We arrived in Rigforresia to purchase some Leaves of the Spirit Tree and, if the timing worked out, to visit Rei-san and Fia-san. It had been quite some time since my last visit—not since I had accompanied Sieg-san for her homecoming.
"Kuro, I have a favor to ask."
"Hmm?"
"Could you cast some recognition inhibition magic on me?"
"Why the sudden request?"
"Well, for some reason, I’ve become weirdly famous here in Rigforresia..."
"Ah, oh right! I think I heard something about that. Sure, I can do that."
The last time I visited this village, I was stopped and spoken to so many times that I could barely make it to Rei-san and Fia-san’s house. It was a fact I didn't want to admit and preferred to ignore, but unfortunately, there was no denying my celebrity status in Rigforresia.
That was where Kuro’s magic came in. Normally, Shiro-san's Blessing would cancel out any recognition inhibition magic, but Kuro was able to bypass that without any trouble. I could have asked Shiro-san to do it, but since Kuro was right here with me, it was much faster this way.
"There we go. All set!"
"Thanks. Well then, shall we? Should we get the shopping out of the way first?"
"Good idea. Let's pick up some fruit too while we're at it."
"By the way, are Spirit Tree leaves actually sold in stores?"
"They’re used as medicinal ingredients, so you’ll find them in shops that sell herbs. It’s a different kind of store than a grocer, but Rigforresia isn't that big. Most of the shops are clustered together, so we won't have to wander all over the place."
"I see."
As we chatted and made our way into the village, the difference in attention was night and day. Recognition inhibition magic truly was a godsend. To be fair, my face wasn't particularly well-known outside of this village, so I didn't usually need it elsewhere.
Still, I couldn't help but wonder why I was so famous specifically in Rigforresia. Even with the incident at the Treasure Tree Festival, would people really remember a face they had only seen once? Maybe I was featured in the book's illustrations and people recognized me from those.
"Oh, look, Kaito-kun! There’s a big picture of you over there!"
"Huh? Wait, what is that?"
Following Kuro’s gaze, I saw a life-sized standee of myself standing in front of a bookstore. A sign next to it read: Latest Volume Now on Sale.
Ah, I see. A new volume of that book series based on me had just been released, and they were using the standee for promotion. I remembered replying to the author’s letter and telling them they were free to handle the marketing however they liked, but I never imagined they’d go this far. Besides, that illustration looked way more handsome than I actually was.
I felt a bizarre wave of embarrassment wash over me.
"That's right, the books about you. I heard it’s a massive hit," Kuro remarked.
"So I’ve been told. But thinking about it now, I’m surprised they have enough material to keep the series going. The Treasure Tree Festival alone wouldn't be enough to fill multiple volumes."
"Oh, that’s because Shaltier is the one providing the author with stories about you."
"She’s doing what?"
It made sense when I thought about it. To keep writing stories about me, the author needed a source. I had considered Isis-san, but ordinary people couldn't exactly sit down and have a chat with her.
A flash of annoyance sparked in my mind, but I quickly suppressed it. Alice loved her pranks, but I didn't think she would ever do something to genuinely hurt me or something she knew I’d truly hate. There had to be a reason, and if I looked deeper, I suspected it was ultimately for my benefit.
"Wait... is she doing that for me?"
"I’m sure of it. That series is popular, right? If the author wanted to keep it going, they’d have to dig for information on their own. If they did that, they’d probably end up with a bunch of wild rumors and exaggerated tales, just like the ones currently circulating here in Rigforresia."
"I see. So instead of letting them write whatever they want, she’s been adjusting the information from the start to make sure I’m not misunderstood."
"I haven't asked her directly, but I’d bet on it. Shaltier is incredibly devoted to you, after all."
Just as I thought. She was likely working behind the scenes to make sure I wasn't portrayed as some monster who annihilated an entire pack of Black Bears like in the first volume. It was a very Alice-like thing to do—and even more like her to do it all in secret without ever mentioning it to me.
"Alice, thank you."
"I-It’s nothing! I just did it to make a little extra spending money!"
"She probably didn't take a single cent. She’s just acting tough because she’s embarrassed," Kuro whispered.
"Kuro-san, would you mind keeping your mouth shut?"
When I called out my thanks to Alice, who was trailing behind us, her voice came back sounding flustered, just as I’d expected. She immediately got defensive when Kuro teased her, which felt like a bit of payback for earlier.
Knowing that Alice was looking out for me in ways I hadn't even realized made a warm feeling spread through my chest. I’d have to find a way to thank her properly later. With a wry smile, I continued listening to their playful bickering as we walked.
Serious-senpai: "Actually, Alice is so devoted that she's almost on the same level as Illness. I guess masters and servants really do start to resemble each other after a while."
???: "...No comment."