Chapter 543 - The Uneasiness Lingering in my Heart Still Remains

[Hmmm, I also like ramen, but I dont know if its because most people think of noodles as the same as pasta or not, ramen really arent that popularized.]

[U- Unnn. I mean, how many bowls are you going to eat Youre still a glutton like usual huh.]

I never expected that the place Alice led me to would be a ramen shop. N- No, well, I like ramen, so I dont have a problem with it b- but as a girl who was in the middle of a date, I- I wonder if this is fine? N- No, I would still like her even if shes a girl who will eat ramen with me thats as long as its in a sensible amount though

Incidentally, this is currently Alices 43rd bowl of ramen.

[Kaito-san, thats not right.]

[Unnn?]

[Im not a glutton, I just love eating using other peoples money! Please mind the way you describe it, or you might cause a misunderstanding!]

[Thats even worse!]

And as a matter of course, this was supposed to be my treat. A calculated binging that she just wont stop, even though she knows I dont like using the privileges brought by my Black-rank Invitation Alice really is just as usual.

Dumbfounded by Alice who was acting like usual in a way, I looked around the store before tilting my head.

[Even so, are we the only guests here?]

Let alone customers, I could hardly feel the presence of people in the restaurant. Well, the refills for Alices ramen were brought in, so there were employees here but I think the number of people is too small compared to the size of this restaurant.

[Ah~~ Well, I have some things on my mind, so I reserved the whole place.]

[Things on your mind?]

[Yes, well, to be precise, I have a question for you, Kaito-san. Incidentally, all of the employees here are my clones, so you dont have to worry about them.]

[I guess this is about something important huh]

Alices serious expression and mood indicated that the question she was about to ask was extremely important. I wonder if thats the reason why? My spine naturally straightened as I faced her.

After a few seconds of silence that seemed awfully long to me, Alice looked at me straight in the eyes and spoke.

[Ill get straight to the point. Kaito-san, did something happen with Shallow Vernal-sama?]

[Huh? W- What do you mean?]

s.h.i.+ro-san? Why did s.h.i.+ro-sans name pop out here?

[Even if it isnt a fight Do you have anything that might come to mind?]

[Something that comes to mind]

[T- Thats right. For example, being given a task or being presented with a challenge by Shallow Vernal-sama Have something like that happened?]

[]

Could she be talking about that matter? The matter about how s.h.i.+ro-san referred to herself as the Last Boss and said she was going to put me on an ordeal.

I certainly havent told anyone else about that matter. I have many reasons for not talking about this, but I think the main reason is that I dont really understand what s.h.i.+ro-san wanted me to do, so I havent been able to sort out the details.

But more than that, I think its because Im feeling inexplicable anxiety about this matter.

I dont know why Alice is aware of this and why she wanted to know about this but since its Alice, I guess it should be fine, right?

Shes someone who gets carried away easily, but shes not the type of person who would just laugh off important matters Shes someone I really trust. And perhaps, theres a chance that I might know what was really happening by telling Alice about this.

And what this inexplicable anxiety Im feeling, thats making me unable to talk about this matter to others

[Actually, when I went to visit the G.o.d Realm before]

So, I decided to tell her about what had happened between s.h.i.+ro-san and I. Without interrupting my words, Alice listened to me with a serious expression on her face.

When I finished talking about everything, Alice brought her hand on her chin, looking as if she was contemplating about some things.

[Is that so An ordeal huh]

[Is there something bothering you about it?]

[No, its not like theres anything particularly strange about it. I dont know why Shallow Vernal-sama made such a suggestion, but she likes Kaito-san I dont think it will be something absurd. In fact, it may be that this ordeal is just for show, and she was planning to make your wish come true from the start.]

[I see]

Alice doesnt seem to be shaken, and in fact, she seemed to be relieved instead. I had thought that this ordeal would be incredibly huge, comparable to the wish I was making to her but according to Alice, something like that wont happen.

I guess I was just overthinking it huh s.h.i.+ro-san certainly had some strange sides, but shes a kind person, so perhaps, this ordeal might be easier than I think.

Dear Mom, Dad I told Alice about the ordeal that s.h.i.+ro-san had told me about before, and according to Alice, it wouldnt be something incredibly absurd. With her a.s.surance, Im starting to think that it would be safe but I wonder why? Right now- The uneasiness lingering in my heart still remains.

While smiling at Kaito, who resumed eating as if to regain his composure, Alice was repeatedly thinking about this matter at an incredibly high speed. She tried not to let Kaito know about it, going as far as to deceive him by faking her emotions leaking out from her magic power that might be detected by Kaitos Sympathy Magic, but her mind wasnt calm at that moment.

(Its far more troublesome than I had expected. Most of all, whats worse is that Kaito-san would have to pa.s.s an ordeal that Shallow Vernal-sama herself had to spend more than half a year preparing for Theres a good chance that that person who looks just like Kaito-sans mother is also involved in that matter.)

Yes, the impression she had was the total opposite of what she had just told Kaito. In order not to make Kaito feel uneasy, she said something to rea.s.sure him earlier but The subject theyre talking about isnt something that she could ever be optimistic about in her a.s.sumptions.

(It had turned out just like she said it would huh I should be as prepared for anything that might happen as possible.)

With that in mind Alice remembered the conversation she had with that being that had caused her to ask Kaito this question a while ago.

The time goes back, a few days before the Six Kings Festival. Alices clone, who works as the storekeeper of her miscellaneous goods store, is visited by an unexpected person.

[Visit, Subject, Important.]

[Eden-san? Kaito-san isnt here today, you know? Also, can you please stop with that complicated way of speaking?]

[I know that my child is not here. The reason Im here is that I want to talk to you Alice.]

[Seriously, what turn of events could possibly!? A ward? Youre talking about something that you wouldnt want others to hear huh?]

Edens words came as a surprise to Alice. Alice had thought she understood Eden to some extent. However, she couldnt understand why she would go to the trouble of visiting Alice, as she should have been someone who perceived all beings, other than the ones she called as her own child, as trash.

[Even though I am such a person, I have some evaluation for you. You are worth far less than my child, but you are still someone worth remembering your name. You are far better than any other talking piece of meat.]

[Well, thank you for that So, what do you need?]

[Beware of Shallow Vernals movements. That is, if you dont want to lose my beloved child]

[!? W- What are you]

[I can tell you anything more. It goes against the contract I had with Shallow Vernal. I cant speak directly to my child about anything regarding this matter, but Im sure Shallow Vernal thought that I perceived all the inhabitants of this world as nothing but trash There were some holes in our contract. Making use of that, Im conveying it all to you.]

[Contract?]

[I cant give you the concrete details but in the not-too-distant future, my beloved child will have to confront G.o.d.]

[Wha!?]

The words Eden dispa.s.sionately said were something that Alice could never ignore. However, she couldnt talk about the details.

As if to say that she had said what she needed to say, Eden turned away and began walking to the exit of the miscellaneous goods store.

Alice, still feeling dumbfounded about what she heard, only watched her departing back, but Eden suddenly stopped in front of the door and muttered without turning around.

[What an interesting turn of events. She was once called the Destruction G.o.d of the Apocalypse, but now, shes being called the G.o.d of Creation. What the future holds really is unknown.]

[.]

[But even with that change in name, does that really change her nature? She still stands at the end of the story.]

[What do you mean?]

[Epilogue: The End of the Story That is what the being named Shallow Vernal is. I dont know her true motives either. However, I guess its just like that question Which do you think came first Was it the chicken or the egg?]

[What exactly are you talking about?]

[Did Miyama Kaito come to this world because of the Hero Summoning or was the Hero Summoning created in order for the being named Miyama Kaito to come into this world In the first place, who was it that made the magic circle for Hero Summoning in the Human Realm I think that would be something worth investigating.]

[.]

[My child, oh my beloved child, are you really a being of miracle that she happened to meet or are you a being that someone who could see the future wanted to meet I wonder which is the true prologue of the story?]

Telling these words to no one in particular, Eden left the miscellaneous goods store. Leaving a big question within Alices mind

Serious-senpai : [Ive always believed in them. The head of the G.o.d Realm really is a wonderful being]

? ? ? : [No, I think I remembered you saying that shes your natural enemy or something]

T/N: 91/271