Multiple updates today.

This is Part 3.

Thanks to Shirone handling me multiple times, my hips feel surprisingly light.

Even after it was over and I’d cooled down, I thought it was something incredibly outrageous.

Confirming our feelings the day after having been close for ten years, only to have one of the most popular girls in the academy give me a hand job—just what did I do?

Considering this is officially approved by my childhood friend, it makes me scared just how conveniently everything falls into place for me.

I was so in denial that I thought it might be a long dream, and actually pinched my cheek to check.

Well, as mentioned before, there might be some discord arising from the fact that I’m only intimately involved with Chiiru, and while I can partially understand her point about harem dynamics...

I was sitting in front of the wooden work table, thinking about all this.

It’s just me right now.

Shirone was so incredibly dirty that she had to take a bath.

Of course, including the bra I’d soiled, I’ve been tidying up and rearranging her clothes back into storage.

Sitting around doing nothing wasn't an option, so I started tinkering with an idea.

Lotion.

I was told all you need is water, oil, and an emulsifier, but Chiiru suggested that maybe the emulsifier could be generated from fats?

"……A matter of 'image' then? The recipe won't unlock..."

For some reason, I have a feeling that tools likely to be helpful in survival living, like the 『Knife』 and the 『Blanket』, tend to unlock once the materials are gathered.

The 『Stove』 was a recipe unlocked by image, though... perhaps because a campfire is sufficient enough for survival?

Items that venture into 『Better Living』 seem hard to obtain without a corresponding "image."

"Kunno-kun?"

After the sound of a door opening, Yotsue poked her head out from the shack and spotted me.

"Ah, Yotsue. Are you done already?"

It was only just past noon.

"Yes, I did manage to find a large hollow in a tree yesterday, after all, so I slipped inside and got some sleep."

Remarkable adaptability for sure, but that probably wasn't very comforting.

It wasn't hard to imagine her sleep efficiency was at its absolute worst.

"I see. You can keep sleeping if you want. Shousu and Chi'ru haven't come back from their exploration yet, and Shiin is taking a bath, so there's nothing to do anyway."

"Oh, I thought everyone was missing... so that's what happened."

"There are sheep here instead, though."

The two sheep were eating the grass around them.

Unlike Mashiro, a phantasmal beast, summoning ordinary creatures seems to require them to eat.

It's obvious, sure, but it feels strange.

"I-is that really true...? Is this 'meat' something added in last night's dream?"

"No, it's the sheep Shiko summoned with her 'Fluffy Summoning Ability.' According to the ability's rules, we can't eat the meat, though."

Since they couldn't make the breast milk properly and Shiino was occupied bathing, she had left him idle, so they sheared his wool. As a result, he looks a size smaller than before.

"I see... Ah! The wool for the rug and blankets—could it be...?"

"Exactly. It seems we can harvest the wool. Plus, we got some milk. We'll have everyone drink some later."

"A broad and fine power indeed, Kōa-san."

Shi-zuo fell into a contemplative expression.

"It's not just Sione's, you know. She can use Four Attributes, not just one."

"R-right. Thank you... I'll do my best to hit where I aim."

She'd been missing her shots while fleeing the boar, after all.

It’s understandable that staying calm when chased by a beast is difficult, so there was no help for it.

With that, the conversation paused for a moment.

Yotsue just stood there, looking rather lost.

"……Well, do sit down if you'd like?"

I placed a log chair facing him, and Yotsue accepted with, "Oh? All right then," as he sat.

"Are you trying to craft something, Kouno-kun?"

"I am, but how did you know that?"

"You had this pensive look on your face."

"Actually, I was planning to make some emulsion."

At those words, Yotsue flinched slightly.

"Y-You can make cosmetics too?"

Expectation shone in his eyes.

"I… think so, but I've been having trouble making it work out."

I explained the situation to Yotsue.

"Aah, I see. So the recipe won't unlock if you lack either the materials or the image of it."

"That's exactly it."

"Then let's start by fleshing out that image. Emulsion, put simply, is meant for moisturization. Even guys use lip balm, right?"

"That's true; I use it in winter. My lips crack when they dry out, and it hurts."

"It doesn't actually contain any moisturizing ingredients itself. The oils used in the raw materials, like vaseline, form a film that prevents moisture from evaporating off the skin."

"Hmm, hmm. So it's like when you put an oil slick on ramen soup; the heat doesn't escape as easily, right?"

The memory made me suddenly crave some ramen.

"Hehe, yes. It’s easier to remember things if you visualize them using examples from your own life, isn’t it?"

"So, the oil in the milk lotion serves to create that protective film, while the water part is there for hydration."

"Exactly. But water and oil don't mix, do they? The emulsifier is what allows them to coexist and helps form a smooth cream texture that's easy to apply."

"Oh? Can it be made from fats?"

"Yes. Since it contains glycerin fatty acid esters, I assume you, Arano-kun, should be able to produce it."

"Hmmm... I've already secured some boar fat, so I think I could pull it off."

"Oh, and one more thing regarding the oil component—what if we used lanolin?"

"L-Lanolin?"

"Did you not shear wool yesterday, or just now as well, Arano-kun?"

"Ah, right."

"It's secreted from a sheep's sebaceous glands and clings to the fleece when it's sheared. It's sometimes used in emulsions like this one."

"Shiotetsu, you sure know your stuff."

"After all, it's something you use on your own skin, so don't you check the ingredient lists and whatnot?"

"...Once we make it back to Earth, I think I'll give it a try."

Hmm... Typical earnest person.

Anyway, lanolin, lanolin...

I scroll through the item list.

Ah, here it is. It says "Sheep's Wax."

...Did this actually happen yesterday?

— No way.

Could it be that the 'Inventory' doesn't display everything you've acquired, but only those items within the scope of my understanding?

If that's the case, did I fail to extract 'nigari' from the seawater on the first day because my mental image was insufficient?

If I had thought through the specific components of nigari after that, would it have appeared?

No, it might be too late for that now.

For now, let's verify that later.

"Kuno-kun? I'm sorry, I don't suppose I sounded bossy, did I? If I've bothered you, I apologize."

"Huh? Ah, no. I can check the items stored in my Inventory, and I was just trying to find the lanolin there."

Hearing my words, Shizue looked visibly relieved. "Oh... yeah. That's a relief."

"First off, I'm the one being helped out here, so there's no reason for you to be angry."

"No, it's just that... I tend to express myself poorly. Even when I'm trying to be kind, I often end up saying things like 'stop lecturing me' or 'are you looking down on me?', which makes the other person get upset..."

I had definitely seen scenarios like that in class before.

"Hmm. Word choice is certainly important, but I'd guess most of the time they're just being a sore loser because they can't come back with a good counter-argument."

"Is that so?"

"At least I've been helped out plenty, so please keep teaching me."

Shizue's face lit up slightly at my words. "R-really? You leave it to me!"

After that, Shizue taught me a lot of knowledge about e-marujon and Misuru and such.

I only half-understood what was being said, but essentially, milk lotion was like mayonnaise in terms of its existence/position.

What had previously seemed like an obscure women's cosmetic suddenly felt much more relatable.

"Oh! You did it, Shizue! The recipe has been unlocked!"

"Really? Amazing, well done, Ku-no-kun!"

It’s rare to see the four-wanderer clapping her hands in delight.

Apparently, being a woman makes skin moisturization quite the concern for her as well.

It’s apparently possible to make it using a combination of [refined water], [sheep's tallow], and [emulsifier].

I immediately tried creating some.

The joy you feel in games when you first manage to craft something

that wasn’t possible at the start of the game once you’ve gathered the necessary materials...

Expressing that feeling is one of the core elements I wanted to capture in this work.

As the list of things you can create grows, and your life becomes more comfortable,

and your standing with the girls keeps rising—

I hope you’ll continue to enjoy following the protagonist’s journey.

To My Dear Readers

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Multiple updates today, this is the third one.

Thanks to Shion handling me a few times, my hips feel pretty light.

Even after calming down, I can't help but think I did something terrible.

After confirming our feelings with my childhood friend, the next day I got to touch a popular girl at school.

And to think that this is with my childhood friend's approval. I'm scared of how convenient this is for me.

I was so skeptical that I pinched my cheeks to see if I was dreaming.

Of course, as I mentioned before, there might be some discord caused by me only being close to Senyuu, so I can somewhat understand her hareem talk.

While standing in front of the work table, I was thinking about all this. I'm alone now.

Shion had to take a bath because she was too dirty.

Of course, I cleaned her clothes, including the bra that got dirty, with the storage reconfiguration.

I didn't want to just sit there, so I was trying to make something. Lotion.

I just needed water, oil, and an emulsifier, and Senyuu suggested that the emulsifier could be made from the oil.

「...Is it an image problem? The recipes aren't unlocking...」

For some reason, it seems like items like "Knife" or "Blanket," which could be useful in a survival situation, tend to unlock when I gather their materials.

The "Fireplace" unlocked based on an image... but maybe that's because a campfire is sufficient for survival.

It feels like items that step into "A Better Life" are harder to come by without an accompanying image. "Kino-kun?"

After the sound of the door opening, Yashiro pokes his head out of the shed and spots me.

"Oh, Yashiro. Is it okay now?" It's still only early afternoon.

「Yeah, I did find a large tree hollow yesterday and slept in there a bit.」

Even though she’s adaptable, I doubt she could have felt at ease there.

It’s not hard to imagine how inefficient her sleep was.

「Oh, if you want to sleep more, go ahead. Shou and Senyuu haven’t returned from their exploration yet, and Shion is still bathing, so there’s nothing to do.」

「Oh, I see. I thought everyone was gone.」 「Instead, there are sheep here.」

The two sheep are grazing on the surrounding grass.

Unlike the phantom beast Mashiro, a normal living creature summoned needs to eat.

It's obvious, but it feels strange.

"R-Really... Is this the 'meat' that was added to my dream last night?"

"No, it's the sheep I summoned with the 'fluffy summoning ability.' According to the rules of the ability, it seems that I can't eat the meat."

I couldn't make the lotion properly and Shion was bathing, so I shaved the sheep's wool. As a result, it looks like its body has shrunk a bit.

"I see... Oh, and the wool for the carpet and blanket... could it be...?"

"That's right. It seems like I can get the wool. Also, I got milk. We'll drink it together later."

"Koua's ability is a versatile power." Yonjou looks thoughtful.

"Yonjou too. You can use not just one attribute, but four."

"T-That's right. Thank you... I'll work hard to hit my target."

I had it off when I was being chased by the boar.

I understand that it's hard to stay calm when being chased by an animal, so there's nothing to be done about it. The conversation stops there for a moment.

The Four Rods stood there, looking lost.

"...If you want, you can sit down."

When I set a log chair opposite him, he said, "Sure," and sat down.

"Kouno-kun, were you trying to do some crafting?" "Yeah, but can you tell?"

"Your face looked like you were thinking about something."

"In fact, I want to make lotion."

At those words, the Four Rods twitched. "Y-You can make cosmetics?"

There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Well, I was thinking I could, but I can't seem to get it right." I explained my situation to the Four Rods.

"Oh, I see. If you don't have the materials or the image, the recipe won't unlock, right?" "That's right."

"Then let's start with the image. Lotion is basically for moisturizing. Even boys use lip balm, right?"

"That's true. I use it in winter. It's painful when your lips crack from dryness."

「It doesn’t contain moisturizing ingredients itself, but it forms a protective film with oils like vaseline that are used in the raw materials, preventing the skin’s moisture from evaporating.」

「Hmm, hmm. That’s right, like how putting an oil film on top of ramen soup makes it harder for the heat to escape.」

Thinking about it made me want to eat ramen.

「Hehe, that’s right. It’s easier to remember when you relate it to something familiar to yourself.」

「So, the oil in the lotion is for the oil film, and the water is for the moisture.」

「That’s right. But water and oil don’t mix, do they? The emulsifier is what allows them to coexist and makes it easy to apply as a cream.」

「Wow, so it can be made from oils?」

「Yes. It contains glycerol fatty acid esters, so Kojiro-kun should be able to make it.」

「Hmm… I have boar fat, so I should be able to make it.」

「Ah, and one more thing. For the oil part of the water and oil—how about using lanolin?」
「L-Lanolin?」

「Kojiro-kun did shear the sheep yesterday and just now, didn’t you?」
「Yeah.」

「It’s a secretion from the sheep’s sebaceous glands, and it sticks to the wool when you shear them. It’s also used in making lotions.」
「Shishou, you know a lot.」

「It’s something you use on your skin, so don’t you check the ingredients or anything?”

「…If I ever get back to Earth, I will.”

Hmm… You’re such a serious kid.

Anyway, lanolin, lanolin… I’ll check the item list.

Ah, there it is. It says “sheep wax.”

…Was there something like this yesterday? ——No way.

Maybe the “Inventory” doesn’t display everything I get, but only the things I understand?

So, that’s why I couldn’t get the “brine” from seawater on the first day, because I didn’t have the right idea?

If I had thought about the components of brine in detail, would it have appeared? No, maybe it’s not too late.

I’ll check that later.

“Kouya-kun? I’m sorry, did I sound too pompous? If I upset you, I apologize.”

“Huh? No, no, I was just checking the items I stored and looking for lanolin.”

Her face relaxes when she hears me. "Y-Yeah. I'm glad."

"I mean, I'm the one asking for your help, so there's no reason for you to be angry."

"N-No, it's just that I seem to be bad at explaining things. Even when I mean to be kind, I end up making people think I'm lecturing them or looking down on them, and they get angry."

I have seen her do that in class as well.

"Hmm. The way you say things is definitely important, but I think in most cases, people just get angry because they can't argue back."

"At least I'm benefiting from it, so please keep teaching me."

Her face brightens slightly at my words. "Y-Yes, leave it to me!"

After that, she taught me a lot about emarujon and miseru and other things.

I didn't quite understand everything, but basically, it seems that milk lotion is like mayonnaise.

It made me feel that a cosmetic product for women that I had previously thought of as distant was now close to me.

"Hey! Good job, Four Rods! The recipe has been unlocked!"

"Really? That's amazing, you did it, Koji-kun!"

It's rare for a Four Staff, but she's clapping her hands in delight.

As expected, she's a girl, so she's concerned about skin moisturizing.

It seems it can be made with a combination of "distilled water," "sheep's wax," and "emulsifier." She quickly sets about making it.

In games, there's a joy when you can finally make something you couldn't in the early stages

after gathering the materials to make it possible.

That's one of the elements I wanted to express in this game.

The protagonist's life is getting richer and richer as he keeps making more and more things, and his popularity with the girls is only increasing.

I hope you continue to enjoy it.

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