I arrived in front of the castle while enduring a humiliation play that one would likely never experience in a normal life—being cheered on by a massive crowd from atop a parade car.
"Alright, let's step down here and head for the grand hall. You wouldn't want to drive inside in a car like this, would you?"
"Honestly, I didn't want to ride in it at all... but looking at it from this close, this castle really is enormous."
"Well, it was only built specifically for your birthday party, so the grand hall is the only part that really serves a purpose. Most of the other rooms are filler, though some people with too much time on their hands decided to decorate them anyway. Kuro-san went a bit crazy and designed a room entirely outfitted with Baby Castella-patterned Wallpaper, Baby Castella-patterned Carpet, and Baby Castella-shaped Small Items."
I found myself staring at her. "...What on earth were you doing, Kuro?"
"According to Kuro-san, she said, 'Well, I can't exactly let my hobbies run completely wild in the room I normally use, so I thought I'd seize the opportunity.'"
I suppose the fact that she normally restrains herself at home was at least a small mercy. Apparently, since she shared her usual residence with so many of her family members, she had decided to let loose here. Since it was just a spare room remodeled in her downtime and didn't actually impact me, it wasn't a problem.
"As a side note," Alice added, "Machina actually proposed that your parents should be treated as main characters today too. She said, 'Birthdays are as much about the parents who gave birth as they are about the child, right? Shall we celebrate Akari and Kazuya alongside My Beloved Child?' However, they both flatly refused, insisting that you remain the sole focus of the event."
"I can't blame them. If I were in their position, I would have definitely declined too."
While birthdays were indeed an occasion to thank one's parents, from Mom and Dad’s perspective, they definitely wouldn't want to be in the spotlight in front of such a terrifyingly high-status crowd. Most of the guests were my acquaintances and had never even met my parents anyway. It was a perfectly reasonable decision, and I certainly didn't feel like they were abandoning me by declining.
"Oh, here we are. Beyond this door is the party venue."
"That door is huge... I'm starting to get nervous about what's waiting on the other side."
"Don't worry, it's just a birthday party. It won't be anything too bizarre. Oh, wait a second... Kuro-saaan! We're about to head in, so could you go ahead and punch those idiot gods standing there with the Cannon-like Party Poppers? Thanks! Alright, we're good to go."
For the time being, I understood that Shiro-san, Machina-san, and the others had likely prepared some absurdly oversized pyrotechnics. Alice flung the doors open, and the air was immediately filled with the sound of a multitude of party poppers.
"O-Oh..."
"Since having everyone sing in unison would be way too noisy, we've decided that birthday wishes will be given individually when everyone presents their gifts. Now then, Kaito-san, you see that Throne-like Chair over there, don't you?"
"...I'd prefer to pretend I don't, but yes, I see it."
"Great. That is Kaito-san's seat."
I stood there in silence. I understood the logic. Since it was a formal party in a grand hall and I was the guest of honor, my seat needed to be in a location that was easy for everyone to see. This was especially true because the crowd was much larger this time, including Lilia-san’s servants and members of Kuro's Family. I needed to stand out.
But actually sitting in that magnificent and luxurious Throne-like seat made me feel incredibly hesitant. I really wanted to decline, but I was past the point of no return. I had no choice but to take my seat. Truly, why hadn't I insisted that a normal-sized party would be fine next time after my last birthday...?
Serious-senpai: "The party is finally starting. I wonder if there will be something like that Karaoke Contest from last time. If there is, I can only imagine how chaotic it'll be with this many people..."