Ch.121Retirement Ceremony (3)

The retirement ceremony preparations were going smoothly.

I wasn’t particularly involved, but everyone was enthusiastically handling things on their own, deciding what should be done and how.

I thought they might ask me for financial help if they ran short, but I was touched to see them tightening their belts and managing with just the funds remaining in the Blood Tower.

It feels like… the Blood Tower will keep running fine even without me?

I’ve been working hard all this time hoping they would become self-sufficient, so I can’t help but feel happy seeing that goal finally being realized.

“Sister.”

Irina, who had been watching the preparations, called out to me.

“What is it?”

“Do you think I can do this?”

With the retirement and inauguration ceremony approaching soon.

Irina asked me with an anxious expression, clearly feeling nervous.

Although she had initially said she would work hard, now that it was becoming a reality, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.

I wondered if I was handing things over to Irina too early, but this was actually how things were meant to be originally.

If I hadn’t been here, that is.

If the past Irina, whose talents hadn’t yet properly bloomed, had become the Blood Tower Master… perhaps that would have been the beginning of the Blood Tower’s downfall.

I’m well aware of how much influence I’ve had on this Magic Kingdom.

Without me, that shut-in guy would never have left his room, and the Blood Tower would have gradually declined until it completely collapsed.

When I first arrived, the Blood Tower was already on the verge of collapse, so she would have fallen along with the crumbling tower as its master.

Seria would have lived a lonely life at the Green Tower, pushed around by elves after sending off her last connection from a thousand years ago, and Ignius would still be strutting around acting like he’s the best.

How many people have I changed?

But that’s not really important.

Such hypotheticals are meaningless.

What matters is the reality of what’s happening now, and the fact that I’m retiring and entrusting the future of the Blood Tower to Irina.

However…

“Retirement is just a word. I’ll always be by your side.”

I will continue to watch over the Blood Tower from behind its master as it moves forward.

In a way, I’m the first Blood Mage, not someone who belongs in this era.

This is as far as my help goes.

While I personally want to rest, that feeling is also significant.

It might not be bad for these people if I continued managing the Blood Tower, but I can’t exist forever.

If that were the case, when would I ever be able to step down as Blood Tower Master?

Just a little more time, and this would become their entire world.

The Blood Tower with me as its master would become their only truth.

If that happened, this position would become shackles that rob me of my freedom and prevent me from moving forward.

But…

‘I can at least guide my successors when they lose their way.’

That would be my role for the rest of my life.

“So don’t worry too much. Just do your best with what you can.”

I’ll handle whatever you can’t do.

Right now, I’m stepping forward and doing everything myself, but someday Irina will need to lead the Blood Tower on her own from the beginning.

So she shouldn’t be afraid now.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes… I’ll… try my best…!”

“Good. That’s all I need to hear. Now, our Irina needs to prepare for the inauguration ceremony.”

“Prepare? Do I need to prepare something?”

Irina tilted her head at my mention of preparations.

I expected as much.

“You can’t attend the inauguration ceremony in those clothes. We’re planning to hold my retirement ceremony and your inauguration ceremony together, so you need to wear proper attire.”

“By that logic, shouldn’t you do the same, sister?”

I blinked at Irina’s words.

What is she suddenly talking about…?

“I’m fine. Don’t these look fancy enough?”

“Not at all! You always wear the same thing, so it’s nothing special!”

“Ugh…”

What’s wrong with these clothes…?

‘Is the black gothic lolita style inappropriate…?’

It was what I’d been wearing instinctively since becoming this body, and I thought it suited my role as Midir Tepes, the direct disciple and successor of Count Vladimir. But thinking about it now, it was quite an embarrassing outfit.

Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to try different clothes now…

“Hmm… Then what kind of clothes do you think would suit me, Irina?”

“A dress!”

“…Huh?”

“I want to see you in a dress. I think you’d look really pretty.”

“T-That’s…”

A dress…?

I froze on the spot at Irina’s innocent suggestion.

As someone who was originally male, even these clothes were a bit much for me, but a dress was definitely out of the question.

‘Or is it…? Is this outfit actually harder to wear?’

Black gothic lolita.

I’d been wearing it so long that I’d gotten used to it, but in some ways, it might be even harder to wear than a dress.

If I could wear this, maybe I could wear a dress too?

“Hmm. Then I can’t miss out on this, can I?”

At that moment, Seria appeared as if she’d been waiting for this chance!

An assassin who came to make me wear a dress.

“Why don’t you go back to your tower…”

“Nope, I’m staying here~ I ran away~”

“…Really?”

“I’ll be here at least until the retirement ceremony is over. Let’s see how they manage without me.”

I wonder if the Green Tower will be okay.

Seeing how she managed it well for a thousand years, I think the problem was with the Green Tower rather than Seria, but this seems… a bit much.

“Anyway, let’s go buy a dress quickly.”

“Just so you know, I used to be a man…?”

“But you’re a girl now. You’re cute, so you should dress up. How long are you going to wear those same clothes?”

“…”

When she spoke so nonchalantly, I found myself at a loss for words.

Taking my silence as acceptance, she nodded and took my hand.

“It’s my wish. Will you refuse?”

“Is this really something to call a wish…?”

“Sob sob… A thousand years is enough time for dozens of human generations to pass… I’ve waited so long…”

“…”

This kid has become quite cunning.

I let out a deep sigh.

“Fine, let’s go. Even I think wearing these clothes for the retirement ceremony doesn’t seem right.”

“Yay!”

“Woohoo~!”

Seria and Irina both looked delighted.

I don’t understand what they’re so happy about.

.

.

.

.

And so, after leaving the Blood Tower, we headed to…

“Do we really have to come all the way here…?”

“You’re having a grand retirement ceremony, so you should wear something nice.”

The most prosperous area around the Aether Tower.

It was the most highly-rated clothing store in the central district.

I don’t care much about clothes so I wouldn’t know, but Seria seemed to know exactly where she was going, as if shopping was her way of relieving stress.

“Oh my, Lady Green Tower Master.”

“It’s been a while, Madam.”

“How was the outfit we made for you last time?”

“It was excellent.”

“Hoho, thank you for the compliment.”

The woman I assumed to be the store owner came out and began chatting with Seria.

“And this person is… Oh my, could it be the Blood Tower Master…?”

“She’s my friend. She’s having her retirement ceremony and needs suitable clothes.”

“Is that so?”

She looks extremely pleased.

The woman approached me and greeted me respectfully.

“It’s an honor beyond my station, Blood Tower Master. Do you have any particular style in mind?”

“Hmm… I don’t really know much about this, so I’d appreciate if you could make something you think would suit me best.”

“Would that be acceptable?”

I nodded at the Madam’s question.

I don’t know much about this anyway.

Wouldn’t the person making it know best?

“Hehe… Then I’ll do my best.”

“May I take your measurements first?”

“…Huh?”

“Oh, I’ll measure her.”

Seria said, grabbing a measuring tape.

“No, you can tell just by looking.”

Why would someone who can tell measurements down to the millimeter just by looking need a measuring tape?

“How strange… I really can’t tell… I think I need to measure directly?”

Seria approached with a mischievous giggle.

This woman clearly has ulterior motives.

It was obvious that measuring me was just an excuse to touch my body all she wanted.

“Hey, you crazy woman, get away!!”

“Come here, you!”

“Kyaaaah?!”

I tried to run away, but it was too late.

Captured by Seria, I had to endure the humiliation of having my body measured with a tape.

“You two get along so well…”

The noble lady smiled at us while the perverted elf grinned from ear to ear.

This is so annoying…

“Damn it… You’re dead when we get back…”

“Hehe.”

How did she turn into such a perverted elf?

Seeing that smile makes me want to hit her.