“They do,” said Gabriel.
Up until now, tourists had only come to Triste as individuals. However, a travel agency in the capital had expressed interest in organizing group tours, which were apparently beginning today.
“Look, Gabriel!” I exclaimed. “There’s a line outside the slime-product store!”
“Oh, you’re right.”
The store had opened the other day, and it sold products Gabriel had developed out of a variety of slimes. It was packed with things like water-repellent clothes, waterproof gloves, dustproof boots, and umbrellas, all carefully crafted by artisans in a workshop.
When the project first started, even the locals had been skeptical of whether the products would sell. However, after word got out in the capital that Prince Axel was wearing slime-enhanced clothing, we had received inquiries from all over the country. A reporter had interviewed Gabriel about it, and as soon as the article was published, we had been swarmed with requests from people who wished to buy them. That had gotten the store plans rolling, and at last, it’d had its grand opening the other day. I’d heard that the popular items had already sold out, with advance orders fully reserved for the next half year. The artisans were busily processing slimes every day.
“In the past, we disposed of most defeated slimes by burning them, and the fuel costs were a headache,” said Gabriel. “It’s hard to believe that we’re commodifying all of the slimes now.”
“It’s all thanks to your amazing talent.”
“No, that’s not true. Slime products were considered disgusting for many years. We had to force people to use them for the sake of improving their living conditions.”
Before, the locals had only been using slime-coated waterproof bricks and water-repellent clothes. But now, they weren’t averse to using all sorts of slime-enhanced products.
“Right, it’s because of Prince Axel’s influence too,” I said.
“That may be one of the reasons. But, Fran, it was you who gave me confidence in my slime products,” Gabriel declared with a serious look in his eyes, squeezing my hand.
“M-Me?!”
“Yes. Since you were impressed by them, I felt comfortable explaining the slime lenses to Prince Axel.”
Come to think of it, during Prince Axel’s sudden visit to Triste, my mother-in-law had shoved Gabriel, breaking his glasses. Because of that, he had switched to his spare monocle, and Prince Axel had been the first to point out the change. Gabriel had explained the special nature of his usual glasses with ease, and that was when Prince Axel had learned about slime-enhanced products for the first time. After that, Gabriel had shared various research results with him. Later on, Prince Axel had requested to do business with Gabriel, and Gabriel had provided him with his prototype products free of charge.
“If you hadn’t praised my research, I would’ve been too embarrassed to tell him about it,” Gabriel continued.
“I see. I’m glad it all worked out.”
Gabriel had spent many years on his work, only for it to go unrecognized. I’d always thought that it was a shame. Now that there was a long line of people waiting to buy his inventions, I couldn’t help but feel happy. In fact, it was so emotional, tears welled up in my eyes.
“Fran, are you crying?”
“I’m just so moved that everyone wants your products.”
“I feel the same way.”
Gabriel hugged me gently and wiped away my tears. Needless to say, his kindness made me cry even more.
After I regained my composure, we continued looking around the village. As all of Chagrin’s previously vacant houses were occupied, new buildings were now being constructed. The latest one had been dedicated to a storefront for high-end porcelain made from Triste’s kaolin. The Lakeside Duck Bakery’s bonbonnières had become famous all around the country. Many people wanted to buy them, and we had finally opened a store for them.
The store’s employees were mainly family members of the porcelain craftsmen. They all served the customers with cheerful expressions on their faces. Meanwhile, the kaolin slime that Gabriel had formed a contract with was still helping at the workshop and getting along with the craftsmen.
Triste’s porcelain was now renowned for its high quality, and even the royal family had expressed their desire to use it for their banquets. Naturally, we had fulfilled their request. As a result, the store’s signboard boasted a royal warrant in shiny letters.
As a general rule, most of the products made in Triste were for local use and consumption. At one point, we had considered selling them in the royal capital, but after discussing it, Gabriel and I had decided to limit sales to Triste to avoid antagonizing competing stores. This led to many people coming to Triste in search of goods that weren’t sold anywhere else—a very different situation from not so long ago, when Chagrin had had a noticeable number of vacant houses due to many residents migrating to work in the capital.
As I gazed at the village houses, an idea came to me. “I know! Gabriel, why don’t we make the villagers our wedding theme?”
“The villagers?”
“Yes. We can invite them to show our gratitude!”
“I see. So it would be like a party for everyone to enjoy?”
“That’s right.”
“I think it’s a wonderful theme for us.”
It felt as if all of the uncertainty surrounding the direction of our wedding had cleared up in an instant.
“Fran, do you have any specific ideas on what we could do?” Gabriel asked.
“Let’s see... We can serve delicious food and have a treasure hunt for the children. I think a duck race would be fun too.”
“I like that. I’ll go right ahead and inform the mayor of our plans.”