After leaving Fia-sensei’s clinic, our next stop was Alice’s General Store. As usual, Alice was tending the shop in her cat kigurumi, and Kuro greeted her with a radiant smile.
"So, do you have anything new for me, Shaltier?"
"Wait... this is the second time already, isn't it? I just gave you advice and provided some rice flour earlier."
It was true. For some reason, we were paying Alice a second visit. While she did have a shop in the Kingdom of Sinfonia, she was the very first person we had consulted, and as she pointed out, she had already provided us with both guidance and rice flour.
Faced with Alice’s perfectly logical response, Kuro maintained an expression of complete innocence.
"No, that was Guardian Shaltier, Kaito-kun’s escort. You’re different from Shopkeeper Shaltier."
"If you’re going to count us separately like that, then every single split body in the world counts as a different person! ...Sigh. Kuro-san, we’ve known each other for a long time. I know that as much as you turn into a complete idiot when baby castella is involved, you aren’t acting without a plan. So, what’s your real goal?"
It was true that returning to Alice so quickly suggested she had a specific objective. At the very least, I didn't believe she seriously thought Alice the guardian and Alice the shopkeeper were distinct entities.
"Looking at that rice flour earlier gave me a feeling. Shaltier... you have other ingredients or seasonings I don't know about, don't you?"
"Ho... so that's your angle? And what if I do?"
"I’d really like to have them!"
I see. It wouldn't be surprising if Alice possessed unique seasonings or foodstuffs that weren't in circulation in this world. When it came to seasonings in particular—miso, for example—the flavor could vary wildly depending on the recipe. The chances of her hiding something rare were high.
Kuro and Alice stared each other down in a momentary lapse of tension. After a short silence, Alice sighed and produced several containers.
"Fine, I suppose. I’ll let you have a few seasonings that pair well with baby castella."
"I want the ones that don't pair well, too."
"And who do you think is going to be the victim of the dark matter you create using seasonings that don't fit? It’ll be Kaito-san, right? There is no way I’m handing those over."
"But baby castella has infinite possibilities..."
"And I’m telling you that they don't fit based on the results of those possibilities!"
Alice was incredibly reliable when it came to these matters. She was willing to retort to Kuro without hesitation, and her common-sense perspective was a huge relief. It felt like she was acting as a mouthpiece for my own thoughts.
"But... but... look, Shaltier, there might be combinations you haven't tried yet..."
"If you keep this up, I won’t give you the good ones either."
"Ugh... Fine. I’ll stick to the ones that fit."
Kuro was so consumed by her pursuit of 'potential' that she wanted to try things even if they were obviously incompatible, which made her a handful.
However, Alice knew exactly how to handle her. Ultimately, Kuro accepted the suitable seasonings, though she still looked a bit wistful as she took them.
"One more thing, Kuro-san. Do not mix these. Use them individually. If you mix them carelessly, they will taste awful."
"I-I mean, I was hoping to pursue infinite—"
"I’m not talking about possibilities; I’m talking about safety warnings. Understand? If you don't follow the rules, I won't give you any more ingredients in the future."
"Uuu... Yes, ma'am."
Alice was probably the only person who could score such a decisive victory over Kuro in Baby Castella Mode. For a moment, I wondered if she could just come with us on this journey, but the burden on her would likely be immense, so I felt too guilty to ask.
After leaving the general store with our new supplies, I discussed our next move with Kuro.
"Where should we go next? If we're staying in the Kingdom of Sinfonia, maybe Rigforresia?"
"Ah, Rigforresia sounds great! I want to get those Spirit Tree leaves Sieg-chan mentioned. They have a lot of fruit and other ingredients there, too, so it’ll be good for stocking up."
"There's also Rei-san and Fia-san's house, though I don't know if they'll be in. After that, should we head to another country?"
"Yeah. I think I’ll go see Chris in the Arclesia Empire."
"Oh, that's right. Chris-san lived with you for a while in the past, didn't she?"
"Mhm. It wasn't for very long, but Chris is like a member of my family."
Chris-san’s affection for Kuro always came through in the letters we exchanged. They clearly shared a wonderful bond.
It looked like the route would be Rigforresia, then the Arclesia Empire, and finally the Hydra Kingdom. It was going to be a long trip. We had already gathered so much that I felt we could probably stop now, but Kuro wasn't the type to settle for 'good enough.'
??? [This is a bad sign. Alice-chan is making a second appearance much faster than she did in the books... At this rate, isn't her appearance count going to end up higher than the published version?]