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Chapter 126: Just because you make the character a woman doesn’t mean everything she does will be permitted.

Right, so all I did was run a spell on the level of a prank through a diplomat’s guards.

…Yeah, not even I can pretend this isn’t a problem…

Now the confusing thing is that, instead of trying to arrest me, all the guards, and even the arrogant deep-elf guy, are all kneeling down in front of me, terrified.

… I mean, I’m not going to make any excuses about my prank-level spell technically being an attack, but… it really was only prank-leveled.

So why are they all so terrified?

Ragnall, who has fortunately recovered already (it really was a tiny amount of mana disperser, but it’s still problematic for people like Ragnall) also doesn’t seem to have any clue, but Desmond-san’s wry smile suggests he might have an idea.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like he really wants to say it here.

So… … …

What do we do about this now?

As the silence started to get longer, the clacking of high heels sounds from above.

Click click click

It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve heard high heels… maybe the last time was when I was ‘escorting’ Seimei-san at the nobles’ ball?

Although I don’t really remember taking note of that then.

I was kind of busy.

Anyway, in this world I’ve mostly been surrounded by people who prefer comfortable footwear.

Adventuring doesn’t really work well with heels, after all.

Since we’re all unwilling to move (Ragnall, Desmond-san, and I don’t want to move in case it’s taken as a hostile maneuver, and the guards … are they just frozen in fear? I don’t really get it), the room is completely silent as we’re all listening to the crisp clacking of the heels.

Click click click

With measured steps, the high heels cross the upstairs balcony, go down the stairs, and get closer and closer.

Although unhurried, the steps sound very forceful.

Somehow, I feel like I can see the confidence oozing off the person wearing those heels.

“Now what might be going on here?”

Wow~.

It’s not just me, Ragnall is also raising his eyebrows at the woman who appeared in the doorway, flanked by a few butler-like deep elves.

Liadain-san, the arrogant deep elf who ‘greeted’ us totally felt like a rotten noble, but this woman… is totally giving off the air of a queen.

Tall, graceful, with a head of white hair that tumbled loosely down the back of her head past the thinly wrought, jeweled chains that were wound through her tresses, she was an absolutely gorgeous woman.

Desmond-san quickly kneels before her, and after a moment of ogling, Ragnall and I scramble to do the same.

The guards, though, don’t move, so…

I guess it can’t be helped that she realized there was an abnormality in the situation.

Due to … all my sensing-type passive skills, I can tell she activated some kind of magic, and a pretty… not exactly ‘powerful’ but very … intense? Spell.

When I glance upwards, her eyes are glowing a cold silver as she looks over the room.

I’m about to expand my <Magic Sensory>, but… my instincts stop me.

What she’s doing is probably a similar Skill, so she’d definitely picked up on me using magic.

I have no proof, but my instincts with magic have been pretty sharp, so I’ll restrain myself this time.

I technically attacked her guards already after all, even if it was only a prank-level spell, so let’s not push my limits this time…

After a short moment, the beautiful deep elf releases a breathy sigh, then says, with a hint of exasperation,

“Liadain, you are no longer welcome past these doors. Damhan, escort him out.”

“Yes, your Excellency.”

Ah, as I thought, she’s the diplomat.

One of the deep elves behind her moved forward, seized the still-kowtowing Liadain, and roughly pulled him to his feet.

Liadain broke out into a cold sweat, and although he didn’t struggle, he cried out,

“Wait! What have I done-”

A single, cold look from the diplomat silenced him, though.

“I believe I made it clear that I have no desire to be caught up in your frivolous faction wars. Leave.”

“No, I wasn’t – I was just following procedure -”

“Damhan, Faolan.”

“Yes, your Excellency.”

“As you wish.”

Realizing that nothing he was going to say was going to get him out of it, Liadain clenched his teeth and weakly allowed the two deep elf men to escort him out.

So… is the diplomat actually a good guy?

I’m even more confused when she unfurls a feather fan, hiding her mouth but without bothering to hide the disdain in her eyes as she watches Liadain leave.

Not until Liadain was firmly shown out, with the slamming of the mansion’s doors making it clear he was gone, did the diplomat move.

Snap!

With a flick of her wrist, the diplomat snapped her fan shut against the heel of her other hand, and she looked over at one of the guards.

By the way, with all the commotion, the guards have all recovered and have managed to shift their positions so they weren’t kneeling towards me but her.

“Escort our guests into a proper receiving room, and you, inform me on what is going on.”

“Yes, your Excellency.”

Heh… a proper receiving room…

I didn’t think there was anything wrong with this one, but when the guards, who were all extremely wary around me, escorted us into another room…

Wow.

You can really tell Her Excellency’s tastes.

Gorgeous is gorgeous, but when done in excess, it’s…

It’s not like the room is covered in gold furnishings or whatever… but the furnishings that are there are really… if there was any extra décor, it would have turned the room from intimidatingly luxurious to overbearingly extravagant.

There are still a few guards in the room, but I figure I might as well take the opportunity now to ask …

“Desmond-san, what’s going on?”

“Ah… it’s a little complicated, but from my estimation, Her Excellency was not informed of our visit.”

… What the heck.

Is that a favorite pasttime of people who work for nobility or something?

Seimei-san’s guard attempted to do the same thing back in Nyl City, didn’t he?

Seriously, if this is the level of help nobles can expect…

“Well, like I said, it’s complicated. At least, my presence greatly complicates things.”

Desmond-san makes kind of an annoyed look.

“Is that… mana disperser thing actually a legitimate procedure?”

Ragnall can’t help but ask, pressing his knuckles against his mouth and grimacing.

“Not without first informing the subjects who are going to drink it. Even if we ignore Ragnall’s unique situation, there are more and more people developing mana deficiency these days. Even if it’s unlikely for those types of people to approach Her Excellency’s mansion, not informing people about mana disperser being in their drink is a grave matter. Even if they didn’t put enough in it to do anyone any harm.”

I can’t help but quip,

“Except for Ragnall.”

“Shut up.”

Ragnall’s response is more of a tired mutter without any force, so I know he’s not really mad at me.

But it’s been a long time since I heard about mana deficiency.

I was definitely aware that there were people that had that in Nyl City, but if I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever actually met someone with it.

But then, I hung out with active Adventurers and Craftsmen, so maybe it can’t be helped that I don’t run into people with mana deficiency.

Come to think of it, I wonder how the Mana Pot merchant Kali is doing.

Also, where are Niera and the rest of the Valor of Arms Brigade now?

As my mind drifts away to other thoughts, the clacking high heels in the hallway drags my attention back to the matter at hand.

“So, an Exile is petitioning to be able to meet the Queen.”

It wasn’t a question.

Her Excellency crossed the room with even, graceful steps, followed by her entourage.

She seated herself in the most luxurious looking chair, across from the couch the three of us were sitting on.

A low glass-looking table with carved wood and inlaid gold sat between us – although it’s probably not glass but khrystel… no, khrystel is too expensive for something that uses a pane of clear material like this table.

Maybe it’s something like the carapace of a jewelled beetle, shaved down… I really want to Analyze it, but I figure it’s not a good idea to excessively use magic.

I still don’t know if we’re in trouble, after all.

As I’m distracted with the table, Desmond-san replies.

“My apologies. Even I wouldn’t press Her Excellency for this matter if there wasn’t a need for it.”

Flap.

Her Excellency unfurled her fan again, covering the lower half of her face as she peered over it at Desmond-san.

After observing him for a moment, her eyes shift to Ragnall, then me.

“Hm. It must be something quite interesting, if you’re being followed by a Heretic and … that woman.”

Shiver-!

Is it just my imagination that a chill runs up my spine?

I don’t feel like I’m in danger exactly, but… I don’t feel all that happy about the approving look in her eyes for some reason.

“… At any rate, is it alright to dismiss Sir Liadain so easily?”

Desmond-san attempts to change the subject and Her Excellency’s eyes narrow in annoyance.

“I cannot excuse negligence of the people in my employ. It doesn’t matter how long he’s been here. His negligence reflects poorly on me as my Spokesperson. Furthermore, not being able to determine that his petty harassment aren’t worth the risks he was taking – a fool who can’t judge the ranks of those in front of him, and even subjecting them to insult – how laughable.”

Her Excellency hmphed and, with a flourish of her hand, snapped the fan shut again.

“Showing such rudeness to our guests almost lost me the privilege to meet an A-Rank Adventurer and this woman who’s obviously been blessed by the Light.”

… Why do I feel like that’s the real reason she kicked Liadain out?

With a graceful flourish, Her Excellency stood, took my hand, and then knelt in front of me.

“It’s my greatest honor to meet a woman such as you, Blessed One of Light.”

Are these goosebumps from the cringy name she’s calling me, or because of Her Excellency’s attitude?

Or like, is this okay?

She’s some high-ranking diplomat, right?

She’s not supposed to be kneeling in front of Adventurer A here, right?

Ragnall, don’t look jealously over here.

She’s beautiful, yeah, but … … … something doesn’t feel right about this.

Thankfully she doesn’t stay knelt for long and with an elegant spin she returns to her seat.

“Truly, beauty is something to be appreciated.”

Peering out at me from behind her fan, Her Excellency says those words – urgh.

Okay, so it doesn’t look like we’re in trouble because of my ‘faux pas’, but I can’t say I actually like this situation…

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<a/n: … … right, okay, we’ll just go with this semi-yuri, I guess. I mean, I’m glad I ironed out Her Excellency’s personality of being an overbearing noble but not an antagonist, but boy is she a trip.
Btw, I’m thinking of Yuu from Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san with the title of this chapter. Damn she’s creepy and every romance trope I hate. Although I can tolerate it because it’s supposed to be a comedic parody of said tropes, but it’s still repulsive. Making her a girl doesn’t make it any less bearable than if it were a man, honestly.>