My nap with Fate-san... well, I never actually managed to fall asleep, but the drowsiness had been driven away, so I decided to call it a win. Regardless, once Fate-san woke up, we moved on to some indoor activities.
"There! How’s that, Fate-san?"
"Not bad! But you’re still naive, Kai-chan! Sure, Shallow Vernal-sama’s blessing gives you a massive luck correction, but don't forget I'm the Goddess of Destiny. I won't lose a game of chance that easily!"
"What? To think you’d pull off another reversal here... You’re tough."
We were currently playing video games. Specifically, we were using the "black box" Shiro-san gave me for my birthday—a device that could play any game from my home world.
By the way, even though it said I could play any game, it wasn't exactly free. I had to deposit an amount equal to the retail price of the game into the box before playing it for the first time. I wondered where that money actually went. Did some mysterious power handle the transaction and pay the original development companies?
At any rate, we were currently engrossed in the latest party game. A holographic screen manifested in mid-air, and the image quality was incredibly high.
Since it was a board-game-style digital RPG, the controls were simple. Even though it was Fate-san’s first time playing a video game, she got the hang of it immediately.
It turned out to be a surprisingly balanced and entertaining match. We were neck and neck, constantly overtaking one another. We were approaching the final stretch, and it was still anyone's game.
"I must say, the entertainment in Kai-chan’s world is quite sophisticated. It’s on a completely different level from the sugoroku in this world."
"Well, I think things like Hero Sugoroku are pretty impressive too... but in terms of sheer variety, video games definitely take the prize."
The magic-based games in this world, like Hero Sugoroku, were also quite fascinating. In fact, I felt like this world was actually more advanced when it came to tabletop games and TRPGs.
However, the sheer diversity of video games was overwhelming. There were more genres than one could ever hope to play, and there was always a game perfectly suited to the person playing it.
Since our physical specs were on completely different planes, we’d never be able to compete in something like a fighting game where reflexes were key. To Fate-san, even a single frame probably felt slow enough to yawn at; I could only imagine a future where every single move I made was met with an instantaneous counter.
But in a party game like this, where we just took turns rolling dice, our physical differences didn't matter. It allowed us to have a truly heated competition.
"Wait, what? I thought I was at the goal! Why didn't I win?"
"Heh, too bad, Fate-san. You didn't seem to notice, but there are certain interference items that can only be used right at the finish line."
"Ehh!? You mean I can't finish the game?"
"Not this turn, no. You’ll be able to reach the goal after my turn, though."
"Hold on... if it becomes Kai-chan’s turn, that means you’ll finish first... which means..."
"Unfortunately, the difference in our grasp of the game mechanics decided the match."
"That’s cheating! Kai-chan, you were hiding that item from me!"
"Hey, I'm playing this for the first time too. I just happened to get it midway through the game, read the description, and saved it for the right moment."
"Gnrgh... how frustrating..."
It was down to the wire, but I reached the goal just before a pouting Fate-san. It really had been a close one; if I hadn't lucked into that item earlier, I probably would have lost.
"Kai-chan! Again! Let’s go again!"
"That sounds fine, but how about a break first? We’ve been at it for a while. Let's save the rematch for later."
"Mmm... fine, I guess."
We had been playing for about two hours, so I was starting to feel a bit worn out. When I suggested a break, Fate-san agreed immediately. She didn't seem tired in the slightest—likely a result of our vastly different base stamina.
To settle in for our rest, I pulled some black tea and snacks out of my Magic Box. Fishing while snacking, eating lunch followed by a nap, and now snacks after gaming... I was certainly staying true to the theme of this vacation.
"Speaking of which, Kai-chan, what should we do for dinner?"
"Ah, right. Since you handled lunch, Fate-san, I’ll take care of dinner. I can’t promise anything too fancy, though."
"Oh! I’m looking forward to your cooking, Kai-chan. I’m going to have very high expectations."
"Please, keep the bar low..."
After our snack and rest, we’d have our rematch, then dinner... and then what?
They said the stars here were beautiful, so stargazing after sunset seemed like a good idea. Maybe I’d prepare some warm drinks and we could watch the sky from the terrace.
"...The bath was quite large... plenty of room for two..."
I was so busy planning out the evening that I completely missed the quiet words Fate-san whispered under her breath.
Serious-senpai: "My child is so cute... my child is so cute... my child... Hah!?"
???: "Your recovery speed is as impressive as ever, ssu."
Serious-senpai: "What’s the current status?"
???: "A Mixed Bathing Flag has just been raised, ssu."
Serious-senpai: "...I wish I had stayed unconscious a little longer."