I had gotten so happy that he praised Bell that I ended up bragging about Rin as well, and before I knew it, I had been talking for nearly an hour.
"……I’m sorry, Chris-san. I got a bit carried away."
"……I’ve become quite heated in a different sense as well."
"Eh?"
"N-No, please don’t mind me…… It’s just that I was being careless……"
When I apologized for keeping her for so long, Chris-san turned her back to me for some reason and replied while breathing heavily.
"……M-Miyama-sama. My apologies, but if I stay like this, the spiritual damage will be severe…… No, I just remembered I have an errand to attend to, so I shall take my leave now."
"Ah, yes. I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time, repeatedly."
"N-No, this sort of thing isn’t bad once in a while…… Excuse me, I seem to be a bit confused after all! Well then, until next time!"
"……Y-Yeah, take care."
It seemed Chris-san was in quite a hurry; she spoke in a rapid-fire manner and then walked away at a brisk pace.
Hmm. I really did something bad…… I just can’t help but talk forever whenever it comes to Bell and Rin. From now on, I’ll try to be a bit more careful.
After seeing Chris-san off, I still had a little over an hour before my meeting, so I decided to take a light stroll around the area.
If I could find an acquaintance, it would be a good way to kill time…… but things don't usually go that smoothly.
"Milady! Stop! Just what kind of price are you trying to pay for that!?"
"L-Let go of me! It’s a Limited Edition Model! If I miss this chance, I might never be able to get it again!"
"Guh, she's so strong…… Sieg, don't just watch, help me!"
"……L-Lili? Surely this is…… please reconsider. The price is about equal to mine or Luna's annual income, and there are so many variations…… and above all, they are incredibly huge……"
When I turned toward the voices, I saw several giant Dragon Models, each several meters tall, lined up in a row. A trio was bickering right in front of them.
"It’s fine! I have plenty of personal assets! Please let me buy every single one!"
"No! Besides, where are you going to put something like this!? They won’t even fit in your hidden room, Milady!"
"Then, in the garden……"
"Lili, Bell-chan and Rin-chan would be scared, so please stop…… Anyway, just calm down for a moment."
……Ah, yeah. I knew it. I felt like they looked like people I knew, but they're total strangers. Yeah. Do they not realize how much attention they're drawing? A-Anyway, I didn't see anything.
I quickly averted my eyes and pulled Bell and Rin along with me as I hurried away from the scene.
I-I mean, even though this place is undeniably vast, I just can't seem to find any acquaintances. Ah, ahaha……
"……Just now, you insulted Miyama-sama, didn't you? Does that mean you have a death wish?"
"Wha!? P-Pand—gah!?"
"……For the likes of a filthy War King's Subordinate, do not speak my name…… It seems I need to discipline you."
"Agh!? Ch-Chains…… guah!?"
"Come, cry out with a better voice. Don't worry, I won't kill you…… I'll torment you to the very brink."
"Gyaaaaaaaa!!"
……Y-Yeah. Stranger. A complete, total stranger whom I don't know in the slightest. She was joyfully binding someone with chains appearing out of thin air, but I had absolutely no memory of ever meeting her.
W-Well, she's a stranger, but…… given the situation, I suppose……
"Alice, GO."
"……Aye."
For the time being, I sent Alice over and decided to retreat from the area. This is strange—why do I keep encountering such bizarre scenes?
F-For now, I'll just keep pretending I don't know anything to avoid the crisis. Absolutely nothing good will come of getting involved……
Thinking that, I moved quickly and let out a heavy sigh once I was far enough away. It should be fine if I've come this far.
"……Oh? Is that not my child?"
"……"
……It was over. It was completely over. Just when I thought I had escaped the trouble, a massive landmine was waiting for me at my destination.
"……E-Ede, Eden-san? G-Good morning."
"Good morning. I am so happy to see my beloved child's face at the start of the day. Oh, could it be that you came to see Mother? Oh, I see! That must be it! As expected of my beloved child, you understand exactly what Mother desires. Oh, how wonderful. Oh? However…… have you not slept for only '4 hours 52 minutes and 23 seconds'? This will not do; if you do not get proper sleep, it will affect my child's health. Oh, I see, that's how it is! My child was lonely, wasn't he? My apologies; I have been so focused on spreading my child's greatness to the world that I failed to go to my child's side. Yes, it’s all right. It’s all right now. Mother shall sleep beside you. With unending affection, I shall lead my child into a peaceful slumber!"
H-Hiiiiieee! Scary! This person is definitely scary! Why does she know my sleep time down to the second!? And, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she just kept talking up a storm before I could even get a word in……
Eden-san approached me with dark hearts swirling deep within her eyes…… and immediately after, Kuro's Uppercut struck her right in the chin.
Kuro's Uppercut…… that single strike possessed enough power to blow away every single cloud in the sky. However, despite receiving a punch of such magnitude, Eden-san only recoiled slightly.
"……Every single time, you certainly love to interfere with my time with my child. Even the 'Gentle Me' has finally reached the limit of my patience, you know?"
Objection! Where exactly are you gentle? If anything, you're a total Berserker!
"That's my line! No matter how many times I warn you, when are you going to learn the meaning of self-restraint!"
"For me, who stands at the apex of a single world, a word such as self-restraint is unnecessary."
"Ah, geez! You're as ill-natured as ever…… I'm seriously going to blow you away!"
"Try it if you can."
"……"
"……"
Sparks flew between Kuro and Eden-san. Then, as Kuro silently tore a vortex into the air, both of them disappeared into the void while still glaring at each other.
Dear Mother, Father—— Yeah, how should I put it…… it’s beyond the level of being a bad omen. I haven't even met up with Fia-sensei and Noin-san yet, you know? So why is it that things like this…… keep happening, one after another……
??? "I-I'll tell you exactly what just happened, okay? Just when I…… when Alice-chan put Pandora in the house, two monsters started a brawl…… I don't even know what I'm saying anymore……"
1 Episode Left Until Serious-senpai's Overhaul is Complete