THE ADVENTURER OF EDEN
4.9 "Jealousy"

On the way to the Great Port, in Count Erick's horse-drawn carriage.

"Live 3 hours, Count Erick. We will reach the Great Port" said the seventh-seat Holy Knight, Braun.

"I'm glad Leonard was serious about taking me. But on the one hand it's better to be able to keep an eye on me, right?" Count Erick nanya's. "There are rumors spreading about me being a NARAKU collaborator."

"That's right, Count. That's why Sir Leonard accepted your request and sent three of us to escort you" Albert replied.

"Well, that's a good precaution. But in the end, I'm not my NARRATOR collaborator. I'm loyal to the country where I was born and grew up." said Erick; "although it's true that NARAKU tried to get me to join, but I've rejected them."

"I believe the future of the Asteria Kingdom will be better as long as NARAKU does not interfere with us." continued Count Erick seriously.

GroB, Benzu and Albert nodded in agreement.

💠💠💠

"OH! OH SUGOI!" Yui was amazed, not only her, Shiki, Reina and Alicia showed faces that could not hide their admiration.

"So this... Metrania Falls!"

A wide waterfall, the water down flowing down. This waterfall is in the West Area, in the "highland of Inori" which is a large forest in the Kingdom of Asteria.

"Hey, you didn't say the place would be this good!" Shiki protests to Alicia.

"I want a surprise of course, but I'm also the first time here." replied Alicia; "One of the most beautiful places in the Kingdom of Asteria, this is the waterfall Metrania!"

"Where's the GATE? Can you feel it, Reina?" shiki asked the black-haired woman.

Reina pointed to the waterfall, and answered. "The fourth GATE is inside that waterfall, Shiki-san."

"Hmm, so yeah." Shiki understands.

"Is it in the waterfall? How are we gonna get there?" Yui was curious, the brunette girl was sure that either Shiki or Alicia would have an idea for this.

"Controlling water means being able to use bending, and it is a difficult skill. I thought that Dion from the Guild could be called a mage as well by bending lightning." said Alicia, the point of her remark was that she could not control the water as it was not a controlling mage.

"If Alicia-san can't, then what we need to do is destroy the waterfall with the Rhongomyniad." Reina put the idea forward. Shiki was surprised this woman had such an absurd idea.

"I have an idea. You three follow my instructions." Shiki told them.

"Alicia, Reina, you stay there." Shiki told the two princesses, then grabbed their thighs with both arms and made them sit on top of her arms.

"AH! What are you doing?!" Alicia protested while blushing.

Reina chuckled and blushed as well. "Shiki-san is strong!"

Yui was annoyed to see that. "Why not just me, Aniki! I'm the smallest one here!"

"Yes, how about you just carry Yui? Just like a little girl." Shiki smiled at her foster sister.

Yui blushed and excited. "I want to!"

After Yui is carried by Shiki, the two Princesses are asked to hold on to Shiki's hands. Then the black-haired youth prepared; "Don't be let go!"

Shiki runs jumping into the waterfall, hysterical faces are seen on Alicia, Reina is seen enjoying and Yui is excited as her heart is pounding.

"Gust Jet!" Shiki uses Gust Jet, the basic "Gust" wind magic, but the wind is released from both legs more and makes Shiki hurl further into the waterfall.

The four of them managed to get into the waterfall and most of their clothes were wet. Alicia wake up, DUAGH! And hit Shiki's head without hesitation; "Don't do it again!"

"Ok, but don't hit me either." Shiki wonder.

Reina stood up, looking at the fourth GATE that was in front of her right now. Once on Mount Yoru, Raime Forest, Cornell Village and fourth, Metra waterfall.

"That's it, GATE four." Reina walked there, and touched the ancient artefact round like a doughnut made from that stone.

"Uhh!" Reina emitted a bright yellow light, making the three of them glare and glow until it was seen coming out of the waterfall, although within a few seconds, the light instantly disappeared and Reina returned to her normal state.

"The light is much brighter than before" Alicia commented.

"What's going on, Reina? Are you all right?!" shiki asked a little panicked.

Reina smiles at Shiki as she falls. The black-haired woman held her head, and looked at Shiki with a weak look.

"Nothing happened, I'm fine, Shiki-san."

***

The four of them came out the same way, making Alicia upset again, yet there was no logical way that could be done.

When we look up at the sky, the sunlight is gone and the night begins to come. It was an easy decision for the four of them to choose to spend the night in a small village near Metrania Falls.

Yui and Alicia bathe in the bath together, both of them wearing towels of course and Alicia who splashed directly into the bath.

"Nothing can beat the taste of a warm bath after a long trip!" said Alicia felt comfortable, she had opened the towel.

"Hmph.see smooth white skin, long yellow hair, as well as those two well-fitting, tight-fitting breasts; you are indeed blessed, yes! The royal nobility is indeed irritating usually!" Yui minder, said that while drowning herself in the bathhouse.

"Wow, a confident girl like you can be inferior, Yui." Alicia doesn't believe it either.

Alicia blushed hearing that, indeed her body could she use to seduce Shiki. But he wanted Shiki to like him not for that reason.

Yui gets even more upset when she sees Alicia's reaction. "Alicia..you like my brother, don't you?"

"Yes, I like Shiki, I've already expressed my feelings for her." Alicia answered honestly and confidently.

"GAGH! Pissed me!" Shouted Yui exasperatedly, she blushed and said again; "You're worse than Reina...!"

"uh? You don't have to be so upset, I also told Shiki that she doesn't have to answer my feelings right now, and I want her to like me first." Alicia said that, smile.

Alicia approached Yui and said. "You have a chance too, Yui. Moreover, you are his little sister and childhood friend."

"That's true..." Yui smiled, she grew more confident, and said; "Nobody knows Shiki better than me! Hehe!"

"Hmph, have you ever heard of a myth? Childhood friends always lose. So don't expect much, ok?" Alicia smiled saying that to Yui who was upset with him.

"Gghhhh! It's just a myth!!" Yui yelled annoyed, and Alicia laughed happily at Yui's reaction earlier; "Haha!"

***

At the same time, Shiki takes a walk to the village and sees Reina coming out of it. Shiki knew Alicia and Yui were bathing together in the hot spring, but Reina did not come with them.

Shiki wondered why Reina had not come along, and in retrospect, Reina's movements were somewhat different after touching the fourth GATE. He became quieter, more adorable and easier to ponder.

Something different from Reina, a gentle and easy-to-smile woman to those around her.

Shiki who was walking around the waterfall saw Reina who was standing and saw Metrania waterfall. Naturally Shiki frantically looked at the black-haired woman, and shouted at her.

"Don't kill yourself, Reina!"

"Ahahaha, don't worry. I wouldn't do anything free like that, Shiki-san." Reina turned around, looking at the black-haired youth with a smile.

Shiki silently heard that. Reina looked up at the night sky, and spoke again. "Shiki-san is worried about me, huh? Shiki-san feels like I changed after touching the fourth GATE?"

"You read my mind. No, I think you're aware of it" Shiki replied. "What's going on, Reina? Is there something you saw when you touched GATE the fourth time?"

"It can be said like that" replied Reina. "My sealed love 13 years ago has returned."

"Huh?" Shiki was shocked to hear that, unexpectedly it turns out Reina lost her memory. But what makes Shiki curious is that Reina's memory was originally "sealed"

"But I don't think it's all, and I think I need to turn on at least one more GATE to get it all ready."

"Shiki-san, there are many things I want to tell you" Reina said. "First dan... Please don't tell Alicia-san about this."

Ah, Shiki understands. Shiki nanya about it. "And I see, you're missing a memory, which means your memory with Alicia as a child doesn't exist. That's probably why Alicia's not on good terms with you."

"...you forgot the memories of your own childhood friendship, right?"

Reina silently heard Shiki's obvious question. The black-haired young man asked again. "If you explain that to Alicia, it's all over, but why don't you tell Alicia?"

"Don't tell me you don't want to be friends with him anymore?"

Reina shakes. "It's not like that. Even if Alicia-san knows about my memories, she will never forgive me." Reina replied.

"Alicia-san is such a woman. If she hates something, or likes something, her feelings will be very deep in that."

Shiki blinked, Reina was right. Alicia was a person who easily carried away feelings, that was the reason why she did not expect to be betrayed by her two aides. Yet such a nature signifies the constancy of his own heart.

"I think you're right. If my client asks for that, then I will obey him, "Shiki has no other choice, he thinks this is the right decision.

"Thank you, Shiki-san." Reina was grateful for that.

"Then, let's go back to the inn," Shiki took Reina back. "They'll both be looking for us."

"The two of them, right, they like you, Shiki-san. And I think Shiki-san already knows that."

Shiki blinked, Reina already guessed that obvious thing. "true."

"And how does Shiki-san feel about me? Does Shiki-san like me? Or did Shiki-san like one of them?" reina asked, looking curious.

"On that..." Shiki answered, but hesitated. She wanted to say "i haven't answered any of you yet" and Reina's question was different, she asked what Shiki felt like to her.

"My feelings for you, yeah." Shiki answered honestly. "I don't know, I might have a crush on you. You remind me a lot of Anna."

"Added, about the rewards of our quest later. It's not impossible that we'll get married after defeating NARAKU and finding your father, right?"

"true." Reina agrees. "If we get married, it means Shiki-san has to love me. But I don't want Shiki-san to love me. I want Shiki-san to hate me."

"HUH?" Shiki was shocked to hear that. "What do you mean...?!"

"Shiki-san, I want to tell you this. I'm sure because of this, your feelings for me will become hateful." Reina wants to reveal something to Shiki.

"I am a sinful woman, who killed many people in your hometown, Paradise Island, 13 years ago."

Shiki gaped upon hearing that, Reina who had destroyed her hometown... He never thought and guessed, if when he was a child, this woman did it.