As expected, my break with Fia-sensei ended up running long, but thanks to that, I felt thoroughly rested and relaxed. After thanking her and seeing her back to the main venue, it was time to resume my greeting rounds. Since I felt refreshed in both body and mind, I was ready for anything—though, looking back, I probably didn't need to psych myself up quite that much.
"Oh? If it isn't my beloved child. You’ve returned from your break, haven't you?"
"Ah, hello, Eden-san."
I have to admit, running into Eden-san right out of the gate was a bit daunting. I needed a little more mental preparation. I had already greeted her once alongside Machina-san, but it would have been awkward to ignore her when we bumped into each other like this.
However, I realized this could be bad. She had just called me her "beloved child," and according to past experience, that usually meant trouble. But as I looked at her, I noticed something was different.
"...Huh?"
"What is the matter, my beloved child?"
"Ah, no, it’s just your atmosphere, Eden-san... it’s different."
Given that she was calling me her beloved child, her phase should have shifted upward, which usually meant I’d feel a faint, looming sense of madness. But that pressure was nowhere to be found. Instead, she was smiling serenely, radiating the peaceful aura of her stable form.
"Ah, I see... I understand your confusion. To put it simply, any affection for my beloved child that exceeds a certain threshold is being handled by my other self—Machina. She is the one currently in a state of frenzy. And since Alice is keeping her occupied, you needn't worry about me rampaging in this form."
"...Ah, I think I follow. Sort of. Separating your emotions like that... well, I suppose an Omniscient and Omnipotent God could manage something like that without much trouble."
I was a little bewildered by this mysterious safety system where she offloaded her excess affection to another version of herself, but she was a supreme deity; it was probably child's play for her. This meant the Eden-san standing before me was a version I didn't have to fear. Aside from being a bit cold to anyone who wasn't her child, she was kind and gentle.
The sense of relief was incredible. Honestly, when Eden-san wasn't rampaging, she was a pleasant person—or rather, a pleasant god. Even the other otherworlders, like Kaori-san, adored her. In my case, I usually couldn't relax because her obsession would spike at any moment, forcing me to stay on high alert. Seeing her flaws seemingly overcome like this was quite a change.
Well, in reality, she hadn't overcome anything so much as dumped the problem on someone else. Alice was likely having a nightmare of a time dealing with the fallout.
"How are you faring, my beloved child? This is your first time hosting such a grand party, so I imagine it’s quite a lot to take in. Is there anything troubling you?"
"No, I’m actually having a pretty good time. Now that I’ve rested, I should be able to finish my greeting rounds without any issues. Though, with so many guests moving around the ship, it’s getting a bit difficult to keep track of who I still need to see."
"I see... Then let me offer a bit of assistance. I'll just touch your head for a moment."
"Wait, assistance?"
As I tilted my head, Eden-san reached out. Her hand emitted a faint light as she lightly touched my hair, but I didn't feel anything change physically. She smiled at my puzzled expression.
"I have granted my beloved child a temporary blessing for the duration of this party: the Ability to Know the Location of Those You Haven't Greeted Yet. If you simply think about finding someone you still need to meet, you will instinctively know where they are."
"Really? That’s a huge help. Let's see, if I try it..."
Just as she’d described, the moment I thought about the remaining guests, I could instinctively grasp where the people I hadn't spoken to yet were located within the venue. It was incredibly convenient. I didn't have to waste time searching; I just knew their general locations. My efficiency was going to skyrocket.
"This will make the rest of the rounds go much smoother. Thank you so much, Eden-san!"
"I am happy to be of use to my beloved child. However, you have a habit of pushing yourself too hard. Please continue at a reasonable pace and remember to take breaks when you need them, all right?"
"Right, I will!"
After gently stroking my head and offering a parting smile, Eden-san bowed slightly and went on her way. She was like a different person when she wasn't rampaging. If only she could stay like that all the time, I’d be able to relax around her for real.
Serious-senpai: "Wait, isn't that a brilliant system? They should just use that all the time from now on..."
???: "Please don't. How many times do you think I had to punch Machina while Kaito-san and Eden-san were chatting just now? The entire burden is being dumped on me!"