With the defeat of the mistress of the First Netherworld, Tlatlauqui, the fairy queen from Proper Human History, this layer of the underworld lost its original role as a barrier and became nothing more than a vast expanse of water.
However, Morgan and the others believed it was still necessary to conduct a deeper investigation of Tlatlauqui. They wanted to examine the remnants of the destroyed large-scale magical workshop and search for anything that might still be useful. Because of that, they split up with Storm Border.
The day after the battle with Tezcatlipoca's group, Storm Border, guided by Tepeu, passed through the First Netherworld and headed toward the third layer of Mictlan. Morgan and the others stayed behind to slowly investigate the First Netherworld on their own.
At least, that was the reasoning.
"So... you deliberately separated from everyone, even leaving behind the person responsible for operating the Leyline-Sealing Armament. Storm Border is relying only on the Fairy Knights and the Beast candidate for security. Isn't that a bit thin?" Shiomi complained.
"It's fine, teacher." Olga Marie buried her face in Shiomi's hair, greedily breathing in his scent while giving a vague explanation. "Lady Morgan has already replaced the setup with a Mirror-Merge spell system, and Baobhan Sith can also operate the Leyline-Sealing Armament on a small scale."
"Exactly." Scáthach stood calmly by the bank of a sandbar in the middle of the river and addressed Shiomi with an easy smile. "And didn't we say before splitting up? Avoid combat whenever possible and focus on investigation and exploration. After all, in the third layer of Mictlan there's a Deinos city called Chichen Itza."
Chaldea's side had Tepeu accompanying them. The Deinos, despite being dinosaur-like beings, were not aggressive by nature. So they could likely enter the city smoothly, gather information, and take the chance to rest.
Ever since arriving in the Lostbelt, Chaldea had been constantly fighting or preparing for battle. Everyone's nerves had been stretched tight the entire time.
In other words, it was finally time to relax a little.
"But still... leaving everyone behind under the excuse of investigating traces of a natural magical workshop while we stay here in Tlatlauqui feels a bit excessive, doesn't it?" Shiomi scratched his cheek uneasily. "And we're even playing in the water..."
Just as he said, the only ones who had stayed behind were those closely connected to him.
After Storm Border headed for the third layer, the women remaining here gradually changed into swimsuits.
The First Netherworld wasn't simply one giant river. It was dotted with many bottomless waterfalls. Still, there were plenty of broad, deep stretches of water, and the water itself was remarkably clean.
Mictlan's climate was humid and sweltering, so playing in the water like this was actually perfect.
Even without an ocean, a stretch of water so wide it disappeared into the horizon worked well enough as a substitute.
At the moment, Shiomi was sitting on a beach towel by the shore, being held in Olga Marie's arms.
"Then at least give me a pair of swim trunks," Shiomi complained.
After the women changed into their swimsuits, Shiomi had been stripped completely and tossed into the water. Everyone helped wash him until he was thoroughly clean.
Now Olga Marie was hugging him while sniffing his scent, and one of her hands was restlessly wandering over his sensitive area.
"You say that, but your body is being very honest," Morgan said from the water, casually adjusting the swimsuit that had ridden up against her hips. "The weather isn't even hot, and my husband doesn't need clothes anyway. Besides, you wouldn't have time to put them on."
Shiomi's body was completely relaxed as he leaned back against Olga Marie, quietly enjoying the attention from her hands.
Her technique was still a little clumsy, but at least she wasn't hurting him.
"That's not what I meant... I haven't even properly admired your swimsuits yet," Shiomi replied calmly.
After all, he wasn't some child experiencing these things for the first time. His body might have reverted to a younger form, but that hadn't dulled his senses.
"Hehe. And how exactly were you planning to admire them?" Skadi asked.
She had grown tired from playing in the water and returned to shore, half-lying down beside Olga Marie.
The two of them pressed in from both sides, trapping Shiomi between their soft bodies like a sweet and fragrant snare.
There was no escaping it.
And honestly, he had no desire to escape.
Especially once Skadi joined Olga Marie's teasing as well.
"So, when did you all prepare those swimsuits?" Shiomi asked after calming his breathing slightly, one eye still half-closed.
"Just within the past few days," Touko replied. "Once we confirmed the environment here is mostly tropical rainforest, we thought it would be nice to find a clean river and have some fun in the water. But don't worry, Habetrot only thinks we're preparing ahead of time."
She meant preparing for the time after the crisis completely passed, when everyone could go to the seaside together for a vacation.
Just like the trip in the summer of 2012, before Shiomi took up his post at Chaldea.
"This feels like we're deceiving an innocent fairy," Shiomi said. Then he raised his voice and asked Morgan, "Are you sure it's really fine to trick your best friend into making clothes for us like this?"
Morgan thought about it for a moment.
"I wouldn't say that counts. We simply didn't explain the purpose. We only said we needed swimsuits. Besides, Scáthach helped with the design sketches."
"Oh? So everyone's swimsuits are based on Master's taste?" Shiomi asked.
"Not entirely. At least Morgan chose hers herself," Scáthach said, pointing toward Artoria. "For example, the King of Knights can't swim, so she had to wear something more like a formal dress."
Shiomi turned his head toward Artoria, who was sitting beneath a parasol.
"You can't swim?"
"Well… since I can walk on water, and when I was king there was never any need to learn…" Artoria looked a little embarrassed.
Morgan, meanwhile, showed a smug smile.
"I couldn't swim in the past either. But because of a certain incident, my husband spent quite some time personally teaching me how to swim."
"You mean the time you almost drowned because of your 'future self'?" Scáthach said. "I'm honestly surprised you still dared to recreate that situation after returning."
"It couldn't be helped. After all, my husband pulling me out of that freezing lake was the beginning of everything for me." Morgan flicked her hair lightly. "If I had disrupted the established record of events and altered the later course of history, the consequences would have been far too great."
"I doubt it would go that far," Shiomi said.
"Hmm… perhaps." Morgan thought for a moment. "Even without that first rescue, I probably would have fallen in love with you at first sight soon enough."
Scáthach crossed her arms and laughed.
"You really are easy to win over."
"And what about you?" Morgan shot back with a smile. "If my husband hadn't spoken first, were you planning to just keep waiting like that?"
"You certainly know how to strike where it hurts," Scáthach said with a wry smile. "My dear disciple, would you really have left without confessing before graduating?"
Scáthach had been cornered.
She turned to ask Shiomi, only to find him sitting there with his eyes closed, wearing a blissful expression as if he had already ascended to paradise.
...
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