Chapter 4: Secret Reunion
Approximately two hours later...
“Your escort has arrived, so let’s get going soon.” Sensing Aishia’s presence, Rio called out to Miharu and Satsuki to signal their departure.
“What escort?” Satsuki tilted her head in confusion.
“I could carry the two of you by myself, but it would be easier with some help, so I called for backup. She’s on the balcony right now — I’m going to open it,” Rio said as he stood up and walked over to the balcony, opening the doors. There stood Aishia alone, wearing a black overcoat.
“...Who’s that?” Satsuki blinked blankly as Aishia came into her view.
“She’s going to help me carry you two. Her name is Aishia, and she’s a good friend of mine,” Rio said.
“Nice to meet you,” Aishia said briefly.
“N-Nice to meet you,” Satsuki replied, captivated by her appearance. She then turned to Miharu. “She’s very pretty and adorable. I’ve never seen anything like it...”
“Yes. I also thought the same when I first met her. Ai-chan is quiet, but she’s a very nice person,” Miharu happily introduced Aishia to Satsuki.
“I would love to get to know you better.” Satsuki glanced at Aishia with a smile.
“Sure,” Aishia nodded.
“What do you want to do? Either Aishia or I will be carrying you, but...” Rio glanced at Aishia as he asked Satsuki.
“Hmm. Could you carry me, Haruto? Aishia can carry Miharu,” Satsuki suggested, looking between Rio and Aishia’s.
“Sure, I’m fine with that. But are you sure you want me to do it?”
“Yup. Miharu gets nervous when she’s around boys, you know? She’d have to cling to you to be carried, but I don’t really mind that kind of stuff. Is that okay with you, Miharu?” Satsuki answered Rio with a laugh, before looking at Miharu.
Miharu nodded after a slight pause. “...Y-Yes, of course. I’m counting on you, Ai-chan.”
“Sure.” Aishia nodded too.
“Then that’s decided. There’s nothing I need to bring, so I’m ready to go anytime,” Satsuki said, walking over to the balcony where Rio and Aishia stood.
“Then I’m going to carry you, now,” Rio said, standing in front of Satsuki.
“Yes, please do,” Satsuki nodded softly.
“If you don’t mind, then...” Rio said, picking Satsuki up in a bridal carry.
“Ah...” Satsuki flinched in surprise at how easily she was lifted up.
“We’re going to fly like this — will you be okay?” Rio asked calmly.
“Y-Yeah. I’m fine, but am I too heavy?” said unsteadily.
“...No, of course not. You’re light,” Rio said with a chuckle, eyes widening. He was surprised at the contrast between the impression he had of her as an articulate and clear-headed woman compared to the girly, innocent side before him.
“Hmph, why are you laughing? I know I said don’t mind this kind of thing, but you don’t really get carried like this at this age, so it’s like... it’s just more embarrassing than I thought it would be!” Satsuki protested with scornful eyes.
“I’m sorry. With my physical body enhanced, it’s easier to carry you this way than piggyback. I can hold onto you properly, so it’s safer,” Rio started explaining, but Satsuki objected to Rio as she pouted her lips.
“I-I know that. It’s not like I was feeling conscious of being like this with you or anything!”
“Okay.” Rio nodded as he broke into a small smile. Meanwhile, Miharu had also been lifted by Aishia and was watching Rio and Satsuki’s exchange closely.
“We’re ready as well,” Aishia declared.
“Let’s go, then. Please hold on tight.” Rio kicked off the balcony floor with a stomp, and his body rose elegantly into the pitch-black sky.
“Uh...” Satsuki instinctively tightened her grip around Rio at the floating sensation she felt.
Am I actually flying? What... What is this? I’m floating? She tried to objectively analyze the gravity-defying phenomenon. However, it wasn’t long until she stopped caring about it entirely. The higher they rose, the smaller the castle below her became, until her vision was filled with nothing but the starry sky.
“Wow! You’re kidding me! It’s so pretty!” Satsuki exclaimed in awe in spite of herself. Her voice could no longer reach the castle below her. “Hey, how amazing is this? Whoa! Look, Haruto! Miharu!” she called out with sparkling eyes. Miharu, flying nearby in Aishia’s arms, watched Satsuki with a smile.
“I’m glad you’re having fun,” Rio said with a smile.
“Yeah, so much fun! I’ve never seen the moon and stars so up close before! I didn’t know they could be so beautiful in this world too. Did you know?” Satsuki asked Rio, beaming innocently at him.
“I did know. Well, I’m not really conscious of it when I’m flying alone, though. I think it’s very pretty today,” Rio replied to his excited passenger with a faint smile.
“I see, so you knew already. Haha, I guess that’s true. You can fly in the sky any time you want. But you’re especially noticing it today, right? Right?” Satsuki accepted his response, laughing happily. She would have been a little sad to hear that she was the only one enjoying the beautiful night sky.
“Are you cold?” Rio asked Satsuki.
“Umm, just a little. There isn’t much air resistance considering how fast we’re flying, so it’s a lot better than being hit directly by the wind...” It was currently summer in the Strahl region, but it cooled down more at night in comparison to Japan. Not to mention, being high in the air made it all the more chilly. Satsuki hadn’t changed into her pajamas, so she was still in her day clothes, but a jacket would’ve been nice.
“I’ll hurry to our meeting place, so please bear with it for a little longer.”
“Yes, please make it an express ride! Ah, it’s so cold.” Satsuki nodded cheerfully and held on tighter to Rio, most likely trying to leech his warmth.
“I’m amazed at Satsuki. She’s already bonded so much with Haruto...” Miharu muttered enviously, at the same time watching Satsuki with a look of admiration.
“You’re doing your best too, Miharu. You’ve been trying to approach Haruto by yourself,” Aishia said to Miharu quietly.
“Do you think so?” Miharu tilted her head a bit doubtfully.
“Yup. You should remain the way you are. Haruto understands your feelings perfectly.” Aishia nodded, then followed after Rio as he quickened his pace a bit.
Several minutes later, the group had flown entirely out of the capital, heading towards a rocky area off the main road. There were no lights, nor any signs of people below them.
“...Hey, how far are we going?” Satsuki asked Rio timidly, feeling slightly spooked.
“We’ve just arrived. I’m going to go down,” Rio said with a huff of laughter, beginning his descent.
“Arrived where? ...Wait, is that it?” Satsuki strained her eyes and looked down, but she couldn’t see very far because the ground was enveloped in darkness. However, she noticed that a faint light had turned on in the darkness.
“Did you notice something?” Rio, slightly wide-eyed, asked Satsuki.
“Yeah. The light of magic essence...”
“I’ve put up a sorcery barrier where we’re about to land. It has a weaker effect from above, but even then, only humans who can detect magic essence can notice the barrier. I guess you’re able to see magic essence.”
“...Yes. I can see it. I’ve heard that the people of this world are typically unable to see it, though,” Satsuki said, staring at Rio’s face in interest.
“This isn’t known among the general public, but you can learn to see it with some special training. Though in your case, it’s probably an effect of the divine arms’ power,” Rio guessed.
“I know I’m not one to speak, being a hero and all, but you’re a pretty extreme oddity,” Satsuki said to Rio with a wry smile. Rio grinned along with her.
Rio touched the surface of the barrier — immediately after, two voices called out for Satsuki. They belonged to, of course, Aki and Masato. Inside the barrier, the residents of the rock house had all lined up in anticipation of their arrival.
Furthermore, Orphia had created a ball of light to levitate in the air, illuminating the inside of the barrier in a way that was invisible to the outside.
“Aki! Masato!” As soon as Satsuki spotted Aki and Masato’s faces, she called their names with a bright grin. Aishia also entered the barrier carrying Miharu, and Rio landed in front of Aki.
“I’m glad that you two seem to be doing well!” Satsuki exclaimed happily.
“You too, Satsuki!”
“I’m so happy you’re okay!”
Masato and Aki ran over to Rio, delighted to be reunited with Satsuki after a long time of being apart.
“Yes, thanks to Rio. I wanted to see you two so much, I asked him to bring me here!”
“I missed you too!” Aki said happily.
Meanwhile, standing a slight distance away was Celia, Sara, Orphia, Alma, and Latifa, all staring at Satsuki with interest; she’d also noticed their presence.
Oh, wow. Aishia was already unbelievably adorable, but these other girls are all something else, aren’t they?? I’d heard he was living together with girls, but with girls like these... Is Haruto collecting pretty faces? Satsuki directed her gaze at the lineup with interest, then looked up at Rio’s face with scornful eyes.
“Umm, yes?” Rio tilted his head in a slightly worried manner.
“...No, it’s nothing.” Satsuki shook her head hesitantly before realizing she was still being bridal carried. She blushed. “Wait, how much longer are you going to carry me for?”
“Umm, I’d love to let you down, but I need you to let go of me first,” Rio said with an amused smile.
“O-Oh, I’m s-sorry!” Satsuki realized she was the one holding onto Rio and released his clothes in a fluster.
“OK, I’m going to let you down, then.” Rio gently placed Satsuki on the ground. Aki and Masato laughed in amusement, watching Satsuki.
“W-What are you laughing at, you two?” Satsuki asked them, blushing in embarrassment.
“Hmph, I’m sensing the arrival of yet another formidable rival,” Latifa muttered, puffing her cheeks up adorably.
“Well, since it’s Rio we’re talking about, it can’t be helped.” Celia pouted her lips a little before giggling softly.
Rio introduced Celia and the others to Satsuki. Celia, Sara, Orphia, and Alma introduced themselves to Satsuki in order, leaving only Latifa.
Incidentally, because of the limited time they had at the stone house, they cut the extra explanations: Celia used her alias, Cecilia, and the others introduced themselves using artifacts to hide their true species.
“I’m Latifa, Onii-chan’s adopted sister,” Latifa said, concisely, to Satsuki.
“Haruto, you have an adopted sister?” Satsuki’s eyes widened slightly.
“Yes. I’m very proud of her. Although I wanted to introduce everyone in more detail, our time tonight is limited. Let’s go inside. The four of you from Earth should spend some time talking,” Rio said, inviting Satsuki into the house.
Satsuki nodded cheerfully, before tilting her head in confusion. “Yeah... Wait, house?” As far as she could see, there was nothing but boulders before her eyes — both inside and outside the barrier.
“It might be hard to tell, but this boulder is a house. The entrance is over there,” Rio explained, looking up at the stone house beside them.
“Oh, I see it now. I thought it was just an oddly large boulder...” When Satsuki spotted the entrance, her eyes widened in wonder. Upon closer inspection, there were window-like sections and benches and ladders placed here and there, showing the area was lived in.
“This way.” Rio guided Satsuki towards the entrance, but Latifa walked there first and opened the wooden door ahead of them.
“Here you go!” Latifa brightly invited Satsuki inside.
“Thanks, Latifa,” Rio and Satsuki said, then one at a time they went inside. Everyone else followed after them.
“Could you please take off your shoes? The shoe box is right over there,” Rio said to Satsuki. Before them was a huge living room.
Incidentally, while the interior looked nothing like Japanese-style architecture, because Rio was the owner of the house and a former Japanese person, everyone made sure to remove their shoes inside. Thanks to that, the inside of the house was clean enough to relax anywhere.
“Wow, it actually functions as a house. It looks even more comfortable than my rooms at the castle... it makes me want to lay on the floor and relax.” Satsuki stood frozen at the entrance, staring at the living room in awe.
“I know, right? I’m living here more comfortably than I was in Japan. Though we don’t have any electronic appliances here,” Masato said earnestly, standing behind Satsuki.
“Oh, wow. I see.” A slightly strained smile appeared on Satsuki’s face.
“Aki, can you show Satsuki to my room? I’m going to go prepare some tea.” Miharu instructed Aki before heading to the kitchen.
“I can prepare the tea, Miharu, so you should go talk with Satsuki, since you have to return in the morning,” Orphia urged.
“...Okay, thank you, Orphia. Follow me then, Satsuki.” Miharu started showing Satsuki the way to her room with Aki and Masato. Rio and the others were left in the living room, and Orphia headed to the kitchen to make tea.
“Professor, there’s something I want to talk to you about. Could we discuss it in my room?” Rio asked Celia.
Celia paused for a second, but replied with a nod. “...Yes, of course. I have something I wanted to discuss too.”
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Once they’d moved to Rio’s room, Celia sat down on the chair that he’d offered to her.
“It’s about the banquet. I heard some information regarding the Beltrum Kingdom, so I wanted you to be aware, just in case.”
“Really?” Celia’s eyes widened quite a bit.
“Yes. You already know that the hero of Duke Huguenot’s faction will be attending, but it seems like the main hero from Beltrum Kingdom will be there too. In other words, the government of the Beltrum Kingdom may come face-to-face with Duke Huguenot’s faction at the banquet.”
“...The current Beltrum Kingdom has been keeping a distance from the Galarc Kingdom, but they aren’t very peaceful with each other. Could they possibly have an underlying diplomatic motive?”
“That, or something could’ve happened within the kingdom itself. Even if that weren’t the case, the heroes from Galarc, Centostella, and Duke Huguenot’s faction will all be in attendance, so there’s the possibility of some kind of military ploy,” Rio explained, listing all the plausible options.
“Something could’ve happened after I ran away. ...No, something could’ve happened because I ran from the wedding. Duke Arbor’s family must’ve lost their honor entirely, making it difficult to control the dissatisfied nobles, or something like that?” Celia’s face clouded with regret as she considered that she might be to blame for causing the drama.
“Even if something did happen, it wasn’t your fault. That is, even if the suspension of your wedding had impacted domestic affairs,” Rio stated firmly.
“Rio...” Celia bit her lip as an indescribable pain ran through her chest.
“If there’s anything you wish to do, please tell me. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me. I’ll make it happen. I took you away from there for this purpose. So please — don’t forget the decision you made at the wedding. Please rely on me.” Rio looked Celia dead in the eye. Before Celia knew it, the pain in her chest had disappeared, replaced with the intense throbbing of her heartbeat.
“O-Okay. Thank you. Right, I remember now. What I felt back then...” Celia smiled bashfully, her cheeks blushing faintly.
I don’t want to cause Rio any trouble. But I’m allowed to, right? I can rely on him, right? She stared right back into Rio’s face.
“Umm, Rio. I... I want to go back home to see my father. That’s why...” Celia mustered up her courage to speak frankly.
“Of course — I’ll accompany you. It will have to be after the banquet ends and everything with Miharu has settled, though...” Rio offered immediately.
“Geez, you’re always so quick to respond. ...But, I’m happy. Thank you. Of course I’m fine with that. Thank you for taking care of me, Rio.” Celia laughed shyly, bowing her head.
Meanwhile, in Miharu’s room, Satsuki was happily spending time together with Miharu, Aki, and Masato. Miharu and Satsuki were sitting down on the bed together, while Aki and Masato sat on chairs.
“When Miharu was put in a different carriage, I honestly thought we were doomed. Aki even started crying,” Masato said, recounting the events that happened right after they wandered into this world.
“W-What?! T-That’s not true!” Aki shouted, embarrassed, in a fluster.
“Liar. You were a mess — throwing a tantrum and wailing like a baby.”
“I said I wasn’t! Anyway, you were so scared, you couldn’t even do anything!”
“Ah, well... I was unarmed back then.”
Masato and Aki were bantering with each other over nothing, like usual. Normally, this would have led into a light siblings’ quarrel, but...
“Heh... hehe... ahaha!” Satsuki started laughing, which made Aki and Masato stop arguing.
“Umm, Satsuki?” Miharu cocked her head.
“Ah, it’s just so funny. Sorry for laughing so suddenly.”
“I mean, it’s fine. What was so funny, though?” Masato asked in confusion.
“It just reminded me of the way you two teased each other when we were still in Japan. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it, I lost my cool for a sec. It was very healing. Aki, Masato... I’m so glad you two are doing well,” Satsuki said.
“Ah, I see.” Masato smiled bashfully.
“Ahaha, normally Takahisa or Miharu would’ve stopped us before it got too heated, though,” Aki said with a sad look, remembering her brother.
“...I still don’t know where Takahisa is, either.” Sensing the change in Aki, Satsuki also spoke with a gloomy look. She had predicted the possibility of him being the hero of Centostella, but she wasn’t certain.
“Right...” Aki bit down on her lip and nodded. Although she already knew that from when Aishia came to inform them of the visit, hearing it again made her heart feel heavy.
“I’ll notify you two as soon as we receive any confirmed information regarding Takahisa. There’s just one thing I want to ask, though. What will you do if he’s discovered?” Satsuki asked. Miharu’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I want to see him, obviously!” Aki replied fiercely.
“Same with you, Masato?” Satsuki checked.
“Well, yeah. If we’re both alive, I’d want to see him,” Masato replied a bit shyly.
“Would you feel the same way even if he belonged to another kingdom as its hero?” Satsuki pressed.
“...Yes.”
“Yeah, I have lots I want to tell him anyways.” Aki and Masato nodded their heads.
“What are you planning to do after you see Takahisa, then? Haruto is taking care of you at the moment, but would you let Takahisa’s kingdom take care of you instead? Of course, if it seems like Galarc Kingdom will treat you well too, you could stay here... Or asking Haruto to keep taking care of you is another choice...” Satsuki asked, digging deeper with her line of questioning.
“We did talk a lot about that before coming here, but...” Aki started somewhat hesitantly.
“You haven’t made a decision yet?”
“...Yeah.”
“I think you understand already, right? That not everyone’s decision may be the same,” Satsuki guessed. Aki’s expression stiffened as if she had hit the nail on the head.
“Well, we had a vague idea it could happen, so we were mindful not to delve too deep into the topic,” Masato said, scratching his head uncomfortably.
Although Rio had been taking care of them until now, there was the possibility they would each live separately from now on, depending on the choices they made.
“It’s fine with me as long as you understand it. Really, I’m probably interfering too much. You’ll know the answer when the time comes, so let’s discuss it when we’re all together,” Satsuki grinned, shrugging her shoulders rather excessively as she looked at Miharu.
“...Okay.” Miharu looked back at Satsuki and nodded apologetically. Meanwhile, Aki was watching Miharu somewhat anxiously.
“Hmm... The topic got all serious, so I’m kind of tired now. We were finally able to reunite with this limited time, so we should use it to talk about more fun topics. Oh, that’s right! Tell me more about this house. It seemed pretty big, so I’d love to have a tour.” Satsuki smiled brightly and changed the topic.
“Hmm... There are a lot of rooms similar to this one, but it might be worth having a look at the gigantic bed in Haruto’s room. I’ve never seen a bed that big before in Japan,” Masato said.
“Wow, so he sleeps in such a big bed all alone?” Satsuki’s eyes widened.
“Well, not really. Latifa and Aishia sleep with him sometimes, which occasionally causes a bit of a commotion...” Aki broke into an amused grin, reminded of those times.
“Wait, he sleeps together with his little sister and Aishia?!” Satsuki exclaimed in surprise.
“The two of them sneak into his bed while he’s sleeping. Cecilia and Sara often find them and scold them about it,” Aki explained with a hint of a wry smile.
“Oh, I see... Well, you can show me that bed later. Are there any other interesting places you can tell me about?” Satsuki grinned happily, having landed upon an interesting piece of information.
“Hmm... The only other place I can think of is the bathtub,” Masato said, cocking his head.
“How nice — a bathtub! I’d love to stretch my arms and legs and take a long, warm bath. The castle has a splendid bathtub too, but the soaps aren’t anything to write home about, and there aren’t any bathtubs like the ones you would see in Japan...” Satsuki’s face lit up as she longingly spoke of Japanese-style bathtubs.
“Do you want to ask Haruto if you can take a bath here, then? We have a bathtub made of stone and a wooden tub as well,” Aki offered.
“Oh, that sounds nice. The perfect combination,” Satsuki responded enthusiastically, her smile pure.
“We also have a nice collection of soaps, so I’m sure you’ll like it,” Miharu added.
“I look forward to seeing that! Wait. Wait, what?! I let my guard down and just went along with the conversation, but... what?! Y-You have one in this house? Really? A Japanese-style bath?” Satsuki had been smiling broadly before she noticed something odd with the conversation. She gasped at Miharu.
“Yes, although it’s more like a hot spring than a Japanese-style bath.” Miharu laughed in amusement.
At that, a fire ignited in Satsuki’s eyes. “Oh my god, a hot spring?” she gulped.
Meanwhile, Rio finished speaking with Celia and returned to the living room. Aishia, Latifa, Sara, Orphia, and Alma were gathered there as well.
“Welcome back, Onii-chan! Did you finish talking? Come — sit down, sit down!” Latifa immediately called Rio to the spot on the sofa between her and Aishia. Aishia shifted to the side, as if reading Latifa’s mind, creating a space for Rio to fit between them.
“Oh, thanks.” Rio sat in the space between them as though this was a natural occurrence. On the other hand, Celia reluctantly lowered herself into the empty one-seater sofa.
“Onii-chan energy — recharge!” Latifa announced, immediately clinging to Rio’s right side.
“Hmph.” The other girls looked bitter, as if they wanted to say something, but it was a little sister’s right to be doted on by her brother, after all.
“Ehehe!” Latifa beamed in satisfaction, enjoying Rio’s attention.
Meanwhile, Aishia didn’t attach herself to Rio as closely as Latifa had, but leaned in enough to toe the line of Celia giving a warning. At times like this, Aishia and Latifa were the only ones that could get this close to Rio, making them extremely formidable.
“Umm, why’s everyone so quiet?” Rio asked, noticing that he was being stared at by Celia, Sara, Orphia and Alma.
Celia sighed in exasperation. “Huh? Isn’t it because we just arrived? What were you guys talking about before?” she asked Sara.
“We were talking about Miharu’s friend, Satsuki. Just wondering what kind of person she is,” Sara answered with a faint smile. At that very moment, the door to Miharu’s room opened to reveal Miharu and Satsuki.
Satsuki’s eyes widened when she spotted Rio sandwiched between Aishia and Latifa, but she called out to him with a grin. “...Hey, Haruto. I have a favor I’d like to ask.” Beside her, Miharu was also giggling in amusement.
“Yes, what is it?” Rio stiffened, feeling a strange presence coming from Satsuki.
“Umm, I’d like to use the bathtub. Is that okay?” Satsuki said with a completely serious expression, clasping her hands together as she pleaded.
“S-Sure. Feel free to help yourself.” The anticlimactic answer drained the strength in Rio’s shoulders, making him agree in relief.
“Really? You’re sure? Thank you!” Satsuki laughed happily.
“It’s just a bathtub — I don’t mind if you use it,” Rio said in amusement, lips turning upwards into a smile.
“What are you saying! When you want to use someone else’s bathtub, it’s only polite to ask the owner of the house for their approval,” Satsuki said, as though she were pointing out the obvious.
“When we told her about the bathtub in this house, Satsuki leaped out the door saying she’d ask you herself,” Miharu giggled.
“That just shows how important that information was to me, gosh.” Satsuki’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment.
“In that case, please ask Miharu about how to use the bathroom,” Rio said.
“Yup. Also, would anyone else like to join us? I’d love to have the chance to talk to everyone.” Satsuki nodded eagerly, turning to address the group of women.
“Us too?” Sara muttered, exchanging a look with Celia and the others.
“Please go enjoy yourselves,” Rio urged them. “Masato and I will wait out here.”
“Ahaha, I should have known... Right...” Masato seemed a little disappointed, laughing bitterly.
“What, did you want to join us too?” Aki shot Masato a dull look, sighing tiredly.
Masato’s face flushed. “N-No! Just go already!”
“It’s so spacious...” Satsuki opened the door to the bathroom and froze in astonishment. The changing room was already large to begin with, and she had nearly yelled “is this a holiday inn?!” when she saw the curtain hanging over the entrance, but none of that could compare to this.
This was definitely a holiday inn. Seeing the bare rock surfaces, artifact-powered bubbling water, and steam filling the entire room had her heart pounding in elation she couldn’t hold back.
“Apparently the water is made through sorcery, but isn’t it just like a hot spring?” Miharu said to Satsuki with a smile, her naked body hidden behind a towel.
“Yeah, this is the best...” Satsuki replied in a daze.
“Come this way — I’ll explain the different soaps and how to use the water.”
“Please do!” Satsuki followed Miharu to the washing area. While it was a little bit cramped with this many people using it all at once, they took turns and compromised with each other’s time. They formed pairs of Miharu and Satsuki, Celia and Latifa, Sara and Alma, and Aishia and Orphia, each helping wash the other’s back.
“Oh, it smells wonderful. If only the bath at the castle had this soap... There’s only a limited amount of hot water, too. Now it feels weird to wonder how a house like this was built in a rocky area in the middle of nowhere.” Satsuki was spellbound by the soap bubbles enveloping her body and sighed at the inadequacy of the castle’s facilities.
“Ahaha, the bathing facilities at the royal castle are meant to be the best in the Strahl region, but once you’ve experienced this house’s bathroom...” Celia said with a smile of exasperation, washing Latifa’s hair beside them.
“Onii-chan made all the soaps in the bathroom, you know!” Latifa added. For the record, Celia’s hair color was still being altered and Latifa still had the accessory-shaped magic artifact to hide her ears and tail.
“I’m shocked... I heard he could cook as well. What can’t Haruto do?” Satsuki said, her eyes widening.
“That’s right, he’s good at pouring tea too. Miharu and Orphia are good as well, so we always have great tea in this house. Snacks, too, of course,” Celia said happily.
“Miharu and Orphia are the ones in charge of making snacks, though. The scones and jam they made last time were something else.” Latifa started drooling at the memory of the taste.
“The more I listen, the more this house sounds like a better place to live in than the castle...” Satsuki said with a small sigh, showing a hint of a bitter smile.
“What’s life normally like living at the castle?” Miharu asked in curiosity, washing the water from Satsuki’s back.
“Well, it’s boring. I wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, study things about this world, eat lunch, exercise a bit to help digestion, study, exercise... By the time I stop, it’s nighttime and another day is over, I guess?” Satsuki described with a dry smile.
“I thought you would’ve interacted with the king and other nobility more, being a hero.” Miharu was a little surprised.
“That was partly out of my own request to be treated as an open secret until the reveal at the banquet, so I haven’t met any nobles yet. Well, I do see the royalty a lot instead, though. You met Michel and Char, right? There are other royals too, but I see those two the most often.”
“Princess Charlotte seemed like a very friendly and carefree person. You’re close to her too, right?”
“Yup. Well, I suppose she’s one of the few friends I’ve made in this world so far. She may seem friendly, but you can’t let your guard down around her.”
“Has it been hard after all? The king seemed like he treated you well, but...” Miharu asked worriedly.
“Yeah, well enough. Outwardly, he’s so nice it’s almost scary, but that’s probably because I have value to him. I let him be nice because I wouldn’t be able to live comfortably otherwise, so in a way, we’re using each other. But I’ve become suspicious that there’s something behind every move he makes, so my biggest worry is my own mental fatigue.” Satsuki smiled in a way that showed exactly that.
That’s why I’d honestly prefer living with Aki and Masato — and, if possible, Miharu — not in a place like that. That’s what I truly feel, but I suppose it won’t work out that way... she thought, sighing quietly.
“If I were to give you advice as the eldest of this house, it would be to make one friend that you can trust from the bottom of your heart — someone you can tell anything to,” Celia said, seeing that she had experience being born and raised in noble society.
“Eh?” Satsuki looked extremely confused.
“...H-Huh? Did I say something weird?” Celia replayed her last words over in her head, wondering if she had said the wrong thing.
“N-No, that’s not it... Umm, this may be impolite of me, but may I ask how old you are, Cecilia? You just said you were the eldest...”
“Umm... T-Twenty-one...” Celia stated in embarrassment.
“...EEEEH?!” Satsuki yelled in great amazement. That attracted the attention of Aki and Sara’s group, who were talking amongst themselves elsewhere.
“N-No way, you don’t look it at all! There’s just no way! I honestly thought you were somewhere between Aki and Miharu in age! Ah, s-sorry, I didn’t mean to yell so loudly!” Satsuki explained her surprise and apologized to Aki and Sara.
“Ahaha, thank you. Being told that by the hero gives me confidence.” Celia laughed in amusement.
“I’m the one losing confidence here. Cecilia’s so beautiful and young.” Satsuki exhaled, looking over Celia’s body.
“I have the body of a child, so it’s embarrassing when people stare...” Celia paused in washing Latifa’s hair and shyly hid her body with her hands.
“Don’t say that. Let me see your hands...” Satsuki grasped Celia’s hands and inspected them up close. “See, your skin is so clear and white like snow, it makes me envious as another woman! I wish I were like that!”
“That’s thanks to the soap in this house, I think? Miharu and Latifa look the same, and I’m not as pretty as the other people in this house,” Celia said, placing emphasis on the effect of the various soaps Rio made.
“No no, everyone in this house is unbelievably cute, but you’re also included in that count, you know?” Satsuki said to Celia in disbelief.
“N-No way, I don’t think that’s true at all. If you want, you can check Miharu’s skin for yourself. Her skin’s super soft,” Celia said.
“...Huh?” Miharu paused in washing Satsuki’s back, looking like a deer in headlights.
“It’s time to check Miharu’s skin, then!” Satsuki whipped around and swiftly made her way behind Miharu.
“Y-You’re fast! Wait, what? S-Satsuki?! W-Where are you touching — kyah?!” Miharu flinched out of her skin.
“Wow, this certainly is something...” Satsuki excitedly moved both her hands, groping Miharu’s body with a gentle touch.
“T-That tickles. Please don’t s-squeeze either!” Miharu squirmed, cheeks turning bright red.
“Now now, the bubbles make everything more slippery, so don’t thrash around and just show me. You’ve grown so much in the time we’ve been apart.” A flame had been lit in Satsuki’s mischievous heart, spurring on her teasing. It seemed to help release the stress she had suppressed since coming to this world, as her smile was truly vibrant.
After that, though it was only for ten seconds or so, their squabble continued until Satsuki was satisfied for the time being and went about washing Miharu’s back. “Ah, that was fun. Thanks, Miharu.”
“Geez. You can be so mean sometimes, Satsuki.” Miharu stopped resisting and turned in her seat to look up at Satsuki with a rare pout.
“Ahaha, I’m sorry. It’s been so long since the last time I saw you... I just had to have some skin-to-skin contact with you. Which means it’s Aki’s turn next, yes?” Satsuki said, turning to look at Aki, who had been watching their exchange.
“I-I’m fine as is!” Aki covered her body with both hands, shaking her head in a fluster.
“Ahaha, I see. That’s too bad,” Satsuki giggled.
“You’re exactly the person that Miharu and the others described to us, Satsuki.” Celia smiled with a giggle.
“Really? Hmm, I wonder what kind of things they said.” Satsuki grinned, whispering into Miharu’s ear.
“I-I didn’t say anything weird!” Miharu clarified in a fluster.
“It’s okay, I know. Anyway, Haruto and Masato must be two happy people. Being able to live here surrounded by so many cute girls,” Satsuki said, turning around to look around at all the girls in the bathroom.
“Ahaha, it’s a house full of women, so we might actually be causing them more mental exhaustion than anything,” Celia said with a faint smile.
“Maybe for Haruto, but you don’t need to say anything nice about Masato. He’s weak to older, beautiful women,” Aki said with a sigh.
“That’s boys for you. It can’t be helped. And aren’t women weak to handsome men too? Men like Haruto.” Satsuki giggled as she brought up Rio as an example, making some of the girls flinch. A fair number of them did, actually.
Hmm. Haruto said there was nothing romantic going on at all in this house, but could he be... No, he’s very clearly thickheaded, isn’t he? Satsuki thought to herself.
After their bath, Satsuki and the others continued their conversations until it was finally time for Satsuki to return to her room at the castle. All of the occupants of the house gathered out front to send Rio, Miharu, Satsuki, and Aishia off.
“I’m so sorry for intruding and making such a fuss in the middle of the night. But I’m honestly so glad to have met everyone. Thank you very much,” Satsuki said in parting, facing the residents of the stone house and bowing her head deeply.
“Come again anytime, Satsuki!” Latifa called out. She had grown a lot closer to Satsuki in the short time they had spent together.
“Yes. Let’s all take a bath together again,” Celia said cheerfully.
“Hopefully we’ll have more time to talk next time,” Sara added.
“Next time, we’ll have a meal prepared!”
“It’ll probably require sneaking out at night like today, so that would be bad for the figure... Well, maybe something light would be fine,” Orphia and Alma added.
“Please do! If there’s another chance, I’d love to visit again! I’ll be relying on you two to make it happen again, Haruto and Aishia,” Satsuki replied happily, then shot a teasing wink at Rio and the others.
Afterward, Rio and Aishia returned Miharu and Satsuki to the tower of the castle, entering Satsuki’s chambers through the balcony. Incidentally, Aishia made as though she was returning to the stone house when she returned to Rio in her spirit form.
However, dawn was already upon them, and sleeping right now would make it quite difficult to get up when it was time to be woken up, so Satsuki used her quick wit. There were guards in the passage outside her quarters, so she informed them that she’d stayed up too late that night, and that she wanted to sleep until midday in preparation for the banquet. Having secured enough time to sleep, Satsuki, Miharu, and Rio retreated to their rooms.
“Good night then, Haruto.”
“Good night, Haruto.”
Satsuki and Miharu headed for the same bedroom.
“Yes, good night.” Rio headed for another bedroom alone and sat down on the bed. He proceeded to take off his shoes and flop backwards.
Today was a little tiring... though that’s to be expected, Rio thought vaguely.
“Haruto.” Aishia suddenly appeared in her material form before Rio.
“Thanks for today, Aishia. You must be tired too — you should get some rest.” Rio wasn’t particularly surprised, replying as though he expected Aishia to be there.
“I have something to say,” Aishia said, revealing the reason for her sudden materialization.
“What is it?” Rio cocked his head and asked, as though he expected something when she had gone out of her way to appear.
“It’s about Miharu.”
“...Go on,” Rio said slowly.
“Will you tell her? About being Haruto,” Aishia asked bluntly.
“I guess you saw through me after all, huh? That’s right — she’s met up with Satsuki again, so I think it’s about time to do it. I’ll tell them about how, at worst, they might not be able to return to Earth, and everything about me. I can’t stay silent about it forever,” Rio said, looking gloomy in self-depreciation.
“Miharu wants to be with you, Haruto.”
“Miharu wants to stay with everyone, not me.”
“But you’re definitely included in that,” Aishia said smoothly.
“If so... I’d be happy... But...” Rio said sadly, a conflicted expression on his face.
“Do you think you’re not allowed to be with Miharu?” Aishia read what Rio was about to say and said it first.
“...I’m trying to enact revenge. Anyone too close to me may get dragged into it. It’d be best to have her live somewhere safe, no?” Rio said guiltily, as though he was giving an excuse.
“Don’t you want to keep Miharu with you as well? Don’t you want her by your side?”
“I can’t turn back anymore. That’s why I can’t get too deeply involved with Miharu,” Rio replied, neither confirming nor denying her statements.
“Miharu said she wanted to stay with you, Haruto.”
“That’s because Miharu doesn’t know my true self yet. I’m not the Amakawa Haruto Miharu knows right now.”
“Haruto is Haruto. Even with your previous life as Haruto mixed into your current personality, you’ve inherited the essence of that Haruto,” Aishia said encouragingly.
“Thanks, Aishia,” he said with relief in his expression.
Aishia walked up to Rio and gently placed her hand against his cheek. “When you tell Miharu the truth, make sure you listen to her words properly. The same for everyone else. Even if you’re scared, you can’t run. Listen to what they say to you carefully.”
“...All right.” Rio gave an anxious smile and nodded his head slowly.
“Then all that’s left is for you to tell Miharu and everyone else the truth,” said Aishia.
“...Either during the banquet, or afterward. If there’s a chance, I intend on telling her. There’s a lot of things I need to do, but once everything’s settled, I’m going to start searching for that man seriously,” Rio said a little hesitantly, before taking a deep breath, as if in resolve.
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