Chapter 90

<089. 15 Colors of Bond>

Previously.

I once said that 8th Tier skills are the initial stage of acquiring expertise.

And the 7th Tier above that is the entry level for specialized professions. In other words, even as a newcomer, you can claim to be a professional wherever you go.

For example, the 7th Tier of Combat Magic is Elemental Magic.

You learn projectiles, enhancements, and controls that match your element.

The 7th Tier of Support Magic allows you to obtain the ultimate enhancement, which can be used even in the late stages.

In short, the 7th Tier also signifies a 'career path.'

Now, what about the Shining Pâtissière, which is the evolved form of the Magical Pâtissière...?

【Shining Pâtissière】

【7T】

【You can create magical confections directly blessed by the Goddess of Sweets.】

【If you love making sweet, happy♡happy♡ things, now you can! The more the person who eats it smiles happily, the more my heart will sparkle! Shine! Our hearts in Shiny! Sweets!】

"Is this my career path?"

Are you kidding me?

***

No, that can't be.

My career path is in convenience stores.

Of course, my future is in convenience stores.

To be honest.

After finishing my fourth year next year, I'll either return to the palace, open a convenience store in the countryside, or stay in Jefrin and run a convenience store!

Wolfram von Loeningen has many options.

And none of them include making our hearts sparkle with Shiny Sweets!

"Is this the kind of skill?"

There are skills with descriptions like this.

If you read them carefully, the top part is a proper description.

Being a Shining Pâtissière isn't much different from being a Magical Pâtissière.

It's just making sweets. There's not much to explain.

So, the top part is a proper description, and the bottom part... well, it has its own meaning.

"This is a serious mental blow."

Sigh.

Well, just because a skill is 7th Tier doesn't mean my career path is to become a baking master.

In fact, being too specialized is problematic.

"I need to make other items. I need to level up the gear of items."

Let's say I only focus on Shining Pâtissière.

Assume my proficiency becomes top-notch and my reactions become more diverse.

'This place makes amazing sweets!'

'Eating them makes you happy♡happy♡!'

'Wow! Shinyyyyyy, it shines! My world! Dream-like happiness!'

These kinds of reactions will come out.

"Even if I spiked the sweets with drugs, no one could argue."

So, I need to change my approach.

If everything is top-notch, who would say anything if the reactions to tasting the sweets are a bit exaggerated?

So, let's try making all sorts of amazing things.

"Hmm. What should I add?"

I looked around the convenience store.

Sweets and accessories are standard, and if you order, meals come out like a mini-restaurant.

It wouldn't be wrong to call it a dessert-focused convenience store.

So, should I just focus on cooking skills and learn to make dishes that make people happy?

...I really don't want to.

The items to make... something that fits a convenience store.

I wrote down items in my notebook, tapping the pen on the paper, and eventually had a small epiphany.

"Oh, right. I have this."

***

In Jefrin.

In the original story, an incident occurs in Act 2.

The Sharpie Destruction Incident during the mid-term exams in Act 2.

A fourth-year student from the Magic Department, 'Milphy,' who always ranked second, cast a grand spell, "Make the exams disappear!!!", contaminating the concept of all the pens of the fourth-year students in the Magic Department.

As a result, all the pens in the Magic Department crumbled, and the incident required bringing in non-pen writing tools from outside.

The funny thing is, the first-year 'Milky' and the second-place fourth-year 'Milphy' are different people.

The first-year 'Milky' has an ending where she is expelled at the mid-term exams.

The fourth-year 'Milphy' causes a major incident at the mid-term exams and is expelled.

It might be that the developers reused names.

"So, the developers must be lazy."

...Or maybe the naming sense is so disastrous that there's no variation in girls' names.

Anyway, let's put aside such useless topics.

Thinking about it, the Sharpie Destruction Incident didn't happen in the last mid-term exams.

Of course, I have an idea why.

The fourth-year 'Milphy's' mid-term exam subjects are Mage and Battlefield II.

The professor for that subject is Lantica Grace.

Yes.

She is the professor in charge of the 'graduate student exploitation investigation' that is currently under investigation at the palace.

Because of this, the third-year students had no mid-term exams and ended with assignments due to the professor's personal matters.

Let alone the fourth-year students' advanced subjects having mid-term exams.

In the end, the peace of the Jefrin Magic Department's Sharpies was maintained.

And from there, I got an idea.

"Can I make a ballpoint pen?"

What I want to make is a writing tool.

Specifically, a ballpoint pen.

"Hmm. Making it is good, but... I really want to get samples from various places."

Writing tools are trendy among kids, you know.

I want to ask about the colors and designs and try making them.

It's literally market research.

***

"Writing tools? I usually use the standard issue ones."

"Standard issue?"

"Yes. Although I am royalty, the support is extremely limited. It would be excessive to have personal writing tools. I use the same ones as other students."

The next day, I started chatting with Emily, who came to learn cooking.

The conversation was mainly about Jefrin's school supplies.

"Is the support from the Hymelody Royal Family insufficient?"

"Yes. They calculate the average and then deduct taxes before giving it to me."

"They even collect taxes?"

"They say they will increase the support if I walk the path of magic properly, but my path is in cooking."

While saying this, Emily's expression didn't change as she stirred the wok.

Hmm. So, she's a good sample.

"Emily, if you had personal school supplies, how much would you be willing to pay?"

"......Hmm. Do I really need to buy them? The standard issue ones are enough."

"Then...?"

"No. If my teacher tells me to buy them, I'll borrow money and buy them."

This cool and pure goodwill is scary.

Don't say that with such a cold expression.

"......"

"I can walk without doubt with my teacher. I'm not afraid of anything, no matter what's in front of me."

Cancel.

I can't use her as a sample.

***

After that, the next sample came, and I asked questions.

The next one was Nefte, who said she wanted to take the Royal Guard class.

Nefte held the ballpoint pen I made, twirling it and tilting her head.

"So, you made this writing tool? You suddenly made something interesting."

"Since this is a convenience store. If I can provide convenience, I should make and sell items."

"......Convenience store. Ah, this place is like that. Yes, that's right."

Nefte, I might write your recommendation letter,

Isn't your attitude towards the convenience store problematic?

"May I ask, what did you think it was?"

"Um, a daily job request office, a restaurant, and a place where you can meet good seniors or juniors, and there's unlimited drinks and a senior here? Hmm, um?"

"So?"

"What is it? This place? It's interesting, right?"

"......"

Nefte tilted her head.

Forget it.

What am I going to say to you? Let's get to the point.

"So, are you going to buy a new ballpoint pen?"

"No?"

"......"

A straightforward answer?

"It's a prototype. Try it out."

"It's strangely expensive."

"Be quiet and try it out."

At my words, Nefte took the ballpoint pen and started writing something on the paper.

"Oh, oh. It's amazing. This is really great. It's a masterpiece."

"Right?"

What I imitated is a masterpiece from Korea, the Manami 154 ballpoint pen.

It was really good during my school days.

"......Oh. It's amazing. It's a great pen, indeed."

"It's sturdy and doesn't break easily. It rarely clogs."

I rambled on about the specifications of the ballpoint pen.

And after listening to all of it, Nefte asked with a smile.

"So, who would come here to buy this ballpoint pen?"

"......"

You won't be a sample either.

You naughty girl.

***

The last subject was really, really a good kid.

"Wow... Amazing, senior."

"Hmm."

Milky clapped several times while looking at my ballpoint pen.

Yes, this is the kind of reaction.

Not "I'll buy it no matter the cost" or "What would I use this for?"

"Black ballpoint pens are good, but this 15-color ballpoint pen is really beautiful."

"You have a good eye."

"Hehe... Thank you, senior."

After Nefte left, I, feeling inspired, made 15 different colored ballpoint pens, going beyond the 154.

This pen has a bit of a story.

It's a story from Lee Young-jin's high school days