After chatting with Sieg-san for a bit, I found myself walking through the hallways once again.
Outside, it was still a dim 5:00 AM. I made my way toward Lilia-san’s office—where she had likely been pulling an all-nighter—and upon arriving, I took a steadying breath before knocking and announcing myself.
Lilia-san immediately told me I could enter, and I stepped inside.
"Good morning, Lilia-san."
"Good morning... Is something the matter? It is quite early."
As soon as I entered, a large desk caught my eye. Lilia-san had been busy writing what looked like letters, but she paused when she saw me, offering a greeting and a smile.
Though her face showed signs of fatigue from her long night, she was a former knight after all. Perhaps her basic physical stamina was simply on another level compared to mine, as she looked much more energetic than I had expected.
"I just happened to wake up early... Were you really up all night, Lilia-san?"
"Yes. The sheer volume of work left me with little choice."
"...I’m sorry. This is kind of my fault."
"Please, do not apologize. I know what I said yesterday, but I am actually quite grateful to you, Kaito-kun."
Since I was the reason she was buried under a mountain of correspondence, I felt a pang of guilt and tried to apologize, but Lilia-san responded with genuine thanks.
As I tilted my head in confusion at her unexpected words, she gave a wry smile and explained.
While Lilia-san was a former princess, she had spent a long time away from high society during her years as a knight. Consequently, she had struggled to build a proper network of influence ever since receiving her title. Becoming the center of attention now was certainly a headache, but it was also a godsend, giving her the perfect opportunity to establish connections from a position of strength.
She explained that because people now believed she had powerful ties to both the God Realm and the Demon Realm, she could interact with other nobles on extremely favorable terms.
"As a Head of the House, I am still a complete novice. This opportunity is a tremendous help... However, because I am utilizing your personal connections for my own political ends, I really should be the one apologizing."
"Um, it’s not like I did anything special..."
"I thought you might say that. Even so, please let me thank you. Truly, thank you, Kaito-kun."
"Ah, no, well... you're welcome?"
"Fufu. Well, it is certainly true that these surprises are bad for my heart, so I would prefer to avoid a repeat of this situation if possible."
As she thanked me with a gentle smile, Lilia-san’s beauty was elevated by a certain noble charm.
After chatting for a few more moments, I remembered my actual reason for being there.
"Oh, that’s right. Lilia-san, I had Sieg-san... Sieglinde-san brew some of the Black Tea I received from the Goddess earlier. You must be exhausted from all that writing, so would you like a cup?"
"Eh? Is it really alright for me to have some?"
"Yes, of course."
"...Thank you. I must admit, I am feeling a bit worn out. A break would be lovely."
The real reason I had come was to bring Lilia-san some refreshments. Since items placed in the Magic Box don't experience the passage of time, I had stored the pot and tea Sieg-san had prepared and brought them along.
No matter how energetically she carried herself, the fatigue was still visible in her eyes. She was so serious that I doubted she had taken many breaks, so I hoped she would take this chance to rest.
Lilia-san seemed to grasp my intent. She set down her pen, bowed her head to me, and cleared a space on her desk.
Once there was enough room, I pulled the pot and cups from the Magic Box, setting the tea and the cookies Sieg-san had shared with me in front of Lilia-san.
"What a wonderful aroma."
"Yes. According to Sieg-san, it's a tea that can only be found in the God Realm."
I decided to keep the fact that it was an astronomical luxury to myself, simply telling her it was rare for now.
Lilia-san gracefully lifted the cup to her lips to enjoy the fragrance, and a moment later, her eyes widened slightly.
"...Exquisite. I have never tasted tea this delicious in my life."
"The leaves are high quality, and Sieg-san is incredibly skilled at brewing it."
"Speaking of which, Sieg was praising you, Kaito-kun."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yes. She said that if you need a guard again in the future, she would like to be the one to accompany you..."
"...To be honest, I'd appreciate that too."
I stayed and chatted with Lilia-san about nothing in particular for a while, eventually cutting the conversation short and leaving so I wouldn't interfere with her work any further.
Even after our talk, I still felt that Lilia-san was carrying a heavy burden of exhaustion.
When I thought about it, she had just been put in charge of the Hero Summoning for the first time in a decade only to get stuck with irregulars like us, followed by a string of unprecedented events.
To us, Lilia-san was a knowledgeable, powerful, and reliable figure. But if you stripped away the labels of 'other world' and 'noble,' she was just a woman only one year older than me. She wasn't some transcendent being or an invincible superhuman. Her personality was the type that would never admit to suffering, which made me worry about her.
I wished I could do something to help, but since I still lacked common sense regarding this world, I couldn't come up with any good ideas. It was a frustrating feeling.
As those thoughts drifted through my mind, I happened to look out a window in the hallway, and a sudden thought struck me like an intuition.
—It’s going to rain this afternoon.
I didn't know why I thought that. Looking at the morning sky as the sun rose, it looked like it would be perfectly clear, yet a prediction bordering on absolute certainty settled in my mind.
In the end, I couldn't explain the sensation. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and returned to my room.
"Lilia-chan does seem very serious. She's definitely the type to bottle up her stress."
"Yeah. That’s why I was wondering if there was some good way for her to blow off steam."
As noon approached, I consulted Kuro, who was—as usual—lounging on my sofa and idly kicking her legs.
Ever since her first visit to the mansion, Kuro had started appearing during the day as well. Honestly, I was so used to her sudden arrivals that I didn't even bother questioning it anymore.
"Hmm, let's see... I think a change of pace would be best, don't you? Maybe going to a festival would be nice."
"A festival? Are there any happening around here at this time of year?"
I considered her suggestion while eating a Baby Castella.
A change of pace did seem like a good idea. Lilia-san had been stuck taking care of us lately and probably hadn't had a chance to go out and enjoy herself.
But I wondered if there would really be a festival at such a convenient time.
When I asked, Kuro looked surprised for a second, then clapped her hands as if realizing something.
"Ah, that's right, I hadn't told you yet. During the year of a Hero Festival, there are festivals happening all over the place all year long, not just the Main Festival in the Friendly City, Hikari. If you count the Demon Realm, the God Realm, and all the little village festivals, there's basically one happening somewhere every single day."
"Huh, really? In that case, I might try suggesting it to her..."
"Yeah, yeah! If it's a festival in the Demon Realm, I'll even act as your guide if our schedules match up."
"That would be a huge help. I’ll count on you then."
It wasn't something I could decide on my own, but her suggestion gave me a good opening to talk to Lilia-san.
Besides, it would be a great chance for us to see the world's culture. I felt like Lilia-san would be more likely to agree if it was presented as a trip for us, which made it a very effective plan.
I’d need to look into what festivals were being held soon, so I decided I’d try asking Lunamaria-san about it later.
"Oh? Looks like it started raining."
"...Eh?"
As I was planning my next move, Kuro spoke up softly. I looked out the window and saw that the sky, which had been clear just a moment ago, was now overcast. Small droplets of rain were hitting the glass.
It really started raining, just like I thought it would this morning? If it was a coincidence, it felt strangely specific...
Watching the rain fall exactly as my intuition had predicted, the doubt I had pushed aside earlier came rushing back. And then, another thought surfaced in my mind.
—The rain will stop tonight.
There it was again. I didn't know why I felt that way, but it was a sensation of absolute certainty. Just what was going on...?
"Wait... Kaito-kun? Your 'Magic Power' is showing."
"...Eh?"
"Yeah, no doubt about it. It’s not that faint trace from before; you're firmly cloaked in Magic Power now. It looks like the preparations for you to use Magic are finally complete."
Dear Mother, Father—
I've had several strange sensations since this morning. It seems... my Magic Power has awakened.