At the shipboard party hosted by Kaito, it was fair to say that the concept of a "pure commoner" was virtually nonexistent. While Kaori Mizuhara and Akane Mikumo might technically qualify, their status as otherworlders and former Hero-roles set them apart.
Even Kaito’s parents, regardless of their son’s influence, possessed the True Blessing of the God of Fate, making it impossible to classify them as simple civilians. Sieglinde and Lunamaria were also far beyond the scope of ordinary people. In this environment, guests who were truly, strictly commoners were a rare breed.
And so, Gurin and An—the rare specimens in question—were currently huddled at the edge of the venue, their faces ashen and their bodies trembling.
"U-Um, An-san? My head is spinning, I can't catch my breath, and my heart is hammering out of my chest... Do you think I could go to the infirmary?"
"Don't you dare. Please do not leave me alone in a terrifying place like this. Besides, Gurin-san... you were so full of motivation back in the waiting room..."
"W-Well, that's because... don't you think there should be levels to this?! Yes, I said I wanted to make some wealthy acquaintances. I did! But I was thinking low-ranking nobles or wealthy merchants! I thought a Count would be the absolute ceiling for this sort of thing! I never expected the literal pinnacle of every field to be gathered in one room!"
The two had moved straight to the waiting room after checking in and had no idea who the other participants were. They had briefly crossed paths with Tiamat earlier, but since she was in her humanized form, neither of them realized they had bumped into a Six Kings' Executive.
They had managed to get used to the luxurious atmosphere of the ship while waiting, but once the main event began and they entered the hall, they were greeted by the heads of the three worlds, the Six Kings' Executives, and countless other legends. It was a reality that far exceeded their wildest imaginations.
"B-By the way, An-san... are you holding up okay?"
"I feel like I'm going to cry. I'm going to throw up... This isn't just a matter of being out of place... A-And, um... the person standing over there... That’s... Creator God Shallow Vernal-sama... right?"
"Oh, so you can see her too. That means she's not a hallucination brought on by my extreme stress; she’s the real thing... Does Shallow Vernal-sama ever actually appear at events other than the Hero Festival?"
"If I weren't seeing it with my own eyes, I would have said 'absolutely not.' I-I mean, is it even legal for us to be breathing the same air as Shallow Vernal-sama? Isn't it lèse-majesté just to exist in her presence...?"
Their gazes were fixed on Shallow Vernal, who stood with an air of quiet elegance. The fact that a Supreme God was waiting in attendance behind her left no doubt about her identity.
However, Gurin and An had only ever seen the Creator God from a distance during the Hero Festival. Simply being in the same room as her was enough to make them shake with terror.
"Gurin-san."
"Yes?"
"Who exactly is Kaito-san? Is he the secret ruler of this world or something?"
"H-He told us he was just an otherworlder... but there's no way a mere otherworlder could gather this many heavy hitters for a party. W-What is this? Have we been caught up in something unimaginably dangerous?"
"This very moment is an unimaginably dangerous situation. S-Should we be kneeling? Is my head going to fly off in the next second...?"
"D-Don't say such horrifying things! It'll be fine. Look, everyone else is acting... acting... Why is everyone acting so normal when Shallow Vernal-sama is standing right there?! This feels like a world-ending event... Is this a hallucination we're sharing after all?"
For the vast majority of the guests, the fact that Shallow Vernal was Kaito’s lover was common knowledge. Seeing her at a party he hosted was hardly a surprise.
But Gurin and An, who were completely in the dark, could do nothing but dart their eyes around in a state of total panic.
"An-san... I really think I need the infirmary..."
"If you think you can exit this room while being watched by this illustrious crowd, then by all means..."
"I... I'll stay put."
"For now, let's just hug the wall. E-Even getting close to them might be an act of disrespect. Let's keep as much distance as possible..."
"Y-Yes, let's do that."
Convinced they had wandered into the ultimate den of monsters, the two commoners shrank back against the wall, doing their absolute best to remain invisible.
Serious-senpai: "Oh, right... I forgot. Unlike the other Stomach Pain Warriors, these two walked in here knowing nothing about Kaito’s social circle... How pitiful..."