I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Mea and Fran

“TEACHER, would you please give me Master Kiara’s body?”

Of course.

After our little meeting in the clearing, we proceeded to the capital. I was preparing myself to wait in line, but Mea had a special entrance to skip the crowds. Such was royal privilege, I guess. 

Mianoa, Kiara’s attendant, had returned to Bestia ahead of us—bringing word of Kiara’s death and preparing for the funeral. I took Kiara’s body out of Pocket Dimension and laid it inside the coffin they’d prepared. Signs of Kiara’s final battle were still on her. Her clothes were in tatters, although the blood had been cleaned from her face.

“Kiara…”

“Master…”

Fran and Mea teared up, while Quina and Mianoa remained expressionless. The dignity of their office prohibited them from showing sorrow.

I asked about their plans for the funeral and found that it was nothing like I’d expected. I was used to Buddhist and Western services, but the people of this world had different ideas about death and religion. On top of that, the beastmen had different customs to the other humanoid races of this world.

Since the soul left the body and ascended to heaven at the moment of death, it was held in the highest regard. Unlike on Earth, the soul could be observed in this world, and praying that they’d enjoy a good afterlife was crucial. In a way, the actual funeral was held at the moment of death—although they took good care of the body afterward too. 

Still, the corpse was honored for practical purposes as much as dignity. Bodies often turned into the undead here, and the stronger an adventurer was in life, the stronger they would be in undeath. If those left behind couldn’t take a body with them, they usually cremated it on the spot. To reduce the chance of undead as much as possible, they didn’t even keep the bones. 

When a corpse was brought home, a funeral and anti-undead rituals were performed before the burial, but all of this was done for the people who were left behind. The funeral gave them closure, much like the funerals on Earth. Seeing the dead lowered into the ground helped people cope with the reality of the loss. But the people here didn’t give any bouquets or offerings to the dead. There were prayers, but they were performed by the deceased’s family and friends, rather than monks. Indeed, because the dead went immediately to their gods, religion had no part in a funeral. That was the major difference between funerals here and the ones on Earth. 

“We will hold Kiara’s funeral in four days,” said Mianoa. “The day after the Beast King returns.”

“You contacted Father?” Mea asked. 

“Yes. We used the eagle messengers at the Adventurer’s Guild. Manaphones can’t cross continents, and besides, they have likely been tapped by Basharl.”

Rigdith must be hurrying if he was going to be back here in three days. I guess the war only made things more urgent. Basharl specifically attacked when he was away, although it wouldn’t have given the beastmen much trouble if it weren’t for the northern ambush.

“What are your plans after this, Lady Fran?” Mianoa asked. “If you need to, we can arrange for you to return to Granzell posthaste on His Highness’s vessel. It will return to Bulbola as soon as it drops His Highness off at Grayseal.” 

Fran nodded. “Hm. That’ll help.” 

“Very well. Please confirm the dates here.”

I was a bit startled by how quickly she agreed.

Uhh, are you sure you don’t want to attend Kiara’s funeral?

“Hm? Yeah.”

That’s when I realized that she didn’t need to. After all, Fran was already with Kiara when she died. Quina and Mea didn’t seem offended either, so I guess she wasn’t being rude. If anything, Mea seemed sad to hear that Fran was leaving so soon. 

“Can’t you stay a while longer?”

“Sorry, I have a promise to keep.”

We have to attend the auction in Granzell.

“I see… Then I suppose you should make haste…”

“My lady, when you look sad like that, you make it difficult for Fran to leave.”

“R-right.”

“Besides,” said Quina, “you still have a few days.”

“Y-you’re right! We can hang out until then!” Mea said, her spirits returning.

Quina was an expert in handling her master’s mood swings.

“Hm. We can hang out.”

Fran was all for it too. Mea was her closest friend. I hoped they would make some good memories together.

“So! I can’t imagine you’ve decided where to stay?” Mea asked. 

“Hm.”

“Then you shall stay at the palace! We’ll have a room prepared for you! There are many chambers there!” 

“My lady,” Quina teased, “you must be more direct if you wish to spend the evenings with Lady Fran.”

“Wh…no! It’s just…we have a lot of rooms…!”

We’d love to. It’s a big help.

“V-very good!” said Mea. “If you insist!”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

Fran likes being around Mea. Don’t you, Fran?

“Hm.”

“Mwa ha ha! Quina, prepare the best room for them!”

“Immediately.”

No, just get us a regular room!

“How about the vacant room next to my lady’s quarters?” Quina suggested.

“That will do nicely!” said Mea.

“Hm.”

I guess neither of them would be getting much sleep over the next few days.

Our first day in Bestia went by in a flash. Fran and Mea toured the city as frantically as they fought their battles. They ate, went sightseeing, and then settled down to spar with each other. The training grounds was the first place they visited in the castle, and the place where they spent most of their time too.

Fran’s match with Mea wasn’t on the same level as the fight with Urslars, but it was still quite intense. By the time we were done, the castle training grounds were in shambles. There were holes in the ground, slashes on the walls, and bits of molten rock everywhere. I wanted to fix up the place with some Land spells, but the facilities were equipped with magic dampeners, so they weren’t very effective.

Mea laughed. “My heart races every time I fight you, Fran!”

“Hm!”

Our immediate goal had been to adjust to our new skill levels, but Fran and Mea couldn’t resist turning up the heat. They’d really gone at each other, and they might even have destroyed parts of the castle if Quina hadn’t stopped them. Still, they were both satisfied, plus our Physical Maneuver Skills had gone up by a lot and, thanks to Mea’s fire, we’d even gained Flame Resistance.

But the highlight of the day was visiting the temple. Mea pointed it out as we were sightseeing and reminded us that we could get more skills by changing Class there.

The last time Fran did that was before the fighting tournament, and we’d just stuck with Blademage because it was convenient. Focus Mana was an excellent Class Skill for Fran because it made up for her relative lack of magical ability. Blademage also allowed her to wield both magic and physical attacks in battle. 

But it was time for a change, so we made our offerings and entered the Class Change Chamber. A crystal slate in the center of the room allowed you to see your available Classes when you touched it. The room was private and perfectly sealed, and the only other person allowed in was the janitor. Spying on someone inside was technically possible with spells and manatech, but no one wanted to risk divine retribution.

You have a lot of options.

“Hm.”

Almost fifty classes were displayed on the slate—everything from the starter classes and up.

You can get a description of them for an additional three thousand gold. Let’s go for it.

Once the dust had cleared, five classes stood out. Our last battle had finally unlocked one we’d been wanting for a while: Sword King. As the name implied, it made you a sword specialist, giving bonuses to Strength, Sword Mastery, and Sword Arts. Its Class Skill was Sword King Form.

Sword King was probably on the same level as the Beast King’s Dragoon Class, which meant it was even viable for S-Class adventurers. It was clearly our best option, but there were some other interesting possibilities.

Like Paladin, an anti-Fiend Class that bestowed a variety of auras. Its Class Skill was Holy Armor. I couldn’t see the skill description, and it wasn’t available to us, so I assumed it gave amazing protection against Fiends. Either way, it would definitely come in handy if we ever fought Theraclede again. Or some other powerful Fiend, for that matter.

Elite Wizard looks interesting too. It’s a fully magical Class that reduces the stress of simultaneous casting.

It lacked a Class Skill, but Fran could use it to simulcast.

“This Shadowblade is cool too.”

Uh-huh. Stealth, detection, and a powerful boost to Agility. You could probably teleport anywhere you wanted with that Dimension Sense Class Skill.

With how nerfed my Detection and Stealth Skills were right now, high speed would be a great fit for Fran.

And finally, we have Tenma Warrior.

“Hm.”

This was an all-rounder. It boosted all your stats, spells, combat masteries and arts. It also increased the effectiveness of your Intimidation Skills. A good choice for a fighter who used both physical and magic attacks. Although it didn’t have a Class Skill.

So, Sword King, Paladin, Elite Wizard, Shadowblade, Tenma Warrior…which do you want?

“Sword King!”

In the end, she liked swords more than magic. 

Sword King it is.

“Hm.”

As she selected the Class, a rush of mana flowed through her body until she glowed white. It looked intense, but it was comfortably warm. 

“Oooh.”

You okay?

“Hm. I feel myself getting stronger.”

I Identified her. Her Class was Sword King now, and she had all the stat gains that came with it. She had the Class Skill too, of course. However, changing classes wasn’t without its drawbacks. She lost Focus Mana and her Magic stat went down. She was more blade than mage at this point, but it seemed that our roles were set: I would focus on spells, while Fran focused on physical attacks.

Let’s see what Sword God Form does…

Sword God Form: Bestows the user with the power of the Sword God.

Identify didn’t reveal how much damage it did. Were all God Form Skills the same? Fortunately, Mea might know something about it. Her father possessed Spear God Form, after all. And they’d already promised to tell each other about their Class changes, so I didn’t mind telling her.

As we left the Class Change Chamber, Mea came to fetch us. 

“Did you pick a good Class, Fran?”

“Hm. The best.”

“How exciting! Let’s go back to the palace!”

This wasn’t something they could talk about in public, so we quickly returned to the palace to discuss it in secret. They were getting used to confiding in each other. 

“I am now a Fume Knight,” Mea said. 

“Cool.”

“I know!” Mea said with pride. “It increases my physical fighting prowess and the power of my flames! It really suits me!”

Fume Knight was the advanced form of Mea’s former Class, Blaze Knight. Still, Quina was quick to dampen her expectations.

“She still needs to be careful.”

Oh?

“My lady has become an even greater danger to herself and those around her. Although her attack power has increased, her control remains the same. And Fume Knights are known to explode without warning.”

Mea didn’t have much control of her flames to begin with, and she’d picked a Class that made it worse.

“You must be even more careful now, my lady.”

“I-I know that!”

“Are you sure? You must take the utmost care. You lack control as it is.”

“So,” Mea said, changing the subject before she could get an earful, “what did you pick, Fran?”

“Hm. Sword King,” Fran said nonchalantly.

Mea spat her tea all over Fran. Thanks for that, Mea! As I was wiping Fran down, Mea asked again.

“Wh-what did you say?”

“Sword King.”

“So, I wasn’t hearing things!”

“A King Class…”

Even Quina looked surprised enough that I could see it on her face.

What’s a King Class? I asked. 

“They are the most advanced form, like Sword King and Dragoon. There’s also Flame King and Storm King.”

“You’re only the second King Class I’ve met, aside from Father…”

King Class…

“So, you’ve acquired Sword God Form, yes?” Mea asked gravely.

Apparently, the skill was so powerful that it needed no introduction.

“Hm.”

“Listen. You must be careful with that. In fact, make sure no one is around when you first use it.”

It’s that dangerous?

“Yes. At best, you’ll end up hurting yourself and your friends.”

I’d never seen Mea so wary about a skill before…

“It is a Self Enhancement Skill,” she said. “But it’s so powerful, it’s almost impossible to control. Even my father failed to do that.” 

“How?”

“When His Highness first used Spear God Form,” said Quina, “he accidentally killed one of his party members…”

What kind of skill would cause Rigdith to become a friend-killer?

“This is assuming that Sword God form is the same type as Spear God Form.”

Right. They have similar names, but it might have different effects.

“Indeed.”

Still, they were probably of the same type, and it couldn’t hurt to be careful. 

“Spear God Form powers up its user,” Mea explained, “and applies the divine element to the spear they are using.”

Divine element?

“Yes. Apparently, it is the strongest element known to man. I don’t really know the details.”

I’d heard once that Flame Immunity was useless against Divine Flame. Did that mean that the divine element was the element of the gods? That would explain its great power.

“A weapon imbued with a divine element can cut through things that are normally impossible. Spirits, Archfiends who can only be killed with Fiend Breaker, even slimes with Physical Immunity.”

Whoa… So I could use it to destroy anything and everything?

“Everything is weak against divine,” Mea said. “It ignores all resistances. But remember how I said it can cut through anything? It’s like hitting something with an element it’s weak to. There are rumors of a Divine Resistance Skill, but it’s probably even rarer than the element itself, if it exists at all.”

“Why?” Fran asked. 

“Well, to get a Resistance Skill, you have to get hit a lot. That isn’t likely to happen with divine. Not only is it extremely rare, but you would die long before you could acquire the Resistance Skill.”

“I see.”

“My father was forced to use Spear God Form before he could try it out. His friend was swallowed by a dragon, and it was his only hope of saving them. It succeeded in killing the beast, but in the end, it killed his friend as well.”

The Beast King had thrown his spear with such power that it blew the dragon apart, and the upper half of his friend’s body along with it. The whole thing left a deep scar, and Rigdith vowed never to use it in the presence of his allies or men.

“Father killed a B-Threat monster with a single throw of an orihalcon spear. I can’t imagine the devastation that a powerful sword like you could wreak… I wouldn’t be surprised if you destroyed the surrounding landscape.”

Even if we held back, the aftershocks might be enough to kill.

“Also,” said Mea, “Spear God Form takes a great toll on a weapon’s durability. Father’s orihalcon spear only lasted for three seconds before it shattered.”

A chill ran down my blade as I imagined myself breaking into a million pieces. Bad things happened when a weapon was powered up beyond its capacity.

Don’t use it for too long. Got it.

“Good. The skill takes a great toll on its user too. Father could only hold it for ten seconds.”

We should only use it when we knew it would end a fight. Still, we needed to test it.

We’ll have to try it at least once.

“Hm.”

Unleash Potential and Flashing Thunderclap already used up our lifespan. Now we had another one to add to the mix. Great. 

Adding to our problems was the fact that we’d skipped most of the skill acquisition process, so we weren’t physically ready to use it yet. Our skill coordination, endurance, and control were subpar.

Still, I was happy that we’d gotten stronger recently. At least now we could now share the burden of Flashing Thunderclap.

We should try it out as soon as we can.

“Hm.”

“It’s too dangerous to use within castle walls,” said Mea. “You’ll have to leave the city.”

“She’s right,” Quina agreed. “The knights will cry if they find even more holes in their beloved training grounds.”

“R-right!” said Mea. “Off we go, then!”

“Hm.”

“No, my lady. You are staying,” said Quina.

“Wh-why?!”

“I cannot allow you to be near such a dangerous skill. You never know what might happen. Besides, you don’t want to be a burden to Fran, do you?”

“Urgh…” Still, Mea refused to give up. “Th-then tell my family not to blame Fran for whatever happens to me!” 

She thought she’d found the perfect solution. Mea quickly turned away from Quina and put her hand on Fran’s shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go!”

But the maid wasn’t about to let her leave so easily.

“Hold it right there.”

“Gah! Let me go!”

“No. What an absurd request.”

“Eergh! Ow ow ow!”

That’s the mythical submission hold, Pallo Special!

“Pallo…?”

N-nothing, don’t worry about it.

I didn’t think I’d see anyone execute that move in another world…

“I can’t…get loose…!”

“This is the submission hold for selfish royals I learned at the maid academy. The key is to lock the legs and shoulders.”

The princess groaned as her maid held her in that strange position.

Guess we’ll have to go by ourselves, Fran.

“Hm. Sure.”

“Stay safe out there,” said Quina. 

“F-Fran! Please! Wait!” Mea pleaded.

She was desperate for us to take her along, but Fran shook her head.

“Quina’s right. Sword God Form might be dangerous. We’d better go alone.”

“Urgh…”

When Fran told her she couldn’t come, Mea finally gave up. 

“We’ll head off,” said Fran.

“You’d better tell me about it later!” Mea called after. 

We left the capital and found a clearing several miles away. The landscape was harsh here, and we used our Detection Skills to make sure there were no adventurers around. There were only a few monsters around, and Jet was standing guard too.

We shouldn’t run into any problems here.

You ready, Fran?

“Hm. What about you?”

Yep. I have Self-Repair and Instant Regeneration on standby.

They should make sure I didn’t get destroyed instantly, but I had to be careful. After all, Spear God Form had destroyed an orihalcon spear in seconds.

First, we’d try activating it very briefly.

“Here I go.”

Come on!

“Sword God Form…activate.”

Uoooooh!

An immense power rushed through my blade. It felt different somehow, as though it didn’t come from either of us, but from somewhere outside. No wonder it was difficult to control. This was borrowed power, and using borrowed equipment was always harder than using your own. After all, you didn’t have time to get used to it.

But Fran wasn’t wrestling with this great power alone, and I was able to control it to an extent—possibly because I was its vessel. Together, we might just get a hold of this.

Still, the power didn’t feel malicious. If anything, it felt holy. The last time I felt like this was when Kiara used Black Lightning God Claw, just before her death. This time, it felt even more violent. 

Hrrrrgh!

I desperately tried to control the frenzy of energy inside me. And the Beast King had managed to control all of this by himself? Those S-Ranks really were mutants.

When Fran stopped the skill, the power whirling about my blade disappeared instantly.

You okay, Fran…?

“Hm…”

She nodded. Sweat dripped down her chin, and she was panting with exhaustion. I was still reeling from this drastic change. The power had disappeared immediately, and I couldn’t adjust to it in time. 

Can you go again, Fran?

“No…sorry.”

It’s not your fault.

She hadn’t fought anything, or even taken a single step when she was using the skill, but she was still exhausted after a few seconds. We couldn’t use it for very long, even if we wanted to. The ten seconds that Rigdith had managed suddenly seemed like an eternity. 

“How are you doing?” Fran asked. 

I think five seconds is my safe limit.

The massive energy I’d felt must have been the divine element. It took a huge chunk out of my durability. It might even be more dangerous than Unleash Potential. Even with Fran just standing there and holding me, I’d lost over a thousand points of durability in one second. After ten, I’d be on the scrap heap. 

Let’s take a break. Next time, we’ll try attacking something. 

“Hm!”

An hour later, after a healthy dose of rest, potions, and curry, Fran was ready to use Sword God Form again. 

I wonder how long I can take this.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I’ll be fine. It’s only a few seconds.

I was still smarting from the last time, and Instant Regeneration wasn’t working. It’s like being back in Aristea’s workshop—I had to wait for my natural repair abilities to kick in.

The divine element was probably the reason why Sword God Form took such a toll on me. I felt like a slime who’d just been hit with a fire attack that slowed my regeneration. If we didn’t want to end up at Aristea’s again, we’d need to be careful about using this in actual combat. 

All right. Let’s give it a shot.

“Hm!”

I used Land Magic to form a ten-meter-wide boulder and give Fran a target. We wanted to see how much damage we could do.

“Ready?”

Bring it!

“Sword God Form!”

Kuoooooh!

And there it was! The same raging sensation whirled around my blade again.

Fran, just control your part of the power! I’ve got mine covered!

“Hm…!”

Fran nodded, struggling to take a step forward. Something about her had changed… 

I stared at her, trying to make sure that she was still my Fran. She looked the same but, when she stared at that boulder, she felt like a different person. She approached her target and made five downward slashes.

It was just the basics. Nothing fancy. And yet, watching her move, I had goosebumps, despite my lack of skin. This was probably how characters in a sports manga felt when they were faced with pure talent. Fran’s basic movements were so perfect that she could defeat anyone with ease.

Sword King Mastery allowed me to go toe-to-toe with superior fighters. It covered the difference in stats, skills, and experience, and gave me top-class swordsmanship. But in the face of just watching Fran move, I felt…utterly defeated.

Sword King Mastery no longer felt like the pinnacle of swordsmanship. My finest moves looked like a child waving a toy sword. Ironically, Sword King Mastery was exactly what made me feel this way. To any ordinary swordsman, it would’ve just looked like Fran executed a series of extremely fast cuts. 

But Fran and I both knew this power transcended us, and the Sword God showed us the steep road we would have to climb to achieve this otherworldly skill.

As soon as Fran deactivated Sword God Form, the divine element disappeared, and Fran was herself again. She stood there, speechless and out of breath, just looking at me. She didn’t even notice that the boulder had been cut like butter. 

“What…was that?”

I don’t know…

Our shock was the only thing that proved the last few strange seconds weren’t a dream. Saying that Sword God Form buffed its user and her weapon was an understatement. Seeing how Fran cut through that boulder without any additional skills, it was like it’d enhanced us beyond our limits.

Bestows the power of the Sword God… Yep. Works as advertised.

“Hm…”

We might have obtained a powerful skill, but we were both frustrated and ashamed of our previous overconfidence. 

We’ll get to training.

“Hm!”

Maybe Sword God Form was a Cautionary Skill, given to those with Sword King Mastery so they wouldn’t get cocky. It seemed to say, “You’re good, but you’re no Sword God.” 

But that’ll have to wait for another day. Let’s head back. I’m exhausted…

My durability was as depleted as my mind. To make matters worse, I was recovering even more slowly than before. I guess the accumulated wear and tear was dragging me down.

Conclusion? No using Sword God Form more than once a day. I didn’t want to waste all Aristea’s work.

“Hm.” Fran nodded. She was reeling from the experience too. Still, her love for combat only turned her frustration into motivation.

“We’ll train a bunch!”

Her energy was rubbing off on me. She was emanating it. As we headed back into town, horses shied away from her, and even adventurers did a double take when she passed by. The same thing happened in the castle. The attendants were clearly surprised, and the fearsome royal maids raised their eyebrows.

Even Raymond, the prime minister, was startled when he came to fetch her.

“I-is something the matter?” he asked. 

“Hm?”

Calm down, Fran. You’re dripping with motivation.

“Hm…”

I’d already told her to calm down once, but she was overflowing with battle spirit today. 

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re all right,” he said. “You’ve received a request, Black Lightning Princess.”

“A request?”

“Yes. You have been asked to attend the service banquet tonight.”

It was a feast for returning defense officers who’d taken part in the war. There was a separate banquet to commemorate the Beastman Nation’s victory, but that would be held upon the Beast King’s return.

I wondered whether it was a good idea to withdraw their troops so soon, but apparently, the ranks were already replenished to keep the pressure on Basharlian forces.

“So, what do I do at the banquet?” Fran asked, curious about the nature of this request. Was this just an overly formal invitation? But then, why bother phrasing it as a request? Maybe they wanted to confirm how much food Fran would plow through.

“…?”

“There’s more to it than that,” Raymond said.

“Go on.”

“We want you to attend in a rather…extraordinary manner.”

Did he want her to be someone’s bodyguard?

“You see,” he said. “We want you to wear a dress.”

“A dress?” Fran said. “Why?”

“Put simply, it’s for Princess Nemea,” said Raymond. 

He had asked the princess to attend the banquet as the Beast King’s representative. Mea agreed, but she didn’t say a word about showing up in a dress. He was worried that Princess Nemea would attend to congratulate the generals as an adventurer, and nothing more.

That was where Fran came in.

“If her best friend is wearing a dress, I’m sure the princess would agree to wear one too.” 

That should work. After all, Mea was happy to see that Fran’s armor was crafted by the same person as hers.

“There will be payment, of course.”

Raymond was offering a decent amount for her trouble. As Fran thought about the offer, he elaborated on what the service banquet entailed. Although she had to dress up, the event didn’t require any table etiquette. It was a banquet for fighting generals, after all. It was also all-you-can-eat.

“Hm. I’ll take it.”

You’ll be wearing a dress. Are you sure?

No problem…slurp.

Fran wasn’t picky about clothing and was completely taken in by the offer of food. She could be comfortable in a T-shirt or a gown. She preferred her usual gear because it allowed her to move freely, but wearing something more fancy and restrictive was a small price to pay to eat everything she could. Hopefully, weapons were allowed so I could keep her out of trouble.

“So,” Raymond said, “you’ll be attending?”

“Hm.”

“Excellent! Thank you so much!” Raymond said, bowing his head.

They knew Fran didn’t have any dresses of her own, so she’d be wearing one of Mea’s from a few years back. 

“No need for any adjustments,” Raymond said to himself, eyeing Fran’s chest and rear. 

Mea was definitely taller, but they otherwise had the same measurements. Unlike her dynamite-bodied maid, the princess was as flat as a washboard. But Mea was still fifteen. There was still hope. Probably. Maybe.

Don’t give up, Mea…

“Hm?”

Nothing, just talking to myself.

“?”

“Right this way.”

“All right.”

Mianoa led Fran to the royal dressing room immediately. It was an auditorium-sized room with dozens of makeup stations and wardrobes. Mianoa sat Fran down at one of the stations and cleaned her up with Cleansing Magic. Then she gave her a face massage, before applying her makeup. The royal maids really could do anything and everything.

Fran you’re so cute…

Oh, but my little Fran looked perfectly adorable in her blue-and-white dress! The flowing skirt made her look like a princess, her hair was tied up in a bun, and she was even wearing a tiara. The change of hairstyle was very cute, and the exposed nape of her neck was kind of sexy. She only needed a touch of makeup. Just a touch. 

Fortunately, the makeup that Mianoa used was made specifically for beastmen, and it wasn’t overly fragrant. I think that was why Fran didn’t mind it. I was worried she would get antsy halfway through, but she was oddly patient. The beastman custom of serving food throughout the process probably helped. As Mianoa worked, her assistant gave Fran a steady supply of snacks and meat.

“It’s…hard to move,” said Fran. 

That’s what dresses are like, I’m afraid. You look good in it, at least.

“You think so?”

If I complimented her, maybe she’d get more into girly things. 

You’re just like Snow White.

“Snow White?”

She’s a famous princess back in my world. She ate a poisoned apple given to her by an evil queen.

“She couldn’t smell the poison…?”

Not many people in my world. They’d need to have superhuman senses.

Or highly specialized training.

The apple put her to eternal sleep, but a prince awakened her with a kiss.

“His kiss can cure poison…? What skills does he have?”

I only remember what the storybooks told me. I remembered watching a documentary about how the original Snow White story was much darker. In that version, the prince kissed a corpse. Was he a necrophiliac or something? 

You know what? I don’t know.

“Hmm.”

I should’ve gone with Cinderella. Then again, that story might have awful origins too.

“I shall lead you to the event hall.”

“Hm.”

The banquet wasn’t like I’d imagined. Raymond had described it as something like a drinking party, but I thought that was just to coax Fran into attending…

I guess he was telling the truth.

We were greeted by plates of food and the sound of munching and scarfing.

First, we were introduced to the guests of honor. Royalty, high nobility, and servicemen were all equally taken by Fran’s beauty. Some good-looking young men then boasted of their combat prowess to her and Mea, unaware that they were completely out of their league. Still, I couldn’t hold it against them. Fran and Mea were both very cute—Fran in her blue-and-white dress and Mea in a contrasting red-and-white one. Mea’s dress exposed her shoulders but, because of her body shape, it didn’t look risqué.

I’d taken the form of a metal choker and was currently hidden around Fran’s neck. I was worried that her days in slavery would leave her too traumatized to wear anything metal around her neck, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. Weapons were allowed, so I could’ve retained my sword form, but I wasn’t about to ruin her look. Besides, I could morph back into something more functional immediately if I needed to protect her. Aristea’s remodeling meant I could maintain Transmogrification for longer. So long as we weren’t in combat, I could probably hold this form for several hours—more than enough for this party.

Fran and Mea had a lot of suitors, but most of them retreated soon after talking to them. Being beastmen, they knew they were in the presence of the Evolved. Fran and Mea were more like big cats than kittens. They were far stronger than those who approached them. Although their cuteness blinded their suitors to some degree.

The seasoned war veterans laughed at their younger colleagues.

“Hah! The Boulenc boy didn’t stand a chance!”

“The same goes for my men. And they did so well on the battlefield.”

“Ga ha ha! They don’t have the guts! A single glare sent them running!”

“Dammit! You boys couldn’t last ten seconds?! I had my money on five!”

There were quite a number of women among the officers. But then, female beastmen were known for their strength, so it was natural that they’d climb through the ranks.

“We are honored to have you here.”

“I heard of your fierce battles. I wish I could’ve taken part of it.”

Everyone here honored strength, and they looked at Fran with respect.

After their short (but intense) conversation, a gourmet meal was served. Once again, Fran was again the center of attention, but not for her appetite. Everyone had expected her to eat like an uneducated adventurer, but Royal Etiquette actually came in handy for once. Even Mea was surprised.

“Fran’s…doing really well.”

“I must say she conducts herself more beautifully than you, my lady.”

“I won’t deny that…”

Although Mea was doing all right. It wasn’t as though she was breaking etiquette. 

“You’ll need more training if you want to beat her,” Quina prompted. 

Mea nodded. “Y-you’re right…”

She was clearly shocked that her younger and wilder friend had managed to beat her in etiquette, of all things. I noticed gratitude in Quina’s eyes as she looked over at us.

The other beastmen were just as surprised. They’d never disrespected Fran, but now their opinion of her shifted from war hero to idol. An older man was even blushing, which I didn’t appreciate. I also didn’t like the way one of the younger men looked at her, although I couldn’t blame him: Fran was very beautiful. Still, if he wanted to date her, he’d better be strong enough to support her!

In that respect, only three men here fit my criteria.

First was an old general called Varavarham. He was a Purple Wind Elephant and the defense force’s supreme commander. At more than three meters tall, he loomed over the other guests. At first, I even thought he was one of the giant races. His melee prowess and a host of Command Skills marked him as a veteran general. This old man might be stronger than Gaudartha, the A-Rank beastman we’d fought during the tournament. Varavarham definitely looked like a general, although apparently, his age was getting the better of him. His physical strength was on the low side for his level, but he was still one of the best soldiers in the country. Varavarham was playing the part of a kind old uncle tonight, but no one forgot the title he’d earned in his heyday: the Destroyer King.

Next up was Ligdartha, chief of the White Rhino tribe. He was Gwendartha’s father, and younger brother to Gaudartha. I’d heard that he only received the title of Chieftain because Gaudartha abdicated to serve the Beast King, but going by his abilities, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. Granted, he wasn’t as physically powerful as his brother, but his magic and agility more than made up for it. He even had Wind Magic 5. Ligdartha was the better all-rounder, but the White Rhino Tribe probably respected physical prowess over everything else. While his brother carried a giant battle axe, Ligdartha wielded a six-sided staff that was two meters long. I could imagine he looked terrifying on the battlefield. I don’t know how he felt about Fran beating his brother. He’d greeted us earlier, but I couldn’t get a read on him. He must be cut from the same cloth as Quina.

Finally, there was the man of the hour: the Land Mage Lucius Laurentia. Unlike the Fiendmancer Linford, he was quite good-looking. A quick scan of his titles revealed that there was nothing to associate him with villainy. He didn’t have any Fiend-Type Skills either. Mea was right: He wasn’t a bad man. And he wasn’t hiding anything when he came to greet Fran earlier. If anything, he seemed like a nice, friendly young man. Not that I was going to let him have her!

Other men tried to get Fran’s attention as she spoke to Mea and Lucius, but then the atmosphere suddenly changed. Privates, generals, young and old, they all turned into predators and battled for food. The full course earlier in the evening was just a passing formality. Now the guests had the opportunity to eat their fill. It was like an afterparty right inside the party itself. 

Everyone took their positions to honor the age-old beastman custom, and Fran and Mea came out on top. They pushed aside the bigger men and piled their plates with mountains of food. One of the big men fled the scene, biting back tears as he was shoved aside like crumpled paper by two little girls who stole his favorite food.

“Munch munch munch.”

Good?

“Hm!”

I was glad we’d come. Fran looked so much cuter in her dress. Although I was a little worried about whether a Cleansing spell would get it clean again if she got oil on it. We could only hope that it remained spotless for the rest of the banquet.

The bar was attached to the royal salon and, after the service banquet came to an end, we went there to look for someone.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Oh? About what?”

Lucius Laurentia. The Land Mage who bore the same surname as the Fiendmancer we’d fought in Bulbola. Ligdartha sat next to him, quietly sipping his drink while a bartender waited behind the counter. Fran glanced at both of them, unsure if she could speak.

“Don’t worry,” Lucius said. “Ligdartha is an old friend, and the bartender is a pro.”

“Do you know of Linford Laurentia?” Fran asked.

“H-how did you…? Did you meet him somewhere?”

“Hm.”

Lucius knew him, then. If they were related by blood, then we had an obligation to tell him about Linford’s death. But before Fran could say another word, Lucius bowed his head. 

“I’m terribly sorry.” 

“Hm?”

“Nothing good can come from meeting that man. He must have done something awful to you.”

Clearly, he didn’t have fond memories of Linford. Even the mention of the Fiendmancer’s name caused him great pain.

“As his son, I apologize.”

His son? But there was such an age gap! Linford would have to have him while he was sixty… unless they were elves or members of another long-lived race. Still, I could imagine the Fiendmancer getting down to it, even at that age. Eugh.

Fran stared at Lucius in shock.

Okay, I didn’t think he was his son. Maybe we shouldn’t tell him.

We had no way of knowing how Lucius would react to the news that we’d killed his father, but Fran remained adamant.

No. We should tell him precisely because he’s his son, she said.

Meanwhile, Lucius read Fran’s silence as anger. “I don’t suppose my apologies will never be enough to gain your forgiveness.”

“It’s not like that,” she said. “I’m just surprised you’re his son.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And I’m the one who should apologize.”

“Apologize…for what?”

“For killing him,” she said, somewhat nervously. She proceeded to tell Lucius about how she and a group of adventurers had defeated the Fiendmancer in Bulbola.

“So…Linford is…”

As much pain as Linford put him through, he was still Lucius’ father. We hoped that he wouldn’t attack us and braced for whatever came next.

“He’s…dead?” Lucius asked. 

It looked like the shock was too great. 

“Hm… I’m sorry.”

“No! You don’t need to apologize! You were protecting Bulbola!”

“But…”

“No! No, if anything,” Lucius said. “I should be thanking you.”

“Hm?”

“I’ve spent years tracking him down so that I could finish him off,” Lucius said, his face darkening with vengeance. 

He’d suffered for being the son of the notorious Fiendmancer, and his resentment clearly wasn’t just to make Fran feel better. 

“Thank you,” he said. “You stopped him from hurting anyone else…”

Lucius got down on his knees, formed a fist with his right hand, and wrapped his left around it in a sign of utmost respect. I didn’t need Essence of Falsehood to know he was telling the truth.

“After all these years, my quest is over. I can finally rejoice when I visit my mother’s grave.”

Tears streamed down his face. Ligdartha bowed his head to Fran.

“Thank you for solving my friend’s problem.”

“Thank you…thank you so much,” Lucius sobbed. 

Ligdartha helped his tearful friend back to his room. Linford must’ve really weighed down on him. I was glad that Fran had the courage to tell him.

That was nice.

“Hm!”

Once they were gone, we heard a clinking sound. The bartender was smiling at us as he prepared a drink.

“Here you go, little lady.”

“What’s this?”

“Milk with the juice of crushed fruits.”

“But I didn’t ask for it.”

“On the house,” was all he said. 

It was all he needed to say. This bartender was really cool!

“Thanks.”

As Fran downed the fruity milk, a maid approached. She probably worked under Quina or Mianoa, and she seemed to want Fran for something.

“Lady Fran, may I have a moment of your time?”

“What is it?”

“Prime Minister Raymond wishes to talk to you.”

“Hm. Sure.”

“Thank you.”

Whatever it was, it couldn’t be too bad. Or so I hoped. The Prime Minister had always been friendly with her. 

“That milk was good.”

“Do come again.”

After we said goodbye to the bartender, the maid led us to Raymond’s office. From the second you stepped in, the Prime Minister’s room was exquisite.

“Please, have a seat.”

“Hm.”

Fran took a plush chair and Raymond sat behind his large desk. The air was quite serious.

“First of all, allow me to thank you for attending the service banquet.”

“Hm.”

“Thanks to you, Princess Nemea’s ratings have gone up.”

The whole point was to raise Mea’s popularity, and Raymond was pleased. The people and officers respected Mea, but the ministers would be more comfortable around her if she was a little more calm and polite.

“As a side effect, however,” Raymond said, “your ratings have also increased. Still, you helped us achieve our goals.”

I mean, you couldn’t exactly blame Fran for being supernaturally cute.

“I would also like to extend my thanks for your help with the war. Indeed, I cannot thank you enough.”

“That’s all right. I just did what I had to.”

“Aah, you are just as His Highness said.”

“You’ve been talking to him?”

“We’ve been exchanging messages, yes. We have to reward you, you see.”

“Reward?”

“Yes. After all you’ve done, we can’t let you leave empty-handed.”

No one asked Fran to fight, so she wasn’t expecting a reward. But she’d practically saved the country, and that made her a national hero. The government couldn’t let her walk away without acknowledging that somehow. It would make for very bad optics.

But now I was starting to worry. What if Fran suffered the fate of so many light novel heroes, and was forced to take a fiefdom? She had no need for official titles, and no interest in becoming a noble. It would make things difficult, and besides, she wouldn’t know how to manage a fiefdom if she had one.

“It was our opinion that, for your unparalleled service in the war, you should be made a baron.”

Damn it!

I had to think of a way to refuse… 

“But His Highness rejected the idea,” Raymond continued. “He said that such a thing would not please you.”

Thank you, Beast King.

“Hm. I don’t need it.”

“But you could claim the Black Cat village for yourself,” Raymond said, perplexed. 

“The count of Green Goat is looking after them. And I’m not cut out to be a noble. I’d only get in everyone’s way.”

“I see. Very well.”

Fran actually gave valid reasons for refusing, instead of just pointing out how much of a pain it would be. She really was growing up.

“Then we will have to pursue alternatives… Guiza, if you will.”

“Yes sir.”

There was a canine beastman seated behind Raymond. He looked like a shiba. When Raymond called him, he took up an empty seat at the desk. 

“I am Guiza, Minister of Finance.”

I wasn’t expecting that. Still, he had the grave look of a financial advisor. Sharp, calculating eyes, an unsmiling mouth. He looked like the personification of seriousness, and I couldn’t imagine him giving away loans any time soon. 

“First,” he said. “I would like to clarify where the two parties stand.”

“What?”

“First, Lady Fran. You fought as a free collaborator without orders from our country or quests from the guild. Correct?”

“Hm.”

“In that case, you will receive the same payment as other collaborators in your position.”

According to Beastman National law, local collaborators were rewarded for their efforts in war. Fran would be rewarded in the same way.

But how did you measure someone’s contribution? Let’s say our party was fighting monsters. One of us was a doctor who stayed up all night tending to the sick, another was a merchant who gave us his goods for free. It was hard to say who’d made the bigger sacrifice, and that was assuming they believed us when we told them what we’d done.

Guiza wasn’t calling Fran a liar, but there were lots of people like her who protected their country without any witnesses, and they might take issue with Fran being rewarded for it. No one wanted Fran to be treated differently for reporting her own victories. If the government made an exception for her, they’d have to make exceptions for everyone.

I guess that was their way of saying that they’d tried their best to reward her, but she shouldn’t expect that much.

Fran nodded casually. “That’s fine.” 

She wasn’t in it for the money and knew she’d cause trouble by asking for more. Personally, I thought a small reward was better than picking a fight with an entire country.

“E-even so,” Raymond continued hastily. “You must understand that we do not wish to undermine your accomplishments.” 

He must have been planning to negotiate. When Fran accepted their lowest offer, she threw him off.

“Indeed,” Guiza agreed. “If you received the same reward as the rest, we would lose future collaborators.”

They all knew that they weren’t in the same ballpark as Fran. Still, the independent collaborator law was there for a reason, and they couldn’t just make an exception for her. 

“So,” said Guiza. “We have another suggestion. We let it be known that you were fighting alongside Princess Nemea and received orders to push back the monster army. How does that sound?”

“Huh?” Fran tilted her head. 

“Let me start with the negatives,” Guiza continued. “One, if we go with this story, then some of your glory will go to Princess Nemea instead of you. Two, you will broadcast to the world you are aligned with the Beastman Nation, which may limit your movement through enemy states. However, since Basharl is our only enemy at the moment, that isn’t much of a drawback.”

“I see.”

“On the positive side, the publication of your achievements will go a long way in elevating the reputation of the Black Cat tribe.”

Fran would become a national hero. Once people knew what she’d achieved, they’d start looking at the Black Cats differently. Of course, Mea would get some of the credit for enlisting a fearsome warrior like Fran to begin with.

“If we say that you were acting under royal orders, we can reward you differently from other independent collaborators.”

Acting under Mea’s command would allow for special treatment. Fran might even get a bonus for saving a member of the royal family. The only real drawback was that, according to the official story, Fran wouldn’t just have been acting to save the Black Cats. Still, if the government publicly acknowledged her deeds, it would be better for both her and her tribe. Meanwhile, Princess Mea would grow even more popular. It was that, or accept the lower reward. We had a choice to make.

Teacher?

Let me think…

It depended on the reward, really. We needed to know what it was.

“And if I took that option?” Fran asked. 

“You will be honored with the Golden Beast Fang medal.”

“A medal?”

“Yes,” said Guiza. “It is the Beastman Nation’s highest honor. Kiara will be posthumously given the same award. You would be the first living person to receive it in three hundred years.”

If Fran accepted, two Black Cat heroes would be added to the annals of Beastman National history. It would doubtless be a source of inspiration for generations to come.

“Honorary titles are not the only reward, of course,” he said. “The medal also comes with a monetary reward with no set limit. What this means is that we will be able to reward you with any amount we choose, Lady Fran.”

The award took the fluctuating value of money into account, so there was no specific value.

“This time, we have seen fit to award you with ten million gold.”

Ten million?!

“Hm. Got it.”

Fran, please, it’s ten million gold! That was a hundred million Earth yen! How can you stay calm?!

Fran! Ten million gold!

Hm.

I tried to get her excited but still got nothing. Her innocence only highlighted how shallow I was. I don’t know what I was expecting, really.

Could I buy everything on the menu with that…? Fran asked. 

You could buy the whole restaurant if you wanted.

Yum.

Never mind. Her innocence was nothing more than a failure to grasp the amount. At least she knew the scale of it now.

“Ten million gold and you don’t bat an eye. You are formidable indeed, Lady Fran…”

She still had wants…it’s just that they mostly revolved around combat and food. 

“I don’t mind getting less,” she said. “As long as you help the Black Cats.”

“Oh?” Guiza raised his eyebrow. “You truly are a lady of few desires, just as His Highness said. Very well. I shall take it into account.”

“Hm.”

“As much as we would love for you to accept our offer,” said Guiza. “There is one other option that we are obliged to tell you about.”

“What is it?” Fran asked. 

“The Golden Beast Fang medal would do a great amount of good for you, Princess Nemea, and our country. However, another organization has made an offer.”

“Who?”

“The Adventurer’s Guild,” Guiza said. 

I wasn’t expecting that. The guild stayed out of politics. They didn’t even take sides during national wars. I could see them wanting to buy our materials, but it seemed unlikely they’d reward us for defending the Beastman Nation.

“War does not carry much weight with the guild,” he said. “Adventurers who fight in them are treated as volunteer soldiers. And protecting the city, or helping its citizens evacuate, is the duty of any good soldier.”

Raymond and Guiza frowned. It was tough to accept that everything Fran had done wouldn’t carry much weight with the guild. But ultimately, they had to concede that the Adventurer’s Guild was politically neutral.

“However, guild executives have expressed concerns about your case.”

“What kind of concerns?”

“Namely, the dungeon,” said Guiza. “Somehow, Basharl figured out how to control it and all its monsters, and dungeons are very much under the guild’s jurisdiction.”

“Some members feel that the Adventurer’s Guild should have done something about the situation.”

The northern invasion was more of a dungeon stampede than a war, so some people thought the guild should have handled it. But really, it was more like an act of God. The invasion was orchestrated by someone who could control monsters, and the dungeon was heretofore undiscovered.

“We have no qualms with the work the guild did during the conflict,” he said. “However, some feel that they should have intervened, and if that feeling spreads, it will not look good for the guild. They want to make a public statement to dissipate any anxiety about the matter.” 

They were only following precedent by not getting involved, but it might not have been the best way forward. And Fran wasn’t just a national hero, she was also an adventurer. If she was working on behalf of the guild, that meant they could take some of the glory. 

“But now that the war is over,” said Raymond. “There is nothing more the guild can do.” 

“That is,” said Guiza, “unless you want it to be so.”

“What do you mean?” Fran asked, tilting her head.

“It is similar to the story where you were following Princess Nemea’s orders. Only, in this case, the guild issued you with a special quest.”

They could offer it to Fran retroactively. 

“With this option, you will get far less monetary reward, and would not receive the Golden Beast Fang medal, as you would not have been acting under the princess’ orders.”

That meant we’d get the standard collaborator reward.

“For completion of this special quest,” said Guiza. “The guild will reward you with five million gold.”

If he could speak for the guild like this, he must have spoken to them. We’d get less money with this option, and may also offend an entire country by refusing their greatest award. 

“However,” Guiza went on. “It would improve your standing in the guild, and you would be promoted to B-Rank. They would owe you that much for saving the country and winning them back some favor.”

Promotions got much harder beyond C-Rank, so an instant boost would be much appreciated—even if it came with monetary sacrifice. Even more importantly, the guild would owe us a favor. 

“We do not mind which option you take.”

“Take your time to think about it.”

I got the feeling that they’d prefer to make Fran a national hero. Raymond and Guiza were being very friendly, and they were careful to seem neutral, but they were probably just trying to avoid looking pushy. The Beastman Nation told her about the guild’s offer to show her they were being honest, but they also had the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance present her with these choices. That made it pretty hard to refuse. A pretty good negotiation tactic on their part.

Teacher?

Your call, Fran.

Hm. All right.

Both options benefited Fran. They’d negotiated well, but they had no intention to trick us. Whichever choice Fran made, I was happy.

“Sleep on it. It’s a big decision.”

“We hope to hear back from you in the morning.”

“No need,” said Fran. “I want the medal.”

“Oh. Are you sure?”

I wasn’t expecting her to choose that. I thought she would’ve preferred the guild promotion. 

“I want the same award as Kiara.”

“And you shall have it. We shall make arrangements at once.”

“Hm.”

Ah, so that was her reason. I hoped she stayed like this forever. 

“We shall contact the guild for you.”

They must have been in contact with the Adventurer’s Guild already to work out their options. The fact that Guiza ended up presenting both choices showed they’d probably come out on top. 

“On that matter, would you care to sell your abundance of monster materials to the Adventurer’s Guild, Lady Fran?”

“There’s no time…”

We could only carve so many of our materials back at Aristea’s mansion, and most of them were still in their raw form. If we sold them whole, the guild would deduct the carving cost from our final payout, and Fran wasn’t about to cancel her plans with Mea so she could spend the whole day carving them herself. 

“It would soften the blow to the guild for not accepting their offer,” said Guiza. 

“All my parts are still whole. I can’t carve them in time.”

“Still, you must sell them at some point. Is it just a matter of carving cost?”

“Hm.”

“Then do not worry about it. The guild will send their carvers and appraisers to the castle, and use the royal training grounds to do their work. As a show of goodwill, we’ve offered to have our own carvers help them, and I will see to it that the carving costs are borne by the guild. Will that help?”

The guild must have done their homework if they anticipated that Fran wouldn’t part with the uncarved parts. Even if it meant playing to their tune, there was no reason for us to refuse at this point. I just hoped that we could get paid before the carving was done.

Let’s do it, Fran.

“Hm. Sounds good.”

“Thank you.”

Negotiations concluded, Mea led us through the palace. 

“Wow…!”

Yeah, this is amazing.

“Mwa ha ha!” Mea laughed. “I know!”

We were in the royal baths, a palatial bath house reserved for royalty and their guests. I’d seen some extravagant bath houses before, but this one took the cake.

The walls were made of marble, and water gushed from the mouths of tiger statutes. A manatech chandelier hung from a fresco of mythical dancing heroes. Apparently, the paintings on the ceiling and walls were replaced every three months.

Decorative trees grew around the swimming-pool-sized bathtub. They must have been over a hundred years old. If they’d been growing next to a temple back home, they would probably have been treated as sacred. The trees were filled with mana, and their fruit had healing effects when eaten. They could be sold for a lot of money, but they were left to float around in the water, imbuing it with medicinal properties. It wasn’t a terribly efficient way to get the benefits, but it was mostly used to impress visiting messengers and ambassadors.

At first, I didn’t think that the Beast King would build something so extravagant, but then I remembered his flashy personality. Perhaps it wasn’t so far-fetched after all. 

“First, we wash!”

“Hm.”

Mea took Fran to a washing station with expensive soaps and shampoos and explained the differences between them. 

I was expecting a platoon of servants, but Quina was the only one there. I guess beastman royals only used one servant to help them bathe, and apparently, Rigdith hated being waited on.

“Come,” said Mea. “I’ll wash your back.”

“Hm.”

Their friendship was so beautiful. Fran and Mea scrubbed each other’s backs and washed each other’s hair. Fran had finally made a friend. It was enough to make me tear up. 

That’s how it should be.

“You’re next, Teacher.”

“Allow me to help!” said Mea. “You’ve been a great aid to us!”

Fran didn’t feel embarrassed around me, and Mea didn’t seem to mind that I used to be a human man. She probably just thought of me as a sword. I didn’t feel the slightest lust for either of them, but I wondered whether it was appropriate for them to be scrubbing a sword with a soft sponge.

“You’ll shine so much that Fran will see herself in you!” said Mea.

“Hm!”

But Quina was definitely not okay with it. She was still wearing her bathwear, which looked like a tube top, and scooped me out of Fran and Mea’s hands.

“What are you doing, Quina?”

“Hm.”

“Teacher may be like family to Fran,” said Quina. “But he is a complete stranger to you, my lady. Please, show some restraint.”

“Who cares?” said Mea. “He’s a sword.”

“I care very much, thank you. If I may borrow you for a while, Teacher.”

Quina took a piece of cloth and wrapped it around the wolf emblem on my pommel. She thought that she was blindfolding me. In fact, I could see by using my entire body. A little blindfold wouldn’t make a difference.

But should I tell her, or not?

I thought of staying quiet to give Quina peace of mind, but if she found out later…there would be hell to pay.

Well, honesty’s the best policy, as I always say.

Uhh, that’s not going to work. I see my surroundings with skills rather than physical eyes.

“Really?”

Yes.

“So you’ve been seeing my lady naked this whole time?”

Y-yes.

“I see.”

I was terrified. I had no idea how angry she might be.

“There are consequences when an ordinary man sees the bare skin of the princess,” Quina said. 

Wait, was she saying I had to marry Mea?

“But seeing that you are a man of character,” she went on. “And a sword at that, so you will not be forced to marry her.”

Brash as she was, Mea was still the princess of the Beastman Nation. There were surely dire consequences to seeing her naked.

“See! He’s a sword, so there won’t be any problems! Right, Fran?”

“Hm.”

“Teacher,” Quina started. “Just cast your gaze elsewhere, please?”

G-got it.

And so, I found myself observing the fine details of the fresco on the ceiling until we got out of the baths. By the time we were done, I’d pretty much memorized them. Every time I got distracted and my gaze wandered, Quina noticed. She probably sensed my mana flow with Presence Sense, Interrogate, Mana Sense, and Mana Control, along with her Assassin Killer title. That woman could draw cold sweat out of steel.

When we got out of the baths, supper was waiting for us.

“Wow,” said Fran. “That’s a lot of food.”

“Mwa ha ha! Eat up, eat up!”

The menu was excellent, and supper felt more like a banquet. It was served in Mea’s room and, once again, Quina was the only one waiting on us. 

“It’s good,” Fran said, munching.

Mea gobbled down her own food. “I know!”

“My lady,” said Quina. “Do not talk with your mouth full.”

“Hmhrgh!”

“I have no idea what you just said.”

They ate without a care for etiquette, which was much more their style anyway. It was the first time in a while that Fran had eaten food cooked by someone other than me, but she seemed quite satisfied with it. Compliments to the royal chefs.

The meal was a carnivore carnival with one meat dish after another. There was beef rolled in pork, chicken with a side of lizard, meat salads, even meat soups. I was worried they would get heartburn, but they plowed through without showing any discomfort. It was probably because they were carnivores. As a tapir beastman, Quina preferred vegetables. I thought it must be tough to be a beastman cook, but Quina explained that, since beastmen were humanoids, they ate a largely humanoid diet of meat, vegetables, and fish. Beastmen weren’t picky eaters, so having whatever you wanted was considered a statement of class.

“Do you like it, Jet?”

Jet munched happily in reply.

“Excellent! Have some more!”

“Hm.”

“Woof!”

Fran and Jet ate as much of the royal food as they could. After all, it wasn’t like they’d be able to enjoy this every night.