Having thoroughly enjoyed Camellia's attraction, we were finally headed toward the performance by Rosmiel, the last of the Seven Princesses on our list. However, since there was still some time before her show was scheduled to begin, we decided to explore the area surrounding Camellia’s venue first.
The Harmonic Symphony was packed with various attractions at every turn, making it quite easy to pass the time.
As I was taking in several musical performances and interpretive dances, I suddenly felt eyes on me and turned around. I found a woman staring back at me with an intensely serious expression.
She had reddish-brown, mid-length hair cut in what I believed was a wolf cut—the strands around her collar flicked outward in distinct layers. Wearing a tank top, a leather jacket, and denim shorts, she had a distinctly punk-inspired aesthetic.
The most striking things about her were her sharp, upturned eyes and, above all else, the wolf-like ears and tail protruding from her head. She was likely a beastman. I didn't recognize her, though.
"Um... yes?"
"I’ll ask you straight: Are you the one known as Miyama Kaito?"
The woman questioned me without softening her stern expression.
"Eh? Yes, that’s me."
"I see..."
She seemed to know who I was. After I replied, she gave a small nod and took on a contemplative look.
Following a few seconds of silence, she spoke again.
"...Sorry for the sudden intrusion. My name is Lycorisian. Would you mind giving me a few minutes of your time?"
"Sure, that’s fine..."
"I appreciate it. Normally, I should have followed the proper protocol to request a meeting. I apologize for the lack of manners. I thought it might be a nuisance, but since we crossed paths by chance, I couldn't just let you walk by. Do you mind if I call you Kaito? You can just call me Shian in return."
"I understand, Shian-san. So, did you have business with me?"
Shian spoke with a cool, blunt tone, but I could sense an underlying consideration for me in her words. She didn't seem like a bad person at all.
"Cat Raid is staying at your house, isn't she? That cheeky, careless idiot... the one who acts on impulse the second a thought enters her mind? That flighty, unrestrained fool..."
"Eh? Um, Cat Raid is indeed there... are you an acquaintance of Caraway’s?"
"...I’d deny it if I could, but yes, we are. It’s irritating, but we share a history. She’s someone I despise from the bottom of my heart."
"..."
She was talking trash, but I didn't get the feeling that she actually hated Caraway as much as her words suggested. It felt similar to the relationship between Chronoa-san and Ein-san—even though she spoke ill of her, I didn't sense any genuine malice or desire to actually disparage her.
Shian looked thoughtful for a moment, scratched her cheek with a finger, and then suddenly bowed deeply.
"...Thank you."
"Huh? W-What for? All of a sudden..."
"For saving that idiot after she threw her life away... I promised myself that if I ever met you, I’d thank you once. I might have hated her, but seeing the person I’ve been competing with for ages fall into ruin like that made me furious. I just didn't have the power to help her myself. I'm grateful to you, Kaito."
"Um... forgive me if I'm wrong, but Shian-san, are you by any chance the demon Caraway mentioned? The one whose territory was next to hers and who she always competed with?"
"...Yeah."
It was her after all. The rival demon Caraway had talked about back during the White God Festival was Shian.
I remembered Caraway also speaking of Shian in an annoyed, sarcastic way, but she had also made comments that suggested a deep-seated trust. They were clearly rivals who had come to acknowledge each other's strength.
Shian looked up and gave me a small smile.
"Sorry for taking up your time. That’s all I wanted to say... Ah, if you can, please don't tell that idiot that we met."
"I understand."
"Well then, keep looking after that fool for me."
"Wait, Shian-san."
"Hmm?"
I reflexively called out to her as she turned to leave. I thought for a moment before speaking.
"If you'd like, please come visit my home sometime. Regardless of what you say, I think Caraway would want to see you and talk as well..."
"...I suppose... so. Visiting just to see her stupid face again might be a bit of fun."
"Yeah, I'm sure Caraway would be happy, too."
"Heh... You're a good guy. I like you a little. I'll drop by when I have the chance. See ya, Kaito."
"Sure, see you then."
Laughing cheerfully, Shian waved lightly and walked away. Her manner of speaking was a bit rough, but she really was a good person at heart.
???: "Just how terrifying can you be, Machina? What’s really scary is that even after writing over ten thousand characters in a previous afterword—not to mention how many long-winded monologues you've spit out in the Main Story—there's absolutely no sign of you running out of topics. Are you bottomless...?"
Serious-senpai: "My child is cute, my child is cute..."