As the festivities for the Founding Anniversary Festival continued in the ballroom, Lilliwood let out a long, relieved breath.
"I wondered what would happen for a moment, but with Lilia-san back safe and Fate and the others handling the follow-up so well, everything was resolved quite elegantly."
"Indeed. I was flustered myself during the ceremony, but at least we avoided a major scandal," Magnawell replied.
"Good grief, you guys overthink everything," Megiddo chimed in, sounding entirely too relaxed as he knocked back a drink.
Lilliwood’s usual gentle aura was nowhere to be found. Instead, she fixed Megiddo with a look of pure, concentrated killing intent that practically screamed, You’re the one who caused the commotion in the first place.
"Steady now, Lilliwood. I know how you feel, but..." Magnawell attempted to soothe her.
A member of the castle waitstaff approached the three Kings, whispering in a voice meant only for their ears.
"Honestly, Gorilla-san, you really are far too reckless."
"Huh? Wait, you're Shaltier... What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was worried Lilia-san might need help if she got dropped in at a bad time, so I slipped in a Split Body to keep an eye on things. Turns out I wasn't needed."
Because Fate had handled the situation perfectly, Alice had no reason to intervene, but she had approached the three of them for another purpose entirely.
"So, I figured I’d do something to help Lilliwood-san and Magnawell-san feel a bit better."
"Eh?"
"I have a message from Kuro-san. She said she’s coming to your castle later to give you a thorough scolding, so you’d better stay put and wait for her..."
"Y-You... You tattled to Kuromueina!?"
As Alice delivered the news with a smirk, Megiddo’s boisterous expression vanished, replaced by a sickly pallor. Kuromueina was perhaps the only person in the world he absolutely could not stand up to. The mere thought of the impending lecture made him want to bury his head in his hands.
"Excellent work, Shaltier," Lilliwood said, her mood clearly brightening.
"Indeed. Go and get what's coming to you, Megiddo," Magnawell added. "You’re due at the Hydra Kingdom's festival next, so consider this an opportunity to have some common sense beaten into you."
"Gunuuu..."
True to Alice's word, Lilliwood and Magnawell seemed much more satisfied, smiles finally returning to their faces.
In a different corner of the hall, the Three Kings of the Human Realm were huddled together.
"My word, Lady Chris, you’ve certainly had a rough go of it," Ryze said with a wry smile. "Still, this is an immense boon for the Arclesia Empire. I can’t help but be envious."
"It is. My stomach is in knots, but... considering the sheer economic impact of this festival, I’m actually quite grateful. Having the Supreme Gods attend personally has left everyone with the impression that the Empire is deeply connected to the God Realm."
"By that logic, Sinfonia is seen as being incredibly close with the Six Kings," Ryze remarked. "Well, I certainly don't have the heart for sarcasm today."
Chris sighed, and Ryze offered a sympathetic look. He had suffered through his own share of chaos during his kingdom's festival, and with Kaito living in his capital, his stomach was under constant assault. He felt a genuine bond with Chris—one born of shared suffering.
"Hmph. But with Sinfonia and Arclesia putting on shows like this, what am I supposed to do for my own festival?" Laguna interjected, her voice rising in panic. "I can't possibly clear a bar this high! It's next month! I can't suddenly get all the Six Kings and Supreme Gods to show up now! It's impossible!"
"Certainly, given the current flow, many will likely be expecting great things from the Hydra Kingdom Founding Anniversary Festival," Chris noted.
"Ugh... maybe I should just ask Kaito to open a stall in Hydra too? If he did, well, it feels like something big would happen, right?"
"Something might happen, certainly, but we can't just demand a stall from Miyama-kun," Ryze replied. "And even if something did occur, it might just leave you with a stomach ache of your own, His Majesty Laguna."
"Umuuu..."
Laguna groaned. As the ruler of one of the three great nations, she didn't want to fall behind in prestige or popularity. However, the Hydra Kingdom's festival was only a month away. Guest lists were already finalized, and applications for stalls were closed. Still, if she didn't do something to match the other two, she would be left in their wake. She crossed her arms and let out a troubled hum.
Serious-senpai: "Was it just my imagination? I feel like a New Stomach Pain Flag was just raised somewhere."