Chapter 39: Earned Life (Part 5)

"I am not going to allow myself to be used as a test dummy with an extra helping of shock value, Manaka. No matter how admittedly funny it would be."

The magus pouted, protesting, "But imagine the novelty and surprise factor, Nanashi!"

A dreamy smile overtook the girl's expression, the homunculus trying not to shiver with dismay since he knew precisely what she was so enthusiastic over.

"You shall yawn and pretend to be bored by my lecture, I shall ask that you pay attention - blowing a hole in your chest in the process - and then you shall regenerate while the rest of the class panics and gapes in shock."

A completely innocent and melodious giggle left the girl.

"It shall be the perfect representation of my genius and adaptability when it comes to the art of body creation, wouldn't you agree, Nanashi?"

"No. Because of the part where you blow up my chest."

Manaka pouted, complaining, "You have reduced ability to feel pain and are perfectly capable of regenerating from such a blow, why such reticence?"

"Because it still hurts, obviously! There are easier ways to wow the audience that don't rely on me suddenly losing a portion of my bodily mass!"

Nanashi pulled out a piece of paper that he'd scribbled on, quickly stating, "Why not the one where I sit on a throne of bones grown out of my body? That's pretty eye-catching, right? Or how about the one where you sporadically start fires throughout the lesson and I put them out with my ice abilities?"

Manaka pouted, clearly not excited about the shift in plans.

"...Fine. Hmph! Genius is never recognized in its time."

"Your genius will be recognized plenty without having to mutilate me."

He moved to a collection of other books and records, stating, "Why don't we instead go over the curriculum one more time, okay?"

"Oh fine."

The duo did as Nanashi suggested, reviewing and debating over just what, precisely, Manaka was going to be covering during her lessons. For the most part it was going to start off easy, basic tutorials about Reverse politics and the like before slowly moving on to the method of actually using one's mana to deflect and avoid the overbearing inundation that accompanied travel to their parallel reality.

By the time the rest of their companions had arrived their work was essentially complete, a basic outline of their days and eventual weeks of instruction all but finished as Abigail perused the folder, commenting, "I don't see the part where I make a guest appearance."

"I think people are going to be freaked out enough as is, Abigail. Besides, the Mage Association is already going to be wary as hell of us, how do you think they're going to react if a literal Outer God strolls in while being best friends with the newcomers?"

The blonde giggled, chirping, "More than best friends, right~?"

Manaka huffed while a blush of pink dotted her cheeks for whatever reason, retorting, "If you are done perusing our hard work then shall we depart?"

Tiamat eagerly nodded as Ayaka said, "Papa already left the house for today, he said to have fun and stay safe."

They'd said their goodbyes to Haruki earlier on and it was with a cheerleader's twirl that Abigail manifested one of her eldritch looking keys, happily stating, "Then let us be off, it's vacation time~!"

A slash of her wrist and reality found itself unzipped, passageway leading to what looked like the side of a well to do building and a glistening beach in the distance, Manaka scowling as she complained, "Was taking over my duties really that necessary? And is travel through that hellish dimension you call a-"

"Come on, let's go~!"

Hefting both her and Manaka's bags over her shoulder Abigail promptly pulled the other girl through the rift as Manaka yelped in surprise, Nanashi sighing as he took Tiamat and Ayaka's packs before wryly commenting, "Ladies first."

They also stepped through as the homunculus tried not to wince as he followed suit - his memories of their time spent in the strange outer realm the gods called home weren't exactly cheerful - but thankfully warm sun and cool ocean breeze immediately inundated his senses rather than horror-inducing blackness, Nanashi taking a deep breath and sighing in contentment as they made the trip to their destination within scant seconds.

The Intercontinental Manza resort, Nanashi immediately feeling out of place as they rounded the secluded corner they'd warped into and saw the building in all its glory.

He'd never expected to see anything this nice before, let alone actually spend time within it. And while the Sajyou's house certainly had money within it it wasn't the kind of wealth that screamed and hollered for all to notice it. This? This was a nightmare and a half of ostentatious richness that left the young man self-conscious in the extreme.

"Nanashi? Are you all right?"

And of course Abigail noticed, Tiamat busy staring at the ocean with an unblinking gaze and eager twinkle in her eyes while Manaka and Ayaka also favored him with confused looks.

"Oh hell this is embarrassing to admit."

"Sorry, it's just that I've, uhh...never been to anyplace as rich as this before. Just got a little overwhelmed, is all."

His ears burned at that ridiculous sentence, Manaka merely tilting her head as she replied, "Nanashi, this resort is by no means inaccessibly wealthy. Are you feeling well? You look out of sorts."

"Umm, sister? Remember that Nanashi didn't exactly come from, err...noble backgrounds."

The magus blinked, recalling how they had first met and the events that followed...and blushed scarlet before - as the homunculus predicted - she covered up her embarrassment at forgetting that he was new to most things like this by scowling fiercely and grabbing his arm, dragging him forward as she complained, "Oh for the Root's sake, don't be such a baby and become used to such things! Will holding my hand make you feel any better? Such a child…"

Nanashi had to fight back a smile as Manaka tried to show her concern in the usual manner, letting her pull him along as Abigail and Ayaka followed along with amused smiles.

...They realized about a minute later Tiamat wasn't following them, still staring at the ocean like it was some long lost treasure.

"C'mon, we can go get changed and head back down, Tiamat."

A pitiable noise left the goddess as they dragged her away from the beach before she ran into it fully clothed, the front desk attendant they made their way towards presenting another roadblock as she asked, "My apologies, but do you have a parent or guardian available that can confirm your reservation? It's a policy that-"

"There's no need for that, we had our legal guardian tell you previously the arrangements and we will take our door keys now."

"Yes, right away. You're all quite independent for your age, if I may say so."

They accepted the keys from the hypnotized employee and walked away, Nanashi curiously asking, "Do we all really seem that young?"

He received no shortage of looks in response, even Tiamat breaking out of her obsessed staring of the ocean to tilt her head.

"Nanashi, none of us - aside from yourself - look any older than fourteen."

The homunculus blinked, mind catching up to what Abigail said as he realized he was still thinking of himself as a scrawny kid instead of the actual body he possessed, blood draining from his face as he stammered, "W-wait, isn't that really bad that I'm hanging around with all of you? Aren't I older and going to be causing a lot of issues?"

Manaka sent him a look that suggested he was a special brand of idiot.

"Nanashi, you look all of sixteen."

The homunculus threw his hands up in the air, complaining, "Well how am I supposed to know any social conventions whatsoever?! I didn't exactly have time to get out and about you know."

Tiamat consolingly patted him on his arm as Manaka pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning, "Nanashi? We will have to expand your lessons to understanding basic societal trends as well as Moonlit ones. Perhaps starting you off with the Reverse was a bad idea…"

The mortifying conversation thankfully drew to a close as they arrived at their rooms, Ayaka running a key through the lock and letting it swing open to admit them inside as Nanashi again felt his gut curdle in mild unease, the clean and cool room clearly having been made with money in mind.

Large, extravagant beds. A veranda with comfortable white furniture lining it. A massive TV. Tasteful furniture that was polished to a mirror sheen.

"...Only two beds? Whatever, that's the least of my worries."

Carefully walking inside - and doing his best not to look at the bathroom lest he panic further with how nice things were - Nanashi carefully and gently set his packs down on the soft carpet-

-before wincing as Abigail giggled loudly, tossing both her bag and her body onto the bed with an audible thump, laying herself out flat as Tiamat drifted out onto the veranda, yet again staring at the water.

"Nanashi, the decor isn't going to come alive and bite you if it's treated as anything less than fine china."

Flushing as Manaka had caught him being all worried and careful again Abigail hopped off the bed, eagerly stating, "Well we're here, let's all get changed and go down to the beach before Tiamat goes without us! Nanashi, hurry up and put your swimsuit on so we can change!"

"Huh? But aren't we supposed to-"

He was unceremoniously shoved into the bathroom with his trunks before he could complete the sentence, dumbly blinking at the events of the past few minutes.

"Manaka is right. I really need to start getting used to stuff like this."

Turns out a nice, calming fifteen minutes of staring at glittering blue, pale sand, multi-colored umbrellas and laughing children was enough to put someone in a calm and contemplative mood even if they had been walking on eggshells not more than half an hour ago.

"I wonder if any of the phantasmal materials that make up my body are inclined towards water. It'd be neat if I could use the ocean to my advantage or something like that, some kind of terrain or territory boost?"

Breathing in a lungful of the refreshing air the homunculus felt a smile tilt his lips-

"Oh Nanashi~! You can turn around now~!"

-and felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight that greeted him, eyes widening even though he'd had some forewarning after going shopping with them. Then again it was one thing to catch glimpses and hints of what his companions would be adorned in and another thing entirely to actually experience it with his own two eyes.

Manaka had selected a simple teal one piece that was made exotic by the snowy frills around her small hips and a mostly open back, pert behind ever so slightly revealed as she blushed prettily at his worshipful gaze. Ayaka had gone with a similar style except all black, glasses removed and with her hair down Nanashi was fairly certain she would have no shortage of attention if she ever got around to displaying confidence and certainty with her image.

Tiamat had the innocent beauty act nailed perfectly, a simple blue bikini complimenting her hair while a guileless smile of joy caused her pink irises to glitter with excitement as she gazed back-and-forth across the beach, practically thrumming with eagerness and a clear desire to rush out into the water. It was still a little odd seeing her without her horns and tail but Nanashi figured he could easily get used to it, especially if this was the usual sight it was replaced with.

Abigail was...honestly a bit more tame than he had been expecting, especially considering how teasing she had been during the whole shopping adventure. A frilled two-piece that wasn't quite a bikini but left her lithe frame on display nonetheless, Nanashi's throat going dry at the sight.

"Okay, keep it under control, we're all fine here...no need to go broadcasting your excitement like a lighthouse on a cloudy night."

A calming breath filled and left his lungs before he smiled at the girls-

-and unleashed a perfectly manly yelp as Abigail engulfed him in a hug, unleashing a sultry giggle as she rubbed her face against his bare chest, purring, "Do you like what you see, Nanashi? You're not too bad looking yourself~!"

"Okay, please don't go saying things like that when I'm already struggling not to embarrass myself. And-"

"Are such brazen displays really required, Williams?!"

"You could always join in, Manaka…"

The suggestive tone from Abigail had the magus puffing out a cheek in annoyance as Ayaka unleashed a startled yelp, trying to hold onto a hypnotized Tiamat as the goddess strode towards the ocean in a zombie-like state.

"Okay how about we keep Tiamat from dislocating your sister's arm for now and worry about that stuff later?"

"Hmph, very well. But, well, erm…"

Face an interesting shade of pink Manaka stiffly walked forward and took one of his arms in her own, Abigail giggling at the display before pulling on the boy's appendage just that much tighter in a clear showing of delight at the 'competition'.

Nanashi was just trying not to walk towards the struggling Ayaka and hyper-focused Tiamat with his head hung low, face burning with mortification. For all that they had gone through together he was STILL unused to the small, affectionate displays he was subjected to and definitely not in public. He'd been a scruffy and scraggly little bag of meat for so long that his latest change often seemed like some sort of fantastical dream.

And on the subject of the public they were paying no small amount of attention to the group as they travelled further down the beach, eyes following their every stop as Nanashi sort of wished the ground would swallow him whole as he started to notice just what kind of gazes they were attracting.

Lots of male attention, that was for sure. He supposed that was normal, considering how beautiful his companions were...but he made extra certain to keep an eye on those that didn't look away after a few seconds, the ones with impure intentions.

"Hmph, how ridiculous, that they think they can stand a chance with my Nanashi…"

Manaka's protective growl snapped the homunculus out of his mindset, following the magi's eyes as she glared at previously unknown targets-

-and went right back from wary to cowed in an instant. He was being stared at. By girls. By girls that weren't Manaka, Tiamat, Abigail or Ayaka. He was being stared at by girls who were winking or giggling at him.

"What...what the fuck? The rest I get but why am I also the center of attention here, I don't have anything that-"

He belatedly realized that, yes, he did have something that would draw all of their eyes. His new body which a little bit of positive public exposure had left him seemingly unaware of.

"Dammit. Still stuck in the mindset of my old self, I see."

"Don't worry about them, Nanashi. You just have to get used to it is all."

A teasing smile graced Abigail's lips.

"After all, you're hot now~!"

He was incredibly annoyed with himself for blushing so childishly at the blonde's comment as Manaka huffed from his other side, grumbling, "Come, let us find a semi-secluded spot so those silly slatterns aren't constantly ogling my Nanashi."

"...Slattern?"

The male's request for knowledge on what the hell that word meant was left unanswered as he was steered towards a large umbrella buried in the sand surrounded by a couple of chairs, Ayaka finally giving up and letting Tiamat go as the goddess all but leapt into the waves, darting beneath them with a serpent's grace as her outline undulated through the waters as if she'd been born to it.

Which probably wasn't too far from the truth as Ayaka rubbed her arms, sheepishly stating, "Sorry, but she was really strong."

"No need to worry, why don't we let her enjoy herself for the time being and do what we want? Such as going for a bit more tame of a swim~!"

Happily laughing Abigail abandoned Nanashi's arm and instead grabbed ahold of Manaka and Ayaka before dragging the siblings towards the water's edge, both yelping and protesting before they fell into the pristine waves with a titanic splash, the homunculus looking on and unable to help the smile that crawled across his lips, previous anxiety replaced with warm contentment at the sight of his friends and lovers having fun with each other.

This was the kind of life he was happy to have suffered for, fought and bled fo-

"W-w-what imbecility was that?! Are you attempting to kill us?!"

"I-I'll just stay on the beach for now!"

Blinking several times in quick succession Nanashi was treated to the bizarre sight of Manaka and Ayaka desperately scrabbling out of the waves with shivering bodies and wide eyes, Abigail floating nearby with a quizzical expression that was shared by the male.

Could...could they not…

"Can neither of you swim?"

The mutual question from both Nanashi and Abigail caused the sisters to blush simultaneously, Ayaka replying, "W-well, you see, that's, umm…"

"Of course we can swim, how embarrassing and foolish would it be if we could not?"

"I dunno, but I would say pretty embarrassing."

Manaka affixed Nanashi with a volcanic glare that was a product of her mortification, harshly asking, "Well then of course you can swim, can't you, Nanashi?"

"Sure can."

Much to the magi's displeasure the homunculus smoothly stepped into the waves, luxuriating in the cool and liquid sensation enveloping his body as Abigail paddled next to him, both staring at the Sajyou's in mild disbelief.

"Seriously? You never learned how to swim?"

"Well when did you have the opportunity, Nanashi?"

Shrugging in response to Manaka's rebuttal the male responded, "Water aerobics were one of the few physical activities I could do without falling apart at the seams. I always liked it when we got to hop in the pool for PE."

He cocked his head, teasingly asking, "What, did you just rest on the side for the entirety of-"

"My skin burns easily, that's all!"

Manaka was blushing up a storm as Nanashi found the action positively adorable, Abigail snickering as she leapt atop the male's back and clung to it, lithe and dripping form molding itself to sculpted muscle as she teased, "Well if you're going to be resting beachside then Nanashi will go and swim further out, we'll be back later!"

Sure enough Manaka went full protest mode at that, striding out to ankle deep water before grandly proclaiming, "Instead of demanding time for yourselves why not teach me how to swim? It shouldn't be long, after all a genius like myself should learn quite promptly. Come along, little sister! We shall rectify this matter swiftly!"

"A-alright!"

Nanashi favored Abigail with an amused stare, the blonde grinning unrepentantly as her provocation bore fruit within a minute, Tiamat popping up from the water a moment later as she trilled, "Help in learning to swim?"

"Sure, if you're up to it. C'mon, Manaka. Everyone has to start from somewhere and simple floating will be the first milestone."

Laughing to himself as the doll-like girl gingerly allowed herself to be lead out into deeper water - Ayaka helped along by Abigail and Tiamat - Nanashi reflected that this kind of life really had been worth it all along.