As I walked toward our destination with Erial, I felt the eyes of the people on the street following us. The reason wasn't hard to guess; it was obvious just by looking at her.
Erial had refined, cool features that were beautiful in their own right, but her clothing was even more striking. She wore a bikini-like outfit in a shade somewhere between bright orange and gold, layered with see-through fabric. It reminded me of something an Arabian dancer might wear—to be blunt, it was incredibly alluring.
On top of that, she was adorned with numerous ornaments, perhaps to accentuate her dancing. It was only natural that she would draw a crowd just by walking down the street.
I suppose drawing attention is part of the job for a dancer, but being the center of so many stares felt quite awkward. It wasn't that they were looking at me specifically, but walking right beside her meant I couldn't escape the scrutiny.
Erial herself, however, didn't seem to notice or care.
"By the way, Erial," I said, hoping to shift my focus to something else. "What kind of shop are we heading to?"
The map she had given me only marked the location without a name, so I had no idea what kind of business it was. Since she was making a point to shop there, I figured it had to be a specialty store.
"A florist... in other words, a gardening shop with a wide variety of seeds. It’s for a friend’s hobby... in other words, my friend Tiltania. Our objective is vegetables... in other words, even though she asked for seeds, she wants vegetables, not flowers."
"...Tiltania? Um, by any chance, is she nicknamed Til?"
"Affirmative... in other words, that’s correct. I call her that too... in other words, Til is the name I usually use. A question... in other words, since you know her nickname, are you an acquaintance of hers, Kaito?"
"No, I’ve never actually met her. I just hear her name from Raz quite often, so I remembered it."
I didn't know Tiltania—Til—personally, but she was a name I recognized. Raz talked about her frequently; apparently, they were fairy friends. According to Raz, they were the best of friends, and I’d heard plenty of stories about them wearing matching outfits.
"I heard she’s a fairy who’s exceptionally talented with musical instruments," I added.
"Affirmative... in other words, Til is indeed a virtuoso; she can play anything. She’s a bright, cheerful girl... in other words, her personality is wonderful. I think you’d become friends the moment you met."
"I’d love to meet her someday. But getting back to the seeds, is she planning to grow these vegetables herself?"
"Affirmative once more... in other words, exactly. They were recommended to her... in other words, Razulia recently added them to her own garden and suggested them to Til. They are a local specialty... in other words, a new species recently discovered in the Kingdom of Sinfonia, only sold here in the capital."
"A new species of vegetable, huh? I wonder what they’re like."
Discovering an entirely new species was no small feat. I could understand selective breeding, but for them to call it a "new species" implied it was something previously unknown. I wondered if it was some kind of mutation.
"Discovered at a landmark... in other words, they were found at the Sky Castle, which was recently added to the capital’s tourist attractions."
"...Wait, what?"
"A special effect... in other words, they contain a trace amount of magic power that supposedly reduces fatigue. They are incredibly popular... in other words, while the effect isn't strong enough to be called 'healing,' they’re so sought after that they’re constantly out of stock."
"I-Is that so? That... that sounds like a very strange vegetable."
The Sky Castle? That was the place where my birthday party had been held, right? Wait, something was wrong. Weren't the miraculous fruits and springs removed after the event ended?
(I have placed new items with adjusted effects there. Since I gifted the castle to Lilia Albert, I felt it would be better if she had a source of profit... Consider it a service.)
Does Lilia actually know about this? I asked Shiro in my head.
(Yes. They were found during the survey to turn the castle into a tourist site, and a report was sent to Lilia. For some reason, she fainted immediately. It is a mystery.)
Lilia... You poor woman.
Still, it made sense now. If Shiro was the one who created them, it wasn't surprising at all that they were a "new species." The reason they had only recently hit the market was likely because Lilia had been consulting with King Ryze and the others on how to manage such a discovery.
They must have finally established a cultivation plan and started distribution. While the profit was undoubtedly immense, I was more worried about Lilia's stomach.
Though, if I really thought about it, the whole thing started because of me... which left me feeling a little awkward.