Chapter 104: A New Chapter
Chapter 104: A New Chapter
After having Vanessa run an errand to fetch the rest of Leia's priestess robes and leaving them all to be enchanted, the party left the shop.
Now that our business was concluded, we took a carriage back to Diana's mansion.
Leia stared intently out the window, as if trying to memorize the route.
Even the sight of her gazing out the window was like a painting.
Especially when paired with the white priestess’s robe she was wearing.
And her chest, swaying with the rhythm of the carriage, was enough to take my breath away.
I never knew a priestess’s robe could be such a sexy garment. Or was it just that she had the perfect body for it?
Either way, it was a sight that could create a fetish I never knew I had.
“If you keep staring like that, you’re going to burn a hole right through Leia’s clothes,” Sara said with a pout from beside me.
Now that she mentioned it, she did look a little jealous.
Sara has a strangely earnest side that makes her butt into everything, but it was hard to believe that was the only reason for her attitude.
No, I wanted to believe that wasn't the only reason.
Thinking of it that way made even Sara’s cold expression seem cute.
“…I really wish one would open up.”
“What did you say?”
“Hm? Oh, nothing. Did I say something?”
That was close. My true feelings almost slipped out.
I need to be more careful.
“A-Anyway, now that I think about it, there was no need to enchant Diana’s clothes.”
Guwon smoothly changed the subject, avoiding Sara’s cold gaze.
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Well, you must have tons of better equipment back at your mansion, right? Wouldn’t it have been better to just wear something you already own instead of bothering with enchantments?”
“No, I shall continue to wear this.”
“Why?”
“W-Well… if I were to stand back and watch over you all while clad in the finest equipment, how would your skills ever properly improve?”
I guess that made sense. Even now, we were pushing ourselves a little, knowing Diana was there to back us up. She was probably telling us not to rely on her any more than that.
It was important to develop the ability to accurately gauge our own strength and face enemies accordingly, rather than just charging in while trusting Diana to handle everything.
It was certainly a convincing argument. Convincing, yes, but still a little disappointing.
It wouldn’t be strange for Diana to own legendary-grade items, but now they would just sit around collecting dust.
She could be so stubborn about the weirdest things.
When we arrived at Diana’s mansion, a maid was waiting to greet us at the entrance.
“Lady Telluna. You have guests waiting.”
“Hm. Is it them?”
“Yes.”
“Hah… I see.”
Diana’s expression darkened slightly.
For the ever-confident Diana to make such a face… just who could these people be?
My curiosity was answered almost immediately.
“Lady Tellunaaaaaa!”
The moment we stepped into the lobby, a thunderous roar calling Diana’s name echoed through the hall.
And it wasn’t just one voice.
A dozen or so figures in robes were kneeling in the lobby, all shouting in perfect unison.
The man at the very front spoke up.
“Where have you been all this time! After you disappeared, Lady Telluna, we… we… sob, we’ve been searching for you!”
He looked perfectly normal.
Except for his eyes, which held a glimmer of what could only be described as madness.
“I-I see.”
I immediately understood why Diana’s expression had soured.
Anyone would be put off by this.
“Diana, who are these people?”
“Hm. These men are…”
“You! Who do you think you are! What is that tone you’re using with Lady Telluna!”
Before Diana could even answer my question—hey, you just cut Diana off. Isn’t that rude, too?
“Who am I? I’m the clan leader of the clan Diana belongs to.”
I decided to try asserting my authority.
Not that I had much authority to speak of. We had only just formed the clan yesterday.
“Hah! As if Lady Telluna would join something like a clan…”
“It is true,” Diana confirmed.
“Th-That can’t be!”
The man looked as shocked as if he’d just lost his country, then shot me a furious glare.
Hmph. How pathetic. The jealousy of a man.
“Just because you’re a clan leader, what gives a young punk like you the right to speak to Lady Telluna like that! In both status and age, Lady Telluna is not someone to be addressed so informally by the likes of you!”
Well, he had a point.
But I had no intention of losing a war of words to some guy with a dick.
“Diana told me not to use honorifics. I have to do as she says. Right, Diana?”
“Mm.”
I deliberately repeated Diana’s name in a provocative tone.
“Urgh. Y-You…”
“And you’ve been speaking informally this whole time. I told you, I’m the leader of Diana’s clan. Are you looking down on our clan? Couldn’t that be seen as looking down on Diana herself?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I mean, do not… ahem! Lady Telluna! I would never disrespect you!”
It seemed the man had given up on arguing with me.
Hmph. You shouldn’t have picked a fight you couldn’t win. If you’re so bitter, try being born a beauty in your next life.
“I understand, so please lower your voice.”
“Yes! Thank you for your understanding.”
“So, what is the matter?”
“Wh-What is the matter, you ask! Lady Telluna! Are you abandoning us?!” the man cried out, his face a mask of utter devastation.
“What are you talking about! Don’t say things that could be so easily misunderstood!”
Flustered, Diana quickly turned back toward us.
Don’t worry. No one here is crazy enough to take that lunatic’s words at face value.
“Ever since you disappeared, Lady Diana, we have all been living as if we weren’t alive at all. The Association without you has lost its laughter; it is nothing more than a place filled with half-dead corpses tasting the agony of being unable to die. Please, come back and save us!”
It seemed these guys were here to take Diana back to this “Association” of theirs.
“But I…”
“We beg of you!”
The robed figures all shouted in unison at the troubled-looking Diana.
“F-First, let’s all calm down and talk.”
Diana clutched her head as if nursing a headache.
I hadn’t been able to figure out why Diana had run away from home, but now I saw there was this kind of problem.
If a horde of people like that came after you, running away would start to seem like a pretty good idea.
But if she didn’t want to go, she could just say so. Why was she hesitating instead of shutting them down completely?
Was there something I still didn’t know?
“I am going to speak with these men for a moment. The rest of you, please make yourselves comfortable.”
Diana led the robed party upstairs and disappeared.
As they turned, the emblem embroidered on the back of their robes looked strangely familiar.
Where had I seen that before?
Ah, right. Those knights at the Guild who were looking for Diana.
“I wonder if Diana will be okay,” Sara murmured, looking worried.
“Hm. Well, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Their attitude is a bit much, but those robed guys seem to respect her. And it’s not like Diana is in a position to be forced into anything.”
Does anyone in this world even exist who could force Diana to do something against her will?
Having keenly felt the power behind the title “Supreme Mage” over the past few days, I wasn’t worried.
Unless Diana herself wanted to, there was no way she would go with them.
And I was almost certain she wouldn’t want to.
After all, the clue to the magic she’d spent her entire life chasing was in my skills, right?
Besides, Diana had said her research might not be finished even by the time I died of old age.
Last time, she might have chosen to run away, but that was probably because she had no progress in her research and lacked a good excuse to refuse them.
Now, she had a solid lead with my skills. There was no way she would leave my side before her research was complete.
Yeah, Diana would handle it just fine.
“More importantly, we need to show Leia around the mansion. Since we registered this place as our clan house, she’ll probably be coming here a lot from now on.”
“Yes. I will begin the tour now.”
I had intended to give the tour myself, but it seemed Vanessa would be handling it.
Of course, I was still going to tag along.
I followed a little ways behind Leia, admiring the view from the back.
She still seemed unaccustomed to the form-fitting clothes, and the way she occasionally shifted her body as she walked was utterly magnificent.
Looking closer, I could see a faint hint of skin through the gap in the hole made for her tail.
It seemed they couldn’t make the hole exactly the size of her tail. Or maybe they made it a little bigger on purpose so it wouldn’t feel constricting?
Whatever the reason, the flashes of skin peeking out from between her swaying tail stimulated my loins… no, my manly spirit.
As I was appreciating the view of Leia’s rear, a hand suddenly shot out from my side and covered her backside.
“Leia, be careful. There’s a pervert behind you.”
A pervert! This is a man’s instinct!
“Huh? Ah…”
At Sara’s words, Leia glanced back at me, her face blushing slightly as she stopped her tail from moving.
Ugh. When her tail stops, the faint glimpse of skin is completely hidden.
“Really… Do you like my tail that much? …Here!”
Leia, apparently thinking I was just looking at her tail, moved it so the tip gently brushed against my chest.
“Keuk!”
“M-Mr. Guwon? Are you alright?”
As I clutched my chest and dropped to one knee, Leia rushed over in surprise.
“No, I’m not alright. I think I’m going to die.”
If I died right now, the cause of death would be a heart attack from sheer cuteness.
“Wh-What should I do? Sh-Should I let you touch my tail?”
Leia panicked and offered her tail to me.
Which meant she was presenting her rear in my direction.
This time, I was unable to stand for an entirely different reason. Or, in a way, I was already standing.
“…Guwon. Stop messing around and get up.”
“Uh… um… It’s a bit difficult right now. Just give me a minute.”
I replied, mentally reciting the national anthem with all the solemnity I could muster.
“Now you’re just openly staring at her butt…!”
“No, wait! It’s not like that!”
I was definitely looking, but the reason I couldn’t get up right now wasn’t so I could get a better look at her butt from a lower angle.
Sara, just how much of a pervert do you think I am?
Even I have that much common sense.
“Then what is it?”
“Uh… um… it’s… No, it’s nothing. Come on, let’s go.”
Having finally calmed my lower half, I shot to my feet.
Despite Sara’s suspicious glare, I shamelessly maintained a straight face.
“This is your room, Lady Leia.”
After a tour of the mansion, we ended up in the same area as Sara and Diana’s rooms. Vanessa gestured to one of the doors.
“Huh? But I live at the temple.”
“Lady Diana instructed me to assign a room to you as well, Lady Leia.”
“But…”
“Well, you never know when you might need to stay over. And it looks like there are plenty of spare rooms anyway.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course, of course.”
Hoping that having a room would encourage Leia to stay over often, I persuaded the hesitant priestess.
Because I always want to keep my heart’s oasis close by.
“Then please come this way for a moment.”
Vanessa led us to another room.
We arrived at Diana’s dress room, which contained a collection of clothes so vast it could rival the boutique we had visited earlier.
“We will help you get ready before the meal.”
Several maids, already on standby in the dress room, swiftly descended upon Leia and Sara.
“Wh-What?! But my priestess’s robe is…!”
Leia looked startled as the maids suddenly began touching her all over, taking her measurements.
Having gone through this yesterday, Sara was comparatively calm.
It was a heartwarming sight. A heartwarming sight, but…
Just looking at this many clothes was giving me a headache.
Ugh. Yesterday’s nightmare…
I decided to make a quick escape.
I could admire their dressed-up figures during dinner. That would be more than enough.
“Well, I’m going to head to my room for a bit. See you later.”
With that one line, I beat a hasty retreat.