The Cause of Failure and How to Fix It

As Benno carried me toward the workshop for Simple-chan Rinshan, he spoke up in an awkward tone.

"Hey, Mine. About that liquid for washing hair..."

"Hm? What about Simple-chan Rinshan?"

"It's too long and hard to say. Isn't there some other way to call it?"

Honestly, for people in this world — starting with Benno, who had no idea what the name even meant from the sound alone — it probably did feel overly long.

That meant, in other words, it was a name that noble customers would be unlikely to accept, even once it became a product.

"Ahh, it was just something I said to Turi on a whim, and it sort of stuck. There's really no problem with changing it, you know?"

"...Really?"

Benno blinked in surprise, and I smiled and nodded.

It had all started when I blurted out a name while riding high on the relief of finally having a clean, itch-free head and silky-smooth hair. I had no special attachment to it.

"Sure. Name it whatever you like."

"Hmm, well, when you say that, it actually makes things harder."

Benno furrowed his brow in thought. Naming something new required real creativity, I figured. Wanting to be at least a little helpful, I offered some hints.

"It'll be the product name, after all. I think you should change it to something easy to say and easy to understand. Rather than something like 'hair-washing liquid' or 'dirt remover,' words evoking shine, beauty, or relaxation would probably sound better, don't you think?"

"Mmm... hmmm..."

With each suggestion I made, Benno's expression grew progressively more stern and troubled. Maybe my hints were just adding pressure instead of helping.

As Benno sat there with a deep crease between his brows, Lutz gave a casual shrug.

"I've been calling it that the whole time, so I think Simple-chan Rinshan is fine."

"Mine, can you think of some other way to say it? Something... different?"

Unable to come up with the right words, Benno looked to me for help.

I was so used to "Simple-chan Rinshan" that nothing else immediately came to mind. I could think of similar-sounding words, but they wouldn't mean anything in this world.

"Hmm? The only thing I can think of is... 'Rinse-in Shampoo' or something?"

"...Do you really need the 'rin' and 'shan' parts?"

"Not at all. If you're the one naming it, I really don't mind either—"

Benno muttered to himself for a while but never landed on a name that felt right. Maybe he was stuck on "Simple-chan Rinshan" in his head, or maybe the sound of my second suggestion grew on him, because he ended up settling on just "Rinshan."

Wait, is that seriously okay?

Benno turned westward at the Central Plaza and kept walking. Since it was an oil-pressing workshop, I had assumed it was in Artisan Way, and I blinked in surprise.

"The workshop is on the west side too? I thought it was in Artisan Way."

"It was originally a food-processing workshop, so there's a lot of back-and-forth with goods. Being close to the west gate where the market is held is more convenient."

"Merrill fruit is edible, too, I suppose. Recently it's been used almost exclusively for Rinshan, though..."

Back when I made Simple-chan Rinshan, I never imagined it would become a product. My head had been unbearably itchy, and I had been desperate to wash it.

At first, I hadn't even had rice-washing water or seaweed, and I didn't know what to do. I searched my memory as far back as I could for anything related to hair washing and recalled an article from some magazine about natural-living or organic-living about making beauty treatments from natural ingredients.

The article mentioned mixing powdered salt and orange peel into plant-based oil to use as a scrub for washing hair. There were other things too, like whipping egg whites until stiff peaks formed for a hair mask, or making homemade lotion from pickled plums and rice wine, but none of that was necessary for a child's smooth, flawless skin. What I desperately needed was shampoo ingredients.

...Extracting the oil had been the hard part, though.

I wandered around the kitchen looking for something that might yield oil, and when Merrill fruit showed up at dinner — something that looked like an avocado — I figured I could get oil from it. But at the time, I didn't even know the fruit was called Merrill, I couldn't go pick it myself, and my head was itching like crazy. It had been a real ordeal.

Back then, I was driven mad by the itch, and I had no idea how difficult it was to gather things in the forest. Looking back now, I realize I must have pushed Turi pretty hard.

Thanks to that, though, my head finally felt clean, I got silky-smooth hair, and I could live a hygienic life.

Thank you, Turi!

The workshop Benno took me to was a large, warehouse-like building. Just as I'd heard about a food-processing workshop, it was filled with a jumble of different smells.

Several worktables were lined up, each one being used for a different task. Shelves along the walls held tools, and I could see all sorts of implements arranged on them.

"Is the foreman in? Tell him Benno is here."

Benno grabbed one of the workers and said this. The worker saluted with a "Yes, sir!" and dashed off.

Benno set me down, and while we waited for the foreman, I spotted a slightly portly man waddling toward us from the back, his belly jiggling. The worker had clearly delivered the message.

He looked like a food-related foreman the moment you saw him — the kind of build that said he genuinely loved eating. In Japan, he'd just be considered slightly plump, but in this city where food wasn't exactly abundant, he was quite on the hefty side.

"Benno, sir, thank you for coming all this way. ...And these two are?"

"This is the person who originally created the Rinshan. What I'm about to tell you stays between us."

Benno said this with a sharp look in his eyes, and the foreman nodded several times in silence without a word.

"So, have you made any improvements?"

"No, sir. I've tried changing the equipment, changing who makes it, doing all sorts of things, but it feels like we're drifting further and further from the mark."

Listening to this report of zero progress, I could see Benno's irritation was barely contained as he glared at the foreman, who looked utterly at a loss. Standing there, I almost felt like I was being scolded along with him.

I tugged lightly on the foreman's sleeve and spoke up.

"Um, could you show me how you actually make it?"

"Oh. ...If you notice anything, I'd be grateful if you'd let me know. For some reason, the stuff we make here just doesn't clean as well."

We moved to the corner of the workshop where the Rinshan was made, and I had the foreman demonstrate the process.

To avoid wasting anything in case of a mistake, we used only one Merrill fruit. The foreman used a heavy pressing weight to crush the fruit in one go. Turi and Lutz used hammers, so the time it took was completely different.

He lifted the cloth and squeezed hard, and oil dripped steadily into the container below.

"This is how the oil is made. Up to this point, it's the same, right?"

The oil-extraction step looked completely fine. Lutz was murmuring, "There's nothing to get wrong here," and at first glance, it did seem like there was no problem.

"We can't use a pressing weight, so we crush the fruit with hammers. But I can't imagine that small difference would lead to failure."

"Yeah, kids wouldn't have the strength for anything other than a hammer."

As the foreman muttered about trying the hammer method next, I made a request.

"That oil — the freshly pressed oil — could I take a look at it?"

"Sure."

The foreman handed me the container of oil.

Inside was perfectly clear, beautifully translucent green oil with absolutely no impurities floating in it.

"Oh, I see."

The moment I looked at the oil, I understood the cause.

I was glad I'd figured out the reason, but the truth was so absurd it almost made me want to cry.

"What is it!? What went wrong!?"

The foreman asked, practically pouncing on the question. I answered with a slight droop to my shoulders.

"...It's the cloth you use for pressing."

My words made Benno shoot a glare at the foreman. The foreman's eyes went wide in shock, and he waved both arms frantically as he tried to defend himself.

"The cloth!? It's a new venture, so we're using really good quality material!"

"...That's exactly the problem."

"Huh!?"

This time, not just the foreman — Benno's eyes went wide too as he looked at me.

Shrugging lightly, I gently set the container of oil down on the table.

"The cloth at our house is coarse-meshed. If you've seen our clothes, you'd understand — we don't have money. We don't use anything as fine-meshed as this pressing cloth, so when we squeeze the oil, a lot of crushed fruit fibers and tiny, tiny seed fragments end up mixed in."

The oil Turi and Lutz pressed wasn't clear green — it was cloudy and whitish.

The reason was simple. The pressing cloth we used at home had nowhere near the fineness of the cloth here. Besides, it would've been wasteful not to squeeze every last drop, so we squeezed until the end without caring whether the oil got cloudy.

"That cloudiness creates a 'scrub' effect... ah, it becomes what's needed to remove dirt when washing hair."

Normally, you'd take a clear, pure plant oil like the kind made in this workshop, then add powdered salt, ground nuts, or dried citrus peel to create a scrub.

But in our case, the oil came out with a scrub already built in. On top of that, our living situation wasn't exactly one where we could add extra ingredients. The best we could do was toss in some herbs from the forest for fragrance.

As I explained, the foreman stood there gaping with his mouth hanging open. The cause of failure was probably the last thing he'd expected. It had been unexpected for me too.

The more efficiently you tried to produce high-quality oil, the further you got from the sample. The frustration of that must have been agonizing.

Benno, now that he knew the cause, seemed to let out a secret breath of relief, his expression softening considerably. He pinched the pressing cloth between his fingers and gave a shrug.

"Who would've thought the cloth was the problem. Using good materials is exactly what caused the failure... I thought there had to be some secret to how the herbs were mixed in."

"The herbs are basically just for fragrance, yes."

When I said that, the foreman let out a long, heavy sigh — half-relieved, half-troubled — and murmured to himself.

"If you need coarse cloth, then all the oil we've pressed so far is useless, huh?"

"What? No, it's perfectly usable! It would be a waste not to use it."

"Huh?"

If I had the choice, I'd actually love to use this high-quality, impurity-free oil myself. If you just added a scrub, it would make a far better product than what I had created.

"Just add a 'scrub' to the oil you're currently pressing. If you select the right ingredients, it'll be far more premium than anything I made."

"Wow... You really know your stuff, don't you, little miss?"

The foreman blinked in admiration, and at the same time, Benno's eyes gleamed like a predator who had spotted its prey.

"Oh..."

Crap. I got carried away and said too much.

My blood ran cold, and I glanced involuntarily at Lutz, who was looking at me with an expression that said "You idiot."

If this kept up, I'd end up walking the same path as when Lutz had figured me out.

Aaaagh! I'm so stupid! Don't I ever learn!? I forced the corners of my mouth — which were twitching — back into a smile.

Stay calm, stay calm. Nothing's been exposed yet. I'm fine.

"Coarse particles could damage the skin on your scalp while washing, so please be careful about that."

I gave a bright smile and tried to slip away, but Benno grabbed hold of me with a fierce grin on his face.

"You seem to know quite a few other things too, don't you?"

I knew plenty, but I absolutely could not say another word. If I aroused strange suspicions, it would make it impossible for me to live peacefully here going forward. I had to find some way to escape Benno's interrogation.

Unlike Lutz, Benno didn't know the previous Mine. Even if he found me suspicious, the situation was different. If I tried hard enough, I could manage. I had to manage.

I braced myself against Benno's piercing gaze, cold sweat soaking my back, and put on the bravest smile I could manage.

"Information beyond this point comes at a price. I don't talk for free."

"How much?"

Benno tilted his chin up with a smirk, indicating I should name a price. But no matter how much he offered, I had no intention of giving up any more information.

However, if I said that outright, the negotiation would end. Right now, I needed to get Benno to back off.

My heart was pounding like a drum, but I forced my mind to race.

"...This product is already sellable as is. How much are you willing to pay, Benno, for information on how to make it even better?"

I kept smiling sweetly, and our battle of grins continued for a while.

Benno's reddish-brown eyes gleamed fiercely. I wanted nothing more than to surrender immediately, but I absolutely could not back down. Even though I knew that whatever I said would make him glare at me with open suspicion, I couldn't afford to reveal anything more.

Without breaking eye contact, Benno spoke to the foreman.

"Can I borrow the negotiation room?"

"A-ah, of course. Go right ahead."

The moment I heard the foreman's reply, Benno hoisted me up and carried me off to the negotiation room.

"Wha-wha-what!?"

"Mine!?"

"I'm just going to talk! Nobody get close!"

Benno's sharp bark made Lutz flinch and freeze in place. The foreman went pale and nodded vigorously.

Having commandeered the foreman's negotiation room, Benno sat me down in a chair and took the seat across from me.

After staring me down for a while, he finally spoke.

"Two small gold coins."

"...What?"

I must have misheard. Definitely misheard.

I could have sworn I just heard some insane number, but it absolutely had to be my ears playing tricks.

I stared blankly for a moment, then quickly composed myself, pretending it had just been a mishearing.

The instant I pulled myself together, Benno repeated himself, loud and clear.

"Two small gold coins. That's what I'll pay. Improvement methods, remedies, substitute plants — anything you can think of, spill it all."

Two small gold coins just for improvements and remedies — how much profit was he expecting from Rinshan?

Could it be that, like Frieda's hair ornament, he was planning to sell it as a luxury item and gouge the nobility?

"...Benno, how much are you planning to sell Rinshan for?"

I stared him down intently, and Benno narrowed his eyes slightly, giving a short snort.

"That's none of your concern."

"Then, since I've already told you everything about how to make it, anything beyond that shouldn't concern me either, right?"

Relief flooded through me as I thought this would finally end the conversation. I placed my hands on the table and started to stand.

"Three small gold coins. I can't go higher than that."

Benno's hand shot out and grabbed mine as it rested on the table. His expression was pained as he raised the offer once more.

The amount was enough to make my eyes pop out of my head, and for a split second my resolve wavered — but if he couldn't go any higher, the negotiation ended here. For the sake of a peaceful life, I had to escape any further interrogation.

"No th—"

"Take it and save it. The only thing that can deal with your Self-Eating is money."

I was about to refuse, but Benno glared at me with an expression that looked like he was about to grind his teeth. Startled by the words he whispered in a low voice — delivered with a barely contained fury — my eyes went wide.

"...Benno, you knew about my Self-Eating?"

"I had my suspicions, but the other day, that old coot spelled it out for me pretty clearly."

"Huh?"

The old coot Benno was referring to was the Guild Master. What had the Guild Master told him? Could this be related to my guard against the Guild Master having weakened after delivering Frieda's hair ornament?

A different, unfamiliar kind of anxiety swirled inside me. The half-standing posture I'd risen to lost its strength, and I plopped back down into the chair.

Seeing me sit back down, Benno leaned forward over the table, bringing his face close to mine. Then he began speaking in a low, quiet voice meant for my ears only. Though it was barely above a whisper, every word pierced my eardrums with startling clarity.

"That man's granddaughter was also a Self-Eating, like you. But she had money and noble connections, so she was saved. You need to sell whatever information you have, save up money, and prepare for the day that's coming."

"The day that's coming...?"

"When the heat inside your body... becomes impossible to contain."

"Ohh." Understanding spread through my whole body.

The feeling that the Self-Eating heat had been slowly growing more active lately — that hadn't just been my imagination or a product of my condition.

Benno and the Guild Master had apparently reached a conclusion: eventually, the heat of Self-Eating would grow to a point where I could no longer suppress it on my own.

When I weighed my own life against the risk of being seen as creepy for revealing my secrets, the conclusion came with almost embarrassing ease.

I don't want to die yet.

I had finally figured out how to make paper.

This winter's paper was just bundles of failed sheets, but I finally had the environment to make proper books.

I'd grown accustomed to life here and gotten along better with my family.

I'd found a way for myself — someone who had been nothing but useless — to be at least a little helpful.

I had only just started to enjoy living here.

I can't die yet.

At the same time, I thought about what would happen if I revealed my secrets to Benno and he found me disturbing.

If Benno found me creepy, what would happen?

Unlike Lutz, who knew the previous Mine, to Benno I was just a child who knew unnervingly too much.

Being creepy probably wouldn't be enough reason to kill me outright. And unlike Lutz, whose bond with me ran deep, even if Benno told his family that "Mine is unsettling," it wouldn't really harm them much.

In the worst case, Lutz and I would be pushed apart, and we'd lose our chance to become apprentice merchants at Benno's shop.

But even then, I had also received invitations from the Guild Master and Frieda. It wasn't as though I'd have absolutely no options if I parted ways with Benno.

If having money meant I could keep living, then I wanted to keep living.

"...Fine. I'll accept three small gold coins."

As I said this, looking Benno straight in the eye, he gave a small nod and released my hand.

Then, after exchanging guild cards, he took my tote bag and casually pulled out an order set.

"Hey, those are my things!"

"They're shop supplies."

"I mean, that's true, but at least ask first!"

"Ah, sorry about that."

He said it in a tone that made it clear he wasn't sorry at all. Benno produced a pen and ink, holding the order board as casually as a notepad.

"Now then, let's have that information. First, how to make what was considered a failed product into something we can sell."

"You just need to add a 'scrub' for cleaning purposes. There are various things you can use for the scrub, but the easiest is probably salt. If you grind the salt into a fine powder and add it, it's effective for cleaning and deodorizing."

"Salt, you say?"

Of all the articles I'd read, the simplest one involved mixing plant-based oil with powdered salt.

Perhaps the ingredient was so common that Benno was taken aback — his eyes went wide.

"...Also, instead of dried... uh, 'citrus peel' — no, Ferijine peel — grind that into a powder and add it, and both the fragrance and cleaning power improve compared to using nothing."

"Ferijine peel, huh? Is there anything else?"

Benno scribbled away as he looked at me expectantly.

"Anything else? 'Nuts'... ah, yes, you could also grind nust into a powder and mix it in. None of these were things we could afford to use at home, unfortunately."

I said this with a smile, and Benno stared at me intently, as if trying to squeeze every last drop of information from me.

"You know what you couldn't afford to use? ...Mine, who exactly are you?"

"That's a secret. This information can't be bought for just a few gold coins, you know."

Benno made a face like he'd bitten into something bitter, his mouth pressed into a firm line.

His eyes, fixed on me with that uncomprehending suspicion, made my heart pound loudly. I wasn't strong enough to endure that kind of gaze indefinitely.

Still wearing my smile, I took a gamble to establish my position.

"I'm just a creepy little kid, so why not throw me in the scrap heap?"

"!?"

"I went in fully prepared for that possibility, you know, when I decided to share this information."

Benno looked down, raking his fingers through his hair, then let out a long sigh. He shook his head loosely a few times and looked up.

By then, his usual smirk had spread across his face.

"Well, as long as it means profit, I'd rather think about keeping others from stealing it by keeping it close. I'm a merchant, after all."

With that, Benno stood up with a creak and ruffled my hair. By acting the same way he always did, he made it clear: the conclusion was to maintain the status quo.

I let out a breath of relief, then swatted away the hand that kept messing up my hair and stuck out my tongue.

That was the Simple-chan Rinshan chapter.

I hope I answered the question of what inspired it and what kind of product it is!

Next time, the Trombe appears!