I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace (WN)

Chapter 2384 - Purchase of Exclusive Brush ⑭

Cornelia Sharon, eldest daughter of the Sharon County. Her capabilities as a noblewoman were somewhere between above average and slightly above that, thanks to both the solid education fitting of a high-ranking noble’s daughter and her own hard work. She was more competent than most, but she did not reach the level of elites like Eris.

At the very least, she lacked Eris’ depth of knowledge and ability to adapt to new information, and responding accurately to the current situation was difficult for her. Still, she had gained her own share of experience within noble society and wasn’t entirely without countermeasures.

(Nidzveld-sama and Eingana-sama made remarks suggesting they were interested in the Victor Trading Company. I feel like all the blood has drained from my face. Thinking about what may happen next makes me feel like there’s about to be a hole in my stomach…… but this is beyond what I can deal with right now…… I’ll think about it later. Even if it’s something I’ll eventually have to face, sometimes turning away temporarily is necessary———- to protect oneself.)

Yes, Cornelia did not have the ability to neatly organize her thoughts about every possible development here and now. Thus, she decided to avert her eyes from most matters and think about them later. It was, in a sense, a form of escapism, but doing so spared her from having to dwell on what Nidzveld, Eingana, and the Victor Trading Company might mean for the future, giving her mind some much-needed breathing room.

Of course, there were times when immediate action was vital, and one couldn’t simply look away. Even in this case, she would surely end up holding her head in her hands with her family once she returned to the count’s mansion…… but for now, she chose to think that it was better than being tossed about by confusion and letting her mind spiral aimlessly.

(For the time being, what I should focus on is listening to Kaito-sama and the Allegra Symphony’s performance. Anything that doesn’t require an immediate conclusion can wait. That way, the proper course of action will become clear.)

Having pushed aside a few of her thoughts, Cornelia felt calmer. She quietly moved her gaze, checked the clock, and spoke to Kaito.

[……Kaito-sama, forgive me for interrupting your conversation, but it’s now about 30 minutes before the concert begins.]

[Ah, you’re right. We still have a bit of time, but maybe we should start heading toward the concert hall soon.]

Indeed, they had originally stopped by this café to kill time before the concert, so they didn’t have that much room for long conversations.

The concert hall was nearby enough that they could leave 15 minutes before and still arrive comfortably, but entering early was always safer, and it conveniently brought an end to their talk with the two Six Kings’ Executives.

(It’s quite difficult to maintain focus while conversing with Nidzveld-sama and Eingana-sama, so being able to wrap things up here is a relief. Still, Kaito-sama’s conversational skill is truly remarkable. Without any sign of calculation, he naturally engages in talk that genuinely entertains them both. As someone involved in high society, I’d love to learn from it, but since it stems from genuine kindness and natural ease rather than strategy, it’s not something I could ever imitate…… it’s simply impossible.)

As she recalled how cheerful Nidzveld and Eingana had looked, Cornelia could only admire Kaito’s extraordinary communication skills, though she knew she couldn’t copy them.

Kaito tends to wear his emotions on his sleeves, but the thought process and word choices behind his speech didn’t. That wasn’t natural talent, it was something he’d acquired.

Beyond the growth he’d achieved through various experiences, a major factor…… was his frequent interactions, about five times a week, with a “dangerous God”, where even a slightly misplaced word could trigger a rampage. As a result, Kaito’s conversational and communication abilities had evolved to the point where he could think at high speed while maintaining a natural demeanor, something Cornelia could only admire wholeheartedly.

That said, his facial expressions still betrayed his feelings far too easily, so it wasn’t as though he’d become adept at political poker faces or manipulative subtlety.

If anything, what had improved was his natural knack for conversing in ways that raised others’ favor toward him, a skill that had now been polished to perfection.

As a side note, though somewhat unrelated, Kaito had once categorized Eden and Makina’s rampages into distinct “phases” to gauge their severity, but recently, his approach had become far more precise…… It was as if he now had a “rampage gauge”, and assuming that gauge filled completely when they go on a rampage, Kaito had nearly mastered the ability to read its current level. He could now discern the signs of an impending rampage, and even roughly estimate how close they were to reaching the breaking point.

More recently still, he had learned to recognize the earliest symptoms and divert the topic of conversation at the right time, successfully preventing a rampage from occurring.

Of course, there were cases of instantaneous rampages, situations where they couldn’t be stopped once triggered, or instances where they were practically in a rampage state the moment they appeared, so his success rate was only around 30 to 40 percent.

Even so, through countless conversations that were essentially like handling live explosives, Kaito’s ability to think on his feet during dialogue had grown explosively.

[Indeed. It’s about time for us to head toward the concert hall as well, shall we leave the shop?]

[……Yeah. There’s still some time before the appointed hour, but we mustn’t keep them waiting. It would be proper for us to arrive first and wait.]

[Quite so. I doubt they’d mind if we were a bit late, but we would feel uncomfortable about it.]

[Umu…… Well then, my comrade, we’re heading out now as well. Our destination is the same concert hall. Would you like to go together? Even if we part ways here, I suspect we’d meet again soon enough.]

[Unn? I don’t mind going together to the concert hall. Cornelia-san, are you okay with that?]

[Y- Yes, that’s fine.]

As she replied alongside Kaito to Nidzveld’s invitation to head to the concert hall together, Cornelia felt a chill of cold sweat run down her back.

That they would go together was predictable, since they were headed to the same place, there was no real reason to part ways here.

But that wasn’t the problem……

(……Just now, Nidzveld-sama said they couldn’t keep someone waiting…… which means they’re planning to meet someone at the concert hall, right? And from the way both Nidzveld-sama and Eingana-sama spoke, it sounded like they were referring to someone far above them in rank…… T- There’s no way that’s the case, right? There’s no way……)

Cornelia shuddered at the implications of their earlier exchange, but at that moment, Kaito, who seemed to share her concern, voiced the question she had wanted to ask.

[……You said you didn’t want to keep someone waiting, are you meeting up with someone?]

[Ah, yes. This time, Magnawell-sama and Megiddo-sama will also be accompanying us. We’re scheduled to meet up with them in front of the concert hall.]

[Eh? Magnawell-san and Megiddo-san are here too?]

[Hyu……]

The instant those names reached her ears, Cornelia felt as though her heart had nearly stopped, her gaze turning to the sky with a face filled with despair.

Serious-senpai : [So it begins…… at last……]

? ? ? : [That’s what happens when you let your guard down and start feeling relaxed around Kaito-san……]

Serious-senpai : [But seriously though, isn’t that insane, Kaito!? You’ve actually gotten to the point where you can control that insane god’s rampages about 30 percent of the time…… Just as always, he ends up showing strong-character vibes in the weirdest places.]