“Let’s go to the pool tomorrow.”

The day before, shortly after winning his tenth battle in a row, Ikki made that suggestion and parted with Ayase. He wasn’t just inviting her to hang out; Ayase hadn’t noticed it yet, but her body had amassed a lot of fatigue from her consecutive days of training.

Due to her corrected stance, she was using muscles that she’d never had to use before—muscles that were untrained from the lack of use. Today, she was to rest those muscles, and Ikki knew just the training course for such a day.

“You’re coming, too, Stella?”

Waiting for Ayase at the school gate, Ikki was accompanied by Stella, who was wearing a white sundress.

“Of course I am. If I take my eyes off you, you’ll just sexually harass her again.”

“I didn’t do that.”

“Liar! You did during your training. Or is it normal for people to touch other girls’ thighs?”

“I had to do it to correct her form! It was very delicate work that I couldn’t afford to mess up. Trust me, I was so nervous that there wasn’t any room in my mind to think of doing anything bad.”

Stella had seemed unhappy the past few days. Ikki knew why, of course: he was only focusing on Ayase. At least, that’s what Stella seemed to think.

It wasn’t as though Ikki didn’t understand her feelings. No matter the reason, he would be upset if she got close to another man too. She was his girlfriend, after all.

“Hey, Stella. I really haven’t thought of her like that even once. You have to believe me when I say that. The only thing going on between us is me giving her advice as a fellow swordsman. All of us need help sometimes.”

Nobody had ever helped Ikki; the people who were supposed to have his back had stabbed him in it. He was painfully aware of how difficult it could be for someone to overcome hurdles on their own, hence he was all the more willing to help them.

“That’s the only reason I’m helping her,” he continued, “not because I’m interested in her or anything. I swear. You’re the only one I’m interested in, Stella.”

“Ikki…” Stella’s face was tinged red as she looked up at Ikki, her ruby eyes still quaking with unease.

In truth, she knew all along that Ikki didn’t feel anything for Ayase that she needed to be so apprehensive about. The boy who loved her wasn’t so frivolous. Regardless, however, she couldn’t quell her anxiety.

All that had happened between Ikki and Stella was the promise they made to each other—there was nothing to solidify it. As if hopelessly searching for something to do just that, Stella’s pale pink lips began to move, seeming to voicelessly call Ikki’s name.

That’s it! Ikki thought. If he could do something to prove that their promise was more than just empty words, she’d be able to trust him even more. I…

Like a bee to a flower, his lips were drawn to hers.

“Sorry to make you wait! I couldn’t find a swimsuit!”

“Aaah!” They both cried in shock at the voice that had interrupted them.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Ayase, the person behind that voice, asked. “You screamed like a couple being discovered on a secret rendezvous.”

How did she know?! They both broke into a cold sweat, amazed by Ayase’s exceptional deduction.

“N-N-N-Nothing’s wrong! Right, Ikki?!”

“Right! You just surprised us!”

Ayase seemed confused by their agitation. She didn’t seem to be too convinced, so Ikki quickly changed the subject and they moved to depart.

That could have ended badly. If their relationship were to be discovered, it would become a scandal thanks to Stella’s status as a princess. Not only did they have to find the right mood to show their affection, but they also had to be careful of where they showed it.

What a shame, Ikki thought, dejected. They had found the same pleasant mood that naturally arose on the night of their promise. If Ayase had come just a little bit later, they could have taken the next step.

Disappointed that he’d lost his chance, Ikki sighed inwardly.

◆◆◆

Among other facilities, Hagun Academy naturally had a pool on its enormous campus. Two of them, in fact, both over a hundred yards long. The first happened to be in the middle of a scheduled cleaning, however, and the second was reserved by Kurono Shinguuji, the school’s director and former third-place King of Knights contestant, for special training, so the three of them chose to use a heated swimming pool in a nearby gym.

Ikki, in his red and black swim trunks, was the first to finish changing. He made his way to the poolside to wait for the girls, who appeared a few minutes later.

Unsurprisingly for the easily-embarrassed and straitlaced Ayase, she wore a sporty tankini that looked suitable for both the pool and exercise. It wasn’t very glamorous, but it had a certain stylish charm that fit her well-maintained, well-proportioned swordswoman’s body.

Also unsurprisingly, Stella was much more eye-catching. Unlike the bikini she’d worn when they bathed together, this one was a black string bikini. It exposed even more skin than a normal bikini, let alone Ayase’s tankini. With every step, her ample breasts seemed ready to burst out of her top.

Moreover, even the bottom was mouth-wateringly attractive, exposing her wide hips—an unusual sight in Japan. Her shapely legs were a sight to behold too. How could she maintain such a soft, voluptuous appearance despite her muscular strength? It was mysterious even to Ikki’s well-trained eyes. Too mysterious, in fact; she must have been cheating somehow.

To top it all off, the way she walked accentuated her gorgeous looks. Stella moved like a model, like someone you’d see at Paris Fashion Week. She had probably been taught how to carry herself.

Stella’s so beautiful…

Mesmerized, Ikki let out a sigh. It wasn’t just him, though; people resting beside the pool and even some who were in the water stopped and stared, spellbound by the foreign beauty. Stella was often on television, too, so it wouldn’t have been surprising if some of the gawkers recognized her.

“Sorry for taking so long,” she told him. “Boys get ready so fast.”

Everyone’s eyes had been attracted to Stella, but they instantly shifted to Ikki, their glares stabbing into him like knives.

“What?! Those two babes are with him?!”

“No way! How’d such a plain guy get a chick like that, let alone two?!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! Japan’s short enough on girls as it is!”

“I’m gonna kill him!”

I get the feeling I’m going to “accidentally” drown while we’re here.

Ignoring the cold sweat that crept down his back, Ikki noticed Stella looking curiously over the indoor pool. He had begun to forget about it due to living with her, but she was a princess. She had probably never seen a commoners’ pool before.

Smaller than the ones at Hagun at about fifty yards long, the pool was divided into two areas by a rope: one area for swim lanes and one for recreational swimming. It was still only June, so neither area was relatively crowded.

“It’s so big,” Stella said, awestruck.

“Miss Vermillion, you’re a princess, right? Doesn’t your family have a pool this big?” Ayase didn’t understand her fascination.

“Nope. But we do have a bath about this size.”

“Wow! That’s amazing! You really are like a celebrity!”

“Well, that bath is for our servants. The family’s bath is a lot smaller. Bit of a waste of space to have a big bath for only a few people, don’t you think?”

Ikki hadn’t really thought about it before, but he realized that Stella didn’t seem to live a life very different from those of ordinary people. She had been surprised to learn that instant coffee was a real thing, but that was about it. The Vermillion Empire was small, so maybe they just lived more humbly than royalty from larger countries.

“Phew. I heard that Japanese people are packed into places like sardines a lot, so I’m glad this place isn’t super busy.”

“It’s not pool season yet, fortunately.”

“Then we can play all we want without worrying about space!” Stella cheered, revealing a beach ball.

“We’re not here to play.”

“Whaaat? Why did we come to a pool, then?”

“I’m more curious about why you came at all, Stella.”

“Ugh. I lugged this thing here for nothing!”