Chapter 152 Blue Island
[TL; By Creed}
Blue Island, the Seaside Town
The town, swept by sea breezes, was wide, with water flowing here and there. Just looking around made me feel refreshed and at ease.
As we moved deeper into the town, we saw a large port and a beach for swimming.
In the port, ships of all sizes were docked, with cargo being unloaded from distant places and fresh fish being transported. As expected of a town known for the sea, trade and fishing seemed to be thriving.
A short distance from the port was the swimming area—a white sandy beach and clear, sparkling sea. Many people in swimsuits were playing there, making me want to join in.
"Wowwww!"
Aisha’s eyes sparkled with excitement. This was probably her first time seeing the sea.
“Dad, Mom! Look at all the water!”
“Hehe, yes, that’s the sea.”
“The sea... Wow!”
Her tail was wagging so hard it looked like it might burst with excitement. I hadn’t expected her to be this thrilled.
We had come here to research the beastfolk, but if we had some free time, maybe we could enjoy the sea a bit too.
“But there are so many people here,” said Licorice, who was floating beside us with a slightly exasperated expression.
Just as she said, the town was crowded with people—most of them likely tourists. Everyone wore cheerful smiles, clearly enjoying themselves.
“It’s been getting hotter lately, so it’s probably tourist season,” I said.
“And there are lots of food stalls too.”
“...Drool…”
Smelling the delicious aromas wafting from the stalls, Aisha was starting to drool a bit. When did she become such a little glutton...?
“Dad, Mom…”
“Well, if you start snacking now, you won’t be able to eat lunch.”
“Aww…”
Aisha gave me a pleading look, the kind that could make anyone’s heart waver.
But, no, for the sake of teaching her properly, I had to stay firm.
“No, Aisha. If you want to snack, wait until after lunch…”
“What would you like to eat, Aisha? Shall we pick something together?”
“Sofia!?”
“I… I mean, Aisha is just too adorable… I can’t possibly say no to her!”
Ignoring my attempts to hold firm, Sofia hugged Aisha tightly. It almost looked like she was the one seeking comfort from her daughter.
“Look, Sofia…”
“Now, now, Sofia,” Licorice interrupted unexpectedly.
“A parent needs to be a role model for their child. If you spoil her without reason, how do you think that will help?”
“But Aisha wants to eat…”
“Sure, it’s a parent’s job to keep their child fed. But like Fate said, it’s meaningless if she’s too full to enjoy lunch. There are times when you need to say ‘no’ for a good reason. Otherwise, you’ll end up spoiling both yourself and the child.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Sofia looked down, visibly deflate
“Fate, this is your fault too. What are you going to do by letting Sofia run wild like that?”
“Ugh…”
“You need to control things properly. It’s not for Fate or Sofia’s sake, it’s for Aisha’s sake.”
“I’m sorry…”
I was scolded too. But I thought it was deserved, so I honestly bowed my head.
By the way…
“Licorice, you really think things through more seriously than I expected.”
That was surprising.
“What, are you saying I’m usually careless?”
“Not at all…”
“Well, I am careless, though.”
“You admitted it!?”
“But, when things really matter, I’ll say the right things. Otherwise, both Fate and Sofia would turn out to be no good.”
““We’re sorry…””
“Hehe, you should be grateful to me, the natural disaster-level beautiful girl, Super Ultra Hyper Mega Fairy Licorice-chan!”
Her usual boastful attitude came right back. But, wait, did the word "genius" just take on a completely different meaning just now...?
“Dad, Mom... I’ll be patient, okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry, Aisha. Next time, we’ll have a lot to eat.”
“Yeah!”
“Well, first let’s eat our meal... and then we’ll look for a place to stay.”
“That’s right.”
――――――――――
Thirty minutes of walking through the town.
We ate at a restaurant that smelled delicious, and then checked into the inn.
The place was spacious, affordable, and long-term stays were no problem. The food was good, and there was even a private bath.
It was quite a good deal, but there was one problem…
“...We’re in the same room, huh?”
“...Yeah.”
There was only one room available, so we ended up staying in the same room.
There were so many people around that we weren’t sure if other inns had vacancies. With such great conditions, I thought we wouldn’t mind a little inconvenience. But then came the unexpected issue—the bed was just one.
The bed was pretty large, and four people could sleep on it without a problem.
That wasn’t the issue, but...
““...””
The thought of sharing a bed made Sofia and I both imagine a few things, and before we knew it, our faces were red with embarrassment.
“Dad? Mom?”
“It’s fine, Aisha. These two are a typical example of a silly couple—totally innocent but hopelessly awkward.”
“Wow?”
Even Licorice’s smirking face couldn’t distract us from how embarrassed we were right now.
TL Note: Waku Waku.
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