Hm. It was still somewhat lacking. If we were to reduce the thickness slightly and apply that much metal as reinforcement, it might work… But if we were to bring over that amount of metal, it would likely end up being too thin and feel unreliable.
And then, if we were only to cover just enough, it feels insecure especially around the groin area. It would’ve been sufficient if I hadn’t made arrows for Yuna.
Tch. You regretfully licked your lips. Since this is something that shows a bit of skin, I did cover the groin area, but… I can’t help but feel like if I’m going to wear armor, why not go all out?
There was no feeling of heaviness or hindrance. The sealing of mana doesn’t weaken physical strength either… Besides, even without mana, my original strength was more than enough. Unless I were using mana to swirl around my greatsword for offensive purposes, I’ve never used mana to compensate for lack of power. However…
The speed at which mana flows is unbearably slow. It feels like the mana has turned into solid stone, refusing to budge. To be precise, it does flow a little, but it seems difficult to wield large-scale abilities like I could outside.
Perhaps focusing might help. While rocks were easy to handle with that small amount of mana, metals still felt foreign, requiring complete concentration just to move them slightly.
If I were concentrating this hard, outside I could’ve easily spun metals around, creating a storm of blades. Here, making armor is about all I can manage…
It’s unreasonable to expect me to go wild alone. I’ve abandoned the thought of handling everything by myself. Had I known it would be this limited, I wouldn’t have even entertained such thoughts.
Enough with the idle thoughts. As I moved my body here and there to check for any uncomfortable parts or issues when swinging my tail, something suddenly came to mind.
For some reason, it had been unusually quiet behind me since a while ago. Why are they suddenly keeping their mouths shut? Out of curiosity, I turned around, only to find Myungho and Yuna turning bright red like boiled shrimp. Akashi was also looking at me askance, as if I lacked common sense.
Did I do something wrong? Could it be because I threw what I was wearing earlier? I couldn’t exactly ask Yuna or Akashi to hold it, so I gave it to Myungho, but why are they thinking so much about it?
“Hey, worm. Just answer the question. Have you two ever done it?”
Akashi lowered his voice in a way that made it seem like he rarely does so, asking me if I’ve done it. I tried to think about what he meant, but it wasn’t coming to me right away.
What was it again? It sounded familiar… “Have you done it?” …Wait a moment.
“…Done what? What the… Hey! Are you crazy?! Even if someone’s a comrade, there are things you don’t ask!!! How dare you…”
Upon hearing my response, Akashi slammed his forehead with a loud crack and sighed deeply before contorting his face menacingly and shouting loudly.
“You’re the one who’s crazy!! After all this time of teasing!! Not only have you never given in once, but throwing your underwear at someone isn’t normal either!! Do you even know what that means??”
Whatever this kid’s problem is, all his complaints felt unjustified.
“What are you talking about?! I’ve never tried to seduce anyone! And why are you mad?! Myungho’s not saying anything either! What does this even mean?!”
“Hmph, you say you haven’t tried to seduce?! Looking like a succubus and claiming you haven’t seduced?! Moreover, doing it unknowingly?! That’s impossible! You must be messing with us on purpose!! Myungho! Say something! How long will you keep following her around?! You said you wanted her! With that kind of ambition, and you still haven’t done it?! Pathetic!!”
Then, suddenly, his anger shifted from me to Myungho. Though I knew he wasn’t in his right mind, I didn’t expect him to lose it so completely. He’s a lunatic, but he’s our companion, so I let it slide—until now. Now it seems like a lunatic really is a lunatic.
Myungho looked like he’d turned to stone, trembling uncontrollably. Yet his mouth hung wide open, suggesting he wasn’t entirely sane either.
What is going on here? Grasping my confused mind, I approached Yuna, who seemed like the only one I could reason with. Yuna must know something. She must at least understand this situation.
“Yuna! Why is Akashi acting like this? Was it wrong to ask someone to hold my clothes?!”
Yuna, much like Myungho, bowed her head with a beet-red face while fidgeting with her fingers. Is she lost too? I started thinking maybe I should just leave and head toward the training grounds when Yuna finally spoke.
“…Do you really not know…? I-I guess you wouldn’t, Alterra. You’ve lived in the mountains your whole life, after all… There’s no way you’d know… R-right… No way you’d do that knowingly…”
So, what exactly is going on? Why are they whispering among themselves like they’re sharing secrets? Frustrated, I pleaded for an explanation since I truly had no idea, and eventually, an answer came.
“…Today, it means ‘I’m on top.’ You just threw your underwear directly onto Myungho’s head… That indicates you’ll take the lead tonight… Right…”
What? My brain couldn’t process it. “On top”? Taking the lead? What does that even…
“In short, it’s seduction. And between two people who haven’t done it yet, doing something like that… You, you just declared that you’ll remain beneath me… forever…”
Ah… Hmm… What do I do now?
—
After desperately explaining to Myungho that I genuinely had no clue, I managed to ease his suspicions somewhat. Akashi wasn’t listening to me anyway, so I didn’t bother explaining to him.
Yuna relaxed, realizing it was indeed an innocent misunderstanding, but she still looked at me and Myungho like we were something she shouldn’t be watching.
“…Altera, covering the lower part might… be better. It’s fine with me… but the soldiers nearby might not think so.”
Myungho explained in detail how suppressive military environments are and insisted I put something on, adding that such places suppress even basic instincts.
…I understand. I know how maddening the military can be. So, after pausing briefly, I borrowed some of Yuna’s arrows to create a thin iron skirt.
The reason it’s a skirt is because pants are too inconvenient. My tail kept brushing against everything no matter what. A skirt allows for extra room only where my tail is, whereas pants made from what Yuna provided weren’t enough.
“Much better, thank you… I’ll keep the clothes safe. Let me know if you need them.”
Myungho said his piece and returned to silence. Did he secretly hope for something earlier? His face during our conversation… Despite claiming relief, it was filled with disappointment.
I tried offering a few words of encouragement initially, but stopped when there was no response. I know what to say to make him regain his spirit.
Explaining… was impossible. Being male doesn’t matter anymore, but… isn’t consummation supposed to happen after marriage?
It wasn’t due to any preconceived notions from living as a man. It just felt like the natural order of things. This belief caused my girlfriend to leave before…
Ah, maybe I should just close my eyes and agree. Seeing him look like a dying patient was unsettling. When I thought about promising to do it someday…
“Look! We’re here!”
A training camp located 6km from the fortress, roughly an hour’s walk, came into view. It was mentioned that it was 2km away from the front lines… Ready to deploy… or rather, replace troops whenever necessary.
According to Leone, the reason they managed to push the front line forward was thanks to overwhelming numbers without worrying about the rear. That reminded me of the Chinese army, but I quickly erased that thought.
Compared to them, we have a righteous cause and steady supplies. It would be disrespectful to compare us with those kinds of forces.
As we got closer, smaller structures previously hidden by larger buildings became visible, such as the training grounds. Recruits sprawled across the ground, outdoor blacksmiths, and perhaps that big building is where administrative tasks are handled.
While passing through recruits groaning under harsh instructors’ shouts, we entered the large building.
When asked who we were by an employee, Myungho showed his insignia, causing the employee to hastily apologize and retreat. After showing our identification tags, we were asked why we traveled to such a perilous frontline.
“We’re here for a brief observation and to learn about the enemy’s weapons.”
He’s stubborn about coming to places like this. Checking morale at the front and identifying the enemy’s mysterious weapon.
“Observation… Very well. Since the Hero himself has come, an exception can be made this time… However, please submit an application next time.”
Normally exceptions wouldn’t be allowed, but the employee added that this time it would be special. He clearly looked like he was bored with his usual duties and decided to cut class.
Following the employee’s guidance, we briefly learned about the recruits’ training, strategies, and current status, until finally, the opportunity to see that mysterious weapon arrived.
And it was…
“…This is a gun.”
It was a gun.
