For the moment, Lilia-san decided to take a rest. Amel-san joined us, and the atmosphere remained peaceful as we chatted while minding the stall.
Sitting on a simple chair I had retrieved from my Magic Box, Lilia-san wore an intrigued expression.
"So this is what it feels like to be inside a stall," she remarked. "It feels quite fresh—even a bit exciting."
"The vibe in here is pretty fun, isn't it?" I replied.
Thinking back, Lilia-san was a Former Princess and a Duke; she would never have had a reason to run a stall herself. She was the type of person who likely hadn't even visited regular stalls very often, so everything probably seemed novel to her.
"Speaking of which, Amel-sama, has it not been difficult for you?" Lilia-san asked. "Since this is Kaito-san's shop, I imagine many prestigious individuals must have paid a visit."
"Hmm? No," Amel-san replied. "While I am constantly awed by my Sworn Friend’s social connections, the current tally is... limited to the God Who Governs Time, the God Who Rules over Fate, and the King of Roaring Flames, is it not? Of course, while they are magnificent entities, there have been relatively long periods of quiet."
"That’s true. Other than Chronoa-san and Fate-san stopping by at the start, only Megiddo-san has visited. Otherwise, customers just drop by every now and then, so it’s been fairly relaxing," I added.
A large part of that was likely because I had already given the accessories to my lovers beforehand. Furthermore, unlike the Baby Castella stall from before, we weren't selling food, so the foot traffic wasn't overwhelmingly heavy.
I got the impression that most people were coming to look out of curiosity, drawn by the facade Amel-san had so meticulously crafted. The ceramics were selling reasonably well, suggesting we were attracting a fairly wealthy demographic, but compared to the Founding Anniversary Festival in Symphonia, the crowd was definitely lighter and the pace was much more leisurely.
"...I see. It sounds very peaceful. Quite unlike my own situation..."
"Lilia-san?"
"No, forgive me. My heart just grows heavy when I think about what awaits me afterward..."
"I'm not sure I can help much with that, but... are you hungry? I have things like Yakisoba."
Hoping to cheer up the despondent Lilia-san, I pulled out some Yakisoba I had purchased in bulk and offered it to her. She looked at it with a renewed sense of wonder, her curiosity clearly piqued once again.
Come to think of it, during our beach trip, Alice had only whipped some up quickly for Eden-san; Lilia-san probably hadn't had a chance to see Yakisoba back then.
"...Oh, this is delicious! Kaito-san, is this a type of Pasta from your world?"
"Something like that. Alice made it. It’s a rare dish in this world."
Lilia-san enjoyed things like skewered roasts and generally preferred commoner-style flavors, so the Yakisoba seemed to hit the mark. She smiled as she ate, twirling the noodles like she was eating Pasta.
Since Lilia-san insisted that things would be a nightmare once she returned to her official duties, I hoped she could at least find a moment of relaxation here.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Lilia-san suddenly stopped eating, her expression turning sharp. Amel-san reacted at the same instant.
"Sworn Friend, a large presence is approaching... but the magic feels strange."
"It’s similar to a Monster's Magic Power," Lilia-san added. "But this magnitude... it must be Count-class. Yet, it's a peculiar magic, different from that of a Dragon Species."
"Wait, really? Let me see... Oh, is it her?"
My ability to detect Magic Power wasn't particularly keen. I couldn't identify species by their aura alone the way Amel-san or Lilia-san could, but I had Sympathy Magic. By expanding my sensory range, I could tell exactly who was coming—provided it was someone I knew. And this time, I knew her well.
"Kaito-san? Do you know who this is?"
"Yeah. The reason both of you think it's a strange Magic Power is probably because... it’s a Slime's Magic Power."
"A Slime?! Wait, Sworn Friend! You mean a Slime as in that kind of Slime? Does a Slime with that much Magic Power even exist?!"
Amel-san's shock was perfectly understandable. Slimes were known as the weakest, most harmless creatures among Monsters. Yet, this person was definitively Count-class.
"...Kaito-san, could this be the person you mentioned before?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's Roze-san. I don't know why she’s here, though, since she's supposed to almost never leave the Forbidden Land..."
Hardly had I finished speaking when a series of rhythmic, bouncing sounds reached our ears. A familiar Slime came hopping toward us like a rubber ball.
(Kaito-kun! I came to play!)
Hearing that bright voice—or rather, the Magic Power Wavelength—and seeing Roze-san arrive, Lilia-san wore a look of utter defeat. Her expression said, "Of course it turned out like this," and it left a lasting impression on me.
Serious-senpai: "And now he attracts a Count-class entity Lilia hasn't even met before... No matter how hard she tries, the only word that comes to mind for her is 'stomach pain'."