After some time has passed, I walk towards the port city with the rejuvenated Shea-san, Fate-san and Heart-san.
I strangely didn’t see anyone along the way, and just as I was craning my head around, Heart-san apparently gave instructions to the residents beforehand to wait in the city for Fate-san, the Supreme God, to come.
Come to think of it, Fate-san surprisingly didn’t ask for a piggyback ride when we were heading into the city.
Walking for a while without having any particular conversation with each other, when the gate to the city came into view, Fate-san looked up at me and spoke.
[Okay then, Kai-chan. We’ll go to the preparatory meeting, so Kai-chan can go sightseeing in the meantime…… God of Love.]
[Yes. Miyama-sama, please look at this.]
[……What’s this?]
[The meeting probably wouldn’t end today, so I’ve arranged for accommodations here. I have already contacted Duchess Albert about this, so you can stay here for these few days.]
[Y- Yes. Thank you.]
Heart-san handed me a map with the location of the inn, which is apparently the place I’m staying at today…… Eh? I mean, they’ve already decided to stay in a place that I don’t know about? W- Well, I’d certainly like to have a tour around the Hydra Kingdom…… so it should be fine.
[Well then~~ I’m looking forward to our date after the preparatory meeting , okay!?]
[……Errr…… Ah, yes.]
I don’t remember agreeing to that date at all, but I think that refuting Fate-san here would be useless.
When I received the map, my thoughts completely resigned from what is happening……
[Well then…… Shall we go?]
[ [ Hahh!!! ] ] ]
[ ! ? ]
At that moment, the atmosphere around Fate-san changed.
An intimidating feeling of sharpness and coldness, as if she was a sharpened blade…… It’s a feeling that I can’t imagine from the usual Fate-san.
While I’m surprised by the atmosphere she had, Fate-san and the others walked into the gate.
Thereupon, a group of people who looked like gatekeepers opened the gate in a somewhat flustered manner…… And spreading out in that area was a cluster of people that filled the view.
The Supreme God, Fate-san…… The people undoubtedly came to see her, and seeing Fate-san’s figure, all of them dropped down on both of their knees and bowed their heads so quietly that it was quite surprising.
In the midst of the scene of the overwhelming scene, people dressed in luxurious armor…… people who look like knights approached Fate-san and gave her an extremely deep bow.
[……We bid you welcome, God of Fate-sama. Seeing your lovely countenance is our greatest honor……]
[Your compliments are unnecessary. Can you just quickly lead us now?]
[Y- Yes…… Excuse our rudeness!!!]
Is this person really Fate-san? It may be rude of me to ask this, but such thoughts came to my mind.
The words she spoke were so cold and heavy…… as if those words won’t allow even the slightest rebuttal at all…… Held within those words was the pressure of the absolute, they could even be considered as a true divine revelation. It even felt as if the temperature around the area dropped several degrees with just those few words.
As I was stunned, unable to say anything because of feeling a part of Fate-san that was unlike her, Shea-san came up to me and quietly muttered.
[……You should become aware that you are just special.]
[Eh?]
[You are allowed to speak and even touch God of Fate-sama as an equal…… That is proof that God of Fate-sama considers you special…… You should bear that in mind.]
[……Y- Yes.]
Only saying those few words, Shea-san followed Fate-san as they started walking away.
Since the preparatory meeting is going to be attended by Fate-san and the others, I stayed where I was and watched their backs as they walked away.
After parting ways with Fate-san and the others, I was leisurely walking around the city to check the location of the inn.
It’s a lively port city, and the wooden stalls are lined with all sorts of large and small fishes, and the voices of people selling them are resounding around.
I’ve never been to Tsukiji before, but it may have a scene like this.
(T/N: Tsukiji is a fish market in Tokyo.)
While I was looking at the bustling, refreshing hustle and bustle, I was thinking about having something to eat while sightseeing, when I heard a familiar voice.
When I looked back in the direction of the voice, there was a…… blue…… blue…… fish…… stuffed animal.
[They’re freshly fresh~~ Freshest of all fresh~~! They’re all fishes fresh from the net!!!]
[………………]
[Ahh, Kaito-san! What do you think? I really recommend this o—– Fugyyaaahhh!?]
Oops, now I’ve gone and done it…… She looks really suspicious, so I reflexively hit her. Well, whatever. It’s just an idiot selling fish in a fish costume in a city like this, making herself look impossibly stupid after all…… It’s just Alice after all.
[Are you treating me too meanly!?]
[……What the heck are you doing here?]
What the heck happened for Alice, the owner of a general store in Symphonia Kingdom, to sell fish in a stuffed fish costume in a port city in Hydra Kingdom?
[Ahh, by the way, I’m the clone Alice-chan!]
[By the way, I’m the real Alice-chan!]
[……I’ll repeat it again. What the heck are you doing here?]
The idiot in a fish constume tells me as she strikes an idiotic pose, while a familiar masked idiot appears from behind me, also in an idiotic pose.
A pincer attack by two idiots…… What a terrifying formation, they have.
[Well~~ You see, just the miscellaneous goods store won’t feed my gam…… my stomach, so I was having my clones take a second job too……]
[……You said gambling just now, didn’t you?]
[A- A- Are you sure you’re not just imagining things? A- Anyway, my clones are doing business all over the place! Having this cute Alice-chan all over the place really fills the world with happiness, doesn’t it!!!?]
[……Can I hit you again?]
[Hieehhh!? P- Please don’t ! The sidejob Alice-chans are fragile. If you hit them a few times, they’ll disappear! I know that Kaito-san has an extreme fetish to cause violence, but please excuse me from t——- Ouch!? You just went and hit my real body!?]
Anyway, I hit the masked idiot this time. Seriously, how much of a waste of specs is she…… Or rather, selling fish as a side job…… Is that really alright? Even though you’re supposed to be one of the Six Kings……
Feeling my head ache, I took a sidelong glance to the Alice in a fish costume who returned to trying to sell her fishes again, before talking to the main body Alice.
[……So, by the way, are they selling well?]
[……………….]
What a sad silence it is. It’s getting harder for me to watch. Well, no matter how I look at it, I think it’s the stuffed costume’s fault…… Heck, why is she even wearing that stuffed costume? What’s with her passion for stuffed costumes?
[W- Well, putting that aside…… Kaito-san!]
[Unnn?]
[I heard it! Or rather, I personally heard it! Going on a date with Fate-san, what does this mean!?]
[Eh? N- No, that’s just something Fate-san selfishly……]
[It’s not that I don’t want you to go on a date with Fate-san, but when are you going to take me to a fancy dinner date!? Even neglect play has its limits, you know!?]
[……Fancy…… Dinner date?]
Arehh? What is it, that sounds kind of familiar……
——-Go on a date with me with a fancy dinner……
——-I- I understand.
[……Ah……]
Feeling my face turning pale, I felt cold sweat begin to run down my back.
T- That’s right…… I- I do remember making such a promise. T- This is bad, I completely forgot about it.
[……No way…… Don’t tell me!? Kaito-san!?]
[Ah, no, errr……]
[You forgot, didn’t you!? You wiped out the memory of that time into oblivion!!!? You just put it away in your mind, thinking that “It’s just Alice anyway, so it’s okay”, didn’t you!!!?]
[……I- I’m sorry!!! T- That not it, I’m not thinking that it’s just Alice anyway or anything like that…… It’s just that there was quite the commotion around that time, so I completely forgot about it…… I- I’m sorry!]
As Alice resolutely protested at me, I hurriedly bowed my head.
I’ve completely done it…… It completely slipped out of my mind.
After making that promise to Alice, I was quite busy with my confession to Kuro and replying to Isis-san’s confession, that it had completely disappeared from my memory.
T- There’s no excuse for this. This is completely my fault.
[That’s cruel, Kaito-san! I was looking forward to it!!! I just thought that you were teasing me, you know!? I never thought that you would……]
[I- I’m really sorry!]
[……Anyway, anyway, I’m such a convenient woman for Kaito-san after all~~]
[N- No, I’m not thinking that way at all……]
[It’s just Alice, so it can’t be helped~~ I can feel at ease since it’s just Alice~~]
T- This is bad, she’s completely sulking. No, it was my fault in the first place, so it was obvious that she’d get angry but…… W- What should I do? I- Is there something that I could somehow do to make Alice lively again……
Feeling a large amount of sweat running down my body, I hurriedly looked around and incidentally saw a rather large stall selling grilled fish on a skewer nearby, and trying to clutch unto that straw, I quickly bought one of those and presented it in front of Alice.
[A- Alice, I’m really sorry…… Y- You can have this……]
[Aaaaahhhh! Kaito-san!? You think that if you just give me food, I’ll keep quiet about this!!!? Please don’t take me for a fool! I’m not such a, such a——- Yum! Eh? What is this, isn’t this absurdly delicious!?]
[R- Really? I’m glad you liked it…… No, Alice. I’m so sorry I forgot! As an apology, you can eat as much as you want from the store there!]
[As much as I want!? S- Seriously? M- Mnhhh…… I- It can’t be helped. It’s not like Kaito-san had any bad intentions either…… W- Well, Alice-chan has a big heart, so I can’t help but forgive you.]
A- Alright, I think I’ve somehow managed to get her mood back a little bit…… That’s great.
No, but, she still seems to be displeased, but if I push a bit more……
[……Ummm, I’ll make sure that we have our date soon…… And also, along with the dinner, we’ll also have a fancy lunch!]
[A fancy lunch too!? I forgive you! I completely forgive you!!!]
When Alice heard my words, her eyes dazzlingly lit up and she repeatedly nodded her head.
It seems that she has forgiven me…… I’m really glad.
Dear Mom, Dad——— for this time, I’m completely at fault. I did a really bad thing, completely forgetting about the promise I made to Alice. I’ve managed to get her to forgive me this time, but to make sure that this won’t happen again in the future——– Let’s make a note about the promises I made in the future.
[G- Go on, Alice. You don’t have to act reserved, and eat as much as you like……]
[Thank you! Well then, can I have “300 skewers” please!?]
[……Eh?]
[Ahh, you also have tsuboyaki too? Then, I’d also like “50” of those!]
(T/N: tsuboyaki is shellfish cooked in its own shell.)
[…………Eh?]
[Fish fillets? Then, I’d like “80 servings” of those and “60 pieces” of smoked fish…… Eh? Most Recommended? Then, for the time being, give me “about 40” of that too……]
[…………………Eh?]
<Afterword>
? ? ? : [ Whoa there, here’s an important information for everyone! Alice-chan is a high-level Demon, so anything that enters her stomach is instantly broken down on a molecular level and converted into magic, so she can eat as much as she wants to!!! Her body structure would remain lovely, and will always have a nice body. The best of the best!!! As expected of Alice-chan!!! ]
Fish Skewers: 5R x 300 ………… 1500 R
Tsuboyaki: 10R x 50 ………… 500 R
An Assortment of Fillets: 15R x 80 ………… 1200 R
Smoked Fish: 4R x 60 ………… 240 R
Owner’s Recommended High Quality Fish: 30R x 40 ………… 1200R
Total Sum ………… 4640R (¥464,000 in Japanese Yen)
Alice-chan’s smile ………… Priceless.
T/N: 6/146