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

Chapter 2561 - A Conversation About the Tea Party ~ ~ The One with Stomachache ⑯ ~ ~

With the arrival of two of the Six Kings, War King Megiddo and Dragon King Magnawell, Kaori’s stomach was already on the verge of defeat from the very beginning. Still, perhaps out of professional pride, she took their orders and began preparing the food.

Neither Megiddo nor Magnawell were the type to gorge themselves; they preferred to eat lightly and focus on drinking. So she served some dishes as appetizers along with the hot sake she had once given Megiddo before.

Incidentally, the other customers in the shop had quickly finished their meals and left. Since it was already past peak hours to begin with, the shop was now left with only Kaori and the two of the Six Kings, a situation extremely harsh on her stomach.

[……Hoh, this is not bad at all. This sake is exceptionally delicious.]

[Yeah, so this is the kind of drink you like, Magnawell…… I think it was something Neun made and handled. The way you drink it is kind of like wine, right? Not something you chug, but something you sip little by little.]

[Umu. For me, meals and drinking are matters of taste. There is no need to consume large quantities. It is best to enjoy it like this, slowly, savoring the aroma in a small cup. Mizuhara Kaori, you’ve done an excellent job.]

[T- Thank you very much.]

Magnawell seemed to have taken a liking to the hot sake, tilting his small cup with a satisfied expression. That part was fine, there was no issue with that…… But what Kaori truly wished was for him to stop talking to her.

After all, Kaito, who could be called a breakwater, was not here right now. Just thinking about making some kind of mistake made her feel like she wouldn’t even be able to respond properly.

More than that, being in such close proximity to two of the Six Kings was overwhelming. The pressure from their magic power was immense, and her stomach felt as though it were being tightly constricted, to the point that she was even starting to feel dizzy.

(S- Someone, help meee……!)

More than anything, she wanted peace of mind. She desperately wished to escape this situation that felt like a dead end if she made even a single wrong move, and as if responding to that earnest prayer…… A savior appeared.

[……I see, so that’s what’s going on.]

[O- Olivia-samaaa……]

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Kaori turned her gaze, and there stood Olivia, who should have already come earlier at noon, finished her meal, and left. She had no idea why Olivia, who had already visited once, had returned again, but to Kaori, her arrival was truly a blessing.

[Ahh? Isn’t that Olivia?]

[What a coincidence.]

[Indeed. However, you need not concern yourselves with me. Please continue your meal as you were.]

After responding to Megiddo and Magnawell with words that clearly meant “she had no intention of engaging in further conversation”, Olivia took a seat at the counter.

[For now, I’ll stay here until those two leave.]

[T- Thank you so much. I’m really glad you came, Olivia-sama.]

Kaori murmured with genuine relief…… and truly, Olivia’s presence here was significant. She was someone who could speak her mind even to Megiddo and Magnawell, and at the same time, despite being powerful herself, she was one of the few individuals Megiddo would absolutely never pick a fight with.

The reason was simple. Olivia held a unique position as a neutral party among the three realms, a delicate standing. If she were to clash with one of the Six Kings, it would become a major incident. Because of that, Megiddo had been strictly warned by Kuromueina to never, ever pick a fight with Olivia. If she did, what awaited her would be a very real and serious scolding, so she never did.

Magnawell, on the other hand, was not originally quick to anger. While conflict would be a problem, becoming too close to Olivia would also be an issue, so he didn’t actively try to engage with her either. As a result, Olivia sitting between the two of them and Kaori functioned perfectly as a solid wall protecting Kaori.

For Kaori, it truly felt like seeing a Buddha in hell, but even so, one question remained: why had Olivia come here at this exact moment? Though grateful, she couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.

Rewinding time a little, back to when the two of the Six Kings had just arrived and Kaori was screaming internally, the deepest chamber of the Central Cathedral in the Friendship City Hikari…… within the Founder’s room, Olivia, who had been offering her prayers, suddenly twitched her expression, stood up, and turned toward the entrance.

At that moment, the scenery distorted as if noise ran through space itself, and Alice appeared.

[……Phantasmal King No Face…… no, in that form, was it Alice? What brings you here?]

[Well, I figured it’d be too cruel to just drop that on her out of nowhere, so I thought I’d lend a hand…… Anyway, Olivia-san, you should head to Suiren right away.]

[To Mizuhara Kaori’s shop? Why?]

[You’ll understand once you get there.]

Olivia tilted her head at Alice’s sudden words, but as if to say she had already conveyed everything necessary, Alice disappeared.

After seeing her off, Olivia directed her awareness toward Suiren. If she so wished, it was easy for her to grasp what was happening within the friendly city.

[……That is…… War King Megiddo and Dragon King Magnawell at Mizuhara Kaori’s shop? ……I don’t sense Miyama Kaito-sama’s presence. Does that mean those two are troubling Mizuhara Kaori? ……I suppose I’ll understand once I go.]

After murmuring that, Olivia informed the priests that she would be heading out and made her way to Suiren. Upon seeing Kaori inside the shop, shrinking back and pale-faced, she immediately grasped the situation, and chose to act as a breakwater.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Oh, you’re going to help her……?]

? ? ? : [Well, if Kaito-san were there, he’d handle things no matter what happened, so I’d just sit back and enjoy my wine. But without Kaito-san around, things are dangerous with that gorilla there. Kaori-san is liked by them, so she’s probably fine, but there’s still a chance trouble might occur with other customers.]