Lost in Summer! Fated Paradise · Chapter 1
Lost Wallet!
The light hits first...
The summer sun, hammering straight down overhead.
Then the ground gives...
Sand curling warm between my toes.
Beyond that...
*Splash!*
Luna
Wow, it's the ocean!!
Smile
Yep. The ocean...!
And the two of them in swimsuits!
The ocean...!
Luna
Pfft! What's with you, Captain?
You were hesitant earlier, but now you're all excited?
Or maybe seeing us in swimsuits has you so turned on you can barely contain yourself?
I mean...
Sure, they do look good in those swimsuits...!
And yes, they are pretty stunning...!
But being turned on...?
That's not it...!
Smile
Slight increase detected in the Captain's skin temperature compared to thirty minutes ago.
Likely cause is how revealing Luna's swimsuit is.
...Alternatively, excitement from seeing the ocean, a rare sight in NOA.
Which one is it, Captain?
Th-that's...!
...I'm just excited to see the ocean! Really!
Luna
Ahaha! Right! You're human too. Of course you'd get excited seeing the ocean!
But I guess it looks like we ditched Asherah and Omega to have fun on our own, huh?
No, wait. We left Omega with the Saintesses from the start, so we can leave her out of this...
...
Hmm... Then Asherah's the only one we left out, huh?
*Flinch...!*
Luna
Ahaha! What's done is done, Captain!
So don't worry too much. Since we're here, let's enjoy the beach to the fullest! Right, Smile?
Huh? Where did she wander off to now?
Smile
Oooh...
Luna, Captain. Look at this.
With the waves repeatedly scouring and depositing the sand...
My feet are getting buried with every wave...!
Luna
Hey, Smile! You can't just go in without us!
Wait up, I'm coming too!
Watching Luna follow Smile into the water, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of guilt.
...
Lisa
I'm so sorry!
This has to be an administrative mix-up! I swear, I checked the reservation date over and over!
So how did it end up booked for a different day?!
Smile
Negative. Judging from her explanation, simple human error is the most likely cause.
Lisa
A-anyway, I did manage to grab last-minute tickets for a train leaving today, but...
But, um... there were only three tickets left. Ahaha...
So only three of you can leave today...
Asherah
Wait... then how are the rest of us supposed to get there?
Lisa
They said the next available train leaves in three days, so...
Could you... maybe take that one...? W-would that work...?
Asherah & Luna & Smile
...
Lisa
...
Ngh...! It's not like I did it on purpose!
If anything, I was looking forward to this summer vacation just as much as you all—
N-no! I mean, our training camp!
I even took out another emergency youth loan to prepare for the trip! I bought three of the latest swimsuits and everything!
Smile
Liaison officer. You were clearly planning to have fun from the start...
Asherah
Whew... Well, what's done is done.
Maybe it worked out for the best. I didn't feel great about leaving Omega behind in NOA anyway.
On the bright side, now we can head out with Omega too!
Luna
...Huh? Wait, wait! What do you mean? Didn't you say Omega needed at least three full days of rest to get her energy back?
While we were in Monastir for a competition trial against the Monastir Knights...
We met Tyria and fought beside her in a decisive battle against another Executor, Gille.
...With the Monastir Knights' help, we defeated Gille, but...
Luna
...What about Omega?
Smile
She was forced to return to Star Piercer after energy reserves dropped below twenty percent.
*Crash!*
Asherah
What happened, Omega? Are you okay?!
Omega
Omega picked up the cup, and it broke...!
Omega's sorry for startling you...
Asherah
More importantly, Omega, your right arm...
Omega
Huh? Huh? Omega's arm is gone again!
But Omega ate so much!
After that battle, Omega began experiencing unexplained drops in output.
Cube, is there something wrong with Omega?
Cube Palace
Negative. Omega Control's current output instability appears to stem from...
Insufficient optimization of the newly acquired data.
Asherah
Optimization...?
Cube Palace
Estimated optimization period: three days. During this period, Omega Control will enter forced power-saving mode, and...
Muriel
Of course, of course! Don't you worry. We'll take good care of her!
Hehe... The spirit came right to me, and I didn't even have to lift a finger.
See? Good deeds really do bring blessings.
Elisa
As expected of you, Saintess Muriel...! I truly admire how utterly shameless you can be without batting an eye...!
Muriel
W-who are you calling shameless?!
...
Asherah
...Captain, is this really our only option?
They just seem so unreliable...
I had my doubts too, but Omega's recovery period overlapped with our expedition training in Flora.
We couldn't leave Omega and Cube alone in empty quarters while Omega was defenseless in her dormant state.
The Monolith Order actively studies ancient relics, so they could at least offer some help if anything went wrong.
Muriel
Hehe... Maybe I can climb ten ranks with this. No, twenty...?
...Of course, I made sure to warn the head priest not to let Muriel lay a finger on her.
It'll be all right.
Right, Omega?
Omega
Yeah! Omega will come back good as new!
Bye, everyone! See you later!
Asherah
Great! Since the training camp got pushed back anyway, we can wait for Omega and all leave together!
Luna
Hmm... Is this what they call a blessing in disguise?
Asherah
Yeah! It's the Voyager Savior Party's first training camp. We can't split up before it even starts.
Luna
Okaaay. Then we can spend the next three days kicking back for once and...
Asherah
For the next three days, while we wait for Omega to recover...
We'll use that time for training for our training camp!
Luna
...
Smile
...
Training for our training camp... Asherah is getting fired up about training again...
Luna
W-wait! What do you mean?!
Asherah
Luna, like I said earlier, this is the Voyager Savior Party's first ever training camp.
We can't waste a single day just because the schedule changed.
Luna
Nooo! At this rate, we'll be stuck in training hell...
...Huh? Wait, now that I think about it...
Lisa
?
Luna
...!
Asherah
Luna, are you listening to me?
Luna
...Ahh! Yeah! I seeee... So that's how it is.
Heh heh heh...
Smile
...?
Luna
Smile, lend me your ear for a sec.
Asherah
Then, Captain, I'll leave you in charge of our three days of training for our training camp.
Only you can guide us through efficient training and help us get the most out of camp.
Everyone agrees, right?
Hm? Luna?
...Smile? Captain?
They were right here a second ago?!
*Fwip!*
Luna
Yoink! We'll take our tickets first!
Lisa
Huh?! Luna?! What are you doing...?!
Luna
Sorry! But if we stick around, we'll be stuck training until the next train leaves!
So we'll go on ahead and get some proper rest! You two can take your time!
Lisa
Th-then take me with you too, please!
Smile
Impossible. There are only three tickets to begin with.
Please keep an eye on Omega at the Monolith Order.
Luna
See you in Flora!
Smile
See you in Flora.
Asherah
Huh?! Luna! Smile!
...Captain...!!
Sorry, Asherah!
Luna
Ahaha! Smile, you really can't swim, huh?
Smile
Uuugh... Maintaining equilibrium between buoyancy and gravity while facing forward is more difficult than expected...
Luna would understand if she tried it herself...!
Luna
Me? Oh please. I'm good enough to swim out to that island and back, at least!
Oh, but it might be hard for you since you're so short! They say tall, leggy beauties make the best swimmers, you know.
Smile
Body proportions are merely a secondary variable...!
...And my limbs are not short.
*Splash! Splash!*
Luna
Ack! Cut that out, you little brat!
Salt water stings when it gets in your eyes!
Smile
Actions that cause displeasure to others are subject to consequences. Or so I was told.
Luna
You little... You're gonna pay for that!
With her cheeks puffed out, Luna dove underwater.
*Blub... blub...*
Smile
Luna...?
Ngh...!
Wait... If you tug there, my swimsuit will...
Mmph?!
Flailing in panic, Smile reached out, only to lose her balance and sink beneath the water.
*Splash!*
Luna
Ahaha! That's what you get for slacking on swim practice, you little sinking stone!
Smile
Pwah...! That's cheating...!
*Splash! Splash!*
Water splashed up around them, scattering through the air and glittering in the sunlight.
Maybe it was the dazzling sunlight, but even the guilt weighing on me moments ago seemed to fade.
Luna
Captain, hurry up and get in! Come play with us!
Smile
Body temperature dropping due to seawater exposure. Feels good...!
But...
Luna
Come on. Overthinking things will only tie your brain in knots, you know?
At times like this, you just let go of all your usual worries and enjoy the moment.
Now, close your eyes and soak it all in!
...Y-you think so...?
Luna
Yeah! Now hurry, hurry!
Following Luna's advice, I closed my eyes and focused on my other senses.
The cool shade of the beach umbrella overhead, the sunlight warming my skin, and the sea breeze gently cooling it again.
Right. Maybe I had been overthinking things lately.
Might as well bury my worries in the sand for a while and enjoy the moment—
Beachgoer
Eeeek!!
...So much for enjoying it...
Beachgoer
A shark! There's a shark!
Luna
Waaah?! A shark?! Where?! Where?!
Smile
Negative. Sharks found in tropical waters, including those around Flora, do not linger in water this shallow.
A specimen appearing this close to shore would typically be either an inactive individual that drifted in by chance or one of Flora's rare mirages—
Ngh... Luna... Don't pull me by the hood...
Luna
This isn't the time for that, Smile! Hurry up and get out!
After a sudden commotion over a shark sighting off Flora's coast, swimming was temporarily banned at the beach.
Are you two okay?
Smile
Unharmed.
Still, failure to identify the specimen exhibiting unusual behavior is regrettable...
Luna
You seriously still don't get it, do you? What if something terrible had happened to you?
Don't you remember that play we saw with Asherah? The one where the shark was gobbling people up left and right—
Smile
If you mean Hurricane Shark, its depiction was inaccurate.
In general, sharks are not aggressive toward humans.
People like Luna, who accept exaggerated portrayals as fact, are textbook victims of media distortion.
Luna
Whaaat?!
Anyway, I'm glad neither of you got hurt...
I had thought about joining them in the water for a bit, but with swimming off-limits, it seemed our short vacation was over.
Luna
Huh? What do you mean, over?
The vacation isn't over! Who says it's over?!
But swimming's off-limits...
What else can we do?
Luna
Of course! I already booked us a three-day stay at Flora's ultra-luxury resort until Asherah gets here.
The shops and pools around here are all tied to the resort, so we can just charge everything to our room!
An ultra-luxury resort?! Where did you get the money for that?!
Luna
Ahaha! I actually hit it big at the casino for once! Enough for three days in the resort's best room with plenty left over!
The casino? Again?!
...Huh? Wait...
I was about to get mad, thinking she'd gone to the casino and come back broke as usual, when I finally noticed something was off.
You... won big at the casino?
Luna
That's what I'm saying!
...Seriously?!
Since when did you win at casinos?!
Smile
Luna's casino win rate is converging on zero.
And yet, she won big... which leads to a data error.
For the numbers to add up, she would have had to bet a considerable amount.
But Luna is usually penniless and often ends up sleeping outside.
Therefore, Luna's claim that she won big at the casino is most likely false.
Luna
Hehe... I understand if neither of you can believe it.
But the truth is, yours truly, Lavistar's genius gambler Luna, spent three days and nights at the tables and came away with a fortune!
So now you're a genius gambler instead of the greatest oracle...
Smile
Classification revised from low probability to impossible.
Feeling... fear!
Luna
Wh-what are you talking about?! I don't lose every single time!
Besides, this is our first vacation in Flora! We can't just let our first summer vacation go to waste, can we?
It's a training camp. A training camp.
Luna
I'm sure the moon must have recognized how badly I wanted this...
I made a wish for the best summer ever, drew one final card... and it was the winning one!
Thanks to that, I won enough to pay back the scary guy waiting behind me and still have enough left to splurge like this!
...I think I just heard something terrifying, but let's move on for now.
Luna
Come on, everyone. We only have three days.
When Asherah and Omega arrive three days from now, what do you think they'll say?
Smile
Since you had so much fun while I was gone, let's make up for lost time with extra training!
And we're making it extra brutal!!
...Probability of her saying that is one hundred percent.
Luna
Correct! Once Asherah shows up, fun times like this are over!
Th-that's...
...She's probably right.
Luna
Come on, you get it, right? Before the brutal training starts in three days, let's enjoy Flora while we can!
If you suddenly came into that much money, you should think ahead and set half of it aside—
Luna
Huh? Set some aside? Save it?
What's that?
...But I knew none of that would get through to her.
Luna
Come on, we're wasting time just standing around! Just trust yours truly and follow me!
Smile
O-ooohh...!
With that, Luna grabbed our hands and marched off, pulling us along.
Smile
*Munch... Munch...*
High price... justified by corresponding quality...!
Luna
Mm-hm! It literally melts in your mouth... So good!
Waiter
Haha. I'm glad you enjoyed it. How would you like to pay?
Luna
Yeah, charge it all to our room! We'll settle up at checkout!
And maybe, before I knew it...
Luna
This whole pool is ours! The Voyager Savior Party is taking over!
Just charge it to our resort room. We'll settle up at checkout!
I got swept up in the excitement...
Luna
Hm? This swimsuit would look good on you, Captain. What do you think?
No, no, don't even think twice! It's on me! I've got plenty to spare, so this is nothing!
Then I'll take you up on that!
And started spending without thinking.
Luna
This place is partnered with that resort over there, right? Then we'll settle up at checkout—
Shop Owner
Ah, if you mean Floren Premium Resort... we are not one of their partner shops.
Luna
Huh? Oh, you're not?
Shop Owner
That's right. We only opened recently.
Unfortunately, we haven't partnered with the resort yet.
Luna
Ugh... Guess I have no choice. I'll go get my wallet!
...
Luna
It's not here... Not here...
I've looked everywhere, and it's not here...!!
Luna dragged Smile and me back to the pool we'd rented for ourselves and frantically dug through the bag she'd left behind. But her wallet was nowhere to be found.
Luna
Aaaah... I've looked everywhere, and it's still not here! Where did it go...?!
Smile, nothing over there? Are you sure?!
Smile
...Not over here. I'm certain.
Luna
No waaay!!
*Sniffle...* *Sniffle...*
Waaah... I went through so much to get that money...
I was gonna show off by treating everyone to lots of delicious food and nice swimsuits...
Smile
Luna...
Luna
I wanted to throw enough money around that everyone would let my screwups slide for a while...!
Smile
...As predicted, a rather frivolous motive.
Luna
Waaah! But I really wanted to...!
...Calm down, and let's think this through step by step.
When was the last time you took out your wallet?
Luna
*Sniff...* Let's see... probably after I arrived in Flora... I changed into my swimsuit at the beach, and...
I didn't want anyone taking it, so I tied it to my swimsuit strap...
Smile
Question. Swimsuit strap?
Could it be...
Beachgoer
Eeeek!!
A shark! There's a shark!
Luna
Waaah?! A shark?! Where?! Where?!
Smile
Negative. Sharks found in tropical waters, including those around Flora, do not linger in water this shallow.
Luna
This isn't the time for that, Smile! Hurry up and get out!
Smile
...Okay.
It is certain that you dropped it in the ocean.
...The wallet... in the ocean...?
Smile
*Nod*
Luna
Waaah...
L-Luna...
Luna
Waaah...!
Lunaaa!!!
Luna
Waaah!!
Story and illustrations © Studio B-Side. An unofficial reading archive — for questions or requests, see the About page.