Chapter 72

After discussing together, we finished our preparations and left Iksa's villa.

"Sorry, I should have hired some servants to prepare breakfast immediately, but I thought it would be best to have a good time with just family in moments like this."

"It's fine, really. You don't have to go that far. Besides, Iksa, you're a prince, but you seem to have a rather commoner-like sense, don't you?"

We exchanged such conversations as we headed for the city.

A rich city surrounded by tourist attractions like the sea and mountains—Tourist City Vayzel.

When we arrived, the city was already bustling with people.

Tourists, local residents who live in the city, and wandering merchants were all mingling together.

"Wow, there are so many people! It's as crowded as the capital!"

"Even though it's still morning..."

Seeing this scene, Mauer and Meala were getting quite excited.

"Indeed, there are a lot of people. But, are there any other beastmen like us?"

"......It seems so."

Uga commented as we walked through the city.

Iksa, however, seemed a bit dissatisfied with his response.

...What's wrong?

Is there something bothering him?

"Anyway, let's have breakfast first. After that, we'll go shopping, including the much-anticipated swimsuit time."

"Leyle, what do you mean by 'swimsuit time'?"

As Leyle suggested, we had a simple breakfast at a nearby restaurant in the city.

After that, we asked a shopkeeper for directions and headed to a store selling beach supplies.

We all looked for swimsuits.

In this world, swimsuits are not made of modern chemical materials but are made of fabric that is somewhat water-resistant and less see-through.

However, the designs are similar to modern ones.

"Let's all try them on!"

Due to Leyle's enthusiastic suggestion, a swimsuit fashion show began.

First, the ladies—.

"How does it look!"

Following the rule of the proposer, Leyle went first.

She opened the curtain of the fitting room with a flourish and appeared in a swimsuit.

It was a bikini with very luxurious decorations and color.

Her pose was also perfectly striking.

"Wow, luxurious."

"Looks good, the atmosphere suits you."

Praised by the guys, Leyle had a smug look on her face.

"Then, next is Suaro!"

"Ugh... Why me too..."

Next, Suaro, who had finished changing, appeared.

She was wearing a one-piece swimsuit.

It had a chic color and a calm atmosphere.

Since she wasn't used to such things, Suaro was blushing.

"Yep, it suits you quite well."

"Suaro, you're really beautiful."

Leyle and I commented.

The guys also generally approved.

"Ahaha! It looks good, good! It's surprisingly fresh to see Suaro in something different!"

Suaro glared at Iksa, who was laughing loudly.

"You, if you keep this up, one day Suaro might cut you from behind, and you won't be able to complain."

"Then, next is Mako's turn. I'm looking forward to it."

After Leyle and Suaro, it was my turn.

But, it had been a long time since I wore a swimsuit, probably since high school.

"Here we go."

I changed into the swimsuit Leyle picked for me and appeared before everyone.

The design was a semi-bikini.

The bottom part was shaped like half-pants.

"Wow, it's been a long time since I wore a swimsuit, but it's a bit embarrassing to show it to everyone."

"......"

Everyone was silent when they saw me.

Eh... What!?

Is there something wrong?

I don't think there's anything wrong with my figure around the waist!

"Hey, Iksa! Say something!"

"Well, it's a bit... suggestive."

What kind of comment is that!?

"Usually, you don't give off that kind of image, so when you do, it suddenly feels suggestive. That's the feeling."

Why is Iksa saying this with such a serious face!?

Uga, don't nod!

Delfai, don't look so indifferent!

Gurai, help me!

"Ah, it's embarrassing! Okay, that's it! Let's move on!"

I noticed that other customers were also looking at us, so I quickly changed back into my original clothes.

The guys' swimsuits were decided much faster than the ladies'.

After paying, we went shopping for other items and returned to the beach near Iksa's villa around noon.

* * * * *

"Hey, you're back. I was waiting for you."

"Wow!"

We headed to the beach with Entia, Kuro, and Chibi, who had been left behind.

Last night, the beach had a mysterious atmosphere lit only by the moon and stars, but during the day, it was a perfect beach with the sun shining down.

"Well, what should we do first?"

"Mako, let's play watermelon splitting!"

"We brought watermelons from the village."

Mauer and Meala brought the watermelons they had brought from the village.

There were also some vegetables and fruits that Uga had selected.

By the way, we had already prepared wooden sticks for the watermelon splitting game before we left.

"Hmm... It feels good to relax by the sea once in a while."

Leyle spread a parasol and lay down under it to sunbathe.

"Here, Leyle."

I brought a drink to Leyle, who was relaxing.

"Oh, thank you, Mako. What is this?"

"It's still in the trial stage. I thought about whether we could sell the fruit soda from the capital's shops as takeout."

I put the fruit soda from the capital into a handheld bottle and sealed it with a "Champagne Stopper" I had alchemized.

This is a trial product, but I'm considering whether it can be sold commercially.

"Amazing! When did you come up with this idea?"

"If you cool it with Leyle's magic, it will taste even better. By the way, I asked Delfai to have these bottles custom-made. I added curved parts to make them easier to hold."

Well, the original design is from a popular carbonated drink bottle in another world.

Leyle and I watched Delfai, who was playing in the sea with Mauer and Meala, who had finished eating the watermelon.

Delfai was making balloons and causing explosions underwater, creating splashes and shouting, "Art is explosion!"

"That guy... He has a bad personality, but his skills are reliable."

Leyle muttered while sipping the slightly chilled soda.

Although they often have disagreements, Leyle seems to recognize Delfai to some extent.

"Hehehe."

"Did I say something funny?"

"Uoh! The sea! It's salty!"

On the other hand, Entia jumped into the sea with a huge splash.

"Hahaha! What's wrong, Kuro! You look so grumpy! Have more fun, have more fun!"

"What, this guy is so annoying..."

Entia was playing on the beach with Kuro, who was also quite high-spirited.

Kuro, who was slightly taken aback, was also enjoying himself.

For some reason, electricity was seeping from his body.

"Whoa! Be careful, you! Don't release electricity!"

"Oops, sorry, I can't help it when I get excited."

Kuro is dangerous.

"By the way, Iksa, is there a place nearby where we can catch fish or other seafood?"

I asked Iksa, who was sitting in a chair nearby, reading a book.

"Yeah, there's a place for sea fishing around that rock."

"Okay, I might go to get some dinner."

"I'll go too."

So, with Iksa's guidance, Gurai and I went to the place where we could catch fish.

It was a rocky, reef-like area.

There might be clams and other shellfish as well.

"What do you want to do? Do you want to fish leisurely? I think we have fishing rods."

"No, I'll go in and catch them directly."

Gurai said this while doing some warm-up exercises.

Yeah, a very manly statement.

"Then, Gurai, I have something good for you."

I activated my alchemy and generated a "spear."

It's a small one like those sold at home centers, but I think it's better than nothing.

"Use this to catch them all."

"Okay."

"I'll bring a net to put the caught fish in. Count on you, Gurai."

* * * * *

"Wow..."

—A few hours later.

We had a huge catch.

Dozens of fish, clams, and even octopuses were wriggling in the net Iksa had brought.

"Maybe we overfished a bit?"

Gurai, who was scratching his wet hair, was a bit concerned.

In any case, we had a lot of fresh seafood.

"Wow! Did you catch all of these!?"

"This is like the harvest of a regular fishing trip..."

When we returned to the beach, Mauer and Leyle commented.

"Hey! There are a lot of fish! I'll go get the vegetables ready!"

Uga went to get the vegetables he had brought from the village.

"Wow! Finally, the long-awaited seafood!"

"What? Is it dinner?"

"Yeah, we're having a barbecue now."

I activated my alchemy and generated a "barbecue grill," a "net," and "skewers."

We prepared the fish we had caught and the vegetables Uga had brought, skewering them.

Meanwhile, I put the charcoal we had bought in the city into the "barbecue grill" and asked Delfai to start the fire.

And then—

"Cheers!"

Everyone clinked their glasses (the children and the ladies had soft drinks) and the barbecue party began.

"Delicious! This fish is so fatty, it's like meat!"

"The alcohol goes down well."

Uga was moved by the taste of the grilled fish.

Iksa was also eating and drinking heartily.

"The octopus is delicious too!"

"The clams too."

Mauer and Meala, who were eating seafood for the first time, were also enjoying it.

"Freshly caught is the best. The meat is firm and delicious."

Entia and Kuro were also eating raw fish.

I see, sashimi might be good too.

"Mmm, mmm."

Chibi was eating the grilled vegetables with relish.

"Raw fish might be a bit much, but maybe we can bring some dried fish back as souvenirs?"

"If we freeze them with my magic and use Mako's alchemy to create a container for long-term storage, they might last a few days."

"Leyle, that's a good idea."

"Hehehe, I'm getting a bit smarter thanks to Mako's influence."

And so, we enjoyed the fresh seafood barbecue and even made some impromptu fireworks with Delfai's bombs and my alchemy.

In the end, the first day of our resort stay was a great success.

* * * * *

However, the next day.

We were unexpectedly caught up in a major incident in this tourist city.