The barrier within the attraction ensured that everyone would emerge at roughly the same time, though there were still slight variations. When we teleported back to the entrance, none of the others were in sight.
However, that only lasted for a few dozen seconds. Another group soon appeared at the exit point—and immediately afterward, I felt something cling to my back.
"Huh? Er... Rosmiel-san!?"
I glanced back to find Rosmiel-san practically fused to my spine. With her hands gripping my shoulders, she hid behind me so thoroughly that she almost vanished from view, her frame trembling in tiny shudders.
While I stood there wondering what could have happened, the next three people to be teleported in were Eris-san, Caraway, and Theta. Looking at the party members, I quickly pieced the situation together.
"K-Kaito-kun... H-hewp, help me..."
"Ah, I see... That was an unlucky draw, wasn't it? Were you okay?"
"E-Elis-chan did her best, so we were able to clear it without any problems... but I was too scared to speak a single word. I just felt incredibly awkward the whole time."
"I'm sorry to hear that... Good work."
For Rosmiel-san, who was pathologically shy and took anywhere from a few hours to several days to warm up to someone even at her fastest, being placed in a group with people she had almost never spoken to was nothing but a stroke of misfortune.
She had likely remained silent with a frozen expression the entire time, while someone like Eris-san probably tried to be considerate by striking up conversations or checking on her. However, Rosmiel-san wouldn't have been able to respond and likely ended up just glaring at them in a panic. The atmosphere must have been absolute hell.
『...You are as consistent as ever, I see.』
"N-No, even so, compared to before, I can speak to strangers about two days faster on average now! B-But still, people I'm not used to are terrifying!"
As Lilliwood-san spoke with a bitter smile, Rosmiel-san replied in a tiny, strained voice. Honestly, her appearance was quite flashy, but her personality was that of a timid chihuahua; the contrast was jarring. Also, since she was pressed so tightly against my back, I could feel every... Camellia-san, please get here soon.
"Cornelia-sama, good work. How was the experience for you?"
"C-Cornelia-sama... About that grouping... U-Um, were you alright?"
"Eh? Yes, I had a very enjoyable time. It was truly an honor to be able to speak so much with Fate-sama and Lilliwood-sama."
"When did you start using names... I-If you're alright, then that's a relief. Ah, returning to the subject, I unfortunately was unable to demonstrate enough ability to be recognized by Rosmiel-sama; we didn't manage to speak directly until the very end. She did cooperate with the tasks, so I don't think I am completely without merit in her eyes... but I've realized that I still have much to learn."
After speaking with Cornelia-sama, Eris-san—who had been wearing a dubious, almost worried expression—spoke as if trying to pull herself together.
Recognized by Rosmiel-san? Ah, right. I think back when we got the rose-themed accessory cases, it was mentioned that Rosmiel-san was difficult and only spoke to those she deemed worthy. Is that the general public perception of her? In reality, she's just incredibly shy...
While I was lost in thought, the rest of the groups returned one after another. Perhaps relieved by Camellia-san's appearance, Rosmiel-san finally let go of my back and went to talk to her friend.
Lilia-san, whom I had been worried about, had ended up in an extremely safe group with Luna-san, Hina-chan, and Til-san. It sounded like Hina-chan and Til-san had taken the lead with enthusiasm while Lilia-san watched over them warmly with Luna-san, providing assistance where necessary. It sounded like a genuinely pleasant run.
"Wait—Kaito-senpai, you actually reached a place called the True Throne!?"
"Yeah. We happened to navigate the path well by chance... Huh? But Hina-chan, how did you know about the True Throne?"
"Well, we reached the regular Throne, but a message in glowing letters appeared there. It said something like, 'There is a hidden True Throne separate from this one, so if you have the chance to visit again, please try to find it.'"
"Ah, I see. Having a teaser like that makes you want to try again. It's a clever bit of design."
I had thought finding the Hidden Route would be quite difficult, but since there was a hint provided upon reaching the normal goal, people would likely go looking for it on a second attempt. It was a smart way to encourage repeat visitors, especially looking ahead to the park's official opening.
As I gave a brief explanation to Hina-chan, who was listening with wide-eyed interest, Aoi-chan joined the conversation, and we began comparing the various routes we had taken.
In Hina-chan's case, Lilia-san and Luna-san had basically left the decision-making to her and Til-san, only stepping in to help when they got stuck. They had taken a relatively easy route to reach the end.
She mentioned that many of the easier routes focused less on complex puzzles and more on "scavenger hunt" mechanics, like searching a room to find a hidden key.
Aoi-chan, meanwhile, had tackled a high-difficulty route. Her path apparently involved many logic problems and brain teasers, with several three-dimensional puzzle formats.
However, even though her route was difficult, it was still balanced as a standard attraction; there was nothing as large-scale or as mechanically restrictive as the Hidden Route we had stumbled upon.
Well, in any case, between the experience itself and the lively discussion afterward, I felt it was an excellent attraction that worked well for large groups.
Serious-senpai: "The reason Lilia had such a heartwarming grouping, completely unrelated to stomach pain, was definitely because Kaito thought beforehand that it would be nice if things turned out that way..."
???: "That's definitely the Luck Correction at work, ssu. Well, the only concern left... is where Cornelia-san's bomb will go off, ssu."