Elisabeth kept eating, spitting out seeds as she went. The small black lumps fell to the floor. Then she wiped her juice-covered mouth. “Why, you might well be the biggest idiot I know. What kind of fool spreads seeds of evil through the world he claims to love so dearly?” “This kind of fool, I suppose. I’m not proud of it, you know. But ‘in their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them,’ so it’s not like I had much choice in the matter.” The Butcher quietly nodded. Elisabeth clicked her tongue as she ruminated on his words. “In their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them.” It sounded as though they’d come from someone else. When she finished eating the apple, she tossed its core over her shoulder. It smacked into the wall and fell to the floor. After turning to face the Butcher once more, she narrowed her eyes in irritation. “And one more thing. About me.” “Yes? What might that be?” “I think I’ve come to understand.” “Come to understand what, might I ask?” The Butcher cocked his head. Elisabeth closed her eyes and turned her gaze upward. Then she shifted her weight and collapsed back into empty space. But before she could fall, her head struck something. She was reclining against something hard, smooth, and cold. “What ‘this world’ is.” The Butcher offered her no response. Even with her eyes closed, Elisabeth knew. He was gone— —nowhere to been seen. Tick, tock… Tick-tock… Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… Ti-ti-ti-ti— Creeeeeee— —eeeak! “…For in short, that is what your existence amounts to.” As Elisabeth finished her murmur, she sat up straight and slowly opened her eyes. As she expected, there were two people smiling before her. “Oh hey, Elisabeth’s up.” “And a very good morning to you, Lady Elisabeth! Did you sleep well?” “Kaito. Hina.” She was back in the dining hall. She realized now that she was sitting atop a cabriole-legged chair. As for the other two, Kaito was standing on a wooden stepladder, and Hina was holding it steady. For whatever reason, they seemed to be decorating the walls. After Kaito finished sticking some ribbons up by the ceiling, Hina passed him a handful of artificial flowers. The way they looked working together was so sickeningly adorable, Elisabeth could hardly bear to watch. She shot them a question. “So what in the world are you two doing?” “Huh? We’re getting ready for your third-year anniversary party as captain of the Peace Brigade—what else?” “Master Kaito wanted to surprise you, and I was in full support!” “Yes, well, that’s all very nice, Hina. But it hardly seems like much of a surprise if you do the preparations in front of me, does it?” “I mean, you’re not wrong.” “In fact, I would go so far as to say that Lady Elisabeth is right.” Kaito and Hina crossed their arms contemplatively. Hina aside, it was odd not having Kaito play the straight man. As a collective married unit, though, they definitely fell on the other end of that particular spectrum. Elisabeth pondered how best to respond. After giving the matter some thought, Kaito finally spoke. “But at the end of the day, you wouldn’t want us decorating the dining hall and inviting people over without your say-so, right?” “Aye, that would be a problem indeed.” Elisabeth nodded. It was a legitimate concern. Plus, if he hadn’t checked in ahead of time, there was a risk that Elisabeth would be busy meeting with an envoy from the Church or something on the day of the event. Kaito had clearly put some thought into the matter. However, Elisabeth cocked her head anyway. “Wait, you said something about guests? It’s not just you two—you invited others?” “Hey, this is a big deal! It’s been three whole years since you got a job besides just fighting demons! We even handwrote invitations and everything.” “Don’t worry, Lady Elisabeth, you won’t have to do a thing! Hospitality is a specialty of mine! Plus, we made sure to stock the wine cellar beforehand, and I prepared plenty of food!” “My my, it’s so lively in here. Look at you all, innocent as babes. I must say, I’m impressed with your ability to maintain such dogged interest in this world.” Suddenly, Elisabeth heard a deep voice that was as smooth as butter. She frowned. As Kaito fiddled with the artificial flowers’ placement, he fired a casual response back. “Vlaaad? You being snide over there?” “Perish the thought! This is sarcasm, snide’s softer cousin!” Elisabeth jerked her head to the left. Sitting brazenly beside her was a man dressed in an aristocratic coat. His was a face she’d seen not long ago. Elisabeth wrung a strained question out of her throat. “And what exactly are you doing here, you lout?” “Ha-ha-ha! I wasn’t expecting a warm reception by any means, but even so, that’s quite the cold shoulder you’re giving me, my dear. The fact of the matter is, here is where I am. There’s little to be done for it.” “No, but why—?” “Come now, think about it. I’ve always been an obstinate one, if I do say so myself. Even death wasn’t enough to get rid of me. And that’s why I’m still here—because that’s the way you perceive me. You understand what I’m getting at, I assume?” Vlad shrugged. After a short silence, Elisabeth nodded. In other words, that was just the kind of person she saw him as. She slumped back in her chair. “I see. Then I suppose that’s that, then.” “So it is. It’s not like I’m here by choice, after all. Like it or not, here I am… I will remind you, though, that the world of man is full of pointless trivialities. Enjoying them is what makes us human. Our species’ very existence is rooted in absurdity.” “See, now you’re just spouting nonsense.” “Ha-ha. I see you won’t be tricked quite so easily. You’re a sharp one, my precious. If my dear successor were in your place, I’d have you fooled backward and forward by now. He really could stand to be a bit more of a skeptic.” “I can hear you, y’know,” Kaito grumbled in annoyance. Now that he had finished putting up the fake flowers, he started descending the stepladder. Halfway down, though, he stopped in place and glanced at Hina. She was standing expectantly by with her arms spread wide. Without missing a beat, Kaito leaped into them. She caught him and spun him round and round. As always, the pair never missed a chance to flirt. “Ha-ha-ha, Hina, Hinaaaaa!” “Hee-hee-hee, Master Kaito, Master Kaitooooo!” “By the way, those two have been like that this whole time, so it’s taken them ages to get anything done.” “Aye, I don’t doubt it for a moment.” “Expected as it may be, I must say, it’s a most inefficient way of working. And I’m not sayin’ that ’cause I’m jealous or anything, mind you!” The voice that rang out seemed somehow puppetlike, yet at the same time, it was strangely obnoxious. Elisabeth looked up. Long, honey-blond hair fluttered at the entrance to the dining hall. It would seem that the first guest— —had arrived a little early. The girl—Jeanne de Rais—had a golden beauty to her. Elisabeth glanced her over from top to bottom. Then she nodded and spoke in dispassionate tone. “…Jeanne. It’s a trivial thing, I’ll admit, but this is ostensibly a banquet. Could you not have come in normal clothes or, at the very least, covered a bit more skin up?” “You say ‘normal,’ but to me, this outfit is normal. And besides, isn’t your outfit much the same as mine? You look just as much like a flasher as I do, lady!” “See, you’re even aware that you look like a flasher. Go and get yourself dressed up a little.” Jeanne was wearing the same obscene bondage dress as always. Only mages possessed garments woven from pure magic like that, but even in the Capital, it was highly irregular for them to wear it when they weren’t on duty. Jeanne did have a point, though. Elisabeth’s outfit had a bit more cloth to it than hers, but on the whole, they were still exceedingly similar. That said, this was Elisabeth’s castle—even she had the decorum to put on a regular dress when she headed out in public. As such, she decided to ignore her own hypocrisy. Jeanne crossed her arms in annoyance. “I must say, that really isn’t any of your business. And besides, I came not as a guest but to help set up. C’mon, anyone coulda figured out that those two dumb-asses would be wasting the day away gigglin’ and gagglin’ at each other! And plus, callin’ this a banquet? Get off your fuckin’ high horse!” “Dressing up—now there’s an idea. I think that’s a wonderful suggestion.” Suddenly, a dignified voice cut in. Jeanne froze, then quickly straightened her posture. Footsteps could be heard echoing from the entrance to the dining hall. When Elisabeth cast her gaze in that direction once more, she was greeted with the sight of an alabaster beauty. The comforting voice continued: “After all, Jeanne, it would be a shame to waste that beauty of yours. I’m sure you would look stunning in a formal dress… We did leave separately, but even so, it was my oversight as well. Next time, I’ll be sure to get you something nice to wear.” “Yes. No. Yes.” “Well, don’t go panicking, now.” Elisabeth tried to calm Jeanne down, but it was clearly an exercise in futility. Jeanne wasn’t very familiar with the subtleties of her own emotions, and her romantic experience was more or less nonexistent. In other words, having her first love, Izabella Vicker, say something like that to her had proven instantly lethal. As Izabella took her spot by Jeanne’s still-frozen side, Kaito and Hina finally noticed their new visitors. “Hmm?” “Oh?” The two of them had stopped spinning a little while ago. Still holding each other tight, they looked up in unison. Kaito let out an excited shout. “Jeanne, Izabella, you made it! And so early, too!” “Of course. We would hardly turn away such an invitation, much less coming from you. But we owe all three of you a great debt; it hardly feels right being treated as guests. If you don’t mind, I’d love to help out however I can. But first, Hi—rather, Mrs. Sena, this is for you.” “Oh, what lovely flowers! That’s so thoughtful of you!” “I do hope they’re to your liking. I’m glad I could do my part to add some color to the banquet.” Izabella offered Hina the bouquet she was holding, and Hina took it with a warm smile. It was composed of lilies paired with a new type of flower bred by the beastfolk, and they were arranged in a beautiful silver-and-white composition. Their thin stems were adorned with countless little florets that shone like stars. As Hina buried the tip of her nose in the bouquet, Izabella smiled gently. “Ah, it sets off your lovely hair just the way I hoped it would. I imagine it would look nice next to Elisabeth’s dark hair, too.” “Hey! Izabella! Quit trying to seduce my wife!” Izabella and Hina stared blankly at Kaito. A moment later, Hina’s face went bright red. Words spilled out of her lips as fast as her mouth could make them. “O-oh, no, no, no, I’m sure Ms. Izabella didn’t have any such intentions, and even if she did, my gears would fall out and stop before I fell for anyone other than you, but even so, Master Kaito, were you being jealous just now? Was that jealousy? Eek! Thank you, God, for this blessing! My heart’s beating so hard that it feels like it might become an inferno that turns all creation to ash!” “Th-this is a misunderstanding, Sir Kaito! I wasn’t doing anything of the sort! It’s not just your wife—I do this for all sorts of people! To comfort wounded knights, and to welcome new recruits! And besides, I thought they would set off your strong-willed eyes as well!” As Hina wriggled and squirmed with glee, Izabella hurriedly explained herself. Kaito couldn’t help but massage his temples. Satisfied with her answer, he nodded. “All right, I get what’s going on now… You’ve got, like, bucket-loads of secret admirers among the other paladins, don’t you?” “Wh-what? Secret admirers?” “Yeah, I figure you’ve got plenty of guys and girls who’re totally head over heels for you,” he continued. “H-head over heels?” Elisabeth nodded in agreement. “Aye, I concur. I can picture it with remarkable ease.” “Right?” Kaito quipped. Elisabeth thought about it. Over the years, the Church had been home to more than its fair share of corruption, and on top of that, many paladins had lost their lives in the battles against the Torture Princess and Vlad’s demon army. How beautiful must their young commander have looked, carrying out her duties amid all that madness? Plus, not only did she comport herself with dignity and grace, but the frank manner in which she spoke also made it easy for people to fall for her as well. If you excluded the reconstruction sect, her approval rating among the paladins was probably through the roof. And that wasn’t even getting into the other exceptional someone whom she had head over heels for her. “And I gotta say, there’s something really cool about an attractive woman dressed in a sharp— Ow, ow, ow!” “How rude. Please revise that.” Jeanne, the golden Torture Princess and Exhibit A of people who were head over heels for Izabella, reached over and grabbed Kaito by the hair knot. Her expression was downright sullen. Izabella, for her part, was still flustered from the earlier exchange. Just as Kaito was in the middle of saying, Izabella was dressed to the nines. Instead of her usual armor, she was wearing a slender dress suit. Its white jacket and trousers were designed to be worn by a woman, but they also would have looked just as spiffy on a man as well, a fact that accentuated Izabella’s androgynous appeal. She was a beauty through and through. However, Kaito didn’t get a chance to finish his compliment. He frantically apologized as Jeanne pulled harder and harder on his hair. “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow… J-Jeanne, you gotta tone down the bloodlust back there! It was my bad, okay! I know she’s your first love and all, and I probably said too much… Ow, ow, ow!” “I’m just glad you understand, mister. That saves us both quite a lot of time. You know what you gotta say now, don’cha?” By the time she was done speaking, Jeanne’s tone had grown downright murderous. Cold sweat trickled down Kaito’s back. That said, they were in front of both Izabella and Hina, so there was probably a limit to how bad things could get. As far as Elisabeth went, though, the only help she offered was warmly noting, “You seem to be in quite a pinch.” Kaito raised his hands in surrender. “Uh, I…I’m sorry?” “No. I’m not looking for an apology. Like always, your head’s as full of mush as a cat in a sunbeam! Just cotton and fuzz from one ear to the next!” “Wait, then…what?” “Hmm,” added Elisabeth. “I haven’t the slightest, either.” “Elisabeth, you know I’m your servant, right? So when I’m in danger, you’re supposed to come help me.” “Not my problem, best of luck, et cetera, et cetera.” Elisabeth’s reply was decidedly aloof. Suddenly, Kaito noticed that Hina and Izabella had wandered off to get a vase for the flowers before they could wilt. If he had been in any actual danger, Hina would have intervened long ago. In other words, he didn’t need to fear for his life at the moment. Well, probably. Jeanne curled the corners of her mouth ever so slightly as she spoke. “Are you listening, mister? I’ll only say this once. So clean out that shit in your ears and listen up!” “I’m listening, I’m listening!” “My fair lady…” Jeanne took a deep breath, a rare human mannerism for the golden Torture Princess to display. Kaito, Elisabeth, and even Vlad listened intently. Then Jeanne spoke with barely concealed fervor. “…isn’t just cool, but adorable. Adorable, I tells ya!” “Wait, that’s it? That’s the bit you wanted me to revise?” “Also, why repeat it twice?” Elisabeth asked. “I suppose she thought it was just that important,” Vlad replied. The three of them were all well and truly bewildered. Jeanne, expressionless as ever, bobbed her head up and down. Apparently, that was enough to satisfy her. At some point, she had also released Kaito’s hair. Grateful for that stroke of fortune, Kaito beat a hasty retreat. That was when it happened. “Huh?” A black blur— —shot toward him like a bullet. “Up—and—at ’emmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!” “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” A shout that sounded like some sort of strange bird echoed through the air. Then the black blur—that is, the hunk of bone-in meat—smashed directly into Kaito’s face. Fearing an enemy raid, Izabella reached for the rapier hanging from her waist. However, her puzzlement quickly won out over her concern. People didn’t normally use bone-in meat for launching surprise attacks, after all. The force of the blow nearly caused Kaito to topple over, but Hina quickly rushed over and caught him from behind. After gently lowering his head down onto her lap, she spoke indignantly. “Come on now, Mr. Butcher, you can’t attack Master Kaito by surprise like that! I’m very close to being quite cross with you!” “Wait, why’re you giving me a lap pillow?” “Hello, hello, hello, Ms. Lovely Maid! My deepest apologies! I was just so giddy about being invited to this banquet, I couldn’t help myself! Hello, hello, hello, Madam Elisabeth!” “Quite,” Elisabeth replied. “Oh yes, and congratulations on your third-year anniversary as whatsit of the Something-Something Brigade!” “Why is it that your attention to detail always fails at the most inopportune times?” Elisabeth grumbled. Meanwhile, Kaito shook off the shock from being struck by the raw meat and made to sit up. As he did, though, his gaze met Hina’s, and he stopped in place. Then the two of them exchanged a loving embrace. Elisabeth and Vlad offered up some bemused commentary. “No, but…why?” “It’s nice that they get along so well, I suppose, but it does seem to be getting in the way of the rest of their lives.” Meanwhile, the Butcher spun like a top and made his way into the dining hall proper. Upon reaching the table, though, he came to an abrupt stop. He looked up at Vlad and went silent for a little bit. After reconsidering the matter, though, he gave him a big thumbs-up. “And a fine hello to you as well, Sir Vlad!” “After contemplating as best you could how to act toward me, that’s what you ended up with? I think we can dispense with this strained geniality. I’m a more tolerant man than I look, but even I have my limits.” Vlad smiled cheerfully as he rested his chin on his hands and elegantly crossed his legs. In contrast to his demeanor, though, his voice dripped with outright hostility. On hearing their exchange, Elisabeth was reminded of something. That’s right—Vlad and the Butcher share a karmic bond. The Butcher was the one who’d given Vlad the First Demon’s meat. However, that, too, had been part of the Saint’s plan, and during Ragnarok, Vlad had made no secret of his fury at having been used as a pawn. I know not how they met, nor how their relationship developed from there. But Vlad clearly didn’t appreciate being used. I’ve no doubt he harbors harsh feelings toward the Butcher. On hearing Vlad’s comment, the Butcher lowered his hand. However, it would appear that he planned to just pretend like he hadn’t heard anything. Instead, he whistled and meandered away. After making his way over to Hina, he quickly hid behind her back. When he spoke next, it was from the shadow of her maid outfit. “Ah, that reminds me! On my way here, I spotted a group who looked to be guests as well! I imagine they’ll be here any moment!” “There are guests yet to come? Who?” Elisabeth furrowed her brow. However, her answer arrived quicker than she expected. Down the hall, she could make out a group of boisterous voices. “Vice-Captain Lute…I know it’s a bit late to be asking this, but are you really sure it’s all right for us to let ourselves in?” “As far as Sir Kaito told me, it should be fine. Although I must admit, I didn’t expect for us to get chased by a walking suit of armor the moment we came inside… Now, I think it was somewhere around…here?” “Lute!” “Sir Kaito! Madam Hina! Captain Elisabeth!” Kaito sat up from his spot on Hina’s lap, and Lute let out a cry of delight. He ran over, and the two of them exchanged a light fist bump—a symbol, perhaps, of how beastfolk-human relations had improved over the past years. Kaito thanked him for showing up. “I’m so glad you could make it! Wasn’t it hard on you, having everyone take the day off at once?” “Ha-ha-ha, not in the least. Our Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast’s magnanimity knows no bounds! And besides, there aren’t nearly as many incidents these days as there were three years ago. Taking a day off like this is nothing! And that, too, is thanks to our captain’s undying efforts.” The rest of the Peace Brigade members nodded in agreement. Despite their praise, though, Elisabeth frowned. The image of a regal beastfolk woman flashed through her mind. “Valisisa Ula Forstlast…” The name carried a heavy nostalgia with it. It would appear that Valisisa was in good health, and La Christoph was probably carrying out his duties in the Capital like normal as well, praying and believing in God while accepting the love of the people. Elisabeth closed her mouth without finishing her sentence. Her Peace Brigade subordinates let out cries of relief at having finally found the dining hall. It was clear that they’d gotten lost in the castle’s vast corridors. After a few of them handed Hina small gifts as thanks for inviting them, they all got to work removing their armor, revealing the layered formal wear beneath. Each of their chests was decorated with colorful tail feathers. Even in times of peace, it was exceedingly rare for a beastfolk soldier to take off their armor. It was a sign of their utmost trust in the castle’s owner. They lined up in front of Elisabeth and saluted. However, they then paused. “Um…Captain?” “I’ve a fair guess at what you wish to ask, but go on, say it.” “Is there somewhere you’d like us to put these gifts?” The beastfolk gestured to the packages they were all carrying. Some were wrapped bundles of cloth, and others were covered baskets, but every one of them was impressively large. Still seated, Elisabeth let out a small sigh. “This isn’t a child’s birthday party, you know. I appreciate the sentiment, aye, but surely, there was no need to bring that much! ’Tis excessive!” “We’re sorry, Captain… We just got to thinking about how much you always like to eat, and we got a little carried away.” “Wait…you mean to say… That isn’t all food, is it?” Elisabeth reflexively leaned forward in her chair. The Brigade members meekly nodded. “Just what kind of image is it you have of me?!” she cried, turning her gaze up toward the ceiling. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked to her side. There, she saw a beastwoman with a goat head. “I’m sorry for interrupting your lament, but might I have a moment, Madam Elisabeth?” “Ain? What is it?” Ain, Lute’s talented wife, was wearing a modest gray dress. She gestured with her chin. Elisabeth looked and discovered that Kaito and Lute were surreptitiously peeking their way. Ain lowered her voice. “Just now, Sir Kaito and my husband came to me with a request. It’s a special occasion, so they were really hoping that all the women would dress up. I’m here to help with that. Do you have a wardrobe room somewhere?” “Hold on. Jeanne is one thing, but they want me to change, too? What a pain.” “Everyone’s gotten on board, even me,” replied Jeanne. “As the star of the show, what are you waiting for? If you don’t get ready, nothing can start, and nothing can end. The thing is, see, I gotta go get changed so a certain lovely lady’ll tell me I look cute! Get a move on!” “I see it didn’t take much to win you over.” Nobody could have possibly imagined that the self-proclaimed “oppressor of slaves, the savior of the world, the saint, and the whore” would ever get so thoroughly domesticated. Elisabeth sighed in exasperation. A thought crossed her mind. If I don’t get ready, nothing can start, and nothing can end, eh? There was some truth to that. Elisabeth nodded, and her heels clicked as she set off. Accompanied by Ain and Jeanne, she headed out into the corridor. The moment she left the dining hall, it went dead silent. It was as though nobody had even been there in the first place. However, Elisabeth pretended not to notice that. Tick, tock… Tick-tock… Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… Ti-ti-ti-ti— —ti…tick…? Of the castle’s many rooms, one of them was where Elisabeth kept various garments. Inside, it was a veritable sea of cloth. There were whites as white as snow, blacks as black as night, reds as red as roses, and blues as blue as the sky. Processed fabrics of every quality and texture had been haphazardly shoved inside. The room seemed to go on forever, yet at the same time, it felt as cramped as a box of sweets. Either way, though, it was an odd state of affairs. The thing was, Elisabeth didn’t own anywhere near that many dresses. In fact, the wardrobe room had originally held mostly outfits for her servants. At that point, though, an irregularity that minor hardly even warranted notice. After all, nothing about the situation— —could be described as anything approaching normal. Hina hadn’t accompanied them to the wardrobe room. Because of how early the guests had arrived, she was still in the middle of setting the table. Lute and the rest of the beastfolk had offered their services and were helping carry various plates to and fro. As she directed them around, Hina had offered Elisabeth a wave. Her warm smile was the last thing Elisabeth had seen before departing the area. Now Elisabeth was facing off against a seemingly endless assortment of dresses. Beside her, Jeanne let out a faint murmur. “Man, I ain’t got a fuckin’ clue what to pick.” “Hey now, best not omit the polite bits entirely.” Elisabeth shot Jeanne a warning. If Izabella were there to hear her, she’d probably have gotten upset and scolded Jeanne for her foul language. However, Jeanne proceeded to cock her head to the side. It would appear she actually didn’t know what would be best to pick. Ain took that as her cue to briskly step forward. She spread her arms with the mountain of clothes laid out behind her. “Now then… It looks like answer is no, but I’ll ask anyway—do either of you have anything specific in mind?” “No. I’m up shit creek here, lady! How the hell does everyone else pick out their own clothes like it’s nothing?!” “I haven’t anywhere near the patience to look through that mass. I’m more than happy to delegate the selection to you. I’d prefer something extravagant, though, with bold lines and clean cuts.” “Ah…something to my lady’s preference would be nice, actually.” “Something flashy and something trim, then. Very well. One moment.” Ain strode forward, her expression as composed as ever. The other two watched as she descended into the sea of cloth. It was like a fish vanishing into a wave, or perhaps a honeybee slipping into a rose. The soft folds of fabric conformed to her shape, then went still again. Elisabeth and Jeanne waited in solemn silence. A few minutes later, the two of them shared a quiet exchange. “…This is taking quite a while.” “It really is. Fuckin’ hell.” “Sorry about the wait.” Ain popped her head out of an opening in the mass of dresses. Elisabeth and Jeanne practically leaped out of their skin. Just as promised, she was holding a pair of dresses. The other two each took their proffered item. Elisabeth turned hers inside out, then nodded. “Aye, not bad.” “Yes, mine looks good as well. I’m gonna be the belle of the goddamn ball!” Jeanne seemed to have taken quite a liking to hers. The main dress was golden, and it was adorned with a number of pieces of faintly gleaming cloth, which were layered atop it. On its back sat a ribbon in the shape of a flower. And as for Elisabeth’s dress, it was black with crimson highlights and had suggestive openings on its sides. Upon seeing their expressions, Ain nodded. “Now, finding those took a good deal of time, so let’s be nimble and quick about getting you into them.” “You know, I can’t help but think…” “Yes, me too. I’ve got a baaad feelin’ about this.” Elisabeth and Jeanne were no strangers to corsets and tightened belts. Even so, though, the way the skilled healer in front of them looked to be itching to go was enough to strike fear into both of their hearts. But it was Ain’s next words, and the unsettlingly cheerful tone she said them in, that truly sealed the deal. “You’re both in good health, but I can see you’ve let that keep you from learning to take proper care of your bodies. Let’s see if we can’t get those joints moving a little.” The two of them were both Torture Princesses. As such, chirotherapy was a sensation yet unknown to them. Elisabeth and Jeanne tried frantically to flee. Before they could get far, though, Ain snatched Jeanne by the shoulder, and Jeanne replied by quickly grabbing Elisabeth’s wrist in kind. “H-hey, Jeanne! Don’t get me wrapped up in this! Unhand me!” “Never! If I’m goin’ down, you’re comin’ down with me!” “Making more victims is never the answer!” “Don’t worry,” Ain reassured them. “When it starts hurting, just raise your left hand.” “By that phrasing, you make it sound as though pain is a presumption!” “W-wait, no, I—I said ‘wait,’ goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!” Jeanne’s shrill cry echoed across the sea of cloth. The two Torture Princesses both let out rare screams, then were quickly silenced. Tick, tock… Tick-tock… Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… Ti-ti-ti-ti— …Tick? T-tick? “I-I’ve never been through such a harrowing experience in all my days.” “So much clicking and clacking and snapping and popping… Who knew bones could even bend like that?” “Now, I hope this will serve as a reminder to the both of you to take regular care of your bodies. If I don’t see some improvement, next time is going to have to involve a medicinal bath.” “Heavens, woman, what do you intend on doing to us next? What more could you possibly ask of our poor bodies?” Elisabeth and Jeanne clung to each other and trembled. Ain’s nails were sharp, but her fingers were nimble enough to perform all sorts of minute movements. Never before had the two of them cursed the beastfolk’s digital evolution so much. “Welcome back! Oh, Lady Elisabeth, Ms. Jeanne, you look splendid! Those dresses fit you so well! They’re splendid! Lady Elisabeth, you’re like a gleaming jewel! And, Ms. Jeanne, you’re like a lovely little flower! If the world could speak, it would boast of both your beauties to all creation!” “Mmm, ’tis a most pleasant way to be complimented.” Hina hopped up and down before Elisabeth like an excitable puppy. Elisabeth nodded. That alone made all the strain and suffering she’d endured worth it. Kaito, who was in the middle of carrying a set of wine bottles with Lute and the others, stopped in his tracks. Then he rushed over to Elisabeth and let out a cry of astonishment. “Hey, that looks nice on you! See, I told you it’d be good to try wearing a normal dress every now and again.” “Your compliment is perfunctory at best. I give it failing marks.” “Why?! I said you look nice!” he shot back, flustered. At present, Elisabeth’s slender frame was clad all in black, with her two arms bare at her sides. Her collar was so low that it exposed her collarbone, and she had a crimson shawl draped around her neck. She looked bewitching, yet at the same time, strangely ephemeral. “You think a pedestrian word like nice is sufficient to capture the entirety of my refined beauty? Why don’t you try that again until you get it right?”
Chapter 125
28 min read