That afternoon, in Columbia's commercial district.
Doctor and Amiya led the group, with Ace and Shirou following behind as the four of them strolled leisurely through the streets.
To be more accurate, it was only Amiya and Doctor who were strolling leisurely.
At this moment, both Shirou and Ace were carrying an uncountable number of shopping bags, and Ace's face was filled with exhaustion.
Shirou, on the other hand, was faring a little better, since quite a few of the bags he carried contained things he had bought for himself.
Most of them were souvenirs for other people. He had taken the opportunity to buy them while they were all out shopping together.
How should it be put... shopping is different when you have a goal and a reason. As long as you know what you want, it is much less tiring to wander around. The two women ahead of them, still full of energy and enthusiastically planning where to shop next, were the best proof of that.
"Ah... honestly, they have bought far too much. And you have bought quite a bit yourself, kid. Do you seriously not get tired?"
After walking around for a while longer, Ace finally found every man's savior: the seating area inside the shopping mall. Without hesitation, he found an empty seat, sat down, and placed all the shopping bags in front of him.
Although this level of activity was nowhere near as intense as his training, and far easier than many security missions, for some reason it still left him feeling completely worn out.
At this moment, Ace genuinely admired Shirou for handling this situation with such ease.
"It is not too bad. I am used to buying groceries," Shirou replied.
"...For some reason, hearing that come from you feels strangely out of place, yet it also makes perfect sense."
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Ace could not help commenting.
On Rhodes Island, Shirou almost always displayed his abilities in combat, making it easy for people to forget that according to his personnel records, he was actually the housekeeper responsible for taking care of Penguin Logistics' daily lives.
Going to the market to buy groceries really was part of his everyday routine, so it was no wonder he handled shopping like this so naturally.
"Then again, if I did not have things I wanted to buy myself, I probably would not be able to keep going either, wandering around aimlessly really is exhausting."
Seeing Ace in this state, Shirou chose to agree and continue the conversation.
It was simply casual small talk. There was no need to think about anything complicated. They were just chatting to pass the time.
Normally, this would be the point where they would have taken out their phones.
Those things really were incredible for passing time. A single glance could make ten or twenty minutes disappear.
Although they were resting now, they still had the responsibility of serving as bodyguards for Amiya and Doctor.
Ace, especially, never let his eyes leave Doctor and Amiya for more than three seconds. While talking with Shirou, he constantly scanned the surroundings, watching for anything or anyone suspicious.
Compared to him, Shirou was much more relaxed. However, he had been the one handling security in the morning so this was considered his break.
That did not mean he was doing nothing, even while chatting with Ace he continued paying attention to Doctor and Amiya.
"Hmm... come to think of it, should we bring something back for Rosmontis and Blaze?"
Watching the two women happily continue buying one thing after another, Shirou suddenly remembered the other two people who had come to Columbia with them.
He wondered how their work was progressing.
"Do not worry. They will buy something. Doctor might seem careless most of the time, but she is actually very thoughtful. Even if she somehow forgets, Amiya will remember."
Ace patted the back of his neck, trying to ease the soreness caused by constantly turning his head.
"That is true. Amiya will take care of it."
Shirou completely agreed with what Ace had said.
Well, at least with the second half of it. The current Doctor looked completely carried away by the excitement.
Rather than hoping Doctor would remember Rosmontis and Blaze in this state, he would rather hope that Blaze would not start swinging her fists at them after realizing she had been forgotten, or that Rosmontis would not show a disappointed expression.
"It sounds like you have a very low opinion of Doctor."
The distrust practically overflowing from Shirou's words made Ace burst into laughter.
"After what she did yesterday, it is difficult to give her a high score," Shirou said helplessly.
At this point, the hooded person's rating in his mind had already fallen to the same level as the fluorescent-light person and the croissant person.
"Pfft... Fair enough."
Remembering yesterday's events, Ace could not help laughing again.
"But we should still give it some thought. We cannot leave everything to everyone else, for the little kitten, we can definitely ask Amiya for help and as for Blaze... maybe bring her a bottle of liquor?"
With the topic of Doctor settled, Shirou began thinking about what gifts to buy for the other two.
Rosmontis was not someone he needed to worry about. Amiya could certainly handle that.
The souvenirs he had bought for everyone else were mostly food, drinks, or practical little items, which were excellent gifts for adults.
However, someone Rosmontis' age was much more difficult.
Would giving her toys or stuffed animals be too childish? If he remembered correctly, she already received gifts like those quite often.
But giving her something else did not feel quite right either.
Maybe he could buy some rosemary seeds along with a small flowerpot.
Rhodes Island's perfumer, Lena, should already be growing some. Later, he could take Rosmontis to ask her for advice. Even if Rosmontis had to leave on a mission, the plant could stay with Lena until she returned.
"That might actually work."
The only thing left was choosing the flowerpot, he should pick one shaped like a small animal. When the time came, he would ask Amiya to help him choose.
As for Blaze, that was much simpler. He just needed to bring back a bottle of Columbia's local liquor.
However, Amiya was not the right person to buy something like that. She did not know much about alcohol, so it would probably have to be either him or Ace.
There was no need to mention Ace. He was a regular at Rhodes Island's bar.
As for Shirou himself... although he did not drink, he had experience working part-time, and his employer loved alcohol so much that she had even opened a bar. Choosing a good bottle of liquor was well within his abilities.
"Columbian liquor? Rhodes Island already has plenty of that. If you really want to find something worth bringing back, it would have to be one of the more expensive bottles... Come to think of it, I do have a recommendation."
Hearing Shirou's suggestion, Ace thought it over.
The Rhodes Island bar stocked a huge variety of alcohol, though most of it was sold in limited quantities. Given enough time, however, someone could eventually sample every type at least once.
If there was anything the bar did not carry, it would probably be those extremely expensive bottles.
Normally, Rhodes Island's bar avoided stocking that sort of liquor. The financial burden was too great, and very few people could actually afford it.
More importantly, they worried that some alcoholics would empty their wallets just to drink.
After all, Rhodes Island's bar existed primarily as a place for operators to relax and socialize, not as a business. Naturally, they did not want everyone spending all their money on alcohol.
If an operator chose to buy an expensive bottle privately, however, that was a different matter.
There were people who did exactly that, although they were in the minority. Most operators preferred spending their money on upgrading their equipment or treating their Oripathy.
Those who did buy expensive liquor usually kept it as part of a collection, saving it for a special occasion.
"Let us take a look first, Alcohol can become unbelievably expensive."
Shirou immediately saw through Ace's thinking. If they bought that bottle, Blaze would probably end up sharing it with all of them.
Still... that was not necessarily a bad idea. At least that way, he could settle the souvenirs for Blaze, Ace, Scout, and everyone else all at once.
"Do not worry. The one I am recommending is definitely within your budget!"
Even though Ace knew Shirou had made a fortune the day before, he was not shameless enough to recommend the most expensive bottle available.
Besides, he was not very familiar with those ultra-premium brands anyway. The bottle he and Scout had looked at before would be more than enough.
"All right, we will go with your recommendation. But where is the liquor store again?"
In matters like this, Shirou trusted Ace quite a bit. If it had been Blaze making the recommendation instead, he probably would have hesitated before believing her.
Now that they had decided what to buy, the next question was where to find the store.
A gardening shop would probably require searching online or asking the staff at Rhodes Island's Columbia branch for recommendations.
A liquor store, on the other hand, was much simpler. Ace obviously knew where one was, otherwise he would not have confidently recommended a particular bottle.
"It is just ahead. We passed it a little while ago."
Hearing that, Ace knew the matter was settled. He pointed back in the direction they had come from.
"Hmm... then send me the information on that bottle. I will go buy it. Send me a few alternatives too. If none of them are available, I will choose one myself."
Turning to look at Doctor and Amiya, who were still happily immersed in shopping, Shirou decided that getting them to turn around, or waiting until they finished, would probably be difficult. It would be easier if he went by himself.
Before leaving, he reminded Ace to send the details of the recommended bottles to his terminal.
A verbal description could never compare to having all the information displayed right in front of him. He could even show the terminal directly to the shop clerk, saving himself a great deal of trouble.
"Got it. I will keep an eye on Doctor and Amiya. Go ahead without worrying," Ace said.
As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up, took several of the shopping bags from Shirou's hands along with the ones he had already been carrying, and headed toward Doctor and Amiya.
With Shirou gone, he needed to stay closer to the two of them in order to carry out his bodyguard duties more effectively.
He also took some of the bags because Shirou was going to buy liquor. Carrying too many things would make it difficult to handle the bottles.
Why did Ace only take part of Shirou's bags instead of all of them?
Simply because he had run out of hands. If he carried any more, he would probably have to hold them with his mouth.
It was enough to show just how terrifying everyone's shopping spree had become.
"The moment alcohol came up, he completely recovered."
Watching Ace walk away, Shirou smiled helplessly.
Just moments ago, Ace had looked half dead. Now he was full of energy again. Judging by his enthusiasm, he could probably keep accompanying Amiya and Doctor on another entire afternoon of shopping.
It looked like quite an important mission rested on his shoulders. If he failed to find the bottle, Ace would probably be very disappointed.
Thinking that to himself, Shirou walked in the direction Ace had pointed.
After a short walk, he spotted a sign related to alcohol.
Unlike most of the brightly illuminated signs throughout the commercial district, the sign hanging above this liquor shop was made of wood. It was plain and unassuming, and looked as though it had been there for many years.
Based on Shirou's experience, shops like this usually sold products whose prices were anything but pleasant.
Well... he trusted that Ace was not trying to fleece him.
"Probably?"
With some uncertainty, Shirou took out his terminal to confirm that Ace had already sent him the information before walking into the shop.
Unlike the weathered sign outside, the interior looked quite modern. It was also spotless and neatly organized.
The air was not nearly as overpowering as he had imagined. There was only a faint aroma of liquor mixed with the scent of oak.
"Let me see... they have all the bottles Ace mentioned, but these are only the backup choices... I will remember where they are. If I cannot find the main one, I can always come back."
After browsing the liquor store for a while, Shirou quickly found several of the bottles Ace had mentioned. There were plenty of them in stock, so after memorizing their location, he headed straight toward one of the store clerks.
The clerk would obviously know where everything was. That would be much faster than wandering around on his own.
Following the clerk's directions, Shirou arrived at a section of shelves that was clearly different from the rest.
How should he put it?
At that moment, Shirou was already considering turning around and buying one of the backup bottles instead. Based on his many years of shopping experience, merchandise displayed in a special section like this was almost never cheap.
As expected, alcoholics could not be trusted.
Just as Shirou was thinking of an excuse to give Ace, he suddenly felt someone tugging at his clothes.
Turning around, he saw a pair of white Feline ears.
It was Rosmontis.
"So it is Rosmontis. What is it...? Hmm? Rosmontis? Why are you here?"
Shirou crouched down so they were at eye level, asking her as naturally as ever if she needed something.
Halfway through speaking, however, he frowned.
Why was Rosmontis here? Minors were not supposed to be allowed into places like this, were they?
"Hmm?"
Rosmontis did not answer. She simply tilted her head in confusion.
She had merely sensed Shirou's presence after entering the shop, so she had come over to him.
As for whether this was somewhere she should or should not be...
How was a little kitten supposed to know?
"Where is Blaze?"
Seeing the little cat's puzzled expression, Shirou sighed helplessly and changed the subject.
Logically, the two of them should have been together. Besides, Blaze liked visiting liquor stores whenever she had free time.
Therefore, there could only be one explanation.
Blaze had brought the little kitten here.
With an adult accompanying her, Rosmontis had naturally been allowed inside.
"Hey! Slow down, little kitten! Why are you even more excited than I am?"
Speak of the devil.
The voice was still some distance away.
Still crouching, Shirou effortlessly lifted Rosmontis with one arm, letting the little cat sit comfortably against his forearm.
She cooperated completely, leaning most of her body against him.
By the time Blaze finally caught up with her little kitten...
She also saw Shirou smiling at her.
The kind of smile that sent chills down her spine.
At that very moment...
Blaze knew she was finished.
Could someone please explain why Shirou was here?
And why did it have to be exactly when she had brought the little kitten into the liquor store?
"W-What a coincidence! Shirou, what are you doing here? I thought you did not drink."
Blaze's mind raced at incredible speed as she decided to change the subject first.
As long as she could avoid talking about this.
As long as she could make Shirou forget what had happened...
"I think we should first discuss why Rosmontis is here."
Watching the imaginary smoke practically rising from Blaze's head, Shirou knew she was working her brain as hard as she possibly could.
Unfortunately, he had no intention of letting her off the hook.
Although minors were technically allowed inside if accompanied by an adult, this was still not somewhere Rosmontis ought to be.
If they had come for some legitimate reason, that would have been one thing.
But it was obvious that Blaze had simply wanted to come here herself.
A repeat offender, as always.
"Ahem... you know how it is. After work, people need to relax. I do not really have many hobbies, so while I am here, all I can do is buy a few nice bottles to enjoy after we get back to Rhodes Island."
Seeing that she could not bluff her way through, Blaze immediately came up with an excuse, hoping to convince him.
"Hmm... you have a point."
Shirou nodded first, pretending to agree with Blaze's reasoning.
Only after Blaze relaxed and put on the expression of someone who thought she had successfully escaped did he continue.
"When we get back to Rhodes Island, I will tell Dr. Kal'tsit about this. For the sake of your mental well-being and safety, I will ask her to help you develop a few more hobbies."
"Right, exactly—... Huh? Wait a second? What did you just say?"
Having missed the second half of Shirou's sentence, Blaze nodded instinctively. A moment later, she realized something was very wrong.
"Shirou said that he is going to ask Dr. Kal'tsit to help you develop more hobbies, Blaze."
Rosmontis, who had been quietly listening the whole time, finally spoke.
Ordinarily, Blaze found the little cat's voice incredibly adorable.
At this moment, however, it sounded like a whisper from hell.
At that instant, Blaze knew exactly what she had to do.
"I am truly, deeply sorry! This is all my fault! I should not have brought the little kitten to a place like this! Please, please, please do not tell Dr. Kal'tsit!"
Blaze clasped her hands together, lowered her head, and confessed to Shirou with complete sincerity, blurting out everything she wanted to say in one breath at an astonishing speed.
She was afraid that if she paused or spoke too slowly, Shirou would come up with an even more terrifying way to punish her.
Ask Kal'tsit to help her develop new hobbies?
That would completely ruin her life. She bought alcohol so she could enjoy a little peace during her free time, not so she could create even more trouble for herself.
That would only make her already limited leisure time even scarcer.
"That depends on how you behave. Anyway, have you finished what you came here to do?"
Seeing Blaze like this, Shirou decided not to press the matter any further. He let it end there and changed the subject.
After all, Rosmontis was still here. It would not be good if she picked up any bad habits.
"We finished a long time ago. We just stayed overnight because it was safer. Before heading back, I wanted to buy a few things first."
Blaze answered honestly.
At this point, she desperately wanted to change the subject, and this did not involve any confidential mission details, so there was no reason not to tell him.
Besides, even if she stayed silent, the little kitten would simply tell Shirou anyway. There was no point trying to hide it.
Thinking about that, Blaze could not help glancing at Shirou.
Just what had this man done to deserve it?
His favorability with the little kitten was actually higher than hers.
"I see. That must have been tiring. So you are planning to head back to the office now?"
Completely unaware of Blaze's gaze, Shirou continued.
"Yes. We were originally going to go straight back, but Blaze said that since we were already passing by, there was no harm in taking a quick look first."
Curled up against Shirou's arm like a fluffy white marshmallow, Rosmontis nodded and completely sold Blaze out without the slightest hesitation.
"Oh? I see. In that case, why do not you come with me and find Amiya and Doctor? We have been shopping around here for quite a while ourselves."
After hearing Rosmontis' explanation, Shirou glanced at Blaze. Seeing her standing perfectly straight with an expression that practically had Reflecting on My Mistakes written across her face, he turned back to the little kitten.
"Okay."
Rosmontis had no objections to Shirou's arrangement and nodded obediently.
"What about my opinion?"
Watching the two of them settle the rest of the day's plans without consulting her, Blaze pointed at herself and asked.
"Heh. You can stay here and keep browsing."
Shirou showed Blaze absolutely no mercy. He let out a light chuckle before walking away with Rosmontis.
After standing there in a daze for a moment, Blaze hurried after them, afraid they might actually leave her behind.
Before leaving, Shirou also remembered to pick up the two bottles of liquor Ace had been looking forward to.
He had already checked the price.
Compared to the other bottles on that shelf, these really were relatively inexpensive. If they had been placed in his employer's bar, they were probably the sort that would have earned nothing but a look of disdain.
Even so, each bottle still cost five thousand Lungmen dollars after conversion, making them an extravagant purchase for an ordinary person.
If he had not misread the price tags earlier, some bottles here even cost tens of thousands.
It only proved that alcohol could become truly expensive.
As for the bottles in novels that supposedly cost hundreds of thousands or even millions, those would never be left sitting on ordinary shelves. They would either be carefully locked away by the shop or already sitting in the collections of devoted liquor enthusiasts.
For example, Emperor.
"Huh! Shirou, you came here to buy alcohol too?"
After following Shirou for quite some time, Blaze finally asked the question when she saw him paying at the register.
She had wanted to ask ever since she saw him carrying Rosmontis in one arm while holding a very familiar-looking bottle of liquor and a pile of shopping bags in the other. However, he had been walking too quickly for her to get a word in.
Only now, while he was checking out, did she have the chance.
"Ace specifically requested this as a souvenir. He said he wants to enjoy it with Scout and the others after we get back."
Before putting the bottles into the store's shopping bag, Shirou deliberately held them up in front of Blaze for her to see.
He also intentionally did not mention Blaze at all, making it clear that she had been completely excluded from this bottle of liquor.
"Huh! Huh! Huh! Then what about my share!?"
The moment she heard that, Blaze panicked.
Ace had a share. Scout had a share. Everyone else had a share.
What about her?
What about her?
She was the biggest drinker among them all.
How could they possibly forget her?
She had recognized that bottle immediately. It was one that everyone had been wanting to buy for ages.
"You already came here yourself. Why not just buy one yourself?"
With that, Shirou carried Rosmontis out of the liquor store.
"I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I promise I will never bring the little kitten to a place like this again!"
The instant she heard Shirou's words, Blaze finally understood.
He was making a point.
If she did not admit her mistake now, then she truly was not getting a single drop of that liquor.
This apology was far more sincere than the last one.
Compared to being assigned hobby classes by Kal'tsit, Shirou's method of intimidation was far more effective against Blaze.
She could work.
She could attend classes.
But under no circumstances could she give up alcohol.
"I will think about it."
Seeing Blaze panic even more than before, Shirou knew he had found her greatest weakness. The corners of his lips curled upward into a thoroughly satisfied smile.
Blaze: "..."
Damn it!
This kid was terrifying when he let his scheming side show.
She had noticed hints of it before, but now that she was the one experiencing it firsthand, it was absolutely miserable.
He targeted other people's weaknesses with pinpoint precision, leaving them completely under his control and without any room to argue.
So what else could she do?
Endure it.
Otherwise, she would end up taking hobby classes after returning to Rhodes Island while Ace, Scout, and everyone else divided up the liquor right in front of her.
That was something she absolutely could not tolerate.