After seeing off Alice, who had vanished shortly after her brief explanation, I took a quick look around. Kuro was supposed to have contacted Funf-san, and we were meant to meet in front of the gate to Kuro’s home... but I didn't see anyone who fit the description.
"It’s almost time for our meeting, isn't it?"
"Yes. It would be rude to keep her waiting, so any moment now..."
"But it doesn't look like Funf-san is here yet."
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
At my words, Sieg-san tilted her head in genuine confusion, but a moment later, a look of realization crossed her face.
"That's right. You've never actually met Funf-sama, have you, Kaito-san? She’s been right over there this whole time, waiting for our conversation to finish."
"...Umm, all I see is the gate and that giant suit of armor?"
In the direction Sieg-san pointed, I could see nothing but the gate to Kuro's home—her castle—and the massive suit of armor standing before it like a monument.
Even so, that armor was truly a sight to behold. It stood well over twenty meters tall, looking almost like a giant robot.
"Funf-sama is a top-tier powerhouse even among the Count-class, an individual of Six Kings' Executive-class caliber with many titles... but her most famous one is the 'Giant Soldier of the Castle Gate'."
"...Which means?"
"That giant suit of armor is Funf-sama."
...So that armor wasn't just a decoration; it was Funf-san herself. Wait, come to think of it, I’m pretty sure that armor was there the last time I visited Kuro’s place... but I recall Kuro saying Funf-san was out at the time. Strange.
As I puzzled over the discrepancy, the previously motionless armor began to walk toward us, its footsteps shaking the ground with a resounding heavy thud.
The sheer scale of it was intimidating. But why had she started moving all of a sudden? Ah, I suppose it was because the appointed time had arrived.
The giant armor came to a halt just a short distance away from us. Immediately after, the twenty-meter-tall construct crumbled apart, its fragments dissolving into particles of magic power before they could even hit the ground.
Once the armor had vanished entirely... a single woman stood in its place.
She was so petite that I never would have associated her with that massive armored form; she stood at a fairly average height for a woman, probably just under 160 cm. She had short pink hair and dark brown eyes, and she was wearing a form-fitting bodysuit that left no doubt about her excellent proportions. I assumed this was Funf-san.
"I have been waiting for you, Kaito Miyama-sama, Sieglinde-sama. I have heard the details from Chrome-sama. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Funf, the gatekeeper of Chrome-sama's residence. I look forward to our acquaintance."
"A-Ah, yes. I'm Kaito Miyama. The pleasure is mine."
"I am Sieglinde. It is an honor to meet you."
Funf-san bowed with a hand over her chest, her movements as refined as those of a professional knight. I found myself instinctively straightening my posture as I returned the greeting.
After studying me intently for a moment, Funf-san’s stoic expression broke into a warm smile.
"Well, I suppose that’s enough with the stiff greetings, right? Chrome-sama told me it would be better to speak casually with you. Is this tone okay?"
"Ah, yes. Of course."
"Kaito and Sieglinde, then. I'm glad to meet you both. You can speak to me however you’re most comfortable, too."
That was a relief. Even after just a short exchange, I could tell she was a kind person. She had a reliable, big-sisterly aura about her... Wait, huh? Her hair... "Did it just turn from pink to gold?"
"...Wait. Funf-san, did your hair just turn gold?"
"Hmm? My hair? Oh... was it pink just now?"
"Yes."
"I see. Ahaha, I guess I was a bit nervous after all."
Funf-san gave a sheepish laugh, leaving Sieg-san and me to exchange confused glances. Sensing our curiosity, Funf-san offered a bright smile and an explanation.
"Have either of you ever seen the way Megiddo-sama's hair color changes?"
"I have."
"I have a similar constitution. My hair turns pink when I enter a state of battle readiness—or more accurately, when I’m wrapped in a high density of magic power. My natural color is gold."
"...I see."
As she explained, Funf-san demonstrated by shifting her hair color from gold to pink and back again right before our eyes.
So there were people with traits like that. It reminded me of how Megiddo-san’s mane would turn black whenever he entered battle readiness or became particularly angry or excited. It seemed to be a transformation tied to emotional state and magic power output.
"By the way, when my hair color changes like this..."
"When it changes?"
"Absolutely nothing else changes except the color!"
"...Is that it?"
"Yeah. In fact, it’s a bit of a tell that I’ve entered battle readiness. Not that it's really much of a disadvantage, though."
...She was incredibly easy to talk to. Her personality was fundamentally bright and gentle, and the conversation flowed naturally.
I knew it was probably rude to compare them, but she was several times more approachable than any of the Ten Demons.
Serious-senpai: "...It’s not too late. Can’t we just skip the date? Let's just summarize it with a monologue like 'They had a fun time sightseeing,' okay? Look, having a date in the middle of this just slows down the plot..."
???: "The author has been doing daily updates lately, so isn't it fine?"
Serious-senpai: "Damn it! I was certain they’d go back to a weekly pace eventually, but they’ve completely adjusted and been updating for a full month straight!?"