'It's not really okay for men to see women naked... Holly is practically naked all the time, so she doesn't fit into the normal category of women...'
No good.
I don't even understand what I'm saying myself.
'That's it! She's family!'
'Family...?'
I thought of a good answer and inadvertently raised my voice.
'It's okay for fathers to bathe with daughters, mothers with sons, and spouses together. Family members can bathe together. Holly and I are always together, so we're practically family...'
As I spoke, I started to feel that what I was saying was heading in a dangerous direction.
'...So, to big brother, Holly is family, but I'm a stranger?'
'No, that's not...!'
Danger!
In my desperation, I tried to use the 'family' excuse, but it backfired.
To be clear, bathing with Holly, a spirit who can't even be touched, was really an insignificant experience for me. I want that to be understood.
I had no improper intentions. Really. Not at all. Absolutely not.
'I think of you like family too, Shion.'
'Really?'
'Of course. Aren’t you my lifesaver? Without you, I would have died many times.'
'...'
'I'm really grateful to you, and I'm honored that you call me 'big brother.'
But, Shion, it's not okay for a girl your age to show her naked body to an adult man. Iris and even Instructor Cattleya would get angry if they bumped into me while changing, right?'
'Yeah...'
Good, this is working.
Shion is a sensible girl, unlike Holly.
'Listen, Shion. A girl should only show her naked body to her family or someone who's going to be family.'
'To someone who's going to be family?'
'Yeah. Well, it's okay to show it to a marriage partner...'
'Then it's okay to show you, big brother. We're going to get married, aren't we?'
'What!? That's news to me!?'
I was absolutely stunned by Shion's outrageous statement.
I was so surprised that I nearly levitated while still seated.""It's decided, isn't it? We will always be together. Even after death, we'll be together."
'...'
Scary...
It's probably just an innocent crush from a young girl, but the idea of being together beyond death, forever, is frightening.
'The moment you met me, big brother, it was decided that we would be together forever.'
'Ah, is that so... It's decided then...'
I feel like Shion's vocabulary has increased significantly.
Probably because Platanus, who graduated top of his class at the Royal Military Academy, is tutoring her.
'So, let's take a bath together from today, big brother. Not just washing the soles of your feet, but your whole body? I'll wash you too.'
'Uh...'
No, this is absolutely not okay...
This might thrill all the lolicons in the world, but I am not one of them.
What would you think of an eighteen-year-old young man who washes the body of an eleven-year-old girl from head to toe, and lets her wash his body?
A criminal.
Of course!
I think so too!
'...'
No, I mean, I'm fine with it.
But to anyone else, it would surely seem like a criminal act.
Even if my own ethics agree, seeing the naked body of a girl who hasn't grown up every day is still dangerous.
'Uh-uh...'
As I sat on the bed groaning,
'What? Do you not like it, big brother?'
Shion murmured, tilting her head.
'It's not that I don't like it, but... I think it's better if we wait until Shion is a bit older...'
When she's a bit older, Shion will probably fall out of love with me and fall for some handsome guy.
Well, that would be happier for Shion.
So, it's even more wrong for me to see her naked now.
After all, a girl should only show her naked body to the man she likes.
In other words, there's no chance for me to see a woman's naked body!
'Shion. If you still like me when you're grown up, then let's bathe together then.'
Not that it will ever happen. Damn it.
'Okay, I understand...'
Saying that, Shion got off the bed and stood on the floor.""Good, good.
Finally, this conversation is over.
Well, it was a fruitless discusshion about whether or not to bathe with a young girl.
'Possesshion!'
Suddenly, Shion shouted 'possesshion' and forcibly aged her body.
It's one of the basic abilities of the Holy Swords, like the Holy Light Sword.
It involves absorbing the power hidden within the Holy Sword into the body, enhancing physical abilities to the limit.
Despite being a basic technique, it boosts strength, endurance, and healing power. If used over many years, it can even permanently enhance one’s physical abilities.
It's an extremely important technique for the owners of Holy Swords.
And young Shion, using it, can temporarily grow to her peak physical form.
Right now, without the Holy Light Sword and Holly present, the effect seemed halved, but Shion's body still grew to that of about a fifteen-year-old.
'Big brother! I'm an adult now! Let's bathe together!'
'That's not the issue here!'
'Isn't it fine in this state?'
'It's even more of a problem! Seeing the naked body of a fifteen-year-old with the mind of an eleven-year-old is absolutely not okay!'
'Ugh! But you bathed with Holly! I want to bathe with you too!'
Shion growled and suddenly hugged and climbed on top of me, who was sitting on the bed.
'Take it off! Get naked!'
'No! Stop it!'
'I love you, big brother! Love me too!'
'Yikes! Don't try to undress me! Stop the violence!'
'...Haa'
Eventually, after rolling around on the bed for about an hour, Shion left the room with puffed cheeks, huffing in anger.
I was exhausted.
It was a truly fruitless argument.
I might have upset Shion, which wasn’t great, but bathing together would have been worse.
Well, Shion will understand someday.
With that casual thought, I changed from my pajamas into my usual black attire.
Then, as I heard a knock on the door,
'Crow, can we talk?'
Iris's voice came through.
Iris entered the room before I could even respond that it was okay to come in." "I mean, it's fine, but what's with entering a room without the other person's consent?
It's better than Shion and Saffron who enter without knocking, though.
'Crow, there’s something that’s been bothering me. Can you listen to me?'
'Yeah, sure, but...'
Between Shion and now this, what a troublesome morning.
Well, I guess Iris's issue won't be as pointless as Shion's was.
'I just woke up. Let me wash my face and I'll be back.'
'Okay, but be quick.'
I left Iris in the room and went out to the courtyard in the castle, washing my face and gargling with well water.
I feel uneasy if I don't wash my face and gargle after waking up.
While I was doing this,
'Ha ha ha! You were rejected, weren’t you? This shows the difference in Crow's trust towards you and me! You are just a kid, after all.'
'Quiet, quiet! You eternal youth-pretending old woman!'
'I'm not pretending, I am eternally young!'
'You're just eternally late to life!'
'What did you say, you brat!'
I felt like I heard such a conversation, but I didn’t pay any attention to it.
I didn’t hear anything.
Anyway, I went back to the room where Iris was waiting.
'So, what's this important matter? Has there been another water shortage somewhere?'
Back in the room, I sat across the table from Iris.
Iris sat in the chair, crossing her legs and arms, and stared at me seriously.
'This is about your future. Listen seriously, don’t make light of it.'
'Huh? My future?'
'Yes. I really didn’t want to bring this up myself, but since you're such a coward and good-for-nothing, I have no choice.'
'...'
Why am I being insulted this early in the morning?
'Crow, I’ve been wondering for a while, do you have someone you like?'
'Someone I like? You mean, not as friends or comrades, but in a romantic way?'
'Yes. Do you have someone you’re in love with?'
'No, not really...'
Well, I'm not uninterested in romance like an average person, but I just can’t imagine a future where I have a lover, get married, build a family, and provide for my wife and children. I feel like I'm going to end up single for life.""That's why I try not to fall for any of the opposite sex around me.