Chapter 172: Distractions are necessary
{TL: By Creed}
Since then, under Licorice's guidance, Aisha had been diligently practicing magic.
She worked hard, harder, and harder still...
But things just didn’t go well.
Because of her overwhelming amount of magical energy, controlling it was exceedingly difficult.
Either the magic would fail to activate entirely,
or if it did activate, it would result in something outrageous, as it had earlier.
Faced with those two extremes, things just weren’t going the way she wanted.
And then...
"Ugh... uuuuuu..."
Frustrated by her inability to make things go her way, Aisha’s eyes welled up with tears.
Licorice gently patted Aisha’s head.
“Don’t make that face.”
“But…”
“No one gets it right from the beginning. Even the genius and beautiful Licorice-chan took years to master magic.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. So don’t be discouraged. You’ll need to work hard for many days to come.”
“...”
“Or… is it too much? Do you want to quit? It’s fine by me if you do. There’s no need to force yourself to do something so difficult.”
“... No, I’ll keep going.”
Aisha wiped away her tears with her fingers and exhaled deeply through her nose.
“I’ll work hard and learn magic. Then I’ll be able to help my father and mother.”
“Yes, yes. That determination is...”
“Aisha-chan!”
“Gwah!?”
Just as Licorice was speaking confidently, Sofia suddenly hugged Aisha, unable to resist her daughter’s cuteness.
...Licorice, caught between them, was crushed.
“Oh my goodness, Aisha-chan, you’re so brave and adorable, and just the cutest ever!”
“Mom, I can’t breathe…”
“It’s Aisha-chan’s fault, you know? Tempting her mother like this!”
“Wha...?”
Aisha blinked in confusion.
With heart-shaped eyes, Sofia showered her daughter with affection.
Well.
For a moment, I was worried about how things might go, but I’m glad the mood lightened up.
That said...
“Guh... I’m dying...”
“Sofia, Licorice is having a hard time. Maybe you should let go for now?”
Sofia’s one flaw was that she completely lost sight of everything around her when it came to Aisha.
――――――――――
The next morning.
After moving our bodies enough to stay sharp...
we all ate breakfast together...
And then, we headed to the sea again.
“Dad, Mom, look!”
In her swimsuit, Aisha cheerfully swam in the sea, her tail wagging energetically.
She had become quite a skilled swimmer.
According to Lyra, beastfolk are generally more capable than humans...
so perhaps that’s why she mastered swimming so quickly.
No, maybe that doesn’t matter.
It might simply be that Aisha is exceptionally talented.
...Am I being a doting parent for thinking that?
“I’m glad Aisha-chan is back to her cheerful self.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Sofia and I had changed into our swimsuits but hadn’t gone swimming yet.
We sat side by side under the parasol, watching Aisha swim happily.
Playing in the sea is fun, but having these quiet, relaxing moments is enjoyable, too.
Especially when you’re with someone you love.
But...
“Mmm… The sea breeze feels nice. It’s a little cool and so refreshing.”
“Y-Yeah, it really is.”
Although I saw Sofia in her swimsuit yesterday...
I still wasn’t used to it.
There was so much skin showing,
and my eyes kept wandering to places they shouldn’t.
My heart was racing.
Ugh... If she realized what I was thinking, she’d probably be disappointed in me.
“Hehe, Fate, your face is red. What’s wrong?”
“Wha? N-No, nothing at all...”
“Really?”
Sofia leaned closer, peering into my face.
T-Too close.
And since I was looking up at her, it only emphasized her chest...
“Hehe.”
Sofia gave a sly smile.
Was she doing this on purpose?
If so, Sofia wasn’t just a sword saint—she was a little devil.
“...Fugah.”
“Huh?!”
Suddenly, we heard snoring from beside us.
Licorice was sprawled out, sleeping in a sloppy position.
The little world Sofia and I had been sharing was abruptly shattered, leaving us both...
“...”
...red-faced and silent.
It was embarrassing, but...
yeah, it was peaceful.
I wished moments like these could last forever.
“...Huh?”
That’s when I noticed something.
Aisha, who had been swimming, was nowhere to be seen.
TL Note: Aisha is gone?
Ofc this happens. Predictable as ever huh.
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