After Kuro hauled Megiddo-san away, Alice and I resumed our tour of the Art Square. It was so vast, though, that I wasn't entirely sure where we should start.
"There seem to be so many puppet shows... which one should we watch?"
"Umm, please wait a moment."
"Hm?"
When I asked for her opinion, Alice told me to wait a second and snapped her fingers.
Almost immediately, a painter who had been working a short distance away approached us. He produced a stack of papers from thin air and handed them to Alice.
"Today’s program, My Lady. These are the confirmed performances and projections based on past trends."
"Got it. Thanks. You can head back now."
"Excuse me."
The painter bowed deeply to Alice before returning to his original spot, where he began painting again as if nothing had happened. So, that was it. That painter was one of Alice’s subordinates...
"Subordinates?"
"Yes. There are about eighteen of them in this square alone..."
"As expected..."
It wasn't even a metaphor; her subordinates really were everywhere. I could certainly see why the Phantasm King, No Face, was so widely feared.
At any rate, we now knew exactly what was being performed and where. Using the list as a reference, we set off to see the puppet shows.
The plays in the Art Square were mostly short, simple stories, but the puppets were moved by magic. There were magical effects woven into the performances as well. Since I wasn't used to seeing such things, the experience felt entirely fresh. Before I knew it, I was losing track of time and enjoying myself immensely.
When noon rolled around, we decided it was time for lunch—one of the highlights of our outing.
Initially, I had planned to visit one of my usual spots, but since we were in a district we rarely visited, I suggested we eat nearby. Alice readily agreed.
To fulfill Alice's request for a luxurious lunch, I pulled a specific book from my bag to search for a restaurant.
"Wait... Kaito-san, is that by any chance Kuro-san’s 'Complete Food Tour Guide: Sinfonia Royal Capital Edition'?"
"I’ve never heard that specific title before, but Kuro did give this to me."
The book in my hand, roughly the size of an English-Japanese dictionary, was indeed a gift from Kuro.
Regarding the choice of restaurant for today—or rather, for our date a few days ago—I had consulted Kuro, knowing her hobby was food tours. She had been incredibly enthusiastic and provided me with this book detailing the eateries of the Royal Capital.
"She actually gave me about a hundred books this size... I guess they really were all written by her."
"Yes, Kuro-san writes them as a hobby. As you know, Kaito-san, she loves going on food tours. Occasionally, she compiles her favorite shops into books."
"Is it a famous series?"
"Hmm. It’s famous, but... I don't think many people have ever seen the physical copies."
"Is that so?"
The book was incredibly detailed. Kuro had written reviews and impressions for every single restaurant in the capital, even including her own illustrations.
However, since it was just an extension of her hobby, the reviews were quite subjective. Some notes were as simple as "I want to eat pudding for dessert."
As for the ratings, she must have heard about a certain world-famous guide, because she used a star system. Though, since some places had ten stars, it wasn't exactly the same.
Furthermore, regarding the shop where I'd had a Red Bear Sandwich with Kuro... she had written a heart-pounding comment: "Because I was with the person I love, it tasted the absolute best." I was certain that my face must have looked creepy and distorted with a grin while I was reading that part.
Since Alice knew about the book, I assumed it was famous, but she gave me a curious explanation.
"Yes. Kuro-san says they're just an extension of her hobby, so she only distributes them to her 'family.' Basically, the people she considers her inner circle. They aren't for sale. Since it's up to the individual what to do with their copy, they occasionally show up at auctions... but they usually sell for astronomical prices."
"Seriously?"
"I’m serious. They're all written in Kuro-san's own hand. For members of the 'Underworld King Fan Club' in particular, it’s an item they’d spend their entire life savings on."
"Wait a second. I feel like a very ominous term just slipped into the conversation... Underworld King Fan Club?"
In a perfectly natural flow, she had dropped a name that sounded heavily steeped in obsession. It sounded like the kind of organization a certain fanatic I knew would belong to.
"It’s exactly what it sounds like—a fan club for Kuro-san. It’s a massive organization. Its information network and political influence are said to surpass that of an entire nation. I suppose it's like a smaller version of my own forces, though they only handle information related to Kuro-san."
"She... she actually has a fan club..."
"Yes. Kuro-san is one of the most popular figures in the world, after all. She has a staggering number of believers among both demons and humankind."
"..."
"By the way, there are even rumors that if you approach Kuro-san too casually, that organization will make you disappear."
"What? That's terrifying."
An underground organization with power greater than a country's... and it was just a fan club for Kuro. I see. Now I understood why Lunamaria-san was so unusually well-informed. She must have been getting her intel from them.
Wait, isn't that bad? Am I being targeted as an enemy?
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Kaito-san, you're treated as the 'Honorary Chairman of the Underworld King Fan Club'..."
"Wait just a minute! Why am I being put on a pedestal like that without my permission?!"
"Well, there are several reasons... but the biggest one is probably because Kuro-san goes around telling everyone she meets that she 'loves Kaito-kun'."
"Kuroooooo?!"
What are you doing?! Why am I being subjected to this unintended public humiliation?! I mean, I'm happy she loves me, but this is beyond embarrassing!
"Also, the 'Chairman' who built the fan club into a world-class organization is one of your devotees, Kaito-san. That's a big factor too."
"That’s weird, isn't it? Why would the Chairman of Kuro’s fan club be a devotee of mine?"
"The Chairman has publicly declared that she 'prioritizes Kaito-sama second only to the Underworld King herself' in this world."
"I'm starting to get a cold sweat... Don't tell me, the Chairman is..."
"It’s Ein-san."
"I knew it!"
What on earth is that master and servant pair thinking?! And Ein-san is the Chairman? I now understood, with frustrating clarity, why that organization was the largest in the world.
Honestly, why are things reaching such ridiculous proportions in places I know nothing about? How did it even come to this?
Dear Mother, Father—I found a startling fact thanks to the guidebook Kuro gave me. I knew she had followers, but I never expected them to be operating as a formal organization. It seems—an organization called the Underworld King Fan Club exists.