I stepped out of the stall and regrouped with Cento-san and Sien-san. Behind the door we’d emerged from sat a row of wooden masks—our prizes, apparently.
The craftsmanship looked solid enough that they probably carried a decent price tag, but I wondered what culture they were modeled after. They looked a bit unsettling, though Tre-san didn't seem to mind; she was already enthusiastically putting one on.
Cento-san and Sien-san, on the other hand, had ended up with bags of assorted sweets. In terms of raw value, the masks were likely the better haul, but part of me felt like the snacks were a better prize... Well, Tre-san was happy, so I figured I’d just let her have the mask.
"We still have some time left. What do you want to do?" I asked. "We could browse the stalls on the way back, or we could just use teleportation magic later and head somewhere else for now."
"Hmm, I’ve mostly been dragging you along to the places I like so far," Tre-san said. "I think we should let Kaito, Cento, or Sien decide where to go next."
"I don't have any particular preference. What about you two?"
Since it had been either Tre-san or me calling the shots while they just followed along, I really wanted to hear their suggestions. I wasn't going to force the issue, though; if no one had any ideas, we’d just keep wandering.
"...If Sien-san doesn't have a preference, I’d actually like to visit East Street," Cento-san said, sounding a little hesitant.
"The East District... Ah, I see," Sien-san said, seemingly realizing something. "I don't have any requests, so I’d like to go with her suggestion."
"Understood. East Street it is then. Are you okay with that, Tre-san?"
"Sure! But what was in the East District again?"
I was curious about the reason for Cento-san's choice as well, and Tre-san tilted her head with the same inquisitive expression. Sien-san was the one who answered.
"I believe it is because the East has many shops specialized in handicrafts."
"Oh, right! Ceramics! Cento-san, you love pottery, don't you?"
"Yes..." Cento-san nodded shyly. "During events like this, you can sometimes find rare pieces..."
Tre-san nodded as if the pieces had finally clicked into place. I see—pottery. It was a hobby I knew next to nothing about, so it hadn't even crossed my mind.
"I didn't realize you were into pottery, Cento-san."
"Yeah, she collects all sorts of things," Tre-san added. "I'm not much of an expert myself, though. Isn't there something famous in Sinfonia?"
"The Kingdom of Sinfonia is known for its Five-colored Pottery," Cento-san explained. "It uses a palette of green, yellow, red, purple, and blue, and is made in both earthenware and porcelain. The colors are vivid and bold, giving the pieces a striking presence. They're as beautiful for display as they are for actual use."
I’d never heard of that before. Then again, I didn't recall spending much time in the East District. I was always in the South District for the shops or the North District for the theaters, but the East and West were still mostly unexplored territory for me.
I hadn't heard of Five-colored Pottery either. All the tableware at Lilia-san's place was basic white, so I got the impression she wasn't particularly interested in the craft.
I didn't think I had any other friends who were experts on the subject... wait.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Kaito? You look like you're thinking about something."
"Oh, it's nothing. Just that talking about pottery reminded me that Nebula said she was going to buy a kiln."
"A kiln? That’s quite the commitment," Cento-san said. "I’ve visited professional studios to try my hand at it a few times, but..."
"She was checking the location and everything in quite a bit of detail. She mentioned buying a special magic kiln."
Since I didn't have much interest in pottery, I’d mostly let the conversation wash over me at the time, but I remembered Nebula and Illness-san giving me a breakdown. It apparently took a while from the initial order to delivery, so it hadn't been set up yet, but a kiln was likely going to appear in our backyard before long.
"I think she said something about a kiln that can be adjusted in seven stages."
"Wait, do you mean a Seven-point Special Magic Refinement Kiln!?"
"Umm, yeah, that sounds like it... Is it really expensive?"
"The price is one thing, but those kilns are notoriously difficult to master. If you can handle one, you can make incredibly precise adjustments to the firing process, but it requires so much skill that even professional workshops rarely have them installed."
If a pottery enthusiast like Cento-san was this shocked, it had to be a top-of-the-line piece of equipment. Normally, I’d assume a novice would never be able to use something like that, but since it was Illness-san and Nebula using it, I had a feeling they’d manage just fine.
"...If she finishes something, I would love to see it," Cento-san said.
"Sure, I'll let them know. Feel free to come by whenever you like."
Had they mentioned making teacups? If it was those two, I really did feel like they’d create something extraordinary. Maybe it was just my bias, but even the wooden cups they made in their spare time were incredibly high quality. I had high hopes.
Serious-senpai: "By the way, according to Lilia, a noble herself, those wooden cups were of such quality that they wouldn't look out of place displayed in the Royal Art Museum..."