Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend Now

Mizuki had just taken out the ointment from his pocket when Sora proactively lifted the covers.

"Help me out. I can't reach."

Meanwhile, after hearing the door being locked from the inside, Texas and the displeased-looking Exusiai returned to the living room. For some reason, Skadi and Specter had been rather sleepy these past few days. Ho'olheyak had not returned either. As for Croissant? She was probably still out running her street stall.

"This rain is still going. It just feels kind of wrong."

Texas casually pulled out a topic to start with. Otherwise, she could hardly say something like, "Your boyfriend was amazing last night," to Exusiai and then get chased around and beaten up.

It was already December. Lungmen should not have been getting rain this heavy, much less rain that had lasted this long.

"It seems like it started raining on the day Mizuki arrived... Wait, do you think this rain has something to do with Mizuki?"

"Probably not. Mizuki's power is indeed pretty unbelievable, but it shouldn't be enough to affect things on this scale. Controlling the weather is a little too far-fetched."

Texas shook her head. Mizuki had told everyone that his ability was to summon those tentacles that only he could see. They were apparently quite convenient to use. The girls had all blushed at the time, wondering just what kind of convenient use he meant.

Oh, Specter had not blushed. That girl's eyes had lit up immediately, and she insisted on trying them out. But Mizuki's tentacles seemed to prefer him. They were indifferent toward the girls, even seeming a little disgusted by them.

"It's not that far-fetched. After all... heh. They can make someone pretend to stay unconscious for that long."

Hearing Exusiai tease her about that, Texas immediately felt a little embarrassed. She still did not know that Ho'olheyak had also sneaked a taste, but there was no way Texas's own matter would be so easily forgotten.

"Ahem. What do you think about Croissant?"

"Let fate decide. You and Sora have both gotten involved anyway, so one more person won't make much difference. But Mizuki feels pretty guilty toward me, so she probably doesn't stand a chance."

A lot of things felt much better after sleeping on them. Exusiai was the same. Once she woke up, she had let go of both Sora's matter and Texas's matter. There was no helping it. What else could she do? She could not just throw away years of friendship and the bond they had formed through life and death.

Ever since learning that her stamina was far inferior to Mizuki's, Exusiai had known her love life was likely going to be a little bumpy in the future.

Mainly because Mizuki's ability to attract admirers was simply too strong. Not long ago, Exusiai had even seen someone post a photo of Mizuki delivering packages on Lungmen's social network. It had received a massive number of likes, and that smiling face had successfully won over plenty of people, regardless of gender.

"Actually, I don't think you need to be that angry. This is good for you too."

Texas pulled out a chocolate stick and held it between her lips. The fact that Exusiai had not immediately beaten her up was a good sign. Their sisterly bond was not going to break over something like this.

"What good is it? Helping me dye this thing on my head green?"

Exusiai raised a hand and tapped the halo above her head. She had always been curious about what it actually was. No one besides its owner could touch it, as if it had no physical form at all. Her wings were the same, so she never had to worry about crushing them when she slept.

If she had not been worried about the consequences, she would have torn that halo off long ago. Then she would never need an eye mask again.

"Have you ever thought about how many girlfriends Mizuki had before he lost his memory?"

"Duh, wasn't it just one Muel—fuck!"

After being sisters for so many years, Exusiai instantly understood what Texas meant. How long had they even known Mizuki before their hearts had been stolen? Who could say whether Mizuki had any other romantic debts from before?

And leaving everything else aside, did that Muelsyse sound easy to deal with?

"So, having more people on our side isn't a bad thing."

"I see... Is this going to turn into palace intrigue? Looks like I need to write home and ask my sister for some advice."

Exusiai had successfully realized the severity of the problem. Mizuki was not the sort to forget old debts just because he had lost his memories. If Muelsyse came knocking, she would definitely be a formidable enemy.

"Something even worse: what if someone showed up with a kid who looked a lot like Mizuki and came looking for their dad? What would you do then?"

"Damn."

After a long silence, Exusiai only managed to spit out that one word. She really could not think of anything else to describe it.

Just imagining that scene was enough to kill her.

"But why did you think of writing to your sister? Didn't you say she's never dated anyone?"

"Duh. She hasn't dated, but back at school, she had all those girls wrapped around her finger. There wasn't anyone who didn't like her. I was even worried she'd find me a sister-in-law. Luckily, she doesn't seem to have that kind of interest."

Thinking back on the past, Exusiai could not help shaking her head. Her sister Lemuen had never been as unwanted as she was. Just like Mizuki, she was a ruthless charmer who could win over both men and women.

"Will your sister's advice actually work?"

"Of course it will. But you're right too. We need to increase our side's fighting strength. Do you still have any of that medicine?"

"I do, but not much. There's only enough for three or four people. You aren't planning to..."

"Next time we throw a party, let's bring Skadi along too. Forget Croissant."

Add Skadi? Texas instantly understood. That really would strengthen their fighting power in every sense. Skadi could fight, she had a great figure, and she was Mizuki's sister. With her on their side, how could their grand plan fail?

But looking at the delighted Exusiai before her, Texas did not know whether she should say something.

Exusiai herself had said that her sister Lemuen was very capable—gentle in temperament but no less skilled at handling people, irresistible to both men and women. But was Mizuki not the same?

As Great Yan had a saying: guard against thieves by day and by night, but beware the thief within. Exusiai's days ahead probably would not be easy.

"...Tsk. Has Sora gotten addicted?"

Exusiai, who had been preparing to write her letter, heard faint sounds coming from the room. She shot it an unhappy glare, then helplessly continued writing. There was no helping it. They would just have to make do. What else could she do, break up?

Seeing Exusiai's frustrated expression with nowhere to vent, Texas's lips curled up slightly. Thinking about it carefully, it did not seem like a big deal. Mizuki was not Texas's boyfriend, and Texas was not the one getting painted green. Why should she care so much?

Besides, Lemuen was Exusiai's sister. Could Exusiai stop her? All Texas could do was hope Exusiai kept Mizuki under control.

"Hm? Why does my nose feel a little itchy?"

Out in the wilderness, Lemuen, seated in an off-road vehicle, rubbed her nose.

"Maybe Xiao Le is thinking about you."

"Then my sudden appearance will definitely give her a scare."

Lemuen covered her mouth and chuckled. Because of her limited mobility, she had not left Laterano for many years. But this time concerned her younger sister's love life. How could such a wonderful older sister as herself not go lend a hand?

"Shouldn't you say it'll be a surprise?"

Muelsyse's voice came from the front passenger seat. She curiously leaned over to look at Mostima and Lemuen in the back.

"That's just how those two troublemakers are. Ignore them."

Fiammetta was driving. She knew best what the two in the back were like. They might both be smiling gently, but they were full of bad intentions.

"Compared to us, Miss Muelsyse, what brings you to Lungmen?"

"It's rather embarrassing, but I heard my husband who ran away from our wedding is in Lungmen, so I want to tie him up and bring him back. But my car broke down halfway there. If you hadn't helped me, I don't know how long I would've been stuck."

Driving all the way from Columbia to Ursus, Muelsyse's car had finally failed to hold out. A tire blew halfway through the trip, the car overturned, and the engine was scrapped as well.

Fortunately, she had run into Lemuen's group. After learning what had happened, they gave her a ride.

"Ran away from your wedding?"

"Yes, though that might be exaggerating it a little. He just left without saying goodbye back then. Now that I've finally gotten news of him, of course I have to go find him."

Muelsyse patted her chest, then suddenly remembered that she had not asked Lemuen and the others about their own situation.

"Hey, are you all going to Lungmen to visit family?"

"Something like that. My younger sister left home years ago to make a life for herself in Lungmen. After finding steady work, she got herself a boyfriend, so I need to go check him out. But since I have mobility issues, I could only have these two accompany me."

"That's not quite it. When you're traveling, having more companions is always a good thing."

Muelsyse scratched her head. It really was not appropriate for her to say that, considering she had traveled so far alone.

"Exactly. That's why we gained a fellow traveler like Miss Muelsyse, hehe."

"Don't say that. I was just in too much of a hurry. Thank you all. Once we get there, I'll have my boyfriend help treat your leg."

Hearing Muelsyse bring that up, Fiammetta nearly jerked the steering wheel and sent everyone into a ditch. Mostima and Lemuen also wore rare looks of surprise.

"Miss Muelsyse's boyfriend is a doctor?"

"Not exactly. He did tell me he used to work at a hospital, but he never got licensed. Still, he can definitely cure illnesses affecting limbs like this!"

When Muelsyse said that, she had an almost arrogant confidence that made it seem as if she might be telling the truth. But how could Mostima and Fiammetta not know? Laterano's medical care ranked among the best in all Terra. If even Laterano's finest doctors could not cure it, Muelsyse's boyfriend had a solution?

"Come on, believe me. My boyfriend is amazing. He's worked as a chef in a restaurant, as a reporter at a newspaper, he's great at games, and he was even a child star."

The moment she mentioned her boyfriend, Muelsyse's words flowed like a river. Lemuen and the others did not find it annoying. The journey was dull enough already, and having a friend willing to share was a good thing.

Lemuen smiled, feeling that her little sister's boyfriend surely would not be any worse than the boyfriend Muelsyse described.

Mostima, however, looked somewhat strange. The more Muelsyse spoke, the more her description matched someone from Mostima's memories. Fiammetta wore the same expression.

In fact, the two of them had known who Mizuki was from the beginning. After all... Fiammetta's former online boyfriend had the same name.

Croissant Isn't Out of the Running Either

"How much longer is this rain going to keep falling?"

"Who knows? I just hope it stops soon. My tail is soaked through."

The rain was heavy and unceasing. Lungmen was home to people from all over, and many, such as the Lupo with their thick tail fur, found it extremely uncomfortable because it got wet so easily.

Kal'tsit actually liked this rain. She could directly sense that there was something unusual about it, because she was also Infected.

This unceasing rain had suppressed the activity of the Originium in her body. Originium would gradually erode and assimilate the human body, a slow but irreversible process. Yet this rain had nearly made Kal'tsit believe that the Originium within her had become inactive.

However, after testing it, she still could not determine what other components were present in the rainwater. Either the instruments she had brought were insufficient to detect them, or this truly was just ordinary rain.

"Mizuki, the Church of the Deep, Mr. K..."

Laurentina's appearance had most likely been the work of the Church of the Deep. From that, Kal'tsit could infer that Mizuki's identity was anything but ordinary. Then there was Mr. K. Kal'tsit only found the name familiar, yet she had never heard of such a person. It was as though he had popped out of a rock.

That self-destruction had also told Kal'tsit that this Mr. K had something extremely similar to herself: for instance, he was not afraid of death.

But there was far too little information. Kal'tsit could not see the full picture of the incident. Still, she was certain Mizuki was the key to this entire string of events in Lungmen, and Mizuki likely had some connection to the Doctor who had fallen asleep many years ago.

"There's no way that operator ID could be wrong, but... the future? It can't be the future. Absolutely impossible."

Kal'tsit hurriedly shook her head, rejecting her earlier conclusion. She had simply been confused before and had not thought it through. If there were truly a way to return from the future to the past, would the Old Civilization, which had already been destroyed, not have used it? Mizuki was most likely not from the future.

"We can only wait for the Doctor to awaken. Doctor..."

Countless complicated emotions flashed through Kal'tsit's eyes. She sighed softly, then became lost in thought as she gazed into the rainy night.

It was late at night. After dinner, Mizuki's family—uh, Penguin Logistics's group—seemed to have become different from before.

"You really aren't deliberately targeting me?"

After spending the entire day outside running her stall and earning some extra cash, Croissant stared at the seven people before her with lifeless fish eyes.

Skadi sat to Mizuki's left and Exusiai to his right, the three crowded together on the sofa. Sora and Texas leaned over the back of the sofa, their faces pressed close to Mizuki's. Ho'olheyak sat on another sofa reading the newspaper, but her tail lightly curled around Mizuki's ankle.

And Specter went without saying. Mizuki was sitting directly on her lap, held within her arms. Nothing could be seen, but her blushing face made it obvious enough what strange thoughts were running through that girl's head.

"What do you mean, deliberately targeting you? Is that necessary?"

"Then why do all of you look like you want to glue yourselves to Mizuki?"

"We're just watching him play games. Mizuki's really good."

As Exusiai spoke, Texas shifted her head away a little. This girl blocked the view every time.

As for Ho'olheyak? Croissant could not be bothered to ask. That girl had always been the sort to eat people alive without leaving bones behind. The way she looked at Mizuki now was like she was looking at some little cake. Good lord, she was even licking her lips. Girl, aren't you afraid those two over there will hang you up and beat you? Specter and Skadi, that was. Exusiai could not beat Ho'olheyak.

"There's no place for me in this house anymore."

Croissant was almost on the verge of tears. How was Mizuki still Penguin Logistics's mascot and nanny? He was being treated like the head of the household. She did not even know where to squeeze in beside him.

"Hm? Croissant, over here."

Mizuki lightly patted his thigh, then glanced at Specter. She indicated that she had no problem with it.

"!"

With Mizuki's invitation, Croissant ran over without any politeness and sat on his lap. She was taller than Mizuki, so she curled herself up as much as possible to avoid affecting his controls. At least now no one could say Croissant was out of the running!

The group crowded together like that. Fortunately, the sofa was sturdy enough to even support Skadi. Of all the girls, only Exusiai and Croissant were completely absorbed in the game. The others were more absorbed in watching Mizuki.

Honestly, Mizuki was the kind of person who looked somewhat stunning at first glance, but grew more and more likable the longer one looked at him. Watch him carefully, and one would realize he really was wonderful.

"Does Mizuki like playing these games?"

Ho'olheyak put down her newspaper, the tip of her tail lightly brushing against Mizuki's calf. Mizuki had just taken a bath and was not wearing stockings. His skin was soft and delicate, making Ho'olheyak quite envious. Her vitality had once been poorer than that of ordinary people, and her shorter lifespan had first shown itself in her appearance. Her skin had already begun showing signs of aging.

But fortunately, whatever else could be said about Mizuki's Jellyfish-chan, it certainly did not lack vitality.

"I do like them, but mainly because the player on the other side said she'd transfer me three hundred if I won one round, so I agreed to play with her."

"And the result?"

"Now we're all wondering which generous soul is giving Mizuki money. Look, it's already risen to thirty thousand per round."

Ho'olheyak was utterly dumbfounded. This was just giving him money, wasn't it? Damn, even robbery did not make money this fast. What kind of idiot with too much cash was this?