With Alice’s support, I managed to navigate the opening greetings. Kuro took the microphone back and made an announcement in a bright, cheerful voice.
"All right then, it’s time for the special birthday cake to make its appearance!"
"Special? Wait—it’s colossal!"
A cake emerged that looked less like a wedding cake and more like a small house. Was it too big? Or perhaps not? Considering guests like Megiddo-san and Acht were in attendance, maybe this size was actually necessary.
In any case, it was truly impressive that they could prepare something of this scale in such a short amount of time. Once again, I was struck by the sheer capabilities of the people around me.
"Now, for an explanation of the cake... Ein, if you please!"
"Certainly. This birthday cake consists of 186 layers. Not only does the flavor change depending on which section you eat, but you can also enjoy variations in taste based on the size of the bite. Furthermore, to ensure every morsel is perfection, the sweetness has been adjusted down to the level of individual grains of sugar."
"I see. It looks delicious."
"I am honored by your praise. This was a collaborative effort between myself and Shal... No Face. I can confidently declare that not just the cake, but all the cuisine served today is of the highest quality. Kaito-sama, please, enjoy it to your heart’s content."
It was all so impressive that I couldn't quite wrap my head around the technical details, but it certainly looked delicious.
Incidentally, the culture of putting a number of candles on a cake to match one's age didn't exist in this world. That made sense; with guests who were thousands or tens of thousands of years old, lighting that many candles would effectively turn the party into a massive conflagration.
The cake was swiftly sliced and brought to me. Glancing at the cross-section, it looked somewhat like a mille-crepe.
Urged on by Kuro and the others, I took a bite. As expected, it was incredible. The flavor really did shift depending on how much I put in my mouth at once, and every variation was wonderful. Ein-san and Alice really were amazing.
"Now then, I want everyone to enjoy chatting over the cake and food... but we have events planned as well! Let’s keep the excitement going!"
Events, huh? I remembered that when I attended Amalie-san’s birthday party with Lilia-san, there was dancing and performances by an orchestra. I wondered if this would be similar.
Given the number of kings and nobles present, I expected something refined and elegant.
"Now, for our very first event! We’re kicking things off with the Duo Karaoke Battle!"
Something incredibly mundane appeared out of nowhere! No, calling it mundane was probably rude to karaoke—it was a classic, foolproof party event.
However... there were kings, emperors, and even gods here. Was it really okay to make them do karaoke?
As those thoughts swirled, I looked out at the guests from the stage. To my surprise, no one looked particularly uneasy. In fact, most of them just seemed puzzled.
"Karaoke is a pastime from Kaito-kun's world where you sing your favorite songs along to music. I’m sure you all know plenty of songs, so we’d like you to sing them for us."
Ah, I see. Most of them simply didn't know what karaoke was. Judging by their expressions, they actually seemed quite intrigued. Entertainment from another world was bound to pique their interest.
"The time has finally come for the First Duo Karaoke Battle! From here on, I, Alice-chan, will take over as your host and live commentator! And providing our expert explanation, of course, we have..."
"Hey, why me again? Between the God of Space-Time and Shallow Vernal-sama, I can’t slack off at all. This is the worst..."
"I can’t fool around too much either with Kuro-san watching, so we’re in the same boat. Anyway, our commentator is the God of Fate, Fate-san! Everyone here knows her, so there’s no need for further introductions."
"The introductions aren't the problem... Sigh, well, I’ll do my best. In moderation."
As I listened, I heard the familiar banter of the commentator and analyst duo. They had slickly set up a commentary booth a short distance away and were proceeding as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
"Now, let me explain the rules! First, please split into pairs. For those of you without friends, this might feel like your first trial, but since drawing lots is a hassle, please just hurry up and form teams with the other leftovers."
Stop that. That line about obliterating loners was dredging up my old high school traumas.
"After that, the rules are simple: just sing whatever song you like. The accompaniment will be provided by the Alice-chan Orchestra. Rest assured, we can play any genre and any instrument."
"Shaltan, you really are versatile."
"Hehehe, you can praise me more, you know."
Following Alice’s words, I looked toward a corner of the venue to find a mysterious group of kigurumi—Alice's split bodies—had assembled.
Cats, dogs, monkeys, cows, horses, bears, lions, tigers, and frogs were all holding various instruments. Why was there a single amphibian mixed in with the mammals? Well, whatever.
I see, so it was going to be karaoke with a live band.
"And since this is a battle, it’s a competition! A duo-versus-duo match. The winner will be decided by Kaito-san."
"Wait, me!?"
"Yes. I’ll give Kaito-san a red and a blue flag. Please listen to both duos and raise the flag of the one you preferred. What matters here isn't technical skill, but rather who you 'liked' more. The verdict rests entirely on Kaito-san’s personal whims, so be warned: being a good singer doesn't guarantee a win."
That was a relief. I was a complete amateur, so judging technical skill would have been impossible. Being able to decide based on my feelings made things much easier.
"I see. So it’ll be important to figure out Kai-chan’s favorite musical style or try to use some psychological tactics."
"Exactly. Some songs from the other world have been introduced here, so those might be a good choice. Now then, have you all finished forming your duos? If you haven't, hurry up and find another outcast in the corner to team up with."
Stop it! Why do you keep saying such heartless things to loners?! Don’t assume everyone can just act immediately in a situation like this! Loners are delicate creatures! What if their hearts shatter?!
Dear Mother, Father—Considering the venue, I fully expected a grand, formal party with events to match. But to my utter surprise, a karaoke tournament began.
Serious-senpai: "I’m not a loner... I’m not a loner... I’m not a loner... If I were to form a duo with the afterword members, I’d be in high demand..."
Wyvern-senpai: "Baby Castella-senpai, team up with me!"
Baby Castella-senpai: "I don't mind."
Serious-senpai: "!?"
???: "Kuro-sa... Me-o-san, let's team up."
Me-o: "Sure thing~"
Serious-senpai: "!? Wait, there must be other afterword members! If I team up with them..."
Maman: "..."
Serious-senpai: "...Ah, s-sorry. It’s nothing. Please team up with the Natural God. I beg of you."