I had successfully shared my feelings with Shiro-san, and we were officially a couple. It was a moment of pure joy, but unfortunately, the hour was already quite late. I still had to speak with my father and mother, and having spent the entire day making my rounds to greet everyone, there wasn’t much time left for us to just relax together.
"Then, let us begin our date immediately," Shiro-san declared.
Wait, what? I thought the conversation was leading toward me heading home for the night. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I definitely wanted to go on a date with her, but it was already ten o'clock at night.
"It is currently nine o'clock in the morning."
"Wha—? No, that’s impossible. Wait..."
I pulled out my pocket watch, thinking her claim was a bit too much of a stretch even for her. To my shock, the hands pointed exactly to nine, just as she had said.
There was technically no "night" in the God Realm, so I couldn't tell the time just by looking at the sky, but I was certain it had been ten at night just a moment ago.
As I stood there tilting my head in confusion, Chronoa-san suddenly manifested in the Sanctuary, her face pale with panic.
"Shallow Vernal-sama!? The world's time... it was just rewound!"
"I rewound it. Is there a problem?"
"Huh? N-No... well... that is..."
"I rewound it. Is there a problem?"
"..."
"I rewound it. Is there a problem?"
"I... I will go handle the post-processing."
"I leave it to you."
She actually rewound the entire world's time. I knew such a feat was likely a piece of cake for someone as powerful as Shiro-san, but seeing Chronoa-san with those dead eyes made me realize just how much work the cleanup was going to be.
Still, Chronoa-san could never defy Shiro-san. Slumping her shoulders in defeat, the God of Space-Time was about to depart to begin her thankless task when Shiro-san spoke again.
"God of Space-Time."
"Y-Yes!"
"I am putting you through a great deal of trouble. I am relying on you."
"——!?!? Yes! My entire being exists solely for Shallow Vernal-sama's sake! Please, leave everything to me!!"
Chronoa-san... isn't she a bit too much of a pushover? Shiro-san hadn't even looked her in the eye, merely offering a single word of appreciation while staring off into the distance, yet Chronoa-san was now weeping tears of joy as she rushed off to handle the fallout.
I suppose from the perspective of a God, being personally relied upon by Shiro-san was the ultimate honor. Well, as long as she was happy, I guess it was fine.
"Wait, so you rewound the time for the whole world just for this?"
"I also restored your HP and physical strength, Kaito-san. Now we can proceed with our date."
"I have so many things I want to say about that... but is this really okay? Can you just do whatever you want like this?"
"I am the rules."
As she spoke, the floating three-dimensional text reading 'Doyaaa' manifested behind her again. This time, however, it was flashing in a variety of vibrant colors. Her attention to detail was oddly impressive.
"Sigh... well, if we're doing this, let's make the most of it. I wanted to spend more time with you too, Shiro-san."
"I see. So this is the phenomenon known as being 'wooed'."
"It’s not a total misunderstanding, I suppose... but setting that aside, are you in an exceptionally high-tension mood today, Shiro-san?"
"Yes. I am in very high spirits."
In that moment, my sharpened sixth sense screamed at me. It told me, 'Ah, this is the dangerous kind of high spirits.'
"Um, Shiro-san?"
"Yes?"
"I don't even know where to begin, but... why has a massive amusement park suddenly appeared in the Sanctuary?"
"I created it."
I had expected something like this the moment she said she was excited, but seeing a literal theme park manifest out of thin air left me speechless. If she went through the trouble of making this, I assumed she wanted an amusement park date.
"That is correct."
"I'll ask just in case, but why an amusement park?"
"Kuro has already gone on several dates with you, Kaito-san. Therefore, I shall have an amusement park date—something neither Kuro nor any of your other lovers have done yet. I shall be the first."
I understood her logic, even if the scale was ridiculous. However, even with a park, did the attractions move on their own? Could we even do this without any staff?
"There is no issue. Phantasm King... no, Alice. You are nearby, are you not? You should be able to handle this role. I appoint you as the staff and mascot character."
"Why the hell do I have to follow your orders? Use your own divine lackeys for this. You've got that Hardworking God—I mean, the God of Space-Time—don't you?"
Stop saying that! Don't call Chronoa-san the 'Hardworking God' so casually! I already had her face stuck in my head the moment I heard the nickname... it was just too pitiful.
Regardless, Alice had manifested in response to Shiro-san's call, sounding characteristically defiant. Still, the fact that she didn't just flat-out refuse meant she harbored at least a baseline level of respect for Shiro-san.
Shiro-san then produced a small, black, marble-like object and handed it to Alice.
"I offer this as your reward."
"What's this supposed to be? You think you can bribe me with some little—!"
Alice, who had been eyeing the marble with suspicion, suddenly froze. Her eyes went wide, and she looked back and forth between the object and Shiro-san in disbelief.
"Wait, seriously? You're giving me this?"
"It is yours."
"Leave it to me! Alice-chan has officially accepted the role of park staff! I'll make sure Shallow Vernal-sama and Kaito-san have the time of your lives!"
"I look forward to it."
It was a predictable outcome, though I was surprised she had been bribed with a mysterious marble rather than money. I wasn't an idiot; I knew that wasn't just some common trinket.
Once Alice disappeared to prepare, I turned to Shiro-san to satisfy my curiosity.
"Shiro-san, what exactly did you give her?"
"It is a sphere that allows a being to generate magic power like a living person when embedded into a split body."
"I see..."
It seemed like a niche item, but I immediately realized why Alice wanted it so badly. It was the solution to the problem that had been bothering her during the Six Kings Festival. With that marble, Iris-san would finally be able to manifest in the physical world without any time restrictions.
Strangely enough, I could feel Shiro-san's growth. In the past, she would have just dumped the work on Chronoa-san, but now she had specifically chosen Alice—someone who knew what an amusement park was and how to run it. Furthermore, she didn't just command someone who wasn't bound to obey her; she moved them by offering a meaningful reward.
It was proof that Shiro-san was truly beginning to understand the hearts of others.
Bonus: Shiro and Maman's Negotiation
Maman: "Absolutely not. I cannot agree to this. I love all of my children. Even if it is for my most beloved child, I cannot simply hand over the souls of my other children to you. I was already unhappy with the Hero Summoning; permitting it only on the condition that their souls return to me upon death was a massive concession."
Natural God: "I see. I understand. By the way, to change the subject..."
Maman: "What is it? No matter what you offer, I—"
Natural God: "The other day, Kuro returned the 'Epilogue' to me, saying she no longer needed it. I don't particularly have a use for it either, but..."
Maman: "...Well, perhaps I shouldn't reject the idea so hastily. I understand you wish to act for the happiness of our beloved child. And of course, as your long-time acquaintance, I wish to respect your will. To achieve that, we should identify our mutual interests and reach a compromise... I believe a thorough discussion is necessary."
Natural God: "I have no objections."
Maman: "I shall yield where I can. Let us sit down and discuss the conditions calmly and slowly! I'm sure you wouldn't dream of doing anything else... after all, impulsive actions are beneath a being of your stature."
Natural God: "I understand."
Note: The only thing Maman finds terrifying on a traumatic level is the Epilogue (The End of the Story).