The coaster we stopped by as our second attraction in the Ice Area was just as I had anticipated, but riding along such a fantastical course offered a different kind of charm compared to the Aqua Area, making it plenty of fun.
The scenery of snow and ice had a unique atmosphere to begin with, and the staging created through phantom magic was thoroughly crafted. As I had thought many times since coming to this amusement park, the sheer dedication poured into every single attraction was incredible.
"Every single one of these attractions is truly amazing and so much fun, isn't it!"
"Yeah... but with such incredible phantom magic and a mountain of magical gimmicks, the operating costs must be insane..."
As we headed toward our next destination, the Flame Area, I saw Aoi-chan tilting her head in thought as she replied to Hina-chan's excited chatter.
Indeed, the presentation for every attraction was remarkable, and it definitely felt like a lot of money had been poured into them. On top of that, with so much magical staging, it was only natural to wonder just how massive an amount of magic crystals had to be prepared across the entire amusement park to supply all that magic power.
Though it was merely my own guess... I had a feeling the energy cost of this amusement park was practically zero. The reason was simple: regarding the amusement park Shiro-san created in the center, I recalled Alice mentioning before that "energy is generated internally, allowing it to operate infinitely."
With that amusement park placed in the Central Area, it likely supplied that infinite motive energy created by Shiro-san to the other areas. Since there was no need to worry about energy—about magic power issues—they were probably able to incorporate magical effects so lavishly into every attraction.
Well, that was purely speculation on my part... If Kuro, for instance, set her mind to it, securing enough high-purity magic crystals needed for operation with Tre-san's help would be an easy task, so I couldn't say for sure.
While I was pondering these things, we arrived at the next area, the Flame Area... and this place, in a completely different sense from the previous ones, was another incredible area.
A huge mountain from which a vast amount of brightly glowing magma flowed out stood at the center of the area. Magma ran across the area like rivers, and the paths had the look and feel of black volcanic rock... It was a sight that gave off the impression of a scorching hell.
"This really is something else..."
"It is certainly a sight worthy of the name Flame Area... but it isn't hot, is it? The lava and such are likely just made to look that way, rather than being real lava."
In response to my murmur, Lilia-san spoke with an impressed expression. It certainly looked like a scorching area, yet I didn't feel any heat at all.
It wasn't just because I had Shiro-san's blessing; much like the Ice Area from earlier, the flames and lava were probably just for show.
"Coming straight from the Ice Area, the shift from ice to fire feels dramatic."
"Indeed, it makes you want to see the border between the areas from a high vantage point... So, Hina-chan, which attraction are we heading to here?"
"Hmm... For starters, why don't we try going to that huge mountain over there? It stands out so much, it has to be this area's main attraction!"
When Aoi-chan asked Hina-chan which attraction she wanted to visit, the first thing Hina-chan pointed to was the giant volcano visible in the center.
It occasionally spewed fire from its peak as if it were erupting, and its visual impact was definitely the greatest in this area.
"Let's see, according to the pamphlet, the attraction over there is... Flame River Racing... Racing?"
"By 'Flame River,' it probably means that lava flowing down the mountain, right? Since it says race, does that mean a competition... like white-water rafting down the rapids?"
"Rafting down rapids from a mountain that high sounds intense..."
When I checked the pamphlet for the attraction at the volcano's location and announced it, both Hina-chan and Aoi-chan wore expressions showing they couldn't quite picture it either.
It really was hard to imagine from the name "Flame River Racing" alone. It might be a competitive race like Hina-chan suggested, or that might just be the thematic premise for the ride.
"When you say racing, is it like the games Master possesses?"
"I think the concept is similar, but making it work like that game seems difficult... Ah, but that game was made available to the public during the Six Kings Festival, so technologically speaking, it might not be impossible..."
Hearing Anima's murmur, it occurred to me that an attraction where you teleport to a special space to race, just like the VR game at the Six Kings Festival, was indeed a possibility.
The creator of that VR game was Alice, after all... Well, I suppose we'll find out once we get there.