A few days had passed since the Gym Experience. At the Hamilton Marquis House, the family had gathered for what was rapidly becoming a tradition: the Kaito Countermeasures Meeting.
Strictly speaking, there was no urgent agenda this time. The meeting was held simply because Marquis Hamilton, his wife, and Elis finally had overlapping schedules.
"...And so, I accompanied Kaito-sama to the Gym, a facility Nizbel-sama plans to expand in the future. While there, I was introduced to the Dragon King Magnawell-sama, and he was kind enough to remember my name."
"I see... I had heard the brief summary, but... how should I put it? Meeting one of the Six Kings-sama is normally a once-in-a-lifetime event, yet I find it terrifying that I’m beginning to accept it as 'just another day' whenever Miyama Kaito-sama is involved."
"You aren’t the only one, dear. Upon hearing Elis’s report, I was actually relieved that there seemed to be no immediate fallout this time... though when I stop to think about it, making the acquaintance of the Dragon King-sama is an extraordinary feat in its own right."
The report that she had met Magnawell was certainly shocking, and it was a connection they would need to manage with the utmost care in the future. Magnawell held immense influence over the Arclesia Empire, making this an undeniably vital relationship for the family.
Even so... perhaps they had become jaded by the sheer frequency of the incidents Kaito generated. Since this meeting hadn't resulted in immediate damage to their health, they had begun to feel that this was a relatively mild development.
Of course, Elis, who had faced Magnawell in person, had suffered her fair share of Stomach Pain. However, since no specific trade deals or diplomatic exchanges had been demanded on the spot, it remained a case where the Dragon King-sama had simply noted her name for future reference.
While there was a possibility of massive ripples later on, compared to the storms Kaito usually conjured, this report was almost gentle on the stomach.
...Of course, the moment one lets their guard down in this manner is exactly when they get stabbed from a different direction.
Just as a sense of relative peace began to settle over the Kaito Countermeasures Meeting, a knock sounded at the door. The Maid Attending Elis entered the room.
"...Pardon the interruption, Milady. A Letter from Kaito-sama has arrived for you."
Naturally, a letter from Kaito was treated as a matter of the highest priority; the maid’s intrusion during a private meeting was not questioned in the slightest. In fact, a standing order had been issued that any business concerning Kaito was to be brought to them immediately, without waiting for permission to enter.
"...From Kaito-sama? I’ll check it at once."
At Elis’s word, the Marquis and Marchioness Hamilton nodded silently. Elis broke the seal and began to scan the contents with a trace of trepidation, though her expression soon shifted as she realized the context.
"...Ah, I see. This letter concerns the tea party Kaito-sama mentioned previously. It seems the specific date hasn't been set yet, but the attendee list has been finalized, so he’s sending word to inform us."
"The tea party Elis was invited to... It is considerate of him to provide the guest list in advance. This should allow us time to plan our responses and handle the necessary Mental Preparation."
"Yes. While the mere fact that Underworld King Kuromueina-sama and Shallow Vernal-sama are attending is enough to make my stomach ache, knowing it beforehand gives me some mental leeway... some..."
Elis had been reading with a Bitter Smile, grateful for the heads-up. But halfway through, her smile vanished. The blood drained from her face, her skin turning from a sickly blue to a stark white. She began to tremble so violently that her chair rattled against the floor.
It was a display of raw agitation completely unbecoming of a noble lady, who was expected to exercise iron-clad emotional discipline. Under normal circumstances, it was the sort of lapse that would have earned a severe scolding from her parents.
However, neither the Marquis nor his wife thought to reproach her. They both knew their daughter. Elis was brilliant, their pride and joy; if she was being driven to such a state, it could only mean the contents of that letter were beyond the capacity of any mortal to endure.
"M-M-M-My deepest apologies... for showing you... such a disgraceful display..."
"N-No, think nothing of it... Just tell us, is the guest list truly that significant?"
Though her trembling showed no signs of stopping, the Marquis spoke gently, implicitly urging her to continue. His own face was a mask of resolve and terror, as if he were bracing himself to peer into the very depths of hell.
"...F-First, the Human participants. Including myself, there will be three: me, Duchess Lilia, and Her Majesty Chris."
"A-And the others?"
"In addition to the previously confirmed Underworld King Kuromueina-sama and Creator God Shallow Vernal-sama... there is Eden-sama, also known as Machina-sama."
"W-We anticipated that much, but..."
"And... Pope Olivia-sama."
""!?""
"...Electrone-sama, who is a God of an Otherworld."
""!? !?""
"...Furthermore, Tiana-sama, who is a God of another world."
""!? !? !?""
"...And Canaris-sama, the Former God of an Otherworld who currently serves Kaito-sama... Th-That is all."
""...""
Stunned would have been an understatement. The Marquis and Marchioness stood frozen, their faces the very definition of "speechless."
An oppressive silence fell over the three of them. Eventually, Marquis Hamilton managed to mutter a single, hollow question.
"...Is it truly permissible for mere Humans to participate in such a festival of gods?"
"...I would much rather be told it isn't allowed... Truly... from the bottom of my heart..."
Elis stared into the void with hollow, lifeless eyes, her voice a mere whisper of total despair.
Serious-senpai: "...Well, there you have it. It’s got 'tea party' in the title, doesn't it? Just when you thought the focus had shifted away from Elis's Stomach Pain Avoidance because Alice was handling things elsewhere... Kaito feints to lower their guard and then just absolutely crushes their stomachs. Truly a devil..."