With the bingo game concluded—the final event on the schedule—the party was finally entering its closing act. My greeting rounds were complete, leaving me with nothing left to do but deliver the final farewell.
I didn't plan on anything elaborate. A simple "thank you for coming" and "I hope to see you again" would suffice. Since I wasn't going to be long-winded, the speech wouldn't be much of a burden.
Glancing around the venue, I could see a relaxed, conversational mood settling over the guests. They seemed to sense the end was near; many were naturally drifting back toward their respective faction groups.
Looking back, this whole thing had grown into something far grander than I’d ever imagined when I first started thinking about how to utilize my new magic ship.
It had been a whirlwind, but moving around busily to coordinate everything had actually been quite fun. Hosting regularly would be exhausting, of course, but doing it once in a while as a special festival-like occasion was a blast. It was enjoyable enough that I could see myself playing host again once the memory of the stress faded and the urge struck me.
Everything had proceeded quite peacefully, without any major incidents or surprises...
(Kaito-san, I have a request. I’ve been consulting with the Earth God, and we would like to present a small gift as a token of our appreciation for the party. What do you think?)
Shiro-san? At this stage? And a joint gift with Eden-san... or rather, Machina? My heart skipped a beat in worry. Was this actually going to be safe? Knowing them, it would probably trigger some massive uproar.
(I believe it will be fine. We merely discussed setting off some fireworks. There is no need for you to prepare anything. The Earth God mentioned she would be providing traditional Japanese fireworks, noting that they have a different atmosphere than the ones found in this world.)
I didn't know much about their history, but I certainly associated fireworks with Japanese culture. While fireworks did exist in this world—likely introduced by a former Hero-role—the variety seemed fairly limited.
Given that this party had a bit of a Japanese theme, including the food, ending the night with a firework display sounded like a great idea.
(Since you approve, Kaito-san, we shall launch one hundred thousand rounds...)
Wait, wait! That number is insane! I have no idea how long it would take to burn through a hundred thousand rounds. Please, keep it to a reasonable amount that finishes in twenty or thirty minutes, so we don't blow past the party's scheduled end time!
(Understood. I shall adjust the count.)
I also needed to let Caraway, our MC, know... but no, if Shiro-san suddenly addressed Caraway or Anima, they'd probably just fall into a state of total panic. Maybe I should handle the announcement myself? But could I really manage the flow of the room on such short notice?
"Alice, do you know what's going on?" I whispered.
"I wasn't eavesdropping, but I kept an eye on Shallow Vernal-sama and Machina since they were whispering together. Let me take a quick peek at your memory... Ah, I see. In that case, I'll take care of the transition."
"You're a lifesaver. Thank you."
"Well, by the standards of those two gods, this counts as them being on their best behavior. Let's just be glad this is the only unscheduled event on the menu."
Alice really was reliable. She could sense the situation through my memories and react instantly, providing a level of support that was incredibly reassuring. She had already done so much for this party that I felt guilty for piling on more, but having her volunteer to handle the transition was a massive weight off my shoulders.
Shortly after, Alice must have reached out to Caraway and Anima. I watched Caraway—who had been checking the time at the side of the stage—slip away into the back. Moments later, Caraway stepped back onto the dais with an amplification magic tool... though I knew it was Alice in disguise.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the party is drawing to a close. However, before we conclude, we have a special surprise for you. To commemorate this evening, through the generosity of Shallow Vernal-sama, the God of this world, and Eden-sama, the God of an otherworld, a firework display will commence shortly and run for the next thirty minutes. You are welcome to view them from the windows, but for those who wish for a more immersive experience, the deck will be temporarily opened. If you wish to watch from outside, please follow the guidance of the maids stationed at the doors."
I looked toward the indicated doors and saw several maids waiting. Their faces were unfamiliar, which meant they were almost certainly Alice’s clones. She really was too competent for her own good.
I felt truly grateful; I’d have to treat her to an extra-special meal soon as a proper thank-you.
Serious-senpai: "Well... I guess for those two gods, the fact that they didn't just do it without asking is a point in their favor."
???: "They really should have brought it up sooner, but I'm sure it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. Still, compared to what they're capable of, this is pretty tame..."