I walked side-by-side with Alice along a path bathed in the orange glow of the sunset.
The fifth day of the Six Kings Festival had been overwhelmingly entertaining from beginning to end.
"I have to say, that was truly fun. Today was a rare exception—we didn't run into any particular trouble."
"...Normally, the fact that you run into trouble so often is what’s weird, you know?"
"Fair point."
"Ahaha! Well, as long as you enjoyed yourself, Kaito-san, then all my hard work was worth it."
"Still, seeing all those amazing attractions and toys today made me think... it’s a bit of a shame that almost none of them will be commercialized."
According to Alice, most of the attractions and gadgets we had seen today would be difficult to turn into consumer products. Apparently, some Magic Tools equipped with a few of the functions would be sold at Kuro’s festival tomorrow, but even so, they represented a tiny fraction of what we’d experienced.
"Well, some of it is just hard to mass-produce due to costs or the level of technology required... but beyond that, making everything convenient isn't always a good thing."
"Is that how it works?"
"That’s how it works. For example, if a Magic Tool could automatically prepare food that tasted better than a professional chef's cooking, that chef would lose their livelihood. The same applies to the field of production. That’s why we have to be selective about what we put into circulation, always keeping an eye on the state of the world."
"I see..."
"Of course, convenience is generally a positive thing. But if every single task becomes automated and every desire is easily fulfilled... what waits at the end of that road is a gradual decline. For living creatures to truly live, a certain level of competition is necessary, after all."
She spoke with a weight in her voice, as if she were describing something she had personally witnessed. In all likelihood, she had. This was just a guess, but I suspected that the world Alice originally came from was far more technologically advanced than my own.
The reason she was able to create all these debut technologies—even if only as "experiments"—was likely because she already possessed the foundational knowledge for them.
A world where everything was automated and competition had vanished. Precisely because she had seen the outcome of such a society, I felt that Alice thought quite deeply about the way a world ought to be.
In fact, the attractions I saw today utilized incredible technology, yet they were created solely for the purpose of play.
"...I have to say, I've found myself seeing you in a better light several times today, Alice."
"Oh, really? Great! Go ahead and shower me with praise! I’m the type who thrives on compliments, you know. Come on, let 'em rip!"
"If only you didn't have this idiotic side to you, I could respect you wholeheartedly."
"You raised me up just to drop me?!"
That being said, there was no doubt that I did respect her. I knew the reason today had been so enjoyable was, more than anything else, because Alice had been by my side.
Our relationship was bright and easygoing—I really loved the atmosphere whenever I was with her.
"By the way, Alice, why did you plan this specific kind of festival? I know money wasn't your only goal."
"You’re changing the subject... Well, fine. Hope for the future acts as the vitality for living through each day. So, I suppose I wanted to give everyone a little sneak peek of future technology. Of course, I adjusted the scale of things significantly."
"You really do think about a lot, don't you? So, what will Kuro's festival be like tomorrow?"
"Basically, it’ll be a more orthodox festival. There will be a few more Magic Tools for sale than usual, but otherwise, it’ll feel like a large-scale fair or a fireworks display."
"Heh, that’s a bit unexpected. I thought for sure it would be another outrageous spectacle..."
Setting aside Alice, who used the word "fair" as if it were the most natural thing in the world, it seemed Kuro’s festival wouldn't be anything too eccentric.
I had half-expected a Baby Castella Festival or something similar—a concept so far ahead of its time that no one could possibly keep up.
"Hmm. Well, in the first place, the catalyst for this Six Kings Festival was Kuro-san saying she wanted to 'go on a festival date' with you, Kaito-san. She’s just sticking to her original goal."
"Wait, you just dropped a bombshell on me?! What? That was the reason for holding the Six Kings Festival?!"
"Y-Yes... Well, look, Kuro-san was the one who initiated it, right? There was never going to be some grand, complex reason behind it."
"T-True..."
Despite her status, Kuro was a commoner at heart, and she often did strange things on a whim. This seemed to be another one of those patterns.
I felt a strange, ticklish sensation in my chest—a mix of being happy and being completely exasperated.
"By the way, she’s going to be wearing a yukata."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because I'm the one who suggested it—Ow!?"
"...Now that I think about it, you’ve been whispering all sorts of weird ideas to Kuro and Isis-san, haven't you? I’d completely forgotten until this very second. I’ve been meaning to have a long talk with you about that."
"A-Ah? Did I just dig my own grave? K-Kaito-san, your face is terrifying right now... Oh, come on, it was just a little bit of playfulness, right? Just a prank from your cute girlfriend. Just laugh and forgi—Ack, hey! Stop dragging me by my cheek! Try a different—Gnyargh?! My ear!"
Ignoring her usual racket, I grabbed Alice by the ear and forcibly marched her toward a secluded area. I had quite a few things to say to this girl, so a lecture was definitely in order.
Dear Mother, Father—Regarding Kuro, but especially when it comes to Alice, she’s been filling Isis-san’s head with far too much nonsense. Because the pure-hearted Isis-san believes every word and actually tries to do what she’s told, for the sake of my own future—a stern lecture is in order.
Serious-senpai: "I feel relieved seeing Alice as her usual self... but at the same time, I want to lament over where the seriousness went. What do you think?"
???: "I think Alice-chan should be the main heroine!"
Serious-senpai: "I wasn't asking about that!"