As I walked through the streets of the Founding Anniversary Festival, holding hands with the newly transformed Shiro, it occurred to me that we hadn’t been stuck in a single crowd since we started. Our movement was suspiciously smooth. The flow of people seemed perfectly orchestrated, opening up a path exactly where we wanted to go.
Ordinarily, I would have chalked it up to luck, but... no, this was definitely intentional. It was the work of the Gods. I could only bow my head in gratitude for their overwhelming support. Even now, the sky was filled with a display of light—supposedly a state-of-the-art Magic Tool—meant to archive Shiro’s earlier reaction like a piece of aerial art.
Truly, if this weren’t a separate dimension that wouldn't affect the original world, I couldn't even imagine how many "new technology" Magic Tools would have been invented just for this festival.
"Kaito, wouldn’t that be nice?" Shiro asked.
"Eh? Which one... what is that? A box? No, the cargo part of a carriage?"
Following Shiro’s gaze, I saw something that looked like a box just large enough for two people to fit comfortably inside. A massive queue had formed in front of it. The best way to describe it was that it looked like a gondola from a Ferris Wheel had been detached and left on the ground. Seriously, what was that?
"It is similar to what is called a Ferris Wheel in your world," Shiro explained.
"Ah, I did think it looked like a Ferris Wheel gondola. So, that means it moves?"
"Yes. It floats into the air and travels along a predetermined course that offers a panoramic view of the royal capital before returning."
"I see. That explains why it’s so popular."
I had been to the Hydra Kingdom’s capital several times before, but I didn't remember seeing gondolas like that flying through the sky. It was likely something only permitted during the festival, probably involving complex interactions with various barriers and magic formulas. Regardless, it was clearly a rare attraction. That was undoubtedly why such a staggering line had formed.
"It is apparently ranked among the top three recommended attractions for couples at this festival."
"I can’t help but feel like it’s too convenient that we just happened to find the boarding area for it."
"No, I guided us here. Because I wanted to have a lovey-dovey date with you."
"You’re incredibly honest..."
The way she declared, "I brought us here on purpose," without a hint of hesitation or deception, was truly typical of Shiro. I actually quite liked that side of her.
"...Shouldn't you say that last part out loud?" she asked.
"Say what?"
"That you like me. I think you could even leave out the 'quite' part."
"...There are a lot of people around, so I'll save that for later."
"Fumu... I suppose I shall be satisfied with having secured a promise."
Well, it wasn’t as if I had any hesitation about telling Shiro, my lover, that I loved her. It was just that saying it in the middle of a crowd at a popular festival attraction was embarrassing. If we were alone, I’d say it as many times as she wanted...
"...Oh? As many times as I want?"
"Ah..."
Oops. That was a bad development. My heart skipped a beat as I saw her eyes sparkle with anticipation. I got the feeling she was really going to demand it relentlessly once we were alone.
"A-Anyway, let’s get in line."
"Very well. I shall save that treat for later."
"P-Please go easy on me..."
I had given her my word—or rather, I had let the thought slip in my head. Since it was my own fault for being so careless, I was prepared to accept the consequences to some extent. However, I really hoped she would show some restraint. I needed her to accurately estimate the limits of a human... and specifically, I hoped she wouldn't use people like Lilia as a benchmark for those special cases.
Feeling a vague sense of anxiety about what lay ahead, I joined the long queue. As expected of a popular attraction, the line was truly immense. Since the ride made a full circuit around the capital, the turnover likely wasn't very fast even with many gondolas. It looked like it would take a significant amount of time.
"Thank you for waiting. I will now explain the ride to you."
"—Wha?! Huh? What?"
"...Customer?"
Why was I suddenly at the front of the line? Why were the people who had been waiting until just a moment ago now standing behind us with perfectly natural expressions? What was this? It was as if time had just vanished... No, something definitely happened!
I didn't think it was Shiro. She actually didn't mind waiting in line or things like that. However, the other Gods likely couldn't tolerate the idea of their creator waiting her turn. It was only natural to assume they had pulled some strings behind the scenes. Their support was truly too thorough.