“Alright, listen up!” Kanie Seiya, the narcissistically brilliant acting manager of Amagi Brilliant Park.
Snapped his clipboard against his palm, his voice sharp enough to cut through the freezing wind of Hokkaido.
“We have an hour before the event starts for this winter promotion. If we screw this up, the attendance I engineered will drop into the red! I expect perfection from every single one of you.”
Standing by his side, Sento Isuzu adjusted the high collar of her scarlet guard uniform, her face a mask of mechanical, stoic discipline.
“The preparations are complete, Kanie-kun. We can start anytime.”
“Thank you both so much for your hard work,” Princess Latifa Fleuranza offered softly, wrapping an elegant white winter scarf closer to her neck as she smiled warmly through the frost.
“The park looks so beautifully magical under the winter sky. I am certain our guests will truly feel the warmth and wonder we’ve all poured into these attractions.”
“Wonder?! The only thing I’m feeling is my absolute dignity freezing to the asphalt, fumo!” Moffle, the pugnacious confectionery fairy, barked furiously, crossing his stubby arms while aggressively stomping his foot.
“Who in their right mind decides a scavenger hunt in the dead of winter is a good idea, fumo?! If my ears get frostbite, Kanie, I’m going to shove that clipboard so far up your nose you’ll be breathing wood pulp, fumo!”
“Oh, quit your crying, you old rat,” Macaron, the music fairy, groaned, shivering violently inside a thick puffer jacket while clutching his violin case like a lifeline.
“My artistic fingers are completely numb, ron. How am I supposed to charm the lovely ladies at the Splash Ocean ice rink if my strings keep snapping from the freezing temperature? My performance demands a heated green room, not an arctic wasteland, ron!”
“Oh, please, you two have absolutely no romantic vision, mii!” Tiramy, the pink sheep mascot, chimed in, a deeply degenerate glint flashing in his eyes as he wrapped a luxury wool scarf around his neck.
“The winter season is the ultimate battlefield of love! Think about it, the Evening Light Shows are going to create the perfect romantic atmosphere, mii! Desperate couples huddled together under the lanterns… young, vulnerable schoolgirls slipping on the ice and falling right into my-oof!”
Before Tiramy could complete his highly inappropriate thought, Sento smoothly drew her magical flintlock musket, Steinberger, from beneath her winter coat and slammed the heavy butt of the weapon right into the back of his head with precision.
“Keep your instincts contained, Tiramy,” she stated coldly as the pink sheep collapsed face-first into the snow.
Further down the pavilion, the four Elementario Fairies Muse, Salama, Sylphy, and Kobori, were huddled close together, looking remarkably professional in their fluffy, winter-themed stage costumes.
“The atmospheric effects for our light show are fully ready, Manager!” Muse called out, waving her winter pom-poms with bright determination despite her breath misting heavily in the air.
“We’re completely ready to perform our hearts out!”
“Yeah, well, the heaters inside Dornell’s Cave better stay operational,” Salama grumbled, tapping her smartphone screen with an annoyed sigh.
“If the temperature inside drops while the guests are running through Ruby’s Trial by Fire, that old red dragon is going to start breathing real fire just to keep his joints from locking up.”
“M-Manager! Everyone! We have a major situation at the front gate!”
Ashe, the park’s frantic information desk employee, came rushing around the corner, her uniform coat flapping as she nearly slipped on a patch of ice.
She panted heavily, clutching her chest as she skidded to a halt right in front of Seiya’s location.
Kanie adjusted his glasses, his composure not wavering for a single second.
“Calm down, Ashe. Take a deep breath and report. Is there a malfunction with the main gate? Did the crowd break the safety barriers?”
“No! It’s way bigger than that!” Ashe gasped out, her eyes wide with absolute disbelief.
“The security just reported the registration plate of the lead vehicle at the parking area. The Sanzenin young miss… Sanzenin Nagi herself has just arrived to visit the park!”
The entire plaza went completely, utterly silent for a fraction of a second.
“E-Eh?!” Sento Isuzu’s mechanical, stoic expression actually cracked, her jaw tightening as she gripped Steinberger a bit firmer.
“The Sanzenin Financial Group?”
“Sanzenin… Nagi…?” Macaron whispered, his frozen violin case slipping slightly from his arm.
“You mean the hyper-elite billionaire brat. What is a legendary titan of capital doing at our rundown theme park, ron?!”
“Oh my goodness!” Princess Latifa clasped her hands together, a look of genuine, warm worry gracing her features.
“A prominent member of the Sanzenin Family… We must ensure our hospitality is flawless so she feels welcomed!”
“Welcomed?! This is the ultimate jackpot, mii!” Tiramy violently pushed himself up from the snow, his previous head injury completely forgotten as a manic, predatory glint filled his eyes.
“A heiress walking right into my domain! If I can charm my way into her good grace, I’ll never have to work again, mii!”
“Shut up, you idiot!” Moffle barked, delivering a swift kick to Tirami’s side to send him right back to the frost.
” If a Sanzenin is here, it means trouble, fomu!
Those corporations don’t do vacations.
“Moffle is right, ron!” Macaron shuddered, pulling his puffer jacket tighter around his instrument case.
“The Sanzenins operate like a silent, untouchable kingdom here in the north. A casual stroll through a local winter park is a statistical impossibility for them, ron!”
“Silence, all of you!” Kanie Seiya’s voice snapped across the group, a brilliant, terrifyingly confident smirk breaking across his handsome face as he tapped his pencil against his clipboard.
“It doesn’t matter if she’s an ordinary civilian or a multi-billionaire tycoon with an unimaginable fortune. Her presence is nothing but a magnificent blessing! If the Sanzenin Financial Group is visiting our park. We will use this scavenger hunt event to thoroughly dazzle her. Once she is hooked on our entertainment, we can leverage her satisfaction for a massive investment!”
“As expected of the Manager,” Salama muttered, looking thoroughly unimpressed as she adjusted her winter scarf.
“He’s already trying to bleed a kid for capital.”
“Sento, prepare for the operation!” Seiya commanded, turning on his heel toward the grand gates.
“Mascots, get to your designated positions immediately! The countdown is ticking. Let’s start this!”
…
Among the ocean of heavy puffer jackets and colorful scarves, the towering, regional security escort cleared a perimeter through the crowd.
Moving effortlessly within that secure vanguard was Sanzenin Nagi, wrapped in her premium travel blankets, and Hayate, anxiously balancing a massive leather travel bag.
Standing near the main fountain plaza, Kanie Seiya’s sharp eyes locked onto the high-profile group immediately.
“Sento, with me,” he commanded smoothly, smoothing down the lapels of his immaculate manager’s coat.
“Let’s ensure the sovereign of Hokkaido gets a personal taste of our hospitality.”
Sento Isuzu nodded.
The duo sliced through the crowd of event participants with practiced strides, closing the distance to the Sanzenin group.
As they drew within meters, Maria was standing slightly behind her mistress, her eyes narrowed intently at the screen of her smartphone.
They’re right here, Maria’s mind raced, her posture fixing to readiness.
Before Kanie or Sento could even bridge the remaining distance or call out a formal greeting, Maria’s eyes snapped up, focusing on them.
Moving with a fluid grace that completely defied the standard of a regular household maid, she smoothly glided forward, interposing her own body directly in front of the Sanzenin heiress like an impenetrable shield.
Her hands folded calmly over her apron, but her gaze was freezing, radiating a sharp, unyielding authority that forced Kanie to stop their tracks.
“Pardon the intrusion,” Maria initiated the conversation, her voice a perfectly melodic one that carried gravity.
“But I must ask why the staff of this park is approaching our group. My mistress is here purely to participate in the local event.”
Hayate blinked in surprise, shifting his stance behind her, while Nagi peeked out from her blankets with a curious, slightly annoyed pout.
Kanie, though briefly taken aback by the maid’s intense protectiveness, quickly recovered his signature, narcissistic composure.
He offered a polite, confident bow and introduced himself and his companion.
After the introduction, Kanie adjusted his posture and looked toward the Sanzenin heiress.
“If I may ask, is your group here to participate in our winter scavenger hunt? Which of our rewards are you targeting today? The lifetime pass, perhaps?”
“Don’t mock me! I am here for the ultimate treasure!” Nagi shouted, throwing her arms out from beneath her travel blankets.
“The ultra-rare, limited-edition, pristine figurine master-grade magical girl autographed platinum variant!”
Kanie stared at her, blinking as he doubted his hearing for a split second.
A billionaire of the north ran a security escort through a blizzard…
for a third-place anime toy?
Wanting to ensure this wasn’t some convoluted corporate misdirection to buy out the land, Kanie quietly activated his magical ability.
He locked eyes with the tiny blonde girl, initiating his spell to read her heart.
Instantly, a voice echoed in his mind, purely screaming about magical girl aesthetics and mint-condition plastic packaging.
He subtly let out a sigh of relief.
Considering the infamous rumors regarding the Sanzenin heiress’s extreme otaku tendencies, this perfectly checked out.
Buzz.
A sudden, high-frequency vibration throbbed against Maria’s thigh.
She swiftly pulled the edge of her smartphone from her apron pocket, her eyes narrowing as a red notification banner popped onto the screen. This chapter was taken from novelping . com without permission.
After skimming it, Maria’s breath hitched.
Her large eyes shifted from the screen straight onto the acting manager.
The psionic scanner detected the use of an anomalous ability in front of them.
While Maria was checking her smartphone, Nagi completely missed the shifting tension and began her aggressive gamer rant.
“And another thing! Why on earth is the crown jewel of modern figure collecting listed as the third prize?! It’s an absolute insult! A lifetime pass is completely worthless compared to-”
“Mistress Nagi, please step back,” Maria cut her off, her voice dropping into a freezing cadence that instantly shattered the conversation.
Nagi froze mid-sentence, looking up in shock.
Maria stepped forward, her posture radiating a terrifying authority as her gaze locked onto Kanie.
“What did you just do?” she demanded, her voice a low, threatening.
“You did something to my mistress. Explain yourself, Kanie Seiya.”
The Sanzenin guards flanking the perimeter didn’t need to be told twice.
Reacting with flawless, military precision, six heavily armed men instantly swarmed forward, drawing their suppressed firearms and surrounding Kanie and Sento in a lethal combat box.
“Kanie-kun!” Sento Isuzu barked, her stoic composure shifting into combat.
With amazing speed, Sento reached beneath her winter coat, yanking out her massive magical flintlock musket and leveling the barrel straight at the lead guard’s chest.
Kanie, seeing the situation violently spiral out of control, quickly realized that a public firefight with the most powerful financial empire in northern Japan would ruin his carefully calculated plans before the day even started.
He held up a hand, stepping slightly in front of his security chief.
“Sento, lower your weapon,” Kanie commanded, his voice tight but retaining its composure.
“That is an order.”
Sento hesitated for a second, her gaze flickering between the heavily armed guards and her manager.
Slowly, with discipline, she lowered the barrel of the Steinberger, though her fingers remained wrapped tightly around the grip.
“We mean no harm,” Kanie stated toward Maria.
He kept his hands open and clearly visible.
“I apologize if my actions or the security of our staff caused any perceived threat to the young miss.
As you can see, this plaza is completely packed with ordinary civilians.
If we are going to debate, I suggest we do it somewhere else, somewhere far more private.
Sento, clear a path to the VIP executive office.
Maria stared at him, her hand wrapped around the phone.
The monitoring grid on her screen was still full with a dense, swarming aura of white blips, confirming that Kanie Seiya and his staff were deeply tied to the supernatural distortions consuming the park.
“Stand down for now,” Maria commanded softly, her voice a calm but absolute melody that the Sanzenin guards obeyed without a single question.
The men smoothly lowered their suppressed firearms, slipping back into their invisible perimeter positions within the festive winter crowd.
Maria turned to her mistress, offering a flawless, perfectly polite maid’s bow.
“Mistress Nagi, it appears the management wishes to offer us a private consultation regarding the event details. Please allow Hayate-kun and me to escort you.”
“Hmph! Fine, but they better have hot cocoa in there!” Nagi pouted fiercely, wrapping her travel blankets tighter around her shoulders as she stomped her boots toward the side pavilion.
“And they better explain why the magical girl figure isn’t the first prize!”
As the group moved away from the bustling fountain plaza, Hayate wiped a thick bead of cold sweat from his forehead, walking right beside the composed maid.
***
Author’s note:
Hmmm…
Feels a little forced…