I certainly hadn't expected Shiro-san to descend upon us at the absolute last second. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised; she really did live up to her self-proclaimed title of the Final Boss. Setting aside those trivial thoughts for a moment, I realized this was actually a rather serious situation.
I glanced at Amel-san, who was standing beside me. Without me even noticing, she had dropped into a formal kneeling prayer pose—the same one Lilia-san had taught her for divine encounters and which she had used when she first met Chronoa-san.
Scanning our surroundings, I saw that the Dwarven stallholders and the remaining festival-goers had all assumed the same posture, praying in dead silence. It seemed that even attempting to speak casually to the Creator of the World was considered an act of lèse-majesté. The festive roar of the crowds died away, leaving our corner of the city in an eerie, hushed stillness.
"Um... Shiro-san," I began, trying to break the tension. "Just to be sure... what brings you here?"
"Shopping," she replied simply.
"Shopping for what, exactly?"
"Who knows?"
"What do you mean, 'who knows'?"
She had used some convoluted logic to force her way here, yet she tilted her head in genuine wonder when asked about her objective. That airheaded nature was classic Shiro-san.
But really, what was she after? Almost all our merchandise was sold out, and I couldn't imagine Shiro-san wanting chuunibyou goods. I had already given her the accessories I made beforehand, so I was completely unable to read her intentions.
"Anything is fine, really. I simply wanted to perform the act of shopping at Kaito-san’s stall."
"I see?"
"I didn't visit your stall during the Kingdom of Sinfonia’s Founding Anniversary Festival," she explained, looking a bit miffed. "Even though Kuro did."
"..."
"I received the baby castella you made, but I never actually participated in the transaction of purchasing them from the stall. Kuro did."
"..."
She was actually feeling quite competitive about it. Well, come to think of it, Kuro had come directly to the stall back in Sinfonia. Shiro-san often felt a sense of rivalry toward Kuro, so she probably didn't like the fact that only Kuro had the experience of being a customer at my stall.
"Ah, well... I have a few teacups with my brand logo left. I didn't intend to put them out because I had so many, but would you like to buy one of those?"
"Then I shall have that."
"Understood. Here you go."
Shiro-san drank black tea often, and I figured a teacup would be practical. I made the suggestion, and she didn't seem to have any objections. Since she mainly just wanted the experience of buying something from me, she wasn't particularly picky about the item itself.
"Then, you may keep the change."
"Wait, Shiro-san, hold on. This isn't the kind of purchase that warrants a bag full of clinking coins. How much is in here?"
"Exactly one hundred Platinum Coins."
"That is way too much!"
"No change is necessary."
Why was this Goddess dropping a billion yen on a single teacup? Besides, she probably just manifested this money out of thin air. Was it really okay to just create currency like that? Then again, for Shiro-san, it probably was fine. She was essentially the laws of this world personified. If Shiro-san said a crow was white, it became white—and I didn't mean that metaphorically. It would literally turn white, and the world’s very perception would shift so that crows were recognized as white birds.
Shiro-san was such an absolute existence that I doubted anyone would have a problem with it. In fact, Kuro was likely the only person who would even think to complain.
"By the way, Kaito-san, just to confirm... did Kuro come to this stall?"
"Eh? No, Kuro didn't come. She doesn't have plans to, either."
"Is that so?"
A triumphant look crossed her face. To put it plainly, she was acting smug. She was definitely going to brag about this the next time she had tea with Kuro, which would inevitably lead to a fight.
As I was reflecting on that, Shiro-san made the teacup vanish and made her farewell.
"Well then, since I have fulfilled my purpose, I shall depart."
"Ah, yes. Thank you very much."
"Keep up the good work with the stall, Kaito-san."
"Thank you. I was actually happy you came, Shiro-san."
"Fufu..."
I had been just about to close up for the night, but it didn't really matter. I knew she just wanted to have that specific interaction with me.
Besides, I was genuinely glad she went out of her way to visit. Looking at it from a broader perspective, it might cause a lot of headaches for people like Chris-san, but personally, I enjoyed seeing her.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard the boom of fireworks—even though the display should have already ended. High in the night sky, massive letters were spelled out in light: DOYAAA. With a final, satisfied smile, Shiro-san vanished.
Someone needs to stop those "Doyaaa" fireworks. Somewhere in the city, I could practically feel Chris-san clutching her stomach in agony.
Serious-senpai: "Well, Chris is one thing, but by choosing to leave of her own accord so quickly, Shiro rendered all the Supreme Gods’ frantic containment measures completely meaningless. In a way, you have to admit it was a masterful move."