Multiple updates today.
This is chapter 4.
The synthesis of the emulsion was a successful endeavor.
Deciding that I needed to prepare enough for all the female members, I synthesized short, cylindrical vessels.
Just like with the water flasks earlier, using the [Crafting Ability] made it easy to create the grooves and their corresponding lids.
I placed the emulsion-filled vessel on the table.
Upon seeing it, Shitajou trembled slightly as she looked at me.
“C-can I touch it?”
“Yes. More importantly, that one is yours.”
Shitajou blinked.
”…Really? I’ve been receiving things today, but I haven’t given anything back yet.”
“No, no, did you forget our conversation earlier? This is a joint creation of ours, isn’t it?”
Hearing my words, Shitajou cradled the vessel tenderly in her arms and smiled.
“Thank you, Kouano-kun. I will use it with great care.”
“Use as much as you need. Since the recipe has been unlocked, we can make plenty of it.”
Shitajou’s eyes widened for a moment at my words before she broke into a faint smile.
“Haha, I get why the girls here trust you.”
“Because he makes handy things?”
“No. It’s because you take care to put us at ease.”
Four-Stick smiled gently, revealing a beauty distinct from her usual stern demeanor.
I couldn’t help but stare in awe.
Four-Stick stared back at me intently.
“So-sou-kun— sorry, could you please move the towels again?”
Shion’s voice drifted from the bathroom, and we both averted our eyes simultaneously.
“I-I’ll go help her, Sakano-kun.”
“Y-Yeah, good point. And by the way, Four-Stick, you should try out the lotion I made just now, if you don’t mind? Since you’ve just woken up, it’s perfect for washing your face too.”
“Well… since I’m just waking up…”
In an instant, Four-Stick covered her eyes with one hand.
“Aaaah! That was embarrassing…! Talking to you in my messy, just-woke-up state!”
I hadn’t minded it at all, but for matters like this, how the person themselves feels is everything.
Still, I felt I should clarify that I didn’t think she looked sloppy.
“Right, let’s get started then. Mind if I borrow them for a bit…”
I watched Yotsume take off at a sprint, trailing behind her with a wry smile.
“Kyaa—! Yotsume-san?!”
Shion let out a shriek as Yotsume burst into the bathroom.
“Sorry. May I borrow the bucket and some hot water? I’m washing my face, and I want to try out the lotion Kuno-kun gave me.”
“Lotion?! You actually made some?!”
Shion exclaimed in surprise.
Since we were at a slight distance and there was a screen in between, our conversation didn’t seem to reach them.
“Ah, I’m saving some for Shion too, so I’ll put it in the basket with your clothes.”
While organizing the towels to air them out, I placed the basket right next to the screen.
Just then, Moyoko and Chiyu returned as well.
“What a haul! A total catch! The basket was so full we had to come back for more.”
“There weren’t any chickens… Gonna have to hope they add them in the next update.”
“Welcome home. The lotion just finished making.”
In an instant.
“—Huh!?”, “—What the…”
The two of them leapt from Mashiro’s shoulder, landing gracefully before sprinting up to me.
Their movements were shockingly agile. “Let’s see it!
Let’s see!”
“I knew you’d be able to make something like this.”
I handed them each a portion, and they immediately pushed aside the shoji screen and headed into the bathhouse.
“Yay! Thanks, Sōsuke, I love you!”
“Now then, allow me to show you this super-moisturized skin of mine.”
“Kyaa~ Oh my, even the two of you are doing this…!”
After that, the lively chatter of four people drifted over.
“Was it really that good? I’m glad I made it.”
I was happy they enjoyed it so much.
Also, thanks to all that, I finally understood the effect of the lotion.
What’s the difference between toner and beauty essence, I wonder?
Lost in that thought, I approached the basket the two of them had left behind upon returning and used [Inventory] to store its contents.
“Good work, Mashiro.”
As I stroked the head Mashiro leaned into mine, I checked the items they had collected.
Besides mushrooms and nuts, it contained a variety of plants.
It wasn’t just things that could yield oil; there were ingredients for spices and mountain vegetables as well.
We’d even acquired tough vines.
And then there was one major discovery.
It was flax.
“Oh!”
Doesn’t this become linen, I wonder?
It’s a plant fiber, meaning that with the [Crafting] skill, I can generate fabric!
There didn’t seem to be much of it; after generating a single face towel, my stock was nearly depleted.
I summoned one into my hand.
A silky, white cloth.
It reminded me of the kind of small towels you buy at hot spring inns.
Until now, my former innerwear had been abused as a towel, circulated through storage and redistribution so everyone could use it.
But if I can increase the number of towels themselves, that problem would be solved too.
With more of it, I could even make clothes.
While reorganizing items from the Inventory is convenient, that doesn’t repair wear and tear.
If the fabric gets scorched, for instance, it won’t fix that damage.
Huh? Should I disassemble it once and regenerate the uniform?
I’d lose the material from the burnt parts, but shortening the sleeves a bit should do the trick.
Come to think of it, since my chest is big, I had to size up on uniforms which made the sleeves and hem way too long. If I disassemble and regenerate one of the women’s Y-shirts, it might fit perfectly and give me some spare fabric, right?
I might even be able to craft an extra backup Y-shirt just in case.
Anyway, the towel is done.
“Hey, everyone. Try using this to wipe your faces.”
I called out while heading toward the bathhouse, but—
“Woooh! Amazing! It really is milk lotion! Just like Sōsuke’s style—wait, how many times is this?!”
“I wasn’t just worried about my hair feeling brittle after washing, but also getting dry from the campfire. With this, I’m safe! I can never leave Sōsuke-kun’s side again.”
“Pardon me for having a childhood friend who is so thoughtful.”
”……Tsukino-kun worked really hard on that. He took it just as seriously as if it were his own creation.”
It seems someone has been giving me praise while I wasn’t around.
While crafting is fun in its own right, there’s nothing I dislike about being complimented.
If anything, it makes me happy.
“Oi. Made a towel from the stuff Moyo and Chiyu brought back.”
Saying that with a somewhat loud voice, I hung it on the partition screen.
“Huh? Seriously? Chiyu-chan, do we remember picking up something like that?”
“I don’t know. I just gathered some at random, planning to have you make the call.”
If that’s the case, I don’t know where it was gathered from… no, I can just rely on Mashiro’s sense of smell.
“There we go~”
“Anyway, I’ll gladly put it to use.”
It seems Chiyu collected the towel.
After a little while, the women came out of the bathhouse.
Staring at them, their skin certainly looked moisturized…?
Also, after her bath, Shion had a faint sheen to her skin, as if wisps of steam were still rising from her. Combined with her flushed cheeks, she was distractingly sexy.
“Thanks, Sou-kun. I’m definitely expecting some sort of reward for my trouble.”
“Do you need anything else that we didn’t manage to grab? We can go back and get it!”
“Oh, could you teach me about the ingredients, too? I might be able to use them in dinner or something.”
If we’re going out to scavenge again, I’ll help out as well. Just tell me whatever you need.
Even though my companions knew I had a convenient cheat ability, they never relied on it entirely. They always thought about what they themselves could do and expressed their gratitude.
Thanks to them, I was able to appreciate the strengths and abilities these women possessed that I lacked myself, and occasionally even depend on them.
If our group grows from here on out, I want those who join us to be people capable of building that kind of relationship.
With those thoughts in mind, I began planning for the rest of the afternoon.
It seems like I wrote around 15,000 characters today as well.
I’m getting a boost from the story I wanted to tell and the support from you all, the readers.
Tomorrow is going to be hectic, so it might only end up being two updates,
I hope you will continue to enjoy this work.
Also, we managed to maintain the #1 spot for daily updates even with nighttime uploads.
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