The yunomi I had presented to Shigenobu-san was undoubtedly Nebula’s own handiwork, not a literal National Treasure like a Yohen Tenmoku bowl. However, the fact that she could produce something of that caliber so effortlessly was a marvel in its own right.
Shigenobu-san mentioned that even a real Yohen Tenmoku wouldn't possess a firing pattern that captured the starry sky as beautifully as Nebula’s, but unfortunately, both Hina-chan and I were completely ignorant when it came to ceramics. My only real impression was that the technical details went entirely over our heads.
"Nebula did mention that she calculated the patterns before she fired them..."
"Calculated them? Is that even possible? I mean, I suppose one could to an extent, but to this level of perfection? Well, I suppose there are plenty of people in this world who defy common sense. It might not be as impossible as it sounds."
"If we're talking about defying common sense, Kaito-senpai’s magic tool is an outlier even by the standards of this world," Hina-chan added, as if the thought had just struck her. She was referring, of course, to my teleportation tool.
The device, which utilized the White Magic Crystal I’d received from Shiro-san, was an absurd piece of equipment.
"Is that so? To my eyes, it looks like a fairly standard magic tool..."
"Ah, well, it’s actually a teleportation tool."
"A teleportation magic tool? In that size?"
Hina-chan’s unexpected lead forced me to explain while I puzzled over how to describe its functions. Hanna-san tilted her head in curiosity alongside her husband.
It was a fair reaction. Standard teleportation tools were usually massive. Even the cutting-edge model Sieg-san had recently purchased was about a meter and a half long, and that was considered a significantly miniaturized version. It just went to show how complex teleportation magic was and how much mana it required to function.
"Well, the Magic Crystal itself is extremely special. There’s no limit to the magic formulas it can hold, and it generates its own mana, so the supply is essentially infinite. It also doesn't degrade from use or age."
"Huh?" the two of them blurted out in unison.
"Yeah, I expected that. I understand the feeling, but since it’s a Magic Crystal the Creator God-sama Made, it operates outside the bounds of normal common sense."
For the record, the crystal currently had several spells registered to it: teleportation magic, recovery magic that interferes with causality to heal the wounds from when he was attacked by a Black Bear, and magic that returns to one's arm just by willing it even if it’s away from my person.
According to Kuro, I could keep piling on as many formulas as I wanted. Of course, because the crystal was so unique, it was impossible to engrave a formula unless the artisan possessed skill on the level of Kuro or Alice.
"So... I heard a rumor that you've received the Creator God-sama’s blessing. Is that actually true?"
"Uh, yes. It's true."
"I see. Kaori-chan told us about it, and it's not that I thought it was a lie... but I guess a part of me was still skeptical."
"We figured Rei and Fia were just exaggerating again, like they usually do," Hanna-san added.
"Wait, Rei-san and Fia-san? Do you know them?"
That was a name I hadn't expected to hear. From Hanna-san’s tone, it sounded like they’d heard about me from someone other than Kaori-san. Rei and Fia—those were undoubtedly Sieg-san's parents.
"Come to think of it, I believe Sieg-san mentioned that her parents had otherworlder friends, and that they’d built an Engawa at their home to mimic that person's house..."
"Yeah, that would be us," Shigenobu-san replied. "Rei and Fia—Reijihart and Sylphia—are old travel companions. We go way back."
"Travel companions?" Aoi, Hina-chan, and I asked simultaneously.
Shigenobu-san scratched his cheek, looking a bit sheepish as he began to explain.
"Yeah, I spent a long time wandering the world. I wasn't an adventurer or anything; I was more of a Rootless Wanderer. There was a period when I just drifted from place to place without any real aim."
"It was more than a 'period.' You were drifting for over fifty years," Hanna-san corrected.
"Hahaha, fair enough. I did spend most of my life on the road. Anyway, I met all sorts of people during my travels, and occasionally we'd stick together for a while. Rei and Fia were companions I met back then. We traveled together for quite some time."
"Wow... that sounds wonderful. Why were Rei-san and Fia-san traveling, anyway?"
Meeting people by chance and becoming comrades on an aimless journey—it sounded like the party from an RPG. I felt a twinge of envy. The fact that they were still such close friends even now, long after their journey had ended, was truly heartwarming.
"Oh, those two were a Delinquent Couple who ditched Rigforresia because they wanted to see the outside world."
"Wait, really?"
"Yes," Hanna-san said. "Rei was a powerhouse considered the next ace of the Security Force, and Fia was a Spirit Mage with a Promising Future. Their lives were supposed to be set, but they decided that was boring, turned down their recruitments, and ran off."
"They've calmed down a bit now that they’re parents, but they were a real handful back then. For instance..."
The discovery of a mutual acquaintance made the conversation even more vibrant. We spent the rest of the visit listening to Shigenobu-san’s hilarious stories about the younger, wilder versions of Rei-san and Fia-san that we’d never known.
Serious-senpai: "They still seem pretty eccentric to me, but I guess from Shigenobu's perspective, they've actually mellowed out..."