The arrival of two of the Six Kings—War King Megiddo and Dragon King Magnawell—had Kaori Mizuhara’s stomach on the verge of a total meltdown from the very beginning. Yet, driven by professional pride, she managed to take their orders and set about preparing their food.
Neither Megiddo nor Magnawell were particularly heavy eaters; they were the type who preferred light fare to accompany their drinks. Consequently, Kaori served several appetizers along with the hot sake she had provided for Megiddo in the past.
Incidentally, the other customers in the shop had finished their meals in a hurry and made their exits. Since the peak lunch hour had already passed, the restaurant was now occupied solely by Kaori and two of the Six Kings—a situation that was incredibly taxing on her nerves.
"…Ho, this is not bad at all. This alcohol is exceptionally fine."
"Ah, so you like this sort of drink, Magnawell? Noin and her lot were the ones who brewed and distributed it. As for how to drink it, I suppose it’s similar to wine? It’s not for gulping down; you’re meant to sip it slowly."
"Umu. To me, food and drink are mere hobbies. There is no need to consume them in vast quantities. It is better to enjoy the aroma while partaking from a small sake cup like this. Mizuhara Kaori, you have done truly fine work."
"Th-thank you very much!"
Magnawell seemed to have taken a liking to the hot sake, tilting his sake cup with a satisfied expression. That was well and good—not a problem in itself—but the truth was that Kaori desperately wanted them to stop talking to her.
After all, Kaito, who usually served as her breakwater, wasn't here. The mere thought of making a single faux pas made her feel as though she couldn't even manage a proper response.
More importantly, being in such close proximity to two of the Six Kings subjected her to a staggering pressure from their magic power. Her stomach felt like it was being squeezed tight, and she was starting to feel dizzy.
(S-someone, please help me…)
At the very least, she wanted some peace of mind. Just as Kaori desperately prayed for an escape from a situation where one wrong move could mean a dead end… a savior appeared as if in response to her plea.
"…I see. So this was the situation."
"O-Olivia-sama…!"
Hearing the door open, Kaori looked over to find Olivia standing there—though she was supposed to have already finished her lunch and left earlier that day. Kaori had no idea why she had returned, but for her, it was a truly blessed arrival.
"Hm? If it isn't Olivia."
"What a coincidence."
"Indeed. However, do not mind me. Please, continue your meal."
Olivia flatly told Megiddo and Magnawell that she had no intention of further conversation, then took a seat at the counter.
"For the time being, I shall remain here until those two depart."
"Y-you’re a lifesaver. I’m so glad you came, Olivia-sama."
Kaori whispered with heartfelt relief. Olivia’s presence was indeed immense. She was someone capable of speaking her mind directly to Megiddo or Magnawell. Furthermore, despite being a powerhouse herself, she was one of the few people Megiddo would never dream of picking a fight with.
The reason was simple: Olivia occupied the unique and delicate position of Neutral of the Three Worlds. If trouble were to break out between her and the Six Kings, it would be a major disaster. Consequently, Megiddo had been strictly ordered by Kuromueina to never, ever pick a fight with Olivia. Since the only thing waiting for him if he messed up was a truly terrifying lecture, Megiddo stayed in line.
Magnawell was not naturally short-tempered, and since Olivia was someone with whom both conflict and excessive intimacy were problematic, he didn't proactively strike up a conversation. Thus, by sitting between the two Kings and Kaori, Olivia functioned perfectly as a sturdy wall protecting the shopkeeper.
To Kaori, it felt like seeing a Buddha in hell. Yet, even as she rejoiced, she couldn't help but wonder why Olivia had appeared at this exact moment.
Rewinding the clock to when Kaori was screaming internally at the arrival of the two Kings… In the deepest part of the Central Cathedral of Friendly City Hikari—the Pope's Chamber—Olivia had been praying when her expression flickered. She stood up and turned toward the entrance.
Immediately after, the scenery blurred as if noise were running through space, and Alice appeared.
"…Phantasm King No Face… No, were you Alice in that form? Do you have business with me?"
"Well, yeah. That surprise attack was so pitiful I thought I’d help her out… So, Olivia-san, hurry on over to Suiren."
"To Kaori Mizuhara's Shop? Why?"
"You’ll understand once you get there."
Olivia tilted her head at the suddenly appearing Alice, but Alice vanished as if she had already said everything necessary.
After seeing her off, Olivia directed her consciousness toward Suiren. For her, it was easy to grasp everything occurring inside the Friendly City if she set her mind to it.
"…War King Megiddo and Dragon King Magnawell are at Kaori Mizuhara's Shop? …I do not sense the presence of Miyama Kaito-sama. Does this mean Mizuhara Kaori is in trouble because of those two? …I suppose I will find out once I go there."
After murmuring this, Olivia informed a priest that she was heading out and made her way to Suiren. Upon seeing Kaori pale and cowering inside the shop, she grasped the situation and chose to act as a breakwater.
Serious-senpai: "Oh, so you’re helping her out…"
???: "Well, if Kaito-san were with them, he’d handle anything that happened, so I’d just be enjoying my wine. But that gorilla is dangerous without Kaito-san around. Kaori-san is favored by him, so she’d be fine, but there’s always a chance he might get into a scuffle with the other customers, after all."