Published at 17th of August 2019 9:03 am

Volume 17, Chapter 1: Up Until Now, and From Now On

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

Wednesday, August 4

The summer sun was mercilessly shining down from above. With this fine weather, the skin of those who walked under this shining sun gradually tanned. Normally this was a situation you'd get sick of, but it didn't seem like these people felt that way based on their expressions. In fact it was the opposite. They had dazzling bright smiles. It was very similar to the sparkling clear sea in front of them.

“Yahooo! It's the sea!”

Sanae threw off the parka she had been wearing, revealing the swimsuit beneath and cheerfully began running towards the sea. Each step she took shook the many frills on her swimsuit. She had been eagerly awaiting this day, and couldn't hold it in any longer as she spotted the sea.

“Sanae, wait. You have to exercise before you get in”

However, there was someone that doused that burning urge of hers. That someone was Koutarou who had come to the beach together with her. After Sanae had run off two or three steps, Koutarou grabbed her arm and stopped her. That was common sense to someone athletic like Koutarou.

“Okay. I'll have her do it!”

“Ah!?”

However, Koutarou had only be able to capture her body and half her soul, as Sanae-chan's soul slipped out and continued towards the beach.

“Geez, that girl...”

Koutarou stared at her back with a wry smile.

“I'm... sorry”

The left behind body and other half of the soul, Sanae-san, dropped her shoulders and apologized to Koutarou. Though it looked like the two had split, they were essentially the same person. Sanae-san was well aware that her feelings of being carried away appeared on the surface of Sanae-chan and her face turned red with embarrassment.

“Well, she's at least matured a little seeing as she left you behind”

Koutarou knew that nothing would come from scolding Sanae-san. Being somewhat of an introvert, being overly strict with Sanae-san would only have the opposite effect.

“Thank you very much. Uhm, K-Koutarou-san, I will do my best to make up for Sanae-chan”

With her face beet red, Sanae-san desperately spoke. Sanae-chan had been drilling into Sanae-san that when they were at the beach, she should be actively speaking to Koutarou. That was also the reason why she had switched from calling him Satomi-san to calling him Koutarou-san.

“Don't worry. She'll be right back anyways”

“Eh!?”

Sanae-san's heart almost stopped, as she thought that her promise with Sanae-chan had been found out.

“Koutarou! Koutarou! The beach is boring without a body! I can't touch the water!”

“See?”

“Aha, ahahaha”

But fortunately, Koutarou had no idea about their promise. Sanae-san laughed with relief.

Koutarou had come to the sea to play with his friends. The group consisted of Koutarou, the nine invaders, Kenji and the five members of the cosclub as well as the two haniwas. With this many, just setting up blankets and parasols was quite the workload.

“Well, that should do it”

After setting up his fifth parasol, Koutarou decided to rest. That was when something cold was pressed up against his cheek.

“Uwoah!?”

“Good work, Koutarou”

“Thank you for your efforts, Master”

Theia and Ruth called out to Koutarou after surprising him with that sudden chill. Theia was wearing an elegant, white swimsuit, while Ruth was wearing a simple yet cute swimsuit. The chill on Koutarou's cheek was a cooled plastic bottle that Theia had pressed onto him.

“Oh, it's just you Theia. Don't scare me like that”

“Fufun. Even that is part of my affection. Just accept it”

“You just felt like playing a prank, didn't you?”

Koutarou accepted the bottle while sending a suspicious glance at Theia. She responded with a smile rather than apologizing.

“You could say that... Koutarou, you've gradually started understanding your lord's feelings”

“I'm not complimenting you. I'm dumbfounded”

Koutarou removed the bottle's cap as she stared at Theia.

Theia had brought Koutarou's beloved cola. Not the diet kind, but the normal sugar one. That was the flavor he preferred.

“Master, I'm sorry for surprising you”

Ruth bowed her head, blushing slightly.

“No, that's okay, Ruth-san”

Koutarou was confused as to why Ruth was bowing, but Theia soon told him that reason.

“Koutarou, why are you only forgiving Ruth? That was her suggestion”

The truth was that it was Ruth that had come up with the idea of pressing the bottle up against Koutarou's cheek. Theia frowned as only she was criticized, being the direct perpetrator.

“That's...”

“Your Highness, the truth is that Master has also forgiven you. But since he is a man he is being stubborn”

“Koutarou, is that true?”

Theia's eyes opened wide and she looked up at Koutarou's face.

“U-Uhm...”

Koutarou stumbled for an answer. It was just like Ruth said, but it was difficult admitting that in this situation. So instead of answering the question he purposefully started drinking the contents of the bottle.

“Ahhh~, that's the taste I want”

The chilled cola moistened his throat while the carbonic acid stimulated it. While he had only drunk it to get out of his predicament, the cola was very welcome after having setup the parasols and blankets.

“Your Highness”

“Yes... fufufu”

“Hihi”

Looking at Koutarou, Theia and Ruth began giggling, and having gotten embarrassed, Koutarou took another sip of cola.

“Koutarou give some to me too”

Theia shoved her open hands towards Koutarou. She had been in a bad mood just a moment ago, but now she was in high spirits as she looked up at Koutarou with a refreshing smile.

“...Did you buy this because you wanted to drink it yourself?”

“That's not true. It was out of pure goodwill. But... a true relationship between master and servant is one where you can share everything”

“...You only become a princess when it really suits you”

“Of course. I'm your princess after all”

When Theia said that she seemed very happy and proud.

What she's saying hasn't actually changed all that much since we first met, but...

In the past Koutarou probably would have objected at Theia's words. However, now those words moved him for some reason. While they were the same words, the feelings within were completely different.

“Okay, okay”

Having given up, Koutarou handed the bottle over to Theia. There, Theia then passed it along to Ruth.

“Here, you drink too”

“Your Highness?”

“Koutarou is not my only vassal”

“...”

Ruth hesitated a moment after hearing Theia's words and looked at Koutarou's face.

“Then I'll have some”

Waiting for Koutarou to nod, she put her lips on the bottle and started drinking. The cola in the bottle gradually decreased as she sipped on it. It was a far more elegant way of drinking than compared to Koutarou.

“Thank you very much, Your Highness, Master”

After quenching her thirst a little, Ruth returned the bottle to Theia. Not only was the way she drank elegant, but so was the amount.

“Indeed, then it's my turn”

Unlike Ruth, Theia didn't hesitate to put her lips on the bottle. Her way of drinking was also more dynamic than Ruth's.

However, the childish way she gulped the cola down gave off an impression of a baby drinking milk from its bottle.

“Don't drink all of it”

“...Haah. I know. Here”

After drinking some of the cola, Theia returned the bottle to Koutarou. There was still enough left for him to drink. What Theia had said about sharing hadn't been a lie.

“I don't know of any princesses that hands over half drunk drinks though”

“Fufu, but of course”

“Hmm?”

“You and I aren't just simple master and servant after all”

Theia placed her hands above her chest and smiled at Koutarou as she slightly tilted her head. Her smile and eyes were filled with confidence and trust, and just behind Theia was Ruth with the same expression. It was clear that Theia's words were also Ruth's words.

“...You really are unfair”

Koutarou showed a bitter smile as he drank the cola again. The cool cola felt great as it passed through his dry throat. However, since Koutarou was distracted by the smiles of these two girls that sensation didn't remain within him for long.

As Sanae noticed Theia and Ruth, she invited them over to exercise together with her. Sanae, who wanted to jump into the water as quickly as possible, and Theia, who loved moving her body, soon came to an agreement. Of course, Ruth didn't have any objections and the three of them lined up to exercise.

“Make sure you stretch properly”

“I know, I know. Right, Theia?”

“We aren't children, you may trust in us”

“Well, with Ruth-san with you, you'll probably be fine”

“Please leave it to me, Master”

Koutarou glanced at the three girls in the corner of his eyes as he unloaded their luggage under the shadow of the parasols. Apart from Koutarou, the other 15 had left their luggage on the beach to go change. Luggage for 16 people was quite an amount, and Koutarou had to run back and forth between the luggage and parasols several times.

“Let me help you”

That was when the fourth girl appeared and offered to help Koutarou. It was Kiriha, wearing a large t-shirt above her swimsuit. Since the t-shirt belonged to Koutarou, it concealed her curvy lines beneath it.

“That'll help... hey”

“Hm?”

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing special. I just wanted to try showing an expression of my love before helping”

Instead of carrying luggage, Kiriha embraced Koutarou from behind. She was neither hugging him too tightly or easily. And if Koutarou wanted to shake her off he could easily do so.

“Stop it. What if someone's watching?”

“Don't worry. I've made sure to look”

Kiriha pressed her cheek against Koutarou's back and closed her eyes. A smile appeared on her lips as she was so happy to be able to do this that she couldn't help it.

“That's not what I meant”

“If you hate me then just say so”

“I'm troubled because I don't hate you”

“I see. That's good enough of a reason to stop”

Upon hearing the word troubled, Kiriha easily gave up and let go of Koutarou. Because of his experience from childhood he had a tendency to avoid deep relationships with others. While it was a problem that needed to be solved eventually, nothing good would come from forcing it right now. Troubling Koutarou wasn't Kiriha's intentions, and besides, she had been able to draw out that he didn't hate her, so she was satisfied.

“Please don't surprise attack me”

“Fufufu, that's what invasions are all about”

Kiriha laughed with a mischievous expression. The other day, Kiriha had declared that she would invade Koutarou's life. Ever since, she had shown direct expressions of love such as this. However, she didn't want others to feel unpleasant by it, so she made sure to choose the right time and place for it.

“It's bad for my heart”

“You'll get used to it eventually. I intend to remain in your life after all”

“Kiriha-san, you're really at your worst right now”

“I am aware of that”

Kiriha laughed for a while before picking up her own luggage. She was finally going to help Koutarou like she had said.

“But... I really don't have any intentions of troubling you or the others”

“I know that too. That's why please stop being so sudden”

“Fufufu, do you really understand what that means?”

“Eh?”

“It means that it's only a matter of time”

“...Geez... It's even worse since you're doing it on purpose...”

Koutarou didn't have any effective counters to Kiriha's invasion. In fact, he had countless reasons to hug her right back.

“That's what invaders are”

In the past, Kiriha had said that if you realized you were being invaded right away and could easily find countermeasures then it was nothing but child's play. And she was right now in the middle of such an invasion.

Part 2

With Kiriha's help, moving the luggage was done in a short moment. Despite having finished their work, Kiriha was still smiling next to Koutarou. They were currently sitting in the shade of one of the parasols. Koutarou was currently taking a break, having gotten tired from all his work and Kiriha was accompanying him.

“Satomi-sa~n! Kiriha-sa~n!”

That was when they could hear a voice calling out to them. When they turned to look in that direction they spotted Yurika wearing a cute pink swimsuit.

“Ugeh”

Yurika tripped and fell face first into the sand but continued cheerfully running towards Koutarou and Kiriha.

“Are you okay, Yurika?”

“I'm fine. La la la~♪”

She then opened her bag that was under one of the parasols and pulled out her luggage from within. What she had pulled out was a life jacket, a float and large diving goggles. She couldn't swim whatsoever, so she had come fully equipped. As a result, her cute swimsuit could no longer be seen.

“With these I'm safe”

“Yurika, is there even a point in swimming if you have to go that far?”

Koutarou couldn't understand Yurika's feelings for wanting to go swimming when she had to go so far. He felt like buying a life jacket was a waste of money, especially so for the poor Yurika.

“There is. The water is cold and feels great. Most of all, it's free unlike the pool”

Yurika believed that an initial investment was necessary. Since swimming in the ocean was free, she could come as many times as she pleased.

“But that was expensive, right?”

”I'll be fine since Satomi-san will be supporting me for a while”

Based on what Yurika said, one could imagine that she had used up all of her savings on that life jacket. Hearing that, Koutarou shouted in a stern voice.

“You idiot!! How many times do I have to tell you not to waste your money!?”

“So you're saying it's fine if I don't swim in the ocean?”

“Put some effort in learning how to swim!”

“That's not possible in the few days since we decided to go to the beach”

“Koutarou, Yurika is more correct than you this time... you best support her for a while”

“Ugh... I guess I have to...”

Thinking about it calmly, Koutarou also realized that Yurika was correct. It was impossible to learn how to swim in just a few days, and Yurika couldn't even get into the ocean without a float. Since that would just be far too sad, Koutarou decided that he would support Yurika for a while.

“Really!?”

”Just this once, get it?”

“Yes!”

Yurika happily nodded her head. She would be okay for a while now.

“Satomi-san, Satomi-san, let's eat fried corn!”

Yurika then put her hands together in front of her chest and looked up at Koutarou with sparkling eyes. On her way here, Yurika had spotted several stalls that had caught her interest. If Koutarou was going to support her, she would like to try eating them by all means.

“Don't get a full of yourself”

A quick snapping sound could be heard.

“...I-I'm sorry... I got a little ahead of me...”

“As long as you understand”

“Y-Yes”

Yurika nodded as she held her forehead. Koutarou only hit enemies or those important to him. She was fine while he still hit her, but if she went too far he would eventually stop. Yurika wanted to avoid that at all costs.

“Also, you must exercise properly before you get into the sea”

“Eeeehhh!? But I have a life jacket and float!!”

“That won't do. You'll need to practice little by little. You can't rely on tools forever”

“Uuhh”

Yurika hesitated. She was planning on relying on her tools, but when she thought about it again, she felt like it would be bad to completely rely on them. A magical girl in a life jacket and float was a bit too novel.

“Kiriha-san, could you alternate back and forth with me and teach Yurika how to swim?”

“I understand, I accept”

Either Koutarou or Kiriha would be enough to teach Yurika, but if they did that one of them wouldn't be able to enjoy the beach. Taking turns was a more sensible way of doing it.

“I want to play too”

”I know. You can do what you want the later half”

“Are you sure!?”

”Yeah”

Koutarou wasn't a devil, and he would keep her practice to the first half of the day. Besides, they should have some time where they could play together.

“Then let's go, Nijino Yurika”

”Already!?”

“The sooner we can start, the sooner we can stop”

“Okay. I'll try my best”

”That's more like it”

Kiriha took Yurika with her and headed towards the ocean. Compared to before, Yurika seemed more ambitious. Her continuous study with Koutarou had an effect on this part of her.

Part 3

As Yurika and Kiriha headed to the ocean, Shizuka and Maki appeared to take their place. Since the two of them lived in room 206, they were often together. However, all Koutarou could see was Shizuka wearing a bikini and pareo. Maki who was with her was for some reason hiding behind in the shadow of the parasol.

“Aika-san, why are you getting embarrassed when you've come this far?”

“But, this kind of thing doesn't suit me...”

“It's fine. Satomi-kun won't mind”

“Besides, this is the same as underwear”

“...What now?”

Shizuka pulled on Maki's hand in an attempt to drag her in front of Koutarou. However, Maki was resisting and things weren't going as Shizuka hoped.

“You're surprisingly rebellious”

”That's because I can't show myself in front of Satomi-kun wearing something as shameless as this!”

”Gee~z, Satomi-kun, it's hot but could you come out from under the parasol?”

“Y-Yeah...”

Unable to understand the situation, Koutarou held his head as he crept out from under the parasol.

“Be~hoo~ld”

“Kya kya kya!?”

Crawling out from under the parasol, Koutarou could see Maki. She was wearing a swimsuit abundant with frills, but she was embarrassed at having Koutarou see her and she held her body and squatted.

She's kinda cute...

Koutarou thought that Maki looked cute as he saw her. Not only did her cute swimsuit suit her well but her embarrassed mannerism added onto that.

“Look, look, Satomi-kun!! Isn't she cute!?”

“Yes. I think so”

“You're lying! This doesn't suit me at all!”

“Why are you getting embarrassed over wearing a swimsuit you picked yourself?”

“There's a difference between buying one and wearing one!”

Maki seemed embarrassed from showing her skin to others and showed no signs of standing back up. With tears in her eyes she looked up at Koutarou and Shizuka. At first Koutarou stared at Maki with bright feelings, but he eventually noticed the darkness in her eyes.

I see, Aika-san might...

Koutarou had an idea as to why that darkness was there. It was a large problem that originated from her upbringing. Because he felt like he couldn't leave her be like that, Koutarou boldly decided to ask her.

“Aika-san, could it be that it's not the swimsuit you're embarrassed over, but your scar?”

“...!?”

In that moment, Maki's expression froze over. Her eyes shot wide open, as if she was looking into the gates of hell. At the same time, her body trembled slightly. Seeing that, Koutarou realized that his imagination was correct.

“So that really was it”

Maki had been born in the slums and had a tough childhood. She was sold to a slaver and grew up under abuse. After being saved from that she received training as a soldier. That's why her scars would show if she wore a swimsuit and exposed her skin. That's why her claims that it didn't suit her or that it was just like underwear were just excuses, the truth was she didn't want to show her scarred body. She feared that Koutarou would be disappointed if he saw that body of hers.

“D-Don't look, Satomi-kun. If you looked at this ugly, scarred body of mine, I'll...”

Small scars could be erased with magic. However, the larger ones and the scars in her heart couldn't be erased with magic. That's why she appealed to Koutarou with tears in her eyes.

“You're worried about strange things, Aika-san”

Koutarou squatted down in front of Maki and smiled at her.

“Eh...”

“I look like this”

Koutarou put his hands on his t-shirt and removed it, revealing his upper body. On his torso were all kinds of scars. The most of them were scars from his many fierce battles in the past Forthorthe, such as his burns and cuts he received from Alunaya and the wound from the assassin's blade. Having not erased his scars with magic, his scars stood out more than Maki's.

“Do you hate me after seeing these scars, Aika-san?”

“No, I don't! I love you the way you are right now!”

Maki hurriedly shook her head. Koutarou being scarred or not had no effect on her opinion of him.

“And I'm the same. It doesn't matter to me if you have scars or not”

”Ah...”

Maki's expression stiffened. Koutarou was the same as Maki. There was a persuasive power behind his words. Maki's senses told her that Koutarou wasn't lying. Koutarou wasn't bothered by Maki's scars. That truth gradually sank into Maki and as it did, the darkness in her expression was wiped away.

“So don't hide it. So what if you have scars?”

“...Satomi-kun, you're a boy so you don't understand a girl's worries”

“Yeah. I don't understand, that's why it doesn't bother me”

“...That might, be true...”

Maki quietly nodded at Koutarou's words. Slightly nervous, she slowly stood up and removed her arms concealing her scars, showing them to Koutarou.

“...Where's the scar?”

“Around here”

“Ah, so this it! I see it now!...But, I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't said anything”

“Eh...?”

Maki's eyes opened wide. Koutarou spoke how he felt.

“Normally, you don't press your face up towards a girl's stomach to take a good look. Besides, that scar isn't as clear as you think it is”

Even though they were at the beach, it was bad manners staring at a girl's body. On top of that, Maki had erased her scars with magic so unless one paid really closed attention they wouldn't notice the traces of her scar. A single red line was pretty much all that remained of a once large wound.

“Fufufu, I told you, Aika-san. Satomi-kun won't mind”

Shizuka laughed as the results were exactly what she expected. Maki was bothered by her scar, being a girl and all, but Koutarou didn't mind whatsoever. Maki was simply over thinking things. Since Shizuka had anticipated that, Maki's reaction was heartwarming.

“If you can erase them that well, you should erase mine too the next time”

Koutarou smiled and put his t-shirt back on. His scars were on the level that would surprise anyone who saw them, so he needed to conceal them. Since Kenji might spot them, he wanted to erase them if possible.

“...Okay, I will”

“Make it cheap, okay?”

“Since I am the treasurer of Satomi's band of knights, I don't need any extra payment on top of my salary”

“I see, that's a big help”

“Fufu”

Maki finally returned back to smiling. At the same time, she stretched out, and her embarrassment weakened. She was returning to her usual self.

“Isn't that great, Aika-san”

Shizuka cheerfully smiled next to Maki.

“Y-Yes”

Maki repeatedly nodded. Tears of relief formed in the corner of her eyes.

Looking at the two, Koutarou thought to himself.

Landlord-san is always looking after everyone else...

Shizuka was always thinking of everyone else, and since she had noticed the darkness in Maki's heart, she would often help her out. Seeing that, Koutarou felt honest admiration for Shizuka.

And Aika-san has started showing more expressions a normal girl would make...

Maki trusted Shizuka and had opened her heart up to her. Koutarou was happy to see the once isolated Maki walking forward, however awkward it might be.

Like that, Shizuka and Maki were both, for their own unique reasons, people that Koutarou couldn't take his eyes off.

“That's right, Satomi-kun. Why don't you say something to Aika-san. Her scar aside, this is the swimsuit she chose after serious consideration”

“That cute look suits you well, Aika-san”

”Hau...”

Hearing Koutarou's impressions, Maki embarrassingly balled up again. That was simple embarrassment from being seen in her swimsuit. It was different from before, this was her usual reaction, and Koutarou and Shizuka both had their usual smiles.

Part 4

The next ones to arrive were Harumi and Clan. These two were often together and today was no exception.

“Harumi, how does it feel walking on the sand?”

“It feels somewhat hard. It very easy to walk in, but it doesn't feel like I've come to the sea”

“You can release the field around your hands during detailed work, but I might need to put in the ability to release the field around the feet as well”

“I think there would be many cases where it would be needed, like playing the piano or other cultural things”

The two were daily experimenting with Clan's invention, PAF, which was a barrier generation device that transformed in real-time. Since they had come to the beach, they figured they might as well do some experiments on the beach and underwater. The two had been later than the rest because of their preparations.

“Hey Clan, don't waste all of your time at the beach doing a bunch of research”

“I know! Once I've set up the machines to collect data, I'll have Harumi play like normal”

“I was talking about you too. I know you love research but you should exercise your body from time to time. It's unhealthy”

“I guess it can't be helped...”

Clan was staring into a hologram projected from her bracelet, but she turned it off as Koutarou said so. He was right, but she still felt like continuing on her research. She stubbornly looked at her bracelet.

“Ahh~, so the citizens of Forthorthe will have an unhealthy empress. How sad...”

“Okay! I get it! You're always such a bully!”

Clan frowned and complained as she removed her bracelet. She was more upset with Koutarou than not being able to do any research. There, Harumi called out to Clan.

“Satomi-kun likes you, Clan-san”

“I'm not having someone that plays around with me like me!”

“I love you, princess”

“I'll kill you! I'll definitely kill you!”

“At least make it painless”

“T-This man is.... Gaaahh!!”

Clan furiously stopped around the sand after being made fun of by Koutarou. Knowing that it was an expression of affection, Clan had nothing to take her anger out on.

“You... If you weren't the Blue Knight you would have been hanged a long time ago!”

“Don't lie. The way you are right now, you'd hesitate to kill even a clear enemy”

“You really are a bully!”

“Hm...”

Harumi had watched over the two for a while, but she eventually reached a conclusion. And she slightly raised up her right leg with a big smile on her face.

“Ei”

She then kicked the sand with her raised leg. The sand flew towards Koutarou and hit his legs.

“What are you doing, Sakuraba-senpai?”

Koutarou looked at Harumi with a perplexed look. He couldn't imagine that Harumi had purposefully kicked sand at him, so he must have had a bug on his leg or there had to be some other reason behind it.

“I'm just envious because you never bully me. Ei Ei!”

However, Harumi's objective was just to be mischievous towards Koutarou. Harumi was notably modest, but she had been influenced by the girls of room 106, and would very rarely show a playful side. Now was one of those times, as she kicked sand at Koutarou like a child.

“Envious...”

Koutarou instinctively smiled wryly. Harumi had said that she was envious but she looked strangely happy, and it certainly didn't look like she was feeling envious. If anything, it looked like she was using envy as an excuse to be mischievous.

“That's right, we should just bury this man”

Clan joined in as well. Compared to Harumi, Clan kicked up even more sand, surely a sign of her discontent.

“I won't lose!”

With a flame lit in his juvenile mind, Koutarou decided to go on a counter offensive.

Thanks to Clan's invention, there's no need to worry about Sakuraba-senpai's body. I can treat her the same as everyone else, and because of you, it's gotten even easier. Thank you, Clan!

Koutarou was treating Harumi with extra care because he was worried about her body. However, thanks to Clan's invention and Forthorthe's medical advancements there was practically no reason to give her special treatment. Because Clan went along with Harumi's attacks, it was easier for him to attack back. So Koutarou thanked Clan from the bottom of his heart as he kicked sand with all his strength.

“Uryaaah!!”

The power of Koutarou's trained legs allowed him to shave off much of the sand beneath him. That sand then rained down on Harumi and Clan from above.

“Kya kya kya!”

“Buwah!?”

Being showered in sand, Harumi seemed somewhat happy, but Clan looked astonished. PAF protected Harumi from most of the sand, but Clan was completely bathed in it. As a result, she was completely covered in sand.

“...Ah, sorry, Clan”

Seeing that, Koutarou felt a little bad and began brushing the sand off of Clan. As he did, Clan sent him a cold glance.

“Bertorion, just what do you think a princess of Forthorthe is?”

“Hmm... maybe a good playmate?”

“Then take better care of me”

“I thought I was”

“I don't know about that”

Clan's face turned red as she allowed Koutarou to brush away the sand. Whether that red face was from anger or embarrassment remained a mystery even to Clan herself.

“Fufufu, but he is properly taking care of you”

However, since Harumi was smiling, she realized that she was indeed blushing.

Part 5

Kenji had been out buying additional ice to put in the cooler. Having lost to Koutarou in rock paper scissors, he had to take up that job. The five members of the cosclub joined him. Since they had brought their cosplay outfits with them, they brought less food and drinks.

“Mackenzie, that's what you get for acting cool”

”Shut it! How can I refuse when my senpais asks me to carry it!”

“You're soft but for some reason you still think you're well trained. Anyways, drink this and rest up”

“Ah, thanks”

Having bought ice and returned to the beach, Kenji was lying spread out under a parasol. Since he hadn't just carried the ice but also the luggage of the five girls from the cosclub he had used even more stamina. Kenji was currently resting, drinking the water out of the bottle he had gotten from Koutarou. By the way, the cosclub girls had already met up with the girls of room 106 and were currently playing. So Koutarou and Kenji were the only ones still around the parasols.

“I'm going to go play with everyone else. You should come too once you've recovered”

“...That's unusual, Kou”

Koutarou was about to leave the shadow of the parasols, but stopped as he heard Kenji speak. He felt something serious in the words he had spoken. When Koutarou turned back to look, Kenji had risen his body and was looking at him.

“You actually getting along well with others is... it's something I can't imagine the past you doing”

“Mackenzie...”

“You used to reject others before your relationship reached a certain point. The past you wouldn't have come to the beach if you got an offer”

“That... might be true”

Koutarou obediently nodded. He almost hadn't last year. Kenji took a sip of water to refresh himself and stared at Koutarou.

“Kou, what happened between you and those girls?”

“That's...”

Kenji didn't have his usual gentle smile. He was staring straight at Koutarou with a serious expression. Kenji knew everything about Koutarou. Since half-assed excuses wouldn't work, Koutarou would tell him part of the truth.

“Since this is about their personal life I can't go into details, but... something like what happened between you and I happened between me and them”

“I see. So that's why...”

There, Kenji finally showed a smile and nodded repeatedly. Koutarou's short explanation was enough for him. The reason for that was that Kenji had gotten an understanding of who Koutarou was after several fierce collisions between them. At the same time, Koutarou had accepted Kenji for who he was. That's why, hearing that the same thing had happened between Koutarou and the girls was enough for Kenji to understand. While he didn't know the details, he realized that the essence was the same.

“That's too bad. I was after one of the girls in that group, but if something like that happened, I'll have to give up”

Kenji returned to his usual self. He had his normal gentle smile as he looked at the girls.

“If you're serious I don't mind. I like them, but... it's not like I'm going out with them. Besides... I have nothing to worry about if you're serious”

However, Koutarou still had a serious expression.

Koutarou had sworn to make sure the invading girls lived a happy life. If possible, he wanted to make that happen on his own, but he realized that would be difficult. Koutarou wasn't that selfish, nor was he that much of an idealist.

Moreover, if he had to leave something he couldn't do himself, Kenji was ideal. To Koutarou, Kenji was just as special to him as the girls of room 106. Since the first one to save him had been Kenji, in one way, he trusted Kenji more than himself. That said, that only applied when Kenji was serious.

“And if I wasn't serious?”

“I'd beat the crap out of you”

“You answered that one without missing a beat, Kou. Haha, I'm scared, so I'll wait until you make your decision”

“Mackenzie...”

“Kou, don't get scared and run away, okay? You can only walk forward”

“I know, thanks”

“Yeah”

Kenji took another sip of water and laid back down under the parasol. Having had a direct talk with Koutarou he was a little embarrassed about looking at him after they were done talking.

“Then I'm going”

“Yeah. I'll see you later”

The same was true for Koutarou. That's why he turned his back towards Kenji and headed towards the girls. However, this was just a temporary thing as the next time they meet they would be back to normal.

Part 6

Koutarou and the others had all gone to swim in the ocean at first, but after some time they all began enjoying the beach in their own ways. Since there were 16 humans and two haniwas there were all kinds of ways to enjoy the beach.

“Clan. You seem out of breath, are you okay?”

“I-I'm fine!! I can't admit defeat yet!!”

“Satomi-kun, I'll make up for Clan-san”

“I'm counting on you, Sakuraba-senpai”

Koutarou was in the middle of playing beach volleyball. There were three people on each team, and the first one to ten points would win. His teammates were Clan and Harumi. Since Clan wanted to confirm the movements of her invention that Harumi was wearing, the two naturally ended up in the same team. However, since Harumi had a weak constitution and Clan suffered from a severe lack of exercising, Koutarou was added into the their team to balance things out.

“I thought Kou would give up around now”

“They're doing better than I thought”

“Yeah, Sakuraba-senpai can move her body pretty well when she's feeling good”

The opposing team consisted of Kenji, Theia and Shizuka. Kenji was almost even with Koutarou, but the girls on this team were overwhelmingly active. As a result, team Kenji had the advantage. Surprisingly it wasn't as one-sided of a game as it should have been thanks to Harumi. Having recovered from her handicap thanks to PAF, she served as a good partner to Koutarou. The majority of team Koutarou's points were from a combination attack from these two.

“Here I go, Mackenzie!”

“Bring it! It's about time we end this!”

“I...”

Koutarou threw the ball up into the air”

“...won't let you!!”

He then pulled off a daring jump serve. Because the ball was big and soft it didn't pick up that much speed and Theia entered a receiving position as the ball fell towards her.

“Mackenzie!”

Theia used her whole body to kill the ball's momentum and passed it to Kenji.

“Got it! Here we go, Kasagi-san!!”

Kenji tossed the ball upwards. Kenji was about as athletic as Koutarou, though in a slightly different way, and his toss drew a beautiful parabola and started falling down in front of the net.

“Leave it to me, Mackenzie-kun!”

Shizuka rushed up to the ball. She chased after the ball with her eyes as she kicked off of the sand. Reaching the highest point of her jump she smashed the falling ball with all of her might.

Being athletic, her smash had about as much power behind it as a boy's would. The small Theia swiftly received the balls, Kenji then dexterously tossed it up for Shizuka to smash. This was team Kenji's pattern for victory.

“I won't let you!!”

At that time, Koutarou jumped up on the other side of the net in an attempt to block. His timing was spot on, but because Shizuka had just barely changed the direction of her smash it only ended up hitting his arm. The ball had lost a lot of its momentum because of that imperfect block and it slowly fell down in front of Clan.

“Wah, ooohh!”

Clan's legs were getting numb from her exhaustion but she barely managed keep the ball in play with one of her hands. However, having received it with a single hand, the ball flew in a direction where no one was at, but Harumi quickly chased after it.

“Satomi-kun!”

Thanks to PAF's assistance, Harumi could move her body better than the average girl. As a result she was barely able to get a toss up as she slid across the sand.

“Make iiitt!!”

Koutarou had just recovered after landing, and Harumi's toss flew in a straight line. He didn't have any time to spare unlike with a normal toss. Just reaching out towards the flying ball was all he had time to do.

Koutarou was barely able to reach the ball and forced it into a different direction. The ball had been flying upwards, but thanks to Koutarou it changed direction downwards, and as a result the ball returned to team Kenji's side in the form of a quick attack.

“Not going to happen!”

Theia lowered her posture and thrust herself towards the ball. Having decided that she wouldn't make it by running she threw herself instead, with her arm reached out, sliding across the sand.

However, Theia was just a fist's length away as the ball hit the sand. Theia's small size had worked against her. After bouncing once on the sand the ball landed once more and rolled off.

“Alright!!”

”We did it!?”

”Yes! We've closed the gap by one point, Clan-san!”

Seeing the ball rolling on the sand, Koutarou and the others erupted into joy. While it was partially thanks to good luck, their joy was still great as they scored while losing.

“Kuh, you're pretty good, Koutarou!”

Theia frustratingly punched the sand once before getting up and brushing the sand on her away. Since she had planned on winning without giving them any more points, she was mortified. Having mentally matured to the point where wasn't concerned with winning or losing, she still went for the win in games as long as it didn't bother anyone. Theia was currently all fired up to defeat team Koutarou no matter what.

“We won't lose that easily. Clan and senpai are different from before”

“Let's do our best, Clan-san”

“I guess I have too... I'll come up with a plan”

While the opposing team had the lead, Koutarou and the others had no intentions of losing. Koutarou, Clan and Harumi were all trying their hardest to win this match. The chances of winning was low, and it wasn't like they would get anything for winning, but it was fun. This time they spent together with their friends during the summer was irreplaceable.

In the end, the beach volleyball match ended with team Koutarou losing. Just after they had scored their eight point, team Kenji scored their tenth and ended the game. At one point there had been a five point difference, so they had worked considerably to pull it back to a two point difference.

“It was a close call”

“What a shame”

“This is a disgrace”

Koutarou and the others were sitting down near the beach volleyball court. While believing they had put up a good fight, they still dropped their shoulders in defeat. The three were now looking at team Kenji currently in another match. Since the winners stayed, they were now facing the cosclub. Because of the difference in ability, all five of the cosclub members were on the court. But even then, team Kenji had the advantage.

“Clan. I hope you learn from this and start getting a little more exercise”

“That won't happen, I'm too busy with research”

“I feel bad for the citizen's of Forthorthe. Their empress will be―”

“Don't bring that up again!”

“Clan-san, why don't we exercise together? I think it would be easy for both me and you to build up our physical strength with this... uhm, PAF”

“I guess it can't be helped... I'll go with you”

“That's good... eyup”

Having finished talking with Harumi and Clan, Koutarou stood up. The remaining two looked up at Koutarou with perplexed looks.

“What's the matter?”

“Don't you remember, I made a bet with Mackenzie. The loser would go buy drinks”

“Oh yeah, I remember you betting on something like that”

Before the match, Koutarou and Kenji had made a bet. The leader of the losing team would have to go buy drinks for the winning team. Koutarou was about to go fulfill that promise.

“But considering how he's faring, he might have already forgotten”

“Maybe, but that would be boring, right?”

“How honest...”

“I'm actually shocked to hear you say that”

Koutarou smiled wryly and dropped his shoulders.

“Eh?”

“Clan-san, Satomi-kun is a knight”

Clan didn't understand Koutarou's intentions right away, but Harumi let her in on it. Because of that, she realized her own failings and sighed.

“Phew... then you better hurry up and fulfill your promise, Reios Fatra Bertorion”

“As you wish, my princess”

Koutarou somewhat jokingly saluted Clan and Harumi before leaving the two behind and heading for a beach shop.

Part 7

Heading towards the shop from the beach volleyball court, Koutarou could see the girls of room 106 that hadn't participated in the volleyball. The first ones he spotted were Sanae and Maki, who were the closest to the court. The two had jumped into the ocean and were swimming together.

“Maki, you said this was your first time coming to the sea but you can actually swim”

“Ah, that's thanks to these two”

“It's Karama Ho-!”

“It's Korama Ho-!”

“What do they have to do with it?”

“We are quietly supporting her underwater Ho-”

“It's jet propulsion Ho-!”

“That sounds fun! Let me borrow them, I can settle for just Karama-chan too!”

“Sure. I'm starting to get used to it, so I think I'll be fine with one”

“Karama, let's have a showdown Ho!”

“I accept Ho!”

“Alright, then let's race to that island!”

“Let's go Ho-!”

“Maximum power Ho-!”

“Wah, awawa, you're, you're too fast!!”

Sanae and Maki borrowed the haniwas powers to swim at speeds beyond human abilities. The two had been right next to Koutarou at first, but in the blink of an eye they were far away from everyone else. The others were as small as ants here. Koutarou had worried for the two at first, but then he remembered that they were an ex-ghost and an ex-evil magical girl and forgot about his worries.

Part 8

“You're fine now, Ruth”

“Really, Kiriha-sama?”

“Yes. The problem is Yurika”

“Ptui... ptui... Kiriha-san, water flows into my mouth whenever I open it”

“Only open it when your head's above water”

“But that's hard”

The remaining three, Kiriha, Ruth and Yurika were in the middle of practicing how to swim. Kiriha was acting as the teacher for the other two. The serious and earnest Ruth was already getting a hang of it, but Yurika was not good at all. Yurika was practically just swinging her arms and legs around, and it seemed like it would take quite a while more until she learns how to swim.

“It might be best if you see how you look like when you swim”

“Then I'll record it”

“Eehh~, you don't have to do that. I'm properly swimming”

“I'm saying this because you're not. Ruth, please”

Kiriha limited her guiding to Yurika alone. Ruth operated an unmanned scout and used it to record Yurika's appearance when swimming. Since Yurika wasn't aware of how awkward she was swimming, Kiriha needed to get her to understand first.

Good, everyone seems to be having fun...

Seeing the girls having fun made Koutarou happy. He felt better knowing that despite shouldering many hardships, they could at least spend some peaceful time together right now.

All that's left is for me to enjoy myself as well...

With nothing else to worry about, Koutarou should enjoy himself too. Just like he worried for the girls, the girls surely worried for him. If he didn't seem like he was having fun they would worry. Koutarou decided to enjoy his stay at the beach, not just for his own sake but for the girls as well.

The shop Koutarou had gone to buy drinks at was brand new but its design was old-fashioned. It was beautiful, and the shop had a typical cluttered atmosphere. As a result, it was more popular with the women than the other shops around the beach were.

“Welcome to the beach shop, Hunters!”

“Come on in. What do you need?”

“Y-You guys!?”

“Oh, you're Kiriha-neesan's friend!”

“Koutarou-kun. It's been a while”

The ones that greeted Koutarou at the storefront was the ghost hunter duo he had met several times before. They had been enemies at first, but they had been a big help during the incident with Sanae. He also heard that they had played a big part during the underground incident. Because of that, Koutarou no longer had any hostility towards them.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Business! We're going to make a fortune off this beach shop!”

The two had started up a beach shop business using the money they had gotten from Kiriha. While they didn't have orders from Kiriha, they were operating as ghost hunters, chasing down evil spirits. But it wasn't like they always had access to information regarding ghosts. When that happened, their income stagnated and they began worrying for their future. So they turned their attention to a beach shop. They set up shop on a popular beach and sold their products off with a high margin. They needed to earn enough during the summer to keep them going during the off seasons.

“Don't sell at too high of a price okay?”

“We know. We've got it all planned out”

“We want to avoid troubles too. This shop is also functioning as a training place for the People of the Earth”

“Training place? What do you mean?”

“Why don't you take a look around you?”

“Ah, are they all underground people!?”

This shop had several employees, and many of them were wearing familiar, traditional Japanese clothing. It was the costumes the People of the Earth wore.

“That's right. The underground people receive vocational training before they're sent up to the surface”

“This is one of the facilities for that. We want extra help and the underground people need practice. It's a give and take situation”

”Hmm... looks like you've put a lot of thought into this”

In a beach shop, customers wouldn't come back time and time again. Most of the time they only come once per season. As a result, even if there were a few mistakes it wouldn't develop into a series of troubles. It was a good place to train without inhibitions. Moreover, the hunters mansion was nearby, so there were no problems with lodging for the employees. In that sense, this was an optimal training facility.

“By the way, everyone in this shop will be acting as ghosts during your test of courage tonight”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It was a direct request from Nee-san herself”

“Aniki, are you sure we should tell him that?”

“If we don't, we'll be done in by those extreme children. This is Kiriha-Nee-san we're talking about, it's likely she won't say anything herself”

“Yeah. I haven't heard anything about this”

“...I thought so. I'm glad we met here then. That could have been dangerous”

The hunter dropped his shoulders and Koutarou smiled wryly as he nodded.

“I'll try to let them know not to use weapons or something else”

“That would be a great help! I'll give you extra service!”

“So I'll get a discount?”

“I can't do that, but you can take the unsold stuff with you”

“That would be great, we have a lot of people. I'll happily accept”

After getting the drinks plus some extras, Koutarou once again looked around the shop. The People of the Earth were already moving towards their goal. Kiriha's wish had started taking form. Seeing the People of the Earth in training, Koutarou was able to actually feel that. He also felt proud knowing this was what they had protected.

Part 9

After eating dinner, Koutarou and the others headed out to hold a test of courage according to plan. The test would start in the inn's backyard, from there they would climb up a mountain path for a while before reaching the goal, an old European-styled mansion. There were rumors that real ghosts wandered the area around that mansion, and it was a famous horror spot amongst the locals. It was perfect for a test of courage.

“One of those ghosts is already here though”

”But that ghost isn't mortified at all since Koutarou brought it with him himself. Ehehe~”

The old European-styled mansion in question was the place where the ghost hunters had taken Sanae in the past. It was currently being used as lodgings for the employees of the beach shop, but it was without a doubt a fact that ghosts had appeared. It was a genuine horror spot.

“Ah, maybe I should be on the side scaring people”

“Just give it up. It'll just become a mess later”

However, neither Koutarou nor Sanae were scared of ghosts. Koutarou already knew the truth behind this test of courage, and Sanae had experience from when she was a ghost herself. The two felt like they were taking a casual hike.

“By the way, Ruth, what is a test of courage?”

“I'm not very well informed myself, but it's supposedly a game to prove your courage by heading into a place where ghosts appear”

“Oh... in other words, it's kind of like a small scale version of my trial”

“Most likely”

Theia and Ruth weren't very scared of ghosts. They had spent a lot of time together with Sanae, and they also had a tolerance to the wonders of the world, being aliens that had travelled across the stars.

“I don't want to test my courage!”

“It's okay, Yurika-san. I've prepared this shrine maiden cosplay just for that reason”

“That's right! It's the president's masterpiece!”

“Real ghosts won't run away from cosplay!”

“It's okay, it's okay”

“Nooooooo!!”

Unlike the first four, Yurika was completely terrified. She was still scared of ghosts and was reluctant to join the test of courage. If the five members of the cosclub hadn't caught her, she would have run away somewhere.

“Aika-san, is it hard to defeat ghosts?”

“That depends on the ghost's core. Even I can easily deal with normal wandering or bound spirits, but when it comes to divine-level spirits like Sanae-san it requires a magician specialized in spiritual magic to prepare thoroughly with many rituals to even have a chance”

“Hmm... I wonder if uncle's powers would be enough”

“If you don't mind increasing in weight, I should be able to deal with anything just before a divine-level spirit”

“Absolutely not”

“I thought so”

If a ghost appeared, Shizuka and Maki were thinking of exorcising it. Shizuka could use the Fire Dragon Emperor's spiritual energy and magical power, and Maki could use her own magic. It was impossible for a normal ghost to scare the two of them.

“Clan-san, what do you think of ghosts?”

“In the past I thought of them as unscientific, but as of late I've begun thinking of them as an interesting subject of research”

Harumi and Clan had an awfully neutral reaction, neither are afraid of ghosts nor intending to exorcise them. With Alaia's memories, Harumi wouldn't be shaken by ghosts, but with her gentle personality she didn't think of exorcising them either. Moreover, Clan thought of ghosts as a potential research subject and was aware of the risks. As a result, she might capture any ghosts but she wouldn't exorcise them nor fear them.

“...Kurano-san, everyone seems to be having fun”

“I told you the girls are more tolerant when it comes to horror stuff. Fufufu”

Apart from Yurika and some of the cosclub members, nobody was really scared, apart from Kenji. He looked like he was progressive but the truth of the matter was that he was an old-fashioned type and he was bad with ghosts and horror related themes. Kiriha who was smiling at him made use of spiritual energy technology and knew that ghosts existed in reality. However, she didn't especially fear them and continued her act.

“I hate incomprehensible things like ghosts”

“Girls are more vague after all... well then”

Kiriha smiled at Kenji once more before stepping in front of the group with a small box in hand. She was in charge of this test of courage.

“It's about time that we split into teams. Everyone, please draw a lot from this box”

Following Kiriha's instructions, Koutarou and the others drew a lot from the box one at a time.

In total there were 16 of them. This group would be split into teams of three through lottery. That would leave one over, but that was Kiriha herself. Being in charge of this event, she would tag along with the last team to set off to confirm that no problems had occurred.

“I'm... oh, I'm with Sakuraba-senpai and Clan”

Kiriha had also arranged the lottery so that Clan and Harumi would be in the same team. They had been excluded from the lottery. Since there were still concerns about Harumi's body, it was preferable if she and Clan were on the same team.

That's why only 13 people actually drew lots, and the one Koutarou drew had 'Clan & Harumi's team' written on it instead of a number.

“Welcome, Satomi-kun”

“I won't welcome you, Bertorion”

“Oh”

Harumi welcomed Koutarou with a smile but Clan turned away from him. She still had a grudge for what happened during the day.

“Satomi-kun, it's because you tease her too much”

“When I'm dealing with Clan, I just let my guard down and inadvertently say too much”

“I think it's best if you apologize to her”

“I think I will... Clan”

“What?”

Clan finally turned around to face Koutarou. Behind her classic glasses were eyes full of grudge staring at him.

“I'm sorry about before”

“Have you properly reflected on your actions?”

“Yeah. But. This is pretty hard”

“What is?”

“You get angry if I'm treating you too rough but you also get angry if I completely treat you like a princess”

“W-We've known each other for a long time, so learn how much to hold back!”

“I am trying. So at least forgive me if I mess up once in awhile”

“...I-I guess I have to...”

Clan wanted Koutarou to recognize her as a princess, but at the same time, she was Koutarou's partner and didn't want him to treat her like a princess. In other words, she wanted him to tread a fine line, and that fine line would sometimes not line up with Koutarou's perception. Moreover, Clan knew that her demands were a bit contradicting and she decided to forgive Koutarou.

“Satomi-kun, if you want to play tricks or bully, you can do it to me”

Harumi accurately understood the subtle emotions between Koutarou and Harumi. Koutarou would only play tricks or bully someone he liked. Kenji suffering the very worst of it was more than enough proof. That's why Harumi was envious of Clan.

“Uhm... then I'll start with this”

Koutarou lightly flicked his finger at Harumi's forehead. Thanks to Clan's invention, he no longer needed to treat Harumi with extra care because of her handicap. That said, she was still his upperclassmen and should be treated with respect, so he started of with lighter mischief.

“Ow... ufufu”

Harumi pressed her hands against her slightly reddened forehead and happily smiled. Her ultimate goal was to reach an intense level like Theia and Yurika, but she knew that Koutarou had been worried about her body just a while back, so right now, this was satisfactory.

“...You sure are whimsical too, Harumi”

Clan let out a sigh. Harumi responded by smiling at Clan.

“Clan-san, you just said 'too' didn't you?”

“T-That was just a mistake! There's no ulterior motive!”

“I'll just leave it at that”

In the end, Clan's face turned red and she turned away from Koutarou and Harumi.

Many among Koutarou and the others had special powers or technologies. If they used those this test of courage would be boring. So Koutarou and the others decided not to use those. This was also to protect the hunters and the employees who would be acting as ghosts, but Koutarou didn't mention that of course.

At 8PM the first team set out. The first team consisted of Sanae, Yurika and the cosclub president.

“Nooooooo! I don't want to take a test of courage with a former ghost and a fake shrine maiden!! Anything but thaaaat!!”

“My, Yurika-chan, you're in such high spirits”

“Yurika can be really useless some days, but when she has to do something, she will”

“Today is one of those useless days!! Save me! Save meee, Satomi-saaaaan!!”

The other two team members had to drag the scared and screaming Yurika with them. A few minutes after they had set off, Yurika's screams could no longer be heard. The 13 still at the starting point didn't know if that was because of the distance or if it was because she had fainted. But nobody cared all that much.

Seeing that everything had gotten quiet, the second team set out. The second team consisted of Theia, Maki and Kenji.

“I just hope we come across ghosts that we can defeat with martial arts”

“I've heard that when using martial arts against souls, a clear intent to attack is more important than power”

“Hmm... I guess I'll have to try it”

“I don't think there's a need to try. Let's finish this without a fuss”

On this team, Theia and Maki were fighters with a lack of Japanese common sense, and Kenji was trying to follow up for them. However, Kenji was scared of ghosts and his insistence was weak. Whether he could stop these two willful girls from being reckless was questionable.

Part 11

Koutarou, Harumi and Clan were the third team to set out. Because Theia and the others weren't as noisy as the team before them, they could set out after a few minutes delay. Clan and Harumi were at the front with Koutarou behind them.

“Bertorion, if you're a knight, then be more knight-like and stand at the front”

Clan was dissatisfied with Koutarou being behind her. As both a princess and a woman, she wanted him to be ahead of them.

“That might be proper manners, but if I'm at the front it would be boring right?”

“Why?”

“Because I can sense presences to a certain degree”

Koutarou was behind the other two for a reason. Because of spiritual circuits that Sanae had created in him, Koutarou could sense presences of those around him. Even though he tried not to, because Sanae was too excellent, he could still tell to a certain degree. If Harumi and Clan could tell by looking at his back, things would become boring. So Koutarou decided to bring up the rear in an attempt to give them a proper surprise or two.

“I guess it can't be helped...”

Hearing Koutarou's explanation, Clan earnestly gave up. Knowing that Koutarou was doing this out of consideration, only her tone of voice had resistance left.

“Clan-san, the two of us should work together”

“...You're right. This is a rare chance, we should enjoy ourselves”

“Yes”

With Harumi and Clan on the front, Koutarou and the others left the inn's backyard and began climbing up the mountain path.

Koutarou had rushed up this mountain path last year to save Sanae. However, this year was awfully carefree. His teammates, Harumi and Clan were casually chatting as they climbed. Without anyone to save or defeat, the calm and peaceful atmosphere surrounded Koutarou and the others.

“Damn, I got bitten by a mosquito”

“That's because you didn't spray on the insect repellent”

“Ah, I have some medicine for insect bites”

“Thank you very much, Sakuraba-senpai”

Since none of them were scared of ghosts, it seemed like they were simply taking a walk. A cheerful and lively walk on a summer night.

“Ah, this medicine is cool. That feels good”

“Right? It's been my favorite for years now”

“Bertorion, turn this way please”

“Hm”

Clan sprayed Koutarou.

“Now this way”

“Hm”

She then sprayed him again.

“...Alright”

“Thank you, Clan”

“Be more careful in the future please. Men are already careless enough when it comes to this kind of thing”

“Okay”

“Clan-san, you could just always do it for him”

“No thank you! I am not a servant!”

Clan blushed and strongly refused before turning away. Harumi then brought her lips close to Clan's ear and quietly whispered.

“...If you're too stubborn you'll lose out”

“...I-I'm not being... stubborn...”

“...I was always holding back and lost out. That's why I can tell”

“...Harumi...”

After listening to Harumi, Clan thought to herself for a while before lightly coughing and turning back to Koutarou. Harumi looked at her back with a smile.

“Ahem. T-That said, since you probably won't remember, let me know if you forget right away”

“What now, Clan. You're being awfully kind today”

“You didn't have to add 'today'”!

“I know. It was just embarrassing to honestly praise you”

“You two-faced sourpuss! One day I'll make you prostrate and make you say you l―”

Clan got excited and was about to say something very decisive when she got interrupted.

“Roaaaaarr!!”

“We~lco~me~!”

Two ghosts jumped out from the nearby bushes, a small plump and a tall one. The ghosts had their arms raised to make themselves look bigger and approached Koutarou and the others.

“Kyaaaaa!?”

Clan responded by letting out a loud scream. But that wasn't because they were ghosts, but because they had suddenly appeared while she was focused on Koutarou. She was simply surprised from a sudden event.

“This time was a success”

“Alright!”

Familiar voices could be heard from underneath the ghosts' masks. Since they had met just before Koutarou realized that the voices belonged to the hunters. Noticing Koutarou's glance, the two ghosts returned to the bushes as they gave him a simple wave. They still had two more groups to go through.

“Clan-san, they're gone”

“W-W-What was that just now!?”

“Those were the ghosts for this test of courage. And you were surprised by them”

“I-It's not like I was scared! It was just so sudden they surprised me...”

“I know”

“Then that's good... phew...”

Clan had been so surprised her heart was still throbbing. She took a deep breath and relaxed her body.

“By the way, Clan”

“What?”

“Would you like to walk yourself, or would you prefer to continue on like this?”

“Eh...?”

There, Clan finally noticed what kind of position she was in. In her surprise, she had jumped onto Koutarou and was embracing him even now.

“I-I'll walk! I'll walk on my own, thank you very much!”

Clan hurriedly escaped from Koutarou's arms and began awkwardly walking. Looking at her from behind it was clear that she was quite shaken up.

“Fufufu... Oh Clan-san...”

Clan's appearance was far too amusing so Harumi let out a adorable laugh as she followed after her.

Part 12

Ever since they encountered the ghost hunters acting as ghost, new ghosts appeared every few minutes. However, they were all fakes that the People of the Earth were acting as. They did no harm. Knowing that there was no danger, the atmosphere shifted towards enjoying their sudden appearances.

“Satomi-kun, don't you think the area behind that corner is suspicious?”

“No comments”

“Ah, I see. You can tell”

“Tell me, Bertorion. It's so irritating being surprised time and time again”

“Not going to happen. That is also part of this test of courage”

“Then why don't you stay a little further back, Clan-san?”

“I don't want to do that either!”

Clan was in a bad mood, having been surprised several times. However, Koutarou and Harumi were both enjoying this test of courage. Harumi's eyes sparkled as she wondered when the next ghost would appear and Koutarou enjoyed seeing Harumi's and Clan's different reactions.

“Seriously, what do the people on Earth find so fun about this...”

Clan muttered in a bad mood. She had a hard time understanding Earth's unique culture. Seeing Clan like that, Harumi smiled.

“I think there are two reasons”

“What are they?”

“One reason is to interact with something that doesn't happen daily. When you do the same thing day in and day out, you sometimes want to do something different”

Going to school and studying everyday would make one want to get away from that every once in awhile. One of the means for that was this test of courage.

“I see”

“That said, so many things had happen to us that reason isn't all that applicable”

“Ahaha, that might be true”

All kinds of things happened to Koutarou and the others in room 106. Enemies would come attacking one in a while, but most of it was fun. As a result there was no lack of difference in their everyday life.

“What's the second reason?”

“That's... similar to the first reason, but you get the chance to see expressions you rarely see on your friends faces, I think”

“...The chance to see rare expressions?”

Clan had a perplexed look on her face. Having had few friends before she came to room 106, those words didn't quite make sense to her.

“Like how you're a timid person who hates being surprised, or how on the opposite side of it, Sakuraba-senpai is a bit of an oddball who likes being scared”

“I see…”

“Satomi-kun, what is oddball supposed to mean”

Koutarou's follow-up helped Clan understand but now Harumi puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction. She didn't like being called an oddball by Koutarou.

“I was only exaggerating to make it easier to understand”

“Really?”

“Really. You're awfully persistent today, Sakuraba-senpai”

“I felt like since we're doing a test of courage I should show you my bad side too. I want you to see 'Sakuraba Harumi' and not the normal 'Sakuraba-senpai'...”

“A bad side?...That's an awfully cute bad side”

“I'm a girl after all. Fufufu”

Thanks to Clan's invention, PAF, Harumi had overcome her handicap. Moreover, since she had come all this way to play, she felt more open hearted. Like she had said, she was showing off a rare side of herself.

“In Harumi's case, even if she tries to show off her bad side, she―”

In that moment, Clan vanished from in front of Koutarou and Harumi as a rumbling sound could be heard.

“Kyaaaaaaa!?”

Clan had been standing on the side of a valley, but that place had collapsed. The area that had collapsed hadn't been that wide so she wasn't hurt, but she continued sliding down the slope.

“Clan-san!!”

”Clan!? Damnit!!”

Koutarou summoned up his spiritual energy and jumped onto the slope without hesitation. He then ran down the slope, chasing after Clan. Normally this was incredibly dangerous, but with his physical abilities strengthened it was a feat just barely possible for Koutarou.

“Kyaaaaaaa!!”

“There she is!”

Relying on her voice as he looked around, Koutarou spotted Clan's aura, surrounded by spiritual energy from trees and plants. She couldn't kill her momentum and simply continued sliding down the slope. Since she had left behind her useful tools for this test of courage, there was nothing she could do.

“Not good, there's a cliff up ahead!”

If Clan continued sliding down the slope, she would fall off a cliff. If that happened she had no chance of surviving. That's why Koutarou disregarded the danger and sprinted towards her at full speed.

“Clan!!”

“Bertorion!?”

Koutarou was somehow able to grab a hold of her hand. However, this was where things got difficult. Koutarou and Clan had to stop before they fell down the cliff. However, both of them had built up quite the momentum which they had to kill or they'd end up falling.

“Uoooooo!!”

With Clan's hand in his right hand, Koutarou grabbed a hold of a tree branch with his left.

However, the branch broke as it was too thin to support their weight. Because of that, they lost their last chance to decelerate and were tossed into the air.

“Nooooooo!!”

“Not good!!”

Koutarou and Clan fell towards the bottom of the valley. Unfortunately, the bottom of the valley was rocky and it was clear what would happen if they crashed into that.

At this rate both of us will die!!

Having realized what would happen Koutarou pulled Clan closer to him and firmly embraced her. He was going use his own body to cushion Clan's fall.

“You can't! At this rate you will―”

“If I don't do anything we'll both die!!”

Koutarou and Clan had three options, they do nothing and fall, Koutarou protects Clan or Clan protects Koutarou. The one with the highest probability of survival was Koutarou protecting Clan. Not doing anything was out of the question, and Clan might be too small to protect Koutarou. So by method of elimination, the only plausible option was Koutarou protecting Clan. But even without the method of elimination, Koutarou would have chosen the same thing. He wasn't strong enough to quietly let those close to him die.

“Let me go, Bertorion, if we're going to die we should die together!”

“Who'd listen to you, idiot!”

“Bertorion!!”

Clan tried to escape from Koutarou's arms but she was no match for his physical strength. A knight couldn't leave a princess be in a situation like this. Koutarou was going to die to protect Clan.

“Satomi-kun!!”

However, Koutarou and Clan were never slammed into the rocky bottom of the valley. That is because Harumi had removed the limiter on her PAF and flew through the skies to save them.

Clan's invention, PAF, shared functions with Koutarou's armor, but was using a barrier that transformed in real-time instead. Of course it also came with the ability to fly. However, since the barrier was replacing the mechanical parts of the armor, the more power Harumi used, the more it drained the battery. Because of that, the output was normally limited and flight was impossible. Harumi had removed that limiter to save Koutarou and Clan.

“I'm glad, the battery lasted until the end”

Harumi put down Koutarou and Clan at the bottom of the valley as she touched the small box attached to her waist. As she did, an alarm that had been ringing all this time stopped. At the same time, the barrier covering her body vanished. Having saved the two, PAF's batteries had been completely drained.

“You saved us, Sakuraba-senpai”

“I'm glad you're okay”

“You have my thanks, Harumi. I am in your debt now”

“My debt... but you're the one who invented this device, Clan-san”

“In that case, I will present you with an even more complete device one day”

“Yes. I am looking forward to it”

Thanks to Harumi's quick wits, Koutarou and Clan had narrowly escaped from certain death. They were deeply relieved from their close call. That's why they sighed greatly after thanking Harumi.

“Haa... still that was dangerous...”

“Ah... that's right, Clan, are you okay? You rolled down the slope for quite a while”

“I'd like to say I'm okay, but it seems I've twisted my ankle. I also have some scrape wounds”

“I see. We should get back and treat you right away then”

Sadly, Koutarou and the others didn't have any tools for treatment with them. In order for them to treat Clan's leg they would need to meet up with the other girls of room 106 first.

“But Satomi-kun. What do we do now? Even if we're supposed to return, we don't know where we are...”

“That's a good point”

When Harumi pointed that out, Koutarou finally realized that they were lost. To be more accurate, they knew what they should do to return but they couldn't actually execute it. Since there was no cellphone coverage here they would need to find another way to get back.

“For the time being, I think it would be good to head over there”

“Over where?”

“Over there. Just past the valley is a small hut, right?”

“Ah! Good eye, Clan!”

As luck would have it, there was an old wooden hut near Koutarou and the others. They didn't know what it was for, but whether they would rest, treat Clan's leg or look for a path, heading towards that hut should be of great help.

Part 13

Approaching the hut that Clan had found they spotted a partially destroyed kiln used to create charcoal next to it. This hut had been abandoned several decades ago when charcoal was still a popular fuel.

“It looks like we can rest inside”

Since burning charcoal took a lot of time, it was common to have a residential space next to it. Charcoal burning hut's would sometimes appear in the novels that Harumi enjoyed reading, so she was well aware of their function.

“I just hope there's a phone...”

Clan's voice sounded out from behind Koutarou's back. Because of her twisted ankle she was being piggybacked by Koutarou. It wasn't like Clan was completely unable to walk on her own, but Koutarou didn't let her walk, just in case.

“Considering it's sad state the chances for that are low”

There was no signs of civilization on the hut. There were no electric wires nor antennas on the roof. It was a several decade old hut preserved in time.

“Let's take a look for the time being”

“Yeah”

With Harumi in the lead, the group approached the hut. After traveling some distance, Koutarou suddenly looked up above him. The stars were shining bright and lighting up the surroundings.

“Bertorion?”

“Take a look, Clan. What a beautiful night sky”

“You're right...”

Koutarou temporarily stopped and looked up at the sky together with Clan. Being far from the city the stars were bright and clear. It was like jewels had been scattered across the sky above Koutarou and the others. As Koutarou looked up at the sky, he felt like something similar had happened before.

“...Where was that...”

“What is it, Satomi-kun?”

Noticing that Koutarou had stopped, Harumi stopped as well before turning around. She followed his gaze and looked up at the starry sky.

“Looking up at the stars like this, I feel like I've seen this before”

“Ah, you're right...”

Still looking up at the stars Harumi smiled nostalgically. Harumi remembered clearly. It was the day when she had first met Koutarou.

“That is probably when you and I first met, Koutarou-sama. Back then you were also carrying Clan-sama remember? And...”

When Harumi had been cornered by a cliff, a knight in blue armor had made his dashing appearance and defeated the coup d'état army. After that, the knight carried his servant, which she later found out wasn't actually his servant, on his back and walked across a forest together with Harumi. And after reuniting with her comrades, Koutarou spoke under the starry sky.

“From an endless time and a countless distance... that was what you said as you looked up at the sky, Koutarou-sama. I am sure that is what you are thinking of”

Those words were firmly burnt into Harumi's very being. That was just how deep of an impression they had carried. That's why she would never forget those words no matter how much time passed. And relying on the feelings in those words, she had found Koutarou.

“Harumi, you...”

Clan's eyes were wide open, and so were Koutarou's. The two of them were speechless.

“Eh?”

Harumi was puzzled by Clan's and Koutarou's reaction. However, that confusion made her question her own words.

Koutarou-sama? Looking up at the starry sky? Aren't these princess Alaia's memories...

Eventually Harumi realized what she had said and her face turned bright red.

“I-I'm sorry, Satomi-kun! I confused princess Alaia's memories with my own... I'm really sorry for saying something strange!”

Harumi had inherited Alaia's memories together with the ability to control Signaltin's powers, but there was a clear distinction between their memories. Since Alaia's memories were overlapping with Harumi's role as Alaia for the plays, they didn't mix with her own memories. However, when her feelings were elevated Alaia's memories and words would sometimes appear on the surface. Harumi was embarrassed as she felt like she had gotten too into her role.

This surprisingly natural match... it's unscientific but Harumi might really be Alaia's reincarnation...

However, to Clan who personally knew Alaia, it didn't feel like Harumi had gotten too into her role. In Fact, it was like Alaia herself was standing there which was more surprising and interesting to her. It was to the point where Clan, who had absolute trust in science, began wondering if she was the reincarnation of Alaia.

“It's fine. I was surprised, but it was like I was able to meet Her Majesty again, so I was kind of glad”

Like Clan, Koutarou too was surprised by Harumi's speech and behavior that was practically identical to that of Alaia's. While Koutarou clearly separated Harumi and Alaia from one another, he didn't hate feeling the presence of Alaia from within Harumi. Since it was someone he still wished to see from time to time, he was happy that he could feel her presence from Harumi.

“I'm glad you said that”

Harumi thought that Koutarou and Clan would laugh at her, and she felt relief when that didn't happen. By now she had completely returned to being Harumi.

“But that's right, you know us when we were in Forthorthe, Sakuraba-senpai”

“Yes. I have memories from princess Alaia's point of view, however there are things I don't know and things that vague too”

While Harumi had inherited Alaia's memories, it wasn't perfect. There were memories that were missing. The vast distance that is 2,000 years and 10 million light years must have weakened the memories that lacked deep impression. At the same time, there were many memories that were suspected that Alaia intentionally chose not to pass down. There were no memories of people dying for example. Clan's conjecture was that this was a method to keep Harumi's personality from being affected.

“That's why I know that Satomi-kun and Clan-san lived in the same room”

“Please forget about that, Harumi!”

”Fufufu... also that Satomi-kun washed Clan-san's underwear”

”Kya kya kya!! When did you see that!?”

”That's right. Clan went on about how a princess doesn't do her own laundry. At the same time she didn't want to ask Mary either, what a selfish princess”

”In the end, Koutarou-sama... I mean Satomi-kun had to wash them by hand”

”I spent everyday wondering if it was okay for me to get used to looking at those”

“Geez, the two of you are being really mean!!”

Clan felt like running away from this situation, but being on Koutarou's back, she was unable to do so. With nothing else she could do, she pushed her face against his back to escape from their gazes while pouring more strength into the arms wrapped around Koutarou.

“But...”

Seeing that Clan was looking away, Harumi's smile changed a little.

“In the end, this is princess Alaia's memories. I wasn't the person there, it was princess Alaia. That's a bit sad”

Harumi looked sad just as she said. Memories were memories, they were different from the actual experience. It was similar to watching a recording, it wasn't an experience she had shared with others. That saddened Harumi. While it might be a common subject between them, Harumi hadn't been part of it.

“That might be true”

“...”

Koutarou agreed, causing Harumi to drop her shoulders. Having Koutarou feel that way was yet another reason to be sad. Even though it was the truth, she didn't like hearing Koutarou say that Harumi was irrelevant. However, that was only half-right. Koutarou wasn't finished speaking.

“But, if something similar were to happen in the future, I'm sure you'd remember today. You would remember, me, you and Clan being lost in the woods”

”Satomi-kun...!”

Harumi raised her face and eyes. Upon seeing Koutarou's smile her disappointment vanished in an instant. An expectation of sorts resided in those eyes.

“We can just create our experiences from now on. We have more than enough time”

”Ah...”

A small breath of air escaped her lips before the lips rose to form a smile. Her eyes were filled with joy, and that overflowing joy turned into tears and streamed down her cheeks. Harumi's heart throbbed and she felt like crying out loudly.

“...Sa... Satomi-kun, Clan-san... would you help me creating experiences from now on...?”

That was Harumi pushing herself to her limit. Considering her past weak constitution, Harumi had given up on a lot of things in life. However, there was no longer any need to give up, and there were people that wished for her not to give up as well. That's why Harumi mustered her courage to take a step forward. She was sure it would be of help for Koutarou as well.

“Yes, of course, Sakuraba-senpai”

“You don't have to be so reserved, Harumi. You are one of my few friends”

”...Thank you very much, Satomi-kun, Clan-san. I am really I came to beach with all of you”

To other people it might be an ordinary step forward.

However, to Harumi it was a large step in the direction of the future.

Part 14

A first aid kit had been left behind in the hut. That said, having been left behind for decades, the only usable items were bandage, gauze and some simple medicine. Even then it was far better than nothing, and they would be very helpful to treat Clan's injuries.

“That should do it”

”Satomi-kun, you're pretty good at first aid treatment”

”I learned back in Forthorthe. It was necessary after all”

”He was terrible at remembering though”

”Ahaha, so you were the one that taught him, Clan-san”

“Sakuraba-senpai, can I leave this to you for a moment?”

”Satomi-kun?”

“I was thinking of taking a look outside”

As Koutarou said that he showed a map to Harumi and Clan. When he had been searching the hut for something useful he found this map next to the first aid kit. The map seemed to be for the area around them and if they used it well they should be able to return home without getting lost. So Koutarou decided to go take a first look at their surroundings.

“I understand. Please be careful”

”I will”

”Just don't carelessly go too far away”

”I know. Alright then, I'm off”

Koutarou grabbed the map and a flashlight and left the hut. After that the light could be seen from outside the window a few times but eventually even that couldn't be seen. Koutarou left the hut, leaving Harumi and Clan on their own.

“Since the treatment is over, I'll dim the lights a little bit”

”Yes, please do”

Harumi stood up. A flashlight had been hung down the ceiling to light up the hut and Harumi reduced the brightness of it. Since they didn't know how long the flashlight would last it would be better if they conserved the battery.

“Okay”

Done with her task, Harumi returned to Clan and sat down, facing her.

“Thank you, Harumi”

”No, it's nothing”

Silence fell between Harumi and Clan. Neither of them were used to actively talking to others and when the two were left on their own, they rarely talked. However, it wasn't like that was painful. Thanks to them often moving together because of PAF they learned that they had a lot in common and developed a mutual understanding.

“Hey, Harumi”

However, Clan broke that silence. There was something she wanted to ask Harumi. With Koutarou gone now was her chance.

“May I ask you something?”

”Sure. Go ahead”

Harumi nodded. Since Clan have always helped her out she had no reason to refuse.

“This is hard to ask, but... I will ask anyways”

Clan began speaking and adjusted her glasses.

“Harumi, do you love Koutarou?”

”...!?”

Clan's question caused Harumi's expression to freeze. However, since it was too straight of a question, Harumi found herself unable to answer as she instinctively held her breath.

“If you don't want to, you don't have to answer”

”It's not like I don't want too. I was just surprised...”

Harumi shook her head. Her long hair fluttered in the air. Looking at her silhouette in the darkened room, it was like Clan really was facing Alaia.

Harumi put her hand on her chest, took a deep breath and answered Clan's question.

“I... love Satomi-kun. Satomi-kun is strong and kind, but he also has a weak and lonely side of him... I want to warm up that part of him... that's why I...”

Harumi held back her desire to run away and asserted her feelings. She knew this was something she couldn't run away from or hold back on. Clan smiled wryly.

“Knowing that much, neither of us can back down now, Harumi”

”Could it be, you too, Clan-san?”

”Yes. While I was looking at that stupid knight who could only live an awkward life I grew attached to him. Besides, he's also one of the very few who truly understands me”

”I see...”

Learning that Clan felt the same way she did, Harumi felt relieved. While they should be rivals as women, she felt neither hostility nor a sense of danger. If anything, she felt reassured knowing she had more companions apart from Yurika.

“You seem confident, Harumi”

Clan felt like Harumi's lack of a sense of danger was a sign of confidence. However, Harumi shook her head.

“It's not confidence, if anything, I'm lacking in that”

”You mean you're not confident?”

”Yes. Satomi-kun has a very large hole in his heart. And I feel like I won't be able to fill it all up as I am still a child. That's why there needs to be more people that can pour warmth into his heart”

That was something she had talked to with Yurika in the past. The hole in Koutarou's heart ran deep and large. It wasn't something an immature woman could fill on her own. But Harumi wanted to save Koutarou right away. She wanted to fill that hole. For that sake she needed others who shared her desire.

“Harumi, you might understand Bertorion better than anyone else”

“I understood there were some special circumstances in the background from the moment a boy asked to learn how to knit. All I did after that was watch”

Harumi had learned of the hole in Koutarou's heart through the knitting society. It was hard to believe that a normal high school boy would want to knit. Especially for an athletic youth like Koutarou. Yet in reality, Koutarou was earnestly toiling away in their club activities. Harumi had always wondered why. From there, Harumi had spent a long period of time puzzling together what Koutarou had mentioned to reach a certain conclusion. Koutarou wanted to finish knitting the sweater that someone who passed away had left behind. After realizing that, Harumi had always been on Koutarou's side. Eventually she grew attracted to his earnest appearance.

“But you know this too, right Clan-san?”

Harumi's intuition told her that Clan had realized the same thing.

“Yes. I happened to be there when it happened. It's not like I figured it out on my own like you”

Clan was aware of Koutarou's circumstances because she had been with him in the world of ten years ago. There, she had touched upon Koutarou's suffering and understood his solitude.

“I believe most have reached the same conclusion or are on the verge of it”

”I'm sure they are...”

As far as Clan knew, Kiriha had without a doubt reached that conclusion. It was also very likely that Clan's rivals Theia and Ruth had as well. Harumi had also consulted Yurika about this. The remaining ones were Maki, Sanae and Shizuka, but considering their behavior up until now, it was likely they still had reached the same conclusion. That's why Clan and Harumi both assumed that all the girls of room 106 were aware of Koutarou's circumstances.

“A lot of warmth will be needed to heal Satomi-kun. We need to teach him that he can rely on the warmth of others”

”Until that's over, Bertorion won't choose anyone anyways”

”Yes”

“Haah... he really is a troublesome man”

Clan let out a sigh and dropped her shoulders. Clan was amazed at herself for falling for someone so difficult. Harumi on the other hand was smiling.

“However, on the other hand, I think it is wonderful. We can be of help to the man we love after all”

Koutarou wasn't some invincible hero. That's why Harumi and the others could stand next to him. There were things they could do for Koutarou. It wasn't a one-sided relationship where they were only being protected. They could be equals. Harumi was very happy about that.

“I'm envious that you can actually say that out loud”

”It took over a year for me to be able to though”

”I wonder if I will be able to do the same some day...”

”You will. You're a girl after all”

”You're the only who'd say that, Harumi”

“Satomi-kun says it a lot as well, doesn't he?”

”He is just playing around with me!”

”Fufufu...”

Harumi and Clan continued chatting away. The topic gradually shifted away from Koutarou and onto other things. However the contents were much deeper than before. Through their chat just now, the two were now getting along a lot more.

Part 15

When Koutarou returned to the hut, Sanae-chan was on his back. She had worried for Koutarou who wasn't coming no matter how long she waited and left her body to go look.

“Here it is... I'm back, Clan, Sakuraba-senpai”

“Ah, there you are, Harumi! Glasses! Are you okay!?”

When Koutarou entered the hut, the two stopped chatting and turned towards Koutarou and Sanae-chan.

“Welcome back, Satomi-kun, Higashihongan-san”

”I'm fine. I just twisted my ankle a little”

”I see, that's good...”

Sanae-chan had worried upon hearing from Koutarou that Clan had been hurt, but seeing Clan's safe and sound she let out a sigh of relief.

“I'm sorry for making you worry”

”It's okay, you're okay after all. But let's wait a moment before we go back. Everyone is on their way here”

Since the team following Koutarou and the others entered the goal before they did, Sanae-chan left to search for Koutarou. If Sanae-chan got serious it was an easy task to chase after Koutarou and before long she was able to find him. Using their mental link, Sanae-san let Theia and the others know that Koutarou had been found. And by now they should all be on their way to this hut.

“Clan-san, it looks like this will be resolved easier than we thought”

“This is a little different from the past Forthorthe after all”

”Fufufu”

While they might have various powers, Harumi and Clan were normal girls. They had gotten anxious from being lost in the woods. However, it was alright now and the two smiled with relief.

“By the way, Koutarou, why did this happen?”

“Well, Clan was being slow and―”

“Anyone would fall if their footing collapses!!”

”There you have it”

“Hmm”

Since Clan had said everything he wanted to, Koutarou omitted his explanation. Sanae-chan nodded satisfied, but Clan was far from satisfied.

“...I-I'll kill you... I really will kill you one day...”

”Now, now, calm down. It's true that you're slow”

”Harumi!?”

“Fufufu, I was joking”

”Gee~z, you don't have to be a bully too”

“I'm sorry, Clan-san”

With four of them gathered and the solution to their problem in sight, the atmosphere in the hut grew bright, to the point that nobody minded the dim hut. It would surely grow even brighter when the others arrived. That was the relationship Koutarou and the others had, and the way of life they had all chosen.

Share