Heroines at the Beach! Enjoy a Refreshing Summer! Summer Grand Event Begins!
This was the tagline plastered on subway station billboards every summer vacation season for the Salenium Saga. I remembered it under an illustration of several heroines in swimsuits jumping on the beach, written in huge letters.
Of course, it was masterful clickbait. The Salenium Saga wasn't some healing game. It was pretty infuriating bait in a lot of ways, but it wasn't like there were zero events like that.
"Waaah!"
"Ooh..."
"It's the sea! I-It's my first time seeing it for real, and it's so beautiful!"
"The sea!"
"Hmph, it's decent enough, I suppose... Kyaa? Let go of me!"
We were all in swimsuits, charging across the sandy beach. Well, I was just strolling along at the back. The six girls dashed ahead, leaping on the sand.
Ebnis was being dragged by the wrist against her will, so her timing and form were a total mess. If you'd seen it head-on, it would've been exactly the pose from that subway ad—I couldn't help but chuckle.
"...At least it's not a total lie."
"Adrian, come on!"
Reina—the one most excited—came running back and grabbed my arm. Pointing at the vast ocean with her right hand, she dragged me with all her might.
"Ow, Reina. That hurts."
"Ah, sorry!"
We all gathered under the parasol. The girls peeked at me shyly.
"Adrian? What do you think?"
"Think? Of what?"
Reina put her hands on her hips. "Our swimsuits, obviously! Opportunities like this don't come around often!"
Sensations...? I'd seen them plenty in the original story, exactly like this, so I had nothing much to say.
Reina was in a plain black tube-top bikini set. Relbrian wore a light green swimsuit with a wrap skirt. Millije had a white lace set, with a windbreaker over the top. Kalen was in the one I'd picked out for him. Ebnis was the only one in something luxurious—white with gold trim and even cotton fabric. It minimized exposure while emphasizing elegance. She even had a wide-brimmed straw hat with fluttering ribbons.
"...What are you staring at, trash?"
"Tch."
"What? Why are you clicking your tongue!"
And Sufle... what the hell was that? Wasn't that the navy school-issued swimsuit from Salenium Academy swim classes? Why'd she wear something like that?
Anyway, we were all suited up, and some couldn't wait—they'd already splashed into the sea.
"Take this!"
"Haha! Catch!"
They splashed water at each other, laughing their heads off. Fine. Good things were good.
I sat in the parasol shade, watching them, when—
"Adrian, you not going in the water?"
"Not really feeling it."
"Hmm, is that so...?"
That was when it happened. Suddenly, my body floated up lightly, and they swarmed me.
"Everyone, Adrian says he's not going in the water."
"Is that true, Adrian?"
"Hmph. Nonsense."
"S-Senior, you should try it too!"
"I don't know what you're planning, but don't."
Too late! They'd all grabbed me with their mana and hurled me into the sea!
"Hey...!"
The floating sensation hit, then cold seawater crashed over me. Splash!
Ugh...! So cold...! My head throbs...! This is why I said no...!
Stumbling up in water up to my shins, I slicked back my dripping hair. They all stared at me blankly in unison.
"...What."
Their stares were intense.
"N-No, nothing! Now that Adrian's in, let's all have some proper fun! Everyone, attack!"
"Wait! Don't splash me! Why only me...!"
Hey! Who was the one who just blasted my face hard enough to send me flying!
* * *
Anyway, the beach episode kicked off in earnest. Naturally, everyone had a blast.
The Salenium Saga was a corpse of a game without the subculture elements. Thanks to that, it had all the tropes you'd see in a typical anime.
"Hehe, take this! My spike!"
Whoosh! The volleyball rocketed out.
"Chah!"
Relbrian, wrapped in wind, dashed forward and spiked it upward. Then...
"Hey!"
Millije jumped and hit it. Sufle on the other side deflected it.
"Here!"
Kalen passed it high. And then.
"Hmph."
Ebnis stomped—boom!—and leaped, pulling her arm back toward the airborne ball.
Tch. From the arm position, she was aiming at me. Since I'd have to receive it, she was going full power, huh. Damn her.
Soon, with a sound like tearing air, her Strength of 20 unleashed through her hand.
I couldn't lose. I'd block it for sure! Bracing myself—
Baaaaang!
The ball exploded on contact, vanishing without a trace. Only the air blasted by her Strength 20 hurtled past me like a bullet.
Ruuuumble...
The "bullet" gouged the sand, flying off to leave a massive crater far down the beach.
Everyone stared at the crater, then at Ebnis.
"You expected me to receive that, you idiot?"
She turned away, scratching her cheek. "...Uh. D-Didn't think it'd burst. Sorry."
No, hitting a ball with full power and expecting it not to burst would be weirder.
Anyway, beach volleyball ended absurdly thanks to Ebnis's blunder. Next, Reina fetched a watermelon, blindfold, and wooden sword from somewhere.
"Here!"
"Here!"
"...Why do I have to stand next to the watermelon?"
"'Cause it's fun!"
Kalen's wooden sword whistled perilously past my head. The others—Sufle, Millije, and more—took turns swinging.
"Ei!"
"Millije, there's nothing over there."
"Eh... Ei!"
"Sufle, that's completely the wrong direction."
Luckily, I protected my head. Everyone, exhausted from the fun, flopped down for a five-minute breather.
"Back to the water! We've done all the land stuff!"
No, Reina. Where does all that energy come from?
"...No lunch?"
"Lunch? We'll stuff ourselves at dinner! Got an epic barbecue lined up!"
Untiring, they splashed back into the sea.
"Millije, look—a seashell."
"Pretty..."
The two were doing something down the beach. Kalen was doing combat swims far offshore alone.
"...Senior Relbrian, your swimsuit's pretty."
"Hm, I think Junior Ebnis looks the best..."
"Oh? Now that you mention it, yeah. The sub-marquess really put in effort, huh?"
"Wh-Wh-Who said I put in effort?!"
They'd shaken off the awkwardness and were bonding. Mission accomplished for this trip, at least.
Tired of floating idly on the tube staring at the sky, I lay on the mat, gazing at the parasol canopy.
"This is insane."
My arms wouldn't move. Legs neither. Hard to even lift my head. All that play drained my Vitality already?
"I'm... Vitality 8, after all..."
With that mutter, my eyes drifted shut.
* * *
When I woke, a blanket covered me. My face felt oddly warm. Turning, I saw a crackling campfire. My head pillow felt soft, so I lifted it and...
Froze.
"Ah, you're awake?"
"Reina, this is..."
"Oh? Can't a fiancée offer her lap to her sleeping fiancé?"
As I tried to sit up, her finger pressed my forehead down.
"...I was out, huh."
"No worries, we just finished too. Everyone's starving, waiting for dinner."
What? The sun was fully set? How many hours did we play? These guys.
Looking around, Sufle and Millije were dozing against the parasol pole, heads on each other's shoulders.
"That's enough. Thanks."
"Meat's coming soon."
Soon.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, miss—and everyone."
From afar, Fromen the butler chief and servants arrived with massive baskets of food.
"M-Meat!"
"D-Dinner?!"
The first-years jolted awake. We circled the fire, grilling on the hot plate.
Problem was, none of them knew how to grill, so I took the tongs and flipped everything.
"Adrian, ready yet?"
"Wait. Inside's not done. Ebnis! Hands off the corner! Don't embarrass yourself!"
"I-I couldn't help it! M-My hand moved first! I'm innocent!"
The world calls that a crime.
"Adrian, ready now?"
"Reina, it's been three seconds since I said that. Wait a full minute."
Telling them to grill and eat emptied the plate in seconds—like magic. Teenage girls in their prime sure could eat.
Grill, eat, grill, eat, repeat—and dinner time flew by. Everyone started dozing off right there.
This wasn't a trip; it felt like chaperoning kids on a school excursion.
"Night sea's cold. And you're all in swimsuits. You'll catch colds sleeping here. Everyone, to bed."
"...Mmm, Adrian, five more minutes..."
"No."
Shaking a bell from the basket summoned a servant.
"What is it?"
"Clean up and move them to their rooms."
"Yes, sir. I'll call the others—wait just a bit. Oh, and Adrian, sir. Fromen the butler chief is waiting. Head straight that way."
"No idea why, but got it."
The servant left.
"Ehehe, hehehe..."
"...Sleeping with your belly out like that."
I draped blankets from the basket over the sprawled sleepers, then hobbled across the sand with my cane.
Far enough that the campsite faded and the mansion was a blur, in a rocky nook, he waited.
"...Adrian, sir. You came. Good. Mila passed my message well."
"What do you want?"
"Straight to the point."
His usual kindly face was ice-cold as he spoke.
"What do you think of our miss?"
"..."
Hm. Knew this was coming.