Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Secret Trust (1)
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"My... new rival party?"
Smudi fell silent for a moment after hearing Kalt's words, then threw his arms wide and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Kalt! If you put it that way! I'll look forward to it~! I, the Ice Hero Smudi~! Will keep an eye on your moves~!"
"Yeah, sure."
Kalt knew he wasn't a bad guy, but he had no desire to endure more of that syrupy speech, so he turned to leave the guild.
"Kalt! I wonder if that fledgling hero~ can really be my ri—"
"Hey, Smudi."
He called out to Smudi, who was carrying on without a care for Kalt turning to go.
The female warrior with a scar over one eye, standing behind Smudi, placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You got me, and you're trying to bring in another vanguard? Huh? Does that mean you don't need me anymore?"
"...!? N-No, that's not it, Angela! I was just~ coldly thinking it might be good to have more firepower! I absolutely didn't mean to kick you out~!"
"Shut up. Come on."
"Ow! Ange~la! Not yet! It's too early! I'm sorry~! I'll apologize like this...!"
"I said shut up!"
"Oooow~!"
The female warrior called Angela grabbed Smudi by the scruff of the neck and dragged him out of the guild even faster than the Nellis Party.
His other party members sighed and followed behind.
"Smudi's really clueless at times like this."
"Poor Angela. What a hassle."
Watching the Ice Hero's party go, Kalt thought to himself.
'Still on a short leash, huh.'
It was a scene he'd witnessed a few times back when he was with the Mabel Party.
It was common knowledge that Ice Hero Smudi was dating Angela, the female warrior who was his party's vanguard.
For the record, Angela was known for her innately powerful strength and her unflinching boldness even in front of monsters.
But she had a girlish side that made her hypersensitive and easily hurt whenever her lover Smudi showed even a hint of interest in another woman.
'Even when Smudi acknowledged Mabel as a rival, she chewed him out for paying attention to another girl.'
Of course, they'd always make up afterward with some alone time.
As they left the guild, Nellis snorted and said to Kalt.
"Kalt! I wanna get stronger so I won't lose to Ice Hero Smudi either!"
"Yeah, go for it."
"Oh, right. So what now?"
"Business is done, so everyone do their own thing."
"Makes sense."
"So, what about you, Kalt..."
"Um, Kalt!"
Before Nellis could press further, Aria called out to him.
"What's up, Aria?"
"If Kalt doesn't have any plans after this... could we do the consultation now? Quickly?"
'She wants to get it over with fast?'
That was Kalt's initial thought at her request, but he quickly reconsidered.
Aria's demeanor as she asked for the consultation seemed a bit off.
She was fidgeting subtly, like she was anxious and hyper-aware of the people around them.
Kalt judged that she had some issue she couldn't openly discuss.
"Got it. Then come back to the inn with me, Aria. What about you two, Nellis and Scarlet?"
"Uh... I wanna wander around Tridia some more!"
"...I'll look around on my own."
"Sounds good. See you at the inn later."
After parting with Nellis and Scarlet, Kalt returned to the inn with Aria and entered the room assigned to her.
He replicated the usual consultation process.
As it wrapped up, he handed her a handkerchief toward Aria, whose prayers had noticeably increased from the start.
"Good work, Aria. Recovery went up again this time."
"Yes. Thank you, Kalt."
Aria took the handkerchief from Kalt and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
That's when Kalt noticed her state was different from usual once more.
Of course, she'd been fully focused during the prayers.
But now, her gaze kept darting between Kalt and her lower body.
'What the hell?'
"Aria, got something bothering you?"
"Yes!? Wh-Why do you ask so suddenly, Kalt?"
She reacted with obvious panic.
"Just a feeling. You seem worried about something."
"I-Is that so."
"If there's anything... I'd like you to confide in me again. Like with these consultations, I might be able to help even a little?"
Even with Kalt's gentle tone, Aria couldn't help but hesitate.
'Is this the kind of worry I should bring to Kalt...!'
It wasn't so much a mental issue as one involving her outfit and embarrassment.
But Kalt, with his keen observation and thoughtfulness, had already noticed her strangeness.
Lying to him when he was thinking of her like this hurt Aria too.
'Still, consulting Kalt about something like this...!'
What would even come of telling him?
Truth is, my holy attire was designed without a bra from the start, but now it's without panties too, and it's really bothering me!
Was she supposed to say that to his face?
'No way...!'
It was hard enough to bring up with same-sex friends like Nellis or Scarlet.
And to Kalt, who treated her—and the whole party—with such sincere care.
The only man in the Nellis Party, no less.
'What if Kalt starts thinking of me as a whore... Agh!'
Of course, Kalt wouldn't say something like that if he knew the full context.
But if the image of Aria in whore's clothing got stuck in his head...
'N-No, absolutely not!'
Aria might die of shame.
After agonizing over it, she finally spoke.
"S-Sorry for worrying you over nothing. It's fine, really. Don't mind it, Kalt."
She waved her hands dismissively, refusing to open up.
Meanwhile, Kalt wondered.
What kind of worry is she hiding?
Trust had been building steadily so far.
That much was certain.
Yet she was hiding something even now?
He couldn't just let it slide.
It might be the sort of worry that's even harder to discuss with those close to you.
Neglecting that kind could make it worse and more serious later.
And above all...
Kalt could no longer tolerate someone he trusted keeping secrets or acting sneaky around him.
It was a near-obsessive thought he'd developed recently.
That's why.
"Aria."
"Y-Yes, Ka...lt..."
Kalt extended his hand toward her.
She fell under his hypnosis, unable to remember what he said.
"Aria, from now on, answer my questions honestly without holding back."
"Yes... Kalt..."
"You're worried about something right now, aren't you?"
"Yes..."
"What is it?"
Kalt asked with a serious, cool demeanor.
And then.
"The new holy attire I got... it turned into something like a whore's outfit..."
"...Huh?"
His serious coolness shifted to bewilderment and awkwardness.
"Like a whore's...? How?"
"Well..."
Aria explained how her holy attire had changed.
"...So. Right now, Aria, you're wearing nothing under that holy attire down there?"
"Yes... That's why it was embarrassing, and I was worried... Priest Bremer said... wearing anything underneath would reduce the holy attire's performance... I was wondering what to do from now on... If people find out... If Kalt finds out about this outfit... He might think I'm a whore... That was my worry."
"I... see..."
Kalt covered his mouth with his hand and averted his gaze from the hypnotized Aria.
'Tch, shoulda left it alone? Sorry about that.'
It really was a tough one to answer.
He'd guessed it was shame-related from her reactions, but he'd overthought it and used hypnosis anyway.
In the end, her worst fear came true, and now Kalt knew her worry.
And exactly what she was wearing.
'So inside there... nothing but that full-body tights? In other words, no panties... Actually, the design never had a bra to begin with, so basically no underwear at all...'
Yeah, hard not to think of it as whore-like.
But he didn't hate it.
A woman forced into slutty clothes against her will, not flaunting them on purpose.
That checked all the boxes for turning Kalt on.
Until now, he'd lived by the creed of staying as pure as possible, per his promise to his parents.
And he'd always used hypnosis without damaging or altering personalities.
But.
After the Mabel Party expulsion, Kalt decided to be more honest with his desires.
So.
He chose to indulge them now.
"Aria."
"Yes... Kalt..."
"Lift the front of your holy attire and show me. Tell me exactly how it's different from before."
"Yes..."
Aria grasped the front of her holy attire and pulled it up.
Her lower body, fully encased in tights—no high-cut legs, no underwear beneath—revealed her soft, plump mound as if viewed through a brown filter.
Seeing it, Kalt appraised.
"This... is hot."
The full-body tights made it even more tantalizingly fetishistic than seeing it bare.