After finishing the sandwiches Kaori had expertly prepared, we took a short post-meal break and discussed our plans for the afternoon.
"What do you think? We still have time for another two movies or so, but... maybe watching them back-to-back would be too much?"
"Hmm... I’d love to see at least one more, but I wouldn't mind a little break first. Why don't we just chat for a bit? Do you have any movies you’d recommend, Kaito-kun?"
"Let's see. A film I watched at home the other day was quite interesting. Based on the description, I thought it was going to be a horror movie, but it turned out to have such a strong comedic streak that it was more entertaining than frightening."
Prompted by her question, I told her about the movie, being careful to avoid spoilers. Kaori nodded along with interest, occasionally chiming in with a question as our idle chatter meandered along.
Once the conversation reached a natural lull, Kaori suddenly changed the subject, a look of realization crossing her face. "...By the way, speaking of homes, I just realized something. I've never actually been to your house properly, Kaito-kun."
"Really? I know I left the logistics and meetings to Illness-san, so I wasn't around much for the prep, but... weren't you there to oversee the catering for the shipboard party?"
"Well, yes. I certainly went there. But Illness-san would pick me up and teleport me directly into the kitchen. I never saw anything outside the dining hall and the cooking area. Akane-san told me it was a sprawling estate, and the parts I saw were certainly impressive, but I have no idea what the exterior even looks like."
"Ah, I see. In that case, you really haven't seen much of it at all. The exterior is essentially a replica of Lilia-san's manor. Since it’s modeled after a ducal estate, it definitely qualifies as a mansion. I have so many leftover rooms that I can't really say I’m making the best use of the space, though."
The interior was different, but the facade was a near-perfect match for Lilia-san's house. However, unlike Lilia-san’s estate, which was bustling with employees, my home had far more vacancies. Between me, Anima, Caraway, Eta, Theta, my parents, Aoi, Hina, and Canalis-san, there were only ten of us. Nebula stayed at the World Tree, and Illness-san kept her quarters at Lilia-san’s mansion.
I also rented rooms to some of the servants from Lilia-san’s mansion who were close friends. Living at the manor where you worked could be stifling, but commuting from outside was its own kind of ordeal. Lilia-san’s estate was in the high-end residential area of the Central District; even a small apartment nearby was exorbitantly expensive. Those who lived in cheaper districts faced grueling commutes.
Luna-san lived off-site as well, but as Lilia-san’s aide, she had been given a registered teleportation tool for her commute. She used that to travel, so coming in from a different district wasn't an issue. However, since they couldn't exactly lend out such expensive teleportation magic tools to general servants, the commuting staff apparently had a tough time.
The room rentals had started when a friend among the servants asked for a place to stay. It proved popular—apparently, even being separated from work by a single covered walkway made a world of difference for their peace of mind. After I extended the offer to a few other friends among the staff, five of them had moved in. That brought the total count to fifteen—still far too few to fill a house of that size.
"Would you like to see it, Kaori-san?" I asked. "We could head over there to watch the next movie. I can teleport us there in a second, and if you register the coordinates on your magic tool, it'll make it easier for you to drop by whenever you have business in the future."
"That’s a very tempting offer. I’d love to go... but are you sure it isn't an imposition, being so sudden?"
"Not at all. You’re more than welcome."
"Then I'll take you up on that. I'd love to pay a visit."
Since Kaori usually had to manage her shop, I was typically the one to visit her. But since today was her day off, the timing couldn't be better.
"Shall we get going, then?" I asked.
"Yes... Wait, Kaito-kun, if you don't mind, could I ask for a small favor? It might be a bit selfish."
"A favor?"
"Yes. I was planning to ask Akane-san eventually, but... I'd like to go to the Arclesia Empire once. I mentioned that Chris-san helped me out a lot, but the Empire is so far away that I've never had a chance to visit her. Now that I have a teleportation tool, I want to register the capital's coordinates."
"Oh, I see. In that case, we can make a stop in the Arclesia Empire before we head to my place."
"Thank you! That's a huge help."
I wondered if we might even be able to actually see Chris-san. I’d have to check her schedule first, of course, but I decided I’d at least float the idea to Kaori.
Serious-senpai: "A slide from one home date directly into another?! You have to be kidding me! Is such a lawless act even allowed?!"