As Anima and I discussed ways to use the magic ship Kuromueina had given me, various ideas for a shipboard party started pouring out. It was a funny thing; we had started with a simple hypothetical, but the more we talked about the details, the more I found myself getting motivated to actually do it.
"Master, if you are going to plan this as the host, perhaps it would be best to lean into your origins and serve dishes from your world?"
"I see... but there aren't actually that many massive differences in food culture here. Oh, but Japanese food is quite unique in its own right. I do wonder if it would suit a shipboard party, though."
The cuisine in this world was generally Western-style, so Japanese food would be considered a rarity. Regardless of whether it truly "fit" a party, I felt the novelty alone would be worth something. I considered that it might be a good idea to ask for Kaori-san’s help and center the menu around otherworld cuisine.
"The ship I got from Kuromueina is quite large, so I feel like I could invite almost all of my acquaintances without any issues."
"That is true. Would the guest list primarily center around those who attended your birthday party? Though, considering Shallow Vernal-sama would be attending, there is no doubt it will turn into something extraordinary..."
"That’s certainly true. Still, a party like that sounds like fun. If we do go through with it, I’ll be relying on you to help with a lot of things, Anima. I'll be counting on you."
"Yes! Please leave it to me!!"
If we actually held a shipboard party, I would likely be relying on Anima for quite a bit. During my previous housewarming party, Ein-san and Zwei-san had joined in the preparations as if they were part of the host side out of nowhere.
"I wonder if Ein-san and Zwei-san might join the preparations again, like they did at the housewarming party?"
"That does seem likely. It might be better to send out the invitations early and speak with them about attending as guests instead. Also, perhaps we should mention it to Kuromueina beforehand..."
"Yeah, Kuromueina is probably the only one who can keep those two under control. If we decide to do this, I’ll try asking her to keep them in check."
If I was going to be the host, I wanted to handle the preparations with my own inner circle. By that, I didn't mean my mother or father in a biological sense, but rather the members of my own household. If they were to participate in the shipboard party preparations, it would likely be Anima, Caraway, Eta, Theta, and Nebula.
Illness-san technically handled the housework for my home, so she was definitely part of the household, but she was also a maid at Lilia-san’s mansion, so I was a bit conflicted on how to balance her responsibilities.
"Hmm. But thinking about it, I feel like my circle of acquaintances has grown considerably since the housewarming."
"Indeed. Not only that, but there have been global changes as well. Isis-dono’s group has begun functioning almost as a formal camp, and High-ranking Gods have more opportunities to visit the Human Realm compared to before."
Thinking back to the housewarming party, my circle had grown quite a bit—including the Six Kings' Executives, various High-ranking Gods, the new members who had joined Isis-san’s side, the former Heroes like Kaori-san, and people I had met through various events. If I were to invite all of them, the scale would be quite significant.
Actually, would it even be possible for everyone to attend at once? Well, I could always emphasize when sending the invitations that it was perfectly fine not to push themselves to attend if they had other plans. I could manage the logistics somehow.
"I'm actually starting to get really excited about this."
"Fufu, I agree. When you discuss and plan things like this, it makes you want to see them through. If it is alright with you, Master, shall we try making a formal plan next time, including Caraway and the others?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I’m sure there will be challenges, and if it turns out to be too difficult to pull off, we don't necessarily have to do it. I’ll try consulting with everyone soon."
A party on a luxury vessel... Even though I was on the planning side, I was quite looking forward to it. I was often the one being entertained, but I hadn't had many chances to be the one providing the hospitality. The idea of being able to show my gratitude by hosting the people who helped me every day was a very appealing prospect—in fact, I was becoming quite enthusiastic about that part of it.
Anima seemed to be on board with the idea too, so I decided to start giving it some serious thought.
Machina: "The direction for the next episode is starting to take shape. Oh, Serious-senpai, do you want some coffee too?"
Serious-senpai: "Give me something bitter."
Machina: "Here you go."
Serious-senpai: "Thanks... Hmm? What's with this round chocolate?"
Machina: "This? I coated some cream that goes well with coffee in a thin chocolate shell. If you drop it into the coffee like this, the chocolate coating gradually melts and changes the flavor! Pretty neat, right? Do you want one too, Serious-senpai?"
Serious-senpai: "...Make mine a non-sweet version."
Machina: "Sure, sure. Alright, I've reconstructed the contents to have almost zero sweetness. Now you can just enjoy the richness of the chocolate and the creaminess!"
Serious-senpai: "Hmm... Not bad. Now then, it would be great if we could just head straight into the next episode like this..."
Machina: "Don't you think there's time for one more lovey-dovey moment?"
Serious-senpai: "Ugh..."
???: "Wait, are you two actually friends?!"