“Ah, got it!”

While Gakein dramatically scanned his surroundings, Yuder used the moment alone with Kanna to quietly ask,

“…How are you feeling today?”

It had been several days since Kanna came to read the information hidden in his grandfather’s keepsakes. He already knew she was doing fine, as usual—but now that the opportunity presented itself, he wanted to check directly one more time.

“Hmm? You’re still worrying about me? Even after seeing me follow you around this fine?”

“Aftereffects from overusing your ability can sometimes linger longer than expected.”

Kanna covered her mouth and stifled a laugh.

“As you can see, I’m totally fine, so you don’t have to worry!”

“Alright.”

He was about to say then that’s good, when Gakein reappeared, his arms full of bottles.

“I found about five that look decent! Take a look!”

Gakein’s taste was actually quite decent. However, Kanna inspected them with a meticulous eye and shook her head.

“They’re pretty, but I think the quality is a bit lower than the bottle Yuder gave us before. These won’t do.”

“I figured as much, right? I really tried to find something similar… Whew. And from Yuder’s face, which clearly says he’s not impressed, I guess I need to keep looking!”

…Did I?

He hadn’t said a word, but Gakein sounded completely convinced.

Kanna and Gakein began searching again for a new candidate. But it wasn’t easy to find something that satisfied both of them.

It was the shop owner who finally suggested a new direction.

“This place mostly carries budget items, so the quality’s all about the same. If you want something more expensive and higher quality, head deeper into the imported dishware alley. There are a few stores there run by workshops that hand-blow their own glass. It’s pricey, but the pieces are elegant—lots of mages go there.”

“Really?”

“If you want, I can write down the name of my friend’s workshop.”

Kanna beamed and gladly accepted the owner’s kindness.

“Thank you!”

They immediately headed toward the workshop he recommended. Just like the owner said, the further into the alley they went, the more obviously luxurious and exotic the dishware became.

Gakein was quickly captivated by a shop stacked with Southern-style dishes of unusual shapes, stopping mid-step.

“Mm… There’s so much beautiful stuff here that I don’t want to just go straight to the recommended place. Can we browse a bit?”

“Oh, me too. But I like that shop over there more than this one…”

Kanna, who had her eye on a different store, smiled sheepishly at her companions.

“Hey, how about this? Before we go to the recommended workshop, why don’t we split up for a bit and look around separately, then meet back here? How’s that?”

But unlike them, Yuder didn’t have any specific shop he wanted to check. Without hesitation, he held out his hand to Kanna.

“I’ll just head to the place we were told about first. Give me the note. You two take your time and look around.”

Knowing him well, the two didn’t bother asking are you sure?

“Alright, then let’s do that! See you soon!”

Kanna and Gakein went off in different directions toward ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the shops that caught their interest. Yuder watched them go for a moment, then began walking. The recommended workshop wasn’t far.

'This must be it.'

It was much smaller than the shop they visited first. But the items displayed inside were clearly of higher quality.

Yuder opened the door and stepped inside. Just as the shopkeeper had said, there were a few robed mages browsing around.

'Good thing I wore the cloak that covers my face.'

He no longer harbored any great grudge against mages like in his previous life, but meeting someone who recognized him in a place like this wouldn’t be pleasant either.

The owner was nowhere in sight. Yuder began browsing the items while staying clear of the mages. Truthfully, his criteria weren’t very complicated.

'Something similar in durability and quality to the bottle Kishiar used for tea storage before—but slightly larger in size.'

If it were for himself, anything would do. But picking something for someone else was always harder than expected.

As he continued inspecting items, he spotted a staircase leading to the second floor. Glancing up, he saw that products were displayed upstairs as well.

'The ones up there look more expensive.'

Yuder climbed the stairs. He thought the floor was empty—until he noticed a short mage standing in front of a shelf filled with palm-sized bottles. He was about to quietly move past them when he suddenly froze. There was something oddly familiar about the figure in the hooded hat.

The mage must have sensed his gaze and turned to look. Their eyes met.

“Cavalry?”

There were few mages in the world who could recognize the Cavalry’s coat—deceptively plain at first glance, just a black robe—on sight. The moment Yuder heard the voice, he was certain of who it was.

“…Lady Helrem.”

“Oh. Yuder.”

The mage pulled off her hat, revealing silver hair casually twisted up. Her light green eyes sparkled behind her glasses with pleased recognition.

“Didn’t expect to run into you here. Running an errand for your commander?”

“No. I came looking for something personal.”

“You? Something personal?”

Helrem looked intrigued, as if the answer surprised her.

“Would it be uncomfortable if I asked what it’s for?”

Not really. But the moment he saw her face, he couldn’t help but recall the recent conversation he’d had with Kishiar. The fact that he happened to run into someone he needed to see soon anyway made it feel all the more strange.

'At least it’s clear her daughter didn’t tell her that she met Kishiar and me.'

The Deputy Chief of the Imperial Mage Office they briefly ran into the other day was Helrem’s daughter. He had thought she might bring it up, but Helrem showed no sign of knowing anything about it.

Without betraying the odd feeling rising inside him, Yuder answered honestly.

“I’m preparing to make powdered tea like I used to drink in my hometown, to share with others. I need small bottles for packaging, but haven’t found anything suitable yet.”

“My goodness. That’s an answer I definitely didn’t expect.”

Helrem smiled.

“If I help you find what you’re looking for, would you mind sharing a bit with me too?”

“You don’t need to go that far. Of course I’d be happy to give you some if you’d like…”

“But this is your first time here, right? I’ve been shopping here for decades—I know exactly where everything is. It might be fun to search on your own, but if you’d like to save time, it wouldn’t hurt to take a recommendation.”

With her saying that much, how could he refuse? Yuder agreed. Helrem first asked how much he planned to divide up, and who he planned to give the tea to.

“About this much, enough to fill bottles of this size. As for recipients—my fellow Cavalry members, the Commander, His Majesty the Emperor and Empress, the Chief Chamberlain, and a few other acquaintances.”

“So it’ll even reach the Imperial Palace. This definitely can’t be just anything.”

Helrem tapped her fingers together, then motioned for him to follow her.

“If I remember right… there should be something good around here.”

She disappeared behind a display case, then returned carrying several bottles. They were the most suitable in size and engraved with various elegant designs—easily the best he’d seen so far.

“These are usually used for storing essential oils or dried petals. Not too flashy, tightly sealed lids, and sturdy enough not to break even if dropped. I think these will do nicely. What do you think?”

Just as she said, they weren’t identical to the small bottle Kishiar had once used, but they were clearly very high-quality.

“They look excellent.”

“Excellent, but not quite to your taste?”

Yuder looked slightly flustered.

“No. I… I like them.”

Helrem laughed.

“You’re being far too agreeable just because I asked. Even if they’re for gifting, your own preference matters too, you know. If you’re not giving everyone the same amount, you can choose the same style in different sizes.”

Being called agreeable was a first in his life. Helrem, seemingly unaware of how absurd that sounded to anyone else, casually brought out a few more bottles. They were all beautiful, but one at the very end caught Yuder’s eye.

“You like that one? I recall your Commander having a preference for these kinds of designs.”

Unlike the other bottles with embossed or engraved patterns, this one had a much simpler form. But the circular glass lid was rimmed with wings, as if angel feathers had been folded around it—elegant without losing any of its luxurious aura.

'Indeed… Kishiar would likely prefer something like this.'

Yuder carefully picked it up.

“This is my favorite among all I’ve seen.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ll go with this one. Thank you for the recommendation.”

“I’m glad! Now I can boldly request a bottle for myself.”

Helrem looked pleased. As Yuder helped return the unused bottles to their shelves, he cautiously asked,

“Do you like tea?”