Alright, then.
I'd seen Leona.
Alice was apparently out.
So I came here thinking I'd visit Suzu next, and—
"Ohhh, Mother! It's been a while! How about a nice cup of tea?"
Inside the little "cabin" in question, Suzu was sprawled out, utterly relaxed, reading a picture-story magazine.
…Sorry, I know it's rude to judge from appearances alone, but she just looked so loose—like her guard was down completely. Like she was living the dream.
The cabin itself wasn't huge, but it had tatami and everything was neatly kept. There was a full set of furniture, and a bookshelf along the wall stuffed with the same kind of picture-story magazines.
…Oh. There's Warrior of the Sea Sora: Tears of the Purple Poison Princess, too. That makes me oddly happy.
It was clean, comfortable—honestly a really pleasant space to live in. And despite the cabin's modest size, the actual construction was surprisingly solid and sturdy.
…Is it just me, or does this look like the ideal place to shut yourself away forever?
And then she went and said—
"Bwahahaha! Honestly, life here is paradise, Mother! Gramps' subordinates handle all the annoying stuff, right? And I can just do what I like, what I want, and that's it! Truly, being your daughter is such an easy position!"
She threw her head back and laughed with her mouth wide open, like she couldn't be happier.
I watched her and shook my head, exasperated.
But don't get the wrong idea. It wasn't disappointment—like I was staring at a daughter who'd gotten a taste of comfort and rotted into decadence.
Back on Poison Island, Suzu used to run every day between the mountain farm and the seaside village for the sake of the old folks—working the fields, hauling crops, doing it all with relentless energy, while she herself made do with the tiny scraps of slightly poisonous food she could gather.
And whenever the grandmothers apologized, she'd tell them, "Don't worry about that," or even, "As long as you're healthy, that's what makes me happiest."
That Suzu—so devoted she'd practically crossed into "too much," even by filial-daughter standards—had fallen into corruption the moment she became "Golden Lion Shiki's granddaughter"…
…No. I didn't think that for a second.
If I was exasperated, it was almost the opposite.
'So this is how misunderstanding-type protagonists get created…'
I was worried because she hadn't changed at all. Because she was still beyond "responsible"—still borderline workaholic.
You could tell just by glancing out the window.
Right beside the cabin stretched a whole expanse of fields—so large that any normal person would assume it takes several people to manage, maintain, and keep in good shape.
And what I could see from here was only a fraction. Those fields and rice paddies weren't limited to this spot—they were scattered across the entire Sky Island. Small as it was, the whole island had been turned into farmland.
And there was something else.
This cabin had an absurd amount of storage—under-floor compartments, built-in wall storage… and all of it was stuffed to the brim with rice, vegetables, grains, all kinds of crops.
It would be easy to assume Gramps—Papa—had prepared all of it for Suzu's shut-in life.
But no.
Suzu made it herself.
Using those fields outside.
You get it now, right? This girl was single-handedly running a massive farm that spanned an entire island—running it perfectly—and pulling in huge harvests.
Just like she'd done on the mountain farm back on Poison Island.
"Suzu," I said, "you should choose your words a little more carefully. People will misunderstand you."
"? Did I say something strange?"
…Yeah. This is what I mean.
When she said "Gramps' subordinates handle all the annoying stuff," she meant the basic day-to-day living things on the "main island"—meals, cleaning, laundry, minor repairs if something breaks. The kind of stuff where, if she does nothing, someone still cooks, someone still cleans.
But the fields? Like I said—she's doing all of that alone.
And "doing only what I like" meant taking care of the fields, growing crops, and researching how to raise higher-quality produce.
This thing she'd been doing since Poison Island had apparently turned into something like a hobby now.
From the outside, it looks like pure black-labor levels of workload. But she insists it's fun. And since it doubles as ability training, it's "two birds with one stone," apparently.
On top of that, even though this is an artificial Sky Island, the environment is different—and Papa has seeds and seedlings suited for the sky, crops that don't even exist down on the surface. Growing them, studying them… that's fun too, she says.
So the reason she looked like a complete shut-in slob right now was simple.
It was just a lull. A period where there wasn't much field work to do.
And that's why this cabin had been stocked like a treasure hoard of entertainment—for killing time when she had none.
"Anyway," Suzu said, waving it off, "enough of the heavy talk. Aren't you a little hungry, Mother? We harvested some sweet potatoes this morning that are insanely good. Let's roast them!"
"Sure," I said. "I'll take some. …Wait, though. Can you even harvest sweet potatoes this time of year?"
"Depends on the variety, doesn't it? And besides—on the Grand Line, worrying about 'season' is pointless. Some of the crops Gramps gave us grow at ridiculous speed. Like, harvestable in days or weeks kind of ridiculous."
Fair point.
…Come to think of it, even in the Original Work's Sky Island Arc, plants and animals grew huge and fast. Maybe the sky environment affects growth like that.
After that, we ate Suzu's homemade roasted sweet potatoes, took it easy, and chatted until around evening.
I'm glad. Just like Leona, Suzu seems to be growing freely—and steadily.
I'm the one who said, "Even family can't be together every moment of every day. You should learn to be alone, too."
But in the middle of adventures, I still found myself worrying. 'I wonder what they're doing right now…'
Seeing her safe, healthy, and growing up without trouble… it really does settle something in my chest.
She's becoming independent, able to manage things on her own. And as lonely as we all get, it feels like it was the right choice to build those stretches of time apart into our lives.
Now then.
The remaining one…
She was the kind of girl who needed the least worrying when it came to "handling things alone." If anything, she's even tougher than Suzu in that sense.
So what's she been up to lately?
Leona said I'd probably see her once night fell.
☆☆☆
Suzu and I left her "farm island," picked Leona up along the way, and returned to Papa's hideout.
We all ate dinner together that night—fish Leona caught, vegetables Suzu grew served as side dishes—and we laughed and talked and just… enjoyed being together.
And then, while I was taking a bath—
Papa's hideout has several rooms that are basically mine, and one of them is a Japanese-style room.
It feels like a high-end ryokan suite—tatami floors, a calm atmosphere, the kind of space that makes my old-life Japanese soul 'probably' relax without thinking. It's genuinely comfortable.
And that room even has its own private bath.
Also like a luxury inn's—maybe not a grand public bath, but it's big. Way too big for one person. "Stretch your legs out" doesn't even cover it. You could swim.
…Which I can't do, because I'm an Ability User.
So I was soaking and relaxing, thinking 'Ahh… this is a good bath…' when I felt someone's presence near the changing area.
A familiar one. Extremely.
The moment I realized what she was about to do, I thought, 'Honestly… that girl…'
Then the door opened without a knock.
"Yoo-hoo! Long time no see, Mom! Let's bathe together!"
"Oh, there you are, you perverted little brat. Fine. Get in."
"Yaaay!"
The last of my three daughters—the only one I hadn't seen yet today—Alice came into the bath, already fully stripped and completely naked.
Hey, hey! If you're getting in the tub, rinse yourself first! Don't rush—I'm not going anywhere!
"Sigh… you really haven't changed," I said. "You've been training properly, right?"
"Of course! Actually, want to do a mock battle tomorrow? I bet you'll be shocked… heehee. I've grown in all sorts of ways, you know."
If you say so… Honestly, this girl's energy is so light.
Light even compared to Leona and Suzu—who aren't exactly "composed" themselves, but still.
After she properly rinsed off, Alice slid into the tub and pressed right up against me.
And not just beside me—she tucked her face into my chest from the front, like she belonged there.
Leona and Suzu do similar things sometimes, and it's cute, it really is… but Alice's way of clinging has a different flavor.
Because this girl has a personal philosophy of 'I can do both.'
And she doesn't hide those feelings—those desires—from me at all, even though I'm her mother.
Sure, we're both women, so it's not like it's automatically some huge crisis…
Except.
She can turn into a man if she feels like it. With her ability.
And apparently she has the desires and functions to match, which makes her… not exactly the type I should be careless around.
"Haa… Mom's smell… I missed it."
"The same exact line, and yet somehow it sounds completely different coming from you than it did from Leona…"
"…I kind of wanted to smell you before you bathed, too. I don't hate the smell of your sweat either, Mom… heeheehee. I should've come back a little earlier."
"Don't casually leak your weird preferences into the air like that."
"Ehh? A scent fetish is totally normal! Getting excited by the smell of sweat from the opposite sex is common in the animal world too—pheromones and all that! Dr. Indigo said so. Which means I'm not doing anything weird at all!"
"You're learning the most useless things… And for the record, you and I are the same sex. If you're going to call it 'opposite sex,' then get out of the bath already."
"Ah—no, no! I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Sorry, sorry! I'm a girl, same as you, Mom! I just… can do girls too!"
"That's still a problem. …Why do I keep having to deal with people like this in my life?"
A certain cassowary girl I'd met on some winter island flashed through my mind. We still keep in touch even now.
That one wasn't a 'both' type—more like 'I like women' and 'men are physically impossible.' So it wasn't quite the same, but still.
"Anyway," I said, "where have you been until this hour? I heard you've been going out with Papa providing an escort lately."
"Ah, yeah… various things. Still a secret."
"Hmph. Just don't do anything dangerous. I worry, you know."
"Heehee… thanks, Mom♪ …Ah."
"Hm? …Oh."
Right in the middle of that conversation, Alice and I both noticed something almost at the same time and turned our eyes toward the bath's entrance.
Two familiar presences.
And about five seconds later—
"Yooouuu—! What are you doing, you idiot little sister?!"
"Alice! If you're back, at least say 'I'm home'!"
Suzu and Leona burst in—fully dressed.
Leona looked normal, like this was nothing.
Suzu's face, on the other hand, was bright red and furious.
…And the reason was obvious. The double-wielding (don't make me say it) perverted brat currently glued to me.
Suzu's been like this since the three of them traveled together—she's weak to this kind of topic, and she and Alice don't match wavelengths at all when it comes to anything even vaguely lewd.
Normally they get along fine, but the moment it turns "that way," Suzu turns into a rigid class-rep type who hates indecency with her whole soul.
"As if you aren't already told a thousand times!" Suzu shouted. "How many times must I say it—don't do shameless things to your own mother, you idiot! Th-that's… you're… naked, clinging like that—!"
"It's fine, we're girls! This is normal! Actually, since it's the first time the four of us have been together in ages, why don't you two get in too? Come on—let's all cuddle up to Mom together!"
"Mm… yeah, that sounds nice," Leona said. "It looks relaxing. I'm getting in too! Is that okay, Mama?"
"W-wait—Leona!? You too…? I mean, I know you probably aren't thinking deeply about it, but—!"
While Suzu was still floundering, Leona dashed back out.
Ten seconds later, she returned completely naked.
Sure, sure—come on in.
And for the love of—rinse yourself first properly!
Suzu was still frozen in place, red-faced, flailing internally.
"M-Mother, Leona too… You need to have some sense of danger! Bathing with that beast… you don't know what she'll do!"
"Ahahaha… I'm happy you're worried, Suzu, but 'beast' is a bit much… Besides, we did this sometimes back when we traveled together, didn't we?"
"Yeah, yeah," Alice chimed in. "This is just normal skinship… right, Mom♪"
—Munyū.
Clinging to me like she was showing off, Alice kneaded my chest.
…I take it back. Maybe 'beast' is accurate after all.
On my other side, Leona pressed against me too—but hers was pure, uncomplicated affection. No thoughts. Just a kid.
Suzu looked like she was about to short-circuit. Her eyes were practically spinning.
And she hadn't even gotten in the bath. She was so red she looked like she might boil. Is she okay?
Seriously… isn't she even weaker to this kind of thing than before? Even accounting for the fact that Alice is an erotic gremlin, Suzu's reaction feels… intense.
"Mother, throw her out!" Suzu cried. "That one—she's… she's… not just overdoing skinship—she's the one who says things like, 'Someday I want to marry Mom and my two big sisters and have you all give birth to my children!' Even if I don't know whether she's serious, she says things like that! If she's clinging and touching like this… who knows what she'll do!"
"…Wait," I said slowly. "You said that?"
"......Heehee."
Hey. That's not something I can just let slide.
This perverted brat—blood-related or not—she really said that about her mother and sisters?
"Ah," Leona said, all blissed out in the water. "Yeah, you did say that before."
The lion girl's sense of danger was zero. She was melting into the bath like everything in the world was fine.
If that's true…
Yeah, then I can see why Suzu—who was already bad with lewd stuff—would start reacting like she's allergic.
If it's true, that's… a genuine crisis for a lot of things a girl wants to keep safe.
"…So," I said, "did you really say that, Alice?"
"Heehee… I said it, but of course it was a joke… about half."
That's not reassuring.
Well, even if she ever came at me with that intent—which I really, really don't want—there's still enough of a difference in strength that I could shut her down easily.
…Right now.
The future is another question.
'And honestly, she's already the strongest of the three sisters.'
No wonder Suzu has her guard up.
Maybe I really do need to keep an eye on things. For a while at least. Try not to leave this place unattended too long—come back more often, check in, spend time with them, talk, listen…
The moment I said that—
"Then you'll come back more often, Mama? Yes!"
"Please do, Mother," Suzu said. "I know it's probably a joke, but Alice is the sort who might actually do it, and it scares me. She's even been sexually harassing some of the maids Gramps sent over. If you come often and keep watch… I'll feel safer. And… I'll be happy. Normally, too."
"Ahahaha," Alice said brightly. "Then we'll have more time with Mom. Good, good."
All three reacted differently, but they were all genuinely pleased.
And in the middle of it… I caught Alice wearing a strange little grin.
Not her usual perverted brat grin.
It looked almost… innocent.
Like Leona's smile.
Wait.
If I start coming here more often, staying longer, then I'll spend more time with them than I have been.
And more time with me is something all three of them want—completely aside from the erotic gremlin situation.
Which means…
'…Huh? Don't tell me Alice… from the beginning… she calculated this?'
…Terrifying child.
☆☆☆
Well, honestly, I enjoy being with them too, so I don't mind.
In the end, Suzu didn't want to be left out, so she joined us as well, and the four of us bathed together.
After that, the three of them slept in my room—like old times—forming a 'small square + 1' for the first time in a while.
And all three of them… their sleeping faces were still as cute as ever.
Yeah.
All three are my proud daughters.
To be continued...