232: Sata's Errand

"Then, Sata. We're off to help tidy up Dr. Mizeon's appearance."

"We'll take this chance to make our final adjustments, too."

The next day.

Vilijanira, Johalis, and Memokushi set off early in the morning for the Isaimiitsu Viscount's mansion.

The purpose is to prepare for the tea gathering scheduled for the following day—adjusting Mizion's costume and makeup, confirming necessary precautions, and the like.

Moreover, since these tasks are also essential for Vilijanira and the others, the process will likely take the entire day.

"Master Sata. Word has already reached the keen-eared of your visit, along with that of Master Vee. Please be cautious."

"Ah, I understand."

And so, amidst such circumstances, I proceed with solo行动.

Since the current security level at Lord Iseimii's manor is such that my presence or absence makes no difference, I’ve decided to take this opportunity to personally attend to matters that must be handled on my own.

If anything goes wrong… well, I’ll just teleport away.

"Um... this should be it..."

That’s how I ended up here—following the instructions from the information terminal, transferring between trams, and walking for a while to reach an area densely packed with food-related factories.

In the middle of this area stands a company specializing in food safety inspections.

"Welcome to Kibus Safety, Ms. Sata. We’ve been informed of your visit by Ms. Mekushi. Please, follow me this way."

"Thank you."

It was Mekushi who arranged this appointment for me.

It seems all the necessary preparations have been taken care of, so really, the only thing I need to do here is hand over the physical specimen.

"Ah, I see. This is the plant cultivated under different OS environments?"

"Yes, that's correct. The original species are mint, basil, thyme, oregano, and hēkyōmōryū."

So, I'll hand you four spices and Hēkyōmōryū that have already matured enough to be edible, a small amount from my greenhouse.

Visually, there's not much difference.

The aroma and taste are mostly similar as well.

As the word "mostly" suggests, there's a slight difference.

Based on what I've personally tasted, I don't believe these have strong toxicity. Also, as previously mentioned, it's still unclear whether the changes observed in these plants are temporary or permanent.

I've heard that. In addition, I'll be requesting similar tests from two more companies, including Seiryō Corporation.

Yes, that's correct. Was there an issue?

"No, quite the opposite—I feel genuine admiration and reassurance. Mr. Sata clearly understands the importance of diversity."

"Uh, thank you...?"

"I'm definitely praising you, so please feel at ease."

In addition to Seiryō Corporation and Kibus Safety, I'm also reaching out to other companies to slightly reduce the possibility of any unforeseen incidents occurring.

The reason is that while safety inspection methods are generally standardized, minor differences among testers or seemingly random variations can lead to different results or unexpected hazards. By conducting similar inspections across different companies, such inconsistencies or hidden risks might be uncovered.

While this method might not detect reactions dependent on individual conditions such as allergies, it can reliably identify toxic effects common to all people—almost certainly so.

If feeding this to the Viridianiila, this could be considered absolutely essential.

Moreover, the importance of conducting similar tests across different individuals and organizations was a lesson learned at Seiryō Corporation.

When it comes to verifying reproducibility, identifying root causes, ensuring safety, and similar tasks, the most appropriate approach is to involve more people with diverse perspectives.

"Thank you very much today, Satā-san. We will all dedicate ourselves fully to this task."

"Thank you! We’ll thoroughly investigate both safety and risks!"

With that, we’ll send the same inspection items to another company located in the same area and request they conduct the examination as well.

Incidentally, according to Memokushi, the three companies selected this time have no hidden connections and conduct their work honestly, so the inspection results should be reliable.

The inspection results should be available in as little as a week, so we'll just wait for them.

"Let's eat."

With that, I'd finished what I needed to do alone, and since the timing was just right, I decided to stop by a ramen shop along the road and slurp down some noodles.

"Yep, delicious."

I had walked in after catching the scent, and the soup—rich with a wonderful soy aroma—was perfectly blended with the noodles, making it incredibly delicious.

The toppings, like the chashu and stir-fried vegetables, were carefully balanced so that they absorbed the soup's flavor, enhancing their taste while maintaining a distinct texture different from the noodles.

"Ah, Lord Sata Seiketsu."

"... "

As I was enjoying my meal, a man in a suit I didn't recognize suddenly called out to me.

Turning around, I saw several more men in identical suits.

Yet, some of them seemed to belong to different groups, glaring at each other, and the atmosphere in the shop grew tense.

"Owner. That was delicious. I'm sorry I couldn't finish it all."

"Is that so?"

I left my half-eaten ramen behind, paid a bit extra, and exited the shop.

Both the trembling shopkeeper and the staff wouldn't even look us in the eye.

And as I leave the shop, the men in suits also step outside after me.

Of course, they haven't even placed an order yet.

Let me be honest and say what I really think.

I'm already angry.

"Lord Sata Seeteks... we are... gah!?"

"“““!?”””

"And? Who exactly is your master? If you're going to interfere with someone else's meal, you should at least be prepared for the consequences?"

Thus, using the application of gravity control mod, I made everyone kneel down on the road together.