As I watched the scenery of the Demon Realm roll past, I turned to Aoi-chan and Hina-chan, who both looked like they were having a wonderful time.
"I take it you two haven't spent much time in the Demon Realm?"
"Almost never," Hina replied. "Just for things like that Shipboard Party a while back or the Harmonic Symphony."
"Most of our work as Adventurers is centered in the Human Realm, after all," Aoi-chan added. "I’ve heard that Top-class Adventurers start getting assigned to the Demon Realm, sometimes even cooperating with the subordinates of the Six Kings, but..."
We were currently en route to the Pre-opening of the Amusement Park that Kuro and Alice had built in the Demon Realm. Lilia-san and the others were with us, but since we couldn't all fit into a single carriage—well, I use the word "carriage" loosely—we had split up.
While we could have used Teleportation Magic to arrive instantly, this was a special occasion. Since it was the Pre-opening of the Amusement Park, we were taking the full experience, traveling from Chromelake via the Carriage to the Amusement Park.
There were ten of us in total. I was in one carriage with Aoi-chan and Hina-chan; Lilia-san, Luna-san, and Sieg-san were in another; and Anima, Caraway, Eta, and Theta occupied the third.
I had invited Illness-san as well, but she apparently had other business to attend to. She did mention, however, that she planned to join us for the upcoming short trip to the Hot Spring District Shiro-san had created.
"Still, this carriage is incredibly comfortable. There’s no shaking at all," Hina-chan remarked. "Even though the thing pulling it isn't a horse, but some kind of massive monster..."
"It’s likely because there are so many Monsters in the Demon Realm compared to the Human Realm," Aoi-chan suggested. "A normal horse would probably be too terrified to move."
Listening to Aoi-chan answer Hina-chan's observation, I looked at the monster pulling our carriage. It had the distinct appearance of a dinosaur. It’s a bit hard to describe, but it looked like a Tyrannosaurus with elongated front legs, walking on all fours. It radiated an aura of immense strength.
"What kind of monster is that?" I asked.
"...I believe it’s a monster called a Grapple Foot," Aoi-chan answered. As someone who studied hard for her Adventurer exams, she was quite knowledgeable. "They aren't found in the Human Realm; they’re unique to the Demon Realm. They look like fierce predators, but they’re actually herbivores."
"Ooh, as expected of Aoi-senpai, you're a walking encyclopedia! Wait... was the dinosaur-like monster in the Demon Realm that we learned about in our lectures a different one?"
Hina-chan, who clearly wasn't as strong in biology, tilted her head as she tried to dig through her memories.
"The one from the lectures was the Agisauro, right?" Aoi-chan corrected her. "We were warned that they’re incredibly violent and dangerous, and that we should never go near their habitats..."
"...Ah, Bell's Snack..."
I knew the Agisauro well. It was the primary ingredient in the beef jerky that Bell loved so much. I tended to forget because Bell ate it so happily, but they were indeed dangerous monsters with skin and meat harder than steel.
"Anyway, I can't wait! An Amusement Park! An actual Amusement Park! I never imagined I’d get to visit one in this world."
"Hina-chan, you seem like the type to love this kind of thing. What about you, Aoi-chan?"
"I’m familiar with them as a concept, but I’ve never actually been to one."
Hina-chan's excitement was exactly what I’d expected; even a casual observer could see she was hyped. Aoi-chan, however, was a surprise. I hadn't pegged her for an amusement park enthusiast, but I didn't expect her to have zero experience.
"Whaaat?! Aoi-senpai, you've never been to an amusement park? Not even with your family when you were a kid?"
"Go on an outing with those people from my house?" Aoi-chan’s expression shifted into one of pure, visceral loathing. "The mere thought makes me nauseous."
"...You really show us glimpses of darkness when it comes to your home environment, Aoi-senpai."
It wasn't a rebellious phase; Aoi-chan looked truly repulsed. Hina-chan could only manage an indescribable, awkward look in response. Aoi-chan's hatred for her family was the real deal. In fact, she seemed to loathe even using the word "family," always referring to them as "the people from my house." She truly despised them from the bottom of her heart.
"W-Well, since it’s your first time, it’ll be a fresh and interesting experience. I’m sure you can imagine the attractions, but since they’ve been adapted for this world, I think you'll find a lot of differences."
"...I suppose so. I'm looking forward to it, in my own way. You've been there a few times, Kaito-san?"
"I have, but when I went, it was either Shiro-san's original version or a work-in-progress. The one Shiro-san made had a Jet Coaster that traveled at Mach 10 for over ten minutes... Back then, everything was built according to Lilia-san's Physical Ability Standard..."
"Eeeek... T-The place we’re going today is safe, right? If it’s built to Lilia-san's standards, we’ll be turned into meat scraps!"
"Don't worry, Kuro and Alice have adjusted everything. It'll be fine."
That was the benchmark Lilia-san provided. After all, an attraction built to Lilia-san's Physical Ability Standard would be nothing but a Minced Meat Manufacturing Machine for any normal person...
Serious-senpai: "I braced myself for a Date Episode... but is the main event the hot springs rather than here? No, they might just be trying to lull me into a false sense of security before they strike..."