Bonus Short Stories
A Conversation between Princess Sophia and Her Goddess
đ Princess Sophia's Perspective đ
"Look! I'm much better at swimming now, wouldn't you say?"
For the past few evenings, I had been swimming in the night sea with Hero Makoto.
"Yeah, definitely," he answered with a soft smile. Makoto was standing atop the water using his magic. The gentle look in his eyes made my body heat up, but...
You don't seem interested in me...
He was wearing his usual adventuring gear, an entirely ash-gray outfit. I glanced at the rest of his equipment on the beach.
He's going to try and make it to the temple again tonight...
Just then, I saw that Hero Makoto was staring at the water. His eyes were pointed toward where the Seafloor Temple lay beneath the
waves...rather than at me. From what he'd told me, I knew that he dove down there each night and tried to progress through the trench called Deep Scar.
It was a perilous place full of monsters, and he went back every day.
I wish he wouldn't put himself in so much danger... But, if I had said as much out loud, I'm sure he would have given me an exasperated look.
Suddenly, I recalled a conversation I'd had with the Goddess of Water, Lady Eir.
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"Heyyy, Sophieeeeâ You good?" "L-Lady Eir?!"
While I was offering my daily prayers, the goddess spoke to me. Though she was normally very relaxed with her speech, she was still the goddess that watched over all of Rosesâit was no trifling matter for her to converse with a mortal priestess.
"Is something the matter?" I asked hesitantly. "Yup! It's an emergency, a real one."
"A-An emergency?" What sort of disaster would a goddess consider an emergency? Anxious nerves suffused my body.
"So, Sophie," she began.
"Y-Yes...?" I replied, waiting for what she'd say next. "You're in love!"
"Wha...?" Despite my Coldhearted skill, I could only manage a half- witted noise. "Um...Lady Eir, what...?" As I struggled to respond, I thought back on my behavior over the past few days...and immediately broke out into a cold sweat.
"Come on, don't be coy," Lady Eir teased. "You're always so serious when you pray, always thinking of your citizens. But! Your head's been all full of a certain 'hero' lately. Of course I'd notice," she told me with a giggle.
"I-I'm so sorry!" I blurted, lowering my head to the floor before the statue that bore her likeness. "I've neglected my position!"
"Oh, no, no, I'm delighted!" she exclaimed, and I could feel the joy in her words. "You're so serious! You haven't ever had feelings for
anyone like this before, have you? Of course I'm happy that someone's finally caught your eye. I know it'll be a revelation. Sophie, you need to have your man fall for you."
"L-Lady Eir?!"
I couldn't do that! I had no idea how to even begin!
"It's okay! I'll teach you."
Well...that was very kind of her, but I could feel the mischievous goddess getting into it...
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"I'll see you later then," Hero Makoto told me. We'd finished up at the beach, and he had escorted me back to my room. This was usually where we'd part ways.
"Um...be careful," I said. In a departure from my usual behavior, I held onto him with both hands and peered up into his eyes. Lady Eir had said that this technique was effective on men, but I wasn't so sure.
I did, however, get to see the rare sight of a flustered Hero Makoto with reddened cheeks.
"R-Right. I will be," he stammered. Then, he left with hurried steps.
Nicely done, said a voice in my mind. It's working.
Lady Eir was watching?!
Wanna try hugging him next time?
I-I couldn't do that! It was dirty. Oh, but...he looked so cute with flushed cheeks. I wanted to see that sight again. As far as my emotions went, it was probably too late for me...
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Makoto, Lucy, and Sasa
"Heavy..." I grumbled.
I was just waking up, and it felt like there was a weight on either side of me. Last night, I'd tried to enter the Seafloor Temple again but had accomplished yet another flawless tactical withdrawal.
I'd decided that barging in on Prince Leonardo's room every night would be a nuisance, so I was in my own bed this time. As I'd expected, the usual intruders had arrived.
Well, it's not like I locked the door... I thought to myself.
I glanced to my side and noticed the long red hair draped over my neck. The elf wreathed by all that hair was breathing softly in her sleep.
"Lucy," I murmured, "come on."
"Mmph... Oh, you're back, Makoto?" she asked, stirring awake and rubbing her eyes sleepily. As always, her nightwear was more like underwear because of her high body heat, and the strap of her camisole was slipping from her shoulder.
"It feels like I've said it a few times, but the way you wear thatâ"
Suddenly, I was interrupted by a pair of arms slipping around my neck.
"Takatsukiii." Her voice was close to my ear, and she brushed Lucy's hair away. The owner of those chilly arms was none other than...Sasa.
"Morning, Sasa."
"Good morning. So you came back to your room this time! It's been a while..." As she spoke, she pulled me closer with her arms and wrapped her legs around mine. She was coiling around me...almost like a snake. Well, she was a lamia, so I guess that made sense...
"Come on, Aya, you're clinging too much," Lucy protested. She pulled off Sasa's arms and replaced them with her own.
"Luuu, what're you doing," Sasa whined, grabbing Lucy right back. "We promised we'd help each other, right?" Lucy asked.
"So why are you getting in the way?" countered Sasa.
The two of them glared at each other over me. Uh...guys?
"You're too close to him."
"And you're not wearing your clothes properly."
Meanwhile, I was being deprived of air. "C-Can't breathe...help..." Sasa had superhuman strength, and Lucy was stronger than she looked... I was being crushed between the two of them.
"Ah! Makoto!"
"Oh no, Takatsuki!"
The two of them quickly realized what they were doing and backed off.
That was close... I'd been heading for a bad end, crushed between girls.
Are you sure that's not a good end? Noah interjected.
No, goddess, that's not how I want to go out!
While I caught my breath, Lucy and Sasa stared at me in worry. "Are you okay, Makoto?"
"Are you angry?"
"Nah," I replied. "Actually, we should all go out today."
I honestly felt kinda bad... During our vacation, I'd been focusing entirely on the Seafloor Temple, so I'd barely made any time for them.
At my suggestion, their faces both broke out into smiles. "We'll go change!"
"Wait here."
The two of them quickly scampered off to their rooms.
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"Makoto!" exclaimed Lucy. "First off, there's this really pretty beach! After that, we can stop somewhere good for lunch, and I want to buy a new outfit for practicing magic..."
Sasa then cut in with her own ideas. "Takatsuki! I want to look around that bazaar. There's this place with great cake, so we can go there. I also want you to help me pick out some new shoes..."
"That sounds great, Aya!" Lucy said enthusiastically. "Maybe I should pick up a new pair too."
"That's fine!" Sasa agreed. "What about plans for tonight?"
"Leave that to me! I booked a private room at a restaurantâthe view is supposed to be amazing! Prince Leonardo told me about it, so it'll be perfect!"
"Yay! Then we can play cards in your room, Takatsuki."
Our schedule was packed to bursting. The pair of them just didn't stop...
Just as we were confirming our itinerary for the day, I felt someone's eyes on us. I glanced around and found Princess Sophia looking our way. But when our eyes met, she hurriedly averted her gaze. What was that all about...?
Makoto, time to show your manliness.
Noah... All right. I'll speak to Princess Sophia as well.
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A Chat between Goddess and Believer
It was the night we left the Habhain Islands, and I was dreaming. "N-Noah?" I stammered. "What're you wearing...?"
"What do you think? Does it suit me?"
My goddess was in my dream...wearing swimwear. I-I mean, as far as how it looks on her... I swallowed. I was used to seeing my normal friends in swimsuits now, but this was...brutal.
"It's cute, right?" she asked, pulling a pinup pose.
"You're ruining it," I said, and she acknowledged my criticism with disinterest. "But why are you wearing that?"
At my question, she suddenly looked sulky. "Well, you've all been enjoying yourselves at the beach this whole time! Think about how I feel watching you!"
"Ah, so you were jealous..." I felt bad.
"Hmph, it's fine. You're with me today," she said, snapping her fingers. I could hear the lapping of waves now.
"What?!"
At her gesture, the area had turned into a landscape of sandy beach and blue sea.
W-What the heck?
"It's not real," she admitted. Then, she added proudly, "But it's the principle of the thing."
"I mean, it looks like a real beach," I told her. "I didn't know you could do this."
"Well, there's no point when I'm on my own, but since you're here now, I can have a bit of fun."
She looked bright as she said that, but her smile had a tinge of loneliness to it. Seeing her expression made my chest hurt.
If only I could've made it to the Seafloor Temple...
"Idiot! I told you it's too soon." Noah's scolding came with a smack to my head, and her expression looked dismayed for a moment. She perked up immediately though. "Right! We've got the beach and the sea, so you know what's next. Come on, this way!"
She pulled at my hand. Noah was always touchy-feely, but her unfamiliar swimsuit and the memory of her earlier expression had my heart pounding.
"Look over there," she said. "This is what makes it a beach trip!" She was smiling and pointing to...a hut with a table. An array of foods were lined up, including yakisoba, fried squid, beer, and shaved ice.
A clubhouse...?
"Come on, sit down," Noah urged.
Within moments, she was hanging out on a cheap-looking bench with a beer in hand. "Ahhh, it's a real beach trip now!" she
exclaimed. "Aren't you going to eat?" She was happily munching on yakisoba as she drank her beer. Any sense of her earlier lonelinessâ or divinityâwas gone.
Are you some old geezer...? I thought. "Rude! Hurry up and sit down."
"Fine, fine, I'll top up your drink."
Floundering a bit, I managed to take a seat next to her. I poured two beers, and she gulped hers down. Noah looked beautiful as she drained the glass.
"Hey, yours is still full. Come on! Chug, chug!"
I sighed. "Could you quit with the frat-bro vibes?"
Well...she was gorgeous if she kept her mouth shut. It was just a dream, but the two of us had a blast. Noah...seemed like she was having fun, at least in front of me.
I'll beat that dungeon, I swore to myself.
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Makoto and Prince Leonardo's Little Adventure
đ Prince Leonardo's Perspective đ
After gathering my courage, I called out, "Makoto!"
"Prince Leonardo?" he answered, looking quizzically back at me. The two of us were standing atop the sea, quite far away from the area where our holiday villa was located.
"What's up?" he asked. "We'll be past the barrier soon, and that'll be dangerous for you. Maybe you should head back... I can escort you."
When Makoto grabbed my hand, it made me jump a little.
"No... Please take me with you! You train in the dungeon every night, and I want to come along!"
My statement elicited a dubious expression from him. "I'm heading for the Seafloor Temple," he stated.
It was just like I'd heard from my sister... Makoto goes to one of the last dungeons every night. It was one of the hardest dungeons in existence, and no human had ever conquered it, but Makoto was always sneaking out and devoting himself to that task. It had only been a few days since he'd saved the capital... Just how dedicated was he?!
I want to be a brave warrior, I thought, one just as strong as Makoto!
Ultimately, my request was grantedâI got him to bring me along.
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Eep!
I was already regretting my decision. The sea was pitch-black at this time of night, and awful monsters were swimming through the waters past the barrier.
"W-What was that?!"
"A sea serpent, I think. A pretty big one," came a nonchalant answer from my side.
Makoto was currently holding my hand as we swam through the water using magic. He was managing to hold a conversation along with his water-breathing spell.
What even...
"T-There were ten of them!" I exclaimed. "And they're coming this way!"
"Weird. They normally ignore me. I wonder what's up?"
Makoto! Don't stay calm! We need to run!
"Well, since you're with me, we should probably get away," Makoto suggested.
"Wawaa!"
Instantly, our speed shot up, and we rushed away from the sea serpents. However, we soon encountered more monsters.
"Makoto!" I pointed in front of us. "There's a swarm of kelpie!" "Ooh, I haven't seen any of those before."
Kelpie were evil spirits said to roam the seas. They were dangerous monsters too... I'd heard that they would drown mortals on sight. Also, kelpie were far faster than sea serpents.
"They're coming toward us," I warned.
"Huh, they're kinda pretty," mumbled Makoto.
"Is now really the time?!" They did have beautiful fur, but they were also known to attack people!
"Come on, over here." Makoto was beckoning them. The kelpie must have seen his gesture as provocation because they were all swimming in this direction now.
"This is bad!" I said. "They're going to catch us."
"I guess it's a race, then." As Makoto spoke, he used his magic to speed us up even further.
W-Was he playing around this whole time?! If I tried to speak, I'd certainly bite my tongue, so I could only scream that mentally.
"Oh, there's some more," Makoto observed.
I looked, and yes, there were other monsters interested in the prey the kelpies were chasing...aka, us.
Eeeep!
Scary, scary, scary, scary, scary, scary, scary, scary...but...
"Wow! Sirens as well!" Makoto exclaimed. "Oh, wait, you shouldn't hear their song." He quickly covered my ears.
But you can?!
We ended up spending the night being chased around by monsters, though none of them managed to even touch Makoto.
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"Man, that was fun," Makoto said, laughing like a mischievous kid. "I usually just stick to Deep Scar, so that was a nice change of pace."
I laughed weakly. All night, we'd been dragged around by his water magic, escaping attacking monsters. I felt like I was on the verge of collapse.
But now I knewâit wasn't courage that Makoto possessed...he just lacked any semblance of common sense.
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