The situation was turning against me—or rather, the atmosphere was becoming decidedly awkward—so I decided to make a quick exit from Alice’s Weapon Shop.
Kaori-san had already finished her shopping, and since our original destination was the bar anyway, it wasn't a problem. Just as we stepped outside and I was about to lead the way, Kaori-san turned to me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"So, what's the plan? Seeing as you're the Mixed Bathing Master, Kaito-kun, are you going to try and aim for a bath with me, too?"
"Kaori-san... you're enjoying this a little too much, aren't you?"
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. It's just so rare for me to have the upper hand over you in this kind of conversation. I got a little carried away. Though, as I said, I'm really walking on thin ice here. If you actually snapped and agreed, I’d be the one in a panic."
She spoke as if it were a joke, but she was clearly having fun. As she pointed out, if I actually said, "Alright, let's take a bath together," the tables would turn and Kaori-san would be the one at a disadvantage.
"Still... I wonder. Setting aside whether we'd actually do it or not... um, do you... find the idea appealing? At all?"
"It's embarrassing to keep this topic going... but I'm a man. Of course the idea of sharing a bath with a beautiful woman would make me happy."
"Even if that person was me?"
"I think your self-evaluation is a bit low, Kaori-san. Honestly, I think you're beautiful. So when a topic like this comes up, I can't help but get self-conscious... Can we please drop this now? This conversation?"
"Ahaha, fair enough. I was starting to get a little embarrassed myself. Let's leave it at that."
Despite her own humble assessment, Kaori-san was undeniably beautiful. Her features leaned more toward the 'cute' side than 'elegant,' and her playful air made her incredibly attractive as a woman.
While she personally seemed to idealize the image of a cool, model-like woman, in reality, she felt more like a charming and adorable older sister.
Discussing mixed baths with someone like her made it impossible not to be conscious of her. I’d even caught myself picturing the scene in my head for a split second, which only added to my intense embarrassment.
"I'd be too shy to actually go through with it anyway. That kind of thing... should probably wait until we're more intimate."
"I agree. Let's just head to the bar for now."
"Right."
...Wait. The way she phrased that sounded like she expected it to happen eventually. No, I was probably overthinking it.
In any case, despite the awkward exchange, Kaori-san seemed to be in high spirits. It looked like we were going to enjoy our drinks.
When we stepped inside the bar, Iris-san welcomed us with her usual calm.
"Welcome. Sit wherever you please."
"Thank you."
"E-Excuse me."
Iris-san gestured for us to sit, and we took adjacent seats at the counter. Perhaps because I had told her that Iris-san was the Head of the Death King's Subordinates, Kaori-san seemed a little nervous.
"What would you like?"
"Since we just finished dinner, something refreshing would be nice. What about you, Kaori-san?"
"I'll have... um... well, I have to open the shop tomorrow, so I'd prefer something that isn't too strong."
"Oh, about that—you can probably neutralize the effects using Olivia-san's Blessing."
"Wait, really?"
The Main Blessing of the Supreme God usually comes with the effect of completely negating status ailments. In that regard, it was very similar to Shiro-san's Blessing, which I possessed.
I knew that Lilia-san, who held Chronoa-san's Main Blessing, was able to control how much the alcohol affected her, so the same should be true for Olivia-san's Blessing.
"I heard the basic effects are identical to a Supreme God's Main Blessing, so it should be fine. If you start drinking while thinking something like, 'I don't want to get more than slightly tipsy,' you won't get any drunker than that. And if you want to sober up, you can just think the thought and the alcohol will leave your system instantly."
"I-I see. The Main Blessing really is incredible."
"It is easier to understand if you consider the nature of oxygen," Iris-san added to my explanation. "To a Human, oxygen is not a poison when consumed through normal respiration. However, if taken in excess, it becomes a toxin that destroys the body. Alcohol is treated with the same logic. One can pre-determine the threshold at which it is considered harmful and choose to neutralize it. This is not limited to Blessings; any High-ranking Demon could achieve the same result through Magic."
"I... I see..."
Kaori-san nodded, clearly impressed by Iris-san's supplement to my explanation.
"Then I shall prepare something with a crisp, pleasant finish for you."
"Thank you."
"Y-Yes, please."
"Kaori-san, Iris-san is very kind, so you don't need to be so nervous. Also, since her hobby is cooking, you might actually find you have a lot to talk about."
Kaori-san still looked a little nervous, but while Iris-san spoke with a haughty air, she was genuinely gentle and caring. I was sure they would get along.
In fact, as fellow cooking enthusiasts, I suspected they might even become good friends.