kscans

Chapter 151 - Midsummer and Youth (Part 1)

The sun was beginning to turn red. The time for the match had come.

The children who had practiced with us and their parents had become spectators, watching from the sandy beach. Unbelievably, in that short time, several children besides Famu had managed to master the crawl.

There hadn't been enough time for Reeni. She could swim somehow, but after a while, she would put her feet down. But I think that's normal. She would be participating with her floatie.

Mash's Team, from the first swimmer: Myra, Famu, Cecily, Reeni, with me as the anchor. Mizuki's Team, from the first swimmer: Aira, Fang, Avea, Beers, with Mizuki as the anchor.

I protested that having me and Mizuki as anchors was unnecessary, but everyone told us to participate.

Also, I tried to have Shizuka participate against Doris, but both of them declined. Shizuka seemed to be exhausted from being pestered by Myra and the others to show them an example over and over. She was now watching with Claire.

As a starting point, a flag was set up in the water where it reached our waists. The course was a round trip to the buoys marking the swimming area. They had to go around the outside of the buoy and come back, then tag the next swimmer to switch.

The team whose members all finished swimming first would win. The distance to the buoy was nearly 25 meters. Fifty meters was quite a distance for beginners. I wondered if they would be alright physically. That's why I taught my team the back float and treading water, but I still had my worries.

Right now, the first swimmers, Myra and Aira, were standing at the starting line.

"It is not proper for a representative of God to be called with '-sama' by people."

"In that case, I'll make Mash call me Aira-sama."

As the two of them were declaring their own selfish motivations, Shizuka, acting as the starter, approached them.

"Alright, I'm coooming!"

She raised one hand while letting out a coquettish, moaning voice. I wish she would remember that many children were watching. I regretted letting her do this, but contrary to my thoughts, both children and adults were delighted. Was this world lenient when it came to sexual customs? Come to think of it, I had been groping Famu and the others' chests every time they complained.

"Ready... start!"

The two of them started swimming towards the buoy at the same time. A loud cheer rose from the beach.

Both of them had the same form. When they took a breath, they turned their faces to the sky with such force that it was like they were flipping over. Their swimming motion stopped each time. Myra looked slightly smoother. However, Aira was marginally faster.

The two of them progressed in parallel, but they zigzagged every time they took a breath. I started to worry if they could both safely swim the full 50 meters.

"Master, who do you think will finish first?"

Famu asked, but honestly, it was a toss-up.

"Let's see. I think Myra is at a disadvantage in the water..."

"Why is that?"

Of course, it was because the resistance they received from the size of their chests was different, but I couldn't explain that to her. She seemed to sense it, as she didn't press the question when I fell silent.

I didn't know if it was really because of the water resistance, but just as I said, a gap gradually began to form, and by the time they reached the buoy, Aira had a significant lead. However, on the way back, Aira's speed dropped dramatically. She was spending a long time breathing. And Myra, whose pace hadn't broken, started to catch up.

Noticing this, Aira thrashed at the water blindly, trying to move forward somehow, but it wasn't translating into propulsion. Her underwater pull was inconsistent. She zigzagged and struggled to move forward.

"Isn't she drowning...?"

I glanced at Mizuki.

"U-uh... She's still okay. I'll go help if she's in danger."

"This is just for fun, okay? Safety first."

She nodded with a grim expression.

Aira's zigzagging didn't stop. She moved in a way that blocked Myra's path, and at a point roughly halfway between the buoy and the goal, the two of them collided.

"Why are you getting in my way, sister?!"

"You're the one who crashed into me while I was swimming!"

The two of them stopped swimming and started arguing, which then devolved into a water fight. Aira swung her arms wildly, splashing water in all directions. Myra aimed for the gaps in her movements and accurately splashed water in Aira's face.

It was a truly mud-slinging life-or-death battle. The spectators were ecstatic. Some children were clutching their stomachs and laughing. But the battle was short-lived; Aira's movements gradually weakened.

"Hey, Aira isn't just thrashing around. She's drowning!"

Aira hadn't learned to tread water. Mizuki and I swam out to help.

Mizuki skillfully got behind Aira and pulled up the sinking girl.

"Gasp, cough!"

Aira was coughing.

Myra was also too exhausted to swim, so I lent her my shoulder and swam back to the beach. Back on the sand, I checked Aira's condition. She had swallowed some water, but fortunately, she was okay. Most of the water she'd swallowed was what Myra had intentionally splashed at her. On the surface, she was a gentle big sister who coddled children, but underneath, she was a terrifying sister who would make her younger sibling drink water until she drowned.

"I'm sorry... for such a disgraceful display..."

Myra bowed her head apologetically. I couldn't tell if these sisters got along or not.

"The race is canceled."

"Huh? Why?"

When I said that, Cecily asked as if she couldn't believe it.

"You saw it too. Both are disqualified for foul play. Besides, it's too dangerous. There's no need to risk your lives for a swim."

"What are you talking about? It's their fault for not being prepared for that, isn't it?"

She was the one who said treading water was boring when I tried to teach it. And yet, this was her attitude.

"Master. Today has been a very fun day. I got a little carried away. And you went to the trouble of teaching me how to swim. I want to show you the results."

Next to Famu, Reeni was also nodding.

"What do you think?"

I checked with Mizuki.

"On our team, I think everyone but Aira should be fine, but..."

Mizuki said, lacking confidence. She seemed to feel responsible. If we canceled now, she might carry that emotional scar. As I was thinking that, Fang and the others interjected.

"To think she'd struggle against the likes of Myra..."

said Fang.

"She is the slowest among us..."

said Avea.

"We are 500 times faster than her..."

said Beers. They stood with their arms crossed, smiling fearlessly.

"Hey! Aira almost drowned. Stop trying to get a laugh by talking like a bunch of anime villains!"

As I was retorting, Myra lined up next to me.

"Mash, please don't lose to people like this! Please avenge Aira!"

Myra was also getting into it for some reason. It wasn't just Famu; everyone was getting carried away.

"You're the one who started a brawl outside the competition and took Aira down, though..."

"Th-that's right. I'll go and treat her."

Myra headed towards Aira.

"Anyway, if you intentionally bump into someone or block the course for the person behind you, you'll be disqualified for foul play."

"I don't mind, but who's going to make that judgment?"

Avea asked.

"If a complaint is made, Claire, Doris, and Shizuka over there will judge by majority vote. Since there are three of them, there will always be a result."

I don't think we need to be this strict for a simple game. But it would be a pain if there was a dispute later and we had to do it over, so it's probably better to decide on judges.

"Hmph, they're all your women, aren't they? It's obvious you'll have the advantage,"

Beers interjected.

"Th-that's not true. Claire is, but the others aren't. Don't say such unsettling things. Famu will get angry. You want to be made to sit seiza again?"

"...Well, fine. Let's resume the match,"

Avea said. The match was restarted from the second swimmer. The battle between Myra and Aira was nullified. Famu and Fang were already standing at the starting point. Shizuka was heading over to act as the starter. The crowd cheered for her more than for the two swimmers, and she was in such a good mood she even started humming. I couldn't tell what, but she was definitely planning something.

"Hold on, Doris will be the starter. Shizuka, come back."

"Ehh, why, why?!"

"Look around you. There are children watching. You can't do it."

"That's so mean! I'm going to tell everyone the size of your thing, Mash!"

"I told you, there are children watching..."

Contrary to my feelings, the children were delighted by Shizuka's words.

Doris's "Start!"

echoed. Famu and Fang started swimming simultaneously, and the beast-kin showdown began. Fang tried to pull away from Famu at once with a powerful stroke. In response, Famu rotated her arms smoothly and rhythmically. It was a movement you wouldn't believe she had learned in just one hour. However, the more powerful Fang quickly took the lead and widened the gap.

"Weren't you going to give Famu any advice?"

Cecily asked me.

"It's fine. I've already done it."

"What did you say?"

"The same as with Cecily. Seeing Aira earlier confirmed it."

Fang was about to reach the buoy with an overwhelming lead. Just as I thought, Fang was the same as Aira.

"They're confident in their strength. So they swim with all their might at the beginning to get a lead. But they're just beginners. They don't know how to pace themselves for a 50-meter swim. They think they can get away with pushing themselves for this distance. Besides, they started with sword practice this morning, and then swimming practice after that. After Famu and Reeni left, only the skilled members remained, and they must have had even harder practice. There's no way their stamina would last."

"So that's why you told them not to get caught up in the race and to maintain their pace,"

Cecily said, starting to move towards the starting flag to prepare.

"You and Famu are going to build a lead, okay? Reeni and I will protect that lead."

She nodded. Fang was making a wide turn around the buoy. In that opening, Famu caught up. Then, she switched to treading water for a moment, turned around, and quickly made the return trip. At that point, the two of them were side by side. From there, Famu took the lead and started to pull away from Fang. Famu's swimming style and pace hadn't changed. Fang had just dropped out on his own. He panicked and tried to pull the water with more force, but his form had collapsed from exhaustion.

"Ooooooooh!"

Famu's huge comeback must have been unexpected. Cheers erupted from the spectators. They must have thought Fang would come back with the lead.

At the starting point, Cecily and Avea were stretching and preparing.

"I don't accept it, you know,"

Cecily said to Avea, who was standing next to her.

"What are you talking about?"

Avea asked back.

"About your match with Mash this morning. Mash won that. He stopped his fist because the match was over. And yet, you attacked him after that."

"For whatever reason, that guy has no intention of hitting women. I don't like that. It's fine for practice. But what if the opponent is a woman in a real fight?"

"That's ridiculous. In a real fight, Mash wouldn't hold back. Aira and I were both beaten half to death."

That was from the time we fought 'Wind Blade.' To be precise, it wasn't me who beat them half to death, but Laciel.

"But you're alive. You understand that not all enemies are as fickle as you two, right?"

Avea said, as if to provoke her.

"In that case... I'll protect him."

"Protect him? You're the weakest one in that party, aren't you? In dungeon crawling, the further you go, the more enemies who use magic appear, and the presence of a mage becomes more important. And yet, what about your skills?"

"I... will extend the lead Famu created. You'll lose twice today. You're about to lose to a mage you made fun of, with a strategy from an otherworldly hero you made fun of."

If she was provoked, she provoked back. Cecily was not losing to Avea. Although, since Cecily was the one who started the provocation, it would be a problem if she lost.

"You..."

The emotion drained from Avea's face, and she looked at Cecily with a cold gaze. Cecily brushed it off and shifted her gaze to the swimming Famu. Famu was already approaching the goal.

"Cecily!"

Famu shouted, lifting her face. Her hand reached out.

"Famu, nice fight!"

The two of them exchanged a high-five. A sharp sound echoed along with a splash of water. The two of them didn't usually talk much, but at times like this, they showed a solid sense of trust. It was a heart-warming development. Cecily started swimming. After provoking Avea, she had also been provoked, so I thought she would start swimming at an unreasonable speed, but she was calm. She pulled the water at her own pace. She and Fang passed each other. Fang was completely out of stamina. Still, he swam with the last of his strength and exchanged a high-five with Avea.

"Sorry... Get us to Mizuki,"

Fang gasped out.

"Leave it to me! Uoooooooooh!"

Avea let out a roar and started swimming. Her stroke was dynamic. Her kick was also powerful. The gap between her and Cecily closed in an instant. Avea was Avea, after all. A physical monster. As I was watching, Mizuki lined up next to me. Famu, who had finished swimming, also approached.

"You said Avea had experience,"

I noted. It seemed she had more than enough stamina to catch up to and overtake Cecily.

"Yeah. But the swimming style she knows is breaststroke, and this was her first time doing the crawl,"

Mizuki answered.

"That level, and it's her first time...?"

However, if it was her first time, Cecily still had a chance. But that was only if she could ignore Avea's pressure and calmly continue her own swim. I was worried if Cecily had that kind of patience.

"Master, how was my swimming?"

"I was surprised. Famu, you might be a genius too."

I placed my hand on Famu's head. She had many talents as well. Was it really okay to make her an adventurer like this? Seeing her blushing with embarrassment from the praise made me a little anxious.