"Brother? It's good you're here, but..."
As I return to the inn, Yura greets me with a concerned yet somewhat surprised expression.
"Did something difficult happen? You look really tired..."
Her worried and curious face probes if something had happened, and...
"It's nothing serious, just tired from going here and there."
Unable to tell the truth, I reply with a lie and throw myself onto the bed without even changing my clothes.
Well, I couldn't exactly tell my sister that I was exhausted from being squeezed dry by other women. So, I settle into the comfort of the bed with a plausible excuse.
"Really? Was it that obvious I'm tired?"
When I ask that, Yura nods without a second thought.
"Yeah, you looked really tired... It was noticeable as soon as you walked in. There was a lack of vitality."
Was it that bad? Considering the energy spent satisfying Eleonora, it was a wonder I made it back here.
"I felt like my soul was being drained, you know? Maybe it's an exaggeration, but honestly... you looked like a ghost from a fantasy movie."
Honestly, that wasn't entirely incorrect...
Initially, I thought I was done for, with my survival instincts sensing a threat to my life.
"Yeah? Anyway... I'm so tired I need to sleep right away..."
I tell Yura I'm about to fall into a deep sleep and close my eyes.
"Sleep well, brother."
"Hmm...?"
But then, feeling a warm presence beside me, I slightly turn my head and see Yura lying next to me, smiling softly.
"But why are you sleeping here next to me? Your bed is right there."
We had moved to a room with two beds this morning, yet Yura chose to lie beside me instead of in her own bed.
"Hmm? Well, isn't it better to sleep feeling your presence, brother?"
She casually drops a rather embarrassing line, looking at me as if wondering what the problem is.
"No... then what's the point of moving rooms..."
I point towards Yura's bed, suggesting she should use it, but it seems to be in vain. "But that's your choice, brother, isn't it? I like being next to you."
She wraps her arm around mine, maintaining a lively smile.
"And knowing you have so many talented people around you... I just want to be closer to you..."
Blushing, she buries her face, a little shy.
It was slightly uncomfortable... but after Eleonora's outburst, my body was nearly at the point of collapse from overexertion. Right now, I was too tired to care about anything else and just wanted to sleep.
So, I reluctantly decide to just sleep for tonight and close my eyes.
I had been sleeping close to Yura since yesterday, and the beds here were wide enough that it didn’t feel cramped.
"Alright then..."
Just as I'm about to fall asleep with Yura beside me...
"Hmm? Someone's coming to see us?"
Someone knocks on the door of our room.
"I'll go check it out."
Considering my fatigue, Yura decides to answer the door instead...
"I'm here. Husband, didn’t I mention earlier today?"
Outside the door was Luceria...
"?! What's she doing here?"
Surprised by the unexpected visitor, Yura's demeanor changes instantly.
"You're the one who previously called my brother your...!"
Her attitude becomes defensive and confrontational toward the ancient goddess.
"What's the problem?"
Luceria genuinely seems puzzled by Yura's accusation.
"Don’t you know?! You referred to my brother as your partner!"
"And what else should I call a partner but a partner? Harold and I are officially engaged, aren't we?"
Confidently, Luceria stands tall, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.
"Ugh..."
Though it's a hard truth to accept, Yura grinds her teeth in frustration, unable to deny the reality.
"So, could you please step aside? I haven’t been able to be by his side due to being busy, but now I've come to fulfill my duties as a wife."
Her request sounds like a formality, but it's clear she expects compliance, brushing Yura aside as if she were an object and approaching me.
"Husband? Now that my duties are finished, we won’t be separated."
She immediately takes over Yura's spot and wraps her arms around me, effectively claiming her place. "Brother?! This is too much!"
Yura, visibly shocked by the scene, manages to express her dismay with her mouth agape.
"Then... if that's how it is..."
With her tail bristled, Yura moves to the opposite side of Luceria and, rather than backing down, restrains my other arm.
How did things come to this? The bed suddenly became extremely uncomfortable.
Both girls, each trying to outdo the other, clung to me with all their might.
"What are you doing? Interrupting a couple's bed...?"
Unable to contain herself, Luceria finally speaks out, but Yura shows no signs of relenting.
"You should be the one to go to the other bed, not interfere with my brother and me!"
Caught between the stubborn standoff of Luceria and Yura, I inadvertently become the victim of their rivalry.
"Both of you, stop... I just want to sleep..."
My plea seems unheard, as the grip on my arms only tightens over time. Rest was impossible with their relentless disturbance, despite my exhaustion.
"Husband, if that's how it is, tell her to back off!"
"Brother, you prefer me over her, right?! Tell her to go to the other bed! It's too cramped for three!"
What could I possibly do in this situation? My mind was completely blank.
In this utterly perplexing predicament, a comfortable night's sleep seemed impossible...
The next morning, as expected, I woke up feeling uncomfortable.
"Ugh..."
It felt like emerging from a pile of stones, struggling to free myself from the entanglement and finally sitting up.
Looking outside, it was early morning. Considering the exhaustion from the previous day, the sleep was far from sufficient.
In contrast, Yura and Luceria were deeply asleep, unaffected by the tumult.
"Ugh..."
My body felt even more strained due to the improper sleeping position, culminating in the worst possible condition. "Is today not the day, then?"
Still gazing out the window, I cautiously get out of bed. Thankfully, the scene outside looks the same as usual, with its familiar peacefulness. When exactly is the moment of respite Tempest mentioned going to happen? Not knowing the precise timing keeps me on edge.
Could today's brief calm just be a short respite, or is it really the time to prepare for everything? As I recall, it seemed like it would take several days from the way it was mentioned. If it's enough time to prepare, then perhaps that assumption is correct.
"Where is Mir...?"
Thinking about how to prepare, I ponder the whereabouts of the dragon-like Mir. I haven't informed her about this... Not knowing where she is, I wonder if we'll meet when the time comes. It's quite perplexing.
But if we do meet, I resolve to tell her, and as I'm about to leave the room...
"Oh?! O...!"
Suddenly, Yura and Luceria wake up, their eyes wide open.
In a vast, quiet space filled with nothing but light and emptiness, where even the slightest sound echoes expansively,
"I've finally found it."
The voice of an elderly woman echoes slowly.
"One month, is it?"
In front of an abstract, indescribable entity, the god of time slowly raises a sword.
"This much time should be sufficient. The child must have made all the necessary preparations."
And just as she's about to strike the final blow...
"Ah..."
Muttering softly, as if remembering something forgotten,
"Did I forget... this place has a different flow of time from reality?"
"Thoughtlessly assuring them they had plenty of time..."
She smirks at her uncharacteristic mistake, hesitating momentarily.
"What should I do now? If I proceed like this, I might feel a bit sorry for the child..."
Caught in a brief moment of conflict and contemplation in front of her objective,
But her hesitation doesn't last long.
"Well... it probably doesn't matter."
With her merciless strike, something shatters into pieces with a crisp sound. "A threat that is anticipated is hardly a threat at all... Rather, such an ordeal will help one realize what they truly desire."
The woman contemplates briefly, her thoughts weaving a treacherous web of deceit that, upon deeper examination, reveals a brutal yet meaningful tribulation. She smiles faintly at this realization.
"Wait for it, the journey to find you will probably begin soon."
"What you truly want, the genuine desires you've doubted and agonized over, will be painfully realized and awakened."
Leaving these unreachable words of advice, her form begins to fade.
"And then..."
She hints at the approaching end of a long and tumultuous chapter.
"Like those poor girls did for you, love eternally."