Some time after that first midnight tea party in ages, Juno called Dece, Julia, Augus, and Febral to the same tavern attached to the Adventurers’ Guild where Dece and Julia had once announced their marriage. She had probably made up her mind about what to do after the party disbanded. That was what her companions expected, but as soon as they arrived, they sensed something was off. The tavern was usually bustling even during the day, yet now it was strangely quiet.
Puzzled, they stepped inside. Juno was sitting at a large table...and next to her sat a roly-poly figure.
“Hmm? Ain’t that Mister Musashibo?” Augus asked.
“Did Juno call you here too, Sir Musashibo?” said Febral.
Little Musashibo raised a placard from his basket that read “Hello.”
It was the same communication method as that Saotome-style Anything-Goes Martial Arts panda used. He was as eccentric as ever, but Dece and the others were long used to it and let it pass without comment.
“You’re all here,” Juno said. “Um... Well, have a seat.”
The four did as suggested and took their places at the table.
“So, what did you want to talk to us about?” Dece asked.
“Juno, have you decided what you’re doing after the party disbands?” Julia added.
Juno cleared her throat loudly. “Yeah. Well, something like that.”
“Oh yeah...? So, what did you decide?” Dece pressed.
“There’s something I’d like to tell you all before that,” Juno said, rising from her seat.
Then she placed her hand on Little Musashibo’s head.
“Ahh... Ahem. Thank you all for gathering here today. The truth is...”
“Wh-What? Why are you suddenly being so weirdly formal?”
“Shut up, Augus. Just put a sock in it and listen,” Juno snapped before continuing. “Um, I, Juno Minazuki, will be marrying this man here. I called you all today to let you know.”
“...”
Musashibo rose to his feet and bowed silently beside her. As for the others...
““““...””””
They were stunned into silence. A marriage announcement out of nowhere. And the groom was a kigurumi suit. Dece, Augus, and Febral couldn’t pick their jaws up off the floor. The first to recover was the lackadaisical Julia, who managed only a surprised, delighted “Oh my.”
They had all seen Juno struggling to decide what to do with herself after the party broke up, and they’d agreed to support her no matter what path she chose. But to suddenly be introduced to her future husband, who turned out to be a man they knew only through a mascot costume, was more than they had bargained for.
“No, hold on,” Dece blurted. “There’s a man inside that kigurumi?!”
“Hmm?” Juno tilted her head. “Of course there is. And if I’m getting married, I’d prefer it be to a man.”
“No, no, no! Then...you know who’s inside the suit?!”
“Oh, right. You guys don’t know who he really is, huh?”
“No!”
“Nah!”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m not aware...”
The four of them leaned in eagerly as Juno, a little overwhelmed by their intensity, shrank back.
Come to think of it, although the castle had sent several requests to Juno’s party, they’d always arrived through Little Musashibo. It had never occurred to the others that Little Musashibo himself was the client. Only Juno, who attended the tea parties, had known the truth.
“I-Is that right?” Juno said, scratching her cheek awkwardly. Little Musashibo patted her on the back and shook his head in dismay. And then...
“I never thought you wouldn’t even know my gender.”
““““Huh?!””””
The sudden male voice had come unmistakably from Little Musashibo.
He straightened up, and then his dome-shaped head popped open like the lid of a rice cooker. Out stepped a man who looked to be just shy of thirty. He had plain black hair and nothing remarkable about his appearance, yet everyone instantly recognized him.
Juno puffed up her cheeks and nudged him lightly with her elbow. “I never had the chance to tell them. The castle’s requests were usually confidential.”
“Well, I understand that. But think how I must feel, having to reveal myself like this.”
“Hmph!”
Juno turned her head away with a pout. The man smiled wryly at her reaction, then turned to Dece and extended his hand.
“I’m sorry that this is how I ended up revealing my identity. It’s nice to meet you...though I suppose this isn’t really the first time. There was the awards ceremony in the castle after the Amidonian War... No, I guess I was in the kigurumi then. Oh, and the time we were attacked by ruffians at the refugee camp—you should have seen my face then. Still, this is the first time we’ve spoken directly.”
“Huh? Uh... Whuh?”
Dece was still reeling, but he automatically reached out and shook the offered hand. The man introduced himself.
“I am Souma E. Friedonia, the person inside Little Musashibo. I also happen to be a king.”
“Huh... What?! King Souma?!” Dece yelped, his voice cracking as the reality finally hit him.
As Souma scratched his cheek in embarrassment, Juno snickered beside him like a mischievous child who had just pulled off a prank.
“So? Hmm? How did you two get to know each other?”
I’d barely revealed myself, and Julia was already pressing forward, eager for details.
“How did we meet? You were all there the first time we met exploring the sewers under the capital.”
“That was Little Musashibo, right? When did you learn his real identity?”
“Um... Huh? When was it again?” Juno asked, glancing at me. I had to dig through my memories.
“There were a lot of close calls. Like I mentioned, I was inside Little Musashibo during the awards ceremony, and you would’ve seen my face at the refugee camp. Also... Oh, you met me with Kuu in the Republic, when we fought the zombie ogres.”
“Ahh! That was you too, Souma?!”
“Why are you surprised, Juno?” Julia asked in an exasperated tone.
Looking back, there had been plenty of events that tied us together.
“I revealed my identity to her after we returned from the Republic. About a year before the coronation, right?”
“Sounds about right, I guess? I spotted Little Musashibo in the capital when I had some time on my hands, so I tailed him out of curiosity, and we ended up inside the castle.”
“Huh?! You snuck into the castle?!” Dece’s eyes nearly popped out.
And of course, that reaction made sense. It was the equivalent of breaking into the prime minister’s residence in my old world. By this world’s standards, she could have been cut down on the spot if discovered. It was very much a crime.