Due to the sheer scale of the amusement park, a massive number of guests had been invited to the pre-opening event. Practically anyone with a solid connection to Kuromueina or Alice had received an invitation.
The attendees naturally included Demons and Humankind, alongside a smaller number of Gods. Looking at the park as a whole, many world-famous figures were in attendance.
However, because the amusement park was so vast and the attractions were so numerous, the probability of accidentally encountering any specific individual was usually low.
And yet, in one corner of the park, two young women wore troubled expressions. One was Eris, invited due to her personal connection with Kuromueina—or rather, as a return gesture for the tea party. The other was Cornelia, invited through her ties to the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company. They were two noble daughters belonging to the Hamilton Marquis House Faction.
"……Eris-sama, Kaito-sama was definitely invited, wasn't he?"
"There is no way he wouldn't be invited to a facility co-developed by Kuromueina-sama and the Phantasm King, Alice-sama. He’s definitely here."
"……Logically speaking, the chances of running into a specific person in a facility this gargantuan are slim, right?"
"Yes. This facility consists of multiple attractions scattered across various areas. Even if we did happen to meet, it would only be during a limited window while moving between locations. Normally, one would say it’s almost impossible."
Eris nodded with a heavy expression, matching the somber tone of Cornelia's voice. Incidentally, Marie of the Rich Baron House had also been invited today, but she had declined because she was overwhelmed with work regarding the Ripples and the development of her family’s territory.
To be perfectly honest, had they prioritized the well-being of their own stomachs, Eris and Cornelia would have preferred to decline as well. While both were busy with matters involving Kaito, they belonged to noble houses with significant influence, so they weren't quite as frantic as the Rich Baron House.
Since they had the leeway to attend, refusing would have been a blatant insult. Furthermore, they couldn't risk giving other noble factions an excuse to claim they were "disregarding the Six Kings," so declining had never been a real option.
"Eris-sama…… well…… what do you think?"
"……I believe that if we somehow manage to avoid him, then every moment we’ve spent clutching our stomachs in the past will have been for nothing."
"So, it truly is unavoidable……"
"In the past, we have never once managed to dodge it."
Within this vast amusement park, the probability of a chance encounter was extremely low…… and yet, when the person in question was Kaito, even a 1% possibility felt as though it would inevitably transform into a 100% certainty.
In short, both women recognized that running into Kaito was a fate they could not escape. Their stomachs already ached at the prospect, yet they clung to a final shred of hope.
"……However, Cornelia-sama. Supposing Kaito-sama is attending today, his companions would likely be the residents of his mansion or members of the Ducal House of Albert. It's hard to imagine that someone like the Six Kings-sama would be with them today…… In that case, even if we do run into him, it shouldn't lead to a dire situation for us, right?"
"Y-You're right. If it’s just a normal encounter and a quick greeting with Kaito-sama, there won't be any problem at all."
Indeed, Kaito alone was perfectly fine. Both Eris and Cornelia held a favorable impression of the kind-hearted Kaito and considered him a friend.
The problem was his habit of dragging along entities with world-shaking authority. As long as that didn't happen, a chance meeting would end with nothing more than a peaceful exchange of words.
Unbeknownst to them, Akane had already run into Kaito and parted ways after a brief, normal greeting—precisely the kind of situation Eris and Cornelia were idealizing.
Seeing a sliver of hope, Cornelia's expression brightened slightly as she spoke, as if trying to convince herself.
"To begin with, many of Kaito-sama's acquaintances must have been invited. If he had to stop and greet every single one of them, Kaito-sama wouldn't have time to see anything. When you think of it that way, there's a chance we won't encounter him at all, isn't there?"
"That is true. Knowing Kaito-sama, he will undoubtedly run into acquaintances while moving about, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be us. Making our assumptions too large and trembling in fear of a situation that hasn't happened yet is excessive. Perhaps we should try to have a more relaxed mindset."
Just as Cornelia said, Kaito's knack for being blessed with connections was extraordinary, so he would surely run into someone he knew, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion that it would be them.
Thinking of it that way, a path to salvation seemed plausible, and the tension finally left the faces of Eris and Cornelia.
"It is as Eris-sama says; being too guarded is a problem in itself. For now, let's put it out of our minds and enjoy the amusement park for ourselves."
"Yes, let's. Well then, as we discussed, shall we head to the next attraction…… 'Forest Castle'?"
Unfortunately…… reality was cruel.
Serious-senpai: "Why do these Stomach Pain Warriors keep charging headlong into the death zone……?"
Mystery Entity: "It's probably because the Strongest Stomach Pain Warrior is there, pulling them in, right~ssu?"