The Toyota Crown(Vehicle) cruised steadily along the streets of Chiba City.
Sato sat in Asuna's family car with his head lowered, staring at his phone screen. His fingers tapped rapidly as he sent messages questioning Eriri.
Sato: "Eriri, didn't you say it was a birthday party?"
Eriri: "It is!"
Sato: "Then could you tell me how many guests are at your house today?"
Eriri: "Quite a lot."
Sato rubbed his temples with a headache, left behind a final message telling her to work harder on her Japanese language grades, then exited the chat.
The black sedan glided beneath the evening sun like a swallow skimming low through the air. The fading sunlight reflected off its glossy black body, while orange-red rays streamed into the cabin, illuminating the helpless look on the young man's face.
"Senpai, what's wrong?"
Asuna, seated beside him, asked.
Dressed elegantly, she looked every bit like a princess. Her smooth flaxen hair flowed naturally down her back, a beautiful crystal necklace rested around her fair neck, and hanging between her collarbones was a sky-blue gemstone about the size of a fingernail.
Sato let out a long sigh.
"Other than having some talent for drawing, Eriri's grades in everything else are honestly too terrible to look at."
A party and a banquet.
The former was for familiar faces and friends gathering together in a relaxed atmosphere.
The latter was far more formal and grand, complete with hosts, guests, and proper etiquette.
If he hadn't happened to run into Asuna before leaving, and had come dressed in what he'd originally planned to wear, even he would have felt embarrassed.
After all, he wasn't some legendary war hero returning in glory...
Asuna covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
A walk that would normally take over twenty minutes only took a few by car. After passing an uphill road lined with cherry blossom trees on both sides, the vehicle turned into a vast estate.
The car came to a stop, and someone immediately came forward to greet them.
It was an elderly man dressed in a butler's uniform, seemingly the steward of the castle-like mansion.
Seeing Asuna step out of the car, he gave a slight bow.
"Welcome, Miss Yuuki."
"Thank you."
Sato followed behind her and got out as well.
Looking up, he took in the enormous estate before him.
The castle ahead was brilliantly illuminated, its lights making it the most dazzling landmark in the area beneath the glow of the setting sun. Standing atop Detective Hill, it overlooked everything below.
The old butler glanced at Sato. After confirming he had no information about him, he turned to Asuna with a puzzled expression.
"Miss Yuuki, is this gentleman your escort?"
Before Asuna could answer, Sato withdrew his gaze from the surroundings and replied,
"No. Eriri invited me."
The butler immediately looked surprised.
"You are Mr. Nohara?"
"That's right."
"Miss instructed me beforehand. Please come with me, both of you."
The butler led Sato and Asuna to the entrance of the main hall.
Turning to Asuna, he said,
"Miss Yuuki, this is the banquet hall."
She nodded, glanced at the butler, then turned to Sato with an elegant smile.
"I imagine Sawamura-san has other plans for you, Senpai, so I'll head inside first."
"Alright."
Asuna turned and entered the hall.
Throughout the exchange, the old butler stood quietly to one side, his posture perfectly straight, like a flagpole.
Once she had left, he turned back to Sato.
"Mr. Nohara, Miss instructed me to bring you upstairs once you arrived."
"Thank you for the trouble."
"It's my duty."
...
Although the castle atop Detective Hill had quite a few years behind it, its interior was surprisingly modern. From the inside, it felt more like an ultra-luxurious apartment than an old castle.
Soft wool carpeting covered the floor beneath his feet.
Brilliant crystal chandeliers hung overhead.
Oil paintings decorated the corridors.
For the first time, Sato truly felt that Eriri really was a young lady from a wealthy family.
But...
How exactly had someone from a family like this ended up becoming an artist who drew adult doujinshi?
"Mr. Nohara, Miss is inside. Please excuse me."
The butler brought Sato to a room, bowed slightly as he spoke, then turned and left.
He still had to receive the day's guests and couldn't be away for long.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Sato knocked on the solid wooden door.
Click.
The door opened to reveal Eriri's impatient little face.
Even now, she was still wearing the dark green tracksuit he'd often seen her wearing during their video calls. Without even looking up, she muttered,
"Didn't I tell everyone not to call me this early?"
"Oh? Really? Then I'll be going."
Sato raised an eyebrow, though he didn't move an inch.
"Hm?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Eriri looked up.
Her face immediately lit up with delight. Joy shimmered in her sapphire-blue eyes, like a pool filled with spring water.
"You came!"
"Of course. How could I possibly miss Lady Eriri's birthday banquet?"
"Come in!"
Eriri led him into the room.
The room was spacious and lavishly decorated.
There was a large, plush-looking bed, several bookshelves, and anime posters covering the elegantly patterned walls. The shelves were packed with manga and light novels, including quite a few adult-rated books.
After taking a quick glance around, Sato walked over to the desk.
The large desktop was cluttered with scattered sketches and drawing tools, but the most eye-catching things were the pen tablet and the computer monitor that was still on.
He walked over and looked at the screen.
A drawing was only half finished.
"It's your birthday, and you're still working on this? It wouldn't hurt to put it aside for today. Don't you have to go greet the guests?"
Eriri sat down at the desk and picked up her pen.
Her pair of slender, fair legs swung gently back and forth beneath the chair, reflecting her good mood.
She curled her lips.
"I don't even like this kind of thing. Later I'll just go downstairs, show my face for a bit, and that'll be enough."
Sato smiled, then walked over to the window.
To his surprise, he discovered that he could see the banquet venue below from there.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as they settled on a particular figure.
She's here too?