After finishing our meal, I stepped out of the shop with Aria-san. Ordinarily, the natural course of events would have been to part ways here, as I had finished guiding her and she had treated me to a meal in return. However, Aria-san made a suggestion just as we were about to leave.
"Kaito-sama, while the matter of thanking you for your guidance is technically settled, personally, I find myself wishing to speak with you a little longer. If it isn't an inconvenience, would you care to accompany me for a while more?"
"Yes, gladly. I was actually just thinking that I wanted to talk with you more as well, so I appreciate the offer. I don't have anything else on my schedule, but did you have somewhere else you were planning to visit?"
"Nothing urgent. However, I was thinking of stopping by a shop that sells tea supplies. The styles of things like pottery differ quite a bit between the Arclesia Empire and the Kingdom of Sinfonia, and each has its own particular charm."
"Heh, you really know your stuff."
Aria-san was easy to talk to, and perhaps because I felt a certain sympathy for our shared circumstances, the conversation had flowed effortlessly during our meal. I accepted her proposal, and we began strolling down the street together.
"To my shame, I suppose I have an obsessive streak... Once I take an interest in something, I tend to throw myself into it with excessive fervor. As a maid, I felt I needed to be well-versed in things like tea cups, so I began researching... Eventually, I reached the point where I could fire them myself to a certain extent. Well, it is purely the work of an amateur, of course..."
"That's amazing. But rather than dipping your toes into everything and giving up halfway, I think that kind of focus is more likely to pay off in the end. I wonder how I measure up? I feel like I try a lot of different things, but very few of them actually stick."
"I don't think that is a bad thing at all. There is no need to force yourself to continue with things that do not suit you, and one's true aptitudes cannot be known without actually experiencing them firsthand. Therefore, I believe that exploring various interests is an act of diligence—a way of seeking out your own potential."
"When you put it that way, it actually sounds pretty good. Thank you."
Talking with her made it clear that Aria-san was a calm, gentle person. Her aura was somewhat reminiscent of Lilia-san's. Then again, that might just be because I didn't know many nobles... Wait, Aria-san wasn't a noble... It was all getting a bit muddled.
As I walked along with these thoughts in my head, a shout rang out, slicing through the tranquil atmosphere.
"Someone! Stop him!!"
"「!?」"
Aria-san and I spun toward the source of the voice. We saw a robed figure sprinting away while clutching a bundle, pursued by someone who looked like a shop clerk.
I could tell at a glance that the clerk was chasing a thief who had made off with merchandise, but that didn't mean my body was capable of acting instantaneously. Besides, there was quite a distance between us and the scene.
The other pedestrians seemed to feel the same; rather than intervening, they simply cleared a path to avoid the fleeing man.
What should I do? Is there any way to help? Just as those questions flashed through my mind, I saw Aria-san press her hands together as if to clap. There was a sharp, loud bang, and the robed man suddenly pitched forward, collapsing into the dirt.
"...Eh? What just happened?"
"I concentrated the vibrations from the sound of my clap and directed a light shock toward the robed person's jaw, rattling their brain. I believe they have lost consciousness. It looks like the Security Force is already on the scene, so we should be fine leaving the rest to them."
"Umm... Aria-san, was that you?"
"Yes. Since I have a talent for Sound Manipulation, I can control air vibrations relatively freely. This was merely an application of that."
Come to think of it, Aria-san had mentioned earlier that she was a High-ranking Demon, and given her history with the Revolutionary Army, her combat prowess was likely quite high. Neutralizing a thief or two was probably trivial for her.
Even so, fighting by manipulating sound was undeniably cool. The way she had taken down a distant criminal with nothing more than a simple, elegant clap felt incredibly smart and sophisticated.
Sound Manipulation seemed to have so many creative uses. I bet someone like Amel-san would love it... Wait, I need to get a grip. Perhaps it was because of Amel-san's influence, but lately, I felt like my long-repressed middle-schooler heart was starting to peek out again.
Serious-senpai: "Oops, that's enough talk about The Book of the Knee-Black."
???: "Please stop. It's a path everyone takes."
Serious-senpai: "Come to think of it, you were also quite—"
???: "Don't you need your neck?"
Serious-senpai: "...I-I'm sorry."