Chapter 119
“Where are you going this time?”
Seere, still cutely tied up in pigtails and dressed in a maid outfit, asked. Nahun replied to her appearance.
“You can stop the disguise now, Seere.”
“Isn’t it the same on other floors anyway?”
“That’s true, but….”
In fact, Nahun was thinking that it would be better if Seere took off her maid outfit and wore a different disguise. Having Seere and Cecili with him as maids was drawing attention for various reasons.
If the two of them had had ordinary looks, this wouldn’t have been a problem, but they both had looks that attracted people’s attention. This made the disguise meaningless.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s much point in the disguise.”
“Huh?”
“And Glashalavras is just a brute—if one were to put it nicely, a strong-willed power fanatic—so it was manageable, but the other martial arts Demon Kings won’t be so easy to deal with.”
“Really….”
“And while I’m talking about this, sending just one Grim Reaper could be enough to offend them.”
The top-ranking Demon Kings have a strong sense of pride. If they want to talk to someone like them, they need to be appropriately prepared to be granted an audience.
While they emphasize power in a manner similar to Glashalavras, unlike when facing her, everything isn’t achievable through strength alone. Adequate preparation and showing respect are necessary to have even a single conversation.
“So, you’re saying it would be better for me to take the lead?”
“Exactly.”
“And who are we going to see?”
“The first is… Jepar.”
Jepar holds the 15th rank, very close to the 12th rank of the top tier, and is a radical martial arts Demon King.
However, unlike Glashalavras, who couldn’t gain power because she drove away her talented subordinates with an odd conviction despite her strong might, Jepar has been able to maintain a high position at 15th, suggesting he is much more politically savvy.
“Is there a reason for meeting Jepar first?”
“That’s an important question. Jepar is already part of a faction. Do you know which one?”
“Huh?”
Seere wouldn’t know. Nahun hadn’t taught her yet, and her rank is 50. It was a time when she didn’t need to know about such factions, so others hadn’t bothered to inform her.
But now she needed to know since they were going to meet one of the key figures that constituted that faction.
“The faction Jepar belongs to is called ‘Equites.’ It literally means ‘lower nobility.’”
“…It sounds like people who don’t have that low a rank are affiliated. But they aren’t really high, either.”
“Exactly. You’ve got it. Along with such characteristics, it’s a faction where many martial arts Demon Kings are members. Jepar belongs there, and the leader of that faction is….”
One of the top tier of martial artists.
“Barbatos.”
Ranked 8th, Barbatos von Eishval. A Demon King of top-tier rank, whose position is somewhat ambiguous in claiming to be the pinnacle, and who is the leader of the ‘Equites faction.’
Upon hearing that name, Seere seemed to have realized something.
“Ah, I see.”
“The Glashalavras we met this time has a similar disposition but isn’t affiliated; however, besides Jepar and Barbatos, there are also the 27th rank Veris, 22nd rank Aini, and 18th rank Salenos among them.”
“Then why aren’t we meeting those three?”
“Because it’s unnecessary.”
“Huh?”
“If I can get Jepar to talk, that will solve the problem. However, that doesn’t mean I can meet Barbatos right after, so I’ll meet him first.”
If he can persuade Jepar, it’s highly likely that those ranked lower will lend their strength. Thus, the first Demon King he needs to persuade is Jepar, followed by two others.
“Then I’ll meet the 13th rank Lezargie and the leader Barbatos after that. If I convince Jepar, it’ll naturally connect. Among the faction, Jepar has a close relationship with Barbatos.”
“So the first hurdle is Jepar, huh?”
“That’s right.”
Nahun looked at Seere, who understood well, with approval. Seere gazed at Nahun for a moment, then spoke.
“Then I should change my clothes.”
“Right, let’s stop by the inn for a moment.”
#
Nahun and his companions briefly stopped by the inn to remove Seere’s disguise.
Nahun quickly got a room and told the two of them.
“Change and come out. I’ll be waiting.”
“Okay.”
Seere went inside the room with Cecili. However, a short while later, Cecili rushed outside with a worried expression.
“Cecili?”
“Nahun, I’m sorry, but I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh… sure.”
Seeing her urgent expression, Nahun hurriedly let her go.
‘Did she eat something wrong?’
The only thing they had eaten was a meal at a nearby restaurant after coming out of the Colosseum. Nahun himself felt fine, but it seemed Cecili didn’t.
‘Is Seere okay?’
With that thought, Nahun approached the door. He knocked gently, and a voice came from inside.
“Seere, are you feeling sick or…?”
“Oh, Teacher, it’s just the right timing.”
“Hmm?”
“Could you help me? Cecili was helping me, but she rushed off because she was in a hurry.”
“Uh??”
Nahun was quite startled at her response, and Seere found his reaction amusing and chuckled lightly.
“It’s alright. It’s not the sort of situation you’re worried about. I’ve almost got my clothes on; I just need you to zip it up for me.”
“…So can’t you wait until Cecili comes back?”
“It’s uncomfortable if the zipper is down.”
Nahun couldn’t argue with Seere’s logic. It seemed indeed uncomfortable.
“…Fine.”
It was a very simple task of just zipping up her back. If he avoided even that while being conscious of it, it would be contrary to what Seere wanted.
Thinking that, Nahun carefully grabbed the door handle.
“I’m coming in.”
“Okay.”
As Nahun opened the door and entered, he saw Seere sitting on the bed. Her long, white hair scattered across the blanket in a disheveled manner gave her a strangely enchanting appearance.
Worried about whether anyone outside might see through the window, the curtains were drawn. Because of the dim light coming in, the room felt a bit dark.
Maybe that’s why, the way Seere sat on the bed and looked at Nahun made her eyes shine with a more mysterious glint.
“Welcome, Teacher.”
“…Why are you sitting?”
“My legs just hurt for a moment.”
“Come here, then. I can’t zip it up unless you stand.”
“Wouldn’t it be fine if you came behind me?”
“…Come over here quickly.”
“Yes.”
Seere seemed to pout a little, as if disappointed. Not going to the bed was a smart choice. Nahun thought he had done well and waited for the next hurdle.
“Ah.”
“!?”
In an instant, her outfit began to slip off, and Seere hurriedly held it. It was a moment when almost all of her bare skin was about to be exposed to Nahun.
Even though she quickly caught it, she had already pulled it down a bit, revealing dangerously enough skin on her chest. Nahun couldn’t suppress his shock at the sight, while Seere smiled bashfully and said.
“It keeps slipping because the zipper won’t go up.”
As if it were nothing. The casual demeanor gave Nahun a serious expression.
‘Don’t get swept up in this….’
If he got swept up, who knows what might happen? With that thought, Nahun cleared his throat and spoke.
“Okay, I’ll zip it up, so come over here and turn around.”
“Sure.”
Seere turned lightly, and Nahun became even more flustered.
“Wait a moment…”
“What’s wrong, Teacher?”
“No… I can’t see the zipper. Where is it?”
Seere’s long and lush hair covered her entire back, making it impossible to see where the zipper was. Then Seere laughed lightly and said.
“Wouldn’t you know if you felt for it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
If he touched here, it would be virtually the same as touching bare skin. Just fleeting glimpses of her pure white back peeking through her hair.
Nahun maintained a stance of absolutely not doing that, but Seere smiled and said.
“I wouldn’t mind, though.”
“Stop joking around and move your hair. Even if you say you’re looking for the zipper, you can’t have hair caught in it while lifting it.”
“…Hehe.”
Seere chuckled. Nahun tilted his head at Seere’s carefree attitude, but he still didn’t understand why she was laughing.
“Didn’t you ask me to do it?”
“Huh?”
Seere leaned her arms back, gathering her soft hair into one. In that instant, Nahun realized why Seere was smiling.
“Wait a moment…”
As soon as Seere completely moved her hair over her shoulders, Nahun felt himself stiffen.
“Zipper, please zip it up, Teach-er.”
“…….”
Her white and smooth back was laid bare. Not to mention, the zipper didn’t start from near the back. The end of the zipper had been pulled down almost to her waist, suggesting that Seere’s back was nearly exposed.
The outfit itself was already showing skin around the shoulders, so it was natural for the zipper to drop lower. Nahun hadn’t considered that since Seere usually wore the cloak covering that area, and he had taken it in stride.
“Teacher?”
“Uh, uh!?”
“What’s wrong? Just stay still.”
Seere laughed lightly.
“Are you… unable to take your eyes off me?”
“I-I never did that!”
“Aren’t you aware of it?”
“…Of course not.”
“Then just zip it up already?”
Seere didn’t even look back. It was the confidence of someone who had completely gained the upper hand in this psychological battle. Nahun shook his head vigorously, wanting to shake off the lingering shock.
‘…Damn.’
Of course, even if he did that, the attractive feminine figure targeting a man’s heart would still be right in front of him. Nahun grimaced and mentally tried to hypnotize himself.
‘This is nothing. I’m the teacher, and she’s my student. My goal is to elevate her to the top; it wasn’t to raise her for this. So what’s right in front of me is nothing at all.’
Taking a deep breath as he thought that, Nahun grabbed the zipper that was down to her waistline.
“Please zip it up gently.”
“…What does that mean?”
Seere spoke softly in a noticeably high-pitched voice, almost whispering.
“When it touches ‘bare skin,’ it hurts.”
Nahun quickly zipped it up. His excellent physique came into play, allowing him to do it neatly without pinching any part of Seere’s skin.
Seere pouted a little, as if somewhat disappointed, but for Nahun, it was a moment that felt like he’d aged ten years. Seere smiled and looked at Nahun.
Then, clearly showing off, she fastened the button on the string that connected her cleavage.
“Wait, what’s that…?”
“There’s a fastening in the front, too.”
“…What?”
“Of course, it wouldn’t just be in the back. With an outfit like this, would it have only one fastening?”
So the excuse Seere had given for asking him to zip it up, and her breathtakingly precarious state where her outfit was about to fall…
‘…Was all staged?’
Realizing that, Nahun was astonished, but it was already too late. He had been completely played according to Seere’s intent.
Seere lightly threw the cloak she had hung on the coat rack over her shoulders.
“Shall we go now, Teacher?”
“…….”
A duel of spear and shield.
The first winner of that duel was…
“…Sure.”
The spear.
