After that, as a celebration for Ange joining our new party, we brought souvenirs bought in Gown to the room and had a small party that lasted until morning. Perhaps it’s closer to a girls’ night in? Everyone was in their sleepwear. If we were able to, we would have invited Lyuka and Shutra too, but it was late at night, and they were already fast asleep, so we decided to leave them be this time. Rozaria and Hoover, Shutra’s guards, were also on shift duty and couldn’t participate. What a shame.
Melfina, who had been making a thoughtful gesture, also had her eyes sparkling at the appearance of the unusual sweets. I wanted to tell her to restrain herself since we had a midnight snack, but she probably had her own divine burdens and thoughts to sort out. I’ll need to talk to Ange about that later and organize things.
As for Ange herself, she seemed happy all the time, sandwiched between me and Efil. Had her doubts disappeared, or had she completely moved on? It felt like when we went on our first date, a similar atmosphere after a long time. But enjoyable times pass in the blink of an eye, and before we knew it, the sun was beginning to rise. Everyone was exuding a sense of fulfillment, but since both I and Sera had the final match of the Beast King Festival ahead of us, we ended the party relatively quickly and each went to bed to wind down. —Room assignments? There are so many foolish questions today. That’s already decided.
“W-what?! You and Efil-chan… K-Kelvin, you’re with me!?”
“Naturally.”
“It is.”
The others returned to their own rooms. Originally, Sera and Mel were supposed to share a room with me today, but they probably gave us some space. They’re truly wonderful older sisters.
“Let go, Sera! It was my turn today! It was my turn!”
“Yes, yes, don’t say childish things! Mel is in my room. Well then, Kelvin, good night.”
“It was my turnnn!”
“……………………”
Sera dragged Mel away and disappeared around the corner of the hallway. …They probably gave us some space.
“Alright, we have to prepare for departure in 4 hours, so let’s get some sleep, Ange.”
There was only one double bed in the room. In other words, we had to sleep in this bed together. I’m in the bed. After all, I almost died multiple times today, and I even died once. It’s a pleasant exhaustion, but I’m incredibly sleepy.
“Wh-what the heck… The scene I only dreamed of is right in front of me, but I’m not ready yet… Efil-chan, you’re fast!?” She slid into the bed so smoothly!”
“?”
Efil tilted her head slightly and was already trying to sleep nestled on my right side.
“Here, Ange too…”
“Gulp…”
I patted the left side of the bed, and I heard Ange swallow. But, I’m reaching my limit soon…
“O-okay! Kelvin, I… I’ll be in the way…”
“…Kuuu”
“Sss… Sss…”
“They’re asleep! Both of them are asleep! Wait, me too—”
Just before falling asleep, I thought I heard Ange’s flustered voice, or maybe I didn’t. However, just before drifting off, I felt a warmth different from Efil’s.
***
“Good morning, Master. It’s a lovely morning again today.”
Although my sleep was short, I woke up feeling very refreshed the next morning. As usual, Efil was up early, and by the time I woke up, she had already changed into her maid outfit. However, Ange was still asleep in the bed on the other side.
“…Munya.”
She was drooling while half-heartedly resting her hand on my arm. I almost doubted if this was the same person who had been an assassin last night, but thankfully, she’s human. And cute at that.
Now, according to the original plan, we were supposed to have breakfast and then head to the venue for the Beast King Festival, the Grand Coliseum. But do you remember? The Coliseum… doesn’t exist anymore. After a fierce battle between Ange and Baal last night, the Coliseum was half-destroyed. Melfina’s Thorns of the Ice Empress saved her life, but once the magic dispelled, the temporary balance collapsed, and everything turned into rubble. What did I do yesterday! It’s no use complaining. I don’t know what the Beast King will say, but I’ll have to face it.
“—Or so I thought…”
“It seems you have bigger things to worry about.”
The area around the Coliseum was in chaos, with the audience and Gown soldiers in a complete jam. Not only was the Coliseum destroyed, but the mysterious mass movement in the surrounding area also seemed to be a cause for the commotion. Was it like sleepwalking? All of them claimed to have no memory of that time and testified that they found themselves standing far from the Coliseum when they came to.
“Hmm… The ‘Bewitching Demon Incense’ I received from the Creator seemed to be more effective than I thought… It was a measure to avoid unnecessary confusion, though.”
Ange said with a wry smile, breaking out in a cold sweat. I heard that the incense is odorless, and it can make the living beings around it fall asleep and move them to a designated location. The range is up to a certain level, and this level range is said to fluctuate depending on the level of the person who sprinkles it. They said it was a consumable, but the more I hear, the more I realize it’s a vicious item. I can’t underestimate the Creator who made this, Zildra.
“The Beast King Festival finals scheduled for today have been postponed, postponed! Everyone, please calm down—”
—So it seems. The Gown soldiers are making desperate announcements, but I don’t think this chaos will subside with this. Since it was a major event that the entire country was excited about, this situation will likely continue for a while. Is it okay for me, who is partly responsible for the cause, to say that? Well, whatever. I’ll leave it to the Beast King to handle this situation. Once things calm down, I’ll recreate the Coliseum at the Improbable Black Fortress, so please forgive me for now. However, I feel like I’m forgetting something… Oh well, farewell.
We were dismissed on the spot, with the rest of the day declared free time. As I was thinking about what to do next, Ange approached me with Efil.
“Kelvin, do you have a moment?”
***
—Gown, Slave Merchant
The place we arrived at was a slave merchant that dealt in slaves as goods. As it was on the outskirts of town, there were few people, and for some reason, I didn’t see any beastmen around here. The shop itself was also a little smaller than Pars’s.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah.”
I asked Ange for the umpteenth time, but her answer didn’t change. She seems to have made up her mind. Efil didn’t seem to be against it either, so I decided not to say anything more.
As we entered the slave shop, a slightly plump man, presumably the owner, noticed us. He was human, not a beastman. I remembered that beastmen disliked dealing in slaves. I think I read it somewhere when I was researching Gown before the trip. That’s why no beastmen come near this area.
The moment the owner saw me, he froze as if time had stopped. After a few seconds, he shouted,
“K-K-K-K-Kelvin-samaaa!?”
Hey, why are you making a face like you’ve encountered some monster? I’m not Pritia.
“Kelvin, you should be more aware of your status as an S-Rank Adventurer. You’ve become widely known in Gown overnight from yesterday’s Beast King Festival. It’s like the country’s top executives coming to a common diner, you know.”
Ah, so that’s why he was surprised to see my face. I usually wear a hood to avoid standing out. But Ange is already proficient at using telepathy through Kuro.
“Hm? Is something on my face?”
“N-no! It’s nothing! I… I never dreamed that an S-Rank Adventurer like Kelvin would visit such a small slave merchant like this…”
“Ah, I have something I’d like to ask you to do.”
“What is it? I believe it might be a bit difficult to find a slave worthy of Kelvin-sama’s discerning eye in our humble establishment…”
The owner said this while glancing sideways at Efil and Ange. It seems he misunderstood and thinks I’ve come to buy a slave.
“It’s not that. I want you to act as an intermediary to contract her as my slave. Can you do that?”
I placed my hand on Ange’s shoulder.
