Once Alice’s tour of the mansion finally wound down, I spent the rest of the day showing the place to my parents and the staff from Lilia-san’s estate. Between assigning rooms to my parents, Anima, and the others, the night had grown late before I knew it.
That evening, we had dinner at Lilia-san’s mansion as we always did, following a suggestion from the head chef that there was no reason to separate everyone just yet. It was during the meal that Lilia-san asked me about my plans for a housewarming party.
She had a point. I couldn’t very well call the project finished the moment the roof was on; I needed to host an event to show the place off to my acquaintances.
I set out to start planning the following day, but I was immediately interrupted by a letter from the palace—specifically from King Ryze. It turned out that a summit between the three nations was currently underway. Ryze-san, Chris-san, and Laguna-sama all wanted to attend the party, so he requested that I delay the schedule until after the conference concluded.
As a first-time host, I actually appreciated the extra time. Besides, I definitely wanted Ryze-san and the others to be there, so I sent back my agreement at once.
However, when the time came to actually get ready... I quickly realized I hadn't the faintest idea what I was doing. I expected the preparations to stall indefinitely, but that wasn't exactly what happened.
“Yes. The ingredients on this list should suffice. Zwei, you’re far better suited for guest relations. May I leave that to you?”
“Certainly. Then Ein, you handle the venue and on-site logistics. I will take charge of external coordination, including guest selection and scheduling.”
“Zwei, how do you feel about distributing souvenirs to the guests?”
“A wise idea. However, it would be best to avoid anything excessively valuable. I will arrange for something tasteful but modest. The real concern is the celebratory gifts the guests will likely bring...”
“That won't be an issue. I’ve already scouted the warehouse locations and prepared for the intake. If necessary, I’ll requisition Chronoa’s help and have her use her Authority over Space to manage the overflow. She won’t refuse if it's for Kaito-sama’s sake.”
“...”
Wait, can I just interrupt for a second? Why are you two taking over as the organizers like it's the most natural thing in the world? And why is this meeting so professional?! I mean, I’m grateful, truly, but how did it come to this?
As I stood there, stunned and unable to keep up with the breakneck speed of the conversation, Ein-san and Zwei-san continued to iron out the details with surgical precision.
“...This is weird, right? I’m the host, yet I have absolutely nothing to do.”
“Ahaha, Ein and Zwei were really fired up about this. Since they volunteered, why not just leave it to them?”
“Speaking of weird, Kuro... you’re hanging out in here like it’s your own home, even though I just moved rooms. Did Alice tell you where my bedroom was?”
“No, I just warped the dimensions so I could pop in directly from my— I mean, right! I heard it from Shaltier!”
“Hold on. What did you just almost say?”
Was it just my imagination? Even though this was my room, I was starting to suspect it had several “features” that were being kept secret from me. No, it definitely wasn't my imagination. Alice had rigged more than just that gate.
As that thought crossed my mind, a section of the bare wall opened up like a door, and Alice poked her head through.
“...By the way, Kuro-san, when do you plan on meeting Kaito-san’s parents?”
“Hmm. Probably after the party has settled down. I considered doing it during the event, but Isis can only really manage her aura in the reception room, so that might be tricky.”
“Wait, hey! Alice! Where did you just come from?!”
“Huh? Oh, this is a hidden pas— Anyway! We have more important things to consider before the party!”
“...You and I are going to have a talk later.”
I’d have to interrogate her later. Specifically, about exactly how many hidden functions existed in this mansion that she hadn't bothered to explain to me.
I looked at Alice’s deliberately innocent expression, let out a massive sigh, and spoke.
“...Haaa. Fine. What is it? Do we need to hire more servants?”
My house was the same size as Lilia-san’s mansion—in other words, it was massive. There was no way Anima, Eta, and Theta could handle it alone, even with Caraway-san’s help. Cleaning and landscaping would be a nightmare.
I assumed hiring more staff was the next logical step, but...
“No, that’s not an issue. We need to discuss the guest list and decide which acquaintances to invite.”
“That’s true~ My whole family wanted to come, but we can't have everyone.”
“...Huh? Wait, hold on.”
Puzzled by a reaction that was the polar opposite of what I expected, I stepped out into the hallway to investigate. I summoned Anima with a Hummingbird and asked her the question on my mind.
“Anima, the house was finished three days ago... I assume you haven't had a chance to start cleaning the whole place yet, right?”
“...Well, actually... including moving the furniture for myself, Eta, and Theta... Illness-dono did everything by herself.”
“...What?”
She might not show it on the surface, but Illness-san—who was apparently internally ecstatic about the new house—had cleaned the entire massive mansion solo.
Extra: Friendship Difficulty Levels (Unique Characters Edition)
Pandora Difficulty Level: Even in the Masochist Industry, It’s Torture To anyone besides Alice and Kaito, she is an extreme sadist who loves torture. Whether she hates you or takes a liking to you, the result is the same: torture. In fact, her perverted behavior toward Kaito is actually her attempting to exercise “self-restraint.” Her true self is far more unhinged. Even if you’re a masochist, you’re better off staying far away from her.
Eden Difficulty Level: If You’re Not Her Child, Run Away Immediately The difficulty varies wildly depending on whether or not you are her child (a human from Earth). If you are, there’s no problem. She is generally kind and affectionate, though her love is much more subdued than the obsessive madness she directs at Kaito. If you are not her child, encountering her is a death flag. Your only move is to immediately perform a dogeza and vow absolute loyalty to Kaito. If you don’t, you’ll end up bowing anyway after some “Physical Brainwashing.”
Illness Difficulty Level: ★★ She is polite and possesses a sensible mindset, so casual conversation is no problem. However, if Alice ever flags you as someone who might become a hindrance to Kaito, Illness will eliminate you as part of her routine duties.
Megiddo Difficulty Level: ★★★★★★ He’ll kill you on a whim if you catch him in a bad mood. He likes people with drive, so if you project an athletic, “can-do” attitude, you might survive. However, if he actually takes a liking to you, he’ll try to drag you through a hellish training regimen, which is its own kind of nightmare.
Kaito Miyama Difficulty Level: Dangerous in Another Sense In terms of simply becoming his friend, the difficulty is about ★. However, he is dangerous in a different way. Despite constantly telling the heroines that their defenses are loose, Kaito is the one with the least protection of all. Once you become his friend, he directs almost unconditional trust and goodwill toward you. Because his Sympathy Magic unconsciously broadcasts these feelings, being near him is incredibly addictive. Furthermore, his magic helps him sense exactly what people need to hear, giving him a nearly cheat-like ability to charm others. If you let your guard down, you’ll find yourself falling for him regardless of your gender. Once you start thinking, “Kaito is such a great guy,” you’re already halfway conquered. If you ever think, “I need to protect Kaito,” it’s game over. Welcome to the Kaito Fan Club.
Serious-senpai (Shia) Difficulty Level: Surprisingly Easy She’s actually the easiest of them all. If you affirm her, her affection level skyrockets, and once it’s up, it’s hard to bring down. You can praise her, then immediately insult her, and she’ll still be remarkably tolerant because her base affection remains high. Once you’ve won her over, you can treat her as roughly as you want. She’s a total pushover who’s fine with a ratio of 1 part praise to 9 parts criticism.