Cornelia had been waiting in her carriage for only a few minutes when one of the two servants she had stationed at the teleportation gate returned. It was ten minutes before their scheduled meeting time, but the man informed her that Kaito had already arrived.
Upon hearing the news, Cornelia stepped down from the carriage. Guided by her other servant, Kaito approached, and she greeted him with an elegant bow.
"Welcome, Kaito-sama. Thank you again for your presence at the tea party the other day."
"Hello, Cornelia-san. Likewise—I'm the one who should be thanking you for the party. I'm sorry for being so demanding and asking you to guide me today."
"Please, think nothing of it. Even if only indirectly, it brings me great joy that a merchant association related to my house has caught your eye."
While they exchanged polite greetings, Cornelia was secretly reeling with shock as she looked at Kaito.
(W-What... truly magnificent clothes... Despite the extremely simple design, they were clearly finished by a master of unparalleled skill. Furthermore, even though I have some measure of confidence in my knowledge of garments, I cannot identify the materials. There is no doubt that incredibly stupendous materials are being used, but I cannot think of what they might be. As expected of Kaito-sama. I thought I was wearing reasonably fine clothes myself, but this is on a completely different dimension.)
Kaito was currently wearing the outfit Alice had given him for his birthday. Because it was a gift for her lover, Alice had spared no effort in its creation. She had used theoretically perfect, highest-quality materials that Machina had manifested—substances that shouldn't even exist in this world. To a casual observer, it looked like ordinary clothing, but to someone with a discerning eye like Cornelia, it was overwhelming.
"Your clothes are quite tasteful, Cornelia-san. They have a calm atmosphere, but the design is very sophisticated. It suits you well."
"Thank you very much. This outfit was made using a Traditional Imperial-style Manufacturing Method while incorporating the trends of the Hydra Kingdom. However, Kaito-sama, your own clothes are truly wonderful. They are simple, yet I can feel an incredible attention to detail in every stitch."
"They were a gift, but I'm quite fond of them too."
Cornelia offered a light word of thanks for his compliment while returning the praise. This sort of exchange was second nature in social circles; if someone praised your appearance, it was common courtesy to praise theirs in return. It was a routine interaction for Cornelia... yet Kaito's response once again sent a jolt of shock through her.
(...A gift? No matter how I look at them, these are items worth several Platinum Coins... Depending on the materials, even double digits would be possible. Kaito-sama truly is extraordinary. I must pull myself together.)
Reminded once more of his sheer presence, Cornelia steeled her resolve. Just then, Kaito reached into his Magic Box and pulled something out, as if suddenly remembering a task.
"Ah, that's right. Since you're guiding me today, I brought a small token of my gratitude."
"A token of gratitude? Oh, you needn't have troubled yourself."
"Well, since you mentioned you also kept pets, Cornelia-san, I brought some of the Shampoo for Monsters that I use regularly. I thought you might have some large-sized monsters as well, so I brought a bit extra. Is it alright to give it to you here?"
"Yes, I possess a Magic Box as well, so that will be no problem."
"Alright then, here it is."
At Cornelia's word, Kaito pulled out a large wooden box. She touched it and stored it away in her own Magic Box. She maintained her facade of composure, but her heart was racing.
(The pet shampoo Kaito-sama uses regularly? C-Could it be the shampoo he mentioned at the tea party—the one with a small amount of the Fruit of the World Tree added to it? I felt it would be rude to decline, but the value is just too... No, I must stay calm. It might not be that one. Kaito-sama is very particular about his pets, so it wouldn't be strange for him to have several different types of shampoo.)
The value of a shampoo made with the Fruit of the World Tree was astronomical. Furthermore, considering Alice made it specifically for him, it was likely an item Kaito alone possessed in the entire world.
"Um... Kaito-sama. This shampoo, could it perhaps be the one you spoke of at the tea party?"
"No, I could have gone with that one, but I heard that some monsters aren't fond of the version with the Fruit of the World Tree in it, so this is a different blend. I usually rotate between three types of shampoo, and this is one of them. I figured there might be compatibility issues depending on the monster, so I prepared a paper listing the ingredients. Please use it for whichever of your pets it seems suited for."
"Thank you for your consideration. Indeed, since the Fruit of the World Tree contains such potent healing and the Magic Power of Nature, I'm sure some monsters would find it overstimulating... Hih!"
"Cornelia-san?"
"A-Ah, no, it's nothing!"
Cornelia let out a small, strangled shriek as she glanced at the memo Kaito had given her. It listed a massive quantity of rare materials that even a woman of her standing would find nearly impossible to obtain.
(Essence of the Magic Flower, Essence of the Sky Flower, Peerage-class High Trent Oil, Vask Hornet Honey... and every other ingredient is just as rare! Aaaah, this isn't something you just hand out as a gift! This is definitely not the kind of thing you give as a thank-you for an introduction, Kaito-sama!)
Unfortunately for Cornelia, her internal screams remained unheard.
Serious-senpai: "...How can he even secure enough of those rare materials to use that shampoo regularly?"
???: "Well, Kaito-san has gods around him who can manufacture any material existing in Trinia without limit. Though, I... Alice-chan, actually prepare all the shampoo I sell to him."
Serious-senpai: "...How?"
???: "I just have to make one, and then I can copy the rest with Factory Gear. It has no use in combat, but Machina's Heart Tool is actually quite convenient..."