episode_0197

000

“Indeed! Then you came to the right person! From wind investigations to national secrets. It seems the time has come to prove that there is no information this great detective `Gray` cannot find…!”

Eustace, who somehow calmed Ferdia, took Rosaria and Ferdia to Gray’s detective agency.

It was an ongoing relationship because of the favor of planting a ring of convenience so she could be rescued when Eustace was previously kidnapped by demons.

Gray, sitting in the armchair he bought with the money he received as a fee for his troubles, with a toy pipe in his mouth, says so with a smug expression.

“… …Sigh. Why me too.”

And, accompanying them was Rubera. There was a reason why she was wearing casual clothes instead of her maid uniform today.

No matter how much Eustace knows the situation and is careful about leaking secrets, she is also a victim.

If something happens, it cannot be undone after it has already happened.

Therefore, a servant of the Tromaeia family was supposed to follow Eustace and the others who left the monastery to monitor them, but Rubera followed them, as she knew them best.

For Rubera, following in her previous master’s footsteps reminded her of her foolish past.

She was the only servant who knew Eustace, Ferdia, and Gray.

In addition, she was probably the only one who could keep a tight rein on the three of them.

Eustace also tried to avoid eye contact with Rubera as much as possible and stood a little awkwardly apart.

When Rubera looked at her, she would sigh as if she could not adapt to the changed appearance, no matter how many times she saw it.

And Rubera’s gaze slowly moved away from her and toward Rosaria, who was sitting quietly.

Her appearance, of course, was that of a beautiful woman due to the succubus’s curse, but-

The way she sat politely, the way she kept her legs together, and the gesture of covering her mouth with her fingers when she smiled.

`…If the curse feminizes the mind, do those parts change too?`

Rubera thought so, and felt a slight sense of incongruity in Rosaria’s behavior, which was almost no different from that of a woman.

“According to my hypothesis. Men who have been feminized by succubi retain traces of their former selves somewhere. The color of their hair or the color of their irises. Or a mole on their body, things like that.”

Gray says so and looks at Eustace.

Certainly, Eustace, who has already completely transformed into a woman, has slightly changed in hair color and eye color compared to before, and has left those traces behind.

Eustace heard Gray’s words and, as if noticing something, rolled up her sleeve to examine her arm.

“It’s true… There’s a mole. It’s so natural that I didn’t notice it.”

“The succubus’s curse is cast on the soul, so the changes in the body are a side effect. Well. Of course, the rapid changes in the body mean that the curse is of high intensity and poor quality.”

Rubera listened quietly to Gray’s constant outpouring of knowledge, then opened her mouth slightly.

“… You’re quite knowledgeable. Just like Lyla.”

“Ah- that, that’s. Of course. Because I’m a detective. I investigated by looking through various documents.”

Gray answered, showing a slightly flustered look.

Rubera still seemed to be concerned about something, but she turned her gaze away because that was not the important thing at the moment.

At least Gray was on their side, and there was something trustworthy about him.

“Hey- so what does that mean?”

When Rosaria asked Gray’s question, Gray put the pipe he was holding on the desk and took out a large piece of drawing paper on top of it.

Then, he quickly moved his brush and pencil, drawing something on it at a rapid pace.

“Wow…”

Ferdia involuntarily exclaimed at the unrestrained hand movements, and Rubera’s eyes widened on their own.

What was being drawn on the drawing paper was a portrait of a person.

At first glance, it looked similar to Rosaria’s current appearance, but with shorter hair or a slightly thicker jawline, it looked like Rosaria was dressed as a man.

“Hmm. Is this about right?”

And, when her hand stopped, Rosaria looked at the picture, covering her mouth.

“Is this…. me?”

“To be exact, it’s closer to a composite sketch. If Rosaria-yang was originally a man, this is what she would look like~.”

When Gray said that, Eustace quietly raised her hand.

“Wait. But… men who are cursed, even if they are burly men, turn into frail women like I am now. Isn’t this too idealistic of a picture?”

“Me, me burly….”

Rubera looked at Eustace, who called herself a frail woman, with a cold look, but Rosaria answered in a slightly frightened voice, as if she didn’t care.

It probably didn’t occur to her, who had completely accepted that she was a woman.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

But Gray said that and got up from his seat and approached Eustace. He slightly lifted the clothes she was wearing on top.

Then, the vulva engraved on her stomach also appeared.

“Wait…!”

Eustace was startled by Gray’s sudden action and tried to lower her clothes, but Gray slapped her hand, stopping her.

“Rosaria-yang, would you show me your pattern too?”

“Ah, yes…”

Rosaria also listened to Gray’s words and slightly lifted her top, revealing that the same vulva was engraved on her as Eustace.

If there was anything different, it would be the color.

Rosaria’s was a light purple. If it was a lot of water mixed in and blurry, Eustace’s was a complete purple.

“The colors are different.”

Ferdia was the first to notice the fact and spoke, and Gray nodded.

“The color of the vulva becomes darker the more the body has changed. Eustace-ssi, who had a somewhat trained, manly body, has a dark purple with a sufficient color like this.”

Gray trotted over and pointed to Rosaria’s stomach.

“In comparison, Rosaria-yang’s pattern is a light purple that is barely visible. What this means is-”

“There was little change in the body. That is…. originally, he was a man with a slightly delicate impression. Is that what you mean?”

“That’s exactly right!”

When Rubera told the correct answer, Gray gave her a thumbs up and answered.

“…You’re so high-tension it’s noisy.”

Rubera answered as if she was a little tired of Gray’s attitude, and Gray raised the corners of his mouth and burst into laughter.

“Ahaha~! I’m sorry. When I tell you information, you guys deduce and reach a conclusion from there! Isn’t it fun, like solving a puzzle?”

“Not really…”

Rubera said that and turned her head, and Gray groaned… and drooped his shoulders.

“But. If that story is correct. Maybe, there might be someone who recognizes Rosaria-yang’s face when they see it?”

The group was silent for a moment at Ferdia’s words.

Finding her family was one thing, but if Rosaria was originally a man, there should be no one who would notice that she had turned into a woman.

“Is that, is that so….”

Rosaria hesitated for a moment, as if Gray himself had not noticed that part.

Then she stood up and put a slouchy hat in the office on her head.

If she tied up her long, light pink hair and somehow crammed it into the hat.

Outwardly, her impression changed quite a bit.

“Wouldn’t this be okay?”

As Rosaria said, if she just hid her hair a little, it seemed that almost no one would recognize her.

“Disguise… Rosaria-yang might have a knack for detective work.”

Gray nodded and held the composite sketch he had drawn.

“Then. We’re going to the streets to show this composite sketch!”

001

After that, the five of them went out into the street and showed the picture to people.

When Gray, who was well-known on the street, approached with the portrait, people smiled and tried to give Gray information.

However, even if they looked at the portrait, they often shook their heads or asked questions.

Had they been wandering aimlessly for about an hour like that?

“Ugh… I want to rest a little. My sugar is dropping.”

Gray, who had been the most enthusiastic at first, raised his voice in surrender.

In fact, the other four were also not very motivated because they had been walking around and striking out, so they quietly agreed to Gray’s suggestion.

The group headed to a small cafe near the royal capital’s plaza.

Ferdia and Rosaria’s eyes were fixed on the display case, which was filled with desserts that looked sweet to the tongue just by looking at them, such as cream and sugar.

Conversely, Eustace and Rubera turned their heads away from that crowd of desserts.

“…Come to think of it. You’ve hated things that are too sweet since you were a child. You. It seems that part hasn’t changed even though your body has become like that.”

When Rubera said that, Eustace also nodded.

“Yeah… and, it seems that this body gains weight quickly….”

“In that case, please move as much as you eat. If you work, you will naturally burn calories.”

Eustace sighed and drooped her shoulders at Rubera’s cold, correct argument.

“Yo Gray! You have a lot of companions today!”

The cafe’s manager, like the residents of the street until just now, seemed to know Gray and greeted Gray happily from beyond the counter.

“Manager! I’ll have the usual!”

When Gray said that, the man nodded and the other four turned their eyes to Gray.

“The usual?”

In particular, when Rosario spoke as if she was interested, Gray nodded.

“It’s a special coffee. The coffee that the manager makes is originally a bit bitter for adults, but he adds sugar and sprinkles cream and chocolate powder on top-”

Ferdia and Rosaria’s faces sparkled when they heard those words, while Eustace and Rubera gradually changed into uncomfortable expressions as if they were feeling nauseous.

“M, me too. Then…. with that.”

When Ferdia said that, Rosaria nodded next to her and asked the manager for the same thing.

In the end, the three of them ordered a special coffee that seemed to have the same effect as directly injecting sugar into the blood flowing through their veins.

Eustace and Rubera quietly received black coffee and sat down at their seats.

Ferdia suddenly looked back and forth between Rubera’s cup and her own cup.

“…Did I order something too childish….”

“…? Aren’t you actually a child…. Moreover, tastes…. tastes are different depending on the person, not on the age. As far as I know, Sir Percis also likes incredibly sweet things and always has high-end sweets in his private library.”

It was a fact that those who knew Percis’s face would hardly imagine, but Eustace, who heard that story, coughed as the coffee she was drinking got caught in her throat.

“High-end sweets!? What kind?”

Leaving Eustace aside, Gray raised his voice at the word sweets and leaned forward, and Rubera stepped back a little at that momentum.

“I don’t know the name well…. However, after I was caught having the sweets before, he divided the bag and gave it to me, saying that one of these is worth the same weight in gold….”

“G, gold….”

Gray sat down, perhaps because his excitement had subsided a little after hearing those words.

The manager put the plate in his hand on the table and opened his mouth.

“That might be something that is said to be famous and can only be made by the culinary department of the academy. The number is limited, and the acquisition route is complicated…. What was the name-”

The manager himself trailed off as if he couldn’t remember well, but the others were as quiet as mice as if they didn’t know the name either.

At that time-

“…`Forbidden`.”

“That’s it!”

The manager raised his voice and smiled as if he remembered, but the others were looking at the person who said the correct answer with a slightly surprised look.

“…Huh?”

Even she herself covered her mouth as if she didn’t know why she could answer this name.

The one who answered was `Rosaria`.

“Miss, are you a noble? It’s a food that ordinary people don’t know well unless they are interested in desserts like me.”

“Ah, well that…”

Of course, Rosaria, who had no memories, was flustered and stammered about how to answer, and Gray quickly intervened between the two.

“More than that! There’s something I want to ask you. Have you ever seen this person?”

When Gray said that and showed the portrait he was holding, the manager narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the portrait.

“Hmm… this face… somewhere….”

The manager said that and stared at the portrait- then suddenly widened his eyes.

“Ah!”

“Oh! Do you know him!?”

When Gray rushed at the manager, who raised his voice as if he had realized something.

The manager looked at the portrait again with his mouth open.

“No. I was wrong.”

Gray slipped and almost lost his balance as soon as he said that.

“What! You made me expect something!”

Gray said that to the manager as if he was angry, but the manager just scratched his head and answered.

“Sorry, sorry. I know someone who looks like him, but this is a `man`, right? I know a `woman`.”

And, at that answer, Gray’s eyes sparkled once again.

It was the same for Rosaria, who was listening to the story.

A woman who looks like herself… maybe. She had a small hope that she might not have been a man originally.

And another thing was that it might be a clue about her family.

“What kind of person is she? That?”

“Ah. She’s a pretty girl with pink hair. She always buys a lot of sweets, and she moves like a ghost. She was here today too.”

And the words that came out of the manager’s mouth were not that much of a clue.

“…Is that all?”

“Yeah. She’s a regular, but you know. She doesn’t say a word and only points with her fingers, so I don’t know her voice or her name. Well. She seems to have a lot of money, so is she a noble somewhere?”

“… …”

Gray listened to the manager’s words and closed his mouth for a moment. He then let out a big sigh.

“Manager… you’re not helping.”

Rosaria, who was smiling bitterly at Gray’s words, felt as if something was grabbing her chest from somewhere.

A woman who looks like herself.

Maybe…. she is her family.

…Even though it might be a clue about her past, she felt a sense of reluctance to dig into it any further from somewhere.

002

In the deepest room of the great temple, paladins were always on guard.

Wearing splendid armor all over their bodies and holding huge halberds in each hand, they are among the strongest in the royal capital.

But they were by no means the strongest.

Because the strongest was the pink-haired girl standing in front of them.

“I’m back. Eska-nim.”

Berastol, holding a paper bag in her hand and entering Eska’s office wearing casual clothes instead of her usual armor, looked like she was lacking in energy for once and leaned back in her chair.

“…Eska-nim, are you okay?”

“Shut up. Be quiet.”

When she answered Berastol, who was worried about her, in an infinitely cold voice, Berastol shuddered but answered with a blushing face.

“Yes, yes…♡”

“…Tch…. A child who is selfish to the end…”

And, Eska looked at Berastol, an unavoidable pervert who felt excitement at such cold treatment, with contempt.

“Cleon component… Cleonium is lacking… I’ve been keeping an eye on him since I came to the royal capital, but…. The place he went to now is not being monitored….”

“I, is that so… But Setos is away from the royal capital. Since you don’t have to think about that, isn’t it a little plus or minus…?”

Eska once again clicked her tongue at Berastol’s words and snapped her fingers.

Golden lightning immediately fell on Berastol.

“Kyaaaak!”

It was a powerful magic that made smoke rise from her body, but Berastol endured it to the point where she felt pain.

Even that pain, she turns into pleasure.

“Don’t defile my head with the name of a human being I don’t even want to think about…? You’ve been like that since you were little. You have no sense, and you intrude on other people’s concerns…. That’s probably why you have such transfer abilities.”

“I, I’m sorry…♡”

Eska looks at Berastol, who is saying that, and peeks into the paper bag she brought while staggering.

However, she soon stood up from her seat with a vein popping out on her forehead and swung her fist to hit Berastol’s stomach.

“Again, only sweet things like this…! I said I’m old, so I have to restrain myself now!!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry♡♡”

“If I had known this would happen…. Not you-!!”

When Eska said up to that point, Berastol’s body froze for a moment.

Until now, she had endured any abuse or painful punishments with pleasure.

As if she had remembered something she wanted to forget, she covered her head and sat down, trembling.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry”

“… …”

And Eska silently looked down at her, who continued to apologize to someone with empty eyes-

She grabbed her shoulders and arms.

As if the firm and persecuting attitude until just now was a lie.

A benevolent expression, a gentle voice. And she strokes her with a soft touch.

“…Berastol. It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry Berastol. I’ve ruined you again.”

And, the wave of divine magic flowing from Eska’s hands gradually calmed Berastol’s trembling body.

“That child- Les is definitely alive.”

And Berastol was now completely back to normal, taking a small deep breath and looking up at Eska.

“Come on. Berastol. Let’s have tea time with the refreshments you bought. It will be even busier after Cleon returns.”

She nodded like a child at Eska’s words and got up from her seat.