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The Rock Lizard Inn was a closed traditional hot spring inn. Since there were plenty of rooms, the members of the Golden Helmet usually had one room each. However, there was a need to vacate the rooms now to accommodate people who had suffered flooding.

So, Tim, who had few personal belongings, temporarily moved to Wein’s room, and Lucella, who also had only a change of clothes in her room, ended up staying in Viola’s room.

Cleaning and repairing the kitchen took until night, and finally, Lucella packed her things and knocked on Viola’s room door.

“Who’s there?”
“It’s me.”
“Oh, Lucella. You can come in.”

As Lucella opened the door, a mild evening breeze blew through.

Viola sat with her legs crossed. Commonly regarded as an ‘unseemly sitting posture,’ but with a firm axis of her body and an extended spine, she exuded a sense of good upbringing and refinement.

Her figure exhibited feminine curves, yet just like a steel sword that had been heated and forged repeatedly, you could perceive the density of nutrient intake and consumption. Upon closer inspection, it seemed like her abdominal muscles were defined.

However, it was hard to call her unrefined. Her exposed thighs had a soft resilience to them. The line from her nape, shoulders, arms to fingertips presented an impeccable and delicate silhouette. The faintly glistening sweat adorned her skin with a charming radiance.

She wore attire befitting an adventurer… or should it be called armor? The pure white short undergarments, resembling spats, appeared simple at first glance, but in reality, they were an exceptional item with notable defense capabilities and a significant price tag. Undergarments protecting the vital parts of a first-class adventurer would never be common items.

The cloth covering her chest was also of the same white fabric. Yet, though her chest had some roundness to it, it was hard to call it a bulge.

In essence, Viola was in her underwear.

“……I’m sorry!!”

Lucella, who had been frozen in place, snapped back to reality and quickly turned on her heel, closing the door.

“D-Di-di-didn’t you say I could come in?”
“I did, so?”
“Ah, wh-”

The door that she thought was shut was opened by Viola, and without any chance to resist, Lucella was pulled into the room. It wasn’t a mistake. Viola was indeed in her underwear. By the way, she was wearing glasses for some reason.

“Why are you in your underwear…”
“Well, you see, the cooling system in the building is broken. If I wear proper clothes, I’ll end up getting steamed by morning.”

As Viola had mentioned, the air conditioning within the Rock Lizard Inn had indeed broken due to the flooding’s impact. The technicians capable of repairing it were busily occupied with the higher-priority task of restoring essential infrastructure, and their attention hadn’t reached such places yet.

Summer in Setulev was humid. Even after the sunset, it remained hot.

In one corner of the room, there was a bucket, containing a chunk of ice seemingly conjured by Viola’s magic. This alone offered some relief from the heat, but still, it was hot.

Lucella was resistant to heat and flames, so she managed to endure under the scorching sun with only a bit of discomfort. However, no matter how elite an adventurer with superhuman capabilities might be, ordinary people still suffered from exhaustion due to the heat.

Yes, that’s why it was understandable to wear lighter clothing to cope with the heat. The issue was a different matter.

“….And even Monica.”

In the room, along with Viola, Monica was also present, and naturally, she was in her underwear. To put it bluntly, Monica had a childlike physique, and when dressed lightly, she appeared even younger than her age.

With slender arms and legs, comparing her to Viola made her seem frail and delicate. This was likely a result of her life experiences so far. She hadn’t been motivated to live properly, hadn’t engaged in meaningful physical activity, and had barely consumed proper food, as it was said.

Still, her perceptive eyes saw through ill intentions sharply, and she asserted herself with her flat chest held high.

Viola had neatly trimmed her beautiful blonde hair so as not to hinder her adventuring, but Monica’s long golden hair shone like a halo.

Monica was wearing a slip, a one-piece undergarment that exposed her shoulders broadly and was suspended by shoulder straps. The thin fabric resembled the dawn sky, faintly purple, and sparkled as if studded with stars.

…There was supposed to be something worn underneath, but it was barely visible, unintentionally carrying a hint of suggestiveness.

“Surprised? In that Prison Mansion, I’ve even walked around naked at times. I got bored quickly, though. It was just amusing that nobody could say anything. Things like proper behavior and etiquette are for people who have a position to uphold. I don’t need that.”
“Well, um, it’s not about that.”

Monica’s somewhat defiant explanation missed the mark in Lucella’s perspective.

“Is it okay to be dressed like that in front of me?” Lucella asked.
“Why not? We’re both girls.”
“Don’t you know what I originally am?!”

Her outburst was almost a scream.

Despite playing the role of a beautiful girl due to a series of unusual circumstances, Lucella was originally an adult man. According to the common sense Lucella knew, it should be considered embarrassing for a woman to be seen naked or in revealing attire by a man.

Thinking that Viola might have forgotten, Lucella pointed this out, but Viola seemed nonchalant.

“But you’re a girl now.”
“Ugh, mgggh…”

Viola’s words weren’t necessarily wrong, but something about her response felt fatally off in terms of argument.

“Oh, right, that. I was surprised to hear that you used to be an adult and a man, especially considering you didn’t give off that vibe at all,” Monica chimed in.

“Exactly. Lucella’s aura is that of an ‘indeterminate child,’ not even giving a sense of gender. This is speculative, but maybe Lucella was like that from the beginning? Perhaps you just managed to pass off as an adult man due to your appearance.”

Of all people, even Monica seemed perfectly composed despite knowing the situation. Lucella felt like her sense of human dignity had been slightly wounded.

“You decided to become Ms. Kafal’s ‘daughter,’ right? So, you have to get used to being a girl.”
“Ugh…”
“Which means, you should join us. Just watching you makes me feel overheated.”
“Waahhhh!”

Despite being dressed appropriately for summer, Lucella’s clothes were swiftly removed.

Incidentally, Lucella was now in a tank top and shorts. While it was her own attire, the awkwardly cute yet unfashionable style exuded an enigmatic danger.

Viola picked up the pouch for her waist belt that she had thrown onto the bed and, as if performing magic, took out three chilled bottles of drink from it. The bottles were frosty, and condensation formed on them almost immediately.

Items stored in a pocket dimension through storage magic typically retained their original state. Soup could be carried while hot, and ice could be transported without melting. Keeping drinks cool in this manner was indeed possible, albeit a rather luxurious use.

Viola poured the chilled drink into mythril-silver cups (Of course, poison-testing utensils) and handed them to the two.

“Cheers!”

Ringing the cups together, Lucella downed the contents.

No matter how resistant Lucella’s body was to heat, on a muggy and uncomfortable night, a cold drink felt like a heavenly blessing. It was refreshingly sweet, with the taste of an unfamiliar fruit.

“Speaking of which… Is it really okay for Monica to live here?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I was planning to mention it, but the conversation got sidetracked. …Baron Keeling, who’s the city lord of Kugutfulm, suggested that Monica be treated as a ‘guest,’ but I declined.”
“So, you don’t trust him?”
“Yes. The baron is ultimately a vassal of Grandfather, the duke’s house. He can’t oppose them if he is told something. And when it comes to Monica, I don’t trust the family.”

Viola’s words were quiet, not intense, yet they felt heavy enough to be unmoved even by the strength of a dragon.

Monica’s tragic life was partly due to being abandoned by her maternal side, the Duke Foster Household. They might think it didn’t matter what became of an illegitimate child who had tarnished their family name with shame… and while it was understandable from their perspective, Monica herself was without fault.

Viola seemed to maintain a relatively good relationship with the Ducal family, but it appeared she held her own considerations separate from that.

“When it comes to this matter, I’ll push for my own way. As compensation for saving the country, it’s a small price.”

The battle that had defeated Marquis Angus’ forces was already known throughout the nation. People also knew what ‘Francesca’ had done in the process. Therefore, if the Duke Foster Household were to oppose ‘Francesca’ now, regardless of the details, the public would side with ‘Francesca’ and condemn the Ducal family.

Viola was likely well aware of this. She had a relaxed smile on her face.

“….ank…you……”

Monica’s murmured words of gratitude seemed crushed, as if she wasn’t quite accustomed to the weight of happiness.

“So, that’s the plan! Tonight, we’ll have a modest welcoming party for Monica. Let’s enjoy some snacks and play games until midnight. I might even have a drink or two.”

Many lodgings provided games for their guests.

Even in the Rock Lizard Inn, remnants of the time it was in operation existed. Boxes that had escaped the flooding were now stacked in the corner of Viola’s room. Viola casually brought them over and arranged them on the bed.

“Which one should we start with?”
“Anything is fine. It’s all new to me.”
“Then how about letting Lucella decide?”
“Well… in that case, how about The City of Gold Coins?”

For now, Lucella chose a game she was familiar with. It was a board game where players went around a square map, aiming to become real estate moguls.

Viola’s glasses gleamed.

“Very well. Brace yourselves, because I’ll strip you both of everything you have.”
“We’re already one step away from being naked.”
“Then, as a punishment game, the loser will take that final step.”
“I’ll stop you even if I have to use force!!”

To sum up the events that followed succinctly, Viola, who seemed to have terrible luck with dice, ended up in last place and, under the influence of alcohol, undressed spontaneously. Her glasses were the only thing she kept on.