Lilia-san’s mental state was far from what anyone would call "okay," but Shiro-san was making a clear effort to bridge the gap between them, which made things progress much faster than I’d anticipated.
For the time being, the initial greetings were out of the way, so it seemed like a good idea to move on to some fun activities to help them bond.
"Well, now that we’ve sorted out the naming issue Shiro-san was worried about, should we try doing something together?"
"……Ah, about that……"
When I spoke up to shift the mood, the distant look in Lilia-san's eyes vanished. She snapped back to attention, looking somewhat apologetic as she spoke.
"……To be honest, it’s quite embarrassing to admit to Shiro-sama, but…… this is actually my first time visiting the sea. I’m not entirely sure what I should be doing……"
It was easy to forget because she was usually so down-to-earth, but Lilia-san was a former princess and the current Head of the House of a Ducal House—a high-born lady to the core. Since the capital of the Kingdom of Sinfonia was quite far from the coast, it made sense that she had never been to the beach.
Upon hearing this, Shiro-san gave a small nod, looking somewhat proud of herself.
"There is no need for concern. This is my second time; I have a firm grasp of the procedure."
"T-That is very reassuring."
It was true that Shiro-san had been to the beach with me once before…… but why did I feel so uneasy? Whenever Shiro-san acted this confident, it usually heralded some kind of disaster.
Well, even so, we were just starting with a normal swim. Surely nothing too extreme could happen……
"There are many ways to play, but my recommendation is a treasure hunt."
"A treasure hunt?"
"Yes. 'First, I shall create a sunken ship.'"
"—Shiro-san, sto-o-o-o-op!!"
No, I was right; this was bad. I couldn't afford to leave this goddess unattended for even a second. If I let my guard down, Laguna-san’s proud new landmark in the Hydra Kingdom would be turned into a miserable Graveyard of Ships before I could blink. I had to stay on top of this……
"That sounds like a great game, but I don't think it's appropriate for this specific beach! Let’s just start by swimming normally!"
"I-I agree with Kaito-san!"
"I see…… Very well."
I took charge of the itinerary and suggested we start with a swim. Lilia-san agreed, though she still looked a bit pale, and Shiro-san readily accepted, apparently not having any deep attachment to the treasure hunt idea.
As the three of us walked toward the water, I leaned in to check on Lilia-san.
"……Lilia-san, are you really alright?"
"……It’s incredible. This Stomach Medicine…… the pain truly vanished in an instant—Eh? Ah, yes. I’m fine."
"What is that bottle?"
"Oh, this is the Stomach Medicine Given by Eden-sama."
"……Why on earth would Eden-san give you medicine? Actually, more importantly…… is it even safe to drink?"
Since the name of a very unpredictable person had just come up, I couldn't help but ask out of concern. Not to be rude, but I couldn't imagine a scenario where Eden-san would give a gift to someone like Lilia-san, who wasn't "her child."
Then again, it probably wasn't poison. Eden-san wasn't the type to do something so roundabout, and given her power, she didn't need to.
"She assured me it wouldn't harm my body…… but the way the pain vanished so unnaturally fast makes me a little uneasy, even if I am grateful."
"……Let me know immediately if you feel anything strange."
I couldn't fathom Eden-san’s intentions at all. Had she given it to Lilia-san out of genuine concern? That woman? I’d known her for a decent amount of time now, but she remained a complete enigma.
While I was lost in thought, we reached the shoreline.
"Alright, we’re here. Let's get to swimming…… Lilia-san, do you have any experience at all?"
"None whatsoever."
"Got it. Then I’ll teac—"
"Yes. So, it would be a great help if you could 'show me once' so I can see how it's done."
"—Eh? Oh, sure."
A few minutes later, Lilia-san was gliding through the water with perfect form right before my eyes. She had truly mastered swimming just by watching me do it once. If anything, her form was much more elegant than mine.
The people around me were so outrageous that I often forgot, but Lilia-san was a genius on the level of being a "Bug of the World."
From what I’d heard, she possessed a Super Spec that allowed her to replicate almost any physical feat after seeing it a single time.
"……It looks like Lilia-san won't have any trouble at all."
"Indeed."
"……I’ll ask just in case, but how about you, Shiro-san?"
I asked Shiro-san as we stood side-by-side, watching Lilia-san swim. When I’d brought Shiro-san to the sea before, she had just floated around and hadn't actually swum.
Of course, I was really just asking as a formality.
"I have never swum before, but I can swim."
"Of course you can."
Yes, Shiro-san was effectively Almighty. If Lilia-san was someone who "could do most things after seeing them once," then Shiro-san was the type who "could do it just by trying, without needing to see it at all." Once again, I was reminded of the staggering difference in our specs.
"However, I am conflicted. The prospect of pretending I cannot swim so that Kaito-san might teach me by hand is also quite enticing."
"Why do you say stuff like that so casually right after saying you can swim? Anyway, let's just all get in together."
"Yes. Let us do that."
She spoke in her usual flat, detached tone…… but my experience told me otherwise. Shiro-san was clearly "frolicking."
I had a feeling there would be at least one more major incident before we moved on to the next pair…… and I was certain it wasn't just my imagination.