Chapter 954: The Three, To the Bazaar ①

I came to visit Alice's miscellaneous goods store in the late afternoon, feeling the warm sunshine through the window. Right in front of me was the feyblade that we had played with at the Six Kings Festival…… or rather, the sample of its finished product.

In the two years since the Six Kings Festival, various improvements have been made to the product, and now that it's ready for mass production, it will soon be released by a company selling toys.

[I thought it would be released by the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company.]

[There's another company who's greater when it comes to dealing with toys after all…… Well, that's also Kuro-san's company anyway.]

[As expected of the Business World's King……]

[From what I heard, she apparently recently "created a new trading company".]

[Is that so?]

Accepting the tea that Alice offered me, I asked her back. I knew that Kuro had quite the expansive range of businesses, worthy of being called the pinnacle of the business world, and "personally owning assets equivalent to 10% of the world economy", including the rights and assets her companies hold, makes her the number 1 tycoon in the world.

……It seems that this big tycoon is going to start something again.

[Yes, I wonder if it's because of Eden-san's decision to set up a clone in this world, or if Shallow Vernal-sama had discussed this with her…… but I heard that reproduction of other world items…… mechanical appliances was alleviated. And on the evening of the day it was officially announced, Kuro-san established a trading company dealing with otherworld-related products.]

[……She sure acts fast.]

[She has recently introduced a practical training system for her trainees, and through that, she has been picking up promising candidates from among the personnel they have gathered and recruited them into that newly formed trading company. Perhaps, after Akari-san and Kazuya-san finished their practical training, she might talk to them about this. The two of them are from a different world after all, so they would be knowledgeable about otherworld-related products.]

[I see……]

Well, Kuro loves raising people in the first place, so the establishment of a new trading company must be related to that. Listening to Alice's words, I sipped my tea.

Times like this are nice and relaxing, and it makes me feel a little sleepy.

[……Even so, this shop is still open for business, right?]

[Isn't it a little too late to ask that now? Heck, wouldn't it seem more unnatural to see this shop flourishing?]

[That is, well, true.]

While looking around the store that still had no customers, I lined my chair next to Alice's and sat next to her behind the counter. That this counter seems to be filled with tea and sweets more often than it is with products probably isn't just my imagination.

As I was relaxing with such a thought in mind…… Alice suddenly spoke.

[…..Ahh~~ Speaking of which, Kaito-san. I have something I'd like to consult with you……]

[Consult? Alice, consulting me? That's kinda unusual……]

[No, well, my best friend…… Ahh, the one who isn't Iris, wants to hang out with Kaito-san and I, the three of us.]

[Speaking of which, I've heard you mention about having another best friend, but I don't think you've ever talked about her in detail?]

[Yeah, well……]

[I don't really have a problem with that…… but why do you have that complicated look on your face?]

I certainly would like to meet Alice's best friend, so I have no problem with the three of us hanging out together. I didn't find anything unnatural with the topic so far…… is what should have been, but for some reason, Alice had this complicated expression on her face.

It doesn't seem like she hates the idea of doing it, but somehow…… it's like she finds that tiresome.

[Well, this best friend of mine…… She said something troublesome, apparently for the sake of her dignity, she didn't want her true identity to be revealed…… Even though I told her that she didn't have that dignity anymore, she was very stubborn about it and wouldn't give in.]

[Her true identity to not be revealed? What does that mean?]

[She apparently already got a plan in place…… I suppose I'll try it out? My best friend's name is ————-, did you catch that?]

[……No, I couldn't hear the name at all.]

[……Even if she's depraved, I guess this would be expected of her huh…… It's even effective against Kaito-san. Well, she's a bit of a pain in the ass like that……  but what do you think?]

[No, I only recognize her as a person with great power at the moment, so I don't really have any problem with that……]

[It's ————- -san's ————- though……]

[Eh? What did you say?]

[As expected, you also were unable to hear that huh…… Haaaaahhhhhhhhhhh……]

How should I say this…… I don't see any problem on my end at the moment. It seems like she would be a being with great power, but since she's Alice's acquaintance, it's not surprising that they're such a person.

There must be some reason why she's trying to hide her true identity…… I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do until I see her myself, but if I just can't catch her name, I couldn't particularly see any problem with it.

Well, I can't think of any reason why Alice would look particularly uncomfortable about this so far but……

[Does Alice not want to do that?]

[No, rather than me not wanting to do this…… I was just thinking that it's really troublesome that I have to be a stopper. However, it seemed like her frustrations had been piling up lately, so I think this would be better than letting her rampage somewhere strange…… Haaahhhh…… What will happen from now on would be just me being considerate.]

[……U- Unnn?]

I wonder why, but that phrase she just said feels very unsettling. Moreover, she seemed more uncomfortable here than when I said I wanted to meet the Ten Demons……

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [……Oi…… Explain this, traitor…… Right now…… I'm about to lose my cool.]

? ? ? : [……Can you please stop talking like you're usually calm?]

Serious-senpai : [In other words, this is an arc like that one where Kaito went out with Lilia, and it would then develop into a series of chapters containing each lover going on their own dates, right?]

? ? ? : [I'm not Alice-chan, so I don't really know why you're asking me that, but I suppose you can recognize it like that.]

Serious-senpai : [……Go on a frenzy, Makina.]

? ? ? : [Stop with that frightening curse.]