落とし穴１００堀：産後の戦い (Part1)
**Pitfall 100: The Post-Partum Battle**
**The Post-Partum Battle**
**Side: Riel**
"Huff… huff… huff…"
I let out these breaths as I jog through the Weed park.
Why, you ask?
Because… it’s for a diet.
I’m not the only one. Behind me, three others are jogging with the same serious expressions: Tori, Kaya, and Milly.
In other words, the members who were pregnant until very recently.
Due to the summoning incident to the New Continent, we were forced to restrict our movements and lay low, but that backfired. As a result, all four of us were hit with the tragedy of gaining nearly ten kilograms after giving birth.
"Umm, you’ve become a bit… well-rounded," Rurua said, using a gentle expression while performing our health checkups.
"Y-yeah. You’ve become quite plump," Tori added.
"…Indeed," Kaya agreed.
Ratz tried to play it off, but Eris just looked away.
"Well, you were all quite slender to begin with, so it does look like you’ve gained a noticeable amount," Seraria said—a strike of heartless, or rather, honest truth—which prompted us to start this diet.
"Is it really necessary to force yourselves to lose weight? I wouldn't stop loving you all just because of that," Yuki-san had said, not seeming to mind at all.
"But still, it would be a problem if we couldn't fit into the wedding dresses that our husband prepared for us…"
When Kirue said that, we tried them on, and the zippers wouldn't go up.
Realizing that the situation was dire, we began our diet in earnest. After all, it’s unacceptable for our bodies to change so much that we can’t fit into our precious, memorable dresses!
And so, while Yuki-san and the others are busy with various things at the academy, we are fighting our own grueling battle, facing off against the scale.
The weight just won't drop.
The temptation of Yuki-san’s delicious home cooking and the wonderful shops that exist in Weed.
It was here that we finally realized: Weed is a place of terror for women.
Until now, our main work involved physical labor, so we never gained weight regardless of how much we ate. But thinking back, before coming to Weed, while we weren't exactly skin and bones, we were definitely on the thin side and never ate our fill every single day.
Once we arrived in Weed, Yuki-san made sure we could eat plenty of delicious food, which helped us achieve that "slender" physique.
Then, with the pregnancy, we lived a life of eating and sleeping without moving much. Anyone would gain weight. Our appetites were voracious, after all. Yuki-san and the others didn't stop us, wanting us to provide nutrition for the babies, and the food was just too good to resist.
In a sense, it’s our own fault.
…But, but, since I’ve run this much, surely it would be okay to have just a little snack at a cafe, right?
"Riel!!"
"Hah!?"
"…Snap out of it. It hasn't even been ten minutes since we started running."
Before I knew it, Tori and Kaya had pinned my arms, and Milly was standing right in front of me.
"Riel. You must endure. Even if we finish this run, we aren't eating anything outside of our three meals. Not even a little. Do you understand?"
"A-auuuu…"
I knew it from the start, but hearing it said aloud is painful. It’s not like we’re poor, and it’s not like there’s no food. I could just walk into a shop, place an order, and eat, but I can't…
"Seraria, Rurua, Deryu, Ratz, Eris, and Kirue all walked this path. You remember, don't you?"
"Ughhh…"
That’s right. They weren't as heavy as us, but even the desk-work types like Seraria had to work hard to lose weight. I thought it wouldn't apply to me since I’m the active type, but reality was different. Combined with the stress of the New Continent kidnapping incident, I had become even rounder than them.
I never knew dieting could be this painful.
"It’s hard. It’s truly hard. I know that better than anyone. Before I got pregnant, I used to drink alcohol and eat snacks in the middle of the night. Every time I did, I’d be in this hellish diet during the day. Hehe…" Milly said with dead eyes.
I see. Milly’s physique didn't change because it was the fruit of her daily efforts.
"Riel. We’re all suffering together. So, let’s do our best."
"…Exactly. We’ll all work hard together. And don't let yourself be spoiled by Yuki’s kindness. In this specific case, it’s a deadly poison. A trap to turn us into round, squishy balls. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a stout middle-aged woman, but we need to keep working alongside Yuki. To do that, we need our slim bodies back."
That’s right. We still have to help Yuki-san.
We aren't here just to eat delicious food. We are here to support Yuki-san.
Being fat would just make me a burden to Yuki-san. I don't want that!!
"Yeah!! I’ll do my best to diet!!"
"Let’s do it!! Riel!!"
"…The four of us will definitely lose the weight."
"That’s right. There are four of us, and we have others who have experienced dieting before, so we can surely do it."
We reaffirmed our resolve to lose weight and deepened our friendship right there in the park.
"Hey, Mommy. What are Riel-sama and the others talking about?"
"…Umm, I’m sure you’ll understand when you grow up. You’re a girl, after all."
"???"
As that parent-child exchange happened…
"Did you hear that, ma'am? Riel-sama and the others are having a hard time too."
"Of course. You can't maintain a body that beautiful so easily. Even Queen Seraria never misses her daily sword training."
"Still, it’s tough, isn't it? Having to give up cake and all."
The whispers of the ladies reached our ears.
"…Let’s change locations."
"Yeah."
At Milly’s suggestion, we moved from the park toward the military training grounds. It’s a bit embarrassing for four grown women to be seen running around for a diet and struggling to resist the urge to go to a cafe.
"So, let us use the grounds."
Steve, who was clearing paperwork in his office, listened to our request.
"Haaah, a diet? No way I can grant permission for that reason!?"
"Please, just this once. You let Seraria use it, didn't you?"
"Ah, you mean Seraria-neesan and the others. We got complaints from the park, you see. They were running around with such grim expressions, eyes fixed on the horizon, while occasionally drifting toward the cafes…"
Oh, so Seraria and the others were the same.
"Well, I suppose I can lend you the ground under the guise of military training."
"Then we’ll take it."
"Yeah, yeah. Fill out the application form before you head out. And be careful; weapon usage is separate. This is just for running and basic exercise."
"Understood. Thank you."
As we turned to leave the room, Steve called out to us.
"Oh, right. Alfin made something new. Wouldn't you like to… eat some before you go?"