Munching on the crispy, delicious Danish Taiyaki, we walked along together, stopping to peek into any stall that caught someone's interest.
Hina, Luna-san, or Caraway were usually the ones to suggest stopping at a shop. I enjoyed watching the more energetic members of the group as we made our rounds.
Suddenly, I felt a light tug on my sleeve. I turned to find Sieg-san looking quite bewildered.
"Sieg-san? What is it?"
"Kaito-san, please look over there."
"Uhh... I see someone very familiar."
"Yes. And the two who should be with her are nowhere to be found."
I looked where she was pointing and saw a tall woman in suit-like attire standing before a shooting gallery... It was Tre-san.
There was nothing wrong with her being at the festival. While the odds of bumping into her in the vast Lower Level were astronomical, that was still well within the realm of possibility.
The real problem was that Cento-san and Sien-san, who were supposed to be with her, were nowhere to be seen. Sieg-san and I shared a knowing look and a nod, immediately realizing what that meant.
After giving Lilia-san and the others a quick explanation, I sent a Hummingbird to Cento-san and Sien-san before we approached her. By the time we reached her, Tre-san was in the middle of a game. To my surprise, she was knocking down prizes one after another without missing a single shot.
"You’re pretty good at this. Do you play often?"
"Nope! It's my first time. Aren't I incredible? I’m a natural... Wait, huh? Kaito? What a coincidence! It must be fate after all. Shall we have a little aventure?"
"I'll pass."
"How strange. Is my Affection Level too low? Chrome-sama told me it would go up naturally if we hung out, but no Event is triggering."
Is this not an event in its own way? I sighed as I looked at Tre-san, who hadn't changed a bit.
"Hello, Tre-san."
"Ah, it's Sieg! Yahoo! Are you on a date with Kaito? I'm so jealous; I want one too!"
"It's more like we're all visiting the festival as a group. Anyway, Tre-san... where are Cento-san and Sien-san?"
"We got separated. It's bound to happen with these crowds. We'll find each other eventually!"
Sieg-san and I shared a wry smile at her relentless positivity.
"Do you... remember where you lost them?"
"Oh, I remember that! It was in the Middle Level. They said the Lower Level was too crowded, so they carried me up there... but then I got lost immediately. Tee-hee!"
"..."
"It's strange. The scenery looks different from the Middle Level."
"That's because this is the Lower Level."
I had my reservations about a tall woman making a "tee-hee" face, but since she was naturally beautiful, it worked surprisingly well. No—that wasn't the point. How do you get so lost that you end up back near the teleportation point in the Lower Level after starting in the Middle Level?
Just then, I received a reply from Cento-san and Sien-san. They thanked me for the message and explained that since they couldn't reach us immediately through the crowds, they wanted us to keep an eye on Tre-san for a while.
Sieg-san nodded after reading the message and spoke to Tre-san.
"Tre-san, I have a suggestion. Since fate brought us together here, why don't you join us? We're planning to head to the Middle Level once we're done with the Lower Level, so it should be easy to reunite with Cento-san and Sien-san then."
"Oh, that sounds great! If everyone is okay with it, I'd love to! It's much more fun to be with people anyway!"
Since we couldn't just leave Tre-san on her own, Sieg-san's suggestion was accepted instantly.
Tre-san was in high spirits. In fact, her current festival energy seemed like it would pair perfectly with Hina's.
It was an unexpected development, but when we returned to the group and explained, Lilia-san and the others readily agreed. With Tre-san added to the party, we set off again. Given her social skills, I figured she'd get along with everyone in no time. For a moment, I was relieved...
"..."
"Kaito-san? What is it?"
"Ah, sorry. Give me a second."
My relief was short-lived. I had spotted another figure ahead—specifically, someone who definitely shouldn't be here, or rather, someone I couldn't help but worry about if they were. I approached her, already feeling my expression turn exasperated.
"Are you lost, Falce-san?"
"Oh! What fortune! You always appear whenever I am in distress. It is as if you are a Messiah. No, the term 'Messiah' is inadequate. You have saved me before, and I wish to be saved now; thus, it is a factual certainty that you are my Messiah. Ah, forgive the delay in my response. I was simply overcome with emotion. Yes, I am lost. Please help me."
What was with this luck? I'd barely set foot in the festival and I'd already picked up two lost children. I was starting to feel very anxious about the rest of the day.
Addition ①: The positive big sister who triggered an event and got lost instantly. Addition ②: The directionless mad scientist who was likely forced to attend by Laguna.
Serious-senpai: "Kaito's flag-collection speed is terrifying..."