After a truly exhausting day, I spent the following morning recovering from the fatigue. Just before noon the day after that, I set out to visit Alice’s shop once again.
Fate-san, who had been staying at the Albert estate, had finally left just before the date changed. Her parting words were: "I’m not giving up! From now on, I’ll be dropping by all the time to get close to Kai-chan, and eventually, I’m going to make him support me!"
The woman is nothing if not consistent. I can't help but feel that if she directed even half of that passion for avoiding work toward her actual duties, she could live a life of leisure without any trouble at all.
After she left, I had consulted Kuro about Alice. To my relief, Kuro readily promised to help. She told me that once the business with the calculator was settled, she would visit Alice’s shop with me to handle the negotiations personally.
So, even though it had only been two days since my last visit, I found myself heading back to check on Alice’s schedule.
When I reached the shop and slowly pushed the door open...
"I can do it... I know I can... Humans are creatures of evolution... Right here, right now, I will master the magic of creating food from nothingness—Gah!?"
"Just what on earth are you doing?"
I smacked the cat-suited figure who was holding both hands up toward the empty air while muttering nonsense. Why does this person have to be engaged in some kind of bizarre behavior every single time I visit?
"Ow! Hey, Kaito-san, you’re the one who told me not to spend my previous earnings on gambling until the next time you came by!"
"Yes, I did."
"So, I haven't spent so much as a single R since the afternoon of the day before yesterday!"
"...Buy some groceries, at least."
It seemed Alice had taken my warning about wasting money so literally that she had been waiting for me without spending a single cent on anything. Naturally, she had succumbed to hunger again and was apparently trying to manifest food out of thin air.
How can someone so clever be such an idiot?
"Sigh... Anyway, shall we go get something to eat?"
"Huh? Are you treating me?"
"Yeah."
"Yes! Kaito-san, you’re wonderful! I think I’m falling for you!"
"..."
"Wait, wait! Why are you looking at me with such murderous intent all of a sudden?"
Fate-san was a lost cause in her own right, but Alice was a failure on an entirely different vector. It wasn't that she didn't work—quite the opposite, actually. I suspected she was incredibly meticulous when it came to business.
Compared to my last two visits, the number of clothes in the shop had clearly increased. She likely realized that I liked her designs; many of the new items featured the subdued, chic tones I preferred. It felt like she was very specifically tailoring her inventory to target my wallet.
Still, the girl really did have incredible taste. One outfit on display had such an intricate knit that the weave itself formed a pattern, catching the light differently from every angle. I found myself actually wanting it.
"Well, let’s go grab a bite."
"Oh, in that case, come with me! I have just the place."
"Hmm?"
"Let’s see... Heave-ho!"
"What?! This is—"
When I offered to buy her a meal, Alice clapped her hands as if struck by a brilliant idea and hauled a massive magic tool out of her Magic Box. It was the largest I had ever seen, standing nearly two meters tall.
"Oh? Is this your first time seeing a teleportation magic tool, Kaito-san?"
"I’ve seen small ones, but never one this big."
"Hehe, this is a top-of-the-line model. It can handle long-distance jumps, and the cooldown time is only about thirty minutes."
"I see."
The one I had seen at the shop with Kuro was about the size of a soccer ball, and Kuro had dismissed it as being too small. It seemed that high-performance models really did require this kind of scale.
While I was inspecting the device with interest, Alice slipped out of her cat suit and reached out to me.
"I’m going to touch you for a second. We have to be in contact to teleport together."
"Right. So... where exactly are we going?"
"To the Capital Alexandria of the Arclesia Empire."
"Excuse me?"
"And off we go!"
"Wait! Hold on—!"
The cityscape was bustling and vibrant, giving off the impression of a massive metropolis even more lively than the royal capital of Sinfonia. I walked through the streets alongside the idiot who was currently clutching her head.
"Ow... You didn't have to punch me..."
"Anyone would want to punch you after being dragged to another country without warning. Besides, isn't there an issue with crossing borders?"
"With teleportation magic around, borders are basically just lines on a map anyway."
"Fair enough."
Alice had brought me to the Arclesia Empire, one of the three great nations of the Human Realm, located to the north of Sinfonia. Unlike the lush, green Kingdom of Sinfonia, Arclesia was a land of rugged mountains and rich mineral veins, known for its advanced blacksmithing and engineering.
The buildings here were notably larger than those in Sinfonia, showcasing high architectural skill, though the overall aesthetic felt somewhat more utilitarian and robust.
"Was that short person we just passed a Dwarf?"
"Yep. Sinfonia has a high Elf population, while Arclesia is home to many Dwarves. For the record, the Hydra Kingdom to the south is on the coast, so they have a lot of Mermaids."
"I see. Every country has its own specialty."
"Exactly. People say 'Sinfonia for food, Arclesia for housing, and Hydra for clothing.' Each one has developed a very different culture."
Alice chatted about the national characteristics as we walked. Sinfonia’s fertile land led to a flourishing food culture; Arclesia’s mines fueled its smithing and construction; and Hydra excelled in textiles and fashion.
As I listened to her explanation, a particularly massive building came into view.
"Oh, we’re here!"
"Hey, Alice..."
"What is it?"
"Unless my eyes are failing me, that building has 'Monster Race Track' written on it in giant letters."
"Yes, it does."
"What exactly is a Monster Race?"
"It’s a sport where various trained monsters compete, and people predict the winner to bet mon—Ow!?"
"It’s a gambling den!"
How did she transition so naturally into gambling?! I told her we were going to eat, so why on earth did she bring me to a racetrack?
"I-It’s fine! They have great food stalls inside!"
"That’s not the point. After all that talk about not wasting money..."
"It’s okay! I had some 'extra income' yesterday!"
No, that wasn't the point at all.
It seemed Alice had interpreted my earlier command—to stop gambling until my next visit—as a temporary ban that was automatically lifted the moment I showed up.
I wanted to stop her, but it was useless. She had already fully entered her "gambler" headspace.
"Fine. But don't get carried away and blow all your money. If it gets out of hand, I'm dragging you home."
"Understood!"
I highly doubted she actually understood, but perhaps this was a good opportunity. If I wanted to help her reform her lifestyle, I needed to see exactly how deep her addiction went. It was better to have her gamble where I could keep an eye on her than to have her vanish and go broke on her own.
Seeing me relent, Alice flashed a smug, irritating grin.
"Now then, Kaito-san, since we’re here, why don't we have a little match?"
"A match?"
"Yeah! We both bet the same amount, and we see who comes out on top!"
"Why would I do that...?"
"Because I want you to have some fun, too! If I win, you have to treat me to a luxurious dinner tonight!"
"And if I win?"
"In that case... Hmm. I’ll do one thing you tell me to do. Anything at all."
"I see... Fine."
Alice seemed incredibly confident, her face full of easy certainty as she issued the challenge. I suppose it was like horse racing; experience and a feel for the game probably counted for a lot.
As for the dinner, I had my own "extra income" from the Harvest Festival winnings, and I had intended to treat her anyway, so the stakes didn't bother me.
Dear Mother, Father—Alice took me all the way to the Arclesia Empire. And though I'm not quite sure how it happened, she’s challenged me to a match.