Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

It all began that evening, after my conversation with Vice-san.

That evening—the very night I was finally free to come and go as I pleased—we were attending a victory party when, before we knew it, Milly-san had joined us… It seemed she had hit it off with Phirias-san… As the party progressed and everyone had had a few drinks, Captain Walter, out of consideration for us, had me, Milly-san, Phirias-san—one of the few women in the mercenary band—and the one woman accompanying her escorted away from the festivities to ensure we wouldn’t get caught up in the wild revelry.

With my right arm held by Milly-san and my left by Phirias-san, I walked along as if suspended in the air, completely at their mercy—I must have looked like an alien in one of those old photos. Before I knew it, I was led into the women’s changing room at the lodging we were staying at, and I only realized what was happening when the three people around me had already stripped down to their underwear.

It’s true that I’d gotten used to seeing my own body at the hot springs before, but that was only because it was my own. Even now, seeing another woman’s naked body felt like I was peeping, and I felt an intense sense of guilt. I hurriedly closed my eyes at the scandalous sight and tried to escape, saying I’d go in alone later…

.

“U-um, I can go in by myself, so maybe I’ll come back later after everyone else has finished… what do you think?”
“No way. It’d be a disaster if you tripped and hit your head. Your older brother specifically asked me to accompany you to make sure of that, Iris-chan, so just accept it.”

You set me up, Nii-sama!?
Phirias-san, now down to her underwear with her hair loose and flowing naturally… Seen like this, she looked like a refined young lady from a good family, but the way she was wriggling her hands and closing in on me completely ruined that image.

“Come on, come on, just give in, nya. We’d just let it slide if you still had your purification magic, nya, but since you can’t use it right now, as a fellow woman, I simply can’t overlook the fact that you haven’t taken a bath in three days, nya.”

Faced with Milly-san’s follow-up remark—now that she was already completely naked—I was at a loss for words… That was something I’d been worried about too. I’d been sleeping most of the past few days, and while I’d been wiping myself down with a damp towel, as a Japanese person who’s used to taking a bath every single day without fail, I was starting to feel a little gross, and the smell was bothering me too.

“I’ll do my very best to take care of your personal hygiene.”

Seeking salvation, I turned to the last person left… I saw a petite girl with black hair cut even with her shoulders—one of the mages I’d seen in the Second Squad during a previous battle—but she bowed her head, looking both ruthless and apologetic. However, she was already carrying a basket filled with hair and skincare products, her whole body declaring that she had no intention of letting me escape either.

I was surrounded by enemies.

In the blink of an eye, the simple dress I was wearing was yanked right off my torso. Outnumbered three to one—and with one of them being Phirias-san, whose physical abilities rivaled those of Rage-san and Sol-niisama—I was completely helpless. In the blink of an eye, even my underwear was stripped off, and I was dragged into the bathhouse. Before I knew it, I found myself seated in the washing area.

.

—How did it come to this…!?

.

A magical apparatus resembling three showers and a bathtub big enough for four or five people. In that space, which had the cozy atmosphere of a small public bathhouse, I stared blankly into the distance, trying to see nothing… But if I shifted my gaze even slightly, a vision of paradise would spread before me, so I desperately looked away. The sight of three beautiful women and girls—each with a different type of beauty—unashamedly baring their skin was far too stimulating, even for the “me 僕” from before I became me, despite my generally low sexual arousal.

“Aah! You’ve got split ends, nya…”

A pained cry escaped from Milly-san’s mouth behind me. She wasn’t washing her own hair… but mine. She was gently enveloping it with foam, one scoop at a time. She was being so meticulous that she’d been occupying the washing station for nearly twice as long as the others… which meant the split ends must be in my hair. If that was the case, I didn’t think she needed to sound quite so sad about it…

“Ah… it must have been rough, huh? Did it hurt? Lenny, could you trim the ends for her later…maybe tomorrow?”
“Yes, leave it to me, milady.”

Rough… Hearing those words, my thoughts drifted back to everything that had happened since I arrived here. Ever since I came here, it’s been one trouble after another, and just recently, I’d even gotten caught up in an explosion. So, naturally, it seemed my body was starting to show some signs of wear and tear—or rather…

“Umm, in that case, since it’s going to hinder me, could you just cut it short?”
“““No chance!”” Nya!”
“Eeh…?”

It was rejected unanimously. Even though it was my own hair, I didn’t have a say in the matter… Well, back when I was “him”… ahem, objectively speaking, if a girl with such beautiful long hair said she wanted to cut it short, I’d probably object too… It might have looked good in the game, but in this world that had become reality, this waist-length hair had often been quite a nuisance in daily life, so it was a shame…

“In that case, I’ll wash your feet. Please lift your foot a little… Yes, onto my lap. Please let me know if it tickles.”

Bored and lulled by the pleasant sensation of having someone wash me, I was just zoning out and going along with it. Behind me, Milly-san was carefully rinsing the lather from my long hair with lukewarm water cupped in her hands, making sure as much as possible didn’t run down onto my body.
Phirias-san was washing herself at the station next to me, but just a moment ago, Milly-san had been there, combing my hair. For some reason, it seemed they took turns.

As for my body, the black-haired girl I was with earlier—though she was older than I was now, she was probably younger than I was back when I was “him”…—Lenny-san was scrubbing me just as meticulously with her fingers and a soft cloth. Even though this was supposed to be my own body, when I tried to tell her I could do it myself, she sharply rebuked me, saying, “Please don’t take my job away,” and for some reason, she wouldn’t let me do anything on my own. I felt a sense of guilt about just passively receiving this service, but more than that, it felt incredibly good. The sensation of my skin—which for the past few days had only been lightly wiped with a damp cloth—being meticulously polished was so pleasant… Though not being allowed to do anything on the front of my body was quite the humiliation… It felt as if the grime that had built up over the past few days was being washed away…

Washed… away…

…………

……………………Mmm…

……Huh!? I almost blacked out for a second!

This was bad. It was so relaxing and felt so good, I was afraid this was going to ruin me. Or rather…

“……Um, Phirias-san?”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“……Uhh, Lenny-san? She’s, well……”
“Ah, hehe—how’s she? She’s good at washing, isn’t she? Feels good, right?”
“Y-yeah, really……”

She had been taking such good care of me ever since we got here. Her touch was gentle, with just the right amount of pressure—her delicate movements were like polishing a jewel as she cleaned every nook and cranny of my body. She carefully scraped away the waste that must have built up over the past few days since I couldn’t use purification magic, and as the just-right amount of lukewarm water washed over my cleansed skin, I felt such a sense of refreshment that every muscle in my body relaxed. I’m sure my face must have been slack with relaxation right then, but I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the warmth and comfort gently and deeply enveloping my entire body.

At my words, Lenny-san—who had been scrubbing between my toes with her slender fingers—blushed, smiled shyly, and gave a light bow, saying, “Thank you.”

“She has experience as my maid, you see. We’ve known each other since we were children, back before I became a mercenary. When our family home was lost, only she and Diaz, the butler, came along with us.”
“You were so demanding, milady, that I ended up getting better at it before I knew it.”
“What’s wrong with that? It proves to be a useful skill, doesn’t it?”

Her easygoing demeanor made me sense a bond of trust that went beyond words. I see. Come to think of it, I was told that Zeltis-san and Phirias-san were siblings who originally came from noble families. Since they had a maid, it was highly likely she was also a young lady from a fairly well-to-do family. But if that was the case, the way I was being treated—having everything related to my personal hygiene entrusted entirely to her—was just…

“How do I say it…mm…being treated like I’m a noble or a princess like this is embarrassing…”

In response to my offhand mutter.

““…Huh?””
“…Huh? What?”

Phirias-san and Lenny-san turned to look at me with expressions as if I’d caught them off guard… as if to say, “What on earth is this girl talking about?” Well, their demeanor was actually much gentler than that, but being stared at like that made me cringe.

“…Did I say something weird?”

Timidly, I looked up at them and asked if I’d done something rude.

“Weird, you say…”
“…I mean, Iris-chan, you’re not just a noble—you’re the genuine princess of this country. Right?”
“Yes. You are the Royal Highness Princess Irislea Nordglacier…aren’t you? It’s an honor to be able to serve you like this.”

Those words slipped past my brain, and several tens of seconds passed.

“……………………Huh?”

The only sound that slipped out of my lips was that confused tone.

.

.

The Jewel Princess, the princess of the Supernation of Magic—it’s true, that was the backstory given to me back in the game. But.

“I never would have thought… that it would be the same here, too.”
“Yeah… my head’s getting a little confused, nya.”

We, the transferred ones, clutched our heads. Could it really be that I officially held that position here as well? What on earth was going on?

“Captain had told us that your memories were muddled…so that was true. It’s well-known among the higher-ranking nobles that you’ve been missing for several years, and while your appearance remains the same, your race has changed—so something truly extraordinary must have happened during those missing years.”
“……My deepest condolences, Your Highness…… Please let me know if you ever have any trouble, no matter what.”

I felt a little overwhelmed by Lenny-san, who spoke with a quiet yet resolute air, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

“So, though I know it’s far too late for this, and even though she doesn’t quite fit to be a court lady, I’m entrusting Lenny to you from now on as the maid and attendant of Princess Irislea. Please make use of her as you see fit.”
“E-eeh!?”
“I mean, look—I understand the plan is to keep your real identity hidden for now, Iris-chan, but as long as we’re travelling with you, if your identity were to be revealed by some chance, we absolutely cannot risk even the slightest rumor that you were treated poorly. Even if we’re doing this under the pretext of protecting you, we have to maintain a minimum level of decorum. I’ll have her serve as your escort as much as your schedule allows, too. And above all, we can’t very well leave you alone in a household full of men, can we?”

Given my official position, if anything were to happen, it would become a major scandal. If it came down to it, everyone could be executed… just thinking about that…

“W-well, that’s true, but…”
“Don’t worry, she’s already agreed to it, and she’s actually looking forward to it.”
“Yes, to be able to serve you again… This time, I’ll serve you with all my heart and soul, Your Highness.”

…Wait, did she just say “again”? Something about that stuck in my mind, but I couldn’t very well refuse her when she was looking at me with such a serious expression.

“W-well, then… Please don’t push yourself too hard, and I’ll count on you… okay?”
“Yes, I understand.”

Seeing the obvious joy in her otherwise composed expression, I couldn’t bring myself to press the matter further.

.

.

“By the way, I’m a little unsure about how to interact with you. Would you prefer I treat you as Your Highness, or as Iris-chan?”
“Um, if possible, the latter… Being treated like a princess is a bit…”

I answered Phirias-san’s question reflexively. Since my memories are those of an ordinary commoner, at the very least, being treated like a princess would probably wear me down mentally.

“Hmm, got it. Nice to meet you, Iris-chan. I’m going to rinse the soap off, so close your eyes, okay?”
“Y-yes, likewise… hbf.”

With a splash, the remaining hot water was washed off my body. As I shook my head vigorously to fling the water off, Milly-san quickly and gently squeezed the moisture from my wet hair, pulled it up into a bun, and immediately wrapped a cloth around it.

Now that my whole body was finally washed, I peered into the mirror again. Reflected there was my lovely figure, having regained the radiance that had faded during my few days bedridden… Had I lost a little weight? Even when I pinched my stomach, it felt even thinner than before. I was naturally too thin to begin with—I really needed to try a little harder to eat, didn’t I…?

“It looks like the dark circles have finally disappeared. I’m glad you’re back to your old self and in good health.”
“I’m not quite back to my usual self yet, though… I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.”

As Phirias-san said, placing a hand on my shoulder from behind as she peered into the mirror, the pitiful dark circles that had surrounded my eyes due to my weakness over the past few days had completely vanished. Looking at it this way, it seemed I’d fully recovered outwardly.

“All right, then, Iris-chan, I’m going to carry you to the bath. Oh, and Lenny, thanks for your hard work. I’ll take over from here, so go wash up thoroughly and then come over here.”
“Yes, I’ll take you up on that.”
“Uh, well, it’s not that far, I can manage on my own… Whoa!?”

Before I knew it, I was effortlessly picked up. I kicked my legs in surprise, but—perhaps due to the difference in our physical abilities—she didn’t waver one bit.

“No way. I can’t let a girl with a disability who doesn’t even have a cane walk on a wet, slippery floor. It’d be terrible if you fell. Just let your big sister handle it.”
“Ugh…”

I was carried briskly to the bathtub. Come to think of it, ever since I entered the changing room, I hadn’t even walked on my own two feet—I’d been completely taken care of. Ignoring my inner conflict, Phirias, who had already dipped just her feet into the tub, gently dipped only my toes into the water.

“…How’s that? Is it too hot?”
“It’s okay…I think.”

For someone used to hot Japanese baths, this felt a little on the lukewarm side. I preferred it as hot as that hot spring the other day, though…

“Okay, then I’ll lower you in.”

Slowly, slowly, she lowered me into the tub while keeping a close eye on me. And just as the water reached a little below my shoulders, I finally voiced the question that had been on my mind this whole time.

“…Why am I being held on your lap!?”

That’s right—Phirias-san, who had come into the tub with me to help me get in, had for some reason wrapped me completely in her arm. The sensation of our naked bodies pressed together as closely as possible. Feeling that firm yet soft touch against my sensitive back, I blushed bright red and cried out.

“It’s fine, isn’t it? We’re both women, it’s not like we’re going to lose anything. Besides, you’re so small, you’d probably sink if I let you go.”

I choked on my words, “Ugh.” It was true—this tub was a bit deep for my body, and with my current limited mobility, I felt like I might sink if I let my guard down for even a moment… She had a point. Ashamed that I’d doubted her concern, I reluctantly backed down.

“Ah… it’s just the right size and feels amazing to hold… The skin is so fine and smooth, with great firmness—it feels incredible to the touch… Being young is so great.”
“I get it, I totally get it, nya… Once you’ve had your fill, let me take a turn, nya.”
“Ah, um, could you please let go after all!?”

I took back what I said. This was incredibly self-serving of her, wasn’t it!?
As the two of them seemed to hit it off—and I panicked at the thought of them taking turns hugging me if this kept up—they completely ignored my panic, and Phirias hugged me tightly from behind, pressing her body against mine…… Her chest, her chest!?

…Her chest.

My gaze was drawn to Milly’s chest. Though she was slender, her bust was also voluptuous, and its overwhelming presence assaulted my senses.

I lowered my gaze to my own chest. …It was plain, wasn’t it? At best, a gentle rolling hill, I suppose.

“Is something wrong?”

I looked over at Lenny-san, who had finally finished washing herself and stepped out of the tub, glancing at me with concern as I stood frozen in place. She was petite… though she was probably taller than me, she was still the closest to my height among us here… and in that area, I suppose you’d call it “transistor glamour”—two distinct peaks were firmly asserting themselves.

“U-um, why are you glaring at me with teary eyes like that? Did I do something wrong…?”

Seeing her ask me that with a look of fear on her face, I snapped back to my senses… I-I don’t care, I really don’t care at all!

“Well, look, you don’t have to be so pessimistic. I think Iris-chan still has plenty of room to grow. Even in that portrait of your mother I saw before, she was a little more… just a little more…”

Phirias’s voice trailed off… Why did she stop talking right there!? It was true—the “Mom” in my memory did look very young!

……No, let’s calm down. For someone like me, whose memories of men are stronger, it was definitely easier if she was on the smaller side. There was no need to feel pessimistic by comparing myself to others. If I thought about it calmly, there really wasn’t.

“……W-well, it’ll work out somehow.”
“I told you I’m not worried about it!?”

My scream—as I welled up with tears under her sympathetic gaze—echoed throughout the bathroom…

***

The stories related to the “Jewel Princess” that have come up several times so far have finally reached her ears.
I don’t think I’ll treat her quite so much like a princess… probably.

As an aside, regarding why Iris’s name was so long this time: in this world, the royal family of Nordglacier—being a magical nation—has a custom where the word representing the element associated with the person is appended to the end of their name, based on the incantations used in the story.

Iris“Lea (Light)”
Aureo“Lius (Realm)”
Her older brother, who didn’t appear this time, would be Sol“Ques (Thunder).”

Mab:

If anyone can tell me what language this is derived from, I’d be real grateful.