In truth, Shiomi only needed to sleep for a bit before he could get up and return to his own room to rest.
The beds weren't that different, but his own room was still more comfortable.
Yet every time he opened his eyes, a different girl would be there to check on him.
The first was Sakura. She came with freshly cooked porridge and a few simple side dishes she had just made.
He was already short on sleep, and once he had eaten his fill, Shiomi couldn't be bothered to move again. There might be another hard fight ahead, so sleeping some more felt like the right choice.
The second time, Caren came with Gray. They were there to change his clothes.
Caren volunteered to help him change, but fortunately Gray was too shy to assist, and Shiomi managed to stop things before they went any further.
The third visitor was Olga Marie. She looked worried and asked if he felt uncomfortable anywhere, even offering to have Nemo from the kitchen prepare some snacks.
Shiomi said that sounded great, so Olga Marie started massaging him, kneading his arms and legs.
It felt so good that Shiomi soon fell asleep again.
The fourth time was Melusine. Luckily, Barghest and Caster came along as well, so nothing troublesome happened.
After waking up from his fourth nap, Shiomi felt that sleeping any more would be a bad idea. It would be better to head back to his own room.
He rubbed his head. The drowsiness from sleeping so much left his whole body feeling weak.
Then came the fifth visitor.
Baobhan Sith.
"Just for a bit…" Shiomi began, then stopped halfway.
"Which lady does Father wish to summon to his bedside?" Baobhan Sith said calmly. "Mother, another goddess, or perhaps Touko?"
Shiomi's head, which hadn't hurt at all until now, suddenly started to ache.
"I don't remember raising you to be this kind of child, Baobhan Sith…" He covered his face, feeling more than a little ashamed.
"Father doesn't need to worry. Given your status, having many wives and concubines is only natural," Baobhan Sith said, adjusting her glasses as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Ah…" Shiomi trailed off again.
Her sincerity left him completely at a loss. He couldn't come up with any proper rebuttal and could only shake his head vaguely to indicate that it wasn't necessary.
What he had actually wanted to say was that he hoped Touko and the others would come check on him.
"Mother and the others did come by," Baobhan Sith said, taking out a hand mirror and holding it up for him. "Unfortunately, Father happened to be asleep every time. They each watched over you for a while before leaving."
Only then did Shiomi notice several lip marks in different colors on his cheeks and forehead. They had been wiped at some point, but were still faintly visible.
Only one remained clear, a pale blue mark.
There was no doubt about it. That one belonged to Morgan.
So Morgan must have been the last to visit, before Baobhan Sith.
And any marks left by the others before her had all been wiped away by the next person who came.
"No wonder Caren and the others looked a bit strange when they came by," Shiomi muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead. His mind nearly ground to a halt, and for a long time he couldn't think of what to say next.
And why kiss his cheek instead of his lips?
Was it to deliberately leave a mark and declare ownership?
That didn't really work either…
Baobhan Sith waited patiently, a faint, intrigued smile appearing on her face.
"Did you come to check on me too? I'm fine, really. I wasn't injured to begin with, and my mana and stamina have already fully recov—"
"I came to warn you, Father," Baobhan Sith said, shaking her head and cutting him off.
"Huh? Did Olympus attack again?" Shiomi froze, a flash of killing intent rising in his eyes.
"No, nothing like that. We're currently docked at Astraea Island. So far, Olympus has done exactly as they said before, pulling back their defenses and preparing to intercept us at the 'Void Cavern,'" Baobhan Sith explained calmly. "What I'm warning you about is something else."
"Something else?"
"Father has been asleep here for two days and two nights," Baobhan Sith said. "Mother is worried that you haven't recovered properly and is brewing potions in the workshop. Great Master Scáthach, Lady Skadi, and Orange have also—"
"..." Shiomi's heart nearly stopped.
"I know Father hates the bitter taste of medicine, so I came specifically to tell you," Baobhan Sith said cheerfully, leaning in and lowering her voice. "That Archer Servant named Orion wants to see you. Why not take this chance to get off the ship and hide out on the island? As long as Mother and the others see you lively and energetic, they'll give up on making you take potions to recover."
Shiomi was so moved he nearly burst into tears. He pulled Baobhan Sith into a tight hug.
"You're such a good child. All these years, I didn't dote on you for nothing," Shiomi said with deep emotion.
"It's not that exaggerated. I just don't like bitter medicine either," Baobhan Sith replied happily. "So hurry—"
"No, it's already too late. If only you'd come a little earlier…" Shiomi said softly, his voice carrying a strange sadness, as if something were slipping away.
Baobhan Sith's pointed ears twitched at once. She had caught the sound of familiar footsteps.
"I-it's Mother…" Baobhan Sith tensed up. "What do we do? Hide?"
"Hide where? Do you really think you can fool her Fairy Eyes?"
Shiomi let go of Baobhan Sith, gave up struggling, and sat cross-legged on the bed, waiting for Morgan to appear from behind the door.
The automatic door opened.
Holding a small vial of potion, Morgan was greeted by two identical, obedient smiles from Shiomi and Baobhan Sith.
The potion glowed with a faint blue light. It didn't hurt the appetite at all. If anything, it looked more like some kind of fluorescent cocktail.
…If only it tasted like a cocktail too.
Shiomi muttered to himself.
"Finally awake. Perfect timing. I just finished this potion," Morgan said as she sat down beside the bed and handed him the vial. "It rapidly restores mana, regulates Magic Circuits, and eliminates fatigue. We hunted Phantasmal Species and gathered plants from the Age of Gods across several islands to make it, so don't waste it."
"That actually sounds kind of fun. It would've been better if you'd called me along," Shiomi said, trying to change the subject and bluff his way through.
"You were resting. Drink it, recover quickly, and then we can go gather herbs together," Morgan said, her pure smile full of anticipation. "I haven't brewed potions in a long time. Thankfully, my hands haven't gotten rusty."
The more she looked like that, the harder it was for Shiomi to refuse.
Especially since that expression from Morgan was completely unintentional.
"It doesn't… taste bitter, does it?"
"Ah, well, it might be a little…" Morgan blushed, looking slightly embarrassed. "My husband often says that good medicine tastes bitter, and honest words are hard to hear, so… if it's too much, you don't have to force yourself."
"N-no, I'm not forcing myself!"
Shiomi steeled himself and pulled out the cork.
She had brewed this potion in a hurry because she genuinely cared about him.
At worst, it was just bitter. It wasn't poisonous.
He tilted his head back and drained the potion in one go. Instantly, bitterness flooded through his entire body. Morgan hurriedly patted his back to soothe him, while Shiomi forced a cheerful smile to show that he was fine.
Watching Father being completely wrapped around Mother's finger, Baobhan Sith was left speechless.
Baobhan Sith: What an unbearably sappy couple. And they're my parents, no less. This is just humiliating.