落とし穴１２８堀：朝と次なる夜明け (Part1)
**Pitfall 128: Morning and the Next Dawn**
Side: Seraria
"Nnn~!!"
I let out a long groan as I stretched my limbs.
"Ah, I slept well."
I climbed out of bed and pulled back the curtains to look outside. The view was different from the usual courtyard of the inn.
*Whoosh, splash... Whoosh, splash...*
A white sandy beach and a deep blue sea stretched out before me. Moreover, the sun was just about to crest the horizon, making the waterline sparkle with brilliant light.
...Wait. Just about to rise?
Realizing the time, I glanced at the clock. It was only 5:10 in the morning.
"...Oh? Yesterday was our first day off in a while. We all drank together and I didn't get to bed until around one. Why am I awake so early, and feeling so refreshed?"
Usually, I’d sleep until Quar or Kirue came to wake me.
"Maybe I’m just giddy because I’m on vacation?"
Reaching that conclusion, I changed out of my pajamas and decided to go for a walk. Since I’d managed to wake up early, I figured I might as well enjoy the morning sea.
*Whoosh, splash... Whoosh, splash...*
I walked alone along the shore, the rhythmic sound of the waves acting as a soothing balm.
"Mmm. This feels wonderful. Normally I’m with my husband or the others, but once in a while, a solo stroll is nice."
Lately—or rather, for as long as I could remember—my position as a princess meant that walking around alone like this was strictly forbidden. Well, I had snuck out for short bursts in the past, but those were never relaxing, so they didn't count.
"Honestly, life with my husband never gets boring."
The words slipped out of my mouth unbidden. It was something I had said many times before, and I knew I would keep saying it for years to come. After all, he was always showing me new worlds.
As I watched the sun begin its ascent over the horizon, I felt it from the bottom of my heart. The world was so beautiful, yet so harsh. We lived within that duality. And he was always walking through that world at his own pace.
...Though we’re busy, my husband is definitely the one holding the reins when it comes to intercontinental relations.
"Speaking of being busy, I haven't actually confirmed if the men made it back from their night fishing trip."
Usually, we would spend the nights together in each other's arms, but since we had guests today, we had held a "girls' night." It was a mix of a welcoming party for Soel and Kagura and a casual chat session. The men, meanwhile, had decided to have a "boys' night" out fishing.
My husband is a busy man, so I have no intention of scolding him for playing like this... but I can't help but worry.
"...I think I'll go take a look at the breakwater."
It wasn't that I thought he’d drowned or gotten into an accident. It was simply that I felt lonely without him nearby. My heart was just overflowing with love. Yes, let's go with that.
With that thought in mind, I made my way toward the breakwater.
"...There’s a tent set up."
For some reason, a single yellow tent sat perched atop the breakwater. Does a tent mean they didn't come back last night? That’s rare for him. He’s the type of person who puts his wives and children above all else. Did something happen that forced them to camp out?
"...No point in wondering. I'll just go take a peek."
Having made up my mind, I walked up to the tent on the breakwater and...
"Hm? Oh, Seraria. Good morning."
There was Yuki, sitting there with a fishing rod in his hand.
"You didn't come back last night?"
"Yeah. We were drinking while fishing, and I figured it was better to just rest here."
"That’s unusual. You, drinking?"
Yuki generally doesn't drink unless it’s for a social obligation. Or rather, he’s the type who can’t really get drunk. On top of that, he still gets the negative side effects like hangovers, so he usually avoids it. That’s not to say he *can’t* drink; in terms of sheer volume, he can’t match Milly or Narjia, but he can keep pace with me. He just doesn't get the "fun" kind of tipsy, so he finds it boring.
"I didn't drink that much. It was mostly Taizo and the others."
"Ah, I see."
So it wasn't that Yuki had taken the lead, but rather Taizo and Souta. As I was thinking that, Taiki’s head popped up from below the edge of the breakwater.
"Oh? Seraria-san? What are you doing here?"
"Just a morning walk. Wait, Taiki, you were here too? Is it really okay to leave Soel and the others alone?"
For some reason, even Taiki had stayed behind. I had assumed he would have headed back early to be with Soel.
"No, well, things just got really exciting last night. Here, look at this!"
"What is it?"
He held out a bucket, and inside were dozens of fish.
"You certainly caught a lot."
"Right? And after the Sahagins brought us some gifts, the fish just started biting like crazy."
"Sahagins? Oh, the sea security detail."
It took me a moment to place the name. Yuki has so many subordinates, and the monsters are mostly managed by him and Aslin. I only really interact with Steve, Surakichi-san, John, and Mino-chan. Besides, the aquatic monsters like Sahagins aren't really part of the main military force; they’re mostly in charge of security for the beaches, pools, and hot springs. Technically, they fall under the jurisdiction of Tori and the police.
"And what 'gifts' did they bring?"
"These. We still have some left."
He showed me another bucket filled with delicious seafood like turban shells and oysters. These were all expensive items if you bought them at the market in Weed. In this world, seafood is extremely valuable because of the danger monsters pose at sea. Consequently, the natural seafood that had begun to grow around this beach resort fetched a very high price.
Ever since Yuki introduced sushi to Weed, its popularity has skyrocketed. Quar, for instance, goes to the conveyor belt sushi restaurant once a week. Of course, some idiots tried to imitate it by eating river fish as sashimi or sushi, leading to a surge in parasite infections. People usually grill river fish specifically because of the parasite risk. Even with sea fish, the only reason it's relatively safe in Japan—or Earth—is because of their food hygiene laws and freezing technology.
Because of that, the Weed government had to issue a public warning about how to properly eat raw fish. Naturally, Rurua was the face of that campaign; no one is more trusted when it comes to medical matters. However, thanks to those "culinary adventurers," it was discovered that some river fish actually taste quite good raw if handled correctly, sparking a separate trend for freshwater fish.
Well, that’s beside the point.
"This is quite a luxury."
"Isn't it? And it's fresh. Well, once we started grilling these over a net with some soy sauce..."
"I can see why you’d want to drink. And now you’re all sleeping it off, I take it?"