With stiff expressions, they made their way toward the entrance of the residence. As they reached the door, Nebula held her hand over the large frame. It slid open automatically, revealing Anima standing inside, waiting to receive them.
She was no longer wearing the business suit she had used during her previous dealings with Akane. Instead, she greeted them with a smile while dressed in the military-style uniform she favored—a sight neither of the visitors had seen before.
"Welcome, Akane-dono, Frau-dono. I appreciate you taking the time to visit us today."
"The pleasure is ours. Thank you for the invitation."
As the head of a major trading company, Akane managed to maintain a polite smile. Though she was shrinking away on the inside, she refused to let her nerves show on the surface.
Frau, playing her role as secretary and bodyguard to the letter, remained silent and offered only a respectful bow in response to Anima’s greeting.
"Nebula, thank you for guiding them."
"It was no trouble at all... Anima-san, do you have a moment?"
"Hmm?"
After flashing a quick smile, Nebula leaned toward Anima’s ear, speaking in a low voice that the two guests couldn't overhear.
"I just wanted to confirm something. Master invited these two solely to foster friendship between fellow otherworlders, and this has nothing to do with business commissions, correct?"
"Yes, that’s right, but..."
"Then it is as I thought. Both of them seem to be laboring under a massive misunderstanding regarding Master."
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes. They are unnaturally intimidated... I’d say they give the impression of being about to have an audience with someone of vastly superior status. I can sense a distinct, peculiar tension, as if they fear they might be executed if they commit even the slightest discourtesy."
Nebula possessed an incredibly sharp sense of intuition. From the moment she first laid eyes on Akane and Frau, she had detected an emotion that transcended mere nervousness—it was pure awe.
She chose this moment, just as she was handing the guests over to Anima, to offer her advice. She predicted that if the meeting proceeded as it was, the conversation would stall due to their paralyzing fear, leading to an outcome Kaito would never want.
"In their current state, this won’t lead to a favorable development for Master. I recommend clearing up the misunderstanding first."
"I see..."
"They seem to perceive Master as a much more imposing figure than he actually is. It would be best to explain his situation to them before they go inside."
"Ah... that is likely due to my own lack of explanation. Thank you, Nebula. I’m glad I asked you to guide them."
"Not at all. Well then, I shall take my leave."
Her message delivered, Nebula offered a final smile and a bow to Akane and Frau before heading back out into the garden. After watching her depart, Anima turned back to the guests and gave them a shallow bow.
"My apologies. It appears my insufficient explanation has caused you both some confusion."
"Oh? A misunderstanding, you say?"
"Yes. Even though this visit is for personal reasons and unrelated to our business dealings, it was only natural for you to associate my Master with my own position and feel overwhelmed."
"U-Uh...?"
Hearing Anima's words, Akane and Frau both tilted their heads in confusion. The situation was taking an unexpected turn. Akane sensed that whatever this "misunderstanding" was, there was a significant gap in how they perceived the man they were about to meet.
"My Master’s name is Miyama Kaito... and he is an otherworlder, just like you, Akane-dono."
"What?! Ah, wait, could he be... the one rumored to be Chrome-sama's lover?"
"Yes, exactly. And as for today, it truly has nothing to do with our business. Master simply learned that the head of the company I was negotiating with happened to be a fellow otherworlder. He wished to meet you simply because he hoped to deepen his friendship with someone from his own world."
"...I see. I-In other words, this wasn't about vetting our company’s future or testing us...?"
As the reality of Anima’s explanation set in, Akane felt so drained of tension that her knees nearly buckled. At the very least, she finally understood that her head wasn't going to roll if she used the wrong fork.
Of course, not all her questions were answered. She was still baffled as to how a fellow otherworlder could live in such a gargantuan estate or why he had someone as powerful as Anima as a subordinate... but her primary source of dread had been dispelled.
"I-I see... Then I should be the one to apologize. I was so on guard because of my own assumptions."
"No, I am sorry for causing you such unnecessary anxiety."
"Please, don't worry. Honestly, a lot of things make sense now. I can understand how you were able to provide a Phantasm King-sama's Appraisal Certificate if I assume it was through Chrome-sama's connections..."
"Oh, no. As for Ali—Phantasm King No Face-dono, she is another of Master's lovers. She has sworn absolute loyalty to him, so..."
"......Ah, excuse me. I’m afraid my brain has just reached its limit. Please give me a few minutes to process that..."
Her greatest fear had been resolved, but something was still fundamentally wrong. This man was clearly a being who existed far beyond the boundaries of her common sense. Akane looked up at the ceiling with an expression of utter exhaustion.
Serious-senpai: "She went from 'It’s just a misunderstanding, he’s not some shadowy mastermind' straight into the shock of 'By the way, the Phantasm King is his loyal subordinate.' As expected, Kaito is a master of delivering the most devastating stomach blows."