CHAPTER 46

A Slice of Life

After his battle with Seiya, it is announced that Emperor Wohlks Roseguard has died of old age. A small funeral is quietly held by the people of the castle. We spend our time in a room Rosalie prepared for us during those events until three days have passed.

Although the mourning period has ended, we still remain in the castle…because Seiya is unable to move. The moment we walked into our castle room, Seiya said he was going to rest a bit, but he hasn’t woken up since.

I take a seat at the end of Seiya’s bed. As I gaze at his refined features, I reflect on it all. Mere moments before the emperor was about to kill me, there was the Hero, ever the gallant knight, showing up to save my life. I mean, I’m sure he did it for the exact reason he claimed. He won’t be able to return to his world without me unless he commits suicide, so he didn’t have any other choice. But even then…

“Thank you, Seiya.”

As I place a fresh wet towel on his forehead, Elulu and Mash enter the room.

“Hey, Ristie. How’s Seiya?”

“He’s still sleeping.”

“Man, is he gonna be okay?”

“He’ll be fine. I completely healed his severed arm with my magic, and he’s in good health as well.”

“Then, Ristie…why won’t he wake up?”

“He’s probably mentally exhausted.”

“Makes sense. That battle was intense…”

That’s when I hear a knock at the door, and Rosalie comes in.

“The Hero still hasn’t woken up?”

Those are the first words to come out of her mouth as she stares down at Seiya in the bed. It’s been two days since we last saw Rosalie. It’s no surprise, though. She’s been busy with her father’s funeral, taking care of the remnants of Eraser’s army, and making arrangements to become the next emperor. Nevertheless, she probably doesn’t even know how to feel right now. Seiya is the one who drove her father to death. My heart is racing just thinking about what she’ll say to Seiya when he wakes up. All of a sudden, Rosalie speaks.

“I don’t think it was the strong father I loved…but the caring father.”

Rosalie gazes at Seiya with innocent eyes.

“If I hadn’t taken my father’s hand on his deathbed, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. I am very grateful to the Hero who told me to be by his side.”

She turns her attention to me and smiles.

“Feel free to stay at the castle as long as you like.”

And with those words, Rosalie leaves the room.

“Hey, Ristie… Don’t you think Rosalie has changed somewhat?”

“Yeah, a lot has happened lately. She’s probably grown up a little.”

“So wait. Rosalie’s gonna be the next emperor—or I guess I should say empress, right? How badass is that?”

“I bet she’ll be a wonderful ruler.”

I smile at the two of them.

“Rosalie said we could stay here as long as we’d like, so…how about you two go play in the city?”

They’re completely floored by my suggestion.

“What?! And leave Seiya like this?! He still hasn’t even woken up!”

“Ha-ha! That’s exactly why you should go play. Once Seiya wakes up, you’re going to be extremely busy with training and fighting! That’s why you should have fun while you can!”

“Y-yeah, I get that, but…”

“You two wanted to go to the casino, right?”

Like holding a carrot in front of a hungry horse, I entice them. Their cheeks turn red, and they awkwardly nod.

“Then go! Hurry before the training addict wakes up!”

“R-Rista…”

“Don’t worry about a thing, Mash! Leave it to me! I’ll cover for you if this overly serious, overly cautious Hero decides to wake up!”

“R-Ristie…”

“Don’t look so gloomy, Elulu! I know you’re worried that Seiya might get mad, but it’ll be fine! After all, I am a goddess, while Seiya is a mere human! Rank-wise, I’m above him! In fact, he’s basically subservient to me!”

I confidently prattle on, using the fact that he’s sleeping to my advantage. But Elulu and Mash are still acting weird for some reason.

“Th-that’s not it, Rista…”

“Ristie… B-behind you…”

“…Huh?”

I timidly turn around.

“Who are you calling a servant?”

Seiya is firmly standing up out of bed with his arms crossed.

“Hyaaaaaa?!”

Shiiiiiiit! H-h-he’s going to punch me, isn’t he?! He’s going to punch me and kick me and crush my boobs!!

But surprisingly, he doesn’t do a thing. He simply takes a seat on the bed.

What? He’s not going to attack me? Th-that’s impossible! I bet he’s really gonna let me have it later!

“I’m glad you’re all here. Let’s discuss how we’re going to tackle this Demon Lord…”

I slap my hands together, since Seiya started talking.

“Listen up, everyone! Lord Seiya is speaking!”

Mash gives me a quizzical stare as I kiss up to the Hero.

“Yo, Rista… What happened to the casino?”

“What?! This is no time for casinos! We’ve got work to do! Has your brain decomposed and turned into a mushroom, too?!”

“B-but, Ristie, you said we could go play…”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I said no such thing! I would never even imply such a thing!”

They pierce me with their icy glares as I lie my ass off, but I’m desperate. I really don’t want him to squish my boobs again.

“…Who cares about that? Now let me talk. To tell the truth, I was barely able to defeat the emperor. This is something that really needs to be reflected on. I need to train even more for the next battle, against the Demon Lord.”

This is more or less what I expected to happen, but it’s not just me who’s relieved. Mash and Elulu also look somewhat reassured.

It is Seiya, after all. I’m sure he would never just go recklessly rushing into the Demon Lord’s lair, but…

I nod deeply, expressing my agreement.

“Train as much as you’d like, Seiya! If the Demon Lord really does have a horrifying magic item like Chain Destruction, then I’m sure Great Goddess Ishtar won’t mind you staying in the unified spirit world long-term!”

“All right. Then…”

Seiya starts to get up. Elulu and Mash grab their packs without even being told to, and I get ready to open a gate to the spirit world. But Seiya…sits back down on the bed.

“But, well…I guess it could wait. Taking a break might not be so bad every once in a while.”

“““What?”””

Our jaws drop in unison. We stare at the Hero in bewilderment for a while after that.

“S-Seiya…? What was that?”

“I said we should relax a little. Looking back on it, we’ve spent every waking moment training and fighting. I’m honestly a little tired.”

“O-oh… So you mean like two hours or so?”

“No. Resting for two or three days shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Th-that long?!”

Mash timidly queries:

“Th-then it’s okay if we go play during our break?”

“Of course. You’re free to do whatever you want.”

With upturned eyes, Elulu asks:

“D-does that mean we can go to the casino, too?”

“Sure, if you want.”

“Really?! Yay!”

Elulu and Mash bounce up and down, happy as can be.

“Hey, Seiya! If you have time, then let’s play together for a bit!”

But as usual, Seiya coldly states:

“I need all the time I can get to search for ingredients to use in synthesizing.”

“O-oh, okay! Yeah, I figured!”

Elulu’s expression clouds over slightly. However, after a few moments of silence, Seiya lowers his gaze and softly mutters:

“But…I guess having a little fun from time to time wouldn’t kill me.”

““Whaaat?!”” Mash and I shout simultaneously.

Did he just say “fun”?! Never in a thousand years did I expect the day to come where I would hear that word come out of his mouth!

Seiya stands, then suggests:

“Let’s meet up here again tonight. Then we can all go out and spend some time together.”

After temporarily parting ways with Seiya, the three of us leave the castle and take a stroll around the capital.

“Man! I can’t believe Master Seiya said that!”

“Right?! I was so surprised!”

They’re beaming with joy. I was being self-conscious when we were in the castle, so I’ve kept my mouth shut up until now, but…

“Hee-hee-hee… Heh-heh-heh…”

I no longer need to hold back the mirth roiling in my stomach.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

With a long stride, I reach out for the heavens and roar with laughter, making Mash and Elulu jump.

“R-Rista?! What’s gotten into you?!”

“Y-you’re scaring me, Ristie!”

“Can you blame me?! How could I not be excited about this?! That berserker has finally said himself that he wanted to have some fun! At long last, it’s time for our slice-of-life moment!”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You don’t know, Mash? Normally, whenever you’re on an adventure, you always have a slice-of-life moment to enjoy somewhere. Like, while on a boat, or in the mountains, or by the river, on in a hot spring, or wearing a swimsuit, or something lewd—there’s always some sort of development to take your mind off the action!”

“U-uh… Really?”

“Yes, really! And yet, all we’ve been doing is training, training, training, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting! I was getting sick of it! So, guys, let’s have some fun today!”

Elated, Mash announces:

“Then to the casino we go!”

But I move my index finger back and forth like a pendulum and stop him.

“Casinos are places you go at night. Besides, we shouldn’t enjoy the main dish without Seiya. Let’s do a little warming up until then!”

I check out Elulu’s clothes.

“I-is there a problem, Ristie?”

“Elulu, you can’t wear a lame robe like that while we’re out having fun.”

“But…this is all I have…”

I pat her on the shoulder.

“I’ve got money, and it’s burning a hole in my pocket! We better go out and spend it!”

“What?! Really?!”

“Of course! You’re coming, too, Mash! I’ll pick out some cool clothes for you!”

“Seriously?! All right!”

Raising my fist into the air, I yell:

“Who’s ready to have some fun?!”

““Yeaaah!!””

There’s a clothing store on the corner of the main street. Inside stands a female shopkeeper who looks around thirty years old. She welcomes us with a bow.

“Wow! This is sooo cute!”

“This leather vest is freaking cool, too!”

Exploding with curiosity, Mash and Elulu gawk at the clothes on display. It makes sense, though. In smaller towns, the only clothes you’ll find are either very simple or folk costumes, but this is the capital. There’s a robust selection of fashionable clothing.

One outfit in the corner catches my eye. At first glance, it looks like underwear, but it appears to be using a special material that won’t become see-through in water.

“Oh, hey… Is this a swimsuit?”

But the beach is really far away from here… I’m surprised they sell these. When I ask the owner about it, she cheerfully smiles.

“That swimsuit’s for the capital’s hot springs.”

“Huh?! There are hot springs here?!”

“Orphée is famous for its hot springs. Many people, even from other nations, come here just to enjoy the mixed baths.”

Mixed baths…? Like men and women together?! Like Seiya and me together?!

Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff… Unnoticed by all, I start breathing heavily.

Ah…! My brain…! It’s going to explode!

I become more interested in the bathing suits than anything else, and I silently begin rummaging through them in pursuit of the perfect one.

“Hey, Ristie, what are you doing?”

Elulu and Mash walk over.

“Swimsuits! The lady said there were hot springs here! Pick out your favorite!”

And just like that, all three of us begin looking through the swimsuits. There are bikinis, or “two-piece swimsuits” as they call them in Seiya’s world. In fact, there is a large variety of swimwear, but all the designs are lame. Incidentally, the clothing shop in the unified spirit world goes beyond what’s popular in the human world. The clothing to be found there can be described as nothing short of spectacular. Gaeabrande, on the other hand, is still a developing world. It’s a land of swords and sorcery. While totally understandable, the difference is staggering from my point of view.

“These bathing suits are hideous… Hopefully, I can find something at least halfway decent.”

The moment I utter that, I notice the owner standing right beside me.

Ack! Did she hear that?

But she simply smiles. Thank goodness. It looks like she didn’t hear me. The shopkeeper then approaches Elulu and shows her a peach bathing suit.

“This is a two-piece bathing suit. The top and bottom are made from different pieces of fabric. I bet this would look wonderful on you.”

She holds the suit over Elulu’s clothes.

“Wow! This is really cute! I think I might go with this one!”

It’s not bad…for swimwear from this world. The shopkeeper suddenly approaches me while I glare at the suit, making little to no effort to hide my condescension.

“How about something like this?”

The owner hands me what appears to be just the bottom half a bikini—no different from a pair of panties.

“Huh? Hey, um… Where’s the top half?”

“There isn’t one. It’s a topless swimsuit.”

She wears a sinister grin.

“I’m sure it would look absolutely lovely on you.”

H-how rude…! She must have heard me trashing her bathing suits! She’s clearly doing this out of spite!

Fuming, I shout:

“This defeats the entire point of wearing a bathing suit! My breasts would be out for everyone to see!”

“Oh, you don’t like it? That’s a shame. Then how about this?”

The next bathing suit she suggests has a top with fabric covering one side, but nothing more than a few strings on the other.

“This is a single-breast-type bathing suit. It would look ever so charming on you.”

I brush the bathing suit away.

“What’s charming about this?! Just what do you take me for?! Some kind of pervert?!”

“I happen to think it’s really fashionable.”

“What part of this is fashionable?!”

“You know the type—people who wear eyepatches even though they can see with both eyes, right? It’s kind of like that.”

“Don’t try to compare a one-boobed swimsuit to eyepatch cosplay! Some people might cover an eye for fashion, but I know damn well there ain’t nobody walkin’ around with a whole titty out!”

“R-Rista, relax! You’re slipping into some kind of accent!”

“D-don’t blame me! It’s her fault for recommending these weird swimsuits to me!”

“There is a bottomless bikini if you would prefer that.”

“…?! Wouldn’t I just be naked if I wore that with the topless bikini?! …I’ve had enough of this! I’ll search for a bathing suit myself! Mash, you pick out something for Seiya!”

“Oh? Is this Seiya person your boyfriend by any chance?”

“Yes! He is!”

“R-Ristie…! No, he’s not…!”

“Then I have just the thing for your wonderful boyfriend. Behold, an open-flap bathing suit.”

Wearing a vile smirk, the shopkeeper shows me a men’s bathing suit with a huge hole in the crotch.

“Ah…!”

Elulu’s face turns bright red.

“The hell?! Now you’ve gone too far!”

Even Mash is pissed, but I whip out the pouch of gold coins in my pocket and ask:

“…How much?”

“““Seriously?!”””

It goes without saying that Mash and Elulu are taken aback, but even the shopkeeper is blown away. My motive for buying this is extremely simple, though.

B-because if Seiya puts this on, then his elephant is going to be on full display and… Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff… Pant… Hff…!

I pick up the one-boobed bathing suit and hand it to the shopkeeper.

“I’ll take this as well. Now that I think about it, it will probably come in handy later tonight.”

“T-tonight…? Rista?! What’s happening tonight?!”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

The shopkeeper shrugs before letting out a deep sigh.

“Never in my wildest dreams…did I think someone would actually purchase the swimsuit I made when I was blackout drunk.”

She holds her hand out to me.

“You win. I’ll sell you the single-breast swimsuit and the open-flap trunks together at a discount.”

“Thanks.”

We exchange a firm handshake. While comforted by the friendly atmosphere, Elulu and Mash choose their swimsuits and clothes before leaving the store. After that, we wander around the capital, essentially window-shopping. I stare at the item shop in the distance where Seiya said he was going to go, but he doesn’t seem to be there. He probably already went back to the castle to synthesize. We explore the city until we find a marketplace to check out. After messing around, we buy some food and drinks to take back to our room.

The time flies by, and eventually, the sun begins to set.

“All right, you two! Ready to head back?”

Holding bags of food and such in each hand, we make our way back toward the castle in high spirits.

I come up with a plan for tonight while walking.

…First, we’ll hang out at the casino before heading to the bar. Then, after getting a little tipsy, we’ll head to the hot spring! A-after that, we’ll put the kids to sleep while Seiya and I…eh-heh-heh! I-it’ll be fine! My brain’s taking the day off today! Besides, he already did it with Valkyrie, so nobody has any right to complain!

I cheerfully say to the castle guards:

“Yo! Keep up the good work!”

Then Mash, Elulu, and I stroll on inside. Before long, we reach Seiya’s room, and I throw open the door, and shout:

“Seiyaaa! Hey! Sorry for the wait! Let’s get this party started!”

But Seiya is nowhere to be found.

“Hmm? Maybe he went to the bathroom?”

“I dunno. I bet he’s still out shopping for things to synthesize with.”

“Well, I guess we’ll just wait here till he gets back.”

An hour goes by. The scenery outside gradually gets darker.

“He said he’d be back by nightfall, right? I assumed he would be more punctual, but…”

“Hmm… Maybe he just lost track of time while he was shopping? I’m sure he’ll be here before we know it!”

“Yeah, you’re right!”

But thirty more minutes pass after that.

Then an hour…

And no matter how long we wait, the Hero never returns.