Chapter 21 - Leaving The Nest

It has been a fortnight, or fourteen days, since the news of the alliance

army's defeat reached the guild. That morning, Ingrid had everyone called

over to the main hall for an announcement. I can see that all the people who

were present back then have actually stayed in the city instead of running

away for their own safety. They're nervous, but there's an overall hopeful

atmosphere; after all, the demon army's attack deadline expired nine days

ago, and the city is still standing.

"The demons attacked the city of Pontis Daemonis at dawn two days after

we received the message... The city fell before the tide of radiance of the

same day." The guild master's voice bears a gravity appropriate for this

disastrous news.

Senka taught me a little more about this world in these two weeks, and I

know that the tide of radiance corresponds to the time around high noon. In

other words, Pontis Daemonis fell within less than half a day. The murmurs

of disbelief all around me makes it clear that nobody had expected such an

outcome. A city that had been standing for two decades on dominion ground

even during this demon queen's reign fell so easily.

As expected of Maou-mama; her legend is ever-growing.

In any case, the state of emergency has been lifted now, and everyone can

go back to adventuring. Eventually, their anxiety will settle down, as this

event slowly fades into the past. After all, the people here weren't directly

affected by it, so there's no point in ruminating about it forever.

"Rolan, come here." Ingrid calls out to the leader after her announcement is

over. "You already know what this is about, right?"

"Yeah, Chloe's punishment." With a wry smile, he responds and shrugs.

He's gotten a lot more familiar with me in these past two weeks and has

started calling me without using honorifics at one point. I don't really mind,

but he never asked for my opinion about it. And he certainly doesn't seem to

be considering Luna's thoughts. "Delivering a letter, right?"

"No, there's a little more I need you to transport now." When she sees the

leader's frown, she produces a small parcel from her podium and shows it off demonstratively, before motioning to hand it over. "It's just this parcel."

"What's in it?" Curious, the leader stretches his hand out to receive it, but

Ingrid pulls it back.

"If you lose it, I'll have your head." With a reassuring smile, she finally

puts it in the completely intimidated leader's palm. "And make it quick, don't

dawdle along the way. This has to reach Asgeirr's hands within one moon."

"Huh? Don't be unreasonable, Ingrid! The snowfall season on the

Kongensgrad is about to start." Gram complains while gesturing with his

hands before the guild leader. There's an expression of unease on his face and

the corners of his mouth twitch, which cause his mustache to shift up and

down. It's a quirk I noticed only recently, and it's unexpectedly cute.

"That's why you should hurry up." Placing her hands on her hips, Ingrid

speaks with a charming smile that basically screams 'I don't care how you do

it, just do it!' to me. And apparently to the others in my party, too.

"You're always like that..." Rolan hangs his shoulders, but out of solidarity

to me, he can't refuse. He's fulfilling the role of a leader properly and taking

responsibility for his party members' failures. "Alright then, we'll be going."

"Have a safe trip." Ingrid's expression softens as she walks over to him and

hugs him.

My mouth very nearly drops, and I glance at Luna from the corner of my

eyes. She doesn't seem to mind, so that must be a normal thing for people to

do here. I wouldn't have done that with just an acquaintance or any regular

friend myself.

"You keep the boy safe, you hear?" Letting go of Rolan, she turns to Gram,

and they bump fists. Then she smiles at the half-elf like an older sister, before

petting her head. "Good luck at the Royal Academy. But don't let your man

out of your sights; I hear there are a lot of beautiful women in the capital."

Luna blushes at her words but doesn't object, clutching her staff and

glancing at Rolan sideways. Finally, Ingrid addresses the bard, and I wonder

what she's going to say to him.

"I'll miss your voice and tune in the guild hall." With a melancholic

expression, she hugs him as well, though it feels a bit different from the one

she gave Rolan. Did I miss something about the relationship between these

two?

"Best of luck to you, Miss Marcott. You'll always be welcome here." With

me, the guild master is a little more formal; after all, we've only known each other for a little over a month. She shakes my hand firmly and smiles as if

letting bygones be bygones.

Then she turns to Daica, who had set up a temporary store inside the guild's

rooms, from which she's been selling her strange concoctions for the past

weeks.

"I'd love to say that you closing your store is going to be a big loss for the

guild, Lady Nightwane... but I would be lying." Ingrid gives the big dark elf a

handshake and a genuinely compassionate smile. "I wish you better luck in

the capital."

"H-huh?" Perplexed, Daica blinks her eyes repeatedly, not understanding

that she was just made fun of. It wasn't even in a very roundabout manner,

but actually pretty direct. It's quite cute seeing her confused like this.

Apparently, her work as the new supplier for the guild wasn't very

appreciated, since she always put a strange twist on her potions and

ointments.

"Watch over Miss Marcott, you hear?" Squatting down a little to speak to

Kamii, Ingrid pets her hair. Unlike most other people so far, she doesn't show

any apprehension at touching the cursed little dark elf. Luckily, she didn't do

the same with Daica, whose gloves prevented the curse from taking effect in

their handshake.

"I will!" Pumped and excited about being relied on like this, Kamii nods

her head. This girl was fearful of all humans and making physical contact

with them was beyond her when I first picked her up, but she's come a long

way since then.

"May Skovrider guide you on a safe journey." Finally, she addresses the

whole party and gives her blessings, though I have no idea who or what

Skovrider is. "All of you, make sure to come back here someday, alright?"

"Yeah, we promise. Just wait for good news of us slaying the demon

queen." With a grin, Rolan declares. These words immediately shatter my

good mood, but I suppress my emotions so that it doesn't show on my face.

Why does he have to mention killing my mother at every turn? It's like that's

his only defining character trait or something. "Everyone, get everything

ready, we're leaving at noon."

By getting everything ready, he means buying provisions and packing our

belongings. Even though we have been preparing ever since Ingrid told me

about our job, there are still some things that need to be done before we can leave. It's a pretty hasty departure, but what can you do, when you have a

strict deadline?

"How long does it take to get to the capital?" I ask the bard while we make

our way out of the guild hall. He seems overjoyed that I would talk to him out

of my own volition, and puts on a face that he thinks is charming. To me, it's

just annoying.

"On the fastest route, it will take twenty-five days. But that is only when

the weather allows it. As the big man pointed out earlier, snowfall season is

beginning on the Kongensgrad." He explains, as we walk across the city

square and return to the tavern. When he notices my questioning expression,

he elaborates. "Ah, the Kongensgrad is the mountain range that separates the

Slaettermark from the Isdalen plains, where the capital is located."

"I see. So we will have to cross the mountains? How tall are they?" When I

ask this, the other members of the party look at me in amused surprise.

"... nobody has ever thought of trying to measure how tall a mountain is."

Rolan comments with a raised eyebrow.

"How would you even go about doing it?" Gram wonders while scratching

his chin.

"All we know is that the summits of the Kongensgrad are covered in snow

even when the plains are in the full bloom of summer." The bard points east

while using a rather fancy way to phrase that the mountain range is snowcapped year-round.

The conversation ends when we separate and return to our own rooms to

pack our belongings. What I learned is that we'll have to hurry, to make it

within the quite unreasonable deadline that Ingrid has set for us. And having

to walk four hundred sixty kilometers is something quite incredible; this will

be the farthest I have ever walked in my life, and easily spans a distance of

almost eleven full marathons. That's about as many as I ran in the past two

years.

I hope Kamii and Daica can keep up.

Thus, we meet again at noon and depart Hovsgaerden, hastily and in a

somewhat unceremonious manner. Luckily, there's a proper dirt road leading

toward the capital, even if it's not paved, so it's more comfortable on

everybody's feet. I can't help but feel impressed by Gram carrying his

massive shield as well as a huge bag of luggage.

Speaking of luggage, this time I have my own weight to carry. It's a large

and rough leather bag that contains three days worth of provisions, to cover

the journey to the next town, as well as clothes and a few tools. Two large

blankets are rolled up and strapped on top of the bag, to complete the

backpacker's standard appearance. I have Kamii's things packed in my

luggage since I don't want her to be doing any heavy lifting with that cursed

arm of hers.

Daica is carrying a backpack of her own since she didn't want to rely on me

too much, even though I offered to take some of her things. She also wants to

act tough in front of her older sister, especially after that night. Even now,

she still hasn't been able to get past kissing and light touching, while Kamii

has already fully climbed the stairs to adulthood with me.

Luna keeps eyeing me because I carry Senka in my arms. She had expected

that I would have grown bored of this creepy doll by now, but no such thing

will ever happen.

Since I'm a full-fledged member of the party, I'm being entrusted with

night watch duty on my own now. I have a couple of hours every night to do

whatever I want, as long as it doesn't wake anyone up. Thus, on the very first

night, I use it to stockpile food - animals I find in the barn of a nearby farm.

The first time I returned, Kamii was close to tears due to my absence. I

didn't tell her beforehand, so when she woke up in the middle of the night and

saw me gone, she very nearly cried out loud. Luckily, Senka could keep her

calm enough to wait until my return, but then she became vocal about

missing me. When the others woke up because of it, I just told them that she

had a nightmare.

After that episode, I made sure to tell her every time, and entrusted night

watch to her for the duration of my absence. In case anybody woke up and

asked about my absence, she would also be able to tell them that I went to

pick flowers.

Throughout all that, Daica slept without a care in the world. Even when we

share a shift, she just snoozes away due to the daily fatigue. She isn't used to

the long traveling due to her sedentary lifestyle and her large body atypical

for an elf is causing problems, too. Most specifically, she complains about

stiff shoulders, which earns her deadly and envious glares from Luna each

time.

During a conversation with Senka one night, as we camp at the edge of a

forest, I'm reminded of the fact that I still have the map in the leather

backpack that I'm keeping inside my body. In all my free time I completely

forgot to check on it. Let's hope it's not been digested or something.

But I'm half-expecting it to be a map of just the Dominion, and most likely

not even a very detailed one. If it does contain the Kingdom of Lares, I'd be

very curious to see how far the demon continent is from here.

Walking a distance away from the camp with Senka in one arm, I pull the

piece of leather from the backpack inside my body. As I had hoped, it's still

fully intact even after such a long time. So, I can really store inanimate things

inside me practically indefinitely as long as I consciously put it in a space

where no digestion happens.

"I just hope it actually is a map..." It wouldn't be funny, if it were just my

misconception, associating the large piece of leather with the one that the

bard has.

When I chant the word for activating the magic, lines begin to form on the

leather's surface. So, it's a map after all. I apologize in my mind for thinking

that Maou-mama made a mistake again, but I still want to hit her over the

head with a paper fan for not teaching me how to use it.

In either case, I take a closer look at the finished image and feel something

snap inside my head.

AAAAAANot good, I need to calm down. I would have actually flipped a table if I

had been sitting at one.

The map shows four large land masses, with a red dot on the one at the top

right, which most likely indicates my current location. This must be the

continent of Blereath, then. According to Senka, that's the name of the

continent we're on right now. The much bigger land mass to the left of the

map features black runes I can't decipher above a black dot. This most likely

denotes the location of the demon castle, so that continent must be Ceogath.

At least that's what I think, but my convenient language ability doesn't

extend to the written one of the demons either, it seems. Also, there's neither

a map key nor a bar scale for translating the map's dimensions into real

distances, so I have no idea how far away I am right now.

In other words, this is like a vague treasure map where I'll have to guess everything.

Damn you, Maou-mama! I'm gonna smack you when I meet you again!

Luckily, I memorized the location of the capital we're heading for, which

lies right next to a giant lake. At this point, we're about one hundred sixty

leagues - or about three hundred eighty kilometers - from it, according to the

bard. I use a stick I pick up from the ground as a simple ruler and measure the

distance from the red dot to the lake where the capital is located. Then I cut

the length of stick to match that distance, and use it to measure the times I

need to move it across itself towards the black dot with the only inscription

on the map.

When I add up the number, I end up at roughly thirty-five. If my math

skills aren't failing me, that's about thirteen thousand... four hundred...

kilometers...

Whaaat?! This is actually a world map, then?

We traveled for four and a half days in a mostly straight line. The rest of

our journey to Kongenssoevn will take around twenty-one days, and I assume

it'll be at about the same rate of progress. Thirty-five times that is seven

hundred thirty-five days. That's about two years, just to walk this distance at

around the same speed as I have traveled at so far.

And there is another land mass, and a vast ocean to cross, so the journey

will in no way be going in a straight line. It might not seem too bad at first if

it was me alone. I could transform into a vularen on land, to run at speeds far

above the one we're traveling at, and then get some fish template to swim

through the ocean. Since my stamina has no perceivable limits, I could keep

moving without rest.

But I'm not traveling alone, so I can't do all that.

It seems like three years are barely enough for such a considerable

distance, and it sure as hell isn't enough when I also want to see the world and

gather companions to bring home with me.

"Doesn't this shape look familiar?" Senka's voice snaps me out of my

thoughts. She's pointing at a peninsula connected to Ceogath, somewhere

near the center of the map. "You, of all people, should... never mind."

"Huh, what is it?" But she doesn't respond and just shrugs, ending the topic

before it even began. I do the same in wonder, then lean back against a tree,

returning my thoughts to the distance that lies before me. "But really, it's a

long way after all..."

With a sigh, I look up to the clear night sky. There's no light pollution at

all, so I can see an entire sea of stars, as well as the two full moonsWait, why are there two full moons?

For a moment, I just sit there and look up with my jaw slack and a blank

expression on my face. I've been in this world for over two months now, and

this is the first time I see this.

"Two moons?" I snap my neck around to Senka and ask with an almost

hysterical hiss.

"Ah... yeah, no." She makes and looks away with a distant expression.

What's with that half-assed response? "Just accept it as it is..."

If you say it like that, I'm even more interested!

"Don't leave me hanging, oi!" Oops, I just raised my voice a little. But

Senka doesn't say anything else and avoids eye contact. "Don't tell me they're

actually eyes of a gigantic monster or something, haha..."

"All I can say is that tonight is a new moon..."

"Ahhh, don't just drop that on me right after I come up with such an absurd

explanation!"

"Not my fault your imagination runs off wildly." Senka shrugs and

concludes our almost comical exchange on her own.

I focus on the sky, but there's no way to make sure. There are stars between

the two circles of light, so it can't be a giant creature flying in the sky unless

it has skin with sparkling stars on it.

And it's not like I could do anything, even if those really belonged to a

living being. I'm just this tiny speck on a planet, while that thing would be a

cosmic entity big enough to accidentally destroy said planet by sneezing.

That night I dreamed of galaxy-sized robots fighting each other with even

bigger drills while defying all laws of physics.

Ten days have passed since we started on this journey, and along the way,

we stayed in a few small towns for a night each. They were nowhere near the

size of Hovsgaerden but still featured sturdy stone walls. According to the

bard, those are remnants of a more warlike era; right now, there are barely

any patrols and few guards standing around at the gates.

We do get many weird looks from townspeople and travelers on the road

alike, because of both our party composition and the fact that I'm carrying Senka in my arms - and a little dark elf with a weirdly bulging right side

under her coat is clinging to me at all times. Her cursed arm isn't on full

display, but there's no way to make its presence disappear completely.

I would never tell her to hide it for my sake, though. I think it's a status

symbol since it distinguishes her as a unique character in a sea of otherwise

bland and common designs.

Since we're in a rush, there's no time for sightseeing, so whenever we enter

a town, we only stock up on supplies for the journey ahead. For the most part,

we spend our nights out in the open, using the edge of forests as cover from

the weather. Luckily, it's holding up, and we haven't had to deal with much

rain.

The days pass in a mostly uneventful manner, compared to all the

adventures we went through in Hovsgaerden. Everyone's too exhausted from

the daily marches for more than having rare idle conversations or listening to

the bard playing his lute in the evenings before sleep.

With our brisk pace, Daica has given up on trying to act tough and started

letting me carry more and more of her luggage - as expected of someone who

has never exercised for her entire life. But this is an excellent opportunity for

her to at least put on some muscles. Even though she's slowing us down and

we pace ourselves according to her speed, nobody is complaining since we're

still progressing within expectations.

Finally, on the twelfth day, we enter a landscape with hills that grow ever

steeper, and the rolling plains are abruptly replaced by dense forests.

According to the bard, this is the outer reaches of the Kongensgrad, and the

actual mountains will become visible soon.

"There are two paths which we can take to get across the Kongensgrad."

Gram explains after I asked about how we'll be crossing the mountains, as we

settle down for a lunch break in a small clearing. "The King's Pass is the

easiest route, but..."

"... not the fastest?" I'm curious!

"Well, yeah..." He's troubled by my enthusiasm and scratches his mustache

nervously while unpacking the cooking set he's carrying in his backpack.

"We don't have enough time to take the longer but safer route. We're going

towards the Himmelenveien right now, which is the other path. But since

snowfall season is just around the corner, it could be quite dangerous."

"Are there no other routes than these two?" I would think that a mountain

range that large should have a lot of routes one could use.

"There are a few other routes, but they're too dangerous for inexperienced

people. Only express messengers use those." Rolan joins our conversation

while placing firewood in a pile for Luna to light on fire with her magic.

It sounds like a potentially fun adventure, but I don't want to subject Kamii

or Daica to any dangers. Unlike me, they aren't practically impervious to

physical damage, and would most likely die from falling off a cliff, or at least

end up heavily wounded. Deep in the mountains, that's basically a death

sentence.

There's a very high-ranked spell in the Scripture of Belys that can heal

anything short of death, but it requires a very long incantation, as well as a

ritual to be held by at least three people. I don't know whether that means all

three need to have a light magic affinity or not, but the requirement is still

quite steep in either case. Furthermore, I've neither had an opportunity to

practice it nor do I want to do so on someone I know. If it failed, I wouldn't

be able to live with myself.

"Well, we'll stop in Aekrestad for one day and one night, to stock up on

food and buy warmer clothes for the mountain crossing." The leader says

while fanning the flames that Luna has conjured. I could help out, you know?

"I do feel a little cold." Daica mutters weakly. She's wearing the silky dress

and strapped sandals which she wore most of the time in Hovsgaerden,

clothes wholly inappropriate for hiking. It's a wonder anyone even allowed

her to come along in those.

"Elves don't freeze." Kamii states with her nose raised high and her left arm

on her hip. She can't do the same with her right hand, causing her to look like

she's striking a pose for a photo instead of being haughty.

She was fine wearing thin rags that barely covered her body in the cold

storage room and walked barefoot through half the city. Also, I'm pretty sure

the slave keepers didn't have enough kindness to give her a blanket even

during winter. Maybe Daica feeling cold is related to her curse, too?

"Then let's go shopping for clothes when we get to Aekrestad." I have

enough money to do that much for the two cute dark elves under my wings.

"You should come with us, too."

"H-huh?" Luna is taken by surprise when I suddenly address her. "Ah,

umm... yes?"

"Nice!" I pump my fist. She wasn't listening but still agrees. Giving me a

look of bewilderment, she blinks a few times, before turning to Rolan for

help.

"Let's eat." Gram announces that the lunch is ready. He's unexpectedly

good at turning simple provisions, consisting of dried meat and whatever

vegetables and roots we can find in the vicinity, into pretty palatable meals.

We quickly dig in.

Towards noon on the sixteenth day, the dirt road leads us through an area

that appears to be used for woodcutting activities. There are felled trees and a

vast open space with many stumps remaining in the ground. We're close to a

human settlement.

"Does the ax ring nicely today?" Gram calls out to our surroundings.

"It does indeed!" A tough-sounding voice emerges from behind a pile of

cleaned and stacked tree trunks. Heavy boots crunch the dirt and splinters of

wood, as a giant man comes into view. A magnificent beard covers his face

and connects seamlessly with his crew cut. He has a physique similar to

Gram's, and his tanned upper body is bare despite the cold weather. His chest

is full of hair, and so are his forearms.

I look between the two big men. Guess all lumberjacks have a body like

that.

"Greetings, travelers. What brings you here?" The man asks us in a friendly

tone.

"We'd like to know how far it is to Aekrestad." The big man does the

talking since it seems like they see eye to eye. Must be the muscles.

"It's just a short walk along the riverbank. You'll come upon the meadows

of Aekrestad in a bit." The lumberjack points to our right. There's a small

river which is most likely used for transporting the logs. That means the town

lies downstream from here.

"We thank you, good man. May the trees fall well." Gram is using

lumberjack speech, and it's quite interesting to hear.

"You're welcome. To you a safe journey." With a nod, the other big man

says his goodbyes.

Ahhh, this exchange was so friendly. Even though we're an armed group

that just came out of the forest, he didn't immediately think we were bandits

or something. These parts must be really peaceful.

Walking down the path along the riverbank, we make our way through a

forest once again. The bard tells us that this is the Aengerleien, of which the

source we'll be able to see when we take the Himmelensveien pass. The water

is really clear, and I can see all the way to the bottom, where fish are

swimming about happily.

Soon, the forest is replaced by the meadows the lumberjack told us about.

Before the backdrop of a snowcapped mountain range stands a small town

surrounded only by a wooden palisade. It seems that this area hasn't seen any

wars in a long time, and it looks more like this wall is to protect against wild

animals rather than human armies.

There are no gate guards, and the overall atmosphere in this town seems to

be more laid back than the one in Hovsgaerden. With a population of around

three thousand, that's to be expected; everybody's much more familiar with

each other.

Apparently, this town doesn't have an adventurer guild. Rolan made sure to

check in at the guilds in each city and village we stayed in, even if we didn't

take on any requests. But this time, we go straight to the tavern to stash our

luggage. As always, Rolan and Luna get their own room, Gram and the bard

share one, and I stay with Kamii and Daica.

We meet back downstairs shortly after to have lunch. During the meal, we

discuss how to proceed, and everybody gets a list of things to buy for the

journey ahead of us. For some reason, I'm just told to find clothes for my two

protégées instead of procuring provisions like everybody else.

Discriminating against me for being the daughter of a noble, who must be

ignorant of market prices and haggling? Well, I don't mind, but I'll still pull

Luna along on our clothes shopping trip.

"Huh? I promised?" She looks incredibly skeptical.

"Yes... you did." Kamii is the one to reply in my stead - to everybody's

surprise. Since she has always been telling the truth, sometimes to the chagrin

of those who became disadvantaged of it, nobody stops to doubt her. Well, it

really is the truth anyway.

"Hahaha! Why not? Go with them." Rolan actually supports my one-sided

decision. Most likely it's because he must have noticed that we usually don't

get along so well and sees it as an opportunity for us to do some bonding.

Thus, it's decided that I'll be pulling Luna along on our girls-only outing.

She doesn't look very pleased about going shopping with me, of all people, and she isn't very hopeful about the selection. I can understand her sentiment

because there isn't much to be found in the way of fashion in these small

towns.

Since this is a kingdom, I expect the nobility to have at least some sense of

fashion, though. We'll see when we get to the capital.

We quickly find a tailor, one of only two in the whole town. As expected,

he has little variety, but at least the clothes are suitable for the weather ahead

of us. While I think cute clothes suit Kamii best, and sexy ones are a must for

Daica, this store has neither.

Well, we do need to select outfits that will keep them safe and warm on the

mountain pass, so at least this way I won't get baited into buying something

unnecessary. Even though the older sister said that elves don't freeze, I don't

want to risk her getting sick while on the road, far from a warm bed and

medicine.

I prefer clothes that are easy to move in and capable of surviving my active

lifestyle for a long time. Especially since we're walking a lot and moving

through the wilderness, it has to be sturdy as well as cover me adequately.

Not that I get cuts from branches or tall grass, since my skin is very

malleable, but I have to keep up appearances in front of the humans.

In the end, I pick a shirt customarily worn by lumberjacks from this area,

made of a sturdy cloth from some unknown plant's fibers. I assume it's this

world's equivalent to cotton. A pair of leather pants tied with a thick belt and

sturdy boots complete the look of a mountaineer.

Or the look of a girl from the boonies.

"That really suits you." Senka sneers in the changing room, and I bop her

over the head.

When I emerge in my chosen outfit the tailor glances at me with a frown.

Since women in this society only ever wear skirts that reach all the way down

to their ankles, it's rare to see one in anything else. The only women who I've

seen wear pants were those from the adventurer guild, but those can't be

found in this town.

I get Kamii something like a back-tied corset top that leaves her shoulders

and arms exposed. It's the only outfit the tailor had that doesn't require a lot

of work for her to be able to wear. Still, I have the tailor cut something like a

detached sleeve for her left arm. Warm cloth pants cover her legs now, and I

find leather chausses for her thighs, which looks like an overskirt. It offers both protection and warmth.

"How does it feel?" I pet Kamii after tying up the corset, making sure not

to tighten it too much.

"Strange." She says while looking down at herself. Her figure is quite

petite, so there's no need to use a tight corset to make her waist look even

slimmer. I only picked this for ease of wearing, especially since it features a

fluffy trim, too.

Actually, that corset may have been intended to stir the beholder's libido,

rather than as proper clothing. After all, when I see her wearing it, I feel

stimulated. But my intention was for her to wear it under her tabard, to keep

her otherwise open sides warm.

For now, the little dark elf is only wearing the corset, and her bare

shoulders are beckoning me. I plant a kiss on them from behind, and she

turns around to me with a lovely smile, before nuzzling into my chest.

"Hurry up! We don't have all day." Once again, Senka rains on my parade.

She earns a knuckle to the top of her head, which she takes with silent

dignity.

For Daica, I want to find something that will make her body stand out,

even while it keeps her warm. I don't mind splurging on her when I have a

feast for my eyes every time I take a look.

However, no such thing exists in this small town tailor's store. Then my

eyes fall on a pile of pink wool. Is that from one of those colorful sheep?

Their fur is really fluffy!

So, I make the tailor line the insides of a light robe with the wool but have

it peek out from the sleeves and the hood. Furthermore, I tell him to shorten

the front half of the robe, so that it reaches just below the crotch, while the

back still goes down to the ankles. Then, I ask him to use that leftover

material to make a short skirt, which goes halfway down the thighs, as well

as to cut a pair of tights - which are actually men's clothing in this world - just

above the knees. I tighten them with strings since rubber bands don't exist in

this world.

I have Daica wear those in the changing room right away.

"A-are you sure about this?" She stands before me in only her underwear

but is also wearing these new makeshift thigh highs. That's a sight I need to

enjoy silently, so I just watch her without replying. She grows increasingly

flustered at my wordless admiration, and her face flushes a deep reddish-purple.

It's just so fun to bully her like this.

While we wait for the tailor to finish the work on Daica's clothes, I leave

her in the changing room alone with Senka and go out to look for Luna. She

excused herself from trying on clothes by saying that she doesn't need

anything new, and only picked up a heavy scarf for the mountain crossing

ahead of us.

"You don't need anything else?" I ask her for the third time. In a way, I

really wanted to see her get undressed and assess her proportions better. I

can't tell because of those loose robes she always wears, but it's clear that she

has a complex about her boob size. She sometimes glances at that region in

both Daica and me, before looking down at herself with a depressed sigh.

Her elven half must be more dominant in that regard.

"You just thought something rude about me, did you not?" Turning away

slightly while holding the scarf up to cover her chest, Luna looks at me with a

sour face. Are my thoughts that easily readable?

"I only thought it's such a waste that you wouldn't pick a more accentuating

outfit." Speaking in the most innocent tone I can muster, I try to poke her

sense of fashion. "I think you have a great body, so you would surely look

good in a dress."

"W-what? Quit your jesting..." Her cheeks redden at my flattery, but she

doesn't decline the burgundy dress I'm holding up in front of her. So easy.

While the design isn't great, the material is quite soft and completely

different from what I got for myself. She continues to say that it would suit

me much better since I'm a noble and all. I rebut by saying that I've given up

that life and chosen to live a traveler's lifestyle. She could have responded by

saying that the same is true for her, but for some reason, she seems to forget

about it.

Eventually, she gives in and tries it on. She has a charm different from

Kamii's and Daica's, more like something between the two dark elves. Her

beautiful white skin stands in nice contrast to the color of the dress, too. But

it still doesn't grant me much insight into her breast size, as the chest and

shoulder areas are slightly puffed up by some material on the inside.

"It looks great. Rolan is lucky to have you." I state with a grin, and she

blushes.

"W-what, we are not-" She still tries to hide it, but I ignore her.

"Yeah yeah, let's go buy it." I pull her to the counter to finalize the

purchase.

Toward the evening, Daica's outfit is finished, and I have her try it on right

away. This time, I choose to wait outside the changing room, to let my

anticipation build up. I really hope that the design I had in mind matches with

how it looks in reality. Otherwise, the whole thing would end in

disappointment.

"I-is this really how it's worn?" Opening the curtain a bit and peeking

outside, the big dark elf asks shyly. "The skirt is so short!"

"That sounds about right." With these words, I pull the curtain aside in one

swift motion and behold the dark elf in the full glory of her new clothes.

The view hits me like a truck, and I take a step back in awe. The fluffy,

pink wool lining of the collar and hood framing her face emphasizes her

smooth, mauve purple skin. I purposefully picked a robe that was just the

right size for her, so that the added wool made it tighter. It accentuates her

voluptuous chest and shapely figure even more now. The front part of the

skirt that was removed is like a window to her incredible legs, which are

covered in a short skirt from the top, and thigh highs from the bottom.

Rounding off that outfit are ankle-high, black leather boots.

Absolute territory achieved!

My mouth waters at the sight, and I can't help but imagine what it would be

like to lose myself between those thighs. But we can't really try that during

the journey, so I need to keep my desires low for the time being. When we

reach our destination, we'll do a lot of practicing.

"You look stunning." I state with my arms crossed and nod like a

connoisseur.

"R-really?" Stepping out of the changing room while holding her miniskirt

down with both hands, to try and cover the absolute territory gap, Daica's

eyes light up with a rare moment of self-confidence. She walks in front of the

mirror in the corner of the room and looks at her reflection. "H-huh? You can

almost see up my skirt!"

With these words, she squats down in shame and gives me an even nicer

view up her skirt in the mirror before her. Nice job!

But it's only the usual old lady bloomers from this world!

My tension drops and I feel my shoulders slump. Should I have the tailor make some panties?

Suddenly, Senka stirs on the chair in the changing room, snaps her head

around and starts laughing mechanically. Luna jumps into my arms with a

shriek and Kamii runs to take cover behind my back, since she never

witnessed the doll girl doing this before.

It's Senka's way to remind me of the fact that I don't have time for that.

"Stop iiit!" Luna is close to tears as she holds onto my arm while pointing

her staff and shouting at the doll. "It hasn't done this for so long; I thought it

would never do it again!"

I can feel her chest pressing against my arm through the robes and get a

good idea of her size now.

Good job, Senka!

In the end, I spend a pretty hefty sum, even with the help of Luna's

haggling; my wallet is a lot lighter now. It doesn't feel like a loss, though; I

have two beautiful and cute dark elves by my sides, who received an alternate

outfit and are pretty happy about it - or at least Kamii is, while Daica is

fidgeting because of her short skirt.

When we return to the tavern, the sun has already disappeared behind the

mountains. We meet up with the other party members for a traditional

Aekrestad dinner, consisting of steamed beef in a mushroom sauce and a

pumpkin cream soup. The meadows around the town are the feeding grounds

for the cows, which grow to have very tender meat.

This is one of the best meals I've had since coming to the Kingdom of

Lares, and I savor every moment.

After dinner, everybody retreats into their own rooms. It's been seven

nights since I last slept in a proper bed. The tiny villages we stayed in had no

taverns, so we had to spend the night in the barns of some farmers, and sleep

on straw.

There's no such thing as cold foam or metal springs in this world, so

cheaper taverns with older beds tend to have indented mattresses, where the

wool stuffing has been depressed by all the people who laid on them. But it's

still preferable to sleeping with the livestock, or somewhere with stones

under your blanket - and the occasional insect that crawls over your body.

This tavern doesn't have any running water. The bathroom doesn't even

have a sink, let alone a bathtub. There's only a large wooden tub for which one can order hot water to be brought upstairs so that one can sit in it to wash

up. It's far less developed than Hovsgaerden, but it's better than having to

bathe in a cold stream.

My body doesn't secrete any sweat, but I can still get dirty from dust and

splashing mud. The same is true for Senka, who doesn't have any bodily

functions and doesn't even need to eat.

Kamii is sitting in the tub with her crab arm stretched out to the side. I'm

wiping her down with a wet towel and have to actively suppress my stirring

desires.

"Mahkotoh?" She looks up at me with her mesmerizing amethyst eyes and

tilts her head questioningly. My hands seem to have stopped at one point, and

my face got really close to hers.

"I-it's nothing." I pet her head with a smile and continue.

Daica used the bath first, so when we exit the bathroom, she's already

asleep on her bed. It was a pretty tiring day, even if we just stood around for

most of the second half of it, waiting for the tailor to finish the clothes. I'm all

for going to sleep right away, but Kamii lies down before me and beckons me

over.

"You want to... do it, right?" She asks with a warm expression that

threatens to melt my brain. But I still have enough self-control to remember

how it went last time. Neither of us could move the next day and just stayed

in bed until the afternoon.

"No, we can't. We have to walk all day again tomorrow." With a bitter

undertone, I force myself to say these words while I lay down beside her. I

can cuddle her, but nothing beyond that until we reach a place where we can

take the next day off completely. "Let's go to sleep."

After I plant a kiss on Kamii's forehead, I cover the two of us with the thick

blanket. The tiredness of the day catches up with us, and we soon slip away

into slumber.

My last thought is that we could have just practiced a little moderation and

gone for one round or something...