Once the Sea Dragon Procession drew to a close, we made a beeline for the square in front of the Assembly Hall where the ceremony was scheduled to take place. To be honest, we were cutting it close.
The procession was only one of many attractions held during the Founding Anniversary Festival. Since it was not a government-led event directly synchronized with the ceremony, the buffer between the two was almost nonexistent.
In reality, if a person stayed to watch the parade until the very last dragon decoration was offered, they were all but certain to miss the opening of the ceremony. Of course, the main draw for most people attempting this frantic schedule was the message from the First Hero rather than the ceremony itself. By narrowing the goal down to just that moment, we might have possessed a sliver of leeway.
"Actually, look at this crowd... it’s incredible. It’s less of a stroll and more of a mass migration," I remarked.
"You’re right," Noin-san agreed, sounding slightly overwhelmed. "To think it would be this intense... Moving even a few meters is going to be a struggle. I don't think we can make it in time."
In all honesty, I think both Noin-san and I had underestimated the cultural weight of the "First Hero" name. The main street was so choked with people trying to reach the ceremony that the idea of arriving on time felt like a pipe dream. While the contents of the message would undoubtedly be printed in every magazine after the festival, a staggering number of people clearly wanted to be there for the exact second it was announced.
"Everyone, over here," Alice called out.
"Hm? Alice, isn't that the wrong direction?" I asked, noticing she was gesturing away from the main thoroughfare.
"No, this way is fine."
Following Alice’s lead, I looked down a side path. It was conspicuously empty compared to the main road, and it clearly didn't lead toward the square. If anything, it seemed to be taking us further away. Despite my confusion, we followed her until the path ended abruptly at a plain wall.
I was just starting to think it made sense for the street to be empty if it was a dead end when Alice walked straight up to the bricks. As she approached, vertical lines of light etched themselves across the surface, and a doorway began to open.
"...Wait, is this Gluttony-san’s work?" I asked.
"Yeah. I mean, I could have handled it myself, but she gets so incredibly happy whenever I give her a job like this," Alice replied.
Gluttony-san was part of the Fanatic group, after all. Being useful to Alice probably made her day. Regardless, the intent was clear: since walking through the crowd was impossible, we were taking a shortcut via Space-Time Magic.
Under normal circumstances, events like the Founding Anniversary Festival were protected by powerful Teleportation Interference Barriers. However, experts on the level of Gluttony-san or Jutia-san could apparently bypass those restrictions with ease.
Still, it was a feat reserved for the elite even among the Six Kings' Executives. And, as a side note, even those masters of teleportation couldn't crack the interference surrounding the Sanctuary. Unless Shiro-san granted explicit permission, no one could reach her realm. It was a unique domain that even those equal to her, like Kuro or Eden-san, couldn't access without an invitation.
"But wait," Noin-san interjected. "Even if we teleport close to the venue, isn't it going to be hopelessly crowded? Will there even be a place for us to stand?"
"She's right," I added. "It’ll be even worse than the street we were just on."
"Oh, don't worry about that. Alice-sama has obviously thought this through," Hapty-san said with her usual casual air. "Just walk through and you'll see."
Following Hapty-san’s lead, Noin-san and I exchanged a glance before stepping into the glowing gate. Squinting against the sudden flash of light, I passed through the portal and found myself... inside a spacious room.
"Huh? We're indoors? This looks like... a conference room?"
"A-Alice-sama? Is this... by any chance, are we inside the Assembly Hall?" Noin-san asked, her voice trembling.
"That's right. You get a perfect, unobstructed view of the square from here," Alice said proudly.
"But... isn't the Assembly Hall strictly off-limits to everyone, including the assemblymen, for the duration of the festival?"
"Do you really think that's a problem for me? Don't worry, I went through all the proper channels to rent the place out."
"I suppose that was a foolish thing to ask," Noin-san muttered, looking off into the distance with an expression of total resignation.
She had a point. It shouldn't have been surprising. According to Laguna, Alice had already effectively bought more than half the legislature. If she really wanted to, she could probably rewrite the kingdom’s laws on a whim. Her influence was truly staggering.
"Nice! As expected of Alice-sama! We even get chairs," Hapty-san cheered, already dragging a seat toward the window.
"Could you please show at least a little bit of shock!?" Noin-san cried out.
Well, I couldn't really blame Hapty-san. After all, they were technically the same person.
Serious-senpai: "The pacing is picking up... I don't like this. I can see right through the plan to breeze through the mandatory events just to get back to the romantic sugar developments..."