Chapter 34: The Birth of Tea Tree Soap

As soon as I finished my market stall, I climbed to the highest point in the Elf Forest and stood in front of Sharin’s house.  

“Sharin, may I come in?”  

“Come in.”  

I lifted the silk curtain and stepped inside, where Sharin looked at me warmly.  

“Have you come to buy seeds already?”  

“Not yet. But if business keeps going this well, I think I’ll be able to afford them before winter.”  

“That’s good to hear.”  

Sharin’s lips curved into a faint smile.  

“So, what brings you here today?”  

“I’d like to do some simple cooking at my stall. Could you permit it?”  

“You mean the stall at the Plaza?”  

“Yes. With winter coming, I thought warm food would be nice.”  

“Hmm…”  

Sharin pondered for a moment, then shook her head.  

“That’s a difficult request.”  

“But… it’s not just my idea. Many elves want it too.”  

“Even so, the Plaza is a communal space.”  

Sharin spoke as if gently reprimanding me.  

“If you light a fire there, the smoke will surely cause complaints. Isn’t that obvious?”  

“Don’t worry about that!”  

“Do you have a solution?”  

“I mined coal from the Floating Island!”  

Sharin tilted her head.  

“I’ve never heard of minerals coming from the Floating Island.”  

Elves treat even gold like mere rocks, so it makes sense she wouldn’t know about the Floating Island’s minerals.  

“More importantly, I don’t understand your point. Coal produces smoke too.”  

“It’s not just any coal—it’s pollution-free coal!”  

“Pollution-free coal?”  

Sharin’s eyebrow rose.  

“It doesn’t produce any smoke at all!”  

Plus, even a small piece generates strong heat, so it doesn’t take up much space.  

With pollution-free coal, I could cook at my stall without bothering the other elves.  

“Oh?”  

Sharin let out a small exclamation, slightly intrigued.  

Normally, she wouldn’t believe such a claim, but she knew the Floating Island was a mysterious place.  

Sharin soon smiled and looked at me warmly.  

“If it’s pollution-free coal, there shouldn’t be a problem.”  

“So, you’re allowing it?”  

“I grant your request.”  

“Thank you!”  

She looked at me with satisfaction.  

“I’ve heard how much everyone enjoys your cooking. I’m grateful for your efforts.”  

“It’s nothing. I do it because I want to.”  

“That makes me even happier. Perhaps one day I’ll get to try your food too.”  

“Please visit my stall whenever you have time! I’ll serve you something delicious!”  

“I’ll do that.”  

She gave a faint smile.  

***  

“Yes!”  

I thrust my fist into the air.  

Now that I had permission to cook, all that was left was to rake in saffron with even tastier food.  

La-la-la.  

With excited steps, I headed to my next destination.  

“This should be the place… there?”  

Sniff, sniff—  

Yup, this was it.  

A strange, indescribable scent wafted from the entrance.  

Following my memory, I arrived at the elf workshop.  

“Hello! You remember me, right?”  

“Of course. You’re a celebrity in the Elf Forest. Who wouldn’t know you?”  

“Thank you for teaching me about citronella incense last time. It’s been a huge hit in the Western Continent.”  

“No need to thank me. So, what brings you here today?”  

“I heard there’s a natural soap elves use, especially one good for athlete’s foot. Oh, I definitely don’t have athlete’s foot myself.”  

I quickly added that, feeling a bit flustered, and she chuckled.  

“You want to learn how to make natural soap? I’d be happy to teach you.”  

“Thank you!”  

“In return, could you share some potatoes? The potato pancakes we had last time were so good. My daughter loves them too…”  

“Of course! I’ll bring a ton next time!”  

Her kindness warmed my heart, and my voice rose with excitement.  

“Oh, I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m Fabir.”  

“Call me Ayr. This way.”  

Herbs hung on the walls. Petals stored in glass jars. Fresh oils in pots.  

Green, yellow, orange, red—the space was vibrant and colorful, like a canvas splashed with paint.  

The workshop was rich with scents. Fragrant flowers, sharp mint, sweet fruit aromas, and more.  

Despite the mix of countless fragrances, the air felt fresh and light, as if a vast forest had been bottled up, exuding a crisp, natural scent.  

Is this the kind of emotion a space can evoke?  

While I was lost in the ambiance, Ayr approached the wall.  

“For a natural soap good for athlete’s foot, one with tea tree would be best.”  

She picked up a dried herb and walked over to me.  

“Tea tree leaves have excellent antibacterial properties and are even used as a disinfectant.”  

Her lesson began.  

Grind, grind.  

She ground dried tea tree leaves in a small mortar.  

“You dry the tea tree leaves and grind them into powder. Mix it with natural oil, strain it through a sieve, then add lye water, and you’ve got natural soap. Simple, right?”  

“Uh, yeah.”  

Her movements were fluid and seamless.  

It looked easy watching her, but I knew it wouldn’t be when I tried it. That’s how skilled she was.  

“Can I use olive oil for the base?”  

“Of course. Coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil—they all work.”  

“Thank you. I’ll plant a tea tree as soon as I get back to the Floating Island.”  

Bang—  

“Mom, I’m back.”  

Suddenly, someone entered the workshop.  

“You!”  

“What? Peeled potato! What are you doing here?”  

It was Mary, the elf who always growled at me.  

“Peeled potato? Wait, you said ‘Mom’? No way, Ayr is…?”  

I looked back and forth between them. Now that I noticed, they looked quite similar.  

“To think my daughter is friends with you. What a coincidence!”  

“We’re not friends!”  

Mary huffed.  

More like opposites than friends.  

Ayr smiled and said,  

“My daughter may sound harsh, but deep down, she’s happy you’re in the forest.”  

“What? Happy?”  

“She’s always been curious about the world outside the forest. Why, she even asked me to—”  

“Mom! Stop it!”  

“She asked me to buy your stall food for her.”  

“Kyaaa!”  

Mary’s face turned bright red. She covered her face with both hands and curled up.  

It seemed she hadn’t come to my stall because she felt awkward after our fights.  

“Oh, so that’s why you were holding that sherbet. Didn’t you insist it wasn’t true?”  

Tremble, tremble.  

Mary’s hunched shoulders shook.  

“Next time, don’t bother your mom—just come yourself. I won’t make a fuss.”  

Still curled up, she didn’t respond, but her trembling shoulders suggested she was about to explode.  

If I stayed any longer, she’d probably point an arrow at me. Time to make a quick exit.  

“Ayr, I’ll head out now. Thanks for the guidance.”  

“Come back anytime you need help.”  

As I left the workshop, I heard Mary’s voice behind me.  

“Mom, how could you say that?!”  

“Oh, come now, it’s all true. You should make up with your friend.”  

“We’re not friends!”  

I shrugged and returned to the Floating Island.  

“It’s grown a lot already.”  

The tea tree I planted yesterday was already lush with green leaves.  

I gathered a basketful of tea tree leaves.  

To make powder, I’d need to dry them thoroughly in the sun first.  

I planned to use the olive oil I’d bought earlier as the base.  

“The base oil is ready. Now I just need lye water.”  

Who would’ve thought I’d use the rice straw I’d saved after harvesting?  

Whoosh.  

I put the straw in the oven and lit it.  

After a while, I poured water over the ashes and stirred with a wooden stick.  

I let the ashes settle, then filtered the clear liquid through a sieve and stored it in a glass bottle.  

Maybe because it was made from straw grown on the Floating Island, the lye water looked especially clean and special.  

Should I try making laundry soap too?  

My laundry soap was running low.  

I heated the olive oil gently, added the lye water, and stirred slowly until it thickened.  

Then I placed it in the Ice Cave to harden.  

Once the soap was done, I’d tackle the pile of laundry.  

*** 

The next day.  

I cut the hardened tea tree soap into neat pieces.  

Snip, snip—  

The texture of the neatly cut tea tree soap felt satisfying.  

The hardened soap even looked a bit like cheese.  

I planned to give some to Bernard and Cayton and sell the rest at the herb shop.  

Elenia came over and took a deep breath.  

“Mmm! The fresh scent of the tea tree soap is so uplifting.”  

“Right? Washing with this will make you feel clean and refreshed.”  

The crisp fragrance seemed like it could wash away even the grimiest smells.  

“Alright, the weather’s nice, so let’s start the laundry!”  

Doing laundry in the early morning ensures it dries well in the sunny afternoon.  

I went to the well and started on the backlog of laundry.  

I rubbed the laundry soap onto the wet clothes and scrubbed vigorously.  

Bubble, bubble.  

“Oh! It’s foaming up nicely!”  

“That’s the new laundry soap. The rich foam looks like it’ll clean well.”  

“Look at this. I barely scrubbed, and it’s already white as new. Even after just one rinse, the soap washes out so easily!”  

Cleaning so well boosted my mood.  

I rinsed the laundry, squeezed it out, and shook it to prevent wrinkles before hanging it on the line.  

Flutter, flutter.  

The laundry flapped in the breeze, spreading the fresh scent of soap around.  

With the good sunlight, it’d dry quickly.  

“Wow, so refreshing!”  

“Wow, it’s really clean!”  

Looking at the spotless laundry made my heart feel clean too.  

“This laundry soap is amazing!”  

Before, scrubbing too hard would damage the fabric, but this new soap cleaned well with minimal effort, so the clothes stayed in better shape.  

Plus, strong detergents usually left my hands dry, but this one kept them moisturized.  

Must be because it’s made from plants grown on the Floating Island. The effect is something else.  

With this, even a big pile of laundry would be a breeze.  

If the laundry soap is this good, imagine how well the tea tree soap will sell.  

It’s bound to fly off the shelves.