The 22nd day of the Month of Light. With the Six Kings Festival starting on the 24th, we were scheduled to arrive on-site tomorrow, making today the final day for preparations.
Since I’d commissioned Alice for our outfits during my shopping trip with Lilia-san and Sieg-san, those were guaranteed to be ready in time. As for my luggage, most of it was already tucked away in my Magic Box, so packing was a breeze.
This left me free to inspect the Badges that had arrived this morning. Sleek and black, with an intricate magic formula etched onto the reverse side, these served as identification for my companions during the festival. They were reportedly keyed with a unique enchantment that made them impossible to forge or duplicate—unless you happened to be Shiro-san.
I planned to distribute them to everyone when we set off tomorrow, so for now, I was just double-checking the list to make sure no one had been missed.
"Well, if worst comes to worst, I can just whip one up in a heartbeat, so don't sweat it if you missed a name," Alice chirped.
"That’s a relief... By the way, how are the clothes coming along?"
"They’re already done."
"That fast!?"
I asked Alice, who had appeared out of thin air as usual. Apparently, the outfits were already finished. I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or just chalk it up to her usual terrifying efficiency, but she certainly worked fast.
In that case, maybe I should give them to Anima and the others ahead of time, along with their Badges?
As I was considering this, Alice pulled out a small notebook.
"Come to think of it, Kaito-san, you're heading to the venue tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, that’s the plan."
The festival was scheduled to last for seven days, and accommodation was provided free of charge. Of course, the specific inn depended on the rank of your invitation... though even the bottom tier was supposedly equivalent to a high-end luxury hotel. Naturally, it was also possible to attend only on specific days, with free transportation provided for those guests.
However, it had already been decided that I would be staying on the top floor of the Central Tower. Apparently, Kuro and Isis-san had been so eager to set it up that there was no saying no... a prospect that filled me with a heavy sense of dread.
"...Anyway, I was thinking of assigning a guide to show you the way. Since you’re already acquainted with a fair few of our subordinates, did you have anyone in mind?" Alice asked.
"Hmm... let me think."
The subordinates of the Six Kings... From Alice’s tone, she likely meant anyone from Kuro’s family as well. I did know quite a few people. There were Fafnir-san and Pandora-san, and I’d spoken with some of Lilliwood’s subordinates before.
But a guide to lead us to the inn... Fafnir-san was a bit too large for a casual stroll. I didn't know Pandora-san very well yet, and most of the others were people I’d only exchanged a few words with. More importantly, they would be strangers to Lilia-san and the rest of the group.
If that was the case, my best bet was one of Kuro’s family, but... wait, that’s it! There’s the perfect person.
"...Would Caraway-san be okay?"
"Hmm..."
Caraway-san was the cat-eared demon who had delivered the invitations and explained the festival rules to us. Lilia-san and the others already knew her, and she was polite, well-spoken, and seemed knowledgeable enough to handle any questions we might have.
She seemed like the ideal choice, but for some reason, Alice made a complicated expression.
"...Did I say something wrong?"
"No, it’s just... Caraway-san isn't actually a subordinate of the Six Kings."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah. She doesn't serve any of the Six Kings, nor was she officially invited to the festival. Technically, she doesn't even have the right to attend."
I hadn't assumed every demon was a subordinate of the Kings, but since she’d been the one to bring the invitations, I’d naturally figured she was on someone's payroll.
"As you know, Kaito-san... she’s the one who hit you with that Recognition Inhibition Magic."
"Right."
"She seems to be feeling genuinely guilty about it and practically begged for a chance to make amends. We’ve been letting her handle some behind-the-scenes chores, but the deal was that she’d stay in the background and wouldn't actually participate in the festival. I mean, we might have used her for cleaning or something, but that's about it."
"Oh... I see."
"The reason she delivered the invitations was because she volunteered. She wanted to apologize to you in person."
I wondered if her social standing had taken a hit because of what she did to me. It was arguably her own fault, but as the victim, I’d already received a sincere apology. Since no real harm had come of it, I wasn't holding a grudge.
Alice stared at me for a moment as I wrestled with the thought, then a small smile played across her lips.
"...Fine then. I'll assign Caraway-san as your guide."
"Is that really okay?"
"I should be asking if you're okay with it, Kaito-san. Even if she is sorry, she’s still the person who tried to kidnap you."
"You managed to kidnap me once, though."
"Ahaha..."
Alice gave a wry laugh, her expression softening behind her mask. She had a "there's no helping you" look about her, as if she’d known exactly what I was going to say.
"She already apologized, and I’m not worried about it. If anything, it was because of that incident that I met Kuro. I’m almost grateful for it."
"...Fair enough. I'll make the arrangements."
"Thanks. Oh, and... if it's possible..."
"Yes, yes. You want her invited as your official companion, right? I'll whip up a Badge for her."
"Thank you, Alice."
"Don't mention it. It’s an easy fix. Anyway, I’m off!"
Alice, having seen through me completely, gave the answer I’d been hoping for and vanished.
She really was a lifesaver. I’d have to take her out for another great meal sometime soon.
Dear Mother, Father—Preparations for the Six Kings Festival are almost complete, and I can't help but feel the excitement building. Since it's a festival hosted by all Six Kings, the scale is bound to be incredible. It’s a little intimidating, but I can't wait. In any case, the festival is just around the corner.
Finally, the Six Kings Festival (also known as the great date tournament) was about to begin.
Serious-senpai: ".................."