Chapter 75 - A Friend’s Visit
The sky was an endless blue, with fluffy clouds drifting lazily in the wind. Ah, another beautiful day. No reports of anomalies from the Demonic Forest, and time passed peacefully... For someone like me, who wishes for tranquility in the frontier, this was the ideal scene. A scene that made me genuinely happy. Sure, there was a faint shadow of unease lingering in the background, but I could easily ignore that. Ah, it’s fine.
There was a reason I was indulging in this escapism.
“Friend~ Help me~ Please~ Do something~”
A pitiful... thin cry echoed through the entrance of the Fortress. I was subjected to the lukewarm gazes of the Guerilla Unit’s hunters and the curious stares of the widows working as communicators.
It all started when My Friend arrived at the Fortress in a luxurious carriage from the high comital house. The moment the carriage door opened, he tumbled out and ran toward me. Sure, I could recognize him, but his appearance was “unbecoming.” His clothes were disheveled, his hair a tangled mess, and his face flushed red with a mix of shame and despair. He clung to me, desperately pleading for help. To anyone watching, this didn’t look like My Friend.
Without a doubt, he looked like a woman who had just been attacked.
A young woman running up to me and clinging to me—it was a scene so surreal I couldn’t believe it was happening. Neither in this life nor my past one had I ever experienced something like this. I was frozen. No, I was truly at a loss. The woman clinging to me was strikingly beautiful. If she were dressed up and in the royal palace, she could easily pass for the daughter of some high-ranking noble. In terms of beauty alone, she was on par with the most stunning women I’d seen during my time at the Magic Academy.
Her behavior was far from what you’d expect of a noblewoman, but... I knew I had to find out what had happened.
“Wait a moment. Don’t you think such unseemly behavior is unbecoming of a lady?”
“Friend! What are you talking about? It’s me, me!! I think I accidentally overdosed on potions, and now my body’s confused about its original gender!”
“???”
“No, look... If I just blended in as a person, someone who knows me might recognize me, right? So, I used a Gender Swap Potion...”
Is this... My Friend? Is this really him?
I was stunned. Truly stunned. Knowing his antics from our time in the Alchemy Tower, I honestly couldn’t rule out the possibility that he’d do something like this. He’s a genius when it comes to magic and alchemy, but his lack of restraint had led to countless reckless stunts. This time, though, he’s outdone himself.
Why on earth would he need to chug multiple “Gender Swap Potions” to the point where his body forgot its original gender? And not just any potion—one that’s classified as highly forbidden. It’s baffling. Without thinking, my deepest feelings spilled out as words.
“......You’re an idiot, aren’t you?”
“Huh?! What did you say?!”
“That’s a highly forbidden potion. Just possessing it is enough to brand you a criminal, you know? From what I remember, it’s a potion created by encoding the [Metamorphosis] magic into runes. And you overdosed on it? You... Where did you even get it?”
“......Ah~ I made it. I learned potion-making in the Alchemy Tower, and it wasn’t that hard. After all, I’m a genius!”
“No, you’re just a fool. Haaa, whatever. We’ll talk details in the office. And stop clinging to me like that—let go. This is way too embarrassing. Look, the entire Fortress is staring at us. A young lady in disarray clinging to me... How much do you plan to ruin my reputation?!”
“W-Well, what else was I supposed to do? I was using the potion to stay male until just before I got here, but as soon as I arrived, the effects wore off, and the gender reversal kicked in. My height shrunk, my clothes are all men’s wear and don’t fit at all, so of course everything’s slipping off. I had no choice...”
My Friend hung his head in shame but still refused to let go of me. His attendants came running from the carriage with something like a blanket, and whispers of speculation filled the air.
It wasn’t hard to imagine the kind of rumors that would start spreading.
It could easily be misinterpreted as a situation where a woman I’d been “intimate” with during my time at the Magic Academy had grown tired of waiting for me to come for her and resorted to drastic measures. Or perhaps she’d been attacked on the way, barely escaping with her life and virtue intact before seeking refuge here. ...I hated this. I shook him off and handed him over to his attendants, then asked one of the female communicators to prepare the office. I also requested that they help him tidy up his appearance.
“I’m sorry, but could you get him something to wear? That look is just... Once he’s ready, please bring him to the office. Ah… that’s My Friend, and he’s male. Despite appearances, he’s the second son of a high count’s family. ...Despite appearances. Sorry, could you handle this?”
“Of course, young master. ...He doesn’t look male, but should we prepare men’s clothing? Or should we dress him to match his current appearance...? Would that be alright?”
“Either is fine, as long as it’s better than what he’s wearing now. Please consult with his attendants and take care of it.”
“Understood. Yes, yes, please wait in the office.”
She gave me a warm smile and led My Friend and his attendants toward the women’s quarters. I let out a deep sigh and trudged back to the office. On the way, I noticed the leader of the first shooter party standing there with an unreadable expression. Ah, right, they were on a routine patrol mission. A report, perhaps? The patrol area was the unexplored western shallow region of the Demonic Forest. She’d set out with high spirits, but now she seemed down. What happened?
“Did something go wrong?”
“No, nothing, Sir...”
“Huh? Nothing, or something?”
“Ah, nothing. Just... th-the report...”
“Let’s discuss it in the office. I’m familiar with the general scouting route. Tell me what you observed.”
“Yes, Sir...”
We entered the office and sat down at the desk. She began her report. In the western Shallow Forest, the population of magical beasts was below average, and the threat level was low. There was no sign of abnormal reproduction. The ecosystem was stable, and no uncontrollably aggressive magical beasts had been spotted. This indicated that the hunting quotas set by the Hunter Guild were being strictly adhered to, alleviating concerns about the forest’s ecosystem. Currently, there was no risk of a population explosion or rampage in the western Shallow Forest.
“Good. The eastern Shallow Forest was a disaster, but it’s reassuring to hear the western side is relatively stable. Good work on the patrol.”
“Ah, thank you, Sir. Uh-uhm... Commander...”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Th-that woman earlier... who was she? She seemed very familiar with you...”
“They’re My Friend from the Magic Academy. Like me, they studied in the Alchemy Tower. They’re a high-ranking noble and, in a sense, a genius.”
“A... genius...?”
“Yes, especially when it comes to runes, magitech tools, and alchemy. I don’t know anyone who surpasses them in those fields. Their knowledge is vast, and the wisdom they derive from it is astounding. When it comes to creating civilian-use magitech tools, they stand head and shoulders above even the brightest minds in the Royal Palace Magitech Academy.”
As I said this to the first shooter party leader, a voice came from behind the open office door. It was unusually cheerful, and I couldn’t hide my surprise. The speaker was, of course, my now properly dressed Friend.
Comments
Post a Comment