Chapter 79
The dawn when they promised meaning to each other.
Even to the night that seemed like it would last forever, sunlight shone, and the morning of a new day arrived.
"You're awake."
"...Yes."
We woke up lying side by side.
Perhaps it was cold because of the uncovered blanket?
The fox had burrowed into my body while sleeping.
Warm body temperature, soft tail, even the blatant sensation of flesh felt from the touching chest.
The girl spoke while leaning in my embrace.
"Yesterday... we fell asleep like this."
"We were both tired."
"There were many things happening one way or another."
"Today is planned to be busier than yesterday. We should get up early and prepare."
"Okay."
Irene nodded her head readily.
Though the answer came back immediately, her black pupils hadn't shaken off sleep yet.
The girl was in a disheveled state between sleeping and waking.
I smiled slightly and stroked the fox's head.
"Huhu."
"......"
Perhaps because of her suddenly docile reaction?
Now she didn't resist even when stroked.
She just quietly accepted the touch.
I was freshly reminded of our sharp first meeting.
-I don't trust humans. I know how vile and cruel your kind is.
-You said you would tame me... but I have no intention of submitting to humans at least. If that moment comes, I'll bite my tongue and die.
-I'm only following you to protect my siblings.
Hatred, resentment, revenge towards humans.
All sorts of negative emotions.
Pupils full of venom.
The girl rarely let down her guard.
'At first I wondered how we could become close, but...'
I chewed over an idle monologue.
As I was quietly stroking her head, suddenly Irene moved and grasped my wrist.
I raised question marks as if asking what was wrong.
"Miss Irene?"
Perhaps I had bothered her?
Just as I was about to remove my hand.
"Um."
"Yes?"
"Instead of my head... it's okay to touch my ears."
The fox speaking expressionlessly.
Right after, the girl moved my hand and placed it on her perked up ears.
A soft and squishy sensation touched my fingertips.
"You kept avoiding them while stroking. It looked uncomfortable."
"Is it alright?"
"It's fine."
"Hmm."
I tilted my head.
I had already been rejected several times when trying to touch them.
Though the fox would let it pass as if annoyed when her tail was touched, she never allowed her ears on top of her head to be touched.
It was a genuinely disliking reaction.
I couldn't forcibly take it either.
I had roughly given up, but I didn't expect her to suddenly allow it.
-Many things will change from now on.
-The only one for each other.
-I look forward to continuing to work with you.
Conversation remembering last night.
Perhaps it had changed based on the promise made then?
Maybe she was belatedly allowing it because some trust in me had built up.
I smiled gently.
'Yes... I just had to approach slowly.'
That's how taming is.
Patience was needed.
Even sitting slightly apart in a grassy field, not speaking, glancing sideways, holding awkward air and scent, becoming conscious of the other's existence, and approaching little by little day by day like that.
When you reach out your hand after a hard decision, the other won't run away as if answering the time invested.
Perhaps this was such a moment for me.
"Then I won't hold back."
I happily fiddled with the girl's ears.
The addictive sensation of them being very thin yet squishy at the same time, softly crumpling in shape.
A faint heat transmitted through my fingertips.
The fox nestled in my arms was twitching her body.
"Ugh, haa... hnn."
Breath that had strangely roughened.
Cheeks now dyed red.
Even her eyes unfocused and hazy.
Had I touched too painfully? I asked out of worry, but the only answer returned was that it was fine.
The girl buried her face and let out heated breaths.
"Don't, worry, about it... nnh, it's, nothing."
"Can I continue?"
"...Yes."
The girl nodded her head.
With less force in my hand than before, I gently caressed her ear as if rubbing it.
The continuing sounds of breathing filled the room's silence.
"Haah... nnh, haa..."
Air mixed with body scent.
Bodies entangled as if embracing.
Even our body heat stickily mixing.
We spent some more time like that while lying on the bed.
***
A slightly delayed morning.
We were finishing preparations to return to the school trip.
As we were facing the sea breeze standing on the open deck, suddenly blue sparks shot up in the air.
Crackle-!
The sparkling light soon drew a circle.
Space distorted, and a contradiction piercing distance occurred.
A portal created by ability.
What walked out of the rippling shadows was none other than Lena.
Long black hair fluttered.
The woman immediately knelt when her eyes met mine.
"Commander. I came running at your call."
"Thank you for coming like this. Since we don't have time, let's start with urgent explanations for now."
"Understood."
Lena who had flown over as soon as she received the telegram.
I calmly summarized the situation.
The woman who had been quietly listening to the explanation soon nodded her head as if understanding.
"You mean you want me to take care of the aftermath of this ship? Are you two returning to the academy schedule?"
"The school trip isn't over yet."
"I'll open a portal for your return too. Since I have memories of visiting Heiron before, I should be able to take you to a more accurate location."
"You're truly a capable subordinate."
She was indeed a reliable person to have by my side.
When she appeared as an enemy in the original work, there was no such troublesome opponent, but after drawing her to our side, she was outstandingly useful in various ways.
I especially liked how loyal she was.
It was worth picking her up when she was starving to death on the streets.
A pleased smile spread on my lips.
"I trust you'll handle the details well."
"After erasing the records remaining on the ship, I'll call technicians to newly refurbish it. Since its basic performance is excellent, it should become a useful force."
"Good."
"For those who were captured as illegal slaves... As we did in Belzen last time, I'll first transfer them to hospitals to check their condition. Once their identities are somewhat grasped, I plan to release them as free people right away."
"Handle them carefully. They're people who suffered from unreasonable pain."
"I'll move in the direction of providing maximum convenience."
Conversation organizing complex procedures.
Around when the flow was roughly wrapping up, I lowered my voice and threw out a new topic.
It was about the ill-fated encounter from a few days ago.
"As I said earlier, it's quite a complicated situation."
"Unknown... The First Sword moved, so it's right to see it as the Monarch's will being involved. We'll investigate the reason for suddenly starting activities."
"Please be careful not to let talk of the Monarch reach the Vice Commander's ears. It seems like it would shake her heart in many ways."
"I'll keep it in mind."
Was it because of the mention of Neria?
The woman nodded her head with a gloomy expression.
While holding a bitter smile, I asked a question that had just occurred to me.
"Come to think of it... the Vice Commander didn't come with you?"
"She's temporarily away."
"Hmm?"
"She's in a situation of being dispatched near the border. Reports came in that traces of black magic were found in that area."
"There's a lot of news from that side."
"The atmosphere of black mages has been ominous recently."
"My~ Is everyone in an uproar? We should start preparing soon too."
"I'll give separate notice to the members."
"I'll join right away when my schedule ends too."
"Understood."
Lena answering with a straight posture.
After patting such shoulders a few times, I turned my back and stepped onto the deck.
The explanation was over, so it was time to return now.
Irene who had approached at some point was standing beside me.
When I lightly gave an eye signal, the woman reached out into the air and once again created a portal piercing space.
This time it was a passage leading to the hotel building.
"We'll be going now."
"I'll be waiting, Commander."
"That's a pleasant thing to hear."
"Everything according to your will."
The woman recited while kneeling on one knee.
Her head bowing as if paying homage.
Leaving behind the member sending us off sincerely, we moved our feet towards the portal where sparks were raging.
Like that, the moment our steps crossed the shadows.
Crackle-!
We were standing in front of the building.
***
We naturally returned to our lodgings.
Though we had left the trip destination for as much as 3 days, there were no particular problems.
Selena had agreed to take care of attendance.
Thanks to that, we could enjoy the remaining schedule with peace of mind.
"You!"
"Y-Young Master...?"
Of course, we had to receive some questioning from those close to us.
We had clearly made promises to go around together, but hadn't shown our faces for days.
I smiled awkwardly.
"Haha... I'm ashamed."
Standing before me were two girls.
The villainess and the protagonist.
"You. Where were you for the past few days?"
"W-We were worried... You weren't in your room, and w-we looked for you, but no one knew where you went, so we thought maybe something had happened..."
"Putting aside breaking school rules... It's bewildering when you suddenly disappear! Just what were you doing for 3 days?"
"B-But I'm glad. Since you say nothing happened."
The two people greeting the boy with their own different reactions.
It seemed I had made them worry.
I laid out the prepared lie.
"I'm sorry. I received a request from Professor Selena. I briefly went somewhere. I didn't know it would be this late."
"I-I'm fine... I was just worried."
"Thank you for understanding, Miss Regia."
"...I wasn't particularly angry either. It would have been nice if you had at least said something before going."
"I'll definitely do so next time, Princess."
The children accepted it when I mentioned Selena's name.
As expected, perhaps because I had the position of head assistant, I could easily get out of such moments with the in-charge professor chance.
"Let's move together from today."
"You know today is the last day of the school trip...?"
"Then we should hurry even more."
"Th-The wind is cool, so it might be nice to walk around the beach...!"
"Alright. Then let's depart."
"Y-Yes!"
"Haa..."
Pilot, narcissist, snake, fox.
The children all moved their steps outside the lodgings together.
Whoosh-.
As we walked following the blowing wind, soon the sensation touching our feet changed to sand.
The sea full of blue like the sky.
"Excellent weather."
The children enjoyed the last day of vacation like that.