Chapter 25 – Class President and Lotion-Making
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Thanks to Shion releasing my pent-up urges several times, I feel pretty elated and cheerful right now. But looking back on it now that it’s over and with me having regained my composure, I must admit I did something crazy.
One day after my childhood-friend and I confirmed our feelings for each other, I got a one of the popular girls of our school to give me a handjob. Since this has been approved by my childhood-friend, I’ve got a bit scared, thinking that this might be a tad too convenient for me. So much so that I unconsciously pinched my cheek to check whether this is some sort of long dream.
Well, just as we’ve talked about before, there’s the chance that friction would be created if only Chiyu and I were to make out with each other. As such, I can understand the idea behind the harem mentioned by Chiyu.
Currently I was thinking about all that while in front of a wooden work table. By myself. Shion had went to take a bath because she’d become way too dirty. Of course that also included her bra, so I had cleaned her clothes through my Inventory.
But, since I’d feel bad about just sitting around, I tried to create a certain item through trial and error.
Lotion.
Apparently you can make it, if you have water, oil, and an emulsifier. Chiyu brought up the question whether it’d be possible to create emulsifier from fats, too.
“…Is it a problem with my imagination? The recipe isn’t being released…”
I thought there’s somehow a tendency to release the recipes for survival tools like Knives and Blankets by gathering the materials. The Stove had its recipe released through imagination, but…maybe it’s because it’d be more than plenty with a bonfire in case of survival.
In short, I feel like items that can be categorized as providing a luxurious lifestyle are hard to obtain unless my imagination of them matches.
“Kuno-kun?”
After knocking on the door, Shijiyo’s face peeked out of the hut, staring at me.
“Oh, Shijiyo. Are you okay now?”
It was still just past noon.
“Yes, yesterday I managed to catch some sleep as well after finding a hollow in a big tree and slipping in there.”
As expected of her adaptability, but I doubt she was able to calm down under those circumstances. It’s easy to imagine that her sleeping efficiency was really bad.
“I see. You can still sleep for a bit longer, if you want. Shouko and Chiyu haven’t returned from their exploration yet, Shion is taking a bath, and you have nothing in particular to do either, right?”
“Oh, I had wondered why all of them were gone, but now it makes sense.”
“In exchange, we got some sheep though.”
Two sheep were peacefully grazing nearby. Unlike Mashiro, a genuine mythical beast, normal animals needed food, if you summoned them. It’s kinda logical, but still feels odd.
“Y-You’re right… Is this the Meat that was added during yesterday’s dream?”
“No…those are sheep Shouko summoned with her Fluff Summoning Ability. And it seems like the rules of her ability forbid treating her summons as food.”
Since I was bored with Shion in the bath and me being unable to make the lotion, I had been cutting the sheep’s fur, but thanks to that they seemed to look one size smaller.
“I see… Oh, don’t tell me, the wool for the carpet and blanket…?”
“Yep, you can cut off their fur. Also, it’s possible to milk them too. We’re going to drink it together with everyone later.”
“Kanna-san’s ability has a wide range of applications, huh?”
Shijiyo’s face looked worried.
“Yours as well, no? You can use all four, instead of one, magic attribute, can’t you?”
“T-That’s true, I suppose. Thanks… I’ll work hard to learn how to hit my targets.”
Well, she kept missing when she was being chased around by the wild boar. I can understand that it’s difficult to deal with a wild animal calmly if you’re chased by it.
At that point, our conversation entered a temporary lull. Shijiyo stood around without having anything to do.
“…Ah, take a seat, if you like.”
Once I deployed a log chair opposite of me, Shijiyo sat down while saying, “Yes, in that case I will take you up on the offer. Kuno-kun, were you trying to make something with your crafting ability?”
“I was indeed. how could you tell?”
“He seemed like you were brooding.”
“Actually I was planning to make lotion.”
Shijiyo reacted to those words with a twitch.
“Y-You can even make cosmetics?”
The light of hope was twinkling in her eyes.
“I thought so, but somehow it’s not working out as I want it.”
I explained my current situation to her.
“Oh, I see. So the recipe won’t be released if the materials or imagination are lacking, right?”
“Yep.”
“Then I guess I should first supplement your imagination. To put it simply, lotion has the task of acting as a moisturizer. Even boys will occasionally use lip balm and such, right?”
“True. I use it during winter. Dry lips hurt if they crack.”
“Actually, that isn’t a moisturizer in itself. Rather it prevents the evaporation of the skin’s moisture by spreading a film made of vaseline or similar.”
“Hmm, I see. So it’s kind of like heat having it difficult to escape if an oil film spreads on a ramen soup, right?”
Thinking about that, I felt an urge to eat ramen.
“Hehe, that’s correct. It’s easier to remember, if you imagine it while replacing it with something you know well.”
“In short, the oily part of a lotion has the goal of creating an oil film while the water part serves as moisturizer.”
“It’s just as you say. But, oil and water don’t mix, right? And that’s where the emulsifier comes into play. It allows one to combine those two into a cream-like consistency which makes it easier to smear it.”
“Hooh. And you can make that out of fats?”
“Yes. Since the fatty acid ester of glycerin is included, you should be able to make it, Kuno-kun.”
“Hmm…I’ve got my hands on the fat of a wild boar, so it seems like it’s possible to make it.”
“Yeah. Also, about the oil used…how about you use lanolin?”
“L-Lanolin?”
“Kuno-kun, you shore the sheep yesterday and just earlier, right?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s something that’s apparently secreted from a sheep’s sebaceous gland during the shearing. As such it’s occasionally used for making lotion.”
“You sure know your stuff, Shijiyo.”
“Don’t you look up the names of the materials you use on your own skin?”
“…I think I’ll do so once I get back to Earth.”
Well…nothing less of such a diligent, serious girl.
Anyway…lanolin…lanolin…where are you…?
I looked through the list of items.
Ah, there it is. Sheep Wax.
…But, was it already present yesterday?
――Don’t tell me…
Maybe my Inventory isn’t showing everything I obtained, but just those items I understand? That would mean, I couldn’t remove the Bittern from the ocean water on our first day here because of my lacking imagination? Maybe it appeared later on, once I thought about the bittern component in detail?
No, I think it’s still in time. But, for now I’ll postpone examining that.
“Kuno-kun? Sorry, maybe I sounded somewhat arrogant. Let me apologize if I made you feel unhappy.”
“Eh? Ah, no. I was able to confirm an item stored in my Inventory. I’ve been looking for lanolin.”
Hearing my words, Shijiyo looked relieved.
“I-I see. Then it’s good.”
“In the first place, I’m the one getting your help, so there’s no reason for me to be angry, is there?”
“No, umm…I’m bad at explaining and it often happens that I offend the other party, resulting in them telling me to not preach or not look down on them, even though I just intended to be kind….”
I feel like I’ve witnessed such events in the class.
“Yeah, okay. It’s definitely important how you say things, but in most cases those people were probably just pissed at you since they couldn’t talk back.”
“You think so?”
“At the very least, your explanations are a big help for me, so please keep teaching me.”
Shijiyo’s face turned slightly red.
“Y-Yes, count on me!”
Afterwards, Shijiyo provided me with a lot more knowledge. I felt like I only understood a part of it, but in short, lotion seems to be like mayonnaise. Since I was disconnected from cosmetics for women, I could relate much easier to it by comparing it to something I knew.
“OH! I did it, Shijiyo! The recipe was released!”
“Really? Wow! Good work, Kuno-kun!”
Shijiyo clapped her hands in delight. Something which was unusual for her. As I thought, she seemed to be very interested in a skin moisturizer. Just like any girl.
Apparently I can make it by combining Purified Water, Sheep Wax, and Emulsifier.
Let’s try it out right away.
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Translation Notes: