After watching the fireworks at the restaurant, the Founding Festival finally came to an end. Of course, it was just that the main events may have been over, and some of the stalls were still open, but it still felt like the festival had come to an end.
I had the impression that fireworks usually mark the end of festivals like this, and I could see a flow of people who seemed to be on their way home.
[How should I say this…… The end of a festival sure has this unique loneliness to it, doesn’t it?]
[Yes, it does. This atmosphere feels the same even in a different world.]
Just as Alice said, whether it’s the world where I was born and raised or Trinia, this atmosphere feels the same. Watching the flow of people makes me feel such loneliness.[……Well, in any case, where’s that cottage? Is it near the capital?]
[Ahh, no, the sea near the Royal Capital is basically a no-swimming zone and there are almost no beaches around here, so that cottage is in a slightly distant spot.]
[Ahh, I see. The fishing industry is active here, so there’d be a lot of ships coming and going.]
Besides, it can be noisy near the capital, and cottages on private beaches, which are likely to be high class, are more likely to be located in quieter areas.
Well, it’s safe to say that Alice’s Teleportation Magic will just lead me to that area.
[……So, when are we going to move there?]
[Ah, no, l- let’s just watch a bit longer……][You sure don’t know when to give up huh……]
If there’s a problem, there’s one. As usual, Alice is rather incompetent on this matter, so it seems it will take a little more time before we can move using Teleportation Magic.
In fact, if I just leave things here to Alice, it really seems like it will take a while, so I’ll suggest something where I can take the lead.
[Then, Alice, why don’t we move towards the private beach instead of directly to the cottage?]
[Eh? What do you mean?]
[No, we don’t really have to go to the cottage right away, right? We can take a leisurely walk on the beach.]
[I see…… That’s true.]
Heading directly to the cottage will undoubtedly make her conscious, so I suggested taking a stroll along the beach.
We can walk along the beach and head for the cottage. In fact, walking along the beach at night is a staple situation, and I hope to create a good atmosphere while we’re walking.
The suggestion seemed to be a good one, as after thinking for a moment, Alice nodded her head and activated her Teleportation Magic.
The sandy beach that we arrived at by Teleportation Magic was, how should I say this…… It is quite a fantastic sight. Today is a full moon, and the moonlight is quite bright, so the beach is brighter than I thought it would be with the light reflected off the sea.
[It’s quite bright and beautiful, isn’t it?]
[It is. It’s peaceful and has a nice atmosphere to it.]
[Well, if there’s one problem…… I can’t see the cottage anywhere from here, you know?]
[……It’s relatively far away from here.]
This guy seriously teleported us quite a distance from the cottage. She really is quite persistent at not giving up on this. I mean, her incompetence on matters like this is just like her but…… Well, we’re still technically within the same private beach, so the walking distance from here to that cottage shouldn’t be unreasonable.
Having such a thought in mind, I held Alice’s hand and started walking.
[Ahh, K- Kaito-san? Can’t we go a little slower? You know, let’s enjoy the scenery!]
[No, I’m walking at a pace where we can enjoy the scenery, you know…… Rather, calm down a little more.]
[You’re being unreasonable!!!]
[And your response is too forceful……]
I’m astounded by her usual antics, but even so, if I walked, Alice would properly walk and move with me. Without a pause in our pace, we walked slowly along the moonlit beach.
[By the way, what kind of cottage is it?]
[It’s one with a rather simple design. It’s designed for a small number of people, with the intended target being people with money traveling incognito.]
[I see, it’s like a hideaway huh…… Well, we have our magic box, so we can prepare drinks and food. That said, we just finished having dinner, so having some tea or coffee instead would be nice.]
[No, as far as I’m concerned, we can have another dinner after we get there, you know?]
[I’m already full though……]
Chatting about trivial things while we walked along the beach, Alice looked nervous at the beginning, taking cautious steps, but she gradually seemed to calm down, as with a smile on her face, I felt her steps becoming lighter.
Well, if she strangely raises her guard, it makes me tense too, so this is much better. As I had such a thought in mind, ahead of us, a wooden cottage illuminated by moonlight came into view.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [No, this is already sweet…… but when I think about what’s coming next…… I feel like a prisoner waiting to be executed……]
