Chapter 967: Festival Date with Alice ⑤

Alice and I went through one stall after another. It seems like she’s determined to conquer them all.

[……That’s strange?]

[What’s the matter?]

[No, it doesn’t seem like you’re moving at super high speed that the water doesn’t get it wet, moving it slow enough that I can even see it…… but how come your poi doesn’t tear?]

(T/N: Poi is that paper scoop used in festivals.)

Super ball scooping is one of the most popular stalls in festivals. You use the paper poi to scoop the super balls, but these pois are basically easy-to-tear, so it isn’t realistic to aim for the big balls.

The trick here is to quickly scoop the smaller balls…… is what should have been, but Alice isi scooping the big super bealls without a care in the world. It doesn’t look like she’s using some kind of special technique, but for her poi to not even show any signs of breaking at all……

[Ahh, that’s because I used “State Preservation Magic” on the poi.]

[Oi, you…… stop cheating.]

She isn’t using some kind of technique, she’s just using a cheat to prevent the poi from breaking!?

Next was another classic, the ring toss…… Well, what we’re talking about here isn’t that Super-exciting Battle Sport one, but just a regular ring toss……

[Oi, Alice…… Stop with that preliminary Shooting Star.]

[Fufufu, actually, Alice-chan is the world’s rank-1 Quoits Elite!!!]

[I know…… I mean, I’m more wondering why the heck does the rest of the world not realize that you and Kuro were among those elites……]

In fact, I had several chances to see RINGTOSS matches after the Six Kings Festival, and I even saw Baby Castella Mask’s match once. However, she was seriously just wearing a mask that resembled a baby castella, but I could clearly tell from her clothes and everything else in her attire that she was Kuro.

As for Alice, she’s still dressed in a way that people couldn’t see her face…… Even so, I’m sure there should be some out there who realized who she is, especially when she’s calling herself the “Transcendental Beauty Quoits Elite”.

[……Ahh~~ Kaito-san, let me tell you why. Kaito-san only became aware of this because you had received Shallow Vernal-sama’s blessing, thus “invalidating the effect of the Recognition Inhibition Magic” on you. In fact, the people around you who didn’t realize our identity are more normal……]

[Ahh…… Is that how it is!? Then, the reason why people don’t realize that the Legendary Blacksmith and the Legendary Model Maker……]

[That’s right. I’m one of the best in the world when it comes to that magic, so even those among the Count-ranks shouldn’t be able to notice it. It’s just that Kaito-san is too much of an exception that it invalidated my disguise without question.]

[……I- I see…… I feel like I’ve gotten answers to a question I’ve had for a long time.]

Of course, we also visited food stalls along the way. Alice is eating a lot as usual, but she looked so cute eating so well that I never got tired of watching her.

[Speaking of which, what do you call this, Kaito-san?]

[Ahh~~ I call it “obanyaki”. That’s what Mom called it after all. However, I think my friends back in elementary called it “imagawayaki”.]

[It seems like this also had its own regional variations. It’s unusual, but there are some who call them “taikoyaki” and “nijuuyaki”.]

” ”

[Is that how it’s called from the Earth Alice was from?]

[Hmmm, I wonder? I wasn’t that adamant in collecting as much information as I do now, so I don’t remember trivial details like that.]

(T/N: btw, it’s just called Japanese cake here in PH.)

Well, I guess that isn’t that surprising. It must have been a long time ago for Alice, and since she’s been traveling around the world, it isn’t like she’s been in Japan all the time.

[Hmmm, talking about it makes me want to eat some.]

[You want some? I still have some here.]

[No, from all the food we ate earlier, I don’t really feel like eating a whole one…… Just give me a bite.]

[Here you go.]

I took a bite of the obanyaki that Alice held out to me. Thereupon, a strange expression appeared on Alice’s face as she looked at the okanyaki I bit on.

……Is she thinking about indirect kissing again?

[……Alice?]

[ ! ? Ahh, n- no, I was just thinking about something. Y- You see, I was just wondering if I could taste the red bean paste if I kissed you right after eating it……Ah, n- no, excuse me. I used the wrong phrase to sne——– Nnhhh!?!?]

Alice tried to cover up the fact that she was thinking about indirect kissing, and as a result, she successfully blew herself up. Knowing what I’d do after hearing that, she tried to cover it up quickly…… but it’s too late.

Before Alice could try canceling out what she said earlier, I quickly squatted down and kissed her…… seeing her clearly blushing red looks really cute.

[……How is it? Did it taste like red bean paste?]

[……I don’t know. I had also been eating the same thing before it after all…… Ahh~~ but, you see…… I-If we do it a bit more…… I guess I would know or something like that.]

[Fufufu.]

[Don’t you laugh at me like that! I’m trying to muster up what little courage I have here!!!]

As if she had made good on her earlier declaration that she would be bold today, Alice expressed her desire for more kisses, though her eyes were still swimming about.

Of course, there is no reason for me to refuse the wish of my beloved lover. In fact, being completely alone with each other made us both feel at ease…… and in fact, we had been kissing like this from time to time.

Perhaps, because the especially shy Alice is really consciously trying to be proactive today, I feel that we’re much closer to each other than usual…… and that’s something I’m really happy about.

【There stands a mountain of what looks like white sand.】

【However, it appears that it isn’t sand, but sugar.】

【It’s quite a lot. It’s such a large amount that it could bury a person.】

【What seems to be a flag is erected next to it.】

【Written on the flag are the words “lovey-dovey”, and signs of an attempt to break it could be seen.】