After finishing our tour of the Human Realm, we moved on to the Demon Realm to continue our search for the hidden potential of baby castella. Personally, I felt we had gathered more than enough ideas already, but Kuro wasn't about to settle for anything less than perfection.
Our first stop was Lilliwood-san's castle. She was a kind person who usually welcomed us even on short notice, making her an easy person to approach for advice.
"...And so, do you have any good ideas?"
"Um, Kuromueina? To begin with, I don't actually eat meals..."
"Ah, that’s right. Lilliwood only drinks water."
"Yes. It isn't that I'm incapable of eating, but since it isn't necessary for my survival, I simply don't."
"I see... So, do you have any good ideas?"
"Wait, what? Are you really going back to that question after what I just said?! Um, well..."
Kuro was really pushing it, asking for culinary advice from Lilliwood-san, who didn't even eat. Still, because of that, she might have a different perspective than the rest of us, so I could understand why Kuro wanted her input.
...No, wait. Get a grip, Kaito. I'm starting to let this madness rub off on me.
While I was lost in thought, the door opened and Camellia-san entered the room, pushing a serving cart.
"Lilliwood-sama, I have brought the tea."
"Ah, Camellia. You've arrived at the perfect time. Unlike me, you eat food, don't you?"
"Eh? Well, yes, though usually only tea sweets..."
"That's more than enough. I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you please answer Kuromueina's question?"
"Y-Yes, certainly."
Unlike Lilliwood-san, who subsisted almost entirely on water, Camellia-san was the type to enjoy eating and drinking for pleasure, often partaking in black tea and snacks.
Prompted by Lilliwood-san, Camellia-san took a seat. She wore a thoughtful expression as she listened to Kuro’s explanation once more.
"...Elly—or rather, Rosmiel of the Seven Princesses—often makes things like cookies using roses. I remember hearing something from her back then. Flower Spirits possess the power to bloom the flowers that serve as their origin, and if they set their minds to it, they can alter their properties to some degree. Depending on the spirit, they might even be able to transform flowers that are normally inedible into something safe for consumption."
"Oh, I see! That would give them a completely different feel from herbs. If we can turn non-edible plants into food, it would really broaden our horizons. I like it!"
Just as Kuro said, that was an interesting suggestion. For instance, it meant that someone like Isis-san's Spica-san might be able to create an edible version of the Blue Crystal Flower.
If that were possible, our list of potential ingredients would grow exponentially. However, since she had said "to some degree," there were likely still things that couldn't be made edible no matter how much they were altered.
"Thank you, Camellia-chan. That was very helpful."
"No, the honor is mine if I could be of any service."
"My business is done, but Kaito-kun, didn't you have something you wanted to ask Camellia-chan as well?"
"Kaito-san? Yes, what is it?"
Kuro was likely referring to the matsutake mushrooms I had mentioned back at Kaori-san's shop. Since she had opened the door for me, I explained the situation to Camellia-san and asked if she could arrange a meeting for me with Lanza-san at a later date.
"Yes, of course. Please feel free to visit whenever it's convenient for you, Kaito-san."
"Thank you so much. That's a huge help. I’m not sure if Lanza-san will agree to the request, but I’ve really set my heart on getting some matsutake..."
"It’s strange, though. You and Kaori-chan are both so fascinated by matsutake, but Noin wasn't interested at all."
"Huh? Is that so?"
"Yeah. She didn't seem to want them. She said she'd rather have shiitake instead, so she had Raz grow some for her."
"I see..."
That certainly was a bit odd. Given how much Noin-san loves Japanese food, I expected her to be all over matsutake as well.
As I tilted my head in confusion, Kuro called out to someone behind me.
"Hey, Shaltier. Does Noin dislike matsutake?"
"No, it's not that. It's simply a generational gap. To put it simply, in the world Kaito-san came from, the status of matsutake and shiitake used to be completely reversed. Matsutake was a cheap ingredient you could find anywhere, while shiitake was a rare delicacy that was difficult to cultivate."
"Wait, really? I had no idea."
"Long ago, the environment across Japan allowed matsutake to be harvested in abundance. However, as infrastructure developed and the environment changed, the areas where matsutake could grow began to vanish. Conversely, once a stable method for cultivating shiitake was established, they could be grown on a massive scale. The supply completely flipped. Now, matsutake is the rare, luxury item. Since Noin-san was born and raised in an era when stable shiitake cultivation was only just beginning to spread, she still views shiitake as the superior gourmet ingredient."
I see, so that was the reason. Noin-san was the First Hero, and from our perspective, she was from an era over a hundred years ago. It was only natural for there to be a difference in values like that.
But still... this girl really knows way too much about Japan.
Serious-senpai: "While the exact timing is debated, shiitake were generally treated as a 'Hare no Hi' feast for special occasions like New Year's or Buddhist services during the pre-war era. Since cultivation was erratic and relied heavily on luck, they were highly prized. However, production plummeted during the war, and over the following decades, stable cultivation methods made them affordable and common. By then, their value relative to matsutake had flipped."