"I have no urgent business; I just wanted to take a walk today and ended up here."
"In that case, Your Highness may stay as long as you like."
"No, I'll leave after this cup of tea... Oh, right, Miss Camilla, regarding the matter of the Holy Water, I've left it entirely to Lola. I'm sure she'll give you a satisfactory answer."
Camilla smiled without showing her teeth and nodded slightly.
"With those words from Your Highness, I am at ease."
After finishing the tea and setting down the cup, I stood up to leave but suddenly turned back to Camilla.
"Miss Camilla, are you on good terms with certain nobles?"
Camilla paused, clearly not expecting such a sudden question.
"Your Highness... where is this coming from?"
"Your little fox-girl, Nina, mentioned earlier that nobles often come here to order medicine to strengthen their bodies. I was just curious if you were close to them."
Camilla’s eyes widened as if she had heard something hilarious. She covered her mouth and burst into laughter.
"Hehe~ Does Your Highness really not know what kind of medicine those nobles are buying?"
"Isn't it for health and fitness?"
I looked at her in surprise. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"Those... nobles come to me for medicine because the demands of their wives and concubines are simply too high."
"..."
Good grief, so they're actually aphrodisiacs?
"You... you actually sell that kind of medicine here?"
"Of course. Didn't you know, Your Highness? The demand among the nobility for such tonics is quite high~"
Camilla chuckled behind her hand.
"Those nobles~ every one of them wishes they could marry every beautiful woman in the world. But no matter how much money they have, they only have one body~"
She straightened her expression and smiled at me.
"Where there is demand, there is a market. There's no need for Your Highness to be surprised. We don't just have medicine for men; we have it for women too~ It can even heighten one's senses by more than ten times~ Would Your Highness like to try some? I happen to have—"
"No need! Farewell!"
Seeing the look in Camilla's eyes grow increasingly predatory—as if she wanted to strip me bare and devour me whole—I fled the room in a panic.
As soon as I opened the door, Hilda, Nara, and Sake all looked at me with bewilderment.
Sensing that something was off with my expression, the three exchanged glances but said nothing, following closely as I left the Alchemists' Association.
Once outside, I let out a long sigh of relief. Looking back at the building, I felt like... this place wasn't exactly friendly toward me.
"Hilda, what exactly is the deal with Miss Camilla?"
"What do you mean... regarding Miss Camilla?"
Hilda was understandably confused by my vague question.
"Does she... like women?"
Hilda and Nara couldn't help but look at each other, their faces flushing red as they thought of something.
Beside them, Sake spoke up in his deep, indifferent voice.
"Them elves live a long time and don't care much for rules when it comes to love. They ain't like us beastmen. Same-sex lovers are common among 'em."
The old bull rubbed his chin with a massive hand, looking puzzled.
"Really... all that stuff about love and feelings... isn't it just for havin' kids? How do two of the same kind do that? I just don't get it."
Well, I think I have a general idea about elves now.
It seems this long-lived race really doesn't discriminate when it comes to their tastes.
It’s no wonder, though. It’s said that elves are incredibly beautiful regardless of gender, with many men looking quite feminine. Combined with their long lifespans, they simply don't care about such distinctions.
Seeing the reactions of the two women and the confusion on the old bull's face, I really wasn't in the mood to stay here any longer.
"To the East Gate."
The Mage Association was right across from the Alchemists' Association, but I decided against visiting.
Even though the Mage Association was full of powerful individuals, mages were notoriously arrogant.
I could tell just by how Victor had rejected me before.
In this era, mages were still very popular.
Since I was someone with high elemental affinity, I wondered if I could learn magic.
"Nara, find me a few beginner magic workbooks when we get back. I want to try it out."
"Does Your Highness wish to learn magic?"
Nara looked at me in surprise, while Hilda nodded slightly.
"There have been many Saintesses in history who studied magic. If Your Highness can learn a few spells, it would certainly help bolster your strength. I support the idea."
The old bull looked at the two of them with disdain and offered his own advice.
"I'm tellin' ya, Miss, what's the use of all that magic stuff? You gotta mumble for ages just to get a skill out. In that time, I could've killed dozens of 'em. You'd be better off practicing with a weapon. Don't this axe look good to you?"
He took the massive axe off his back and gave it a few swings, the wind whistling around it.
Looking at the giant axe that stood taller than I did, I imagined myself in a fight with it.
Forget it. That doesn't look like a Saintess at all; it looks more like a dominatrix queen.
So far, aside from the Holy-Demon Conversion, I basically have no way to protect myself.
And while Holy-Demon Conversion is useful in a crisis, it needs to be sealed away most of the time. It’s a trump card that absolutely cannot be revealed.
I might be a group healer, but I can't be completely defenseless.
Yeah, it's decided. I'll start training formally once I get back today!
I need to learn both magic and close-quarters combat.
I don't need to master everything, but I at least need to be able to protect myself.
"Hilda, is there a way to use mana or divine power to enhance one's physical attributes?"
I asked Hilda as we sat in the carriage. As a Guardian Knight, she obviously had more authority on the subject than the others.
Hilda pondered for a moment before nodding.
"There is, but... that method requires a massive amount of mana and divine power. It also puts quite a strain on the body."
So I still need a strong body to use those kinds of moves?
I shook my head helplessly, pushing those thoughts aside for now. I'd figure out how to improve my physical constitution later.
As I was thinking, I pulled back the carriage curtain to look outside. It was just a casual glance, but I suddenly spotted someone.
"Hilda, look... isn't that Cain?"
Hilda and Cain rotate their shifts every day. Since it was Hilda's turn today, she was by my side.
Cain should be off duty today.
Even though they are my subordinates, I respect everyone's privacy and rarely ask what they do during their time off.
But what was Cain doing?
Hilda looked in the direction I was pointing.
In front of a nearby house, Cain was carrying a shoulder pole with a bucket on each end, walking into the residence.
No way?
His annual salary is as high as a hundred and twenty gold coins, and that's not even counting extra income. There's no way he lives in a place like this.
This wasn't a slum, but it certainly wasn't a noble district.
"It is indeed Sir Cain. But... why would he be here?"
Hilda observed him, a hint of confusion appearing in her eyes as well.
"Stop the carriage."
I called out to the driver. With a sharp screech of the brakes, the carriage slowly came to a halt.
I was the first to jump off, heading straight in that direction.
The three behind me also jumped down. Nara paid the driver and quickly followed without a word.
The door to the house was wide open. The yard wasn't large, maybe fifty or sixty square meters, and there was a single-story wooden house. Overall, it looked very ordinary.
I peeked into the yard from the doorway. Cain, who usually wore bright silver armor, was now dressed in clothes no different from an ordinary commoner's.
He wore brown cloth robes and carried the pole on his shoulder. Not a single drop of water spilled from the two full buckets.
What caught my attention was that the clothes hanging in the yard to dry weren't noble attire but ordinary brown cloth garments. More importantly... they were women's clothes.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Just as I was wondering, the door to the wooden house suddenly opened. A woman with long brown hair stepped out.
With brows like distant peaks and eyes as clear as autumn pools, she possessed an indescribable charm in every step. Even I felt my heart skip a beat at her grace.
The woman wasn't necessarily a world-class beauty, but the aura she carried gave off the elegant illusion of nobility.
The way her eyes rippled with emotion made it difficult to look away.
And then there was her figure—it was practically devilish!
She was slim where she needed to be and curvaceous where it counted, without a single ounce of excess fat.
Every angle revealed a different, breathtaking curve!
What a stunning young widow!
The woman’s red lips parted as she spoke in a soft, gentle voice that seemed to tickle one's heart, sending a shiver through the body.
"It's no trouble," Cain said plainly. He glanced at her before quickly averting his eyes.
However... a slight blush crept onto his face.
"I trouble you every time. I'm just an unlucky widow... doesn't your family object?"
The woman spoke softly, her eyes downcast as if filled with endless resentment and hardship.
Her willow-leaf brows curved slightly, and a bitter smile touched her lips. She looked as if she had a thousand things to say but couldn't find the words, stirring the heart of anyone watching.
"They won't care."
Cain lifted a bucket and poured the water into a vat.
"You always say that, but..."
"There are no 'buts.' I want to, so I'm here."
For some reason, Cain managed to give off a real sense of security.
In that moment, he was so manly!
"You always say that too..."
"Because you always ask."
Cain reached for the second bucket and emptied it into the vat.
"I... I know what you mean, but I'm an unlucky person. I..."
The woman lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes.
"That has nothing to do with me."
As he spoke, Cain took two gold coins from his pocket.
"Take this money for now. Use it for whatever you need. Don't be stingy."
Pfft!
Cain actually knows how to pick up girls!
The woman was blushing so hard she didn't dare look up.
Seeing that she wouldn't take the money, Cain placed the gold coins on the porch.
"I've already taught those people a lesson. They won't come back again, so don't worry. I have things to attend to, so I'll be going now. I'll come back tomorrow."
"...You... aren't you coming tonight?"
The woman was silent for a long time before she seemed to gather all her strength and courage to utter those words. After speaking, she kept her head down, her face so red it looked like it might drip blood.
"You..."
Cain froze. A flash of joy crossed his face, but it was immediately replaced by a look of heartache as he gazed at her.
"Are you... willing?"
"I..."
The woman bit her red lip, her hands twisting together. Anyone could see she was willing!
You idiot, just go for it!!
The girl threw away her pride to ask you to stay the night, how can you still ask a question like that?!
"If you're not willing, I won't force you," Cain said with a straight face, then turned to leave. "I'll come back tomorrow."
"Quick, quick, hide!"
Seeing Cain heading our way, I quickly pulled Hilda and Nara to the side.
As for why I didn't pull Sake?
The guy is a two-ton behemoth!
With my thin arms and legs, I'd break them before I could move him an inch.
But the old bull lived up to his reputation as a melee master who didn't fear Guardian Knights. His massive frame was as agile as a cat's. With a flash, he ducked into a corner and planted his giant axe in front of him, hiding half his body behind it.
I quickly pulled Hilda around the corner and turned my back to the street.
In this disguise, unless someone had special vision like Camilla, there was no way they could tell who I was.
The sound of footsteps approached. Cain seemed to pause for a second, looking confused as to why there were three women there, but he scratched his head and walked away.
Listening to the footsteps fade into the distance, Hilda, Nara, and I looked at each other.
We all shared a meaningful smile.
...
Secret Information:
Elves:
The race is divided into forest elves, earth elves, night elves, and blood elves.
They have long lifespans, reaching up to seven hundred years at most and four hundred at least. Because of their longevity, they are very direct and open about their feelings, rarely caring about gender. They are the race with the highest probability of same-sex relationships.
They are peace-loving and rarely show hostility toward other races.
They reach adulthood at one hundred years old and are at least level twenty upon maturity.
Camilla is known to be an adult forest elf.
Forest Elves:
One of the four major branches of the elven race.
They are agile, skilled in magic, highly knowledgeable, and peace-loving.
Males average 180 cm in height, while females average 170 cm. They are exceptionally handsome and beautiful with impressive physiques and fair skin. Their hair colors vary. Their defining feature is long, slender ears that extend to the sides. Research suggests this structure helps them capture subtle sounds in the forest.
The elven gestation period is ten years. It is extremely difficult for them to reproduce within their own race; often, it takes decades for a couple to conceive a single child.
There is a chance for half-elves to appear when breeding with other races.
Forest elves are often born with a companion fairy.
Rumor has it that some elves actually have very bad tempers.
Rate on N.U.
