Generous Proportions

I'm not sure if this is the right way to describe it, but... Ruen was quite *large*.

*No, not just large, but incredibly large.*

Shiren, Lorraine, and Lady Liana were also quite well-endowed compared to average people, but Ruen, however, was in a league of her own... simply overwhelming.

*If we're talking about 'levels,' then Master-class...?*

Anyway, she was so incredibly large that 'overwhelming' was the only word for it. And with such astonishing *Divine Power Pouches*(?) on her, as she lay on the *bed* in thin clothing, it was a sight difficult to look at directly.

"..."

To be honest, it was quite good. As a man, I couldn't possibly dislike such a thing, so I stared blankly for a moment. The moment I realized Ruen was gazing at me, I immediately snapped out of it and pulled the blanket back over her.

"...What are you doing here?"

Calming myself as much as possible, I asked Ruen why she was in my *room*. Ruen, her face flushed crimson, told me.

"N-nothing much, I just... wanted to be with you, so I came."

Considering Ruen's personality, it was highly probable that her words weren't mixed with any other meaning; she literally just wanted to hang out or rest with me. I tried my best to calm my mind and not think anything else, speaking nonchalantly.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes..."

"But why were you in the *bed*?"

"W-well, I thought it would be fun to surprise you..."

After that, we fell silent. We had nothing else to say, and because Ruen was wearing such thin clothes, an inexplicable tension and embarrassment settled between us. So we just sat there, exchanging awkward glances, until Ruen finally broke the silence.

"Y-you've worked so hard. The *training ground* must have been really tough, right?"

It was a greeting I'd heard many times before, but to force the conversation forward, this was necessary. I pretended not to know and nodded, playing along with the conversation.

"Yeah, something like that...?"

Hearing my words, Ruen seemed to remember something and hesitated. Then, she carefully got up, approached me, pressed her body close, and whispered.

"W-would you like a massage...?"

Unsure how to respond, I remained seated, and Ruen gently placed her hands on my shoulders. She then began to knead my shoulders, giggling softly.

"They're incredibly firm."

She continued to knead them, then whispered to me with a slightly breathless voice.

"Does it hurt?"

"Huh? No."

Ruen's scent, lingering at the tip of my nose, was making me lose my focus. Just as I was getting lost in that scent, which seemed to be a mix of peach and a unique soap fragrance, Ruen pressed her chest against my back and whispered in a slightly seductive voice.

"You have a lot of knots. I'll loosen them up for you. Just leave it to me."

She then smiled sweetly and began to massage slowly from my shoulders down to my forearms. The moment her soft touch met my skin, various thoughts swirled in my head. As I tried my best to endure it, Ruen leaned into me and spoke.

"I missed you so much. You can't imagine how much I missed you, Damian."

"Really...?"

"Yes. I missed you so much that I dreamed of you every single night."

Just as I was thinking this was practically a confession, Ruen, belatedly realizing what she had said, flushed bright red and spoke.

"Ah, no, that's not what I meant. I just meant I missed you *that* much."

Then she quickly pulled away a little. I felt a slight pang of regret at Ruen's action. Ruen, her face still red, took a shallow breath and continued.

"Anyway...! I have something to tell you. What are you planning to do next, if you don't mind me asking?"

At her question, I thought for a moment in silence, then calmly told her my future plans.

"I need to eliminate all the enemies mixed within the *order*, the *dark mage*s, and the *imperial family*, and if there's time, even the *demonkind*."

However, the *Demonkind* were a lower priority. Although Desuni is a *false hero*, since she is a *hero*, it seemed right to leave that task to her. For now, it is left as Desuni's mission, so I have no immediate plans to deal with it myself.

*Even if things go south, I'll step in personally.*

For now, it's probably best to leave it to Desuni. As I was thinking that, Ruen nodded and said to me.

"So, everyone's an enemy, then?"

"Right?"

Hearing it stated so directly, I suddenly felt a sense of daunting hopelessness. Of course, to be precise, with the *House Karsaril* and the *comrade*s I'd gathered, not *everyone* was an enemy... But it was an undeniable fact that our *allies* numbers were woefully insufficient.

*It might be good to increase the number of allies.*

The concern, however, was whether there were any *Allies* capable enough to face them. No matter how much I thought about it, such beings... Ah.

As I continued to think, I realized there were two rather suitable individuals.

*The Princess and the Dragon Master.*

Both were heroines from this novel. In the original story, they played the role of reliable supporters for the *protagonist*.

*Both are incredibly powerful.*

Moreover, since they harbored strong animosity towards *Dark Mage*s, I judged that it would be easy to bring them in as *Allies*, as I thought this and spoke it aloud.

"...More women?"

A somewhat chilling voice came from in front of me. At those words, I was momentarily speechless, unable to say anything. Ruen let out a small sigh and said to me.

"I think I understand why Lady Shiren glares at me all the time."

Unsure how to reply, I just offered an awkward smile. Ruen shook her head and said to me.

"Anyway, I understand..."

Then she stood beside me, looking a bit deflated, and continued with a deep sigh.

"Then I'll relay this information to Lady Liana first."

"Thanks."

"It's nothing...!"

Ruen, whose anger seemed to have dissipated faster than expected, smiled brightly, then subtly hugged me, and with a satisfied expression, left the *Room*. Watching her go, I felt my mind become somewhat complicated, and I ran a hand through my hair. Soon, I decided to go to sleep quickly and lay down on the *Bed*.

*

*The next day, I immediately called Liana and told her my upcoming schedule.*

"I'm going to strike the *Order*."

"The *Order*?"

"It's about time to kill Mikhail the Archbishop."

Even if Mikhail were killed, it wouldn't solve everything, as there were still the Cardinals, the Pope, and the *paladin*s behind him. However, eliminating such a central figure would likely deal a significant blow.

*Besides, I want to test my strength.*

I, who was a *high-grade expert* and would soon become a *highest-grade expert*, smiled at my current state. Just as I was thinking I wanted to eliminate Archbishop Mikhail as soon as possible, Liana looked at me and voiced a concern.

"One thing that worries me is that ever since Lord Damian's “terror attack,” the *Order* has deployed considerable *troops* around its *key figures*."

"That's to be expected."

"Yes. So it might be impossible to carry out a terror attack as easily as before."

At Liana's words, I suppressed a laugh and said to her.

"Who am I?"

"Pardon?"

"A *High-grade Expert*."

"Uh..."

"And a *High-grade Expert* on the verge of becoming a *Highest-grade Expert*."

"Are you still saying that?"

Liana seemed absolutely unwilling to believe that I was on the verge of becoming a *Highest-grade Expert*. She gritted her teeth, repeatedly insisted it was still far off, and began shaking her head. Watching Liana, I suppressed the laughter that kept bubbling up and said:

"Anyway, I'll show you the results directly, so there's no need to worry that much."

"If that's the case, then it's a relief... but I can't help but worry."

Worry, by its nature, arises from caring for someone, so I gladly accepted it and continued.

"In that sense, please compile and send me some information about the *Order*. Even if I'm about to become a *Highest-grade Expert*, I can't just barge into a place where *Paladins* are firmly entrenched."

Liana nodded, then pulled out some documents from her pocket and said,

"I figured as much, so I prepared them in advance."

Could Liana perhaps read the future? As I admired the incredibly capable Liana, she spoke to me with a proud expression.

"Currently, the *Order*'s security is excessively reinforced, so it seems better to carry out the operation when a *key figure* is outside, rather than attempting a terror attack within the *Order* itself."

"Right?"

"On that note, Mikhail Archbishop is planning to attend an *imperial banquet* soon at the *Imperial Family's*."

*An Imperial Banquet*...

The moment I heard that, I decided it would be a good opportunity to fulfill what Ruen and I had discussed earlier about “recruiting additional *Comrade*s”. I decided it would be good to head towards the *Imperial Family*.

*My only concern is that if Mikhail Archbishop dies during the Imperial Banquet, the problem could escalate significantly.*

If all eyes were on me, that would be one thing. But I didn't want the *Karsaril Family* to be the focus of attention, so I needed to act with some consideration.

*For now, it's best to keep the “terror attack” as small as possible.*

Or do it after the banquet ended. When I told Liana my thoughts, she looked at me with a bewildered expression and said.

"Don't people usually try *not* to commit terror attacks?"

I openly ignored Liana's words and began to ponder how to kill Mikhail the Archbishop.