Divine Beddings

The Dungeon Battle was over and the celebrations had finished… or rather, this year too, she'd slipped out partway through.

From here on was Rokuko's time.

"I'm psyched up for today!"

Perhaps it was forgotten? Forgot about the [Divine Comforter]'s effect, that is.

Once every 365 days, the owner could sleep with whoever else they wanted.

(* To be exact, it manipulates causality to make it so that nothing will hinder you until morning.)

It's already been a year. It should probably be usable again by now… it's usable, right? Rokuko took out the Divine Comforter and started to pat it out. Yeah, it can probably be used. I can just feel it.

"… Last time was, umm, that, but this time… I'll make use of the knowledge I have! Thank you Redra, today, I'll do, do that with Kehma!"

Even though Rokuko was looking to the sky as she spoke in fervor, she still somehow managed to be too embarrassed to speak without stumbling over herself.

Knowledge. Redra. Their neighboring dungeon, [Flame Cavern]'s Dungeon Master. The mother of a girl named Igni. In other words, a romance veteran.

According to her, [I'd go so far as to say that if you can kiss, you can have a kid!].

Although it's apparently safe between sisters, since Niku and Maiodoru — the lord of Tsuia's daughter — were engaged, she couldn't let her guard down around women, either. For paying attention to that detail, Rokuko's wit was of no doubt.

"… Bedding-sama, bedding-sama, I want to sleep with Kehma!"

It shone with light as she gave the comforter her prayer. It was the same light I'd seen the year before. In other words, it had activated.

By the way, this time she'd managed to put on her negligee beforehand, even the black over-knee socks that Kehma fancied. Her underwear, too, was what you'd call battle underwear, prepared just for this day.

Whoever came up with the name "battle underwear" really got it. This really does take the kind of fighting spirit you'd need to challenge someone to a battle, Rokuko thought to herself.

A while later, there was a knock at her bedroom door.

"Hyahi!? K-Kehma?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"It's unlocked, come in!"

"Oh, really? I'm coming in then."

Opening the door, Kehma walked in. He was wearing his usual jersey.

"Fufufu, we got another Divine Bedding this year, Rokuko."

"Yeah, one for each of us, too. You finally have one of your own, Kehma!"

"What, you have both the comforter and blanket, what is my alarm clock compared to those?"

Yeah, that's how it had turned out. Kehma felt a bit of regret that he should have just behaved and promptly asked for something he could use for normal sleep, but that was griping about receiving a luxury.

"Want to try them out together, Kehma?"

"Yeah… appear, [Divine Alarm Clock]!"

Kehma spoke as he took the Divine Alarm Clock out from his [Storage]. It was a round, analog clock. It had a white face and was otherwise red. On it were letters reading one to twelve in black, a simple black needle pointed to the current time.

There were four thin legs sprouting from its base and two golden bells to act as the alarm on its top.

"Here we go, this is the [Divine Blanket]."

What Rokuko had taken out was a beige blanket. Although it seemed to be ordinary enough at first glance, it had a fluffy feel to the touch that could rival microfiber. Unlike the comforter, it was heavy without feeling oppressive, making one feel a sense of security from it.

"… How can I put this? Between the alarm clock and the blanket, I'd say the blanket feels more like beddings…"

"Well, alarm clocks are used to wake you up. You don't feel them personally."

"Yeah. Maybe that's what was up with him saying no to choosing the alarm clock?"

As they kept up the chitchat about the Divine Beddings, Rokuko casually got Kehma to sit on the bed, right beside her on her right.

Suddenly, Rokuko's attention was attracted by a bracelet barely concealed by Kehma's jersey on his left wrist.

"Oh, is that the [Strong Mind Bracelet] you got from Ane-sama?"

"Yeah, it was made by Otou-sama though."

"Eh? Really? It fits you, Kehma!"

"Think so? Well, my jersey will hide it anyway. It has the effect of repelling all mental effects."

… Now that he said that, she realized that the current Kehma was acting much more [Sane] than he did the previous year.

She'd figured it came from the composure of Kehma now having a Divine Bedding of his own, but… could it be?

"… … …"

"Hm? What's wrong, Rokuko? You want it?"

"Eh? Oh, no, ummm… y-yeah! But it's something for you…"

"It's fine, it's just an accessory. Right, how about I have you take care of it? Having you hold onto it will make me feel more at ease, anyway."

"Eh? O-Okay."

Saying that, Rokuko accepted the silver bracelet from Kehma. Feeling his leftover body heat passing into her wrist from it, her heart suddenly throbbed… Just then, she realized that he was staring at her.

"…"

"K-Kehma?"

"Y-Yeah, what is it?"

"Umm, you're kind of staring…"

"Oh, yeah… I'm just admiring you."

"Eh!? N-No wa, heeh? I-I—."

Unable to look him in the eye, Rokuko had to turn away, her face beat red.

Embarrassed as can be, she tried to change the subject.

"S-So, Kehma. What does the alarm clock do? The blanket apparently invalidates attacks. And it calms your mind, they say."

"That's amazing, as expected of a Divine Bedding. Mine clears up any and all abnormal conditions."

As for whether sleep could be considered an abnormal condition, recall that it could be prevented through Blackout Resistance. Since it could cancel it and leave you completely refreshed, it would allow you to wake up to the best feeling in the world.

"And even though it has bells, it makes an electric noise. You can also set it to go off at a designated wake-up time twelve hours or more out, even in hundred-year units."

"Eh, is the dial a decoration?"

"You can more or less use it as a normal clock if you want. I'm told it does its own time adjustment automatically, what a convenient clock!"

Although Kehma said that, his gaze seemed distant.

"If it's such a good clock, why look like that? Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, just… the effect comes from hearing its sound…"

"It does? So what kind of sound does it make?"

"Well… it'd be faster for me to let you hear it. Please ring in ten seconds."

Exactly ten seconds after Kehma said that, a just-loud-enough [Pipipi, pipipi, pipipi] to fill the room rung out. It stopped when Kehma clapped his hand onto the top of the alarm.

She realized that the slight drowsy feeling she'd had was entirely gone.

"I see, so the sound itself is small."

"Yeah. The sound doesn't have to be that loud, since the effect will wake you up. But just hearing it will make you feel refreshed and wide-eyed. You shouldn't use it before you go to bed."

"As expected of Father, making such a work of art."

Rokuko nodded, her head completely refreshed.

"But… can you get to sleep now?"

"… Ah! It's true, I'm not tired at all."

"That's probably this clock's only defect. It's not a Bedding, it's a tool for waking up."

"I see. Now that you say it, it is true…"

Still though, if it lets you reliably wake up at the time you have to be up, shouldn't it count as one of the Beddings? Rokuko thought to herself. No, maybe the moment you're forced to be conscious of something like a time you have to be up, it already strays from the concept of the Divine Beddings.

"Alright, I'm wide awake again, so I'm going to head back to my room. Thanks for showing me your Beddings. Cya tomorrow, Rokuko."

"Oh, okay."

Saying that, Kehma walked out of the room with a refreshed look to his face.

"… Huh? Wh-What happened? What about the comforter's effect?"

The Divine Alarm Clock. It was a powerful item that dispelled even the Divine Comforter's effect.

Realizing this, Rokuko couldn't help but to shout.

"… That alarm clock is not a Bedding!"