The Barbaric and the Elegant 3

Half a day later

Yuzuru: Everyone, we’ve arrived ♪

I’d like to thank you all for enduring this long voyage. This is the place where we will enjoy our four-day, three-night vacation.

The details of the trip are in the pamphlet I handed out earlier, but I’ll go over them out loud, as well.

This is a remote, foreign island located far south of Japan.

The entire island is owned by the Tenshouin Conglomerate, so everything you see is his private property.

You should be able to enjoy this serene environment without being bothered by any other tourists.

There are a few staff members at the hotel where we’ll be staying, but otherwise we have the island, including this beach, to ourselves.

Of course, we’ve brought along any necessary equipment in advance, so you should be able to engage in practice without inconvenience.

The main island is less than an hour away by boat. It is, as I should specify, the place where the citizens of this island chain reside.

Any shopping will require traveling there; I apologize for that trouble.

That said, it should only be necessary if you have an emergency, or if you enjoy shopping for leisure...

For everyday necessities, the hotel staff can procure them for you.

We can also have items delivered from the main island, if advance notice is given.

We have gone to every length to ensure that your stay is a pleasurable one...

So I hope that you will put aside your troubles and worries of your daily life and spend your vacation in peaceful relaxation.

That concludes the brief overview. Are there any questions about what I’ve said up to now?

Koga: ......

Tori: ......

Yuzuru: Sir? Have you had the audacity to fall asleep while someone is speaking earnestly to you?

Tori: Eek! Quit pinching my cheeks! Oogami-senpai’s asleep too, so why am I the only one getting in trouble?!

Yuzuru: Fufu. It is because I care about you, sir, that I dare offer this advice to you.

These gentlemen of UNDEAD are our guests whom we invited.

So long as they commit no acts of pure barbarism, I intend to pamper them, more or less... or rather, I shall do my utmost to ensure they have a sophisticated and refined vacation.

Koga: Mm... my bad, Fushimi. Let’s go over the details later. You wanna show us the hotel for now?

We didn’t sleep on the plane ‘cause there was too much goin’ on.

The brat brought some cards along like it was some pleasure cruise, n’ I ended up playin’ along...

Eichi: Yes. I’m sure the sight of two true heirs to massive companies playing a card game like Tycoon was amusing, especially when we were all so tired...^[1]

It seems we got carried away. I apologize for that.

But I really did have fun... I’m profoundly interested in the way the values of the cards reverse during the revolution.

Yet, players who aren’t risking it all won’t see their status changed much, no matter what happens around them.

And while the values are reversed, the rules of the game remain the same. It’s a point which leaves room for further thought...

Yaaawn ♪ Ah, excuse me. I didn’t mean to yawn.

Yuzuru: Honestly, even you...? I believe I told you many times to get as much sleep as you could during the flight.

If you don’t adjust to the time difference as soon as possible, you’ll end up tired all day and won’t be able to focus on practice.

Then all the effort that was put into preparing this perfect environment will go to waste.

Eichi: Sorry, sorry. I suppose I’m still a child, myself. I got a bit carried away...

On that note, Sakuma-kun seems to be quite used to traveling abroad, as one would expect. You got plenty of sleep on the flight over, I trust?

Rei: Indeed. You were too loud for me to sleep all that deeply, however.

Yuzuru: ? Sakuma-sama, for someone who claims to have slept, you don’t look well. Was it motion sickness, by chance...?

Rei: Urgh... No, it is the sun. Its rays are stronger than I expected; it’s quite painful. It feels as though the ultraviolet rays are stronger here, since we are closer to the equator than in Japan.

It is the time difference, as well: It was morning when I fell asleep, and it is morning now when I wake up. For a vampire such as myself, this is a veritable hell... What is this torture? Are you attempting to kill me?^[2]

Kaoru: Here, Sakuma-san. A parasol.

Rei: Thank you, Kaoru-kun.

Goodness. Since the humidity isn’t too high today, the shade should be some relief from the heat...

I had prepared myself for this, but there is not much respite from the heat when one is in the tropics.

Yuzuru: Fufu. I humbly apologize.

I agonized until the last possible moment over whether our destination should be a cool highland or the sea, but after carefully weighing various factors... I chose for our vacation an island of everlasting summer.

It should be cooler by the water, however, and as I mentioned before, there will be no other tourists around.

If you’re hot, you’re more than welcome to remain in your swimsuit for the entire duration of the trip.

Rei: Mm... I dislike exposing my skin so indiscreetly.

Kaoru: That’s so old-fashioned, Sakuma-san. You really do have that whole grandpa vibe around you ♪