On a clear afternoon, with no particular plans and feeling a bit restless, I headed to the backyard to see if Bell or Rin wanted to play. There, I found Nebula and Illness-san.
The two were close and often shared tea in the garden, but today they weren't sitting. Instead, they were standing together, huddled over what looked like a book and deep in consultation.
"What are you two up to?" I asked.
"Ah, Master. I was actually planning to ask you about this later, but we’re thinking of buying a kiln."
"A... kiln?"
"Yeees..." Illness-san added. "Nebula and I were discussing how we would like to try our hand at making teacups... and so we are considering purchasing a pottery kiln. We intend to find a magic tool model that doesn’t produce smoke... but for now, we were just scout-ing for a suitable location..."
"I-I see."
Making their own teacups? Come to think of it, I’d seen them crafting wooden tableware together recently. I suppose it was only a matter of time before they moved on to ceramics.
"We intend to place it somewhere where it won't be a hindrance to Bellfried or Lindwurm," Nebula explained. "Would it be alright if we bought one?"
"Eh? Yeah, sure. Using the space isn't a problem at all. There’s more than enough room in the backyard, so if there's anything else you want to put here, feel free to do so."
I never had anything to worry about when it came to Illness-san and Nebula. Whenever they wanted to do something, they always made sure to get my permission beforehand, so there were never any unpleasant surprises. Besides, they never did anything particularly strange.
Still, I knew they were the type to dive deep into their hobbies, but I hadn't expected them to go as far as making their own china.
"Thank you very much. Once it's finished, I'll show it to you first, Master."
"I’ll look forward to it. Oh, and the tea garden seems to have matured quite a bit... Wait, isn't that too fast? Does tea normally grow this quickly?"
"Ah, I've used magic to accelerate the growth rate. In fact, we've already harvested some and processed them into tea leaves."
"Wait, really?"
The tea field Nebula had created in the backyard had really flourished before I’d even noticed. According to her, they had already begun the harvest.
"They are truly wonderful tea leaves," Illness-san said warmly. "I am constantly amazed by Nebula's ideas. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say those leaves will bring a revolution to black tea..."
"Now, that’s a bit of an exaggeration," Nebula demurred. "I intended to serve them to you, Master, once I’d refined the process a bit more... but if you're interested, would you like to have a taste now?"
"Is it okay? I'm definitely curious. If you're offering, I’d love a cup."
There was no way I could ignore an endorsement like that. For Illness-san—a top-tier maid who had surely sampled every variety of black tea imaginable—to call them revolutionary was a huge deal. I nodded at Nebula’s suggestion and took a seat at the garden table where they usually took their breaks.
Illness-san stepped inside the house for a moment and returned a few minutes later pushing a tea cart. With practiced, elegant movements, she brewed the tea and set a cup before me.
"Wait... isn't this Glorious Tea?"
"Yeees, that is correct... However, as a blend, I've added a small amount of the tea leaves Nebula created..."
"The leaves I made aren't meant to be enjoyed on their own," Nebula added. "They are designed to be blended with other varieties."
"I see. Well then, let's see..." I took a sip and my eyes widened. "Wait, what is this? This is incredible... It's definitely Glorious Tea, but it's clearly more delicious than any I've ever had."
It was a sensation that was difficult to put into words. The flavor was undoubtedly that of Glorious Tea. It wasn't as though a different flavor had been added to it.
And yet, for some reason, it was vastly superior to any cup I’d had before. It was hard to describe, but it felt as if it had been perfectly tailored to my specific preferences.
"Just what kind of tea leaves did you make, Nebula?"
"The leaves I created," Nebula began, "are designed to add a 'slight impurity' to the black tea."
"Huh? Impurities? Wouldn't that just make it taste worse?"
"Actually, no. It may sound a bit strange, but consider this: what is the most 'delicious' tea? Is it one where the taste and aroma have been pushed to their absolute limits? No. Even if one pursues ultimate flavor, the element of individual preference remains. Therefore, an 'absolute' correct answer can never exist."
As she spoke, Nebula produced some of the tea leaves she had presumably made herself and placed them on the table.
"The role of these leaves is to introduce a faint 'breadth' to the tea's profile by adding those subtle impurities. That range provides the margin necessary to cater to individual tastes, elevating a tea that was once a perfect hundred points to a hundred and twenty. Of course, the balance is delicate—too much or too little will ruin it—so adjusting the amount is quite difficult. However, with these leaves, one can add a new dimension to even the most familiar teas."
"Thanks to this... we can elevate the flavors of existing teas even further. Although it is quite a challenge... I find experimenting with various blends to be very exciting..."
"Of course," Nebula added, "these leaves can only be mastered by someone with exceptional skill and sense—someone like Illness-san, who can already draw one hundred percent of the potential from standard leaves. They are very much intended for experts."
"I see... So by intentionally adding imperfections, you actually bring out the flavor of the tea even more..."
It reminded me of the concept of sprinkling salt on watermelon to enhance the sweetness. It was a fascinating idea, and the results spoke for themselves—this tea was far better than standard Glorious Tea. It was exactly the taste I liked.
Though, considering these two were calling it "difficult," it was probably the kind of thing that an ordinary person wouldn't stand a chance of mastering.
??? "As per your request, Serious-senpai, the topic of salting watermelon has arrived."
Serious-senpai "...No, that's not what I meant."