Exasperated by Alice’s knack for popping up everywhere, I continued my stroll through the festival with Isis-san.
We took our time enjoying the date, playing a round of the ring toss game they called Ring Target and browsing stalls filled with old books.
"Oh... they even sell clothes here? Are these second-hand?"
"...No... I think... they’re new... Many... newcomer designers... gather on this street."
"I see. That explains why there are so many outfits with designs I've never seen before."
Apparently, this particular street was a hub for aspiring designers looking to make a name for themselves. It made sense; the guests invited to the Six Kings Festival were all individuals who had earned at least some measure of recognition from the Six Kings—many of whom possessed significant status or wealth.
It was an ideal spot for networking, and since those with such means often had a penchant for rare items, this street was a goldmine of opportunity for a newcomer.
Inevitably, the designers poured their hearts into their work. I noticed a particularly high number of luxurious, one-of-a-kind formal suits and dresses.
"Come to think of it, you’re quite the fashionista, aren't you, Isis-san?"
"...I am?"
Isis-san favored Gothic-style dresses with plenty of frills, and I had the feeling she owned a fairly wide variety of them.
While she was most often seen in shades of light blue or deep navy, I recalled seeing her in Gothic-style dresses of several other colors as well.
Moreover, it wasn't just the colors that changed; the designs were distinct too. She clearly had a strong sense of personal style.
"Yeah, you’re always wearing such lovely clothes... Do you have a favorite boutique you frequent?"
"...No... I don't buy them... My clothes... are like Kuromueina’s... They are 'materialized from magic power.'"
"...The same as Kuro's? You mean like that long coat of hers that can change shape at will?"
"...Yes... Materialization of Magic Power... It’s convenient... because I can change the color and shape... whenever I want."
I see. So, just like that strange long coat of Kuro’s that could transform into wings or tatami mats, she materialized her own magic power to create her outfits.
That certainly sounded convenient. She could alter her appearance with a single thought. And since the clothes were essentially concentrated magic power, they were likely top-tier in terms of defense power and ease of movement.
It would be incredibly handy if I could do that too, but Kuro had mentioned before that the Materialization of Magic Power was an exceptionally difficult spell. Yeah, I’d better just stick to buying my clothes from Alice like a normal person.
"...Like... this."
"O-Oh!?"
As she spoke, Isis-san gave me a live demonstration, shifting her dress from blue to white and adding a few extra layers of frills.
Wow. Isis-san... white really suits her too. Standing there in a frilly white dress, she looked like nothing less than an angel.
"...Kaito... what color... do you think... looks best on me?"
"Hmm. Personally, I tend to wear black a lot... but for you, Isis-san, I think pale, snowy blues or other soft, delicate colors suit you best."
It was just a hunch, but I felt like clothes that evoked the image of snow were perfect for her. In a pale blue dress, she looked exactly like a snow fairy. She was incredibly lovely.
"...A color like this?"
"Yeah, it looks great on you... I mean, you look really cute."
"...Thank you... Hearing Kaito say that... makes me... so happy."
When I offered her my honest praise, Isis-san gave me a shy, bashful smile.
Seeing that pure, adorable expression made me suddenly feel self-conscious, and I hurriedly looked away to hide my blushing face.
"...A-Ah, Isis-san! Look, there's an ice cream stall over there! Why don't we take a little break and get some?"
"...Okay."
"I-I’ll go buy them. What flavor would you like?"
"...Then... chocolate."
"Got it. Just wait here a second!"
Changing the subject somewhat forcefully, I headed toward the ice cream stall a short distance away.
The selection was surprisingly good, and they did indeed have the chocolate flavor Isis-san wanted.
In my personal opinion, matcha is the undisputed king of ice cream flavors... but unfortunately, they didn't seem to have any, so I settled on strawberry instead.
However, just as I was placing the order and reaching for my wallet, a major problem occurred to me.
Crap. In all the wandering we’d done up to this point, I had managed to spend every single one of my silver coins and smaller change. All I had left were gold and platinum coins.
Handing over a gold coin for two 1R ice creams... that was basically harassment.
Isis-san didn't have anything smaller than platinum either. In that case... it couldn't be helped. It was my own fault for not getting change earlier. I’d just have to pay with the gold coin and tell the vendor to keep the change.
It felt like a waste, but... honestly, I’d always kind of wanted to say that once.
"Here you go, exactly the right amount. Thank you!"
"...Eh? Wait, what?"
The vendor's voice cut through my internal monologue. I looked up in confusion to see him tilting his head as he held out the two ice creams to me.
"...U-Um, I haven't paid you yet... have I?"
"Huh? 'I already got it from your companion over there,' you know?"
"...Eh? My companion—!?"
I didn't think Isis-san even owned a 1R coin. I reflexively looked to my side... and my mind went completely blank.
Standing right there beside me was a petite woman with light brown, shoulder-length hair. She looked at me, gave a playful wink, and then turned and walked away into the crowd without saying a single word.
The moment I saw her, I was so utterly shaken that I couldn't even manage a shout. My mind turned white, my heart began to pound with terrifying force, and while I felt a cold sweat break out across my skin... my body refused to move, as if I had been turned to stone.
That’s impossible... It can't be... I mean... why? How...
"...Mom?"
By the time the word finally stumbled out of my mouth, the woman’s silhouette had already vanished into the throng of people.
Dear Mother, Father——I know it’s just a coincidence. I’ve heard there are always three people in the world who look exactly like you. But even so, I can't stop my hands from trembling... because the woman I just saw was the spitting image of Mom.
Serious-senpai MK-II: Rattle!?