「Ahh… It's been a while. A few months, you could say… Though I know him better than he knows me…」

Athea hesitantly answers, treading on eggshells.

「Really…」

Cycelia says. The intent behind her statement may have been a question, but it sounds like an accusation instead.

「Um… Yes. Straf, um… Talks about you a lot.」

The golden-haired goddess answers, her blue eyes shift around the blue waters and the golden sand.

「Really?」

Cycelia asks, tilting her head slightly, and sounding almost a little curious.

「Yes. He said you're the queen of this kingdom… And told me about what happened to your family. I'm very sorry.」

Athea says, looking into Cycelia's eyes with a serious expression.

「I see…」

Cycelia says, nodding her head lightly, looking down at the mat. A brief, awkward silence begins.

《Enough of this. I'm done acting friendly with someone like you. I want to see you squirm. I'll kill you right now.》

「Say, Athea…」

Cycelia quietly says.

「Yes?」

Athea nods her head, waiting for Cycelia's words.

「…What do you do for a living?」

Gently tilting her head, Cycelia inquisitively asks with a light, friendly smile and bright eyes.

《Go on. Tell me. What is it? Something you'd be ashamed to admit? Is it?》

Cycelia thinks, still staring into Athea's eyes with a smile.

「Ah…」

Athea breaks her eye contact, sullenly looking aside.

「…Is it something you're ashamed of?」

《Well? Is it? Is it?》

Cycelia tilts her head, faking sympathy in her voice.

「No, it's…」

Athea fidgets uncomfortably, and turns to Cycelia without quite looking at her.

「…I deal with the dead.」

Athea quietly replies, and looks back down at the mat.

「Huh?…」

The unexpected answer surprises Cycelia, and she blinks at the golden-haired stranger with her brows furrowed in confusion.

「Like… Like a gravedigger?…」

Cycelia asks, genuinely curious, tilting her head further. Athea lightly shakes her head.

「No… I deal with the dead directly.」

She says, still looking down at the mat while hugging her knees.

「You prepare the bodies for a funeral?」

Cycelia asks another question, her previous, hidden enmity slowly evaporating.

「No… It's more like a management job. It's hard to explain the details.」

《More like impossible.》

Athea smiles softly with sullen eyes, looking straight into Cycelia's with a little tilt to her head as well.

「I- I see…」

Cycelia nods, breaking eye contact.

《Did… Did I assume things again?… No, it's too early to tell. I will just be blunt and direct.》

Cycelia apologetically lowers her gaze as a tinge of guilt sets in, but another fire sparks to life in her heart. She turns her head to look directly at the golden-haired woman.

「What is your relationship with Straf?-」

「There isn't any.」

Athea replies before Cycelia can even fully finish the last word, deeply perplexing her.

「There isn't any?…」

Cycelia hesitantly echoes Athea's words.

「No. We're just friends. He really likes to embarrass me.」

Athea nods, reiterating with conviction in her voice.

「I see… But at the inn, you were in his bed-」

Cycelia brings up their first chance encounter.

「He did it on purpose to embarrass me. I owed him a favor, and he jokingly told me to get in the bed with him, so I had done so.」

Athea insists, looking straight into Cycelia's emerald eyes.

「But he had his hand on your-」

「He did it on purpose to embarrass me. He was hoping you, or someone else would walk in to see what's going on. Like I said, he loves to put me in really uncomfortable situations.」

Athea interrupts Cycelia, and keeps insisting without breaking eye contact.

「Straf wouldn't do that. I know him, he's not like that-」

「Then perhaps you don't know him well enough.」

She interrupts Cycelia again, and anger flashes momentarily on Cycelia's face.

《I don't know Straf!?-》

Cycelia glares daggers into her blue eyes, but then her gaze abruptly softens. She turns her eyes to Straf, who is talking with Lily, Greaves, and his party near the water.

《That's right… I didn't even know about this woman. I still don't know where you're from. Do I really know you, Straf? Who are you, really?》

She looks intently at Straf as her eyes slowly fill with sadness, before returning her gaze to Athea.

「…If there is nothing between you, what would you do if I told you that Straf will marry me?」

Cycelia asks bluntly, without concealing her intent, although with no hidden spite in her voice or expression.

「Then I would tell you that it would be a mistake-」

Athea says, but Cycelia interrupts her.

「Why? Because you want him for yourself?-」

Cycelia asks in an accusatory tone.

「Because he is a deeply flawed man, and I genuinely believe that you can do better than him.」

Interrupting each other in turns, Athea cuts Cycelia off before she can finish the last word, speaking frankly but calmly.

「…And what if I want him, and no one else?」

Cycelia asks, narrowing her eyes in suspicion at Athea. She lets out a long, defeated sigh in response.

「…Then I would wish you well, hoping for your happiness, and that he will eventually overcome his glaring and intolerable flaws in his character.」

Looking straight into Cycelia's emerald eyes, Athea earnestly replies.

「I see… Sorry.」

Cycelia breaks eye contact, looking down sullenly at the mat, and apologizes.

「What for?」

Athea asks, tilting her head a little in confusion.

「I'm just sorry.」

Cycelia apologizes again, without elaborating, still looking at the mat…

…

Moments earlier…

Straf walks up to the water. His eyes shift from the waves to the storm clouds in the distance.

「Hmm…」

He hums, placing his fist on his hip as he ponders the distant storm. His cast arm poorly mirrors the other arm.

《Are storms over water usually so localized?…》

He thinks as his brows rise slowly, then he shrugs his shoulders.

「Well, whatever. Not my problem. I hope.」

Straf utters out, and approaches the waves rolling onto the sand. The water recedes, and the wet sand makes a squishy noise underneath his feet. Another wave rolls in, submerging his shins. Straf sweeps his leg left and right to feel for the temperature, causing no waves whatsoever.

「Tsk. Must be this thing's fault, huh?-」

He clicks his tongue, and looks at the magic ring on his finger.

「How's the water, Straf?」

Lily asks, approaching behind him in her black-red swimsuit.

「I don't know.」

He bluntly states with a shrug of his shoulders.

「You don't know?」

「Nope. You tell me.」

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She asks, and Straf shrugs again. She enters the next wave, and splashes the water with her clawed hand.

「And?」

「I don't know.」

Straf asks, and Lily bluntly replies, looking up at him.

「How can you not know?」

「How can you not know, Straf?」

They ask each other, and a brief moment of awkward silence passes.

「…Fair enough. This is kind of a pickle, isn't it?」

Straf shrugs again, and looks at the waves in the distance with his one and a half fists on his hip.

「But then again, if we both can't tell if the water is alright, I suppose it doesn't matter either way.」

Straf adds, spreading his hands.

「What's the matter? Can't swim?」

Greaves and his party approaches, and the young adventurer in swimming trunks asks with a snide grin.

「Oh, I can. I just don't feel like it, and I didn't come here to swim.」

He replies to Greaves with a bored expression and a slanted mouth. He turns his head back to Lily.

「What about you, Lily? Can you swim?」

He asks, and Lily crosses her arms with a disgruntled pout.

「Of course I can! What a ridiculous question, Straf.」

She exclaims, and peeks at Athea on the mat as she talks about something with Cycelia.

「…More importantly, who is that woman, Straf?」

Lily asks while looking Straf in his eyes, after a quick peek at the half-naked goddess.

「Oh, she's just a dumb bimbo dyslexiac-」

Straf glances at Athea, and shrugs before replying. However, his reply is interrupted by a shout from Greaves.

「Woah! Look at those boo-!」

Greaves points at Athea, with his other hand on Will's shoulder. A single, somewhat confused, but disapproving glance from Alicia makes him draw out his word without completing it.

「Boo… Bo- B… Big rocks!」

He says, slowly and covertly moving his finger from Athea to bountiful, large rocks in their background, before snapping it to the outcrop with another shout as he moves his hand the rest of the way towards them.

「Right!? Alicia!?」

He asks with an awkward grin, looking at Alicia's troubled face. She looks in the direction of his finger, and indeed, the size of the rocks is rather impressive, albeit the sight itself is not very exciting.

「…Right.」

She meekly nods her head, quietly agreeing, or rather not disagreeing. The whole time, Will is looking at Greaves and Lian with his face twisted into a confused grimace.

「…For a moment there I thought you were looking at the bimbo's obscenely oversized chest. Whatever.」

Straf looks at Athea for a brief moment, then shrugs his shoulders at Greaves.

「Huh!? You think I'm some sort of a pervert!? I don't care about boobs! I have more important things to worry about, like being the strongest! Right, Will!?」「Huh? You don't?…」

Greaves shouts back, pointing at Straf's face, before turning to Will for confirmation. Alicia meekly asks at the same time, very quietly, sounding almost hurt.

「Why are you dragging me into this?…」

Will asks in an annoyed tone, adjusting his glasses with a frustrated squint aimed at Greaves while his hand is still on his shoulder.

「Tsk. So you had a swimming suit on hand after all?」

Straf clicks his tongue, looking at Lian's shiny, black, form-fitting swimsuit, very strongly resembling her usual attire, though it exposes her toned arms and long legs fully.

「I didn't. Will bought it for me.」

Lian replies with a cold glare at Straf.

「Hooh? Will bought it for you? You didn't do it yourself?」

Greaves chimes in with a massive smug grin, looking up at Lian. Will's lip starts to twitch in anger.

「I insisted because I knew he would be here! Lian wanted to swim in cloth wraps! That's not going to happen!」

Will slaps Greaves's hand away, and points his finger at Straf's face himself.

「Wow, and you stopped her? Good job, guess if you and Carrothead don't like the female form, there's more for me…」

Straf says as his eyes drift to Alicia. Her chest, usually hidden by her loose robes, is now squeezed together and pressed by her white swimsuit. The protrusion ruins the otherwise hydrodynamic, slick shape of her body.

「Not sure who to rate higher… Alicia has a pretty obscene body, no wonder you hide it in a bag.」 「Hey! What are you even saying!?」

Straf remarks while rubbing his chin, and Greaves immediately protests his comment and ogling. Alicia's face flushes red at Straf's words, and she slowly moves her hands to her chest to discreetly cover herself up.

「And Lian…」「Hey.」

His eyes jump back to Lian, and crawl up to her face all the way from her exposed, shapely legs. Will glares at Straf when he notices he's looking at Lian now.

「…Honestly, she scores some points from me for being fit and modestly sized. And she has a nice face.」

Straf says, ending his eyes' crawl on Lian's almond-shaped, black, glaring eyes. Her very light, nearly expressionless frown and glare turns into a warm smile without a warning.

「Are you finished doing things to me in your mind, the only place where you will succeed?」

Lian asks, brightly smiling at Straf with a light tilt to her head. Her voice, however, bears nothing but very thinly veiled bitter sarcasm contrasting her smile.

「Heh. I haven't even started.」

Straf scoffs, smugly grinning back at Lian.

「If you'd like, we can go behind the big rocks and I'll show you a little of what I have in mind. Alicia can join.」「Eh!?」

He adds, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the rock outcropping behind him. Alicia's eyes open wide in shock, she blinks in disbelief at Straf's face.

「…I'm going to k-」

Will glares at Straf beneath his brows, adjusting his glasses.

「I'm going to punch you!」

Greaves shouts out, clenching his fist and holding it up at the ready.

「Oh? You want to give it your best shot, Carrothead? I figure I can use your head in lieu of a watermelon.」

Straf points at Greaves with a snide grin.

「Now…」

Lian calmly says, still smiling, though she places her hand on Will's shoulder. Surprised, he looks up at her smiling face.

「…Why don't you go on ahead of us, and keep yourself busy there for a moment? We'll join you… In a few hours.」

Lian turns her smile towards Straf, though her black eyes are glaring at him now. Straf looks back at her with a tight-lipped grimace, and they maintain eye contact in an uneasy silence for a brief moment.

「…Pass. If we're going to get adventurous, it has to be snappy. Still… Hmm…」

Straf replies, shrugging his shoulders. He looks at Alicia again, rubbing his chin intensely as he hums.

「…I'm not sure how to rate you two. Lian scores pretty high, but Alicia with her plain face and obscene body delivers a nice contrast. It's a tough one.」

He says, running his eyes up and down Alicia's body, covered by the school-like white swimsuit.

「Huh? I have a plain face?…」

Alicia asks, bringing her hands up to her face with furrowed brows, sounding almost dejected. Greaves and Will grit their teeth at Straf's comments.

「Yeah, but I'd say that's your strong point. You have the appeal of a shy, unassuming library mouse. Approachable face, and a surprise underneath. Overall, no matter the total score, you both have my seal of approval.」

Straf grins at both Alicia and Lian, sticking his thumb out upward at them. He turns his head to Athea and Cycelia for a quick glance.

「Alright, I'm going to rescue Lia from that bimbo's drivel. Why don't you guys go for a swim?」

Straf asks, nodding his head up at the group, though his eyes mostly look at Alicia.

「Huh? Uh- I- I can't swim…」

Alicia abashedly explains with a red face. Lian grabs her wrist.

「Come, I'm going to teach you. It's easy.」「Huh!?」

Lian says, pulling Alicia towards the water.

「Wait! I don't know how to! I'll drown!」

Alicia protests as Lian pulls her deeper and deeper in, though making no physical effort to resist.

「Alicia, do you not trust me?」

Lian asks and stops in her tracks, looking at Alicia with gently raised brows and a neutral expression.

「Huh? I… I do, but-」

「Then come and learn.」

Lian interrupts Alicia, and continues deeper into the water, while glaring at Straf with no discernible expression on her face.

「Right. Have fun.」

Straf snidely remarks with a smirk at Greaves and Will while they scowl back with their arms crossed, and starts walking back to Cycelia and Athea.

「Straf, wait!…」

Lily calls out towards his back.

「What?」

He looks over his shoulder at her with his bored eyes.

「What about me?…」

Lily asks, pouting with her clawed hands on her flat chest, glancing aside with her crimson eyes every few moments and unable to maintain an unbroken eye contact with Straf.

「What do you mean, what about you?」

Straf asks back, furrowing his brows and lightly tilting his head.

「…What is my score?」

Lily asks, looking into his eyes with a slanted mouth, with an almost bashful expression.

「Well, you're pretty cute, obviously. Go swim. Feel free to break the legal speed limits and cause a tsunami somewhere.」

Straf shrugs his shoulder, and dismissively motions his arm towards the water to encourage Lily to join the rest, then continues onward to the mat.

「Huh?…」

Lily tilts her head, parsing Straf's response. While it was a compliment, she furrows her brows and fixes her gaze at a random point on the sand nearby.

「…Cute?」

She quietly says to herself. Her red eyes blink in confusion. Neither satisfied, nor particularly upset, an internal turmoil begins within her as she wonders how to accept Straf's remark…