Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: What Melted Away - 1
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Niva gaped as she took in the situation.
"Uh, uh..."
Of course, she was still stuck in the sticky pit, slathered head to toe in green slime. Her signature bunny girl outfit had completely melted away too.
'Bye bye, bunny girl.'
She vowed never to run into a slime again.
"..."
'Even the stockings melted off completely. At least the staff and bunny ears are intact.'
Completely disarmed, Niva.
If exposure level determined one's veteran status, no one could top her right now. Just a pure white nude body topped with a staff and bunny ears... the true "veteran look."
'The kind of appearance you always dodge in PVP games.'
Blushing furiously, Niva's gaze darted left and right.
"Uh, uhh, uhhh...?"
I got the bewilderment. Who wouldn't freak out when their hard-earned fashion items vanished, leaving just base gear?
'She always wore it, so it must've had some attachment.'
But separate from wishing peace for the bunny girl outfit, there was work to do. I extended my hand toward the pit she'd fallen into.
And clenched my fist.
"Crush."
"What—!?"
Niva jumped in shock.
In the pit where she'd fallen.
Two boulders the size of human heads burst from the floor. They clapped together like hands smacking. With a sharp crack, the "slime core" in the pit shattered.
Kwachik—!
The shock sent green fragments splattering all the way to the boss room ceiling.
-Kurrrulk—!
The trap slime writhed briefly before dying. Niva clutched her staff, mouth agape at what I'd just done. She seemed rattled enough to forget her shame.
"...Eh."
"If we'd left the slime alone, it would've kept sliding over your skin. It might've even tried slipping inside. So I took care of it right away."
"!"
Niva pointed accusingly, yelling like she was wronged.
"Y-you scared me half to death!! Warn me before you do something like that—!! It's not even attacking right away..."
"Even if it doesn't harm you immediately, acidic substances inside the body cause illness. If you got sick, you'd be bent over in front of Sister Lucia while she—"
"Eek!?"
Fantasy-style proctology story.
The moment she heard that.
Niva frantically brushed off the slime chunks on her body.
"Uwaaa! Seriously...! Don't say weird stuff like that!"
She finally stood up. Sitting would've kept her lower half submerged. She jumped up and down, trying to shake off the gunk coating her everywhere.
"This stuff! Won't! Come off—!"
Drawn by that kinetic energy,
Her body's potential energy shifted in real time.
Niva's massive, undulating heart...
White afterimages trailing,
Two hearts bouncing vigorously.
It felt like my brain resources were being sucked away in real time. Cherry blossoms swirling wildly against a white sky—you couldn't help but follow with your eyes.
'This is way too violent.'
Pendulum motion of spheres,
Was enough to shake a person's soul like this?
Feeling my gaze, Niva yelled, waving her staff threateningly as a bonus.
"Hey! What're you staring at—!"
"!"
Oh right.
'Staring at someone else's nude body without permission isn't lordly conduct.'
I snapped out of it.
As I turned my eyes from that demonic kinetic energy and prepared my lordly secret technique—"playing dumb"—Niva suddenly held up a "familiar pair of sunglasses" and spoke.
"Hmph! This'll have to do for now...!"
"!"
She put on the "familiar sunglasses."
I was horrified.
Ah.
Those.
'Legendary exclusive: turns you into an old man...!'
Before, it was middle-aged uncle "bunny girl," but now she was "sticky nude." So the moment she wore those shades, what would appear before my eyes...
"?!"
What the hell.
Retaliating like this.
'I haven't even recovered from the catkin nightmare.'
I desperately squeezed my eyes shut. And tried not to imagine the horror unfolding before me. Soon, a sigh came from the pit.
"Hoo..."
"..."
"Hey, stop closing your eyes like that and help me out?"
"!"
'A woman's voice?'
Niva's voice wasn't a gruff uncle's. It was still her own voice, prim with a hint of irritation.
'She hasn't put on the sunglasses yet?'
Feeling the dissonance, I very cautiously opened my eyes.
"!"
There stood Niva, properly dressed.
'Female form.'
Bunny ears, sunglasses, staff intact.
But below, impeccably prim black top and bottoms—simple rose embroidery. Like custom-made from the finest clothing shop.
A noble lady with peculiar accessories.
'She wears this sometimes too.'
The thought slipped out naturally.
I muttered.
"Not an old man, huh."
"I never was!"
"Not bunny clothes either."
"Th-that's—."
"Personal freedom in outfits, sure... but how about wearing that more often? Honestly, it's the most fitting thing I've seen on you."
"?!"
Niva's face flushed bright red. Over her sunglasses, she raised her brows in an inverted V and shrieked.
"Wh-what?! Are you insane—?! Total pervert lord! H-how can you say walk around like this?!"
"Pardon? It seems more prim and formal than ever."
"Y-you... your tastes are straight-up sadistic... Ah."
Niva pointed at me, about to say more, then froze as if remembering something late. She fiddled with her sunglasses hesitantly.
"Thing is, I'm still naked right now. I just swapped this artifact's legendary ability settings. This is how everyone always saw me."
"Pardon? Oh."
I realized quickly.
'Not linked to actual clothing.'
Pure skin.
She'd hastily layered one "skin" over another skin.
Niva shot me a glare over her shades.
"You kept going on about middle-aged bunny, middle-aged bunny, so I got pissed and scrapped the legendary ability's limited settings. Now everyone sees this."
"I see."
I sighed in relief.
"Truly... thank you sincerely for your mercy."
"How much did you hate the old man look?"
"Precisely, the protruding crotch—."
"Okay, okay, drop it."
Niva waved it off, then made her staff vanish somewhere. She extended both hands from the pit.
"Can't climb out like this, so help?"
"Yes, of course."
I took her hands and pulled her up.
"Wouldn't warping out be better? We're heading straight to the city anyway."
"Uh, well..."
"?"
Niva hesitated.
"..."
"..."
Finally.
She whispered.
"I-I can't warp without bunny girl—er, bunny clothes."
"Pardon?"
"That's my ability restriction... I'm originally a fire-attribute archmage, but warp came from ability awakening, so..."
"Ah."
I understood.
Niva didn't stubbornly wear bunny girl out of perversion. Like how Bow Ghost needed a bow for full skill use, she needed bunny girl attire for warp.
'Weird restriction.'
But worry hit immediately.
"The bunny clothes melted to the slime, though. You okay?"
"Ah, that's fine."
Niva touched the bunny ears still on her head.
"One-use-per-day limit, but with this artifact, I can switch back to bunny girl anytime. Like transformation gear. The broken one regenerates at midnight tomorrow anyway."
"!"
Transformation item,
Bunny girl no less—!
Niva was an adult magical girl.
'Warp-casting fire main attribute legendary archmage adult bunny girl magical girl!'
As I marveled at her stacked quirks.
Niva fidgeted again. Arms crossed, legs twisting inward...
"B-but today's bunny girl quota melted. Can't warp back. Other magic's fine, but... I'm fire main attribute."
"Got it."
Time to head back anyway.
'Unless these two mages start a midnight forest fire.'
"Then exploration ends here—."
Saying that,
As I tried to call it quits.
Thud!
"!"
Something tripped underfoot. Next to Niva's trap pit, the goblin fakeout branch pile. Something hard inside gleamed like obsidian.
I picked up the fist-sized stone.
"Black... tombstone?"
"Hmm..."
We stared at it awhile.
Unfamiliar item, no real insights. After inspection, only one thing was clear to our eyes.
Niva said.
"Feels like magic. Not mana. Power of darkness."
"Yes."
I pocketed it.
"Better ask Sister Lucia. She inherited the late high priest's knowledge; expert on this stuff."
"Huh. Thought she was just a doctor type..."
"Then let's really head back. On foot, of course."
"!"
Niva swallowed hard.
She fiddled with her sunglasses again, crossed her arms, kept glancing at me. Legs twisting side to side since earlier.
She said.
"Do I... really look clothed?"
"Yes, more prim and fitting than ever."
"Y-you're way too positive. You into prim outfits?"
"Not preference exactly, but your usual exposure was extreme. This feels normally aesthetic. And it suits you perfectly."
"Hmmm... I see."
Niva turned her head slightly.
"A-alright. Might try this sometimes if I feel like it."
"Thank you."
"Hmph, not for you. Just trying other outfits."
We finished talking, but I realized.
Niva was still naked.
'Just skinned over with sunglasses...'
Couldn't ruin the mood, so I stayed quiet.
"..."
'Pointing it out makes me the psycho telling a strange woman to wander naked.'
For our dignity.
We returned to Baran as the sun dipped low.
But Niva's ordeal began here.
Through the forest path,
To the gate checkpoint.
Sir Jayden, on wall patrol, approached with a hearty laugh. Niva yelped "Eek!" and plastered herself to my back.
Like hiding behind a wall.
Squish...
The alien sensation on my back confirmed she truly wasn't wearing clothes.
"..."
'Ironic. Looks primmer than ever, but bolder underneath.'
I draped my cloak over her shoulders. Sir Jayden, seeing it, grinned.
"You're a true gentleman, my lord."
"Mm, she's my magic tutor too."
"Haha, true. But you two side by side, so neat and prim... reminds me of me and my wife in our youth."
"Too far, Sir Jayden."
"Hahaha! At my age, others' romances are the best entertainment."
Sir Jayden eyed Niva. She panicked, sticking even closer. The slightly pressed-back alien sensation surged like a wave.
"..."
'Too big, and pressing hurts.'
New fact learned,
With Sir Jayden's booming laugh.
"Hahaha! Young love. Won't intrude. Farewell."
"Mm, hard work all Harvest Festival."
"Hahaha! No trouble."
Heading to the city proper after.
Climbers and townsfolk everywhere greeted us. I responded casually.
-Hey! It's the lord! Hello!
> -O, hello—!
"Yes, hello."
-Who's the shades next to him?
> -Woah, totally glued...
"..."
Meanwhile.
Niva's face shifted colors by the second.
Extreme expressions.
Holding her sweaty hand, sometimes flushing beet red, paling ghost white, finally zoning out in enlightenment. Slight blush lingering maybe.
'Not discovering some new sensation, I hope.'
"..."
"..."
Poor staggering Niva, so I played wall while walking. Finally reached her inn.
Niva said blankly.
"...I'm socially dead now."
"Pardon?"
"Paraded naked through the city. In front of everyone—. Boldly."
"..."
'While usually in bunny girl.'
I replied casually.
"No one saw it that way. Call it a novel experience."
"Even novel, didn't want naked stroll play..."
Niva hung her head, heading in.
"Then, I'll go..."
"Oh, Niva."
"What..."
"..."
To her overly dejected self, I said.
"For evening magic training—. Feel free to wear artifacts sometimes. It'd suit."
Niva smiled faintly over her shades.
"What, miss the middle-aged bunny that much?"
"Mm, well..."
"Pfft."
She laughed once, trotting in.
"Don't wanna! You'd tease middle-aged bunny again! See if I wear shades in front of you—!"
"..."
I chuckled. Then stopped by the church, showed the black tombstone to giant Sister Lucia. She said she'd check it over days.
"Something hidden. I'll set it on the altar, break the outer seal with holy spells."
"Careful, Sister Lucia."
"Hehehe... No worries!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Next day.
Sir Jayden reported.
"Wall guards spotted a 'Banshee Hawk.' Flying beyond the horizon, they said. Thought hallucination, but shifts keep reporting the same."
"..."
Banshee Hawk.
Mid-sized flying monster that snatched lost kids or elders in mountains. Rarely entered city areas, so not too scary usually.
But...
"...Before the Great Catastrophe too, Banshee Hawks appeared near the city."
"Yes, my lord. Always before monster hordes, death-sensing Banshee Hawks prowl nearby."
I sighed.
"Hoo—. Heighten perimeter alerts then. Harvest Festival ends in five days. After, whole city preps."
"Understood."
We began various preparations.
Sensing something approaching—.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Same time.
Niva paced before a clothing shop, shades on. Of course, under the illusion, she was back in bunny girl.
"..."
Stupid.
Why come here.
'Nothing changes.'
Yeah.
Forget it.
Hmph.
Niva tried passing the shop.
"..."
But.
"...Tch."
Tongue clicking, she turned back. Muttering endlessly inside, she entered the shop.
'This is just 'cause that guy's teasing middle-aged bunny.'