CHAPTER 158
By the time I finished my conversations with the 1st Princess and Vanessa, the sun had already set. I decided to visit the Regular Army tomorrow and head to bed.
Aigis was always guarding my room. With Aranseol, Babiyen, and Iox also staying here, this mansion was one of the safest places in the entire empire.
‘And I’m getting pretty strong myself now.’
Maybe it’s about time I started feeling a little proud of myself. I might not be on the level of a Lord, but my recent achievements have been nothing to sneeze at. I’m at a stage where I don’t need to be protected anymore. I’ve become quite capable of standing on my own. I feel like I’m starting to develop the dignity of a true powerhouse.
“Harua.”
A voice from inside the room startled me, and I shot up. When I lifted my head, Aranseol was there, dressed in comfortable clothes for sleeping.
“Aranseol? When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
What? I didn’t sense her presence at all. I had trained diligently in sensing presences; it was an essential skill for surviving life-or-death battles. But I hadn’t felt Aranseol’s presence in the slightest.
“It’s a footwork technique called Ghost Step, used by the second Sword Lord.”
Aranseol said with a grin.
“I thought your room, guarded by Lady Aigis, would be good practice.”
Don’t use a Lord as your practice partner. What if Aigis mistakes you for an intruder and cuts you down?
‘Then again, Aranseol is probably beyond the level where that could happen.’
Honestly, Aranseol had been growing at a remarkable rate these past few days.
“You’ve learned all sorts of things. It wasn’t just trials you went through, huh.”
“Yes. The memories of its past users remain in Danmyung. The reason I was meditating so much was to revive those memories and master them with my body.”
Aranseol was getting stronger and stronger. Danmyung was certainly a tool worth the hardship. However, despite that, Aranseol’s face didn’t look bright. I could feel the fatigue in her eyes even from here.
“Aranseol, that doesn’t come without a price, does it?”
At my question, Aranseol rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
“Well, it’s a process of scanning memories. I have to fully experience the hardships they went through to master these techniques.”
Mastering skills in a few days that took others years to create. I didn’t have to think hard to know how much strain that would put on her body.
“Aranseol.”
“You’re going to tell me not to overdo it, right?”
“No. If you die, I’ll just resurrect you, so go all out.”
Aranseol’s eyes widened. If she were only pushing herself for my sake, I would have stopped her. But the reason she was working so hard wasn’t just for me. Her face was brighter and more joyful than ever. With the blossoming of a talent she never thought she’d have, she was spending her days more fulfilled than ever before.
“Aranseol, if it’s something you enjoy, do as you please. I have no intention of opposing it. In fact, I should be cheering you on.”
Just as she had supported me when I pushed myself, I intended to support her in turn.
Aranseol stared at me with a blank expression. Then, she took a step toward me, reached out her arms, and pulled me into a hug.
I was ambushed with no time to dodge. If Aranseol were an assassin, I would have died today.
Aranseol buried her face in my chest, turning her head from side to side, savoring the moment.
What is this adorable creature? The world is full of strange and wonderful things.
“Harua, are you going to keep being like this? So… so…”
I didn’t know what she was saying, but she seemed happy, so that was enough. I did wish she would stop mumbling with her mouth, though.
As she did, Aranseol started looking up at me intently. As our eyes met, she gave a soft smile.
“You get more handsome every day, Harua.”
“Has my golden age of looks finally arrived?”
Of course, the only people who have ever called me handsome are Aranseol and Babiyen. Whenever they say it, everyone else just gives me a strange look. It must be the rose-tinted glasses of love.
“Even that smug side of you is cute.”
I once heard that it’s over when you start finding your loved one cute. It was just a rumor I heard, so I don’t know for sure.
Aranseol said this as she burrowed deeper into my embrace. Perhaps thanks to my recent training, my larger frame easily enveloped her body.
“I love the time I spend with you the most.”
It’s similar for me. I feel most at ease when I’m with Aranseol.
As I was thinking that, Aranseol fidgeted in my arms.

I looked to see what she was doing, and she was standing on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against my neck. Surprised by the sudden action, Aranseol looked up at me lovingly, as if to say she was letting me off easy.
“I was going to give you a little bite, but I held back.”
Aranseol’s expressions of affection were becoming bolder and bolder.
Knock, knock—

Just then, a knock came from outside the room.
“H-Harua, may I come in for a moment?”
It was Babiyen’s voice.
As I looked at the door quizzically, Aranseol slowly pulled away. Then, she slipped right under the covers of my bed. I gestured to her as if to ask what she was doing, and Aranseol gave me a mischievous smile.
Is she trying to surprise Babiyen? She’s become much more playful lately. I guess that means she’s gotten closer to Babiyen. It’s a good thing, I suppose.
“Babiyen, I’m in here. Come in.”
Leaving the mischievous Aranseol to her devices, I called for Babiyen. A moment later, the door opened.
Babiyen entered hesitantly. For some reason, she was wearing a large robe. Was she planning on going somewhere at this hour? It seemed she had something to say to me.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
When I asked, she walked toward a chair, still with that hesitant gait.
“...Do you like cats, Harua?”
Cats?
“Well, I like them.”
I don’t particularly dislike animals.
“Then, do you want to see a cat?”
“Is there a cat living in this mansion?”
“Y-Yes, there is.”
Babiyen’s face was unusually red today. I was worried she might have a fever.

“Alright, then let’s go see it.”
“I-In that case, Harua, could you close your eyes for just a moment?”
Babiyen suddenly asked me to close my eyes. It felt strange, but I did as she asked.
As I closed my eyes, I heard a rustling sound. It definitely sounded like clothes coming off.
In that instant, a sense of bewilderment washed over me, and I opened my eyes.
There stood Babiyen, wearing a top with a black cat design that exposed her chest and stomach, a frilly skirt, a cat tail attached to her waist, and a headband with cat ears.
What on earth is she wearing?
For some reason, it had a modern feel to it. Was that outfit made by a Transferee?
“Ah, hey, why… why did you open your eyes so soon!”
“Well, I suddenly heard the sound of clothes coming off…”
“C-Coming off? I just took off my robe!”
It did seem that way.
“More importantly, what are you wearing?”
Why did Babiyen suddenly appear in a cat cosplay? I had no idea what was going on, so I asked. Babiyen’s eyes darted around. Then, she raised her hands, curling them like paws, and said one word.
“Nya, nyan.”
For a moment, I couldn’t help but look at Babiyen with a pathetic expression. She must have realized it, because she immediately covered her face with both hands and sank to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest.
An indescribable, awkward silence passed between us.
Then, I remembered Vanessa calling Babiyen over and whispering something to her.
“...Did Lady Vanessa put you up to this?”
Babiyen didn’t answer, only nodding her head.
What on earth was Vanessa thinking?
“...She said men are guaranteed to like this sort of thing. That if I asked you to come see a cat and then showed you this, you’d be very happy.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Some Korean transferee has unleashed poison upon this world.
More than that, I had no idea how Vanessa even knew about this stuff.
Feeling conflicted, I looked at Babiyen. In her cat cosplay, she seemed to have matured a little recently. Though her growth spurt was long over, one’s body shape changes slightly with age. For women, it was not unusual for their figure to change noticeably in their twenties. Babiyen was now a young woman in her twenties. Her figure was starting to fill out in all the right places.
Besides that, her outfit revealed a lot of skin. It barely functioned as clothing. It was an outfit made solely for the purpose of charming and seducing a man, openly displaying a sexual appeal.
I had to admit, if a girlfriend suddenly appeared wearing something like that, it would certainly light a fire in one’s heart. It would make you feel like she was willing to do this just for you.
Just then, Babiyen shot to her feet. She clutched the hem of her skirt and forced herself to look up at me.
“S-So, what do you think?”
I hadn’t expected to be asked for my opinion. Babiyen’s face was already flushed to its absolute limit. If I pushed her any further, she might just break.

“It suits you.”
So, I said the nicest thing I could.
Hearing my answer, Babiyen’s shoulders twitched. She bit her lip and asked again.
“...Is it to your liking, Harua?”
So that was the most important thing.
Having lived as a noble, Babiyen still had her pride as a lady. For her, this kind of outfit must have been incredibly shameful and embarrassing. And yet, she had done this for me, trusting only in the words that men liked this sort of thing.
Thinking about it, a laugh escaped my lips.
As I laughed, Babiyen charged forward and bumped her head against my chest.
Babiyen had used Body Slam.
It wasn’t very effective.
“Don’t just laugh, say something! I’m so embarrassed I feel like I’m going to die.”
To calm her down, I placed my hands on her exposed shoulders. I could feel the heat radiating from them. I knew it already, but she was quite thin. I didn’t know how her arms had such a range of motion with shoulders this narrow.
As I was thinking this, Babiyen looked up at me. With her cat ears on, she looked up at me with a coy expression, darted her eyes from side to side once, and then opened her mouth.
“Nya, nyan.”
So we’re not done with that yet.
“M-Master wants a kiss, nyan.”
Babiyen had summoned an immense amount of courage. It was a declaration that since she’d come this far, she might as well get her money’s worth.
Rustle—
Just then, a sound echoed from behind me.
Babiyen’s shocking appearance had made me forget someone else was in my room.
The moment Babiyen turned her head toward the sound, she saw Aranseol, who had been quietly trying to escape from under the covers.
Aranseol, not having anticipated this situation either, had a very flustered look on her face.
“ “

Babiyen’s mouth hung open as she stared at Aranseol.
Aranseol, looking awkward, slowly raised a hand.
“Uh, ah, hi Babiyen.”
This was the day Babiyen died of mortification.