I headed to the God Realm first thing the next morning. My goal was to give Fate a gift—a choice influenced by a realization I’d had the night before. I really should have stopped by her temple immediately after seeing Shiro.
I teleported to the Upper Level and arrived at her sanctuary, where Fate greeted me with a smile, lounging atop her usual floating cushion.
"Hey there, Kai-chan! Welcome. I’m so glad you stopped by~"
"Sorry for the intrusion. I didn't mean to drop in so early."
"No, no. You’re always welcome, Kai-chan. Besides, the God Realm doesn't even have night unless Shallow Vernal-sama decides it should."
"Oh, right. I keep forgetting that."
Fate flicked a finger, and a sofa and table materialized out of thin air. Following her lead, I took a seat, and tea and sweets appeared before us. It seemed her divine power had grown significantly; she was now able to perform the same feats of manifestation as Shiro.
"So, what brings you here today?" she asked.
"Well, I’m planning to set up a stall at the Arclesia Empire Founding Anniversary Festival, right?"
"Oh, was that happening?"
"...Wait. Did I not tell you?"
"I feel like I heard something about it? Or maybe I didn't? Or maybe I did, but I forgot because it didn't seem to have much to do with me personally..."
"It was definitely that last one, wasn't it?"
That was Fate for you. If anything, the fact that she didn't try to barge in just because I was opening a stall made her the "safest" among my social circle. She was a rare find—someone who would likely conclude that going to the shop was far too much effort.
"Ah, but wait... Kai-chan is opening a stall... That explains why Shallow Vernal-sama gave that kind of permission."
"Shiro did something?"
"Yeah. She gave the Supreme Gods—myself included—permission to attend the festival. It wasn't a command, mind you, just a 'you may go if you wish' sort of thing. I figured it was because I recently granted Arclesia my divine protection, but... I bet she’s thinking about the Sinfonia festival. All the Six Kings showed up there and it was a huge deal. She’s probably trying to balance the power between nations so Sinfonia doesn't look like the only country with divine favor."
"I see."
When she put it that way, it made sense. The Six Kings attending the Sinfonia festival was a massive event. Countering that with the Supreme Gods attending Arclesia would restore the equilibrium. Shiro wasn't forcing anyone, but she was setting the stage to let things play out naturally while keeping a thumb on the scale of global stability.
"Politics sounds exhausting. Anyway, I’m getting off track. The real reason I’m here today is... I wanted to give you this."
"Oh? A hair ornament? Is that a Queen Amethyst?"
"Yeah. I started making original accessories to sell at my stall, and I decided to make a unique, handmade piece for each of my lovers. This one is for you, Fate-san."
I’d honestly agonized over what to give her. Fate didn't seem like the type for excessive jewelry, so I’d considered something simple. However, necklaces and brooches would just get in the way when she was lounging around. That led me to a hair tie style. Since she wore her hair in twin tails, I figured it would be a cute, practical accent.
"Whoa, you made this yourself, Kai-chan? That’s incredible! You’re so good with your hands~"
"Well, I had a lot of help from a crafting kit Alice put together..."
"Still, it's definitely better than anything I could do. I’d probably get bored halfway through. Anyway, thank you! I love it!"
"I’m glad you’re happy with it."
After showering me with praise and a beaming smile, she immediately fixed it into her hair. The Queen Amethyst was a bluish-purple hue that contrasted beautifully with her hair color, serving as a striking accent.
"Well? Does it look good on me?"
"Yeah. It suits you perfectly. You look very cute."
"Ahaha, thanks! Man, you really caught me off guard with that surprise attack. My heart is actually racing. Alright, Kai-chan—open your arms!"
"Huh? Like this?"
"Hup!"
"Whoa—!?"
As soon as I spread my arms, Fate floated off her cushion and dove right into my chest.
"And there we go! Now, Kai-chan, let’s cuddle~"
"I’m not sure where the 'and there we go' came from... but I guess this kind of impulsiveness is just who you are."
Fate could be as fickle as a cat, but when she decided to be affectionate, she didn't hold back. It was undeniably adorable. I felt my face relax into a smile as I stroked her head while she clung to me with pure joy.
Serious-senpai: "Oof... The sugar power is higher than I expected. But wait... compared to Shiro, Kuro, or Eden, she actually doesn't seem to know exactly what Kaito is doing every second of the day. It’s like she has zero desire to violate his privacy. She actually seems... normal? She seems to enjoy hearing things directly from him, and she praises him in exactly the way he likes to hear it. Is Fate actually a much better lover than I realized?"