"Mm."

  "What's with you staring at that scroll? Does the content change if you gre at it?"

  "Nah, that's not it. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with this scroll I've got."

  Among the unused skill scrolls—some extracted from ancient armaments—there are quite a few.

  "Fme Cannon, Shadow Edge, Stroll, Pedometer, Sound Sleep, Hammer Artisan, and then the st one, Belly Clock. Plus five scrolls from the Swamp Dragon: three Water Balls, one Bubble Heal, and one Sand Ball."

  One scroll obtained from Count Clermont. One scroll Lady Esmeralda gave us after fighting the Crawling Dragon. Five scrolls from ancient armaments and five drops from the Swamp Dragon—twelve in total.

  It’s a decent collection, but none of them are scrolls we can use, and selling them all at once might raise suspicions about their origins.

  So, they’ve been gathering dust in the drawer. But with this many, we can finally do *that*.

  "Alright, we’ve got time. Let’s head out." "Head out? Where to?" "Near the market." "Ah, if it’s shopping, I’m coming too!!" "I can pick up dinner ingredients as well. May I join you?" "If everyone’s going, I might as well tag along."

  I didn’t say we were going shopping, but since we’ll be buying *something* at the market anyway, it’s fine if they pick up other things too.

  Following the girls as they eagerly prepare to leave, I take the opportunity to stuff the scrolls into the magic bag I received.

  The only one I’m leaving behind is Hammer Artisan. The rest are all coming with me.

  Since that’s all I really need to do, I’m the first one ready to go.

  "Sorry to keep you waiting." "Nah, I wasn’t waiting."

  Ingrid arrives first, carrying a basket.

  "Here I am!"

  Amina shows up next, wearing a straw sun hat.

  "Did I make you wait?"

  Nel is st, slinging a shoulder-strap bag over her shoulder.

  "Nah, wasn’t that long. Let’s go."

  I lock the house, and the four of us set out. That said, it’s just a trip to the market—nothing particurly special.

  "I’ll take this and this, please." "Sure thing!"

  Ingrid immediately starts gathering ingredients for dinner.

  "Whoa, this is an instrument?" "Yep! Used on the northern continent. Py it like this—" "Such a fun sound!"

  Amina seems fascinated by the instruments at a stall, though she doesn’t look like she’ll buy any—just enjoying the sight.

  "This one’s about this much, and that one was cheaper over there."

  Meanwhile, Nel is conducting market research. Comparing quality and quantity to gauge prices is the merchant thing to do, but I wish she’d act a little more like a kid.

  "Here, five candies, please."

  As for me, I’m at a stall buying candy—something more fitting for a child’s appearance.

  It’s not as refined as the candies from my past life, more like traditional hard candy: dark brown lumps stuck on the ends of sticks.

  In this world, sugar itself isn’t *that* rare, but since there’s no refined white sugar, this color is unavoidable.

  "For now, this’ll do."

  I only needed one, but it felt wrong not to get some for everyone else, so I ended up buying extra.

  "Now that I think about it, I bought these in the game all the time but never actually ate one."

  I know what they’re *for*, but realizing I’ve never tasted one, I quietly pop a piece into my mouth.

  "Mmm. Sweet."

  The distinct sweetness of sugar spreads through my mouth—but that’s all there is to it.

  "Ah, Liberta’s eating candy!" "Want some?" "Yes!!" "Nel, you’ve been using your brain. Need something sweet?" "I’ll have some." "Here you go, Ingrid." "Thank you."

  But for the girls, this simple candy is a rare treat, and they happily accept. Amina beams with a full smile. Nel’s expression softens slightly, though her tail wags slowly, betraying her true feelings. Ingrid seems expressionless at first gnce, but her demeanor rexes noticeably.

  "...Maybe I should try making sweets sometime." "「「「!?」」」"

  Seeing their reactions, I blurt it out without thinking.

  "W-wait, Liberta. You can make sweets?" "Huh? Well, yeah, I can." "Really?" "Is it that surprising? I *can* cook, you know."

  It was just a passing thought—a way to thank them for always putting up with me—but for some reason, the two of them react intensely. Wait, do they think I’m bad at cooking?

  "By the way, are you taking requests?" "? Well, I can probably make something decent. Our kitchen’s pretty well-equipped."

  Back when I was saving money to pour into games, I *had* to learn budget cooking. For past-me, who couldn’t afford to whale, cheap, fast, and tasty home-cooked meals were a *necessity*.

  Convenience store meals were easy, but they got boring. And the cost-performance was terrible.

  When I first started living alone, I ate nothing but convenience store meals. The small portions of bentos left me unsatisfied, so I’d end up buying extra—blowing my food budget and leaving me unable to spend on gacha that month. It was *traumatic*.

  After that, I learned to make quick, cost-effective, filling meals. Bean sprouts, tofu, and natto were my saviors.

  As for sweets, I stumbled upon some simple recipes in videos and tried them out. Surprisingly, they tasted better and were cheaper, so I kept making them.

  "Ah, but Ingrid has Cooking Art. Maybe she’d make tastier stuff." "No, I’m still learning. I’d love for you to teach me, Liberta-sama." "Eh? I can’t make anything *that* fancy, though. Is that okay?" "It’s fine." "Then, uh, let’s buy the ingredients and head back."

  I didn’t expect *Ingrid*—who I assumed was a better cook than me—to be this eager. Am I in over my head?

  The stuff I can make is just simple hobbyist-level sweets, you know?

  But...

  "Sweets! I’m excited!" "Me too." "I rarely get to eat sweets, so I’m looking forward to it."

  I *can’t* back out now, can I?

  They’re already getting excited. I *have* to avoid disappointing them.

  This world probably has its own variety of sweets. What should I make?

  Cookies? Too basic. The isekai novel staples—pudding or ice cream?

  Nah, those existed as normal items in the game too.

  Hmm... Oh.

  "How about a roll cake?"

  The sponge might be tricky, but I can make whipped cream, and there’s plenty of fruit for sale. I used to make it when I craved it, so I remember the recipe. Should be doable.

  "Then the ingredients would be...!?"

  It’s only *now* I remember what I originally came here to do.

  "...For now, let’s just finish shopping."

  At this rate, we’re heading straight into a cooking segment. *That was close*, I think to myself, but I’m also starting to crave sweets, so I decide to at least gather the ingredients for the roll cake.

  I’ll need a whisk, a mixing bowl, and stuff too.

  "Man, the Magic Bag is a lifesaver. We bought all this, and it’s all in one bag. So convenient." "Pretty sure you’re using it wrong, though." "Even if the capacity is small, it *is* handy for carrying things. I understand the sentiment." "I want one too."

  By the time we finish shopping, quite a bit of time has passed. Between cookware, seasonings, and ingredients, we’ve been running all over the market.

  "I’ll get one for everyone eventually, so hang in there." "That’d be great, but where are we going? We’ve left the market area." "Should be close—ah, there it is." "Isn’t that a well? What’s it doing all the way out here?" "It looks old. Maybe it’s dried up?"

  By the time we reach our destination, it’s past noon, almost evening. And there it is—an old well.

  "What business do you have here?" "Hmm, there’s someone living here I need to talk to." "Living here? In the *well*?" "Yeah, living here."

  At a gnce, it’s just as Ingrid said—a dried-up well. Poorly maintained, the roof crumbling, the pulley removed, and the well itself covered.

  It’s tucked away in an alley, with no foot traffic. An isoted space, as if waiting for an event to trigger.

  Which, in fact, it *is*.

  As one of FBO’s oldest pyers—pying since unch, struggling to keep up with the meta, and sticking with it until the servers shut down—I have a few things to be proud of. One of them is discovering this well’s event.

  By now, the girls are used to my odd behavior and accept that *something* must be here.

  I step forward and approach the well.

  Then—

  *Knock, knock, knock, knock.* Four taps.

  "What should I do with these sweets?" Then I shall take them!!

  The moment I say the passphrase, the well’s cover suddenly opens, and smoke billows out.

  The smoke takes humanoid form, and then—

  Where are the sweets?!

  A chubby-cheeked, Arabian Nights-style genie boy appears.

  How did I find this character?

  Right after a Halloween event in the game, I was standing here, wondering what to do with leftover candy items, when I absentmindedly knocked on the well’s cover four times and muttered the same line.

  Just like now, he appeared.

  "Right here." You’re giving them to me? "Yep, go ahead." My gratitude, human!!

  His name is Donta, the Well Spirit. Despite his appearance, he’s a high-tier water spirit capable of taking human form—and an absolute sweet tooth.

  His nickname? The Item Exchange Spirit (Water Type).

  His spawn conditions: 1. Be carrying sweet candy. 2. Knock on the well’s cover four times. 3. Say you’re unsure what to do with the sweets.

  A *very* specific NPC.

  Mmm!! Sweets truly are delightful!! My first taste in thirty years!!

  He’s *this* overjoyed by a piece of hard candy. He must *really* be craving sugar.

  Normally, spirits only appear before those with Spirit Arts. The main reason is communication—but higher-tier spirits like him *can* understand human speech.

  Donta is one such exception.

  Ahh, that hit the spot.

  His face is pure bliss as he finishes the candy.

  Very well! Bring more next time!!

  He starts to leave.

  "If you’re willing to pay, I can take requests."

  I’ve tested this hidden quest *extensively*.

  I know how to stop him.

  Hm? "I’ve got cold sweets, egg-based sweets, crispy sweets... Oh, and honey-based ones too."

  This spirit is *weak* to sweets. If it’s edible, he’ll devour it.

  So simply offering candy isn’t enough—you have to dangle the *promise* of more to get this reaction.

  If you just wait for him to speak, he’ll get offended and leave.

  Those with Spirit Arts can converse normally, but since I don’t have it, I have to stoke his greed *before* he gets angry.

  *Gulp*

  His imagination runs wild—he’s probably picturing everything I described. He swallows, savoring the lingering sweetness.

  "There’s more." There’s *more*!? "Yep~."

  Keep pushing, and you’ll suppress his urge to leave *and* his temper.

  W-what do you want? Know this—I possess no human currency, nor do I care for it!!

  Once Donta says *this*, it’s checkmate.

  "Then how about exchanging these for something simir?" Hoh! That’s all? You’ll bring sweets in return? "Yep. Next time, I’ll bring something different."

  Donta works like the well spirits from fairy tales. You know—the ones where a guy drops his iron axe, admits it honestly, and gets rewarded with gold and silver axes.

  An iron axe turning into gold or silver is *huge*. Donta’s ability isn’t *that* OP, but he *can* trade skill scrolls for different ones.

  And if you hand over *multiple* scrolls at once, his response changes slightly. I give him *all* the scrolls from the Magic Bag.

  Very well! With this much, wait but a moment!!

  That’s the line I remember. Donta takes the scrolls and vanishes back into the well.

  Now, this *should* work...