Thus, all the heroines except for Lynn, a student from another school, gathered in one place.
However, the atmosphere wasn’t as overwhelmingly uncomfortable as one might have expected. After all, Erica had a pretty close relationship with Ramihi, and thanks to that previous “panty talk,” they were now familiar with each other.
In the process, they ended up knowing unnecessary information about each other’s underwear preferences, but hey, it’s all part of the fun.
Although she might seem shy at first glance, Erica didn’t seem to be the type to hesitate to start a conversation. The reason she learned of those preferences was that she had once asked me out of the blue, “Tell me how to become popular!”
“Is this the place the teacher mentioned?”
“Yeah, when we were kids…”
In the rivalry for the title of the true heroine, being childhood friends has both strengths and weaknesses. One advantage is the enormous amount and quality of memories they built compared to other heroines. Some memories from their innocent childhood almost become sacred.
If another heroine were to carelessly touch upon those memories, the protagonist would get angry, and the heroine would be taken by surprise and apologize—this scenario has already achieved cliché status. If they had even made a promise like, “Let’s get married when we grow up,” it would be the icing on the cake. If only the protagonist forgot it while the heroine remembered it—that would be simply perfect.
However, this setup also serves as a weakness.
Due to those layered memories, there are cases where they can’t see each other as romantic interests. Even if they do, if they think of each other as family, it creates a vibe like “What’s with family?” and breaking through that wall becomes as difficult as the other heroines failing to surpass the childhood memories with the protagonist.
In that case, proving “I’m different from the me you knew” becomes the main thread of the storyline for that heroine, typically resulting in her experiencing heartache until the latter part of the story.
Still, I had no specific details set for that past, so all I could do was speculate.
Going back to the earlier conversation, it was said that the private area was owned by the Rose family as well as Erica personally.
That probably meant her parents have passed away or…
…It might be a good idea to stop my assumptions here. If I let my imagination run wild, I might unintentionally lean on that thought while interacting with her. Doing so could lead to significant mistakes down the line. Until she brings it up and clarifies, it’s much better to treat it as “unknown.”
The quiet conversation between the two looked very peaceful. Even though Erica was intended to have feelings for the protagonist, at least she didn’t openly show that while talking. The special comfortable vibe that comes from long-time acquaintances having a chat was pleasant to observe.
As I idly watched the two, someone suddenly asked me, “By the way, can you swim?”
When I looked up, it was Selena.
“Um… no?”
I had never swum even in that other world. Whether at the beach or in a valley, I always played only in places where I could stand. As a child, I always wore a tube around my waist. Since becoming an adult, I practically lost any chance to have fun in the water.
Honestly, even if I had the chance, I probably wouldn’t have dipped into the ocean. I had grown to dislike having my body wet.
“I figured as much.”
Saying that, Selena glanced over at Linea and Aurora, who were sitting on either side of me.
“Oh, I can swim. I trained for it. The place I trained didn’t have currents, so I’m not sure how it would go if there were waves.”
“If the waves are so bad you can’t swim, it won’t let you enter the water anyway, so it’s probably fine.”
I wondered if there would even be lifeguards on a private beach. Well, even without lifeguards, there are a few people who are beyond the range of regular humans, so it might not matter much.
“Then what about Aurora?”
Naturally, Aurora shook her head. Unlike the Inquisition, which at least has a knight brigade under it, training in a place with just one investigator in an office would have been impossible for her.
“Is that so… Well, honestly, it’s rare for someone like Linea to know how to swim.”
Selena nodded thoughtfully.
Well, to the outside world, that seems to be the case. Convents usually don’t permit any overtly suggestive behavior, even among peers of the same gender. It’s not like they would expose nuns’ bare skin to outsiders. And since they can’t even create swimming pools within the convent, it makes sense that girls raised as nuns don’t know how to swim.
…In this light, it seems rather unfortunate, doesn’t it?
I’m not sure how things are in real orphanages, but surely they wouldn’t isolate children to this extent.
I’ll have to ask about this as a saintess sometime.
“Then do all three of you have swimsuits?”
This time, all three of them shook their heads. According to Linea, swimsuits weren’t personal property but belonged to the church. It seems they couldn’t take one with them when going out.
“If we were going to a water park, there’d be a place to rent them, but…”
Where we were headed was a private beach owned by Erica.
While having no people around has its advantages, not having the various facilities usually found would be a downside.
“Then let’s go check out swimsuits.”
“Um…”
To be honest, I had intended to just buy a few comfortable clothes and wear them into the water.
Despite this body supposedly being pretty, it was still mine. I was so embarrassed the first time I wore the saint’s robe, and I definitely didn’t want to openly show off a swimsuit in front of others.
What world is this? An incomplete light novel world written by some middle schooler.
Of course, since we were going to a private beach with no people, incidents like the typical hunting attempts that often feature in these genres wouldn’t happen. But there was bound to be a scene where the male protagonist sees the heroines in their swimsuits and goes “So cool~.”
Ah, but I definitely couldn’t stand it if a guy reacted that way to me.
Seeing me come to that conclusion, Selena tilted her head in confusion.
“You’re not seriously thinking you can just go in wearing what you’re currently wearing, are you? We’re high school students, after all. It’d be a bit much to do something that an elementary school student would.”
Elementary school student…
Upon seeing me look away, Selena sighed deeply.
“Still… no, let’s not. Is everyone free today?”
I think I know what Selena meant by that.
She was suggesting we go look at swimsuits together.
And my opinion on that idea was evidently a hard no.
Back when we visited the underwear store, I chose unremarkable designs that didn’t require showing to others, so it didn’t matter much. But swimsuits were made to be shown off. Even if it’s made only for swimming, it’s not without color.
Indeed, just like heading out to choose clothes, if we all went to buy swimsuits, there would be a moment of trying them on in front of each other.
And in light novels, there might be events where the protagonist tags along. Typically, that kind of scene gets a color illustration, with lines like “How about it? Does it suit me?” getting highlighted on the first page—it’s too good of a scene not to.
Of course, my own writing hadn’t even been published as a light novel; it was just unprinted drafts.
Still, maybe it’s better to come up with some excuse to avoid this—
And just as I thought that, I saw Aurora’s shining eyes focused on Selena’s words.
…
“…Yeah, we have plenty of time, after all.”
I held back a sigh that was about to escape and spoke those words.
*
“Good to hear. I’ve also been needing a new swimsuit since mine’s getting small.”
That line is, after all, very common in this genre.
Not all the club members went to the swimsuit shopping trip together. Just me, Aurora, and Linea—three people without swimsuits, so there was no way we could not go.
Honestly, it was mainly because Aurora looked so excited that I couldn’t turn it down. Perhaps because she spent most of her life in the convent, Aurora always seemed happy when she got to experience the everyday life outside the church—something everyone else did, but she hadn’t.
When she first came to the academy, when she first touched a smartphone, when she first looked at a menu in a cafe—there were times I felt an urge to pet her head just looking at her.
While Linea also showed curious expressions when seeing new things or doing things for the first time, Aurora’s reactions were stronger than anyone else’s, probably due to her personality. Although if you only considered her face and physical growth, she could be regarded as more mature than other kids, her actions sometimes made her seem younger instead.
Hmm, swimsuits.
Thank goodness I checked in advance after yesterday’s vacation discussion; otherwise, I would have been stuck in a bikini handpicked by Selena.
What I chose was a rash guard swimsuit.
Phew, even in a light novel world, I’m glad it’s not just bikinis. Perhaps it’s fortunate that I never wrote out a summer vacation episode. If I had, the heroines would surely have shown off their figures in revealing swimsuits in front of the protagonist.
It wouldn’t be surprising to write that all swimsuits in this world are like that. I certainly would have.
At least I was relieved that this kind of swimsuit existed, thanks to having seen it on TV during my lifetime and having searched that it existed in this world beforehand.
What I picked out was a dark navy rash guard with white shorts in the dolphin style. Perfect, really plain.
“Oh, this looks quite… good on you.”
I thought it was plain, but when I came out wearing it, Selena was visibly surprised.
“Uh, really?”
“Yeah, in a variety of ways.”
Is that so?
Well, as long as it’s not weird, that should be okay. Selena doesn’t hold any ill feelings towards me, and she wouldn’t purposely recommend something strange.
From my point of view, it was also a good thing that it minimized skin exposure. Of course, the dolphin shorts I wore underneath were shorter than the skirt of my saint’s robe, but this was a swimsuit, so I could overlook that.
Now… let’s see what the others chose.
Linea picked a competitive swimsuit. It was a simple design, close to an endless dark navy, in a one-piece format.
Though it had more exposure than my rash guard, it looked decent on her. With her short hair, Linea really exuded the atmosphere of a swimmer.
“It felt like this when I first entered the water.”
That’s how Linea explained why she chose that swimsuit.
If that was what she wore when she first entered, I wonder what she wore later on?
…Thinking about the training that Linea underwent, it makes sense that she wore a swimsuit when she was learning to swim, and later she might have switched to something like training gear. Even though I wondered if she ever entered the water in armor, historical records state that swimming in full plate armor was possible, so maybe she did train that way.
“You look great.”
Selena nodded as well. And thus, Linea’s swimsuit was settled on.
As for Aurora—she couldn’t decide right away. She didn’t have any particular purpose as I did, nor had she ever worn a swimsuit like Selena or Linea.
This was Aurora’s first experience picking out a swimsuit. Taking a little time to consider was perfectly fine.
Before recommending, it was crucial to gauge the other’s tastes first.
In that aspect, Selena went to choose her swimsuit first.
And the swimsuit she picked was—
I mean, if there was a swimsuit Selena would pick from the stories I’d written, this was it.
A simple white bikini, often worn by beautifully illustrated 2D characters with emphasized body shapes. I wondered if the vibrant red of Selena’s hair would suit it, but there was no need for worry. After all, there’s a saying that the face completes fashion.
Although there was a slight feeling of cover needed because of Seo-A, who’s notably busty, and myself, who’s got an F-cup at this age, Selena indeed had the largest chest among the heroines from the original.
Naturally, wearing a bikini emphasized her body.
Even without overly revealing designs, the sight of white skin slightly peeking out from the sides of the top was quite suggestive. Not only was the upper body impressive, but the curve of her waist, her proportional hips, and her long legs were all striking.
Of course, in terms of being a bikini, it was almost identical to regular women’s underwear, so one could claim it was pretty revealing also.
The absence of any particular ornamentation on the bathing suit allowed the eyes to naturally draw towards her figure, making it an excellent choice.
Seeing us gaping in admiration, Selena struck a proud pose, deciding on that swimsuit.
As for Aurora, who was watching Selena with sparkling eyes—
“Wow, this one is—”
“That looks great on you.”
Aurora grabbed a bikini similar to Selena’s but with slightly more embellishments.
And Aurora’s figure surpassed even Selena’s. It left me questioning what she could possibly have eaten to grow like that.
It had a small frill along the bust area which artfully emphasized her curves—um, I probably shouldn’t go into more detail for fear of appearing perverted.
There might be another chance to describe it in detail when she wears it later. Staring intensely from a distance like this might lead me to have inappropriate thoughts unintentionally.
Just know that when Linea saw that display, she muttered in shock, “…Is this really okay?”
*
After parting with Selena and returning to the convent, today’s spending turned out heavier than I expected. Though swimsuits aren’t particularly expensive, they definitely cost more than what I’m used to.
Usually, I just ordered a drink at a café and received a little dessert from the owner, so it was rare to spend several thousand dollars in a day.
That said, it wouldn’t disrupt my life, but still…
Aside from starting with ten million credits, Aurora and Linea, who have spent all their lives in the convent, could buy swimsuits and still keep up with café visits because of the monthly allowance provided by the church as activity funds.
Additionally, since Aurora and Linea both have respective roles, they receive small bonuses as well. Adding up their allowances and bonuses, it would be around 500,000 credits. Considering I set the exchange rate as 1 yen = 1 credit during my writing days, that translates to about 500,000 yen.
If treated as a salary, it’s quite small, but for teenage girls’ pocket money, it’s a decent amount.
Of course, I’m also attending the academy and holding the title of saintess, so I shouldn’t expect much to come in. In fact, back in March, before I had officially become a saintess, I think I received around 400,000 credits.
Hmm.
Speaking of which, I’ve been carelessly neglecting my bank account all this time. I assumed the ten million credits would just sit there and that even if I piled more, I wouldn’t have to worry about going negative.
“…Um, Sister Clara, you’re a saintess. Naturally, you’re treated differently from ordinary nuns.”
With that thought in mind, I mentioned wanting to check my account for accuracy, and the Mother Superior looked at me with incredulous eyes.
“Consequently, your activity allowance obviously differs from that of the other nuns.”
Saying that, she rifled through a drawer and pulled out my bankbook.
“The cardinal once requested payment for his treatment, but since that day was designated as the first day you performed a miracle as a saintess, the church covered the treatment, so all the expenditure records are based on what Sister Clara used herself. The transaction history is organized each month, so do take a look.”
So, even the amounts charged to my check card at cafes were all recorded and managed. I thought it was meticulous but it turned out to be thorough.
But still, hearing that I received more than ordinary nuns was definitely more than welcome. If I could get a hundred thousand credits a month, that would total six million after five years. Combine it with what I already have, and that’s sixty million. Of course, I wouldn’t manage to save all that, but if I start saving from now, even after quitting being a saintess…
“…Huh?”
As I thought about it, I found something odd in my bank account.
The first digit, which should have been a one, changed to a three.
I had crossed over here at the end of February, and I began attending the academy from March. Activity funds are given at the beginning of the month, so I had only received it four times, but the leading number has changed.
“The title of saintess is treated similarly to that of a cardinal. While some denominations argue that its actual power is close to that of the Pope, acknowledging that officially could disrupt the hierarchy. So, saints and saintesses typically receive slightly more than cardinals as allowances.”
The Mother Superior kindly pointed to each entry in my passbook.
“In March, about 400,000 credits were deposited. That’s the average allowance for nuns engaging in external activities. At this time, you were not recognized as a saintess.”
The same applied to April. Even at the beginning of April, Sister Clara was still just an ordinary nun. The miracle evaluation was ongoing, but she hadn’t been officially recognized yet.
However, in April, I was to participate in an event. By the end of April, I even received a stigmata—
“This amount is for the activity funds from May, when Sister Clara was effectively recognized as a saint.”
Unlike the usual deposits made on the first of each month, that month the money arrived on the fourth.
“This delay was due to deliberations regarding appropriateness—a question of whether it was fit to give that amount of money to someone who wasn’t yet a saintess. However, it concluded that it was indeed appropriate to treat you as a saintess from that month.”
And the amount deposited was—
A little over six million credits.
As my jaw dropped in astonishment, the Mother Superior went on, pointing out the next week’s transaction of another six million credits.
“This amount was hazard pay from last month and a bonus for our successful operation.”
By that point, my bank account balance surpassed twenty million credits.
“April’s two new deposits are obvious, aren’t they? This is the activity funds for June, and this is the reward for Remihar.”
Receiving another six million credits, my bank account stood at over thirty-five million.
“…”
What was this feeling?
My plan to escape five years later shook in an instant.
In the other world, I never touched such an amount. Maybe being a saintess might actually be worth it?
…But wait, if I remained as a saintess, having this much money would be of no use.
Yet, no matter how I thought, I couldn’t close my mouth, which was stuck in a grin.
The Mother Superior simply cast a wry smile as she watched me.
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