The break with Vier-san eventually ended up being extended for a while, but it allowed me to take a good rest and relax.
After thanking Vier-san and dropping her off at the venue, it was time to resume the meet and greet. I was feeling energetic and full of energy both physically and mentally, so I was ready to go out with a bang…… is what I would like to say, but well, as expected, even I wouldn’t be that enthusiastic.
[Oya? If it isn’t my beloved child, back from your break?]
[Ah, hello, Eden-san.]
Ah, but this is a bit…… Having to face Eden-san right after I got out of the break is rather tough, like couldn’t she have given my heart some time to prepare…… No, I’ve already greeted Eden-san when she was with Makina-san earlier, but since we have encountered each other by chance like this, it would be strange not to talk with her at all.
However, this might be quite dangerous. I mean, Eden-san called me “my beloved child” just now…… Unn? Oya?
[……Arehh?]
[Is something the matter, my beloved child?]
[Ahh, no, Eden-san’s atmosphere is…… arehh?]
Eden-san now started calling me “my beloved child”, so based on past experiences, she should have been in a rather advanced phase, but there’s absolutely no trace of the madness that I would normally sense at this stage.
Rather, she was smiling at me very calmly, and the atmosphere around her was that of Eden-san who wasn’t going on a rampage.
[Ahh, I see…… I understand my beloved child’s doubts. To put it simply, the one who holds affection for my beloved child beyond the set standard is the me over there……. Makina, so the one who goes out of control is her. And since Alice had been keeping a tight hold on that me, you can assume that there’s no worry about me as Eden going out of control……]
[……Ah, errr, I feel like I get it but at the same time don’t…… I don’t really feel like you can allot a certain part of your emotions separately…… No, well, I guess it wouldn’t be strange if Eden-san could do that.]
I’m bewildered by this mysterious safety system where another version of herself handles any affection beyond a certain level, but the one in front of me is an omniscient and omnipotent God, so it’s likely she can manage something like that without any trouble.
And so, the Eden-san in front of me right now is an Eden-san in a state of no fear of running out of control…… An Eden-san who is kind and calm, but is relentless with everyone but her own children.
……That’s quite relieving, isn’t it? No, Eden-san is originally kind and gentle if she isn’t going out of control, and she’d just be a good person…… no, a good God.
In fact, the other otherworlders like Kaori-san adore Eden-san. In my case, I can’t let my guard down around her because I have to pay attention to Eden-san, as if I’m not careful, she might suddenly go on a rampage…… but if I didn’t have to worry about Eden-san’s outburst, I feel like her shortcomings have been completely overcome.
No, it’s not like she had overcome it since she just moved the outbursts somewhere elsewhere, and Alice must be having a hard time coping with her……
[How are you doing, my beloved child? I know it must be confusing for you to host a party for the first time, but are you having any trouble?]
[No, I’m having a great time. I’ve had a good break, so I think I’ll be able to resume greeting people again without any problem. Ahh, but with the number of guests and the fact that everyone is moving from place to place as we approach the midpoint of the event, it may be a little difficult to locate those I haven’t greeted yet.]
[I see…… Well then, I’ll help you with that. I’ll touch your head a bit.]
[Eh? You’ll help me?]
When I curiously tilted my head, Eden-san lightly touched my head, and her hand glowed with a faint light…… but nothing in particular changed.
Thereupon, Eden-san slightly smiled and spoke.
[I’ve given my beloved child the ability to “know the whereabouts of people you haven’t greeted yet” for a limited time until the end of the party. If you think in your mind to find someone you haven’t greeted yet, you will naturally know where they are.]
[Eh? That’s a huge help. Let me try……]
As Eden-san explained, when I thought about searching for the people I had not yet greeted, I could indeed get a sense of where the people I had not yet greeted were in the venue.
This is very convenient. Without needing to search specifically, I can roughly tell who is where, which would significantly improve the efficiency of making rounds to greet everyone.
[With this, it seems like I can make the rounds to greet everyone quite smoothly. Thank you very much, Eden-san!]
[If I was able to help my beloved child, then I’m happy too. However, my beloved child tends to overwork yourself, so please make sure to take breaks occasionally and do your best at a manageable pace.]
[Ah, yes!]
After gently patting my head with a smile, Eden-san gave me a slight bow before moving away. As I thought, when she’s not going out of control, she feels completely different…… If only she were always in that state, I would truly feel at ease……
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Eh? That’s a pretty good system…… If she could just keep using it from now on……]
? ? ? : [Can you not? Do you know how many times I smacked Makina during that conversation between Kaito-san and Eden-san just now……? All the burden is just falling on me……]