Alexandria, the capital of the Arclesia Empire, was a metropolis of immense proportions. Within its sprawling reaches, the odds of a chance encounter with Kaito Miyama—whose life usually revolved around the Kingdom of Sinfonia—were naturally so infinitesimal as to be unworthy of consideration, especially on a mundane street far from any luxury districts or prearranged meetings.
And yet, Kaito Miyama was a singularity. He managed to stumble into such encounters as if he had calculated them to the second.
"Hello there. What a coincidence," Kaito said. "You're dressed quite differently than usual, Elis-san... though now that I think about it, you wore something similar when I first visited your stall during the Founding Anniversary Festival."
"Y-Yes, well... observing the lives of the common people is a vital part of my education," Elis replied. "Besides, it’s a wonderful way to clear my head, so I find myself wandering out like this quite often. It was the same when I stopped by your stall, Kaito-sama. Are you out on an errand today?"
It was an encounter of staggering improbability, but Elis had seen Kaito defy common sense enough times to accept that even the impossible became plausible when he was involved. Still, his purpose here eluded her.
(Kaito-sama is known to visit Alexandria frequently, but my information suggests he usually heads for pet-related shops... and there are none in this area. Nor do any of his known acquaintances live nearby, as far as I am aware.)
The street where they had coincidentally met was of decent size and lined with several storefronts, but it was not busy enough to be considered a main thoroughfare. To Elis, it didn't seem to hold anything that would draw Kaito's interest.
"Oh, an acquaintance asked me to do a trial run of a facility they're planning to open soon," Kaito explained. "I was just on my way there to give them some feedback."
"I see... I have a fair grasp of the high-end districts and shops catering to the nobility, but I wasn't aware of any new establishments opening in this vicinity."
"Well, rather than a shop... it's more of a... um..."
Hearing her response, Kaito took on a contemplative expression. After a brief silence, he spoke up with a slightly apologetic look.
"...Um, Elis-san. I'm sorry for asking so suddenly, but do you happen to have some time right now?"
"Eh? Yes, I don't have any particular plans, but...?"
"The facility I'm heading to was built based on a place called a 'gym' from my old world. To put it simply, it's a place filled with various magic tools designed for exercise. People pay a monthly fee to go there and work out."
"I see... One can exercise anywhere if they put their mind to it, but personally acquiring high-quality equipment like magic tools would be a significant expense. It makes perfect sense to provide a prepared facility for that purpose."
The place Kaito was heading to was the gym built by Flarebell Nizbel, an idea originally conceived during a casual chat with Kaito.
Deciding to open one gym in the Demon Realm and one in the Human Realm as a trial run, Nizbel had chosen Battle City for the Demon Realm—as it was home to many of the War King's combat-hungry subordinates—and Alexandria for the Human Realm, given the Dragon King Faction’s deep ties to the Arclesia Empire.
Since Kaito was the only one who actually knew what a gym was supposed to be, she had asked him to test it out and ensure everything was in order. That was where Kaito had been heading before bumping into Elis.
"Yeah. And since the gym in the Human Realm was made for humankind, Nizbel mentioned she wanted a human man and woman to test it out. I originally thought about asking Aoi or Hina, but their schedules overlapped with their adventurer training, so I was heading there alone. But if you're free..."
"If you believe I am suitable, I would be happy to provide the perspective of a human woman," Elis said with a polite smile. "The concept of a gym sounds quite fascinating, and I am not averse to exercise."
"Thank you. In that case, let's head there together."
Elis readily accepted the offer. Since she had gone out for a change of pace anyway, she figured moving her body would be a perfect way to refresh herself.
"Do you exercise much in your daily life, Elis-san?" Kaito asked as they began to walk.
"A certain amount of physical stamina is required even for a noble," Elis explained. "Between dancing and basic self-defense, I stay quite active. I am certainly not a combat specialist, but I have been trained to hold my own long enough for my guards to intervene if necessary."
"...I'm asking purely out of curiosity, but do you actually get targeted or attacked often?"
"Almost never. At least, I have never experienced it myself. Many years ago, when the struggle for the imperial throne was at its peak, assassinations were supposedly rampant, but I haven't heard of such things in quite some time."
With that, Kaito and Elis walked side-by-side, chatting idly as they made their way toward the gym.
Serious-senpai: "It is a tragedy that no amount of physical exercise can ever hope to toughen one's stomach against the whims of fate."