I checked the clock upon returning to my room: it was 11:00 PM. It was getting quite late.
The sweet sensation still lingered on my lips. I took off my jacket and reached for a hanger, preparing to change for bed—when suddenly, the world shifted, and my surroundings transformed into the Hanging Garden.
"...Wait, what?"
One moment I was in my room at night; the next, I stood under a sprawling blue sky in the Hanging Garden. I recognized the place well enough, but I had no idea why I was here.
I knew for certain this was the highest level of the God Realm, the Sanctuary—Shiro-san’s home. But why had she summoned me so abruptly?
As I stood there dazed, a voice as devoid of intonation as ever reached my ears.
"There is no night in the God Realm. I can make it night, if you wish..."
"I-I see. By the way, Shiro-san? Why am I here all of a sudden?"
Turning around, I saw her standing there as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She stared at me with her usual expressionless face.
I tried to ask why she had forcibly summoned me, but she simply looked away and manifested a table and two chairs.
"We will have tea."
"...Huh?"
"We will have tea."
"Wait, why now? I was just about to go to sleep..."
"We will have tea."
"No, listen—"
"We will have tea."
"Fine. Okay."
Broken by the infinite loop, my shoulders slumped in defeat as I took a seat.
Immediately, black tea and cookies appeared on the table, and the set was complete. However, something was weighing on my mind far more than the refreshments.
"Um, Shiro-san? This might just be my imagination, but... are you perhaps in a bad mood?"
I couldn't read her emotions with Sympathy Magic. I had to rely on my own intuition and past experiences to gauge her feelings through the tiniest of changes. Right now, I had a hunch she was irritated.
The cause was likely this incredibly sudden tea session. While Shiro-san was certainly eccentric and prone to being "natural," she usually explained herself if I asked. This time, however, she had simply steamrolled me with her demand for tea. It suggested her mood was the culprit.
"Yes. I am currently very displeased."
"I see..."
She admitted it without hesitation. Honestly, since her face and voice were as flat as ever, I could hardly tell the difference from her normal self.
Still, she was definitely unhappy. Why? Had I done something wrong without realizing it?
"No, that is not the reason."
"I-Is that so? Well, that’s a relief."
I had worried I’d offended her somehow, so her denial put me at ease.
However, that peace of mind was shattered when Shiro-san took a sip of her tea and whispered her next words.
"...I could have done it, too."
"...Eh? Done what?"
"...I could have teleported you and the Demon King to Kuro’s side as well."
Wait. The atmosphere was turning ominous very quickly. My back began to prickle with a cold sweat. Feeling an indescribable pressure, I waited in silence for her to continue.
"I do not mind at all. Not even slightly. Not even the tiniest bit. However... you relied on the Earth God, and you did not rely on me."
"..."
She’s sulking! Shiro-san is totally sulking! No one says "I don't mind at all" that many times unless they mind it immensely!
"No, I truly do not mind. It is just that you did not rely on me when you were attacked by the Black Bear at the Treasure Tree Festival, nor when the War King's subordinates attacked, nor when you were kidnapped, nor with the incident involving Kuro, nor when searching for the truth of the Duke's past, nor when the God of Fate spirited you away to another country, nor in the matter of the Earth God, nor in this current situation..."
"..."
She’s been stewing over this for ages! It felt as though a massive mountain of dissatisfaction had finally reached its breaking point and erupted.
It wasn't that I didn't want to rely on her. It was just that her power was so overwhelming that I worried relying on her would cause some sort of catastrophe, so I’d been holding back out of caution.
"Both Kuro and the Earth God possess power equal to mine."
"Ugh... Well, that’s..."
"Kaito-san does not rely on me."
"No, look, this time it was just—"
"Kaito-san does not rely on me."
"Uh..."
"Kaito-san does not rely on me."
"..."
"Kaito-san does not rely on me."
"Actually, Shiro-san, there was something I wanted to ask your help with!"
"It cannot be helped, then. Since I am currently in a magnificent mood, please, tell me anything."
Terrifying! This was bad. She was clearly going to repeat herself until I gave her something to do. The moment I reflexively claimed to have a request, the corners of her mouth lifted just a tiny bit higher than usual.
I needed to meet my "one request" quota for the day. Think, Kaito, think! What could I ask that would actually satisfy her? Oh, wait!
"Actually, Shia-san was a huge help to me recently. I want to give her a thank-you gift, but I don't know much about her preferences. I was hoping you could give me some advice."
"I understand. The Calamity God is fond of spicy food."
"Ah, so it's true. Then maybe some kind of super-spicy snack..."
"However, she has complained that all existing super-spicy foods are 'too sweet'."
"..."
I’d suspected as much back in the Hydra Kingdom, but she really was a spice fanatic. To eat those fire-breathing snacks and call them sweet... her taste buds had to be non-existent.
"That's a problem. If she likes heat that much, she’ll be hard to please. Hmm..."
"Leave it to me."
"...Eh?"
"Here."
"What is this?"
I was more of a sweets person myself, so I was tilting my head in confusion when Shiro-san manifested a piece of fruit. It was about the size of an orange and glowed with a beautiful, deep ruby red.
"I have created a fruit that is one thousand times spicier than any existing seasoning. I have ensured that if you plant its seeds, it will grow to maturity in three days."
"..."
She just invented a new species?!
"Since I am in a good mood today, this is a special exception."
"T-Thank you very much..."
Shiro-san, you were literally just telling me how displeased you were a minute ago. Did you really want me to rely on you that badly?
"Yes."
...From now on, I’d better consult her about something on a regular basis. If this woman lets her frustration build up, she might end up breaking the laws of the universe.
"By the way... what would happen if I ate this?"
"You would likely faint in agony. Afterward, you would lose your sense of taste for an entire day."
"..."
That’s not an ingredient; that’s a biological weapon. Is it really okay to give this to someone? Well, Shia-san is a hardcore spice lover, so maybe she'll be okay? I’ll make sure to warn her about the intensity before I hand it over.
"Now then, let us resume our tea."
"Ah, right."
Having granted my wish, her mood seemed to have completely recovered. She suggested continuing the session with a faint smile, and I nodded as I reached for my cup.
We chatted for about an hour after that, and by the time I finally made it back to my room, the date had already changed.
Dear Mother, Father—My day was capped off by Shiro-san. I think I’ve learned an important lesson today. If you let Shiro-san get frustrated... the aftermath is truly terrifying.
The Creator God Wants to be Relied On