Chris lowered the letter from Amel, her expression clouded with visible concern.
"I find the description of their wares quite cryptic. It's hard to make out, but it doesn't seem to be food," she remarked.
"The Winged Race typically sells accessories like feather ornaments at these events," her aide suggested. "Perhaps they're sticking to tradition?"
"It's a possibility. Furthermore, there's no doubt that this 'Sworn Friend' mentioned in the letter is Miyama-sama."
"Yes, our intelligence confirms that Amel-sama refers to Miyama Kaito-sama as her Sworn Friend. I must say, however, I’m quite surprised. Setting Amel-sama herself aside, I’m amazed the rest of the Winged Race permitted this."
"True. Given their nature, I wouldn't expect them to welcome their leader forming such a close bond with another race."
Chris nodded silently. The Winged Race was notoriously isolationist. Their prevailing culture dictated that interactions with outsiders should be kept to the absolute minimum. While Amel, as their leader, occasionally accepted invitations to festivals as a matter of protocol, she rarely engaged with other races on a personal level.
"According to our initial reports, Amel-sama seemed to be quite cautious in her dealings with Miyama Kaito-sama," the aide continued. "She never invited him to the Winged Race’s settlement, keeping their relationship strictly personal and seemingly out of the public eye. It felt like she was trying not to draw the attention of her kin."
"Indeed. Considering that, her decision to open a stall with him so boldly at the Founding Anniversary Festival is unexpected... No, wait... I see."
"Your Majesty?"
For Amel—who had previously maintained a strict boundary to protect her standing as leader—to partner with Kaito in a venue where they would be exposed to the entire Winged Race was a questionable move. But mid-sentence, the pieces clicked together in Chris’s mind.
"She no longer needs to hide it. Amel-dono likely discovered a certain truth about Miyama-sama."
"A truth, Your Majesty?"
"The fact that Miyama-sama has received the True Blessing of the Creator God, Shallow Vernal."
"The True Blessing of the Creator God? Ah—I see! The Winged Race!"
"Precisely. They are a profoundly religious people. They are devoted to the Goddess of Life, who governs all nature, but their reverence for Shallow Vernal—the zenith of all divinity—is just as absolute. To them, Miyama-sama is now a Great Existence Chosen by God. Far from opposing the connection, they would likely celebrate any interaction with him, regardless of his race."
The Winged Race’s piety was legendary. It was a racial duty for them to visit the temple of the Goddess of Fertility—a subordinate of the God of Life, Life—at least once a month. They were so devout that they never missed their morning and nightly prayers to both Life and Shallow Vernal.
Under normal circumstances, no matter how many powerful connections the World’s Singularity possessed, the Winged Race would have protested their leader’s friendship with a human. But once Kaito was revealed as a bearer of Shallow Vernal’s blessing, the paradigm shifted.
To a species that centered their lives around divine worship, Kaito was effectively a being equal to a god. Amel’s friendship with him was no longer a scandal; it was a crowning honor for her entire race. The moment Amel realized Kaito held that blessing, the political shackles vanished, allowing her to indulge her desire for friendship without restraint.
"He truly is an extraordinary man. I doubt he even intended it, but he has found a way to bridge the gap with the isolationist Winged Race almost perfectly."
"Indeed," Chris agreed with a weary smile. "As expected of Miyama-sama. At this rate, he would probably be welcomed with open arms in the Winged Race's Village. Considering Amel-dono already calls him her Sworn Friend, he might be the only mortal in existence capable of interacting freely with them."
Kaito had become a cherished figure to a race that usually refused to even acknowledge the existence of others. Chris couldn't help but chuckle at his seemingly endless talent for being an outlier... but then, a terrifying thought struck her.
"Wait a moment. If—and this is just a hypothetical—Amel-dono’s stall sells accessories, and Miyama-sama is involved in making them..."
"That would be a disaster, Your Majesty," the aide whispered, her face turning pale. "Forgive me, but my blood has run cold just thinking about it."
"Yes, my hands are shaking as well. This is bad. Very bad. If they are handmade accessories, there won't be enough to go around. In the worst-case scenario, it will turn into a bloodbath."
This was a far cry from what had happened in the Kingdom of Sinfonia. Back then, it had been a baby castella stall—perishable food. But according to this letter, they weren't selling food this time. If they put out accessories, the demand would be astronomical.
"If that happens, would the capital even survive the fallout?"
"We need to confirm the details of their inventory immediately. There’s no time to be polite. Rather than navigating Amel-dono's eccentricities, we’ll ask Miyama-sama directly. Bring me my writing materials!"
"At once, Your Majesty!"
Sensing the approach of a world-shaking calamity, Chris felt a familiar, sharp pain bloom in her stomach.
Machina: "My beloved child’s... handmade jewelry...?"
???: "Stay! Down, girl! Stay!!"