I continued window shopping with Aria-san, chatting as we strolled. Eventually, the conversation drifted toward the shipboard party I was currently in the middle of planning. As the Head Maid of the Arclesia Empire, Aria-san had surely overseen countless formal events. She was bound to be an expert on the subject, and I figured any advice she could offer would be a lifesaver.
"I see," she mused. "That sounds like it will be quite a significant undertaking."
"Yeah. It’s my first time actually hosting something, so I’m a bit out of my depth. Is there anything in particular I should look out for?"
"I would strongly suggest hiring a dedicated waitstaff. While the individuals under your care possess the ability to handle the workload, optics are just as important as competence. Even if they are perfectly capable of managing a large party, a small team will inevitably look frantic to the guests. It creates an atmosphere where people feel they are imposing if they ask for assistance."
"That makes sense. I can definitely see that happening."
In reality, someone like Illness-san could probably handle the entire venue by herself if she really wanted to. But to the guests, she would look like she was working herself to the bone, making it hard for anyone to approach her for help. It was better to have enough staff to maintain a sense of composure.
"The scale is the tricky part, though. I’m not really sure how many people I actually need to hire."
"In that case, why not place a request with the World Maid Association? Given your standing, they would likely prioritize your commission. If you provide them with the scale of the event, they can recommend the appropriate number of personnel. Of course, I would be more than happy to assist as well."
"I appreciate the offer, but I’m planning to invite you as a guest, Aria-san... Though, I suppose I’ll have to put 'Alexandra' on the envelope."
"Fufu, I see. In that case, I shall look forward to the invitation."
Her advice was incredibly practical. The maids in this world were surprisingly high-spec, and a huge number of them belonged to the World Maid Association, which Ein-san led as Chairman. If I reached out to Ein-san directly, she would definitely set me up with reliable people. My only real worry was that she might try to volunteer herself to work the event, but as long as I made it clear I wanted her there as a guest, it should be fine.
"One more thing," Aria-san added. "You should be very clear about your policy on gifts and souvenirs in the invitations. There is no strict rule requiring them, but many guests will likely bring offerings to stay in your good graces. Simply receiving them all can consume a staggering amount of time."
"Good point. Personally, I'd rather people just showed up without bringing anything."
"Then you should specify that gifts are unnecessary to ensure the event proceeds smoothly. That will solve the issue."
"Got it. I'll make sure to include that."
I spent a while longer taking notes on her suggestions. Once the conversation reached a natural stopping point, Aria-san looked momentarily contemplative.
"Still, a party hosted by you, Kaito-sama... The guest list will surely be magnificent. Have you settled on a date yet?"
"Not officially, but I’m hoping to finalize it soon so I can get the invitations out. I was aiming for the end of next month."
"I see. The end of next month... That would coincide with the Regular Three-nation Conference... No, that is irrelevant."
"Wait, what?"
"I believe it is best for you to choose whichever day is most convenient for you, Kaito-sama," she said with a gentle smile. "I, for one, will be waiting for the day with great anticipation."
Aria-san then went on to offer more advice on the finer details, like the best stationery for the invitations. We spent the rest of our walk animatedly discussing the plans.
[Flag RTA Top Rankers]
Note: This ranking is not based on the speed of falling in love, but rather the chronological order of those whose initial actions toward Kaito were the most outrageous (limited to direct interactions).
1st Place: Isis Remnant Proposed within minutes of meeting. With overwhelming speed, massive impact, and undeniable Heroine Power, she remains the undisputed champion. As expected... is Isis truly the strongest?
2nd Place: Fate Requested to be supported by him on the very first day they met, then immediately attempted to go all the way to create a fait accompli. While her initial motives were more calculated than romantic, the sheer impact of her actions was top-tier.
3rd Place: Tre Got rejected three times on the first day they met. Given her personality, it’s hard to tell how serious she was being, but since she mentioned feeling a sense of destiny, she might have been quite earnest despite her playful facade.
Serious-senpai: "I thought Aria was a fast RTA ranker, but the top three are just on a different level..."