You readers may or may not have caught on yet, but the release schedule is presently Sunday/Monday/Wednesday/Friday.
Giliath is still thankful for dropping power stones even on days chapters aren't posted!
Actual lemons might not still be for a while, but the earliest one may be right before Infernal Castle trials.
*****
SPLASH. SPLASH.
Fie suddenly, yet gently tossed Emma into the knee-deep foot bath. The warm water splashed across her back, and Emma suddenly found her body warming up.
"H-Huh?", Emma uttered, realizing she now had her butt planted onto the smooth marble-like surface beneath her. The warm water splashed around, sliding against her body and gently pushed against her swimsuit.
"Time to rise and shine, Emma. If you dawdle any longer your boobies are going to start floating on the water.", Fie said with a deadpan look in her eyes. Emma's gaze became clearer, and she saw a white-haired girl in a stylish one-piece swimsuit.
"Is that you Fie? The last thing I remember is putting on my swimsuit while Renne said it was fine for us to take a dip. Where are we? This water feels nice too...", Emma asked as she regained her clarity. She found herself in an open area in the middle of the courtyard.
"Apparently this place was built by Naoto. We're in the courtyard. The house is behind us. I figured dropping you into some water would be the quickest way to snap you out of your daze, so I threw you into the open foot-bath here. And don't worry, it isn't in use.", Fie explained. Hearing that, Emma frowned.
"You know Fie, you really should handle girls more gently. I kind of smacked my butt a bit hard there...", Emma uttered, looking down at her still pinkish skin. She felt more calm now. She could see her butt hidden away from her swimsuit as she looked downward, but didn't see any injuries. The pink skin she saw was because of the warm water of the foot bath.
"Sorry. Guess the water wasn't deep enough to absorb the fall. Need my hand?", Fie asked as she saw Emma checking herself out to see if she was fine. As she turned around here and there, Fie's eyes remained on Emma's growing breasts. They were quite elastic, making them bounce each time she turned.
"Would you cut that out?", Fie retorted.
"Oh!", Emma responded, realizing where Fie was currently looking. A light blush appeared on her cheeks, but she proceeded to stand up from the water, causing another splash. "Thank you, but I think I can manage.", Emma answered.
The warm water still felt good around her feet as a cold breath of air escaped from her lips. Emma stood up, and decided to glance around the open courtyard.
"Was this place really built by Naoto?", Emma asked in surprise, seeing how large Eternal Spring was.
"That seems to be the case. You chose a pretty cute swimsuit, Emma~", Musse's teasing voice reached their ears. Emma took this time to step out of the foot bath, causing her body to turn cold again, but only for a brief moment.
Emma's gaze paused, not expecting to feel a sudden warm sensation start spreading where her feet were. The water quickly left Emma's body, remaining behind in the foot bath, and she was now on the pavement beside it. Musse smiled seeing Emma looking down at her feet, taking a moment to approach her.
"Teehee, that's a similar reaction to what I experienced. Apparently there's a whole heating system installed here, according to what Renne said. It could even eliminate the cold air entirely, right?", Musse asked as she approached Emma and Fie.
"That's right. Within a certain radius. The orbal fluctuator is not in full use right now, but with a mere press of a button, Eternal Spring can erect an orbal barrier around the entire estate, going as far as the beach you see about five minutes down. It can even dip into some of the water, and heat it up, allowing us to swim in it, despite it being winter right now. Pretty cool, huh?", Renne explained, causing Emma to raise her eyebrows at her.
Emma saw Renne enter their view. She was in a one-piece purple swimsuit herself. Unlike Fie and Musse, Renne's body was more underdeveloped, likely thanks to being suppressed by Gnosis. But Renne didn't seem to mind wearing a swimsuit though.
"But if you feel like you want to enjoy the brisk air that we currently are feeling, and want to enjoy a dip in the foot bath, that too is an option. There's really a lot of scenarios we can play around with this baby in place.", Renne continued.
"Naoto sure thought of a lot of opportunities when he built this place huh?", Emma mused after hearing that.
"Indeed. But at the end of the day, this estate serves one purpose and one purpose only. Musse, Fie and I are definitely out of the question, but you were brought here with that potential purpose, Emma, considering the current relationship you share with Big Brother.", Renne said.
"Y-You don't mean...", Emma uttered, realizing what Renne was hinting at. A blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Making babies.", Fie directly answered with her typical deadpan eyes.
"F-Fie! You don't need to be so direct in answering a question like that. And how do you even know about such a thing?", Emma frowned, still being embarrassed at the matter.
"Dad already gave me a good explanation on how the world works, soooo take it as you will.", Fie replied.
"You really are not to be underestimated. Are you sure you're younger than me?", Emma retorted back.
"Turning ten this year, so yeah. I count that as younger than you. You'll be turning fourteen right?", Fie asked.
"In a few months, give or take.", Emma responded with a nod.
"I thought you'd at least be a year or two older than that. Your looks can be quite deceiving you know~", Musse teased Emma.
"I am a bit self-conscious about that, but as long as we keep the teasing to a moderation...", Emma replied, darting her eyes back at Fie.
"What?", Fie asked, pretending not to know the teasing she had done earlier.
"Do you just not care, or do you pretend to not care?", Emma decided to ask.
"Let's go with the second one.", Fie simply answered.
"...", Emma tried to reply back, but didn't decide to further fan Fie's remarks. Hearing this earned a giggle from Musse.
"Teehee, I haven't gotten to know you two much yet, but you two seem much closer than the short friendship I've developed with Renne and Sherryl.", Musse said with interest, looking at the white-haired girl and the plum-haired girl before her.
"Well, we've fought in a party on a number of occasions by now, but the party member we're used to fighting with isn't here. I don't think we'll see her for a while. But she goes by the name Duvalie.", Fie answered.
"Duvalie huh? Can't say that name rings a bell.", Musse replied, tilting her head in confusion.
"So that's what that girl has been up to huh? It's probably good she isn't in a place like this. She's much too kind-hearted and takes teasing quite seriously.", Ennea called out to the four, causing their gazes to see Ennea approaching them.
"Oh right, you're part of whatever group that knight girl is a part of right? We were partying with her for a year or so to train. She kept up with us quite well. Thankfully Angelica decided to join up when she did, so I think our frontline should be fine.", Fie answered with a nod of her head.
"That's the plan. I'll be here to fill that position so you guys can safely attack from mid and far range. I can taunt enemies quite easily, if you catch my drift~", Angelica teased, appearing beside Ennea. The six girls were now all together near the foot-bath. Like the first four girls, Ennea and Angelica also mused at the heated pavement, and were starting to enjoy the warm feeling it was releasing.
As the girls regrouped inside the courtyard, a look of worry appeared in Angelica's eyes, taking a moment to observe Emma. Emmea's beat-red skin from earlier had died down thanks to having this conversation with the rest of the girls, but she called the daze she was in that lasted for some moments after having changed into these swimsuits.
"Still, are you alright now, Emma? You were quite out of it after we changed into our swimsuits.", Angelica asked, wanting to confirm if Emma was good now.
"I think I am alright now. What exactly happened after that? I know I was in that daze, but it was still mostly a blur...", Emma asked, unsure of what happened after coming out of the dressing room.
"You really can't remember, Emma? Angelica wanted to see if you would partake in that sexy photo op that she and Ennea will be doing in a few moments. Something about stripping naked?", Fie wondered, tilting her head as she tried to recall Angelica's words.
The moment Fie said that, Emma's body began to tense up.
"Ahh!", Emma exclaimed, finally remembering what Angelica invited Emma to partake in.
"Oh no, you are totally not going to freeze up on me again girl. I invited you because you really like Naoto, don't you, Emma?", Angelica asked, sporting a more serious look in her eyes. That seriousness washed Emma's tension away, and allowed her to calm down again. But as she observed Angelica, the blush remained on Emma's cheeks.
It didn't take long for an answer to appear in Emma's head, causing her to nod her head.
"Yes. I am not exactly sure what this feeling is yet, but I do think it is love. I want to be beside him. You and Ennea both want to as well, right?", Emma replied with a firm nod.
"That's a given.", Angelica replied.
"And me as well. But Master is currently off in Erebonia, and I think he has plans to visit Crossbell City today, right Renne?", Ennea asked Renne.
"That is what he told me before he departed to Erebonia. So today should be the day Big Brother visits Crossbell City. But even with that, he will still be absent from you girls.", Renne answered.
"See? Which is why I thought of this little photo shoot. The three of us can send something memorable to Naoto so he won't feel lonely. He'd like that, wouldn't he, Emma?", Angelica asked.
"Well, yes. At the same time, it does feel a little guilty with us having fun out here without Naoto. But then, he does have some friends out there too...", Emma began to utter.
"That lonely feeling won't be entirely lonely, I get what you mean. But this should help fill that hole with us being gone.", Angelica answered.
"Yes. I feel the same way too. And if I don't take this first push now, I'm sure Naoto will want to do many more embarrassing things to us in the coming days...", Emma continued.
"Now you're speaking my language girl. So, you in?", Angelica asked with a smile.
"Yes. I'll do it.", Emma said with a resolved look in her eyes.
"Guess that's settled then. I'll proceed with the setup. I'll head back inside and go grab my laptop.", Renne said, quickly departing from the girls. The girls saw her wander back inside the estate.
As for Fie though, she was strangely quiet while Emma made her decision. She just tilted her head, and her gaze lowered to where Emma's butt was. It was hidden away by her pink swimsuit, but if one traced Fie's eyes, she was looking at the string that was currently tied against her waist.
"Would it be something like this?", Fie asked, suddenly reaching her hand out.
"Eh?", Emma tried to say, only to see Fie stretching her arm toward her butt. All of a sudden in one fell swoop, Fie's hand grabbed a hold of the tied cloth. A gentle whoosh struck the girl's ears as Emma's swimsuit began to unravel itself.
And in the next moment, a single plop fell onto the floor. Her bottom half of her swimsuit was now laid bare on the ground.
That meant Emma's butt and all her glory was now shown to the rest of the girls. It took a good moment to realize what had just happened...