◇

"Bird~?"

"Bird-san nano desu!"

A birdman who's flying near the water surface as if gliding pa.s.ses over the s.h.i.+p.

Pochi and Tama are waving their hands to the point as if it'd get torn off. It seems the birdman is also giving a service, he makes several turns and do a full revolution before flying away.

I'm afraid that the two will fall since they lean forward too much while waving their hands, but since Liza seizes the girdle, it's probably alright.

Even if they fall, there's [Float] that I've learned recently so it's fine, but there's no need for them to fall in the first place.

It's basically a leisure on the s.h.i.+p.

Yesterday, the s.h.i.+p was attacked by two aquatic monsters, but before we could go out, the gillmen soldiers who were escorting the s.h.i.+p cleaned it up. There was also a pirate group, river version, that was going to attack on the river branch, but I attacked them with Short Stun from afar, and their boat got capsized, the end.

Since it's generally peaceful like that, I continue practicing signal magic with Nana like before.

Mia and Arisa look dissatisfied, though they're not being hindrances because I persuade them that having someone that can receive the signal anytime is important. This person is being a nuisance instead.

"You're all clingy again this early in the day!"

"Karindono, I've thought that it's normal for married humans couple to get clingy? Besides, the two seem to be doing training for receiving signal magic. In my humble opinion, you should not disturb them."

Raka remonstrated Karina who was picking a quarrel. As expected of magic creature. It understands that we're doing signal magic.

"I want to do training too!"

"Since Karinsama has Rakdono, there is no need for training. I'll contact Rakdono if anything happen."

Good grief, if lady Karina is going to be my practice partner, my line of sight would be at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s no doubt. Arisa and Mia would say [Seiza] again.

"Right, right, it's unnecessary for young lady Karina who has the convenient magic tool. Now then, it's Arischan's turn."

Arisa declares so while breathing heavily. What's this, card game!

When lady Karina was intruding, that Arisa took my short cane and did something on the deck's corner, it seems she was using [Signal] magic. The reason why she was breathing heavily was probably because used [Signal] even though she didn't have nature magic skill. She's a rash girl like always.

Mia claps her hands when she sees Arisa, takes a short cane from my bag, chant nature magic spell, and casts [Signal]. Mia is following Arisa huh.

It seems that Mia has successfully casted the magic, but far from breathing heavily, she falls from anemia. I was going to put her on the cabin to sleep, but she insisted to be here and slept on my lap.

Lulu who's beside the tea set looks at Mia enviously. I don't think it's something that warrant such envy. I feel that lady Karina's expression looks like Lulu, but I ignore it.

"Hey, I've struggled to be able to be the receiver, so start the training~."

"Okay, first, let's see the receiver's state using [Signal]. Give me your hands."

"Uy~."

Come to think of it, it's been awhile since I join hand with Arisa. They're small. I'm squis.h.i.+ng it. When I'm playing with the small hands that have nothing to do with the training, Arisa is letting out strange voices like, "Au", or "Iyahn". She seems to be shy, like always, I don't understand the point that would make Arisa shy.

Since Mia scratches my knee while irritated, I stop playing around and go back to the training.

"First, it's a brief signal. Then, next is long signal."

"Okay, I know, I know."

"I know."

Oh, Mia is also partic.i.p.ating huh. Please don't overdo it if your anemia is painful.

"Then, from now on is the real thing. Activating [Signal]."

"Hoi."

"Nn."

I've tried it for many times, but they can't receive it as well as Nana after all.

At that time, Pochi and Tama who have been looking at the birdman on the s.h.i.+p's broadside come back.

"Pizza~?" "Lap pillow nano desu~."

It seems Tama and the others are still affected by Arisa who eats 10 pizzas when I make mock pizza the other day. Looks like it's still stuck on Tama, she still says pizza while pointing at my lap.

Maybe they want to mimic Mia who's sleeping on my lap, they gather both hands on the opposite knee and lie on it face down. No. That's not how you do sleeping on the laps.

Since the two who look at me poking Arisa's and Mia's hands say that they want to do it too, I make them spread their hands in line and poke it too.

I try to send various signals' interval and strength.

Ton, ton.

Piku, piku.

Oh?

This time, I try to send the signals without poking their hands with my finger.

Piko, piko.

Pochi's and Tama's ears are twitching matching the signal, they lean their heads while looking puzzled.

"Pochi, raise your hand if you receive my signal."

"Roger nano desu."

Ton, swoosh.

Silent. ...Ton, swoosh.

This is a bit interesting. However, it seems that she could only grasp short wave signal.

"Next, Tama okay."

"I'll manage somehow sir~"

That's wrong.

She got the vocabularies that Arisa had taught her mixed. She must have wanted to say, "Aye aye sir.".

Ton, swish.

Ton, swiswish.

You don't have to take strange poses when you get it.

Looks like Tama can receive both types of signals, but strangely her sensitivity is weaker than Pochi's, the range of signal strength that she could receive is narrow. That reminds me, Tama did find magic traps in the labyrinth eh.

I don't know if it's due to her race characteristic or her individual ability, but she's quite reliable.

With this, I could communicate with them even if we're separated. At the very least, the signal could be received from end to end of the s.h.i.+p, I'll check on the range when we get down from the s.h.i.+p.

I decide on several urgent patterns at once. I'm worried Pochi and Tama wouldn't be able to remember signal that's too complex, but Arisa proposes to make Tama talks the signal out loud to Arisa, and so I agree with it. Afterward, Arisa would decipher the Morse signal.

I've thought that it's quiet, but it looks like Karina has shut her room and sleep while sulking. The maids seem to be free too, they're dozing off.

Ah, it's peaceful.

◇

"Now then, honored guests. Please close your eyes and wait. Please do not open it until I give you the signal."

The tour guide is making a speech to us who are sitting on the seats that have been prepared on the deck. The s.h.i.+p is going to enter a 3 kilometers-long cave soon. There's a legend that says this cave is penetrated by the ancient empire's magician who've made the ca.n.a.l using magic.

The reason why we're asked to sit and close our eyes is to make our eyes get accustomed to darkness to see the tourist attraction in the cave ahead.

"From now on, Meeru the batkin will steer the s.h.i.+p replacing the captain."

That was the man who was patrolling during the night yesterday. I've thought that he's an escort soldier, but he would steer the s.h.i.+p huh. They're probably using demi-human who could use echolocation to steer through the terrain in the unlit cave.

A small boat that comes out of the harbor in front of the cave is guiding our s.h.i.+p entering the cave. A person is using light signal to tell the people on the other side of the cave.

I see, since it could only hold one s.h.i.+p, they're regulating the traffic.

The sails on the s.h.i.+p are folded when it approaches the cave.

Warm wind is blowing from the frontward. If this is a fairy tale, it'd feel like entering cave straight into the stomach of a giant monster.

Of course, such thing doesn't happen and we uneventfully enter the cave. Soon after we enter the cave, the light dims. Of course, I'm the only one who open my eyes and observe various things. Everyone is obediently closing their eyes following the tour guide's instruction.

Since I have light intensity adjustment skill, I immediately get accustomed with dark places. It's truly convenient.

Ooh!

Even though the tour guide probably doesn't know the astonishment in my mind, he gives the signal.

"Now, everyone, please open your eyes slowly! This is the famous Phantom Firefly Cavern of Oak!"

I've seen it one step ahead, but it's quite a spectacle. Mosses on both sides to the ceiling of the cavern are casting faint lights in various colors, drawing mysterious gradation. It's like a nature's painting. Moreover, there are crystals located here and there reflecting the light, making it never dull. It's already quite beautiful with those alone, but there are even a lot of lights that look looks like fireflies flickering and dancing around.

What happen if emotional girls and little girls see such thing, it goes without saying.

"Glittering~? Flickering~?"

"Amazing nodesu! Master! Amaaziing nodesu!"

Pochi and Tama who are sitting beside me are getting too excited, they grab my shoulders and begin shaking it. My eyes is spinning.

"Beautiful."

"Amazing."

Arisa and Lulu are watching this magical scene as if their souls are stolen. The two get off the sofa and sit beside my feet. Of course they're not sitting directly on the deck's floor, but on soft feather cus.h.i.+ons that the tour guide has prepared.

I think they're unaware that they've grasped my feet near them. It's a bit painful.

"It's beautiful, yes, truly beautiful."

Mia is muttering feverishly while watching the fireflies dancing wildly. She occasionally becomes talkative huh.

Thud, with such sound, Liza's spear fell on the sofa nearby. Liza who comes to her sense from that sound picks up the spear. Everyone's line of sight gathered for an instant but it scatters away again. Liza apologizes for her impoliteness and returns to standing by posture, but she looks obviously embarra.s.sed It's rare to see embarra.s.sed Liza. It might be the first time even.

"Master, my vocabularies are insufficient. I request installation of the second language set."

What the heck is the second language set.

"You don't need to mind about vocabulary. It's enough with the word, beautiful."

"Yes, master. It's beautiful."

Nana leaks out a sigh of wonder and hugs my head from behind while watching the boisterous dance of the light. I'll say the important thing once again. Nana is hugging my head from behind with her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Of course, she's not doing such boorish thing like wearing armor since we're on the s.h.i.+p. In other words, it's direct.

What a happy day.

I'd like for time to stop while it's like this.