Once Kaito’s birthday party concluded, Kaori and Akane headed back to Kaori’s shop together to share a casual debrief.
"Man, that really was an incredible party," Kaori remarked. "With the way the time flow was shifted, I feel like I was dreaming."
"Well, Kaito’s as ridiculous as ever, isn't he? That guy's living in a completely different dimension from us," Akane replied. "Even at the Hero Festival, you'd never see a lineup like that. Still, having that shipboard party beforehand made me feel a bit more relaxed."
"I mean, my stomach was still killing me the whole time, but being able to brace myself beforehand definitely helped."
The guest list for the birthday party had been truly illustrious. For the two women, who essentially occupied the commoner category, it had been a staggering experience where they were surrounded by legends no matter which way they turned.
However, because Kaito had hosted a shipboard party previously, they had known from the start that such figures would be in attendance. Being able to go in with a certain level of resolve had made all the difference.
Additionally, this time the servants from Lilia's Mansion, Kuromueina's Family, and the various subordinates of the War King and World King who were acquainted with Kaito had also gathered. Compared to the shipboard party, the feeling that the room was exclusively filled with heavyweights was somewhat mitigated, which helped ease the tension.
"Oh, right, Kaori. Here’s the prize money from the hidden talent show... A fifty-fifty split is fair, right?"
"Ah, come to think of it, we did take third place. I was shocked when you suddenly suggested we participate, Akane-san, but I'm glad it turned out well. Still, I was so nervous performing in front of that incredible crowd..."
"Well, we got our faces out there, so let's call it a win. It might even help you land some new customers for your shop, Kaori."
"No, I already have more than enough high-profile regulars... Seriously, ever since I met Kaito-kun, one terrifying VIP after another has been visiting. To be honest, I'm legitimately afraid that he'll bring Shallow Vernal-sama along one of these days."
As she accepted the envelope containing the prize money from Akane, Kaori let out a weary, complicated laugh.
"But still, extra income is always a good thing. Since we have it, maybe I'll treat myself and buy... some nice... cooking... utensils..."
"Hm? What's the matter?"
While the future of her shop gave her a literal stomach ache, her heart still fluttered at the prospect of a windfall. Kaori opened the envelope to check the contents, but she immediately froze as if turned to stone. She snapped the envelope shut and began rubbing her eyes vigorously.
It was as if she were trying to soothe her vision, convinced that what she had just seen was a hallucination brought on by sheer exhaustion.
"N-No, I must have misread it... The amount seemed insane..."
"Eh? I thought I counted it right. Were there not five Platinum Coins in there?"
"There were! They were there, and that's why I'm panicking! You mean there are five of them?! I only caught a glimpse of something that looked like a Platinum Coin and closed it immediately, but... five?! In Japanese yen, that’s f-fifty... fifty million yen..."
"Including my share, that's 1,000,000R... or 100 million yen. Since this is the amount for third place, second was probably 300 million and first was 500 million, I'd guess. Man, Kaito really doesn't hold back."
"No, no, no! Why are you so calm, Akane-san?! That's five Platinum Coins!"
Akane remained perfectly composed despite Kaori’s obvious distress over the prize money—a total of ten Platinum Coins split between them.
"I mean, look at the guests at that party. When you've got a lineup like that, of course the prizes are going to be on that scale."
"I... I suppose that’s true... but the shock is still huge! I mean, I was just handed an amount that far exceeds the savings I worked so hard for, all for just showing off a hidden talent. Of course I'm going to be surprised!"
"Ah, well, come to think of it, a normal person doesn't exactly get their hands on that kind of cash very often."
"...I tend to forget because you're so casual, Akane-san, but you're actually quite wealthy yourself, aren't you?"
"Well, I'm the head of a decent-sized trading company. In Japanese terms, I guess I'm like the CEO of a successful venture company, so I've got a fair bit. Kaito is just so far off the charts that he makes everyone else look like they're playing with pocket change."
In fact, Akane's trading company was a solid, mid-sized operation with several large-scale clients, and her personal financial power was significant.
Particularly because Akane was a master of teleportation magic, she was frequently commissioned by other firms to transport cargo across the world for high fees, making her personal assets quite substantial.
"Actually, to be honest, I used to think I was the wealthiest among the people from our world..."
"I've never really thought about it before, but... is Kaito-kun really that outrageously rich?"
"He'd easily rival a major national guild. If you actually calculated the value of all the stuff he just tosses into his Magic Box and forgets about, his assets would probably be on a national scale. I heard he's got things like the Fruit of the World Tree in there by the dozen..."
"He’s a monster... That boy really is in a league of his own."
"He really is."
Having once again recognized the sheer scale of Kaito’s existence—and how far he stood outside the realm of common sense—the two of them shared a bitter laugh and continued to chat about their eccentric friend.
Serious-senpai: "...Honestly, Kaito's Magic Box is probably stuffed with a terrifying amount of world-shaking junk."