Kyaa! I Won!
We were galloping on our mounts when we finally reached a very large city.
“Oh... that's...”
“Bonaparte City.”
Bonaparte City. One of the main cities in the Vesta Kingdom and the largest city in the kingdom. Unlike the capital, Poculum, Bonaparte City was the largest scale city I had ever seen.
“This is one city?”
“Yes, do you understand how grand the Bathory Ducal family that rules this enormous city is?”
“...Yes.”
Just looking at the line waiting to enter the city gate showed how developed this city was. It seemed the Vesta Kingdom's high national power rating wasn't undeserved.
Seeing Bonaparte City approaching up close, I felt it was time to make a decision.
Right then...
“Estelle.”
“Yes?”
“What should I give as a gift?”
It was a gift. After all, we were going to a birthday party, so I couldn't go empty-handed.
But when I asked, Estelle narrowed her eyes.
“...Are you asking me what gift to give to another woman?”
“No... Elfride is just a friend.”
Our saint seemed to think I liked women. She was too competitive.
“I don't know what kind of gift to give to nobles. Could you help me?”
“...Usually, we give luxury items like flowers, wine, or jewelry. But that's for between women, and for men it's a bit different. Giving flowers, necklaces, or dresses is an act of showing affection.”
“Then what should I give when it's a man?”
“Well... Honestly, even a normal gift might not appeal to her as the Bathory family's maid...”
Estelle glanced at me and sighed.
“...If it were the hero, Abel would probably like anything.”
“Huh? Why?”
When I asked, Estelle started to say something but stopped and shook her head. Why?
Then Celine answered instead.
“The hero doesn't seem to be clueless in general, but why is he clueless in this case?”
“What?”
“Just give the hero what you want to give as a gift. That should work.”
“...Hmm.”
...Really? So nobles are materialistic?
Or since Elfride's family is so rich, anything would do? Since responses would be similar.
“Then let's stop by the shops when we enter the city.”
“Okay.”
At that moment, Alicia tugged at my sleeve. Wearing a coat much larger than her body, she lifted the sleeve and said.
“What are shops?”
“A place where goods are bought and sold is called a store, and the street where those stores are gathered is the shopping district.”
“Oh... What a strange place.”
“It would be quite fun to go. There are also the joys of sightseeing.”
“R-really? I've never seen a human city before, so I'm looking forward to it.”
Why would a Mother enjoy seeing human cities? It wouldn't be that interesting.
“But the line is so long. If we wait, we'll be late for the birthday party?”
“Then let's use a little shortcut this time?”
“What?”
Shortcut? When I looked at Celine, she smiled slightly and said.
“We're the hero's party, right? We don't need to wait when passing through the gate, do we?”
“Ah.”
Estelle had mentioned that before. It seemed it applied not only at the border.
“Then since we don't have much time this time, let's use the privilege. It's fine, Estelle?”
“It's fine. It's originally Abel's right.”
We headed to the small door next to the gate where people were lining up, instead of the main gate. It seemed to serve the same role as the golden gate at the border.
When we approached, the guard came over and said.
“I'm sorry, but please stop. This is a door that anyone can enter. Who might you be?”
“I'm Abel the Hero.”
“Ah!? I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you as the hero...”
The guard bowed his head in apology and said to me.
“Could you please verify your identity for a moment?”
...Identity?
“How do you verify...”
“Huh? Don't you have the hero's badge?”
...What is the hero's badge? I have the adventurer rank, but...
When I hesitated, the soldier's gaze became strange.
“...Are you really the hero?”
“Y-yes! There's the saint here too.”
I showed the saint I was carrying on my back, but the soldier still looked at me with suspicious eyes.
“It might be a fake. As the heroes' achievements increase, counterfeit ones are circulating.”
“No...”
Why are there fakes on the saint's badge?
By the way, what is the hero's badge? I never received one.
I had no choice but to ask Estelle for help.
“Estelle, could you show me the saint's mark?”
“Huh? Why?”
“You said to show the hero's badge, but I don't have that.”
“...Huh? The hero's badge should have been given with the saint's mark.”
...So that's what it was? But I didn't have it in the luggage I brought. Did the original owner of this body not care about it?
“...I don't know where it went.”
“...I guess I'll have to get a new one later. You didn't know because you didn't need to use the hero's badge?”
“Yes.”
Estelle showed the saint's mark to the soldier instead of me, the idiot. The soldier was startled and bowed his head.
“I-I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you and the saint...”
“It's okay. It's Abel's fault for not carrying the hero's badge.”
...It's a fact, but it's too much.
Fortunately, thanks to Estelle, we could enter the city through another gate. Bonaparte City looked grand from outside, but inside it was even more impressive.
“There are so many people...”
It felt like the feeling one gets when seeing a big city for the first time after living in a small village. I felt that emotion.
Of course, there aren't tall buildings like in the modern cities I lived in, but the unique atmosphere from the old buildings overwhelmed me.
“Fufu, Abel. Saying that makes you sound like a country bumpkin~♡”
“...I'm a country bumpkin.”
...Daisy Village is really a countryside.
“But the streets are too wide, I don't know where the shops are.”
“First, let's leave the horses at the inn and go.”
“Celine, do you know the way?”
“I went there before. Following Hero Revius.”
“Ah.”
Then I should ask Celine for directions. We left the horses at the inn and followed Celine's guidance to the shopping district of Bonaparte City. When we arrived, Alicia's eyes sparkled.
“Oh... So this is the shopping district?”
“...It's really wide.”
As the largest city in the Vesta Kingdom, the shopping district was enormous. With so many store types and this size, the city's population must be considerable?
“Where should we start?”
At Estelle's question, I hesitated a bit. What would Elfride like? I didn't know her well, but from what I've seen, she didn't seem to like luxury items.
“Is there no somewhat practical gift?”
“Practical... something Elfride the Hero can use in battle?”
“That would be good.”
“Elfride the Hero has so many good weapons as rewards that buying combat equipment wouldn't be necessary. She wouldn't need it.”
“Ah... I see.”
Elfride's armor was the holy armor from the start. Like me, she probably doesn't need to buy other armor now that she's wearing the holy armor.
“Then what should I buy...”
“Look around and decide. It would be better than standing here worrying.”
“Okay.”
“Me, I want to go check over there!”
We wandered around Bonaparte City's shopping district looking for a gift for Elfride. Alicia, since everything on this street was new to her, ran around excitedly.
After wandering for a while, I stopped in front of a store.
“Abel?”
“It says it's a jewelry specialty store here?”
“Yes, that's right. You've gotten pretty good at reading lately~♡”
I had studied a bit... Anyway, I wanted to go in.
“Let's go in.”
“Please come again!”
With the shopkeeper's bright greeting, we left the store. Estelle asked me.
“Is this okay?”
“Hmm, honestly, even if I give other things to Elfride, they wouldn't be practical or necessary.”
In my hand was a very small box. The neatly wrapped box was the gift I was giving to Elfride.
“...Well, I guess so. Still... a bit dissatisfied.”
“What?”
“Why are you giving her that? From now on, every time Elfride the Hero sees it, she'll remember Abel, right?”
“Hey... What are you talking about.”
Just feeling gratitude as friends.
“Then let's go to the Bathory family right away?”
“That makes sense. After all, the birthday celebration party is in two days. Since we're pre-invited guests, we can wait there.”
“Yes.”
Then let's go to the Bathory family's mansion.
We walked along the road leading north from the commercial district. After walking a while, a large mansion appeared.
Wow, the size of the mansion is...
“There it is. The mansion of the family that rules this city, the Bathory Ducal residence.”
“...I thought it was a palace.”
“Abel, before entering the mansion, let me warn you.”
“What?”
Estelle pointed exactly at Alicia and said.
“Don't talk about Alicia in front of Elfride the Hero.”
“What?”
Why? After all, Alicia has to enter the mansion, so as a guest, shouldn't I introduce her?
“Elfride the Hero's holy sword is the Holy Sword of Trust. The ability of the Holy Sword of Trust lets it read the opponent's intentions.”
“...Huh?”
“So if Abel lies, it will know it's a lie. When Abel tries to hide Alicia's true identity, that intention will be read.”
...Then what?
“What should I do?”
“So you have to be careful not to bring up Alicia too much. If you try to talk about Alicia, just change the subject to something else.”
“...Okay.”
“Of course, it might look suspicious, but it's better than being caught bringing a Mother.”
If caught, I'd have to explain everything to Elfride... It would get complicated.
“I understand. I'll be careful.”
“Yes. And make sure Alicia doesn't come out of the room as much as possible.”
“Of course.”
At that moment, Celine raised her hand.
“Why, Celine?”
“There's a much simpler way than that, Hero.”
“What?”
“After all, the Hero will come to the party and leave, right?”
“That makes sense?”
There's no other business. I didn't have any business at the Bathory family.
“Then one of us, me or the saint, will take care of Alicia and stay at a nearby inn? Since the Hero only needs one partner for the party, right?”
“...Huh?”
It was a good idea.
But it was a bit too much. It meant one person couldn't enjoy the party and had to take care of Alicia...
I was hesitating to object when Estelle took the lead.
“Good.”
“...Huh?”
“Celine's proposal is much simpler and more reliable. Shall we decide?”
Wait, what are you deciding on your own...
“This is a good method for Abel too. If the fact that the Hero is bringing a Mother is revealed, even if there's an excuse, others won't understand.”
“That's true...”
“I'm fine. Celine is fine, so she suggested the method. Right?”
“Yes, I'm fine too. Of course, I want to go with the Hero more, but if it helps the Hero, it's okay.”
...It's too much.
“The one left behind can have a separate date later.”
“That sounds good♡”
“Fufu, I like this idea.”
Estelle and Celine looked at each other. And they extended their fists again.
“We're doing rock-paper-scissors again?”
“There's no better way than this, right?”
That's true.
I gave the signal like last time.
“Rock-paper-scissors!”
“!”
“!”
Both their expressions were mixed like last time. But the expressions swapped. This time, Estelle's expression was stern, and Celine smiled brightly.
“Kyaa! I won!”
“U...ueh!”
...Celine won. Celine threw the cloth like last time, and Estelle threw a fist unlike before. Victory by tenacity.
Celine laughed brightly and came over, wrapping her arm around my arm.
“Then, Saint, I'll play happily with the Hero and come back, so please take good care of the babysitting role~.”
“T-this is invalid! Celine threw late!”
Even though I saw it...
“...Threw the same.”
“Uuu...”
I gently stroked Estelle's head. And smiled at her.
“Then I'll go and come back?”
“...Abel... You're teasing me!”
...Caught, run.
I quickly took Celine and ran towards the mansion. Estelle grabbed Alicia's hand and shouted loudly.
“You lecher!!”
“Estelle agreed too!!”
Elfride Bathory. The eldest daughter of the Bathory family and the protagonist of this party, she was on her way out of the bath after grueling training.
When she came out of the bathroom in her robe, the mansion's maid greeted her politely and said.
“Young lady, guests have arrived. It seems you invited them, shall we let them in?”
“Who?”
“Hero Abel. He came because he received your invitation.”
“Ah.”
The slightly gloomy feeling Elfride had until a moment ago lifted with just the two letters of Abel's name. She smiled faintly and said.
“I'll prepare quickly. Escort them to the reception room.”
“Understood, young lady.”
After talking with the duke, Elfride threw off her long gloomy mood and prepared while humming.
Now it was time to greet him not as the Hero Elfride but as the Bathory maid Elfride, so she didn't prepare alone.
The maids helped with her makeup. While watching quietly, the Holy Sword of Trust, Luna, said.
“Are you preparing nicely? Don't you usually do your makeup too.”
“Where do I have time for that. I don't hate makeup but it takes too long.”
“Then why are you doing it now? Do you have feelings for that Hero Abel?”
“W-what strange things are you saying, Luna. It's not that. I'm just putting on makeup as a Bathory maid to greet guests.”
“Hmm... Really?”
At Luna's last words, Elfride said clearly.
“I don't think of Abel that way. Don't misunderstand.”
“Yeah~ If you want to think that way, go ahead.”
“I said not that...”
Elfride sighed, but Luna found it amusing that Elfride couldn't read the Hero's intentions.
“Young lady, it's done.”
“Hmm, thank you.”
Elfride dressed as the Bathory maid, not the Hero in usual armor and cloak, was beautiful even without saying a word. A noble lady.
Her hair with curls at the end added a touch to emphasize her current nobility.
“Since it's been a while, you look really pretty, Elfride! That guy Abel, he doesn't like you, does he?”
“Even if you say strange things...”
Luna's mischievous prank as usual, but somehow Elfride's mood wasn't that bad. Elfride cleared her throat and said.
“I wonder if it was a bit late. Which reception room?”
“The large reception room is being used by the master, so the Hero is in the small reception room. Let's go.”
“Okay.”
With the maid, Elfride headed to the reception room where Abel was waiting. The maid knocked on the door and said.
“The Bathory maid has arrived. Please come in.”
The maid opened the door, and Elfride carefully entered the reception room. And Elfride...
“...Abel?”
“Ah, Elfride. Long time no see.”
“It's been a while, Hero Elfride.”
The good feeling suddenly turned bad.
Seeing Celine leaning on Abel with her arm wrapped around him.