After a long absence, I hesitated when I saw the soldiers guarding the front gate of the Arteia family estate. There was nothing unusual about the fact that they were women.
In a fantasy world where powers like magic or divine strength exist, the physical differences between men and women could easily be bridged.
What made me hesitate was their attire.
‘...Grandfather. That’s...’
<It’s exactly like the armor you wore.>
<Seeing it now, it’s actually pretty racy. How could you wear something like that?>
The female knights wore armor that looked identical to the one I used to wear, with a proud expression on their faces.
Usually, I tried not to pay attention when I wore that armor, but now that I was seeing it like this, it felt strange.
How is that armor even functional? I feel like I'd bleed to death if I were stabbed anywhere.
I’d rather call it a peculiar swimsuit than armor; that feels more believable.
As I stood there staring at the knights exposing so much skin, the door to the mansion suddenly opened, and a woman came rushing out, her hair flying in the wind.
“Lady Alrn!”
She slid up to me and immediately kneeled, grabbing my hand.
“Your previous feats were truly miraculous! The light rising from the heart of the forest was so dazzling it was overwhelming!”
A sigh escaped me at the sight of the Arteia Countess, who was similar to the half-wit fox but in a different direction of awkwardness. Dropping one pervert had only brought a new one.
“I immediately urged the blacksmith to recreate the armor you wore, Lady! While it can never compare to your beauty and nobility, I wanted to at least recreate some of it!”
In simpler terms, these female knights were probably victims who had been forced into participating in the nobles' abuses. It's terrifying how much influence money and power hold, especially with a boss who has the resources and the will to back it up.
<If you wanted, you could do something like this too, you know?>
<Didn’t you already do that? I heard the knights were crying.>
‘That was a justified punishment.’
If they were enjoying seeing the master in trouble, they obviously needed to be punished.
If they were dumb enough to think it was just training, the punishment had to be even harsher.
“Oh! Lady Alrn, just to make sure you don’t misunderstand, it was not my force that made these two wear this armor!”
“...What? What nonsense is this? Are you saying these women voluntarily took off their clothes and became sluts?”
“No! Of course not! These two knights were inspired by the miracle of the forest and were moved by you, Lady Alrn!”
I slowly raised my head at the unexpected words, only to feel their eyes staring at me intensely.
“She’s so small and cute, but also so noble.”
“I’m so proud of collecting all the Artisans' Guild’s accessories.”
As I watched the fairies chattering among the female knights, I realized that these two genuinely wanted to wear this armor, and they even felt proud of it.
No. What? I’m wearing this shameless armor only because it’s special, okay?
The appearance itself has no meaning, though?
In fact, I’m disgusted by it. But if you guys feel proud of it, I feel guilty!
“These aren’t the only ones. Lady, the light that rose from the forest has inspired many people.”
The Arteia Countess spoke naturally as she led me into the mansion.
I had no intention of staying here for long! All I needed was to borrow the boat!
Despite my protests, the innocent eyes of the two knights kept my feet planted firmly.
I didn’t care about perverts like the half-wit fox or the Arteia Countess!
I could curse and do as I pleased without feeling guilty about it!
But innocent people like these are a different case!
If these people, wearing this revealing armor because of me, look at me and smile, I can’t help but feel awkward!
After being half-dragged along, I was greeted by several more female knights in similar armor and many more men.
Ugh.
“Huh. Even the Artisans' Guild's paintings can’t capture the real thing.”
“Have I ever thought that joining the Arteia family was a good idea, today of all days?”
“Hey, gentlemen, can you back off a bit? She’s getting uncomfortable.”
“R-Right?”
I could understand the female knights. I couldn’t quite grasp it with conventional sensibility, but I knew there could be people who liked this kind of armor.
But men? What are you guys doing?!
Why are you showing off your bulky muscles like that?
I don’t want to see a man’s belly button!
“Lady Alrn, if it’s not too much trouble, could I see the armor hidden beneath your cloak?”
As soon as I heard the Countess of Arteia's request, I was about to let out a curse, but I stopped myself, noticing the sharp eyes around me.
“Ha! Why would I? I don’t want to hang out with perverts who are obsessed with exposure!”
Still, I didn’t want to fit in with these perverts.
My surroundings are already saturated with them! If anyone else wants to join, they’d better defeat the existing ones first!
“No, Lady! We didn’t wear this armor due to personal desire!”
“That’s right! We wore it because we admired you!”
Admire? Me? Why? I furrowed my brow in confusion when fairies began to appear next to them.
Oh, so everyone here was chosen by the fairies?
“Bugs. Looks like your mouths are as light as your wings?”
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The fact that more people knew about what I’d done in the forest was annoying, but if these were people recognized by the fairies, it wasn’t the worst thing.
Anyway, getting the fairies’ favor is a complicated task.
And if the dark fairy queen said it was okay to speak, then she must have had a reason.
...Right?
“Lady Alrn.”
I turned my head at the sound of the Arteia Countess's voice.
“Everyone here has gathered because of the nobility and purity of your divinity. Really. They gathered because of the divine crystal you shared with us.”
I was at a loss for words as I looked at the shining faces of these people with their admiring eyes. I wiped my face and removed my cloak. The mansion was filled with cheers.
<You’re softer than I thought. I can’t believe the girl who usually laughs while trampling others is like this.>
<Well, she’s still a good kid.>
Hey! Grandpa! Don’t have a pleasant chat inside, help me find a way to convince these people!?
I don’t mind them admiring me, but this armor is not okay!
<What can you do if they like it? Let it be.>
<It doesn’t look great, but it’s not really a big problem. Armor’s only a threat after a certain level anyway.>
<Right. Back in our day, some guys only wore underwear and charged in.>
<That guy’s the reason chivalry even exists, I think. Yeah.>
Is this really okay!? Can’t we let these so-called heroes be like this!?
They like it, so I can’t argue, but still!
Ah! I don’t know! Let them live however they want! It’s not me who’s going to suffer! They will!
After witnessing a dreadful scene at the Arteia family estate, I prayed for them to drop the Countess and boarded the ship prepared by the family, heading to the island.
Watching the ones who should be guarding the mansion wave from the ship was honestly a disgrace, but seeing them so foolishly entertained only made me smile.
Hmm. I’d been feeling uneasy since leaving the fairy forest, but today, I felt refreshed.
Those fools probably didn’t mean it, but it did help in its own way. Maybe I’ll play with them again on the way back.
“It’s late, Employer.”
“Welcome! Miss! We’ve already prepared everything!”
At the dock, Kal and Karia were waiting.
“Those exhibitionist patients over there, huh? They’re so cute it’s hard, you know? Ah, you probably can’t understand, right?”
“I didn’t hear that just now. Anyway, I checked all the places you mentioned. They’re all restricted areas. No one else would even think of stepping foot there unless it’s you.”
Phew. That’s a relief. I was worried someone like the Pope or another irregular had gotten there first.
<Isn’t that unnecessary worry? Who else but you could clear those dungeons?>
<Dungeons? What do you mean by that?>
<You’ll see. You’ll be amazed.>
<You’re being silly, acting like you’re the only one who can clear those dungeons. We’ve cleared a lot of them.>
<That’s why I said you’ll see. You won’t believe it unless you see it for yourself. I’m sure you’ll be thinking about what would’ve happened if Lucy had been our leader.>
<Ha! Is that so? Fine. Let’s have a bet with that.>
Ignoring the chatter of my grandfathers in my head, I gestured at Karia to answer the other question.
“Sorry, but I’m still gathering information on the hero. For now, let’s explore the dungeon with this knight. I’ve already told you the location!”
“That’s right! Miss! I’ve memorized all the regions for you!”
His proud stance reminded me of the cheers from watching Rene and the half-wit fox battle, but since I felt good today, I decided to overlook the minor mistakes.
“Then lead the way. Rookie. If you only wag your tail, you’ll get kicked out.”
“I understand!”