The fifth day of the Six Kings Festival had arrived. With each day proving to be incredibly dense, the festival was now more than halfway over; including today, only three days remained. Today was the day of the festival produced by the Phantasm King, No Face—otherwise known as Alice.
I was set to spend the entire day touring the festivities with Alice, and compared to the previous four days, my heart felt much more at ease.
There were several reasons for this, but the biggest was undoubtedly the fact that very few people knew Alice was actually the Phantasm King. Having to draw public attention everywhere I went was more exhausting than I’d expected, so I was deeply grateful for her anonymity.
Then again, Megiddo-san had called me out by name on the first day, I had toured with the other Six Kings on the second and third, and just yesterday, I had pulled the grand prize—a Special Individual Rainbow Dragon. I had a feeling that eyes would be drawn to me regardless of who I was with, but still...
Even setting that aside, I simply felt relaxed around Alice. It was partly her personality, but she was also someone I talked to regularly, so there wasn't much room for tension.
"Hmm. Should I be happy about the deep trust you have in me, Kaito-san... or should I lament the fact that we still feel more like best friends than lovers?"
"No, well, it just means I have enough peace of mind to actually relax and enjoy myself today."
"And what’s the reasoning behind that peace of mind?"
"Because it’s Alice."
"That phrase of yours is surprisingly versatile, isn’t it?"
Alice gave a wry smile. Her outfit hadn't changed just because it was the festival; she wore her usual, mobile clothing and that suspicious mask. That consistency was part of why I felt so comfortable.
"However! You can only stay relaxed for so long, Kaito-san!"
"Uh-huh?"
"Once you see the festival this Alice-chan produced, your eyes will go wide with shock and you’ll freeze right where you stand!"
"Well, I think I can guess what it’s like..."
"Say what!? No, no, Kaito-san, if you’re going to tell a joke, please make it a better one. This is a project I 'spent all day napping to think up because I stayed up all night,' you know? Even for you, there’s no way—"
"It’s basically the whole city turned into a massive gambling hall, isn’t it?"
Alice froze solid. She was so easy to read.
Yes, the other reason I felt so at ease was that I could predict what today's festival would be like to some extent.
"N-No, you’re wrong. You’re mistaken!"
"Am I?"
"My project is for play... leisure! Risking money is just a secondary effect of some of the attractions; the foundation is pure entertainment..."
"You know, it’s a bit late to bring this up, but you use words like 'entertainment' quite naturally. You definitely know a lot about the world I came from, don't you?"
"Oh? Whatever could you mean? Alice-chan doesn't know a thing about your world, Kaito-san!"
"You rascal."
It had been on my mind for a while, but Alice was far too knowledgeable about Earth. It certainly wasn't just information she'd picked up from the Hero-role. She was likely using some kind of magic to peek at my memories. I seemed to recall her mentioning once that she could do it if she felt like it.
"By the way, to change the subject..."
"Yeah?"
"Don't you think the Hometown Tax is mostly paid by people who aren't actually from the town?"
"You aren't actually from my world, are you?"
As I thought, she knew far too much. She was so well-versed in my world's systems that I honestly wondered if she’d lived there.
"Well, putting such trivial matters aside, let's get going! The festival Alice-chan produced is quite something. The direction is different from that Land of Dreams with the mouse or that massive Movie Land, but it’s the same in the sense that it’s a large-scale theme park. If I had to describe it, it’s like a colossal arcade."
"I see..."
"By the way, I’ve prepared various new games based on the entertainment from your world, Kaito-san!"
Wait, was it just my imagination? The super-dimensional martial art WANAGE just flashed through my mind. It wasn't going to be anything like that, was it? It was something where my life wouldn't be in danger, right?
"Now, let's go! Man, you really are a lucky guy, Kaito-san. Just having a Transcendent Beautiful Girl like me as your lover is incredibly fortunate... and now you get a date where the creator, Alice-chan herself, guides you through the attractions she produced!"
"Yeah... well, I do think I was lucky to have met you, Alice."
"D-Don't just agree so sincerely. It’s embarrassing..."
With her cheeks faintly tinged red, Alice gently took the hand I offered. We left the Central Tower and headed toward the festivities.
A festival produced by Alice—a "giant game center" by her own description. And new games created by her, a girl who seemed suspiciously well-informed about Earth.
I felt a slight flicker of anxiety, but even so, I knew that as long as I was with her, it would be fine.
Dear Mother, Father—It was the fifth day of the Six Kings Festival. Alice had said a few things that concerned me, but I wasn't feeling particularly nervous. After all, it was Alice. I knew that the day we spent together was bound to be fun.
Serious-senpai: "So, why do you know so much about Earth?"
???: "No clue. I have absolutely nothing to do with Alice-chan, so I'm stumped."
Serious-senpai: "...I’m pretty sure everyone has figured it out by now."
???: "For real?"