Inside one of the magic ship's VIP rooms, the Underworld King Kuromueina and her family were relaxing as they waited for the party to begin.
Because their leader, Kuromueina, had been close with Kaito since the very early stages of his arrival in this world, many members of the Underworld King Faction were personally acquainted with him. If categorized by allegiance, their faction boasted the largest number of attendees at the event.
"So, Big Sis Tre, your habit of getting lost is finally cured?"
"Well, it's less 'cured' and more that Cento and Cien can find me immediately now if I wander off. It’s all thanks to Kaito, though... Now that I've conquered my directionless nature, haven't I become a big sister with absolutely no openings? At this rate, don't you think my Sister Power could reach about 100,000?"
"What even is Sister Power?"
"Oh, you know, Ai-nee does things like Maid Power, so I thought I'd try to mimic her. It's not like the specific number really means anything! In any case, I feel like a Flawless Excellent Big Sister now!"
Tre and Fie sat across from each other at one of the tables, chatting away. Fie, who had known Tre for a long time, looked touched for a fleeting moment upon hearing that Tre’s chronic lostness had been resolved. However, that sentiment vanished instantly, replaced by a look of wry amusement as Tre began babbling about "Sister Power" and other nonsense.
"Hmph. Well, for example, if we take Ai-nee's level of flawlessness as a 100, where would you rank yourself, Big Sis Tre?"
"Let's see. I'm the type who's quite soft on myself, so assessing generously... maybe a 5!"
"You're totally full of openings..."
"No, I just think the comparison is unfair. Anyone looks full of openings compared to Ai-nee."
"Then what if we take Zuva-nee as the 100?"
"A comparison with Zuva-nee changes things quite a bit... maybe an 8!"
"Still totally full of openings, aren't you?"
"That's strange... well, I suppose having a few flaws is part of my charm, so it's fine!"
"You're so... positive..."
Fie laughed cheerfully, watching the characteristically easygoing and optimistic Tre. They continued their conversation in a peaceful atmosphere until Fie suddenly noticed something.
"By the way, Big Sis Tre, you’re wearing a formal suit today? You’re tall and slender, so it looks great on you, but still..."
"Yeah. Just like you said, Fie, I feel like this suits me better than a dress. Isn't it nice? Chrome-sama bought it for me the other day."
"Did you pester Chrome-sama again?"
"I suppose I did, in a way. I didn't flat-out ask her to buy me clothes, though. I just asked if we could go together because I wanted to wear an outfit Chrome-sama picked out. She happened to have an opening in her schedule, so we went shopping together..."
"Ah... there's no way Chrome-sama would let one of us pay if she went shopping with us."
"Exactly. So the result was that she bought it for me. Well, you know my style—I fully embrace being pampered by those above me, and I fully pamper those below me."
Tre was indeed skilled at being pampered, and she was quite adored by Ein, Zwei, and even Kuromueina. She didn't act out of any particular ulterior motive; her request had simply stemmed from a genuine desire to wear clothes chosen by Kuromueina.
For Kuromueina, being relied upon by her family out of pure affection was a natural joy. Furthermore, as the wealthiest person in the world, she would never dream of letting her family pay while out shopping together. Thus, the outfit Tre was currently wearing had become a gift from her.
Fie nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation, but then a mischievous smile played across her lips as she thought of something.
"I see, I see. So that means you’re going to pamper me, since I’m your younger sister, right? Does that mean you’re going to buy me something too, Big Sis Tre?"
"I knew you were going to say that... Ta-da! I actually already bought you something!"
"Eh? Really? I was just joking..."
"Hehe, don't underestimate your big sister. I know all about it, Fie. Didn't you receive an award for your paper at the Medical Society a little while ago? This is a gift to celebrate. It's a brooch!"
"Oh... thank you."
Perhaps she hadn't expected a gift to actually appear. Fie stood frozen for a moment as she accepted the brooch Tre held out, but her face soon brightened with genuine delight as the happiness welled up.
"I'm so happy. But it's surprising. I didn't think you knew about my presentation at the Medical Society, Big Sis Tre."
"Heh. I'm always keeping an eye on what my cute little sister is up to. I even read your paper!"
"No way, really? It was quite technical and full of difficult terminology. You understood it?"
"I read it, but I didn't understand it at all! In fact, I was completely lost by the second page! But I read it all the way to the end, okay? It was about the magic power in blood doing this and that, and compatibility being like so-and-so, right?"
"Given that you read the whole thing, I don't think you understood even ten percent of it... But that’s so like you, Big Sis Tre."
Even so, the fact that Tre had forced herself to finish a technical, incomprehensible paper was a testament to her affection for her younger sister. Fie laughed happily as she immediately pinned the brooch onto her clothes.
Serious-senpai: "I feel like the guests are clearly divided into the Stomach Pain Group and the Heartwarming Group. The Six Kings Factions are appearing in sequence, and if we count the Phantasm King's Subordinates as those initial perverts, then I guess the Seven Princesses are up next?"