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So basically Ryugu Place was a luxury hotel at a resort that was staffed with mermaids who would see to our every need... Space really is something.

“The turtlebus to Ryugu Palace will be stopping at the D-1 beach in 30 minutes, so please board it then. We’ll go on ahead and get your rooms ready. I’ll send a guide to the gate, so feel free to take your time when you get there.”

Rain and Marle bowed to me one more time, then disappeared beneath the waves. Iris and I went back to the beach umbrella where we were promptly met with a barrage of questions about where we’d been. It took some time to explain the situation, but then we all took a short warp to beach D-1.

“This is the turtlebus?” whispered Satsuki.

“It’s alive, isn’t it?” whispered Hibiki in turn.

Just as the girls observed, the turtlebus was literally a giant turtle. We climbed up the stairs attached to its shell and went inside. To our surprise, the inside of the shell was empty except for seats for people to use. There were even windows. And the water on Berano was so clear, I got to see all kinds of beautiful fish I’d never seen before on the way to town.

“Look, Tetra! That red fish is so cute!” squealed Tsumiki in excitement.

“You’re right. And that clear one is... a jellyfish?” asked Tetra.

“You don’t think it’s a sea angel? It’s awfully big, though. Wah! That octopus thing’s got like 50 arms! Think of all the takoyaki you could make with that thing!”

“If we get one, I’d be willing to find out. That is, as long as your only job is to put the sauce on them.”

“...Sometimes you’re really harsh, Tetra.”

“It’s out of love.”

Tsumiki and Tetra, the Nozomiya duo, spent most of the trip staring out the window of the turtlebus and chatting away happily. All the other girls were doing the same, except for Rosalind, who looked miserable.

“Ugh... This reminds me of sinking into the sea.”

“Mistress, I have some seasickness medication here.”

“That won’t help!”

Oh, right... Rosalind didn’t like the ocean. But she didn’t seem to like strong sunlight either, so why’d she want to come to a planet like this anyway? I remembered her saying something about not letting the other girls get the drop on her...

“Poor little Rosalind looks like she’s about to cry, doesn’t she?” R said. She’d switched back into her usual military outfit. The only time she’d wear a swimsuit, she said, was when everyone else was.

After a bit more time in the turtle, we reached the ocean floor and the entrance to Ryugu Palace City.

“You know, I probably should’ve asked this before now, but is there oxygen and stuff down here?” I asked.

“Of course. The whole town’s in a translucent dome that can withstand the water pressure, and there are machines that produce oxygen, so you can breathe just like you normally would on land. The tourists wouldn’t feel safe otherwise,” Iris explained.

“I guess that makes sense. But, man, space technology must really be amazing if it can make something like this.”

“I guess so. Berano’s sovereign planet, Estashion, is a major technological hub like Finerita is. It looks like they offered a lot of training and support to advance Berano’s transformation into a resort.”

“Huh. Estashion must be a nice place if they’re so helpful,” I said.

“I dunno if it was all out of the goodness of their hearts.” Iris gave me a vague nod, but she had a weird look on her face.

“Actually, Iris, your family’s pretty important, right? How come you’ve never stayed at Ryugu Palace?”

“I asked Daddy if I could a bunch of times, but he always said that we didn’t need to stay somewhere so expensive.”

“Yeah, I could see him saying that.”

“He’s pretty set in his ways.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I said as I smiled and shrugged.

“Please make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. You and your belongings will be scanned at the gate,” an announcement reminded us as we got off the bus.

The gate we came to reminded me of a security checkpoint at an airport. The scans were very short, and we only stood outside for a minute or so before a guide from Ryugu Palace came to get us.

“Rekka Namidare, Iris Fineritas Cyphercall, and their party?” she asked.

“Y-Yes.”

“Princess Rain has informed me of the situation. Please come this way.”

We all followed after the woman. Walking around, I got a good look at the place. Ryugu Palace City was an elegant, pretty town punctuated by canals. And it seemed they weren’t just for the merfolk to get around in. There plenty of small gondolas that the merfolk rowed about town for the benefit of the tourists. There were also shops and stalls for tourists, both on land and in the canal.

It was truly a city of water, just like you’d expect from an undersea resort. The whole thing was charming, but at the center of the town was a structure more beautiful and elegant than any of the other buildings.

“This is Ryugu Palace.”

“Whooooooooa...”

The longer I craned my neck looking up at it, the longer my gasp of awe became. It was a real palace, not just some themed hotel. It looked like Osaka Castle or Nagoya Castle, but with brighter colors and more extravagant decorations. There was even a moat and a splendid front gate. I could already see why this was considered the best place on the planet to stay. It probably cost hundreds of thousands of yen—if not millions—for a single night here.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Rekka, Iris.” Rain welcomed us at the entrance with a polite bow. “Please come this way.”

“Thanks, but are you really sure it’s okay for us to be staying in a place like this for free?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Although... I’m afraid there was only one large room available, so you’ll all have to stay together.”

“Huh?”

“Aww, that’s fine.”

“It doesn’t bother me.”

I froze in shock, but Iris and Rosalind didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m glad. We’ll make sure you have an excellent time here to make up for it.” Rain smiled gently, her long skirt swishing back and forth as she climbed the stairs.

Hmm... Well, we’re all pretty close now. I guess it’s okay. I was the only guy, so as long as I made sure I was careful, it should be fine. In fact, I felt better about it when I saw that the room where we’d be staying was absolutely massive. The floor seemed to be made of wood, but the sensation on the soles of my feet was warm and slightly springy.

“Rekka, please come here and look at this. It’s amazing.”

“Hm?”

After I set down everyone’s things in the corner of the room, I went over to the window to see what Tetra was talking about.

“Wow, that is amazing.”

From the window in our room, we could see almost all of Ryugu Palace City.

“This is the third floor, right? It’s pretty high up.”

“Ryugu Palace is built on higher ground than the surrounding area, and each of the floors has a high ceiling,” Rain, who had been listening to our conversation, explained.

“I bet the higher floors have an even better view.”

“The top floor, where my mother and I live, lets you see clear from one end of the town to the other,” Rain said.

“Rekka, why don’t we go check out the town a little?” Iris suddenly interrupted.

“I want to go, too!” Tetra said eagerly.

“Me, too.”

“Me, too!”

“I’ll give you all a tour, then,” Rain offered.

Everybody had so much energy...

“I shall pass. I’m a little tired. Suzuran, if you want to go, feel free.”

“You’re sure you’re all right?”

“Making you stay by my side won’t make me feel better. I’m just a little under the weather. Don’t worry about me. Just go.”

And so Rosalind stayed behind in the room to rest while Rain took the rest of us on a tour of the city.

▽

“Would you rather walk or take a tour in a gondola?” Rain asked.

“What do you guys think?” I asked, turning to the girls.

“Since we’re here, why not take a gondola tour?” Tsumiki said.

Everyone agreed, so we headed to a shop where you could rent gondolas. Only after we got there did I realize that the gondolas were actually pulled by some kind of fish that looked like a round stingray.

“I will be their guide, so we’ll only need the boat,” Rain explained to the shopkeep.

“Understood, Princess. Please take care.”

The merfolk at the rental shop watched us go as we split up into two separate gondolas and headed off.

“That’s the undersea theater. There’s an aquarium there where you can see underwater plays and dance performances.”

Each time we passed a building, Rain would give us a clear and concise explanation of what it was and what was inside. Ryugu Palace City had all kinds of fascinating events and unusual places to see. It was no wonder both the streets and canals were filled with tourists. The reason the beaches felt so empty must have been because everyone was down here all along.

“This place is amazing. There’s no way you could see it all in a day.”

“If you’d like, Rekka, you’re welcome to stay longer,” Rain said with a sidelong glance in my direction. “I don’t normally get the chance to talk with people my age, like all of you. If it’s possible, I’d love for you to stay so we can chat more.”

Oooh... Now I understood why Taro Urashima didn’t want to leave the Ryugu Palace he visited. It would be really hard to refuse a request from a beautiful girl like this...

That is, if it weren’t for the seven pairs of eyes I could feel boring holes into me in cold silence.

“I-I appreciate the offer, but I have to pass. I’m no Taro Urashima, and if I stay any longer, I’m going to get an unexcused absence from school.”

Guys, thanks for helping me with my self-control. I appreciate it, but I’d appreciate it more if you didn’t look like you were all about to strangle me!

“I see...”

I saw Rain try to hide her disappointed expression with the sleeve of her kimono.

“W-Well, you know...! Planet Berano is a really nice place, though!” I quickly tried to cheer her up. “The sea’s beautiful and clean, and there’s all kinds of things to do in town. I’d love to come back.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah. I want to go to all the places I didn’t get a chance to visit today. Once school’s out for summer vacation, I’ll come back.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. Was it just me... or did everybody look about three times madder than they had been before?

Apparently if I tried to make one person happy, I just made someone else angry. What’s a guy to do?

“Uh... R-Rain! What’s that shop there?”

“That’s a gift shop.”

“Cool, let’s check it out.”

I was glad to change the subject, but everyone agreed to the idea. We all got off the gondolas and went into the gift shop. I decided I should pick up something for Rosalind since she was stuck in the hotel room. I didn’t have any space money, so I figured I’d have to borrow some from Iris or something.

The souvenirs were a cross between what you’d see at an aquarium and what you’d see in Kyoto. It was your standard line of novelties, but considering we were in space, the designs on everything made me raise an eyebrow. Were these weird creatures even real?

The girls were all clustered around the key chains and stuffed animals. Suzuran in particular was staring at a dolphin-like plushie, completely unmoving. Satsuki was standing a little further away from the others, looking at... Was it a wishing stone? I guess those were popular both in Japan and outer space. There seemed to be all kinds of them, including ones for your well-being and luck in your love life.

“Hm?”

Hibiki, however, had walked away from the group. It looked like she was just wandering around the store.

“Hey, Hibiki,” I called to her, curious what she was up to.

“Rekka? What is it?”

“Nothing, really. I was just wondering if you found anything good.”

“I don’t know about good, but there’s certainly some interesting stuff here.”

“Sure is.” I laughed a little. “But you’re not going to look at the stuffed animals with everyone else?”

“...I’m not really into that stuff. I’d rather get something useful than something that will just sit in my room.” Hibiki chuckled and pulled on her cream-colored short-sleeved shirt a bit. “Clothes, maybe. Lately I’ve been wearing things like this... but I don’t think they really look good on me.”

“I think you look fine. Your swimsuit was cute, too.”

“Wh-What?!” Hibiki suddenly staggered back two or three steps, covered her mouth with one hand, and pointed at me with the other. “Wh-What are you trying to say?!”

“Uh... Did I say something weird?”

I’d just said what I was honestly thinking... Was that a mistake? Oh, wait! That’s right. Hibiki got mad when I was staring at her chest at the beach. Did she take my remark about her swimsuit the wrong way?

“N-No, I didn’t mean it in a dirty way!”

“Now I really have no idea what you’re saying!”

Yeah... That and some other stuff happened, but Iris paid for everybody’s stuff when we all left the store.

“Huh? Where are the gondolas?”

Both of the gondolas we’d left at the edge of the canal were missing.

“Oh! I forgot to tie them up!” Rain gasped. “Normally the guide does that, so...”

“Hmm, I bet those stingray things that were pulling the boats made off with them. Think the rental shop will get mad?”

“I think it’s probably okay. They’re well trained, so they should go back to the store on their own.”

“I see. That’s good, at least.”

“I’m sorry, everyone. I should have been more careful...”

Rain was genuinely apologetic, but nobody really complained. We were still within sight of Ryugu Palace, so all it really meant was that we had to walk back for the rest of our tour. But it wasn’t a bad thing. If anything, there was probably more we could see on foot than from the canal.

“...You know, I guess a lot of aliens aren’t that different from people on Earth. I was expecting something more like octopus people or little green men. I mean, even that King Satamonia guy was kinda humanoid,” I said to Iris as I watched the people passing us by.

“It’s weird, but you’re right. Some people say it’s because all life in the universe began in the same place, but nobody—not even scientists—knows the truth.”

“Hmm... Couldn’t Satsuki use her Magic of Omniscience to find out?”

“Probably, but it would take a really long time.”

So she could find out if she wanted to, huh? I hadn’t thought about it before, but if Satsuki wanted to, couldn’t she win a whole bunch of Nobel Prizes like that? As I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard what sounded like a loud impact in front of me.

“A dine-and-dasher!”

There was a woman shouting as a man in flashy clothing jumped out into the street.

“Hey, he’s coming this way!”

Iris noticed first, but the dine-and-dasher was indeed headed in our direction. The street was filled with people, but he was expertly dodging them as he ran. I got in front of the girls and told them all to stand back so they wouldn’t get hurt. The man seemed to notice me, and we locked eyes for a moment.

“Kyah!”

“Oops!”

But he must’ve been too busy staring at me, because he failed to properly avoid a blue-haired girl on the street and was staggered off balance right in front of me. Wait, if he was some petty criminal, I was supposed to catch him, right?!

“Take this!”

LARIAT!

“Gwah!”

My lariat hit him hard, and he went flying back.

Plink!

“Huh?!” ...Gulp.

Something flew right at me, and with my mouth open in surprise, I accidentally swallowed it. Maybe a pebble or something got kicked up in the scuffle?

“Wow, Rekka! That was so cool!”

“Iris! If you pull on my arm that hard, your chest...”

“Right, right. Knock it off, you two.”

As Satsuki pulled Iris off me, the woman who was shouting in the street a moment ago came running up to us.

“You caught him for me? Thank you so much!”

She was probably the owner of a shop. She was a mermaid, too, and really pretty. She thanked us and brought the dazed man to his feet.

“You’re coming with me. If you don’t have money, there’s plenty of work to be done, so I sure hope you’re ready to get your hands dirty!”

“Oww... Don’t get so mad, miss. It’s a waste of a pretty face.”

“Shut up.”

“OWW!”

The man let out a pathetic shriek as the woman twisted his arm and raised it up. He seemed feisty, and we didn’t want him trying to run again, so we followed the woman back to her shop nearby.

“Oww... Miss, stop. Please. Please, just stop for a second.”

“If I do, you’ll just run away again, won’t you?”

“No, no. Not with that scary guy right there, I won’t. Can you at least let go of one arm?”

The man sounded so desperate that she took pity on him and let go of one of his arms. With his newly freed arm, the man made a flower appear in his hand like magic and handed it to the girl he’d run into a moment ago.

“I’m sorry for running into you, miss. Please take this as an apology.”

“U-Um, thank you!”

The girl, who wore glasses and had her blue hair tied into braids, took the flower a little hesitantly.

“Are you hurt? If you are, I’d be happy to nurse you back to—yeoowwwwch!”

“You’re going to be too busy washing dishes for me.”

The man’s pickup attempt came to an abrupt halt when the owner grabbed his arm again.

“Um, I’m not hurt, but I think I dropped my ring...” the girl said. She was forcing a smile, but she clearly seemed upset about it.

“Is the ring important to you?” the store owner asked.