Enjoying the Sea

The slaves—or rather, three girls—were holding up various swimsuits and going back and forth with their opinions.

They looked like they were having a great time.

When it came to fashion, Yohane was clueless.

He did carry some clothing at the tool shop, but it was all practical wear with no connection to style.

After a while, Elza grabbed Yohane's hand and pulled him over to the fitting rooms.

It seemed they'd narrowed down their choices and wanted to try them on.

First up was Alexia.

Apparently, you tried on swimsuits over your undergarments.

Alexia had chosen a black two-piece swimsuit called a bikini.

She'd wrapped a pareo around her waist, but it still left a lot of skin exposed.

"This one seemed the easiest to move in."

She said it with her chest puffed out, clearly confident in her own body.

The swimsuit showed off her excellent proportions in full.

She tried on a few other options, but the first one suited her best.

It would certainly draw attention, he thought, but there were plenty of women on the beach in revealing swimwear. She'd turn heads for her looks, but the outfit itself wouldn't stand out too much.

Next, Elza's choice was a blue one-piece swimsuit—at least from the front.

When she turned around, the amount of exposed skin shot up dramatically.

It rivaled Alexia's bikini.

The sides of her abdomen were also cut open, making it surprisingly revealing.

"How is it? Does it look good?"

It naturally suited Elza with her fine figure.

It was clearly flashy for a member of the clergy, but nobody was going to scold her for it.

Perhaps the lack of usual exposure made her want to let loose.

Her other options showed even more skin, so this was the one.

Azu had prepared a simple one-piece swimsuit.

The white swimsuit suited her still-youthful appearance nicely.

"H-how is it?"

She looked up at Yohane with a touch of anxiety.

Yohane studied Azu's swimsuit-clad figure from head to toe.

Azu fidgeted under his gaze as she waited for his assessment.

"Looks good. You're cute."

Azu's expression finally brightened.

She'd been quite worried about whether it suited her.

Yohane grabbed the swimsuit he'd casually picked out and went to pay.

The prices were reasonable for a tourist area.

The shop was probably doing well with sourcing.

The total for everyone's swimsuits came to 100 silver coins.

Expensive for clothing, but not the kind of amount someone who'd traveled all the way here would fuss over.

Besides, since these could only be bought here, sales were surely strong.

No need to gouge customers to turn a profit.

When a monopoly raises prices, it looks profitable, but it inevitably spawns low-cost competitors.

Maintaining a monopoly while keeping prices at a level that doesn't invite rivals—that was how you built a lasting business.

They changed into their new swimsuits and headed for the beach.

It was still early, so they had their pick of spots, though the crowd was gradually growing.

They staked out a good location by planting a rented parasol, setting up chairs, and claiming their territory.

Leaving one person to watch the belongings meant the others could enjoy themselves without worry.

You could apparently hire someone to watch your things, but Yohane didn't trust strangers that much.

"Think of this as a reward for all your hard work. Don't worry about me—go have fun."

Yohane sat in the chair with a drink from the shop, a jacket thrown over his swimsuit.

"Then how about you put some sunscreen on me? You don't mind, right, Master?"

"Oh, I'd like some too. Sunburn isn't good for the skin."

"Me too, me too! Please put some on me!"

Yohane, who'd been fully intent on relaxing, made a face that said his plans had just been derailed.

Elza and Alexia laid out a sheet on the sand and stretched out on it.

The gazes of surrounding men converged on them.

Yohane waved them off with a look that said this isn't a show.

"Do I really have to put it on all of you?"

"Good point. Azu, if you would."

"Ehh…"

Alexia accepted the suggestion without a fuss.

Azu gave Elza a resentful look as she took the sunscreen and began applying it to Alexia's fair skin.

Yohane placed his hands directly on Elza's skin as well.

Her skin was smooth, and the sunscreen spread easily without catching.

"Mmn."

"Hey, don't make weird noises."

When his hand brushed her stomach, Elza let out a stifled sound.

The sensuality was intense.

"I can't help it, my stomach's sensitive…"

"Deal with it."

He finished the upper body and moved to the lower half.

From her back to her hips, then her thighs down to her feet.

By the time he was done, Elza was inexplicably limp.

Her skin was apparently quite sensitive.

"Hey, you alright?"

"I'm fine. Totally fine. Let me return the favor and put some on you."

"No, I'm—"

"You're not getting away!"

With that, Elza loaded up both hands with sunscreen and slathered it all over Yohane.

There was no escaping Elza's strength, and he couldn't move until she was done.

Meanwhile, Alexia was applying sunscreen to Azu.

Azu's skin was particularly pale.

It would probably hurt if she got sunburned.

Alexia held the squirming Azu firmly in place as she applied it.

The herbal sunscreen had been made by that alchemist.

Quality was guaranteed.

And since they'd gotten it at cost, it was cheap.

"It's a little tingly."

"That's the sunscreen's scent. Probably the base herb."

"I see. Now we can swim without worrying about it."

The sun was growing fiercer by the minute.

The sand was beginning to absorb the heat.

And with that, the slaves headed out into the sea.

Yohane simply watched them go.

He could see Azu, experiencing the ocean for the first time, having the time of her life.

She scooped up seawater and tossed it into the air, where it sparkled brilliantly and rained down around her.

It was simply a beautiful sight.

They'd brought their weapons along but weren't carrying them.

They were tucked away in the baggage, just in case.

Alexia and Elza seemed to be enjoying themselves too, all things considered.

Satisfied the outing was a success, Yohane placed his straw hat over his face and reclined in his chair.

The bags were at his feet, so he'd notice immediately if anyone approached.

Yohane slowly closed his eyes.

The sun was strong, but the wind helped, and the parasol's shade brought the temperature down to something pleasant.

Not enough to fall asleep, but simply resting with his eyes closed was the height of luxury.