With Nebula on board, the plans for the new black tea brand began to move forward in earnest. Since Anima was handling the financial arrangements and logistical calculations, there wasn't much left for me to do.
Still, brainstorming ideas and helping with the setup seemed like fun, so I decided to involve myself in the planning process. Since I was a total amateur, however, I made sure to tell Anima to shoot down any of my suggestions if they were too ridiculous.
"The logo we were already using is fine, right?"
"Yes. Since the teacups are already in circulation, it’s better to stick with it rather than forcing a change. We're already making progress on setting up personnel and locations for the pottery production and the cultivation of Nebula-sama's tea leaves."
"As expected, you work fast... No, but these tea leaves are truly incredible. When I brewed them according to her notes, even I could make a decent cup of tea."
"I agree. Their quality is undeniable, but what’s truly impressive is how consistent the flavor stays regardless of the amount of leaves or the steeping time. Even if the preparation is a bit sloppy, the results are still delicious."
Sure enough, Nebula had finished the new tea leaves by the following day, just as she had promised. While her previous batch was temperamental and meant for experts, this one was clearly designed for beginners. Just as Anima said, even if brewed somewhat haphazardly, it produced an authentic and delicious cup of tea.
Moreover, she hadn't sacrificed complexity for the sake of accessibility. These new leaves could apparently be combined with the original ones to adjust the flavor profile across a broad range, making them just as enjoyable for connoisseurs. Illness-san joined us for the tasting and spent quite some time experimenting with different blends and ratios with great interest.
As a side note, we planned to sell the "expert-tier" tea Nebula first created in small, limited quantities once a month under the new brand. We intended to sell them only with a clear disclaimer that they were difficult to brew correctly.
"...That said, only a first-class maid could truly do those leaves justice. Perhaps the World Maid Federation could help? We could establish a qualification system and only sell to those who meet the standards."
"Ah, that’s a fair point. If someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing tries to brew them, they’ll just ruin the flavor. Maybe a qualification system would be— wait?"
"...Ein-dono?"
I turned toward the voice that had joined our conversation so naturally and found someone who shouldn't have been there: Ein-san. She had a perfectly composed expression, acting for all the world like she belonged there. Whether she had truly appeared out of thin air or not, Anima looked just as shocked to see her as I was.
"Ein-san? Why are you here?"
"I realized that the launch of a black tea brand would require the advice of an elite maid... and also, I heard Nebula-sama had created a new blend!"
"That's definitely your real objective, isn't it?! Wait, how did you even get that information?"
"As a maid, one must always be sensitive to information. While my network may not quite rival Shaltier's, a powerful information-gathering capability is a basic requirement for any refined maid."
Since when was being a spy a requirement for maids? I’d expected her to catch wind of this eventually, and I knew she’d want to try the tea, but she’d managed to find us in less than a day. Anima had been reaching out to various contacts to get the brand ready, so she must have picked up the trail from there. Regardless, she was incredibly fast.
"And so, where is this rumored tea—?"
Ein-san was speaking with mounting excitement when a small hand tapped her on the shoulder. Her words cut off instantly. Kuro stood there, smiling pleasantly, yet radiating an undeniable pressure.
"Ch-Ch-Ch-Chrome-sama!?"
"Ein? What have I told you? It’s fine to be passionate about maid culture, but you can’t let yourself get carried away and cause trouble for others..."
"Ah, no... this is, well... my overflowing maid spirit could not be suppressed..."
It was rare to see Ein-san turn so pale and stumble over her words. Based on Kuro's tone, this was clearly a recurring problem.
"Come on. You’re being a nuisance to Kaito-kun and the others, so we’re going home."
"Ah, no! But at least let me see the new tea! I know it must be something incredible!"
"No. I'll get some for you another time, so behave yourself for now."
"Uuuuu... how could this be..."
"Well then, Kaito-kun, Anima-chan, sorry for the interruption."
With a regretful apology to us, Kuro literally dragged a teary-eyed Ein-san out the door. We weren't anywhere near ready to launch yet, but I decided I’d give her some as a gift once the production line was settled.
Serious-senpai: Now that I think about it, Kuro hauled her away for a lecture once before, too—back when she was aggressively pushing maid culture on Kaito's mother...