Yellow Sands was… kind of boring honestly. Nothing much to mention. Well, almost nothing. But I suppose it is where our current situation began, so I should explain.

You see, we acquired a stalker.

Or rather I acquired a stalker.

It was on the second day of our four-day vacation.

The first day mostly consisted of inspecting the new Yellow Sands branch of ETC. It was a smaller building, but the bustle was very similar to that in Marrow. The staff there was nice, they didn't seem to know who I was but that didn't bother me. It was actually nice to know I could still act incognito.

But as I was saying. On the second day, we were mostly just hanging around town. It was dreadfully hot in the Port so we spent the days lounging by the ocean and occasionally checking out the shops.

El noticed it first.

Honestly, the visitor blended in extremely well with the sand dunes. But a sudden passing cloud made her camouflage meaningless. Realizing she had been spotted, the limber girl rocketed off into a nearby bush.

"Was that a…"

"Mhm, a rabbit-kin."

I thought as much, it wasn't my first time seeing a rabbit-kin, but her ears were longer than the man at the tournament, and they were a sand color as opposed to his jet black hair. But she was equally as quick it seems.

"I wonder if she was hungry."

"Mhm, I don't think so. She was watching you."

Indeed it seemed she was, the next few days that we spent in the desert village she was always a few dozen steps behind. El and I were aware of her, but for the most part, the other girls didn't notice.

She didn't seem dangerous, so we allowed it. Although thinking back on it now, maybe that was a mistake.

You see, now we have a stowaway.

Do we turn around and drop her off? Do we drop her off at the next port?

That seems kind of…

"Why did you sneak aboard our ship? Or better yet why were you following us?" I finally ask the guilty looking cornered rabbit.

She sniffs the air twice drifting her face closer to me. "I was… You have a smell, no… It's not just you."

The small button nose again begins flaring rapidly as she probes in all directions in the air.

"Her." She finally decides, landing a finger towards Aqua.

Oh?

"Captain and Aqua don't smell!" Rou says frowning and forcing the bunny a few steps backward.

"Hold on a bit Rou. Um… Well, I haven't caught your name. But what do we smell like exactly?"

"Her name is Coya Tulip. She's a 'C' rank adventurer." Clove says from leaning against the wall of the bunk room.

"Ah, you are… Oh! Princess?!" Coya says with a look of surprise once she remembers who the face belongs to.

"You two know each other?"

"Well not exactly, we fought once many years ago. But for the Princess to be traveling…" Coya says trying to tilt the information through her brain. "Then you are… ?!"

"Yes. This is the hero of the country and winner of this year's tournament. Cole Moedy."

"Ah, enough about that. This smell? El can you detect anything different about me and Aqua?"

"No. It's possible there is something that I have already become accustomed to, I highly doubt a rabbit-kin's nose would be better than an elf's."

"No, no. Us Rabbit-kin have noses much stronger than elves."

"Ah, I highly doubt that," El says shaking her head as if it were funny.

"Ok enough of the pissing match. Coya, what do the two of us smell like exactly?"

Coya and El reluctantly split from their staring contest and Coya returns to sniffing the air around me and Aqua. "It's sweet. Like a young baby. Although Cole smells slightly older. But there is something else. It burns a bit, like pepper."

"Does it get stronger if I do this?" I focus a mass of mana into my hand, unlike Aqua's, mine remains invisible.

*ACHOOO!*

Coya sniffs a few times before sneezing again.

*Choo*

"Sorry, sorry. I will stop." I release the mana flow and return it to my body.

"Vat vas dat?" Coya lightly complains after sniffling her watering nose a few times. She rubs her eyes carefully with balled fists before wiping her nose a couple times.

"Pah!"

She coughs a few times. Repeating the eye and nose washing technique. So demon magic smells peppery, huh?

This feels mean but it's also hilariously adorable.

I had a rabbit once. This, however, is infinitely more entertaining.

I suppose now it's my turn to ask if I can keep it?

~ ~

Coya, still unaware of our speed made an adorable noise when we first stepped onto the deck. I suppose the roar of the wind is fairly intense to sensitive ears. I wonder why El doesn't seem to have any trouble? Perhaps I have already deafened her from the tournament. Her parents will surely be mad at me.

But really what am I going to do with this situation. Yes, I would love to keep this cute rabbit girl but I am not that kind of person. And adding another member to our group doesn't seem like a great idea.

My days are already long enough as it is. And she's a fairly well-known adventurer apparently.

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But really she never actually explained why she followed us. She simply said we smelled nice. What kind of reason is that for sneaking onto someone's ship?

I will need to interrogate her further once she regains her sense of hearing.

As for the other pets.

Mirna happily fed the three who continued to sit on our command deck. At first, we had a problem with bird poop, but after Mirna explained the situation to the birds they began flying off the deck before doing their business.

Could these things really understand her? Are these animals hyper-intelligent or something?   

Mirna happily chats with the three birds while the rest of the crew watch the land passing quickly in the distance.

"Where is our next stop Captain?" Rou asks walking up to me with a map.

Honestly, i wasn't sure. At this point, everything was new territory.

I scan the map trying to memorize each towns name. "Oh. That one!"

I've heard of that place.

What was it? I had heard something about Point Port. I think it was muscleman who mentioned the place.

"That is the logical choice. Although I think we should investigate The Ridge before we stop at Point."

"Ridge?"

"Mhm, It's an area of fairly shallow waters a few miles off the coast of Point port. It's known to have some strange creatures, and often monsters will go there to feed."

Sounds dangerous.

"Sounds like fun."

It has been awhile since we have had a good fight against a monster.

"I thought so too!" Rou says with a wide grin.

Are all of them battle maniacs now?

"Come to think of it Rou what do you think of our new style of travel? Do you feel like your skills are still being properly taken advantage of?"

Rou thinks for a moment before beginning. "It's definitely different. But I can't complain. I do miss talking with the wind, but this is surely faster. And it makes navigating more fun."

"Well once we finish circumnavigating the country we will slow our pace again. It should give you the chance to feel the wind again."

"Mhm. I don't mind waiting!"

Talking to the wind though, huh?

I'm becoming more and more convinced Rou has access to the ancient 'Navigation Magic' I found mentioned in an old book. But I worry if I tell her that and I'm wrong it will break her heart.

I'm glad there are plenty of books to read, even in this world.

I should really retro fit one of the rooms into a library. Holding them all in storage feels phony.

~ ~

Tonight for dinner Mirna made a pasta dish with some local meat we bought in Yellow Sands. It was delicious, perfect al dente angel-hair pasta alongside a cream sauce I helped Mirna perfect.

Coya was floored by the taste. I worried she would be a vegetarian but she grimaced at the mere thought. I still feel like avoiding rabbit stew, for now, will be a good idea.

And for 'dessert' tonight, I have Alice.

No, I didn't come up with that terminology. I think it gives the wrong impression of what happens during the night.

The time was meant for sleeping.

Honestly, though, the main reason I wanted to sleep with them alone was so we could discuss things they preferred to talk about alone. For instance, if Aqua would have simply told me about her 'body image' problems, it could have been resolved much less embarrassingly.

But anyways, somehow the schedule became known as the 'Dessert menu'.    

And tonight beside me was the most dangerous of the options.

The 'Devil's food cake' you might say.

"Master you don't have to look so nervous…" Alice says staring at my anxious face. "If you would rather just sleep alone I can…"

"No, it's not that."

"But have you not been avoiding me? I thought for sure you hated what I did that night."

"No, no. I definitely didn't hate it. It was just a hectic time. Although I will admit I was avoiding you. But I don't think that's fair."

"I am sorry for being so forward at that time."

"No, I'm sorry. For not being able to satisfy you before then. You were forced to move forward because I was slow to respond." I brush her silky hair behind her ear. "I also think I should reiterate. I love you, Alice. As a fiancé or as a slave, whichever you feel more comfortable with."

"I… I love you too, Master."

"Alice, may I make a command?"

"Certainly."

"Call me Cole, even just once."

"I love you, Cole."

"Mhm, I love you too Alice."

I plant a kiss on her lips and she gratefully accepts the invitation inside my mouth. Her tongues stretches and probes around my mouth endlessly. As my breath grows stagnant her own sweet breath enters my mouth and she continues.

Circulatory breathing just so she doesn't have to stop? Really?

"Ah, Ma… Cole? Do you know where you are touching right now?" Alice suddenly asks breaking off my face with a gasp.

"I do, tonight I will be the forward one."

"Ha… I see." Alice says gripping her bottom lip with her teeth in order hold back her breath.

"The safe word will be 'Pasta'."

"What!?"