Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Episode 85
[Main Story] No.2 Betting Table (1)
It had been a long day. Attending the faculty meeting. Making Cain the valedictorian and sending him before the imperial professors. Even after a scuffle in the Discipline Department of Sector 4, it was still evening.
Just as I was about to go meet Gray, words suddenly appeared before my eyes.
「 ⧉ [Main Story] No.2 Betting Tables
Ah, it's starting already.
The second act of the story.
It was earlier than I thought. I thought it would begin once the imperial treaty was ratified. It seems the opening salvo is Gray's departure to the empire.
As can be seen from No.1 "Rebellion and Collapse" before it, the Main Story is not a specific tale, but rather signifies a grand flow.
While "Rebellion and Collapse" was an event that had already concluded, "Betting Table," conversely, will continue for a very, very long time.
It could last from Main Story 3 at the shortest, to Main Story 7 at the longest.
'This is where it truly begins.'
And.
From this point on, 'One-Horned Demons' will appear.
Under the concept of "[Demon King's Air Raid]".
Separate from the Main Story, it's a concept where indiscriminate terrorist attacks occur in each country.
...That's the pattern for [Hard Difficulty].
I don't know what [Hell Difficulty] will be like yet.
'It might be even more excessive.'
The 'Jinxite' from before was mid-to-high tier among One-Horned Demons, so it won't appear yet.
Slightly lower-tier One-Horned Demons and numerous Hornless Demons will emerge.
Most importantly, I don't know when or how bugs, including Error Spaces, will appear. I need to be vigilant. I could be surrounded by numerous problems.
However, I don't think I won't be able to solve them.
* * *
x.
It was a single letter that flashed in Gray's mind.
Spelled out a bit more, it was as follows:
It's fucked.
It was tomorrow. The departure to the empire, to the studio of the Assassination Daily, was tomorrow morning!
'Gah.'
Though she was known to be composed and mature by those around her (in Gray's opinion), this was the first time in her life she had faced such a monumental opportunity.
'I have to do well...'
This would be the first impression of Hiaka Academy, which had a poor reputation both short-term and continent-wide, and in the long term, it was the first chance to publicize 『Glass Butterfly』, whose lineage was about to be cut off, to the entire continent, including the empire.
She could take a significant step towards the dream that Gray and her family, Habanero, had long cherished.
'I have to do well...'
Gray clenched her trembling fist tightly.
It's okay!
She had been preparing for a long time. She had read everything from the interviews, photos, and articles of past monthly cover models.
What kind of place is the Assassination Daily? A trashy media outlet that even Elise, the village idiot, knows! All the content was extremely sensational, but the cover models within were honest and seemed to have conviction, which was cool.
She herself had a lot to say and had prepared by writing and erasing scripts until the trash can overflowed, and she had memorized it all...
'Huh...??'
But as the time approached, Gray realized she had forgotten the most crucial thing.
'What should I wear!?'
When she opened her closet, it was a trash can.
A model, by definition, is someone who shows themselves to others.
As the face representing Hiaka's Assassination Studies, what should Gray wear and how should she present herself?
SHE DIDN'T KNOW.
"H-help...! Help...!!"
With that, Elise, the maid Lucy, and for some reason, even Rebecca, all rushed into Gray's room to join in the commotion.
"No short skirts! No revealing clothes!"
The dog who loved humans tried to cover her up as much as possible.
"Shouldn't I look frugal and pitiful? Perhaps casual wear would be surprisingly good?"
The maid, who knew how to adapt to the time and place, argued that Hiaka needed to be portrayed as an underdog.
"The buyer determines the value. Do you know what the cover model of the month with the highest sales of the Assassination Daily wore?"
The princess, who viewed people as tools, casually unbuttoned Gray's student uniform top, exposing her skin.
"Huh??"
Elise jumped up in alarm.
Then, she quickly grabbed the unbuttoned buttons and fastened them.
"What are you doing?"
"No, Princess..."
"Why."
"They said women shouldn't show too much leg or body."
"Who."
"My dad..."
Maid Lucy was horrified, knowing that the princess disliked arguments.
But surprisingly. Rebecca wasn't as overbearing even in a casual situation.
"Normally, no."
"Right?"
"Especially not you."
"Huh?"
A sudden gaze fell upon her.
It was something everyone often noticed: Elise was truly large in every way.
She was as tall as a man. Her hands and feet were large.
Her bust was so enormous that the buttons on her student uniform looked pitifully strained. The line from her waist down was also like that.
If she were a dog, she'd be a Great Dane!
"For you, it's better to be covered up in such a situation, and for me, it's better to be revealed. Conversely, she is small in both height and build, but the work embroidered on her canvas is beautiful. Our strategies must be different."
The beautiful tattoos.
They were rebellious, but conversely, special.
Rebecca continued her explanation.
"Humans always desire the ideal. And the ideal is often contradictory."
"I want a great man to be devoted only to me, yet I desire a pure yet sexy woman. It's impossible, but the heart wants it."
"In that sense, Gray is young but covered in tattoos, so her skin should be revealed in an outfit where skin shouldn't be shown."
She then preached that this was how Gray would be imprinted on the public's mind, but Maid Lucy was inwardly flustered because Rebecca's way of thinking was a bit bizarre.
"Um... Princess... I don't think that's right..."
"I am right."
"Still, wouldn't something plain be better?"
They bickered.
Generally, Rebecca would scold the other two, but Elise was stubborn on this point, and Maid Lucy also occasionally argued that simplicity was best.
Their opinions were not easily reconciled.
In this case, there was no other choice.
"Try wearing it."
There was no choice but to see the real thing.
"Eeeh... Then I'll wear this one first?"
Gray went into the fitting room and put on the outfit the princess recommended. After coming out, she unfurled the towel wrapped around her.
"Ta-da...?"
It was a revealing version of the student uniform. Even more excessive than what Gray usually wore.
"Are you crazy..."
Elise exclaimed in shock.
"...No, Princess. No. Gray, I absolutely cannot agree to this."
"Bold. But pretty."
"No? No? No. No, absolutely not... Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely... If you send her out wearing that, I'll set the Assassination Daily on fire."
Elise was almost having a seizure from how much she disliked it.
To that, Lucy said,
"Then what do you recommend, Elise?"
"Huh? Me? This."
Next, Gray put on the outfit Elise recommended and came out, unfurling the towel.
"Hmm, Tada...??"
It was a Shadow Unit female outfit, a thick black garment that covered even her hair, revealing only her eyes.
"...Hey, are you kidding me?"
The princess scowled.
"Where are you sending her for a terrorist attack?"
"Why? Doesn't she look like an assassin...?"
"Shut up. What do you mean 'why'... An outfit common among external assassination squads, what kind of clothes are you putting on the face that will become Hiaka's banner? Take that off immediately!"
Elise's mouth drooped, and she began to grumble in a muffled voice.
Next was Lucy's turn.
"Gray. Then, would you like to try what I recommended this time?"
"Yeah... I really have no idea."
"When the situation is complicated, simplicity can surprisingly be the answer."
This time, it was Lucy's pick. When she unfurled the towel.
"Tada-da-da...?"
It was a modest outfit. A plain white t-shirt and jeans.
"Hmm. How is it...? It feels awkward wearing casual clothes after so long, not wearing a student uniform or mission attire..."
At Gray's words, the three fell silent and pondered.
"......"
Elise, the Confucian dog, liked the outfit because it covered her legs, stomach, and chest.
"......"
Rebecca found the modest outfit to be a beautiful paradox, where the tattoos stood out against the plainness.
"......"
Lucy thought that this way, the continent would consider Hiaka innocent victims.
"I like it."
"Really? Princess?"
"Hmm."
"Is it okay? Maid sister?"
"It's my pick, so of course it's okay. It's pretty. Plain and simple."
Thus, the modest fashion was decided...!!
...At that very moment, someone visited Hidden Dragon Hall.
It was Professor Dante.
Elise and Lucy exclaimed, 'Ah!'
Dante Hiacapo? Didn't he look quite dashing in his formal attire, wearing blazers, shirts, and suits?
So much so that many students at the academy imitated Professor Dante's style.
Perhaps they should seek his advice... As they were thinking this, Professor Dante paused briefly in front of a room with only four women, sensed the atmosphere, and suddenly said,
"Gray Habanero. What is that attire?"
Maid Lucy raised her hand.
"Ah, Professor. This is an outfit prepared for tomorrow's Assassination Daily. We were having a meeting amongst ourselves..."
"Change it."
"...What?"
"You must not wear clothes like that."
What was this sudden statement?
As everyone was bewildered, Professor Dante dropped a bombshell.
"Kreutz is coming to the Assassination Daily tomorrow."
What???
After that, Dante explained the details. Specifically, that the young lady from the Carolina family, a renowned Illusion Magic lineage of Kreutz, would be appearing on the monthly cover model alongside Gray. This information had just been obtained from the Royal Shadow, and the faculty intended to proceed.
Then, the expressions of all four began to change. The biggest reaction came from Elise.
"Whaaat─?!"
Even Elise, usually gentle in nature, was startled by this, such was the immense shock of the situation.
Maid Lucy also began to get angry, exclaiming, 'No, does that even make sense!?' Yet, the person concerned remained quiet.
So, what about the person concerned?
"......"
Gray was frozen.
The Carolina family was a long-standing rival family to the Habanero family throughout history.
After accepting the chaos, all three pairs of eyes turned back to Gray.
And then, without exception, they were greatly disappointed by her plainness.
"Did Lord Cheongru find that out?"
"Yes."
Only then did Rebecca check her "crystal ball" and belatedly see the message from Cheongru.
This often happened to Rebecca, who slept during the day and communicated only when she felt like it.
Professor Dante left after dropping his bombshell. 'Professor, just a moment.' Rebecca, with a furious expression, followed Dante out, then turned back to Gray and said,
"Ah, take off that outfit. Immediately."
"Huh...? Then what will Gray wear now...?"
A murderous glint appeared in the princess's eyes.
"I will prepare it."
Elise frowned, thinking 'No way,' but the princess's intention was not that.
"I thought it was half like a picnic, but it wasn't. There's a limit to freeloading, you sons of bitches..."
Muttering, the princess asked,
"What time is the photoshoot tomorrow?"
"They said 1 PM. We depart at 9 AM."
It was tight.
Tomorrow, there would be no time to try things on.
It had to be done now.
Rebecca made a phone call and said,
"I'll call the Royal Palace Attendant right away."
"R-Royal Palace Attendant?"
"Princess...!"
Elise and Lucy exclaimed in surprise. The powder room exclusively for royalty, wasn't that the 'Royal Palace Attendant'?
However, Rebecca felt no need to reserve royal-exclusive services in the midst of this disgusting Kreutz entanglement.
And so, exactly five minutes later, five royal maids appeared at Hidden Dragon Hall from the Royal Palace Attendant. They had arrived via 『Teleport』 with a royal mage.
"What is the matter, Princess?"
No persuasion or lengthy explanation was needed.
"A student from Kreutz's Illusion Magic family is coming tomorrow, to the Assassination Daily."
Shade fell upon the maids' faces.
KREUTZ?
Just then, the subject entered.
"Ah, I'm changing clothes... Who...?"
The maids examined Gray. Her base features were good, but the tattoos were a shame. She also had a slightly flashy aura.
However, regardless of the subject's conditions, she had to be prettier than Kreutz's child. Absolutely.
Absolutely.
That was why they had come. Five top maids from the Royal Palace Attendant, each specializing in hair, skin and condition, dress, nails and accessories, and makeup. Their combined experience was 137 years.
"Leave it to us."
From now on, Gray would become Hiaka's goddess.
"Shall we come this way, our student friend?"
"Eh? Me...?"
"Come on, hurry. We don't have much time."
Soon, Gray was dragged by the maids into a makeshift powder room.
Much like a country stray cat being caught by mothers and put into a bath tub.
"...Wait, just..."
And the curtain fell