The sea breeze blew past, and a strange dead silence fell over the railing.
Byerley's and Darley's pupils widened slightly at that instant. The two stiffly exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths twitching wildly beyond their control.
Although they had already expected that, given Godolphin's situation, there was a high chance she would end up with Kuroha in the end...
Wasn't this progress bar filling up a little too fast?!
Their old spinster girlfriend, who had stayed unmoved through thunder and rain for three hundred years, had just gone from proud singlehood to instant prosperity in one step?
"Ah... Ahaha, so that's how it is..."
Even Darley, who was usually bright and passionate, instantly looked a little dispirited, answering weakly.
Byerley, at least, still barely managed to keep her expression under control.
She took a deep breath, hesitated for a long while, and ultimately, under Darley's silent urging, forced herself to ask.
"Then... between the two of you, you haven't already... ahem, done it, have you?!"
"..."
This time, it was Kuroha's turn to be covered in black lines.
Was that something they could just ask?
Although being asked about such a private matter by outsiders made him somewhat embarrassed, seeing the red-haired goddess beside him staring over as well, he could only rub his brow and answer helplessly.
"We have already... done it."
"But Godolphin said that, in her current state, it feels a little strange. So she told me to hurry up and become a god, then go to her true body as soon as possible..."
"Good! Don't say any more. We understand."
The two goddesses interrupted him with perfect tacit understanding.
Then the two women turned their heads and quietly looked out at the blue sea before them.
Their eyes were hollow and distant. In an instant, they turned into two salted fish who had lost all dreams, silently contemplating who knew what philosophy of life.
Seeing the red and yellow goddesses begin staring blankly at the sea, Kuroha had no idea how to comfort these two older goddesses who had been single for three hundred years.
After hesitating for a while, however, he still forced himself to speak.
"Darley, Byerley, there's actually one more thing I need your help with."
"...What is it?"
The two salted fish did not even turn their heads. Their voices held no fluctuation at all.
Kuroha could only quickly explain the team's current predicament.
"In a while, Teio's Kikka Sho will also be over, and the matter of her overseas expedition will have to be put on the agenda."
"But right now, we're a little short on manpower."
Kuroha frowned as he continued.
"At the moment, Godolphin still needs to take care of McQueen overseas. Fumino will also need to train a new uma musume after the new year. Aoi has to stay in Japan to assist with Bourbon's and Rice Shower's training. As for the basic training of the other elementary division little uma musume, I'll arrange for Glory to take over when the time comes."
"So, for Teio's expedition escort and training assistant, we're still missing one—"
"Me, me, me! Pick me!"
Before Kuroha could even say "person," Darley, who had been pretending to be a salted fish, suddenly had her eyes light up. She grabbed Kuroha's arm into her embrace and spoke in quick succession.
In that instant.
That astonishingly massive evil pressed through the thin fabric, bringing Kuroha a heart-stopping sensation against his arm.
A radiant smile rose on the red-haired goddess's face, her eyes glimmering.
"You're looking for an assistant to handle little Teio's expedition training, right? What do you think of me? I can do it~"
"..."
Feeling the passionate girl beside him and the astonishing softness swallowing his arm, Kuroha was a little dazed.
He had thought this proposal would be rejected.
Compared with McQueen, Teio had not yet fully stepped into the realm of [World].
Logically speaking, she should not yet have reached the threshold where the Three Goddesses would personally step in to guide her.
He had already prepared his explanation in advance.
He would handle the training plan.
They only needed to help take care of Teio's daily life.
But unexpectedly, the words he had prepared never even had the chance to leave his mouth.
The Three Goddesses had actually agreed to the arrangement?
Beside him, Byerley, who had opened her mouth slightly as if wanting to say something, gave a quiet sigh. She pressed her lips together and softly explained.
"For us Three Goddesses, the minimum requirement for personally guiding a junior is being 'second among her contemporaries.'"
"She does not necessarily have to fully step into the third stage of [Domain]."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Kuroha immediately grew interested.
"So in your evaluation system, the current Teio is already the absolute number one of her generation on a global scale?"
"You've already witnessed the strength of other top overseas uma musume."
Byerley asked in return, "In the classic-year category, who in the current world do you think can defeat the current Teio?"
Kuroha thought about it seriously for a moment.
Now that she mentioned it...
There really was no one.
Forget other overseas uma musume.
Even McQueen, who was currently tearing through the European racing scene, would be crushed by Teio from the same period due to her foot pain if they were both in their classic year.
As fellow Chasing Light uma musume, that little horse girl's talent and current tenacity truly stood in a class of her own.
One could even say something extreme.
Teio...
Was indeed the strongest Chasing Light uma musume Kuroha had ever taught.
"Then that settles it."
Byerley glanced sideways at Darley, who was still clinging to Kuroha's arm, took a deep breath, and suddenly said something completely out of nowhere.
"Also, this time, don't be too fast. At least... give me a little time to prepare myself mentally."
"...What do you mean, too fast?"
Kuroha was utterly confused and had completely failed to follow the yellow goddess's train of thought.
At that moment, the red-haired goddess beside him leaned over with a sly look in her eyes and said with a bright smile.
"What Byerley means is—Kuro-kun, 'When are you planning to conquer me?'"
"?"
Seeing Kuroha look as though he were an old man staring at a phone on the subway, Darley raised a jade-like finger and twirled it in the air.
"Kuro-kun, let me ask you something."
"Starting next year, this world will have four gods."
"The gender ratio will be three women and one man."
"So, question! Under the current circumstances, where that one male god has already successfully conquered one goddess and already has two harem teams below..."
"What is the correct course of action for him? One: leave it alone and keep waiting for other gods to be born. Two: put in some effort and conquer the other two as well!"
"Now then, what is the answer?"
"..."
The corner of Kuroha's mouth twitched as he asked tentatively, "So, I should choose two?"
"Bingo! Correct again. Darling, you really are smart~"
Darley directly changed how she addressed him, her delicate face filled with smiles. Then she said seriously,
"The current situation is that Byerley and I only have favorable feelings toward you."
"So, Darling, you need to figure out how to conquer us."
"Otherwise, after you become a god—"
Darley's face suddenly turned gloomy as she made a scary expression. But with that face of hers, it only made her look adorable.
"Byerley and I will block the entrance to the world and stop you from seeing Godolphin!"
Hearing this, Byerley turned her head away, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
Darley really said it...
The yellow goddess felt like she no longer had the face to meet anyone.
"...I'll... do my best."
Although he felt somewhat speechless, Kuroha still let out a light sigh and nodded.
Three hundred years of single life.
It seemed it really was hard to endure...
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]