Lilia Albert vanished from the VIP seats of the commemorative ceremony without warning. The disappearance was so instantaneous that many didn't even notice, but those who did—most notably the Six Kings and the Supreme Gods—were left in a state of shock.
"...Lilia’s gone? Impossible. I didn’t feel even a ripple of magic power... Blast!"
"Calm down, God of Space-Time. If you stop and think for a second, the culprit becomes obvious."
Chronoa, who shared a close bond with Lilia, feared some unforeseen accident had befallen her and nearly bolted from her chair to begin a search, but Fate restrained her. Fate adjusted the sound of her voice with her authority so the commoners wouldn't overhear before continuing.
"There are only a handful of beings capable of a teleportation so seamless that even we wouldn't notice it. First, there’s Shallow Vernal-sama, but she has no reason to do this. The Underworld King or Shaltan could pull it off if they really wanted to, but they don't have a reason either. That leaves only one person by process of elimination, right?"
"...The God of an Otherworld."
"Bingo. And if she’s behind this, you already know where to look. Try scanning the area around Kai-chan’s stall."
"...I see. Lilia’s magic signature is indeed there. I can breathe a sigh of relief for now... Though, considering the mental toll this will take on her, I find it hard to feel entirely at ease."
Chronoa felt a momentary wave of relief knowing Lilia was physically safe, but she couldn't help but feel a profound sense of pity for the poor woman’s current plight.
Business at the stall had slowed down as the ceremony drew the crowds away, so I spent my time tending to things while chatting casually with Amel-san. I figured the event was reaching its midpoint. I wasn’t entirely sure about the schedule, but it certainly seemed like a stuffy, formal affair.
While I was lost in thought, Lilia-san suddenly materialized right in front of me—still sitting in her chair.
"...?!"
What? What was this? Why was she suddenly here, still seated, wearing an expression of absolute despair as if the world were ending?
"...Li-Lilia-san?"
"...So, a high-ranking noble visits a shop with the grace of remaining seated? How... innovative. This is certainly a situation I have never encountered," Amel-san remarked.
Neither Amel-san nor I had any idea what was going on. Lilia-san was supposed to be at the ceremony, yet here she was, radiating a crushing aura of melancholy. As I watched her with an indescribable feeling, Lilia-san finally spoke. Her voice was a hollow whisper.
"...Why? Why is this happening? My stomach hurts... I don't even want to think about the chaos at the venue right now."
"U-Um, Lilia-san? What's going on?"
"Why am I the one who always suffers like this?! And come to think of it, that person is one of your associates too, Kaito-san!"
"Whoa!"
"Why is it always me?! I feel like a hole is about to open in my stomach! Actually, it’s a miracle I don’t have one already!"
"Ah, hey, wait, I can't brea— my head is spin—"
Lilia-san bolted upright from her chair. With tears welling in her eyes, she lunged forward, grabbed me by the collar, and began shaking me violently.
The critical factor here was that Lilia-san’s strength was light-years beyond my own. She lifted me slightly off the ground, shaking me so fast that my brain felt like it was being put through a blender. She was clearly trying to hold back, but that didn't stop the world from spinning.
"C-Calm yourself, Duchess Lilia! I realize something has upset you, but violence is not the answer! My Sworn Friend’s eyes are rolling back in his head! Please, stand down!"
"...Eh? Oh! K-Kaito-san?! Are you okay?!"
"I, I see stars..."
Thankfully, Amel-san intervened before my consciousness could be shaken loose. Lilia-san snapped out of her trance and let go, allowing me to finally sink back to the ground.
My vision was still flickering. It felt as though I’d been headbanging at terminal velocity, and the world refused to stop spinning. Still, looking at the sheer agony on Lilia-san’s face, I couldn’t find it in me to complain. Based on her words, it sounded like I was the root cause of this mess again.
Regardless... the detailed explanation could wait until my head stopped throbbing.
Serious-senpai: "The stomach pain damage dealt to Lilia is just on another level. As expected of the strongest stomach pain warrior, she’s in a league of her own."