As the White God Festival loomed just a day away, the upcoming event had naturally become the talk of the town across every realm.
In her castle within the Land of Death at the northernmost edge of the Demon Realm, the Death King, Isis, sat sipping tea in an exceptionally buoyant mood.
"You seem to be in high spirits, Isis-sama."
"……Yes. ……Tomorrow is the White God Festival. ……Whenever I participated in things like the Hero Festival before…… I was always alone. ……But this time, Iris and Polaris will be with me. ……I am really looking forward to it."
In response to Iris’s observation, Isis wore a look of pure, unadulterated joy that was obvious to anyone watching. As one of the Summits of the Demon Realm, she was a regular invitee not only to the Hero Festival but also to grand occasions like the Founding Festival of the Three Nations of the Human Realm.
However, until recently, Isis had no subordinates of her own. She had always attended these functions in solitude. Whenever she saw the other Six Kings arriving with their entourages, her sense of isolation had only deepened.
To be honest, Isis had never been particularly fond of the Hero Festival. She had always attended out of a sense of duty, her heart heavy with a persistent melancholy.
"I’ve been away from such public events for quite some time myself, so I'm quite excited," Iris remarked.
"Enjoying yourself is all well and good, but see to it that you don't do anything to bring shame upon Isis-sama's name, understood?" Polaris added.
"The Head-dono is as stiff as ever."
But things were different this time. Isis now had two subordinates by her side, and both Iris and Polaris would be accompanying her to the White God Festival.
This fact made Isis unbearably happy. As the opening day drew nearer, her mood had steadily brightened until her excitement was palpable to everyone around her.
Watching Isis with heartwarming smiles, Iris and Polaris continued to enjoy their tea and idle conversation at the same table as their master.
Around the same time, in a private room at the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company Headquarters in the Demon Realm, a certain individual was being lectured by her two guards.
"Now, listen closely, Tre-neesama! We’ve agreed to let you attend, but you must absolutely not leave our side for even a second!"
"Yes, yes! I'm so excited for the festival! I want to hit as many food stalls as possible!"
"……Sien."
"Cento, I think we're wasting our breath. We’ll just have to be twice as vigilant as usual."
Faced with Tre’s cheerful, oblivious beaming, Cento and Sien looked at each other with complicated expressions.
They expected the White God Festival to be incredibly crowded. If Tre managed to get separated from them even once, finding her again would be a monumental task. For that reason alone, the two had initially wanted to skip the event entirely.
However, because they were both chronically soft on Tre, they had been worn down by her persistence and eventually relented.
"We only have ourselves to blame for letting her talk us into this, but my stomach is already starting to ache," Cento groaned.
"I know…… Let's just plan to hold Tre-neesama's hand the entire time. We can't let go, no matter what. Given the scale of this festival, if she slips away once, we might never see her again until it's over."
"I don't suppose we could convince Zwei-neesama to join us and help keep watch?"
"I wish we could, but she said she has too much work tomorrow to attend……"
In stark contrast to the jubilant Tre, Cento and Sien were huddled together in fear and trepidation, desperately discussing their defensive strategies for the upcoming day.
Meanwhile, in the garden of Kaito's Home in the Human Realm, Nebula and Illness were conducting a final walkthrough of their renovation plans.
"Starting from that spot over there, we’ll extend the path…… making it easier to guide guests through……"
"That sounds lovely. As for Kaito-sama's home, I don't expect many guests to arrive by carriage very often, so the path shouldn't need to be particularly wide."
"Right! Next are the flowerbeds. I’ll place them around here so they won't get in the way when Bellfried and Rin are playing."
"Yes, that should work perfectly, just as we planned."
After receiving Kaito’s blessing to renovate the garden, Nebula and Illness had met repeatedly to refine their proposal. It was now so polished that there was virtually nothing left to change.
With their combined abilities, the physical work wouldn't even take half a day, let alone a full one. This final meeting was simply a formality to ensure everything was ready to proceed without a hitch.
"Oh, and regarding the tea we discussed previously…… considering Kaito-sama's tastes, I believe these specific tea leaves would be the best choice."
"Excellent! These are high-quality leaves, and they blend quite easily with others. Master prefers tea without overly bold characteristics, doesn't he?"
"Indeed. He favors simple flavors or things with a hint of sweetness. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to enjoy teas with very strong or peculiar aftertastes."
"I see…… then these leaves are ideal. They have a natural, subtle sweetness even when served straight, and they’ll pair wonderfully with cookies."
With the garden plans finalized, the two women began flipping through a book of tea samples Illness had brought, eventually shifting their conversation toward the vegetable patch they intended to plant behind the house.
Though they hadn't known each other long, the two had become kindred spirits, taking great joy in collaborating on anything that might bring a smile to Kaito’s face.
Serious-senpai: "……She’s definitely going to get lost again. I just know it……"