After a long, noisy day, Luciel could only sigh and smile helplessly. He dropped a glowing red stone into the large wooden tub, and steam hissed as the water warmed to the perfect temperature for a bath.
"Alright," he said, waving at the two girls covered in dust and sweat. "Both of you—bath time. Go wash up before dinner's all ruined."
The girls hesitated, but one look at his expression made them dart for the tub. They'd been running around all day, and their faces, arms, even their hair were streaked with dirt and dried sweat.
As they disappeared behind the curtain, Luciel rubbed his temples and muttered, "You've got to reverse their thinking slowly."
People without skills couldn't live well even if they wanted to—but once you had the ability, wasn't it stupid not to use it?
He shook his head, then looked toward the flickering firelight. "Might as well fry the tea while they're busy."
From the corner of the cabin came the faint splash of water and the muffled laughter of the bunny-eared girl. Luciel ignored it, grabbing the steel pot he'd scrubbed earlier and hanging it above the fire.
He took a small handful of freshly picked tea leaves—young, tender shoots that Mino had gathered earlier—and tossed them into the pan.
"Activate Mimicry: Scaly Hardening," he murmured.
A faint shimmer passed over his hands, his skin hardening like scales as he began to stir-fry the leaves. He moved quickly and deftly, imitating the tea-making process he'd once heard described by a comrade back in the army.
He didn't remember everything, but thanks to his strengthened memory, old fragments of life came back easily now. He could recall the smell of tea in the barracks, the way his teammate had raved about the delicate steps of frying and twisting the leaves.
Luciel kept turning the pot, careful not to burn the edges. "Okay," he murmured after a while, "that should do."
He lifted the pot and spread the glossy, curled tea leaves across a clean wooden board to cool.
Just then, the door to the bathing room creaked open, releasing a puff of warm steam—and two transformed figures stepped out.
Mino came first, her long bunny ears perked up, dressed in a simple white one-piece dress that made her look almost like a village maiden. The cut was rustic, but the effect was surprisingly youthful and charming.
Behind her, Elara emerged in a long white gown, her pale hair falling like silver silk over her shoulders. The gown gave her an elegant, old-world air—cool and noble, like a flower blooming in the snow.
Luciel blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then he gave a low whistle and raised his thumb. "You both clean up nicely."
Mino beamed, while Elara flushed faintly and looked down. "I'll… go back to my room," she said softly.
She gathered her old, tattered clothes in her arms and began walking toward the small cabin they'd built earlier that day.
"Wait," Luciel called out gently. "There's no bed in that room yet. You should stay in my room again tonight."
Elara froze, her silver-white eyes flickering. "No," she said after a moment, shaking her head. "I'm fine. I can sleep."
Luciel almost smiled. "On the floor?"
"I've slept outside before," she replied calmly. "A roof and walls are already more than enough."
He could tell there was no winning this one, so he dropped it and changed the subject. "At least have a cup of tea first."
He poured hot water into three wooden bowls, letting the newly fried tea steep. The leaves slowly unfurled, and Luciel blinked in surprise.
Tiny green lights shimmered along the veins of the leaves. When the water refracted the glow, the effect looked almost magical—like stars scattered in a night sky.
"It's beautiful…" Mino whispered, leaning close, her blue eyes sparkling.
Elara nodded slightly, captivated. "Like starlight on water."
Luciel smiled faintly. "Good things don't need selling points—they sell themselves. Go on, taste it."
Mino reached first, taking a cautious sip. Her face scrunched up instantly. "It's so bitter!"
Luciel chuckled. "Oh?"
Before he could say more, Mino blinked in confusion and gasped. "Wait—it's sweet now! And—wow—it feels cool, like wind in my head!"
Luciel laughed outright. "That's tea for you. Bitter at first, then sweet. A perfect metaphor for life."
"Hehe… I didn't expect it to taste like that," Mino said, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.
Elara lifted her own bowl, taking a slow, graceful sip. Her lashes trembled as she closed her eyes, savoring the flavor. "It's exquisite," she said quietly. "The sweetness lingers… and it clears the mind. This must be the finest tea in the world."
Luciel tilted his head, amused. "If it's that good, how many beast spars do you think a single cup would fetch?"
Both girls looked at him blankly.
"I don't know," Elara said finally. "I've heard of tea, but… only the nobles ever drink it. I've never even seen real tea before today."
Mino nodded in agreement. "Same here. I didn't even know leaves could taste like this."
Luciel looked down at the glowing tea leaves, thoughtful. "Then I'll need to find someone who does know tea. Someone rich and curious enough to pay for it."
Elara seemed to sense his plan and gave him a gentle warning. "If you want to trade, don't sell too much at once. Rare things lose value when they're common."
Luciel smiled. "Good advice. I'll hold off for now."
He glanced at the small pile of leaves remaining on the board. "These are high-end goods. You don't just drink them casually."
Mino's ears drooped. "Did we… drink too much?"
He laughed softly. "No. But if we ever sell it, it'll be at ten times the normal price—or not at all."
"High-end goods?" Elara repeated, frowning slightly.
Luciel grinned. "The best tea comes from young buds, but you can still make decent tea from older leaves. It won't taste as good, though."
Mino's eyes sparkled again. "You mean we can pick more?!"
"That's right," Luciel said. "You can handle the picking."
Before he finished the sentence, Mino shot to her feet. "I'll go now!"
"Wait—hey!"
Too late. The bunny-eared girl was already halfway to the door.
Elara sighed. "Aren't you going to stop her? It's the middle of the night."
Luciel smirked. "She'll be back soon enough."
He took her empty bowl, swirling the last drops of glowing tea before sipping it himself. The flavor was rich and pure, even better than the tea he'd once tasted back on Earth.
Ten times the price, he thought with satisfaction. Anything less would be robbery.
Elara was about to speak when a high, excited voice shouted from outside.
"Luciel! Luciel! Come here—quickly!"
Before she even reached the doorway, Mino's voice rang again, bubbling with excitement. "The tea tree! It's glowing—it's so beautiful!"
Luciel's lips curved upward. "I had a feeling."
"You're not even going to look?" Mino called again, pouting. "Come see for yourself!"
Luciel chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'm coming."
He rose, brushing off his hands, and patted Elara gently on the shoulder as he passed. "Come on. Might as well see the miracle yourself."
Elara blinked, hesitated a moment, then followed them out.
The night air was cool and crisp. When she stepped outside, she saw Luciel and Mino standing motionless a few paces ahead, faces illuminated by a soft, ethereal glow.
"What's going on?" she asked, walking closer—then she saw it.
Her breath caught.
The Starlight Tea Tree shimmered like a living constellation. Each leaf glowed with gentle green light, dots of luminescence dancing across its branches like fireflies in a sea of stars.
"It's… incredible," Elara murmured. "Like the heavens came down to rest on its branches."
Luciel folded his arms, gazing at the sight with quiet awe. "Looks just like the night sky, doesn't it?"
Mino nodded fervently, her long ears twitching. "It's so beautiful… I don't even want to pick the leaves anymore."
Luciel chuckled. "Then don't. We'll do it tomorrow."
He reached over and lightly flicked her ear.
"Hey! Don't pull those!" she squeaked, covering them with her hands.
"Then stay put. The tree will glow twice a day—once at night, once during daylight. When the light fades, you can pick all you want."
He turned back toward the house, yawning. "Besides, it's pitch black out here. You can't even see what you're picking."
Mino scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Hehehe… I forgot about that."
"Come on," Luciel said over his shoulder. "It's cold. Let's get inside before we all freeze."
They followed him back toward the warm light spilling from the cabin windows.
"Luciel," Mino called softly behind him, her voice full of curiosity, "what kind of picture do you want to draw?"
He didn't look back. "Go find out yourself," he said with a lazy grin.
The door closed behind them, and the forest fell silent again—except for the faint, rhythmic shimmer of the tea tree outside, its light flickering like stars in the wind.