As Alice had said, if she truly was a god from another world, then the origin of her letter was a complete mystery. However, the return address was a perfectly normal one in the Hydra Kingdom, so that was where I sent my reply.
Of course, if she truly was an Almighty-class god, faking an address would be trivial, so I didn't dwell on it. What mattered was her purpose, including why she’d been at the party in the first place.
My personal impression of "Jane" was that she wasn't a bad person. While her facial muscles seemed completely immobile, I hadn't sensed any ill intent during our previous encounter; if anything, she seemed quite pleasant.
It was pure intuition, but Alice had once mentioned that my first impressions were usually spot on, so I chose to trust my gut.
We exchanged a few letters to finalize the schedule, and at last, the day of her visit arrived. Given that she was supposedly on the same level as Shiro-san or Machina, I’d half-expected her to just barge in, but her polite correspondence and willingness to coordinate made her seem surprisingly sensible.
"Wow, it's been a while since the shipboard party! I'm truly delighted to meet you again, Kaito-sama. Oh, I brought some baked goods. Please, help yourself."
"Hello, Jane. Thank you for the gift."
"No, no, it's just something small. Please don't mention it... Oh, actually, before we start, may I offer an apology?"
"An apology?"
"Yes. To be honest, I lied to you. The name I gave you, 'Jane Doe,' isn't my real name. Haha... I'm sorry for acting like some mysterious woman of many names. I didn't mean any harm, but certain circumstances made me hesitant to use my real name, so I blurted out a pseudonym."
Alice had explained that back in my world, "Jane Doe" was the placeholder name for an unidentified female corpse, so I’d already suspected it was a fake.
Judging by her tone, however, she hadn't intended to maliciously deceive me. It felt more like she just wasn't comfortable sharing her true identity yet.
"...Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Canaris. If you wouldn't mind, I'd be honored if you called me that from now on."
"Canaris, then. I understand."
"Oh, and you might have heard this from your guard, but I am indeed a god from another world. Well... I did create my own world, but everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and it turns out I’m not cut out for management. I left things to an acquaintance and became a wanderer. Perhaps 'Former God' is more accurate? Haha, sorry for the confusing 'settings'!"
She was remarkably casual about her divinity, making no real effort to hide it. I led Canaris to the reception room, continuing our conversation along the way.
"By the way, what was the story behind you following Her Majesty Laguna at the party?"
"Oh, that. I simply erased my presence and tagged along behind her. I wasn't technically her companion. But please, don't worry! I know I wasn't officially invited, and I'm not so shameless that I'd help myself to the catering. Even though it all looked delicious, I didn't touch a single bite!"
"I mean... I wouldn't have minded if you did..."
"Oh, such incredible generosity! As expected of Kaito-sama. How wonderful... though I really wish I'd known that back then."
She still spoke with a cheerful, upbeat tempo, but her face remained a total mask. It seemed her "dead" facial muscles really weren't an act.
I was used to that sort of thing from Shiro-san, but Canaris was different. Her voice was full of emotion, unlike Shiro-san's flat, monotone delivery.
"So, why did you want to attend the party in the first place?"
"I wanted to see you, Kaito-sama. Oh, um... please don't take this the wrong way, but you're currently the hottest topic among the gods of world creation—you're being rumored about like crazy. Haha, you're what people call 'trending'!"
"...Me? Why?"
"Well, I don't want to sound like I'm speaking ill of your lover, so please don't be offended, but to other creator gods, Shallow Vernal is 'The End' personified. She is feared beyond measure. So the fact that you won her over and became her lover makes you... well, a total monster in their eyes. Everyone is watching you. And of course, I'm one of your biggest fans!"
"..................I see."
That was a hell of a bombshell to just drop in the middle of a casual conversation. Wait... the omniscient and omnipotent gods of other worlds are gossiping about me? Now, that’s a shocking new fact.
Serious-senpai: "It just goes to show how much Shiro was feared. But really, between the nobles and the gods, you've become famous in some very strange circles, Kaito..."
???: "Well, his fame among commoners is still relatively low, thanks to Alice-chan's efforts. But can you hear that? It's the sound of another 'stomach pain flag' being hammered into place for a certain Duchess..."
Serious-senpai: "Someone have mercy on that woman..."