consumed more than their own body weight, yet they all seemed perfectly fine. Fairies really were mysterious creatures.
On my end, I walked away with a mountain of precious materials. The fairies didn't really understand the utilitarian value of what they were bringing, so some of it was just "rare" without actually being useful for crafting, but still.
All in all, it was a very productive visit. It looked like we could come and go as we pleased as long as the Petit Golems were with us, so I definitely planned on coming back once our stock ran low.