"Lulu, bring us down that side street over there,"
"Yes, master,"
Unexpectedly Satou changed our course. We leave the main highway and go down a narrow side road. I wonder what it is this time? Satou has changed our course before to gather rare resources or because some danger was blocking our path. But if it was a danger, he would have already run off to deal with it so no one else would be hurt.
"What's up? A shortcut?"
Arisa asks, climbing onto the coachman's stand, but the answer soon becomes clear. Looking out of the back of the carriage, I can see a large field of beautifully blooming flowers. They are so colourful and have so many different types of flowers.
"Oooh! A flower garden? How lovely! It's enormous too!"
As Arisa smiles while looking around, Satou has Lulu pull the carriage over.
"Let's have lunch here today,"
"Understood. Everyone to your lunch stations! Begin preparations,"
"Aye-aye, sir!"
"Roger, sir!"
After hearing Satou's suggestion, Liza quickly started giving orders. Tama and Pochi took care of the horses, Liza, Lulu, and Pearl helped Satou make lunch while Arisa and Mia went forging with Nana as their guard. I would typically go with them, but today I helped prepare lunch. Satou and I taught Liza and Lulu how to use the meat grinder with ingredients Satou brought in Bolehart City.
"So round?"
"Very unusual meat, sir,"
When they finished their chores, Tama and Pochi ran over to check on the meat. We had to gently stop them from playing with the meat. Liza kept a close eye on Tama as she seemed increasingly likely to pounce on the balls.
"It smells very, very good,"
"It might be a bit too soft for you, Liza. Should I prepare a rocket wolf steak as well?"
"Certainly not! Master, I swear to you that I will gladly consume anything you cook without leaving a single crumb behind,"
Liza doesn't need to get that worked up, but seeing Satou caring for her was nice. Still, despite Liza's preference for crunchy food, I'm sure she will like what we are making.
"Oh! Are you making hamburgers?!"
Arisa came running over, successfully guessing what our lunch would be today. She sniffs the air as the patties start to sizzle and drool like Pochi and Tama usually do whenever a piece of meat is cooking.
"Is it a beef and pork mix? Or only beef?"
"It's long-haired cow beef mixed with wild boar," Satou explains, flipping the burgers. "If everyone likes them, we'll explore other meat varieties, too."
That smell. It reminds me of when I would visit my grandparent's farm back home in Japan. They raised livestock and grew some crops on their small farm. Every summer, they would host a family get-together, feeding us with stuff from their farm. We would make our own burgers back then too. The only problem was that my grandmother kept sending me too much food. Even handing some out to my work colleagues wasn't enough to get through it all before the food spoiled.
I tried to get them to stop telling my grandparents they didn't need to send so much food. But then they would urge me to get married, telling me I would need that food when I gave them a great-grandchild. They acted like my love life didn't exist. I will admit there were long stretches where I was single, and my relationships wouldn't last long, but that didn't mean they didn't exist. It became awkward to visit because they kept trying to set me up with their friend's grandchildren.
But back to the meal. Liza and I made the side dishes as Lulu and Satou handled the burgers. It was the standard stuff like french fries and grazed carrots, but the food we made was special to someone who hasn't eaten this stuff in a while.
"Done,"
"Loading capacity exceeded, I complain,"
Nana looked like she was struggling to lift the bag she was carrying along with a large bundle of green bamboo. She picked a lot of bamboo. Peaking over, I can see the bad was overflowing with bamboo shoots.
"Those look tasty," I comment as Nana sits down to rest.
"Mm. Yummy,"
"They will take a pretty long time to prepare, so we will have them for lunch tomorrow,"
"Too bad,"
Unfortunately, Satou's right. I'm sure one day we could figure out a quicker way to cook it using magic. Picking up a piece, I'm confident if my Appraisal skill hadn't told me this stuff was edible, I would have thought otherwise. It's harder than it is back in Japan, and it feels like I am holding a piece of metal in my hand. We could probably make armour out of this stuff.
"Shall we make tempura with the angelica sprouts?"
"Mm. Excited,"
At least Mia seems to cheer up here Satou's suggestion for a replacement dish. Mia smiles as Lulu starts to prepare the dish.
"Hero Kura, I utilised a great deal of Body Strengthing during transport, so my magic power supply has been exhausted, I report. Magical power replenishment is required, I request,"
"I'll hand you a mana recovery potion in just a second,"
Is it me, or does she look disappointed? It is hard to read Nana at times since her face is usually blank, but I'm positive she wasn't happy with my answer.
"Direct magic supply is preferable, I entreat. Is it impossible? I inquire,"
Nana really reminds me of a kid at times. Despite her emotionless expression, she is acting like a little kid waiting for a treat. She has been working hard to master her new sword, and Nana has been a big help with chores. I suppose she does deserve a reward… even if it is embarrassing.
"Sure," I nod. "As soon as I am done here, I will replenish your mana."
"Yes!"
The cheer in Nana's voice was hard to miss, but she was getting carried away. As soon as she replies, Nana's hands go to the hem of her shirt. It is a good thing Arisa and Mia are so fast, or she would be standing half-naked right now.
"Nothing get's past Arisa's impenetrable barrier!"
"Mm. Perfect,"
Looking over the two girls' shoulders, I tell Nana I will see to her in a few moments and to keep her clothes on. I still needed a few more minutes to finish my work, but I took her to the carriage as soon as I was done.
"Ah! Please be more gentle…."
I really, really wish she would make those sounds. It's a good thing we are alone right now. Satou and the girls might hear us, but at least they know what we are doing.
"Lewd,"
"Master's definitely doing that to me later!"
Arisa and Mia keep a careful eye on us, saying they must ensure nothing inappropriate happens here. I think Arisa should be more worried about her own actions in that regard personally, but if they want to watch, I have no objections to it. But it is still embarrassing doing this to Nana when it makes her moan like that.
"Now, shall we eat?"
When we return from re… helping Nana, saying I was rewarding her just makes me feel even more embarrassed. The food is ready. Pochi and Tama had finished setting up the kotatsu's under Liza's supervision. The plates have been set up, and Satou is helping Lulu bring the food tray over. Oh, it looks like Satou made some hamburger steaks.
"Thanks for the food!"
After Arisa led everyone in the pre-meal thanks, we all dug in. Pochi and Tama, as usual, drool over the meat eating far more than I would have thought possible for someone of their size. Liza looked like she might do the same but managed to restrain herself at the last minute. Despite her preference for tougher food, Liza looks like she is a fan of hamburger steaks.
"It's delicious!" Lulu gasps after taking a bite. "And very soft. Its texture reminds me of the fish balls we had before, but I much prefer this dish."
"Yummy! It's been so long since I had this. The fries on the side are delicious too!"
Arisa is excited. She stuffs her mouth full of food while Mia and Nana trade side dishes with each other. Well, the food is good. It melts in my mouth, and the sauce complements the hamburger steak perfectly. The side dishes of crunchy carrots and french fries were just as good. It didn't take long for Pochi and Tama to finish their stakes and look to Satou for more.
After our meal, we started a practice session. Nana worked on controlling the flow of mana through her sword while Arisa practised magic with Mia's help. Pearl and Liza were training Pochi and Tana while Lulu did some target practice with Satou's gun. I usually would end up sparing with either Pearl or Nana, or I would just practice by myself but today. Today I will be sparing against Satou.
It all started when Satou asked for help practising with his fairy sword and ended up with us facing off against each other. We found a spot far away from the others just in case we got carried away, but it might not be enough. Satou and I could probably destroy a whole city with how OP we were if we weren't careful.
"First one to disarm the other wins," I suggest. "Does that work for you?"
"Sure," Satou nods. "Just go easy on me."
Usually, before a duel, someone would cast a protective spell over the participants. Since Satou and I can't do that, we decided on different rules. If my opponent wasn't Satou, I would have been worried, but since it is him, I don't need to hold back that much.
Satou gently throws a coin into the air. Our agreed starting signal for the match is when the coin hits the ground. But because of Satou's strength, it took the coin a little longer than expected to land. When it does, we both make our moves.
It seems we both had the same idea. We rushed forward, hoping to catch the other off guard, but our swords clashed together, creating a loud boom. It seems Satou's maxed out his strength, too, since neither of us can make the other move. In the end, we both jump back. Our match settles into a rhythm of us attacking and then retreating. Each time our swords meet, a loud bang echoes through the field as a gust of wind blows in every direction.
"It's a good thing we are in the middle of nowhere,"
"Yeah. If we were in the city, we would have been arrested by now,"
I couldn't help but agree with Satou. With how our fight is going, there is no way a city wouldn't have suffered some damage. I can picture the shattered windows and the terrified crowd trying to escape us. I wouldn't be surprised if they thought we were a pair of demons. The city guard would have definitely made an appearance. But out here in the middle of nowhere, we can fight without worrying about creating a scene like that.
Satou ducks down low and tries to sweep my feet with a swift kick, but I jump over him. Twisting and flipping mid-air, I end up behind him and aim for his sword, but Satou rolls out of the way. We might start getting a little carried away, but I haven't been pushed this hard in a while. Satou is just as fast and strong as me. Fighting him might be more challenging than fighting the demon lord.
But I am still in a better position. Even if Satou is just as fast and strong as me, he can't dodge my next attack. I rush forward as Satou gets up, aiming for his sword again. This is it… or so I thought. But instead of hitting his sword out of Satou's hands, I instead strike a shield. We didn't agree on something like this being against the rules, so I can't complain. But if this is how he wants to play things, then so be it.
I swing my sword again, activating the Wind magic spell Air Hammer on my weapon. This time he may have stopped my sword, but the resulting spell knocks the shield out of Satou's hands. Satou hits the ground, but I don't give him a chance to recover. Pointing my sword at him as he looks up at me, I claim my victory.
"It looks like it's my win," I smile as I offer Satou a hand up.
"Yeah, you win this round," Satou replies with a chuckle as I help him to his feet. "I wasn't expecting you to cast a spell on your weapon, but it seems pretty effective."
"Cheats!"
But before we can start another round or say another word, Arisa cries out as a round of applause begins. Turning around, it looked like everyone was watching us.
"Do you have any idea what you two were doing?"
"Er… having a sparing match…."
Satou replies as we share a look. I don't think we did anything wrong. We might have gotten carried away, and if Satou wasn't my opponent, my last attack would have most likely broken their arm. But clearly, to Arisa, we did do something wrong. She marches up to us, pulling Satou and me down, so we are at eye level.
"You two have no idea," Arisa sighs, shaking her head. "Most people can't put magic into swords that quickly, and no one can absorb it back into their bodies!"
I didn't think it was that strange. I have been doing that for as long as I can remember. No one even questioned me on it. They must have thought I used up the magic in my fight or something like that.
"Maybe they can't do it because they never tried,"
Arisa doesn't look like she believes Satou's answer.
"I seriously doubt that. If anyone could do that so easily, there be no need for magic recovery potions, would there? They could just use magic items as batteries," Arisa shakes her head and turns to me. "And you are even worse. It should be impossible to send a spell through a weapon without it being designed to use that specific spell."
"I just controlled the mana in my sword like I do with my body when casting a spell,"
"You really are a pair of cheats," Arisa releases us and gives us a "You're hopeless" pose. "You both make the impossible sound easy."
I guess we should tone it down. It isn't that big of a problem for me since everyone knows I am a hero, but for someone like Satou who wants to live a quiet life, it could be troublesome to stand out so much. Satou must have thought it was good information, too, as he hugged her out of nowhere.
"Wah! Hey, not so suddenly!"
It is rare to see Arisa caught off guard like this. She usually looks for any excuse to get close to Satou, but she is flustered and trying to get away from him.
After receiving praise from the others and some more training time, we packed up and hit the road again. Apart from when we were attacked by a pack of grey wolfs, the rest of the day passed peacefully. They weren't that tough as Pochi and Tama took them out with some assistance from Mia with her bow.
The next day was just as peaceful, but Satou and I started playing with magic that night. We didn't do anything too crazy, but we both agreed Arisa would call us a pair of cheats again if she realised what we were up to.
We melted coins to test the effectiveness of the fire spell Forge. We lost our money and burned our hands, but we learned Forge could do a lot of damage since everything it touched melted. I even go the Fire Resistance skill… just at the cost of burning my hand really badly. I'm glad I can heal my injuries at a rapid pace because that really hurt. But Forge really is a dangerous spell. It is possible to adjust the heat, but it still can do a lot of damage. Even after I maxed out the Fire Resistance skill, I still could feel the heat despite not suffering any more burns from the spell.
We practised with other spells. The highlights are us destroying boulders with the Rock Smasher spells and using Sonar in a game of hide and seek. But the last spell we tried out was the most fun. We barely stopped ourselves from giggling like a bunch of kids when we tried out the Cube spell.
"This is fun,"
"Yeah, it is,"
Satou is right. This is fun. We were creating cubes under our feet and racing through the sky, playing a game of tag. We were attacked by monsters a few times as we played, but they were easy to deal with, and I even gained a level. As well as Mid Air Maneuvers and Skyrunning skills during those fights. Unfortunately, Satou proved to be better at sky tag than me and beat me five times in a row.
</p><p><Title Acquired: Wingless Flier.></p><p><Title Acquired: Master of the Sky.></p><p>With some practice, I eventually won a round of tag. Even if I had to lose seven more times to earn that victory. He more than made up for his defeat to me during our sparing match. But I can't complain since I got the Skyrunning skill. That skill is so much fun that I ended up maxing it out without realising it.</p><p><0></p><p>Several days have passed since our sky tag game. We made it through the mountains and were close to the main road that travels along the river.</p><p>"Master, I can see where this road meets the highway now,"</p><p>Lulu called from the coachman's stand, and Satou quickly went to take a look. I couldn't move if I wanted to. I have Pochi and Tama sleeping on my lap and Mia resting her head on my shoulder as she also naps. These three managed to tire themselves out this morning as they competed to see who could collect the most editable berries. I wonder if they could see the river from here.</p><p>"Master, please have a look over there," I can hear Liza reporting as she rides one of our horses beside the carriage. "There's something on the other side of the forest."</p><p>"Those are the sails of a ship," Satou replies, and Pochi and Tama sleepily raise their heads. "It must travel along the river on the other side of the forest."</p><p>"Ship!"</p><p>"Where is it, sir?"</p><p>Pochi and Tama sure wake up fast. In the blink of an eye, they are on their feet and race towards the coachman's stand.</p><p>"Captured,"</p><p>"We've been caught, sir,"</p><p>They must have been doing something dangerous again. Tama and Pochi might be good kids, but if your eye off them for a second and disaster could happen.</p><p>"I wanna see the ship, sir,"</p><p>"Just sit tight. You will be able to see it soon,"</p><p>"Will we really,"</p><p>Arisa heads out too. That stand must be getting pretty crowded at this point. Mia even gets woken up from her nap and joins them. I doubt there would be any room for me up there, so I move to the back of the carriage, hoping to catch a glimpse of the ship when we pass by.</p><p>"See,"</p><p>"Big ship!"</p><p>"I see the ship, sir!"</p><p>It truly is a massive ship. Its masts tower over the trees, and its body is close to the size of some of the ships I saw back in Japan. The ship is undoubtedly bigger than I was expecting. It's moving pretty fast, too, easily outpacing us.</p><p>"Hi!"</p><p>"They waved back, sir,"</p><p>There are people all over the ship. On the masts and adjusting the sails. There are even bird-headed people flying along with the ship.</p><p>"Oh, they must have good eyes," Arisa comments. She probably can't see them clearly from here. "I wonder if they are beastfolk, too?"</p><p>"Bird!"</p><p>"They're Mr Birdheads, sir!"</p><p>It didn't take long before the ship passed us by and disappeared from sight.</p><p><0></p><p>After our lunch break, we ran into our first piece of bad luck. Drawn in by the smell, twenty dog-sized monsters called large needle bees attacked us, accompanied by their queen. They dived down from the treetops, and we were lucky we had our weapons on hand to repel them.</p><p>"Pochi, Tama, be careful not to let them surround you,"</p><p>"Aye!"</p><p>"Yes, sir!"</p><p>The beastfolk girls took the lead in the counter-attack with Liza at the front and Pochi and Tama close behind. When the bees were spotted, the three rushed forward and quickly took two down. Unfortunately, the early success has gotten to the younger girls' heads as Pochi and Tama start to push too far ahead of Liza.</p><p>"Whoopsie,"</p><p>"Take this, sir,"</p><p>Tama dodged the latest bee attack allowing Pochi to kill it. They may be getting a little bit too careless, but these bees are only level three, so they don't pose much of a threat. With Liza there, they aren't in danger at all. Liza even takes out three at once with a single thrust of her spear.</p><p>I am more worried about Mia and Arisa than them. One of Mia's spells attracts the whole swarm's attention, drawing them towards her. Liza tried to intercept them, but she was too far away. Mia tries to retreat back, but trips as the bees close in.</p><p>"Kura,"</p><p>Satou and I planned to let the girls handle this and gain some experience, but I can't just stand by and watch this. I can't use magic either without hitting someone, so I rush forward and take down two bees with a swing as I draw my sword. Five more quickly follow before Liza arrives, taking down the last one.</p><p>It was a close call, but everything worked out in the end. Mia must have been so scared because she quickly hugged me once the danger had passed. I pat her head as Pochi and Tama finish of the last bee.</p><p>I didn't even have a chance to worry about Pearl and Nana. They thought the queen, but since they were returning unharmed, it looked like I didn't even need to worry. Looking at the queen's body, their fight didn't even look like it was a close one. I praise them for their hard work as the battle ends and start handing out cold drinks to the girls.</p><p>"Good work," Satou smiles as he hands Arisa her drink.</p><p>"Thank you. Really, when none of the forwards has the taunt skill, it's all too easy for us rearguarders to end up becoming the main damage dealers,"</p><p>"There's a taunt skill?"</p><p>That would be useful to know and help protect our more vulnerable members. It might be a good idea to have Nana learn that skill since she is our party's shield user. Oh, it seems she is interested in learning that skill herself. I still can't explain how I can read Nana's blank expressions, but she seems to want that skill right now. I could tell even before she walked over to Arisa what she was going to ask.</p><p>"Arisa, please provide additional information on the taunt skill, I request,"</p><p>Arisa seems fine with explaining the skill to Nana, so I'll leave it to her. So well, they are talking. I help the others harvest the cores from the bees and any other part that holds any value. Wings, stingers and even their position glands can fetch a reasonable price, according to my estimation skill. But as we were harvesting, Satou kept his gaze on the treeline as if something might sudden;y jump out.</p><p>"A second wave of bees will be here soon, so take a break while you can,"</p><p>Satou reports what he learned from his map skill. According to him, this next group is larger, consisting of three queens, fifteen soldiers and another fifty bees. At least we have ten minutes to rest and prepare before they arrive. Plenty of time for us.</p><p>"Arisa, please off a demonstration, I request,"</p><p>"Okeydoke… Hey, you big, stupid bees! Go get eaten by a honey bear, will ya?"</p><p>Arisa cries out a taunt as the bees rush towards her. I didn't think they would be able to understand her, and I was right. The bees simply carry on their charge. But something seems off. The bees start to lose their ability to fly mid-charge and look like they are already exhausted.</p><p>"Alright, now you try,"</p><p>"Understood… Hello, you big, stupid bees! Are those wings just for show, I deride!"</p><p>Despite Nana's best attempt, the results are identical to Arisa's. The bees ignore her and charge straight at the girls up front.</p><p>"Come at me!"</p><p>But with Satou, it is a whole other story. His taunt draws the entire swarm towards him. Maybe I should try it later if it is that easy to learn. Satou uses magic to wipe out the swarm in the blink of an eye.</p><p>"Nooo, my experience points!"</p><p>"Isspurrieeence?"</p><p>"Exporians, sir?"</p><p>Arisa collapses in an over-the-top response, throwing herself to the ground with Pochi and Tama copying her. But Satou calmly approaches her even as I can see something else approaching. Patting her shoulder, Satou smiles and says.</p><p>"Don't worry, Arisa. Here comes the monster that chased the bees here,"</p><p>True to his word, another monster does indeed appear. Gliding towards us from upstream was a thirty-foot-long monster called a hard newt. It was level twenty-five, and Satou warns the monster had a strong acid attack. But more quickly followed until nine in total appeared.</p><p>"Come at me!" Satou quickly steps forward, getting the monster's attention. "Everyone, make sure to get a hit on each of the newts! Don't go anywhere near them. Just attack from a distance!"</p><p>Pearl would likely be fine facing one of the newts in a one-on-one fight, but the other would be killed. I was tempted to take off that XP for myself, but I let the girls have it. Instead, I settled for shooting some kind of slime that emerged from the river. It wasn't much of a challenge as my ice storm spell shredded the creature. It didn't look like anyone noticed as they watched Satou's magic swiftly takes out the newts one by one.</p><p>It looks like the fight worked out for the girls, with Pearl gaining a level, Mia two and the rest of the girls four. Nana even learned the taunt skill as a result of today, while Liza got the spellblade skill. But we had to take a longer break than usual since some of the girls were starting to feel the effect of level-up sickness. So we set up camp for the night where we are.</p><p>We still had some time before nightfall, so we spent it as we pleased. Lulu, Mia and Nana were out for the count. Those three came down with level-up sickness and are currently resting in the carriage. Liza and Pearl practised their spellblades while Pochi and Tama went foraging in the river bed. Arisa, meanwhile, was reading a spell book as Satou looked like he was making something.</p><p>As for me, I was practising my alchemy. I had already maxed out my formulation and transmutation. Still, it had been a while since I made something since Satou usually takes care of making potions. If I don't get some practice, my skills will get rusty. I was able to get a lot made. By the time I stopped for dinner, I had made multiple high-grade healing and mana recovery potions, various antidotes and other cures for status effects.</p><p>Satou was just as productive with his crafting. He made chick-shaped earrings for Nana, cat and dog badges for Tama and Pochi and floral cuff links for everyone else. I helped him apply the silver plating to each of them through alchemy. But Satou made more than just cute accessories. He made weapons, holy weapons. Ten arrowheads and three spear tips in total. He might have made more, but when he heard the girls who got sick were waking up, he stopped to check on them.</p><p><0></p><p>Dinner that night was more like a battle than a meal. It looks like the battle made everyone more hungry than usual as they snatch up food faster than it can be prepared. I honestly thought I would lose a hand at one point, but in the end, we all got to eat our fill. Even Lulu was fighting for her food, beating Pochi and Tama to pieces of meat.</p><p>After we ate, we were in for a surprise as Satou revels he had made a bath by the river for us. It has been so long since we last got to enjoy one. I think my last bath was back in Seiryuu City. It was just more convenient to use magic as we travelled to keep clean, and the alternative was bathing in streams and lakes.</p><p>The inns we stayed at along the way only had wells to bath in, and Muno Castle only had a sauna. Magic was quick and straightforward, but it could never relax you the way a bath could. Having a soak in a nice warm bath sounds like a nice change of pace. Unfortunately, Arisa had to ruin the moment by being her typical Satou-craving self.</p><p>"Ah, bathing with a boy! Finally, I'll be rewarded for all the hardships I have been through!"</p><p>"No, the baths are separated by gender,"</p><p>Good thing Satou was smart enough to see that coming.</p><p>"Wh… whaaat?! God, don't be such a goodie two shoes! This is obviously a chance for a fan-service-y hot-springs episode!"</p><p>Arisa has a bad habit of getting worked up over the weirdest things. I feel she will try and sneak over to Satou's bath if no one keeps an eye on her.</p><p>"We last had a bath quite a while ago. We shall be happy to wash your back again if you wish, master,"</p><p>"Tama, too!"</p><p>"Pochi, too, sir!"</p><p>Oh. Pearl mentioned bathing with Satou, Liza, Pochi and Tama back in Seiryuu City. It was probably not a good idea to mention that in front of Arisa. Still, it seems Arisa isn't the only one to have a problem with that, as even Lulu looks jealous after hearing about it. But Satou mentioning he made a tool to wash his back with was a bigger blow for the girls. Liza, Pochi, Tama, Arisa and Lulu. I have never seen them look so disappointed before.</p><p>We went our separate ways after that. Lulu and Liza suggested that Satou bath first, but he said he made a second bath for himself. I would like to say we all went to our baths peacefully, but Arisa fought as Lulu dragged after Arisa tried to follow Satou to his bath.</p><p>I have to say Satou did an excellent job making this bath. The water is perfect, and even with all of us in here, the bath is large enough not to feel crowded. We have a good very of the river, and the stars are so clear. I could spend the rest of the night in here. Satou heated the water up to the perfect temperature. It's so quiet here that I was afraid I might fall asleep if I were alone. Lucky for me, I had Mia and Nana's argument keeping me awake.</p><p>"It should be me, I insist,"</p><p>"Me,"</p><p>"But I can do it more efficiently, I inform,"</p><p>"Better,"</p><p>Those two are the only ones who haven't gotten into the bath yet. Instead, Nana and Mia started to argue over who gets to wash my back, not realising that Pearl is currently taking care of it. They shouldn't be too mad if I offer to wash their backs as soon as they calm down.</p><p>Apart from Arisa and Lulu, everyone else seems to enjoy the bath. I'm sure Lulu would be able to relax if she didn't have to constantly stop Arisa from running away. Pochi and Tama look like they are having fun playing in the water, and Liza appears to be in heaven with a blissful look on her face. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Pochi and Tama to escape wanting Satou to play with them. The moment also distracted Lulu allowing Arisa to run off as well. Liza and Lulu chase after them, but I doubt they will be able to stop them in time.</p><p>I doubt Satou made his bath big enough for everyone, so it will only be a matter of time before he is dragged over here. I have already seen him naked, so it is no big deal. My family back in Japan constantly bathed together regardless of gender. My friends used to hassle me to take pics of, as they called him, my hot brother. It should only be a matter of time before Satou arrives.</p><p>"Cheater,"</p><p>"Hero Kura, I would have liked to have washed you back, I complain,"</p><p>"Sorry, but how about I wash both your backs instead,"</p><p>Just as I predicted, both girls brightened up after that. If only for a second before Nana and Mia started to argue over which one of them gets to go first. In the end, I washed Pearl's back first as they argued, then Mia's after being called a cheater again, before ending with Nana just as Satou is dragged into our bath.</p><p>"Damn, it's too dark! I guess I ought to learn light magic next…."</p><p>It didn't take Arisa long to get carried away. She keeps muttering to herself as she dives under the water. It's pointless, even if there was enough light for her to see. As someone who has maxed out the Night Vision skill, I could have told her that Satou was wearing swimming trunks. Not that I was trying to sneak a peek or anything. But Arisa shouldn't be that surprised Satou has covered up since we ladies are wearing bathrobes. Even if they leave little to the imagination as the wet garments stick to our skin.</p><p>But despite Arisa's antics, it is a peaceful time. I lean back to peak up at the stars as Mia sits on my lap, resting her head against my chest. It reminds me of the times I would help bathe my younger relatives. Pearl and Liza look like they might fall asleep. Pochi and Tama rest on Satou's right arm while Lulu takes the left arm as she mutters with a blush.</p><p>"C… collarbone…."</p><p>Satou doesn't look very comfortable to be stared at, but I can think of nothing that will help him. He just needs to get used to it. Someone like him is bound to keep getting into situations like this. Satou just can't help but attract girls to him, after all.</p><p>"Hero Kura, I have made a discovery! Confirmation required, I request," Nana calls out, causing my gaze to lower. "They float in the water, I report! They are also light and rather cute!"</p><p>Nana really is too childish for her own good. She has opened up her bathrobe and was staring at her floating chest. I was a little jealous for a moment that she could do something like that when mine never grow… no, I'm sure it will be different in this world. I thought Nana would have learned from the long chat I had with her about this kind of behaviour, but I was clearly mistaken. Satou is even staring. If this was a manga or anime, his nose would be bleeding.</p><p>"Miss Nana, you mustn't!"</p><p>"Lewd,"</p><p>Lulu quickly rushed to cover Nana up while Mia blocked my view. Mia needs to be careful, too, as her bathrobe slipped from her body as she jumped up. I quickly retrieved it and helped her get dressed, noticing Satou's gaze. He can't help himself as I catch him glancing at Lulu's rear while she helps help Nana cover up.</p><p>At least the rest of the time we spent in the bath passed peacefully. Satou did get yelled at by Arisa when she found out about the swimming trunks, but that only lasted for a few minutes. The following day, we had time for another quick bath before we departed.</p><p></p>
Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
LIGHTNOVELSTORY