"Sorry, we just closed for the day..."

"I see, we missed it. What now, Tetsuya?"

"We didn't make an appointment today, so let's come back tomorrow."

Two days had passed since we began selling the new product, Alpha Rice. So far, the sales of the new item were going smoothly. After closing the shop for the day, everyone finished the closing tasks, and Lilia and I went together to the blacksmith we had visited before. It seems Lange has a dinner date with a girl...

Unfortunately, we just missed the blacksmith's closing time. We'll come earlier tomorrow after finishing up at the shop. For now, maybe I'll leave a message for Gregor-san.

"Oh, isn't it Lilia and Tetsuya?"

"Ah, Gregor-san!"

"M-Master!?"

"Gregor-dono, it's been a while. Apologies, I had a request, but it's gotten late. We'll come back tomorrow instead."

"What’s this? It’s fine. A request from Lilia and Tetsuya sounds interesting. Come on in!"

Gregor-san is one of the most renowned blacksmiths in the city of Al-Flare, the starting city. Since Lilia, a former B-rank adventurer, returned to this city, she’s been asking Gregor-san to maintain her weapons and armor.

I had been introduced to him by Lilia once before. Back then, he took a great interest in camping gear like low tables and folding spoons and forks. Even after our outdoor shop opened, he visited the store several times and purchased items.

"By the way, I heard you've launched another new product. What’s it this time? That measuring tool you sold before—the Sierra cup, I think it was called—was quite impressive. Each one was crafted exactly the same, and it could measure precise amounts of water."

"Thank you. This time, it's emergency food that becomes edible when you add hot water. It comes in various flavors, and I think it’s pretty tasty even as a regular meal."

It seems Gregor-san is more interested in camping gear like low tables and Sierra cups than food items like stick ramen or instant soup. As expected of a craftsman.

"Food-related, huh? So, what kind of request do you have for me?"

"I’m not sure if it’s okay to ask this of you, but I have something I’d like you to make..."

To be honest, I wondered if it was appropriate to ask such a request from a first-class blacksmith like Gregor-san. However, after consulting with Lilia, she said he would likely find the request intriguing and take it on. So, we decided to try our luck.

"Actually, we’re planning to sell these kinds of products soon..."

I took out bite-sized yokan and chocolate bars from my bag.

"Are these food items?"

"Yes, they’re sweets. Would you like to try them first?"

"Hmm, sweets are rare in this town. Let’s see... Oh! This is sweet! And it’s not just sweet—it’s delicious! This is better than any sweet I’ve ever had!"

Wow, even someone like Gregor-san, who doesn’t seem very interested in food, had such a strong reaction. Yokan and chocolate bars are amazing...

"These sweets aren’t just tasty; they’re also high in calories, making them excellent portable food. However, they have one downside—they don’t last very long."

Unlike the stick ramen, nutritional food, or Alpha Rice we sell, yokan and chocolate bars don’t have a long shelf life. That’s why we’ve avoided selling them in the store.

"That’s where I’d like to ask for your help, Gregor-san. Could you make a container that’s completely airtight and can withstand being placed in boiling water? If we put food in such a container, it would last much longer."

Food spoils because microorganisms in the air use the moisture in the food to multiply, causing the food to rot as they grow. To prevent this, one method is to reduce the food's moisture through smoking or salting. Another is to seal the food in an airtight container and sterilize it by boiling, killing the microorganisms and preventing their growth.

I wanted to take the latter approach. However, no such container—airtight and able to withstand boiling—was available in the market. If it doesn’t exist, why not make it? That’s why we came to Gregor-san’s blacksmith shop.

"Hmm... A container that’s completely airtight and can be placed in boiling water, huh..."

"If it could be reused and prevent liquids from spilling, that would be even better."

If this were the modern world, people would probably understand by now, but what I’m aiming for is something like a reusable retort pouch. If we could make that, we could even sell retort curry.

With my ability, I can place purchased items directly into designated containers. By sterilizing the sealed container in boiling water, drying it, cooling it, and then adding the product, the shelf life should be significantly extended.

Extending the shelf life would allow us to sell a variety of products and even transport them to other towns for sale.

"...This sounds quite interesting. Also, being able to eat these sweets would be nice."

"We’ll cover all the costs for the prototypes, so would you be willing to give it a try?"

Since the outdoor shop's level-up, the store’s profits have increased significantly. Thanks to that, we could afford to ask Gregor-san to create prototypes.

...Of course, we’ll set an upper limit on the cost of the prototypes. Craftsmen like Gregor-san tend to go all out where it matters. It’d be a problem if he used some outrageously expensive material without us knowing.

"Hmm, all right! I’ll take on this request. However, I’ve got many other orders to fulfill right now, so it might take some time. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course! Thank you so much!"

Wow, I didn’t expect him to actually accept. Since we’re not in a hurry, we’ll just wait patiently for the prototypes to be completed.