The sun has set, and most of the products at our stall have been sold. Somehow, the weapons sold well, and despite preparing a large quantity of chuuni goods, we ended up selling a relatively large amount of them, so it might be considered a great success for our stall.
While I was thinking about this, I suddenly heard the sound of fireworks.
[...Ohh, those fireworks...]
[The fanfares announcing the end of the festival. With this, the Founding Festival has come to a close. Nevertheless, there are no clear limitations imposed on the shimmering stars. Those who wish to shine brightly will continue to do so for a while longer.]
[I see.]
The fireworks marked the end of the Founding Festival celebrations, but there are no restrictions on when stalls can close, so many will be open for a while.
We were also not restricted and I have my Teleportation Magic Tool, but there isn't really any need for us to keep the stall open until too late. Most of our products have been sold, so it's about time to close up the shop, right?
As I was thinking about this, Amel-san spoke with a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.
[Ahh, errr... my sworn friend. Thank you for going along with my selfishness today. Thanks to you, I had a very enjoyable day.]
[No, no, it was fun for me too. I had a more relaxing and enjoyable time than that time I opened a stall at Symphonia Kingdom, so I'm rather glad you invited me.]
[I'm glad to hear that.]
Unlike her usual chuuni-style way of speaking, Amel spoke in a natural tone, a shy smile on her lips.
[...I've been wanting to try out running my own stall. However, I'm a Winged after all. Except for the few who held the role of setting up our tribe's stall, us Wingeds don't run stalls, and we rarely attend the Founding Festival.]
[I guess you must have a lot of restrictions on the interactions you can have with other species huh.]
[Unnn. Besides, I am a Special Individual. I do receive special treatment among the Wingeds... but that special treatment was also the reason I've never had the experience of playing with friends either.]
I heard various things about how the Wingeds is a closed-off species, but among that species that tend to stick with their own kind, Amel-san is a Special Individual, making her special both in a positive and negative sense.
Perhaps, Amel-san's strange way of speaking may be a manifestation of her desire for attention towards oneself.
[However, I'm glad I could meet with my sworn friend! Since my sworn friend has the blessing of Shallow Vernal-sama, I don't receive any complaints from my fellow tribe members even when I hang out with my sworn friend, but on the contrary, I was even encouraged to become closer to you! I'm happy that there's no need for me to hesitate to meet and hang out with my sworn friend.]
[...Let's play together sometime again. Joining events like this is fun, but going somewhere and playing games is also enjoyable.]
[Unnn. Ehehe, I'm looking forward to it... Oops, erhem. In a way, one could say a new covenant has been established.]
[Ahaha, I guess so.]
I couldn't help smiling seeing Amel-san intentionally changing her tone. When I first met her, I thought she was a lively person… Well, she certainly has quite the personality... but deep down, she has a more childlike nature than her actual age. She genuinely enjoys playing with friends and has an easy-to-talk-to, straightforward personality.
Considering their circumstances, I guess one could say Amel-san shares some similarities with Isis-san. In any case, if my presence is a good thing for Amel-san, I'm happy about it, and I hope we can continue to be good friends from now on.
While thinking about such things, the sound of fireworks I couldn't see from our position resounded. The fireworks, which continued for a while, eventually stopped, and the Founding Festival came to an end.
But well, that doesn't mean the atmosphere around here won't change right away. Especially since this area is quiet with not many people passing by...
For the time being, I guess it's about time we pack up our stall.
[...It seems like your stall is still open.]
[Welco——— Huh?]
[!?!?!?]
Just as I was reflexively responding to the voice I heard, I stiffened. Beside me, Amel-san had an expression of heartfelt astonishment, and I can painfully understand what she's feeling.
[...Eh? Why? I thought you weren't coming... Shiro-san?]
[I said I wouldn't attend the Founding Festival. However, the fireworks earlier marked the end of Archlesia Empire's Founding Festival. Therefore, I see no problem with me at this moment, which isn't within the scope of the Founding Festival.]
[No... I think there's a big problem...]
Indeed, she hadn't come to attend the Founding Festival. Right now, the festival has already ended, and Shiro-san only visited Archlesia Empire's Capital... She certainly hadn't gone back on what she declared.
However, there is one significant problem… Even if things are peaceful at the moment, the mere fact that Shiro-san has come to the Human Realm is a major issue... I feel like Chronois-san and the others were probably panicking by now.