“………..Oasis.” (Yorishiro)

“Eh?”

Looks like she doesn’t have anymore strength to say anything more.

What she has in her hands is the ‘Needle of Guidance’ that can point at the things you search for if you pour light divine power in it.

This thing that we have been using in order to search for the Underworld country has now changed its target to an oasis. In other words, a water source inside the desert.

What a crafty woman. And also, what a convenient item.

“Haine-san, let’s head to the oasis. At this rate, Yorishiro-sama will dry up.” (Karen)

“Yeah. Having the Light Founder dying from heatstroke would not be funny.” (Haine)

And so, Karen-san and I turn our flying machines to the oasis and drive our way there.

By the way, there’s currently two flying machines here; the one that Karen-san and Yorishiro are riding, and the one I am riding.

In this journey, I managed to ride on my own personal flying machine!

When we were about to depart for this journey, Yorishiro prepared this with her own pocket money.

She nonchalantly said: ‘I am giving this to you’, but I refused.

After all, when I was going to buy this flying machine myself, I learned that it was being sold at a terrifying price.

Since I become the hero’s assistant, I now have quite a decent wage, but I would have to throw a whole half a year worth of my pay in order to afford one.

Moreover, the cheapest one.

With less than half of that price, I would be able to buy a pretty decent house at Apollon City.

I was thinking of sending part of my pay to my parents at the village, so it made the price even more shocking.

Even if I am told nonchalantly by her that she would be ‘giving’ me the luxury I was unable to buy, I would be way too scared of what would happen after receiving it.

And so, right now, I am riding this only as a borrowed article from the Light Church, and only using it on official business.

I am suddenly already using it for private business, but if I think of it as using it to act as the bodyguard of the hero and the Founder, it can’t be considered 100% private business! …Probably.

If the Underworld country really does exist, it would be a world shaking discovery, so thinking of it in that way, it can’t be called private business! …Probably.

And in that way, as I was making excuses for myself, we found an area of green right in the middle of the desert.

There really was an oasis here.

* * *

Water welled up in the desert, and with that as a source, green grew thickly; an oasis, what a mysterious place.

With the vaporization of the water and the shadows that the vegetation creates, this place is a lot more fresh.

We took a break of around 1 hour there and Yorishiro finally regained her vitality.

“Aah, I am back~~! The blessing of nature is the best~~!” (Yorishiro)

In the end, humans can’t control nature.

“But the one that was saved was not only Yorishiro-sama. I was having it rough as well after all.” (Karen)

Karen-san says this as she wipes her face covered in sweat.

True, that applies to me as well.

We are tougher as fighters compared to Yorishiro, but that doesn’t mean we are completely fine in a harsh environment.

There’s plenty chance that we would get heat stroke as well if we were to wander too long in the sunlight of the desert.

“As I thought, it is way too reckless to move around the desert in the morning. Let’s rest in this oasis and wait for night to come.” (Haine)

Is what I say and…

“When the sun goes down and the temperature lowers, we will resume the search for the Underworld country, right? Then, there’s something I would like to do now that we are here.” (Karen)

What? Karen-san suddenly began fidgeting.

“Bath.” (Karen)

“I understand that feeling.” (Yorishiro)

Yorishiro who was groggy jumped at that proposal.

“It is so hot and my whole body is covered in sweat, and even my underwear is soaking wet. On top of that, there’s sand inside my clothes, and if I don’t wash it, I will feel completely uncomfortable.” (Karen)

“And so, there’s an oasis here in good timing, and a spring…But you see, if we are going to take a bath, we would need to take off our clothes, and get naked, right?” (Yorishiro)

Hearing until that point, I understood what they wanted to say. It is true that they would be worried about the gaze of a man.

“Haine-san.” (Karen)

“Yes?” (Haine)

“Please peek, okay?” (Karen)

“Understoo—eh?!” (Haine)

I almost agreed.

“Wait, Karen-san. Isn’t that the part where you say ‘please don’t peek’?” (Haine)

“In normal cases, yeah. But I love Haine-san. That’s why, it would trouble me if you don’t peek.” (Karen)

Since the time she confessed, her aggressiveness has been escalating!

“I understand that feeling, Karen-san. They would think: ‘is that gentleman seeing me as a woman?’, this is a life-or-death problem for a lady. And that’s how it is Haine-san, I will be taking a bath as well, so don’t hesitate to peek.” (Yorishiro)

“I will hesitate!” (Haine)

I am the human, Kuromiya Haine. And the boundary that separates humans from animals is reasoning. That’s why, I value reason. No matter the time and place.

“Are you not going to peek no matter what?” (Yorishiro)

“I-I won’t! There’s a code of conduct even in intimate relationships after all!” (Haine)

I assert this.

I hope that these two will give up with this.

“Can’t be helped-desu wa, Karen-san. Haine-san is not the cowardly type that would hide and peek on someone after all.” (Yorishiro)

“That’s right, Yorishiro-sama. Haine-san is not the kind of coward who would hide and do things sneakily. In other words, we bath together unreservedly!” (Karen)

“Oooi!!” (Haine)

Why is it getting deeper?!

“Uhm, Haine-san! I will wring out all of my courage to accompany you, so please!” (Karen)

“There’s no need for that courage! Please use that courage to fight against monsters!” (Haine)

When I tried to convince Karen-san, Yorishiro joins in.

“Haine-san, the courage of a hero and the courage of a woman are two different things. And to prove that, see? My legs are shaking. But, in order to become the woman of Haine-san officially, I will win against my fear!” (Yorishiro)

“Win against your fear for the sake of guiding your believers!” (Haine)

Convincing these two utilized more energy than when we were wandering in the desert.

• 72: Beautiful spring

“Ara, Karen-san, your skin is truly white. Moreover, it is so clear, it looks like polished white porcelain.” (Yorishiro)

“Oh come on, Yorishiro-sama, please don’t look so intently at my naked body. Yorishiro-sama, you yourself have a pretty well-developed body and…uhm…it is incredibly big.” (Karen)

They really went to take a bath.

The sounds of water splashing and the laughs that were like the chirping of birds.

All of those were entering my ears and stimulating the male part of Kuromiya Haine. And at the same time, the human part of Kuromiya Haine was cautioning: ‘this is not the time yet, don’t hurry things’.

A fierce struggle between reason and desire.

Of course, this is what those girls were aiming for.

“Eek! Yorishiro-sama, please don’t poke at weird places!” (Karen)

“Isn’t it fine? My body and your body are the personal feast of Haine-san. Sampling each other’s body will help in understanding what needs to be corrected-desu wa.” (Yorishiro)

“Eh? Then, is it okay for me to poke Yorishiro-sama as well?” (Karen)

“Of course. Go ahead and do it anywhere you want.” (Yorishiro)

Aaaaaaahhh!!!

That was the scream of my instincts.

They are saying those things while knowing. Purposely having me hear it, they are aiming to destroy my sense of reason with their ‘kya kya fufu’.

It is true that I said I won’t peek, and I also said I won’t bathe with them.

If I disappear from their view, the doubts that I might be peeking wouldn’t go away, so I went out of my way and turned my back at an area close to the spring and am currently sitting firmly there.

Because I have my back turned I can’t see, but I can clearly hear the sounds of the water and their lovely voices.

They know. If they continuously make me hear those voices, they can crack my reason and I would turn into an animal.

The tag team of these two is way too scary.

Both of them are extreme in their behavior, but whether it is Karen-san or Yorishiro, when they are on their own, they are girls that have a bit more reservation than this.

There’s also the eyes of the surroundings and they are intelligent girls to begin with, so they know that if they lose their sense of shame, it would be terrible.

But the brake that they place when they are on their own suddenly gets destroyed when there’s the two of them.

When one takes one step, the other will go: ‘ah, so it’s okay to go that far’, and does one step further than that. And then, the other side, seeing this, will go: ‘ah, so it’s okay to go that far’, and it will be a repeat of that as they dig themselves into a deeper hole.

By the time they notice, they are already at a far line that they shouldn’t have crossed.

Those are the kind of mistakes you end up regretting later.

Karen-san and Yorishiro; the two are actually quite similar, and that’s exactly why they are a dangerous type to mix together.

Being in between these two, the three of us are alone at an oasis in the middle of the desert that’s basically a deserted island.

Encountering someone here is close to zero. Because of various reasons, I have been unable to move for almost half of the day.

What’s with this impasse that had no opening? There’s no escape!

If this seduction continues until sunset, even I wouldn’t be able to protect my steel resolve!

What am I to do, Haine?!

What should I do about the beast inside of me?!

* * *

I managed to endure it.

Because the two holy women had tired themselves out after finishing their bath.

“Ku…ku…ku……”

“Ufufu, she is sleeping soundly.” (Yorishiro)

Karen-san is making sleeping sounds, and Yorishiro, who had placed Karen-san’s head on her lap, was looking at her happily.

“She must have gotten tired after frolicking too much. This morning, she had a face that said she hadn’t slept at all because of her excitement. The pleasantness of the bath must have sooth her into sleep.” (Yorishiro)

“Ah, I’m saved~. That was close.” (Haine)

Thanks to Karen-san being asleep, the offensive has stopped.

If it continued just like that, my reason would have definitely crumbled, and a situation that can’t be shown to children would have happened.

“…Karen-san has truly become a lively girl. Since meeting with Haine-san, she has changed to a point that you wouldn’t be able to recognize her.” (Yorishiro)

“Eh? Really?” (Haine)

“That’s right. Her core as a zealous person has not changed, but in her inauguration as a hero, that zealousness was showing openly. By meeting Haine-san, she has become able to play around quite a lot.” (Yorishiro)

“Well, sorry for being an evil man that corrupts the hero.” (Haine)

“It is the contrary. The Karen-san before meeting you was, how to say it, overeager, or more like, stiffened up; at any rate, she didn’t have any flexibility. Her intentions were good, but she was sacrificing herself for that sake. Haine-san, you were the one who allowed her to loosen that unnecessary strength.” (Yorishiro)

“Is that a good thing?” (Haine)

“It is. As an assistant of the hero, you are properly caring for the mental health of the hero. As a Founder, I praise you.” (Yorishiro)

Yorishiro dresses it up as a joke.

Now that I think about it, the Karen-san I met at my village gave me an impression that her shoulders and elbows were more stuck to the front.

I thought that was gone because she simply got more familiar with me, but I see, she was the one who changed.

“For a long time, I have thought I could be friends with her.” (Yorishiro)

Yorishiro continues looking at the sleeping face of Karen-san.

“For a long time, I have thought that she is similar to me. She fell in love with the same person as me, so my intuition was spot on. Thanks to that, we have completely become good friends. But…” (Yorishiro)

“Hm?”

“Haine-san will…definitely choose Karen-san.” (Yorishiro)

Yorishiro said something unexpected.

In other words, that means Yorishiro is saying I will choose Karen-san as my girlfriend?

“What’s wrong so suddenly? Saying something that’s not like you.” (Haine)

“No well…you and I have a past after all. Even if we are inside human vessels now, you wouldn’t marry a woman that sealed you before, right?” (Yorishiro)

In the battle of Gods 1,600 years ago, in the battle where I was the Dark God Entropy and Yorishiro was the Light Goddess Inflation, I was defeated by her, and was sealed for a long time.

“What, you think I am holding a grudge on you?” (Haine)

“Eh?”

“Just how long do you think that has been? 1,600 years. That’s way too far in the past. It is even hard to not forget the grudges I had just a day before. It would be way too tiring to hold a grudge that’s more than 1 year old.” (Haine)

“But… the other ones…” (Yorishiro)

“The reason why I beat up Nova and Coacervate was because those guys pissed me off in the present. If they are pieces of shit like in the past, even the grudges of the past would resurface, right?” (Haine)

But Yorishiro is different.

The Light Goddess Inflation in front of me is different.

“At the very least, I am fond of the Light Goddess Inflation as an equal God. We are comrades that cooperated to create the world. There’s no way I would hate you.” (Haine)

“Haine… Haine-san!!” (Yorishiro)

“But that’s only as the Dark God Entropy towards the Light Goddess Inflation. The human Haine towards Yorishiro…that would have to start from zero first—Uoo?!!” (Haine)

I looked at my side and get surprised.

Yorishiro is crying. Silently. But there’s an amount of tears that was enough to create strings flowing from both of her eyes.

“What’s wrong?! There’s no need to cry, right?” (Haine)

“Haine-san is at fault for saying something that would make me cry. I felt like the burden I had been shouldering for 1,600 years had fallen off.” (Yorishiro)

And so that’s why she is crying tears of happiness.

She has a lot more sweet parts than I thought.

“But that’s exactly why it is saddening. To the point that I would want to cry.” (Yorishiro)

“Eh?”

“When you learn about the evils I have done in the time you weren’t there, you would definitely end up hating me.” (Yorishiro)