After my conversation with the energetic old man came to an end, I spent some time wandering through the city until it drew close to 14:00, the time I had promised to meet Mitsunaga-kun.
I was supposed to meet the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Sinfonia—Princess Cattleya—at the same square where I had reunited with Mitsunaga-kun yesterday. I wondered what kind of person she would be. Based on what I had heard, I imagined her being someone with a rather strong personality.
"Hey, Alice."
"Yes?"
"What kind of person is Princess Cattleya?"
"Hmm... something like this."
"Your drawing is incredible!"
Responding to my murmur, Alice appeared, produced a pen and paper, and her hand moved in a blur as she sketched Princess Cattleya's likeness freehand.
She resembled Lilia-san more than Amalie-san did, though her hair was styled in loose vertical ringlets and her eyes were a bit more upturned and sharp. In short, she was a striking beauty. The visual genetics of Lilia-san’s family were truly impressive.
"...I see. And her personality?"
"Picture Duchess Lilia."
"Right."
"Then make her a bit more of a tsundere."
"What?"
I didn't quite follow that, but it seemed she had a temperament similar to Lilia-san's. Just as I nodded to myself, the square came into view, and Alice vanished once again.
As soon as I entered the square, I knew exactly where Mitsunaga-kun was. In one corner, there was a group of knights in plate armor that gave off an aura entirely different from everyone else.
In all likelihood—no, definitely—they were the guards for Princess Cattleya and Mitsunaga-kun. There were a lot of them. When I had met Mitsunaga-kun yesterday, I had sensed several individuals nearby via Sympathy Magic who were projecting feelings of intense vigilance; those had likely been guards hidden in the shadows.
Since Princess Cattleya was present today, the security had been bolstered even further. The problem was that there were so many knights that I couldn't even see Mitsunaga-kun or Princess Cattleya in the center. I decided to approach one of the knights and speak up.
As I drew near, I saw several knights shift their stances, their expressions sharpening with caution.
"...Halt. Who goes there?"
"Ah, um, I’m Kaito Miyama. I have an appointment to meet Mitsunaga-kun... the young man in the Hero-role."
"!? M-My apologies! We were told to expect you. This way, please..."
"Thank you."
I had been half-expecting a "Be gone, suspicious character!" routine, but it seemed the word had been passed along properly. The knight immediately guided me through.
Mitsunaga-kun came into view almost immediately. When he spotted me, he approached with a refreshing smile.
"Miyama-san!"
"Mitsunaga-kun, sorry. Am I late?"
"No, not at all. Our side finished a bit earlier than scheduled. Apparently, word got out that a Supreme God-sama is currently visiting this city... The assemblymen seemed so mentally drained by the news that they didn't even bother with the usual probing questions during the meeting."
"..."
Fate-san’s influence really reached everywhere. It was hard to imagine given her usual behavior, but I suppose she really was a Supreme God-sama after all. Regardless, thanks to that, Mitsunaga-kun’s meeting had ended early, and he had been waiting for me.
"...So, you are Miyama-sama?"
"Eh? Ah, yes."
When I turned around, a dignified woman was standing there. Her bright golden hair was styled in loose curls, and her blue eyes were sharp and slanted. She wore a refined red dress that looked elegant yet practical for movement. Her entire presence screamed "nobility," and I knew instantly that this was Princess Cattleya.
Princess Cattleya walked toward me and gave a graceful bow.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Cattleya Rea Sinfonia, the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Sinfonia. I have heard much about you from my elder sisters. It is an honor to finally meet you."
"I-I'm Kaito Miyama. It's nice to meet you too."
"The pleasure is mine. I have heard the rumors... That you are close with the Underworld King-sama and the World King-sama. It is truly enviable."
"No, well, it's not really..."
At that moment, I wanted to have a word with Alice. How on earth was she like Lilia-san? Their way of speaking was similar, sure, but while Lilia-san often felt approachable and un-noble-like, Princess Cattleya felt like every inch an aristocrat. The air around her felt incredibly tense.
"Miyama-san, you don't need to be so nervous. Katy is actually very kind, despite how she looks."
"Mitsunaga-sama! I believe I have told you repeatedly to stop using that name in public."
"S-Sorry."
"Honestly... pray forgive us, Miyama-sama. We have seats prepared over there. Shall we continue our conversation there?"
"Ah, yes."
Then again, the way she had just scolded Mitsunaga-kun was a dead ringer for Lilia-san when she was upset. That specific look, where the agitation was even stronger than the anger, was one of Lilia-san’s trademarks. Well, the fact that Mitsunaga-kun had already managed to annoy her that much was another story.
After her brief reprimand, Princess Cattleya gestured toward a table at a cafe adjacent to the square. Since I had no reason to refuse, I nodded and followed as the two of them began walking.
"Mitsunaga-sama, you must have more awareness of your position in the Hero-role! Every one of your words and actions carries weight. If you are not careful with your speech, it will cause complications."
"Ca-Cat... Princess Cattleya. Miyama-san is right here, you know?"
"I am well aware. That is precisely why I am being so lenient."
It was just an impression, but Princess Cattleya seemed to have a bit of a stern personality. She was rebuking Mitsunaga-kun for using a nickname, and while her sharp gaze was a bit intimidating, it also felt like a concerned lecture born out of her genuine affection for him.
I started to follow them, finding the scene somewhat heartwarming—when suddenly, an indescribable sense of dread shivered down my spine.
My reaction was purely instinctive.
Like pulling my hand back from a hot stove before I even realized it was burning, I whipped around.
The moment I turned, my eyes locked onto a tall clock tower far in the distance. For a fraction of a second, I thought I saw a part of it glint.
"!?"
Immediately after, a glowing sphere shrieked past me.
In that split second, I didn't even have time to shout. My eyes could only track the sphere as time seemed to slow to a crawl, as if the world were being compressed.
The projectile flew in a straight line toward Princess Cattleya. While none of the surrounding knights could even begin to react, Mitsunaga-kun alone moved, throwing himself over Princess Cattleya to shield her with his body—and then, a flash of light erupted.
Dear Mother, Father—even if this world is at peace, and even if most of its people are kind... malice still exists. With that final thought, an explosion swallowed us whole.
Serious-senpai: "The normies exploded!?"
[Protected by: Shiro's Blessing, Chrome's Necklace, and Alice as a guard]
Serious-senpai: "...I literally can't see a single future where he isn't perfectly fine."