On the final day of the Six Kings Festival, amid the incredible bustle of the venue, the High-ranking Demon Elise stood at her small stall, lost in thought.
The fortune-telling shop she had set up had recorded impressive sales throughout the six-day event. Thanks to that success, she had managed to secure permission to keep her business running for today, the festival's grand finale.
(Trouble... there has been so much trouble. Honestly, my nerves are frayed to the breaking point. And all of it—all of it is that human's fault! What on earth is wrong with him!? The Death King, the World King, a noble of the Human Race, and while I didn't catch her name, that woman was undoubtedly a Count-class High-ranking Demon... Then yesterday, it was the Underworld King... He’s just too much of a monster.)
Indeed, the reason her stall had remained so incredibly popular over the past six days was that Kaito had repeatedly stopped by at the urging of his various lovers and companions.
While the rumors had bred more rumors, allowing her to earn a tidy sum, Elise—who possessed the sensibilities of a perfectly ordinary person—was utterly exhausted.
(...In the end, every single rumor about that human turned out to be true. Well, at least I’ve made more than my target profit. With this, I might finally be able to fulfill my dream of opening a shop in the Human Realm!)
She currently owned a small fortune-telling business in the Demon Realm, but she had long yearned to expand into the Human Realm. Large cities were a rarity in the Demon Realm. Because of the vast diversity of races, the domain mostly consisted of small to medium-sized towns; the place where Elise currently operated was no exception.
That was exactly why the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, with its superior urban infrastructure, was a place of longing for small-business owners in the Demon Realm. Having saved enough capital to purchase a small plot of land there, Elise let a smile spread across her face as she continued her musings.
(Now, the question is which country I should buy land in... In terms of the scale of the capital city, the Arclesia Empire is the largest. That country also puts a lot of effort into supporting individual shops, so there are many benefits. But, hmm... I’m not very good with the cold, so that makes me hesitate.)
The Arclesia Empire was located in the northern region of the Human Realm, meaning it grew quite cold in the winter and saw frequent snowfall. The country even had specialty products that utilized its frigid climate.
(The Hydra Kingdom has incredible energy among the commoners, and there are plenty of opportunities for advancement... but that nation is quite innovative. Trends move so fast there that I’m worried I wouldn't be able to keep up.)
The Hydra Kingdom’s national character favored the cutting edge in everything from culture to politics, meaning fads shifted with dizzying speed. Because it was known as the "Hydra of Clothing," fashion trends changed almost yearly. To succeed there, one needed to be highly sensitive to the latest trends—something Elise knew she lacked.
(In that case, the Kingdom of Sinfonia is my strongest candidate. The climate is stable year-round, and the food is delicious. There are plenty of tourist spots, too. It's a wonderful country. My only concern is that there’s so much nature that I’d have to rely on the Wyvern Service to get around, which would make transportation costs quite high...)
While Elise was happily imagining her new life in the Royal Capital, her smile suddenly froze.
(...He’s here again. That human. You come here almost every single day, sir. You’re a complete regular now! Sigh, I wonder who he’s brought along this ti—ti—)
She spotted the familiar figure of Kaito and, wondering who on earth he had brought with him this time, shifted her gaze. The moment she did, the color drained from her face.
(...A... A-a-abababa... the Creator God!? W-wait a minute, Mr. Human! Who in the world have you brought here!? Please, stop! Don't come this way! That person is a total no-go! She isn't someone a lowly demon like me should ever be interacting with!)
She screamed desperately in her heart at Kaito, who was approaching alongside Shallow Vernal. Her silent pleas went unheard; Kaito and Shallow Vernal arrived at the front of Elise's stall.
"Um... we'd like a compatibility fortune-telling, please."
"H-hieff!"
Kaito spoke with an apologetic tone, and Elise nodded, her eyes welling with tears.
(Hawawawa, the aura... the Godly Aura! Just looking at her directly makes me feel like my body is going to shatter into a million pieces... So this is the Creator God. It's the first time I’ve ever seen her this close. I mean, this is that situation, isn't it? If I give a bad result, I’m as good as dead!)
With those terrifying thoughts swirling in her mind, Elise shifted her gaze as she shuffled her cards.
On the roof of a building a short distance away, the God of Space-Time Chronoa watched quietly with her arms crossed. On a cushion floating in the air, the God of Fate Fate lounged about, yet watched with sharp, piercing eyes. And from the shadows of a nearby building, the God of Life Life peered out with a smile that radiated pure intimidation.
(...Ah, I’m definitely going to die. If I give a bad result, I’ll be turned into minced meat on the spot. I like eating minced meat, but I have no desire to become it myself!)
Facing the beings who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the world, Elise trembled uncontrollably, yet she hadn't completely despaired. Ironically, her hope rested solely on the human before her.
(I-it’s okay. This human’s luck is at a level that defies common sense. He’s drawn four Hearts every single time so far. If he does it again today, everything will settle peacefully.)
The compatibility fortune-telling Elise performed was intended for the general public and was rigged so that good results were easy to obtain. Specifically, if either the man or the woman drew four Heart cards in a row, the result was set as "Best Compatibility." Thus, as long as either Kaito or Shallow Vernal drew four Hearts, she was safe.
Normally, the probability of drawing four of the same card from a deck of twenty-eight cards consisting of seven types was quite low. However, Kaito had drawn four Hearts every single day since the second day of the festival.
That was the one sliver of hope Elise clung to.
"T-t-t-then, Creator God-sama... p-p-p-please, draw four cards."
"..."
Upon hearing Elise's request, Shallow Vernal drew four cards with a fluid, graceful motion. Every single one of them was a Heart.
(A-as expected of the Creator God! With four Hearts in a row, it doesn't matter what the human draws; it’ll be the best possible result! Thank goodness... my life is saved. Now, I just need the human to draw his...)
Relieved that the threat to her life had passed, Elise prompted Kaito to draw. Kaito reached out and pulled four cards... and they were all Hearts.
(Hareeeh!? Wh-why are there more Hearts? I only put four in the deck... Eh? Wait, did I accidentally mix in the spare cards?)
Elise was stunned by the sight of eight Heart cards lined up when there should have only been four in the entire deck. However, noticing Shallow Vernal's gaze, she immediately straightened her posture.
Regardless of the anomaly, in her fortune-telling, drawing four Hearts in a row meant the highest possible score.
"It—it’s the best compatibility!"
"I see... I have one question."
"H-hieff!?"
To the visibly terrified Elise, Shallow Vernal spoke in a flat, monotone voice.
(I-it’s the first time I’ve ever heard the Creator God’s voice! H-how beautiful... No, focus! Um, four Suns and four Hearts... Four Hearts in a row is the best compatibility, and four Suns in a row is a wonderful result just below that... Since I have four Hearts listed as the best result, theoretically, this result would be the very top, I guess?)
Elise was too panicked to realize that "four Suns and four Hearts" was the exact result Kaito and Kuromueina had achieved the day before.
(U-umm... Strictly speaking, there are only four of each card in the deck, so getting eight Hearts shouldn't be possible. It’s an irregular case, but since they’re both the highest result...)
After a moment of thought, Elise spoke with an uneasy tone.
"...Um, I suppose the eight Hearts would be... better?"
"..."
Shallow Vernal remained silent in response to Elise's timid answer.
(Wh-what’s the verdict? Was that the right answer? Was it the wrong one? I can't read her expression at all!)
Sweat poured down Elise's face like a prisoner awaiting a death sentence. Finally, after a long silence, Shallow Vernal opened her mouth.
"...God of Space-Time."
"Yes! I am here."
"This is a wonderful shop. I believe this stall 'would be a welcome addition to the capital of the Kingdom of Sinfonia.'"
"As you wish."
Hearing Shallow Vernal's dispassionately stated command, Chronoa bowed deeply and vanished.
A short while after the Six Kings Festival ended, an envoy from the King of Sinfonia would visit Elise to propose that she "absolutely must open a shop in the Royal Capital."
And a little while after that, Elise would set up her new shop in the heart of Sinfonia, only to fall into despair upon discovering that Kaito lived quite nearby.
And finally... quite some time after that, she would find herself genuinely liking Kaito’s personality, to the point where she would look forward—just a little—to his visits.
~A Simple Introduction of Mob Characters~
Elise (523 years old) A demon recognized as High-ranking due to the sheer magnitude of her magic power, though she is completely incapable of combat. She specializes in fortune-telling and the creation of magic tools. She is an exceedingly ordinary demon who simply longed to live in the capital of the Human Realm. She has business dealings with a shop that is a subcontractor of a subcontractor for the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company, giving her a very thin connection to the company. While she has historically been a girl with rather poor luck, her encounter with Kaito will turn that thin connection into a massive pipeline. She will earn the evaluation of the Six Kings and the Supreme Gods, and through the favor of the Creator God, she is destined to receive the Main Blessing of the God of Commerce. She is a girl who still has many hardships ahead of her. She is short in stature, but her chest armor is quite substantial.
???: "Serious-senpai, the idol and heroine of the afterword."
Serious-senpai: "Hey! Don't you dare lump me into the mob introductions!! I'm a main character!!"
???: "...Even though you've never appeared in the main story."
Serious-senpai: "Guh..."