Volume 2 – The World Sneered
There were a lot of swimsuits before their eyes.
The swimsuits varied in color and shape, and they could not stop their hearts from thumping.
And the fashion show began.
“Look sis, this one is awesome! It’s so cute!”
Ami chose the swimsuit with the watermelon pattern that only a child would pick, and showed it to Mary.
“Wow! You’re really cute, Ami! You’re like a watermelon fairy.”
“Ehehe…… You’re beautiful too, sis. And your boobs are big!”
“Hyah!? Ami, don’t grope them so suddenly and scare me like that!”
“Ooh, they really are great. I’ve had my eyes on them for a while, actually!”
“I’m being targeted!?”
Mary was wearing a slightly daring bikini and getting her chest groped by Ami.
“Hmph…… This one isn’t bad either.”
Cutie combined a tank top type swimsuit with a hat and posed in front of a mirror.
On the other hand, Calaria was having a hard time making a choice.
She was not very used to things like this.
Mary approached her and handed her a swimsuit.
“I think this will suit you, Miss. Calaria.”
It was a black bikini.
It was comparatively revealing, but Calaria’s toned body could certainly carry it well.
But Calaria’s eyes were not on the swimsuit, but on the white bikini Mary was wearing instead.
She stared at Mary, who was wearing a more revealing outfit than her usual dress.
“W-What is it Miss. Calaria……? I’ll get embarrassed if you keep staring at me like that.”
Mary’s cheeks blushed and she hid her breasts.
That made her look even cuter.
“You’re very attractive, Mary.”
“Huh!? R-Really……?”
“Yeah, I don’t have much luck in that department. I’m a little jealous.”
“That’s not true! You’re very attractive, Miss. Calaria!”
“R-Really?”
“Yes! I noticed it when we were in the bath before. Your breasts are big, and your visible abdominal muscles, long and slender legs, and your tight breasts are really sexy!”
“……I didn’t know you looked at me so much.”
As if taking her revenge, Calaria hid her breasts from Mary’s gaze.
Then, Mary’s face became even redder and she explained herself.
“I-It’s not like that! Umm, I just happened to see them!”
“I don’t really mind. I’m happy you looked at me like that, Mary.”
Calaria smiled impishly.
Mary’s face started steaming and she stopped functioning.
Calaria found this cute and patted her on the head.
“That’s nice……”
Ami watched the exchange between the two.
Then, she approached Cutie who was seriously choosing a swimsuit, and grabbed her breasts from behind.
“Nyoaaaaah!?”
Cutie’s guard was completely down, so she shouted in shock.
But Ami did not mind, and continued groping her breasts.
“Ooh…… Yours are pretty good too, Cutie. I’m really jealous.”
“H-Hey! I’m really gonna get angry!”
Cutie escaped from Ami’s evil clutches and turned around.
Then, Ami pointed at her own breasts.
“……Are you gonna grope mine too?”
“Like hell I will!”
Cutie shouted while groping them.
She was in complete confusion.
“You really must have some grudge against me…… Oh, that’s surprising for your age.”
“Oh, really? Am I attractive!?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Buh!”
Ami sulked, and Cutie could not help but explode in laughter.
Ami could be annoying, but she was a cute little sister.
“It would be good if you also learned some manners, though.”
That could not be helped due to the way Ami was raised, but if she had any time, Cutie wanted Ami to enter a school managed by Majoram after the fighting was over.
But that was an impossible dream.
So she had very little time.
“The swimsuit you’re wearing now is nice too, Cutie, but I think this one will suit you better.”
Cutie was feeling good about what she wore, but Ami brought her another swimsuit.
It was a swimsuit with as little fabric as possible, called a slingshot.
Cutie took it in her hands and started shaking.
“Like hell I’ll wear something like this!”
She was getting used to shouting like that now.
Ami was satisfied after getting the reaction she wanted.
“They look like they’re having fun, huh?”
“I’m just happy that Ami and Miss. Cutie are getting along.”
Calaria and Mary watched the two with some envy.
◇◇◇
“It’s the seeeaaaa!”
Ami was extremely excited as she shouted, and started running on the beach as fast as possible.
The frill on her dress-type swimsuit swayed as she blew up the sand beneath her feet while running, and she jumped over 10 meters before hitting the water.
Splash! White waves rose up, and all the guests swimming in the sea suddenly looked at Ami.
“That kid’s getting too excited……”
Cutie was wearing a red swimsuit, sunglasses and a straw hat, so she looked like a celebrity.
“That’s because it’s her first time in the sea. I’m glad she’s happy.”
Mary was wearing a white pareo swimsuit.
It suited her white skin, and gave her a mystical, or princess-like aura in a sense.
Cutie stared at her skin with envy.
“I suppose this is a reward after the fight with Dugan. We didn’t get much rest, so this isn’t so bad, after all.”
And Calaria was wearing a bold black bikini.
Parts of her muscular body were revealed, and she looked very good.
From the way she stood, one could tell that she was confident in her body.
Cutie stared at Calaria’s toned body with envy.
Then, Ami, who had jumped into the sea, ran over with seaweed in her hands.
Cutie was the only one who did not notice.
Ami approached her from behind with the seaweed, and-
“Eeeeeek!?”
Cutie jumped up when the seaweed stuck to her back.
She then clung onto Mary.
“Whoa, Miss. Cutie!?”
“There’s, there’s something on my back!”
The two were tangled up and rolled around on the sand.
“Ouch……”
Cutie, who was on top, raised her head and saw Mary’s face right in front of her eyes and nose.
“Miss. Cutie……”
Their eyes met in close distance and she blushed.
“Mary……!”
Cutie grew even more embarrassed after this and hung her blushed face down.
The two’s bodies were still clinging together.
There was seaweed on Cutie’s back.
“That’s fun! I’ll do it too!”
Ami jumped up on Cutie’s back.
“Ugh!”
“Ahahaha, that sounded really weird, Miss. Cutie!”
“D-Don’t laugh! She’s really heavy on my back!”
“Seaweed sandwich!”
“Stop it, Ami! Don’t stick seaweed on my back!”
Calaria pleasantly watched the exchange between Ami and Cutie.
Then, her eyes met Mary’s.
“Will you get on top too, Miss. Calaria?”
“No…… I’ll pass. I don’t want people looking at me.”
Calaria eloquently replied so.
As she said, the three and their frolicking was gathering the attention of those around them.
“It doesn’t seem to be causing a bother.”
Cutie, released from the bottom position, walked to her beach umbrella like an old woman and sat on a chair.
Calaria sitting next to her offered her some juice, which Cutie took with trembling hands and spoke while staring at Ami, who was running on the beach.
“In fact, a lot of people are looking at us in a favorable way. It’s just like I said, isn’t it?”
“I suppose I’ve publicly become the heroine of a tragedy.”
“Don’t be so dejected. That’s because of your sister’s popularity.”
The information warfare conducted by Philias and Noted was successful. More importantly, the Kingdom’s actions were too pitiable.
Currently, all they had managed to do was to issue a warrant for Mary’s arrest.
The army would not move without a declaration from the king.
They could not earn the people’s trust this way.
“Still, there’s a reward on you, Mary. I’m sure there will be people coming after you.”
“I’m glad that Ami is happy here, but is this really okay……? Relaxing around on a beach like this, I mean.”
“Actually, this might be the safest place for us. We can see all around us, and it’s a private beach for the wealthy; those who need prize money can’t get into this place.”
The beach’s entrance was guarded by powered suits manufactured by Majoram.
Frankly, they could not stop an arcana user, but the group could not be ambushed here thanks to the open space.
“I was still surprised, though.”
“About me?”
“Yes, you kept saying this wasn’t a trip, but you even arranged swimsuits for us.”
“Well, I just realized we have more time than I thought.”
“……You need to be more honest, Miss. Cutie.”
After Mary said that with a serious expression, Cutie clearly looked awkward, ‘Ugh!’
Calaria then continued the attack.
“I think you were psychologically confused too. Your homeland was destroyed, acquaintances killed, and the fighting still didn’t end.”
“N-No, I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to act strong. We’ll support you if things get tough.”
“……Mary, do you realize how embarrassing that is?”
Cutie put her mouth on her straw as her face blushed.
Mary looked at her hiding her embarrassment and smiled.
Then, Ami, who was playing in the water on the beach, ran over to the other three.
“By the way, sis, I forgot to tell you something really important!”
“What is it?”
“The water, it was salty!”
“Hehehe, that must have been awful.”
“Mhm, it’s not something you should drink!”
Ami’s innocence was sweet, and Mary instinctively patted her on the head.
Ami squinted her eyes with pleasure, but they suddenly opened again and she looked at Cutie and Calaria.
Cutie had an intensely bad hunch.
“That’s right, let’s all have a contest together. Let’s swim to that thing floating in the water!”
“That’s quite far……”
“What’s the bet?”
“Wha!? You’re going along with this, Calaria!?”
“Okay, the person who loses will wear that embarrassing swimsuit in the hotel!”
“Oh, that was pretty much just a string, right?”
“Alright, let’s go!”
Ami started running first.
“I will not lose, Ami!”
Mary chased after her.
“Wait, it looks like a 100% chance that I’m going to lose, doesn’t it?”
“You might win if you give it your best.”
“Why are you so relaxed, anyway?”
“Because I won’t lose to you if we start at the same time.”
“Y-You……!”
Cutie bitterly clenched her fist, but she could not deny it.
It might have been a different story if she used her full power, but she was not going to sacrifice her legs for such a trivial showdown.
She half-way gave up as she took a sip from her juice, and spoke while looking at Mary and Ami cheerfully playing.
“Ugh…… I can’t believe it. That healthy child only has one more month to live.”
“So you are worried about that.”
“Of course I am. I can’t be soft while we’re trying to kill a king, but……. I still want to do something for her. I want her to have a lifetime’s worth of luxury in this one month, at least.”
“Hehe!”
“What are you laughing at?”
“Well, I’ve just been thinking about something.”
“You just think I’m stupid, don’t you?”
“You are, but I also think you’re kind.”
“That’s not much of a compliment either. Of course I worry too, I’m not cruel enough to be a perfect businesswoman.”
“You’re no fit for it.”
“You’re really merciless, aren’t you?”
Hearing that so clearly made Cutie feel down.
Especially because she was aware of it as well.
“But, y’know, I can’t say things like that. When we return from this trip, I have to be a proper president for Majoram.”
“I see, if Noted is becoming the territorial lord, then……”
“I can’t be soft like I have been. Weapons merchants are people who laugh about other people’s deaths.”
“After this fighting ends, huh?”
Calaria fell into her thoughts.
She had never thought about such things.
“……Even if I go back to being a mercenary, I don’t feel like I’m a fit for that.”
“Just like me. Worst case scenario, why don’t you become my secretary or something?”
“I would rather be Mary’s maid.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. I think that would suit you.”
“I only look like a maid, I don’t have the skills required to be one.”
“But I think Mary will feel safe with you around. Isn’t that the best skill for an attendant to have?”
“That’s, yeah, not a bad idea.”
The queen and her attendant.
Calaria could not help but smile after imagining a future together with Mary.
“I’m one to talk after giving you the idea, but you seem more into it than I expected……”
“I’ll try discussing it with her.”
“And you’re even trying to make it happen!?”
Calaria stood up.
She seemed intent on participating in the race as well.
There was a big gap now, but Calaria knew how to swim well and was physically capable, so this handicap was not anything she could not overcome.
“It’s annoying to lose without doing anything, so I should head out as well.”
Reluctantly, Cutie also followed after her.
Cutie definitely was not a slow swimmer.
She also exercised often.
But, compared to Ami and Mary whose physical capacities were raised due to arcana’s influence, and Calaria who already towered above everyone else, she was not that special.
In the end, the contest ended with Ami in first place, Calaria in second, Mary in third, and Cutie in last place by far.
Considering that they did not use their powers, and that there was a gap at the start, the results seemed reasonable.
Cutie returned to the shore, brushed her hair up, and said:
“Well, that was fun. I’m hungry now, so let’s get back to the hotel!”
She quickly tried to escape after speaking eloquently.
But Calaria and Mary grabbed her shoulders from both sides.
The two smiled impishly as their eyes glittered.
“I expected this from you, Calaria, but Mary…….!”
“Miss. Cutie, you look very good.”
“You say that next to Calaria?”
“I’m serious. That’s why I want to see it…… Slurp.”
“You just slurped! Noo! Brutes! Someone save me!”
Cutie flailed about and struggled, but she was powerless before the two arcana users.
She could not escape the results of the contest.