The indoor water park evoked the refined elegance of a classic European summer retreat.
A charming space designed to soothe the body and mind.
Pools maintained at temperatures close to human comfort.
An all-weather indoor water park, offering enjoyment year-round!
"At least, that's what the advertisement claims."
"Wow."
Ophis responded blankly, offering a monotone exclamation of amazement—though she likely didn't understand what Jeanne Alter had just recited. Still, she obediently clapped her hands in support.
Dressed in a cute black one-piece swimsuit—carefully chosen by Jeanne Alter, Asia, and even the store clerk—Ophis had been personally helped into her swimsuit by Jeanne herself.
As someone responsible for dressing Ophis each morning and night, Jeanne Alter had long grown accustomed to this routine. She'd found Ophis herself, after all, so naturally, she felt obligated to spoil her rotten.
As for Infinite Dragon God Ophis technically being genderless—and even previously appearing as an old man—Jeanne Alter chose to selectively ignore that inconvenient detail. As far as she was concerned, Ophis was now unquestionably her cute little girl.
"Still, I didn't expect something like this to happen right away..."
Jeanne Alter glanced aside with mild worry. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay here with you, Asia?"
"It's okay," Asia murmured weakly, reclined on a lounge chair. Her flushed cheeks and slightly feverish appearance suggested heatstroke. "You and Ophis can go ahead and have fun... I just need to rest here a bit."
Jeanne Alter, ever cautious by nature, had initially considered canceling their trip to take Asia straight to the hospital, but the blonde had stubbornly refused.
There's no way I could tell her I fainted from excitement after seeing Jeanne-san in her swimsuit...
From the instant she'd glimpsed Jeanne Alter's breathtaking figure exposed beneath the summer sunlight, Asia's brain had overloaded with a single repeating thought:
So fair...
So smooth...
I want to lick...
Then, her consciousness promptly overloaded.
Asia's innocent demeanor was deeply deceptive. Easily embarrassed on the surface, Jeanne Alter would never guess the shamefully impure thoughts hidden beneath the timid nun's delicate exterior.
She simply assumed Asia had suffered heatstroke.
"Then you rest here quietly. I'll take Ophis to play for a bit."
Despite lingering concern, Jeanne Alter trusted Asia's judgment. She placed a cool drink on the table beside Asia before taking Ophis away to enjoy the park.
...
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Inside the winding tube slide, Jeanne Alter held tightly to the raft's handles, carried downward by gravity and rushing water through twists and turns. Bursting out into open sunlight at the end—
Splash!
The raft slammed into the pool, water droplets glittering in the sunlight like tiny jewels.
"Pwah! Why was that ride so short? Totally unsatisfying… Ugh, water got in my ears…"
Standing in the waist-deep pool, Jeanne Alter brushed back her drenched hair, complaining aloud, but her glittering eyes and playful smile revealed her true enjoyment.
Sunlight danced off her pale skin, her figure like a blooming lotus freshly risen from water, each petal shimmering with dew.
The raft bobbed past her in the waves.
"They've got tube slides here too. I remember last time dragging the raft all the way to the third floor, only to enjoy a few seconds of fun. We only rode it twice before giving up. This time, let's ride a few more—wait, where's Ophis?"
Glancing left and right, Jeanne Alter spotted the Infinite Dragon God submerged beneath the raft, still underwater.
There was no reason to worry. The mighty Ophis could be dropped into the River Styx itself and emerge unharmed; this shallow pool posed no threat at all.
Pulled gently from the water by Jeanne Alter, Ophis spat out a tiny fountain before scrunching up her nose in displeasure.
"Tastes…bad."
"You weren't supposed to drink it in the first place," Jeanne sighed, unsure of whether to laugh or cry.
"But…"
Her pitch-black eyes briefly flickered with curious delight, and Ophis tilted her head slightly.
"It's cool…feels good. And the splashing—I want to do it again."
Jeanne Alter blinked, lips curling into a warm smile.
"Then, let's pick the longest slide this time. No point climbing all the way up just for a short ride… Alright, off we go!"
"Off we go…" echoed Ophis, trailing behind Jeanne Alter as she cheerfully hoisted the raft onto her shoulder. They hurried towards the stairs again.
Besides the tube slides, Jeanne Alter and Ophis enjoyed other attractions.
In the wave pool that mimicked the sea, each floated in their own inflatable rings, bobbing along lazily until Jeanne noticed Ophis drifting far out on a rogue wave and quickly paddled over to retrieve her.
In the swimming pool, Jeanne Alter demonstrated breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly stroke—though she curiously struggled with freestyle—then attempted to teach Ophis how to swim.
By now, Jeanne Alter had lost count of how many times she'd laughed today. Even though Ophis's expressions remained subtle as always, Jeanne felt certain the little dragon was thoroughly enjoying herself.
"Ahh, now that hit the spot… So refreshing."
Carefree and relaxed after playing to her heart's content, Jeanne Alter's mood had improved immensely.
After having so much fun, she began feeling a bit peckish.
"I remember they sold food at that snack bar we got drinks from earlier. Come on, Ophis, let's check it out… Ah, but first, let's check in on Asia."
Jeanne Alter had not forgotten about Asia and planned to check her condition before grabbing some food.
Yet, as Jeanne Alter and Ophis approached the rest area, they noticed several people clustered around Asia, chatting happily.
They clearly weren't harassing her—Asia appeared relaxed and smiling rather than flustered.
Drawing closer, Jeanne Alter realized they were acquaintances.
"Jeanne-san! You really came after all!"
Cheerfully waving at Jeanne Alter was Fujita Emi, her classmate known as the energetic mood-maker. Emi had been the first person to approach Jeanne Alter upon her arrival at Kuoh Academy, and Jeanne had asked Emi to help Asia settle in when the nun first transferred to their school.
The other girls around Emi looked vaguely familiar too, likely fellow Kuoh Academy students—even if Jeanne Alter couldn't quite recall their names immediately.
However, one particular girl among them stared intently at Jeanne Alter and Ophis, her expression gradually growing deep and contemplative.
"What gives, Jeanne-san?"
Hands on her hips, Emi pouted theatrically. "I specifically invited you to the water park earlier, but you totally ignored my message! Fine, I thought you might be busy, but then you sneakily come here without telling me? If we hadn't bumped into Asia, I'd never have known you were here!"
"Huh? You invited me?"
Jeanne Alter paused, trying to recall before shrugging casually. "Oh, guess I must've forgotten."
"Seriously? If you forgot, I suppose that's fine… did you think I'd say something like that? Do you really think one little excuse is enough?! Pay a little more attention, will you!"
Jeanne Alter's brow furrowed slightly. Overly cheerful, earnest types like Emi had always been her weakness.
At this moment, another girl quietly stepped forward, coming to stand beside Emi. She silently stared at Jeanne Alter, saying nothing.
Emi noticed and glanced at her curiously.
"What's the matter, Abe-san?"