Isekai Tensei Harem

We walk happily in the noisy festival.

「Amu amu…… n, delicious…… mogu mogu」

Claire munching on the bread roll looks really happy.
Although her expression is usually tense, her whole face is all smiles now.

「Delicious…… paku paku…… desu…… hafuu~」

Racine next to Claire also eats her bread roll with a similar expression.
Her whole face smiles with her eyes closed.

Just looking at them is making me happy.

「Ehehe, I’m glad we went together」

Claire says with bean paste on her lips.

「Thank you for inviting us, Abel」

My heart is startled because of her smile.

「I’m also grateful. It’s my first time having fun like this with a man desu. It’s fun~」

Racine smiles bashfully.

「I just swung my sword every day since I enrolled into the Knight school. The last time I went to a festival like this, was with Abel back in the day」

「Didn’t Claire-sama receive many invitations from other men?」

「I have declined all invitations. I have devoted myself to studying, after all」

Claire wryly smiles at Racine’s question.

Swordsmanship, huh. That’s so Claire-like.

「Kyaa…..!?」

That moment, Claire’s body staggered.
It seems she lost balance in the crowd of people.

「Claire!」

I caught Claire in hurriedly.

「Ah ……」

She raises her voice and our eyes meet.
It’s kind of posture where Claire buries her face into my chest.

By holding her like this, I can understand how surprisingly delicate her body is.
The feeling is not that of rough muscles, but a melting softness.
Even when she’s so strong, even when she’s forging her body every day, she’s a girl after all.

I have held this body twice, huh──

The night in the village and the night in Rashuka City flash across my mind.

「I’m already fine, Abel」

Claire says and separates her body from mine.

When my eyes match hers, the feeling of embarra.s.sment quickly rises.
The same goes for Claire, so there are two blushing people with wandering eyes.

「…… The two of you flirting again…… my chest is noisy again……」

「Uo, that surprised me!?」

All of sudden, Racine muttered from behind.

「I mean, your chest is noisy? Are you feeling sick?」

「No, it’s not like my physical condition is bad~」

Racine stares at me in bafflement.

「When I saw Abel-sama and Claire-sama embrace, like this…… the inside of my chest started throbbing painfully……」

「…… Racine, you」

Claire says with a grim expression as if she figured something.
Racine’s expression stiffened in shock.

「You already, about Abel……」

「Wha, what are you talking about……?」

「But, I mean, that att.i.tude」

「I have eaten it all in a daze. I will go buy Abel-sama’s share」

Seeing Claire’s trying to pursue something, Racine starts talking rapidly and escapes.

「Oi, Racine──」

The small-sized body disappears in the crowd without stopping.
I look at Claire in puzzlement.

「Let’s wait here」

Claire sighs painfully.

What happened, Racine……?
Also, their conversation from a while ago──

My thoughts were stopped because of the deafening sounds in the sky.

「Look, fireworks」

Claire who pulled up herself together points at the sky with a smile.

Red, blue, green, yellow──Lights of various fireworks beautifully illuminated the night sky.
I have seen fireworks at the festival in the hometown before.
However, capital’s fireworks are indeed luxurious.

「We have played like this at festivals when we were children, huh」

Claire smiles while looking at the sky.

Fireworks shining on her revealed a slight blush on her face.
Looking at this pristine beauty, my heart throbbed in a startle.

Claire is so cute──

「That time, I thought you were a cute little brother」

Though she is always different, Claire has her time when she’s awfully Oneesan-like.
I sigh lightly.

「Ehehe, Sorry, sorry. But, that time, I have really felt like that」

「Then, what about now?」

「Now……」

Claire cuts her words and turns towards me.

The smile from before all of sudden disappeared.
She stares at me with a serious face.

「A little──different? A little more many than before? When I was in the village, I wasn’t conscious of you as the opposite s.e.x……」

Eh, what do you mean by──?

When I was going to ask, Claire snuggled to me.
We watched fireworks close together like lovers would.

Ah, this is nice.
I savor the happiness wholeheartedly.

It feels like──A date with my cla.s.smate I had a crush on. I have always longed for this in the previous world.
But, in reality, I didn’t have such cla.s.smate, and an event so full of riajuu was irrelevant to me.

But now, I’m glad that I could experience such dreamy situation with Claire.

Just talk silly, laugh and quietly snuggle──such unbearable happiness can be considered extravagance.

「I see, this is──」

I noticed all of sudden.

「Abel?」

I blankly look at Claire.

「This is the thing which Claire and Racine want to protect, huh」

Ordinary, quiet, therefore irreplaceable.
Important happy times.
I did not have such times in my previous world.

Not a duty or a mission, but pa.s.s my time in happiness like today──I feel like I have realized something again.

「Can I──also? Just like Claire and Racine. An existence that can protect these times, this place, these people」

I recall what Roge-san said back in the Rashuka City.
The reason and resolution to fight.

I have thought about it only vaguely so far…… no, I have a feeling that it took a shape little by little.

「You sure can」

Claire looks at me and smiles

「With Magic stronger than anyone, everyone’s hope and happiness──You have the means to protect both」

Listening to Claire’s words, mysterious courage gushes out from within me.
I’m full of confidence.

「Therefore, you certainly can. If it’s you. You will protect more people than anyone else」

「Thank you, Claire──」

Before I noticed, Claire’s face was extremely close.

The light from the fireworks reflected her blushed face.
The sigh escaping from her lips is awfully sweet.

「…… N」

Before I noticed, Claire robbed me of my lips.

Meltingly sweet, soft on touch.
We kissed calmly while the night sky continued being illuminated with fireworks──

「Stare~」

I heard a glum voice nearby.

「…… Hey, uwa, Racine!?」

When I look back, I see Racine staring at us absentmindedly.
I and Claire separated our faces in panic.

「Ah…… so, sorry, for interrupting you……! Because I bought the bread roll I wanted to call to you, but…… awawa……」

Racine somewhat falls into a panic.
Claire also looks at her going「Awawa……」and apologizes,

「I’m also sorry……」

「No, me too……」

The three of us exchange embarra.s.sing, awkward, glances. The atmosphere became weird.