I am back – Chapter 171

I tried on a few more dresses.

Honestly, I was more focused on finding a dress that didn’t expose too much, but even with a more modest design, my colleagues and my sister unanimously insisted I wear the first dress I tried on.

They said it was the prettiest, and nothing else mattered.

I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I had zero faith in my fashion sense.

Even if I found a dress with less exposure, what if it turned out to be just as badly designed as they said?

I had to worry if it suited me, all while trying to keep up with trends.

To be frank, looking at the clothes of the kingdom’s nobles, they all seemed quite similar to me. Apart from different colors and slightly varying designs, most of them were just exaggerated outfits you’d see in historical dramas set in the Renaissance, or somewhat simplified versions that could fit into a Japanese anime.

Well, Kalia would know the trends best. No matter how much she acted as a knight commander, she was still the only daughter of a duke.

“Hey, hey, straighten your shoulders! You haven’t done anything wrong. If anything, the one who should be showing off their chest tonight is you.”

Even though there were others in our party who had defeated the Demon King alongside me, Kalia was particularly adamant about cheering me up like that.

Kalia wore a red dress, darker than mine and with much more coverage. She was the only one among us wearing long sleeves. Her shoulders were a bit exposed, but that was the extent of it.

…But I didn’t feel like complaining about Kalia’s appearance.

She had received the most injuries during the war. Literally, physical scars on her body.

Facing strong attacks from enemies in the front lines was no easy task. Even with Divine Power, deep wounds always leave their marks.

That’s why Kalia had several faint scars on her body. In a noble society where many held very conservative views on gender roles, those scars could easily be seen as a ‘blemish.’

I felt thankful and sorry about that. Even if I mentioned it, Kalia would just brush it off as something perfectly normal.

But even so, I wasn’t completely oblivious to the underlying message in her words.

Kalia wanted me to show off ‘my dress’ properly.

I couldn’t help but shoot her a glance.

“We’ve already been welcomed once, you know? We even received compliments!”

Seeing me glance at Kalia, Pia chimed in, clearly catching my drift.

Her eyes sparkling, Pia wore a surprisingly daring outfit. A white dress adorned with golden threads, it reminded one of a clergyman’s attire, yet it was also rather extravagant.

Of course, her shoulders were exposed, but the upper part of her chest was well-covered, allowing her to maintain some image as a ‘Saintess.’

“Well… To be honest, I feel a bit uncomfortable in places like this. People I don’t know keep trying to talk to me. Sure, if it’s someone important, then fine. But I really dislike how some people act close when they’re not.”

As I grumbled, I noticed I was wearing a dark blue dress.

It was a dress that revealed my shoulders, but there was fabric connecting from my neck down to my chest, so there was no visible cleavage. At least among the dresses we were wearing, it was probably the second most covering after Kalia’s.

Actually, while the dress itself might not expose much, Dana was wearing a thin shawl over her shoulders. The shawl was so thin that her shoulders and back were almost fully visible, creating the illusion that her dress was even more modest than Kalia’s.

“Don’t push it too far. By that logic, I don’t even need to mix with regular nobles.”

Arna, who wore her usual green dress, had an air like someone coming from a glamorous award ceremony. The design felt somewhat similar to Dana’s, but Kalia’s had a fabric that connected the neck and chest, while mine’s shawl-like material was a bit more provocative.

Though she usually preferred not to dress up much, at moments like this, Arna managed to find outfits that suited her beautifully. I wondered if this was a kind of talent.

And then…

“…”

My older sister, who looked almost as embarrassed as I was.

Honestly speaking, when it came to whether the dress suited us, I had to admit it looked way better on her. It wasn’t just her looks; that navy dress really complemented her appearance.

I wished my sister would stand tall and proudly show herself off…

…

Ah, I wasn’t doing a great job of that either.

“Act confidently. Even if someone is captivated by your appearance, we’ll make sure it doesn’t get awkward.”

Kalia spoke up again.

Hmm, if it were just slaying demons, I wouldn’t be this embarrassed… Of course, I made that remark countless times while picking out dresses. My companions and my sister certainly acted like they didn’t care.

“Right. And honestly, as long as it’s just us girls hanging out, unless a truly confident guy speaks up, they probably won’t even approach us.”

I had to agree with that.

If a guy interrupts a group of girls, someone would definitely laugh. And there’s always the chance someone might get offended by any attempts to join in.

“Right, we’re not planning to accept any dance proposals from anyone, so let’s stick together. Just by being us, we exude enough authority that there’s no need for worry… Or, what if we go out and dance together for a change?”

That was kind of an enticing proposal, but…

Looking at my sister blushing, I didn’t think that was likely.

“Phew…”

I let out a big sigh.

Alright, since it had come to this, let’s just decide to enjoy ourselves. After all, there’s no turning back now that I’ve come this far.

I was a hero who had even defeated the Demon King, so I couldn’t falter over a situation like this.

As I straightened my back and puffed out my chest confidently, Kalia broke into a smile.

“Yeah, you have to be confident so people won’t look down on you. Besides, you have a partner right there next to you. Just maintain that attitude, and it’ll be fine.”

“…Okay.”

I nodded vigorously in response to Kalia’s words.

*

“Sir Cha Si-hyun and his companions are entering!”

That was the title we had agreed upon in advance.

In fact, all my companions had their own notable titles they could shout out as we entered the ballroom.

A Countess, a Knight Commander, a Saintess, the head of the Magic Tower, and the representative of the Elves.

But among them, the only one who was an ordinary citizen was my sister.

Though it might not be strange to introduce her as my partner, somehow, that title always felt like it carried a sense of discrimination.

For me, my sister was an extremely important person. I never wanted to see her treated poorly by others.

Understanding that sentiment, my companions decided to unify our titles like that.

With the statement of ‘You’re the protagonist here’ accompanying it.

Hearing that made me feel grateful.

Anyway, receiving my companions’ sentiment, I confidently straightened my back, representing everyone around me as I entered the ballroom—and almost turned around and ran back out.

If it hadn’t been for the mental fortitude I unintentionally developed from witnessing countless horrors on the battlefield, I might have truly panicked and fled outside.

Everyone in the ballroom was looking at me. Not at my sister beside me, or my companions behind me, but at me.

Ah, right. That was the case.

A few times, I had been the center of attention at events like this. The day before I first set out to battle. When I had entered the capital after achieving countless feats. And every time I grabbed a significant victory afterward, a ball would be held.

Back then, I had received gazes full of attention. But at that time, I had a male body, and I wasn’t revealing my shoulders or showing any cleavage.

That’s right. Now I was doing just that.

“…”

Would I be able to manage my expression among all those people?

I thought so, but—

There was someone shaking a little next to me.

Right, the one who received those gazes directed at me was my sister.

If I faltered, she would be in a tough spot.

And I had my companions behind me as well.

So… um, yeah.

Let’s muster up some courage.

I have to think of this place as a battlefield.

…If I didn’t do that, I really might just turn tail and run away.