The staff of the Sigma Heroes still couldnโt rest; they had more work to do and would have to work overtime.
The maintenance engineers needed to repair the exoskeleton armor damaged today. After all, there was an event tomorrow that required the use of exoskeletons, so they had to be debugged and restored to a usable state before then. That was why they needed to borrow Luciaโs help.
The photographer had to process todayโs footage and edit it into a program. Pulling an all-nighter was inevitable. The reason for her poor mental state was precisely due to long-term overwork, and her long bangs were meant to hide her conspicuous dark circles.
Even though the stylist didnโt have much to do at the moment, she still had to consider the heroesโ styles for the next day and couldnโt truly enjoy a vacationโฆ
Meanwhile, Clara had already returned to her room and was soaking comfortably in the bath.
[Clara, Shuta Dharma said she would visit. If you keep soaking any longer, youโll be caught in your bath.]
โI know, Iโll come out soon~โ
[You said that five minutes ago.]
โLet me finish this plate of grapes and then Iโll come out!โ
It was just too comfortable; once she entered the tub, it was hard to get out.
โTsk, a bath with an ocean viewโฆ This is why they say rich people know how to enjoy life, huh?โ
Clara stretched out her arms, leaning against the tub. Her small feet splashed and slid around in the water, feeling her slippery skin. Nyx was also using its tiny tendrils to pick grapes and deliver them to her mouthโcourtesy of the resort staff.
โSo comfy, so fancy! Mmph! Hey, donโt feed me so fast! My mouth isnโt a coin slot, you canโt just stuff things in one after another like that!โ
[Hurry and finish up already.]
โWhat are you, my mom!?โ
Clara complained to Nyx, but knowing the other was right, she still climbed out of the tub with her bare bottom, letting the small tendrils holding a towel dry her off.
The bathroom in the guest room was semi-open.
Though it couldnโt be seen from the outside, it was only shielded by two intersecting walls for visual privacy and had no door.
As for the balcony area, it was even less secureโmeant to keep out gentlemen, not scoundrels. If a drone flew in right now, it would get a perfect view of Claraโฆ
Suddenly, Claraโs body was covered by a mosaic.
โHm? Whatโs going on?โ
Nyx suddenly activated its Ps-ycho ability, leaving Clara bewildered.
[Someoneโs coming.]
When Nyx said that, Clara instinctively glanced at the guest room door on the first floor, but there was no knock, nor could she see or hear anything unusual.
Next, she looked toward the balcony.
She saw Sistaโ
She saw Pure White Storm unfurling her white mechanical wings, carrying someone straight into Claraโs bedroom.
โHuh? Hey!!โ
Clara hurriedly crouched down, hugging herself. Even with Nyx projecting a mosaic over her, she was still embarrassedโafter all, this wasnโt the first time such a scene had occurred.
Previously in the dressing room of the Forest of Enchantment, a similar thing had happenedโฆ
Clara suspected that Pure White Storm did it on purpose and couldnโt help but scold in a delicate voice, โDonโt you know how to knock?! Who just flies into someoneโs bathroom like that? Pervert! Get out!โ
โSorry, I was just bringing Miss Lucia backโฆโ
The person being princess-carried by Pure White Storm was her own little sister. Claraโs gaze at him turned even more peculiar.
Lucia hurried over to help her up, saying, โHa! Senpai, you donโt have to worry~ Miss Sista is in a rather special situationโฆ Eh? Miss?โ
Clara suspiciously looked at Pure White Storm, whose expression didnโt change at all, as if she wasnโt the least bit concerned.
โCould it beโฆโ
Knock knockโ
Just as Clara was about to ask, there came a knock from downstairs.
โItโs me.
Itโs Shuta Dharma.
โThatโs right, Pure White Stormโฆ or rather, the one you call Sistaโher biological sex really is female. I came here to tell you about this.โ
โฆYouโre a girl?!
No wonder carrying Pure White Storm felt so similar to carrying Shinwei. Even flat-chested women felt different than men; that slight softness was unmistakable.
โAhem!โ Clara cleared her throat awkwardly.
She had already changed into a cool camisole nightgown.
Of course, it wasnโt something sheโd brought alongโit was projected by Nyx via data projection. These data creations couldnโt leave the drive for too long, or theyโd vanish, but as long as it was clothing worn on the body, it didnโt matter.
โWell then, Miss Dharma, please explain.โ
โIn fact, I already hinted at this answer at the Expo Center, but you didnโt notice at all.โ
Clara really hadnโt thought Sista was a girl.
After all, hisโฆ her behavior always fit that of a handsome young man, at most a bit lacking in common sense.
โSorry, Iโm an idiotโgive me a riddle, and Iโll never get it. Please just tell me directlyโฆโ
โAs you can see, Pure White Stormโs exoskeleton is much smaller than the other threeโs. Thatโs for mobility and lightness, but we couldnโt find any men who could wear it, so we had to ask a woman to pretend to be a man.
A woman disguised as a man?โ
Ahโ
No wonder they had to buy clothes at the Forest of Enchantment!
โNo, the situation is even more complicated than you thinkโฆโ
Shuta Dharma seemed unsure how to proceed, hesitating for a moment before Nyx spoke in Claraโs mind:
[Let Nyx explain.]
A tendril appeared, shaped like a small injector, and then poked into Pure White Stormโs hand.
[She isnโt a natural human.]
โHuh?โ
[She was cultivated in a labโa manufactured human. At birth, she was already like this, and all her knowledge, common sense, even personality and preferences, were preloaded. She has no concept of childhoodโฆ]
Nyxโs words made Claraโs pupils tremble.
โA manufactured human?!โ
[In other words, sheโs only one year old.]
โWhat?! Youโre only one year old?!โ
โYouโreโฆโ
Although Clara had no idea how she was reading Sistaโs information, Shuta Dharma, surprised as she was, added, โShe only came off the production line a year ago. Her set age at release is sixteen, so this year she should be seventeenโฆโ
But Clara didnโt agree with this โreleased at sixteenโ explanation.
โโฆIsnโt that still just one year old?!โ
Pure White Storm released her equipment.
The exoskeleton dissolved in a flash of dazzling white light and disappeared.
She turned back into Sista.
โMiss Clara, Iโm sorry for keeping this from youโฆโ
โNo, Iโm actually relieved youโre a girl.
Compared to falling for a man, being attracted to a woman is much easier to explain.โ
[However, falling for a ** whoโs one year old is an unforgivable crime.]
Nyx had recently developed a bad habit of making snide remarks.
โSo? Why are you telling me this secret?โ
Clara turned to Shuta Dharma.
To reveal something that could be called a โcorporate secretโ so easily, Shuta Dharma must have a favor to ask.
โUm, well, Iโd like to ask you to help keep this childโs true identity a secret in the upcoming collaborationโฆ After all, it will be livestreamedโฆ and as you know, sheโsโฆ well, very lacking in common sense. Extremely lacking, in fact.โ
It was the first time Clara had seen Miss Dharma so hesitant; clearly, this request was hard for her to make, and Clara could understand her difficulty.
โI understand. Iโll help.โ
Anyway, Clara had a good impression of Pure White Storm. Helping out this much was no big dealโฆ
โAnd, thereโs one more request.โ
โHmm?โ
โCould she stay here tonight?โ
โWhat?!โ
Not only Clara, but even Lucia was stunned.
As for the reason, Nyx merely reminded:
[Clara, the number of males is odd.]
Poor Baby.