On the 19th day of the Month of Water, I walked down a road I had recently become quite familiar with, accompanied by Kuro.
"Sorry, Kuro. Everything was so hectic lately that I never got a chance to ask about Alice's schedule."
"It's okay. If today doesn't work out, we can always come back. I'm going to Lilia-chan’s place with Zex tomorrow, but any time after that is fine."
"Thanks."
We were currently heading toward Alice's General Store.
I had promised to introduce her to someone so she could sell her magic bedding, but between the situation with Megiddo-san and everything else that had happened, the matter of her schedule had slipped my mind. When I mentioned it to Kuro during her usual visit to my room last night, she offered to clear some time today and go with me.
I was truly grateful. Honestly, even though Alice had made a fortune during our last venture, her history made her impossible to trust. I needed to establish a stable source of income for her as soon as possible, then sit her down and force her to balance her books.
As we walked side by side, a thought occurred to me, so I decided to ask.
"Oh, that's right. There was something I wanted to ask you, Kuro."
"Eh? Me? Fufufu, I see. Now that Kaito-kun has seen my Magic Beast Mode, you’ve finally become curious about my true identity! Very well, as a special service, I'll give you a hint—"
"What foods do you like, besides baby castella?"
"You’re asking that now?! No, no, Kaito-kun, that’s not what you're supposed to say! This is where you use the classic line: 'Who are you?!'"
"I don't really plan on using that anytime soon."
"Eeehhh?!"
I really couldn't tell if Kuro actually wanted me to ask about her identity or not. One thing was certain, though: even if I did ask, she wasn't the type to give me a straight answer.
"Kaito-kun, show a little more interest in me! You're making me sad!"
"I am interested. That's why I'm asking about your tastes, right?"
"Ugh... M-Muuu."
Unable to find a retort, Kuro puffed out her cheeks like a hamster. It was honestly just adorable; there wasn't a hint of intimidation to be found.
I used to be at her mercy constantly, but perhaps because I had gained some composure lately, I felt like I was finally starting to hold my own in our conversations.
"So, what do you actually like?"
"...Muu. Well, besides baby castella, I guess I like pudding."
"Let’s see... was it the Special Deluxe Pudding a la Mode?"
"Ah, the one Ein-san made for me before? That was delicious. To be honest, I only asked for it as a half-joke, but she actually went and made it. Ein-san really is incredible."
She’d asked as a joke... I see. Kuro had probably figured it was an impossible request, but Ein-san had completed it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She was as much of a cheat as ever.
"But Kaito-kun, why the sudden interest in what I like?"
"Oh, well... you see, we went out together—"
"A date!"
"—Right, a date. I told you then that I'd be the one to invite you next time, remember?"
"Yeah, you did."
"So... I thought it would be nice to go somewhere that serves things you like. I just wanted some ideas."
"...Kaito-kun."
After I spoke, feeling more than a little embarrassed, Kuro fell silent for a moment. Then, a smile as bright as a blooming flower spread across her face.
"Yeah! I’ll look forward to it! Come on, let’s go!"
"Wait—Kuro?! My hand?!"
"We held hands before, so don't worry about it!"
Kuro laughed happily as she pulled me along by the hand. Feeling a smile naturally form on my own face, I followed after her.
When we entered the shop, which was becoming a very familiar sight, the usual cat costume was waiting.
"Oh? Kaito-san? Welcome! I've still got a tiny bit of money left this time!"
"We are going to have a very long talk about that later."
"...Eh?"
What did she mean, "a tiny bit"? She had made so much last time! Had she really blown through it all already? This girl... honestly, the moment I looked away... No, calm down. The lecture could wait. First, the business with Kuro.
"You must be Alice-chan. I’ve heard about you from Kaito-kun."
"...Heh? Ha? ...Um, er... Underworld King-sama?"
"Yep. Nice to meet you."
"...Please wait one moment."
Alice, who had been her usual carefree self, finally registered Kuro’s presence. Her movements became visibly frantic, even through the costume. After asking Kuro to wait, she scrambled behind the counter, shed the cat suit, and returned. She immediately dropped to her knees in front of Kuro and bowed her head low.
"I am terribly sorry! It was... er, force of habit... Please, just spare my life!"
"I'm not going to kill you!"
Even Alice apparently knew better than to mess around with a high-ranking power like the Underworld King. She apologized while looking stiff with terror, though she was still wearing that opera mask...
"Um, can I see the magic tools now?"
"Y-Yes! Right this way!"
"Hey, not the costume. I told you to bring the ones made from bedding."
"Ah, r-right! Of course!"
For once, Alice was genuinely rattled. That wasn't a bit; she’d actually made a mistake. She hurried off and brought back the item made from bedding.
As expected of her talent, the design was elegant—the kind of thing that wouldn't look out of place in a noble's manor. Kuro took the bedding, examining it from several angles before looking at Alice with a surprised expression.
"This is a beautiful magic formula. It’s refined, efficient... You have incredible technical skill."
"N-No, not at all!"
"I mean it! With this quality, we can start selling these immediately. Would it be okay if my trade association handled the distribution?"
"Yes! It would be an honor!"
Kuro seemed to think very highly of the tool.
"Can you mass-produce these?"
"Y-Yes! If I have a few days, I can prepare a significant quantity."
"I see. The materials cost about 3,000R... How about I buy them at 10,000R per unit?"
"Pfft?! Ten thousand?!"
Kuro intended to pay more than three times the material cost. I wondered if they would actually sell at that price, but Kuro sensed my concern and offered a small smile.
"Craftspersons who can assemble a formula this complex are rare even in the Demon Realm. In that context, this price is more than fair. We’ll market them primarily to nobles. I’d also like to create a lower-cost sleeping bag version for adventurers and commoners, but would it be alright if we handled the production of those on our end?"
"Ah, yes! Of course!"
"Great. In that case, since you’re the inventor of the design, I’ll pay you fifty percent of the net profits from those. I’ll send a guild representative with a formal contract later to finalize the details."
"F-Fifty percent?!"
As always, Kuro handled the negotiation with practiced efficiency, settling the deal in record time.
"U-Um... Underworld King-sama?"
"Yes?"
"With those conditions... it feels like I'm getting an incredibly good deal..."
"Well, you were introduced by Kaito-kun, after all. Consider it a special service."
"Th-Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. I'll have the contract brought over in about four days. Does that work for you?"
"Yes!"
It seemed Kuro was offering these favorable terms specifically because I was the one who introduced them. I was truly grateful; I’d have to find a way to thank her properly later.
Dear Mother, Father—I took Kuro to see Alice today. As you might expect from Kuro, things moved along at a brisk pace—and it seems the business deal is settled.