Even though I ate mangoes until I was sick of them during my time living in Okinawa, I still love them.

I'm drenched in sweat.
The basic structure for defense is mostly done.
For now, it should be fine against bipeds and wolves. For bears... I think I'll need to go all out.

I want to take a bath... A deeply Japanese desire has emerged.
But there's no bathing culture here. Maybe I'll buy a large bucket and do a quick rinse.

When I enter the house, a pleasant aroma fills the air.

"Welcome back."

Arms wrap around me from behind.

"I'm all sweaty, you know."

"It's fine. I've been helping out too."

I turn around to see Riz approaching for a kiss.

"Fufu. A little salty."

"Aa, that's what I said."

"It's okay. Everything about you is okay."

"Do you want to eat me?"

"Yes, I do."

We head to the living room together, where Ast has already taken a seat.

On the dining table was something like flatbread with vegetables, melted cheese, and ham on top. It looked like some kind of pizza.

The moment I bit into it, the chewy dough combined with the sweet juices of the vegetables spread an indescribable deliciousness in my mouth. The aroma of the cheese and the saltiness of the ham were perfect. It was delicious.

"This is really good."

"Ufufu. A new creation. Yesterday I had Akihiro make me something tasty, so today I gave it my all!" Teisha said proudly.

"How did your magic training go?" Ast asks.

"It's interesting. The teacher was great. There are no issues with the basics."

"Hmm."

We returned to eating in silence.

After finishing the meal, I took care of some pending tasks. As I turned to head back to my room, I called out to Riz.

"Riz, can you help me for a moment?"

"What is it?"

I brought out the bag filled with fruits I had picked up and began examining each one.

"I found these here and there in the northern forest. Are any of them edible?"

After checking each one, she took out just one type.

"The others aren't very tasty. They don't have poison, so maybe they can be used for emergency water."

It was a red fruit resembling a loquat.

"You can peel the skin and eat it as is."

Skillfully peeling the skin, she handed it to me. The seed inside was large—only one per fruit. The taste wasn't like loquat but more like mango. The sweet, sticky flavor was delicious. She peeled another one and popped it into her own mouth.

"Mm. Sweet. It's tasty."

She covered her cheeks with her hands as a smile spread across her face. That gesture was so cute.

"I was worried about these. Thanks."

"It was good."

She grabbed my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. The rich aroma of the fruit lingered.

"This is delicious too..."

My heart raced.

After returning to the room, I borrowed some hot water and washed myself.

Thinking it was time to sleep, I heard a knock on the door. Opening it, Riz stood there.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Honestly, due to the house's structure, everything could be heard clearly. But I guess my parents weren't worried about that.

"Sure."

Riz jumped into bed. Her white skin peeking out from under the covers made my heart race.

"Do you want to see?"

Girls are sensitive to a man's gaze no matter where they are.

"I might lose control, so no."

"Awww..."

She said sadly but then wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into bed. Her eyes were already glistening.

She wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me close. She kissed every part of my face—my forehead, ears, eyelids.

"You're gentle... I like that."

Her breathing became ragged, melting away my reason. We kissed over and over again.

When I reached for her chest, I snapped back to reality.

"Hey! Didn't we agree on a time-out?"

"Fufu. You were almost defeated, weren't you?"

Caught off guard, I pouted a bit.

"Yeah yeah. Our princess is irresistible."

"Ufufu, princess... Say it more..."

"Brighter than the twinkling stars, more beautiful than blooming flowers. There's no one in this world as wonderful as you, Riz."

"You have such a silver tongue..."

Her glistening eyes came closer and closer.

We kept kissing until I felt like I was melting.

"Alright, tomorrow is early. Let's sleep."

I decided to go to bed before I lost control.

"Good night."

"Good night, princess."

Ah, time to check the TODO list.

[x] Confirm the fruits with Rizatia.

One thing I was worried about is crossed off the list.

Alright, let's work hard tomorrow too. Good night.