I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace

The tea party hosted by Eris went smoothly, though seeds of stomachache had indeed been sown here and there, if one focused solely on the event itself, aside from Kuromueina’s unexpected appearance, nothing irregular occurred.

Kaito, too, was happily chatting with the young ladies. Given that he already had many connections and was highly skilled in communication, he seemed to fit in quite well.

(……I can’t afford to lower my guard just yet, but for now, I’m relieved things are going smoothly. No, this tea party is hosted by me, held at the Hamilton Marquisdom’s villa, and the participants were carefully selected, so unexpected incidents shouldn’t occur…… That should be the case, but with Kaito-sama involved, the unease that lingers is frightening.)

In truth, Eris had prepared for all sorts of contingencies up until today, and she wasn’t careless. Kuromueina’s attendance as Kaito’s attendant was unforeseen, but thanks to her preparations, even that posed no issue.

Nothing further should happen, and yet that sticky feeling of unease wouldn’t go away.

[But tea parties are actually pretty fun. I kind of had this image that they’d be more like nobles probing each other’s intentions.]

[It’s not that such things don’t happen at all. But in this case, all the participants are from the Hamilton Marquisdom’s faction…… Simply put, they’re nobles who already share a fairly close relationship with the Hamiltons. That removes the need for probing and posturing, which is a big factor. If the scale were larger, however, then yes, it could become something like what Kaito-sama imagines.]

[Hehh. The only other tea party I’ve been to, aside from this one, was the afterparty for the Harmonic Symphony. That one had lots of tables set up, and people broke into small groups to enjoy themselves. Are large-scale tea parties like that too?]

[Yes, that’s exactly the right image. It’s a bit lighter in atmosphere than a formal party.]

Smiling at Kaito’s words as she replied, Eris allowed herself the tiniest bit of relief. The tea party was already nearing its end. She wasn’t letting her guard down, but it was hard to imagine anything happening at this point.

Even if an additional guest were to arrive, most of the tea and sweets had already been consumed, and the response would simply be “Please come again another time”.

Considering Kaito’s personality, even if an acquaintance suddenly arrived near the end, he wouldn’t insist on extending the tea party. He’d persuade them instead.

Therefore, no more participants would be added. Kaito had already given parting gifts to each young lady, so there wouldn’t be any surprising development like him producing something extraordinary at this stage. Even Kuromueina was calmly enjoying herself without causing a stir.

Yes, there should be nothing to worry about. There should be no stomachache-inducing developments left……

[But since I’ve gotten a feel for what a tea party is like, maybe it’d be fun to host one myself. After all, I do have a tea brand……]

What words could describe the sensation in that moment? It was as though her back had frozen over. A tea party hosted by Kaito…… remembering the ship party and birthday party, it was easy to imagine the scale would far exceed common sense, but compared to such parties, a tea party should be smaller in scale.

And since it would be held at Kaito’s residence, it wouldn’t be possible to gather every acquaintance of his the way they had for his birthday party or the ship party.

[I- I- I- Indeed. I think it’s a fine idea, but if it’s at Kaito-sama’s mansion, perhaps it would be best to set a limit on the number of guests.]

[I suppose so. I can’t invite everyone I know, and besides, there are surely people who don’t even like tea…… Since today’s tea party was so enjoyable, I think a scale similar to this, or perhaps a bit larger, would be ideal. That way, it wouldn’t take too much preparation either, and I could put it together quickly.]

Yes, since it would be impossible to invite everyone, narrowing down the guest list to a certain number was inevitable. If one envisioned a gathering only slightly larger in scale than this tea party, then at most there would be room for about 20 participants…… Suppose he were to invite the God of Creation, the Supreme Gods, the Six Kings, the three rulers of the Human Realm, and the Founder…… just those top figures across all realms would already make 14. That would leave only a handful of slots, and anyone chosen to fill them would inevitably find themselves surrounded by the most powerful beings of every world, a situation sure to annihilate one’s stomach.

From her original standing, it would be unthinkable for Eris, a mere marquis’ daughter, to be selected for one of those precious few places. However…… if the very reason Kaito thought of hosting his own tea party was today’s event, and if he felt gratitude toward Eris for arranging it……

[Well, I’ll think it over carefully, but if I do host one, I’ll definitely invite you, Eris-san.]

[Y- Yesh……! I- It’s an honor……]

For Kaito, his words were simply an expression of thanks, as since Eris had arranged such an enjoyable tea party, he wanted to repay her by entertaining her in return.

But for Eris, it was like receiving a death sentence to her stomach, and a strained smile inadvertently crept onto her face.

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<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Just when I thought the newly introduced Stomachache Warriors were busy stacking up flags, in the very end, Eris got hit with a death sentence of a body-blow.]