After buying out the Behemoth, I didn’t feel like going back to the race venue, so I walked with Alice through the capital of the Archlesia Empire.

  The Behemoth isn’t particularly violent, nor is he threatening the people around us. He’s just calmly following behind me.

  [He’s a docile one huh.]

  [No, they aren’t usually this docile…… It just might be because he was really emotionally attached to Kaito-san.]

  [Ah, speaking of which…… I should give it a name.]

  [Guruu?]

  It’s pitiful just calling him Behemoth, so I thought I should give him a name…… but honestly, I’m not confident in my naming sense.

  [Alright, the one known as the authority in terms of naming sense, this Alice-chan will give him a name!]

  […………….]

  I don’t remember her having such a reputation, but Alice looks like she’s in high spirits as she puffed out her small chest.

  And after putting her hand to her chin and started thinking for a bit……


  [How about Bellfreed…… in short, Bell?]

  [……I’m surprised that you really gave him a pretty decent name.]

  [What do you mean by that!?]

  To my surprise, Alice suggested a pretty good name.

  I honestly thought she would definitely give a weird name…… so I was really surprised.

  [Is it alright if I call you Bellfreed now?]

  [Gaooo!]

  The Behemoth seems to like that name as well, as he greatly nodded his head when he heard what I said.

  Smiling at his cute movement, I stroked his head, while Bell comfortably rubbed his face against my hand.

  Then, after being stroked by me for a bit, and after standing on his hind legs, Bell raised his paw and pats Alice on her shoulder.

  [Guru.]

  [……Oi, you damned beast. What the heck is with that gaze of your, as if you’re praising your subordinate for a job well done!? Your attitude is clearly different than when you’re talking with Kaito-san!!! Let me show you how frightening humans are……]

  [Gaooo!]

  [Gyaaahhh!?]

  Alice, angered by Bell’s actions, raised her fist at Bell…… but she was blown away by Bell’s slap.

  A- As expected of a magical beast, it has quite an outrageous physical power, an ordinary person would have broken his neck if they received such a slap.

  Well, it’s a good thing that the other party is Alice, someone who I think won’t die even if she’s killed, but I have to be careful so that he won’t do it to any other person……


  [Wait a sec there!? Kaito-san! Aren’t you too rough on me!?]

  She revived real fast huh…… Bell didn’t even make a crack on her mask with that vicious slap……


  Alice continues to shout at me while spreading her arms wide.

  [I grow up when I’m loved, you know!? Please love me more! Please hold me close! Now, come on!]

  [……Bell, go!]

  [Guruuaaahhh!!!]

  [Gyaaaaa!?]

  Towards Alice who had her arms spread wide, messing around again in the middle of the road, I sicced Bell on her.

  Yep, Bell, great job. My tsukkomi power against Alice increased, and I’m really grateful for that.

  [Wait, Kaito-san!? What’s with you nodding on your own there, nggyaaaahhh!? S- Stop with the horns, don’t point them at meeeeeee!?]

  [Bell, come here.]

  [Gaooo!]

  [……I- I won’t say stupid things again…… A Behemoth’s attack really tires me out.]

  Rather than that, for you to just say it tires you out being attacked by a legendary magical beast, this person really has some kind of monster-like spec in her huh……


  Then, I suddenly remembered about that game Alice and I was playing.

  [Speaking of which, Alice. In the end, what’s the result of ouor game?]

  [Ahh…… no, well, it’s completely my loss. I feel like even if we goes back to the racing venue, I don’t think I can beat Kaito-san…… It can’t be helped, I’ll obediently listen to one thing you’ll say.]

  [Hmmm.]

  For me, I was just going along with the flow, but Alice seems like she will really listen to one thing I say, just like she said in the beginning.

  However, it’s not like I’ll be able to come up with anything, so I’ll just hold off on that.

  As I was thinking that, for some reason, I felt that Alice was fidgeting, and although I couldn’t completely see her face due to her mask, I felt that she was looking at me with upturned eyes.

  [I- I guess it can’t be helped…… I- I’m also prepared for that too.]

  [Unnn?]

  [The inn is that way…… Now, let your beastly instincts run wild in my body……]

  [Bell, go!]

  [Gaaaahhhhh!]

  [Gyaaaahhhh!? Can you please not send a real beast my waaaayyyy!?]

  Alice, who was about to say something stupid again, was struck by bell again.

  [……No, seriously…… Please stop using the Behemoth as a tsukkomi. I might get injured at this rate.]

  [It’s amazing how you’re still not injured from that though.]

  Amazed, I threw a tsukkomi at Alice, whose shoulders were rising and falling with her breath. Seriously, how sturdy are you?

  Anyway, it seems like Alice’s antics are over, so I talk to her while patting Bell for doing a great job.

  [Anyway, it’s still a little early but…… Do you want to go eat dinner?]

  [Eh? You’re going to treat me!?]

  [……You earned enough money for that though……]

  [Food that comes from other people’s money is the tastiest!]

  [You really have a good personality huh…..]

  Wryly smiling at Alice who isn’t shaken at all, I was thinking of eating somewhere…… when Bell looks up and lets out a low growl.

  When I noticed this and moved my gaze, a group of people wearing beautiful armor…… knight-like people are approaching my direction.

  When the knights come up to me, they all bow deeply on one knee at the same time.

  [You are Miyama Kaito-sama, right?]

  [Ah, yes…… errr……]

  [Archlesia Empire, First Knight Order’s leader…… My name is Bard. Please forgive us for our abrupt impoliteness. His Majesty, the Emperor of Archlesia wishes to see you…… So if it’s possible, it would be our delight to have you visit the castle…….]

  [Huh? Eh?]

  I can’t help but freeze at the really sudden event.

  His Majesty, the Emperor…… The top of this country wants to see me? Why? I don’t understand the situation at all.

  Just as I’m unsure of how to reply, Alice dashes in front of me.

  [Whoa there, if you want to invite Kaito-san, you have to go through me, his partner, first.]

  [………………]

  Since when did you become my partner…… Though I frantically gulped those words down my throat.

  I won’t be able to answer them well at this point, so if Alice can negotiate with them, it will really help……


  [The first thing we require is a fancy dinner!]

  [……Bell, shut her up.]

  [Gaaruuuaaahhh!]

  [Hyyaaaahhhh!?]

  I take back what I said before, leaving this to Alice won’t settle the conversation at all.

  For now, I put Alice aside and after turning to Bard-san, I apologized.

  [I’m sorry for being an idiot but…… errr, why me?]

  [Yes. His Majesty, the Emperor said that “he has met Miyama-sama before”, and when he heard that Miyama-sama is here in this country, he said he would like to meet him again.]

  [We met before? E- Errr, sorry for being uninformed. What is his Majesty, the Emperor’s name?]

  [Hahh, His Majesty, the Emperor’s name is Chris…… Chris Dia von Archlesia.]

  I don’t remember that name at all though!? Have we met before? Where would that be?

  I’ve never been out of Symphonia Kingdom, so there’s no way I would be familiar with that Emperor Chris’ name.

  However, this is an invitation from a monarch…… If I refuse this, I feel like I would trouble Lilia-san.

  [……U- Understood. I’ll be intruding upon him.]

  [Thank you very much. Well then, we have already prepared a carriage to bring you there.]

  Bard-san bows deeply upon hearing my words, and then, leads me to a carriage a short distance away…… an incredibly luxurious carriage.

  Going inside with Alice, as expected, Bell can’t get into the carriage, so I asked him to run after us.

  [Kaito-san…… You’re acquainted with His Majesty, the Emperor? Seriously, who are you……]

  [No, I don’t remember meeting him at all though……]

  In response to Alice’s question, I just merely tilted my head.

  After being rocked by the carriage for more than ten minutes….. We arrived at a really, really large castle that anyone would definitely call a royal castle.

  I thought I would be greeted in something like an audience room, but I was led to a large reception room instead, where several maids and butlers were neatly lined up by the wall.

  Puzzled by being treated like a state guest, I waited for His Majesty, the Emperor to arrive…… And after a few minutes, the door on the far side was opened and a figure dressed in luxurious clothing appeared.

  [Welcome and thank you for coming, Miyama-sama. it’s a pleasure to meet you again.]

  [……Eh? Arehh?]

  Looking at the Emperor who has a radiant smile on his face, I am stunned.

  ……I certainly met this person before…… His face looks really familiar. However, eh? That person is his Majesty, the Emperor!?

  No, no, that’s impossible…… I mean, he was……


  [……”The coachman who brought me when I went to eat barbecue?”]

  [Yes.]

  [Eeehhhhh!?]

  Dear Mom, Dad—— For some reason, I was invited by His Majesty, the Emperor to visit his royal castle, and to my surprise—– I’m reunited with someone I didn’t expect to meet.