I stepped out of the house with Tre-san and headed into the city. Since Cento-san and Sien-san were set to meet us in fifteen minutes, we didn't plan on wandering too far.
"Shall we stick to the immediate area for now? Do you have any preferences, Tre-san?"
"I'd love to eat something sweet. Maybe some ice cream?"
"Hmm. This neighborhood is mostly upscale shops. If we walk a bit further to the main street, we should be able to find something, though..."
"Then let's head that way!"
The main street was a perfect destination; it would be a good place to spend time once Cento-san and Sien-san caught up with us. When Tre-san mentioned sweets, I assumed she meant things like ice cream or crepes that we could eat on the move. If we couldn't find a stall, we could always duck into a cafe.
Having lived in the Sinfonia Kingdom's capital for a fair amount of time now, I knew the shops along the main thoroughfare well enough to act as a proper guide.
"Come to think of it, didn't you have your first date with Chrome-sama right here in the capital, Kaito?"
"I did. You're quite well-informed."
"It's because Chrome-sama talked about it so happily!"
"Ahaha, I see... Though back then, I hadn't really been anywhere else yet. I had only just arrived in this world, after all."
The mention of my first date with Kuro filled me with a sudden sense of nostalgia. I remembered how we had started from the main street and wound our way through the rows of stalls...
"You had just been dropped into a completely unknown otherworld, after all. That must have been a lot to deal with... but everything you saw must have been so fresh. That sounds like fun in its own way!"
"That's true. I didn't have magic in my old world, so the magic culture here was completely overwhelming at first."
"I've heard the stories, but I honestly can't imagine a culture without magic. Oh, what was that thing from before? VR? The mechanical products I saw through that were amazing, too. It really drove home the fact that a different world means a completely different culture."
"That was a bit of a special case, but there are definitely things here that would seem rare to people from my world. It’s hard to say which is more convenient, though."
The magic and magic tools of this world were incredibly convenient, often outperforming mechanical devices by a wide margin. However, as Alice had once pointed out, it wasn't a matter of one being superior to the other; both magic and machinery had their respective strengths.
For example, this world didn't have PCs or smartphones. Most magic tools were specialized for a single task; multi-functional ones were rare and carried a heavy price tag. Being able to compare the two like this was actually quite fascinating.
"Heh, that does sound interesting. Hey, hey, since we're just killing time while we walk, tell me more about your world, Kaito."
"Sure. Where should I start...?"
I chatted idly with Tre-san as we strolled down the road. She was an excellent listener, reacting enthusiastically to every detail I shared, which kept the conversation lively and fun.
We continued our trek while talking, and just as we left the luxury district and reached the main street, Cento-san and Sien-san appeared.
"Oh, Cento, Sien. You made it."
"Yes. We were able to detect Tre-neesama quite easily. This is such a relief for the future."
"Where were you and Kaito-san planning to head, Tre-neesama?"
"We were just on our way to find something sweet. We're looking for an ice cream or crepe stall, but if we can't find one, we'll head to a cafe."
Thanks to the accessories Shiro-san had provided, they had successfully tracked Tre-san this time. With the two sisters joining us, we began our excursion as a group of four.
"Come to think of it, didn't you dislike sweets, Sien?"
"No, not exactly. I just find fresh cream a bit much. As long as it isn't overly sweet, I don't have a problem with it."
"I see. What about you, Cento-san?"
"Oh, me? I'm... actually quite the sweet tooth."
The four of us continued on, chatting cheerfully. While talking with Tre-san alone had been enjoyable, the lively atmosphere of the full group was fun in its own right.
Serious-senpai: "Savory crepes are acceptable. Standard ones are not."
???: "Is it because they're too sweet? Personally, I think tuna-mayo crepes are heretical. I mean, they taste good, but a crepe really ought to be sweet, you know?"