I sank onto a bench in the dressing room and exhaled a long, heavy breath, my skin still flushed with heat. Whether it was from the temperature of the water or some other cause entirely, my body felt feverish.
The air slipping through the folds of my yukata slowly cooled my skin, and the sensation was strangely pleasant.
Still, man... that was one long, agonizing battle. I couldn't even count how many times I’d thought about giving up, but I’d seen it through. I’d survived.
Alice wasn't joking—baths are well on their way to becoming a source of trauma for me. Why do I have such a knack for these incidents? It seems so long ago now that I first arrived in this world and naively assumed I’d never have a Lucky Pervert moment.
As I sat there in a daze, a glass bottle of milk was suddenly held out in front of me.
"Kaito-san, care for some cold milk?"
"...Thanks. Where are Kuro and the others?"
"Ah, apparently they’re going to set off some fireworks, so they headed off to get things ready. I was tasked with coming to get you, Kaito-san."
"...I see. Ah, that’s good."
"Nothing beats this after a soak, right?"
It seemed Kuro and Isis-san were so excited about everyone staying the night together that they’d rushed off to prep the fireworks.
Alice, who had come to fetch me, was wearing her usual mask over her yukata, giving her a bizarrely mismatched appearance. Despite claiming she was there to pick me up, she pulled out a bottle of milk just like mine from thin air and sat down right by my side.
"...Puhah! Well, since the young Kaito-san looks so exhausted, let’s just take a breather before we go."
"Good idea. I definitely feel like I need a moment to settle down."
Perhaps it was the post-bath haze, but a quiet, contemplative atmosphere settled between us. Alice stayed silent for a while, sipping her milk, before she finally spoke up with a quiet murmur.
"...Kaito-san. There's one thing I just can't figure out no matter what. Mind if I ask?"
"Hmm? It’s rare for you to be stumped by something, Alice."
"Of course even I have things I don't know. The depths of a person's heart... well, I can't look into those unless I specifically try to."
"So you can look if you really want to..."
"Ahaha."
"...And? What is it?"
"Ah, no, it's not really a big deal."
After that brief disclaimer, Alice turned her gaze toward me and let her words flow slowly.
"...Kaito-san, why do you 'endure'?"
"Huh? Endure what?"
"I mean, you know, regarding that kind of physical relationship. Kuro-san and I told you we wanted to wait a while ourselves, and Isis-san is so pure that I can see why it’s hard to take that step with her. As for Ein-san, well, she isn't even your lover."
"...Right."
"...I can understand why you haven't with Duchess Lilia, given her personality... but what about Sieg-san?"
I understood what Alice was getting at. She was wondering why I still hadn't crossed that line with anyone yet.
"No, I mean, I’m sure you have your own mental preparations to make, Kaito-san, and I don't intend to criticize you for it... I was just simply curious as to why."
"...Why, huh..."
"Well, it's not like I need to hide it at this point, so I'll just be blunt... I know you occasionally take care of business yourself in secret. Oh, don't worry—whenever you’re in that situation, I move to a spot where I can't see you."
"...Seriously, it's a bit late for this, but... what happened to my privacy...?"
Normally, this was the kind of topic that would make me turn beet-red and bury my face in my hands, but Alice's current serious demeanor kept me from doing so. She didn't seem to have any intention of teasing me; it was a question born of pure curiosity.
"...Well, that's why I’m asking. This might be a bit of a crass way to put it, but isn't Sieg-san the perfect partner for that? Given her personality, she’d surely accept if you asked, and age-wise, she's thirty-eight... she's not like me, dealing with a virginity rut for tens of thousands of years."
"Mngh..."
"You live under the same roof, and you talk all the time while taking care of the pets. Unlike Kuro-san or Isis-san, the Elf Race has sexual desires rooted in the preservation of the species, just like humans."
"..."
When she put it that way, Sieg-san really did meet all the "conditions," so to speak. In truth, she felt like a kind, older sister figure, and in that regard, she was a lover far better than I deserved.
And yet, as for the reason I hadn't made a move...
"...Ah, no, if it's hard to answer, you don't have to—"
"Alice, you know, don't you? That I intend to return to this world after I go back to my Original World once."
"Yes, you told me that yourself, Kaito-san."
"...Yeah. My reason for going back is simple. I want to say goodbye to the people who looked after me. That's all... but it's incredibly important to me. I feel like only after I’ve done that properly can I truly hold my head high and say I’m ready to live in this world."
"...Like getting closure? You feel like you shouldn't move forward until that's settled?"
"...Yeah."
...I’m sorry, Alice. I just lied.
No, maybe "lied" isn't the right word. The uncle and aunt who took me in and raised me are irreplaceable benefactors. It is my sincere feeling that I want to find closure in my own heart before entering a relationship with Kuro and the others that is even deeper than what we have now.
However, there is a part I am intentionally omitting. The single greatest source of anxiety I’m currently harboring.
I haven't told anyone yet. Not about the words Shiro-san said to me during my last visit to the God Realm. She’d compared herself to the Last Boss of my personal story, telling me she would set a Final Trial for me... that I had to try and defeat her.
In Shiro-san's words at that time, there was one thing that felt slightly off to me. She told me that if I failed the trial, my choices would be the same as any other Otherworlder—to stay here or go back.
She probably wasn't lying about that... but was that really all there was to it?
Since she told me to try and win, I think it’s fair to call this Final Trial a contest between Shiro-san and me. What I’m asking for is the ability to return to my Original World and then come back here—something that has never happened before.
If this is a contest, then what is it that I’ll lose if I’m defeated?
I might be overthinking it. In fact, it's highly likely Shiro-san is simply setting a challenge and won't actually demand a price from me.
And yet, I can't get it out of my head. That defiant look on her face when she told me to show her my worth... and her warning that if I desired much, I had to possess a corresponding resolve.
If I don't meet the standard Shiro-san is looking for, what will she do to me?
I don't know, and I’m certain that even if I asked, she wouldn't give me a straight answer. Well, it really is possible I’m just overthinking things...
"Anyway, we shouldn't keep Kuro and the others waiting. Shall we go?"
"...Right."
For now, I won't tell anyone about this. It's just a hunch, but I feel like the trial Shiro-san is giving me is something I have to overcome on my own.
Just as I stood up from the bench and started walking, Alice pulled on my sleeve.
"...Alice?"
"Kaito-san, remember how I told you to wait until I found my courage?"
"Yeah."
"Well, you know, I’ve got this whole virginity rut thing going on... so I think it'll still take me a little while. But I think... by the time you return to this world, Kaito-san, I’ll be able to find that courage."
"..."
"...So, um... after you’ve properly said your goodbyes in your Original World and come back to us... when that happens, please take me there. To that Romantic Cottage with a View of the Sea... promise?"
"...Yeah, I promise."
Dear Mother, Father—It’s often said that I’m a terrible liar. Alice must have noticed. She knows I’m hiding something, and she knows it isn't anything simple... but even having sensed that, she told me she would wait for me. What can I say? I’ve fallen for her all over again.