Although they didn't know much about the Kamsencha region, it was clear that the area's specialty was seafood.
"I've noticed this before, but why are they so big?"
Harriet's eyes widened as she looked at the enormous lobster that had been cooked and served.
"The bigger, the better."
"…I doubt you'd ever complain about something being too big if it's food."
"Whatever."
"Just saying."
Most of the restaurants sold seafood dishes, and the prices were much lower compared to the Imperial City. They began to eat a lobster butter dish that was five times the size of a typical lobster, poking at it with their forks.
"Ah! It's been so long since I've had this, and it tastes just like I remember!"
Harriet shook with delight, a happy smile on her face. Her reactions were always so rich. As he recalled, Harriet had trouble eating many things, but lobster was something she could manage.
His relationship with Harriet had improved slightly after he had given Harriet some of his portions when she was still hungry.
-Om nom nom
Ellen was eating vigorously, as if she had no time to spare for conversation.
Thinking about it, the waters near the uninhabited island were teeming with seafood, including lobsters and octopuses. The Kamsencha region must have been thriving by distributing these abundant marine resources through the warp gates.
The area seemed to have decent tourism resources as well, but perhaps the uninhabited island they had visited was particularly special.
He had skipped lunch, so he was eating too, but it was always fascinating to watch Ellen devour the giant lobster. Harriet, on the other hand, was eating elegantly with her fork, as befitting a noble young lady. Ellen tended to eat quickly.
Ellen was wearing a white dress.
She was eating non-stop, but Ellen was careful not to let any food splash on her dress.
Ellen's dress remained spotless even after she had finished an entire lobster.
"I don't know if eating without getting dirty can be considered a talent, but you certainly have it."
"…"
"I mean, you eat so cleanly; why are you offended?"
Isn't this a compliment?
It's not like he said it was amazing that she could eat so much without getting dirty!
"I used to get scolded a lot."
"…Oh, really?"
"I was told not to get dirty while eating since they wouldn't scold me for eating a lot. My dad said that."
"I can't imagine Ellen getting scolded…"
Ellen's father.
Could it be that he had choked back tears while telling his daughter, who ate enough to bankrupt the family, to at least not get dirty while eating?
"So, eating without getting dirty isn't a talent; it's the fruit of your efforts?"
"Yes."
No wonder she could eat so much and not look unpleasant; it was the result of her efforts.
In a way, it was quite adorable.
Hearing about Ellen being scolded for eating something messy was a novelty to me. Come to think of it, it was around this time last year that Ellen had been gnawing on jerky alone at dawn, which marked the beginning of us sharing food.
Although we hadn't been on a mission to Kamsencha Island, being here brought back memories from last year. It seemed the same for Ellen and Harriet.
"I was really scared when it suddenly started raining back then."
Harriet shivered as if recalling that moment.
I knew it was going to rain, but knowing and actually experiencing the downpour were two different things. I had brought shivering Harriet to my makeshift shelter at the time.
Harriet's eyes seemed to grow distant, as if she was reminiscing about the past.
"Well, if you want, we could find a deserted island and try to survive there again until Sunday."
"When did I say I wanted to do it again?!"
Harriet snapped, as if to say that the memory was enough and she didn't want to go through it again.
"Even if we did it again, it would be quite different from before."
Ellen said so.
Harriet, who had once concentrated hard to create a single fireball, now possessed magical abilities that allowed her to cast spells almost instantly.
Ellen had been energetic back then, but now she was capable of Magic Body Strengthening.
The clumsy orcs we had faced back then could now be easily defeated by Lament and the others even if dozens charged at once.
Hunting, gathering, and enduring would surely be easier now than before.
"Right, it won't be as difficult as it used to be."
Harriet nodded in agreement. If we faced the same hardships now, we would be able to overcome them as if they were nothing.
Things had become much easier.
That's why it wouldn't be as tough as before, but we also knew that the sense of accomplishment would be diminished.
Harriet's expression didn't look particularly happy.
——
Kamsencha was a resort, so there were quite a few people coming and going.
On the white sandy beach, where the emerald-like blue sea spread under the clear blue sky, there were quite a few tourists.
Thankfully, the beach wasn't so crowded that it was half water, half people. There were people lying on sunbeds under parasols, and bungalows were set up along the shore.
Ellen stared at the beach for a moment and then reached for the hem of her dress.
-Whish!
"Eh, Ellen!"
"What are you… Oh, you're wearing it."
"Yes."
Ellen had already changed into a bikini beneath her dress. Harriet was startled by Ellen suddenly undressing but then sighed with relief upon seeing the blue swimsuit.
"I'll… go change into my swimsuit too."
Harriet went to the changing room set up on the beach, and I also changed into my swimsuit and came out.
The early spring sun shone brightly, quite different from the chilly equator.
The weather and scenery were absolutely fantastic.
But today, I had something to say.
Therefore, no matter what I saw, I couldn't feel particularly good.
——
We went swimming.
Our way of enjoying swimming was a little different from others. Harriet cast underwater breathing spells on all three of us, allowing us to venture far out into the ocean as if we were scuba diving.
So, it didn't really matter to us how many people were on the beach. After all, we went far out to sea, almost not even coming out of the water as if we were conducting underwater exploration.
We had entered the ocean to hunt during our mission, but now we were swimming purely for enjoyment.
There were some happenings.
For instance, a sudden appearance of a shark startled Ellen, who summoned Lament to intercept it.
Or Harriet, who suddenly got caught in a downward current and plunged into the sea, managed to force herself back up by conjuring a magical torrent.
Thinking about it, there were quite a few dangerous moments, but everyone had their abilities, so there were no major issues.
One way or another, we spent the day exploring the ocean depths, taking breaks, and then going back into the water.
Nighttime came.
We had dinner at a nearby restaurant. Harriet seemed exhausted, barely eating before collapsing onto the table.
Ellen and I, on the other hand, had been less active than usual, so we had energy to spare.
"What shall we do now? If we're going to sleep here, we need to find a place to stay."
There's no need to go back immediately since tomorrow is Sunday.
"I can't go anywhere… I don't want to sleep in a strange place… I can't go anywhere…"
Looking at Harriet, who was mumbling while lying down like a jellyfish, it seemed her exhaustion had gone beyond her limits.
"Alright, let's find a place to rest."
"Thank you…"
Ellen gently stroked Harriet's head.
——
We quickly found a place to rest. Instead of staying in an inn, we rented a bungalow on the sea. We had enough money, and the area was well-equipped for tourists, so we found a pretty decent place. Each bedroom was separate, so there were no awkward situations.
The rather large bungalow even had a small swimming pool.
However, having spent the entire day in the water and with it being nighttime, we were more inclined to shower and change clothes than to swim. We sat down, looking out at the sea.
"I never imagined we'd be in a place like this when I woke up this morning."
"Me neither."
Although the warp gate made long-distance travel possible, it wasn't often that we actually moved this far. Harriet suddenly smiled as if she remembered something, looking at Ellen and me.
"Ha, if Liana was here, she would've suggested having a drink…"
Harriet's words trailed off.
Indeed.
In a place like this, it would have been natural for Liana to suggest drinking when night fell. However, Liana had become too busy to entertain the idea of going out, and even if she had come along, she likely wouldn't have mentioned drinking.
A changed situation, changed people, and changed behaviors.
The three of us sat together on the terrace, staring blankly into space.
"It's only been a year, but so much has changed," Harriet murmured, her head bowed and her voice tinged with melancholy.
Once arrogant, the princess Harriet had grown kinder, but she had also come to know sadness.
Ellen had vowed not to live like her brother, but now, she understood him to some extent.
After her father's death, Liana broke free from her indolent life.
Many people had changed.
And, of course, I was no exception. Due to possessing the sacred artifact, I was forced to become a hero. The same was true for Ellen.
These changes had both positive and negative aspects.
But in one way or another, everyone had become stronger than before. And because we all felt the threat of the Demon King in our bones, we were all somewhat desperate.
"It wouldn't have been so bad if everything had stayed the same," Harriet mused absentmindedly.
Liana would still be lazy, I would still be a bad-tempered guy, and Ellen would simply be indifferent and enjoy eating.
Without the need to become stronger, without the compulsion to do so.
It would have been nice if those days could have just continued. Harriet spoke these words in the tranquil and serene atmosphere of the resort bungalow.
Ellen silently embraced Harriet's shoulders.
"We can do this. Whatever it is."
Everything will be alright.
Everything will turn out fine.
Like comforting a child, Ellen whispered softly to Harriet. Harriet placed her hand on Ellen's arm and nodded her head.
To Ellen, who believed that everything would be alright. To Harriet.
I had to tell them now.
I couldn't put it off any longer.
-Cicadas chirping
The sound of insects came from the coastal side.
Just as the Castle of Epiaux was eternally winter, this place would be eternally summer.
The hot sun would relentlessly beat down on the sea and the coast, and the same scenery would always be spread before us.
I had neither eternal winter nor eternal summer.
I didn't know what to call the seasons I had experienced since arriving at the temple.
"I have… something I need to tell you both…"
From now on, I would have to live in a changed season.
——
The explanation was lengthy.
But as I mentioned the essential words, I couldn't help but see their expressions harden.
The sudden mention of an engagement.
Naturally, Harriet and Ellen had no idea what I was talking about. An engagement out of nowhere.
I explained everything from beginning to end. Even though the explanation only served to make our moods increasingly strange and uncomfortable, it had to be done.
I couldn't explain everything, but I could give them a rough idea of what had happened.
The events that transpired after returning from the Demon King's castle, when Charlotte was experiencing something akin to aftereffects.
The day I risked my life to save Charlotte.
And Charlotte, who was overwhelmed by only caring for her own health, eventually fell behind in the competition for the throne. Now, even her own faction was turning their backs on her.
The fact that it wasn't Bertus who posed the problem, but the risk of losing one's life due to traitors within.
So, in order to protect Charlotte, I needed a justification, and as the master of Alsebringer, I had to become engaged to her to prevent the loss of her supporting faction.
No one asked why I went so far for Charlotte.
I didn't say I had no choice but to make this decision in order to save her life.
I wanted to protect Charlotte because I loved her, and that's why I wanted to marry her. Both would have to accept it that way, and I didn't bother denying it.
They would naturally accept it that way.
I made a choice.
Trying to hold onto something else clumsily was simply absurd.
"…Ah."
Harriet stared at me blankly, her face drained of color.
Plunk
A single tear fell from Ellen's expressionless face.
I didn't apologize. It would be even stranger if I did.
Apologizing would only make the situation more bizarre, and everyone would feel even more terrible than they do now.
I said so, and stared silently at the sea.
The gentle waves rolled ceaselessly towards the shore.
Ellen bowed her head without a word.
Seeing Ellen like this, Harriet looked at me and forced a strange expression.
It was an indescribable, somewhat odd expression.
"Right, right… You… Ha… Well… You've succeeded… How… How did someone like you… How…"
In the end, Harriet's face contorted miserably as she tried to say something.
"How… on earth… Why…"
I couldn't bear to look directly at the weeping Harriet.
As Ellen silently bowed her head.
"Was it a lie?"
She asked very quietly.
She didn't say what it was about.
But I knew which moment she was referring to.
The day I handed her Lapelt.
When I refused it.
And what I said after that.
She must be talking about that day.
I knew what I had to answer.
"…Yes."
Ellen didn't ask anything else.