"So?"

  "Yes?"

  "You discussed such important matters without Commerce and myself?"

  Following talk of needing to include the Internal Affairs and Commerce Ministers in meetings about the monopoly business, a later meeting gathered four ministers plus the Prime Minister and Celeste—six people total. There, Internal Affairs Minister, a Norwegian Forest Felinoid, Regis Barne Reihanen Pahr, addressed Celeste with a displeased expression.

  With good reason—excluding the Prime Minister, Internal Affairs ranked first among the six ministers, so unlike other ministers, holding Regis rank equal to the Prime Minister, he'd been excluded from such an important matter's meeting, which irritated him.

  "Ah, about that...

  The Prime Minister said, 'No need to call him.'"

  "Hey! I said no such thing!"

  At Celeste attempting to escape the situation with a joke(?), the Prime Minister flared up, but the Internal Affairs Minister now glared at said Prime Minister.

  "Hoho... my my.

  Surely Royal Father didn't select meeting members himself.

  Prime Minister, surely you don't intend to check me?"

  Though sounding like a power struggle nerve war, in reality, the Internal Affairs Minister's tail tip twitched tap-tap, as if thinking something amusing.

  ...Where the ministers' eyes couldn't reach.

  "Don't take his words seriously either!

  Even in places like this, casually mischievous—like a brat."

  What broke that serious(?) atmosphere was laughter heard from nearby.

  "S-stubborn old man... pfft, hehe, kyahahaha!"

  A Golden Retriever Canisade woman slapping the table while roaring with laughter.

  Commerce Minister Comis Barinere Itōna Mare.

  "Does that amuse you so much?"

  "B-because, hehe, it's brilliant.

  The truth nobody could say... pff."

  "What did you sayyy~?"

  The Prime Minister felt his authority cracking since Celeste appeared recently, or rather since Celeste appeared, but the very source of this completely refused to listen—the Prime Minister had essentially given up on this troublesome matter.

  "Getting all angry is bad for blood pressure, you know?

  How about some tea? Here."

  That very source was brazenly offering tea.

  "You're the one causing... what's this muddy water?"

  "Tea. Matcha, precisely.

  Thought it might suit an elderly palate."

  "Stop immediately treating me like an old man!"

  Listening to this exchange, the Commerce Minister again slapped the table laughing, but the Internal Affairs Minister watching Celeste narrowed his eyes.

  When he'd first appeared in that conference room, he'd been shocked in various ways, but since then, information and rumors about this man—all made him doubt his ears. On that mansion unveiling party day, seeing with his own eyes that alabaster mansion and its 'as if the essence of magic itself' extraordinary nature had astonished him.

  And hearing he'd start a monopoly business with those 'otherworld products' tasted that day, he'd thought this worth anticipating, so looked forward to being called to that meeting—

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Well, the Prime Minister probably hadn't thought it would become such a big deal, so only sat Finance and Justice, which slightly irritated him, so he'd said that intending light revenge. But leaving the Prime Minister aside, Celeste's side completely ignored it, showing a flippant attitude that could be taken as dismissive.

  A personality not thinking deeply about things, or else deliberately showing such behavior as a big shot? Currently insufficient judgment materials, the Internal Affairs Minister felt.

  "Internal Affairs Minister, would you like some tea too?

  Prime Minister calls it muddy water, but matcha has an adult taste.

  I showed oolong tea in the noble district the other day, but the fermented smell seems to select customers.

  Ah, Finance Minister, please have honey black tea."

  "Oh, thank you as always."

  Watching Celeste produce an oddly-shaped bottle from under the table, the curious Internal Affairs Minister glanced there, where sat another oddly-shaped box from which he'd taken the tea bottle.

  "That is?"

  "Ah, today I thought to serve warm tea... brought it in an insulated box."

  Insulated box?

  "A tool preventing food from cooling?"

  "Ah, yes. Can maintain temperature or cold, lasts about half a day."

  "Hoh, interesting.

  Then I'll partake of that matcha tea."

  Receiving the offered cup and tea bottle with "Please," the Internal Affairs Minister maintained composure outwardly but inwardly was considerably surprised.

  'Quite thin cup... wait, is this paper?

  And this is that transparent material bottle rumored in the noble district that's neither glass?

  Moreover... warm enough to be hot.'

  "This is tea warmed at Royal Father's mansion?"

  "? No. Bought from a vending machine."

  "Vending machine?"

  "Ah, an unmanned machine that sells drinks."

  Though his expression didn't change, the Internal Affairs Minister couldn't help feeling bewildered internally.

  Such a small box maintaining this temperature, and machines selling drinks without attendants?

  What kind of place is this otherworld called Cuikyu that man came from?

  Anyway, since offered, the Internal Affairs Minister poured the bottled tea—matcha—into the paper cup. Worried it might wet and tear, but the cup showed no signs of getting wet.

  What must be done to paper to achieve this? Curious about everything, but kept it off his face. For some unknown reason, he had a premonition that being careless with words and actions before this man would end up like that Prime Minister.

  "Eh? Selling drinks unmanned?

  Don't cafes exist? On Chikyu?"

  The Commerce Minister, unable to resist curiosity, asked Celeste what interested her. The Internal Affairs Minister felt grateful for her friendly, curiosity-defeated personality even with first meetings.

  Cautiously trying the matcha.

  Like the Prime Minister said, green foam rising like muddy water, a half-thick liquid, but with deep aroma and bitter taste—thinking 'Right, truly an "adult taste"'—was when it happened.

  "Ah, of course cafes exist.

  But putting cafe takeout in insulated boxes seemed questionable...

  But vending machine contents being widely sold can be considered certified quality, so even if not luxury, I think taste is guaranteed."

  "Cough?"

  The Internal Affairs Minister nearly choked on his drinking matcha.

  This tea, not luxury?

  "Eh, are you alright?"

  "Ah, my apologies.

  Sudden cough... I'm fine now."

  The Internal Affairs Minister tried covering up.

  "What, if this isn't luxury, honestly asking what luxury would be would've been fine."

  'That damn old man!!'

  Trying to protect his own face, even with questions not showing on his face—to expose that, no joke—the Internal Affairs Minister thought, while the Commerce Minister asked Celeste what concerned her.

  "This tea isn't luxury, you say...

  Incidentally, what might one bottle's price be?"

  "Let's see... come to think of it, I haven't asked about Felideria's currency value.

  For reference, what's a new court clerk's salary roughly?"

  "New hires vary by workplace and house rank, but roughly 2000 Feli."

  At the Commerce Minister's answer, Celeste recalled new graduate employees' take-home pay being around 200,000.

  "Hmm... right. One bottle, bit over 1 Feli?"

  PFFT—

  The Internal Affairs Minister ultimately couldn't endure and sprayed his drinking matcha.

  This tea, only 1 Feli?

  How wealthy a world?

  "Eh?

  Then my honey black tea..."

  "Umm, that's 1.5 Feli...

  Come to think of it, what's below Feli?"

  "1.5 Fe;i?!

  With this much honey, honey alone would be at least 500 Feli!"

  "Whoa, too much markup!"

  "It's not markup!

  Regis Celeste's world, what kind of world is it?!

  Ah, below 1 Feli is Meche. 1 Feli is 100 Meche."

  "Heh... I see.

  Why does it match yen so closely?

  Like someone found currency conversion rates troublesome and set them arbitrarily."

  "Settings or whatever, spouting incomprehensible things again...

  Well, whatever.

  Can I request another cup of this matcha?"

  "Ah, yes.

  For calling it muddy water, you seem to have taken to it?"

  "Shut it."

  Though retorting with abuse, the Internal Affairs Minister who'd served under him since new clerk days knew that attitude was actually what the Prime Minister took toward people he liked.

  What happened to please that stubborn old man so much—he'd been curious, but anyway this one thing he could accept.

  That man came from a world frighteningly advanced technologically, wealthy compared to this Tusita.

  And saying he'd not just 'sell' that world's products to this world, but show them as 'this world's things'—what ripples would that create in this world?

  So good it's suspicious—doubting is also fact.

  Stating only profits, not discussing losses is fraudster methodology, belonging to common sense categories.

  However, one person committing fraud against a nation... is that even possible?

  If truly doable, wanting to see it is also fact, but for a country's minister, moreover Internal Affairs top minister, an excessively improper feeling.

  But if that man's serious about what he said, and what he said truly realizes, the path of prosperity this country walks...

  "Regis Celeste?"

  "Yes?"

  "That monopoly business, might I hear more details?"

  "? Of course."

  Internal Affairs Minister Regis Barne Reihanen Pahr felt like exploring a bit more the mysterious man before him's true intentions.