"Pi-pirororo!"
A lone Rimur Bird cut through the morning sun, flying in from a great distance. All of my own birds were accounted for, and considering it was alone rather than in a flock... it was just as I thought. It was Elia's. The decorative cloth around its neck, the mark of a tamed monster, bore her family crest.
"Pirororo."
"Good work," I said.
I removed the letter it carried and gave it water and food along with my own birds, letting it rest.
"Now, let's see..."
Scanning the letter, I saw the first topic was the Great Forest. Elia had only heard rumors, so she added a note telling me to be careful. The adults weren't opposing the trip, but they urged me not to overextend myself and to prepare properly. Since they were worried, they asked that I check in with them before actually setting off.
I’d make sure to tell them I would in my reply. Next was... ah, she was starting school soon.
The letter mentioned that since the enrollment period was approaching, she would be heading to the Royal Capital around next month to get used to the new environment. If that was the case...
Currently, Elia and I communicated via Rimur Bird. While she was still here, I had attached one of my own birds to a messenger she sent and sent it back to the Ducal House. This allowed them to memorize each other's destinations, securing a direct line of communication. Their ability to remember flight paths was one of the reasons Rimur Birds were so highly valued among avian monsters.
But if she moved to the capital, would our letters have to go through the Ducal House? She was staying in a dormitory, so pets might be forbidden. I should ask about that.
Then there were questions about recent events... wait.
"I heard there will be a festival in Gimul soon. I’m sure work and preparations must be exhausting, but please do your best..." What festival?
I hadn't heard a word about this. I'd better ask someone.
After I arrived at work, I started asking around.
"I was wondering about a festival being held soon..."
"My apologies, but I don't know anything about it," Caulm answered. "Shall I look into it for you?"
"A festival?" "We're not really sure..." "We haven't been in town very long~" "Forgive us."
"I think you should ask someone who's lived in the city longer," Li Ling suggested.
"Thanks anyway."
I'd asked Caulm and the others, but got nothing. Come to think of it, almost everyone at the shop was from outside the city. Fei and Li Ling were from another country entirely, so it made sense they were out of the loop. That left the most reliable source I could think of.
"Dolce-san, do you have a moment?"
"Probably the Founding Festival," the bodyguard replied. "It celebrates the day the city was established. I don't know of any other festivals this time of year."
"Do you know what kind of preparations are involved?"
"...Depends on the shop or the person."
According to Dolce, there were five main points: 1. It would be held the month after next. 2. It centered on the main streets stretching in the four cardinal directions. 3. Preparations usually began the month before. 4. Preparations mostly involved decorating storefronts and community cleaning. 5. You could open a stall if you applied.
Professional entertainers, bards, and carnival types would handle the stalls, so I could just leave that to them. However, it was customary to decorate buildings with bright cloth, and everyone helped clean up the mess afterward. That was fine; cleaning was part of being a good neighbor. I'd plan my schedule to help out as much as I could. As long as I didn't open a stall, I wouldn't be too busy.
Did Elia think I was doing something special? It was still a while off, so I'd just keep it in mind for now. I'd tell the others later—if they wanted to run a stall as a team, we could talk about it.
I decided to write back saying I was fine. Maybe I should send a moving gift, too? She was moving into a dormitory, after all.
What would be good? Nothing involving fire, nothing bulky, and nothing that required installation. Shoes meant "taking a new step," which was good luck here, but I didn't know her size or what was in style. Cash or gift cards were common for moves, but she was a high-ranking noble; she didn't need money. Consumables were the safest bet. Once the festival mystery was solved, the gift became my new headache.
The next day, around noon, I headed to the guild with some herbs.
"Good work, Paena-san. Fifty stalks of Lactone Grass, as requested."
"Four, five... yes, exactly fifty," she confirmed.
Lactone Grass was a mild, versatile herb used for colds. It grew everywhere, so it was cheap—only one suut for ten stalks. I took my five suut and wondered if I should buy some sweets on the way home.
"U-Um... Ryoma-kun? Do you know a lot about herbs?"
"My grandmother taught me, so I know the basics. Why?"
"These were harvested so perfectly... I wondered if you knew how to identify Tela Grass?"
Tela Grass was great for neuralgia and common, but it looked almost identical to the poisonous Tula Grass. They often grew in the same areas. I could tell them apart, though.
"Actually, I have some on me. I was gathering some for myself earlier."
"Really? If you have five stalks, I can close another request."
I handed them over, and Paena used Appraisal.
"They're all Tela Grass. Are you sure? You can keep them if you need them..."
"It's fine. It’s not urgent."
"Seventy suut. Please confirm it."
Fourteen suut per stalk was a great price. I felt like I’d made a nice profit as I headed home while the sun was still high.
"Time to get to work."
I set up in a deserted mine shaft to make Elia's gift: soap. It was a safe, practical consumable. It was common enough not to stand out, but just buying it felt lazy. A Duke's daughter was used to expensive things, so I'd make it myself. Soap-making was a staple of reincarnation stories, but I wasn't going to spend weeks boiling ash and fat like those other protagonists.
I will not be making such efforts!!
"The materials are... OK. I have everything."
I had refined water, oil, and salt. Modern soap used caustic soda—sodium hydroxide (NaOH). I used alchemy to separate sodium from common salt (sodium chloride). It produced toxic chlorine gas, so I had to be careful. Metallic sodium also oxidizes instantly and explodes with water, so I formed it into a block, removed the oxygen, and stored it in oil.
Next, I added a tiny bit of sodium to water. It hissed and skated across the surface—hydrolysis in action. It created hydrogen and sodium hydroxide. A quick Appraisal confirmed the solution. I separated the water to get the pure caustic soda.
The process was dangerous, so I worked in a ventilated tunnel wearing a full protective suit: coveralls, a Cleaner Slime helmet and goggles, and thick gloves. Using a Direct Bonding Circle would be safer and more efficient next time, skipping the chemical reaction entirely. Alchemy really was convenient.
With the caustic soda ready, the rest was easy. I mixed it into water—gradually, to avoid the heat of the hydration reaction—then added that mixture to warmed oil. I stirred it until it thickened, added some fragrant oils for scent, and poured it into a mold.
It just needed to cure for a few days. If any caustic soda remained, it could cause burns, so I'd be meticulous. I'd made soap from waste oil before, but this was a gift for Elia. I wouldn't take any risks. I'd stick to the basics and experiment with proportions and curing times. I could also play with different oils and additives for better lather or skincare. Since it took time to cure, I'd work on it a little every night after my day job.