“Alright, I’ve arrived.”
I leaned against a pillar near the restroom, erased my presence, and waited.
There wasn't much foot traffic here, so there was no way I would miss him.
He should be coming along any moment. I waited with a sense of mounting excitement, but after a short while—
“...Crap, now even I feel like I have to go.”
Perhaps it was the psychological effect of standing right in front of the restroom, but I was starting to feel the urge myself.
Dammit, he’s taking too long. This is bad; I’m right on the edge.
“Are you alright, Master Lloyd? Holding it in isn't good for your health,” Grimo said.
“Indeed. We shall keep watch here, so please, go ahead,” Jiriel added.
“Fair point.”
I hurried into the restroom and found exactly one stall available.
Lucky. But just as I reached for the handle, another hand overlapped with mine.
“Ah.”
The person who spoke at the exact same time as me was a perfectly ordinary-looking youth.
His height was neither too tall nor too short, and his physique was neither thin nor heavy—in a word, average. His black hair was trimmed in a standard style, and his white-based clothing didn't look expensive, yet it didn't look cheap, either. Again, ordinary. His facial features were entirely unremarkable; he was truly the picture-perfect example of an ordinary man.
The youth offered an ordinary smile and opened his mouth.
“Hey there, young man. I’m truly sorry, but could you please let me have this one? The urge hit me out of nowhere just now, and I ran all the way here while holding it back, but I’ve reached my absolute limit. I’m begging you. Just this once!”
He pressed his hands together in a plea, but if I didn't finish up quickly, I might miss the Holy King’s guard. I couldn't afford to let him go ahead of me.
“No. I’m the one who reached for it first.”
“Now, now, nobody saw that, did they? I’m going to claim that I was first, too. If we do that, we’ll just be stuck in a recursive argument. You understand?”
What was with this guy? He was being incredibly persistent. I didn't have time to stand around debating.
“Sorry, but I’m in a hurry, too. I’m not giving it up.”
“Mmm... it’s a move I’d rather not resort to, but... fine. Take this.”
The youth held out a single copper coin. Did he want me to go buy a drink or something?
“It’s a bribe, as they say. This is the line where I can reach a compromise. Please, young man.”
“I’m not a child looking for an allowance; obviously, I’m refusing.”
I was a prince, even if I was only the Seventh. There was no way I’d be swayed by a child’s pittance.
“Whoa, hey, no matter how you look at it, you’re a child, right? Just let yourself be swayed by a child’s allowance. I mean, if I don't go soon, I’m really going to leak!”
While we were going back and forth, my own situation was becoming critical. This conversation was a total waste of time. Let’s just end this.
“Fine. Let’s decide this with rock-paper-scissors. The winner goes in first—”
“No, that won’t do.”
The youth cut me off mid-sentence.
“Conflict is the thing I, a pacifist, loathe above all else. I believe that dying is better than fighting. Of course, this is merely my own policy, so I don't intend to force it on others, but I cannot engage in rock-paper-scissors—in other words, conflict. That said, living itself is a struggle. That is why I, a pacifist, dress in this ordinary fashion so as not to provoke anyone. Oh, but of course, that doesn't mean I’m willing to lose, okay? Human history has proven that things never end well for the losing side. Therefore, I get my way without fighting. This is the way of life for a pacifist like me. Do you understand, young man? If you understand, then let’s discuss this peacefully. Don't worry. As a pacifist, I’ve staked my life on not fighting. For that sake, I’m even prepared to leak a little!”
“Oh, is that so.”
Ignoring the youth as he rattled on, I stepped into the stall and slammed the door shut.
...Phew, I made it just in time.
“Ahhh! That’s cruel, young man! I was still in the middle of talking! Are you some kind of monster?!”
“Sorry, sorry. But the stall next to this one just opened up.”
While we were arguing, I heard the sound of the person in the next stall leaving. He had been so busy talking that he hadn't noticed. I heard the sound of him rushing frantically into the neighboring stall.
“Geez, what a piece of work you are. Don't people tell you that you’re heartless? If I weren't a pacifist, you’d surely have met with a terrible fate. You should be more careful from now on. I mean it, really.”
He was still talking. What a chatterbox. He called himself a pacifist, but if he rattled on like that to the wrong person, he’d likely be punched without a second thought... still, strangely enough, I had found myself listening to him. He was a man with a peculiar atmosphere about him.
“Hmm?”
I felt something strange in the palm of my hand. When I opened it, there was the copper coin the youth had tried to give me earlier.
Impossible. I had refused it; when had he slipped it to me...?
“...Well, whatever.”
Using Spatial Transfer, I returned the copper coin to the youth’s pocket in the next stall.
“Oops, more importantly, I have to get out of here.”
I’d almost forgotten my objective. I quickly washed my hands and rushed out of the restroom.
“Master Lloyd, so this is where you were.”
“Gack...”
In the end, the guard never showed up at this restroom, and I was caught by Sylpha, who had come looking for me. I was promptly pulled by the hand back toward the dressing room.
“Thinking about it logically, there’s a chance he didn't know this was the closest restroom,” Grimo noted.
“This place is unfamiliar to them, so he likely went to another one,” Jiriel added.
As Grimo and Jiriel said, I had assumed he would come to the closest one, but that wasn't necessarily the case. Ugh, that was careless of me.
“It can't be helped. I heard I’ll be able to meet him after the performance anyway, so I’ll just wait until then.”
It had only been a hopeful thought to begin with. It wasn't a problem even if I couldn't meet him right this second.
“Master Lloyd, we are running out of time. May I?”
“Go ahead, Sylpha.”
As I nodded, Sylpha scooped me up and accelerated. Running along the walls to avoid the people in the hallway, we returned to the dressing room in the blink of an eye.
“Honestly, Lloyd, you disappear the moment I take my eyes off you. If you need the restroom, just say so!”
“Ahaha... well, it was our fault for being so focused. I’m embarrassed to say I didn't notice at all...”
“I’m sorry, you two.”
“Well, fine. More importantly, it’s almost time for the curtain to rise. We have to get to the stage, quickly.”
“Let’s give it everything we’ve practiced! It’s okay, I know you can do it, Lloyd-kun!”
...Even if they said that, I hadn't practiced at all. Feeling a slight twinge of guilt, I headed toward the stage.