Meeting her again so unexpectedly, I’d reflexively shot back a retort at her bizarre behavior, but on second thought, it was actually quite fortunate. After offering a brief apology to the waiter who was showing us to our table, I turned back to the purple-haired woman.
"Excuse me, please forgive me if this is a bit forward, but is your name Tre-san?"
"Eh?"
When I asked, the woman wore a blank expression for a moment before she started to panic.
"O-Oh? Wait, that feeling I had earlier about us meeting somewhere... was it actually for real?! I-I’m so sorry... I don’t remember you at all!"
"Ah, no, earlier was definitely the first time we’ve met."
"Right! Oh, thank goodness... Huh? But if that’s the case, then how do you know my name? I’m not exactly a celebrity or anything."
As Tre-san tilted her head in confusion, she gave off an impression that was somehow more childish than she looked. Standing at over 180 centimeters with a slender, model-like build, deep purple hair tied in a ponytail, and golden eyes, her refined features gave her a mature air, yet her personality seemed bright and cheerful.
"It was just a coincidence, but I witnessed a pair of twin women named Cento and Sien looking for you. The description I heard seemed to match you, so I thought I’d ask."
"Cento and Sien were looking for me? Huh? I made sure to leave a note behind... Those two really are scatterbrains, aren't they? Got it, thanks for going out of your way to tell me."
"No, it was no trouble."
After offering her thanks with a friendly, sociable smile, Tre-san nodded with satisfaction and gave a firm thumbs-up.
"Still, meeting this many times in such a short period—it must be destiny! Want to fall in love?"
"I’ll pass."
"I’ve been rejected twice in one day; I’m going to cry."
Despite her words, she didn't seem sorrowful at all. Her tone was so lighthearted that it was hard to tell how serious she was being.
"Heh... don’t think this is over. Next time, I’ll return as a transfer student or something, and my second or third iterations will rise again!"
She was mixing all sorts of tropes together again, but more than that... just where did this person intend to transfer to?
While I wore a wry smile, feeling slightly exasperated, Tre-san stood up from her seat, told me, "Thanks for the heads-up!" and headed toward the front of the restaurant. She was probably going to find Cento-san and Sien-san. I hoped they would be able to reunite safely.
With that thought in mind, I followed the waiter to our table with Sieg-san and we enjoyed our meal.
However, the real surprise came when it was time to settle the bill. When I went to pay, the staff member stopped me.
"We have already received payment from the woman identifying herself as Tre."
It turned out our lunch had already been taken care of. It was likely her way of thanking me for the information about Cento-san and Sien-san, but it was such a sophisticated gesture that I couldn't help but think it was pretty cool.
Zecks, a Lich dressed in luxurious finery, arrived at the flagship store adjacent to the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company headquarters.
"Ah, Special Advisor. Is something the matter?"
"I have come to participate in a meeting at the headquarters, but as I still have a little time, I simply thought I would take a look at the storefront for the first time in a while... Oh? Is that an order form?"
"Yes, we’ve received an order for a Large-scale Teleportation Magic Tool. While it isn’t the latest model, it has been quite a while since we’ve had a private individual purchase one, so I was double-checking the details for any errors."
"My, an individual... and to come all the way to this store to place the order is rare indeed."
Since Large-scale Teleportation Magic Tools cost a fortune, private orders were few and far between; most came from major trading companies or governments. Although this flagship store had a dedicated area for teleportation equipment, it wasn't exactly a high-volume department. Usually, only the small-scale versions sold with any frequency.
A tool capable of bridging the gap between the Human Realm and the Demon Realm—a so-called Large-scale Teleportation Magic Tool—was even rarer. Most individuals who could afford such a price were usually powerful enough to cast teleportation magic themselves. Thus, this order was a truly unusual case.
"Let’s see, may I have a look? Oh? My goodness, the purchaser is Sieglinde-dono?"
"Do you know her? She didn’t quite give off the air of a noble, though..."
"Hmm."
Upon learning the customer was Sieglinde, Zecks placed his hand on his chin as if deep in thought. After a short silence, he spoke once more.
"Could you pass this order up to the headquarters?"
"To the headquarters, sir?"
"Yes, I have a personal connection with her, and above all, she is an important customer for the company. It would be best to report this to Chrome-sama just in case."
Sieglinde was Kaito’s lover and had recently begun receiving personal instruction from Kuromueina, making her someone with deep ties to the top of the organization.
However, as he made the request, Zecks let out a soft, wry chuckle. He had a sneaking suspicion that once she heard the news, Kuromueina might insist on handcrafting the tool herself.
Serious-senpai: "What, I thought things would get a bit more complicated, but it was settled quite easily."
???: "Here’s a hint: 'She never said a word about actually going to find those two.'"
Serious-senpai: "...Ah. I see how it is."