{Author’s Notes}

  The preview (?) has been removed. It will be posted again after the Beach Swimming arc.

  **********

  While walking along the beach under the summer sun, I pick up the occasional seashell or sea glass that I find. The Hydra Kingdom is warmer than Symphonia Kingdom…… The climate around here is more like the tropical countries back on Earth, and the temperature is most probably reasonably high.

  Though I say that, I have Shiro-san’s blessing, and the people I’m with are the most powerful beings in the world, so it doesn’t really matter.

  Since we’re at it, I decided to join Isis-san and Fate-san in collecting seashells, but after searching for them like this, I was surprised when I found the seashells and sea glass.

  Probably because this is a different world, but some of the shells are shaped in a way that I’ve never seen on Earth, so searching for them like this is a lot of fun. However, how should I say this…… I guess it’s obvious…… but not everything works out.

  [……Hey, Kai-chan?]

  [What is it, Fate-san?]

  [……That was quite the difference, isn’t it?]

  [……Yeah.]

  In the hands of Fate-san and I are the shells and sea glass we’ve collected so far. I’ve also worked pretty hard to collect them, and even though Fate-san’s pace has been slow, she still managed to collect quite a good number.

  That’s why, along with the shells on Fate-san and my palms, we have quite the variety of shells and other stuff but……


  [I wonder why? Don’t the shells Ai-chan picked up look much nicer than ours?]

  [To be honest, I agree.]

  [……Is…… that so? ……I think…… that the shells you two picked up…… are beautiful too though.]

  Isis-san tilted her head upon hearing my and Fate-san’s words, but first of all, the amount she had picked up was far greater than ours. And yet, her shells are beautifully shaped, and her sea glasses are as colorful as jewels.

  On the other hand, the shells that Fate-san and I collected weren’t really that bad…… but many of them are slightly distorted or chipped.

  We’re not just feeling like the grass is greener on the other side, as objectively speaking, Isis-san has found more beautiful shells much faster than we have.

  [Well, I’m not going to use my authority for this, and I also wasn’t quite enthusiastic about moving…… but Ai-chan also wasn’t interfering with law of causality, right? How come you were able to find so many beautiful shells so quickly? I guess it’s because our attention was quite different?]

  [……Hmmm…… I don’t think…… it was about such difference…… However…… I think me…… being good at searching such stuff…… affects it a bit? ……Behind Fate’s right foot…… I think that one over there…… looks beautiful, you know?]

  [Eh? Ahh, it really is.]

  Hmmm, I guess it really as just Fate-san said, there really is a difference in experience between us in this area. Isis has always had a hobby of collecting various things, so searching stuff like this may be her specialty.

  [By the way, Isis-san, I think we’ve already gathered quite a number……]

  [……Unnn…… I think it’s time…… we make them…… into something.]

  Nodding at my words, Isis-san lightly waved her hand and brought out a wooden table…… and some kind of parasol made of ice.

  I see, making things on the beach might really sound like a good idea. Also, the ice parasol is very cool and has a nice atmosphere.

  [……The bottle one…… is a bit difficult…… so I think making an hourglass would be better…… I already prepared hourglasses…… so you can just…… stick the shells on it.]

  [I see. If it’s that, it would be something that someone like me who isn’t good at making stuff can do.]

  [Fumufumu…… We can stick seashells to this to make it look more colorful…… but it’s something that sounds troublesome again. Well, I’ve already got this far, so I might as well do it.]

  The hourglass that Isis-san prepared for us was reasonably large, about 20-30cm, and seemed easy to decorate.

  For the time being, wryly smiling when Isis-san and I saw Fate-san grumble again, each of us…… grabbed the tools that Isis-san had prepared and began to decorate our hourglasses.

  Well, though I say that, we really aren’t working in silence, and are still chatting along……


  [……Speaking of which, Ai-chan, I heard that you gained another subordinate?]

  [……Unnn…… the other day…… I’ve gained…… another subordinate.]

  [Ahh, I heard about it too. She was named…… Polaris, right?]

  The topic of conversation switching towards Isis-san’s subordinates, even though it hadn’t been long since Iris-san had become her subordinate, it seemed that Isis-san had already gained a new subordinate.

  Her name was apparently Polaris, and later that day she became her subordinate, I received a hummingbird from Isis-san, whose excitement was clearly visible from her message alone.

  After nodding at my words, Isis-san told us about Polaris with a heartfelt look of joy on her face.

  Isis-san often tells me [……If Kaito is happy…… I am…… also happy.], and now, I understand what she’s feeling very well.

  Looking at the happy expression on Isis-san’s face, I felt as if it was I, myself, who was happy.

  ……As a side note, it seems that while we were talking about her, the person herself was having a mock battle with Iris-san.

  **********