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>>3334996
“The timing might be not exactly ideal, but I figured we need a little bit of a welcoming ceremony for the two of you,” Tewi said, placing a cup of sake each before Margaret and Amile.
“Besides, Nii-san might need something to wash away the angst.”
Tewi faked a lament, then wrapped her arm around Amile. “So, is Saya-chan old enough to drink?”
Eagerly, my sister shoved a cup right up Amile’s face. The princess took the cup and stared at my sister in confusion.
“I turned 18 a month ago...” She answered, holding the clear pool of alcohol within her palms. “Is there-”
“Oh, we’re the same age?” Margaret exclaimed out of the blue, resulting in everyone, myself included, to freeze and turn to her slowly in disbelief.

“You… you're 18?” Tewi stared at the Valkyria wide-eyed, unsure of what she just heard. For her, it was as if she just learned that someone who she expected to be her teacher turned out to be a kouhai.
“Wait...really!?”
Naturally, I share the same amount of surprise- while Margaret may not be telling the truth, there really was no reason for her to lie about something as minute as this.
Given her mature appearance and height, one would easily think her age to be around the same as that of Itaru, who is quite a few years older than Satoru, Yanagi and me. Truth be told, never in my wildest dreams had I thought she’d be this young- on the other hand, this revelation did explain much of the naivete in her words and actions. It may also explain he fondness of her older siblings, who by no doubt were those she had looked up to all her life, isolated from the rest of society and whatever that was considered ‘normal’.

“Why yes, is something wrong?”Margaret nodded with a confused look on her face.

“Great! At least now we know everyone here's okay with tasting the alcohol.” Tewi announced cheerfully, then quickly skirted to my side of the table. “I mean technically my silly brother here’s the only one old enough to legally drink, but I guess he can supervise.”
“Nii-san.” She whispered at the side of my cheek. “You do know you're the master of the house right?”
Her words quickly caught my attention. With everything else constantly happening around, I've completely forgotten about this aspect of my position.
“Care to make some opening remarks?”

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>>3335030
“We’ve still got a guest who’s not here yet,” I whispered back. “I suppose we can start once she returns.”
I straightened myself, ready to make the announcement, only to notice both Margaret and Amile’s cups empty.

“Tewi, you did fill the cups earlier, right?”
“I did…?” She uttered, looking down at the cups, then back at the guests. Neither of them showed signs of redness on their cheeks.
I swear I saw Tewi fill those cups a moment ago, which leaves only one possibility: in the split second where Tewi and I had our talk, the two had already downed their sake.

“You… you two want a refill?” My sister offered, pointing at Margaret and Amile’s empty cups to grab their attention.
“Sure?” Margaret handed over hers with a confused look, taking notice of the awkward stares she was garnering from Tewi and me.
“I-is there something wrong?” Amile did likewise, her gaze alternating between her cup and Tewi.
“My brother was about to make an opening remark,” Tewi commented as she picked up the cups and filled them with more sake.

“Sorry, I didn’t know!” Margaret apology came off more like a surprise from culture shock.
“I… I was taught to never turn down a drink from a friend.” Amile explained her customs while slightly flustered, “I-I’m sorry.”
“No, no, it’s okay.” Tewi placed the filled cups back to the two.
“There’s no need to be too formal. You’re guests here, after all.” I assured the two. “But let’s not snub Yanagi out of the picture. She’s a guest too.”
“I’ll go check on Yanagi-nee,” My sister stood up, setting the bottle on the table. “In the meantime, please feel free to help yourself.”
Tewi left her spot, leaving me alone with the guests, both of them unquestionably alien to our culture.

>So, how’s the sake?
>How do you feel about tonight’s little gathering?
>It’s been a while since I’ve come here...
>Write in.

>>3335041
>So, how’s the sake?

>>3335041
>So, how’s the sake?
Probably tastes like water for Margaret, considering the stuff her folks drink.

>>3335041
>So, how’s the sake?

>>3335041

>So, how’s the sake?

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“So, how was the sake?” I began, entertaining the two with a simple question.
From what I know, both the Rus and the Tengar people were renowned for their high alcohol tolerance, the way both Margaret and Amile downed their cups in one shot was more than enough proof.
Strong tolerance to alcohol, however, could not reflect on how refined their tastes would be.

“It tastes like fragrant, slightly alcoholic water.” Margaret described it in the most bareboned way possible. Understandably so, if the ‘drink’ she gifted us back in Kure were any indication. Sake must’ve tasted like water to her.

“It has a gentler scent, a more robust, distinct fruit-like flavor, and a less alcoholic aftertaste than regular sake. Should be a junmai gynjou, maybe daigynjyo. A bit on the dry end, I feel...?” Amile, on the other hand, gave a surprisingly professional analysis on the drink she was served.

“E-excuse me, may I have a look at the bottle?” Amile asked as she shot a glance at the sake bottle - a request I had no reason to turn down. Taking the bottle by its neck, I passed it over the curious Tengar princess, who quickly began examining the bottle’s contents.

“Come to think of it, it is much gentler on the throat than potato juice for sure!” Margaret added onto Amile’s analysis, and once again baffled me with more questions.
“Potato juice?”
“It’s a nickname mama gave vodka.” She explained, “Mama said she drink it to stave off the cold when she was little. We still drink it at home from time to time!”
I’m not quite sure which is more alarming, the fact that she refers to a flammable liquid as ‘juice’, or that this nickname came from a mother who not only has been drinking since youth but also fed it to her children.

“Hmm…” On the other side of the table, Amile carefully scanned though details printed on its label before turning back at me. “T-this isn’t regular sake, is it?”

“It’s from one of my father’s collection,” I said, recalling the small cellar under our house. “This is… kind of his passion.”
The sake we kept in our cellar was all from father’s collection. Consistent with his dedication to his work, father also had his fair share of insistence on the things he regularly consumed, be it tea or sake. While I am definitely no connoisseur on alcohol, I’m sure father’s collection must’ve been of decent quality.

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>>3339938
“T-this is an exceptionally fine sake, Kurokawa-san.” She calmly sets the bottle back onto the table, before giving me a polite nod. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
I replied in a similar manner, taking note of how much different our interaction has changed since our first mere days ago. I was equally as surprised on Amile’s knowledge on the subject of Zipangnese sake.
I sort of expected her to have a more refined taste compared to everyone else due to her upbringing, but she has completely trumped my expectations, particularly considering she most definitely did not grow up in our culture.


“Enjoying yourselves?” Tewi made her sudden re-entrance by barging in without warning, startling all three of us in the room. Following closely behind her was Yanagi, hair still wet from the bath and donning a set of pajamas which must’ve belonged to Tewi.
“Sorry for the wait,” Yanagi said as she planted herself on the right side of the table, diagonal to where I sat. Interestingly, or perhaps surprisingly, my childhood friend appeared perfectly calm and collected, compared to how she was moments ago. Maybe I should make sure...

“Are you feeling alright?” I shuffled beside Yanagi and whispered to her ear.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” She responded amicably with a gentle nod as if nothing has happened.
“Are you sure?”
“Relax, Subaru. I vented a bit while I was alone. I’m fine now.” She placed an assuring arm on my shoulder, before turning back towards Tewi.

“Yanagi-nee, this one’s for you” Wasting no time, Tewi had already filled another cup of sake and placed it before Yanagi. With that, the table was set.
“Alright Nii-san, time to do your thing.”
Taking the cue, I stood up with my cup in hand, prepared to give a toast for everyone present.
“Here’s to our new crewmate joining us on our journey!” I raised my cup towards Amile. While she at first stared at me wide-eyed she eventually caught on received it with a timid smile.
“Kanpai!”

A crisp, clear sound of porcelain cups clinking reverberated throughout our estate. Sandwiched between the commotion, however, was the confusion from one of the guests.
“Wait, Shinjou-san is coming with us?” Yanagi inquired, confused again by this revelation that came out of the blue. It made sense, considering she’s the only one here who wasn’t aware of Saya’s identity.
Thankfully, Tewi was there to help with clearing things out.
“I’ll explain this in detail later.” My sister quickly reassured her with a whisper, then sipped the last bit of sake from her own cup.

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>>3339944
We had a few rounds of little toast and finished our drinks shortly after.
“Saya-chan, would you like to use the bath now?” My sister asked, tugging Amile by the shoulder.
“Sure.” The princess took the offer almost immediately, and with a curtsy made her leave alongside Tewi while I watched their friendly exchange from the side.

I know Tewi worked well with people, but I still can’t believe she managed to this quickly disarm and befriend someone we’ve practically abducted.

As soon as my sister escorted Amile away, I was hit with the dreaded realization that I was placed in the exact same position I was on the truck earlier. Margaret, Yanagi, and I sat in close proximity of each other in some sort of triangle formation. Going by happened earlier, I can’t imagine this not ending up in another miscommunication gone horribly wrong.

“Morishima-san!” Margaret tensed up her shoulders as she nervously struck up the conversation, using a more formal language. “I think I owe you an apology.”
“Eh?”
Yanagi was wrought with utter disbelief at what she just heard to make a proper response. I don't blame her either, as Margaret being this self-aware was a first for me as well.
“Recently, I have said things that were inappropriate and offensive to you...” She continued anxiously. “I’m sorry I did not notice earlier.”

While the apology came out a bit unexpected, the tension was still there, mainly because I had no idea how Yanagi would respond. My outlook was not positive, considering how each conversation between the two till now had turned sour almost immediately.
“It’s okay. I… I think I overreacted a bit too” Yanagi took the apology calmly, exceeding all my expectations. She was so calm, in fact, that I became seriously concerned about what has happened to her since our little exchange at the garden.

Yet despite my concerns, the two proceed to idly chat away, marking this the first non-confrontational conversation they had since we left the mainland. While I really wanted to inquire Yanagi about her sudden change in attitude, the circumstance did not feel like the right place to do so.

>>3339961
Something's absolutely not right.
You broke Yanagi, evil anons.

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>>3339961
The rest of our night was rather calm, with our guests taking turns to use the bath. That is, with the exception of Amile revealing her true identity to my unsuspecting friend. Though confused and disoriented at first, Yanagi quickly picked up on the situation, and the two ended up getting along better than expected.

Finally, my turn to use the bath has come.
Entering the bathroom through the sliding door, I sat on the wooden stool and unwinded my hair. The more luxurious days I’ve spent in Amekou had allowed it to smoothen and remain in much better condition than it was back during the war, its deep blue-black complexion seemed to shimmer a bit within the steaming moist room I occupied.
As I wet my hair with a bucket of hot water, I reflected on the events that had happened in the past 24 hours. After all that transpired, I'm just glad I've finally got some time to unwind.

“Nii-san!” I heard a knock on the door, accompanied by my sister’s voice as I rinsed myself with another bucket of warm water.
“Yeah?”
“You want me to scrub your back?”
It took me approximately two seconds before realizing what this would entail.
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me alright! Are you opening up or what?”


>Tewi I’m butt naked in here.
>What’s this elaborate prank you’re trying to pull now? Because I’m not falling for it.
>Are you serious? We aren’t kids anymore.
>... Fine, if you insist
>Write in.

>>3339973
>What’s this elaborate prank you’re trying to pull now? Because I’m not falling for it.

>>3339973
>What’s this elaborate prank you’re trying to pull now? Because I’m not falling for it.
Watch as we fall for it the very next update.

>>3339973
>What’s this elaborate prank you’re trying to pull now? Because I’m not falling for it.

>>3339973
>What’s this elaborate prank you’re trying to pull now? Because I’m not falling for it.

>>3339973
>What’s this elaborate prank you’re trying to pull now? Because I’m not falling for it.

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“What’s this elaborate prank you’re trying to pull now?” I yelled back cautiously. “Because I’m not falling for it.”
“And what’s with that attitude, don’t you trust your own sibling!?” I hear the sound of the sliding door forcefully opened, but before I could react, I feel something soft and flat struck the back of my head.
“What are you-” I retorted while picking up the object that laid messily on the wet floor.
What she threw at me was a pair of… bathing shorts?

“Put that on, then I’m coming in.” Tewi’s upbeat voice echoed again from outside the bathroom. She seem particularly insistent this time round, and judging from her tone, she’s not going to back down this time.
“Fine.” I yelled back, putting on the pair of bathing shorts. “There, done.”
I heard the door slid open again, this time with far more care, followed by light splats of footsteps pressing onto the wet floor, then another click as the door slid shut.
Soon enough, I feel a pair of tender hands tapping lightly onto my shoulders. Even though I knew for certain this was my sister, it was hard to keep myself composed in such an awkward predicament like this.
“Relax, I come in peace.” Tewi whispered gently, rubbing my shoulders. “It’s not like I’m here to eat you or anything.”
I highly doubt her sole intention was out of good will. Not that I don’t trust her, just that I know her all too well. I need to keep an eye on her.
“Tewi, am I allowed to turn around?”
“Sure.” Tewi answered casually. “As long as you’re not having degenerate thoughts, I won’t have to kick you in the nuts.”

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I slowly snapped my head around, fully prepared for some sort of a prank.
Instead, I was greeted by the clear view of my sister wrapped in a large bath towel, peacefully fetching a bucket of hot water. Compared to the last time I remember us bathing together, she’s certainly grown up alot, maturing quite a bit as well, both physically and mentally.
To be honest... She’s starting to have more and more of a resemblance to mother.
“What, don’t tell me you were expecting me butt naked.” Her sharp words and the glance with squinted eyes she shot me dragged me quickly back to the realization that I was staring at her.
“Didn’t you say we’ve grown out of ‘bathing together’ ages ago?” I shifted my glance away before it got awkward.
“Doesn’t mean we can’t do that in private.” She said with a shrug as she placed the stool behind me and took her seat. “I’m with guests yesterday, remember?”
As we chatted on, I feel the tip of a sponge, bristled with soap, scraping down my back like a calligraphy writing. The motion was repeated over and over, each time at a slightly different position to reach other parts of my back.
“How’d you like it?” My sister gloated as she did her back scrub. “Damn fine work isn’t it?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Honestly, I can’t really tell if it’s a great job or not, but I am grateful that Tewi was willing this for me in the first place. However, I still can’t quite figure out why she would do this out of the blue.

“Tewi, why this all of a sudden? Is there something on your mind?”
“Well…”
For a moment, the bathroom fell silent, leaving the only audible noise being the flow of water hitting the concrete floor below.
“I’m not coming aboard for the rest of Yamato’s cruise.” She revealed hesitantly. “I’ll be staying here instead.”

“Why?”
I turned back and looked at her in disbelief. I always thought my sister would be following the operation too and with how fine she’s been doing I can’t think of a reason why she would bail out now.
“Because technically, I’m still a civilian.” She said, putting away the foam-soaked sponge and bucket. “Yes, I cooperated with you guys to get everyone here, but that was the most I can do."

She reached for the bucket, then gently rinsed off the remaining bubbles still on my skin.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be alright. After all, you’ll need someone to watch over the house, right?”
“Are you nuts!?” I objected, grabbing her by the hand. “What if they start another air raid and grind Amekou to the dust, just like what they did to Osaka? And Amile, you are the only one who can connect with her!”

“You can too, Nii-san, just try to not fail basic human interaction.” She joked away, before returning to a more serious tone. “Formosa will be negotiating a conditional surrender to the Khaganate after the Yamato leaves, and Amekou will need all the help she can get to recover from this conflict.”

>No, you’re coming with me.
>But when will we meet again? I might never be able to return
>The Beiyang Admiral knows us, she’ll come for you.
>Write in

Also, roll a speech check 1d10

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>3347313
>The Beiyang Admiral knows us, she’ll come for you.
>You might not be afraid for yourself, but If she takes you hostage, where will that put me and the whole operation?
>I'm sure we can get you aboard, I have friends in Command.

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>3347313
>The Beiyang Admiral knows us, she’ll come for you
>She sent an infamous criminal after me when I refused to leak the operation back then. She'll do the same to you.

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>3347313
>The Beiyang Admiral knows us, she’ll come for you.

Also supporting >>3347326

>>3348167
>>3348193
Guys... we might have a problem here...

>>3348265
No worries, we haven't reached the worst case scenario yet. At least the Imouto has yet to become Isara 2.0, though this entire scene just smells like a death flag through and through

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“Don’t you remember? The Beiyang Admiral has seen our face. She will definitely come for you.”
The mention of Lady Sima instantly brought me back to the moment Yanagi and I were in custody for questioning. We weren’t there for long, but every excruciating moment of it was as vivid as if it happened yesterday, especially when that war criminal of the high seas entered the picture.
I could not imagine letting that animal anywhere near my sister.

“You might not be afraid for yourself, but If you were taken hostage, where will that put me and the whole operation?” I found myself speaking faster and faster by the minute. “I have friends in Command, I’m sure I can get you abroad somehow.”
Tewi shook her head, placing a hand on my shoulder
“I’ll lay low, assume a different identity and all. How’d you think I remained incognito during my stay in Kure, after the dinner?”

My sister flashed me a wink, then returned to a more serious, composed tone.
“With the magnitude of Yamato’s mission, you can’t afford to have someone weighing the crew down. I’m a non-combatant, nii-san, I’ll only be a burden.”
However, the more she explained, the more uneasy she sounded.
“Besides, it’s not like we can’t talk with each other. I’ve still got the radio, remember? It’ll just be like when you were in the mainland.”

“I cannot let you---”
“Hey, enough with the heavy talk!” Tewi cut me off halfway, deciding to break away from this topic altogether. “We’ve got a bath to take, remember?”

I really wanted to pursue the subject, at least convince her to get to somewhere safe. However, I feel right now she would just purposely deflect any of the points I raised. It would be more reasonable to save the talk for another time.

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>>3357259
Tewi spun around and undid the hairpins on her head, allowing her hair to flow free.
“Here, give me a hair wash.” She flapped her long, flowing hair to her back. It was around the same length as my hair, albeit in a much better shape than mine.
“I scrubbed your back, so it’s your turn now.”

“Alright, I get it.”
I sighed and did as told, applying some shampoo onto the top of Tewi’s head. Tewi’s hair had the smooth texture akin to threads of silk, and a healthy, dark bluish tone that gave off a soft shimmer. It was a beautiful treasure, but at the same time was a reminder of the heritage our ancestors tried to bury.

“Ah, it’s nice to have someone take care of my hair for me.” Tewi let out a relaxing moan while I gently massaged her scalp. “It’s quite a hassle to keep, don’t you agree?”
“Why do you keep it this long then?”
“Dunno,” She turned around, flashing me a sly grin. “Probably the same reason you do.”
I returned her smile, instantly recognizing what she was referring to.

Same reason, huh? She’s probably right. I can’t pinpoint when I decided to keep my hair this long, but it was always the memories of our mother it brought when I looked into my own reflection that kept me from trimming it short. This was my way of keeping her memories alive… I suppose.

My sister’s head was soon covered in a thick layer of white foam as I ran my hands over her hair, now separated into loose bands. Next, I gently rinsed the foam-covered bands of hair with warm water, washing away all the remaining bubbles. The experience was not much different compared to taking care of my own hair, thus I was able to made short work of the cleaning process through years of experience.

Once there were no residue left, I combed her hair with my fingers to help brush some water away, then gave my sister a light tap the shoulder.
“Done.”
“Alright! Time for the bath!” She stood up and stretched her arms high above her head. “Why don’t you hop in first, nii-san?”

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>>3357263
I gladly complied to my sister’s offer, and soon was standing by the side of the large, steaming rectangular bathtub. I dipped the tip of my right hand in to test the temperature, finding it quite temperate compared to the onsen last night. The water must’ve lost some heat after all this time, but I personally found temperate water more fitting for relaxation.
I slowly stepped into the bathtub, then submerged the rest of my body below the water surface.

“Kyahaa!” This brief moment of coziness was interrupted abruptly as my sister cannonballed herself into the bath behind, splashing water in all directions.
“Hey! What are you-!”
“Uh-uh, Nii-san! No peeking!” As I was about to turn around, I caught a glimpse of Tewi’s left arm jutting from the corner of my eye. Her index finger pointed to the stool she sat on earlier, or more specifically, the nicely folded towel with the shape of a tofu block resting nicely on said stool.

“Remember, nii-san, no degenerate thoughts!”
I could almost picture Tewi wagging her finger with a smug, haughty grin stretching across her face. That little devil.
“Buuut, feel free to lean back, if you want.” She whispered, gently placing both hands on my shoulders.
“What!? Why would I do that?” I retorted in disbelief, fully prepared for another one of her pranks.
“Oh come on, nii-san.” My sister patted the side of my shoulder, her other hand reaching around my chest then latching onto my arm, pinning me in an inescapable grab.
“There are no tricks here.” She whispered softly while leaning back, pulling my entire upper body backward. “Just relax.”

Eventually, I felt my back pressing against something soft and delicate. What followed immediately was a surge of blood rushing into my head as I realized that it’s the same sensation I know all too well from my countless encounters with Margaret.

“T… Tewi, what are you doing!?”
“Shh..” My sister’s hand brushing against the top of my head, gently stroking my hair while her other hand wrapped around my chest in a half embrace. “Just close your eyes and relax.”
Being locked in position, I can only do as I was told. Despite the awkward lead up, the experience became surprisingly soothing. At the same time, it felt extremely nostalgic, as if I had experienced this before...

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>>3357273
“Mother used to do this, remember?” My sister continued patting my head as I closed my eyes. Turns out, Tewi treasured the memories of mother just as much as I did.
“Yes, she did.”

I exhaled deeply, reminiscing on the peaceful, innocent days long gone. Back then, when we were younger, this bathtub felt larger than it actually was, large enough to fit both of us and mother. As we bathed, we would lean into her, and she would hold us in her arms the same way a sea otter cuddles her youngling, gently patting our heads.
Tewi’s actions brought this memory back in full force, and I felt as if I was my childhood self again.
Even after all these years, the moments I shared with mother were still my most treasured memories.
I really, really miss her.

“That’s it. Now get up nii-san, you’re starting to feel heavy.”
My sister snapped me back into reality In one powerful shove, setting me back upright again.
“Come on, can you not be such a spoilsport?” I complained playfully. To tell the truth, I really wished to relive that moment for just another second.
“Naaaaaaah.” She quipped back with a lighthearted chuckle. I guess this was the prank she prepared for me after all.

The rest of the bath went by surprisingly smooth. Though I still dared not turn back, our later small talks and banter remained largely the same as what we would normally do. In time, what started off as an awkward bath had smoothened into something way more...natural.

“Alright I’m about done.” My sister climbed out of the tub, spilling water all over the place just like how she entered. “I’ve got to prepare futons for our guests.”
My gaze shifted back to the stool as she spoke, just in time to see Tewi wrapped back in a towel.
“Take your sweet time.” she left me with what sounded like a devilish taunt. “Once you're done, maybe spend some time with our guests?”

Well, of course.

>>3357275
>I’ll help you set up the futons.
>Check up on Yanagi and make sure she’s fine
>Try connecting with Amile
>Make sure there’s something adequate for Margaret to dress in

>>3357280
>Check up on Yanagi and make sure she’s fine

>>3357280
>I’ll help you set up the futons.
Try to convince her again if possible.

>>3357280
>Make sure there’s something adequate for Margaret to dress in
Looks like our MC has some really serious mommy issues

>>3357280
>Make sure there’s something adequate for Margaret to dress in

>>3357280
>Check up on Yanagi and make sure she’s fine
Trying to make Tewi reconsider is useless. Focus clearly is already writing up her death scene.

>>3357280
>Make sure there’s something adequate for Margaret to dress in
>>3359842
If Lara can survive a plane crash I'm sure Tewi can survive interrogation.

>>3360216
>Not recognizing a death flag

>>3360246
Eh, I won't say things are that set in stone. Even in the scenario where Tewi does get abducted, big titty admiral still has every reason to keep her alive since she'll be an excellent bargaining chip.
Not to mention Aiteng sort of lands on the tamer scale compared to the main villains of previous VC quests and canon games.

>>3360710
She'll get killed when we attempt to rescue her.

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>>3357282
“Guess I’m done as well,” I said, lifting myself out of the tub as well. Feet on the wet tile ground, I stacked the buckets together and pushed the stools aside before preparing to leave the bathroom.
“Hold up!”
However, I was caught off guard by my sister’s exclamation the moment I had my hand on the sliding door handle.
“You’re not trying to pull a ‘lucky perv’, are you?”
“What? No! Where did you get that ide-”
“Well, you’d better not, cuz I’m changing in here.”

She opened a small slit from the other side and slid me a towel from the opening. “Why don't you dry yourself up at the meantime.”
“Alright, alright.”
Well, if that’s the case, it would be horribly inappropriate for me to head out now.

“I’ve left a yukata ready for you.” she continued behind the door’s opaque glass. “I’ll give you a heads up when I’m done.”
“Thanks.” I sighed, turning to wipe away the moisture on my skin.

Speaking of which… do we have clothes large enough for Margaret? Tewi’s own clothes fit just fine on Yanagi and Amile, but I doubt even father’s old garments would fit Margaret. If that’s the case, what exactly did she wear after her turn in the bath? Surely, there should be something more adequate for her to dress in apart from a chimera of loose towels.
With the rest of my body dried, I bundled my hair up in the towel, which ended up taking the shape of a conch shell on my head. It took just about as much time for my sister to finish changing outside.

“You can come in now, nii-san.”
“Oh.”
When I stepped out of the bathroom, my sister had already left, leaving behind a gray yukata with a dark blue obi in a bamboo basket on the floor.
She even has it neatly folded, how kind of her.

Donning the deep gray, linen woven fabric, I stepped into the corridor and began making my way back to the living room. While Tewi was busy setting up futons for the night, I should probably take this time to find solutions for Margaret’s unfortunate wardrobe proble…

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>>3366489
“Subaru-kun?”
That, at least, was my train of thought until bumping into the subject matter halfway back to the living room. Speak of the devil.
As I had thought, Margaret was wrapped in a strange chimera of towels. Two, to be more precise, one wrapped around her well-endowed chest and the other around her waist, covering the area between her lower abdomen and the top half of her toned thighs.

“Ma--Margaret-san?”
Caught aback by this unexpected run-in, I found myself stuttering while trying to conjure up an appropriate greeting.

The Valkyria eyed the conch shell wrapping on my head with mild curiosity, then came to the most logical conclusion.
“Ah, I saw Tewi-chan wearing a towel like this too! Did the two of you take a bath together?”
Due to the staggering difference between our heights, Margaret had to bend down slightly just so we could see each other at eye level.
“Ah…”
In a split second, the loosely wrapped towel threatened to fall off due to her sudden movements but was quickly caught by Margaret as she used her right hand to hold everything in place.
“Ye… Yeah, sort of.”
I tried my best to keep my gaze at her face, using every fiber of my self-restraint to not look elsewhere.

“Did Tewi-chan hit you with a branch?”
With a warm smile, she then brought up a topic that was equally as questionable as her current attire.
“...What?”
“I often bath and banya together with Brother Konstantin back home, and he likes it when I hit him on the back with dried oak branches. He says I’m good at it!” She exclaimed cheerfully. “Did you do that too? ”
“Um... no?”
I found myself once again at a loss of words with another one of Margaret’s revelations on her family. While I wouldn’t call siblings bathing together that much out of the ordinary, the fact that she’s raised in a household where her brother and sister were engaged in some incestuous relationship just made the supposedly innocuous activity that much more deviant. And if the details Margaret described in their little family activity were as I imagined…

“Margaret-san.” I decided to brush the troublesome thoughts aside and focus on the matters at hand. “Your attire is in desperate need of reorganization.”
“Huh?” Margaret quizzically looked down upon the towels wrapped around herself. “I think this is fine.”
“No, it’s not.” I retorted, grabbing the Valkyria by her one free hand and dragging her away. “You’ll catch a cold like this.”
My face lit up like a paper lantern as I held Margaret by her hand and guided her down the hallways, into what used to be mother’s dresser.

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>>3366497
“Please wait for a moment.” I addressed her while I began rummaging through the closets. Margaret simply complied, sitting quietly on one of the cushions laid out on the tatami floor.
From one of the closets, I picked out a long, crimson colored and a spare bed sheet just enough to cover her body in full. This might not be the most orthodox way to do things, but it might just work.

“Margaret-san.” I began, laying all the utensils out on in between us. “I’ll make some adjustments to your current attire. Can you tie the bed sheet around your neck, like an apron?”
“Like this? ” She took one of the shorter sides and tied the corners over her neck, before turning around to show me the knot. “Am I doing it correctly?”
“Seems alright.”

With the neck halter done, the bedsheet now covered the front of Margaret’s body, like a half-done chiton worn in the Age of Antiquity. Now her apparel looked like actual clothing, as opposed to the two towels that barely covered anything. However, there was still one missing piece, something to hold the long fabric in place. This is where the crimson obi came in.
Unwinding the long sash, I prepared to wrap it around Margaret’s waist---

“Ah, I’ll have to take this off then!”

Without a second’s notice, Margaret undid the towels that covered her remaining modesty, her snow-white back was laying completely bare, all the way to her bottom.
“Wa--wait!” I halted all motions and snapped my eyes shut. Margaret and I had some really intimate run-ins before but never had it came as close to this. Even the sleepover back in our mainland estate was tamer in comparison.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, trying the steel my resolve and not to give in to the temptation of peeking. Just why is she so comfortable with undressing before others? Could she be-

No, Subaru, remember what your sister said. No degenerate thoughts.

“Is something wrong?” Even more troubling to me was how she didn’t seem to think any of this is out of the ordinary.
“Margaret-san… I- I can see…” I tried to form a coherent sentence, but what came out was nothing but a jumbled mess of stuttering.
“It’s okay, Subaru-kun, I trust you!” She replied with a gentle assurance, though it did little to help my predicament. However, I can’t just leave her like this, right?

“Okay...” I exhaled deeply, opening my eyes again. “Can you wrap the sheet around you, just a little?”
Nodding, Margaret wrapped a piece of fabric around her body slightly above her hips. At the same time, I quickly began wrapping the obi around her midsection, and a few rounds later fastened it with a ribbon tie.
“Done.” I exhaled, falling back onto the tatami as Margaret rose from sitting position. As she spun around, admiring her new ‘gown’, however, I couldn’t help but look away in utter embarrassment.

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>>3366509
The ending result was very similar to that of a nightgown, but with a catch.
A seductively large ‘hole’ opened from the back, stretching all the way down to the Obi that rested on Margaret’s hips. This ‘backless dress’ design still left nearly her entire back bare alongside her arms. Moreover, her (very) well-endowed bosom pushed the upper half of the halter out, leaving the sides of her torso bare too. In an attempt to create a more presentable outfit for Margaret, I somehow ended up creating one even more risque than what she originally wore. Though she didn't seem to mind.

“This is much better!” She stood up and spun around, admiring her newfound outfit like a little girl who just received a birthday gift. “Thank you, Subaru-kun!”
“Glad you liked it” I replied. Again, while there always was a valid reason to doubt her true intentions, Margaret just never came across that sort of person. The way she behaved here only fueled to further emphasize her innocence.

However, leaving her shady, questionably incestuous, and possibly emotionally manipulative family members aside, there was something else here I feel I need to address.

>Margaret-san, what am I in your eyes?
>You shouldn’t put that much trust in everyone you come by.
>Wrap the loosened towel over her shoulders.
>Write in

>>3366518
>Wrap the loosened towel over her shoulders.

>>3366518
>Margaret-san, what am I in your eyes?
Is this a route lock?

>>3366518
>You shouldn’t put that much trust in everyone you come by.
>Wrap the loosened towel over her

>>3366518
>Margaret-san, what am I in your eyes?

>>3366518
>Margaret-san, what am I in your eyes?
>Wrap the loosened towel over her shoulders.
>>3366831
Most likely not. But this does look like the first step to knock her out of the Onii-sama worship