“Look forward! Move forward! Niyahahaha!”

“That’s right! That’s the spirit! You are really born for this! Hahaha!”

Mimi and Merissa are standing at the forefront of the deck while shouting like idiots. Mimi is really feeling that class change and trying to master being a pirate. Merissa is also merry of having a companion who goes with anything she does.

Today is the fourth day we are traveling through the air in Merissa’s flying ship. Alstroe said that she can travel faster than this and could get to Nanba in three days.

She sulked a little when I told her that she can go ahead if she wants to. We are traveling in a group and mostly, none of us can do such feat. No mind, we are just one day away from Nanba Harbor Town.

The morning blue sky and white clouds behold itself to my weary eyes and the smell of fresh air refreshed my sense of smell. The sound of the wind brushing against the exterior of the ship meets my ears and my hair started swaying again.

I take the ribbon that I hid in my pocket and used it to tie my hair in a ponytail as usual. I had too many things on my mind yesterday that I couldn’t concentrate on training which ended in Shouta scolding me over and over.

As I step forward towards the deck, the figure of Hibiscus riding Emby together with Alstroe on the right and Casablanca flying in her crescent moon on the left enters my sight. It was meant for patrolling but seeing how they enjoy flying too much make it seems like they are just playing, especially Alstroe who keeps laughing and waving her hands in the air.

From the side, I can already see a morning commotion…

“Didn’t I tell you that using that kind of stance is just for idiots?! Are you a moron?!”

“What? Why did our conversation deviate from what good liquor to stances?! I don’t get you!”

“You see, Ichirou, some geniuses in martial arts from China are those who have conquered the liquor, meaning, their stances are most likely made when they were drunk.”

“What?! Hasu, is that true?!”

“It’s true! Do you know about Jackee? He is one of the renowned martial artists that practice kung fu!”

“That Jackee?! But you said earlier that drunk and stances have something in common? Won’t Jet be the one to fit the bill?”

“What?! So, you have seen Jet’s movie too?! It’s true that he seems to fit that kind of image but…something’s not right…”

Today, Hasu form is here talking to Ichirou while they visibly dragged Susanoo who sits idly in one corner. Though I kind of feel sorry for him, he does not seem to mind it. In fact, I have never seen Susanoo mingled much with people back then.

But right now, Susanoo, even though he gets dragged around, doesn’t seem bothered or annoyed by it anymore.

Shouta is not that different from Hasu. Well, that’s to be expected being they are the same person. It’s more like Hasu is just more open about what he says while Shouta is a little alluring and secretive due to the great difference in appearance.

“What do you think, Susanoo?”

“…I couldn’t care less…”

“That’s some disinterested answer…”

I couldn’t care less about what’s going to entail this conversation too. I would like to grab a light breakfast and spend a little time reviewing everything I’ve learned about the spear. With that, I leave the deck and head towards the ship’s kitchen.

I don’t want to attract unneeded attention first thing in the morning…

As I head towards the lower deck where the kitchen is, I bump into someone who hasn’t shown her face for quite a while…

“Ah…Asagao!”

“H-Higan…are…you okay now?”

“Somewhat. I feel so sluggish from lying down too much on the bed. I feel little lightheaded and dizzy too. Ah, now I feel soft and fluffy and I can smell something flowery…”

“I know why you are feeling those but the latter is…you shoving your face to mine!”

“I can’t help it. I need my Asagao nutrient that I’ve been deprived for so long!”

“I don’t know how that can help your menstruation. You hissed at me yesterday too…it kind of a shock for me…”

“T-That’s not it, Asagao! I…I was hissing at that brown haired crap of a guy behind you that time! He really…ticks me off…”

“Ah…”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Come to think of it, Ichirou was behind me that time. Well, I don’t expect Higan to get along with any men, less, Ichirou. I don’t think it was troubling Ichirou since I told him about Higan, however, it was kind of a little worrisome.

Hmm?

Now that I got a little closer to Higan, it’s a little bit more before I can stand at the same height as hers, save from including her cute and fluffy ears.

“Anyway, Asagao, I think I like you even more now. I like you small too but, now, if I hug you, I will be able to feel your face with mine, your chest with mine, and your body with mine.”

“Well, how was it when I was small?”

“I feel like hugging a small animal…? Either way, you are still adorable as ever.”

“Small animal…but you are part animal yourself…and adorable too.”

“Fufufu, if you keep complimenting me, you’re going to fill my love meter to the max! No, it was already right from the start!”

Another one of her smug…

I can’t help not to get brazenly annoyed by it. What’s more, Higan is openly showing her true feelings for me anywhere at every given time now. It just halted recently since she had a painful first period.

Come to think of it…

“Higan…was the…underwear…helpful…?”

“Ah…y-yes…”

“I…see…”

“I’ll return it to you now!”

She immediately brought out the lacey and frilly black panties that could even be worn by an adult. She held it with her two hands towards me while looking a little bit away. Her eyes swim over to left and right with a little peek to me.

Since she is returning, I might as well get it and hide it into my dimensional storage for a while. If Casablanca or Hibiscus starts their menstruation too, I’ll have them wear it too…

Why are we going to pass around this underwear…?

It cleans itself and it removes any unnecessary scent. It keeps the wearer fresh and comfortable because of how the dragon fiber was processed.

Wait, if you I think about it carefully, the four of us are sisters, isn’t it fine to pass around this underwear when needed?

I guess it is okay…?

As I pick up the underwear from Higan’s hands, something struck me and got me the urge to inspect the underwear…

“A-Asagao…I washed that beforehand even though you said it is a self-cleaning underwear but---Hey! W-W-W-W-W-Why are you sniffing it?!”

“Hmm?”

I started smelling the underwear to make sure that it is clean. Higan’s face becomes beet red as she stutters her words from my action. It is fine since I think the underwear itself is doing its job.

“Asagao…!”

“Ah, I was trying to sniff out your scent.”

“You…you just have to ask me...I…I will gladly let you…sniff me…anywhere…even down here…”

“W-W-W-W-W-What are you saying, you lewd fox!?”

“Eh?!”

From Higan’s words, I can feel my face burning from embarrassment. She raises her skirt a little to let me peek. I am tempted to say…yes….

B-B-But, there’s a TPO! The right time, place, and occasion for that!

However, if I really did say yes, I don’t think we’ll be stopping at only sniffing. Considering that Higan is going to let me do as I please to her.

“Niyahahaha…A maiden…”

“A maiden they are…So pure yet so fickle.”

“The world could end anytime now but, look at them go!~”

“A taste of forbidden fruit, once you took a bite, you will lose yourself in euphoria!~”

Higan and I got petrified in our places as whispering voices enters our ears. We kind of forgot that we are somewhat in the hall of the inner deck and had gathered too much attention that a crowd from afar already has their eyes on the two of us.

Even Merissa and Mimi are with the giggling crowd.

“Come on! Continue! I’m going to save this scenario in my head!”

“Getting real hot here! Empress’ secret love life, revealed!”

“But that’s forbidden love!”

“It’s quite exciting as indecency is added as a spice!”

“T-T-That’s wrong! Two girls…no less, not even at least fifteen years old…”

“You saw that, right?! They were talking about panties…”

“H-How lecherous…it’s makes my heart skips a beat…”

“That’s…pure love…!”

Upon seeing the crowd, Higan and I could only look down in embarrassment as our, indecent or not, sight is seen. I think they are already getting the wrong idea about the underwear part but regardless, doing it brazenly here…we are really bound to get this much attention…

With a beet red face, I face Higan who has the same color of face.

“I…I am going to get some breakfast…my…I’m really hungry right now…t-then…Higan…b-bye…see you later.”

“Y-Yeah…I’ll go check on Alstroe and my cute…sisters…”

“B-B-Bye…”

“Y-Yeah…”

I was purely embarrassed by the attention that we got. I am really shy before, but I am a little brave and bold now, however, in this situation, of course, I’ll get super shy!

Except for Higan, before we parted ways, her face is really burning but her lips are stopping itself from curving upward. It seems she is happy that we are mistaken for something…

Geez…now, I’m really getting hungry!

.

.

.

After getting something to eat in the kitchen where Shouko with the other crews are cooking while Topaz is eagerly waiting to be fed, I felt a little sluggish and head to the rear part of the ship where crew rarely goes to.

It is also the place where I fell asleep while fishing…

“What should we do…?”

I ask myself such question.

I lay flat on the shaded part of the ship and look up to the blue sky. I reach my hand out and tries to grasp something, sadly, there isn’t anything to grab.

There are still lots of unknown and strange phenomena happening to my body. I couldn’t figure out how does a transcendental being body works. I am acting as normal as possible with it, however, I cannot ignore the fact that right now, my power, the divinity that I got by chance is what we needed the most right now.

I am little hesitant of what I should do…

Apollo’s words left a deeper crack that I have expected. I am still bothered and still feeling the weight of my actions, the burden that was suddenly forced onto me since I am considered special even though I myself barely understand anything about this body.

We needed a hero with matured blessing and we already have a lead about it. But, if there’s an already a reliable hero, what is my role?

Before, I think I am just a minor character with no whatsoever special feature. Then suddenly, everything was slapped into my face like a wakeup call and now, I am the main character all of the sudden.

The main character that Nil was hoping for…

What is he thinking? What are his plans? Did our guesses really hit the mark? Are we not doing anything wrong? I am constantly thinking such things even before I sleep.

I feel like I am forgetting something…

Topaz’s existence…appearance of devils all over the places, Nil’s clues, Senya’s divination, the hero with matured blessing, transcendental beings, Nivalis and Eresti, the center continent where the passage of evil is located, the Order of Arcana, and Nil’s goals.

All of this, taking into considerations, all the factors, all the truths, I feel like there are still a mysteries yet to be unlocked.

This is what makes me hesitant. It wears down my heart and mind…

“Ah…she’s here…”

A familiar voice enters my ears. It’s the same lethargic voice that Susanoo always makes. From the corner of my sight, Susanoo’s figure enters. He started walking towards me while only making a solid eye contact. It’s a little scary thought to look at him in the eyes…

“Umm…S-Susanoo…?”

“Ah, you want to switch over?”

“Eh…?”

“It won’t take much time? Well, I do get how you feel…”

“W-What are you…mumbling about…?”

“I’ll give you about…five minutes…I don’t trust you that much after all…”

“Wha..?! Don’t trust me that much? What are you saying?”

I fix my posture and leans my back on the wooden wall. In reality, I was squeezing myself further back as Susanoo walks towards me. He stops for a moment as if something happened. Susanoo then continued his approach and sat down beside me.

Since I can’t find any reason to ditch him, I wasn’t able to escape in time. I knew it, even up close, I am still a little scared of him.

However…

At that very moment, the air around him…changes…

A little gentle and free of any lethargic acts though it is a little melancholic like he has a lifetime of regrets riding over him.

A sensation I thought I will never feel…it kinds of gives me a little bump in my throat…

“Asagao, I’ve always…wanted to talk to you like this.”