When I followed Tre-san through the door and stepped inside, I was greeted by a space so vast it felt like a hotel lobby.
Even though the area was enormous, it didn't feel like a lived-in suite with standard furniture. Instead, I noticed several doors lining the walls of the expansive hall.
"It’s incredibly spacious. Is this entire place your room?"
"Yep! We combined our three rooms and expanded them with space magic. It’s quite the footprint... Oh, by the way, this is just the foyer. I can't actually use space magic, though, so Cento and Cien did all the heavy lifting!"
"I'd believe you if you told me this was the entrance hall of a ducal mansion."
"I don't know, I feel like the entrance to your house is even wider, Kaito... Anyway, we have all sorts of rooms in here. Cento and Cien each have their own workshops for their hobbies, and we even have a kitchen so we can cook in here."
Come to think of it, Cento-san and Cien-san had mentioned before that they enjoyed making pottery and glasswork. If they had actual workshops in the suite, the sheer size of the place made sense.
"The door over there leads to the reception room. Cento and Cien are already waiting there with tea, so let's head in!"
"Understood. Speaking of which, Tre-san, do you have a room for your hobbies too, like their workshops?"
"Good question! I keep my finger on the pulse of every shifting trend, so my interests are fluid, multifaceted, and innovative. I don’t tie myself down to just one 'main' hobby. I prefer to surrender myself to the flow of the times..."
"In other words, you jump into whatever looks interesting and then drop it just as quickly?"
"Is that how it sounded? Then your ears are working perfectly, Kaito. Well? Are you impressed?"
"Wait, why are you so proud of that!?"
Tre-san had made it sound quite impressive, but she was essentially admitting that she jumped on every passing trend only to lose interest almost immediately. When I called her out on it, she didn't just accept it—she looked downright proud of herself.
"A woman who can reach out and take an interest in so many different things... Doesn't that make me look experienced and cool?"
"You certainly have high self-esteem..."
Giving a wry smile at Tre-san’s triumphant Doyaaa Face, I followed her into the reception room. Cento-san and Cien-san were already there, and they both bowed with smiles when they saw me.
"Hello, Kaito-san."
"Welcome. We are glad you could join us."
"Hello, Cento-san, Cien-san. Sorry for the sudden visit today."
The reception room was also quite large and featured a stylish atmosphere. I doubted Tre-san was capable of coordinating a room this beautifully on her own, so it was likely the twins' handiwork.
Then again, Tre-san was quite dependable in her Work Mode, and since this was a reception room for business, it wouldn't be out of character for her to keep it looking professional.
"Hmm? What is it, Kaito? Staring at me with such a passionate gaze... Ha! I see. Your affection level has finally hit its limit, hasn't it!?"
"No, I was just thinking that even though I know you have impressive qualities, for some reason I harbor an oddly specific lack of trust in you..."
"That’s strange. I feel like I was just insulted out of nowhere. I can tell we're close because of how casual you are, but it feels like your respect for your big sister is currently dragging along the floor... Or is that just my imagination?"
"No comment..."
I had seen her work capabilities, and I knew that despite her fooling around, she possessed keen insight and took precise action when it mattered. She was undoubtedly a good person and someone quite remarkable.
However, she also possessed this strange, clumsy charm... a perfect level of refined uselessness. Well, I suppose that was just part of Tre-san's appeal.
After that comedy-routine exchange, I was ushered to a seat. Cento-san and Cien-san quickly prepared tea and sweets for us.
"So, what brings you by today?"
"Remember how I promised Cento-san back during the Founding Anniversary Festival that I'd show her the pottery Nebula fired? It’s a bit late, but I finally brought it with me. Oh, and she’s also started making glasswork, so I brought some of those pieces as well."
"Thank you so much for taking the time. If I recall, Nebula-san was responsible for the initial lot of Nifty cups, wasn't she? I haven't seen the first lot myself, only the products sold in the store, but I was deeply impressed. Even though the quality was slightly lowered for mass production, the craftsmanship was wonderful. I've been looking forward to seeing her personal work."
"She’s started making glasswork too? She is quite a versatile person."
It seemed Cento-san had actually visited Nifty’s store and seen the mass-produced cups for herself.
Cien-san, on the other hand, appeared surprised to hear that Nebula had expanded into glass. It made sense—Nebula had mentioned that until Canalis-san arrived, she had avoided glass due to the lack of safe equipment and the risk of toxic fumes. This new venture was truly a testament to Canalis-san's help.
Meanwhile, Tre-san was nodding along with a look of deep understanding... though she probably didn't actually understand a thing.
"Anyway, I'll start with the pottery. It seems she based these on the Five-colored Pottery from the Kingdom of Sinfonia, but she used a new manufacturing method and special glazes."
"Wait, what? A new method and glaze? No, things like that aren't developed so easily... Five-colored Pottery is already a perfected art form. Countless craftsmen have tried and failed to produce even six colors simultaneously..."
"Actually, it seems she used ten colors for this work."
"..................Huh?"
The look of absolute, slack-jawed shock on Cento-san's face when I dropped that piece of information was truly a sight to behold.
Serious-senpai: "The contrast between the two who are about to suffer a world-class case of stomach pain... and the super strong-minded big sister who is likely immune. I can practically see it now—Tre just sitting there with a carefree, clueless expression while the other two are having a total meltdown."