The current eighty-first floor has become a paradise for Sky Wyrms.
As far as the sky is concerned, nothing can match them; they have come to dominate the entire expanse of the floor.
Kousuke, riding on Kou’s back, was enjoying a sky stroll after a long time.
As expected, Kouhi and Mitsuki were following closely on their respective Sky Wyrms.
It had been a while since Kousuke had flown like this, and Kou seemed to be enjoying it.
Even when he was in the management layer and had free time, he used to enjoy flying in the sky like this, but recently he hadn’t been able to.
Flying through the sky leisurely on a Sky Wyrm was a time Kousuke could enjoy, much like a drive.
After enjoying their sky stroll for about an hour, Kousuke and the others spread out a bento box in what seemed to be a suitable open space.
Of course, they weren’t placing the bento directly on the ground; they had spread out something like a sheet.
Having heard earlier that no one would be left in the management layer today, they decided to have a picnic-like lunch together.
“…Ah. It’s been a long time since I’ve relaxed like this.”
“Oh? Kousuke-sama, you always seem to be relaxing in the management layer?”
“Guh.”
Mitsuki’s teasing left Kousuke momentarily speechless.
Seeing this, Kouhi, with a smile, smoothly came to Kousuke’s rescue.
“It’s been a long time since it was just the three of us, right?”
“Ah, that’s right!”
Kousuke’s reply felt a little forced, but Mitsuki didn’t tease him further.
As Kouhi had said, it had indeed been a very long time since it was just the three of them.
Those who operate from the management layer, for one reason or another, always find time to visit Kousuke.
Consequently, during meals, there was usually someone else present, making it rare for them to be alone as a trio.
Of course, they didn’t think this was a bad thing, but it was understandable that Kouhi and Mitsuki might feel that having occasions like this once in a while would be nice.
They chatted aimlessly for a while, but then Mitsuki suddenly looked at Kousuke as if an idea had struck her.
“Speaking of which, you haven’t been on a journey for a while. Aren’t you going?”
“Journey?! Ah, you’re right.”
Mitsuki’s sudden words made Kousuke realize they were indeed true, and he nodded slightly.
Before conquering the Tower, when he was active as an adventurer, Kousuke had told them he wanted to see the world.
After becoming responsible for managing Amamiya Tower, he no longer had the luxury of spontaneous travel, but he still visited various places around the world now and then.
However, recently, he hadn’t been able to take extended periods off, so he hadn’t embarked on any long journeys.
“Hmm, a journey…”
Once the thought entered his mind, a desire he hadn’t felt before began to stir.
In Kousuke’s case, while he was undoubtedly busy, the primary reasons for his busyness were managing the Tower and crafting tools, tasks that didn’t necessarily demand immediate attention.
If he wanted to make time, he could.
The main issue with undertaking a long journey would be leaving Colette and Peach, who were raising children, behind.
However, he had experienced similar situations with Silvia and Floria, so perhaps it wouldn’t be a problem, but still, Kousuke hesitated.
“Leaving the children behind…”
“If you talk to Colette and Peach properly, I don’t think they’ll say anything?”
Colette might be sad if Kousuke were to be away for an extended period, but that would likely be the extent of it.
As Kouhi said, Kousuke was confident that they probably wouldn’t try to stop him from traveling.
At the same time, he wondered if he should take advantage of that.
As if sensing Kousuke’s thoughts, Mitsuki shrugged.
“I think you’re overthinking it. Well, if you’re curious, why not talk to them directly?”
Mitsuki’s answer was plausible, but Kousuke’s expression turned grim.
“That’s true. …It feels like if I bring it up, it’ll become a fait accompli.”
Generally, the women in the management layer rarely oppose what Kousuke says.
Of course, they would correct him if he was mistaken, but they seldom tried to stop him from doing things.
To Kousuke, this sometimes felt like he was forcing their hand.
However, Kouhi and Mitsuki looked at him, momentarily surprised, before breaking into smiles.
“…No way, I didn’t think Kousuke-sama would still be thinking about that.”
“That’s right. If they knew, they might be heartbroken.”
“Ah, that seems likely.”
“Let’s not say anything,” Kouhi and Mitsuki said in unison, nodding.
Having decided something without Kousuke’s direct input, the two turned their gaze back to him.
“Still… Kousuke-sama, you’re strangely dense… no, timid in some areas.”
“Mitsuki, that’s going too far. However, I agree with her. Also, you still manage to keep us on our toes, even when we think everything is alright.”
“Oh? Isn’t Kouhi being harsher than me?”
Mitsuki said with a laugh at Kouhi’s words.
Listening to their conversation, Kousuke deliberately looked away.
He knew that if he met their eyes, he would face relentless teasing.
Seeing Kousuke’s reaction, Mitsuki chuckled softly and steered the conversation back.
“Putting that aside, Kousuke-sama, you’re worrying too much.”
“That’s right. We recommend you talk to them first.”
Mitsuki’s words were seconded by Kouhi.
They never pushed too hard in the end, and paradoxically, they were quite lenient with Kousuke.
Completely unaware of this, Kousuke looked at Kouhi and Mitsuki with a bewildered expression.
“But…”
“Regardless, nothing will progress unless you talk to them. You’ll need to be careful about how you approach the conversation, but keeping it bottled up is more dangerous.”
Kouhi spoke rapidly, not allowing Kousuke to retort, and Mitsuki nodded, adding.
“Yes. Kousuke-sama, it’s best not to say anything unnecessary and just talk about the journey.”
“O-Okay.”
He hadn’t even decided to go on a journey yet, but somehow the conversation had already progressed in that direction. Unaware of this, Kousuke nodded, swept along by their momentum.
Kousuke’s outward words and demeanor might not show it, but Kouhi and Mitsuki could see through to his true desire to travel.
In these situations, they had learned from experience that it was better to let Kousuke go with the flow rather than letting him overthink things.
Although Kousuke had been coaxed into agreeing to talk about a journey, he wasn’t particularly dissatisfied with that prospect itself.
He was merely anxious that, in the end, he might end up imposing child-rearing and various other tasks on them.
He had the feeling they were playing him like a puppet, but unfortunately, Kousuke hadn’t noticed it at all.
He wouldn’t notice it in the future either.
Moreover, even if he did notice, he probably wouldn’t say anything about it.
After all, nothing bad would come of it for Kousuke.
And so, this was the usual interaction that had unfolded between Kousuke, Kouhi, and Mitsuki since they first met.
It was a typical scene from the early days of the initial members.
It felt like it had been a while since he had dedicated a chapter to a conversation just between the three of them.
Regarding the journey, he hadn’t decided whether to make it a substantial story or simply end it with a “I’ve been and returned.”
He did feel like writing about a leisurely sightseeing trip using about a chapter (ten episodes).
