After a bit of a strange commotion, we settled back into our seats, and I struck up some casual conversation with Akane-san.
"Yer... that guy, right? Yer Chrome-sama’s lover, ain’tcha?"
"Eh? You knew about that?"
"Chrome-sama helped me out when I was startin' up my merchant association, so we’ve got a bit of a history. When I ran into her at the Six Kings Festival, she was talkin’ ’bout Kaito with the biggest grin on her face."
"I see... Between this and the matter with Anima, we really do have ties in strange places."
"Sure seems that way."
Akane-san had a bright personality, and once we started talking, the conversation became quite lively. She was very easy to talk to—perhaps the Kansai dialect played a part, but the tempo of her speech felt wonderfully light and brisk.
"Come to think of it, you aren't wearing your leopard-patterned clothes today, Akane-san?"
"Obviously, I couldn’t come here wearin’ clothes meant for a laugh... Wait, huh? How’d ya know what I usually wear?"
"Ah, actually, we passed each other once before. The Kansai dialect and those leopard-patterned clothes left such an impression that I remembered you... Or rather, were those clothes really meant for a joke?"
"Ho—was that when I came to Sinfonia before? Combined with the hair, it’s definitely for a laugh... I ain’t into perms so I don’t get ’em done, but don’tcha think it’s hilarious how I look like a total Osaka middle-aged woman?"
"Hmm, it might get a laugh from people who get the reference... but with your looks, Akane-san, even in leopard-patterned clothes, I don’t think you give off that middle-aged woman vibe at all."
In fact, when we had passed each other previously, I’d been struck by the rarity of the outfit, but I hadn’t felt like she was an "Osaka middle-aged woman."
That was almost certainly because Akane-san’s physical appearance was so youthful. Since she had been rejuvenated by Life-san’s Blessing and currently looked like she was in her teens, the persona felt a bit forced.
"Exactly. Before I got younger, it worked well enough, but now that I’ve rejuvenated, instead of a middle-aged woman, I ended up lookin’ like a gyal who can't keep up with the trends."
"Ah... that’s true. That image might actually fit better."
"Plus, purple hair ain't even rare in this world... Hmm, it’s tough. Well, I’ve gotten used to those clothes, so part of it is just that I’ve been wearin’ ’em so long."
As she said that with a bright laugh, her expression conveyed her genuine good nature. I could tell after just a short talk that she was a wonderful person.
As I was thinking that, Akane-san suddenly spoke up with an expression as if she had just remembered something.
"Come to think of it, changin’ the subject, that trade deal Anima-san brought... was it your idea, Kaito?"
"It’s not so much that it was my idea as it is that I don’t really understand how trade and negotiations work. I’ve just left it all to Anima."
"I see... But is it really okay to let go of stuff like that? They’re accessories made with Dragon King-sama’s scales, right?"
"Yes, I get them all the time so they’re just piling up... Honestly, they were just getting in the way, but I couldn’t exactly throw them away either. I figured I should find a use for them, so I decided to turn them into accessories and sell them."
"Ahaha, ah—I see. Throwin’ ’em away would be rude to Dragon King-sama, so that’s a great idea!"
Akane-san gave me a smile, but... what was that? There was a strange pressure behind it. Unlike her previous expressions, this smile looked like it had been pasted onto her face.
"...By the way, Kaito, can I check somethin’ with ya?"
"Eh? W-What is it?"
Still wearing that rigid smile, Akane-san spoke. It was a little scary... I felt an aura similar to Lilia-san right before she started a lecture.
"...You’ll forgive me for being a bit blunt, right?"
"Huh?"
"I ain’t askin’ for a total pass on manners, but as long as I ain’t obviously insultin’ ya, you’ll overlook a bit of rough speech, right? Right?"
"Y-Yes, of course."
"I see, that’s good to hear... Then, just for a second, excuse me."
When I nodded at Akane-san’s words, which carried a strange weight, she gave me a brief warning while keeping that smile. Then, she took a deep breath and...
"—AS IF YA’D JUST HAVE A PILE OF ’EM LYIN’ AROUND, YA MORON!!!"
"!?"
"Don’t go talkin’ like they’re just mid-year gifts rollin’ around the floor! How much do ya think a single scale from Dragon King-sama is worth?! You’re scarin’ me!!"
What an... what an incredibly reasonable straight-man retort. Now that she’d pointed it out, it was so true that I couldn’t even find a rebuttal.
"I mean, I’m beggin’ ya, when you’re talkin’ ’bout high-priced items, talk about ’em with a bit more gravity! Throwin’ away Dragon King-sama’s scales?! Just hearin’ that is terrifying! It’s bad for my heart!!"
"...It’s too logically sound for me to argue back."
"Right? ...No, well, sorry. I’ve been wantin’ to snap at ya for a while now... Ever since I set foot in this mansion, I’ve been dyin’ to scream."
"No, I’m the one who should apologize for surprising you in such a strange way."
She was right. I’d heard that a single scale from Magnawell-san was worth enough to build a castle. In any normal context, it was an incredibly expensive item.
...Yeah, because he gave them to me so casually, my common sense had completely dulled.
"...But how’d ya manage to process Dragon King-sama’s scales? Usually, they’re so expensive that no matter what processing shop ya take ’em to, they’ll turn ya down, right? I heard they’re rock hard, so workin' with ’em must be a nightmare..."
"Ah, for that, I asked Ali—er, the Phantasm King."
"...You... seriously..."
Hearing my words, Akane-san looked up at the ceiling with a distant look in her eyes.
Machina: "...The conversation between My Children is so good... how precious."
Serious-senpai: "...Wait, for you, is that kind of retort acceptable? You’re not going to call it disrespectful?"
Machina: "Seeing My Children gettin' along is a total win for me! It’s such a lovely scene, I want to preserve this footage forever!!"
Serious-senpai: "...What if the one who made the retort wasn't one of Your Children?"
Machina: "If it’s like this time, I’d say it’s within the realm of skinship. My Beloved Child doesn’t seem to mind either."
Serious-senpai: "Oh, that’s surprisingly sensible... Then, what if it wasn’t Your Child, and that retort actually hurt Kaito?"
Machina: "Is there any point in talkin' 'bout someone who'd be erased from existence?"
Serious-senpai: "Hieee... N-No, we don't need to..."