One step, then two. I could feel my pace quickening as I moved forward. Whether the path I was taking was right or wrong was impossible to say; while a person can predict the future, they can never truly be certain of it.
You only ever find out if the path you walked was the right one after you’ve already arrived.
Currently, a massive wall stood in my way. It was formed by beautiful, intertwined flowers, and while it should have been a lovely sight, to me it was nothing more than a cold, merciless reality barring my progress.
I slowly looked back to see Lilliwood-san standing there with a gentle smile. Her kind expression seemed to have a hint of teasing in it now. Swallowing a sense of defeat, I finally spoke.
"...Lilliwood-san... could I have a hint?"
"Fufufu, very well. Let’s see... I think it would be best to retrace your steps back to the path of blue flowers, before you made those last three turns."
"Ugh, th-that far back...?"
At Lilliwood-san’s words, my shoulders slumped in disappointment, and I began to trudge back the way I had come.
This made my third U-turn. This was proving much more difficult than I had imagined; I really thought I’d be able to reach the goal more easily.
"It’s... it’s a much larger scale than I expected."
"Yes, this is one of the festival's main attractions, after all."
I was currently challenging the Flower Labyrinth, one of the nature-themed attractions. It was a massive maze constructed primarily from flowers with tall, sturdy stalks, allowing challengers to enjoy a variety of blossoms and their pleasant fragrances as they searched for the exit.
However, it seemed this maze had been designed with genuine intent to challenge. It was quite difficult, and I had been hitting dead ends repeatedly for some time now.
Since Lilliwood-san already knew the way, she didn't interfere, offering hints only when I specifically asked for them.
"By the way, these blue flowers in this corridor have such a beautiful color."
"These are called Blue Moon Flowers. They grow in the Western Demon Realm and usually only bloom at night."
"...But it’s just before noon right now."
"A special Magic Formula is being used to make the area around here perceive it as night."
"I see, that makes sense."
"It’s a rare opportunity to see them in a bright setting like this."
The flowers were deep blue and perfectly round, like full moons. Apparently, seeing them clearly like this was an uncommon experience. Hearing that made me feel as though I were witnessing something truly special, so I took a moment to look at them more closely.
A few passages back, I had seen some rare flowers with incredibly delicate petals. It was actually quite enjoyable. Back when I lived in Japan, I never really took the time to appreciate flowers, but this was a nice change of pace.
"The maze is tough, but seeing all these different flowers is fun. Of course, that’s only because I have you here to explain them to me, Lilliwood-san."
"Hearing you say that makes me happy. In that case, shall we get lost a few more times so we can look for more rare flowers?"
"If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather see them while actually making some progress..."
"Fufufu."
Despite my struggles with the maze, our conversation was pleasant, and the relaxed atmosphere was incredibly comfortable.
While I really didn't want to end up walking every single path in the maze because I was lost, if it was going to be this much fun, hitting a few more dead ends might not be the worst thing in the world.
...I wanted to punch the me from two hours later who had been so optimistic.
"I... I finally made it to the goal."
"Congratulations. You walked through nearly eighty percent of the entire maze."
I hadn't been walking non-stop for the full two hours, of course, since I’d stopped to look at flowers or listen to Lilliwood-san’s explanations, but I had still spent an enormous amount of time being lost.
The sheer size of the place was one factor, but there was another reason it had taken so long. I didn't know who had designed this maze, but it felt incredibly spiteful. Toward the end, there were several paths that required a very long walk before finally hitting a dead end.
"...Lilliwood-san, I don’t suppose you were the one who designed this maze, were you?"
"No. I don't have much experience with such things, so I commissioned Shaltier to do it."
"I... I see..."
It was the worst possible person for the job. So, it was Alice. No wonder the maze was so needlessly difficult and designed to deal maximum emotional damage every time I took a wrong turn.
"You must be tired from all that walking. It’s just about the right time for lunch, so why don't we eat in the plaza just ahead?"
"Ah, yes. I’d like that."
"Do you have a meal prepared, Kaito-san? If not, we could head toward the food stall area first..."
"Oh, I’m fine. Isis-san made a bento for me."
"I see. In that case, let’s go."
I nodded at her kind suggestion and we moved to the plaza. Since it was lunchtime, most of the festival-goers had moved toward the food stalls, so the plaza was relatively empty.
I found a large bench and sat down, then opened the bento Isis-san had given me.
"...Oh."
The sound escaped my lips involuntarily. Inside was an incredibly charming bento. The onigiri—likely made because she knew I loved rice—were shaped like hearts and filled with various ingredients. There were also mini-hamburgers, one of my favorites, and even wieners cut to look like little octopuses.
It looked delicious, but more than that, I could see the time and effort she had poured into it. I could feel the depth of her affection just by looking at the meal, and a warmth spread through my chest.
"I don't know much about cooking, but it's very beautiful," Lilliwood-san remarked.
"...Yes, it is."
I nodded, deeply moved by her words.
Dear Mother, Father—this bento was overflowing with Isis-san's love. It felt almost like a waste to eat something so precious. To have such a kind, wonderful person as my lover... standing there in that plaza, I realized just how lucky I truly was.