The probability of something happening when Kaito encountered Marie was high—in fact, things were already in motion—but a room in the Hamilton Marquis House had nonetheless transitioned into a state of high alert.
Once she finished giving instructions to the servants, Elis turned to Marquis Hamilton.
"Father. Although we have taken every precaution we can think of, we are woefully inexperienced in these matters. Proceeding as we are now is akin to a new recruit challenging a Behemoth. I have a proposal. I would like to request assistance... and while it might make us appear subservient, I believe we should seek the counsel of Duchess Lilia."
"I agree. Even setting aside the matter of Miyama Kaito-sama, it is in our best interest to strengthen our ties with the Ducal House of Albert for the future. In terms of actual influence, they are already superior. Taking a position that suggests we are the ones asking for a favor shouldn't cause much of a backlash within the faction."
Marquis Hamilton readily agreed with Elis's suggestion. Since the Albert family clearly held the most experience in matters related to Kaito, seeking Lilia’s advice was the logical choice.
The Hamilton Marquis House was the head of its own faction; appearing weak to a foreign noble could normally damage the prestige of their allies. However, despite the risk that their faction might be seen as inferior to the Albert faction, they determined that the situation demanded expert advice.
Elis sent a message via Hummingbird explaining the situation. A reply from Lilia arrived in remarkably short order.
『I understand the plight of Lady Elis and His Excellency Marquis Hamilton only too well—painfully so. However, in my experience, searching for prominent figures within the capital will likely end in futility. For some reason, Kaito-san naturally slips through any preemptive measures or vigilance to such a degree that it feels intentional... That said, if you neglect your guard entirely, he’ll suddenly manifest a dignitary in the heart of the city, so I recommend maintaining a basic level of investigation and alertness.』
Lilia’s battle-worn wisdom suggested that no matter how hard the Hamiltons searched, they wouldn't find anyone who seemed like a major player.
『It may sound cruel to put it this way, but based on past events... I believe that taking precautions or countermeasures against Kaito-san is essentially meaningless. He strikes from such precise and unexpected angles that one begins to suspect a deliberate intent. Preemptive prevention is impossible; the only thing one can do is respond as quickly as possible once the disaster has struck.』
In all of Trinia, Lilia was undoubtedly the preeminent expert on stomach aches caused by Kaito. Having suffered the most at his hands, her hard-won conclusion was clear: trying to plan for Kaito was useless. One had to simply go with the flow of the raging torrent and handle the fallout as it came.
"...Duchess Lilia says there are no effective countermeasures," Elis muttered, her eyes distant.
"I see... If Duchess Albert says so, then it must be true," the Marquis replied, wearing a similar expression.
The father and daughter stared off into the distance, their eyes vacant. Then, a follow-up Hummingbird arrived from Lilia.
『Predicting Kaito-san's movements and social impact is nearly impossible for anyone below the rank of Alice-sama—the Phantasm King. It is quite literally a waste of our time to rack our brains over it. Instead, you should watch the Phantasm King... or rather, her attitude. Normally, unless Kaito-san is at a direct disadvantage, the Phantasm King will offer no advice or warnings. However, there are rare cases where she will provide unsolicited follow-up support for those of us on the receiving end. Those cases are extremely dangerous. It means that, from her perspective, the situation has become ‘truly pitiable.’ If the Phantasm King starts helping you, it is a sign that a major catastrophe is imminent.』
Elis and Marquis Hamilton considered the current situation. They had received sighting reports of Kaito, which were presumably leaked by the Phantasm King. However, that was all. Their own household staff had gathered the intel, and it had reached them without being suppressed. No one was intervening on their behalf yet.
Just as they were starting to feel relieved that this might not be a high-level disaster, a third Hummingbird arrived.
『Given the information provided, it seems Lady Marie will have a difficult time, but nothing truly earth-shattering should occur... Wait. No, I have no objective basis for this, and it is merely a nagging intuition, so please take it as a joke. But I have a feeling... a feeling that this matter will initially seem manageable, only for an Unstoppable Strike to land a few days later when your guard is down. Then again, I might just be overthinking it. Regardless, I pray for a favorable outcome for Lady Elis, His Excellency Marquis Hamilton, and everyone at the Rich Baron House.』
Despite the disclaimer, the ominous warning of a stomach-aching premonition turned Elis and the Marquis pale.
"...Why is it that this Hummingbird is more terrifying than any horror story I’ve ever read?"
"...An Unstoppable Strike? If it’s unstoppable, what are we even supposed to do? No, wait, it hasn't actually happened yet, but still..."
Indescribable anxiety took root. Even though Lilia admitted her warning was based on nothing but a gut feeling, the atmosphere in the room turned oppressive. Elis and the others resumed their discussion on how to handle the events in the capital, haunted by a lingering sense of doom.
Regarding Sighting Information of Kaito:
Ordinarily, it was rare for real-time sighting information regarding Kaito to ever trigger the intelligence networks of the nobility or the state. The reason was Alice, the Phantasm King. The fact that Kaito remained unnaturally anonymous to the general public while being a legend among the upper nobility was entirely due to her information manipulation.
This control was absolute even when Kaito went out into the city. She blocked or concealed his presence, and during high-profile events like the Six Kings Festival or Maid Olympia, she would intentionally flood the channels with conflicting descriptions and fake names to scramble the data.
When necessary, she would even place Recognition Inhibition Magic or concealment spells on Kaito herself. She was a dedicated supporter who worked tirelessly in the shadows, and thanks to her efforts, Kaito never became a public icon of worship or chaos.
On occasion—such as during the incident in Rigforresia—she might choose to amuse herself by letting information slip, leading to scenarios where she teased Kaito until she provoked a Toy Hammer Sanction. Thus, the Super Recognition Inhibition Glasses still had their uses.
Even accounting for such mischief, the benefits of her clandestine support far outweighed the occasional joke. It was characteristic of Alice to move in the shadows and perform such dedication without ever saying a word about it to Kaito.
Kaito was aware of her efforts. While he often found her pranks exhausting, he was profoundly grateful for her management of his social presence.