I asked Hina-chan about the cake as we walked down the street together. If either of us were skilled at baking, we could have tried making it ourselves, but unfortunately, neither of us possessed that kind of talent.
We intended to hold the celebration tonight anyway, so it was probably too late to start baking one from scratch. While there was no specific reason it had to be today—and it wasn't even Aoi-chan’s actual birthday yet—the mood was already set. Changing the date now would have felt like a letdown.
"A whole cake would be too big for just the three of us," Hina-chan suggested. "Why don't we buy a few different types of sliced cake and let Aoi-chan choose the ones she wants? We can always put the leftovers in a Magic Box to eat later, so we might as well buy whatever catches our eye."
"That sounds like a plan! Honestly, Magic Boxes are a lifesaver. Being able to keep things fresh without them spoiling is such a huge help at times like this."
"True... but because you can preserve them, it's easy to fall into the trap of buying way too much. Then you end up with a backlog of food that takes forever to finish."
"I could see that happening. Especially in your case, Kaito-senpai. You certainly aren't short on funds..."
She had a point. I often bought things with the mindset that I could just toss them in the Magic Box for later, which meant I currently had a fair amount of snacks in there that I still hadn't touched.
While they occasionally came in handy at unexpected moments, a lower-quality Magic Box probably would have run out of space by now. In my case, however, I had a custom-made one from Kuro with an absurd capacity. It wasn't just 'fine'—I had more room than I knew what to do with.
"Which cake shop around here should we try?"
"...That guidebook of Chrome-sama’s is really something else," Hina remarked, looking at the volume in my hand. "It covers every single eatery in the Royal Capital, and the reviews are so easy to follow. I’d love to have one of my own."
"I'm sure she’d give you one if you asked. She writes it as a hobby and has no intention of selling it, but she hands them out to her family and friends. I’ll ask her to set aside a copy for you next time."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
This food guide was incredibly practical, and I found myself relying on it constantly. It was even entertaining just as a book, so I highly recommended it. I felt certain it would be a bestseller if it were ever officially published, but Kuro didn't seem interested in the business side of it.
Despite owning various trading companies and overseeing product development, Kuro treated her gourmet tours as a personal passion. She kept the two worlds separate, so I didn't think she would ever put the guide on the market.
"Oh, how about this place? It says they have a great selection of fruit cakes. Aoi-senpai loves fruit, and the shop’s atmosphere... Wait, did this guidebook always have photos?"
"Yeah, Kuro updates it regularly. The latest version includes photos of the shop exteriors. She said she wanted to add photos of the food eventually, but she’s still debating it because it would make the book too bulky."
Since Kuro visited so often, she made sure to update my copy of the food guide periodically. It was always the latest edition.
Closed shops were removed, and new ones were added. This newest version even featured Nifty's store, which Kuro had awarded a 10-star rating and a Maximum Evaluation. Naturally, the description section was crammed with her enthusiastic thoughts on Baby Castellas.
"It's pretty close to here, so let's check it out. It looks popular, though, so if they're sold out of the good stuff, we'll just try another shop."
"Sounds good... Wait! Kaito-senpai, look! On the next page! It says the parfaits are a must-try!"
"I see that... Look, we're just buying a cake and a small gift, so we have plenty of time. But are you really going to eat a parfait now when we’re having cake tonight?"
"Parfaits go into a separate stomach! ...I just wish the calories did, too. Oh, that reminds me, Kaito-senpai. I heard your blessing has a miraculous effect that every girl would die for... or at least, that I would die for. Is it true?"
"Eh? Oh, right... Life-san's Blessing has an effect that prevents weight gain, and apparently, Shiro-san's Blessing does the same thing."
To be precise, Life-san’s Blessing allowed the recipient to achieve their ideal physique and maintain it naturally. That was why so many people looked younger when they received the Temporary Blessing during the Six Kings Festival; their bodies had transformed into the ideal age they envisioned.
Unlike the temporary version, a True Blessing was always active, ensuring the body remained in its absolute best condition. Since Shiro-san's Blessing was essentially a superior version of every other god’s blessing, it shared that trait. No matter how many calories I consumed, I would never gain weight or fall ill.
"A life of all-you-can-eat parfaits... I’m so jealous..."
"Basing your envy on parfaits is very you, Hina-chan. Well, if you really want one, shall we stop by that shop for parfaits after we pick up the cake?"
"Yes, please!"
Hina-chan nodded with a delighted smile. It was quite adorable. I was an only child, but I found myself thinking that if I’d had a younger sister, she might have felt a lot like this.
Serious-senpai: "Shiro's Blessing alone is basically a cheat, but this guy is loaded with a mountain of other blessings, too..."
???: "When you put it that way, Kaito-san really is a cheat character. Especially his defenses—they're ironclad in more ways than one."