The scammy labyrinthine exploration of a hand-holding date, called a hand-holding date, was carried out to the time limit. To be exact, they would return in the morning when their shipmates would be awake.

　Today's labyrinth exploration is up to forty layers.
　If possible, I would have liked to go deeper, but I decided not to push it.
　Considering the time, I think it's a pretty good clear time. It's probably because I ran as fast as I could in the early stages of the chase.

　When we reached the 40th level, we passed through the Connection and returned to the deck of the ship.
　Unlike when we entered the labyrinth, the sun's light was shining in from the horizon. The light is sinking into my all-night eyes. As I squint and adjust my body's internal clock, I notice the ship's visitors.

　In the center of the deck was a boy and girl knight looking up at the ship's main mast.
　They were Reiner Helvirshain and Ragne Kaikwola.

　Ragne noticed before anyone else, and she turned her head to me and Rustyala and skipped a greeting.

''Ah, you two, good morning. I'm bothering you.''

　He jumps on the spot, making the ends of his short brown hair bounce and waving cheerfully.
　Rustyala reacts to it and starts to run.

''There's Ragne-chan!
'Hey, girl!　I'm here too!

　When Ragne opened her arms to wait for him, Rastiara jumped into his chest and hugged him. If you ask me, I hear that the two of them have been squires since birth. They were unconcerned about the eyes of the people around them, and their whole body was happy to see each other again.

　I calmly address my knight.

''Ryner, you're back already?''
Yeah. I left the cleanup to the guy at Feydert's, and he said he'd be happy to do it for me. It went a lot faster than I thought it would.

　Reiner is as dismayed by the radical greeting next to me as I am, and reports back to me at the Allied Hoosiers.

'The Feydert?　I see. There's a lot going on, but I really feel like I've been taken care of by the Feydert guy this time: ....... Next time I see you, I should thank you properly.

　I'd heard that they were moving the cathedral administrator back to Feydert from Rustyala, but it was a nice miscalculation to have that man take the lead in handling the aftermath.

　Next time I see you, I'll bring you a souvenir from the mainland.

You should not do that because I'm sure the ...... other side would be extremely bitter about it. You've pushed them quite recklessly this time, too .......
'Haha ....... I'm still angry ......?
'I've given away all the goodies this time, though, so maybe not as much as before: ....... If anything, they might resent me more for nailing them to not do anything weird.

　Ryner lifted the corner of his mouth to one side and gave a small smile like a villain.
　The Dimension, which had just left the labyrinth and had become acute, did not miss the small movement of his right hand. From the evil expression on his face and the hand that was opened and closed as if he was recalling something, I could see that Ryner had made quite a threat to me.

　It seems that Ryner was doing his best work while I was fluently dating.
　I'm grateful for that, including the fact that I entrusted Rustyala to him a month ago and left him at Hoosier's.

'Thank you, Ryner. --or maybe not. Thank you, Knight Ryner. Thanks to Ryner's protection of Rastiara while I was away, we are now on the ship.

　I'm going to dress up and work like a knight in shining armor.
　I guess it's rare for me to do such an imitation. Ryner's eyes widen and surprise - he immediately turns his face away to the side and replies in a blur.

...... Well, I'll call it an honor.

　He is not quite an honest boy knight.

　However, there may be a reason that my words are not enough.
　I would like to express my gratitude more and more, but I don't really know how to deal with the knights of this other world. It's not the type of thing to appreciate things and money, and I don't know how to give formal rewards.

　When I'm a little lost, I take a step closer to Ryner when I see Rustyala next to me, lifting Ragne's little body and spinning around.
　I wonder if Ryner anticipated what he's about to do to me, but he immediately gets really uncomfortable and puts his hand on the hilt of his sword and takes a stance.

''Wait!　It's only possible because of those two!　Don't do that!　Seriously, stop!　Think about who's aboard this ship!　Also, there's no escape here!

　Apparently, it's not a very good example of how to deal with the knights of Rastiara.
　Seeing Ryner's impatient refusal, I give up with deep regret.

　Then, instead of thanks and praise, I move on to the next story.
　It's about Ragne, who is about to be thrown up next to me.

"By the way, why is Lagne-chan with you?
'Ah, you can think of me as a replacement for Sera, who isn't here at the moment. Lastiara is resting due to health problems and is not in good shape without any guards, right? That's why it was decided to dispatch the strongest knight in the cathedral in the meantime. I'll also serve as a sentry and reporters.

　So it seems that he and Ryner came to the ship together.
　Since they're not strangers, it's better than being followed by a knight I've never met.
　I'm thinking, Ryner talks about something unseemly.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it. Mr. Ragne.
"Ryner, it's a good idea to expose my world-weary cathedral situation. ...... Even if you are the president of the Celestial Knights, at the end of the day, it's your family and connections that count. ......

　I noticed that Ragne was right next to me, with a faraway look in her eyes.

　The cathedral of Fuzzyards, a complete vertical society.
　It must be tough in many ways without a backer.
　And I also heard that the fame of the "Celestial Knights" has dropped a bit due to the incident a year ago. As a mastermind who caused the incident a year ago, it's not funny.

''Err, you know, 'Aika Wakanami Christ Eurasian Waldhusiers von Walker'. I'd like to take over for Serah-senpai for a while. Please allow me to stand aside. Please...
Of course. You're welcome, Ragne.

　If I say no, I'm sure I'll feel very sorry for him, so I welcome him with a smile.

I'm about to cry a little bit for my boss, who seems to be more kind than ever before. I'm counting on you. By the way, I'd also like you to give me the backing for the rest of my life. Even after this job is over, my hardship will continue.
I don't know what's behind it, but I'm rooting for you, Ragne. ......?
Way to go, bro!　Thank God it's still the same!

　When I affirm it, she is pleased with the change from the gloomy expression she had earlier.
　As I furrow my eyebrows at her 'as usual', Rastiara takes Ragne-chan from the side.

'Alright, it's settled!　Okay, so Lagne will be sharing a room with me!　It's an escort, and we'll be together until we get used to it.
Hmm, is this the same room as your daughter?　I don't mind. It reminds me of my cathedral days.
Yeah. ...... It's dangerous (...) if we're not in the same room.

　Rustyala blurted out his true intentions as he was about to bring Ragne into the ship.
　It's the 'what if' danger that the liner next to me is most concerned about right now.

''Danger?　Are you carrying something dangerous?　This ship.
'I'll tell you that now. So, Canamy. Before I go to sleep, I'm going to go to Dea and Snow's to tell them about my date.

　He's going to flicker the spark in front of my bomb to educate people about the danger.

"So, you're going to report it: ......?
'We have no secrets between us!　I'm trying to go in that direction. ...... And also, this will make it easier for people to do things (・・・・).

　Rustyala chuckled, saying that she really wanted to keep it a secret, but she couldn't let this one go. From the looks of it, she knew she had a date planned until she reported it.

'...... So that's the real deal.'
No. All of them, all of them, the big one.

　Bullishly, Rustyala corrected.
　This would make it very easy for Snow and Dea to move tomorrow, as she had planned. It will be easier for them to say their selfishness. Another step closer to the 'perfection' that Rastiara wanted as an example.

　A calculating fellow.
　It's easy to be misunderstood, but Rastiara is not a thoughtless rush. Rather, it's the opposite. He has the intelligence to move his head before he moves his body.
　As a matter of fact, he is an indoor person who likes books more than exercise. If this world had a game of my world, I would not be exploring in a maze, but instead would be playing indoors endlessly.

　In other words, she has the same personality (type) of thinking as I do.
　Basically, I can't stop her from hiding things from me, and I watch them leave.

Then let's go. I'll introduce you to this ship while I'm at it.
Oui. And I'm going to do what I can to help you in the meantime.

　A pair of squires disappeared into the ship, leaving a pair of squires on the deck.
　The knight-liner next to him was a bit dumbfounded.

''Christ, were you dating just now?''
'Yes ....... ...... in the labyrinth.
That's, well, that's a good thing ....... It's great that you two are getting along so well. ...... But I just remembered something urgent I have to do, so I'm going to go to Faydert's in Hoosier's and follow up with him. Call me when you get to your destination.
...magic.

　I use dimensional magic to pull back Ryner, who is about to head for the Connection, which is connected to the Hoosier's on the deck.

　I'm not going to let him escape.
　You can't help but be anxious that Rastiara said he's going to boast about it, but frankly, I'm more anxious than you.
　Protect me as a knight, Ryner.

It's not possible to escape: ......!　f*ck you!　For the second time, this is too scary: ......!
I don't need the connection to the Hoosiers until they arrive at ......, so I'll turn it off.
'Oh, oh!　You bastard!

　No matter how foul-mouthed they are, they relentlessly dissipate the magic door. As long as the "Connection" that I left on the Foozeyers' side doesn't disappear, the door here can be remade as much as possible. In other words, it's impossible for Ryner to flee the country without my permission.

　I'm going to be the one to blame for Ryner's escape, with a good reason.

"...... Ryner. I'm not impressed with you leaving Ragnae alone to run away. Since you brought her here, make sure you protect her properly.

　Whatever is going to happen from now on, Ragne will be caught in the middle of it. She wants to ask Ryner, who will be the most calm, to be her escort.
　However, the request is rejected with a shake of the head.

'...... No, Lagne-san is strong, so don't worry about her that much. Definitely not someone who would die in a place like this.
''Eh. That said, the status I just saw, that's as far as it goes: ......

[Status]
　Name: Ragne Kaikwola HP173/173 MP39/39 Class: Knight
　Level 18.
　Strength 3.88 Strength 4.21 Skill 12.01 Speed 5.67 Wisdom 7.82 Magic 1.72 Element 1.12
　Inherent skill: magic manipulation 2.19
　Acquired skill: swordplay 0.59 Sacred magic 1.12

　That's about it.
　Over the course of a year, I can only see that I've grown in moderation.
　To be honest, I'm still worried about surviving on this ship.

''--Christ. It may not be that much of a status, but Lagne-san is strong. For example, that Tiara-san valued her more than anyone else here. That saintly lady.

　But I keep shaking my head that I can't rely on that kind of status.

'You can think of me as having a strength of mind that can't be put into words.

　Does that mean she has a high 'numeric value that doesn't appear in numbers'?
　As Rastiala said, she seems to have a sharp talent that others don't.

'Maybe she's certainly good at catching you by surprise ......?　And, you know, the world.
Be careful. People like that are the real powerhouses of this world.
...... Got it.

　How much do you want to run away without Ragne-chan ...... I thought, but now I see that it was me that Ryner was worried about, and I nodded divinely.
　It's a good thing that you're able to do that.

''It's good if you understand. ...... I won't leave that Lagune-san behind either. That was a joke just now.

　Ryner looks resigned and approaches the main mast on the deck again. He then turns his attention to the nautical charts and azimuthal magnetic needle (like a magic tool) on a nearby table.

'...... Right. I'm going to do some ship's chores until I get to my destination. I'm a wind knight, I'm sure I can do a lot of things on the ship.

　At the same time, he began to apply wind magic to the ship's sails.
　It was a move that didn't stagger, as if he had experience in sailing.
　And that magic reminded me of 'The One Who Steals the Reason of the Wind' Titi. With a delicate manipulation of the wind, worthy of her apprentice, she increases the speed of the ship.

　Leaving the liner to its own devices, sailing in my sleep would be no problem.
　I try to return to my room in peace, but before I do, I make one suggestion.

''Oh, Ryner. Do you want to room with me like Ryner did with Ragne?
Are you serious, ......?

　He looks at me, narrowing his eyes from looking at the chart.
　Reiner refuses, dumbfounded.

'Can I stay in a room with a guy I just started dating? We'll take the liberty of renting one room over here.'

　d*mn, that was close.
　I click my tongue in my mind without changing my expression.

　It may have been a proposal that was too unnatural for this time of year, as it was.
　I give up on rooming with him, and I plan to use other methods to give him more time to be by my side. Since I'm dealing with a liner, I'm also mobilizing all the foul play such as skill 'fraud'. But he reads that idea first and nails me.

''I'll tell you ahead of time, I won't even dive into the labyrinth.

　Ryner says he won't even accompany them on their labyrinth search, and approaches the ladder over the main mast. I'm completely ready to run away.

You know what I'm talking about. "You know what I mean.
...... Are you still here?

　It seems that Ryner's keen senses have sensed the too powerful presence in the ship. It was easy to detect it even without the 《Dimension》.

　He tried to think about it as little as possible, but the reality was harsh. The familiar magic power that insisted on not allowing him to return to his own room like this - undoubtedly, it was Snow and Dia who were agitated by Rustyala.

''Exploring the labyrinth with that thing, or even suicidal. If you're going to ask them out, do it without them. If it's just the two of us, well, I don't mind.

　My ladies seem to have a real problem with liners.
　I've been thinking lately that I may have a mild phobia of women because of Nosfi and Titi. And it seems that our guys are being lumped in with those troublemakers.

　-- there's no denying it.

　I know exactly how Reiner feels, so I'm going to back off this time.

I understand. I'll invite you to join me, even if it's just me.
'Do so. Then don't die ...... because I'm taking refuge in the things on the mast.
No, they don't die that easily. We're all so close these days.
There's nothing I don't believe in more than your 'good friends'. Anyway, remember that these guys are a full-bodied murder weapon and a lump of fuel that could easily burn down a country. You're the type of person who will unintentionally set things on fire, so speak more carefully than anyone else. Again, don't die.
'Yes, yes ......'

　Ryner piled on the small talk, as if he was worried about his own child who was no good.

　Ryner's trust in me is so low that it's making me sad. The reason is undoubtedly because of Tiara's big reveal yesterday. In terms of relationships, my trust is beyond the depths of the earth and around the mantle.

　After watching Ryner disappear onto the mast with his navigational gear, I abandoned the idea of going back to my room and sat down in a nearby chair.
　Looking up at the clear sky, squinting in the sunlight, listening to the sound of the ocean's ripples, and contemplating various things, I wait for my companions to come up on deck.

　It will not be long before I fall asleep today.