After Miyama Kaito’s housewarming party concluded, one of Alice’s split bodies sat in the mansion’s basement bar, conversing with Iris.
"……Hmm. So in the end, you still don’t know what the Gods were up to?"
"Yeah. They didn't do anything else unusual after that, and they almost certainly won't answer even if I ask. I’m at my wit's end."
"Even you?"
"Well, I can make a few guesses, but Shallow Vernal-sama has been quite difficult to read lately. Her mental state is maturing at an incredible pace, so she often takes unexpected actions…… well, regardless, she seems to be acting with Kaito-san in mind more than before. If Shallow Vernal-sama was the one who won, I doubt it’ll lead to anything bad."
Indeed, it was still unclear what Shallow Vernal and Eden had been fighting about. Neither Shallow Vernal nor Eden had taken any noteworthy actions since the coin toss. Kaito had also been busy greeting his guests and hadn't had much time to investigate, so the matter had simply been left vague.
"Well, perhaps it was nothing after all. There is a possibility that the God named Eden was trying to do something and Shallow Vernal-sama simply moved to stop her."
"True."
"……By the way, I’ve been curious for a while, but what is that paper bag?"
"Ah, this? It’s a commemorative gift Kaito-san distributed to the guests. Kaito-san told me to make sure Iris got one too…… even though you didn't actually attend the party."
"It should go without saying, but I have no stomach for those kinds of gatherings…… Regardless, he is as dutiful as ever."
Accepting the paper bag from Alice with a faint smile, Iris checked the contents.
"……Oh, a glass…… Is this crystal? It’s beautiful."
"Yes, it’s a durable, practical glass."
"I see. A safe but excellent choice for a gift…… Hmm? What is this box?"
"Eh? A box?"
As Alice tilted her head in confusion, Iris pulled a small, palm-sized box from the bag.
"……That’s a disposable magic box, the kind used for things like random boxes. Wait, I shouldn't have put anything like that in there."
"……Which means?"
"It’s undoubtedly Shallow Vernal-sama's doing. How unexpected…… to think she would tamper with a gift that wouldn't even pass through Kaito-san's hands."
"Hmm. I believe these open by pulling the string at the bottom? Let's see…… This is…… wine?"
A single bottle emerged from the magic box. A large 'K' was printed on the label.
"Could this be the Shallow Grande you mentioned before?"
"No, the design is different. It's not Shallow Grande. There’s no wine with this design in my memory, so she must have created it specifically for this. It’s brand new."
"I see. I’ve never seen the characters on this label before……"
"Those are characters from Kaito-san's world. I think it’s the first letter of his name. There’s something written on the back too. Oh? These are characters from our world…… Let’s see. 'From Shallow Vernal to Kaito, with love.'…… I see. So it’s a wine she made specifically for him."
Alice fell silent, her expression shifting into deep thought. After contemplating for a few dozen seconds, she looked up and made a suggestion to Iris.
"If it's alright with you, Iris, do you want to try some?"
"I don't mind…… Wait a moment, I’ll prepare the glasses."
Fortunately, they were in a bar. Iris pulled two wine glasses from the shelf and placed them in front of herself and Alice. She uncorked the bottle and poured.
"……What? It’s silver?"
"She probably based it on Shallow Vernal-sama's hair color, but…… it looks like mercury."
"Stop that. We are about to drink it."
"Well, I'm sure the taste is fi—!?"
"Let me al—!?"
Alice and Iris each took a sip, and both froze instantly, eyes wide. They remained motionless with their glasses tilted for a long moment before finally coming back to their senses.
"……W-What is this? Is this actually wine? If so, what have I been drinking until now? Tinted water?"
"How can it taste this good? Of all the wines I’ve had in my life, this is the best by a landslide."
"Does that mean it’s superior even to the legendary Shallow Grande?"
"The scale is completely different. Honestly, drinking this made one thing very clear. Shallow Vernal-sama…… she was totally slacking off when she made Shallow Grande."
The flavor was overwhelming. It was a taste that made even Alice, who possessed the memories of every wine in existence, lose her words. It was truly a divine nectar.
Amidst the shock, Alice eventually clutched her head.
"……Seriously, how fast is that Goddess growing? I can't believe she's already capable of using such subtle tactics……"
"Tactics?" Iris asked.
"Yes. On the surface, it’s just Shallow Vernal-sama making wine for Kaito-san and giving it to the guests. In reality, it’s built on a terrifyingly sophisticated strategy."
Having evaluated Shallow Vernal’s mental growth as incredible, Alice began to break down the Goddess’s actions.
"First, doing it secretly without telling Kaito-san is a brilliant move. If she had asked beforehand, Kaito-san would have declined out of modesty. But by setting it up like this, Kaito-san only finds out after the wine is already in the participants' hands. At that point, he can't exactly ask for it back."
"……I see. That is logical."
"And because it’s a wine that doesn't officially exist, there’s no clear way to gauge its value. To Kaito-san, it just seems like Shiro-san made some delicious wine and shared it with everyone, which makes it easier for him to accept."
Alice paused, gripping the wine bottle.
"……Next, when it comes to memory, the strongest impressions are the ones people recall first. A wine this delicious will leave a permanent mark on everyone who tasted it…… right alongside the message written in our language on the back of the label."
"In other words, for every guest at this party, when someone asks who Miyama Kaito's lover is, the first person they’ll think of is Shallow Vernal-sama."
"Exactly. That alone is a massive win for her, but the real heart of the scheme is something else."
"……There is more?"
"Yes. This is where it gets serious. Kaito-san might be surprised by her actions, but he’ll find them easy to accept because the guests are happy. This wine is so incredible that every single participant is going to mention it when they send their thank-you letters to him."
Iris waited with a tense expression for Alice to reveal the final layer of the strategy.
"Given Kaito-san's personality, he’ll think, 'I'm surprised, but everyone's happy, so I guess it's fine.' But the crucial part is that she did it secretly. By doing it this way, she highlights her own humility and devotion."
"I see. It boosts his opinion of her."
"Exactly. But the real goal is the next step. Because of who Kaito-san is, his next thought will be: 'I need to do something to thank Shiro-san!'"
"Certainly, he would feel that way."
Alice squeezed her fist, looking genuinely frustrated.
"That is her true aim! When Kaito-san is the one who wants to express gratitude, he’ll be willing to do things he’d normally be too embarrassed to agree to. He’ll think, 'It’s embarrassing, but it’s a thank-you to Shiro-san…… if it makes her happy, then okay.' In other words, with this one move, Shallow Vernal-sama has earned the right to make a request of Kaito-san while his guard is lower than it’s ever been!"
"……I-I see…… That is formidable. But will it really work that perfectly?"
"It will. Since she gave it to everyone, it’s inevitable. Even if she kept it a secret, the moment a single person says 'Thank you for that amazing wine,' the trap is sprung. And the best part is that nobody loses. The guests get amazing wine and are happy; Kaito-san is happy because his friends are pleased; and Shallow Vernal-sama gets a reward from Kaito-san. It’s a flawless plan."
It was a perfectly calculated move, a true God's scheme. Shallow Vernal, in her rapid development, had learned how to turn everyone around Kaito into her allies.
"……So, why do you look so upset?"
"I should have thought of it first!!"
"……I see……"
~The Cause of the Quarrel~
Natural God: "Fufufu, it is perfect. A Triple Win System that benefits the participants, Kaito-san, and myself…… I look forward to its execution."
Maman: "……If this is a commemorative gift for an event hosted by my child, then shouldn't I, his mother, be involved? I wish to participate."
Natural God: "Hah? Why are you trying to hijack my Triple Win System after the fact? I will not permit your participation."
Maman: "……Why not?"
Natural God: "I shall repeat myself. I have no intention of letting you be involved in this."