Since the new black tea brand would be managed primarily through Anima's own network and logistical setup, there was no real need for Lilia-san to get involved or act as a point of contact.
Nevertheless, I didn't want any fresh seeds of stomach pain to sprout from some unexpected direction, so I made sure to give her a proper report in advance.
"A black tea brand? I imagine that will be quite popular... and frankly, it is a huge relief for me. I have been inundated with inquiries regarding Nebula-san's crafted sugar and tea leaves lately. Having a formal business to direct them toward will make those conversations much easier."
"Oh, that's right. You mentioned before that you occasionally received some of Nebula's crafted sugar."
"Yes. Nebula-san's crafted sugar is incredibly sought after, but it was difficult to give people specific directions on how to obtain it. I usually ended up acting as a middleman to handle the negotiations myself..."
Now that she mentioned it, Nebula made those crafted sugars and tea leaves as a hobby, and she never seemed particularly interested in selling them. In fact, Nebula generally had almost no interest in money whatsoever.
Since Nebula could not stray very far from her main body, the World Tree, she had to ask others to do her shopping for her. She usually relied on her close friend, Illness-san, to buy things like pottery materials and other supplies for her hobbies.
She did earn an income from the likes of Ein-san and Jutia-san—in addition to Lilia-san—for her sugar and tea, but it was really only enough to buy exactly what she needed for her pastimes.
In any case, because of that history, there had never been a clear point of contact for the items produced by Nebula and Illness-san. If anyone filled that role, it was Lilia-san by default. Therefore, establishing a dedicated brand for the tea was likely a significant benefit for her as well.
"...Wait, Lilia-san, did you get a new desk?"
"Yes, well... the previous one broke recently..."
"Oh, did the drawers give out or something?"
"It wasn't exactly the drawers... more that it... shattered. Yes, let's go with that."
I noticed her office desk had been replaced, but when I asked about it, Lilia-san looked away with a rather complicated expression. Shattered? The desk? How exactly did that happen...?
"Well, setting that aside, we need to think of a name for the brand. A noble house would simply use their family name, but if we used your name, Kaito-san, it would cause quite a stir. It would be better to come up with something else... something where people only realize it is your brand if they are already in the know."
"I see... Hmm. That's a tough one."
"There is no need to rush. A new launch requires a great deal of preparation, after all."
Lilia-san was right. I had heard that I was becoming quite famous among the nobility, so using my own name seemed like it would only lead to complications. It was best to follow her advice and choose a different name.
However, since I had already decided on a logo featuring three mountains standing in a row, I figured a name related to mountains might be appropriate. Well, just as Lilia-san said, I'll take my time and think it over.
While Kaito was discussing the new brand with Lilia, Anima and Caraway were busy with the launch preparations. They both wore impressed expressions as they tested a sample Nebula had brought.
"This is a magnificent flavor. Is this a special variety, different from existing sugar?"
"No, the production method is exactly the same as any other. It is just ordinary sugar; the only difference is that I cultivated the ingredients from the ground up myself. While crafted sugar is certainly visually striking, the labor and cost involved make it quite expensive. I felt we should offer an ordinary sugar cube that is more accessible, so I made this."
"Nebula, you really are incredible. Can this be mass-produced?"
"Yes! I made some adjustments to the ingredients, including their growth speed, but they are easy to cultivate. The process for refining the sugar is no different from the standard procedure. No special care is required, so anyone can grow them with ease!"
By its very nature, crafted sugar required a high level of skill to produce. Currently, no one besides Nebula and Illness-san could make it. Furthermore, it had become a status symbol among the nobility, so the plan was to limit the number of units sold to maintain its rarity.
Therefore, Nebula had prepared these high-quality but accessible sugar cubes as a secondary product.
Later, a certain maid who caught wind of these sugar cubes through her mysterious information network would attempt to dash out of her home, only to be caught and scolded by her master once again. However, because the guardian's response was so swift, no one present here would ever know it had happened.
Serious-senpai: "The fact that the other black tea maniac hasn't made a move yet... is that just a difference in their information networks?"
???: "Well, that's part of it, but even if she did find out, Jutia-san wouldn't just go charging in. She has enough self-restraint to send a formal letter of inquiry."
Serious-senpai: "The World King's subordinate executives really are far too sensible. Is the difference really down to their Kings?"
???: "...Excuse me?"
Serious-senpai: "N-No, it's nothing..."