Imperial Year 9022.
"Oh~"
A small exclamation escaped her lips.
The little head was looking around, and a long, sky-blue ponytail hung down behind her slender shoulders, which were exposed by the pure white dress.
"Poof."
A stubborn cowlick launched itself straight up. However, the next moment, it was confined back to where it should be by a hand pressing down on the beret beside her.
"Didn't sleep well last night?"
"No, Kosma's harmonica playing is very conducive to sleep."
Short, dark green hair. The boy, whose looks could be described as "pretty," had a pair of deep orange eyes that were incongruous with his appearance, shining with faint spectral light.
Beside him, a pure white arm pressed tightly against the edge of a light gray coat, their arms close enough to feel each other's warmth.
Kosma and Griseo.
Incidentally, the bat wings folded behind the boy's waist had silently wafted away the strong scents wafting from across the street. Whether it was food or perfume, the smells of the marketplace would be "absorbed" by the girl without her noticing.
This was her power. And it was also... the reason why the boy had to help her wash her hair every night.
"This place is nice."
"It has many colors and scents I've never seen before."
Griseo, still holding her beret, looked up at the boy beside her. At the same time, before Griseo even made the move, Kosma had already bent his knees and neck, actively reducing the height difference between them.
A sweet scent; a gentle tone—the distance between their lips was only a mere six centimeters.
"Yes," Kosma's voice unconsciously lowered, as if... afraid of startling the girl before him and losing this subtle and ambiguous distance.
"Since it's the Empire's first openly developed zone, there are bound to be many unique things."
"..."
"Haven't decided where you want to visit yet?"
On the increasingly bustling street, the two of them, standing still, were drawing a little too much attention.
"Anywhere is fine, as long as I'm with Kosma."
Ethereal, melodious, light, and quiet... yet a direct honesty that was difficult to resist. No matter how many millennia passed, it still kept the boy beside her true to his original feelings.
Controlling facial expressions was easy. But to avoid Griseo's direct gaze, the boy's pale, delicate face, subtly tinged with red, turned away as he straightened his body, as if fleeing the moment.
During this brief process, Kosma's shoulder, which was slightly tilted to the left, did not move a single millimeter. This simple gesture meant that Griseo did not need to stand on her tiptoes or lift her arm for their arms to remain tightly linked.
"Let's go to the Galactic Trend Art Exhibition."
The nervousness did not linger on Kosma's face for too long. Although he was using a disguise, Kosma was still an Imperial Apostle. If he wanted to, controlling his blood flow was child's play.
"They should have the paints and art supplies you need there."
"..."
Kosma didn't move because Griseo hadn't taken a step forward.
"What's wrong?"
"Kosma has probably already seen the paintings being exhibited today."
The "Galactic Trend Art Exhibition" was part of the "Galactic Trend Guide," the highest level of "painting" exhibition in the star-sea universe. Over thirty percent of the works exhibited in the Empire's open zone this time were from Griseo herself. This had nothing to do with "location" or "politics." The only reason they were exhibited was that the paintings were outstanding.
"...Me too."
"Too?"
The silence was broken by confusion, hesitation overlapping with a question.
"Yes, me too."
"Anywhere is fine, as long as I'm with Griseo."
---o---
"Tsk."
A sound of impatience came from the lean, tall man.
The closely packed crowd automatically cleared the middle of the road as they surged forward, avoiding him.
"Oh my~"
Playful pink hair rubbed softly against itself. The ears of the same color gently rubbed against each other, despite the latter's "Stop it," "That tickles" protests.
"Kalpas-nii."
"In a huge shopping street like this, only by 'walking' around yourself can you truly 'observe the common people's situation.' Don't forget your mission, and big sister's, either."
The elegant and composed fox-eared girl spoke earnestly, a mischievous expression—one that was hard to tell if it was a "small smile" or a "naughty smile"—playing on her face.
"Rin..."
"Is this really necessary?" Sakura, the older sister, quietly glanced at Kalpas before choosing to help him out. If it were just the two sisters, there would be no need to question her sister's actions. But dragging Kalpas along—
Sakura secretly glanced at Kalpas. The latter clearly didn't look like someone who understood "jokes."
"Of course it is!" Rin insisted. "The Imperial open zone involves huge interests. Before, we were basically half-isolationist. Although many of the trade transactions were massive, the 'paths' we needed to clear were fixed from the start."
"But things are very different now that this place is built."
"A zone spanning two entire star systems will 'disrupt' the current cosmic order in every sense of the word. Jealous merchants, troublemaking rivals... only by actually walking around did I realize that the security difficulty is many times harder than we imagined."
"Le—" Sakura had just started, when her sister cut her off.
"Big sister. The legions can only handle the perimeter defense. If we let them move in large numbers, a lot of the trade won't be able to happen."
"Although the scale is incomparable," Rin said, "the 'security work' we actually have to do here is not unfamiliar to you and Kalpas-nii, is it... just like before."
"..."
Sakura and Kalpas exchanged an involuntary glance.
"Tsk."
Kalpas once again used an "interjection" to express his thoughts... Of course, after Rin's detailed "explanation," Kalpas was generally satisfied.
However, that sense of extremely uncomfortable "awkwardness" remained.
Although Kalpas liked peace and quiet, he wasn't unable to stay in crowded places, nor was he "reserved" because of his identity.
He just genuinely felt... that there were too many couples around!
Although the three of them were in disguise, it was only effective on ordinary civilians (below Stellar class). If they ran into other [Imperial Apostles], they would be exposed instantly.
In the short few minutes of this "walk-through," Kalpas had already seen Kosma and Griseo, MEI and Kevin, Elysia and Eden... Heaven knew how these people, who had no missions, could put down so much work to wander around here.
And why—did they look at him, who was "accompanying the Sakura sisters shopping," with such a "surprised" expression that reignited his urge for destruction?