Once we’d seen the man off—his gratitude trailing behind him—Flare-san and I headed toward the cafe as we’d originally planned.
"My comrade, I’ve already imposed upon your time today for my own sake. At the very least, allow me to handle the bill."
"Oh, alright. Then I’ll take you up on that. Thank you."
I briefly thought about declining out of politeness, but Flare-san seemed like someone who placed great value on social debts and a sense of duty. I figured refusing might actually be more insulting than accepting, so I simply nodded.
If I’d been with Fia-sensei, we probably would have bickered over who got to pay. Perhaps the reason I could accept so easily was because of Flare-san’s "big sister" aura—that overwhelming sense of seniority. Then again, it might just be that Fia-sensei is so strangely approachable that I forget she’s actually centuries older than me.
When we entered the shop and were led to our seats, the staff member caught a glimpse of the pipe in the holder on Flare-san's waist and spoke with a professional smile.
"Pardon me, miss, but would you care to rent a smoking magic tool?"
"No, I have my own. It won't be necessary."
"Understood."
It was a somewhat unusual exchange. I was curious about what a "smoking magic tool" actually was, so after we finished ordering, I decided to ask her about it.
"Um, Flare-san, what was that smoking magic tool the clerk mentioned?"
"Hmm? Ah, right. My comrade, you come from another world. It stands to reason that you wouldn't know."
As she spoke, Flare-san pulled a green magic tool from her pocket. It was a small sphere, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball, and the purity of the magic crystal didn't look particularly high.
Flare-san flicked the device upward with her thumb. It pulsed with a faint light before beginning to orbit her.
"This is a smoking magic tool. Simply put, it's a device that absorbs smoke and purifies it into clean air."
"Oh, I see. So with that, the people around you won't be bothered by the smoke."
"Exactly. I carry it as a matter of etiquette. Of course, those skilled in wind-attribute conversion magic can achieve the same effect without a tool, but I’ve always been rather poor with the wind attribute."
Hearing her explanation made me think of Ozma-san. Whenever he smoked around me, he used magic to ensure the smoke didn't drift my way. This was essentially the mechanical version of that trick.
"That’s incredibly convenient."
"Yes, though it has its drawbacks. Being a magic tool, it’s quite expensive. Usually, only the wealthy own them personally. That’s why shops that allow smoking generally have them available for rent."
"I see."
"Furthermore, because the magic formula is relatively sophisticated, this tool is strictly for individual use."
Magic tools were fascinating; in many ways, their performance far exceeded the machines from my world. Teleportation tools were the prime example.
However, that didn't mean magic tools were always superior to mechanical products with the same function. High-performance tools were often prohibitively expensive, making them feel overpriced for their utility, and many had a very limited range. It was an interesting dynamic; you couldn't really say one was definitively better than the other.
While I was lost in thought, Flare-san produced a small tin—a container that looked like it might hold hand cream at a glance. She opened it to reveal wood chips inside, which she scooped up with the head of her pipe.
As she put the pipe to her lips, it caught fire for a moment, and shortly after, wisps of smoke emerged. Just as she had described, the smoke vanished the moment it drifted slightly away from her.
"And there you have it. That’s how it works."
"I see... Even so, that's my first time seeing a kiseru pipe in action. It's quite striking."
"In terms of usage, perhaps. However, I must apologize... To be honest, this isn't actually tobacco."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yes. This is processed fragrant wood that grows in the Demon Realm. Strictly speaking, it's not tobacco at all."
Fragrant wood... I didn't know the specifics, but my personal image of the stuff was something used in places like shrines or temples.
It certainly wasn't tobacco in the strict sense, but you wouldn't know that just by looking. That’s why Flare-san used a smoking magic tool just like a regular smoker... wait. Something felt off.
"...Um, Flare-san. I'm sorry if I'm just being ignorant... but is fragrant wood something you're supposed to inhale?"
"...Ah, no, well... the thing is..."
Exactly. If it was just fragrant wood, there should be no reason to go out of her way to inhale it through a pipe. I recalled hearing that things like cigars were meant for enjoying the aroma in the mouth without inhaling into the lungs, so I wondered if it was something similar.
When I asked, the dignified Flare-san suddenly faltered. She awkwardly avoided my gaze, looking quite embarrassed.
While still refusing to look at me, her cheeks flushed a faint crimson as she spoke in a small voice.
"Well... there is a... legend... that says if you inhale the smoke from this wood... it will... make your body grow larger."
"...Huh?"