Morning finally arrived.
Rest was the first to stir within the tent.
"Finally... morning," he muttered, sitting up and letting out a heavy sigh.
He had managed to get some sleep, but it had been light and fitful. Between the presence, the warmth, and the constant physical contact of the three girls, he felt as though he hadn't rested at all. His body felt strangely heavy, a clear sign of poor-quality sleep.
Rest sat on the edge of the mattress and cast a quiet glance to his left and right. Three flowers were in full bloom. Viola, Primula, and Yuri were all still deep in slumber, their breathing synchronized in a gentle rhythm.
One breathed with a soft huff, another with a rhythmic whistle, and the third with a quiet sigh.
The three beautiful girls were all dressed in negligees, but their shifting in their sleep had caused their hems to ride up, exposing a dazzling view of their thighs.
Yuri was by far the worst offender. Her negligee had bunched up significantly, leaving the "southern hemispheres" of two maternal planets in plain view. Her boyish personality usually made such things easy to overlook, but seeing her like this forced Rest to acknowledge just how feminine her physique truly was.
"Wait—!"
Still half-dazed from sleep, he found himself momentarily captivated by the sight of Yuri’s underboob. It was just so incredibly beautiful. And frankly... it was far larger than he had imagined.
"No, no... Get a grip, Rest. Stay calm...!"
He averted his eyes and gave his own head a sharp tap. If he stayed in this bed any longer, his morning "physiological phenomenon" was never going to settle down.
He slipped out of the bed as quietly as possible to avoid waking them, threw on a jacket, and stepped outside.
"It’s a bit chilly..."
The season was in that transitional period where summer was fading into autumn. The four seasons in this kingdom weren't all that different from those in Japan; summer was hot, and winter was predictably cold. It was still early dawn, and the sun hadn't quite peaked over the horizon. The sky was gradually bleaching into white, but the morning sun remained hidden behind the distant mountains.
"The Magic Hour, huh..."
Rest looked up at the sky where the stars were beginning to vanish into the growing light. He had heard that the time when the sky grew bright despite the sun being hidden was called the "Magic Hour."
Translated literally, it’s 'Magic Time,' he thought. For a man who actually became a mage, it’s probably the most fitting sky imaginable.
He activated his magic and gently rose into the air. He manipulated the wind to drift upward, soaring several dozen meters high until he could look down upon the entire Pioneer Group camp.
Below, he could see the first signs of activity. Sentries were alert, scanning the perimeter for any encroaching monsters, while others were already busy starting cooking fires for breakfast. Looking further out, he could spot magical beasts loping across the distant plains.
Rest stood in the sky and spread his arms wide, taking a long, deep breath of the crisp morning air.
While the seasons mirrored Japan’s, the air itself was a different beast entirely. Untainted by pollution or impurities, the refreshing, cold air filled his lungs.
"The air tastes incredible..."
The view was equally magnificent. The sun slowly peeked over the mountain range, and the plains began to turn a brilliant gold, starting from the furthest edge. It was a sight he never could have seen in Japan—the landscape of untouched, primordial nature. It was so pristine that it almost felt like the world was being created right before his eyes.
And yet... we’re about to cut into these plains, develop them, and build a town, he reflected.
A faint pang of guilt pricked at him for bringing the blade of development to such a virgin landscape. If he hadn't slain the Magical Beast Subnock, this plain likely would have remained in this state forever.
"Sorry. Forgive us."
He felt the weight of encroaching on nature for the sake of human convenience. However, by taming the Magical Wilds, the lives of many people would become significantly easier, and they would finally be free from the constant threat of monsters.
I’m a human, so I’ll always end up prioritizing humanity... but instead of just trampling over nature, I should probably think of ways for us to coexist properly.
At the very least, he wanted to ensure they didn't recreate the environmental disasters of his previous life on Earth.
Rest let those thoughts sink in as he slowly drifted back down toward the ground.