Lucia had in her hands a large cut of white cloth, a needle, and thread—she had begun sewing up a large bag and, as a professional couturier, was nearing completion already.
“Perhaps different types of magic will yield different results. I actually have a little water magic, so if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to try enchanting it as well.” Idaea produced somewhat soft, faintly green pebbles.
“What do we have?”
“Yellow slime reacts to water magic differently than it reacts to your earth magic, Lord Bernigi. Master Jonas did not fail—in fact, he did the opposite. I believe that different magic creates different results, and the greater the magic output, the smaller the grain size will be.”
“Does blue slime react differently to one’s element as well?”
“Ah! I would like to try that too, Ms. Dahlia!”
Afterward, Dahlia hurried to mix a batch of the blue slime concoction she used for making waterproof cloth, then she had Jonas, Marcella, and Idaea use their respective elemental magic on it. Sadly, all the samples remained liquid, and their only reaction was to turn slightly cloudy.
“I wonder why it’s only yellow slime that behaves that way.”
Marcella offered his disappointed chairwoman a plausible theory. “Maybe it’s because water is absorbed by earth but evaporates in air? Water can’t absorb water, and if it’s evaporated, it’s gone.”
Despite the setbacks, Dahlia was very grateful for everything today. This was definitely not anything she could have learned, tested, or even come up with on her own, yet here they were, blazing through one experiment after another and understanding so much more than they had before.
“Shall I retrieve some red slime and green slime powder as well?”
“Yes, please, Master Jonas.”
“I have black slime powder as well, if you wish to experiment with that too.”
“No, I should probably refrain from that...” The image of Volf’s concerned face popped up in her head. It wouldn’t do to expose everyone in the room to the dangers of black slime either. If the day came that she really did want to run some tests on it, she would fully prepare the necessary personnel and potions.
Meanwhile, Lucia flew out of the testing chamber, followed by Jonas and a pallid Bernigi with his cane. When she returned, she exclaimed to the world, “I have made the ultimate cushion!”
“The what now?”
“Here!” Hugging the large rectangular cushion, she plopped on the ground, and it silently conformed to her body and propped her up. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell by just observing. Lucia wildly flapped her arms about. “Dahlia! Try it out, try it out!”
Dahlia did as told and sat on it; the grains inside crunched as it supported her, molding around the contours of her body no matter how she shifted her weight. She would have loved to embrace it as it lulled her to sleep. In the bedroom of her previous life, she’d had a large beanbag cushion that had been a very popular item for how relaxing it was; some had even dubbed it “the cushion that introduced indolence to humanity.” What they had come up with was just as sublime—no, it was even more dynamic and form fitting. Lucia was right—this was the ultimate cushion. Dahlia suppressed her urge to wrap her arms around it and instead finally stood up. “Please take turns, everyone.”
Bernigi’s turn. The elderly man sat down and sighed in astonishment. He shifted his body around, closed his eyes, and remained still; it was likely too difficult for him to get back up, and that was not a comment on his cane or knee. When he was finished, he asked Lucia to make another one as he went off to produce more of the beads.
Jonas’s turn. He lifted it up, slowly reclined into it, and sat in all sorts of positions. Afterward, he stood up, lifted it again, and cradled it in his arms. Jonas was never one to show too much emotion, but it was obvious enough that he had taken a liking to the cushion by the way he was cuddling with it; Dahlia thought maybe she could make him another one as thanks for everything he did for her.
Idaea’s turn. It took but a moment after sitting down before she beamed and exclaimed how wonderful it was. She then lay on her back and hugged the cushion, giggling and refusing to get back up. Seeing Idaea in bliss, Marcella slowly backed away from her and whispered to Dahlia that he could wait. The researcher could take this prototype home later.
“The feel of it was quite shocking, I must say. The way it invites you to loosen up and relax, it certainly deserves the moniker of the ultimate cushion.”
“It truly makes one feel quite secure...” Bernigi and Jonas would both undoubtedly be happy to have one in their respective rooms.
“Dahlia! This stuff is amazing! It might take a bit of fitting, but I’m sure it could be used to pad the chest—”
“L-Lucia, why don’t we talk about this afterward?”
“Yeah, you’re right! Gotta compare it to the real deal, right?”
Marcella suddenly found the floor very interesting to look at. He used one hand to cover his face as his shoulders softly trembled. Bernigi and Jonas had enough noble training to keep straight faces. Dahlia knew she didn’t have it in her to hide her reaction, so she went to clean up the plates.
“About those pale green grains—were they produced by enchanting green slime?”
“That was yellow slime with water magic, Lord Bernigi. I tried enchanting the blue slime mixture, but it did not react to water magic.”
“It may be because I don’t have much water magic. It would be a good idea to conduct the experiments again with the help of people who are more powerful with the four basic elements.” Finally returning to her seat, Idaea was back in business mode—apart from the cushion, which was still in her arms. As a result, she was sitting a bit away from the desk, and something about her words was not very convincing.
“I would like to add ice to that list as well. Perhaps I’ll hire some mages for this task.”
“Master Dahlia, I shall endeavor to assist you with my fire magic today. Shall I ask Lord Guido for his help with water and ice afterward?”
“I would very much appreciate that, Master Jonas!”
“Sir Scarlatti should be proficient in both water and fire—I hear he can even boil large monsters alive. For wind, you can turn to Sir Jedda, though I am not sure whether he still uses his magic much as the guildmaster of the Merchants’.”
Fire, earth, water, wind, and ice—users of all of these elements had already been assembled here, and they were noblemen too. They should be quite powerful, meaning the yield they would produce should likewise be great. This was a rare opportunity—there might not even be a second chance.
“However, it might not be wise to—” Idaea began to speak, but Dahlia could not hear her words.
“I’ll go ask them right away!”
“D-Dahlia!” Marcella chased after the fleeing chairwoman.