The trip with Fate-san had been in the works for quite some time, and the schedule was finally set. I had asked Chris-san to handle the reservations, and during the process, she inquired if she could use the fact that Fate-san was visiting for promotional purposes. When I checked with Fate-san, she simply said, "Sure, I don't mind," so I passed that along to Chris-san.
With the trip now only a day away, I headed out to do some shopping in preparation.
I didn’t have anything specific on my list. Since our plan was to relax rather than go on a whirlwind sightseeing tour, I was looking for things we could enjoy together at a leisurely pace. Since we would be staying by a lake, fishing was a possibility... though I had a feeling Fate-san would just end up nodding off. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have the gear, so I decided to pick up a few things.
Venture quite a bit further than the usual Central District, I made my way toward the South Gate of the royal capital. There was a large plaza there that was currently teeming with stalls and lively crowds—the perfect spot for a casual stroll. It was a bit of a trek from my house, so I didn't visit the area often, but making the trip every once in a while was always a treat.
As I was browsing the shops, I stopped to buy a skewer from a passing stall. While waiting, I happened to notice a massive crowd gathered in a far corner of the plaza.
"There are an awful lot of people over there," I remarked to the vendor. "Is something going on?"
"Ah, the Mobile Merchant Association is in town. they carry a lot of rare goods and items that are hard to find in the Kingdom of Sinfonia, so it's always packed when they show up."
"I see..."
A Mobile Merchant Association. Taking the name at face value, I assumed it was something like a large-scale traveling merchant guild. It piqued my interest; maybe it was worth a look.
I thanked the vendor and approached the area where the crowd had gathered. From a distance, I hadn't been able to tell, but up close, I saw a truly gargantuan carriage that served as a mobile storefront.
It was an interesting concept, and it looked like it might be fun to browse, but the sheer volume of people made it impossible to get anywhere near it. Pushing through a crowd like that would require a lot of energy, and since I was leaving for a trip tomorrow, I found myself hesitating.
I was curious, but I decided to give up on it for today. I could always stop by the next time I saw them. For now, I would head to a tackle shop for the fishing rods. I was pretty sure I had a note with the address of a shop Anima had recommended...
Around the time Kaito gave up on the mobile market and walked away, a woman was standing behind the massive carriage, using a Calculator Magic Tool to tally the day's sales.
"Mmm, lookin' good. We should see some solid profit this time around."
"That's a relief. But is that 'calculator' thing from the world you used to live in, Chairman?"
The woman, who had light purple hair tied into two bunches at the nape of her neck, continued copying calculation results onto a sheet of paper. Her attendant, a woman in a maid uniform, asked the question while handing her a yunomi.
"Well, it ain't exactly electronic, so I don't know if callin' it a calculator is strictly right, but it's definitely based on something from my world."
"That magic tool is remarkably convenient. I was stunned when you paid a fortune for the highest-grade model the moment it was released, but it truly is impressive."
"I really wanted one, y'know? I was gettin' sick of doin' all this by hand. Besides, this top-grade one is so multi-functional it's more like spreadsheet software than a calculator. I'm grateful for it. The only real downside is that it lacks a printer, so I still gotta copy everything out by hand. Well, I s'pose I shouldn't complain too much."
"Spreadsheet software? Printer? I don't quite understand... but if you wanted it that badly, wouldn't it have been easier for you to just make one, Chairman?" the maid asked with a wry smile.
"No way could I make somethin' like this! Have you seen the magic formula? It's incredible... I can't even imagine what kind of mind comes up with a formula like that. The fact that somethin' so ridiculously complex runs so smoothly is mind-blowin'. If I tried to build this from scratch, I'd be at it for decades."
"I see. I suppose that is to be expected of the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company."
"Yeah. Actually, from what I heard, Chrome-sama was the one who designed this formula. That makes sense to me. Even the cheap, mass-market versions have such insanely simplified formulas that I can't even tell how they work. She really is somethin' else. I hope she makes a Kotatsu or somethin' next... I really wanna hop in a Kotatsu and have a Takoyaki party."
"Ah, that strange ritual you perform? Lately, you have even acquired odd equipment for it... Where did you even buy those strange tools?" the maid asked, looking somewhat exasperated. Having served the Chairman for a long time, she was well aware of these "Takoyaki parties," even if she found them utterly incomprehensible.
"Actually, I didn't buy 'em. A God gave 'em to me."
"Now that you mention it, you said something like that before. I ignored it at the time, assuming you had finally gone mad."
"Hey, don't just ignore me! I really did get 'em from a God. One day, out of the blue, Eden-sama—the God of our world—showed up and asked if there was anything I wanted. When I said I wanted a Takoyaki plate, she actually gave me one."
"Why on earth would you ask for a Takoyaki plate of all things... You could have received something so much better."
"Well, I just... I really wanted a small Takoyaki plate..."
The woman scratching her cheek sheepishly was Akane Mikumo.
She was the chairperson of the Mikumo Trading Company, and—excluding Kaito and his three friends—she was one of only three former Hero-roles currently living in this world. She was a migrant from an otherworld.
Serious-senpai: "Oh, isn't this the first time a migrant has actually appeared? I feel like they've been mentioned in passing before, like when Reijihart built an engawa to copy a friend’s house? But if it’s a 'near miss,' does that mean she won't meet Kaito? And since there are three, that means there are two more out there, right?"