Orichalcum (13): The Compass of Flames and Swimsuit Catastrophe

Larilura blinked at Veronica’s remark. “……Master?”

Ah, she must not have known about the whole servant business. I simply shrugged at Larilura, who was staring at me with open curiosity. After all, our master-servant relationship had always been half joke, half truth.

Scraaape. Scraaaape.

Veronica had driven the orichalcum pillar into the ground and was now drawing a magic circle while consulting a book. Franc wiped sweat from her chin and asked,

“Veronica. What sort of circle is that?”

“An imitation of the human race’s magic. The ruins of the City of the Dead gathered opposing mana into orichalcum, did they not? I intend to replicate the principle and fashion a compass.”

Veronica’s circle was crooked and clumsy, as though she had never drawn one before. Yet she completed the intricate pattern in the blink of an eye, then pressed her palms together.

“It is done. Now we need only wait.”

I could not read magic circles, but even I could tell this was a formula built around ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the orichalcum pillar. The orichalcum barrier. Or rather, the barrier of orichalcum itself.

“It’s nice that we can just play without wandering around~. But what exactly does this circle do?”

Larilura hopped over to me, avoiding the circle, and posed the question. Veronica pointed at the orichalcum pillar.

“Orichalcum is called the copper of the mountains, yet the mana most compatible with it is that of water. We shall learn from which direction the fire mana blanketing the island radiates most strongly. Once we know that, pinpointing the location will be child’s play.”

“So that’s why it’s a compass.”

It was the same principle as sprinkling iron filings on paper and holding a magnet above them. Not having to slog through this sweltering island was a mercy.

“Any more searching would be a waste of time. Let’s head back to the shore.”

At Dana’s suggestion we regrouped with Ursula and the sailors. Their faces (very occasionally a man’s) were bright, and there seemed to be neither casualties nor missing persons.

It stung a little. Whether it was paradise or not, the observation that the place had been artificially made struck the heart of the matter. Because the island held only plants, species that required insect pollination apparently could not thrive.

Ursula looked ready to pull out a cigarette, then seemed to remember we were mid-conversation and stopped herself. She blew a gust of cold wind across her own face with magic and stuck out her tongue.

What would happen if even a single pair of rats or insects were introduced to an island with no animals? We had a duty to be careful so that future generations of Bicorns would not stumble upon a cockroach kingdom, foam at the mouth, and burn the whole place down. It did not appear the island was covered by any microorganism-extermination barrier.

Having said that, Ursula ordered the sailors to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠disinfect themselves and departed to explore the island.

There probably won’t be anything that earns much money.

Still, if they gathered fruit it could be sold as luxury goods. Perishable fruit would be difficult to transport from tropical regions even with refrigeration. Besides, they seemed to relish adventure itself; even a wasted trip would not disappoint them.

I slipped my hand into my pocket and asked Veronica,

“When will the circle finish its work?”

“The direction should be determined before sunset. If the location is close, the odds are good we can harvest today.”

“Understood. It is eight o’clock now, so let us check again around three.”

The island was small; circling its perimeter would take only two or three hours. If we stayed out too late on an unknown island, Ursula would worry, so we would behave ourselves after dark.

And thus the long-awaited seawater bathing time arrived.

“Doo-bee-doo-le-fuu.”

With superhuman speed I changed in a single minute and emerged. Ultra-fast changing, born of military experience changing clothes the instant work ended. I stood on a shore more than five hundred meters from where the ship was anchored, bursting with anticipation.

I turned my back to the spot where the women had gone to change and hummed.

“Doo-bee-doo, dum dum, dum doo obee doo♪ Doo-bee-doo, dum dum, dum doo obee doo, dum dum, dum doo obee doo, dum, dum~♬”

“What strange song are you singing again~?”

The first to finish changing and approach were Larilura and Veronica. Wait—Veronica had claimed she had no interest in swimming, so why was she transformed into a swimsuit again?

“I have read the atmosphere of the place.”

Veronica tied her hair up, looking faintly embarrassed. The black bikini appeared to be a transformation modeled after the others’; true to her personality, it was plain fabric without ornamentation. Still, the sight of her shining nape beneath the sunlight as she gathered her hair into a single tail was stimulating despite my better judgment. I almost whipped my head away, but the thought that such an idiotic reaction would wound my pride as a man made me move with deliberate calm. Larilura promptly pouted at that calm motion.

“Ahaha♥! Senior, really~. Why are you staring so hard~?”

Larilura wore a red bikini reminiscent of the dress she had worn at the celebration banquet, but the black lining gave it an underwear-like feel. Strings from the swimsuit bottoms draped across her pelvis; if worn on a family beach trip, her parents would probably panic and force her to put something on over it.

“Hey, hey~♡? No impressions? I would like compliments aside from ‘It suits you,’ please~?”

“Hmm. In that case I would like to hear them as well. I cannot judge the merits of human clothing.”

Larilura winked and struck a seductive pose while Veronica tilted her head with sincere curiosity.

“What is superior about this attire compared to underwear? Why do you feel shame toward underwear yet stand confident in swimwear?”

“Sister~? Could you please not turn sexy appeal time into a philosophy debate~?”

“Ah, my apologies. Since you called it swimwear I assumed it would cover a larger area. ……You there. Would it be better if I reduced the surface area of the fabric further? Does it look strange somewhere?”

“Why the hell are you asking me?”

“Is there anyone else I would show it to? Is not such excessive exposure meant to appeal to the opposite sex? In other words, I have donned this garment because I wish to display it to you.”

Well, that was true if one thought about it. Definitely true if one nitpicked.

“You are already plenty beautiful, so there is no need to change anything. Swimwear is clothing worn when playing in the water, and revealing clothes suit anyone with a good figure. Look.”

—Flex.

I struck a bodybuilder pose as I spoke. Just as women dieted to wear swimsuits, men lifted iron. Fortunately my muscles had not atrophied, so I felt not a shred of shame. It was almost a pity this was practically a private beach. Normally one of the pleasures of a bodybuilder’s seaside trip was feeling pride in one’s own muscles while watching pathetic men straining on boats.

Do not call it a perverted hobby. Whether on Earth or in this other world, lifting and showing off strength ultimately amounted to self-satisfaction. In my case the muscle was practical, meant for adventurer work.

“Senior~? What about me? What about me♡?”

“You look like a high-schooler wearing lingerie.”

“Waa~! I don’t know what it means but I can tell it’s not a compliment! Senior, you’re really too much~.”

Had she expected exactly that answer? Larilura pushed her head toward me and playfully pursed her lips. I stroked her hair and replied,

“I am joking. You are truly beautiful too. So do not cling so tightly. Our wives will grow jealous.”

“…………Eh? Ah, um…… Yes.”

Larilura’s mouth snapped shut and she gave a tiny nod. Even though she sat hunched over, her bright red ears were plainly visible. She provoked first, then reacted like this the moment she was praised. I asked Veronica,

“Why are Franc and Dana taking so long?”

“There was no size that fit Franc’s body, so it became a strange swimsuit. I could not tell what was strange with my own eyes, but they are adjusting it now.”

“A strange swimsuit?”

I learned what that meant five minutes later.

“Life is fucking…… I am the dark history of the Pict people…… Living itself is shameful……”

Dana appeared first, already drenched in defeat before even entering the sea. I lost my breath at those beautiful lines. She was literally a walking obscenity. The Ulster lineage was famous for its white skin; Dana, wrapping her sparkling pale skin in a black monokini beneath the sunlight, looked obscenely erotic in contrast to her usual casual demeanor. They said the essence of arousal lay in what was hidden. The garment turned the slender figure she hated into its greatest advantage. Look at those ribs visible beneath our sister’s breasts. I was no eunuch, and holding back an erection since earlier had been torture. At this rate an obelisk-like giant would rise on the beach.

“No, but why are you like that, sis? You’re so fucking pretty that your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠husband wants to preserve the sight in a painting, so why do you look so down?”

“Enjoy it while you can……. When your Franc arrives you will faint.”

“Huuuuh?”

What kind of swimsuit had she bought that she could look this beautiful yet lose all confidence? I unconsciously moved to comfort Dana, but her gloomy expression was so damn arousing that I gave up. If I laid a hand on her now I would never be able to restrain myself. I could not get hard in front of Larilura and Veronica!

“Ahaha, ahahahaha. Ahahahahahaha……”

And then.

Franc appeared on the beach, face crimson, laughter bursting out.

“……Holy shit.”

The desire I had been suppressing finally exploded. My mouth fell open and I silently began singing the national anthem inside my head. Franc wore a bikini of triangular scraps of cloth connected by strings; the result was truly a walking obscenity. What was that style called? Micro bikini? A bikini that barely covered top and bottom with fabric only slightly larger than my palm!

I was completely entranced. Honestly I had thought that with Franc’s personality a monokini would not have been strange.

“F-Franc? I am happy, but is this not a little too daring?”

“Ah, ahahahaha……. They said this was the only thing in my size. Ahahahaha. What should I do? I am so embarrassed I cannot stop laughing.”

Franc’s tension had reached a mysterious level; her face looked ready to burst as she babbled whatever came to mind. You know how excessive shame can make one laugh for no reason at all. For Franc—who could calmly climb atop me while naked—to be reduced to this, it was no joke. Caught between panic, gratitude, and confusion, I stammered.

“Franc……. Wow. How should I describe this feeling? Thank you? Sorry? Anyway, words fail me. Is my face red?”

“Y-yes. I am glad it looks like you like it. But the back… is even more extreme.”

Franc turned to show her back. I nearly suffered a heart attack.

“Ah, ahaha……. Are there really other women who wear something like this?”

Franc shyly tried to cover her rear with her hands. The garment used a palm-sized scrap of cloth to hide the valley between her cheeks; that said everything. This was a fucking swimsuit? It was more erotic than the cosplay sex outfit worn for concept play.

—Bashful.

Franc buried her face against her own shoulder and laughed.

“……Nor. Do you dislike it because it is lewd clothing?”

“Not at all.”

—Shake shake shake!

I shook my head vigorously. Fuck no, absolutely not. And honestly it was fine even if it was extremely lewd. A lewd bride who loved only me! What possible reason could there be to dislike it? This was life, damn it.

But this is something she truly cannot wear in front of others.

Next time we visit the sea we would buy something else. Not only did I not want to show Franc’s body to anyone else, our Franc would die of embarrassment.