Vol.2 Chapter 18: The Contest That No One Told Me About

Vol.2 Chapter 18: The Contest That No One Told Me About

While the girls that had been with me and Zossie went to get changed, I walked over to Soleira, giving her a warm smile. "You look great," I said, and she nodded to me, giving me a look up and down.

"It seems that you have been keeping in very good shape as well. I can see the appeal that the other women see in you," Soleira smiled back, and I nodded.

"I need to keep getting stronger. There will be more Endbringers in the future, so I am using every chance I get to get stronger. Though, I can't ignore you all, but things are going to get easier after Cryo evolves. Right now I can only slow time in my place, but in the future, I want to have time slow whenever I am there," I explained, and Soleira looked towards the tunnel ahead.

Soleira didn't look at me but moved closer to me with a smile on her face. "You know? I had already made my choice to be caught by you before even meeting you."Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates

"Really? You trusted me that much without even meeting me?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I looked over all the information we had collected, and nothing pointed to you being a bad person. I actually think that you are quite the opposite, and you have proved me right numerous times. I know Zossie can be a handful, but-" Soliera said, but I put up a hand to stop her and then walked to stand in front of her.

"Don't worry. Zossie's words don't bother me, and her personality is a lot like another certain someone we all know," I said, giving Lusamine a sideways look, but she was standing at the glass with Joy and Nemona, not paying any attention to us. "I will not push her, nor will I push her away. I have kind of come to terms with this all, but I am really going to have to put a stop to all these women joining. I am only one man after all!"

Soleira laughed, and even though she was the most modestly dressed, the action made her look radiant. "I suppose, or you will never have enough time."

"How do you feel about all of this?" I asked, and Soleira looked away bashfully, which surprised me.

"You are my type, but I think I will be fine with my potion shop for now. While I did want to join, I am doing this because I want to help my home. I hope that by joining you, I will one day find the answer..." Soleira explained, trailing off for a moment. "It's not that I don't like you, but I would like more time to think about things and all of our future. I am still trying to deal with the fact that Zossie and Dulse joined. I was supposed to be the only one, but I suppose that it doesn't matter now. I am just worried about how they will adjust."

I nodded. I could understand her worries, but a lot of this was my first time hearing it. It kind of made me feel bad about catching the other two, but what was done was done. The only option would be to return them to Megalopolis, but they would lose all their memories.

I had a conversation in private with Cryo previously about this. The problem with it was that it could take more than just the memories of me. Any memories even related to things I have done would be taken out, and any memories relating to them. Unfortunately, Cryo didn't have any exact information about it because no one had ever been released before.

All I could do at this point was do my best for the two to make sure they were happy. Zossie would be some work, but Dulse was a dude, and that just wasn't my thing. I would have to think of what I could do for the guy, but for now, he had seemed happy about me signing off on his store. Maybe that would be enough for now, but I would have to remember to check up on him.

"I will do my best for both of them. Zossie will warm up in time, I am sure. As for Dulse, I will figure something out," I said, but Soleira shook her head.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. Dulse is happy. Style and clothing have always been his thing, but our job requires professionalism, thus the suits we always wear. I think this is something that Dulse has always wanted to do, but never knew until the option was right before him," she explained, and I sighed in relief.

Iono then dragged the shy and embarrassed Zossie out, who was blushing furiously. Zossie’s orange hair, styled in a side braid, complemented the cute yet daring swimsuit Iono had picked for her. The bikini was a playful mix of orange and white, the top giving a peek at her petite ripe oranges. At 4'11", Zossie looked adorably flustered, her hands attempting to cover herself, but the outfit highlighted her small, delicate frame in a way that was both sweet and alluring.

"See? This is much better!" Iono declared, giving Zossie a playful nudge. "No more tomboy look!"

Zossie squirmed, her face flushed. "I-Iono! This is too much!"

Iono laughed, wrapping an arm around Zossie’s shoulders. "You'll get used to it. Trust me, Landon won't be able to take his eyes off you!"

Zossie suddenly calmed and then took a deep breath before dropping her arms, and turning to me. For the first time, Zossie put her hands together and gave me a sweet and innocent I had never seen before. "Do you think this looks cute on me?"

I was hit with the feeling so hard that I doubled over and nearly coughed out blood. She had always looked at me with such hate, and her face was always scrunched up. so much that I had never seen how pretty she really was. I could hear the girls trying to ask what was wrong, but I didn't want to say that I had just fallen in love twice in the last five minutes and my heart didn't seem to be taking it well. What was wrong with me?

No, Tallia was right, and this felt more like a setup... but would I complain? No way I would do that! Iono and Grusha wanted to join? Why would I say no after seeing them both like this? But Zossie's cuteness was more than I could take at this point! I really needed to get this trip moving, and maybe stand at the front for a while. Yeah, that sounded like a perfect plan, but first, I had to answer!

With my heart pounding and my face flushed, I stood there, struggling to find the right words. It felt like a monumental task, especially under the gaze of all these stunning women. "Z-Zossie, you look... absolutely adorable," I managed to stammer, feeling my cheeks heat up even more.

Zossie's blush deepened, and a shy smile crept onto her face. "Thanks, Landon," she murmured, her voice soft and genuine. "I... I appreciate it."

Iono clapped her hands, beaming with pride. "See? Told you it would work! Now, let's get moving! We have an adventure to continue!"

As we made our way back to the main area, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. The girls had managed to throw me off balance completely, but their support and camaraderie were heartwarming. Despite the chaos and the unconventional nature of our relationships, there was a sense of unity among us that I couldn't ignore.

As we regrouped, Nemona, Joy, and Lusamine joined us, their expressions ranging from curiosity to amusement. Nemona grinned and gave me a thumbs-up. "Looks like you survived the swimsuit parade, Landon!"

I laughed, trying to shake off the lingering nervousness. "Barely. You all look amazing."

Joy smiled warmly. "We're glad you think so. Now, what's the plan?"

I took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand. "Walk. I don't even know how far this tunnel goes, but I am thinking that it will take a while, but I will take the lead for now."