As the day went on, they all enjoyed the beach, swimming and sunbathing.
The sand was soft and the sea was clear, making it the perfect setting for a fun day out.
Archibald even joined in on a game of beach volleyball with the girls, accidentally slamming the ball into Taro's face at one point.
"Ouch! Archibald, you almost broke my handsome face!" Taro whined, nursing his nose.
Vesta laughed, "You're still handsome, Taro. Don't worry."
Occasionally, Rubik would cheat by using [Spatial Magic] to adjust the position of the volleyball.
Rumia enhanced her ball spikes with wind.
Taro used mana enhancements, as expected of a Martial.
Archibald couldn't help but smile at their antics.
It was a good day, spent in the company of good friends and beautiful girls.
Night fell on Zephyr Island.
Archibald found himself in his room, tasked with writing a letter to his parents as he had promised.
[ Paper, in this medieval world, is worth its weight in gold and I know not to waste the precious sheet Lutessa gave me.
It's a bit absurd really.
Here I am, in a world where dragons and mages roam free, worrying over a piece of paper. ] (Archibald)
Looking around the room, Archibald took in his surroundings.
The walls were made of solid stone and there was only one small window that let in a sliver of moonlight.
An oil lamp sat on the table, providing just enough light for him to write.
Archibald dipped his quill in the inkwell and stared at the blank page in front of him.
He sighed heavily and thought about what to write.
It had been three months since he had written to his parents, but he hadn't received any letters from them either.
He knew his father, Michael, was probably too proud to write him, as usual.
Archibald rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "Typical Michael."
As he sat there, pondering what to say, Archibald gazed up at the moon.
It was big and full tonight, casting a bright glow over everything in the room.
Suddenly, he was struck by inspiration.
He dipped his quill in the ink once more and began to write.
He poured his heart into the letter.
Finally, after an hour of scribbling furiously, he signed his name at the bottom and let out a satisfied sigh.
As he blew on the ink to dry it, he marveled at the worth of the piece of paper in his hand.
In this world, it was worth more than silver, yet to Archibald, it was worth much more than that.
It was a connection to his family, a way to keep them close even when he was far away.
[ Dear Father and Mother,
I hope this letter finds you both in good health. As you may have guessed from the postmark, I am currently in the beautiful Aalakhor Archipelago. I apologize for not visiting you on my way here, but I promise that I will make it up to you when I return home.
I have been having the time of my life here, exploring the many islands that make up this wonderful archipelago. I have met some amazing people, tasted delicious new foods, and seen sights that I will never forget.
You will be happy to hear that I have been working hard to prepare for the Xercraft Academy's scholarship exams. I can't believe Arcelia got a scholarship offer, she reminds me of me. I hope to follow in her footsteps soon and join her in the academy.
In the meantime, I have been keeping myself busy by practicing my sword skills. I'm proud to say that I'm currently ranked as a Disciple in three different sword schools. I even had the opportunity to spar with one of the Rankers, though I must confess that I lost quite spectacularly.
But it's not all about fighting and training. I have also had some incredible experiences that I know you will enjoy hearing about. But I'll save that for when I visit.
I miss you both terribly and I promise to visit as soon as I return. Please give my love to Arcelia and let her know how proud I am of her for earning that scholarship. Until we meet again, take care of yourselves.
With love,
Archibald. ]
He folded the paper neatly and then kissed it.
...
Meanwhile,
The women's hotsprings on Zephyr Island were a sight to behold.
The warm water bubbled and steamed, providing a perfect place for the girls to relax and unwind.
Rumia, Lutessa, Rachel, Nermel, Lirien, and Myne had all decided to take a dip in the soothing waters.
As they soaked, the steam enveloped them, making it hard to see anything beyond the water's surface.
Rumia then turned to Lirien. "Hey, Lirien, I thought you didn't like water. You know, given that you're part cat."
Lirien nodded. "I don't like getting wet when my oil buildup is low, but when it's high, I can soak in water all I like."
Rachel was confused. "Oil buildup?"
Myne exhaled deeply. "Just forget Rachel, the water is nice!"
Lutessa agreed with a sigh of relief. She had been feeling stressed from the recent adventures they had been having.
Nermel then asked Rumia why she seemed so tense. Rumia explained that she was keeping her [Search] spell on.
Myne furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why's that?"
Lirien spoke up. "Because of Archibald. He's been acting strangely lately..."
Rachel was intrigued. "What do you mean?"
Nermel giggled. "He looks at us with a perverted face. You know, the 'I'll steal your panties' kind of face."
The girls laughed, having a good time.
Rumia then chimed in, "Archibald doesn't look at us with a perverted face. He was just born with it."
This brought on another round of laughter, filling the hotsprings with the joyful sound.
"(Sir Knight is busy doing something important, he'd never come to sneak up on us during such a time)" (Lutessa)
She knew what Archibald was doing at the time.
After all, she gave him some paper.
Consequently, she knew what he planned to use it for.
Nermel then finally spoke up, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
"I've been meaning to ask you girls something for a while now." She paused, looking around the group.
The girls all arched an eyebrow, curious about what Nermel wanted to ask.
"Go on," Lirien urged her.
Nermel took a deep breath, then blurted out, "Which one of you is dating Archibald?"
As soon as Lutessa and Rumia heard this, their faces turned scarlet.
"W-What? Why would you think that?" Rumia stammered.
Lutessa cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. "Well, Sir Knight is a very lovely and gentlemanly guy," she said, blushing. "He's kind and reliable, and... and he saved me and Sir Rogue from some monsters."
Lirien raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. "How exactly is Archibald a gentleman?"
"He just is!" Lutessa protested. "And besides, I don't think it's appropriate to think about that kind of thing right now."
Rumia quirked an eyebrow, a bemused expression on her face.
"Why would anyone ever be interested in a pervert like Archibald?" she scoffed.
At this, Lirien burst out laughing, earning herself glares from the other girls.
"Come on, girls," she said, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "We all know that Archibald is a bit of a pervert."
Rumia rolled her eyes, but a smile played at the corners of her lips as she remembered how Archibald had helped her get over her seasickness.
"Well, he's not so bad," she admitted grudgingly.
Myne nodded.
"I have to agree with Rumia on this one. But personally, I think Lamperogue is a better option." (Myne)
This earned a teasing laugh from Nermel.
"Oh, come on Myne, is it because you're already falling for him?" (Nermel)
Myne's cheeks turned pink, and she chuckled nervously.
"N-No, I wasn't... I mean, everyone clearly knows I am," she said, grinning sheepishly.
The girls all laughed together, enjoying each other's company in the warm and soothing waters of the hotsprings.
Rachel suddenly turned to Nermel and asked, "Hey, what about you and Taro? Are you guys like, a thing?"
Nermel's remained composed and said.
"Hard pass, Taro's not my type at all. He's way too loud, and besides, we're all party members. It wouldn't be appropriate."
Lutessa looked at her curiously. "Why not? You two might make a nice couple."
Nermel shook her head. "I just don't see it. And besides, have you seen the way he tries to impress me? It's kind of cringey."
Lirien chuckled. "Oh, come on, Nermel. It's cute. I've seen the way Taro looks at you."
Rumia shrugged, rolling her eyes.
"Guys are always like that. Remember the first time I met Archibald? He tried to do some epic entry to help me defeat an ogre, but he ended up falling flat on his face." (Rumia)
The other girls burst out laughing, and Lutessa added, "Well, it was different when Sir Knight saved me. He looked so cool, like one of those knights from the Vayetran Church."
Lirien raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin spreading across her face. "Yeah, if Archibald is even allowed to cross the thresholds of a church."
The girls all laughed again.
Archibald had been listening to them for some time.
He'd just returned from dropping his letter for the messenger.
In between the fun Rumia was having she'd subconsciously deactivated her [Search] spell.
"(It seems like they're having fun... not today Archibald, don't mess it up)" (Archibald)
He decided not to engage in his perverted antics this night.
"(Also, RIP Taro, the man got shutdown before he could even take flight)" (Archibald)