ACT 3
“Unbelievable... How’d it turn out like this?!” Within her workshop, Ingrid had hit upon a shocking revelation, the likes of which made her shudder just thinking about it. It had now been an entire year since she’d made her home in the New World, yet her relationship with Yuuto had progressed...
“Zilch! Nada! Not even one iota! Forget kissin’, it’s been a whole year, and we haven’t even held hands!”
“Everyone else is freakin’ pregnant already! Hell, Felicia’s on her second child! But I haven’t gotten to do it with Yuuto even once!” she yelled at herself.
Well, there was probably no helping it, though. After all, shortly after migrating here to the new capital of Tarshish, a war with the Tarsisi had ensued, after which he’d gone on an eight-month expedition, and no sooner than he’d returned home, he’d set off again for the Orient on an inspection voyage. They’d had no time for physical contact.
That being said, it wasn’t like nothing had happened. In truth, Yuuto had taken time out of his busy schedule on several occasions to go see Ingrid. This had made her ridiculously happy; however, the things that had come out of her mouth during those meetups had been, well...
“No no no! That’s not really what I was...!”
“N-N-Nothing! It’s nothing, okay?!”
“What’d you say?! You’re dead to me, Yuuto!”
Since she tended to get embarrassed, freak out, and get all haughty when anything even vaguely relating to their relationship came up, she couldn’t deny that it might’ve just been her own fault those rare opportunities had gone to waste. Naturally, she’d always regretted what she’d said and/or done after the fact, but it wasn’t like she could turn back time either.
“W-Well, y’know, it’s not good to rush things like this, right?! The mood’s gotta be right and stuff!” she told herself. They’d already confirmed how they felt about each other, so the mood was sure to strike sooner or later. Tomboyish though she was, she was a girl. A girl’s first time was special, and she wanted it to be the best possible experience it could be.
“But enough of that. Back to work.” Continuing to occupy her mind with frivolous thoughts would only depress her further. It was time to focus on inventing. By concentrating on her work, she could forget all the unpleasant stuff. “Now then, what’s on the ol’ agenda for today?” she said, picking up the order form on her desk, but then she heard a knock on the door.
“Terribly sorry to disturb you, Miss Ingrid, but I have an urgent request.” Ingrid was so surprised to see Fagrahvél enter her shop that she unconsciously did a double take.
“Huh? Fagrahvél?” It was the first time the patriarch of the Sword Clan had graced her doors. Her stiff, dignified-looking face and slender body gave off a somewhat androgynous impression, yet Ingrid’s keen eye for detail discerned her build as feminine with a single glance.
Was it just Ingrid’s imagination, or had Fagrahvél put on some weight since the last time she saw her? Of course, it would be rude for her to say such a thing to Fagrahvél directly, but she couldn’t help but wonder.
“So, what do you need?”
“I need you to forge me a sword of protection.”
“A sword of... Hold up, are you pregnant?”
“W-Well, more or less...” Fagrahvél looked bashful but happy. To Ingrid’s eyes, her expression couldn’t be more befitting of a woman.
“Well damn, congrats! Who’s the lucky guy?” Her tone was casual as she wondered, “Wait, is she even married?” She was genuinely curious about what kind of man could possibly be able to steal the heart of a prodigy like her. Haugspori, perhaps? “They’re pretty much the same age, after all,” she thought with a grin.
“Uh, well... It’s Father.”
“...Eh?” Ingrid’s pupils shrank in shock at the unexpected response. “Father? In other words, Fagrahvél’s sworn parent? That could only be one person in the Steel Clan...”
“You couldn’t mean...Yuuto?!” she yelled, clearly shocked.
“I-Indeed. I do apologize, I was hesitant in speaking his name, but...yes,” Fagrahvél replied.
“I-Is that so...?” Dazed as she was, it was all Ingrid could do to formulate that meager response. “Talk about a bolt from the blue... Wait, didn’t Fagrahvél and Yuuto only meet two years ago? I’ve known him for six years, dammit!”
While she understood time wasn’t always a factor when it came to love, when the hell did a girl that he’d known for four years less get the jump on her?! It was at that moment Ingrid realized she’d become far too complacent. If she continued to miss her shot, it was entirely possible that Yuuto could end up forgetting about her entirely! There were, after all, a bevy of beautiful girls around him, no doubt all eager to bear the child of a reginarch. With that thought fresh in her mind...
“I-I’d better get my ass in gear!” The fire under her rear sufficiently lit, Ingrid dashed out of the workshop, a scorching trail of determination in her wake.
“Save me, Feliciaaa!”
In the same way a certain boy often relied on a certain robot cat to solve all his problems, Ingrid’s grand plan was to run to none other than her crush’s adjutant. Since it was late, Ingrid figured Felicia would’ve already finished her work and retired to her room. She felt bad intruding when Felicia was no doubt tired, but this was an emergency.
When Ingrid barged in, Felicia, who was already entertaining Yuuto’s formal wife, Mitsuki, was somewhat confused by the sudden visitor. “Oh, Ingrid? What’re you doing here?”
Ingrid knew that the two were close despite sharing the same husband, so Mitsuki being here wasn’t particularly surprising to her.
“Might something have happened at the shop? Your face is rather pale,” Felicia asked with a hint of surprise. Ingrid couldn’t help but feel envious of the sultry way her golden locks naturally cascaded down her body. As the only one out of Yuuto’s wives so far who’d been impregnated twice, Ingrid wondered if that allure of hers had ended up ensnaring Yuuto’s heart.
“No, nothin’ like that... I just had somethin’ personal I needed to discuss...” Eyes glued to the floor, Ingrid fiddled with her fingers nervously. She’d run here with courage and determination, but actually coming out with it was requiring more guts than she’d thought.
“Umm... Perhaps I should leave, then?” asked Mitsuki, seeming to read the room, but Ingrid shook her head. In fact, it was more convenient this way. As Yuuto’s childhood friend, Mitsuki was the one who understood Yuuto the best, and in a different way than Felicia. With her here, Ingrid could save herself the embarrassment of having to confess twice.
“It’s okay, Mitsuki. You can stay,” Ingrid said amicably. Like Yuuto, Mitsuki let Ingrid speak to her without any regard for formality. At first, of course, she’d been hesitant to do so, but as someone bad with formalities in the first place, she’d ended up speaking casually to Mitsuki before she’d even realized it. “The thing is...” Steeling her resolve, she detailed to the two of them everything that had happened up until now. When she’d finished, Felicia and Mitsuki’s reactions were polar opposites of each other.
“So you haven’t done it yet after all. I had the feeling something was going on between you two just by looking, though...” Felicia rested her hand on her cheek and let out a troubled sigh.
“Wha?! You knew, Felicia?! I had no idea!” Meanwhile, Mitsuki was taken completely by surprise. Perhaps the observational skills Felicia had honed as Yuuto’s adjutant and bodyguard had helped her realize.
“So, anyway, after hearing just now that Fagrahvél was expectin’, I guess I just kinda panicked, y’know...” Ingrid said glumly.
“Ah, come to think of it, that sounds a lot like the conversation I had with Fagrahvél about a year or so ago,” Mitsuki said thoughtfully, recalling that time.
“A-A year?!” Ingrid shouted out despite herself. It was a long enough span of time for her to once again realize just what a late bloomer she’d been.
“Yeah. Back then, she was really adamant about fulfilling Rífa’s final wish.”
“Lady Rífa?”
“Yeah. Rífa wanted Fagrahvél to bear and raise a child. Yuu-kun’s child, if possible.”
“I see...” Ingrid had heard that Fagrahvél and Sigrdrífa, Yuuto’s late wife, had been milk-sisters, said to have possessed a bond transcending both blood and servitude. In Yggdrasil, it’d been relatively common for a husband to take his late wife’s sister as his next wife, so perhaps it made sense.
“I advised Fagrahvél that it didn’t necessarily have to be Yuu-kun and that Rífa would definitely be happier if she got together with someone she truly loved instead, but oh well.” Mitsuki shrugged and shook her head.
Ingrid felt it was strange to use the word “definitely.” She’d heard that in Yuuto and Mitsuki’s world, marriage was the greatest expression of a couple’s love for each other, but of course, in Yggdrasil that hadn’t been the case. For the aristocracy especially, it had been a given to prioritize whatever benefited the family the most over personal feelings. So how was Mitsuki so certain?
“It did feel good to know that she thought enough of Rífa to be dead set on fulfilling her wish, though...”
“It felt good? Why?”
“A-Ah, sorry, never mind. I was just thinking out loud is all.” With a face like she’d let something slip that she shouldn’t have, Mitsuki waved her hands in a panic. Sigrdrífa and Mitsuki had been identical enough in appearance to even surprise Mitsuki’s childhood friend Yuuto, so perhaps Mitsuki felt some sort of sisterly bond between her and Rífa due to that. “But, well, she may not be head over heels or anything, but apparently, Fagrahvél actually does love Yuu-kun, so I kind of feel like I want to cheer her on...”
“Magnanimous as always, eh, Mitsuki?” Though Ingrid had to respect her for her generosity, a hint of exasperation creeped into her voice. There was no way Ingrid would ever be able to do that. While there was nothing she could do about Yuuto’s fraternization with other women, she’d never be able to actively root for him to be with someone else, even if it was her best friend. In fact, several of Ingrid’s friends had asked her to introduce them to Yuuto, and she’d turned them all down.
“Of course not. You guys are just special, is all. Of course, you have my blessing as well, Ingrid,” Mitsuki said with a suggestive grin.
Now that Ingrid thought about it, everyone she’d given her blessing to and had actively rooted for were all those who’d been in Yuuto’s service for quite some time now. Perhaps that was out of thanks for aiding Yuuto when he first arrived in Yggdrasil, but even so, Ingrid couldn’t say she understood. She wasn’t omnipotent, so she had no way of knowing that Mitsuki had been influenced by the memories and royal values from her previous life as Sigrdrífa. In fact, if she was being honest, it didn’t really sit right with her, but having the blessing of Yuuto’s formal wife meant she didn’t have to give up, and she was glad for that.
“...Um, well, I’ll gladly take it. Then, I realize I’m askin’ a lot, but I wanna hear your opinions. How do you think I should approach him?” Ingrid asked timidly.
“What the hell am I doin’, asking married women how to steal their husband?!” As strange as she thought it was, though, she couldn’t back down now that she’d gotten this far.
Mitsuki and Yuuto had known each other practically all their lives, and even now, whenever Yuuto had free time, most of it was spent with Mitsuki. Felicia, on the other hand, never left Yuuto’s side during work hours as his adjutant. In other words, they had spent the most time with him and knew him better than anyone else did—including what turned him on. In fact, Fagrahvél had succeeded thanks to Mitsuki’s support. There was no one better equipped to offer advice on the topic.
“Hmm, let’s see...”
“Good question...”
After thinking for a bit, the two surprisingly spoke the exact same words at the same time.
“You just gotta attack him!”
“Attack...?” Ingrid cocked her head in confusion. Certainly, she’d heard that there were indeed people out there with...eccentric tastes that enjoyed being hit, but...
“I never would’ve pegged him for one of those...” It was a shocking revelation. She’d known him for nearly six years now and had never even realized.
But well, nobody was perfect. Everybody had one or two shortcomings. At this point, her feelings had become too strong to be shaken by something like that.
“W-Well, if he likes that sort of thing, I don’t mind every once in a while...”
“Pfft, ha ha ha! No, not like that. That’s not what I mean.” Mitsuki laughed so hard that tears came out, and Felicia was also suppressing a giggle with her hand.
“D-Dammit.”
“I’m not really sure how to explain this... You know that expression, ‘men are wolves?’”
“Huh? Oh, I know ‘men are beasts,’ is it similar to that?”
“Ah, yeah, they do say that instead in Yggdrasil, don’t they? Well, anyway, most beasts are always hungry for prey, but in Yuu-kun’s case, he’d be a beast who’s already had his fill,” Mitsuki explained, raising an index finger. Felicia seemed to agree, because she snickered and nodded.
“Had his fill?” Ingrid asked, confused.
“Yeah. I mean, his prey flocks to him of their own volition every single day, begging him to eat them. It’s to the point where Felicia and I have to spice things up to keep him from getting bored,” Mitsuki replied.
“S-Spice things up?!” Ingrid responded with a yelp.
“Yeah. For instance, when he and Felicia are alone, sometimes she’ll take Yuu-kun’s...you know...and...”
“His what now?!”
“Well, that’s... I’ll leave that up to your imagination...”
“Indeed, saying it outright is a bit...” The two became hesitant as they blushed.
“So it really is that, then?! It’s got to be, right?!” From the flow of the conversation, Ingrid could see no other possibility. It had to be that. But as a late bloomer, Ingrid didn’t know any of the details. What exactly was Felicia doing to Yuuto when the two of them were alone?!
“W-Well, we’ve gotten off-topic.” Mitsuki cleared her throat. “In other words, Yuu-kun never has to worry about his next meal. In fact, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet.” Her expression became serious.
Felicia gravely nodded as well. “Quite. Rún’s a bona fide beauty, Miss Linnea is as cute as a button, and now Miss Fagrahvél is even in the mix.”
Having the cruel truth spelled out for her, Ingrid belatedly realized the seriousness of the situation and shuddered. Even as a woman, Ingrid could acknowledge that every single one of them was bewitchingly beautiful, and they were all vying for Yuuto’s attention. It was true—Yuuto was never going to go hungry.
“That’s why you can’t just rest on your laurels and wait for it to happen! You’ve gotta get in there and snag him for yourself!” Mitsuki explained.
The logic was sound. She was unable to argue back. To begin with, Yuuto worked himself to death day in and day out, and when he finally came home to relax, the women all came to him. Therefore, he had no reason to go out hunting for one on his own. If Ingrid didn’t do the hunting instead, she’d never even get an opportunity!
“In addition, who knows what the future holds,” Felicia said solemnly. “Kris and Big Brother have a lot in common, and they get along well. The way they’re able to discuss difficult topics on a level even I don’t understand honestly makes me a bit jealous.”
“Guh!”
“Al may be naïve, but she’s honest with herself. I’ve heard her say that when Big Brother’s by her side, she’s able to forget all the unpleasant things.”
“Gah!”
“Ephy’s been taking care of Big Brother’s children, and they’ve taken quite a liking to her. Because of that, I hear he holds her in very high regard.”
“Geh!” Pummeled by one clean hit after another, it was a total knockout. While she’d been taking it easy, the newcomers were leaving her in the dust!
“O-Okay, okay, I get it, the situation’s more dire than I thought! It’s now or never, right? Fine! I’ll bust my ass and conquer Yuuto for myself!” Ingrid declared, gripping her fists tightly. Unfortunately for her, however, Felicia’s verbal barrage was far from over.
“Getting fired up is all well and good, but the truth is you’re unfamiliar with these things, and putting it bluntly, you’re scared, right?”
“Guh!”
“When the opportunity comes, you’ll probably clam up and get cold feet.”
“Gah!”
“And when you’re that nervous and uncertain, men find it hard to approach. In Big Brother’s case especially, since he’s so good-natured.”
“Geh!”
“When push comes to shove, you’ll end up freaking out and lashing out at him before you can stop yourself.”
“H-Have you been watching me?!”
“No, that was just a guess, but I suppose that confirms it.”
Ingrid had had enough. Subjected to a storm of critical hits, her health bar had already been depleted. Her heart couldn’t take any more!
“By my own estimation, I doubt you’ll make any progress if you don’t change something soon,” Felicia stated.
“Th-Then what should I do?!” Ingrid practically screamed, tears brimming in her eyes. Was she fated to never be with Yuuto, to live the rest of her life as a lonely old woman?! The possibility was real enough that she could definitely see it happening.
That was when Felicia grinned and raised a finger. “Tee hee. Never fear. I have a secret plan!”
“A hot springs trip?”
“Yes. When we investigated the Tarsisi land now in our possession, we discovered one. We thought it might be nice to all go together, under the pretext of inspecting the land,” Felicia answered with a nod.
Come to think of it, Ingrid recalled Yuuto mentioning that he’d like to go to the hot springs with everyone once everything had settled down. Though a lot of time had passed, it seemed that idea was now coming to fruition.
“Oh, I see! A new location means a different mood. I’ll use that to my advantage and attack!” Honestly, she thought it was a great plan. She knew all too well that she was inexperienced when it came to romance. Despite her determination, going on the offensive all of a sudden was a tall ask for her. Pathetic though she thought it was, she needed some sort of aid, and a hot springs trip would be the perfect panacea.
“Yes, but keep in mind that this is only setting the stage. Judging by your lack of progress with Big Brother so far, we’re going to need to take measures that are a little more drastic,” Felicia explained.
“D-Drastic, you say?” She’d figured a trip like this would be more than plenty, yet they were going to go even further?! Ingrid unconsciously gulped.
“Ingrid.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but might the reason you cannot maintain your composure when the opportunity strikes be that you lack confidence as a woman?”
“Gack!” Felicia had hit the nail on the head once more. It was true: somewhere in her subconscious, she had always felt inferior. Just as Felicia had said earlier, Yuuto was surrounded by beautiful women. While she would probably put herself somewhere slightly above average, she would never call herself a beauty by any means. Not to mention, she worried that there was no way Yuuto would ever be satisfied with a rough-around-the-edges tomboy like her. Fearful that her demeanor was the reason Yuuto had never made a move on her in the first place, the thought had crossed her mind no small number of times.
“Big Brother has a saying I often hear. ‘Know the enemy and know thyself, and you shall not fear a hundred battles,’” said Felicia.
“O-Okay...?” It wasn’t something she could understand just by having it thrust upon her, so she gave an uncertain reply. She may have been a pro at forging a variety of the Steel Clan’s weaponry, but she was a complete novice when it came to battle tactics and strategy.
“Well, enemy might not be the right term in this case, but...Big Brother loves breasts. He cannot get enough of them. He’s crazy about them!” Felicia declared, placing a hand on her own chest. Mitsuki nodded emphatically beside her.
Already sound asleep in his room, Yuuto never would’ve imagined in a million years that right here, at this moment, his proclivities were being aired out to dry.
“And Ingrid, you’re a member of the big breast brigade as well! While perhaps not as well-endowed as us, you’ve got quite the assets of your own!” Felicia added.
“Huh?!” Ingrid unconsciously looked down at her own chest. True, hers were comparatively larger than the average woman’s. To think she had this kind of weapon all along!
“I will show you how to use those assets effectively, along with other tricks of the trade of womanhood!”
Ingrid let slip a sharp gasp.
“Then you will feel confident enough about yourself to not falter at the critical moment with Big Brother!”
“Oooh, I see! All right then, Teach! Hit me with your best shot!”
Ingrid’s mother had died when Ingrid was very young, and she didn’t have any sisters or aunts around to teach her how to conduct herself as a woman. But she’d also felt like it was something she couldn’t ask anyone about at this stage in her life, and she couldn’t deny it had only fed into her insecurities. If she could use this opportunity to finally learn, she couldn’t be more grateful.
“But be warned. Our training regimen is not for the faint of heart,” Felicia said.
“No prob! Bring it on! Wait... As a woman, it’s probably not good to be so gung ho, is it?” Right out of the gate, she became depressed. Why did every aspect of her have to be so damn manly?!
“No, I think that part of you is just fine, actually. Perhaps from a general societal perspective it’d be a minus, but I believe Big Brother finds that aspect of you rather charming,” Felicia replied.
“R-Really?!”
“Yes, so let’s focus on honing those good points to compensate for the qualities you lack.”
“Then hell yeah! Let’s do it! I’m gonna crush this shit!”
The hot springs trip was just ten days away. Ingrid’s rigorous bridal training regimen had begun.
“Man... My neck’s sore as all hell...” As she walked through the streets of the town, Ingrid rubbed her neck, still aching from the techniques Mitsuki and Felicia had drilled into her over the past week.
“Taking a guy’s...thing in between my breasts and licking it... To think that the women of the world were all doing such a thing!” (Note: Most weren’t.)
“Ha ha, yeah, your neck does get awfully tired,” Mitsuki replied with a chuckle.
“But he likes this sort of thing?”
“Loves it.”
“Then I’ll do it,” Ingrid said with a firm nod.
As someone who was yet to have her first time, she couldn’t deny she was a bit anxious, but when she thought of this new technique as another weapon in her arsenal, much of her anxiety fizzled away. While the experiences Mitsuki and Felicia had recounted had been rather shocking at first, once Ingrid knew specifically what she was supposed to do, her fear had pretty much vanished. In addition, the two women had only provided general instruction rather than explaining every step in intimate detail in order to build her confidence up enough that she was less likely to freak out when the time came. Indeed, by all accounts, Ingrid felt like she’d gained a lot of confidence this week. With Mitsuki and Felicia’s support, she was sure that her next meeting with Yuuto would go well.
“Looks like the market’s just as busy as ever,” Ingrid said. Tarshish’s bazaars carried items from all over, and their shelves were filled to the brim with Orient goods they’d acquired through trade. Throngs of prospective buyers lined the streets. Thanks to Yuuto and company’s efforts, the Steel Clan had recently been able to remedy their food shortage problem through these bazaars. Of course, rations were still limited, and much still depended on the efforts of the populace, but they were now projected to have enough food to last the winter, which was a huge deal.
“So, Mitsuki, where are we goin’, anyway?” The moment she had awoken, Mitsuki had dragged her here. She’d barely even had time to get dressed, but she still hadn’t heard what exactly they were there to buy. The bazaar was enormous. If they continued wandering around aimlessly, it would be dark before they knew it. Incidentally, Felicia was preoccupied with work, as always, and she was unable to join them today.
“Over here! There’s a neat store I found.” Mitsuki grabbed Ingrid by the hand, pulling her forward. She seemed familiar with the place, like she’d been here many times before.
“As the þjóðann’s formal wife, is it really okay for you to stroll around here like you’re on vacation?” Ingrid asked.
“Well, I’m currently not dressed like royalty, and I’ve got a bodyguard with me, so it’s perfectly fine.” Mitsuki glanced to her side, where a brown-haired woman gave a curt, silent bow.
“Oh, that’s an Einherjar.” Ingrid realized immediately. As the bearer of the rune Ívaldi, she possessed outstanding intuition. Even if she couldn’t explain how she knew in words, she could just tell. It made sense though—it would be a huge deal if Mitsuki were somehow kidnapped. Someone serving as her bodyguard would need the strength of an Einherjar to do their job properly, so it made sense really.
“Ah, this is it. I saw this store last time I was here.” Mitsuki pointed to a shop with countless earthenware pots lining its shelves, their shapes and designs ornate, meticulous, and to Ingrid’s eye, adorable.
“Clay pots? Am I supposed to decorate my room with them or somethin’?” Now that she thought about it, her room was rather drab. She’d chosen her furniture to prioritize function over form, so it had none of the glamour that a woman’s room usually had. Was Mitsuki suggesting that by placing these feminine items in her room, she in turn would become more feminine?
“Ha ha, no, no. This isn’t an earthenware shop. It sells perfume!” the elderly woman at the counter said with a grin.
“Perfume?” Ingrid cocked her head, unfamiliar with the word. That came as no surprise—while Yggdrasil was home to several varieties of aromatic trees, there had been no such thing as perfume.
“It’s a product imported from the east, you see. Even though it only came in recently, it’s been practically flying off the shelves.” The woman’s testimony was wholly unsurprising. In fact, by around 1850 BCE, several perfume manufacturers had already cropped up on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea, using local plants like pine, almond, anise, bergamot, and coriander. Just from the sheer volume of customers in the store, it was clearly a hot commodity, and no doubt worth whatever it cost to import it.
“Wanna give one a smell, ladies? This here’s called kyphi. It’s our most popular item.”
“Uh, sure... Oh, wow!” Ingrid let out an involuntary gasp at the fragrance emanating from the vase the lady held. She was bewitched by how good it smelled. She’d never smelled anything like it before, that was for certain.
But this was Ingrid, after all. “Hmm... This has got a lot of stuff mixed in. Honey, wine, resin, pine... Those are just the ones I can recognize, but I can tell there’s a bunch of other stuff in there too!” She was able to parse those ingredients in an instant, living up to her reputation of “genius inventor.”
“Wow! You can tell all that, ma’am?” the elderly shopkeeper asked.
“Just some of the ingredients, not all of ’em,” Ingrid replied.
“I mean, that’s still quite the accomplishment.”
“It’s pretty incredible that you’re able to mix all that stuff to create a completely new fragrance!” Ingrid was moved by this innovation. At least, she never would’ve thought of such a thing. It reminded her that she still had a long way to go as an inventor.
“Yuu-kun really likes this fragrance,” Mitsuki said as she brought a new perfume forward for Ingrid to smell—and when she did, she frowned in doubt. It wasn’t that the smell was unpleasant, but...
“Hm, that one doesn’t really hit like the other one.” Ingrid was the type of girl to not pull any punches when it came to assessments like these. While it smelled decent enough, it didn’t have much presence compared to the first one.
“That’s because Yuu-kun doesn’t really like strong-smelling perfume.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Apparently, strong scents remind him of the mixture of perfumes in the shoe locker area during parents’ day at school.”
“I-I see.” Ingrid didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, so she gave a noncommittal reply. Every now and then, Mitsuki would use words Ingrid didn’t understand, which meant she was probably referring to the world she and Yuuto had lived in previously. While Yuuto had a tendency to break down these terms so that the listener could understand them, Mitsuki was the type of person who said whatever came to her mind without much consideration. Of course, by now, Ingrid was used to it, so she let it slide. “So, you’re telling me Yuuto doesn’t like strong-smelling stuff, basically?”
“Exactly. He prefers it subtle.”
“That so? Sounds just like him, honestly.” At a glance, Yuuto may have seemed like an unpredictable man who took unprecedented actions and created unbelievable things out of the blue, but the real Yuuto was just an average guy who valued what was inside one’s heart over outward appearances. That was what’d made Ingrid fall for him in the first place. It made her honestly wonder if he could really be swayed by a little trick like putting on perfume.
“If he doesn’t care for strong smells, is perfume really necessary?” Ingrid asked.
“Not so fast, my dear Ingrid.” Mitsuki wagged a finger admonishingly. “True, perfume alone isn’t going to be enough to defeat him. But he really does like how this perfume smells.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So, you know how for us women, even when you want a man, it’s kinda embarrassing to come right out and say it?”
“Yeah, totally!” In fact, that was precisely why she’d agonized over it enough to discuss it with Felicia and Mitsuki.
Mitsuki nodded emphatically. “You want him to realize. You wish he could just tell by reading the mood. You want him to sense how you’re feeling, and approach you of his own accord.”
“Yes! That’s it exactly!” Ingrid nodded multiple times. She had lots of tomboyish qualities, but there were parts of her that were perhaps more feminine than anyone else. She, too, dreamed of an encounter where the man was the one approaching her.
“But, you know, you don’t want him to approach you when you’re not in the mood either. If he did, it’d just tick you off.”
“Right!” Honestly, even she thought it was unreasonable. But as a woman herself, she knew firsthand just how unreasonable women could be. She wanted men to notice the subtle changes in her heart—not through words, but through atmosphere. And that went double for a man she liked.
“But men are really dense when it comes to that sort of thing. So if we don’t want to explain it in words, we need some kind of sign they can easily understand!”
“Uh-huh...”
“That being said, for me, using something like a yes/no pillow would be far too obvious, so I came up with another idea!”
Yet another unfamiliar term came from Mitsuki’s mouth. “What the hell is a yes/no pillow?” Well, it sounded like something pretty nonsensical, so she decided not to comment on it. Besides, she was far more interested in Mitsuki’s idea.
“I thought, ‘What if I communicated my current mood through smell?’ For instance, I’d put Yuu-kun’s favorite perfume on when I was feeling up to it, and when I wasn’t, I’d choose a perfume that induced restful sleep!”
“Ahh!” Ingrid practically let out a shout of admiration upon hearing Mitsuki’s ingenious idea. With this method, she could keep it subtle! All she would be doing was changing her perfume to fit her mood. It wouldn’t be like she was actively inviting Yuuto or anything!
“As it happens, Felicia and I have already put this into practice.”
“O-Oh, you don’t say?”
“If you put on Yuu-kun’s favorite perfume the day we go to the springs, even someone as dense as him will surely notice!”
It was a perfect, foolproof plan. And after having everything all neatly laid out for her, she’d be a failure of a woman if she didn’t give it her all.
The decisive day was now three days away.
“We’ve arrived, My Lord. It’s just over there.”
“Ah, finally. Man, I’m beat...” As his guide gestured over to the hot spring, Yuuto wiped the sweat from his brow and surveyed the area. The Archena Hot Springs were located where the autonomous region of Murcia had been back in modern Spain—in the Ricote Valley along the Segura River. It actually had quite a storied history, having been used since ancient Roman times. Naturally, in the twenty-first century, it was reduced to ruins, but this was the fifteenth century BCE, so things were, obviously, still very much intact. What stood before Yuuto was nature untouched by human hands, and it extended as far as the eye could see.
“I sure wish cars were a thing right about now,” Yuuto muttered. Even though it had been the closest spring to Tarshish, it had taken them days to get here. They’d transferred from boat to horse-drawn carriage and had finally hiked a mountain. If they’d had a car, they could have pushed through the entire journey in a day. It made Yuuto once again realize the convenience of modern civilization.
“But the longer and harder the journey, the better those hot springs are going to feel, right?” Mitsuki chimed in.
“Can’t deny that.” Yuuto chuckled at Mitsuki’s optimism. True, the more tired you were, the more enjoyable a bath was. It was a fact as simple as one plus one equals two.
“We’re going to get to work setting up camp, so please go on ahead, My Lord.” The Múspell Unit vice-captain Bömburr urged him on. He may have been one of the duller entities in the sea of dazzling stars that was the Múspell Unit, but that didn’t mean Yuuto had a low opinion of him. In fact, it was just the opposite. With so many outstanding players, it was difficult to keep the organization intact, and Bömburr was the glue that held the Múspell Unit together from behind the scenes. He and fifty other Múspell members were all tagging along today as bodyguards and pack mules.
“Sweet, I’ll take you up on that. Thanks for your hard work, everyone. I’m gonna go take a dip.” With a wave, Yuuto threw his towel up on his shoulder with a snap and headed to the hot spring. Leaving his subordinates to do all the work did make him feel a tad guilty, but at the same time, he knew they wouldn’t dare go before him no matter how much he urged them on, so there was nothing for it.
“A hot spring, huh? Can’t wait. I wonder how it’ll feel?” Mitsuki wondered aloud.
“It sure has been a while. Really takes me back,” Ingrid said, recalling their hot springs trip many years back when they were still part of the Wolf Clan.
“Hm, if it really does have healing properties, it might be good to soak for a bit,” Sigrún stated.
“My, Rún, you sure are taking it easy. I’m a little jealous,” Felicia replied.
“Lady Rún has been working harder than any of us. If she can take this opportunity to rejuvenate herself and regain her energy, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Linnea replied.
“It’s just as our second-in-command says, Mother Rún. If we can get your arm back to normal, it would benefit us greatly,” Hildegard added.
“Wowww, it’s a hot spring! A hot spring!” Albertina yelled excitedly.
“Gonna feel good to wash this sweat off,” Homura said.
The gaggle of girls trailed behind Yuuto as they made their way to the hot springs. Incidentally, Fagrahvél was advised to stay behind because of her pregnancy and could not join them on this trip. Bára, Erna, and Hrönn also remained in the capital to tend to her needs. Ephelia, too, was staying home to babysit the children while their mothers were away relaxing. Yuuto hoped they’d all be able to come on a return trip someday.
“What’s this? All these girls are around, yet Father’s totally calm and collected? It’s like you’re a completely different person from before,” Kristina teased. He’d noticed she hadn’t been in the mix, but that was apparently because she’d chosen to erase her presence and sneak up on him from the shadows instead. As always, she loved taking others by surprise. “When I recall just how panicked you were back then... Heh heh heh.”
“Tch.” Making a face like he’d just bitten down on a persimmon, Yuuto clicked his tongue as Kristina continued to laugh obscenely. By “back then,” she was likely referring to the last time they’d all gone on a hot spring retreat, back when Yuuto was still the patriarch of the Wolf Clan. “Man, I really was put through the wringer back then, huh?”
“Oh dear, are you sure it wasn’t a good experience for you?” Felicia chimed in with an impish grin, apparently having heard the conversation up until now. Yuuto merely smiled weakly and shrugged.
“Look, I’m not going to deny that the man in me did somewhat enjoy the situation. But back then, I had way too much on my mind to really appreciate it,” Yuuto rebutted.
At the time, he’d only been thinking of Mitsuki and hadn’t yet developed any immunity toward women whatsoever. All he could recall from the trip was how confused, anxious, frightened, and embarrassed he’d been. In the end, he’d been so overwhelmed that he’d gotten a nosebleed and fainted (although in actuality, he’d simply gotten light-headed from staying in the hot water too long), but the old phrase “Shameful is he who spurns a woman’s invitation” had also weighed on his mind, and he’d felt like a failure for not being able to reciprocate.
Overall, the entire episode was a scene from his past he’d rather not recall. To be totally honest, he’d have loved to have sealed it away for eternity.
“Finally, I get a chance to make up for that embarrassment. I’m not the kid I used to be.” Yuuto had garnered a wealth of experience as an adult—one could even say he was a battle-hardened veteran now when it came to the opposite sex.
“Well, that’s no fun. Now it doesn’t feel worth it to tease you anymore,” Kristina pouted.
“That’s right, so you better get ready. This time, I’m gonna really take the time to appreciate every one of you.”
“H-How bold... Good grief, I’m finding myself longing for the purehearted Father to return.” Kristina raised her palms in resignation and shrugged.
The Múspell men who were ordered to stay behind and set up camp gazed longingly at the backs of Yuuto and company as they departed. In that group were some of the most beautiful women in the entire Steel Clan, and they were all going to be fully nude. With that sort of banquet so close to them, could they possibly resist fantasizing about it?
The answer? No, they could not. Any man would absolutely want to take a peek.
“You’d best quit thinking like that, guys. It’s gonna get you killed.” Their lascivious thoughts were interrupted by an icy voice from behind, causing them to cower. It belonged to the Múspell second-in-command, Bömburr. Hearing his warning, the men all came to their senses...except for one.
“Damn it... I-If I should have the opportunity to catch even a glimpse of Valhalla, I shall gladly welcome death!” A single brave soul cried out—Babel, a young, promising member of the Múspell unit. While his gung ho personality was a bit excessive at times, he had awakened to a rune of his own and become an Einherjar, and he had fought valiantly in the battle against the Tarsisi. He was expected to be a great boon to the Steel Clan in the future.
“Did I stutter? Give it up.”
“Do not try to stop me, sir! If you want to punish me afterward, I shall take it with aplomb!”
When Babel refused to budge, cries of admiration rose among the men. Naturally, everyone in the Múspell Unit knew firsthand just how terrifying Sigrún could be. Although the deed itself wasn’t exactly honorable, having the bravery to face Sigrún’s wrath was worthy of respect.
But Bömburr slowly shook his head. “You won’t even get the chance to look. Former Mother Sigrún is incredibly adept at sensing the presence of intruders, as are His Majesty and Lady Homura. Furthermore, you know as well as I do how keen Mother Hildegard’s nose and ears are. You’ll die a dog’s death before you even catch a glimpse of the gates of Valhalla.”
The valiant Babel bit his lip in anguish, knowing what Bömburr said was true. Young as he was, he was one of the most elite in the entire unit. He knew when he was outmatched. It would likely turn out just as Bömburr had described.
“Dammit! But Valhalla is right there, within reach, so how can I just...?!” Babel attempted to mitigate his mounting frustration by punching the ground repeatedly. His words had contained no falsehoods; he really, really wanted to peek. “One day, I, too, will rise to the position of patriarch, and then I’ll build a harem of my own!” His shout to the heavens was like the lament of his very soul.
Incidentally, the man’s jealousy would one day bring about a catastrophic event that would shake the very foundation of the Steel Clan, but that is a story for another time.
“Splendiferous nature as far as the eye can see! The alluring bodies of buxom women before me! And the booze is great too! Ha ha ha!” In extremely high spirits, Yuuto’s cackling resounded across the valley. He had his arms around Sigrún and Linnea, who were snuggled up to either side of him, while Kristina and Albertina took turns serving him drinks. He couldn’t be more satisfied.
When he’d first become a patriarch, the concept of a girl casually entering the bath to join him had freaked him out, but it seemed that people really were capable of change.
“Y-Your Majesty, please allow me to...serve you...as well...” Hildegard said as she held a bottle out toward him. According to Sigrún, since Hildegard had become the current captain of the Múspell Unit, she’d become more courageous and more confident in herself...but he could see the hand holding the bottle was trembling pitifully. And as one might guess...
“Ah! I-I’m sorry!” The alcohol ended up spilling from the bottle, causing her to bow her head repeatedly in apology. She was totally frazzled.
“I let you come after you begged and pleaded, but I knew things would turn out like this,” Sigrún, her elder sister in spirit, gave an exasperated smile as she looked on. “As always, you lack foresight.”
“B-B-But I-I’m completely naked!” Hildegard protested.
“And what kind of bath would you not be naked in?” Sigrún replied.
“Y-You’ve got a point... But still...!”
“Did you not want to get closer to Father?”
“I-I thought I did, but...!”
“Then it seems that you lack the necessary mental fortitude.”
“Waaahh!” Hildegard burst into tears. Apparently, she’d been fine with coming to the hot spring, but her and Yuuto together in the nude had made her nervous and caused her to panic.
“I know exactly how you feel, Hilda!” Upon seeing Hildegard’s reaction, Ingrid nodded in solidarity. She was pretty embarrassed herself right now, so she really felt for the girl.
“What, you want to get closer with me, Hilda? Then first off, drink up! Here!” Yuuto passed Hildegard a cup and poured a gracious amount in.
“W-Well then, b-bottoms up!” Hildegard said nervously and downed the drink.
“Hey, hey, no need to be so stiff! We’re keeping it casual today! Just enjoy yourself to your heart’s content! Ha ha!” Yuuto smacked Hildegard on the shoulder and cackled once more.
Something about Yuuto was definitely different than before. He was keeping it casual, all right—too casual.
“H-Hey, Felicia, Yuuto couldn’t be...drunk, could he?” Finding his behavior a tad suspicious, Ingrid spoke up to Felicia, who was relaxing beside her.
“Why yes, he’s quite drunk, as a matter of fact,” she replied.
“But I thought he wasn’t much of a drinker?”
Of course, as a patriarch, Yuuto had to drink during ceremonious and celebratory occasions, but it was never to the point where he had a red face or was staggering around. During those times, he’d never had more than a couple of cups’ worth.
“Ah, yes, well, he’s very adamant about not showing his drunkenness in public.”
“I see. And because he’s among family now, he’s lettin’ loose.”
“Correct. See how he’s more jovial and mischievous than usual? He’s drunk just enough so that he remains of sound mind and can remember what happened afterward. It’s honestly a wonderful way to imbibe, wouldn’t you agree?”
“For sure.” Ingrid found herself nodding. During her work hours, she’d seen countless subordinates of hers get absolutely drunk off their asses, and their extreme mood swings were always a real nuisance to deal with. Compared to them, Yuuto’s cheerful and playful attitude was much more tolerable. In fact, given the situation, it was actually suitable.
If his mind and memories were intact, then he likely wouldn’t try anything untoward either. Honestly, it was the optimal way to enjoy alcohol.
“That was how Yuu-kun used to act back in elementary school, actually.” Apparently having followed the conversation, Mitsuki cut in.
“Oh, really? Actually, now that you mention it, I think you did say that he was quite the joker when he’d first arrived in Yggdrasil.” When she thought about it, Ingrid did recall a little bit of that before he became the Wolf Clan’s patriarch. Then Loptr’s rebellion and Fárbauti’s death happened, and Yuuto suddenly had to shoulder all the responsibility of being a patriarch. Those experiences had likely shaped Yuuto into who he was now.
“So, this is the real Yuuto, huh?” Ingrid asked.
“Yep. Absolutely.”
“Then I can’t help but feel a little happy.” Even if he was under the influence of alcohol, this was a side of Yuuto he only showed to those he trusted the most. Knowing that made Ingrid feel special.
“Now then, that aside, Miss Ingrid.”
“Y-Yeah?” Noticing the abrupt change in Felicia’s tone, Ingrid responded a bit nervously.
“Big Brother is the type of person who likes to have fun with everyone, so we’ve made today a party day. But tomorrow, his schedule is completely free,” Felicia explained.
Ingrid’s heart leaped up into her throat. Of course, she’d already resolved to get it done, so to speak, long before coming here, but now that the moment was nigh, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“We’ve also already made arrangements for everyone else to be temporarily indisposed,” she added.
“H-How the hell’d you do that?” Practically all the guests here were women infatuated with Yuuto. Well, in Kristina and Albertina’s case, she was unsure whether or not the twins saw him as a man or merely a dear friend, but nonetheless, she didn’t doubt that they loved him. This hot springs trip was special, and she was sure most of them would want to spend their time with Yuuto, so how in the world did Felicia manage to get Yuuto for Ingrid exclusively?
“Well, let’s just call that the power of an adjutant,” Felicia replied with a sly grin as she flexed and tapped the muscles in her right arm. Indeed, as Yuuto’s adjutant, she had coordinated plans against a number of clever opponents, spotting safe points of compromise. Such tactics were her bread and butter—with Mitsuki and Felicia on the case, Yuuto’s harem was little more than a game board whose pieces the two of them could freely manipulate.
“But be warned: tomorrow will be your only chance,” she added, her expression deadly serious.
“...I gotcha.” Ingrid nodded. She had one shot—if she didn’t make her move tomorrow, there would be no second chances. She couldn’t deny that the pressure was on, but at the same time, she was more fired up than ever.
Everyone else was relinquishing their own precious time with Yuuto on this hot springs trip so that Ingrid could have him all to herself. In other words, everything had been neatly laid out for her, so she’d be a failure of a woman not to give it her all.
With a large yawn, Yuuto stumbled out of his tent. The sun was already high in the sky—it seemed that he’d slept in quite considerably.
“Well, considering that yesterday’s shindig lasted until late at night, makes sense.” By the time the festivities had concluded, he’d noticed the sky to the east was beginning to brighten. But that just went to show how much fun they’d had, and how reluctant they’d been to end it.
“It kinda feels like a huge weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.” Sure, he’d hosted a variety of parties as a patriarch, but he’d never once let himself drop his regal facade during those. However, since he was surrounded by women he trusted, there was no need for him to pretend. Thanks to the help of a copious amount of liquid courage, he felt like he’d finally been able to alleviate the stress of pretending to be someone he wasn’t—something that had been bothering him constantly.
“Now then, what to do today? Hey, you over there. Gazel, was it? Any idea what everyone else is up to?” He decided to ask a nearby Múspell Unit member where everyone else was.
“Yes, My Lord. Lady Mitsuki and Lady Felicia, as well as the two Claw Clan twins all went to go see the autumn leaves. Since we’re on a mountain, they apparently wanted to take the opportunity to go sightseeing.”
“I see. I imagine the view is quite nice up here. But that’s pretty cold of them. Why didn’t they invite me?” he asked.
“You were sleeping soundly, so they didn’t want to wake you,” the Múspell member replied.
“Oh, I see. So they were actually being considerate of me, then...” The two of them knew how hard Yuuto worked himself on a daily basis. He’d mentioned previously during work that if he was ever able to go on a vacation, he’d like to soak in a hot spring and take it easy, and the two of them had probably taken his words to heart.
“Well then, I don’t want their consideration to go to waste. I guess I’ll take it easy today.” After all, hot springs were all about rejuvenation from the daily grind.
Although, just soaking in the hot spring by himself would be a little lonely. “What’s Rún up to? Wasn’t she going to try to soak her arm some?”
“Former Mother Sigrún has gone boar hunting in the mountains with Mother Hildegard and Lady Homura.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. They were saying they wanted to prepare you a nourishing meal tonight.”
“Well, that’s awfully nice of them.” Both Sigrún and Hildegard’s ability to sense prey was practically superhuman, and their skills with a bow were top-notch. They would definitely bring back an outstanding feast. “So, tonight’s gonna be a boar-becue then? Hell yeah, I can’t wait.” Just imagining it made his mouth water. Boar meat contained the same amount of calories as pig meat, but it had a ton more vitamin B and iron, so it was also the perfect sustenance for a tired body.
“Anyway, with those three out, that only leaves Ingrid, huh...?” Well, it was the perfect opportunity—he’d been so busy that he hadn’t gotten to further his relationship with her like he’d wanted.
“Hmm, should I try being a little more forward? Nah, probably not a great idea.” Recalling the bruises the girl’s iron fist had given him in the past, he instinctively recoiled in fear. While the rune she bore wasn’t combat-related, she could still bring the hammer down if she wanted to. She might have looked weak, but that arm of hers was no joke—it could probably take down a number of men in the Steel Clan. Suoh Yuuto may have been a war hero, but he was a flesh-and-blood human nonetheless. He balked at being on the receiving end of an unreserved, full-power punch of hers.
“That being said, it’s already been two years. This discussion’s been long overdue.” He’d already had children with several other women in the Steel Clan, and Felicia was on her second, yet he had never done anything with Ingrid. It’d be one thing if she wasn’t interested in him, but he knew that wasn’t the case. He could acutely sense her affection toward him, so it was high time they took that next step.
“Oh, finally awake, sleepyhead?” As if on cue, Ingrid appeared.
“Yep. Mornin’.”
“Damn, you’re not a morning person, are ya? Everyone’s already headed out. Here, breakfast.” She thrust a plate out toward him, piled high with bread, dried meat, and vegetables.
“Wow, thanks. Appreciate it.” Because he’d been snoozing for so long, he was honestly quite hungry.
“I haven’t eaten yet either, so mind if I join you?” she said, sidling up next to Yuuto.
“Huh?” Something was a bit off. Normally, she preferred to sit facing him. This was the first time she’d ever been so close.
At the same time, a familiar fragrance tickled his nostrils. “What? Could this be...?” If he wasn’t mistaken, it was the same perfume Mitsuki used. When she wore it, it signified a certain something...and he’d heard Mitsuki and Ingrid had been spending a lot of time together lately...
In other words, the intent behind Ingrid wearing the same perfume was...
Gulp. Yuuto swallowed hard when he realized what kind of situation he was now in.
“So now, the question is how to approach.” Even if Ingrid really was up for that—and he was ninety-nine percent sure she was—he couldn’t just ask her point-blank, “Wanna do it?” At a glance, she may have seemed tomboyish, but Yuuto had realized by now that hers was the heart of a pure maiden. If he didn’t handle this with delicacy and tact, he’d inadvertently end up stepping on a land mine, just as he had countless times previously.
“But with her, it’s difficult to gauge what exactly I can say or do...” Fundamentally, Yuuto was one to make swift decisions and take quick actions. When presented with a knotty problem, he would simply sever the knot. He was never particularly good with subtlety, and he had managed on that front so far by essentially winging it, but for that reason, he’d never been able to discern the subtleties of a woman’s heart. He was unsure when yes actually meant no, and when no actually meant yes.
“S-So, now that we’ve finished breakfast...what do we do now?” Ingrid asked him with upturned eyes. Her face was slightly flushed red. Honestly, she looked so cute that Yuuto wanted to embrace her right then and there, but he was afraid he might be the recipient of a patented Ingrid Punch if he did so.
“R-Right, well... Since we’re at a hot spring, I thought it might be nice to, uh, take a morning dip...maybe...” His voice trailed off. The instant the words left his mouth, he knew he’d messed up, but it’d been hard for him to directly invite her to join when she was in such a bashful state. By the same token, she would probably find it hard to say she wanted to join him. It was a complete misfire right out of the gate.
“O-Oh, really? What a coincidence, I-I was thinkin’ the same thing actually!”
“Huh?” For a split second, Yuuto couldn’t believe his ears. “For real? For like, really real?”
“S-S-So, since we’re both headin’ that way, h-h-how about we go togedder?” She’d ended up biting her tongue on the last word.
“Pfft.” Yuuto couldn’t help but let out a laugh. At the same time, he thought, “Dammit, I screwed up!”
He found the hilarious little flub kind of cute, but he was immediately concerned that she’d think he was making fun of her.
Despite her tomboyish nature, Ingrid had a tendency to get shy around certain topics, but in Yuuto’s eyes, that just made her all the more adorable. Granted, there had been times when that shyness had led to some turbulent episodes, but that, too, had been part of what he liked about her so much. He loved seeing her sheepish side, in part because it was a facet of her that she never showed to anyone else. Therefore, he’d ended up laughing without meaning to.
Unfortunately, Ingrid had no way of knowing what Yuuto was thinking. Her face gradually became redder and redder until its color resembled an apple, and clearly unable to bear being anywhere near him any longer, she jumped up and stomped away.
“Shit.” Yuuto covered his face with his hand. Even though it was his own fault, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed at how it’d managed to turn out just like it always did, except—
With a sudden twirl, Ingrid did an about-face, strode back over to Yuuto, and plunked down next to him once more. But she seemed to still be ashamed, as she had her face turned away from him.
“S-So, your answer?” she asked. He couldn’t see her expression, but her ears were beet red. It appeared that this time, Ingrid was determined. That made her appear even more lovely to Yuuto, as her dogged perseverance to be with him truly touched his heart. He almost chuckled again, but he forced himself to hold back this time.
“Let’s see... Yeah, let’s go in together.” He’d tried to say it as normally as possible, but in the end, he couldn’t stop his voice from cracking a little.
“It’s not like me to be this nervous,” Yuuto muttered to himself, having entered the spring first and chosen a rock to lean his back against. He knew women required more time to prepare for things like this, but being left with his thoughts in the meanwhile was making him anxious.
“Sorry for the wait.”
“Wow, that was fast.” Turning around at the sound of her voice, he saw Ingrid standing there, her body wrapped in a towel. The towel was covering all the important bits, but to Yuuto, that made it even more stimulating. Just the sight of her exposed, flushed skin was incredibly alluring.
“D-Don’t stare so much, okay?”
“S-Sorry.” True, it was rude to stare. When he looked away, he heard the dull sound of the towel dropping to the ground, followed by a small splash. Before he knew it, their shoulders were touching in the water. Both of them were fully grown adults, yet Yuuto couldn’t keep his heart from beating out of his chest.
“I-I’m in now...”
“Y-Yeah.” After they exchanged greetings, nearly thirty seconds of silence passed.
“Yeah, this is a bit awkward,” Yuuto thought.
“Nice view, huh?” He decided to break the ice by choosing the first topic that came to mind. Not only was the vivid scenery of the mountains in the distance breathtaking, but the rugged rock surface surrounding the spring roused a man’s innate desire to explore. The therapeutic qualities of the water also seemed to be quite remarkable—Yuuto could feel his tiredness evaporating as he continued to soak in the spring. He understood now why this had been such a popular spot for the bigwigs in ancient Rome.
“Y-Yeah. It’d be nice to come here again sometime.” Ingrid agreed, but there was still a note of stiffness in her speech. Continuing talking to her casually would probably ease the tension—for both of them.
“Sure would. I was thinking maybe during New Year’s,” Yuuto suggested. “Maybe it’d be way too cold then though? What with it being winter and all.”
“Yeah, a mountain valley like this would be hard to get through too,” Ingrid replied.
The mountain trails during the winter would be quite difficult to traverse, and dangerous to boot.
“You’re always saying the true worth of a hot spring can only be realized during winter, though, so I kinda want to try it,” she added.
“It’s true. Your face remains cold, but the rest of your body feels warm. It’s a feeling you’ve got to experience to understand,” Yuuto explained.
“You’ve said that so many times at this point I’ve lost count.”
“Oh, really?” Of course, he already knew that, but Yuuto played dumb. By intentionally giving Ingrid a chance to retort, he hoped to smooth the flow of the conversation.
“Yeah, I’m practically sick of it by now! You’re always goin’ on about ‘hot springs vacation’ this, ‘hot springs vacation’ that!” Ingrid replied with a raised voice, apparently wanting to chide Yuuto.
Yuuto was lost for words at this sudden outburst.
“Yet for three whole years, you never even made an effort to go! Three freakin’ years, you workaholic!” she continued, clearly not letting off the gas just yet.
“It’s not like I work because I want to or anything. I’d rather take it easy,” Yuuto replied in protest.
“That’s what all workaholics say!” Ingrid rebutted.
Yuuto had no comeback to that comment. Ingrid’s tone was becoming more and more casual. She was finally starting to sound like her regular self. Saying whatever came to her mind without any regard for Yuuto’s position was one of her best qualities, so he was glad.
“Now that I think about it, I suppose that we’ll never get to visit that particular hot spring ever again...” Yuuto muttered in sad realization.
Around three months ago, when Yuuto had first arrived back in town after his voyage to the Mediterranean Sea, he had received reports of a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that had occurred a few days prior on the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula. Fearing the worst, a month after the earthquake, he’d sent Albertina and her crew out to Yggdrasil to investigate, but no matter how thoroughly they searched, there was no longer any landmass to be found. It seemed that true to legend, Yggdrasil, or rather Atlantis, really had sunk into the sea without a trace.
“Huh?! What’d I do?!” Noticing that Ingrid was scowling at him, he quickly brought himself back to reality. She puffed her cheeks up in a small pout.
“You had that serious patriarch-y expression on your face again,” Ingrid explained.
“Ah, sorry.” He tended to let his thoughts wander back to Yggdrasil now and again. Felicia would say it was because he had a strong sense of responsibility, but indeed, it’d be rude to Ingrid to let his mind go elsewhere when he was all alone with her.
Despite that, Ingrid smiled, not seeming particularly bothered. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I know all too well by now you can’t help but worry about everyone else. I don’t dislike that sincere side of you, y’ know.”
“Th-That so?” Yuuto replied.
“Of course. What could be more cool than the profile of a man concentrating on his work?” she said warmly.
“I-I suppose.” His reply was noncommittal, but he let slip a small, sheepish grin. She definitely was behaving a little differently than before, but he didn’t dislike it. Rather than simply buttering him up or fawning over him, he knew she was truly speaking from her heart.
“Well, let’s forget about work. Today, we relax. We’re at a hot spring, after all... All alone... J-Just the two of us.” Quietly, she wrapped her arms around him. Of course, that meant her bare chest was pressed against his. Her face was beet red. She wasn’t used to this sort of thing, so Yuuto could tell that she was really pushing herself. The fact that she was trying so hard for his sake made him incredibly happy.
“Yeah, it’s just the two of us, huh?” Yuuto grasped her shoulders and hugged her tight. Ingrid flinched in surprise, but she didn’t reject him.
It’s a go! When the war god Suoh Yuuto saw a chance of victory, he would not let it slip by. A bit forcefully, he stole Ingrid’s lips and pushed her down against the rock surface. Her body, which had been submerged in hot water up until now, became fully exposed, her healthy brown skin slightly flushed by the heat. While her body was more delicate than Felicia’s or Mitsuki’s, she was still well-built. More than any of that, though, what really heated Yuuto up were Ingrid’s moist eyes gazing right at him.
“Ingrid...”
“Yuuto...”
Their gazes were fixed upon one another. No more words were needed between them. Once more, their lips drew close—
KER-THUNK!
The abrupt sound of something heavy falling and hitting the ground made them freeze in place.
They’d gotten this far... Should they just ignore it? Yuuto certainly wanted to, and if he could’ve, he probably would’ve. But unfortunately...
“Ha ha! Didja see that, Homura?! Didja see the finishing blow I gave that beast?!” A carefree voice resounded through the spring. It had to be Hildegard. Come to think of it, that Múspell member had mentioned she and Homura were going boar-hunting. “That means it’s my win! Chalk one up for ol’ Hildegard! Do you think His Majesty will praise me?! Do you?!”
“Uh, but the boar fell off the cliff,” Homura replied.
“Then we just gotta go get it! With you and me it’ll be a cinch...” Then, from atop the cliff face, Hildegard’s eyes met Yuuto’s. He was still frozen in place after having pushed Ingrid down on the rocks.
Apparently not immature enough to not know what was going on, Hildegard’s face went taut. Yuuto could see her change in expression even from afar. Then she looked away, and after not meeting his gaze for a while, she timidly spoke.
“Ah... Um... I’ve messed up again, haven’t I?”
Even after that unfortunate event, Ingrid didn’t give up. She tried her best, pushing herself to the limit time and again.
Through the course of chatting near his tent, they’d gotten in the mood once more, only to be shut down by several nearby Múspell members having a heated argument over who was supposed to be on lunch duty. When that failed, they’d had a drinking date in the forest, only to be interrupted at the worst possible moment by a wandering bear. Finally, with all her other options exhausted, she decided to just sneak into Yuuto’s tent at night, only to find that Homura had already beaten her to the punch (apparently, she tended to crawl into Yuuto’s bed from time to time while sleepwalking). In the end, a week had gone by, and Ingrid reluctantly returned home no closer to Yuuto than she was before.
At this point, she had to assume her rotten luck was the handiwork of an evil god or demon. In a moment of weakness, she even began to wonder if she and Yuuto were just fated not to be together. But...
“Screw it! I’ll just have to kick fate to the curb!”
With defiance and tenacity, she continued to stage attack after fierce attack. Every single one was thwarted by fate, but still she refused to give up. After more tries than she could count, her so-called demon could no longer stop her from achieving her goal. Her perseverance finally won out. At long last, she managed to become one with Yuuto, and she successfully gave birth a year later.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login