The stall continued to run smoothly after Amaterasu-san and Mana-san departed. As noon approached, the crowd began to thicken and foot traffic increased, but I still had plenty of breathing room and the occasional lull in customers.
"Look, look, Kaito! Baby castella skewers!"
"Kuro did something similar back during the barbecue."
"Wh-What… As expected of Chrome-sama…"
I could only manage a wry smile as Tre-san showed off her handiwork—several baby castellas impaled on what looked like bamboo picks she’d produced from goodness knows where. The pieces she was skewering were the odd ones left over when filling bags or those that had come out a bit misshapen during the baking process; we’d set them aside to eat ourselves.
"Kaito, Kaito, look over here and open your mouth."
"My mouth? Like this?"
"There!"
"Mgh… What was that for so suddenly?"
I’d had a sneaking suspicion of what she was up to, and sure enough, the moment I opened my mouth, she tossed a baby castella inside. It was delicious, of course, but her behavior was as impulsive as ever.
"It’s because of our special bond, Kaito. I read about this in a book—it’s the legendary ‘a-hn,’ right? Doesn't that mean we’re basically lovers now?"
"We are not."
"We’re not? Huh? Which one of us is the holdout?"
Tre-san laughed playfully and tilted her head with practiced charm. She was always such a joy to be around; her high spirits made every conversation feel effortless.
Watching her work the stall, I was struck once again by her incredible communication skills. She really was a natural at customer service.
"Here you go! One regular bag! And for you… let’s go with this one! It might just have a few extra tucked inside. That’s the exact amount—thanks so much!"
She handled every transaction with a beaming smile that was infectious. Her presence alone brightened the entire area. Seeing her in action made me truly appreciate her charisma and talent.
While I was busy with my own customers, a dignified elderly gentleman in a sharp suit arrived, accompanied by Flare-san. It was Magnawell-san.
"It seems you are doing quite well for yourself, Miyama Kaito."
"Welcome, Magnawell-san. You too, Flare-san."
"Forgive the intrusion, my Comrade."
With Magnawell-san’s aura of a tall, composed elder and the petite, youthful Flare-san by his side, they looked exactly like a grandfather and granddaughter out for a stroll. It was a remarkably heartwarming sight.
"I felt this during the White God Festival as well, but the sheer number of people is truly something. Perhaps because I have had so few opportunities to view the world from this height, I find myself surprised by how many there actually are."
"I can imagine. Looking down from your usual size versus seeing everything at a human scale… the perspective must be completely different."
"Indeed. It is a fresh experience and quite fascinating… but I must not linger too long in idle talk. Give me one bag of each variety for myself and Nizbel—four in total."
"Understood. That’s two plain and two chocolate. Just a moment, please…"
Given his usual gargantuan size, Magnawell-san had never been able to truly participate in a festival before. The White God Festival had been his first time seeing things from a human perspective.
Even then, he had been a guest of honor and mostly stuck to the Middle Level. The atmosphere here at the Founding Festival—with its massive crowds compared to the capacity-controlled Middle Level—seemed to be a delightful change of pace for him.
"Seeing friends cooperate to achieve a common goal is a wonderful thing. I would have liked to participate myself if I had the time, but at these sorts of festivals, my position usually dictates that I remain on the guest side. It is a difficult trade-off."
"Lilia-san said something very similar. I suppose having a high status comes with its own set of drawbacks."
"True enough… However, watching my Comrade's stall has stirred something within me. What do you think, Magnawell-sama? Perhaps we should consider organizing an event similar to Harmonic Symphony for our own faction?"
"Hmm, that is an intriguing thought. In truth, dragons often keep to their own circles. Creating an opportunity for them to interact with other races might be just what we need. I shall gather everyone’s opinions and give it some serious consideration."
It seemed that by participating directly, Magnawell-san had developed a genuine interest in hosting a festival for his own faction. He sounded quite enthusiastic about Flare-san’s proposal.
A festival centered around dragons and monsters, huh… If that ever became a reality, someone like Lilia-san would probably be over the moon.
I continued to enjoy the casual chat with Magnawell-san and the others until the arrival of the next customer.
Serious-senpai: "How strange. I can't shake the feeling that 'Dragon King Faction Festival' is just another way of saying 'Date with Lilia'..."