Kaori Mizuhara moved with practiced efficiency through the kitchen of Suiren, her diner in the friendly city of Hikari. It was still a bit early for the shop to open—time she usually spent on prep work—but today she had finished her tasks ahead of schedule to accommodate expected guests.
Just as she reached a natural break in the meal she was preparing for her soon-to-arrive visitors, a knock sounded at the back door rather than the front entrance.
"Come in, Shige-san! You too, Hanna-san!"
"Sorry for dropping by so early again, Kaori-chan," Shigenobu said as he stepped inside.
"Hello, Kaori-san," Hanna added with a warm smile.
The visitors were Shigenobu Okura and his wife, Hanna. Shigenobu, an elderly man, was a former Hero-role like Kaori herself. Despite the age gap, the couple had become close friends with her and made it a point to visit Suiren about once a month.
"Don't worry about the time. We can't really have a long chat once the shop opens, anyway. Come on, make yourselves at home."
"Pardon the intrusion. Oh, Kaori-chan, here are some vegetables from our farm. Have them whenever you like."
"Thank you as always! Actually, I have something I really want you to try today, Shige-san. It’s incredible, so get your hopes up."
"Heh, I'm looking forward to it then. I’ve picked up some interesting news myself, so let’s talk about that later."
After guiding Shigenobu and Hanna to their seats at the counter, Kaori set down cups of water for them. Then, with a beaming, proud expression, she placed bowls of white rice in front of the pair.
"I really should serve this with the side dishes, but I wanted to show this off first!"
"White rice, eh? It’s got a lovely luster. Let’s see... Whoa! Now this is a surprise."
"What do you think? Amazing, right?"
"Yeah... I feel like I’m eating truly delicious rice for the first time in decades. How on earth did you find something of this caliber?"
"It really is wonderful, isn't it?" Hanna agreed, her eyes wide with wonder.
Both Shigenobu and Hanna looked astonished. Shigenobu was a dedicated Japanese Food Enthusiast, and the couple was quite particular about the rice they sourced for their own home. Now that he was retired and only farmed as a hobby, he didn't grow his own rice, but he was very selective about the quality he purchased.
In this world, white rice was grown in small quantities in the remote regions of the Hydra Kingdom. Compared to other nations, the Hydra Kingdom had a decent number of farmers producing rice, and Shigenobu had tried many different varieties. He usually paid a premium for what he considered the best... but the rice he had just tasted was clearly in a different league.
"I was introduced to her through a certain connection recently... Razlyria-sama, though I call her Raz-sama. She’s a Fairy who grows this white rice. It’s high-level stuff, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it’s unbelievable. I’d love to buy some myself, but... I imagine a crop like this costs a fortune?"
"Actually... it’s partly thanks to the person who introduced me, but because of that connection, she lets me have it quite cheap. In fact, it's only about two-thirds the price of the rice I was buying before."
"Is that so... Look, Kaori-chan. I'm not trying to force the issue, but..."
"It’s okay! I figured you’d definitely want some, Shige-san, so I stocked up on extra. You’ve been so good to me, so I’ll let you have it at cost."
"That’s a huge help. I’ll look forward to being able to eat this rice at home."
Predicting that Shigenobu would want the rice, Kaori had already cleared it with Razlyria to see if she could sell it to acquaintances before buying a large supply. Seeing Shigenobu’s joy brought a smile to Kaori’s face.
"Besides, Raz-sama lives in the Demon Realm, so it’s hard to go there or have her come here every month. I bought six months' worth at once, so I have plenty to share."
"Six months' worth? Kaori-san, is it even possible to store that much rice without it spoiling?" Hanna asked, concerned.
"Well, about that, Hanna-san... look at this."
With a wry, slightly overwhelmed smile, Kaori manifested a Black Magic Box in the palm of her hand.
"Wait a minute, Kaori-chan... you’ve got your hands on something outrageous. A black one? In Japanese Yen, that would easily cost hundreds of millions, wouldn't it?"
"That’s the thing, Shige-san... I didn't buy this. I was given it."
"Hah? Given it?"
"Yeah. Raz-sama told me, 'It’s convenient for storing Rice-san, so I’m giving it to you, desu!' I tried to refuse, of course. I told her I couldn't accept something so expensive. But then she just said, 'It’s not that big a deal, it’s just a thank-you for buying so much Rice-san~' I don't even know what to say anymore. To her, a Black Magic Box is 'not a big deal'... It really makes me feel the difference in the social dimensions we live in."
"This Razlyria-sama... who exactly is she?" Hanna asked, her expression one of utter bewilderment.
To Kaori as well, the idea of someone casually handing over such a high-tier magic tool for free was completely outside the realm of common sense. She understood their shock perfectly; even now, she wondered if she should have let herself be talked into accepting it.
However, there was a specific gap in their understanding. While it was true that magic tools made from black magic crystals were normally astronomically expensive, that didn't apply to Kuromueina's Family—especially those close to Tre.
Essentially, one could buy cheap magic crystals at a shop, have Tre change the purity of the crystals, and then either build a Magic Box themselves or ask Zex to make one. Through that process, it cost almost nothing.
Furthermore, Razlyria owned a plantation large enough to be considered a massive estate and supplied vegetables to the trading company owned by Kuromueina. With her vast financial power, even buying one at full price wasn't much of an expense to her.
"...I was curious too, so I asked. Apparently, she’s the First Fairy King and currently holds a position like an Executive for Kuromueina-sama..."
"...Just what kind of life are you leading where a diner owner gets introduced to someone that powerful?"
"I'm asking myself the same thing."
As Shigenobu spoke, Kaori took on the distant, hollow expression that had become her default whenever she thought about her recent social circle.
Serious-senpai: "Now that you mention it, if they ask Tre, they can get all the black magic crystals they want."
???: "Well, it seems they try not to ask too often to avoid bothering her, but they do make requests from time to time. And since it's Tre-san we're talking about, she'll just say 'Okey-dokey!' and change the crystal's ratio in a heartbeat."
Serious-senpai: "I can practically see it happening."