Chapter 294: Guests from the Abyss Continent
After stopping by Losgow Village and receiving Sarah-chan’s parents’ blessing for our marriage, we decided to spend the night at a hot spring inn, enjoying a quiet evening together.
As I got out of the large bed, it creaked a little.
Drawing open the curtains, I saw that the sun was already up.
「Takeru, are you leaving already?」
「Yes, that’s the plan. Aren’t you coming back with me, Sarah-chan?」
Still lying on the bed where last night’s memories lingered, Sarah-chan gave a slightly mature smile.
「Well, you go on ahead. I’ll stay a bit longer and get some work done.」
「I see. I’ll send someone to pick you up then…」
Sarah-chan smoothly slid out of bed, reached up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me. Her satisfied smile and sultry expression were unmistakably those of a grown woman.
Maybe it’s just my perspective, but she seemed like a different person from last night. Part of me wanted to stay another night, but since last night was her first time, I thought it better to give her some time. In times like these, it’s best to take things slowly.
「Alright, see you later.」
「Take care, Takeru.」
She sounded like a new bride sending her husband off. In a way, she was, though she had her own responsibilities to keep her busy.
She was staying behind to wrap up work from her time as Losgow Village’s lord. I thought everything would be settled by now, but I guess not.
Losgow Village was her hometown, and she likely had many people she wanted to catch up with. Not wanting to interrupt, I decided to return to Silesie’s royal capital first.
Sarah-chan had mentioned that if we were to have a child, she’d eventually return to her family’s land in Aquitaine, and she was planning to bring her parents to her domain someday too.
When I stepped off the wyvern’s gondola in the palace courtyard, I noticed something different.
「Hasn’t the palace grown a bit bigger again?」
The construction of the Outer Leaf Palace was progressing steadily, but it wasn’t just there—part of the main palace had also been expanded.
The smooth, polished surfaces of the new stonework were unmistakably familiar. They weren’t crafted by human hands.
I could tell just by touching the stone’s surface that it had been conjured by magic. As I was inspecting it, Kaara suddenly appeared and reported to me.
「We added more rooms to accommodate the guests from the Abyss Continent.」
So, Kaara had swiftly expanded it with magic.
「It was needed, given how cramped it’s been.」
Recently, Cecily, the daughter of Sea Emperor Damons, had arrived from the Abyss Continent, along with three ladies-in-waiting from Abysspania. We had to quickly prepare rooms for them.
Meanwhile, human craftsmen were working diligently on the Outer Leaf Palace. Doesn’t instant construction by magic lower their motivation?
「They don’t seem discouraged.」
In fact, after seeing Kaara’s magic, the craftsmen were more determined than ever, saying, ‘We’ll show them the beauty of woodwork that magic can’t replicate!’ They’d begun crafting intricate lattice patterns on the columns and stair railings in the new pavilion area.
「Hm. Well, I’ll just let them do as they like.」
I’d prefer if the new Outer Leaf Palace kept its original, tranquil feel, but encouraging Silesie Kingdom’s architectural craftsmanship is important, so I decided to watch quietly.
Buildings may be built by magic, but only when top-level mages like Kaara are around. Maintaining and expanding the city will always rely on the craftsmen.
The royal budget allows them to be as imaginative as they like, and the artisans are likely eager to experiment. As I watched them work, a sweet smell of azuki bean paste wafted through the air.
「Break time, everyone!」
It looked like snack time. Colette and the others brought over a pot full of boiled azuki beans.
Azuki beans don’t taste good on their own, but add lots of sugar and a pinch of salt, and they’re delicious. In other words…
「Is this shiruko?」
「Yes, Master. You’ll be having some too, won’t you?」
Colette prepared the shiruko by ladling it into bowls and adding grilled mochi on top. It’s an easy recipe, so with my instructions, Colette made it perfectly.
「I’ll have some later. Serve it to everyone who’s been working hard first.」
A sweet treat after physical labor is ideal. Shiruko is a good choice.
The carpenters gathered, happily chatting as they ate the shiruko. Oddly enough, among them was a female knight with dark hair.
Where did Jill-san come from?
「Why are you eating shiruko with the carpenters, Jill-san?」
「Mmm… It’s amazing… More, please!」
Jill-san, beaming, eagerly asked for seconds without even addressing my question.
Well, Jill is my wife now, so she’s allowed here. But doesn’t she have work at the castle?
「This is just like when Jill-san ate everyone else’s food last time…」
「Master, no worries. I made a separate large pot just for her.」
Colette’s foresight was impressive.
「Mmm… mmm…」
Jill-san was devouring her shiruko with intense focus. She seemed determined to finish the entire pot, which had even the carpenters watching in awe.
I wondered how she stayed so slim despite her sweet tooth, but as head of the palace guard, Jill-san’s daily training is intense. She can afford to indulge.
「Well, I guess it’s fine.」
「Master, should we offer some shiruko to the guests from the Abyss Continent as well?」
「I’ll bring it to them.」
「I’ll prepare a tray with your portion too.」
Colette was always thoughtful. I’d been meaning to check on Cecily and the others, and bringing them shiruko would make a good excuse.
With the tray in hand, I went from the terrace into the inner quarters, heading toward the new addition.
「Not a bad room.」
There was no door at the entrance—an unfortunate flaw of a rushed job—but it couldn’t be helped. We’d used some extravagant furnishings seized from the Castilia Kingdom to decorate it well.
The carpet laid out over the stone floor and the room’s decor would be more than sufficient to welcome guests from other nations.
「It’s Sawatari Takeru. May I come in?」
「Yes, please do.」
The voice answering was from Miya-san, one of the court ladies from Abysspania.
Since it was a ladies’ room, I made sure to call out before entering. I’d already learned from experience that barging in without notice could lead to…awkward situations. I wouldn’t repeat that mistake—no, I was a responsible hero.
「…Why are you all changing?」
I could’ve sworn I called out. And yet, there they were, the three court ladies—Miya-san, with her golden hair; Meya-san, with her blue; and Neya-san, with her black—mid-change.
Colorful women’s lingerie was scattered across the bed. Apparently, they were trying things on.
「Welcome.」
「We just got these in town, and Silesie has so many lovely things!」
「What color do you like, Hero-sama?」
All three women were statuesque with slender, model-like figures. They each had that dignified aura that befits a court lady, with skin as pale as snow. But with the uniforms off, their individuality was far more noticeable. Miya-san, the leader, had an elegant, well-balanced figure; Meya-san’s form was sharp and lean; and Neya-san had a soft, feminine fullness.
Miya-san and Meya-san wore adorable yet classic lingerie. Miya-san’s was yellow, matching her golden hair, and Meya-san’s was blue. Oddly enough, Neya-san’s red choice clashed with her black hair, complete with lace and garter belt—perhaps a personal preference?
Red, blue, and yellow, like a traffic signal. I found myself frozen, tray of shiruko still in hand.
There were no screams or embarrassed glances—they just carried on chatting with me, completely unfazed.
「These underwear are amazing. They fit like they’ll suck you in.」
Miya-san said, tugging at her panties with a cute ribbon at the waist. She snapped the elastic with a little ‘pop.’
Yeah, that really was impressive.
While natural rubber hadn’t been discovered in this harsh fantasy world, Silesie’s high-end lingerie used special elastic made from a demon beast’s skin melted down and solidified—a stretchy material created by Founding King Renz, who’d poured his passion into women’s lingerie design.
It was close to a synthetic resin. I’d been impressed the first time I saw it too, though I wondered why it was only used for this.
Hold on! Now’s not the time to be admiring Miya-san’s underwear.
「Let me know when you’re done changing!」
Realizing I was out of line, I quickly excused myself.
「Oh dear. Shall we finish getting dressed?」
Miya-san’s voice floated from inside.
「Even though we’ve bathed together, Hero-sama has such a modest reaction. Isn’t he a seasoned adventurer?」
「I think it just means he’s a gentleman.」
The sounds of them finishing their change filled the room. I could hardly stand it.
「I apologize, King General-sama…um, that is…I’m very sorry!」
「Oh, Cecily, you’re here too.」
Cecily had hurriedly come out to the hallway to speak to me. She held the hem of her delicate dress and bowed politely.
Seeing her, just fifteen years old and petite, I couldn’t help but feel relieved. Though her half-demon skin had a grey hue, her face was visibly flushed red.
I chuckled, wondering if she was embarrassed in place of Miya-san and the others, who didn’t seem the least bit fazed. As she bowed, her deep purple hair revealed small water buffalo-like horns peeking out.
「It’s really nothing, so don’t worry about it. Besides, I should’ve known better than to be surprised by something like underwear by now.」
Honestly, Cecily had no reason to be apologizing in the first place.
「You’re so mature, King General-sama…」
「Can we also drop the ‘King General’ thing? You’re guests here, so no need for formalities. Just call me Takeru.」
「In that case, Takeru-sama…would you like me to take that tray for you?」
「Oh, right. I brought this over for all of you. It’s called shiruko…well, the details don’t matter. It’s a sweet dish, best enjoyed warm.」
「Oh, I see, something to eat…oh, it looks like they’ve finished changing now.」
After Cecily peeked into the room and confirmed they were ready, I went back inside.
「Ehto, are those maid uniforms?」
The lingerie scattered across the bed had disappeared, and the three court ladies now wore red maid uniforms with white aprons, just like the maids here often did.
They looked great, but…why the maid outfits?
「Yes, we thought it might be time to lend a hand around here.」
「No, no, you don’t need to be doing maid work!」
Court ladies serving the queen of Abysspania were not the same as maids. With their high status and refinement, they were like high-ranking personal secretaries to the queen.
I had invited them as guests; it wouldn’t feel right to have them doing chores.
「But we’d grow idle if we stayed still all the time.」
Neya-san, the elegant black-haired one, pointed out.
「Hero-sama’s wives have many maidservants from among former slaves. I thought Hero-sama admires hard working women?」
Her observation wasn’t wrong. I do have a certain fondness for women who work diligently.
「It seems everyone is eager to make a good impression on Takeru-sama.」
Cecily commented, smiling amusedly.
「What do you mean by that?」
The three ladies answered in turn.
「As the Hero-sama who saved our nation, it’s only natural we’d want to please you!」
「We wish to repay the Hero-sama’s kindness in any small way we can.」
「Or, you know…maybe a marriage prospect…」
Neya-san’s words held a bit more playful intention, which actually made her seem more approachable than a typical dignified court lady. Now that I was speaking to them more informally, their personalities were coming through.
「Well, it could be a nice cultural exchange, after all. If you’d teach my maids the ways of an Abysspanian court lady, that would be helpful.」
Since they were offering, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask for their assistance.
「Right now, there’s still a shortage of experienced people to pass down the necessary skills.」
Though we had Prime Minister Nicola, who was also Lyle-sensei’s father, to uphold the castle’s traditions and etiquette, he couldn’t teach the inward-facing tasks expected of court ladies.
I wasn’t much for strict formality, but with increasing diplomatic exchanges, the staff would need at least some basic etiquette training.
「Understood!」
「Leave it to us!」
「We’ll make sure to train them as proper ladies worthy of royal service!」
I was a bit startled to see Neya-san pull a long ruler smoothly from her skirt. I couldn’t help but add, ‘Go easy on them, please.’
Apparently, hiding tools within one’s dress was also a skill of an Abysspanian court lady. They’d probably get along well with our ninjas.
「Well, for now, let’s relax and chat over some shiruko.」
From the look of things, I didn’t need to worry about them adjusting to the unfamiliar palace quarters. And the stone room Kaara had prepared seemed comfortable enough.
「So, this is shiruko.」
「It’s incredibly sweet.」
「Oh wow, it’s so stretchy and sticks to the spoon!」
「That’s mochi.」
Cecily and the three court ladies seemed taken aback by the sweetness of the shiruko and the gooey texture of the mochi.
「What do you think, Cecily?」
「Yes, it’s sweet and delicious. I like it.」
「Good to hear. There’s plenty more if you’d like seconds. Eating shiruko can make you crave something to drink too, doesn’t it?」
As I mentioned that, Miya-san stood up. ‘In that case.’ she said, and with a flourish, lifted her skirt, revealing a large teapot that slid gracefully into her hand.
「Me too! Take that!」
Miya-san’s skirt released a stream of teacups that tumbled out one after the other.
「What kind of magic trick is this?」
I couldn’t help but laugh.
「We just wanted to show that we can carry tools around too, not just Neya.」
Miya-san laughed sheepishly.
「I see.」
It was a strange sense of rivalry, but also a playful display. Where they managed to fit a teapot and teacups, I couldn’t begin to imagine—but there was hardly any reason to store them in their skirts in the first place.
And just as I thought this, it struck me… They’re doing it just for tea? Guess that makes it ‘tea-sy’. No, that’s a terrible pun; better keep it to myself.
Also, all three accidentally flashed their underwear while pulling everything out. Probably best not to try this trick in public.
「Alright, alright, you two. Don’t get carried away. Hero-sama, I’ll go and make you some tea right away.」
Neya-san said, scooping up the empty shiruko bowls, the fallen teapot, and teacups onto a tray before stepping out smoothly.
Miya-san and Meya-san scrambled after her.
「Oh, let me come too!」
「That’s our first task here.」
Cecily called, hurrying along with a sense of anticipation.
And then, just like that, Cecily and I were left alone.
「Have you settled into the castle life, Cecily?」
「Yes, everyone has been so kind to me.」
「That’s good to hear. If anything’s inconvenient, don’t hesitate to let me know.」
「Inconvenient? Not at all… In fact, I feel much more at peace here than when I was in Times Square.」
As she sank into the sofa, a wistful look crossed her face, as if she were remembering something.
「I’ve heard a little about it from Damons. You went through a lot, didn’t you?」
Though Cecily was of noble demonic lineage, her human blood put her family in a delicate position in Times. In the midst of the war between demons and humans, they weren’t among those who’d be protected.
If we hadn’t sent soldiers to rescue them before the conflict, they might have been taken hostage as the rebels’ family or lost their lives in the chaos of war.
「My father as well… it feels like a miracle that my mother and I are even alive today. How could I ever repay the debt I owe you, Takeru-sama?」
「You, Damons, all of you… it’s a strange fate that brought us together. But now that you’ve made it here, I want you to feel safe. I’ll make sure to protect you.」
As a father of children who are also half-demon, her story felt far too close to home. The future of Damons’ family is the future of my own as well.
「Thank you. I… I’d like to stay by your side forever, Takeru-sama…」
Without thinking, I took her trembling hand in mine, and it seemed to lift her spirits. She smiled, bright and carefree again, though a little bashful. She was young, after all, and if she felt anxious, it was up to me to give her courage.
「Cecily, you don’t have to stay here forever. It may take some time, but I promise to make the Abyss continent a land where you and others like you can live comfortably.」
「Takeru-sama, I’m sure you’ll make such a dream come true.」
「I won’t be the one creating the future alone. You’re the Sea Emperor Damons’ daughter, aren’t you? If you want to repay your debt to me, I hope you’ll help me one day.」
I’d do everything I could to support her, but Cecily needed to find her own strength too.
「Understood. I’ve already devoted myself to you, Takeru-sama. Please use me however you see fit.」
Her voice shook as she clung to me, eyes closed, lifting her face. It was as if she was waiting for a kiss.
Areh, is this conversation going off track…?
「Well now, when did you two get so close?」
「Hero-sama, we’re older, you know. If you’re going to give attention, keep us in line too!」
「Princess Cecily, you’re quite a handful…」
The three court ladies had returned with tea, now bustling and excitedly watching Cecily and me.
「Hey, that’s not what this is at all! I said, it’s not like that!」
But then Miya-san and the others all crowded around, giving me playful embraces. How did it turn out like this?
「Ano, Takeru-sama… shall we have some tea?」
「Yeah, let’s do that.」
With that, the four of us shared the tea that Miya-san and the others had brewed. At least it seemed like our four visitors from the Abyss continent were finally feeling at home here.