It was a traditional event: the winner of the Harvest Festival was required to spend a single night alone in the Spirit Forest.
Having never gone camping before, I arrived at the shrine with a heart full of anxiety—but then, Kuro appeared with a casual tone, as if she were just passing through.
"Honestly, Kuro, you really do just appear out of nowhere every single time, don't you?"
"Ahaha, I just really wanted to see you, Kaito-kun, so I sort of just ended up here."
"I mean, how did you even know I was here?"
"Eh? That's because I carved a magic formula into your neck—I mean, intuition!"
"Hey, wait a second. What were you about to say just now...?"
She definitely started to say she’d put a magic formula in it, didn't she?! Wait, what? Does that mean she put some kind of location-tracking spell on this necklace?!
I felt like I’d just heard something I couldn't simply ignore, but Kuro just continued with a beaming smile.
"Ah! Kaito-kun, I heard you got hurt. Are you okay?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah... I'm all better now."
"I see~ I'm glad you're safe, Kaito-kun. Oh, that's right! You won the Harvest Festival, didn't you! That's amazing, Kaito-kun! Congratulations!"
"Eh? Ah, yeah... thank you."
Overwhelmed by Kuro, who spoke as rapidly as a machine gun, I nodded, forgetting the questions I had intended to press her with.
And, how should I put it... yeah... what was this feeling?
I had heard those words of congratulations so many times today that my ears were practically ringing. Even when the high-ranking Elves said it to me, I had only felt humble, thinking the praise was more than I deserved.
But when Kuro said those words to me, what welled up in my heart was pure joy.
I knew I was being simple-minded, but it felt as though all my hard work had finally culminated in something. I felt a profound sense of fulfillment, almost as if I’d spent the whole day struggling just to hear those specific words from her.
Seeing me like that, Kuro took out a familiar paper bag while wearing a smile as bright as the sun.
"For you, Kaito-kun! Here you go!"
"...There it is. The Baby Castella."
"Fufufu, this batch is the 'Kaito-kun Victory Celebration Version'! It's a little different from the usual ones!"
"...What's that supposed to mean?"
I thought it was the usual appearance of the Baby Castella, but according to Kuro, this batch was special.
Looking at Kuro, who puffed out her almost-flat chest with a triumphant look, I wanted to ask if she couldn't have done something about that naming sense, but I suppressed the urge and picked up a piece.
It looked the same as always, but was the filling different? It wasn't going to be some bizarre thing like the wasabi-filled ones I ate at Shiro-san's place, was it?
"Staaare, staaare."
"You're saying the sound effect out loud!?"
"Staaaaaaaaaare."
"I-I'm eating, I'm eating."
Kuro stared at me with expectant eyes while literally speaking the sound effects.
It seemed that not eating wasn't an option, so I steeled myself and popped the Baby Castella into my mouth.
"...Huh?"
"How is it?"
"No, it's normally delicious, but... is it somehow different from the usual ones?"
The Baby Castella didn't seem to have any particularly strange filling; it tasted like a perfectly ordinary piece of cake.
However, I felt like something was different from the ones I usually ate.
It was hard to describe, but it had a slightly coarser, more rustic flavor—a stronger sense of being handmade. And honestly, it was a taste I liked more than the usual.
"Hmm. It's not as good as the usual ones, is it?"
"Eh? No, as far as I'm concerned, I prefer this taste..."
"Really?! I'm so glad~ I'm no match for Ein when it comes to cooking, so I thought it might be no good."
"Wait? What does that mean?"
"Ah, no... actually, I made those Baby Castella myself. I'm glad they turned out delicious~"
To my surprise, it turned out Kuro had made these herself. Or rather, I’d assumed she’d been making them all along, but had Ein-san been the one doing it this whole time?! What on earth was she making her maid do? Wasabi-filled baby castella?
Though I was exasperated by Kuro's comment, these really were to my liking, and I found myself popping them into my mouth one after another at a faster pace than usual, so I couldn't say anything.
After finishing the snacks, I sat side-by-side with Kuro on the tatami mats, gazing at the beautiful moon visible through the hole in the ceiling.
Come to think of it, when I first met Kuro, we had looked at the moon together like this, hadn't we? For some reason, even though it was only about a month ago, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
"Oh, that's right. Kaito-kun, the other day, 'Shaltier' was praising you."
"Shaltier? Who's that?"
"The world calls her 'Phantasm King No Face'."
"Huh?"
"She's a good friend of mine and drops by to visit every now and then. When she came by the other day, she said you 'had potential' and praised you. It's rare for Shaltier to praise someone, so it's a big deal!"
"N-No, wait a second! I've never met this Shaltier person before, have I?"
I never thought the name of the Phantasm King would come up here.
But to say she was praising me... even looking back now, I couldn't think of anyone who fit that description.
"No, you probably haven't met her personally, have you?"
"Eh?"
"Shaltier has an incredible number of subordinates all over the world; they really are everywhere. Shaltier is the world's greatest information broker. She's likely known about you since the moment you arrived in this world."
"That’s a bit creepy."
It seemed the Phantasm King was an existence that knew everything.
In short, intelligence agents were hidden all over the world, and all kinds of information gathered with her. Honestly, in a sense, she might be the most frightening of the Six Kings.
"She seemed interested in you, so she might come to see you soon."
"Eh? I-Is that okay? I mean, Lilliwood-san told me to be careful of the Phantasm King..."
"Hmm. It's true that Shaltier has a dry side to her... but she's more reasonable than Megiddo, so it'll be fine."
"Megiddo... was the War King, right? Eh? Is that Megiddo person even worse?"
"He'd probably say 'Let's go a round' the moment you meet him. He loves fighting, after all."
"That's terrifying."
What kind of berserker would challenge someone to a fight the very first time they met? And if she was being compared to that, wasn't the Phantasm King also quite dangerous?!
The ones I hadn't met yet were the War King, the Dragon King, and the Phantasm King... and two of them were dangerous. N-No, well, it's not like it's been decided that I'll meet them... and normally, there's no way I'd meet the Six Kings so easily, so it'll be fine. It’ll be fine.
"...Kaito-kun, you're becoming more and more amazing."
"...Hmm? What's wrong, all of a sudden?"
While my head was in a state of confusion regarding the Phantasm King and the War King, Kuro whispered in a gentle tone.
"It's just that you're working hard and growing even more than I expected..."
"..."
Kuro, who spoke in a low murmur, didn't look my way, her gaze fixed on the moon floating in the sky.
Perhaps because she had such a cute appearance, her figure illuminated by the moonlight was ethereal, feeling almost like a work of art.
"...There's something I want."
"Eh?"
"I've wanted it for so long, so, so long, but I can't find it, and I can't get it... I've been searching for it all this time. Probably since the moment I was born into this world..."
I couldn't even begin to imagine the answer to those quietly spoken words.
She had power enough to fight the Creator God, she had wealth that was unmatched, she was surrounded by many family members and people who admired her, and she had fame that placed her at the peak of the Demon Realm.
What could it be that Kuro, who possessed everything, had been unable to obtain since birth? Was it something extremely precious? Or was it something that didn't even exist in this world?
As if sensing my thoughts, Kuro turned toward me with a smile.
"It's not anything particularly rare. You, Kaito-kun, and everyone else... I think it's something you all have as a matter of course. But I just can't seem to get my hands on it. No matter how many times I try, it's no use. I couldn't even find it."
"...What on earth is it?"
"...It's a secret. But... yeah. If you were to find it, Kaito-kun... I think... I'd be happy."
"..."
Basking in the moonlight, the mysterious girl smiled.
It was a smile as fleeting as the light pouring down, yet so beautiful I couldn't look away.
"Well, putting that aside, shouldn't you go to sleep soon, Kaito-kun? You're tired, aren't you?"
"Eh? Ah, no... yeah. You're right."
Kuro's words, which suddenly changed the subject, felt less like an evasion and more like a plea not to step any further.
In the end, my questions remained unanswered, and as usual, there were many things I didn't understand about Kuro.
However, there was one thing I did understand. She was looking for something, something she desired from the bottom of her heart... I felt as if understanding that would bring me much closer to her.
"...A blanket and tatami mats. I don't have a pillow, obviously, but I think I can sleep well enough."
"What are you saying, Kaito-kun? There is a pillow right here."
"Eh? Where?"
"Right here."
Saying that with a laugh, Kuro patted her own lap.
"N-No, that's a bit too much..."
"It's not like it's the first time, so come on, don't be shy."
"...Ugh, fine."
"Yes, yes, being honest is the best!"
In the end, I was pushed into it again, and feeling embarrassed, I rested my head on Kuro's lap.
Immediately, a small hand was placed on my head, gently stroking my hair.
With just that, the tension left my body all at once, and feeling a pleasant drowsiness, I closed my eyes.
Feeling Kuro's warmth through my senses, my consciousness slowly drifted into a slumber.
"...Goodnight, Kaito-kun."
"...Yeah... goodnight... Kuro..."
Dear Mom, Dad—Kuro is still a mystery. But there is one thing I know for sure. Little by little, one step at a time—I’m getting closer to her...
Stroking the head of the sleeping Kaito, who wore a look of complete peace, Kuromueina wore a slightly lonely smile.
"...You really are a cruel boy, Kaito-kun... I gave up on that so long ago..."
Gently, as if with deep affection, Kuromueina stroked Kaito's head and whispered to no one in particular.
Her expression seemed to reflect a complex heart, as if she didn't know whether to be sad or happy.
"...Even though you're going to be gone in a year... why do you have to trouble me like this?"
Her beautiful voice echoed in the quiet shrine, sounding somehow like a voice that was crying.
A small lament and a small joy, filled with very deep emotions.
"...I wonder how many times you've betrayed my expectations, Kaito-kun? Your conversation with Shiro... meeting Isis... the story about Chronoa-chan..."
Then, Kuromueina stopped her hand and slowly embraced his head, being careful not to wake him.
"...I'm starting to hope... that maybe, if it's you, Kaito-kun..."
Continuing the embrace as if she were handling a treasure, her cheeks flushing slightly red, Kuromueina spoke the feelings she would never tell Kaito directly right now.
"...I love you... Kaito-kun."