Moonlit Blunder and the Bath Invitation
As if she'd already been certain I'd accept her from the start, Crown Princess Heria had everything prepared in just twenty minutes. She was waiting at the castle gates with a carriage far superior to the one we'd received from the Einiss Magic Kingdom.
"Whoa... Never thought I'd ride in a carriage like this in my lifetime."
Selina sounded genuinely awestruck, her sky-blue eyes sparkling as she circled the carriage, inspecting it from every angle. Adelin, perhaps feeling her own kingdom's carriage had been slighted, openly showed her displeasure.
"Thief cat, can't you behave for once? Such a feral mind."
"...Huh?"
Selina whipped her head around, eyes narrowing at Adelin's sharp retort.
"Who's calling who a cat? And what's wrong with admiring something nice?"
"No trace of dignity anywhere. I grant the Empire has refined tastes, but that doesn't elevate you to match them."
Same as ever—they start bickering the moment their eyes meet.
I watched the two women escalate their squabble for a moment before shifting my gaze slightly to the side. There, imperial knights were loading the carriage's storage compartment with an enormous quantity of top-grade potions, pouches of gold coins, and rare artifacts.
"Ooh... Ooh!!"
Raysilla bounced in place, humming excitedly at the sight of such vast wealth.
...Should've splurged more back in the day if I'd known this was coming.
I'd scrimped even after my hero days, always minimizing expenses under the excuse that we had to save. Considering how the world discarded me as a fake after I saved it, yeah, I guess I came off as pretty pathetic.
I turned my eyes to the other side, where Heria was bidding farewell to the emperor. Back to her usual composed crown princess demeanor, she'd finished her report and was bowing deeply.
Well, guess I should say my goodbyes too.
Confirming preparations were complete, I approached Emperor Harndeia Isis Failer for a final parting.
"I'll be off, Your Majesty."
The emperor, who'd seen us off at the gates, chuckled heartily and clapped my shoulder.
"Indeed. Next time we meet, it'll be for your wedding with my daughter, Hero Kail."
His words dripped with unshakable confidence. I let out a dry laugh and shook my head.
"Nothing's set in stone yet, so don't get your hopes up too soon. The road ahead is long."
"Haha, just an impatient old man's wish. Take care."
"Thank you."
I gave a brief bow, took Raysilla's hand, and boarded the carriage. Heria, Adelin, and the still-pouting Selina followed one by one. Six horses started forward in unison, and Talia's massive walls gradually receded into the distance.
Wonder how long it'll take...
Our next destination was the Diben tribe village, home to Daren—the former sturdiest shield of our hero party, now branded the worst mass murderer. It lay at some remove from the Dersian Kingdom.
Somehow, our party had ballooned to five women including Raysilla, leaving me as the lone man. The journey, already awkward in many ways, had grown even more uncomfortable.
And the biggest headache was...
"Hey, Your Highness? And you two, Adelin, Selina—could you maybe dress properly?"
Unlike Raysilla, who'd been drilled in modesty and bundled up head to toe no matter where we were, the others dressed with shocking openness. Maybe they hated being treated like ordinary women, but their sleepwear was something else.
Heria led the pack, lounging diagonally on the couch in nothing but a thin silk slip. The soft fabric clung to her firm, smooth shoulders and plunged daringly into her collarbone—hardly the lines of a swordmaster candidate on the cusp of mastery, yet that very contrast drew the eye in a strangely captivating way.
Adelin went further, draped loosely in a sheer black lace gown that revealed half her skin. Her unnaturally pale, luminous complexion—thanks to the Petrification Disease still gnawing at her—contrasted perfectly with the dark fabric, and every time the hem rode up, her leg lines hit like a provocation.
Did her body develop more during treatment...? No, that's not it.
And finally, Selina. With her beastkin trait of elevated body temperature, she wore a baggy sleeveless shirt and shorts so short they barely qualified. Deep cleavage peeked through the shirt's gaps, and every swish of her silver tail tugged the thin fabric taut, creating... well, quite the spectacle.
"Haa... Are you all just oblivious, or do you not care? Either way, I'm a guy."
At my scolding, the three women glanced down at their outfits, then tilted their heads slightly.
"I don't see the issue. Bundling up more than this is uncomfortable—I can't sleep."
Heria replied calmly, and Adelin with Selina nodded in agreement. Instead, their gazes turned to Raysilla, swaddled head to toe in pristine white fabric, save hands, feet, and face.
"Isn't Raysilla the stifled one? How do you sleep in something so constricting?"
"Y-yeah. No tail to keep warm, so sleeping cool should be..."
The women swiftly switched targets and closed in on Raysilla, reaching for her buttons.
"...It's not uncomfortable or anything..."
Raysilla lightly swatted Selina's hand and ducked behind me, but the trio's assault was relentless.
"I get Kail dotes on his sister, but she needs to learn this for later..."
"To become a perfect woman, she should practice flaunting her charms openly."
"...Haa."
I sighed softly after watching briefly, then yanked Raysilla free from their clutches.
"Cut the nonsense and go to sleep."
I shoved her into the diamond barrier room Adelin had set up in one corner of the camp and slammed the door shut.
Escaping the camp's commotion, I headed to a nearby small pond. Sitting on a large rock by the water, I watched the full moon's reflection ripple on the still surface.
"Pretty."
I stared blankly at the moonlight for a while, then pulled from my pocket the fresh intel on Daren I'd just acquired that day from the information broker.
The Diben tribe, minority descendants of barbarian blood, has fully allied with the Harennes Holy Kingdom—400 souls marching to war.
In the clash, great warrior Daren is said to have enacted the Warrior's Proof against an Empire master-level knight. Master Berender lost an eye and his left arm in critical wounds, while Daren's right leg was shattered beyond recovery.
"..."
Warrior's Proof. A sacred duel ritual where continent's warriors stake their lives in one-on-one combat.
That meant he'd truly bet everything— even if it cost him his leg in pieces—to defend Harennes.
What the hell is driving you, Daren?
He'd been our party's frontline shield, that massive frame guarding all our lives. Even as his bones snapped and flesh tore, he never screamed once—just endured, stubbornly, foolishly steadfast.
Why are you still siding with Harennes to the bitter end...?
A cool predawn breeze blew from across the pond.
...I just want to know what happened. Please.
My grip tightened on the paper unconsciously. My troubled heart showed no sign of settling.
Lost in thought for ages, I reminded myself nothing could be resolved until I met him face-to-face. Time to head back—I rose from the rock.
But then.
Rustle.
A sound of bushes shaking from somewhere, and soon Selina and Adelin emerged onto the pond's edge. They wore only thin white cloths draped precariously over their bodies, about to slip into the water.
...What? Didn't I say earlier I was going for a short walk around here?
I racked my brain.
Oh, right. I didn't. Damn it.
An amateur mistake I'd never made, even exhausted, back in the hero party days. Self-reproach burned inside as I tried to slip away quietly before they noticed.
However.
Crack—!
My foot landed squarely on a dry twig, broadcasting my presence loud and clear. The two, sensing the noise, turned simultaneously.
"......"
"......"
And there, in the moonlit pondside clearing, our eyes met dead-on.
"Uh... um."
Making a fuss or acting embarrassed here would only make the already prickly journey worse. So I kept my usual blank expression and indifferent tone.
"Moon's bright tonight—adventurers passing by might spot you. Better skip the bath. If you insist, ask Her Highness to stand watch."
"......"
I turned casually toward camp without rushing or averting my eyes—that's when it happened.
"W-wai... wait! Th-then... you, wanna wash up t-together? We won't get many chances for just the three of us to chat anyway... s-so if you stand watch instead...?"
Selina, frozen in flustered shock, blushed furiously and blurted out the most out-of-left-field suggestion.
"......What?"