Chapter 105
"I am Sophia Dorgalia. May I use the bath?"
"......Excuse me, Alchemist-sama."
Two girls' voices came from the bathroom.
They were Princess Sophia and Princess Riana.
This was the lounge in the trading post.
Mabel and I were waiting for them in a hidden room.
Today, we were going to have a secret meeting with Princess Sophia and the others here.
We had chosen the trading post because Grand Duke Karon's men were currently in Noza Town.
After finishing the Magic Beast Investigation, they had escorted Princess Riana to town and were now waiting there for Grand Duke Karon to arrive.
Some of them knew what Mabel, Agnis, and I looked like.
If we visited Princess Sophia, they would notice us, and some of them might even listen in on our conversation.
So I thought it would be better for Princess Sophia to come here in secret.
Here, Princess Sophia and I could speak freely.
Only Mabel and I were in the hidden room.
Agnis was keeping watch outside the lounge with General Raizenga's men, just in case.
"We have been waiting for you, Princess Sophia and Princess Riana."
I called out through the wall.
"I am the alchemist Thor Kanan. I am waiting in the hidden room."
"My name is Mabel Refrain."
"Thank you for giving us this opportunity to speak. For now, please make yourselves comfortable."
I suggested that they take a bath and told them to begin talking once they had relaxed.
Since they had come all this way, I wanted them to enjoy my prized 'Bubbly Bath' first.
"Thank you, Thor Kanan-sama. Mabel-sama."
"We'll take you up on that... Thank you."
Princess Sophia and Princess Riana replied with words of thanks.
Mabel and I sat on the floor of the hidden room and waited for the two princesses to relax.
Splash.
"......Ahh."
After a while, I heard Princess Sophia sigh.
"......As I thought... This is relaxing."
"......Um, Sis. The water in the tub is bubbling..."
"As expected, the bath Thor Kanan-sama made is wonderful..."
"Steam is gathering around my body! And it's sparkling, too! What's happening!?"
"Calm down, Riana. I explained it to you before we came."
"I heard you, but... I didn't realize it would be this incredible..."
"I told you when you were little, didn't I? You mustn't make a fuss in the bath. You mustn't swim in the tub. One should bathe quietly, Riana."
"Yes."
"............"
"............"
"......Ahh."
It seemed they had both calmed down.
"How is the temperature?"
I called out from the hidden room.
"It's perfect. We can relax in here."
"It's neither too hot nor too cold... I feel as though I could stay in here forever..."
Their voices came back to me.
"Besides... this is strange... It feels as though the magic power I expended in battle is recovering and spreading to every part of my body... It feels wonderful..."
Princess Riana in particular seemed extremely pleased.
She was exhausted from the long journey, and she had used a tremendous amount of Light magic in her battle against the Magic Beast Nozerias.
The 'Bubbly Bath' should soothe her fatigue and speed up her recovery of magic power.
"May we begin talking soon, Your Highness?"
"Yes." "W-what is it?"
......Come to think of it, they were both princesses.
"Princess Sophia, may I ask you something? You said you had something to discuss. Is it related to the Magic Beast Investigation?"
"No, it is a separate matter."
"A separate matter?"
"It is related to the Magic Beast Investigation, but before that, Riana would like to speak with Thor Kanan-sama. Would that be all right?"
"Yes. Of course."
That worked out perfectly. I wanted to speak with Princess Riana, too.
I wanted to hear in detail how the advice I had given the 'Cleaning Robot' had helped her, and how the Holy Sword had responded.
Which meant, knowing Princess Sophia──
"Then I will come over there."
I knew it.
Of course, I had expected this to happen.
Last time, Princess Sophia had said, 'There's nothing to worry about because of the mysterious light beam,' and come into the hidden room wearing nothing. Keeping that in mind, I had prepared something this time.
"Princess Sophia, about the bathing clothes I prepared in the changing room──"
"Yes. They are very comfortable to wear."
"You're wearing them?"
"Yes. I used the one with shoulder straps."
"And Princess Riana took the other one?"
"Yes. She said it felt very soft."
It seemed both of them were wearing the bathing clothes.
Besides, judging from Princess Sophia's tone, Princess Riana had something important to tell me.
In that case, it would be better to speak face-to-face.
"......If you're wearing bathing clothes, I suppose it's all right."
"......There is also the steam and the mysterious light."
Mabel and I nodded.
"Understood. Then please come into the hidden room."
"Thank you. Let's go, Riana."
"S-Sis......"
"Make up your mind, Riana. A maiden never goes back on her word, you know?"
"......Yes."
Splash.
I heard the two of them climb out of the tub.
A little while later, the door to the hidden room opened.
Dense steam flowed out of the bathroom.
At the same time, the light meant to ensure their safety flew toward us.
Protected by the steam and light──the first person to enter the hidden room was Princess Sophia.
Her cherry-blossom-pink hair swayed, and she wore an embarrassed expression. From around her collarbones to above her knees, she was hidden by steam and light. Only thin shoulder straps were visible. It seemed Princess Sophia really was wearing bathing clothes.
With one flushed hand, she was holding Princess Riana's hand.
Princess Riana only stuck her face out through the door and looked at us. Her eyes were wide with surprise at her sister's actions. When she saw me, her already flushed face turned even redder. She seemed hesitant to enter the hidden room, but──
It's all right, Riana. Our bodies are hidden by the steam and light."
"......But, Sis......"
"You were the one who said it, weren't you? You wanted to speak with Thor Kanan-sama not as a princess, but as one ordinary person, just as you are."
"............Ugh."
"Of course, if you really can't do it, you may stop."
Princess Sophia said this in a gentle voice.
When Princess Riana heard her, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips together──
Then she raised her face as if she had made up her mind and stepped into the hidden room.
"Excuse me, Alchemist Thor-sama."
She immediately lowered herself to her knees──wait, what?
Princess Riana was kneeling? In front of me? Why?
"......What is the matter, Princess Riana?"
"I wish to thank you and... apologize to you."
"Thank me and apologize?"
"First, I would like to thank you. During this Magic Beast Investigation, Grand Duke Karon-sama and I owe you our lives. If your 'Cleaning Robot' had not brought us information, we would have had to fight the Magic Beast Nozerias without knowing anything at all."
Princess Riana, her face bright red and her eyes lowered, said it all in one breath.
"Your advice about the Holy Sword was also remarkable. Because of your words, I was able to draw out more of the Holy Sword's power than ever before and cut the Magic Beast Nozerias in two. Thanks to that, there were no casualties or injuries... and yet──"
Her slender shoulders trembled faintly.
Princess Riana remained kneeling and would not raise her face.
Her body was properly hidden by the steam and light. I couldn't tell because there were no shoulder straps, but she must have been wearing the kind of bathing clothes that wrapped around the body.
Even so, the steam made it look as though she wasn't wearing anything at all.
She looked so defenseless, as if she were waiting for judgment with nothing but her own body.
"I couldn't even thank you directly. My heart was pounding, my mind went hot and completely blank... Then I remembered that I had once called you a 'tool'... I didn't know what to do anymore. So I... um, well... I..."
"I understand."
"......Huh?"
"I understand that you are thanking me, Princess Riana, and that you feel sorry for having called me a 'tool' before. For now, you don't need to apologize anymore."
I felt that her appearing before me in nothing but bathing clothes was more than enough.
A princess with a claim to the imperial throne appearing before someone she barely knew while practically naked would require considerable resolve.
Even though Princess Sophia had encouraged her, Princess Riana herself had chosen to come into the hidden room.
She had appeared before me, a citizen of another country, without a single guard or a weapon.
That alone told me enough about how grateful she was and how much she wanted to apologize. It was more than enough.
"B-but then I won't be satisfied! I have to properly thank you in a way I can accept!"
"Then could you tell me about the Holy Sword?"
"......About the Holy Sword?"
Princess Riana tilted her head with a blank look on her face.
I nodded at her and said,
"My advice increased the Holy Sword's power, didn't it? But I wasn't able to see you wield it. So I'd like you to tell me in detail what the Holy Sword was like at that moment. For example, what happened to the size of the blade of light, and how the magic power flowed."
"Y-yes, certainly!"
Princess Riana raised her face, her eyes shining.
"I'll explain it in detail! It was amazing!"
She excitedly raised her arms and said,
"The magic power throughout my body flowed into the Holy Sword with a shushu-shun, and it felt as though I and the Holy Sword had fused together with a hyuun! And that wasn't all! The magic power twisted around in a gururun spiral──"
"Riana... That doesn't make it very clear, does it?"
Princess Sophia stopped her explanation.
"I think you should explain it a little more clearly."
"B-but, Sis, I thought Alchemist Thor-sama would understand..."
"You mustn't take advantage of that."
No, I didn't mind. I more or less understood.
The magic power inside her body went shushu-shun──in other words, it rapidly permeated her body in short, even bursts. It moved hyuun, faster than she had expected, and the magic power that had permeated her body twisted into a gururun spiral. In other words, it was amplified inside and formed the blade of light, right?
"Look. Mabel-sama looks confused."
Princess Sophia looked toward Mabel.
Mabel certainly did look confused. She hadn't understood Princess Riana's explanation.
"You must also consider the person at Thor Kanan-sama's side. Speaking in words that only Thor Kanan-sama understands may make the people around him suspicious. Think about how to explain it so that others can understand, and then put that into practice, Riana."
"Y-yes, Sis!"
Princess Riana nodded.
She held her head as she thought, then shook it, scattering droplets from her cherry-blossom-pink hair──
"Th-then I will demonstrate the movements I make when using the Holy Sword right here!"
Princess Riana sprang to her feet.
She stood in a bold, wide-legged stance.
She spread her legs slightly and put her hands on her hips, as though she were equipping the Holy Sword.
"I don't think I can explain it properly with words, so I will show you my actual movements and explain the flow of magic power! P-please watch closely!"
"Is that all right?"
"I don't mind. I came here prepared to go this far......"
......This had become something else.
An imperial princess was going to demonstrate how to use the Holy Sword right in front of me.
An opportunity like this would normally be completely impossible.
Princess Riana did not have the Holy Sword with her, but simply seeing her movements would be more than enough.
As information that could be shared with a foreigner, this was probably the limit. Even if I learned how to use the Holy Sword, it would be meaningless without the Holy Sword itself. Ordinarily, it wouldn't be particularly valuable information.
Even so, it was of immeasurable value to me.
I had planned to create a magic sword that would one day surpass the Holy Sword. If Princess Riana showed me how she managed her magic power, it should be an incredibly useful reference.
Even though she was grateful to me for the Magic Beast Investigation, she was willing to go this far for me......
......She really was a good person. Princess Riana was.
She was so honest and earnest that she could almost be called reckless.
Her willingness to demonstrate how to use the Holy Sword came from that very earnest goodwill.
I couldn't let her feelings go to waste.
More importantly, there was no way I could pass up this opportunity as an alchemist.
I would have her show me everything.
......It did bother me a little that Princess Sophia was standing behind her with a bright-red face and one hand pressed to her forehead.
She tugged on the shoulder strap of her bathing clothes, making it snap. It seemed like a signal, or as though she were trying to get Princess Riana's attention, but......?
Mabel was...... Well, she was looking at Princess Riana with a serious expression.
Maybe she was surprised that Princess Riana had suggested this herself.
But why did her gaze keep traveling back and forth from Princess Riana's shoulder to around her knees?
......I would worry about the two of them later.
For now, I had to learn about the Holy Sword from Princess Riana.
"Then, please proceed, Princess Riana."
"Y-yes. Now, watch closely!"
Princess Riana then taught me how to use the Holy Sword and how magic power flowed through her body.
"──When releasing the 'Holy Sword's Light Blade,' I raise the Holy Sword high overhead like this. By straightening my back, I make the flow of magic power inside my body and the Holy Sword form a straight line. I imagine Light magic flowing from my lower abdomen to the crown of my head with a shpaa...... No, like a fountain. Specifically, from here to here."
──She explained the flow of magic power while pointing to each place.
"──As a preliminary step, I lightly spread my arms and gather the Light magic around me. I spread my legs a bit──like this, firmly planting them on the ground, and feel the Light magic against my skin with a gentle tingling. Then I focus on my heart pounding, thump-thump...... around here......"
──She actually took the pose and taught me how to absorb magic power.
"──Then, while bringing my arms down like this, I go 'Zubababaan.' Huh? You think 'Zu-bababaan' would be better, Alchemist-sama? I see...... You may be right. From the perspective of releasing all the magic power at once, that version might indeed be better. Focus on your spine──You may come a little closer, if you like. Yes, that's right...... Then──"
──She even demonstrated the movements she used when swinging the sword.
It was easy to understand.
The 'Holy Sword Princess' was demonstrating how to use the Holy Sword right in front of me. There was no way I wouldn't understand.
Princess Riana responded to my requests by turning to the side and then turning her back to me. Her movements were extremely easy to follow.
Of course, her body was invisible because of the steam and light. But she pointed from outside the steam to show me which parts she concentrated her magic power in.
She seemed determined to follow Princess Sophia's instruction to explain it clearly.
The person who had given that instruction, however, was now facing the wall.
Princess Sophia was a powerful user of Light magic. Perhaps she wasn't interested in the Holy Sword.
Mabel, who was also facing the wall, might have been taking care not to pry into the secrets of the Holy Sword as someone from the Demon King's Domain. As expected of her.
In front of those two, Princess Riana and I continued discussing the Holy Sword.
"Your Highness. How about releasing Light magic simultaneously with a thrust instead of only bringing the sword down?"
"A thrust?"
"In that case, rather than releasing it all at once, you would control the output. To put it simply, it would be 'Shupaan.' At high power, 'Shup, paan.' At low power, it would be 'Shipaan,' though."
"I understand that very well."
"I think mixing downward swings and thrusts would give you more options in battle."
"How would the magic power flow in that case?"
"You would draw the magic power up like a fountain, let it collect once between your breasts, and then release it horizontally. You would pull the magic power up sharply from your lower abdomen, then make it spin around here."
"That's an interesting idea! You mean the magic power should come from around here?"
"A little lower, perhaps."
"I understand it conceptually, but......"
"Three fingers below your navel."
"Could you show me from a little closer? If I could release the 'Holy Sword's Light Blade' in the form of a thrust...... I think I could fight much more efficiently. I will demonstrate the actual thrusting motion, so please trace the flow of magic power with your finger──"
"That's far enough, Riana."
Princess Sophia suddenly clapped her hands.
The sound brought Princess Riana and me back to our senses.
Princess Riana had stepped forward and pulled back her arm in a pose for thrusting a sword.
I was standing beside her, about to trace the flow of magic power with my finger.
At some point, we had gotten too close.
It wasn't an appropriate distance between an ordinary alchemist and a princess.
"──I-I apologize, Princess Riana."
"──N-no! I should apologize......"
Princess Riana and I hurriedly moved apart.
......That wasn't good.
I had become far too absorbed in hearing about the Holy Sword.
Princess Sophia had placed a hand on Princess Riana's shoulder. Mabel had...... been tugging on the hem of my clothes for a while now.
I hadn't noticed at all.
Getting too focused on things that interest me was a bad habit of mine......
"I am very sorry, Princess Riana."
I bowed to her.
My companion was Princess Riana, who had a claim to the imperial throne.
Depending on the circumstances, she might one day become empress of the Empire.
No matter how well we got along, I had gotten far too close. What a mistake......
"I simply became too absorbed in our conversation. Please accept my apology."
"N-no. I was the same. Your explanation was so easy to understand, Alchemist Thor-sama...... It was so much fun that I forgot myself."
"Unfortunately, we should stop here."
"Just when it seemed we might be able to develop a new technique......"
"As for a 'Holy Sword's Light Blade: Thrust' version, I'll think about it later, too. I'll let you know once I learn more."
"Thank you, Alchemist Thor-sama."
Princess Riana bowed to me.
Then, with a serious expression, she said,
"This is not exactly repayment for your kindness, but as a princess...... No, as one person who has cast aside her princess's robes, I promise you this. I will never turn the power of the Holy Sword against Alchemist Thor-sama or the people important to you."
Princess Riana placed a hand against her chest and made her declaration.
"You taught me a better way to use the Holy Sword, Alchemist Thor-sama. Turning that power against you or the people important to you...... I do not believe that would be the right thing to do as a human being."
"......Princess Riana."
"These are the words of an inexperienced girl. I do not know whether you can believe me."
"No, I believe you."
Princess Riana had literally cast aside her princess's robes to come here.
If she made me that promise, I would believe her.
"Thank you, Princess Riana...... and Princess Sophia, too."
"Alchemist-sama?"
"Thor Kanan-sama?"
"Just knowing that people like you exist within the Empire makes me feel somehow saved."
I hated the Empire more than anything, though.
But even among the people at the top──the imperial family──there were people who would face me as human beings and speak with me like this.
If Princess Sophia was in Noza Town and Princess Riana was in the imperial capital, then surely relations with the Demon King's Domain could remain peaceful.
"I believe you, Princess Riana. I know that you are someone who will listen when people speak to you. So, as one person...... as an alchemist, I trust you, Princess Riana."
"......Alchemist Thor-sama."
"Don't worry. If it ever comes to that, I will scold Riana myself."
Princess Sophia brushed back her wet hair and gave me a daring smile.
"As someone on the side of the Empire, I will serve as a witness to this promise."
"I don't think we particularly need a witness......"
"Think of it as a memento of this day. Of course, I trust Riana as well."
Princess Sophia clapped her hands happily as she said this.
Then her expression became serious, and she said,
"I would also like to thank you, Thor Kanan-sama. Thank you for helping Riana during the Magic Beast Investigation. You...... helped my little sister grow tremendously."
"......Sis."
"Now, that concludes the matter concerning Riana."
She clapped her hands again.
"Now, allow me to discuss my own matter."
"This concerns the Magic Beast Investigation, correct?"
"More precisely, it concerns something Grand Duke Karon-sama proposed during the Magic Beast Investigation."
Princess Sophia looked toward Princess Riana.
After confirming that Princess Riana had nodded, she continued.
"Grand Duke Karon-sama said that he would tell Riana and me about something that happened in the Empire long ago. He would like Thor Kanan-sama to be present as well."
Princess Sophia began explaining.
When the investigation began, Grand Duke Karon had predicted that people from the Empire were involved in the Magic Beast Summoning.
The cause apparently lay in a mistake the Empire had made in the past.
Long ago, the imperial family lost someone they should never have lost, and the consequences were still lingering to this day.
That might even have been one of the remote causes of this Magic Beast Summoning incident.
Void Riegas──the Sword Saint of that time──might have been involved in the incident from the past.
"Grand Duke Karon-sama promised to tell Riana and me the details once the Magic Beast Investigation was over. He also said that Thor Kanan-sama could attend. If you wish to hear it, I would be delighted if you joined us."
"The Grand Duke would tell me, too......?"
"I will guarantee Thor Kanan-sama's safety. Still, Grand Duke-sama is a good person, so it is not as though you would be in danger by attending......"
"I don't dislike the Grand Duke, either. But──"
What was this mistake from the past?
And my grandfather──Void Riegas──had been involved in it......?
I had never heard anything from my grandfather. Of course, I hadn't heard anything from my father, either.
I knew almost nothing about my grandfather.
My grandfather hadn't been interested in me, either.
Actually, my father had said, "Do you think you can show your face before the man who was the Sword Saint?!" and refused to let me meet my grandfather.
On top of that, by the time I was old enough to remember things, my grandfather was already a drunk.
Without ever getting the chance to speak with him, he had been attacked by bandits during a journey and died just like that.
As for my grandfather's past, of course I was interested.
"However, I will have to tell people in the Demon King's Domain──His Majesty the Demon King and Mabel, among others──what I hear. Is that all right?"
"I don't mind."
Princess Sophia nodded at my words.
"Since Grand Duke-sama permitted Thor Kanan-sama to attend, I believe he already understands that."
"What if I tell them everything exactly as I hear it?"
"I do not think that will be a problem. The Grand Duke will presumably omit anything he does not want the people of the Demon King's Domain to know."
"Understood. Then I will attend."
I bowed to Princess Sophia.
"Thank you for giving me this valuable opportunity, Princess Sophia and Princess Riana."
"Please don't worry about it. We were the ones who asked you to join us."
"Y-yes. Alchemist-sama."
Princess Sophia and Princess Riana said that, but this was a valuable opportunity for me.
Perhaps I would learn why the Empire had become what it was now.
Perhaps I would even learn the secret of summoning heroes.
Well, there was no reason whatsoever to summon heroes to this world and make them fight anymore.
Ah, but asking them to teach me about the magic items from the Hero's world would be a good idea.
Summoning one, showing them the 'Mail-Order Catalog,' and asking them all about the secrets of the magic items listed inside would be great. Really great.
If I sent them home immediately afterward, they wouldn't affect this world at all.
But...... would I be able to have a normal conversation with that warrior race?
What if they had personalities like my father and the Imperial soldiers──only even more extreme?
......Maybe it really would be better not to meddle with hero summoning.
In any case, I would hear what the Grand Duke had to say. That much was certain. There was no way I could pass up such an opportunity.
The problem was how to record everything he said without missing anything.
I wanted to tell Lukie and Mabel everything accurately.
But I couldn't listen to the Grand Duke while taking notes on parchment. If I did that, I would make Grand Duke Karon suspicious.
In that case, I would need to make a magic item for recording.
......I seem to remember seeing a magic item for recording in the 'Mail-Order Catalog.'
It was the one whose slogan said, 'With this item, even your unpleasant boss gets knocked out.'
Apparently, it could be used for recording and magic. I would look into it once I got home.
"Then I will make preparations before we meet the Grand Duke."
"Yes. As soon as I return to Noza Town, I will speak with the Grand Duke, too."
Princess Sophia said this.
She would contact me once the date had been decided.
I would also inform His Majesty the Demon King and Chancellor Kelv-san before then.
The secret meeting ended, and Princess Sophia and Princess Riana returned to the bathroom.
The 'Bubbly Bath' was still working, so they would not get chilled.
But I couldn't keep facing the two of them in nothing but bathing clothes forever.
Perhaps because this was her second time, Princess Sophia was completely calm.
Princess Riana, however──perhaps she had come to her senses after finishing her explanation of the Holy Sword──had turned so red that it seemed steam might come out of her.
In the end, she covered her cheeks and returned to the bathroom without looking at me.
A little while later──
"Ahh."
I heard the two of them sigh after getting back into the tub.
"Would you and Sis please watch over me, so that I do not take the wrong path?"
"Watch over you?"
"......Y-yes."
"Do you mean through exchanging letters?"
I was in the Demon King's Domain, while Princess Sophia was in Noza Town.
I couldn't watch Princess Riana directly.
So I supposed it would have to be from a distance......
"......Yes. Exactly."
After a while, I heard Princess Riana's whispering voice.
"I am still inexperienced. I want to grow from now on, but...... I may make mistakes again, as I did before. However, if my sister whom I respect and Alchemist-sama are watching over me, I feel as though I can prevent myself from making those mistakes."
Princess Riana said that, then composed her breathing and continued,
"In front of Alchemist Thor-sama, I can cast aside my princess's robes...... and simply be an ordinary girl. In front of Sis, I am simply her little sister, Riana. I want to live in a way that will not shame the two of you, who understand and watch over the real me. So......"
"I understand."
I said this.
"Princess Riana and I promised before that we would exchange letters. Princess Sophia and I will watch over you through our letters."
"Thank you, Alchemist Thor-sama."
"Then I will act as the intermediary for your letters."
Princess Sophia laughed.
Her voice sounded wry, as if she found her awkward little sister unbearably cute.
"I am sorry, Thor Kanan-sama. Riana is...... a troublesome girl."
"Is she?"
"She is a natural genius who relies on intuition. Once she gets something into her head, she cannot stop. When she becomes absorbed in one thing, she forgets everything else. She does not even notice what state she is in unless someone tells her. Training seems to have taught her to maintain the appearance of a princess in official settings, but...... as her sister, I worry about what lies ahead."
There was a sound like a strap snapping.
Mabel informed me, "She probably snapped the shoulder strap of her bathing clothes."
Come to think of it, she had done the same thing earlier. I wondered what it meant.
"............Thank you for the warning, Sis."
Princess Riana murmured in a fading voice.
Then Princess Sophia, as if sharing a secret, said,
"But that is also what makes Riana so cute, you know, Thor Kanan-sama?"
"S-Sis?! What are you saying!?"
"Oh? Isn't it only natural for an older sister to brag about her little sister?"
Princess Riana's troubled voice and Princess Sophia's amused voice reached us.
Mabel and I listened to the two of them from the hidden room.
And so, that gentle time passed──and bath time came to an end.
The two of them thanked Mabel and me and left the bathroom.
Mabel left the hidden room first and checked that the two of them were gone from the bathroom and changing room.
When she called me over and I went to the changing room, Mabel was holding the two sets of bathing clothes and tilting her head.
"What's the matter, Mabel?"
"No. It's nothing."
With that, Mabel put both sets of bathing clothes into the 'Ultra-Compact Simple Storage.'
Then we returned to the hidden room.
We waited for Princess Sophia, Princess Riana, and their guards to leave, then went outside.
"Good work today, Thor-sama. Mabel."
"Thanks for standing guard, Agnis."
"Not at all. This was nothing at all."
Agnis, dressed in her maid uniform, smiled.
We left the lounge and headed toward the tents.
We had gained a great deal today.
I had seen Mabel and Agnis in clothes different from their usual ones, and I had been able to speak with Princess Sophia and Princess Riana. It had been far too fulfilling for a day off.
"Then shall we do some shopping before we go home?"
"Yes. I want to buy some ingredients."
"There was some delicious-looking fruit in the market tent!"
I decided to take another look around for anything that might serve as an alchemy ingredient, too.
With that in mind, we headed once more toward the tent where the market was being held.