Lusteria's Job Search (4)
In the Demon Lord Castle, where reconstruction was in full swing, many residents were diligently sweating through their assigned tasks. Amidst this, Lusteria and Nella strolled through the residential areas where the citizens lived and worked. Though the hazy, pitch-black pollutants in the atmosphere made clear identification difficult, the beams of light piercing through the dust layer at the center of the sky suggested the sun hung high overhead. Since most residents were out laboring at their duties, the living quarters felt quite deserted.
Lusteria appeared brimming with confidence and vigor, as if her earlier sulky mood had never existed. She wore a stylish, sharply tailored uniform in navy blue. Over a white dress shirt, the uniform featured a matching tie and came complete with a rounded hat adorned with a kite-shield-shaped metal emblem at its center. The shoulders were precisely squared, and a silver star-shaped badge gleamed on her left breast.
“Lusteria… This outfit is… truly… beautiful……”
“Really? Hehe, Master gave it to me as a gift before! She said it’s clothing from another world, worn by righteous people who fight to protect others!”
The outfit Lusteria had worn while demonstrating exercises before the ogres had already been quite provocative, and this uniform was no different. Nella found herself unsure where to rest her gaze and turned her eyes away. The dress shirt and uniform jacket Lusteria wore were cropped so short that her midriff was fully exposed. The tight fit strained the buttons to their limit, with wide gaps between them revealing what lay beneath. Through those gaps, the white dress shirt showed, and its somewhat sheer fabric allowed the black bra Lusteria wore to make its presence known. Her skirt was likewise short enough to bare her pale thighs, threatening to reveal her undergarments with any careless movement, rendering it utterly impractical. Beneath the skirt, black garter belts and 60-denier banded stockings completed the ensemble—another element far removed from functionality, solidifying Nella’s suspicions. The glossy black high heels she wore needed no further comment.
Nella could not guess what the Demon Lord had said when gifting Lusteria this attire, but it was clear the outfit had been designed to showcase a woman’s allure rather than for the noble purpose Lusteria described. No one who fought to protect others would wear high heels that hindered movement, a skirt that exposed undergarments at the slightest lift of the leg, or a uniform so tight the buttons looked ready to burst. In such clothing, fighting—or even running properly—would be impossible.
As they walked, Lusteria occasionally glanced down at her uniform and smiled bashfully. She clearly cherished the gift from her beloved master. Seeing Lusteria so innocently happy, Nella decided against voicing her near-certain suspicions. The sight of Lusteria’s pure smile melted Nella’s heart, drawing a warm smile from her in return.
“This is it! What do you think?”
“Ah, this is… a magic circle… isn’t it…?”
Upon reaching their destination, Lusteria proudly presented her creation to Nella. It was the outermost residential district, farthest from the central plaza where the Demon Lord and other important figures resided. Rows of makeshift square tents stood erected from worn cloth, each bearing a small magic circle etched into its surface. Nella looked around. Every tent in the area bore the same markings. Even the ground along the paths and the rubble of collapsed stone walls had magic circles inscribed wherever the surface was flat.
“What function does this magic circle serve?”
“Hehe. Care to guess?”
Curious about what made Lusteria so confident, Nella touched the circle without hesitation. A soft hum resonated.
“Aah…!!”
For a moment, Nella flinched and stepped back as waves of light began to envelop her body. Realizing the light posed no harm, she found the experience novel and impressive, especially given her limited exposure to magic. The gentle glow that perfectly encased her felt almost comforting.
Thud!
“Eek…!!”
“Hehe, how is it?”
Feeling her left arm being jostled, Nella turned her head and was startled to see a sharp dagger pressed against it. Lusteria held the blade, her expression bright and carefree despite thrusting a dangerous weapon toward her.
“This is…”
“It’s a Defensive Aura. Lady Hestinia demonstrated it before, remember?”
“Ah……”
In the cabin within Taego Forest, Hestinia had layered several defensive spells to escape Neromeltia’s grasp. The Defensive Aura had been one of the four protective magics she had used at that time.
“It isn’t particularly powerful, but it can easily block blades swung by ordinary people.”
Alarm! Alarm! Security forces deployed!
Alarm! Alarm! Security forces deployed!
Alarm! Alarm! Security forces deployed!
Suddenly, Lusteria’s own cute voice repeated from within her uniform. Though her lips remained closed, the voice continued unabated. Tracing the sound, Nella realized it came from a pocket near Lusteria’s chest, where light seeped through the navy fabric. Smiling confidently, Lusteria reached into the pocket. Her fingers struggled to enter the tightly fitted pleated patch pocket, and she fumbled to retrieve its contents.
“Eek! Just… a moment…!”
“Ugh…”
As her fingers rummaged inside, her ample breasts were pressed and jostled. Though Lusteria intended nothing by it, the sight radiated overt allure. Nella’s face flushed crimson, and she had to look away.
‘Demon Lord…’
To the people of Hemonigent, the Demon Lord was no different from a deity. Without thinking, Nella called upon her, trying to steady her wildly beating heart. She had never harbored romantic feelings for Lusteria, nor had she ever felt sexual desire toward a woman. Yet her emotions surged violently, leaving her bewildered by the inexplicable turmoil. The Demon Lord Neromeltia, the very one she prayed to, appeared in her mind not as a gentle figure offering solace, but as one smiling with knowing satisfaction. Nella quickly abandoned the prayer.
“Ah! Found it!”
Lusteria finally succeeded in retrieving the item—a small mana stone. No larger than a fingernail, it emitted a clear light that projected a miniature map above it.
“Yesterday at dinner with Lady Hestinia, you suggested I think of work that could help the citizens, didn’t you? This is what I came up with from that advice!”
“Is this a security device to prevent crime or respond to accidents?”
“Yes! If someone in danger touches this magic circle, the Defensive Aura activates to ensure their safety, and nearby guards will rush to the location marked on the map to handle the situation!”
Nella had merely stated the obvious, yet she could not help but marvel that such an ingenious idea had sprung from her vague words. Helping the citizens was an obvious ideal, but it had been little more than an empty suggestion. After the mana train failure, Nella had simply told the disheartened Lusteria to consider something else, offering no clear vision. From that casual remark, Lusteria had conceived a system more advanced than anything in history.
“Look at this map! The red dot is you, Nella, who touched the circle, and the white dot is the nearest guard’s position! The black dot in the center is the inner castle where Master resides! The grid pattern covering the map indicates distance—each square represents ten kilomental!”
“I see. With this tool and these circles, we could respond to various situations beyond just crime—collapses, fires, or enemy raids……”
“As expected of you, Nella! I hadn’t thought that far! If we could indicate what kind of situation the reporter is in, we could respond even faster and more accurately! Crime could be a red dot, fire a yellow dot, collapse a brown dot, enemy raid a flashing red dot! Different voice alerts depending on the situation would be good too! You’re amazing, Nella! I still have so much to learn!”
“No…”
From Nella’s brief comment, Lusteria had drawn yet another inspiration and lavished praise upon her. Yet Nella had only spoken her passing thoughts; the one who had forged an advanced concept from that trivial exchange was Lusteria. Now Lusteria was treating Nella as if she had planned it all, leaving Nella feeling deeply uncomfortable with the current atmosphere.
“Would you like to see this too? Once the guards arrive near the reporter, the map can zoom in! If I move away like this…”
As Lusteria explained enthusiastically and stepped backward, the white and red dots on the projected map drifted apart. Nella was beyond astonished—she was shocked that Lusteria had created such an outstanding device in a single day, leaving her speechless.
“See how the two dots separate? And when I get closer like this…”
Lusteria now hurried back toward Nella. The white and red dots on the map gradually drew nearer.
“The dots get closer too! Right now there’s only one mana stone registered as a guard, so there’s just one white dot, but once we mass-produce them and equip all the new guard members, there will be many white dots!”
“Ugh…!”
Completely absorbed in her explanation, Lusteria remained unaware that she had practically thrown herself into Nella’s arms. Her large breasts rubbed against Nella’s exposed abdomen—Nella’s work clothes consisted of a sleeveless top that left her midriff bare—and Nella could feel the soft, plush sensation directly against her skin. Furthermore, to show the map more clearly, Lusteria held the mana stone right before Nella’s eyes, and because of their significant height difference, she even bounced on her toes. Each bounce sent her ample breasts jiggling vigorously against Nella’s stomach.
“What are you doing here?”
“Aah, Sir Crawford!”
The one who rescued the dizzy Nella was none other than Crawford. His eyes filled with discomfort, he hurried toward them. He wore no armor, only a white dress shirt that highlighted his formal appearance, suggesting he had rushed over mid-official duties.
“Look, Sir Crawford! This is what I—”
“Lady Lusteria… Do you know who informed me?”
Crawford sighed, closing his eyes and pressing a hand to his forehead. Sensing the grave atmosphere, Lusteria fell silent and studied his expression. A trace of fear flickered in her tense gaze—the fear of an unintended situation unfolding.
“I received word from a Black Knight on patrol in the residential district. I was told you have been inscribing magic circles for the residents’ safety.”
“Yes… That’s right……”
Lusteria was not so oblivious as to miss the current mood. Her bright demeanor cooled and wilted, her gaze gradually sinking toward the ground.
“Lady Lusteria, the Black Knights currently guard every corner of the Demon Lord Castle’s residential areas without a single gap. That is how I was able to receive immediate reports of your actions. We have also dispatched scouts to monitor the outer perimeter and the surrounding regions beyond the castle. There is no need for you to exert yourself in this manner; the castle’s defenses will not be neglected.”
“……”
“Please return. Her Majesty will worry.”
Lusteria said nothing. She merely looked at Nella and smiled faintly, her eyes moist and heartbreakingly forlorn. Nella tried to speak up to comfort her, but Lusteria quietly cast a teleportation spell and vanished.
The frigid atmosphere did not thaw even after Lusteria’s departure. Nella knew how much effort and dedication Lusteria had poured into this. She recalled Lusteria striving desperately, driven by the single desire not to become a useless servant to her beloved master. Anger boiled within Nella, impossible to contain. Had they truly needed to speak to Lusteria that way after all her heartfelt efforts?
Nella’s fury erupted toward Crawford.
“You. Listen here.”
“Ghk…!!”
Nella seized Crawford by the collar. Though he was known as Hemonigent’s Sword Master, fending off the strength of a two-hundred-mental-tall, rigorously trained orc soldier proved exceedingly difficult even for him. If Crawford was a Sword Master, Nella was likewise the orc army’s strongest swordsman—and moreover, her body had been further honed through grueling labor as the Engineering Captain. She was no ordinary opponent.
“It’s a duel. Bring your sword at once.”