At Kaori-san's request, we traveled to the capital of the Arclesia Empire. The teleportation point I had registered was a square located a short distance from the Royal Castle. Walking straight down the main street from here leads to the castle gates, while heading the other way puts you right in the luxury district where my usual pet shops are. It was an incredibly convenient hub.
"I feel like we've been coming to the Arclesia Empire quite a bit lately," Kaori-san remarked.
"Well... yeah. I've been bullying their nobles lately, after all."
"N-No, I'm sure you haven't... been bullying them... probably."
"If even you're sounding that unsure of yourself, then that's exactly what's happening."
I wanted to deny it, but there was no getting around the fact that the recent incidents involving Marie-san and the others were entirely my fault. I felt a little better after giving her some clothes as a peace offering, but there was no question that her life was still a whirlwind of trouble because of me. If another chance came up, I'd have to do something else for her...
"The Arclesia Empire really does start getting chilly around this time of year. It’s not quite winter yet, but the temperature is noticeably lower than in the Friendly City."
"It definitely feels different," she agreed.
Thanks to Shiro-san's Blessing, the air immediately surrounding my body was kept at a comfortable temperature even in extreme heat or cold. However, I could still normally sense the seasonal shift—the way summer was finally giving way to autumn.
The air was crisper here than back home. If the Friendly City was still clinging to the last days of summer, the Arclesia Empire was now firmly in the grip of fall.
"Oh, that's right. Kaori-san, would you like to see Chris-san? I’d need to check her schedule first, of course..."
"Hmm, I’d love to see her if I could, but she's the Emperor. She must be busy, and showing up unannounced would be... Ah, wait. Since I'm with you, Kaito-kun, things usually just work out somehow, don't they? If she has a little time to spare, I'd really like to say hello."
"Let's check with a Hummingbird, then."
I knew that if I asked her to make time, Chris-san would likely force her schedule open even if she was swamped. Neither Kaori-san nor I wanted to be a burden, so I decided to send a Hummingbird just to check her availability. If she had some breathing room, we'd drop by.
Chris-san was sharp; she’d likely figure out what I was up to the moment she saw a message asking about her daily schedule. Still, if I worded it indirectly, she’d take the hint and tell me if she was truly too busy.
"...Oh, I got a reply. It looks like a meeting just wrapped up, and she has a little over an hour of free time. I'll tell her where we are and see if she's up for a visit."
"A meeting... I guess being an Emperor involves a lot of those."
She happened to be free at just the right moment. I told her I was with Kaori-san and asked if we could stop by for a quick greeting. Chris-san sent back a gracious "OK," so we started walking toward the castle together.
"Come to think of it, Kaori-san, you were summoned to the Arclesia Empire, weren't you? Did you stay at the Royal Castle when you first arrived?"
"Yeah. After a quick greeting with the Emperor back then, Chris-san explained the situation and gave me a room in the castle. I left on my pilgrimage almost immediately, though, so I only stayed for about ten days."
"That was the Emperor right before Chris-san, right? Based on the bits and pieces I've heard, his reputation wasn't exactly stellar."
"I wonder. I barely spoke to the man, so I couldn't say for sure. He did have this air about him, though... like he looked down on commoners."
The stories I'd heard about the previous Emperor were pretty consistent. Chris-san had called him a "pathogen," Lystia-san labeled him a "timid small-time villain," and Megiddo-san had simply called him "scum." He really had been despised across the board.
"I hear Chris-san's reputation is excellent, though."
"Apparently, it's gotten even better lately. I recall hearing that the entire empire is going through a massive economic boom, and everyone is praising Chris-san's leadership."
"I see. I heard she was being hailed as a Wise Emperor for her policies. I guess they're finally starting to pay off."
I remembered Lystia-san saying something similar the last time we met—that the empire was on an upward trend and she wanted to push it into a full-blown boom. Seeing that it had actually happened was a testament to Chris-san's skill.
"..."
"Huh? Um, Kaori-san? Why are you giving me that look?"
"Well... I’m pretty sure the biggest factors behind that economic boom were the God of Fate's blessing and the fact that the Supreme Gods attended the Founding Anniversary Festival here..."
"...How strange. That sounds oddly familiar."
"You really are a junior who's bad for the stomach."
Ah, so it was my fault. Well, Chris-san had been working hard to create that boom to begin with... so couldn't we just say my involvement was a tiny little nudge? No? That's not enough? I didn't think it was causing her problems, but... I think I still have two cans of that black tea for stomach pain in my Magic Box...
Serious-senpai: "And there he goes, delivering a stomach blow like it's a little souvenir he picked up on the way. This has to be the pattern where he tries to apologize by handing over some dangerous item he's been sitting on in his Magic Box."