Behind Lilia’s mansion and Kaito’s home lay a vast expanse of land even larger than the front garden. It housed the stables managed by the Albert estate, the dwellings of Kaito’s pets—the behemoth Bellfried and the white dragon Rin—and even a dedicated training ground.
In one corner, beside a small field tended by Nebula, sat a table that had become a regular spot for Nebula and Illness to enjoy a cup of tea together after finishing their daily chores.
The two close friends were chatting as usual when Lilia arrived, followed by Lunamaria.
"Ah, so this is where you were, Illness."
"Ohhh? Miladyyy?"
"Please, stay seated. I’ve only come for a quick word..."
Illness moved to stand at her employer’s arrival, but Lilia stopped her and took one of the empty seats.
"You can sit too, Luna."
"Thank you, I believe I will... Illness-sama, Nebula, what were you two working on today?"
Prompted by Lilia, Lunamaria sat down and gestured toward the items spread across the table. It looked like a collection of carving tools and various paints.
"I was making wooden cups with Illness-san," Nebula replied. "It’s quite easy to gather materials from my main body, after all."
"Since we had both~ finished our work early, we were~ just looking for a way to pass the timeee."
"I see... These are truly magnificent pieces."
Nebula set two wooden cups where the visitors could see them clearly. They were decorated with exquisite, three-dimensional carvings of spirits and trees. The designs on the two cups appeared to be a set; when placed side-by-side, they formed a single, seamless landscape.
The coloring was equally delicate, rendered in soft, elegant hues. They were masterpieces that wouldn't have looked out of place in a prestigious museum, and Lunamaria couldn't help but voice her admiration.
The fact that they were crafted from the wood of the World Tree made them even more extraordinary. While Nebula and Illness could process it with ease, World Tree wood was famously dense—a material normally considered entirely unsuited for woodworking.
"...But, these are 'not quite right,' aren't they?" Nebula mused.
"That’s true~... Shall we~ just toss them outoo?"
"Wait, wait just a moment!" Lilia cried, her voice rising in alarm. "Toss them out? They look like treasures that should be displayed in the Royal Museum... What could you possibly find wrong with them?"
To the two creators, however, these cups were nothing more than failures. They seemed ready to discard them with genuine dissatisfaction until Lilia pressed them for an explanation.
The two gave her a look of utter simplicity.
"The decorations are~ far too elaborate, making them~ difficult to holdoo."
"They aren't very practical as cups," Nebula added.
While the cups were artistic triumphs, they were, in the eyes of their makers, simply poor tools. Neither Nebula nor Illness had set out to create a work of art; they had simply been bored and decided to "make some wooden cups."
Though they had seen the task through to the end, their shared perfectionism had resulted in something far too ornate for daily use.
"...Um, if the two of you truly don't want them, would you consider giving them to me? I know someone who collects fine woodcrafts."
"I don't mind at allll."
Since the cups were merely a byproduct of a lazy afternoon, Nebula and Illness readily handed them over to Lilia.
Then, Nebula tilted her head inquisitively.
"By the way, Lilia-san. Didn't you have something you wanted to ask Illness-san?"
"Ah, that’s right. I got distracted... Actually, it’s a request for both of you. Would it be possible to let me have some of that Crafted Sugar you showed me before?"
Lunamaria added a bit of context. "The Duchess, Milady’s aunt, is scheduled to visit shortly. She is quite the tea enthusiast, and since she is a vital contact for Milady’s future plans, we were hoping to present her with a souvenir she would truly appreciate."
As a high-ranking noble, Lilia often had to host her peers. Since this visitor was an important business associate, she wanted to ensure her guest left with a stellar impression.
"I’ve searched for alternatives, but I haven't found anything that compares to your Crafted Sugar. Of course, only if you have enough to spare."
"I see. In that case, I have just the thing."
Nebula nodded and summoned a Magic Box into her palm. Even though her status was currently diminished, she was still a power of the Quasi-Almighty Class; she could have easily stored items using Space-Time Magic without any physical container.
However, because Kaito had bought this Magic Box for her, she cherished it and went out of her way to use it for everything.
She reached inside and pulled out a wooden box that radiated luxury.
"When Rosmiel-san visited, I thought others might eventually want these as gifts, so Illness-san and I prepared several Assortment Boxes."
"Each small jar~ contains five pieces of sugaroo. I’ve included~ a guide for each variety as wellll, so I think~ the guest will find it quite helpfuldd."
"This is wonderful. Even the box is so elegant... Please, let me pay you for these."
Naturally, the box was also made of World Tree wood.
"There's no need for money," Nebula insisted. "If anything, we have too many. I’ll give you ten of them; please use them however you like."
"We~ made far too many of themmm."
"We were both just looking for a way to pass the time, you see~"
"Kuhihi, exactlyyy."
Lilia took the boxes with an apologetic but grateful smile. She and Lunamaria stood to leave; while the gift was settled, there were still countless other arrangements to be made for the Duchess’s arrival.
"Illness-san, what should we make next?"
"Let’s see~. How about~ a flower vaseee?"
"I love that idea! The cups were forest-themed, so let's try something reminiscent of the sea this time."
Lilia and Lunamaria returned to the house, a wry smile on their faces as they listened to the two friends happily planning their next hobby.
Once they were inside, Lunamaria sighed.
"...How can they be 'looking for things to do' after finishing all that work? Those two are on another level."
"It’s true. And unless my eyes are deceiving me, Illness... has she become even faster recently?"
"She has. Her performance was already overwhelming, but her speed and quality have been polished to an even sharper edge lately. It honestly terrifies me to realize she still had room to grow."
Character Note: Illness (Current Maid Power: 330,000)
By spending time with Nebula and learning from her, Illness has experienced explosive growth in multiple areas. She previously suffered from a lack of innate Magic Power for a Count-class demon, but Nebula "secretly adjusted" her, leading to a recent surge in her mana capacity.
Between her improved skills and Nebula’s help with the daily chores, Illness now typically finishes her entire workload by noon. She spends every afternoon sharing tea and crafting with Nebula.