The standoff between Shallow Vernal and Eden was cald thanks to Kaito stepping in to diate, but when both of them proceeded to apologize, Lilia, Eris, and Kaori nearly lost consciousness.
To be bowed to by Shallow Vernal, who stood at the pinnacle of the world, and Eden, an Otherworld God, was such an overwhelming event that they had no idea how to even react. Of course, refusing their apology was not an option…… but at the sa ti, it would be unthinkable to casually say sothing like "I forgive you", which could be interpreted as talking down to them.
[……Shiro-san, Eden-san, I think your sincere apology is wonderful but…… you're totally overwhelming them. It’s alright. I realized what was going on quickly this ti, and I don’t think the three of them are too bothered by it…… Right?]
Sensing the situation, Kaito intervened and handled the conversation with Shallow Vernal and Eden in their place. The three girls, in turn, nodded vigorously like bobbleheads in agreent with Kaito’s words, thereby managing to communicate their stance without having to speak directly.
As they watched Kaito continue to talk with Shallow Vernal and Eden, asking what had caused all this in the first place, the three let out a collective sigh of relief.
[……T- That turned into a big deal. Eris-san, Lilia-san, are you alright?]
[Yes, we…… ahem, I’m alright, though I truly thought I was going to faint.]
[I was the sa as Lady Eris. I’m truly grateful Kaito-san ca when he did.]
In response to Kaori’s words, Eris was initially about to say "Lilia-sama and I are alright" out of habit. After all, both she and Lilia were nobles, while Kaori was a commoner. In noble circles, it was considered improper for soone of low status like Kaori to engage too directly with soone of Lilia's rank. As soone of lower noble rank herself, Eris would normally step in as an interdiary to reduce the number of direct exchanges Lilia would need to have.
However, that sort of behavior was expected only in situations like formal social gatherings involving multiple nobles of various ranks. Furthermore, values varied by nation; the noble-centric mindset of the Archlesia Empire didn’t always apply elsewhere. In this case, it seed more appropriate for each of them to reply individually.
Also, when comparing noble hierarchies to the Gods who had just appeared before them, and to Kaito, who interacted with them as equals, such social structures felt utterly aningless.
(I thought I was being open-minded, but relying solely on my own sense of normalcy to guide my actions in a mont like this was shortsighted. I need to reflect and improve.)
Chastising herself for her reflexive behavior, Eris turned to Kaori.
[Kaori-san, are you alright?]
[A- Ahaha…… My stomach hurts, but I’ll manage…… Really though, I’m so glad Kaito-kun showed up earlier.]
[If anything, I might owe the two of you an apology. It seems Shallow Vernal-sama ca here for so reason related to , so I may be the cause of all this.]
[No, that’s hardly sothing you could have anticipated, Duchess Lilia. I don’t believe this is your fault in the slightest. Honestly, I wasn’t exactly composed in the face of everything either……]
In a strange way, a sense of camaraderie———– or perhaps mutual sympathy——— was forming between the three. Perhaps because they had all experienced the sa stomach-churning tension at the sa ti, it felt like the distance between them had shrunk just a bit.
It might be ironic that their bond was deepened by shared stomachaches, but having faced that absurdly overwhelming situation together, it was only natural that they felt closer. eting each other’s eyes, the three girls shared a wry smile.
(Even so, I can’t help but feel how immature I still am. Not only was I unable to take the best course of action, I nearly lost consciousness. Given the sheer magnitude of Shallow Vernal-sama’s magic power, it’s only natural it would exert such overwhelming pressure on , but it’s not sothing you can truly grasp until you experience it firsthand. The relief I felt when Kaito-sama arrived was so imnse that even now, I can’t seem to fully calm down.)
As she conversed with Kaori and Lilia, Eris reflected on the sudden ordeal they had faced, and found her thoughts drifting to Kaito, who had appeared gallantly in their ti of need.
(I suppose this is sowhat like the suspension bridge effect, but considering I already had a favorable impression of Kaito-sama’s personality, I think my emotions are just running unusually high right now. That said, I don’t believe it’s reached the level of romantic feelings yet…… at least, not to the point where I need to inform Father.)
After analyzing her feelings with a certain degree of objectivity and settling on a conclusion, Eris turned her attention back to the conversation with Lilia and Kaori.
[……Still, this is a bit troubleso. We can’t exactly leave until Kaito-sama finishes his conversation……]
[R- Right. Also, in the end…… what was Shallow Vernal-sama’s business here anyway?]
[I’m not sure…… but maybe it’s just , or———- my stomach’s been hurting this whole ti.]
[Please don’t worry, Duchess Lilia…… mine too.]
[……Sa here.]
Comrades who knew the sa pain…… a bond difficult to put into words, yet undeniably real. In that mont, they felt a certain connection…… a sense of camaraderie born from shared suffering.
Serious-senpai : [Sharing the sa pain (stomachache)…… t- that’s such a weird kind of bond. Anyway, what was Airhead God's business with Lilia, seriously?]
? ? ? : [Who knows? But I’d guess it was sothing trivial, but related to Kaito-san. Ah~~ wait a mont…… yeah, it’s probably that. Since her ga console gift was such a hit, she figured giving him a few extra units would make him happy. But Shallow Vernal-sama already gave him a present so…… maybe she ca to ask Lilia-san, as the Humans' representative, whether giving multiple birthday gifts is acceptable?]
Serious-senpai : [……So if we trace this back, isn’t this stomachache basically Kaito’s fault?]
? ? ? : [Just as usual then. All good!]
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