If I had to describe the current situation in a single word, it would be "bizarre." Bumping into Tre-san and her group was one thing, but thanks to her relentless lobbying, we had ended up arranging a table at the cafe as well.
I had intended for Cornelia-san to relax because she seemed mentally exhausted, but I was starting to worry that I was only making her even more tired...
While I was lost in these thoughts, the world around us suddenly turned gray. It looked like the time-stops I’d seen in anime. I had seen time frozen several times before, but this didn't feel quite the same. Right on cue, Canalis-san appeared before us.
"Yes! As requested, a God has made her entrance! To make it easy for the first-timer to understand, I’ve paused time and adjusted the color scheme. Taha~ I apologize that the direction of my consideration is so God-spec!"
"Hello, Canalis-san. Sorry for the sudden call."
"Not at all! if Kaito-sama calls, I shall rush to your side immediately, no matter where in the world I am. I am a God Slave... or rather, a God in a slave position, and I actually find joy in it, so just call and I’ll come wagging my tail. Taha~ sorry for my specific fetishes. Ah, right, about the seats. Leave it to me. Since I’m a Gachi God, arranging seats is a piece of cake... Naturally, I have several plans for you to choose from."
With her usual expressionless face but upbeat tone, Canalis-san began explaining the options while holding up a finger.
"First, the Large Table Plan is a comfort-focused plan that makes luxurious use of space expansion, allowing even large groups to sit together without issue. Next, the Table-splitting Plan allows the group to be divided exactly as you specify. Aside from those, I also have the Galaxy Observation Plan, the Amazon River Crossing Plan, the Great Buddha Multiplication Plan, and various others, but since those don't seem relevant this time, I shall omit them."
I was actually quite curious about those last three... Anyway, it seemed we could either sit at a single table or split the group up.
"...That's what she says. What should we do?"
"Ah, if we can split the tables, I'd hate to get in the way of Kaito's date. Besides, I just want to eat Baby Castella, so I think it’d be best if Kaito and Cornelia had a table for two, while the six of us took another. Is that alright with everyone?"
"It's not a matter of it being 'alright'... we didn't even have a visit to a cafe on the schedule until Tre-neechan suddenly blurted it out earlier..."
"...Typical brazenness. Fine, you decide, Tre."
I was honestly grateful for Tre-san's suggestion. It really felt like Cornelia-san was at her mental limit. Since everyone besides Tre-san seemed fine with it, I decided to go with the split seating.
"Then, Canalis-san. Please split us into a table for two for Cornelia-san and me, and a separate table for Tre-san’s group."
"Understood. In that case, the staff will guide you once you enter the shop. Now then, the world's time will resume shortly... Fare-well!"
As Canalis-san vanished, the gray scenery returned to its natural colors. When we entered the shop, a staff member approached us just as she had promised and guided us to our respective tables.
The seating at Nifty is designed so that you cannot see or hear people at other tables. Once you are seated, it is essentially a private space. Cornelia-san looked visibly relieved.
"Cornelia-san, I'm sorry. I invited you here to help you recover from your fatigue, but things ended up going in a very strange direction."
"Oh, no. I was certainly surprised, but everyone was so wonderful. I was grateful that they treated it as a personal greeting, setting aside the Magic Tool Trading Company and the Earldom. Besides, while the shock was immense, the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company is an organization that my family's firm has many dealings with, so I am thankful for the opportunity to strengthen our ties."
At any rate, I was glad to hear that the encounter with Tre-san and the others wasn't a bad experience for Cornelia-san.
"By the way, was that person from earlier the one rumored to be in charge of Nifty... um, the Creator God of the Otherworld?"
"You mean Canalis-san? Yes. She calls herself a Former God, but in reality, I think she’s an existence on the same level as Shiro-san and the others."
"I-I see... I understand..."
For a moment, I considered bringing up the example of Eden-san—who once gave a greeting, or rather, a threat, to all the nobles—but since I heard that some nobles are terrified of her to a traumatic degree, I decided to use Shiro-san as the point of comparison instead.
In any case, aside from her lack of facial expressions, Canalis-san really is a good person, so I didn't think there would be any problems.
...Actually, would it be okay if I called out to her in my mind? Canalis-san, Cornelia-san seems mentally drained, so could we have some black tea that helps people relax?
(Understood. In that case, I shall bring you a black tea that works very well for stomach pain.)
Serious-senpai: "Somehow, that God is about to bring out something that every Stomach Pain Warrior in existence would kill for."