After receiving a rather... specific gift from Pandora-san, I was presented with one from Megiddo-san. As I had expected, it was alcohol—specifically, a massive barrel of sake.
Following Megiddo-san, Fate-san gave me a large cushion, and then it was Magnawell-san’s turn. Naturally, Magnawell-san couldn’t actually enter the building. Since he was waiting outside the venue, Fafnir-san delivered the gift as his proxy.
Next came a succession of gifts from Ryze-san, Lotus-san, Dahlia-san, Amalie-san, and Orchid. I assumed Fia-sensei would be next, but the timing shifted.
"Alright, next up is Catastro."
"Yes!"
Following Alice's introduction, a woman with light-green hair tied in a single ponytail climbed onto the stage with an elegant stride. She was dressed in a tailcoat—or perhaps a butler’s uniform?
A person I had absolutely no memory of meeting had just appeared. Who was this? I really didn't recall her.
"Ah, Kaito-san. That girl is one of the Count-class High-ranking Demons I temporarily assigned to be your bodyguard. You’ve never spoken to her directly, but since she was essentially the leader of those ten, I decided to let her participate."
I see. She was one of the people Alice had assigned to guard me during that incident with Kuro. If she was their leader, she was likely quite high-ranking even among Alice’s subordinates.
Catastro-san walked up to me, bowed politely, and spoke.
"My name is Catastro, as I was just introduced. Please allow me to offer my heartfelt congratulations on your birthday. I have brought a modest gift to celebrate the occasion."
"Y-Yes. Thank you very much for coming. I'm Kaito Miyama... Um, it's nice to meet you."
"Thank you for your courtesy. However, I must apologize. I cannot shake your hand. Due to my constitution, I cause everything I touch to decay. Even with these thick gloves, I cannot prevent it perfectly."
When I reflexively reached out for a handshake, Catastro-san shook her head slightly in apology.
She decayed anything she touched. Based on her tone, it sounded like an ability she couldn't suppress at will. That struck me as a rather tragic power to possess. I had Shiro-san’s Blessing, so I probably would have been fine, but I sensed it might be a sensitive topic I shouldn't pry into.
"Don't bother pitying her, Kaito-san. That girl can hold things with her antennae if she's in her true form... She could just touch things that way if she wanted."
"...Even if these hands are dangerous things transformed from my Venomous Wings, even if I must live in extreme poverty every day because of the cost of replacing gloves, even if my daily meal is less than a single slice of bread, and even if I must sleep in a cave... I will never acknowledge that hideous form as my true self. This is my true appearance."
Wait, what? Now I was starting to feel sorry for her for an entirely different reason.
"By the way, her true form is a Moth Monster."
"Don't expose me immediately after I denied it, Shaltier-sama!!"
"Anyway, you’re wasting too much time. Hurry up, give him the present, and get off the stage. Then go gnaw on some dry bread in the corner."
"Sh-Shaltier-sama... surely that is too unreasonable..."
Yeah, I thought Alice was going a bit too far. No matter if she was a subordinate, Catastro-san had every right to be angry—
"At least let me have salad! Please! I usually eat the weeds growing around the area!!"
There?! That was her breaking point?! Or rather, wasn't her diet way too miserable?!
"Fine... eat whatever you want."
"...No, if I eat something too high-class, my stomach won't be able to handle it..."
I was actually tearing up. Even if it was by choice, her level of poverty was terrifying. Catastro-san was a Count-class High-ranking Demon, wasn't she? She was one of the handful of formidable beings in the Demon Realm. Just how quickly was she rotting through those gloves to be this broke?
"...My apologies, Miyama-sama. Once again, happy birthday. This is a small gift for you."
"Th-Thank you very much. Um... are you sure you're okay?"
I asked while biting back the words "financially speaking," and my concern seemed to reach her. Catastro-san replied with a small smile.
"I am humbled by your concern. But I am fine. I am used to fasting."
"..."
"Well then, if you'll excuse me."
She handed me what looked like a box of sweets. The gift should have been light, but it felt incredibly heavy. Thinking she had prepared this while bracing herself for another fast... I felt terribly guilty.
I couldn't just let it end like this. Was there something I could do? Anything... Ah, that's it!
"C-Catastro-san! Please wait!"
"...Yes?"
"If you'd like, please take this!"
"H-Huh? For me to receive something from Miyama-sama would be completely backward—wait, what is this?! G-Gloves Woven from the War King's Mane?!"
I stopped her as she tried to leave the stage and hurriedly held out the gloves I had won as a prize during the Six Kings Festival. I didn't know how effective they would be against her decay, but given the material, I figured they had to be sturdy. If I kept them, I’d probably just end up using them as oven mitts anyway.
"N-No, I can't! I cannot possibly accept such an expensive item!"
"I can't put them to good use even if I keep them..."
Catastro-san shook her head vigorously in agitation, but I couldn't back down now.
"I-I have no use for them either! Please, take them!"
"For your information, those gloves can perfectly resist Catastro's decay. She wanted them so badly she used up her paid vacation on the first day of the festival to try and win them... but she lost to Agni-san and went home empty-handed. Those gloves are incredibly rare because only Megiddo-san can make them, and you can only get them by beating him."
"Shaltier-sama! Please stop saying unnecessary things!! A-Anyway, Miyama-sama! Please put them away! I have nothing I could possibly give you in return!!"
I hadn't realized there was a restriction like that. They were just listed normally on the exchange list I was given.
Catastro-san was practically pleading with me to take them back, but her eyes kept flickering toward the gloves. It was clear she wanted them desperately. Despite that, she remained rational enough to insist she couldn't accept them. I eventually just took her hand and forced the gloves on her.
"No, I can't ignore what I just heard. If I ignored this when I have the solution right here, I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. So, please, accept them for my sake!"
"I-I certainly didn't intend to—"
"Catastro!" Alice interrupted. "Shaltier-sama?"
"Once Kaito-san gets like this, he won't back down. Just give up. We’re already pressed for time, so just take them and go gnaw on your salad in the corner. If you don't get a move on, an Angel even more unreasonable than me is going to start moving."
"Ugh... I-I understand."
Following Alice's gaze, I saw Eden-maman in the corner of the venue, glaring at Catastro-san.
That was the look of someone about to snap. She was definitely thinking something terrifying like, "To refuse my child's kindness is a sin worthy of ten thousand deaths. Shall I erase your existence right now?"
Prompted by Alice, Catastro-san accepted the gloves with a look of profound apology and immediately bowed deeply.
"Miyama-sama, I have indeed received your kindness! I shall never forget this debt. I will spend my life repaying it!!"
"N-No, that's an exaggeration..."
"Truly, thank you very much!"
"Ah, no... you're welcome."
After thanking me in a loud voice, Catastro-san stepped down from the stage, moved to the corner... and began happily gnawing on her salad.
Dear Mother, Father—I'm not quite sure how to feel. She was "out there" in a completely different way than the people I've met so far. She was unique, or rather... it made me wonder. Are there no sane people among the Phantasm King's subordinates?
Today's Eden Maman
... (I wonder when my turn will finally come? Seeing my child's face is a meaningful use of my time, but I find the Talking Meat that frequently interrupts my view unbearable. Honestly, Alice has done something unnecessary... However, as far as I can read from his mind, this is very beneficial for my child... I suppose I must endure it. Ah, come to think of it, besides my beloved child, there were three other children of mine in this venue. Although they don't come anywhere near my beloved child, the fact remains that they are my children. As their mother, I suppose I should offer them a brief word.)
... (Shall I dispose of that Meat Slab? To refuse my child's offer is an unforgivable act of lèse-majesté. Can she not understand that she never had the right to refuse in the first place? I promised not to kill the creatures of this world without reason... but that should count. No, it is nothing other than lèse-majesté. To refuse my beloved child's offer twice is worthy of ten thousand deaths... Well then, immediately... However, would that not cause my kind child's heart to ache? There is no need for consideration toward the likes of a Meat Slab, but my child's kindness is wider than the universe. Still, as a mother, there is a limit to what I can tolerate. Hmm, what should I do? Yes... I shall dispose of her if she refuses one more time... Let's do that.)