Time flows the same whether we’re having fun or suffering.
A week after receiving the orders, we were guarding the town of Cresta under the Baron. Every day, we were the target of Priscilla’s frustrations because we were so bored.
I thought Sophia would be the first to act out, but she became very fond of the “comb” she bought at the tailor’s and was always holding it and admiring it.
I rarely use a comb myself, but it seems one needs to study what’s important to women. When I comb Sophia’s hair, she seems happy. I wonder if I’ll be made to do her makeup next.
“There aren’t any good men here, are there, you mercenaries?”
“…”
“Are you looking for a man again? For all your searching, I haven’t heard of any successful encounters.”
“There’s no man worthy of me out there.”
“Are there no men worthy of you, Priscilla?”
“There’s no man worthy of a woman as strong, beautiful, and cultured as I am, you know~”
I’ll admit she’s strong and beautiful. Is there anyone who can defeat a Lycanthrope? This ferocious, wicked mercenary who kills people like insects… Ow! Don’t grab me there.
“What were you thinking just now?”
“…I was just thinking, what about me?”
“Wh-what are you saying? You’re just some freeloader!”
I’m going to be crushed. My hips are trembling. This is the first time I’ve seen someone blush this red with embarrassment. Since she doesn’t seem entirely against it, can I push it a little further? Or is it a contest of who gets crushed?
“Let’s switch today and have you two go together.”
The oak desk was split in two by Priscilla’s sword. If she breaks an expensive desk every time she’s embarrassed, my savings will disappear. It’s better than my groin disappearing, though.
“D-don’t be ridiculous, the order is fine as it is…”
Watching Priscilla put away her sword and leave, I decided to stop making that kind of joke. Next time, I’ll try to do it a little better. Ideally, I’d like her to remain human until the end, and be able to bury my face in her soft chest when I sleep.
“…”
Christine, that exchange was a joke. Did it look like I was having fun? Perhaps you wanted to grab my groin? Christine, you’ve got my heart, not my groin.
I’m worried because I’ve asked Alana to do the most difficult task. I get updates about her cheerful infiltration every three days via the zombie birds Rufina made, but her messy handwriting and typos are a test of my reading comprehension. I need to make sure I don’t confuse thirty with three hundred.
Rufina seems to be visiting the graveyard every day, using her Necromancer powers. She’s excited about making more than just zombies, and her smile shines with an irreplaceable radiance that makes me uneasy.
Orietta took a day off from guard duty because the item I requested wasn’t ready. I also took some much-needed time off. Since it seemed unlikely to be finished, I declined the request and asked her to work on BC Alchemy instead.
BC stands for chemical weapons. I shared some knowledge I had from my military-enthusiast magazines with Orietta, and as expected of a mad genius, she quickly mastered it. Maybe it’s more biological than chemical?
Things got truly wild in Nuyoo, but Orietta calmly observed the situation with a chemist’s demeanor. It was a terrible mess.
I don’t want to use them, and I don’t want them to be used. But the circumstances don’t permit that. I wonder if it’s okay to use them under these conditions. If Alana’s information is sufficient, we might not need to, so I hope she does her best.
Sophia’s dress is ready. The one Priscilla wore at the fortress was wine-red, but Sophia chose white, and it looked like a wedding dress. I wonder if I was the only one who saw it that way.
As expected, the other members started shouting requests to buy it like a tidal wave. For my own safety, we’ll wait until Alana returns. I’d love to see Christine in a dress too.
Sophia looks even cuter in her dress, and I’m almost falling for her. It’s a shame to take it off, but I will. …Up to halfway.
Two weeks have passed since I gave the orders. Orietta is struggling with the BC Weapon, Alana is steadily gathering information, and Rufina is secretly up to something in the shadows. When asked about important matters, she brushed it off by saying “it’s a secret,” but seeing Rufina so happy in bed is a pleasant sight.
The only problem is Christine. Three members of a certain mercenary group apparently forced themselves upon Christine. If they wanted a woman, they should have gone to a brothel. Did they have money to save?
I wonder if Priscilla would have gone with them? She says she’s going hunting for men, but I’ve never heard of any successful encounters. Even as a Lycanthrope, her clothes don’t tear, and her revealing attire catches the eye.
The mercenaries who forced themselves on Christine unfortunately suffered heart attacks and passed away. It’s a great loss for the Harlotuk Army, as they’ve lost valuable manpower.
Thanks to Sophia providing free medical services in town, the Harlotuk Army’s reputation has improved and the relationship is strong. Three weeks of everything going smoothly. Then, Alana’s communication was cut off.
“What do you mean you can’t get in touch?”
“There has been no response to our request to withdraw. She was supposed to contact us yesterday.”
“Isn’t she just delayed?”
“My birds are never delayed.”
“What do we do, Captain?!”
“What else can we do? We’ll sneak into Hardenber and find Alana. I’m going to go see the Baron now and tell him the latest information Alana obtained. The enemy will attack within two to three days.”
“It’s finally time. We’ll kill those gathered in Hardenber and rescue Alana.”
“Everyone, prepare for departure. We will definitely save Alana.”
After instructing everyone to prepare, I went to Baron Connie Quiet and informed him that according to Alana’s information, the enemy numbers around a thousand, comprising Knights and mercenaries, and that they would depart Hardenber within two to three days.
I explained to the Baron that we would infiltrate Hardenber to disrupt their supply lines and cause rear-area confusion, and he gave his consent. I suppose he didn’t think we could fight a thousand men head-on. However, for us, disrupted supply lines and rear-area confusion are irrelevant. Finding Alana is the top priority right now.
“You’ve gathered. You’ll wear these clothes. I borrowed them from a brothel. You will enter Hardenber as prostitutes.”
“Won’t we be going in through the front?”
“As mercenaries? It would be troublesome if we were hired by an army midway.”
“What happens after we get in?”
“We’ll approach the slave merchants. If the captured individuals weren’t part of the army but civilians, they’d likely be handled by slave merchants. We need to conduct interrogations quickly, so Rufina will have to do her best.”
“As long as she has a head, she’ll be fine.”
“We depart once you’ve changed. Christine, try not to show your face on the way. You’ll stand out.”
I’ve never seen a prostitute of Christine’s caliber, so it would be bad if we were stopped because she stood out. I’d definitely stop her and then thoroughly search her body…
“My chest feels a little tight~”
I thought I knew her size, but has Orietta hit a growth spurt? Orietta is about the same height as the petite Alana. I heard Alana is an adult, but I wonder if Orietta is? Priscilla, do you know about labor laws?
As we were about to enter the city of Hardenber, we happened to enter at the same time as the Baron’s troops. We were just a group of prostitutes, so a few catcalls were unavoidable, but it was fine.
The sun was still up, so we had everyone other than Christine change outside the city. Priscilla, Christine, Rufina, and I went to a major slave merchant in the city, while Sophia and Orietta went to find lodging.
When we told the slave merchant we were selling Christine, he offered a high price. We were thanked by the head of the guild, and he fell right into our trap.
“Do it!”
Priscilla silenced the merchant guild’s guards without a sound, and Christine merely stared, putting pressure on the president’s heart and paralyzing him.
“Have you traded any cat-like demi-humans recently?”
While Priscilla’s direct joint lock was applied with painful pressure, stemming from her indirect “Unfortunately~” towards Christine, I at least tried to ask as politely as possible.
“Damn it! You idiot! I’ll kill y– *Gulp*”
The president’s curses were stopped by Priscilla before he could finish. Don’t make that strange noise for just two broken ribs. For me…
“Rufina, I’ll leave it to you. Search his memories. Priscilla, try not to be too rough. I’ll handle the documents. Christine, help me.”
“Leave it to me.”
“I don’t know what ‘too rough’ means~”
“…”
After a few minutes of grappling with the documents, Rufina told me she had read his memories and that the president had nothing to do with it. We pushed in so suddenly, and he was innocent. There’s no excuse.
“This person doesn’t seem to know anything. There are no demi-humans resembling Alana. For the past few weeks, we’ve only handled slaves who could become mercenaries.”
“Reinforcements? Can you erase his recent memories?”
“It’s impossible. If I erase them, I’ll erase everything. It will take time too.”
“…Christine, please.”
“…”
With Christine’s “Unfortunately~,” the president clutched his chest and died. Now there’s no one left to make excuses. It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. He’s a slave merchant, the White Lily Corps is involved, and I don’t want any more obstacles to finding Alana.
If it’s not a slave merchant, then they’re not civilians. The next clue should be with the local lord. He must know the answer. I’ll go ask him directly tonight.
