Once the roughhousing—or rather, the physical discipline meted out by Noin-san—had finally come to an end, Alice created a pocket of subspace. Just as she had done for Olivia-san in the past, she took Noin inside to coordinate a proper disguise.
When they emerged, Noin-san looked like a completely different person. She was dressed in a casual outfit—denim trousers paired with a jacket—that transformed her usual image entirely. A hat and a pair of sunglasses rounded out the look.
"The change is remarkable," I said. "Even people who see you every day might not recognize you at first glance. Those casual clothes really suit you, though."
"Th-Thank you. I'm not used to this style of dress, but... it's quite easy to move in," Noin-san replied. "It’s true that a different outfit, a hat, and glasses can make a world of difference. Perhaps I was overcomplicating the idea of a disguise because I'm so accustomed to Recognition Inhibition Magic. Sha—Alice-sama, thank you very much."
"Don't mention it. That much was an easy fix," Alice replied with a casual wave.
Realizing that a simple disguise was sufficient to stay undercover, Noin-san thanked Alice with a bright expression, and Alice returned a gentle smile.
To any bystander, it was a heartwarming moment of Alice offering helpful advice. However, from my perspective—knowing they were effectively the same person—it was a bit different. Hapty-san’s meddling had caused the initial disaster, and then Alice had swooped in to 'save' her. It was such a blatant case of an arsonist turned firefighter that I couldn't help but wear a conflicted expression.
Then again, since Hapty-san thought and acted independently, maybe that was simply the dynamic she had established with Noin-san. It was all getting a bit complicated.
I decided it was best for my mental health to treat Alice and Hapty-san as separate individuals, regardless of the physical reality.
"Mhm, mhm. It looks great on you, Noin. It's basically exactly what I suggested," Hapty added with a grin.
"...Hapty, are you actually sorry for what you did?"
"I am! I really, truly am! I certainly learned my lesson after that beating, so I've reflected deeply. But well, what's done is done. There's no use dwelling on the past forever, right?"
"That is exactly the response of someone who hasn't reflected at all!"
Noin-san snapped back at the giggling Hapty-san. She was definitely annoyed, but she also seemed to be enjoying herself in a way.
Perhaps Hapty-san was a special kind of best friend to her—someone she could drop her guard with and get angry at while being her true self.
"By the way, we got sidetracked, but were you two out sightseeing?" I asked.
"Yep. Noin was exhausted after Laguna smooth-talked her into that errand, so we came out for a change of pace," Hapty explained.
"Ah, that situation. So it really was a last-minute request rather than something planned in advance."
"Yes... well, it's fine. It's not that I'm trying to hide the fact that I'm alive; I just find standing in the spotlight embarrassing. I'd rather not deal with the fuss," Noin-san admitted.
Come to think of it, during her meeting with Lilia-san, she had mentioned she didn't mind her identity being known. For Noin-san, the issue wasn't people knowing she existed; it was the fame and social gravity that came with being the First Hero.
The name value of the 'First Hero' was immense. If Noin-san took the stage, she would likely be treated as an equal to world leaders or the Six Kings. Given her personality, she would loathe that. That was precisely why she usually stayed hidden inside a suit of full plate armor.
Beyond that, I felt Noin-san couldn't justify standing in the limelight because she viewed herself as a figure whose role had ended and who had already stepped off the stage of history.
"Well, since we've happened upon each other, would you like to join us for a bit?" I asked.
"Ehh? Sightseeing with my boss? That sounds like a penalty game..." Hapty complained.
"It will be Kaito-san's treat while we're together," Alice cut in smoothly.
"Since we've run into an acquaintance like this, it would be a shame to part ways immediately. We would be honored to join you!" Hapty shouted, her attitude doing a complete about-face.
Hey, wait a minute. Alice just pulled a sockpuppet routine to drain my wallet at twice the speed. As Hapty-san’s eyes practically sparkled with greed, I realized that, despite their separate bodies, they really were the same person at their core. They were exactly alike in all the most troublesome ways.