Chapter 9: Magical Girl?
Still early in the morning as the sounds of birds singing filled the air. A carriage noisily dashed down the main street of Silver Horn at full speed. Residents watched as the carriage, adorned with the heraldry of the Arkite Kingdom, headed towards the Silver Linked Towers.
Mira stirred as the early morning sun shone across her eyes as she laid on the canopy bed. Yawning, Mira stretched as she woke up with disheveled clothes.
However, Mira sleepily threw herself back into the bed and turned away from the sunlight coming from her window. She soon slowly dozed back to sleep.
As her consciousness faded, the stillness of the room, devoid of even the sounds of birds chirping as it was located on the top floor of the tower, was broken as a rhythmic chime played across the floor.
Mira reluctantly awoke from a discordant shout that shattered the silence. As she woke up, she looked around and saw an unfamiliar yet luxurious room around her. Still half asleep, Mira questioned where she was.
「AHH…….」
Mira unintentionally squealed as she remembered yesterday’s events. At the same time, she felt a sense of loss as she looked down muttering 「My manliness…….」 while considering her appearance.
With an unfamiliar small body, Mira slid to the edge of the bed to sit. Then, Mira noticed her gorgeous legs, peeking from under her clothes. The light shining through the curtains like a spotlight made her legs appear whiter, leaving Mira speechless.
With red cheeks like that of an adolescent boy, Mira softly touched her skin and gazed at it to check. It was the soft skin of a girl, and her sense of touch confirmed it. The sensation made her recognize yesterday’s events that led her to now, causing her to be fully awake.
「……..However, what was the sound that woke me up?」
Mira now fully awake, noticed the mysterious rhythm was still playing.
Tap tap tap. While listening carefully, Mira could make out something banging on a hard object with distance voices in the background. Mira got up from the bed to investigate what was going on.
Upon coming closer to the source, Mira could finally make out what was being said.
「Mira, won’t you come out? Mira.」
「Litaria, is the apprentice of Danbulf really here?」
The voices seemed to be a familiar elegant voice of a woman and an unfamiliar voice of a man.
「I am certain. She carried the tower master key for the Tower of Summoning. Also, someone saw a girl with silvery hair entering this tower last night. That means that she should have surely spent the night here.」
「However, could she have not left to go to a hotel after that?」
「It is not necessary to stay at a hotel because she has the tower master key. Everything is already here and because I clean every day, there shouldn’t be anything wrong.」
In addition to the woman’s voice from outside, there was another girl’s voice.
Mira realized that the noise was someone knocking on the door and a man and two women were calling to her. Mira opened the door to find out why the woman’s voice was vaguely familiar.
While rubbing away the remaining sleepiness away with the back of her hand, Mira confirmed the figure of the other party by looking up a little, 「What, Mariana and Litaria?」 She glanced at the two familiar people.
Mira stood up straight upon seeing a man wearing a military uniform with an armband embroidered with Arkite Kingdom heraldry on his right arm.
「You are……..?」
「Lady Mira! Just what clothes are you wearing!」
「You, please look the other way!」
Mariana stared stupefied at Mira who had just emerged from the door almost naked and revealed her captivating skin in front of the man’s eyes. At the same time, the maid with twintails that glittered like sapphires forcibly turned the man in military uniform away. He had been ogling Mira’s body which was visible from her thin clothes.
With a thud, the man prostrated and stared at the floor. While Litaria pushed Mira back into the room.
「What on earth was that!?」
Mira was set down on the leather sofa while Litraria closed the door. She was just forced to return to the room. With a perplexed feeling, Mira questioned Mariana why she was returned to the room.
「It is because of you. Even if this is the Wiseman’s Room, it is wrong to leave the room with such an appearance when there’s a visitor.」
While showing a little anger, Mariana admonished Mira’s clothes. Mira recalled what she was wearing and lowered her eyes. Her clothes were certainly the Celestial Maiden’s Raiment, nonetheless they could not be called anything but underclothes. In addition, she noticed that they were almost transparent. First of all, she usually dressed carefreely when she was in her own room and she only had a combat robe prepared as a change of clothes.
The Sage’s Robe she originally wore was meant for combat. And if someone was to ask her if she had any other robes there were comfortable to wear, her answer would be no. After all, those robes were meant to be worn outside and she didn’t intend to wear those in her private room.
「Unfortunately, I have no good clothes.」
「For now, at least cover your body with this. While your chest is almost nonexistent, there is a chance for you to be attacked by a ⓗⓞⓡⓝⓨ pervert.」
Mariana picked up a red and black robe from the sofa and dressed Mira.
Mira pulled out her head from the collar of the robe and noticed that the size of the robe did not match her at all. Even the tips of her fingers did not leave the sleeves. In fact, the collar width was just right for Danbalf, but for Mira, the collar was too wide and left a large opening across her chest. Although it was nothing compared to being naked, it was still a bewitching appearance nonetheless.
「It’s too big.」
「Because it is Lord Danbalf’s, it was unreasonable to expect that it would fit your size.」
Litaria unfastened her hair ornament which she had used to pin the neckline. The hair ornament had a red ribbon and Mira’s breasts were decorated in a girlish way.
「Stay still……」
It was her favorite design robe too. Mira dropped her shoulders having had her dignity fade away because of that one hair ornament.
「Miss Mira, is it true that you are an apprentice of Danbulf?」
While Mariana was straightening Mira’s collar, she stared intently into Mira’s eyes as if clinging to a thread of hope.
「Ah, yes it is like that. Mariana, I heard about you from my master.」
Mariana approached with a hanging breath. Her hair and eyes were the color of sapphire. Her size was similar to that of a human and she had a pair of wings like that of a butterfly. Her wings shook lightly as she approached. These wings were proof that she belonged to the fairy race, which kept their appearance as that of a human child even when they were grown up. They used their wings to catch atmospheric mana rather than wind to fly in the sky.
Mariana was the only one of the fairy race to be Danbulf’s aide.
「I’m glad to hear that. Oh, Lord Danbulf……..」
As she made an expression of relief, her eyes moistened and several tears trickled over her reddened cheeks as if to cool them down before falling.
Mira lost her composure seeing the girl suddenly start crying, and wanting to do something, almost unconsciously she extended her hand towards the girl’s cheek. But before touching the cheek, Mira understood the meaning of the girl’s tears, she retracted her hand and with no better idea what to do with it, put it on her own chin.
Mariana shed tears for Danbulf who had suddenly disappeared. Mira hesitated to touch Mariana because she had guilty feelings for deceiving Mariana.
Mira was touched by the tears and she thought of something to say to stop them. Let’s at least reveal the truth only to Mariana. However, she decided not to. How would it go if she explained it? Would she believe that Danbulf had become a girl? Would Mariana accept her? Wouldn’t she be shocked?
Although Mira had thought of her as only just an NPC up until now, Mariana had just cried for Mira’s sake and became a person with a sense of self, which was why Mira still didn’t know how to act towards her now.
The thoughts of the selfishness of not wanting to be rejected by a girl who adored herself fought with the desire to not cause anxiety to her. Then she swallowed those thoughts that had begun to appear and fell into silence. She chose to remain silent with a selfish excuse.
Mira stared silently at her hand hidden in the sleeve with miserable feelings. Litaria moved forward and gently wiped Mariana’s cheek while whispering, 「It’s okay.」
「I’m sorry. I’m fine now.」
Mariana breathed out to sort her feelings and settle her mind. It was then, a familiar sound reverberated indoors.
「Um, Miss Litaria, Miss Mariana. Is it alright already?」
After a while, the muffled voice of a man could be heard. The man in the military uniform that Mariana had forcibly turned around had regained his senses. He resumed to carry out the duty he had been given by the king.
「Yes, we will go after this.」
Litaria replied to the voice. She returned her gaze on Mira, the original purpose of their visit. The person in question had stretched out on the sofa and was currently shaking her sleeve.
「Going? What business do the kingdom’s soldiers have with me?」
「Yes, I reported to King Solomon about my meeting with Mira the other day. The person outside is a messenger that has come to guide you to the capital to meet the king..」
「Oh, is it Solomon……?」
King Solomon of the Arkite Kingdom. He was the player that founded this country. Furthermore, he was the person who had invited Danbulf to live in this country. As for Mira, he was one of the friends who he had a longer association with than Luminaria.
However, Litaria and Mariana could not know such a thing, so Mira’s attitude came off as disrespectful by calling King Solomon by his first name. However, it came from an adolescent who was stretching herself on the sofa, so it instead came off as a heartwarming feeling instead. In addition, Mira had used the same tone as Danbulf when saying those words, so it looked like a child imitating the parents. But Mira was not aware of any of this.
「Lady Luminaria as well, she has not yet left Lunatic Lake, I think it is possible to meet her after the meeting.」
「Hmm, is that so? If that’s the case, then I will go immediately.」
The possibility of Solomon being a player was as high as Luminaria. Mira realized this and decided to accept the summons. Soon after, she stood up from the sofa.
However, when she went towards the door, Litaria and Mariana stopped her.
「Please wait, Miss Mira.」
「Ugh, what did I do this time?」
「Although we put a robe on you, it doesn’t mean that you can go out as is.」
Litaria uttered these words and dragged her hand out of the sleeve. In other words, the current condition of the robe was not suitable.
「Miss Mira, please keep still. I will fix it immediately.」
Although it seemed to Mira that Litaria’s eyes sparkled suspiciously, she was soon captured without time to escape. After that Litaria joyfully pulled out a large quantity of ribbon out of nowhere and Mariana rolled up her sleeves.
Mira offered some resistance to the two’s pushing and prodding, but she was soon turned into their dress-up doll.
「The problem is her underwear.」
「Yes, that’s right.」
The two had just finished straightening out Mira’s appearance. Recalling Mira’s appearance when she came out with the Celestial Maiden’s Robe, they wondered what to do with it. At the same time, a chill traveled up Mira’s back, she had been turned into the maid’s dress-up doll. She did not want to think about what would become of her body.
At least for now, she had a robe covering her body. In the beginning, she was almost half-naked. She did not recall wearing any sort of underwear. In other words, Mira was without any bra or panties.
The two maids could not allow a girl in their presence to be in such a state.
Mariana pondered a little and then thought of something. “There was that. Please wait just a minute,” she said. She opened the door to the bathroom where Mira had charged in with a defiant attitude from last night.
After a while, Mariana returned with something in hand. Mira did not recognize the clothes on sight but she could see that they were made of white fabric. Nevertheless, she traced her memories feeling that she had seen something similar to this before.
「Mhm, this is just right. Well, Miss Mira.」
Litaria urged Mira to raise both her hands. Mariana forcibly made Mira wear it with an “Excuse me,” ignoring Mira’s will.
After Mira wore the clothing, she remembered what the shorts were. It was an undergarment frequently seen with the Gothic and Lolita style clothes.
「Why is such a thing in my………….no in my master’s room…….」
Somehow she squeezed out those words. She questioned how an item like that appeared in the first place.
Although she was sure that there were accessories classified as undergarments, Danbulf did not have such a hobby in collecting women’s undergarments before. She did not remember placing such a thing in this room either. Speaking of undergarments, she had collected the seven-colored loincloths from the River Ascent Festival.
「Lord Danbulf’s private room has a big and comfortable bathroom as expected.」
「Well it is certainly splendid……」
「It’s my1 spare clothes.」
「Is that so…….」
In that instant, Mira completely lost the will to resist. She hung her hand as she was turned into a complete dress-up doll.
Her robe was decorated with a lot of ribbons. The hem of her skirt was interwoven so that it flared up. On her sleeves, ribbons were coiled into bows. One look would make anyone mistake her appearance for a magical girl. Litaria and Mariana nodded to each other satisfied at their work. However, inversely proportional to their satisfaction, Mira’s expression stiffened as bitter smile was built upon bitter smiles.
「Well then Miss Mira, let’s go.」
「The messenger is waiting for you.」
「I want to change clothes.」
「He cannot wait any longer.」
「Although it was you who kept him waiting.」
「It is bad manners to have such an appearance.」
「While that may be true……」
Mira gave up the idea because she could not find the slightest hint to outsmart these two. She lowered her eyes and glanced at herself dressed in a robe like that of a magical girl.
「Then let’s go.」
Litaria led the way and opened the door. The man in the military uniform stood there in an upright posture just like when she first saw him. Though, his cheeks were slightly red.
After Mira left the private room while Mariana closed the door calmly. When the man saw Mira in a robe filled to the brim with ribbons, he was surprised at the change. He recalled in his mind Mira’s appearance not too long ago which had most of her body showing and felt a little excitement at that.
Mariana noticed this quickly and scowled silently at the man like a dragon. The man who was standing upright flinched somewhat and bowed while lightly clearing his throat and placing his right hand on his chest. This was the method of bowing for the army in the Arkite Kingdom. Mira’s expression cramped slightly at the same time.
That is to say, this military-style etiquette was conceived by Danbulf, Solomon, and Luminaria when they were thinking about how to get the perfect mood going and to lose some stress. This military salute was something everyone thought up together when they were elated after the Arkite Kingdom turned around the desperate situation and won the first war.
If it was a time of war, the atmosphere and feeling when all the soldiers were saluting together were spectacular, but if it was just for Mira, then she could not suppress her embarrassment.
「This is the first time I have met you, I am Garret Astor who serves the Arkite Kingdom as the Deputy Head of the tank corps.」
「I am Mira.」
「You are Lord Danbulf’s apprentice, Miss Mira I assume? I was ordered to deliver a message from the king to you.」
「Everything is already settled. Miss Mira has already agreed to go meet the king.」
「Ohh, is that so. Thank you very much. The carriage has been prepared in front, let us go at once.」
When the man said this, he regained his serious expression, Mira was guided to the carriage.
「See you soon, be careful on your journey.」
「Miss Mira, please allow me to hear about Lord Danbulf in the future if possible?」
「Hm—mm, well then. Let’s talk about it next time.」
「Thank you. I will be waiting.」
「Yes, later then.」
While Mira was climbing into the carriage, she waved farewell to the two. She then began to rack her brains on how to explain about Danbulf the next time they meet.
