Chapter 143

Chapter 143. Let’s Go to the Beach (2)

“Professor Elisha…?”

I frowned as I saw the black-haired beauty approaching with relaxed steps while I sat on a beach chair.

“Why are you here, Professor?”

“Hmm. Was I interrupting something?”

“No, it’s not that…”

The heavenly resort provided each guest group with a private island connected by a warp gate. In other words, unless you were part of the same group, you couldn’t use another guest’s warp gate…

Suddenly, Juliet’s words from earlier flashed through my mind.

“Don’t tell me that foundation is…”

“Hehe. It’s a foundation operated under my name. This time, we received a large investment from Candidate Juliet’s father, so I sent a little gift.”

Now I understood why Professor Elisha was here.

I swallowed a dry laugh and asked, “How did you know Juliet would invite us?”

“Hmm. Who knows?”

Seeing Professor Elisha’s mischievous smile, I shook my head as if I couldn’t handle her.

“Well, anyway. It’s nice to see you here, Professor.”

“Can I ask what exactly is nice about it?”

Professor Elisha sat on the beach chair, crossing her legs and giving me a provocative look. Her slender legs and pretty feet with black pedicures caught my attention.

“That is…”

Perhaps because I’ve only seen her in formal attire, I didn’t know where to look when seeing Professor Elisha in a swimsuit.

“Hehe. Just seeing Candidate Dale’s reaction tells me what’s nice.”

Professor Elisha tilted her head slightly and smiled with satisfaction.

“By the way, what have you been doing during the vacation?”

“Well… training, exploring ruins, and such.”

“Exploring ruins?”

I told Professor Elisha about what happened during the recent ruin exploration.

“The… the Grand Archbishop? You fought the Grand Archbishop of Desire?”

“Yes.”

“Wow… and you fought him knowing about the ‘future’?”

“No. Fighting the Grand Archbishop this time was purely coincidental.”

I didn’t expect the Grand Archbishop of Desire to be using the Blessing of Exploitation to suck magic power from the Iron Fist’s legacy (though it was fake).

“……”

Professor Elisha looked at me with a worried expression. She slowly reached out and stroked my face.

“This time… how many ‘deaths’ did you experience?”

“Ah, this time I didn’t die at all.”

Of course, I had experienced death a few times while using my life force to create magic power, but at least I didn’t die by Laktasia’s hand.

“Really?”

Professor Elisha’s worried expression brightened. She playfully pinched my cheek with the hand that had been stroking my face.

“That’s a relief.”

She smiled faintly, her smile filled with relief as if she had genuinely been worried about my ‘death.’

“……”

Seeing her smile like that stirred something in my heart.

“Hmm?”

Perhaps sensing my turmoil, Professor Elisha smiled even more deeply and slowly wrapped her hand around the back of my neck. As our gazes grew closer…

“…Dale?”

“What are you doing?”

A cold voice came from behind. Turning my head, I saw Iris and Yuren looking at us with icy stares.

Before I could hurriedly explain, Professor Elisha spoke first.

“Candidate Iris and Candidate Yuren. Are you all enjoying your vacation?”

“Why is Professor Elisha here…?”

“You can ask Candidate Juliet about that.”

At Professor Elisha’s words, everyone’s gaze turned to Juliet.

Juliet, wearing trunk-style swim shorts and an aloha shirt (thankfully not a women’s swimsuit), opened her mouth with a flustered expression.

“Uh… I knew the tickets we received were from the foundation Professor Elisha runs, but…”

She seemed surprised that Professor Elisha herself had come, stumbling over her words.

“Hmm. So… the candidates came to have fun together, and the professor just happened to follow?”

“It hurts to hear it put so bluntly.”

Professor Elisha sighed with a sad expression.

“I just wanted to see if my beloved students were enjoying their vacation… I’m sorry. I’ll head back to the resort now.”

“Huh? No, that’s not what I meant…”

Iris looked flustered by Professor Elisha’s unexpected response. The surrounding gazes turned to her, silently pressuring her with a ‘Ugh, you’re the worst~.’

“W-wait a minute!”

Iris hurriedly grabbed Professor Elisha’s shoulder as she turned to leave. She forced an awkward smile and continued.

“W-we were just joking, right?”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! You’re the one who arranged the stay here, so you should join us!”

“Hehe. If Candidate Iris insists, then I have no choice.”

Professor Elisha placed a friendly hand on Iris’s shoulder.

“I’ll follow Candidate Iris’s wishes.”

“……”

Iris realized she had been played, seeing Professor Elisha’s sly smile, and let out a belated sigh.

“…She’s not a spider but a fox.”

“Hehe. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It’s not a compliment!”

“Now, now, don’t get so worked up. I brought plenty of food as a participation fee.”

Professor Elisha pointed to the icebox filled with delicious-looking meat and shrugged.

“It’s the finest Imperial beef.”

There’s a saying on the continent: if you want the best seafood, go to the Republic; the best vegetables, go to the Holy Kingdom; and the best meat, go to the Empire.

Imperial beef is renowned for its quality and taste.

“Ahem. Well… if you say so, I guess I have no choice.”

“Oh? I didn’t expect the Saintess to be swayed by Holy Kingdom beef.”

“Do you think a Saintess only eats grass?”

“Haha. Just kidding.”

Professor Elisha crossed her arms and looked Iris up and down. Iris was bundled up in loose clothes, not looking like she was at the beach.

“Didn’t you bring a swimsuit?”

“No… I did, but…”

Iris glanced at Berald, Yuren, and Juliet. She coughed lightly, covering her mouth.

“…I’ll wear it later.”

“Hmm? If not at the beach, when will you wear it?”

“I-I’ll wear it when I want to! By the way, Professor, isn’t your swimsuit a bit too revealing?”

Iris narrowed her eyes at Professor Elisha’s black bikini. The tiny piece of fabric covering her flawless, slender body.

She wanted to say, ‘Isn’t that a bit too much?’ but…

“…Wow.”

Even as a fellow woman, she couldn’t help but admire the perfect figure.

“I think this is pretty normal.”

“It’s not normal at all! Here, put on a shirt!”

“Hehe. Alright, stop nagging.”

As Professor Elisha and Iris bickered…

“……”

Yuren was staring intently at Professor Elisha’s black bikini.

Perhaps sensing his blatant gaze, Professor Elisha smiled slightly as she put on the shirt Iris handed her.

“Looks like Candidate Yuren is still a man after all.”

“Ah… s-sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just don’t stare too openly.”

She muttered, glancing subtly in my direction.

“By the way, I haven’t heard Candidate Dale’s thoughts yet.”

“What thoughts?”

“How does it look? Does it suit me?”

Professor Elisha lifted the hem of her shirt slightly, smiling mischievously.

“……”

Of course, it suited her perfectly, but under Iris and Yuren’s icy glares, it was hard to be honest.

“…Not bad.”

Hearing my carefully crafted evaluation, Professor Elisha raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’ll let it slide for today.”

She shrugged and walked back to the beach chair.

Under the blazing sun, the short summer vacation had begun.

* * *

After hours of fun at the beach, forgetting all worries and concerns, the sky turned orange as the day ended.

“Shall we head back?”

We’d had enough fun in the water and enjoyed grilling meat. It was time to return to the resort and wrap up the day.

“Hahaha! That was so much fun! It felt like going back to my childhood!”

Berald laughed heartily and nodded. Behind him stood a massive sandcastle, as big as a bull.

I swallowed a dry laugh at Berald’s sandcastle.

“What are you, a kid? Building something like that?”

“Hmm? Weren’t you having fun helping me earlier?”

“I was just humoring you.”

To be honest, it was kind of fun.

‘I never imagined enjoying youth at the beach in my past life.’

For me, summer vacation was just a time to work odd jobs to make ends meet.

‘Well… this isn’t bad. Having fun like this.’

Building a sandcastle with Berald.

Playing volleyball in teams.

Grilling meat and chatting noisily.

Though it was a bit embarrassing to recall, it was a good memory I’d like to experience again.

‘But starting tomorrow, I’ll get back to training.’

Thinking I’d rested enough for one day, I was about to head back to the resort when…

“Hey… Dale.”

Yuren approached quietly and tugged at my sleeve.

“What?”

“Can you stay a bit longer? There’s… something I want to show you.”

Yuren hesitated, avoiding eye contact.

“Alright.”

I told my companions, who were packing up, that I’d stay behind to finish up and sent them ahead. After pushing Iris, who insisted on staying, to go back, I returned to the meeting spot with Yuren.

Swoosh.

The dark night sky.

The sound of waves crashing on the beach.

Under the clear moonlight…

“…You came?”

Yuren… no, Yurina, was waiting for me in a silver swimsuit.

* * *

On the way back to the resort room.

“What’s wrong, Saintess?”

Camilla turned her head toward Iris, who had stopped.

“……”

Iris, deep in thought, finally turned around with a determined expression.

“I can’t just leave Dale alone.”

“Saintess?”

“I’ll go meet Dale for a bit! Go ahead to the room!”

With that, Iris ran toward the warp gate.