Naturally, Alice and Fate were the first members of Kaito’s group to notice. Or rather, they had been aware long before the group even began to move. Alice simply kept quiet because she found the situation amusing, and Fate didn't bother mentioning it because she wasn't interested enough to care.
The next person to notice—thanks to her abilities being the highest after Alice and Fate—was Lilia. The moment she realized what lay ahead, her face turned a ghastly shade of pale. Eris and Cornelia were the first to react to her sudden change.
(Duchess Lilia!?)
(...Both of you, steel yourselves. They are just ahead.)
Lilia signaled a warning to Eris and Cornelia through a silent exchange of glances, a wordless rapport shared only by those who knew the same specific brand of suffering.
Of course, this was merely eye contact and could not convey detailed information. However, between Lilia’s reaction, the direction of her gaze, and her drained complexion, it didn’t take long for Eris and Cornelia to understand that a world-renowned presence was waiting further along their path.
(A-Ahead of us!? J-Just who could it be...? I’m not well-versed in detection magic, so I can’t tell... but for Duchess Lilia to look that terrified... Awa-wa.)
(Judging by Duchess Lilia’s expression, our current location, and the people likely invited to this amusement park... the candidates are most likely the Death King, the World King, the War King, or the Dragon King. The World King usually doesn't participate in these kinds of festivities, and I’ve heard the Death King has been expanding her reach since gaining subordinates, so she’s a possibility. The War King or the Dragon King are also very likely. Or perhaps... multiple Kings?)
While Cornelia spiraled into a quiet internal panic, Eris’s mind raced with logical deductions. She concluded that one of the Six Kings was almost certainly waiting for them.
Her logic was sound, but in this instance, her knowledge worked against her. Because of her preconceived notion that Lilliwood did not attend such events, she had dismissed the World King as a candidate from the start.
She realized her mistake the moment a bright voice rang out.
"Kaito-kun-san! It’s Kaito-kun-san!! Wow—Til is so happy we could meet like this!"
The one flying toward them with a joyful, energetic smile was the Fairy Princess Tilutania. She had clearly spotted Kaito and rushed over immediately.
However, the gazes of Lilia, Eris, and Cornelia remained fixed on the area behind Tilutania—the place she had flown from.
Standing there was not only the World King Lilliwood, but the Seven Princesses as well, gathered in their entirety as her executive retinue. All three women felt their breath hitch.
(...Huh? The World King and the Seven Princesses... all of them? What? All of them??)
The shock was enough to make even Eris’s thoughts grind to a halt. Every single one of them was a legendary figure... and the truly dire part was the fact that Kaito was already acquainted with more than half of them.
Naturally, if they were acquaintances, greetings would be mandatory. Given the circumstances, it seemed almost inevitable that they would be formally introduced to Lilliwood.
(Ababababa... Th-The World King and the Seven Princesses...)
Conversely, Cornelia, who looked as if she were about to lose consciousness at any second, was actually in a relatively safe position. She had never met Lilliwood or any of the Seven Princesses before. While Kaito might introduce her, the sheer size of the group and the fact that they were in the middle of heading to an attraction meant there was a good chance they would skip formal introductions to save time.
(I knew it... I knew it would come to this. My stomach hurts so much. I know he isn’t doing it on purpose, but why does Kaito-san always end up in these situations!?)
Then there was Lilia. Having already met all of the Seven Princesses at events like the White God Festival and the shipboard party, she knew with absolute certainty that she would be addressed after Kaito. With a look of total resignation, she stared into the distance with far-off eyes.
"Lilliwood-san and the others are here too, I see."
"Yes! We all came together! Everyone~ it's Kaito-kun-san~!"
As Tilutania beckoned excitedly, Lilliwood and the rest of the Seven Princesses approached with bitter smiles.
『Hello, Kaito-san, everyone. What a coincidence to meet you here.』
"Hello. Were you all invited by Kuro or Alice as well, Lilliwood-san?"
『Yes. Since this is the largest amusement facility in the Demon Realm, I felt it was necessary for me to understand it given my position... No, that is just a pretext. To be honest, I was simply curious, so I decided to pay a visit.』
After a brief greeting and a polite bow, Kaito and Lilliwood began to talk. In this setting, the Seven Princesses would never dream of interrupting their King’s conversation.
However, that conversation would soon reach its natural conclusion and transition into the next round of greetings. Lilia would undoubtedly be first, but while Eris quietly steeled herself, Cornelia prayed with all her might that she would be overlooked.
Lilia... There was no escape. She didn't hold the title of the Strongest Stomach Pain Warrior for nothing; both she and everyone around her considered it a near-certainty that she would be spoken to.
Eris... Given her existing acquaintance with Tilutania, Jutia, Camilia, Rosmiel, and Erial, the situation was extremely dangerous. It was highly probable she would be introduced to Lilliwood. However, because she had braced herself, she seemed likely to navigate the encounter skillfully.
Cornelia... She was praying desperately. In reality, she was in the safest position. Since Fate and Fortune were also part of the group, it was unlikely they would spend the time required for everyone to introduce themselves individually. She would likely escape this encounter... for now.