Chapter 16

1 The witch’s paradise—also known as the Nebulis Sovereignty. The Nebulis Palace. “No more! I can’t do this anymore!” Alice yelled in front of the mountains of paperwork. “It’s been a whole week straight of this. It feels like my entire job is sitting in my study and signing my name! It’s so boring that I’m groggy, and my back and buttocks hurt from sitting for so long!” Aliceliese Lou Nebulis. She was the Sovereignty’s second princess, and her brilliant golden hair complemented her charming features. Despite her gorgeous appearance, she was currently wailing and on the verge of tears. “Look at this, Rin! I’ve held this pen for so long that my fingers are red and swollen!” “Signing documents is one of your duties as a princess,” her attendant, Rin, said bluntly. She was also Alice’s guard. “Say, Rin, don’t you feel sorry that a young girl like me is suffering from stiff shoulders and back pain?” “Not at all.” “Well, you should! At least let me take a break. I want to stretch my wings outside the palace. Let’s go out somewhere!” “All right,” Rin said. “I’ll make the arrangements.” “I knew it, you’d never allow it. All right, all right. You don’t need to tell me…wait?” Alice’s eyes went wide, and her eyelashes fluttered once she’d processed Rin’s unexpected reply. “Rin, what did you…?” “If you would like to go on an outing, then I shall make the arrangements. I think I know something quite suitable.” “Suitable for me?” Alice confirmed. “We can go to a carnival.” Rin pulled out a schedule book, checking Princess Alice’s official appearances. “It’s somewhat similar to Halloween,” Rin continued. “Sightseers from all over dress up and participate in a parade at a carnival.” “Where is it?” “Do you know of the city-state of Bachils?” “Aren’t they aligned with the Empire?!” Alice asked, unintentionally raising her voice. The Empire was one of the two global superpowers, and it was locked in an ongoing war with the Sovereignty. Its citizens called those like Alice witches, in a derogatory sense. The nation Rin had mentioned was affiliated with the Empire. “Bachils is a small country that derives most of its income from tourism. They’ll be holding a carnival next week.” “But, Rin, an enemy state would be much too dangerous to visit, even during a time of revelry.” Since Bachils was a tourist country, it would likely have lax immigration checks. However, if anyone found out Alice was a witch princess, she would doubtlessly be attacked. She could even run into Imperial soldiers there. “Rest assured that our only goal is to participate in the carnival.” “So we’re not going there to fight?” “That’s right, we’re not. A large number of sightseers will be dressing up at the carnival for the parade. Since our faces will be obscured, we will be able to walk through the city in the open. It’s perfect for observing the enemy.” “Oh, I see. You’re right.” It was an important task in its own way. They would participate in the enemy’s carnival and observe them. Whatever the case, Alice preferred it to being cooped up in her study. “What will we wear to it?” “You can rent outfits at the location. I will prepare costumes for both of us. Do you have any requests?” “Since we’re dressing up, I’d like something flashy.” As long as Alice’s face was covered, no one would know she was a Sovereignty princess. But there was something that bothered her. “Say, Rin, Bachils is still affiliated with an enemy. Do you think the Imperial forces will be there, too?” “Even if they are, there will only be a few representatives. The chances of coming across them at a costume carnival are low.” “Do you think Iska will be there as well?” “Excuse me? Lady Alice, what was that?” “N-no, nothing!” She had accidentally said the name of a swordsman who was part of the Imperial forces. Iska, the Saint Disciple. He was the only person Alice had ever fought to a draw in the battlefield—and he was her rival. She had decided they would settle things someday. “Will Iska be dispatched there, too?” She stared out the window as she murmured to herself. 2 The largest military state in the world, the Empire. Inside an Imperial military base. “Everyone, we’ve got a trip coming up on the weekend.” “You mean working security at the carnival? I remember, but it’s a pretty unusual mission.” Iska, the black-haired swordsman, turned to the commander. “We’re being dispatched to Bachils?” “That’s right. We’re supposed to dress up in costumes and blend in at the carnival.” Commander Mismis nodded. Though she had a baby face and a child’s stature, she was an Imperial commander and a member of the forces. “Hey, Commander? What are we supposed to do while we’re there?” In the corner of the conference room, a red-haired girl named Nene suddenly rose from her chair. “So we dress up like we’re tourists…and then we help guard the carnival? Does that mean we’ll be rounding up rowdy drunks or something?” “That’s the job of the military police on the scene. It’s not our jurisdiction,” Jhin, the silver-haired sniper, replied. The swordsman Iska, Commander Mismis, Nene, and Jhin made up a four-person unit. “If the Imperial forces need to be there, that means we’ll be going up against astral mages. Did we get intel that they’re sending spies in?” “You’re right. That’s exactly what’s going on.” Commander Mismis nodded at Jhin’s question. “And it happened last year, too. There were some suspicious tourists at the carnival who we believe were Sovereignty witches on an espionage mission.” “Aha, I see. So that’s why we’re being sent in… But that seems like a challenge.” Iska sighed after imagining the bustling crowd at the carnival. Bachils’s carnival was known for attracting tens of thousands of visitors. Trying to find a spy in that mess would be like attempting to locate a single ant in a vast desert. “It’ll be difficult finding them and even worse trying to capture them.” “Sheesh. And you want even me and Iska to dress up? That’s way too much work, c’mon.” Jhin leaned back in his chair and sighed at the task at hand. “So then what? What are we gonna wear?” “I have the catalog,” Nene said. “Here, Jhin!” She pulled a thick book out of her bag. “Here, this is it! The most popular costume is this black wide-brimmed hat to dress as a witch, and the second most popular is a fiend. And they’ve got really realistic mummies and zombies on the next page!” “All of these are monster costumes.” “Well, it’s a costume carnival. What’ll you wear, Iska? I think this werewolf would work for you.” “Me? I dunno… I’ve never attended one of these before.” There were dozens of sample costumes. Settling on one would be difficult. “It’s probably better to hide our faces, so the spies don’t find out we’re there.” Suddenly, an idea came to Iska. He wondered who the spies from the Sovereignty would be. If they needed to blend in with the carnival, they probably wouldn’t look like stereotypical witches. He imagined the spies would be beautiful young women. ……Like… ……Alice, for example? The Ice Calamity Witch Aliceliese, whom Iska had fought on the battlefield. Alice was an enemy princess, but if she concealed her identity, she could have worked as a model anywhere in the world. “She would shine at the carnival…but there’s no way she’d be there.” Iska shook his head and focused on choosing his costume. 3 A plaza in the city-state of Bachils. The day of the carnival. In this country of only twelve streets, people were already flooding the roads before sunrise. “Wh-wh-what is this getup?!” They were in a palatial women’s changing room. Alice couldn’t help but shout when she looked at the clothes Rin had handed her. “You never told me about this. What are these…these bandage-like things?!” “Those aren’t bandage-like, they are bandages.” “But why?!” “Because you’re a mummy girl,” Rin answered as she got into her own costume. “A mummy is a type of horror monster that’s wrapped up in bandages. It’s popular to dress up as scary things for the carnival. Reference the model in the catalog to see how it should look.” “This girl is only wearing bandages, though! Where are the rest of her clothes…?” “Yes, the costume is just bandages. Why would a mummy wear a skirt?” “What?!” The “mummy girl” in the costume catalog was wearing only underwear and bandages on top of her bare skin. “If the people discover that a princess such as myself wore such a scandalous outfit…” “You’re the one who asked for something ‘flashy,’ Lady Alice. You wanted to stand out.” “This is going too far!” she quivered. Meanwhile, Rin was wearing black wings and a tail as part of her devil costume. She looked adorable and didn’t need to show much skin. She wouldn’t feel embarrassed at all being seen in her outfit. “Rin, that’s unfair! I’m going to exchange mine for the same costume as yours!” “Unfortunately, the last day you could cancel your order was yesterday. There are tens of thousands participating in the carnival, so the management said it would be too difficult to handle costume changes on the day of.” “Wh-what…? Urgh!” There was a line for the changing room. If they stayed too long, they would be inconveniencing others. Alice steeled herself and grabbed the edge of her dress. “F-fine! I’ll dress as a mummy girl, if that’s what you want!” She changed into nothing but her undergarments. When the other girls around her saw her body, they started to stir. They were stunned. Her breasts seemed on the verge of spilling out of her underwear. Her slender stomach curved out into hips that demanded one’s attention. Alice’s well-developed body quickly drew the eyes of those around her. ……I—I feel kind of embarrassed. ……I need to change fast! She wrapped the bandages around her just like the model in the catalog. Despite how awkward she felt, she finished wrapping her arms and legs, then started on the next region. However… “Oh no……” “What is it, Lady Alice?” “This is a crisis, Rin.” Alice pointed at her own much-too-large chest. Her bust was so prominent that she was having trouble wrapping it. When she tried, the bandages fell off, and she could already tell she wouldn’t have enough fabric. “Rin, are you sure you didn’t order the mummy costume in your size?” “Yes. Is there something wrong?” “I don’t have enough fabric to wrap my chest. I wonder if it’s because we’re such different sizes.” “What’s that supposed to mean?!” “See, I can’t wrap my buttocks, either. Actually…” She stared at her attendant. Compared to an early bloomer like Alice, Rin was very petite. Her guard training had given her the body of an athlete. “I wonder if this might fit you better. Your bust and buttocks are practically flat, after all.” “Is it a crime to have a small chest?!” “It’s a compliment. You seem like you’d be able to wear these bandages with ease.” “That’s not any compliment I’m happy to receive! Wait, what are you doing, Lady Alice?!” “We’re trading, that’s what we’re doing!” She caught Devil Rin.