Ch.267267. What Are You Hiding? (1)

Renias was still on the bed, unable to shake off the aftereffects.

With Junon conveniently absent, she cautiously approached the mirror she had seen yesterday.

“In, in this state… Where on earth did I leave my senses…!”

The only clothing she had on was a single shabby dress shirt. Even that was torn in various places, revealing her skin underneath. No matter how many times she looked at her appearance, it was far from presentable.

The embarrassment of having shown herself to Junon in this state wouldn’t subside.

Knock knock.

The knocking sound automatically drew Renias’s gaze toward the front door. Though the door was securely locked, she was anxious about someone coming in.

But the only person who would enter Junon’s house was the owner himself.

“Renias, is it okay for me to come in now?”

“O-Oppa? Wait a moment! You can’t come in right now…!”

“…Take your time. Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Y-Yes…”

She felt relieved that he had kindly knocked and indicated he would enter only when she was ready.

“I guess the blanket is all I have to cover myself with right now…”

Renias gathered up the blanket she had shared with Junon and wrapped it around her body.

After signaling that he could come in now, he cautiously opened the door, ready to turn around at any moment.

In one of Junon’s hands was a bag containing clothing to replace the tattered dress shirt that had become little more than rags.

And in his other hand was a newspaper.

“Hm? Why the newspaper?”

“If you want to know how the world is turning, you need to look at things like this.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Well, that makes sense. This is Sirach, not the Academy.

Since the means of obtaining information are limited here, reading the newspaper would be reasonable to understand the situation in the principality.

‘But why does he need such information? Wasn’t Oppa’s plan already completed?’

She recalled hearing that the nobles were in a desperate situation since the Mirpark blockade began.

The plan he had been executing since the parade was related to punishing the nobles, so now the principality’s army would be carrying out that task in his place.

With even the Tembris Party joining in, the nationwide blockade meant that the principality’s defeat was highly unlikely, even if the nobles released monsters from their laboratories and deployed mana-infused humans.

Unless the nobles had some unseen plan for victory, the newspapers would just be repeating the same content for the time being.

Yet Renias couldn’t help feeling there was something significant about his interest in the newspaper.

“Ahem. Renias, I’ll go wash up first.”

“Ah, yes?”

“You need to change clothes, Renias…”

“Y-Yes! Go ahead, Oppa…!”

But since changing clothes was the immediate priority, she forgot to ask about it further.

***

Truly an impregnable fortress.

Mirpark, where the Imperial people first settled, was a military stronghold both geographically and environmentally, making it difficult to breach.

However, the term “impregnable” only applies when facing monsters, not humans.

—Tomorrow, that wretched fortress will finally fall!

—To hell with them! Those damn corrupt officials!

—We need to catch every last one of them. Those traitors who turned their backs on the country!

Indeed, with this push, the gates would soon be shattered.

“Sigh.”

“Why are you sighing? Once that fortress falls, everything will be over.”

Senia, with her arms crossed and leaning against a wall, spoke up, concerned about the party leader who was sighing despite victory being within reach.

“…”

But Goden remained silent. He was simply handling his newly supplied greatsword, the Badlite that Junon had discovered, and his personal Synchro-type magic armor made of Elcherium.

When his fingers finally stopped moving, Goden spoke.

“Senia. How many times have we successfully inflicted damage on Mirpark?”

“Why ask that suddenly?”

“I just feel that the damage we’ve caused with this magic armor far exceeds all our previous attacks combined. Don’t you think so?”

“…That’s true.”

Synchro-type magic armor. Senia, who was the first to grasp its handle, would have immediately sensed that this equipment, which optimized magic circuits and extremely enhanced mana operation and circulation rates, was no ordinary weapon.

In fact, even when Colonies and Caves were pouring out everywhere, she and Aris maintained peak condition and played the most significant role until the blockade began.

Except for Erika, who couldn’t create Synchro-type magic armor because she handled holy power, the other four unanimously said they got goosebumps as soon as they received their equipment.

How could such precise magical formulas exist in this world? The formulas operated in perfect balance within what seemed like a precarious array that could collapse at any moment if even a single line was out of place.

And since it accurately calculated each person’s different types and qualities of magical power without any side effects, it felt like becoming one with the equipment, causing goosebumps.

These pieces of equipment, comparable to any master’s artifacts—no, even objects beyond artifacts—had formulas that were impossible to fully interpret.

Even if Senia used her magical sight with extreme concentration and Kain assisted, they might barely see half of it.

Anyone with such thorough theoretical knowledge would be among the few in this country. And Goden had accurately identified the creator of these formulas.

“The one who created this must be Junon. So I was thinking…”

“What?”

“…If he were here, we would have already breached that fortress with ease.”

Despite hearing Goden’s self-reproaching lament, Senia didn’t deny it.

“So, are you saying the principality’s army can’t break through a single fortress occupied by mere Mirpark Road School students and nobles? Like what happened at Algenib?”

“No. That’s not what I meant. In terms of military strength, that’s not the case at all.”

“Then why bring it up?”

“I just thought that if he were here, he would have broken through days faster than us. Simply that.”

Somehow, to Senia’s ears, it sounded like:

If Junon were here, there might have been fewer casualties, and the blockade would have ended sooner, with those traitors already punished.

It sounded like a lament.

“We’ve already received too much help from him. We can’t ask for this too, can we?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“The gates will be breached tomorrow, and here you are saying strange things.”

But they couldn’t ask Junon for help anymore.

By now, the Mirpark blockade had transformed into a war between nobles who committed taboos to seize control of the principality and the principality’s army trying to stop them.

They certainly didn’t want to drag him into a human war.

“Lady Senia. It’s the designated time.”

“You heard that. You’re coming too, right, Goden?”

“Yes.”

Right. There’s no need to worry. This night raid, which includes a feint operation, will completely root out those who are holding out inside the fortress.

However, shortly after, the Mirpark gates were breached from the opposite direction.

***

“Oppa, really… Geez.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

Renias glared at Junon with wide eyes. After coming out of the bathroom freshly washed, she realized the clothes she received were not appropriate.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t wear them at all. Unlike Junon’s loose dress shirt that barely covered her, these clothes were decent enough to wear out of the bathroom.

But it was clear he had chosen poorly.

“No, I… I didn’t know they were summer clothes.”

How would he know without having bought women’s clothes before?

Junon scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he spoke.

Of all times, in this weather. He had bought summer clothes in winter when the air itself was cold, even if there wasn’t a biting wind.

Since they were clothes for someone else, and he knew nothing about women, he had simply written down the size on paper and asked for clothes accordingly.

Renias felt pleased by this unexpected aspect of his character.

‘Oppa knows absolutely nothing about women’s clothes!’

It meant that despite having many women around him, he had never seen any of them as potential romantic partners.

It was clear evidence that Junon had never had a girlfriend. How could she not feel happy about that?

Renias tried to suppress her rising smile as she took out one of Junon’s winter coats and put it on.

“Why are you wearing that?”

“Well, I need to go buy clothes for myself. We can’t go out once it gets dark.”

“Ah, right. You can’t wear summer clothes in winter.”

And so the two began their shopping trip.

Renias headed to the marketplace, went into changing rooms to try on various clothes, and came out asking how this or that looked.

Each time, all Junon would say was:

“Beautiful.”

Nothing more.

When she puffed her cheeks and asked him to put more effort into his responses, Junon, who had no sense for such things, delivered a straightforward answer:

“You look beautiful in anything, Renias.”

Strangely, such simple and unrefined words strongly stirred Renias’s heart, and the watching shopkeeper would alternately look at the two with a sly smile and nod her head.

Perhaps by tomorrow, rumors would spread throughout the marketplace about a young couple who had enacted a scene worthy of a play.

“But… why are you buying so many clothes?”

“Hm? I can’t live with just one outfit, can I?”

“I know that, but…”

Is it necessary to buy this many clothes? It was enough to wear for months, let alone days.

Then Junon asked, sensing something:

“Just to be sure… you’re not planning to stay at my house longer, are you?”

“W-Well, I need to stay by your side, where else would I go?”

“…Really?”

Even when asked if she was serious, Renias just fidgeted with her fingers, hiding her slightly flushed cheeks by averting her gaze.

Still, wouldn’t her true feelings be conveyed? Nestling into Junon’s embrace, Renias tried to express her honest feelings.

“I don’t want to have those kinds of dreams anymore… And you’re the only one who will feed me now… And I want you to treat my knee injuries again… And you comforted me too, so…”

But at that moment.

An incident erupted in the middle of the town.

“Kyaaaah─!!”

A clear human scream struck both their ears.

They both knew this was no time to be discussing whether she would stay at his home or not.

Quickly sensing the magical energy to determine the direction, Renias immediately pointed and ran.

“This way, Oppa!”

“Right!”

Only one question remained in their minds:

‘It was strange enough that Stumps came down, but… Legators too?’

Why were monsters appearing so frequently in this peaceful town, in this administrative district called Sirach?