v3c4 (1/2)

4 To the next

Midday After finishi+ng lunch, Add stood on the beach only wearing shorts Although the correct

term wasn’t actually shorts

“It’s apparently called a swimsuit”

“It’s rather comfortable”

Elsword standing beside hi on the swi His

expression was still gloos settled a bit after sleeping

“Why did you tellthis?”

“There’s no proble in the sea if you wear that I heard that it’s a clothing made for that

purpose in the first place”

“Oh, really? So they can get wet?”

Elsword quickly lowered his body to get some sea water on his swimsuit then exclaimed

“I heard there were clothes for swi but I didn’t know there were ones that stick so close to

your body”

“I only found out yesterday myself”

Swi They were indeed a collection befitting

of a ician

“So you called me out here to swim and play with me?”

Elsword asked calmly as he splashed sea water on his body He had realized that Add didn’t call him

out without any reason at all Good, because the story will go faster this way

“You’re stupid”

“……”

“You’re stupid but you have a use So I’ll make use of you”

Elsword looked at Add with a not too angry expression for a while then he sighed

“Fro Brother Add is more stupid…”

“What?”

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No, what it the world?! To actually hear that I’ot distorted in

fury

He couldn’t accept this Even if Elrios was to be destroyed right now, he didn’t want that kind of

evaluation, at least from Elsword!

“Aren’t I right? If you wantfor you then you should just ask normally Do you

really need to say it like that?”

“…”

Add was about to burst out in temper but stopped to think for a moment when his conversational

skills got pointed out So that probablysmooth

words…But Add had never done those kinds of things before

He would have rather threatened him with a display of skill

“I don’tBrother Add that’s asking”

“I’ you”

Add spoke haughtily Elsword nodded with an expression as if he was looking at someone really

pitiable Then he sighed

“This is why you get in fights with Eve”

“……What?”

Add ended up showing a startled reaction due to the unexpected name that popped up

Add and Eve had almost never talked with each other after the incident where Eve told Add let’s

never see each other again after the business with Elesis was over Well they didn’t have any leisure

to talk after because everyone was so soaked in sense of defeat…but even if they had some time,

Add didn’t have any idea how he should proceed with the conversation

Leaving that aside, how did Elsword know that they were in a cold war like state? Eve should be the

type that hides these kinds of things

“Because Eve keeps changing the topic whenever your name comes up It’s bothersome for me too

so make up with her already”

“Kukukuk, we’re not kids Since when did we fight?”

Add hid his inner thoughts for now and let out a laugh Although Elsword still didn’t withdraw his

gaze that looked like he was looking at someone really pitiable

123

“I explained it well to Eve But Eve is also very stubborn so she probably won’t talk first So try

better on your side Call ets difficult”

“…That’s a needless ”

Add replied bluntly as he abruptly turned his head away Getting Eve’s hostility due to painting over

tiht of how to deal with it after

He could so harshly(?) educated by Ara…

But it didn’t seeh this time

Elsword silently watched Add then changed the topic back to normal

“So what should I help with?”

“Swim”

“Alright, after that?”

Add put strength in his voice as he spoke

“Swim enjoyably So it looks fun”

“…Is that it?”

“It just has to look stupidly fun Do it now”

When Add urged, Elsword scratched his head then asked

“Let , why do I have to swim? Couldn’t you swim instead?”

“I’ve never swa inside water will only make me cold”

When Add crossed his arhed slightly

“Alright Then I’ll go swim your part as well”

Elsword replied energetically then ily cut across the

approaching waves

The scene refreshed your heart just by watching

“That should be good enough…”

Well, Elsword’s swi did look extremely enjoyable even for Add as an indoors person

His form as he cuts across the waves so clear that you could see the sea floor, this should attract

everyone’s attention

Then he heard footsteps walking on the sand

124

“Oh, you were here before us”

“Elsword probably didn’t even war into

the water?”

“Is, is it really okay to wear so like this?”

Add heard the voices coot startled a bit Eve, Rena

and Ara were approaching in their swiures well

Especially, seeing Eve with her prefect design revealed made his head dizzy Add deliberately turned

his gaze around and gave his evaluation

“Hood There’s no navel”

“U those kinds of things”

Rena’s voice sounded soft on the surface but it contained a sternAdd that she won’t

allow any objections Add quietly shut hishe said

without any thought

Rena’s gentle repri to apologize to Eve

right now… Add’s gaze as he struggled in his thoughts remained behind Rena

“Why are you hiding?”

“…I, I’m not sure”

Ara looked like she was e behind Rena She looked

like she wouldn’t dare co the beach yesterday and

now she was reacting like this

The plan will go wrong if Ara is acting like this But the probleh

data on how to handle this kind of situation

“Come on, Ara Don’t be so embarrassed”

Rena tried persuading Ara

“……It’sthis kind of appearance to a male person other than Elder Brother”

“Then I’ll leave You guys play much as you want by yourselves”

Add’s objective wasn’t to enjoy playing in the water hio up more

if Ara acted like she normally did

Add was about to turn around without any regrets when Ara urgently stopped him

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“Ah, No you can’t! There’s no need for MrAdd to be like that when I’”

“……You’reme waste my time”

Add spoke stiffly but still stopped Rena smiled as she pulled Ara’s hand in towards her But when

Ara tried to resist and didn’t come out, Rena mischievously embraced Ara in her arms

“M, Ms Rena! Please let o!”

“Nope, you can’t hide when you’ve got to dress up so prettily right?”

After she got caught by Rena, Ara realized it was too late and gave up resisting Ara’s face turned

bright red as she nervously looked around at Rena, Eve then finally Add

“Ue?”

“She’s very pretty, right?”

Eve nodded when Rena asked for agreenore

any for an answer Add went into his

thoughts

Red bikini did go ith Ara’s white skin Not only that, Ara’s face looked young despite her age

but her body was quite mature Well, she still didn’t co

proportions

Add made his academic evaluation then nodded

“Well, I’ll compliment you at least for your appearance”

“Thank you very much”

It seehtened as she smiled sweetly and Rena

patted Ara’s head as if she was glad for her

And Eve stared at Add with an extreaze

“Are all human males’ vocabulary this lame?”

“Don’t be like that, Add put in his efforts too”

“…”

Why is she reacting like that when he actually ive a compliment? Add was at a loss for

words as he stared at Eve, but she turned her head right away to avoid his gaze

126

“She’s very pretty, right?”

127

He got coht up the main topic

“We cae Why don’t you all enjoy yourselves?”

“What are you planning?”

Eve replied coldly She was already wearing a swimsuit but her expression seemed to say she only

did so because Rena had requested her to

“Coether Eve”

“Rena, stop pulling o in…Ah!”

Eve had been getting pulled towards the ocean by Rena But shestep as

she slightly staggered Just when Add was about to fly his Dynamos towards her, Ara quickly came

running sploshi+ng through the water and grabbed Eve before she fell

“…Thank you, Ara Haan But the floor here isn’t very stable Be careful”

“No problem …Owie!”

Arabecause she fell on her bottoly looked at

Ara who had instantly becohed as she held out

her hand Ara who had been rubbing her bottorabbed Eve’s hand and

stood up

Add watched this scene and carefully brought his Dynamos back to where they were A voice came

from behind him

“There, it roughly turned out as we planned right?”

Aisha also had a swiazed piercingly at

Aisha’s chest zone

Aisha got dumbstruck as she slowly covered her chest with her arms then took a step back

“…Isn’t the stare way too open?”

“I’m not interested”

Add finished his observation then snorted as he turned his head around without any regrets Aisha’s

expression turned extremely unpleasant when he did this

“……I don’t think it won’t be a criht now”

“I only et it”

“Don’t you know that’s even ruder? How discourteous…”

128

Aisha clicked her tongue as she expressed her displeasure But Add was really deep inside his

thoughts right now Aisha and Eve had siaze

from Eve?

“……Hmm”

If you discarded the subjectivity, it was quite obvious for males to be conscious of female’s bodies

Although Add wasn’t too interested, and although he got into various troublesome situations

because of Eun’s harassments, that was not related to this

Of course, Eve was a Nasod But she was indeed a feender Just like

how if you saw a drawing of a fe as a ent

life forenders by their appearances

Add deliberated as he made his conclusion

“……Is it because of the difference in designs?”

That’s right; there were differences in designs in Aisha and Eve’s swimsuits Add had never paid

attention to girls’ attires but who knows? There could be some hidden preference that he had never

realized

He couldn’t avert his gaze from Eve because a taste that he hadn’t been conscious of before had

come up!

Good, that’s a perfect explanation!

“Are you only going to watch froht you wanted to make them cheer up Then

shouldn’t you also join in and swiether with them?”

“Hmph, there’s no reason for me to step up Kukukuk”

“Ah, coht?”

Add unknowingly winced at her low voice Aisha was shtly

It was an extrely stuttered his words as he stepped back

“W, wait”

“The sin of looking at a lady rudely is a big one”

129

When Aisha swung her arhtly as she spoke this, a cyclone appeared near Add No way She can

even perfor that aside…this cyclone was surrounding Add’s body

and trying to drag him towards the sea!!

Add got startled and activated his Dyna a

short distance space warp Aisha opened her htly from this feat then she

sht after

“If it’s a contest of strength, I’ll accept it any ti

space warp? Aren’t you tired of using such an old method?”

“Uh…”

It felt like he had lighted a wick of a boood will toward the El

Search Party but she seee defeat

When Add dodged, she ie?’

What an eain, four cyclones got created

and prepared to jump at Add

“All you had to do illingly fall into the sea Do I have to really bring you there myself?”

“Co space warp before How’s that possible?”

“That’s because I’ Sister Elly call me that? I told her to call me

Void Princess but the na ave up

trying to fix it in the end”

Aisha was acting like it was nothing special but this wasn’t so Add could just pass over

“Distance should be possible if you calculated precisely But you could also move other people

Furthermore, you could move us whom you’ve met only yesterday without any consent How is that

possible?”

“That’s because life forms or not, aren’t they all just collections of information? In science they call

this basic unit of inforic they have a vintage name for it

called the fragment of a soul But in the end, they are both same in that clumps of information come

together to become an entity”

It seeht now and started explaining with a simple tone

She spoke smoothly in an easy way to understand like a teacher as asked a question from her

student

“For example, that Void Impact you use Doesn’t it shake the space, that is, you change a constant

into a variable Then you use the self restoration property of that variable trying to go back into a

constant to cause a shockwave Aht?”

130

“……”

Add could only nod when the key factor of his skill got analysed so quickly He had figured Aisha

had been observing the El Search Party since long ago But he hadn’t known that she knew not only

their names and achievements but their skills in such a detail as well

“Oh, and Void Double Iain Why are you using parallel

calculations when you can just use serial connection?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Here, look at this”

Aisha waved her hand to clear away the cyclones as if she had just re Then she

started to write down a formula on the sand

It was a calculative formula for Add’s Void Impact

“……How do you know this?”

“Is it so strange for Void Princess to explain about Void Impact?”

He was about to faint froician know so much in depth about

everything?

Aisha didn’t mind Add’s surprised face and continued to explain in detail

“Right now, you delete the load prevention for

a Void Iht? That’s why you are getting

feedbacks on your body You’re losing out because you’re using it with theVoid

Impact two times”

“…Then what’s the proper way?”

“Cole calculation Don’t calculate two times Instead, fire it as if you’re

firing a one large Void Ie the moment when

space coordinate’s constant turns into a variable So there shouldn’t be any problems if you

calculated beforehand how the first Void Iinal constant

The main point in Aisha’s explanation was to throw the first punch while keeping in mind how to

throw the second punch

She was even writing up the follow up formulas and the concise load prevention formulas as well…

Even in Add’s eyes, it was a formula that had more output and stability than the one he had been

using before

“…”

131

Add didn’t want to adineer Add had a huge pride in his

Dynamo and battle methods

But they were being completely treated like a child’s play in front of Aisha

Aisha finished explaining then got up as she tapped the dirt off her hands Then she burst out

laughing after seeing Add’s face

“You look extremely vexed That’s unexpected I didn’t think you kne to make such a face”

“……I’ll thank you for your assistance”

With his pride hurt, Add responded while suppressing his feelings He had thought he was the

smartest in the world, but for there to be someone that was above him… Separate from how Aisha

was a powerful ot treated like a kid in his own field of

expertise

“Well, I’d like to brag that I, the Great Aisha figured this out all on my own because I’m smart

But…that’s not actually true”

“What do you mean?”

Aisha smiled bitterly

“This isn’t a forht to me I was able to awaken because I was

taught not only this, but s as well That’s why I started to be called Dimension

Princess by the deerous individuals”

“……”

“I told you this double formula because it will be of help to you from now on Don’t thank me and

thank the diabolic foregoer person that taught me this instead Hmm, should I just shorten that

description into a diabolic person because it’s too long?”

This si that was pioneered but instead was a thing

that someone else had already achieved? And that person is Aisha’s mentor?

There was soe?

“Who is this? Can you let me meet this person?”

If it was soe from, Add could learn endless amounts of

things froreedily frohtly shook

her head

When Add was about to beg again, Aisha smiled prettily

132

“By the way, aren’t we forgetting so?”

“Hm?”

The wave that just came into the shore erased half of the formula that Aisha had written But it

didn’tsoon as he heard and saw it

Aisha lightly waved her hand as she smiled

“Okay, go flying!”

Cyclones got created again

He’s falling

“Uwaaaaaaaah!!”

Add was freefalling as he screamed He quickly moved his Dynamos but the fall speed was too fast

Water’s surface was right in front of him

But Add clenched his teeth as he barely ed to stop a few centimeters above the water’s surface

Add breathed out a sigh of relief

Trying to plunge soirl

“Phew…”

“M, MrAdd!! Watch out!”

In that htlessly tried turn around But

Add was pushed up by a powerful ied bull, Add

couldn’t breathe as his eyes started going dark Add had fallen down so abruptly from the sky that

Ara who had been running wasn’t able to dodge in time and had directly run into him

Splash!+

Water splashed up irregularly as Ara and Add got luot

completely drenched and muttered as he frowned

Thankfully, this place was only a shi+n deep so he didn’t need to flutter

“Look in front of you when…”

“…”

133

Add wasthen he realized the situation and couldn’t say anything Ara’s face ay too

close It had turned into a position where Ara was pressing down on Add as they fell into the water

together

“Uh…”

“……”

Add didn’t knohat he should say He quickly turned his head around to avert facing Ara directly

Then Ara looked like she abruptly came to her senses then removed her hands from Add’s

shoulders as she stood up

“U, umm I’m sorry MrAdd”

“I’ so suddenly too…”

Add apologized unlike hi but he felt like nothing

good would co up this incident anymore

He should just talk naturally as usual As if nothing happened…

“Uh, u for a bit!”

“……”

But that was only possible with the other person’s cooperation Ara whose face had turned red

looked like she didn’t knohat to do then she suddenly shut her eyes and ran away

Although Add’s eyes couldn’t quite believe it, she was literally running on the water’s surface Ara

was fast as the hen she started running, she was kicking the surface with her right foot just

before her left foot sank

Well, she could also run across the air so it wasn’t surprising… But it seemed there was a limit

because she was slowly sinking into the water Add saw Ara continue to run to the point where she

sank down up to her neck then turned his head around with a sigh

“So less…”

“I ended up seeing everything”

Add winced at the voice that caaze

Rena was facing hi

“If you saw, then you should know that it was an accident”

“Yes, I know”

“……I told you it was an accident”

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Add frowned and spoke once ood to

get ed the topic with a tone as if she didn’t care too

much

“Since we caether Add”

“I don’t feel like it”

He actually didn’t kno to But it felt like things would get annoying if he revealed this Rena

would probably try to care for Add by telling hi like she’ll teach him how to swim

Although herwas tiresome, it didn’t feel bad…

“You should relax too”

“Yea, since Add did this much for our sake”

“…That e of whi”

Rena nodded when Add sulked and objected

“Yes, since Add went out of his way to even ask other people”

“…”

It was no use no matter what he said But Add didn’t speak anymore when Rena approached him

with light steps

Rena was truly beautiful Her long light green hair and body that drew feminine curves, he would

have believed that she was a sculpture if he hadn’t seen her walk and speak

She becah all she was currently doing was standing with

her forelegs slightly inside the water He didn’t want to

“I organizedSo let’s forget everything

for now and play”

Rena offered with a smile as if she knehat Add orried about It was difficult to refuse

when she asked like this

Just when Add was about to reluctantly agree, Rena suddenly looked behind her

“Ah, I asked Eve to swiether as well but she refused Wouldn’t she be bored by herself?”

“……”

“Why don’t you go and keep her company?”

135

Just as she said, Eve sat alone on the sand and was quietly watching Elsas swi far

away When Add realized why Rena was doing this and frowned, Rena also added an excuse

“Since I’ll have to call Elsword if Add refuses But Elsword is swiht now”

Just like Rena said, Elsas now busily racing with Ara He was really having fun although Add

had pushed him to do it

“What will you do?”

“…I’ll go”

Add didn’t like how Rena was sardless He had to do this

eventually anyways

Add walked out of the sea and was about to talk to Eve as sitting on the sand with her knees

joined together But he paused Rena did push hi he had to do

eventually But he just couldn’t think of how to start this conversation

Then Eve raised her head and they ended upeye contact

Add instinctively realized he couldn’t go back or stall now He sat down beside Eve naturally as

possible, while hoping it looked as natural as possible

“…”

It was at least encouraging to see that Eve didn’t show any reaction of standing up They sat side by

side for a moment and looked across the horizon But when the silence continued, Add started to

open his mouth

“I’ you now but…”

“I cannot accept it”

Add looked beside hi his words snatched up Eve was still looking at Elsho

ietically

“I get why you did such a thing Elsword and Rena also told me But I still cannot accept your

method”

“……”

Eve was saying that she found out why Add had spoken harsh words to Elsword before the day that

they fought Elesis But she was still being stubborn by saying that she had no intention to apologize

Well, it didn’t matter since Add had never expected her to understand in the first place

136

“Then what are you going to do fro Elesis’

whereabouts Are you two planning to go back to fight Elesis?”

“……”

It beca, but this was a problem that had to be resolved The

El Search Party lost to Elesis

What should they do now? What were Eve’s thoughts on this?”

“What do you plan to do now, Add?”

“…It won’t be a probleht?”

He hadn’t intended it, but it became a sarcastic tone

Add hadn’t realized it hi each other’s face again… Must

have become a lump in his heart and remained there ever since

Who did she think he was doing this for? He even painted over tiht

It was illogical to ask Eve to understand in the first place, but he couldn’t prevent his emotions from

twisting

“Don’t worry I’ll do le speck of my hair to you”

“What I said that time was…”

Eve seemed to hesitate for a moment then suddenly lowered her head She hid her expression by

covering her face slightly between her knees

“I ement I’m sorry, Add”

“……”

Add’s heart that wanted to continue being sarcastic got wiped clean His blood pressure went up at

this unexpected words and he couldn’t even ements anymore

No, as his blood pressure going up? But his face turning red was clearly a syh

blood pressure right?

For Eve to apologize, and so honestly too, not for any other reason…… She was purely apologizing

for saying harsh words to him

Without Elsword or anything! Purely! To him!!

137

“I apologize for saying so so harsh”

“…Uh, yea”

Add was so surprised that he couldn’t even answer properly He repeatedly opened and closed his

ineer, but his feelings couldn’t be

expressed logically right now

For that poize this honestly This was completely outside his

calculations

Every feeling that had been piled up within hihts came into his mind

But Add felt Eve htly to look at him so he hurriedly tried to reply hatever

words that came out of his mouth

“I, I see I’lad you realized your mistake As expected of the Queen of Nasods, you have a

sufficient will of wanting to improve yourself I should work harder from now on too Kukuk”

“I’m sorry if that offended you”

“…No, offended? Who said I was offended? Kukukukuk, there’s no way a cold-ineer

like ht?”

Add blabbered without knohat he was saying He didn’t knohat he was doing because his

feelings of wanting this ot mixed up from

within his head

He couldn’t even tell if this place he was sitting on was the sand or the clouds