Chapter 73
Several days later, Lukie returned to the Demon Lord's Castle.
The trading post in the border region would be built through consultations with Princess Sofia.
General Raizenga would be in charge of the project.
As his assistant, one of Chancellor Kelv-san's subordinates was scheduled to be sent there.
Until then, I would be responsible for communicating with Princess Sofia.
That worked out well.
I had many things I wanted to ask Princess Sofia about.
The most important was that magic circle.
The fading magic circle found in the lair of the 'dormant demon beast'──that was probably connected to the existence of the giant centipede.
To keep this information from leaking, we needed to meet and discuss it in person.
I also wanted to ask about how the 'Foot Bath' felt to use and the changes in Princess Sofia's magic power circulation. She had also asked me to make more magic-woven underwear.
That was why, after receiving permission, I decided to go meet Princess Sofia.
"Then, I will be going to the 'Town of Noza.'"
"Agnis will protect Thor-sama!"
That day, Agnis and I departed from the general's estate.
Our goals were to meet Princess Sofia, give her underwear made of magic-woven cloth, and ask her what she thought of the 'Foot Bath.'
We also needed to ask her about the magic circle we had found in the lair of the 'dormant demon beast.'
Since then, we had exchanged letters with the Empire and established rules for visiting the 'Town of Noza.'
First, people from the Demon Lord's Territory would enter through the western gate disguised as human merchants.
Some people in the 'Town of Noza' were afraid of demi-humans and demons, so this was to avoid arousing suspicion.
Second, we had to bring along people whose appearance was close to that of humans.
Finally, anyone approaching Princess Sofia had to be female. The sole exception was me, Thor Kanan.
That was all.
And so, Agnis and I were the ones going to the 'Town of Noza.'
Agnis was a descendant of the 'Ifrit,' but she looked no different from a human.
Two other members of the Ifrit's clan had also agreed to accompany us as guards.
"Please take care of Thor-sama, Agnis-sama."
"Don't worry. Agnis will protect Thor-sama even at the cost of her life."
Agnis took Mabel's worried hand and spoke.
"If anyone hurts Thor-sama, Agnis will not forgive them. It does not matter whether they are an Imperial princess or a hundred soldiers..."
"W-well, that is a fine resolve. You have grown, Agnis."
"Yes, Father."
"But you must not forget your duty. You are Thor-dono's guard. You must not act on your own. You are to be Thor-dono's hands and feet and fulfill his wishes. Do you understand?"
"I understand. Obeying Thor-sama's orders is Agnis's joy."
"Good. Then you may go."
General Raizenga nodded.
Then he took my hand in his large hand and said,
"Thor-dono. I entrust Agnis to your care."
"Understood. We are off, General. Mabel."
"We are off!"
And so, Agnis and I set out for the 'Town of Noza,' located at the northernmost tip of Imperial territory.
This was an important mission entrusted to me by Demon Lord Lukie. I would carry it out properly.
"We have heard about you from Her Highness and Unit Commander Isaac. This way, please."
The next day.
We safely entered the 'Town of Noza.'
Princess Sofia and Unit Commander Isaac had already informed the gatekeepers of our arrival.
With our wagon in tow, we were able to pass through the gate without any trouble.
The gatekeeper even told us where Princess Sofia was staying.
"...This is just between us, but I was saved by the Demon Lord's Territory during the battle with the giant centipedes. If you people had not defeated the first giant centipede, both Her Highness and I would have been in danger."
The gatekeeper spoke in a small, murmuring voice.
We waved to the gatekeeper as he grinned, then entered the town.
From there, we headed for the estate where Princess Sofia was waiting.
"...I have been informed. Only Thor Kanan-sama and the lady accompanying him have been granted permission to enter."
The maid at the estate spoke to us.
It seemed they had been informed on this side as well.
"I'm sorry, but please wait here for a while."
"We will return shortly."
Agnis and I spoke to the two guards.
The guards directly under General Raizenga nodded calmly and said, "Understood. If anything happens, please call us."
Then Agnis and I entered the estate.
Princess Sofia's room was on the second floor. I knew that because Soleil and the others had come here several times.
Of course, the Pixies had come with us today as well.
They were hiding in the wagon wearing their cat-shaped 'dress-up pajamas.'
They should be able to help Agnis and me in an emergency.
"──Your Highness. Guests from the northern lands have arrived."
The maid stopped in front of the room at the very end of the second floor.
She knocked gently on the door and announced,
"What shall I do? Shall I have them wait in the sitting room downstairs?"
"Have them come in."
Princess Sofia's voice came from beyond the door.
"Also, please clear the second floor."
"Your Highness. I told you that they were guests from the northern lands. You should not be so trusting──"
"The people who came from the northern lands are here because they trust us."
Princess Sofia spoke in a firm, unwavering tone.
"Then we should return that trust. Am I wrong?"
"...Your Highness."
"I will take full responsibility. I will also tell Isaac about the contents of our meeting afterward. Everyone, please withdraw."
"...Understood, Your Highness."
As though struck by her dignified voice, the maid withdrew.
Once her footsteps faded down the stairs, the door opened immediately, and──
"I have been waiting for you! Thor Kanan-sama! Agnis Freisad-sama!"
Princess Sofia appeared in a dress.
With a smile, she invited Agnis and me into the room.
Inside was a large room resembling a living room.
Tea utensils and baked sweets had been arranged on the table.
It seemed she had prepared everything to coincide with our arrival.
"How are you feeling, Your Highness?"
"Thanks to you, I am in perfect health."
Princess Sofia nodded as she offered us chairs.
"I am pleased to meet you in person like this. According to your letter, Thor Kanan-sama has something he would like to ask me about?"
"Yes. First, I would like to ask how the 'Foot Bath' feels to use and whether there have been any changes in your health."
Until now, Princess Sofia had been using the 'Foot Bath' in secret.
Because of that, she had not been able to calmly discuss how it felt afterward.
But this time, we had plenty of time.
So I wanted her to use it while carefully feeling the changes in her body's magic power.
Based on that, I intended to decide how many times a month she should use the 'Foot Bath.'
The Demon Lord's Territory apparently planned to arrange opportunities to meet Princess Sofia according to that schedule.
"I would also like to ask about the magic circle found in the lair of the 'dormant demon beast.'"
"I heard about it from Isaac. He said that you found a suspicious pattern there. You believe it was a magic circle, Thor Kanan-sama?"
"Yes. Unit Commander Isaac told me to confirm it with you, Princess Sofia."
"Indeed. The library of the detached palace where I lived contained books on magic."
Princess Sofia nodded.
"Very well. I will do as you wish, Thor Kanan-sama. But before that, may I greet your companion?"
"...Huh?"
Agnis's eyes widened.
Princess Sofia had stood up and bowed toward Agnis.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Agnis Freisad-sama. Thanks to the dauntless fighting of your father, General Raizenga Freisad-sama, and the others, no Imperial soldiers were lost to the giant centipedes during our meeting with the Demon Lord's Territory. On behalf of the soldiers, I offer you my thanks."
"──I-I see. Thank you very much for your gracious words!"
She probably had not expected the conversation to turn toward her.
Agnis hurriedly stood up and returned the bow.
"I-I am Agnis Freisad, and I have been entrusted with guarding Thor Kanan-sama. It is an honor to meet you, Her Highness Princess Sofia Dolgaria."
"Thank you, Agnis Freisad-sama."
Princess Sofia smiled gently and said,
"It is an honor to meet the daughter of such a brave general. I look forward to working with you."
"Thank you for your gracious greeting. I am sure my father will be pleased when he hears about it."
Agnis pinched the skirt of her crimson dress and bowed.
It was an Imperial-style greeting she had practiced before our departure.
Princess Sofia did the same after seeing her.
"I will prepare some tea now. Please make yourselves comfortable."
Princess Sofia said this as she picked up the tea utensils.
With practiced movements, she poured tea into Agnis's cup and mine.
"No... You need not prepare tea yourself, Your Highness."
"Please do not worry about it. At the detached palace in the Imperial capital, I was accustomed to doing everything myself. Of course, my poor health made many things difficult..."
Princess Sofia touched her sakura-colored hair and said,
"I keep this hair short so that it will not get in the way when the lady doctor examines me. In truth, I would like to grow it long and beautiful, like Agnis Freisad-sama's."
"You can do that once you have recovered. That is why I brought this with me."
I took the 'Foot Bath' out of the 'Extra-Small Simple Storage.'
"For the sake of Your Highness's health, please tell me in detail what you feel when using it. For example, how the magic power inside your body changes, where the stagnant magic power is, and how it flows out. Based on that, I would like to decide how often you should use the 'Foot Bath.'"
"Understood, Thor Kanan-sama."
"And then... Agnis-san. Bring out the item."
"Understood!"
Agnis took out a small package.
Holding it out to Princess Sofia with both hands, she said,
"This is underwear made from 'Light magic-woven cloth.' Please put it on so that we can check the size. Also, if you would allow us to take your measurements later──"
"Thank you. Of course, please take my measurements as well."
Princess Sofia nodded without hesitation.
Agnis looked at her in surprise.
"Is that all right, Princess?"
"What is, Agnis Freisad-sama?"
"I heard that members of the Imperial royal family are wary of demi-humans."
"You are Thor Kanan-sama's friend, are you not?"
"Y-yes. Agnis has sworn loyalty to Thor-sama."
"Then there is no problem. I intend to become Thor Kanan-sama's fiancée. There is no reason I would dislike one of his friends touching me."
"I-I understand."
Agnis was surprised.
That was only natural. Her counterpart was an Imperial princess, after all.
"Then please use the 'Foot Bath' first. Once you have relaxed, we can take your measurements and discuss the magic circle. Is that all right?"
"Yes. However, I have a request regarding the use of the 'Foot Bath.'"
Princess Sofia held the 'Foot Bath' as she spoke.
"If possible, may I use this in the bedroom? I believe I will be able to understand the changes in my magic power and the condition of my body better in a quiet environment."
"Of course. Go ahead."
"Then, please excuse me."
Princess Sofia said this and entered the adjoining room──the bedroom.
Once the door closed, Agnis sighed beside me.
"Were you nervous?"
"Yes... This is Agnis's first time leaving the Demon Lord's Territory."
Come to think of it, that was true.
Because of her 'Ignition Constitution,' Agnis had been unable to remove her armor.
Naturally, she had hardly ever even gone outside.
Even so, she had volunteered to guard me this time. She wanted to see the outside world.
Agnis really was amazing.
"Thor-sama, you really are amazing."
"...Huh?"
"When Agnis is with Thor-sama, it feels as though the world keeps growing larger."
Agnis said this with a smile.
"Thor-sama took Agnis, who had been trapped inside her armor, outside. You also made it possible for Agnis to──to touch Mabel, and now you are showing Agnis the world outside the Demon Lord's Territory..."
"...Agnis-san."
"That is why Agnis wants to repay you. 'In the name of the Primordial Flame,' Agnis swears loyalty to Thor-sama. So Agnis does not ask for much..."
"I have been wondering what 'in the name of the Primordial Flame' means. Could you tell me soon?"
"...When it is my birthday."
Agnis clutched the 'Health-Boosting Pendant' and looked away.
"Agnis's birthday is coming soon. When the time comes... I will tell you."
"Understood."
If that was the case, I could not press her.
The 'Primordial Flame' probably involved some matter concerning those who carried the blood of the 'Ifrit.'
If she wanted me to wait until her birthday, then I would wait.
Since I was going to, perhaps I should prepare a birthday present for her.
As I was thinking about this──
"I am sorry, Thor Kanan-sama. Could you come to this room?"
Princess Sofia's voice suddenly came from the bedroom.
"The 'Foot Bath' does not seem to be working properly. Could you take a look at it...?"
"Ah, yes. I will be there right away."
Could the magic power in the magic stone have run out?
...Oh. Come to think of it, I might not have replaced it.
I had decided not to replace it until it was used up so that I could measure how long it lasted. It seemed its magic power had run out sooner than expected.
I approached the bedroom door and knocked.
"This is Thor Kanan. May I come in?"
"Yes. Please do."
After confirming Princess Sofia's reply, I opened the bedroom door.
"I'm sorry. It seems the magic power in the magic stone has run out. I will replace it right away──"
"Please do, Thor Kanan-sama."
Princess Sofia looked at me and smiled.
She was wearing only underwear.
She was sitting on the bed in a relaxed posture.
The room was dim because the curtains were closed.
Her white skin stood out in the faint light filtering into the room.
Princess Sofia tilted her head and looked at me.
Her sakura-colored hair swayed over her shoulders.
She kept her hair short so that it would not get in the way when the doctor examined her.
That kept it from covering her body, making her figure easy to see.
Princess Sofia was wearing nothing but underwear at the moment.
And because it was made of Light magic-woven cloth, more than half of it was see-through.
Princess Sofia's body was slender.
Her skin was probably white because it rarely saw the light.
Even so, her figure was beautiful, and the feminine curves of her body were clearly visible.
But perhaps we should take her measurements properly for the underwear.
I had made it to fit Mabel, who was closest to her in height, but it seemed slightly too large.
Since she was already undressed, this was the perfect opportunity. I could call Agnis and have her take the measurements──
──No, that was not the point.
I had found myself staring at her.
More importantly, why was she wearing only underwear?
"Your Highness. Your appearance──"
"This makes it easier to understand the flow of magic power through my body."
"I see. When you are wearing clothes, the sensation of the fabric against your skin gets in the way and makes the flow of magic power difficult to perceive."
"As expected of you, Thor Kanan-sama. What marvelous insight."
"I am honored by your praise."
"But the underwear you gave me does not interfere with the flow of magic power."
"That makes sense."
"That is why I am sorry, but please adjust the 'Foot Bath.'"
"More importantly, Your Highness──"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Since I am here, would it not be better for you to put on some clothes?"
"Eh? But this is a medical procedure, is it not?"
Princess Sofia tilted her head in puzzlement.
I see.
Princess Sofia had been sickly. That was why she had even cut her hair so it would not interfere with her treatment.
To her, removing her clothes for a medical procedure was simply normal.
That had never occurred to me. And her reasoning made sense.
"Besides... I aspire to become Thor Kanan-sama's fiancée."
Princess Sofia placed a hand against her chest and murmured,
"I do not believe I should hide the fact that I am wearing underwear given to me by my future fiancé. Having you inspect it properly seems only polite."
She was completely composed.
I began to feel as though I was the one in the wrong for being so flustered.
(...If only we were in the Demon Lord's Territory.)
Princess Sofia looked beautiful wearing only her semitransparent underwear.
I could have gazed at her forever.
If we had been in the Demon Lord's Territory, it would have been fine for her to remain that way.
While Princess Sofia used the 'Foot Bath,' she could have explained how light magic moved through her body. That would have been useful for my alchemy research as well.
But we were in Imperial territory.
There were Imperial soldiers outside, and maids on the first floor of the estate.
If they came rushing in, it would become a serious problem. Even if Princess Sofia did not mind, the Imperial authorities would never allow me to share a room with their princess while she was wearing only underwear.
Agnis and I were here as representatives of the Demon Lord's Territory.
If something went wrong, it would cause trouble for Lukie.
That was why──
"I'm sorry, Agnis-san. Could you come here for a moment?"
I decided to call Agnis.
"Y-yes, Thor-sama."
"It seems the situation has changed. I will replace the magic stone in the 'Foot Bath,' so Agnis-san, please take Her Highness's measurements."
"Understood!"
As I heard Agnis's reply, I quickly retrieved the 'Foot Bath.'
I explained to the bewildered Princess Sofia that we would be changing the order of our tasks.
Then we moved to the living room.
"Then, Your Highness, I will see you shortly."
"Yes, Thor Kanan-sama."
"U-um, Princess... You did not have to take off your underwear before having your measurements taken, did you...?"
Click.
I closed the bedroom door and took a deep breath.
"Somehow... Princess Sofia is so careless, it's dangerous."
I could not just leave her alone.
I had a feeling that I must not let this woman return to the Imperial capital──
Thinking that, I began replacing the magic stone in the 'Foot Bath'.