Inside the office of the Ducal House of Albert, Lilia had just finished her general duties for the day. She took a moment to relax, sipping the black tea brewed for her by Lunamaria.
"Phew... Being the head of the largest faction is certainly a challenge. My work has become easier thanks to all the new connections, but every decision now carries such immense weight. It’s nerve-wracking."
"Indeed, somehow or other, you’ve become the leader of the largest faction of nobility in the Kingdom of Sinfonia. As expected of Milady—this unworthy Lunamaria is overwhelmed by a mixture of tears of joy and mocking laughter at your unprecedentedly fast promotion."
"You’re clearly just laughing at me... Though, I suppose most of it is due to Kaito-san’s influence."
"Speaking of Miyama-sama, it seems he has been quite active in the Arclesia Empire lately."
Lilia was currently in a position that made her, in both name and reality, the most powerful noble in the Kingdom of Sinfonia. Naturally, the volume of information that reached her was on a completely different level than in the past.
As her connections in other countries continued to grow, reports regarding the Arclesia Empire reached her quickly. She had already received word about the matters surrounding the Rich Baron House and the Sharon Count House... including, of course, the primary cause behind them.
"He really hasn't changed. I can only imagine the hardships Her Majesty Chris and Eris-sama are enduring; I sympathize with them from the bottom of my heart. But on the other hand, I feel a bit relieved... Thanks to all the activity in the Arclesia Empire, things have been quite peaceful here. I’m truly grateful for that."
"The benefits are certainly staggering, aren't they? The Hamilton Marquis House, the Rich Baron House, and the Sharon Count House have all suddenly leapt into the spotlight, and their power as noble houses will undoubtedly rise. The economy of the Arclesia Empire as a whole is booming, and with multiple merchant guilds in motion, there’s a vibrant energy to the trade there. It’s a wonderful profit... Yes, provided they occurred one at a time. Why does that man insist on causing major incidents in multiple locations like coordinated terrorist attacks? I suppose that’s just what makes him Miyama-sama."
Because Kaito’s latest disruptions were focused on the Arclesia Empire, Lilia was enjoying a relatively leisurely and peaceful existence. Lunamaria offered a bitter smile as she watched Lilia savoring that rare tranquility.
The benefits Kaito brought were indeed immense. Two years ago, the Ducal House of Albert had occasionally been mocked as a house that held its title in name only, but it had grown into the largest and strongest noble house in the kingdom, largely due to Kaito’s influence.
"Regardless, I’m just glad to have had a few days that were gentle on my stomach lately."
"...I see. In other words, is it about time then?"
"For what?"
"No, I simply mean that whenever Milady starts savoring peace like this, Miyama-sama usually comes along to punch his beloved Milady’s stomach with all his might. I suspect a painful blow is coming soon..."
"Could you please stop saying such terrifying things?!"
It was true that Lilia had been at peace recently. Well, strictly speaking, a great deal had happened during Kaito's birthday party, but ever since then, things had been relatively calm. At the very least, she hadn't faced a sudden, stomach-churning crisis in several months. She was feeling secure—or rather, one could say she had let her guard down.
"Milady, they say there is a phrase in the otherworld... 'the silence before the storm.'"
"...There isn't one, is there? There shouldn't be anything coming, right?"
At the very least, there were no warning signs. However, if she had been able to predict these things, she wouldn't have suffered so much stomach pain in the past.
While Lilia and Lunamaria were having this exchange, Nebula and Canalis were conversing in a special space in the backyard of Kaito's home.
"I see. So, the permission has been granted."
"Finally. Tiana—ah, she was going by the name Tiana here, wasn't she? Anyway, Tiana was delighted. She’s been waiting for this for so long, so I can certainly understand her feelings."
"I only hope she doesn't get too carried away. She’s generally quite reliable, but she has a tendency to make mistakes when her excitement gets too high."
"True, she does pull a clumsy move every now and then. In a sense, her berserker mode is just a blunder caused by high tension... Well, she’s basically just meeting Kaito-sama, so it should be fine, right?"
"I suppose. However, please ensure she strictly adheres to Master's schedule."
"Understood. Regarding the dates, I'll check with Kaito-san myself and finalize the plan."
In a place far beyond Lilia’s awareness, the visit of the Bipolar God Tiana had been finalized in secret. But that was not all.
At almost the same time, in the Demon Realm, Kuromueina and Alice were looking up at a massive facility before them.
"It’s finished! The amusement park."
"It turned out quite well, especially with all the effort we put into the details. Now, I’d like to hold a grand event for the opening."
"Shall we invite guests from every realm? For the Human Realm, we’ll start with the Kings and... Lilia-chan, I suppose?"
"Yeah, definitely Lilia-san. We should probably invite Hina-san and Aoi-san from Kaito-san’s side, too."
The improvements to the amusement park, which ran on a mysterious energy source Alice had received from Shallow Vernal, were finally complete. Funded by Kuromueina and built on her land, the park now sat finished in a corner of the Demon Realm. As they discussed the opening ceremony, Lilia’s name was naturally at the top of the guest list for the Human Realm.
Furthermore, at almost the exact same time, Shallow Vernal was nodding with an air of satisfaction in the God Realm Sanctuary. Machina stood beside her.
"...It is complete."
"It turned out better than I expected. I think it captures the feel of a hot spring town adapted to this world perfectly."
"I agree. With this, we can date Kaito-san there and then bestow the entire thing upon Lilia without any issues."
"That sounds wonderful. But a hot spring, huh? That’s nice... I’d love to go with my beloved child as well."
The hot spring town, which they had spent a great deal of time and effort building, was now finished. And as was the custom, Shallow Vernal intended to date Kaito there before dumping the entire facility onto Lilia as a gift. It was truly the silence before the storm... A tempest of stomach pain was closing in on Lilia from all sides.
Serious-senpai: "Look, there she is—the strongest Stomach Pain Warrior. Isn't it amazing? It’s a coordinated attack from the otherworld, the Demon Realm, and the God Realm all at once... They’re on a completely different level."