Long ago, the Wise Emperor Chris Dia Arclesia learned a valuable lesson at the Six Kings Festival: "Discussing pets with Kaito Miyama is a dangerous move."
To be clear, it wasn't a mistake in terms of curating favor. Kaito utterly doted on his pets, Bellfried and Rin. While he generally lacked expensive tastes, his pets were the one exception—the only area where he would spend money without limit to secure the absolute best of the best.
If one already shared a close bond with him, the topic was a guaranteed way to liven up a conversation. However, bringing it up so soon after meeting him—and worse, being recognized as a fellow "pet lover"—was a high-risk gamble. In terms of "Stomach Pain," it was a perilously steep slope.
Unfortunately, no one present was in a position to realize this. Kuromueina likely viewed it as nothing more than a topic that made Kaito happy. Elis was the only other person who might have sensed the danger, but her own discussion of pets with Kaito had been limited to the gift-giving segment of his birthday party. Restricted by the clock, she hadn't had the time to notice his obsession's true depth.
"Many nobles keep high-ranking monsters as a status symbol. The Sharon Count House is no different; we keep several. Perhaps because I’ve been around them since I was small, I grew to love caring for them myself. Now, I keep several of my own. My personal collection consists entirely of Small Species, but the Sharon family also keeps Large Species. Of course, the Large Species are handled by specialized servants rather than myself..."
"I see. By Small Species, you mean things like Funny Rabbits or Petit Devis, right?"
"Yes, exactly. In fact, I have a Petit Devi of my own."
"Petit Devis are so cute. I saw some once at a monster interaction event; they seemed so friendly and sweet. But wait—don't Petit Devis have a very specific type of fur? Isn't the grooming a bit of a nightmare?"
"It is. That fluffy coat is their greatest charm, so I have to be very meticulous. My Petit Devi hates hard bristles, so I make sure to use only the softest brushes for its grooming."
Even as she gave this calm answer, Cornelia was internally reeling. Kaito's engagement had shifted gears entirely. He had become remarkably talkative, and she could practically feel his excitement radiating toward her.
The conversation was now moving at a tempo unlike anything they had discussed before. Though Cornelia felt a twinge of panic, she kept her expression neutral and pressed on.
"I thought as much. There really are individual preferences, aren't there? I’ve bought and tested basically every brush I could find for Bell’s grooming, but he definitely has his favorites. I heard that monster fur contains a trace amount of magic power, and depending on the brush material, it can actually cause them physical discomfort..."
"That is the prevailing theory. Their likes and dislikes become incredibly clear when you use brushes made from other monster materials."
"By the way, Cornelia, do you have any personal recommendations?"
"For me... or rather, for the monsters at the Sharon estate, we generally use custom-made dedicated brushes."
"Custom-made dedicated brushes? I'm sorry, but could you tell me a bit more about those?"
"What? Oh, yes."
Kaito's gaze had turned incredibly sharp. Even Cornelia, a veteran of the social circle, felt momentarily cowed by the sheer heat in his eyes. They spoke with a desperate, eloquent hunger to know everything there was to know about these brushes.
"There was once a trading company that tried to launch a project where owners would submit a few strands of their monster’s fur, and the company would create a brush perfectly tuned to that specific animal. It ended in a massive deficit. We still have ours made by the survivors of that project. While these dedicated brushes are indeed the finest products—perfectly matched to the individual and certainly superior to anything off the shelf—the difference isn't exactly 'life-changing.' Yet, the price is literally on a different scale. To be blunt, there was no market for them. Because they are entirely bespoke, they are obscenely expensive, and the difference is something only someone with a true obsession would even notice..."
It was the kind of nuance only a true connoisseur could appreciate. When faced with a price tag dozens or hundreds of times higher than a standard brush, very few people would pull the trigger.
Because they were ultra-high-end luxury goods that required immense time, cost, and capital investment for a niche demand, the original company had collapsed under its own weight.
"The Sharon Trading Company was the one that provided the funds to restructure them. Since the equipment and artisans were already there, we scaled down the operation and kept it running as a referral-only service. That’s how I still get mine made."
"Could I... use that service too?"
"Yes, of course. If you’d like, I can provide an introduction."
"Thank you! That would be amazing. When would be a good time for you to show me the way?"
"Oh? Well, as far as my immediate schedule goes, I’m free on the 23rd of this month..."
"Then, if you’re okay with it, Cornelia, let's definitely go that day!"
"Ah, yes. I’ll look forward to it."
Here, a massive gap in perception opened between the two. When Cornelia offered an "introduction," she meant she would write him a letter of recommendation. Kaito, however, understood it as her personally leading him there.
If she had simply clarified that she would write a letter, there would have been no issue. But her earlier lapse in caution had left her vulnerable. Buffeted by the sheer momentum of Kaito’s intense enthusiasm, Cornelia had agreed without thinking it through.
(Wait... what? Did I just... Is this happening? I'm going to be guiding Kaito-sama directly? Does this mean we're essentially going out, just the two of us? I mean, I have no objection, but doesn't Kaito-sama find it strange to go out with someone he only just met? Someone whose true motives he doesn't even know? He doesn't seem to feel a single shred of wariness toward me. In fact, he seems... genuinely happy? Why?)
Because his first impression of Cornelia was excellent and he now viewed her as a kindred spirit in the world of pet care, Kaito’s favorability toward her was high. He didn't have the slightest hesitation about spending time with her.
While Cornelia was trapped in a state of smiling, total internal chaos at this unexpected development, Elis watched from the sidelines with a truly piteous expression.
Serious-senpai: "The Miracle Stomach Pain Carnival has been officially scheduled. I pray for Cornelia’s soul."
Stomach Pain Warrior Biographies: Extra Edition
[Kaito Miyama]
Stomach Pain Power: 10 Stars Suction Power: 10 Stars Durability: 20 Stars Piteousness: 1 Star Amount of Stomach Medicine: 1 Star Power to Deal Stomach Pain: 20 Stars
He is the absolute source of all Stomach Pain. In truth, he should be up to his neck in Stomach Pain Flags himself—he’s loved by dangerous perverts, he’s personally connected to every single factor that gives Lilia and Elis ulcers, and he’s constantly surrounded by "Stomach Pain Incidents" involving Machina or the Phantasm King's Subordinates. Logically, his own Suction Power should be off the charts... but in his case, his mental fortitude is so absurdly high that his durability is effectively infinite.
He occasionally claims to be "mentally exhausted," but in reality, he isn't tired at all; he remains perfectly composed through things that would break anyone else.
Consider his schedule: Eden appears five days a week; Machina speaks to him constantly in his dreams; battle-maniac gorillas and perverts raid him at random; and a literal parade of otherworld gods stop by one after another. Normally, a person's stomach would have dissolved into nothingness under that kind of pressure. But because his spirit is so monstrously tough and his adaptability is so high, he barely registers it.
Lately, he’s become so acclimated that even when Machina goes on a rampage and spews a level of madness that would drive a normal person to institutionalization—delivered in long, eerie, droning monologues—he just listens with a peaceful expression, thinking, "You know, if she didn't have these quirks, Machina-san would actually be quite a pleasant person." He is, quite frankly, a beast.