No Need to Rush, Even When It's Urgent
Just because something is urgent doesn't mean I have to rush. The snow that fell overnight had melted, leaving the roads damp, so I drove carefully. Yesterday I hadn't taken the car all the way into Ttangkkeut Village, but today I pushed it as far inside as possible. Walking a long distance for no reason was something I'd only do once or twice. Still, parking too close to the sea risked attracting monsters like Sea Groks or worse. So I parked in a suitable spot and walked the rest of the way to where the two of them were waiting.
I hadn't done much of anything, yet the sun was already setting again. The time showed a little past six.
"This path really needs fixing too..."
Originally it would have been a pretty trail laid over the tidal rocks. Now it was broken in places, looking rather dangerous. One wrong step and you could tumble straight down the rocks. It was a bit inconvenient, but walking along the mountain side wasn't risky.
"What? She's sleeping?"
When I arrived where the two of them were, the first thing I saw was Miya curled up on the tidal rock. She lay with her tail tucked beneath her. As I got closer, I noticed she was gently biting the tip of her tail, purring softly in her sleep.
Looking down from the rock, I saw Asne had come right up to the base, likely because the tide had risen. She hugged a white cloth with a blissful expression, fast asleep. The waves splashed against her without disturbing her at all. It was far better than watching her float like a corpse.
I should probably buy her at least a rash guard, even if it's a shame.
She must have felt a little warm; the cloth she'd wrapped around herself was coming undone. The white bikini barely covering her skin was a sight I didn't mind at all. But Asne had been embarrassed by that outfit. Of course, it seemed less about the clothes themselves and more about being conscious of my gaze.
Being a lord was like showing up to a job interview with the company president wearing nothing but a swimsuit. I was confident I'd die of embarrassment on the spot.
"Miya. Wake up."
"Woon-nyang..."
I shook the sleeping Miya while those thoughts ran through my mind. I called her several times, but she showed no sign of waking.
"Did Asne put her to sleep?"
Miya was hugging the food like it was something precious. The fact that none of it had been touched meant she hadn't eaten. Quite a bit of time had passed since I left, so she should have eaten at least out of hunger. Since she hadn't, it didn't seem like she'd simply gone to sleep because she wanted to.
"Miya?"
Even shaking her shoulder got no response. I changed targets and called out to Asne instead.
"Asne!"
I shouted from atop the tidal rock. No answer. With no other choice, I carefully climbed down below it.
"Hehet..."
Up close, I saw Asne with a completely relaxed, blissful expression, sleeping like a log. It wasn't the neat, elegant face I'd seen yesterday, but a totally loose one. This was the first time I realized that even a beauty looks pretty with a sloppy expression. Her mouth hung slightly open, a single drop of drool sliding down her moist cheek before plopping into the sea.
My gaze naturally drifted lower. Her bikini had come slightly undone...
"Ahem! Asne?"
"Mmm...? Ah... My Lord..."
When I called from close by she flinched and reacted. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. The wet beauty stared at me in a daze. Once again I had no choice but to recite the national anthem silently in my head.
"Mmm... Here it is..."
Still half-asleep, she looked around blearily. After glancing at me and then at herself several times, her face turned bright red. Just like in manhwa, her skin flushed crimson in an instant.
"Oh my...! I showed you such an unseemly sight...!"
Asne returned to a very modest pose, lifting the cloth to cover herself, her tone once again elegant and refined.
"Do you happen to know about your sleeping habits, Asne?"
"Ahh... Sleeping habits? I'm not really sure. We Sirens rarely let even our own kind into our territory. When I sleep, most living creatures within my domain fall asleep."
It matched what Miya had said. An incredible ability to induce sleep within a fixed area. Not something she activated, but a domain that remained constantly deployed.
"Oh... And when you're awake?"
"I can control it consciously. If I focus on a single point, I can put even a water dragon—not a high dragon—to sleep."
She shrugged her shoulders with a soft "Hoo-hung~" sound. A water dragon? The kind from fantasy novels? Or the dinosaurs that once lived on ancient Earth? Whatever it was, it was impressive that she could put such a monster to sleep.
"Does that include me, the lord?"
"No. My Lord is an exception. The proof is that you were able to approach me even while I slept. Normally, creatures can't even get near and simply fall asleep. If I tried to put My Lord to sleep, our contract would break and I would be banished immediately."
"Then what about the other inhabitants?"
"Um... I'm not certain. Since the effect would be weaker than with My Lord, I probably wouldn't put them to sleep unless their lives were in danger."
When I had been with her, Miya hadn't fallen asleep. But now she was out cold.
"Is the beastman sleeping on that tidal rock affected by your domain?"
"Oh my... It seems she is. I'll release it right away."
"Could you make it so that fellow inhabitants aren't affected in the future?"
"That's... quite difficult, but I can manage it."
Asne spoke with clear pride in her abilities. Sirens seemed like a rather dangerous race, yet she had confidence in her own skill among them. It looked like the Summon Inhabitant skill had done a proper job this time. Still, beings this powerful usually came with restrictions.
"Are there no restrictions of any kind?"
"Restrictions... Hmm... If I must name one, it's that I find it difficult to exert my full strength on land."
As expected, there was a restriction. When I asked, she explained she grew weaker the farther she moved from the sea. Fortunately it wasn't a major one. Miya was on land, after all. And as I continued to summon inhabitants, there would surely be far more land-dwellers than sea-dwellers. So Asne simply needed to protect the ocean.
"Um... Asne? This is a bit delicate to bring up..."
"What is it? I'll listen carefully."
"So... Don't Sirens usually build houses?"
"Some of my kind do build nests from time to time."
She tilted her head, looking at me as if to ask why.
"It wasn't intentional, but I saw you sleeping."
"Ah, you mean when I woke up just now?"
"No. It was when I came with Miya at lunchtime today. It... might be better if you see for yourself."
She gave me a curious look. I opened the gallery on my phone and showed her the photo I'd taken during lunch. To anyone looking, it appeared to be a corpse floating in the sea.
"Is it... a corpse?"
"It's how you looked, Asne."
"Ehh...?"
It's hard to see yourself sleeping unless someone takes a picture. And people don't usually photograph others sleeping unless it's for a special reason—something truly unique, funny, cute, or adorable. The current photo of Asne definitely fell into the unique category.
There were only the three of us right now—me, Miya, and Asne—but the number of people would grow. We needed to discuss this in advance.
Even right before she woke up she was completely defenseless. Her clothes had nearly come off, too. Playing dead like that is still at the level of being cute. She probably wouldn't want others seeing her half-naked or completely bare.
Asne's eyes wouldn't leave the phone. She was so shocked her jaw hung open. She seemed to be trying to speak, her mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.
Her reactions were strangely perfect. She had a sharp, refined appearance and manner, yet there was something endearingly clumsy about her. I knew I shouldn't, but I suddenly felt like teasing her.
If Miya had a charismatic exterior but acted cute in both behavior and personality, then Asne had an elegant appearance yet possessed these loose, charmingly reactive moments that were adorable.
Or am I just seeing them that way because I'm older?
I hadn't asked either of them their ages. Visually, both appeared to be in their early twenties. That would put them more than ten years younger than me. Like comparing a college student to an elementary schooler. No wonder they seemed cute. Of course, there were plenty of couples and married couples with more than a ten-year gap. That was simply because they liked each other. But were Miya and Asne just inhabitants to me?
Hmm. It's complicated.
While I was lost in those idle thoughts, Asne finally recovered from her stunned state. She lowered her head, ears burning red, and lightly grabbed the end of my sleeve. This. Moments like this were exactly what made her cute. If those lowered eyes had tears welling up in them, it would have been perfect.
"M-My Looord..."
"Yes."
"Please... help me... build a nest..."
When I answered, she released my sleeve, clasped both hands over her chest, and shyly lifted her gaze to meet mine. Those large, trembling eyes looked like they might spill over with embarrassed tears at any moment. Honestly, if we were a little closer, I would have wanted to tease her more until she actually cried. But we'd only known each other for less than a day. This was the time to show a reliable side.
"You can count on me!"
"Thank you so muuuch..."
At my answer her expression melted. That elegant, noble beauty in a tight bikini, who had been on the verge of tears, now smiling at me with peace of mind? This was pure madness! If I could, I would have recorded it on video and treasured it for the rest of my life! Why didn't the human brain come with a recording function! How utterly frustrating!
Ah! Miya...!?
I'd gotten so absorbed in Asne that I'd momentarily forgotten about Miya. I turned my head slightly to look up at the tidal rock.
"Mmmnyaa... Purr~"
It seemed our Snow Leopard princess was still a sleepyhead even after being freed from Asne's domain. She had seemed a bit weak this morning too. Well, she looked fine, so I'd take care of Asne's nest first.