Having decided to share the bounty of Riples Marie-san had sent me with my acquaintances, I set out for a certain destination that very same day.
"Heh... So you brought some for me, then?"
"Yes... By the way, where are Cento-san and Sien-san?"
"They’re both off with their respective hobby groups. One’s doing pottery, the other’s making glass. I think seeing Nebula-chan’s work the other day fired up their creative spirits."
"I see."
I had come to Tre-san’s room in Kuro’s castle, but since Cento-san and Sien-san were nowhere to be found, I’d decided to ask after them. It seemed they were both still within the castle, but were currently occupied with their creative pursuits.
"Well, anyway, here are the Riples I promised to share."
"Thanks! They look delicious. Hmm, but I wonder... why did you come to me first?"
"Ah—well, I was planning on distributing them to various people I know, and Tre-san was the first person who came to mind."
In truth, I had already sent Hummingbirds to several other people before coming here, but in those cases, I was checking their schedules to arrange a visit for a later date. Since everyone has their own lives, I felt it would be a nuisance to just barge in unexpectedly, so I made sure to confirm their availability first. As for Tre-san... well, I figured if she was free, there was no harm in just dropping by to drop them off.
"Staaaaare."
"W-What is it?"
"Hmm, something’s fishy... Kaito, you have plenty of acquaintances, so why was I the first one you thought of?"
Tre-san fixed me with a dubious, half-lidded stare. Her intuition was as sharp as ever.
"Ah—well... maybe it’s because my closeness or affection level with you has gone up?"
"Heh~ Ho~ Hmmm."
"You’re looking at me with extreme suspicion."
"Hmm, I wonder if it’s really because your affection level went up... or if it’s because I’ve been placed in the 'Can Be Treated Somewhat Roughly' Category in your head. That’s the part that really piques my interest."
"...Tre-san! Let’s just eat some Riples!"
"You’re dodging the question! That’s basically a confession!"
Well, it wasn't a lie that she had immediately come to mind. However, it was also true that I categorized Tre-san... in a way that was quite close to Alice. Then again, from another perspective, it meant I saw her as someone I could talk to without standing on ceremony, so there was no doubt that her affection level had increased.
"Honestly, it seems Kaito is lacking in respect and admiration for me."
"Respect or admiration for you, Tre-san?"
"Stop acting like you just heard a word you don't know. Don’t you think that’s rude to your older sister?"
"If you can honestly tell me that you don’t put me in a similar category, then I’ll apologize."
"...Let’s just eat the Riples!"
"...Let's."
It was because we could have these kinds of playful exchanges—knowing full well they were jokes—that talking to Tre-san was always so much fun.
Tre-san took one of the Riples I’d brought, pulled a fruit knife out of her Magic Box, and began to peel it.
"...Wait, you can actually peel fruit?"
"Of course I can! What, did you think I was some kind of total klutz who couldn't even peel a Riple?"
"..."
"I’d really appreciate it if you denied that instead of just smiling silently."
While we were bickering, Tre-san finished peeling the fruit, sliced it into bite-sized pieces, and arranged them on a small plate.
"Now then, let's see if this can satisfy the palate of a self-proclaimed Riple Critic."
"Then please, give me your review."
"You got it! Well then, time to dig in!"
With that, Tre-san took a bite and quietly closed her eyes as she chewed. As always, she was a tall, cool-looking woman, and the gesture looked quite elegant on her. A moment later, however, her eyes snapped open and she gave me a firm thumbs-up.
"It’s sweet! And delicious!"
It was an extremely forceful, "simple is best" kind of review.
"I think you should probably take down that 'Critic' sign."
"No good, huh? Disappointing. But seriously, these are some incredibly good Riples."
"Yeah, I liked them too. I’d like to give something back to Marie-san for sending so many, but..."
"A return gift? But Kaito, didn't you only just meet this Marie girl? You probably don't even know what she’d want."
I really did want to send something back to Marie-san, especially given the sheer volume of fruit she’d sent, but Tre-san was right. I hadn't known her long enough to know what would truly make her happy.
"...Oh, wait. She did mention that there weren't any Teleportation Gates nearby, so traveling was a real pain."
"Oh! In that case, wouldn't a Teleportation Magic Tool be perfect? They're super convenient."
"Ah, true. If she has one of those, she can jump to registered locations instantly. Even for places that aren't registered, she could just register a city with a gate and travel from there."
"Yeah, yeah... Ah! I've got it!"
"Yeah?"
"Hehehe... I have a brilliant idea!"
...Why was it? For some reason, hearing Tre-san say she had a "brilliant idea" filled me with a distinct sense of dread.
Serious-senpai: "I see, I see. A guy who excels at delivering accidental stomach-punches through pure good intentions, and Tre—who is adored by the richest person in the world, has a rare and lucrative ability herself, and despite what we saw in the past arc, has the warped financial common sense of a high-society lady—are planning a return gift together. And since Cento and Sien, the only ones capable of offering common-sense corrections, are absent... It's all over for you, Marie."