Chapter 26

Sachets are scent bags.

Thank you for breaking 11,000 points. I didn't realize it, but I was also on the overall daily list. Why is that?

"Hey, are you going to throw away these flowers?"

On a certain afternoon, Yūri asked curiously. In front of him, Coolesh and Rere were classifying the plants they had gathered from the dungeon. The colorful flowers, with their roots cut off, were lying on the ground, emitting a very pleasant scent.

"Ah, those are the unnecessary parts. The roots are what we need for the request."

"But without the flowers, we can't tell them apart, so we bring them all back."

"...So, you don't need these? Can I have them?"

"Sure, but... what are you going to do with them?"

"Thanks."

Yūri gathered the flowers, "heave, heave," and aligned them. He cut them to the same length with scissors, removed the stems, and stuffed the flowers into his school bag. Yūri's school bag was a high-performance magic bag, so even if he threw things in carelessly, they would be neatly organized inside. It was a very convenient system, but Yūri only thought it was easy to use. As always.

Coolesh and Rere, who had been watching Yūri's work with a smile, soon returned to their own tasks. Yūri continued to pick up and collect the discarded flowers. The scene was so heartwarming that passersby smiled, but Yūri and the others didn't notice.

About ten days later, on a certain day.

Yūri was handing out small cloth bags to the members of "The Crimson Lynx." Without knowing what they were, everyone accepted them. Men received simple drawstring bags, while women received drawstring bags with ribbons and embroidery. Yūri's feminine nature was best expressed in the bags he gave to the women.

Yack opened the drawstring bag and peeked inside, saying, "Huh?" Indeed, another cloth bag was inside. However, this one was more like a cushion, a neatly sewn block of fabric. It was unclear what was inside.

"Yūri, what's this?"

"This is called a sachet. It's a scent bag, in simple terms."

The word "sachet" was repeated by everyone. For adventurers who made a living as treasure hunters and their apprentices, it was an unfamiliar object. However, a faint, soft floral scent wafted from the cloth bag.

Rere, as if suddenly realizing something, spoke up.

"Yūri, are these the flowers from the other day?"

"Correct~. Rere has a good sense of smell."

"Well, I am half-cat, after all. But... why do they smell so good? I thought they would have withered by now..."

Rere's question was valid. If the flowers had been planted in soil or placed in a vase, they might have retained their scent, but it was impossible for bagged fresh flowers to remain fragrant for so long. Yūri, smiling, explained.

"Inside, I've dried and crushed the flowers and added a small piece of fabric soaked in perfume."

"Hmm... So, they don't wither?"

"No, they don't. It's like removing the moisture before they wither. The scent remains, and the perfume adds to it, making it a scent bag."

Rere, looking at the sachet with interest, seemed to be enjoying it. The women generally accepted the sachets positively. However, the men, unsure of what to do with them, were playing with them in their palms. Indeed, unless they were interested in fashion, men wouldn't be interested in sachets.

"Yūri, we got them, but we don't have any use for them."

"Well, you could put them in your bags or drawers where you store your clothes."

"Wouldn't the scent transfer to the clothes?"

"It's not a strong scent, so it might actually act as a deodorizer."

"Deodorizer?"

When Coolesh, peeking from behind Yack, asked, Yūri answered casually. The unfamiliar word made Yack and Coolesh tilt their heads in unison, like brothers. Despite their differences, they seemed to share a similar nature in such moments.

Meanwhile, Mag, who had been silent as usual, suddenly ran off with a sachet. Surprised, everyone followed, and Mag placed the sachet at the entrance of their hideout. The entrance was filled with everyone's shoes. They usually walked around the house in their outdoor shoes, but they had separate shoes for exploration and daily use, so the shoe rack was always full.

"Mag, what are you doing?"

"Shoes, deodorizer."

"Oh, you're worried about the smell of the shoes, so you're putting it here?"

"Agreed."

Mag, pointing to the shoe rack, explained. Yūri, nodding, smiled. The men, nodding in agreement, placed sachets next to their shoes. Yūri, smiling, watched them, thinking, "Well, it's a bit different from the intended use, but..."

Next time, Yūri thought, he would make more serious deodorizing sachets. The number of flowers they had was insufficient for placing them in the entrance, bathroom, and toilet. Additionally, he wanted to give them as gifts to his companions as a token of appreciation. Thanks to the mayonnaise, hairpins, and hair ties, Yūri had some savings in the production guild, which he used to buy perfume and fabric for the sachets. When Ali complained about why he didn't spend the money on himself, Yūri didn't mind. After all, he wasn't lacking anything in his daily life.

First, as a non-adventurer, Yūri didn't need weapons or armor, nor did he need special items for dungeon exploration. Without a need to spend money, he decided to buy materials for sachets to give back to the group.

"Still, Yūri, you're so skilled..."

"Really? It's not that difficult."

"No, no, sewing is hard for us."

"Hmm?"

Yūri, as usual, was nonchalant. For him, it wasn't a difficult task, but for boys who weren't used to needlework, it was naturally challenging. Even the women admitted that making drawstring bags with lace and decorative buttons was beyond their skills. Yūri, still unaware of his exceptional abilities, continued to smile.

The women generally accepted the sachets positively. Rere, with her keen sense of smell, decided to store them with her clothes. Tiphana put hers in her small bag, and Frau, after some thought, placed hers in the drawer with her handkerchiefs. As adventurers, they didn't have the habit of using perfumes, but they still appreciated a good scent.

"Do you plan to sell these?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, do you plan to sell these sachets like the hairpins and hair ties?"

"No, I don't."

"Then, don't tell anyone outside the group. ...It's just too much trouble."

"Okay, I understand."

Yūri nodded at Ali's words. Everyone was listening, but Yūri had no intention of making money or doing business. The sachets were just gifts to show his appreciation. He also didn't want the flowers to go to waste.

Yūri, rolling his personal sachet in his hand, smiled. His sachet was simple, with a white fabric and a small embroidered flower and a tiny ribbon. It was subtly cute, not too noticeable but still charming.

Yūri, being a feminine boy, loved cute and beautiful things. However, he could objectively judge whether he was suitable for them. He understood that having overly cute items could make others uncomfortable. Therefore, he made a sachet that was subtly cute for himself.

"...You keep making strange things."

Sighing, Ali muttered. After a moment of confusion, Yūri looked up at Ali. Despite the height difference, Yūri looked straight into Ali's eyes and asked, "Am I a bother?"

Asked in a childlike voice, Ali looked down at Yūri and said, "No." Adding, "It's too late for that," Yūri smiled. "Thank you," he said, genuinely.

An unknown foreigner, a child with no ill intentions but unconventional actions, a non-combatant in a clan of treasure hunters, Yūri was a mismatched presence. Yet, he was accepted by everyone.

"Anyway, if you plan to make something and release it outside, let us know first."

"Understood."

Such interactions had become a familiar scene in "The Crimson Lynx."

By the way, Yūri enjoyed making the sachets for the women. For the men, he kept them simple enough to avoid complaints.

I look forward to your comments and feedback.