One afternoon, I found myself back at the fortune-telling shop run by Elise-san. Unfortunately, I couldn't say we were on particularly close terms yet; we were still more like mere acquaintances. However, she had given me a crucial hint during my contest with Shiro-san, so I decided to stop by to offer my greetings and formal thanks.
"...Ugh. It’s Human-san."
"Hello, Elise-san."
The moment we met, she gave me a look of pure, unadulterated annoyance. It wasn’t exactly that she hated me, but she clearly viewed me as a troublesome person.
...She doesn’t actually hate me, right? I didn't sense any genuine malice from her, so I assumed I was in the clear.
"Yes, yes, hello. Honestly, it’s been a while, Human-san. I feel like I haven’t seen your face in months—or maybe years."
"Ah, yes. Well... just as you predicted in your fortune-telling, after a bit of a confrontation with a God, I returned to my own world for a while."
"...I have no idea what you’re talking about. At the very least, I can see your usual level of absurdity hasn't changed."
"A-Ahaha."
Admittedly, even as the words left my mouth, I realized how ridiculous I sounded. Unfortunately, it was all the literal truth.
"Even so, your timing is irritatingly impeccable."
"Huh?"
"My shop is reasonably popular, believe it or not. If there were other customers here, I would have sent you packing... but unfortunately, the flow of customers just broke. It was the exact moment I was thinking of taking a break, so I can’t find a good excuse to kick you out."
"I-I see..."
Somehow, it seemed I would avoid being evicted for the time being.
"Well, whatever. Human-san, flip the sign on that door for me."
"Eh? Ah, okay."
"Now, sit wherever you like. Coffee is fine, right? Actually, I hate black tea and only keep coffee in stock, so I won't accept any complaints."
Saying so, Elise-san disappeared into the back of the shop and returned a short while later with two cups of coffee. She placed them on the fortune-telling table and gestured for me to sit.
The fact that she was treating me to coffee... surely that meant she didn’t actually dislike me?
"So, what did Human-san come here for today?"
"Ah, well... I wanted to thank you properly. I was really saved by that fortune you told me, Elise-san."
"It’s fine. Fortune-telling is my job. The moment I received payment, our business was concluded—no, wait... I didn't take any money from you, did I? In that case, I suppose I’ll listen to your gratitude after all."
"Right... well, it really helped me. Thank you very much."
"You’re very welcome."
Elise-san was a unique individual, to say the least. But talking to her wasn't unpleasant; if anything, it was actually quite fun.
I couldn't help but give a wry smile at her slightly odd phrasing as I voiced my thanks. Elise-san nodded with satisfaction and took a sip of her coffee.
"Now then, what was that about fighting a God and going back to another world? Explain everything properly."
"Ah, right. Well, where should I even start..."
I felt like she viewed me as a nuisance, and she still hadn't called me by my name once... but even so, it really didn't seem like Elise-san hated me.
I hadn't reached the point where she considered me a friend yet, but at the very least, I was someone she would choose as a conversation partner during her private break.
After chatting with Kaito for a while, Elise announced that her break was over and sent him on his way. She sat in her chair, waiting for customers as usual, when the door was roughly thrown open. Several thuggish-looking men stomped into the store.
"Welcome!"
"Yeah... we’re gonna have ourselves a look around."
"Yes, please take your time."
The look of irritation she had shown Kaito was gone, replaced by a bright, professional smile as she greeted the ill-mannered group. After a grunt from the men, they approached the shelves where amulets and other merchandise were displayed.
And then...
"Oops, my hand slipped."
"Ah..."
"Sorry about that, shopkeeper. I knocked over the shelf."
"No, no, are you hurt?"
With nasty, mocking grins, the men repeatedly claimed their hands had slipped as they toppled shelves, or that their feet had slipped as they ground the merchandise into the floor.
It was blatant harassment. Though they offered apologies with their lips, their expressions didn't hold a shred of remorse.
However, Elise continued to respond to them with her smile perfectly intact. Just as she often claimed, Elise was an extreme coward; she wouldn't dream of making enemies or causing a scene.
She simply maintained her business smile, occasionally fretting over whether the men had injured themselves, as she waited for the storm to pass.
Since this shop was located on the Royal Capital's main street, she understood that the men wouldn't do anything beyond "accidentally" knocking over furniture or breaking products.
As she predicted, after trashing the interior for a while, the men spoke to Elise with frivolous laughs.
"Man, sorry about that, shopkeeper. We’re just a bit clumsy, ya see. Sorry for the trouble... we’ll head out for today. Here, this is for the repairs and an apology. Keep the change."
"It was a nice shop, though. We didn't find anything we wanted to buy, but let's come back tomorrow, too."
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. It’s such a good shop I’d like to visit every single day."
Claiming it was for repairs, the men tossed Elise a handful of coins—a sum comparable to a child's pocket change and completely inadequate to cover the damages. Then, laughing loudly, they swaggered out of the shop.
Elise didn't complain about the money. She simply saw them off, knowing perfectly well that protesting would only lead to further trouble.
She stared at the door where the men—who had left behind a warning that was clearly a threat—had departed. The smile vanished from her face.
"...That’s a strike."
After muttering that under her breath, Elise lightly snapped her fingers. The fallen shelves and scattered merchandise righted themselves and returned to their original positions on their own. Simultaneously, the shop door locked itself.
Then, Elise pulled a small magic tool from her pocket and funneled her magic power into it.
『Yes, yes, what is it?』
"...Shaltier-sama, how about we call it one favor, including the post-processing? Ah, don't bother with the pointless banter. There’s no way you don't already have the information, so just hand it over."
『Very well... the ones who came to your shop were just thugs hired for coin. The mastermind is a new shop on this same street... about 150 meters south of here. It seems your shop was in the way since your businesses overlap.』
Using the communication tool provided only to the Executives of the Phantasm King's Subordinates—the one that connected directly to her master, Shaltier—Elise obtained the identity of the person behind the harassment.
Once the information was hers, she held a black tarot card in her hand, her eyes turning cold.
『As usual, you’re quick to act and utterly ruthless... I pity whoever lays a hand on you.』
"Of course. You know it too, Shaltier-sama. I am a timid person. Any insect that has even the slightest possibility of threatening my peace... must be crushed immediately and thoroughly."
『Scary, scary... well, that’s exactly why I keep you as an Executive.』
"It’s a massive nuisance, honestly, but just for now, I’m a little grateful."
As she frequently reminded everyone, Elise was a coward. She generally avoided antagonizing anyone, nor did she become more intimate with others than strictly necessary. She interacted with society through layers of masks, rarely revealing her true nature.
Elise possessed extremely pragmatic, cold logic. Her priority was her own peace, and anyone who threatened it—or even possessed the potential to do so—was eliminated the moment they were discovered.
The next day, several thugs went missing, and a newly opened shop on the main street suddenly went out of business. Curiously—perhaps because someone had manipulated the information—it never became a significant topic of conversation.
A few days later, back in Elise's shop, the shopkeeper wore a look of blatant disgust as she looked at her visitor.
"...Wow, you came again. Are you really that free, Human-san?"
"A-Ahaha... no, I brought some sweets as a thank-you for the coffee the other day."
"You’re far too polite for your own good, which makes it difficult to turn you away. Honestly, I feel like cursing my own misfortune for ever getting involved with you... ugh, just sit wherever."
Kaito believed that while Elise didn't hate him, she found him a nuisance. He was quite mistaken.
To begin with, Elise interacted with almost everyone while wearing multiple masks. She used a polite, harmless tone and never did anything to invite conflict. The people she treated with such a harsh, biting attitude were few. Specifically, it was only her master, Shaltier, and Kaito.
The fact that Elise showed her inner thoughts and spoke ill of someone was proof of her trust. It was a sign of immense confidence from her timid perspective—the belief that even if she showed her true self, this person would never become an enemy who threatened her peace.
Kaito had supported her dream in the best possible way, and her keen eye for people had discerned his true character over their various interactions. Taking those into account, Kaito was someone she... well, he was a bringer of trouble, but someone she liked reasonably well.
Incidentally, the reason she called him "Human-san" and had no intention of stopping was because he was the only person she addressed that way. She felt it was a perfectly functional way to distinguish him from everyone else.
"Human-san, it’s just about lunch time. It doesn't make much difference whether I cook for one or two, so you might as well eat before you leave."
"Eh? Ah, yes. Thank you very much."
"I’ll ask just in case, though I'm not promising I'll listen. Are there any foods you hate?"
"...Green peppers."
"...Despite your size, you’re like a little child."
"Ugh."
"Well, lucky for you, I wasn't planning on using green peppers today. Now, just sit there and wait."
Though her words were laced with a poisonous tongue, a faint smile played upon Elise’s lips as she headed toward the kitchen.
Serious-senpai: "That was some good serious content. So there are actually decent Executives among the Phantasm King's Subordinates after all!"
???: "She’s definitely more pragmatic than I am and she works fast... but she's a total shut-in, she complains every single time I give her a task, and she's a massive pain to handle. Well, even so, she’s one of the more normal ones among the Executives."
Serious-senpai: "By the way, who are the best and the worst?"
???: "The most normal one is undoubtedly Pandemonium. She never misses a report, and her work is both accurate and swift. Personality-wise, she’s the Conscience of the Ten Demons. The absolute worst in terms of the job would be either that extreme masochist Shitty Bird who dies once at the work site before returning with an ecstatic face, or the noisy Shitty Snake who wails and screams every time a mission is finished. As for personality... well, obviously it’s Pandora."
Serious-senpai: "...You really have it rough, don't you?"