The party venue, where humans and otherworldly races mingled.
One hour had passed since my opening remarks.
The party venue was showing a moderate level of liveliness.
“My, you are beautiful.”
“Oh, stop.”
A man was trying to strike up a conversation with a Harpy, hoping to become friends.
“You have remarkably strong arms.”
“Ah, I train my body at my family’s ancestral home.”
“My, how dependable.”
A female Sheep Beastkin complimented a muscular man’s physique, and the man preened.
The atmosphere was good, and gradually, pairings between men and women began to form.
There was still some distance, but that was to be expected.
I predicted that if things went smoothly, our original objective would be achieved.
“That is, if things go smoothly…”
However, behind success lay the darkness of failure.
As the MC and organizer, I moved among various groups, acting as a mediator.
Thanks to that, groups of men and women were forming, and pairs of men and women were appearing sporadically.
But there were also those who didn’t go with the flow.
“Hey, are you enjoying yourselves?”
In one corner, several men were quietly drinking and eating, like wallflowers.
“You are…”
“We haven’t formally introduced ourselves yet. I’m Jiro Tanaka. I’m essentially your superior’s nephew. And I hold a certain position within this company.”
Besides the three men in front of me, there were several other groups who had become wallflowers. I was approaching them to talk.
On the other hand, among the women we had arranged, there were also groups who were wallflowers, though fewer than the men. Kirie-san was attending to them.
“If you’re just observing, the women you’re interested in will be taken in no time?”
We might need to manage our respective organizations, but I had been introducing men to the women. I had asked Kirie-san to introduce the women to the men.
“No, we are…”
“Not very enthusiastic?”
“That’s not it! It’s just that I’m not good-looking, my spiritual power isn’t that strong, and my family background… I’m not the type of person who should really be here.”
So, the people I was trying to meddle with this time were those who lacked confidence in their abilities and family background.
“I see, so it’s not that you don’t like our women. That’s a relief.”
If they were simply intimidated by how beautiful they were, there was still hope.
The man who was speaking on behalf of the group, and the two men drinking with him, were the type who wouldn’t usually stand out, even at a mixer. Those who approached women directly were, after all, people with some degree of self-confidence.
However, they kept glancing at our women, so it wasn’t as if they had no interest at all.
In that case, there was no problem.
I approached them with a smile, as they showed expressions of bitter resignation, as if admitting defeat to those actively engaging on the front lines.
“By the way, was there any woman among our ladies who caught your eye?”
I asked a question that delved a little deeper.
“Ah, that’s…”
Naturally, I didn’t get an immediate answer to my direct question. They looked at each other, conferring with their eyes, unsure how to respond.
“It’s fine if you don’t want to say. However, I am, after all, the organizer of this party. I can’t overlook someone who isn’t enjoying themselves.”
I conveyed my words with an air of sheer kindness, and the unspoken implication that if they didn’t seize this opportunity, they would be wasting time. Nodding in agreement, they looked at each other and…
“Actually, there’s a girl over there whose roots are entangled with her body…”
“Ah, that Dryad girl is quite the homemaker. She said she enjoys cooking. Due to her race, she’s not fond of meat, but she likes fruits and beans. If you have any connection there, you can use it as a trigger to talk to her.”
“Y-yes! Thank you!”
The man who had been answering for them stepped forward and gestured with his eyes to the woman he was interested in. Without mocking him, I nodded and revealed a little information not written in her profile. I patted him on the back to encourage him, and he, determined, prepared a plate of bean dishes from the table and approached a green-haired woman.
From his demeanor and actions, and the brief exchange of words, I could tell he wasn’t a bad person. That’s why I gave him a little nudge.
“Well? What about you two?”
Watching from a distance, I saw the other two men, who hadn’t immediately separated from their conversation partners and were smoothly engaged, also steel themselves and tell me who they were interested in. I quietly shared a little information about them, with their permission.
This resolved one group of wallflowers, but there were still groups lingering by the walls.
“I must resolve this somehow,” I thought, and moved towards my next target.
I passed by groups talking cheerfully, but…
“They still seem to be probing each other.”
Even though they were smiling, the atmosphere felt more about getting acquainted than enjoying themselves.
It’s impossible to get to know each other fully in such a short time upon first meeting, so I figured if they could create a good atmosphere later on, I wouldn’t interfere now. I simply offered a light greeting and moved on.
After some time, I successfully helped several more groups break free from the “wallflower” status, just like before, leaving only one remaining group.
“So, it’s them who remain.”
And this group was the most difficult challenge. Kirie-san also understood that this marriage hunting party was an important event for future organizational connections.
If a couple were to form at this party, they could use that connection to gain opportunities for interaction with the otherworld.
This fell under my jurisdiction, and it was a considerably important position.
They were sent out with no expectations, so if they succeeded, it would be a bonus. If they could just cheer up, there would be no problem, but in their case…
The situation was a little different.
Their families had deep ties with the Japanese Government. They were also a somewhat special lineage within the Association, in terms of factions.
Because of this, they had high elite consciousness and strong influence.
“Originally, I didn’t want to include them in this matter, but I can’t just ignore it.”
I had received information beforehand, so this group was already on my list of potential concerns.
The leader of that group, a man named Yuzo Tachi, was slowly drinking his alcohol, casting a sharp, observant gaze.
Then, his mouth slowly uttered words.
“Freaks.”
My advancing footsteps stopped abruptly.
For a moment, I thought I had misread the situation, but as his gaze shifted from observation to one filled with contempt, I knew my lip-reading hadn’t been wrong.
Furthermore, he directed the same gaze towards his colleagues who were trying to get along with women.
“They are a demon-exterminating clan. There is nothing wrong with their beliefs, but it is also a fact that they tend to look down on non-humans.”
The four individuals who were a cause for concern at this party were from a clan whose traditional occupation was to ward off demons. They were known to be young, capable, and serious.
Too serious.
Therefore, the slightest presence of a non-human would evoke their disgust.
I had indirectly told Kirie-san not to let such people participate, but their families wished to engage with us.
In other words, they were profit-oriented.
However, the participants themselves were entirely against their will.
But they couldn’t ignore their family’s instructions, so they participated grudgingly, causing no outward problems and not getting in the way.
For a moment, I considered ignoring them.
But from my position, I couldn’t just let them do nothing.
“Is something wrong? You seem to be staying by the wall.”
“No, nothing is wrong.”
He hid his hostility, but couldn’t conceal his displeasure.
“Is that so?”
If I got worked up about that, I wouldn’t have lasted in my previous job. I made an effort to remain calm, not letting my expression cloud over, and played a little dumb.
“Yes. We’re just observing for a bit, so please don’t worry about us.”
However, facing someone who was clearly trying to cut me off, as if to say “don’t come any closer,” there was nothing I could do. If I pressed the issue further, I might be scolded for being persistent.
“Understood. Feel free to approach me anytime if something comes up.”
I had registered their presence. If something happened, I could move quickly and deal with it.
Deciding that I could handle it with my abilities, I left the spot.
“Is there a problem with them?”
As I was leaving, Kirie-san joined me, her presence subtly suppressed.
She was also concerned about them, so I knew she had approached me because she suspected something had happened.
“No, well, I was just concerned because they weren’t doing anything, so I thought I’d say hello.”
“I will keep an eye on them, so please provide support to the other guests.”
“Then I’ll take you up on that.”
I didn’t intend to leave the troublesome task entirely to her, but since Kirie-san would handle it, I continued to circulate the venue, checking on other groups.
“Keiri-san, your stories are truly interesting. I’m having a great time.”
“No, Jin’nai-san’s stories are interesting, which is why I’m enjoying our conversation so much.”
However, I stopped as I was passing by, intending to move on, and turned around to identify who she was.
Keiri-san, laughing cheerfully like a sheltered young lady.
For a moment, I wondered who she was. But immediately, I moved quickly, so as not to be seen by others.
Having avoided making a fool of myself and being noticed by Keiri-san, I took up a position where I could see her between people.
“Keiri-san is completely putting on an act.”
Her usual spirited and lively impression was completely gone.
“She’s handling it well.”
Keiri-san was talking enjoyably, surrounded by several men.
“This is so like Keiri-san.”
Those men had been talking to other guests just moments before. The women were clearly finding them a bit too persistent.
When I moved to help other women who were troubled, not just that one woman, I found myself surrounded by several others.
If I continued to avoid speaking to the original woman, the men surrounding them were starting to get serious.
“…Are you alright?”
I was about to worry, but then thought, “If it comes to it, I can subdue them with force, so worrying is pointless.”
And just as I was about to leave, my eyes met Keiri-san’s.
“H-E-L-P M-E.”
Eyes can sometimes speak louder than words.
She would allow me to help her comrades, but she wouldn’t allow me to run away.
I understand.
The question is, how to manipulate these men?
Glancing around, other groups also seemed to be doing well.
It means I have to deal with this situation without disrupting the harmony.
This is an unreasonable request.
But I have to do it.
I have a way… I do have a way.
Looking at my watch, it was almost time for the event.
In that case, I could use it.
“I wonder if this is appropriate for a marriage hunting party event, but since it’s the instructor’s advice, let’s give it a try.”
The instructor’s words were that to know each other, one must speak frankly.
Following that advice, I created the first event.
As I walked towards the stage, I took the microphone from the staff.
And then I stood in the center of the stage.
“To everyone enjoying your conversations, it seems you are enjoying interacting with the otherworld. We will now have an event.”
It was already on the schedule, so there was no confusion, but the guests still seemed to be looking forward to it.
“From now on, the staff will distribute a magic tool. This magic tool has only one effect: to imbue a certain illusion.”
The staff distributed various somewhat ostentatious masks.
“For the next hour, we will enter Masquerade Party Time.”
Today’s word:
The enemy of an event is boredom.
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