Since it was already late, I decided to save the tour of the newly renovated garden for tomorrow. Everyone was feeling the exhaustion of the festival, so we called it a night at a reasonable hour, and I headed back to my room.
As I was lightly organizing the things I’d purchased, a section of the wall suddenly slid open with a clatter, and Kuro stepped through. Her visits were a daily occurrence, but what was with that sliding panel? Was it an actual door now?
"Kaito-kun, I’m here~!"
"...I’m seriously starting to wonder how many hidden features I don’t know about have been installed in this room."
I directed an exasperated look at her, but she just gave me a bright smile. Well, fine. If it really started to bother me, I’d just have to corner Alice and interrogate her.
That aside, although Kuro visited almost every day, I hadn’t been sure if she’d show up tonight.
"I thought you’d be too busy with the White God Festival to come over," I said.
"Hmm, well, I only had to say a few words at the opening and closing ceremonies. I spent the rest of the time just watching."
"That sounds exhausting in its own way. Is it the same for the Hero Festival?"
"Basically, yeah. That’s how it usually goes when I’m attending as a guest of honor."
Having to sit perfectly still in the VIP seats while everyone stared at you sounded like a nightmare, but as one of the Six Kings, Kuro was probably used to it.
As the thought crossed my mind, Kuro performed her usual routine: she pulled out a yunomi filled with coffee and set it before me. Then, she reached for her customary snack—or so I thought.
"Here! I brought financiers today! Let’s eat!"
"Wait, what?"
The moment those words left her mouth, I reflexively reached out and pressed my hand against her forehead to check for a fever. I wasn’t even sure if Demons could catch colds, or if a fever was even a symptom for them, but this felt like an emergency.
"...Kuro, are you okay?"
"Eh? W-What’s wrong?"
"You’re offering something other than baby castella. You must be suffering from some kind of life-threatening illness..."
"Isn’t that a bit rude, even for you!?"
It was true that Kuro enjoyed trying all kinds of food and sweets as a hobby. There was nothing inherently strange about her eating a financier.
However, whenever she came to visit me at night, it was always the same: baby castella and coffee. If she had a new variety, she brought that; if not, she brought the originals. Without fail.
"I mean, you’ve never brought anything but baby castella for our nightly chats before..."
"Ah... now that you mention it, I guess that’s true. Anyway, tonight it’s financiers."
"But why financiers?"
"Actually, I wanted you to give them a taste-test. I brought a few other things, too."
Kuro laid out several cylindrical objects, each about five centimeters long, on the table.
"I actually started a new company recently."
"I see."
"You know about Random Boxes, right? They’re made using paper infused with magic formulas, manufactured from processed magic crystal shards. Well, a new production method was discovered that significantly cut the costs of making that paper."
So she’d started another company. I still didn’t quite see what that had to do with financiers, though.
"To put it simply, it’s a company that specializes in portable rations. As you know, Kaito-kun, magic boxes are among the most expensive types of magic tools. Even disposable ones are usually too pricey just for storing ingredients."
"Right. So you’re making portable food instead?"
"Exactly. It doesn’t use space-time magic. Instead, it uses a status-preservation and size-reduction formula. When you open these little cylinders, you can eat the food inside immediately."
I see. It was the Trinia version of instant or retort food. It was definitely a clever niche to target.
Magic boxes were expensive, and they had limited capacity. Furthermore, magic tools didn’t last forever; they eventually degraded and broke down. While higher-purity items lasted longer, they weren't infinite. Buying one just to keep groceries fresh was a high barrier for most people.
"Right now, we’ve only developed a soup series, some sweets, and a few types of bread. I’ll gradually increase the variety over time."
"What’s the price point?"
"I’m planning to sell them for about 1R to 5R each. Once the business is on track, I should be able to bring the costs down even further."
At a price range of 100 to 500 yen, they’d likely appeal to regular households, not just adventurers and merchants. They’d be perfect for those days when someone just didn’t feel like cooking.
A meal of soup and bread was plenty, and since they used status preservation, the food would come out piping hot the moment the seal was broken.
I had a feeling these were going to be a massive hit. I picked up a financier and took a bite. The texture was moist and soft, and a gentle sweetness blossomed across my palate. The quality was remarkably high.
"...How much would this be?"
"I’m planning on 1R for a pack of three."
"This is delicious. The quality is incredible."
"Hehe, I’m very picky about balancing taste and price. That’s the hardest part, which is why we don’t have many varieties yet. But since I’m here, why don’t you try the others?"
Kuro seemed to genuinely enjoy starting new ventures. Watching her explain it all with such a happy expression warmed my heart. I settled in and spent the rest of the night happily sampling the rations from her new company.