We are now going to Rigforeshia to purchase the leaves of the Spirit Tree and to meet Rei-san and Fia-san if it’s possible. This would be the first time I went back to Rigforeshia for quite a while, the last time being when Sieg-san returned home.
[……Kuro, I have a favor.]
[Unnn?]
[Cast Recognition Inhibition Magic on me.]
[……Why?][It’s just, I’m kinda strangely famous here in Rigforeshia……]
[A- Ahh~~ Now that you mentioned it, I think I heard something like that…… Unnn. Alright.]
When I came to Rigforeshia before, a lot of people called out to me before I made it to Rei-san and Fia-san’s house. It’s a fact that I don’t want to admit and just want to turn a blind eye to, but unfortunately, I can’t deny that I’m famous here in Rigforeshia.
And so, this is where Kuro’s Recognition Inhibition Magic comes in. I have Shiro-san’s Blessing, which cancels the usual Recognition Inhibition magic, but Kuro can cast it on me without any problem.
If I didn’t mind the trouble it would cause, I could have asked Shiro-san to do this, but since I’m here together with Kuro, it would be quicker to have her do it for me.
[Here you go. Well then, you’re all set~~]
[Thanks. Then, let’s go…… Shall we start with shopping first?][I guess so. Let’s buy some fruits and other stuff.]
[……Speaking of which, are the leaves of the Spirit Tree even commercially available?]
[It’s an ingredient for medicine, so we can find them in stores that sell medicinal herbs. They’d be in a different store than food…… Well, Rigforeshia itself isn’t that big, so we didn’t have to move here and there since the shops and other related establishments are somewhat gathered.]
[I see……]
When we entered Rigforeshia while having such a conversation, the attention level from the surrounding people was clearly different from when I came here before. The effect of Recognition Inhibition Magic is great. Well, outside of Rigforeshia, it’s not like my face is known that much, so I don’t need Recognition Inhibition Magic that much.
……I mean, why is my face so well-known in Rigforeshia? Yes, I did have that achievement in the Sacred Tree Festival, but how is it that they still remember the face of someone they’ve only seen once? Ahh, maybe my face had been illustrated in a book or something, which made the people here remember me.
[Ahh, look, look, Kaito-kun. There’s a big picture of Kaito-kun over there.]
[Unnn? ……Huh? What’s that?]
Looking at the direction Kuro’s pointing at, I saw a life-sized signboard of me in front of what looked like a bookstore. There was also a sign nearby that read “latest book on sale”.
A- Ahh, so that’s the culprit…… a new book about me has recently come out and they have a life-sized signboard to advertise it…… N- No, well, it’s true that when I received the letter from the author asking for my authorization, I responded with “You’re free to do as you please, including matters like advertising”, but I never thought it would turn out like this…… Moreover, I feel like that Kaito in the signboard is drawn much more handsome than the real thing.
What is with this bizarre embarrassment……
[……Ahh, come to think of it, there was a book about Kaito-kun, right? I heard it’s a popular series.]
[Seems so…… It’s just, well, when I think about it, their story just keeps going. With all the books they released, I doubt they’d just be talking about what happened in the Sacred Tree Festival.]
[Yeah, that’s because Shalltear provides them with material for Kaito-kun’s story.]
[…………………….Say what?]
Thinking about it again, they’d certainly need to get my story from somewhere in order to keep writing books about me. I thought they heard about them from Isis-san, but when I seriously think about this, in the first place, it is impossible for a normal person to have a conversation with Isis-san.
For a moment, I almost felt anger welling up in me…… but I quickly stopped that thought. It’s true that Alice likes her pranks, but I don’t think she would do anything that would harm me or anything that I would seriously dislike.
Maybe there’s actually some reason behind it, and when I trace it back, I’d find out that it’s for my sake. In that case, what I can think of……
[……Could this be for my sake?]
[I’m pretty sure it is. That book series is very popular, right? If so, the author would need to get Kaito-kun’s story in order to publish their next volume, but if they simply got their information from things they caught wind of, you’ll probably end up with exaggerated stories and eye-popping gossip, just like how the stories were like back here in Rigforeshia.]
[Ahh, I see…… To avoid having the stories written about me heading in a strange way, she’s adjusting the information being circulated right from the start so that people won’t make strange misunderstandings about me.]
[I haven’t heard why from the person herself, but I think that is the case. Shalltear is very devoted to Kaito-kun after all.]
As I thought, Alice was acting behind the scenes, controlling the information provided so that it wouldn’t turn out like the first book…… where I had apparently annihilated the Black Bears myself.
That certainly is just like Alice…… Most of all, I feel that the way she secretly does things without telling me is the most Alice-like.
[Alice, thanks.]
[……N- No, I actually just want to make a little extra money……]
[With how embarrassed she’s saying that, she probably didn’t get any money from them.]
[Kuro-san, can you please stop saying unnecessary things?]
When I thanked Alice, who should be behind me, I could only hear her slightly embarrassed voice answering me. Thereupon, Kuro launched her tsukkomi, seemingly as a counterattack from earlier.
How should I say this…… I could feel Alice’s kindness once again, and thinking about how she’s probably supporting me in various ways, even though I can’t notice them, makes my heart feel warm.
As I thought of thanking Alice some other time, I smiled wryly while listening to Alice and Kuro bantering with each other.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [In fact, you can say that Alice’s devotion is on the same level as Illness…… I guess the King and her retainer would resemble each other huh.]
? ? ? : [……No comment.]
