By evening, the last rays of the setting sun had gradually faded, and night quietly descended.
On the Tenth Floor of Nazarick, inside a spacious and luxurious bathhouse, warm steam drifted through every corner like a soft veil.
Gentle light filtered through the mist, casting a hazy, comforting glow that seemed to wrap the entire bathhouse in a dreamlike sheen.
Resting her head against the soft cushion at the edge of the bath, Akemi quietly enjoyed the sensation of warm water flowing over her skin.
Her long golden hair spilled naturally over the cushion, with a few stray strands resting playfully against her fair shoulders.
Under the glow of the lights and the surrounding steam, her skin gleamed with a pearly luster, smooth and delicate.
The graceful line of her collarbone showed faintly through the mist, as exquisite as a work of art.
Her slender neck stretched elegantly, reminiscent of a swan.
The young woman kept her eyes half-closed, her long lashes resting against her cheeks like the wings of a butterfly.
"It's still just a bath, but compared to before, it feels completely different!"
Akemi slowly raised one arm.
Droplets of water slid down her slender skin, sparkling beneath the lights like pearls slipping from a broken string.
As a Level 100 Player, she was capable of going for long periods without food or water and could ignore the vast majority of ordinary physiological needs.
With only a small amount of magical power, she could maintain the basic conditions necessary for survival.
But that was merely true in theory.
No sentient being in the world could truly accept living that way indefinitely without a second thought.
There was no such thing as a living creature entirely devoid of desire.
Even plants, which appeared to grow quietly without asking for anything, instinctively sought fertile soil and warm sunlight so they could flourish.
As long as a form of life continued to exist, desires would inevitably arise.
Someone who had lost every last desire could never survive in this world for long.
So why did bathing now feel so completely different from the way it once had?
Most likely because certain desires buried deep within her had, for the moment, finally been satisfied.
"Nazarick... huh..."
Akemi murmured absentmindedly, her gaze slightly unfocused.
With Yuri accompanying her, she had spent the entire afternoon touring Nazarick.
Images of Shalltear, Aura, Mare, and the many other NPCs she had met flashed through her mind.
Most of them had been overjoyed by her arrival.
After all, she was the younger sister of a Supreme One.
Even though they knew she was a Forest Elf, one of the Humanoid Races, her identity alone still granted her an exceptionally exalted status.
That made Akemi keenly aware of the hierarchy within Nazarick.
If Nazarick were compared to an enormous pyramid, then there was no question that the 42 Supreme Ones stood at its very peak.
Immediately beneath them would be those with close and direct ties to the Supreme Ones, such as their wives or pets.
The third tier would consist of the Supreme Ones' creations, including the powerful Guardians and the dutiful maids.
The fourth tier would be made up of the NPCs summoned within Nazarick itself.
The fifth tier would belong to outsiders who joined later.
As for everyone beneath that...
They were all equally far below.
Akemi considered where she herself fit into this hierarchy.
Given her current circumstances, she was probably above the second tier, but still not quite standing at the very top.
"Sigh, no matter where I go, I really can't escape this annoying problem called social hierarchy."
Akemi let out a helpless sigh.
There was one thing she understood very clearly.
Her presence was rather conspicuous.
Especially to Herohero.
Sometimes silence itself was a wordless warning.
Akemi understood that perfectly well.
She could also understand Herohero's position. If their roles were reversed, she probably would not want another Player being invited to their table either.
After all, her relationship with Herohero amounted to little more than having met him a few times through the Guild.
They could hardly be considered friends.
With such a weak connection between them, the amount of trust they shared was practically negligible.
Momonga and Naohara had both been on Akemi's friend list, so she had believed that the two of them might also transmigrate to this world.
Herohero's arrival, however, had been completely unexpected.
Not everyone valued their companions as much as Brother Momonga did.
If Akemi ever developed thoughts that were inappropriate or came at the wrong time, Herohero would probably act against her without hesitation.
"Though I doubt I'd ever have even the slightest thought like that."
Power had long since become tasteless to her.
During her first hundred years, Akemi had indeed been captivated by it for a short while.
But as time went on, the novelty and excitement quickly vanished, leaving behind nothing but deep weariness and exhaustion.
Among the ancient records of Sea City, there was a widely known tale of the Holy Maiden leading the people to suppress a beast tide.
Yet Akemi herself knew the truth better than anyone.
The entire thing had merely been a performance she orchestrated so she could finally free herself from everything.
"As for me now, the only thing I want is more and more. Enough to fill this greedy heart of mine."
What Akemi sought was to lose herself completely in her own desires.
Immersing herself in that pursuit felt like falling into a bottomless abyss, sinking deeper and deeper while never wanting to wake.
To her, that sensation of willingly losing herself was as addictive as a drug.
Deep down, she understood that continuing like this was not the right thing to do.
But the "sense of security" she received from it left her utterly incapable of breaking away.
All she could do was allow herself to continue further down that path.
Akemi had been intentionally, and sometimes almost unconsciously, closing the distance between herself and Naohara.
Even though they had already made a promise for "a lifetime," that alone was nowhere near enough to satisfy her.
After all, the meaning of "a lifetime" was far too broad.
Friends for life.
Brother and sister for life.
And...
Husband and wife for life!
The last one was what Akemi truly wanted.
Perhaps others would think it foolish to entrust her entire existence to another person like this.
But as the old saying went, "You are not a fish, so how could you know the joy of a fish?"
How could anyone else truly understand what she felt?
To the Akemi of the present, Naohara undoubtedly held an extraordinarily special and irreplaceable place in her heart.
She knew perfectly well that she was gradually drifting toward an extreme, yet she did not care.
Because this was a choice she had made willingly.
She was prepared to entrust all her feelings to him and remain by his side throughout the long years ahead.
No matter how the world changed, she would remain true to the choice she had made.
Even if doing so restricted her freedom and placed another shackle upon her, one that appeared heavy but meant little to her in practice, she would accept it without regret.
"Still, being too aggressive wouldn't be good either. I'll only push this hard for now. Afterward, I should take things slowly."
Sweat beaded across Akemi's forehead as she exhaled a warm breath. Her cheeks flushed pleasantly as she shifted into a more comfortable position.
The period immediately after reuniting with someone following a long separation was crucial.
That was true not only for her, but for Brother Naohara as well.
When people were separated for a long time, memories of the time they had spent together would be revisited over and over, gradually becoming idealized.
The longer the separation lasted, the more intense the emotions became when they finally reunited.
That emotional surge came not only from everything that had accumulated in the past, but also from expectations for the future and a renewed appreciation for the present.
In other words, right now was unquestionably the best time to raise his affection for her!
Akemi had deliberately presented herself as delicate and obedient, which was naturally the easiest way to draw out someone's protective instincts and sympathy.
And reality had turned out exactly as she expected.
Brother Naohara had shown her an enormous amount of patience and tolerance.
That was exactly what she had wanted.
As the saying went, if everyone in a room refuses to let you open a window, tell them you want to tear off the roof instead. Suddenly, opening the window will sound perfectly reasonable.
When Brother Naohara had asked what she wanted to do in the future, Akemi had answered that she wanted to become his wife.
That had been her roundabout strategy.
First, she would propose something he could never immediately agree to, paving the way for her to settle for something less afterward.
If becoming his wife was impossible, then she could start by becoming his lover.
If becoming his lover was impossible, then she could start as his little sister.
Human boundaries were surprisingly flexible.
When exposed to outside pressure, people would gradually adjust those boundaries on their own.
Just as Brother Naohara had said, there was no need for her to rush.
She only had to let time slowly wear everything down.
After all, "we" would always have more than enough time~
"Akemi-sama, I've brought your clothes."
A clear and pleasant voice drifted in from beyond the bathhouse door.
Hearing the familiar voice, Akemi felt a slight stir in her heart, and someone immediately came to mind.
Albedo?
Compared to the other NPCs, the Guardian Overseer was one of the few people Akemi still could not quite figure out.
Still, she did not dwell on it.
She would be living in Nazarick for a long time from now on. They would see each other constantly, so there would be plenty of opportunities to interact.
Given enough time, certain things would naturally become clear.
"Thank you. I think I'll soak a little longer, so you can just leave the clothes with Yuri."
Akemi's languid voice came from inside the bathhouse.
Standing outside the door, Albedo's eyes shifted slightly at those words, but her expression quickly returned to normal.
"Of course, Akemi-sama."
She answered softly.
Then she handed the clothes in her arms to Yuri, who was standing respectfully nearby.
Once that was done, Albedo gave a slight bow toward the door before turning and leaving with graceful steps.
After Naohara-sama's earlier warning, she no longer entertained any unnecessary thoughts.
Her attention toward Akemi was simply habitual.
After all, the biological younger sister of a Supreme One was by no means a trivial matter for Nazarick.
Time passed little by little, and no one knew exactly how long had gone by.
At last, a faint sound came from the previously quiet bathhouse.
Still half-dazed from the heat, Akemi slowly climbed out of the steaming bath.
Her wet hair hung loosely across her shoulders as droplets ran down the strands and fell to the floor with soft, crisp sounds.
Yuri, who had been waiting outside the entire time, immediately opened the door when she heard the movement.
She quickly stepped over to Akemi, gently dried the water from her body with a soft towel, then carefully helped her into the clean clothes.
Finally, like a loyal guard, Yuri escorted Akemi all the way back to the entrance of her room.
Akemi had been given Yamaiko's room as her residence.
The arrangement had been made because of their relationship as sisters, so there had been no need to prepare separate living quarters for Akemi.
Once everything was settled, Akemi dragged her exhausted body over to the large, comfortable bed and collapsed onto it.
She rolled over and wrapped herself snugly in the warm blankets.
[In a few days, I should make a trip to the Sorcerer Kingdom, meet Brother Naohara's Thought Body, and maybe find something to keep myself occupied while I'm there...]
With that thought in mind, Akemi soon drifted into a deep sleep.
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