The day of the shipboard party hosted by Kaito finally arrived. Grin, her hair meticulously styled and her body draped in a rented gown, headed toward the teleportation gate with a mixture of nerves and fierce determination.
"Alright, I can do this. I'll make some wealthy acquaintances, make my social debut... and even if that doesn't pan out, I might get to see real noble ladies. I can use them as a reference for the future."
Grin was an ordinary woman who harbored a deep admiration for the nobility. She yearned for the glittering world of high society, dreaming that she might one day belong to such a radiant circle.
In reality, she was merely a receptionist at an adventurer guild in a provincial town. She had no way to rub elbows with the wealthy, and even the high-ranking adventurers in her rural area were few and far between. Her one stroke of luck had been meeting Kaito at the annual flying board tournament—a hobby she took quite seriously. Thanks to him, she had been invited to this party, and her heart was currently racing with anticipation.
Of course, she had no way of knowing that the guest list for this party featured a lineup hundreds of times more incredible than she could possibly imagine.
"Welcome, ma'am. Where would you like to be transferred today?"
"Um, excuse me. I was told that if I showed this invitation, I could be moved directly..."
"Ah, you're using the Special Transfer. May I see it? ...Yes, everything is in order. Here is your invitation back. Please follow me; we'll prepare the transfer gate for you immediately."
"Thank you very much."
As she followed the courteous attendant, Grin’s mind began to wander.
Wait, is this really free? Transfers from the Human Realm to the Demon Realm were usually prohibitively expensive. She had brought a small fortune in savings just in case, yet here they were, letting her through with a simple check. No lines, no waiting. Is this what they call the 'VIP treatment'? I'm getting even more nervous now.
Usually, using a teleportation gate involved a long wait in a crowded queue. However, the Special Transfer gate was located in a separate area, allowing her to move through the process without a single hitch.
When she stepped through, she found herself in another teleportation hub, likely somewhere in the Demon Realm. Grin had rarely visited the region and felt completely turned around. As she looked about restlessly, a woman in a crisp maid uniform approached and offered a polite bow.
"Pardon me. I detect a signal from an invitation. Are you one of our guests?"
"A-Ah, yes! That's me!"
"Very well. May I confirm the invitation, please?"
"H-Here you go..."
Grin felt a bit intimidated by the maid. In her normal life, she never dealt with domestic staff. The maid scanned the document, nodded, and handed it back.
"Thank you. Shall I guide you to the venue?"
"Yes, please do."
"Understood. We will move via teleportation. You have two choices: I can transfer you directly into the magic ship, or I can send you to a viewing point first if you wish to see the vessel's exterior. Many guests find the latter quite breathtaking."
"Oh... in that case, I’d like to see the exterior first."
"As you wish. The transfer will occur in ten seconds. Once you arrive at the viewing platform, you will have one minute to observe before being automatically transferred to the ship's interior. Please be prepared. Now then... have a wonderful time."
The moment the maid finished her explanation, the information was relayed to Gluttony, who was standing by in subspace. The guest was moved precisely as requested.
Grin found herself standing on a floating pedestal high above the Sea of the Demon Realm. Her jaw dropped.
"What... is... that...?"
Stretched out before her was a luxury cruise ship of such staggering proportions she couldn't even process its size. She had never seen anything like it. The sheer scale of the vessel made her tremble.
Wait... hold on. Is this party a much bigger deal than I thought?
She realized her initial expectations had been woefully inadequate. But before she could spiral into panic, her minute was up. She vanished from the pedestal and reappeared inside the ship. She was standing in a grand reception area. After presenting her invitation again, she was handed a key.
"What is this for?"
"This is the key to your private quarters, honored guest. You are free to use it as you wish until the party begins—to rest, change, or simply relax."
"A-Alright. Thank you."
A private room? The level of hospitality was so high it made her hands shake. She stepped away from the reception desk, looking around the opulent hallway with growing anxiety, when she suddenly spotted a familiar face wandering about with the same bewildered expression.
"An!"
"Grin? Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried... I thought I’d stumbled into some impossible place."
"I feel the exact same way. I mean, I wanted a fancy party, but I never imagined this. Seeing you is such a relief."
"I know. Even the walls look expensive... Anyway, we should probably get moving."
For Grin, finding An—a fellow flying board competitor—was like finding a lighthouse in a storm. Since An was just as overwhelmed as she was, they naturally stuck together, moving away from the reception floor as one.
"So... should we just head to our rooms?"
"I suppose, but... where are they? This ship is massive. I have no idea where we're going. Should we go back and ask?"
Just as they were debating whether to turn around, a clear, melodic voice drifted toward them.
"Are you having some trouble? Perhaps I could be of assistance?"
The two women turned around. Standing there was a tall woman with two large horns, dressed in a black gown that looked like mourning attire. She was smiling.
"Please, don't be shy. Rely on me. By the way, I have a feeling we're going to be very close friends. Don't you agree?"
To the bewildered Grin and An, the woman—the humanized Tiamat—offered a smile so stunningly beautiful it was instinctively terrifying.