The next morning, inside their private cabin at the People of the Springs, Natlan, Teyvat…
The breakfast table was loaded with Naltanese delicacies—fragrant grilled fish with mint sauce, steaming bowls of blazed meat stew, and sweet fruit slices freshly picked just this morning. Noah sat back in his chair, calmly sipping his coffee, the faintest smile on his lips as he savored both the taste and the lingering warmth of last night's… memories.
"Such a beautiful morning," he remarked, eyes drifting toward the sea outside their window.
Across from him, four girls sat with their heads lowered, not daring to meet his gaze.
"...Just what happened last night?! Just what did I do?!" Elysia groaned, clutching her head, her cheeks flushed.
"I can still feel Noah's hands… everywhere. And my ear—why did you have to bite my ear?!"
Noah chuckled softly into his cup, the sound doing nothing to calm her embarrassment.
Miss A buried her face in her hands, a mix of shock, giddy excitement, and absolute mortification coloring her voice.
"You're the luckiest of all of us, El-chan!! You're the first one who actually fainted!! And me—ugh—I'm the one who… who actually… took his hands and… guided them to my… kyaa!!"
Her voice pitched into a squeak as the memory hit, and she peeked through her fingers only to slam them back over her face again.
Lumine sat hugging herself, fidgeting in her seat as if trying to disappear into it. Her arms kept moving between covering her chest and armpits, as though she could still feel Noah's lips. The moment her mind replayed it, her face went scarlet. "...After doing those things… I can only marry Noah now."
Kiana had it the worst. Her head rested heavily on the table, lips pursed in a faint pout. Her lips, chest, and waist still ached from their… overly spirited activities. What made it worse was that she'd gone through it twice—once during her own turn, and again thanks to Sirin. She'd blacked out the first time, but her mind kept replaying the sweet, almost tender moments between Noah and Sirin, and that was enough to make her want to bury herself in the floor.
'Hey, other me… Sirin, are you alive there?' Kiana muttered in her thoughts.
'Shut… up… stupid tuna…' came Sirin's groggy reply. In their shared mental space, Sirin was curled up into a perfect, sulking bun.
Meanwhile, the culprit behind all this suffering sat across from them, sipping his coffee with a blissful glow on his face, even humming a cheerful little tune. "Let's repeat this again next time—with Masha and Sylvie."
The four of them—and Sirin—groaned in unison, sounding like a group resigned to their doom.
—-
Later that evening…
Noah and the girls—finally recovered enough from their night before… shared ordeal—made their way back to their private cottage after spending the afternoon exploring the People of the Springs tribe.
The girls huddled together at the back, voices low as they chatted about the sights they'd seen. Occasionally, their eyes drifted to Noah walking a few steps ahead, hands in his pockets, looking utterly relaxed.
Miss A puffed her cheeks. "Why does he look like he just came from a spa while we're still sore all over?"
Lumine sighed, half amused, half resigned. "Because he's Noah. It's unfair."
Elysia folded her arms. "I swear, he's usually cool and collected, but he showed us he can be a beast if he wanted to.."
Their not really silent grumbling only made Noah hum softly to himself, clearly aware of their stares but pretending not to be.
"You finally came back," a voice called out, cutting through their musing. "You really took your time, huh? Enjoying your little vacation?"
The group turned to see a girl standing ahead—a striking figure with long, light lavender-pink hair tied with ornate accessories, the rest flowing freely down her back. Her sharp blue eyes held both intensity and warmth, and her attire was just as captivating: a purple sleeveless top with high side slits, a skirt-like train adorned with eye-like motifs and ribboned tassels, and black high-heeled sandals with crisscrossing straps climbing her legs, lending her an air of agility and poise.
Noah, walking at the front, stopped for a moment as he felt the Force; giggly, playful, almost as if it were teasing him. His lips twitched slightly, understanding the intent behind it. The girl, standing ahead, seemed to feel it too; her eyes widened for briefest second before she masked it. Tilting her head, she regarded him with curious eyes, rubbing her chin as she let her gaze sweep from his head to toe.
"Hmmm, not bad, I guess. Surprisingly, you're kind of my type," the girl said with a crisp, direct tone, a faint smirk curling at the corner of her lips as if testing his reaction.
Noah raised an eyebrow, his amusement plain. "Should I be honored that you're fine with this arrangement… or should I be bracing for whatever's going through your head right now?"
Kiana and the others traded confused glances, whispering under their breath.
The girl gave a short, amused snort before stepping forward. With her on the patio and Noah at the bottom of the stairs, they found themselves at perfect eye level. Neither looked away, their locked gazes carrying a silent unspoken conversation the rest weren't privy to.
"Citlali, priestess from the Masters of the Night-Wind. It's an honor to meet you, Mister Chosen Hero," the girl introduced herself with a graceful curtsy. Her tone carried confidence, but her eyes observed him closely. "Still… for the Lord of the Night to promise me to you as a reward to save Natlan, she must have quite the faith in your strength."
"Hmmm, maybe?" Noah replied, his lips curving into a teasing smirk. "But then again… they must value you a lot, huh? To make you as the reward for saving this nation… your worth must be sky-high."
"Hmmph! Please, don't bother flattering me—you won't get anything else aside from myself," Citlali shot back, crossing her arms but unable to hide a tiny upward twitch at the corner of her mouth. "Although… I think you should turn around and calm your other partners before they explode."
"..Ar...range..ment??" Miss A repeated, her voice deceptively even, though her eyes told a different story.
".....Promised?" Elysia mutters, the word dripping from her lips like ice.
"Reward, is it?" Lumine asked flatly, her tone just a step above deadly.
"Care to explain that, Captain?" Kiana and Sirin's voices overlapped, their combined tone enough to make the air feel heavier.
"A-ahaha… I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Noah replied with a smile, though the sudden pitch in his voice and the visible tremble of his knees betrayed him completely.
"Hmmp, try not to die. I'd rather not be a widow right after we've met," Citlali quipped, waving her hand casually.
She watched in amusement as four determined women seized Noah and dragged him into the cottage. Shaking her head with a small grin, Citlali followed after, clearly eager to see how this would play out.
—
Citlali made herself right at home in Noah's group cottage, strolling in as if she owned the place. She casually plucked a few fruits from the table, then moved over to the teapot Noah had left prepared. Humming softly, she poured in hot water, letting the aroma rise before filling her cup. With her tea in one hand and a bowl of the ripest fruits in the other, she scouted for the perfect vantage point to watch the interrogation unfolding in the living area.
Settling by the window where the sea breeze drifted in, carrying with it the faint scent of sulfur from their private hot springs, she made herself comfortable. Picking out the juiciest fruit, she bit into it with a satisfied crunch, eyes gleaming with curiosity as she glanced between Noah and the others.
Noah knelt on the floor in front of the four girls—five, counting Sirin, whose presence was obvious from Kiana's mismatched blue-and-gold eyes.
"So… the Lord of the Night picked you as the 'hero' of Natlan and the Night Kingdom, to completely remove the Abyss' influence from this nation, correct?" Miss A asked, adjusting a pair of obviously fake glasses and lacing her fingers together like some over-the-top interrogator.
"That… is correct," Noah replied flatly, his tone calm but his eyes flicking warily between them.
"Then, as a reward once you're done saving Natlan and the Night Kingdom, they'll give you Miss Citlali as your wife," Lumine said, her tone frighteningly even, each word landing like a gavel strike.
"It… seems so," Noah admitted, a bead of cold sweat trailing down his temple.
"So you only found out just now, because the Force told you the moment you met her?" Elysia asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes." Noah kept his voice short, as if any extra word might make things worse.
"So you knew nothing about this until you actually met her?" Kiana and Sirin's voices overlapped, their interrogation tone sharp enough to cut steel.
"Yes… again," Noah replied tiredly, his shoulders sagging as if the question was harder than any battle.
The four—well, five—girls exchanged glances, silently weighing whether Noah was guilty or not. They whispered among themselves, occasionally sneaking pointed looks at Noah and even toward Citlali, who sat sipping her tea with open amusement.
"So how are we going to do this?" Lumine muttered, lips twitching as if she already knew the answer.
"We must fight back," Miss A replied in mock seriousness, pushing up her fake glasses with exaggerated flair. "Since Captain's apparently getting a new wife, we have to remind him that we—his current wives—still run this relationship."
Elysia tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Mmm, A-chan's right~ We can't waste this golden opportunity to make him squirm. He looks way too relaxed after everything that happened last night."
"Agreed," Kiana (with Sirin chiming in) said, their voices overlapping in perfect unity. "As part of a healthy relationship, we can't let Captain/Noah think he always has the upper hand over us."
After a few more whispered jabs and knowing nods, Elysia scooted forward with mock seriousness, ready to deliver their verdict.
"...After hearing your side and considering the situation, we have decided you are..." Elysia paused dramatically, letting the silence stretch. Citlali raised a brow and leaned forward, clearly invested in their antics, while Noah simply sat straight, expression unreadable, waiting for their verdict.
"...GUILTY!" she declared with theatrical flair.
Kiana (with Sirin inside), Lumine, and Miss A all nodded in agreement. Citlali stumbled in disbelief and blurted out, "Guilty?! Shouldn't it be NOT guilty?!"
"Ahem, please be silent while the jury is still in session," Miss A said in her best mock-official tone, adjusting her fake glasses.
"Really?!" Citlali shot back, half incredulous, half amused.
"Then you, Noah Alden, are hereby sentenced to cuddle and spoil us again tonight," Elysia declared, her cheeks pink as she tried to sound official. The other three—four, counting Sirin—blushed and nodded in perfect agreement.
Citlali's jaw dropped at what they were calling a 'punishment.' "That's… that's your sentence?!" she sputtered.
Noah sighed, standing up and rolling his shoulders, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Well then, let's get this over with, shall we?"
That night, Citlali watched in disbelief as each of them fainted, woke up, and fainted again. Somewhere in the chaos, she got pulled into the middle of it all… and, well—let's just say, due to that night, Citlali's floating bed pillow, Citlalin, was born.
-
After their short three-day, two-night vacation—honeymoon, really—Noah returned to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame with Kiana (Sirin riding along inside), Elysia, Lumine, Miss A, and the newest addition to their group, Citlali. The poor priestess was still sore from their… intensive session and couldn't feel anything below her waist. With a huff, she resorted to her shamanic arts, conjuring a floating pillow to carry her.
As the space distorted at the entrance, the six of them materialized with a soft pop, startling the Natlanese guards. The tension melted the instant they recognized Noah and his group, and warm smiles replaced wary stares as they called out friendly greetings.
"Fun days sure do fly by, huh?" Noah said with a hint of sadness. The girls who had endured fainting, waking, and fainting again only managed a groan of relief in response.
"Shut it, you brute!" Citlali shot back, cheeks red as she remained perched on her floating bed pillow—Citlalin. "I can't believe you! After doing those things to us and you still weren't satisfied."
Noah glanced over his shoulder with an innocent smile. "Really? Who was it again that wouldn't let go even after—"
"Waaah!! Waaaah!!" Citlali quickly cut him off, waving her hands frantically.
Noah's smile curved into a knowing smirk, which Citlali met with a flustered glare—only making her look even more adorable.
"...You better give up, Citlali. Noah's just going to keep pushing your buttons if you keep giving him the reactions he wants," Lumine said, her tone tired as she winced from just small movement, her body still aching. "Trust me, we learned the hard way."
Elysia bobbed her head quickly, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. "Mm-hm. Big mistake on my part, thinking I could tease him and get away with it. His payback is always brutal. Just like this time. He always chooses her first and makes sure I'm the first to faint every single time." She shuddered, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.
At the front, Kiana kept glancing around with wide, sparkling eyes, like a child visiting a mall or amusement park for the very first time.
"Sii-chan, you okay there? Not feeling overwhelmed?" Miss A asked with a gentle smile, leaning in slightly.
Sirin—who is currently awake and sharing control of Kiana's body—looked back at her, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips. "S-sorry… this is the first time I've been in control and fully conscious while coming here, so… yeah, I'm kinda excited."
Kiana's voice slipped through faintly, amused in the back of their mind. 'You're acting like a tourist.'
'Shut it, tuna,' Sirin muttered playfully, though her grin didn't fade.
Seeing her adorable reaction, Miss A couldn't resist and jumped in to hug her. The sudden squeeze earned a simultaneous wince from both of them as their sore bodies protested loudly.
"Ouch! Ughhh, sorry, Sii-chan—I forgot we're still walking disasters," Miss A groaned, loosening her grip and then immediately shooting a glare at Noah, who was watching with a smug little smile. "Captain is really cruel! He wasn't gentle at all!"
"Ahaha—ouch! We really overdid it…" Sirin said, her voice overlapping with Kiana's as they both chuckled weakly.
Kiana's voice added faintly in their mind, 'Next time, we're making him the one who can't walk.'
'Deal,' Sirin agreed with a sly grin.
—-
After a while, Noah and the girls arrived at the Speaker's Chamber. The moment they stepped inside, Mavuika and the gathered heroes greeted them warmly, their voices carrying the camaraderie of old allies.
"About time you showed up, Chosen Hero! We were betting you got lost on the way back," Sundjatta called with his usual hearty grin.
"Hohoho! Or perhaps our friend was just 'busy' with his companions and our priestess, too distracted to remember the way," Tupac added with a knowing chuckle.
"Well, judging from the glow on our friends' faces, they must've been quite busy these past few days," Wanjiru said with a sly smirk.
"Good to see you in one piece, Priestess Citlali," Sanhaj teased, his eyes glinting. "I hope you didn't have too much trouble with the rest of our friend's companions."
"Hahaha! I think she's fine. She has the same 'expressions' as the others, after all," Menilek joked, shooting Noah a knowing grin.
Their teasing was warm and good-natured, earning a faint blush from Citlali as she floated past on her pillow. She gave a small wave to each of them, trying to play it cool, but her reddened ears betrayed her reaction. While following Kiana (with Sirin), Lumine, and Elysia stepped up beside Noah, each offering Mavuika and the heroes tired, pained, yet satisfied smiles.
"We are back, Mavuika," Noah said as he clasped the arm Mavuika offered in greeting.
"Welcome back, heroes," she replied warmly, her gaze sweeping over the group as if checking they truly had returned whole. "You all look… a little worse for wear."
Elysia gave a half-laugh, half-groan. "Let's just say our 'vacation' wasn't exactly restful."
Lumine added dryly, "We survived, so that's what counts."
Kiana smirked faintly. "Barely." Sirin's voice overlapped with hers, agreeing with a playful, 'Speak for yourself.'
Mavuika's lips curved in knowing amusement before her tone changed to seriousness. "Now that everyone is here, we shall discuss the final battle against the Abyss to sweep them away from the Night Kingdom and our nation."