Chapter 52: The Nun Saw It!!

The Silent Blade, Rey, was the one who had killed the sister of Ryoga, the head of the vigilante corps.

It seemed that Lev-chan’s older brother had strayed down a dark path. To think he’d raise his blade against women and children—he’d clearly lost any shred of a warrior’s pride.

"He did slash Irine without hesitation. We knew he wouldn’t hold back just because it’s a woman."

"Convincing him otherwise will be quite difficult, I imagine."

Ryoga’s eyes were serious. This wasn’t a half-hearted declaration—he truly meant to kill Rey.

He genuinely harbored hatred and resentment for Rey, the one who had taken his sister.

"…We’ll need to subdue Rey ourselves."

"But if we protect Lev’s brother, we’ll be turning against the vigilantes. We need to find a way to make Ryoga see reason eventually."

"There’s always the option of just taking him and running. We’re wanderers, not tied down to Ressal. No need to cling to this place."

Hmm… So once we bring Rey over to our side, we’d just escape from Ressal? That could be one option.

Maybe we could try talking to Ryoga again at the right time, explain Lev’s circumstances, and work out a deal.

Now then… what would be the best move?

"Well, let’s take it slow and talk it over with everyone. It’s late—we should get some sleep."

"Agreed."

Right now, we haven’t even spoken with Rey yet. Our direction from here on out could shift entirely.

There’s no point making plans at this stage. Once Rey surrenders, that’s when we can move things forward.

---

"Still, splitting the rooms by gender, huh… didn’t even think of that. Sorry about it."

"There are certain considerations when it comes to noble ladies, you see."

For now, that was the extent of the conversation we had with Ryoga last night.

Since I’d told him I "wanted to talk," failing to follow through would’ve looked suspicious—like I was hiding something.

"I have this unfortunate tendency to get caught in lewd accidents, you know. If we don’t separate the rooms, something outrageous might happen."

"So you are aware of it, then."

If Karl and I shared a room, I wouldn’t be surprised if by morning every single girl had “accidentally” crawled into his bedroll.

"You’ve got a pretty enviable trait there. …Mind giving me some tips?"

"One Karl is more than enough, thank you very much."

I doubt there’s any “trick” to being a lucky perv. He was just born under that kind of star.

"I’d say it’s more of a curse, honestly. Unintentionally ruining my reputation with the girls—it’s a nightmare."

"Hah? Then do something about it."

"If it were that easy, I wouldn’t be struggling."

"Nah, it is that easy. You just gotta… whispers"

And after that dumb conversation—

We ended up getting another room and split up by gender for the night.

"You sure that will really work as a solution?"

"Just try it and see."

---

The Next Morning

"Wake up! It's time to rise!"

"Fwah!?"

A loud kaaan! echoed through the air, like a giant bell had been struck.

All of us, who had been sleeping with our small sleeping bags laid out across the large room, were quite literally jolted awake.

"Fwaaah… ah. That was a surprise."

"Morning, Irine. What was that just now?"

"Ugh… I didn’t get enough sleep. What the heck…?"

Looking out the window, it was still dark. Only a faint trace of dawn lit the street outside.

Apparently, this was what “morning” looked like for the vigilante corps.

"Hey there, guests. Good morning. You all can sleep in a little longer if you want. I’ll come get you when it’s time for breakfast."

"Oh, Ryoga-san."

The voice of yesterday’s pint-sized perv drifted in from outside the room.

Seems like that wake-up call wasn’t meant for us.

"Phew… in that case, I think I’ll go back to sleep."

"Ryoga-san, what are you all doing at this hour?"

"Morning drills. Doesn’t seem like something guests would care about."

"…Drills, you say?"

Hmm. Hmm hmm.

"I would very much like to join you!"

"…Wait, what?"

So they do train in the mornings. With that level of skill, of course they do.

I definitely want to learn. Proper hand-to-hand combat, straight from professionals.

Lev-chan isn’t exactly available right now, so I’ve been hoping someone else could teach me the fundamentals.

"Ready to go!"

"Whoa, that was fast! Already changed!? Wait—join what exactly?"

"The drills, of course! I humbly request your permission!"

"Eh? Ah, well, I mean… sure. Honestly, having a girl around might boost morale a little."

Without hesitation, I geared up in my usual bikini armor layered under my noble-style dress and darted out of the room.

"But you know, it’s dangerous without proper armor. We don’t exactly have many spares… Oh—wait, you're already wearing some, huh."

"Indeed. It’s bikini armor."

Since I wear my bikini armor under my clothes, it’s hard to tell from a distance that I’m actually armored.

Lev-chan taught me this trick—disguising your defenses gives you a tactical advantage.

"Well, I guess that’s fine then. The others should already be gathering outside, so Irine-tan, just wait a bit, yeah?"

"Understood!"

Alright, I got the green light.

It might raise a few eyebrows for a noble to train alongside commoner soldiers, but what matters to me right now is learning real combat skills.

It’d be ridiculous to die clinging to honor or status.

"I’ll be in your care, Ryoga-sama!"

"Don’t go overboard, alright?"

Even if the opponent’s a hardened veteran, it still stung that I was completely helpless against Lev’s brother—defeated in an instant.

At the very least, I want to be strong enough to trade blows.

---

"U-UOOOHHHH!!"

"Your guard is too shallow!!"

A solid blow—one clean hit.

"Go for ittttt!!!"

"NGHHHHHH!!"

The man bellowed as he tried to block my punch.

But reality is merciless. My fist, aimed squarely at the soldier’s shield, blasted through his guard and drilled straight into his solar plexus.

"GUH-HAA!"

"Squad leader!!"

"Might makes right! What a wonderful age we live in!"

Morning drills had kicked off straight into combat training.

Apparently, the training menu changes depending on the day, and today’s was based on a surprise-attack scenario—getting ambushed right after waking up. Without even warming up, the vigilante corps had split into two teams for a mock battle.

Since I’d jumped in uninvited, I ended up assigned to one of the teams.

"This can’t be… Impossible. How does a little girl like her have that kind of strength…?"

"You’re next! Ohohohoho!!"

Honestly, I’d initially hoped they’d start by teaching me the basics—stances and forms, stuff like that.

But now I was starting to think that this kind of “near-real” combat training might actually be better. You can clearly see what you're lacking and what you need to gain to survive on the battlefield.

First, know your strengths and weaknesses—and then figure out how to use them effectively in real combat.

"Idiots! She’s a mage, for crying out loud! Haven’t you morons heard of body-enhancement magic!?"

"B-Boss!! What the hell are we supposed to do!?"

"Irine-tan’s power is off the charts, but her movements are amateur! Use tactics—treat her like you’re fighting a giant magical beast!"

Apparently, I was being too rowdy during training, so Ryoga suddenly changed the scenario: "Starting now, everyone work together to take down Irine."

He figured it’d make for good training against close-combat type mages.

At the moment, I was facing off against the entire vigilante corps—alone.

"Rope her up! Bind Irine completely!"

"It’s no use!! The rope got snapped clean through!"

"What monstrous strength!! Are all nobles really this powerful!?"

They kept trying all kinds of tricks to restrain me, and I had to admit—their teamwork and discipline were impressive.

But sadly… not enough to overcome my beloved muscles.

That gravity bracelet really had been something else. Just taking it off now let me unleash a ridiculous amount of power.

I can’t even imagine how strong I’d get if I stacked body-enhancement magic on top of that.

"Archers, ready! Rain arrows on her!! And make sure those arrowheads are the blunt clay training ones!"

"Roger! Take that noble chick down!!"

"Fufu… not good enough!"

The frontliners abruptly pulled back, and without missing a beat, a hail of arrows came flying straight at me—deliberately staggered in timing to keep me under constant pressure.

But I’d predicted this. It was the same tactic that worked against Silent Blade Rey: don’t engage her on her terms—just pelt her from afar. If close combat won’t cut it, they had no choice but to go long range.

However—

"Earth Wall — Earthrig!"

If you’re a mage, arrows are nothing. You can block them easily.

And that retreat? Exactly what I’d been waiting for. What did they think would happen if they gave distance to a magic user?

"Ahahaha! You may have avoided close combat, but the true strength of a mage lies in long-range warfare!!"

"T-This is bad!!"

"Earth Burst Barrage—let me show you what real ranged offense looks like!!"

With the Earth Wall giving me a moment of breathing room, I began chanting without worry.

This was an intermediate-level earth spell, one Sakura had properly re-taught me. It’s like a magic Gatling gun that mows down enemies over a wide area—perfect for neutralizing groups without killing.

But—

"Gotcha! Checkmate, Irine-tan."

"Ah—"

Ryoga, who had apparently sprinted full speed the instant I cast Earth Wall, leapt over it and tackled me mid-chant.

Damn it. I let my guard down way too much.

---

"That turned out to be a surprisingly good training session, Irine-tan. Thanks."

"Mmmmmm..."

And so, morning drills came to an end. Over breakfast, I sat with Ryoga and the others, reviewing the mock battle.

"This time, I only managed to catch you off guard because Irine-tan also used ranged magic. If you were purely a close-combat specialist, that trick wouldn’t have worked."

"You deliberately had me use a defense spell to obscure my vision, then baited me into casting ranged magic in that limited visibility... I’ve learned a lot from this."

"When your opponent makes a move that’s too convenient for you, it’s worth asking why they’re doing it, Irine-tan. When someone backs off from a mage, it usually means they’re baiting a cast."

Ryoga had outplayed me completely.

It felt like a cheap trick, something you’d pull to catch someone off guard. But in actual combat, that’s more than enough. Whether it’s a one-off trap or not, once you kill your opponent, they don’t get a second chance.

"It was a good experience for us too. We hardly ever get to fight someone who just bulldozes through everything with raw power."

"Her movements were amateurish, though. Hey, Irine-tan, could it be that..."

"Yes, just as you suspect. I only recently began traveling, so I barely have any real combat experience. That’s why I’d like to properly learn combat techniques—especially hand-to-hand combat."

"Yeah, makes sense. Your moves were a bit dicey to watch. You’ve gotta at least get a solid grip on how to block and fall properly."

Ryoga nodded thoughtfully.

"Irine-tan, if you’re up for it, how about continuing to train with us? We can teach you some martial arts, if that works for you."

"I’d be delighted. Receiving instruction from such elite fighters is more than I could hope for."

"In return, let us use you for anti-mage combat drills. You never know when a bandit group might include a magic user."

"Of course. It’s a deal."

And with that, I was officially accepted as a trainee.

It seems the vigilante corps saw training with me as beneficial on their side too—definitely a win-win.

"Irine-tan, will you join us for the afternoon session as well?"

"Yes, I look forward to it."

"Then go ahead and take your bath now. We’ve got to clean up breakfast, do the laundry, and handle other chores first."

"Chores, you say? In that case, allow me to help—"

"I appreciate the sentiment, really. But if you stick to our schedule, you’ll end up bathing with the guys. We always bathe after training, morning and evening. Staying clean is one of our rules—it helps prevent disease, or so they say."

Ah, I see. Since this town once suffered from a plague, the people here are extra cautious about hygiene.

As a noble lady, it wouldn’t be proper to expose myself to men unnecessarily.

"…In that case, I’ll gratefully accept your offer. I do have some reservations about showing my skin to gentlemen, after all."

"You’re our guest anyway. Don’t worry about it."

Still, I do feel a little bad about leaving them all the cleanup. Maybe I can find some other way to repay the favor later.

With that thought in mind, I gave Ryoga a polite bow and made my way toward the bath.

"You’ll have to draw the water yourself from the well, sorry. Also, firewood’s reserved for the evening—just rinse off with cold water this morning."

"Hehe. Actually, I can use both water and fire magic, you know?"

"…Oh, really? That’s impressive. If you can heat the water yourself, be my guest."

This was my first time participating in full-scale combat training.

Up to now, I’d only received casual tips from Lev-chan or Karl when they had free time. I’d never done a whole day of intensive practice.

Feeling excited for what lay ahead, I headed toward the bathhouse.

---

The bathhouse was a modest stone-built shack. The floor was cemented over bare ground, with a primitive drainage system that allowed water to flow outside.

The buckets were grimy, and the facilities rundown, but in terms of sheer space, it rivaled a noble’s bath. It was probably originally designed to be used by groups of ten or more at a time.

“Hmm… The fact that it’s possible to peek in is a little concerning…”

You could see the outside through the drainage outlet. Which meant, conversely, the inside of the bath could probably be seen from outside too.

If someone wanted to, they could definitely spy on the women’s bath.

“Well, I suppose no one really cared up to now, since it’s always been all men here.”

If someone peeked, well, they’d deal with it then.

Karl wouldn’t be the type to sneak a peek on purpose, and Master certainly wouldn’t do anything like that either.

And at this hour, the soldiers should be busy with their duties. There shouldn’t be anyone around to spy on me.

So it should be fine——

Rattle rattle.

“…Eh?”

“Wha—!?”

I was supposed to be safe.

I was enjoying my bath, totally relaxed, when suddenly the bathhouse door swung wide open.

Someone had just come in.

“Who’s there!?”

“Ah—wait, it’s not—”

…Damn it. Karl might not be the kind to peek, but he was the kind of guy who’d accidentally barge in while someone was bathing.

I let my guard down. Alright, I’ll splash some water on him—!

“It’s me! It’s Irine!”

“Huh? Sakura-san?”

…Wait, what?

“Sorry, I assumed it was Karl.”

“I heard there was a bath, so I came to wash up. I let Karl know, so he shouldn’t come barging in.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“I didn’t expect to find you in here, Irine. Were you washing off some sweat or something?”

Peering through the steam was Sakura, the noble girl I knew well.

We locked eyes and burst into laughter. I guess I’d been a little too on edge.

Apparently, she’d just woken up with messy hair and came for a quick rinse to freshen up.

“Well then, since you're here, why not enjoy the tub? I already filled it.”

“Thanks, Irine. I’m jealous—you can draw hot water whenever you want. Mind if I invite you next time I bathe?”

“Of course, I’ll join you anytime.”

Even Karl, for all his antics, didn’t go around peeping all the time.

Glossy skin, a firm rear—aside from her chest, Sakura had a near-perfect figure.

She really was beautiful. If Sakura was joining me in the bath, then maybe I should consider this my lucky perv moment.

“Hey… that vigilante corps training isn’t dangerous, right? You’re not gonna get hurt or anything, are you?”

“Everyone is very careful, I assure you. And I’m watching myself too—I don’t want to be scolded by you again, Sakura-san.”

“Please do, okay?”

Taking the opportunity, I bonded with Sakura as we washed each other.

Bathing together like this was great for building trust.

“Honestly, where do you think you’re touching?”

“I’m checking for injuries. Making sure no scars were left behind.”

“Then check my neck. That’s my chest, thank you very much.”

Somehow or another, we really did get along.

---

That day—

I spent the whole day training with the vigilante corps.

"Good job out there! For a noble lady, you’ve got some real grit!"

"I knew it! Irine-tan's a girl who gets things done!"

"Let’s hit the bath together!"

At first, they’d clearly disliked me for being a noble. But after sweating together and sharing a meal, that distance between us began to shrink.

By the end of the day’s training, I felt like I’d truly started to connect with them.

"See you tomorrow!"

"Yes, Ryoga-sama."

After exchanging farewells with Ryoga, I parted ways with the vigilante corps.

The cool taste of water after a day of exertion was unbelievably refreshing, a perfect match for the pleasant fatigue that lingered in my body.

Today had been—undeniably—a good day.

---

"Welcome back, Irine."

"Thank you, Maika-san."

When I returned to the room, Maika and Karl were chatting casually.

Lev, on the other hand, sat quietly in the corner, seemingly deep in thought.

"I'm sorry for running off to training without joining the discussion earlier."

"It’s fine, really. I figured, knowing you, you’d get along with the vigilante guys just fine."

"I believe I got a better sense of who they are."

"I messed up with that rigged game, and Sakura’s got that noble attitude that rubs people the wrong way. Honestly, it’s a big help having you there to smooth things over."

When I announced early in the morning that I’d be joining the training session, Maika immediately said, “Good luck,” without hesitation.

It seems she’d prioritized building connections with the vigilante corps and sent me as a kind of liaison.

"So, what’s the plan moving forward?"

"For now, we’ve decided to keep Lev’s situation a secret from Ryoga. It’s harsh, but it’ll be easier to just pull him out silently rather than try to talk our way through it."

"I see..."

"And if Lev’s brother—Rei—refuses to come quietly, then we’ll help the vigilante corps take him down. Lev agreed to that too."

"He’ll surrender… I’m sure he will..."

Hmph. I’d rather it not come to that.

I don’t want to do something like harming her own family right in front of Lev.

"We’ve mapped out the surrounding terrain. Maika and I spent the day scouting with Lev as our guide."

"Sakura went with Master to gather medical supplies. I saw them earlier inside the hideout, so they must be back already."

While I’d been busy training, everyone else had been working as well.

It made me feel a little guilty for acting on my own.

"Don’t worry about it. We needed someone to build rapport. And besides, Irine, you’re the party’s official diplomatic officer."

"…Wait, I am?"

"You’ve been handling all the negotiations with the other nobles in Rewin, and you were the one who spoke with Lord Garius. We’ve always left that kind of thing to you, haven’t we? I mean, politics are a noble’s bread and butter. You’re perfect for the job."

Now that she mentions it… I had been handling those kinds of tasks naturally.

"Very well. Then I’ll take responsibility for maintaining relations with them going forward. In fact, they’ve already asked me to join them for training again tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me."

If that’s how it is, then there’s no reason to hold back.

For the sake of my role, I’ll keep participating in their training.

---

That evening.

“…Hmph. Come to think of it, Ryoga was right—nothing weird happened today.”

The Chosen Hero muttered with a conflicted expression.

“Could it actually be working? I thought it was just some kind of silly charm or something…”

Incredibly, Karl had gone the entire day without experiencing a single lucky pervert incident.

And it was all thanks to the “Lucky Pervert Prevention Method” Ryoga had told him about the night before.

It had only been a short time, but today, Karl hadn’t caused a single ounce of trouble for the girls in the party.

“I still feel kinda weird about it… but I guess I’ll keep it up. I’ve got to overcome this trait before the girls start getting sick of me.”

So far, the method Ryoga had shared seemed effective.

Though the logic behind it was hard to accept, it was working—and that was what mattered.

---

Standing before the bathhouse, Karl took a deep breath.

“…Alright. Time to take a bath.”

He swallowed hard.

The Karl of yesterday might’ve opened the door without a second thought.

Or maybe, thinking there might be a girl changing inside, he’d knock—and end up accidentally breaking the door down.

But today’s Karl was different.

“Believe in the possibility… that a girl is inside…”

Yes.

Unlike before, Karl expected a lucky pervert moment… and flung the door open because of it!

Why the hell would Karl do something so ridiculous?

The answer lay in his conversation with Ryoga the previous night.

“Lucky pervert moments don’t happen to people who want them. That’s just how the goddess made the world.”

“People who want them…?”

“You, for example. You’ve never really wished for pervy luck to happen, right? That’s why it always does.”

Ryoga had whispered into Karl’s ear.

“Flip it around. If you do start hoping for that kind of luck, the goddess won’t give it to you anymore.”

“…You’re saying I should wish for it?”

“Before you walk into a bath, hope there’s a girl inside. Before you enter a room, imagine a beautiful woman changing clothes.”

“T-That’s just being a total creep!”

“Maybe so. But I think about that stuff all the time—and not once have I had a lucky pervert moment.”

It was an absolutely absurd plan.

But the idea was that if Karl wanted a pervy accident to happen, then it wouldn’t.

And so—

“Just give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, stop. No harm in just thinking it, right?”

“…Fair enough. If it’s only in my head…”

Karl gave it a try that day.

And as a result—not a single lucky pervert moment came his way.

---

Thanks to Karl’s overflowing pervy curiosity, the bathroom door was thrown wide open.

And so, completely naked, Karl confidently stepped into the steamy bath.

“...?”

“Oh, someone’s here?”

But he quickly noticed a silhouette through the steam. Apparently, he had barged in while someone else was already bathing.

“...Hmph, my apologies. I made a mistake.”

Whoops. It finally happened—he triggered a lucky lewd encounter.

Well, of course it did. If you go around acting like you want a lucky lewd moment, then naturally the chances go up. Why hadn’t he realized something so obvious?

“I didn’t know someone was in here first. Please forgive me.”

It was just a coincidence that nothing had happened earlier. Ryoga’s countermeasure was nonsense after all.

Ashamed of his mistake, Karl addressed the person already in the bath────

“No no, think nothing of it. We’re both men, right, pal?”

“Mas♂ter...”

Locking eyes with him through the steam was a rugged, dandy-looking man—completely naked.

“You’re here for a soak too, huh?”

“Yeah. If it’s alright with you, Master... may I join?”

“Gladly.”

Thankfully, the one already in the bath was the male Master. He was safe.

Karl let out a relieved sigh and sat down next to the Master.

“They say we can only use the bath around this time. Gotta be careful not to mess up the time tomorrow too.”

“Yeah... you’re right.”

Surprisingly, the Master had quite a muscular build.

His body bore numerous small scars, giving off the air of a seasoned warrior.

Thick arms, bursting pectorals, a hairy rear, powerful legs—it was a body far too well-trained for someone who just ran a bar.

“Master, you’ve got a great physique.”

“Oh? You think so? That’s flattering.”

“Do you work out a lot?”

“Sure do. I couldn’t lay a finger on the demons, but I don’t want to get shown up by two-bit punks either.”

With a sly grin, the dandy gave a cool smile.

This was a bathhouse. The air was thick with the stifling scent of man.

────Two men. Sealed room. High humidity. Of course something was bound to happen.

“...Forgive my boldness, but... you’re quite well-endowed.”

“Heh, referring to the symbol of manhood, are you? Well, I’ve had my fair share of making the ladies sing out in the nightlife, I’ll have you know.”

“I can see that. It’s seriously impressive...!”

“Please, stop it, you’re embarrassing me.”

...Karl had entered the bath hoping for a lucky peep and instead ended up seeing a naked older man. The shock threw his brain into a strange mood.

Meanwhile, the Master, with a tolerance for dirty jokes as high as a mountain, warmly accepted the pure chaos of Karl’s adolescent behavior.

And so, their unexpected rendezvous...

“Hwuh!? Hwawawawawawa!?”

...was suddenly interrupted when a nearby nun happened to be walking by and peeked in through the drain outlet.

“M-Mister Karl, wait, what? You and Master are... huhhh???”

That day, Karl managed to go without causing any lucky lewd accidents for once.

“...Poehhh...”

“Ilyu, are you okay?”

“She’s been like that ever since she got back from her walk.”

In exchange, one innocent nun had the misfortune (or was it luck?) of experiencing something very confusing.