Outfitting My Adjutant
"Beatrice Windsor."
Edward held the medal in his hand amid the solemn atmosphere. It was proof of her promotion to a High Knight of the Windsor Knights.
High Knight at twenty. Her talent wouldn't pale even in comparison to her superior.
Edward smirked. Regardless, it was a joyous occasion for him as captain to see another talented knight join the Windsor ranks.
Sisilia will be pleased too.
Edward glanced subtly toward where Sisilia was seated.
"?"
Sisilia sat there with a face like she'd swallowed twenty sour persimmons at once, twirling her hair absentmindedly.
Is she seriously jealous in this situation? Sisilia.
What incredible character, Edward thought as he presented the medal to Beatrice.
"Congratulations on your promotion to High Knight."
With this, the vacant High Knight position—left open when Sisilia became vice-captain—was filled. By none other than Beatrice Windsor. Age twenty, wielder of the Light Blessing. Her realm: Sword Demon (provisional).
The provisional status was because Lydia hadn't yet come up with a fitting title.
-Ah, something good will come to mind soon.
Despite not having received her official title, Beatrice had ascended to High Knight for one simple reason.
She possessed a domain-type Extreme Art, just like Sisilia. Moreover, the mages of the Magic Tower had evaluated it as even more powerful than Sisilia's Wind Shear.
-One brings instant death, the other resurrection. Together, aren't they invincible?
Her unanimous promotion to High Knight was perhaps inevitable.
"High Knights are granted certain privileges."
"Yes, sir!"
Edward flashed a cold smile at Beatrice's crisp response.
"The authority for summary execution. Originally limited to commoners, but if you deem them a hindrance to humanity, you may execute nobles on the spot as well."
It was his favorite privilege. Talking to disobedient nobles was a fool's errand.
Then, with somewhat bored indifference, he continued.
"Additionally, you'll receive a bit more in mission expense reimbursements."
"You'll gain the authority to act on your own judgment and can refuse orders from superiors to a certain extent. With two exceptions, of course. Myself, the knight order captain."
Edward fell silent, glancing at Sisilia.
Nod, nod.
This was the knight captain's address—no less, at her own adjutant's promotion ceremony—and she was dozing off.
"...and Vice-Captain Sisilia. Naturally, you'll also gain authority to command other Windsor Knights and soldiers."
Edward barely suppressed the urge to pinch Sisilia's cheek as he eyed Beatrice's tense expression.
About to wrap up, Edward suddenly remembered something he'd omitted.
"Oh, nearly forgot. Your salary increases too. From ten gold to thirty."
Sisilia, now wide awake, propped her chin on her hand and murmured seriously.
"Not bad, maybe."
Edward was genuinely shocked by Sisilia's priorities.
**
"Lady Sisilia, you really don't have to do this."
Beatrice fidgeted shyly. For this moment alone, the wounds beneath her bandages didn't ache.
Because today was the first time Sisilia was acting like a proper superior.
"Buying me all these things to celebrate my promotion... Lady Sisilia, you can be so cool sometimes!"
"Betty?"
What do you even think of me?
Wearing a fluttering dress, Sisilia pouted her lips.
Beatrice's usual sword had shattered under Valhalla's mana.
-Sniff, it was the sword I'd used since I was little.
...As if I'd just sit by and watch that.
Beatrice was her precious adjutant. A little wear and tear wouldn't diminish her affection.
"What do you want to look at first, Betty? While we're buying a sword, I'm thinking of grabbing a few artifacts too."
"Anything you pick for me, Lady Sisilia—I'd love it."
Beatrice was simply thrilled that Sisilia was doing something for her. She beamed and linked arms with Sisilia.
Sisilia felt a bit embarrassed by Beatrice's unusually clingy(?) demeanor today. She was the type who got shy when someone approached first, unexpectedly.
"Then, artifacts first."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Sisilia headed straight for the Magic Tower district. As expected of the mages' haunt, it was packed with magic shops of every kind.
"Oh, isn't that Lady Sisilia?"
The mages rushed out barefoot to greet their absolute VIP. Some had been holed up for months in research.
Because their funding was running dry.
"Come to my shop!"
"Would you visit my lab?"
"I've stocked up on items that might interest you, Lady Sisilia!"
Sisilia brushed off the barrage of advances firmly. Today was for procuring items for her precious Betty. She couldn't afford to get scammed.
"La, Lady Sisilia."
Beatrice wiped away tears of emotion.
Was Sisilia finally growing up...?
So proud she could burst, Beatrice hugged Sisilia repeatedly.
"Hot. And hard to breathe."
"Ah, so, sorry! My chest..."
"......"
Jealous.
Sisilia sulked for a moment, then glanced sideways and flashed a bright smile.
"How about here?"
"This place..."
Sparkle Magic Shop
There stood a dilapidated shop on the verge of collapse. No maintenance done, wood shavings were still falling even now.
"...Isn't it a bit too rundown?"
Beatrice said awkwardly, but Sisilia clucked her tongue.
"You don't get it, Betty. Places like this—the more decrepit, the more likely they hide the real treasures."
"R-Really?"
"Yep. Just trust me."
Betty's so cute. Still got that newbie vibe.
Sisilia giggled and stepped into the magic shop.
"Hm? Customers...? It's been ages."
The shopkeeper was a frail old man.
Definitely a hidden master.
Sisilia swallowed nervously, grabbed Beatrice's collar, and dragged her in.
"Browse freely."
The shop brimmed with all sorts of artifacts.
"Wow."
Beatrice, who hadn't wanted to enter from the outside, now thought it wasn't half bad inside.
"This fork... I sense unusual mana from it."
"You're right. Let me ask."
Sisilia scurried over to the old mage with the fork in hand.
"Grandpa, what magic is on this?"
"Eh? What'd you say?"
"What magic is on it?"
"Eeeh? Oh, that."
The old mage with eyebrows like hair examined the fork with cloudy eyes and spoke.
"This... changes any food to the perfect temperature when eaten with this fork."
"Ooh. Impressive!"
Sisilia exclaimed in admiration.
"......"
Beatrice smiled awkwardly and tilted her head.
Impressive...?
"I'll take this one."
"Thirty gold."
And ridiculously expensive!
As Beatrice shuddered at the devilish price,
"Do you do enchants?"
Sisilia, impressed by the owner's skills, asked.
And at that moment—the old mage's dull eyes ignited fiercely at the word "enchant."
"Heh heh heh."
Return of the light before death.
Frail as he was, he still harbored dreams. Romance! His final spark as a mage blazed.
"Coming to this magic shop will be the best choice of your life."
"Ahh."
Sisilia shielded her eyes from the blinding intensity.
This mage was one hot-blooded guy.
Sisilia rummaged through her subspace and pulled out several bracelets. All mediocre artifacts, but ones that could become useful with enchants.
"Enchant these with Status Ailment Removal."
"Hmm. These already have a few spells on them."
Enchanting over existing magic required delicate work. Even if done cleanly, success depended on probability.
Magic was a mystery beyond human understanding. Conflicts could shatter items by chance.
No skill could guarantee it—
-Lude had rotten luck—
which was why she hadn't left it to him.
Sisilia smiled brightly.
"Keep trying until it succeeds."
Success rate felt like about 10%.
"100% success guaranteed."
Sisilia had 209 such iffy bracelet artifacts.
No way they'd all explode...
Crack.
"Heh heh, rusty from disuse. Sorry."
Boom.
"Tch, bad luck. Next."
The old mage grinned brazenly.
"Hand warmed up. Let's get serious."
Sisilia, trembling in Beatrice's arms from fear, nodded.
Long survival meant strength. In this cutthroat magic shop district, enduring decay meant hidden aces.
Maybe a legendary item will be born today...!
Boom boom boom boom.
Boom. Boom.
Crack, boom!
Thud—!
"......"
The old mage, after exploding them in succession, neatly shattered the last one and said,
"Oops, hands slipped."
"......"
Sisilia blinked at the pile of broken bracelets, looked at the mage, repeated, then quietly drew her sword from her waist and lunged.
"You're a demon!"
"La, Lady Sisilia! He's human! Human!"
Beatrice desperately grabbed Sisilia's waist and held her back.
**
"I'm fine. Seeing your kind heart, Lady Sisilia."
Beatrice comforted the sniffling Sisilia.
"Huh? So stop crying."
Sisilia replied sullenly.
"Okay."
She gazed weakly at her pouch.
"Spent all my allowance."
As tears welled again, Beatrice hurriedly said,
"Mo, money's on me. Just pick what you like, Lady Sisilia."
"That's fine."
Sisilia reached into the air with a forlorn expression and pulled out an item. A black ribbon. One with faint shadows rippling around it—clearly no ordinary thing.
"Here, this."
"Th-This is...?"
"Endgame artifact."
Truth be told, Sisilia had planned to hand down her own gear from the start. She had plenty stockpiled for newbies, and scoring good items in shops like this was tough.
She'd come anyway for that slim chance.
...Which, of course, had shattered her expectations.
"It's a ribbon I used back in the day. Covers most functions of existing artifacts in one."
It was a trusty piece from her dungeon-smashing growth phase. Reinforced to the limit with rare materials.
Lude designed the base, Lydia enchanted it herself. The core material? The holy relic called Cloth of Origins.
From eras when true priests still lived in Liannen, cloth embroidered with prayers to the goddess.
Dyed black to hide it, but prayers to the goddess were woven within.
Mythic-grade item, in short. And cute too.
"I, I can't accept this."
Beatrice instantly recognized its value. Just looking at it felt divine.
"Head here."
"...B-But."
"Quickly."
Sisilia tied the ribbon in Beatrice's hair and beamed.
"Yep, suits you."
Beatrice stared blankly at Sisilia.
"Lady Sisilia..."
"And these too."
Sisilia then handed over her most useful spares. Finally, a sword.
"This blade should withstand your Blessing for now. Use it temporarily, and we'll farm better ones together."
"...How can I ever repay all this."
Overwhelmed, Beatrice teared up.
"I haven't even repaid the graces you've given me so far."
Sisilia stroked Beatrice's head.
"You're my precious adjutant, Betty. Just staying by my side is enough."
That day, Beatrice pledged eternal loyalty to Sisilia.
For this woman, she'd stake her life.
**
"You did well this time. Keep it up, and I'll treat you right."
Sisilia highly valued Freya's contributions. The power of time was useful in so many ways.
"Give you a reward."
"No humans."
"Don't need that."
But as a demon, wariness toward Freya lingered.
What'll she demand?
Watching cautiously, Freya fidgeted her lips before speaking carefully.
"...Let me sleep in the bed with you."
Sisilia tilted her head.
"That do it?"
"Yeah. ...It's enough."
Pondering her intent briefly, Sisilia nodded reluctantly.
Bed too uncomfortable? Fair enough.
"Okay. Permission granted. You, no."
Liliana flinched, collared as she was.
"Th-Thank you for sparing me."
Betty's gotten stronger, and Freya's opened up options. Now I can reach the ending I want.
Sisilia was immensely proud of Beatrice. Despite the help, awakening such a gut-wrenching Extreme Art took her own effort.
"I'll really take good care of you from now on."
But...
One worry remained.
If that happened, Sisilia would plunge into immense sorrow.
So she filled Liliana's food bowl with water, knelt before it, clasped her hands, and prayed quietly.
Your Majesty.
To Lydia, surely pondering Beatrice's title right now.
No prettier title than mine. Please, for real...!
Sisilia—Sisilianyi—squeezed her eyes shut and shivered.