Chapter 72 Don'T Think About Weird Things
"Yeah... Let's retreat for now."
Far away, down below.
After confirming that Nord's entire body was engulfed in intense flames, I kicked the air with all my might.
If our strategy proceeds this far, even if I temporarily retreat, the impact will be minimal.
So, I thought I'd take advantage of the spare time to change clothes.
...Well, to be honest, that's not the only reason.
What's concerning me is the movements of that perverted guy who's still peeking at the battlefield. If they're planning to interfere with us, I thought they'd try to stop us before we restrain Nord, but it doesn't seem like that's the case.
Another possibility is that they might do something when our victory is within reach, but... on the other hand, it's also possible that he won't do anything.
In that case, if they do something, it's likely that they're an enemy spy who's infiltrated our ranks.
So, I retreated to the edge of the barrier, to one corner.
I didn't need to retreat this far just to change clothes, but I wanted to test if they're really like 'that', so I thought I'd observe them.
If they're an enemy, I'll pretend to know and subtly hint at it, and then I'll try to provoke them.
It's possible to do this before or after the extermination strategy begins, but by doing it during the operation, I might be able to induce confusion on their side and elicit a genuine reaction.
"Yeah... I was really looking forward to it..."
I hope it's just my unnecessary worry.
Thinking that, I fell from high above, releasing aura from the soles of my feet to cancel out the shock just before landing.
As I landed, surrounded by swirling snow, a scream echoed from the other side of the barrier.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!"
"What's going on?!"
The snow that had been kicked up fell, and my vision cleared.
I straightened my knees, which I had bent to absorb the shock, and stood up quietly. I gazed straight at the existence on the other side of the barrier.
"Ah, Mr. Aaron!? What are you doing here――huh?! Wait, why are you naked?! Ahhhhh!!"
"A naked pervert has descended upon us...!!"
I couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to maintain the barrier by not letting go of the staff, her face turning bright red all the way to her ears as she said that. It looked like she was embarrassed from seeing me naked, but... I realized it was all an act.
She was desperately trying to avert her gaze, but her eyes were calmly observing my state. Especially, her wandering gaze seemed to be focused on my weak points, particularly around my groin area.
Her embarrassment was just an act.
To begin with, she must have already seen me naked, so it was ridiculous for her to be embarrassed now. I mean, she's seen everything, including the crack of my butt, so there's no way she'd be embarrassed about seeing me naked!!
It was a bit sad to have seen through her act.
But I pretended not to notice and said with a smile.
"Sorry about that, I was fighting and my clothes got blown away. I came back here to change. Sorry for the trouble."
The one standing on the other side of the barrier was a girl with long black hair tied in a single braid, golden eyes with glasses perched on top, giving off a mature impression――Chloe Caduceus.
So, the one I suspected was Chloe.
There were several reasons for this, but the biggest and most decisive one was the fact written in the letter I received from Lorentz Margrave――namely, that the Caduceus family had sold the materials from the [God's Remains Labyrinth] to various merchant guilds and humans.
Considering this fact, there were many suspicious points about Chloe.
The biggest one was that she had been kidnapped and was being used as a hostage against me. Why was Chloe chosen as a hostage when we hardly had any contact before?
If Chloe was actually an enemy, the story was simple.
The ones who were struggling to secure a hostage against me had used their own comrade, Chloe, as a hostage. Chloe was a member of the [Four Great Families of the Seals] and someone I knew by face, so even if we weren't close, she could still be used as a hostage.
In other words, that kidnapping was a self-directed act by Chloe and her group――it was a possibility.
"What kind of situation is this, where you're fighting and your clothes disappear...!?"
Chloe was acting embarrassed, but her gaze didn't waver from me. Even though she looked away, she was still observing me with a sidelong glance.
Her gaze was the opposite of embarrassed, with a somewhat damp and piercing stare.
I pretended not to notice, shrugging my shoulders and responding nonchalantly.
"It's no big deal, right?"
"No way, that's not it at all!! And, and, and, you should change clothes quickly!! At least, hide your private parts quickly!! What's with this situation...!?"
Yeah, right.
I deepened my suspicions about Chloe's words. That line, I didn't believe it.
"Hey, hey, Chloe is used to seeing people naked? What are you embarrassed about now?"
"――What are you talking about...!!?"
The one who reacted to my line was, for some reason, a short and fat magician standing next to Chloe. Yeah, I knew he was her guard.
Wasn't he the leader of the ≪Sword Dance Maiden's Scorned Squad≫?
He opened his eyes wide in shock, gazing at Chloe with a mixture of fear and awe.
"Unbelievable! Lady Chloe looks so mature, but she's actually a rookie (pitcher)!! And I'm still so innocent and pure at my age!! How many people has she...!!"
"What are you talking about...!!? No, no, no, that's not it at all!! I'm not used to seeing nudity!!"
"That panicked reaction...it's even more suspicious...!! I thought for sure you were a virgin...!? ."
"Ah, Mr. Aaron!! Why are you telling such a lie...!!"
"I didn't mean to lie..."
I replied, deciding to start changing clothes.
Yeah, Chloe was still suspiciously black-hearted. If I could confirm that, I couldn't afford to waste any more time. The battle wasn't over yet, after all.
First, I took out my shoes from the Storage Ring and put them on.
"Why are you starting with your shoes...!?"
"No, my feet are cold."
Next, I took out my upper garment and put it on.
"Why are you putting it on from the top?!"
"It's my business whether I put it on from the top or from the bottom!"
Next, I didn't have time to put on my underwear, so I took out my pants and tried to put them on, but――
"Ah, ah, my shoes!"
Whoops, I had already put on my shoes, so they got caught, and――
"Owwww!"
I ended up falling over. So embarrassing.
"――Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!?"
"What's with this guy... showing off his embarrassing moments on purpose...? Is he one of us...?"
For some reason, Chloe let out a loud scream and the chubby magician gave me a terrifying stare.
I lay down on the snow, struggling to put on my pants.
After that, I stood up, took out "Black Radiance," and gripped it in my right hand, then turned to face Chloe again.
Chloe's face was bright red, and she was panicking, saying "H-h-h-haaahhh!!" I gave her a serious look and pierced her with my gaze.
"Chloe... don't think about weird things."
"――――Eh?! ."
"I know your secret."
"............"
Chloe's movements froze, and she stopped moving, her back turned to me. I kicked off the snow and――
Activated [Rapid Flash] and started sprinting towards Nord.
Anyway, right now, my top priority is to definitely defeat Nord. The Caduceus family and Chloe can wait.
* * *
Chloe's heart was pounding loudly, making an unpleasant sound.
As he ran away, Chloe stared at his back, unable to suppress her agitation at the fact that her secret might have been discovered.
For a moment, a wild thought crossed her mind.
(That's it... if I attack him with Space magic while he's distracted...!!)
If she could make Aaron disappear, her secret would be safe.
Even with [Four-Square Boundary Disruption] active, if she had a few minutes, she could build up powerful magic and attack from a distance, even from inside the barrier.
But――
(Ah, that monster... it's impossible for me...!!)
Aaron Gale's overwhelming strength was still fresh in her mind, from when she was with Nord, and even on the way to the 46th floor with the clan. Chloe, an exceptionally talented Space magician in her family, had almost no combat experience. She didn't have the confidence to take down that monster with just one chance.
(Ugh, ugh...!! Uuuuuu...!! What, what should I do, what should I do...!?)
The harsh reality was making her head spin.
In that state, the leader of the ≪Sword Dance Maiden's Scorned Squad≫, who was waiting nearby as her escort, called out to her.
"Lady Chloe, does he... have your weakness that you're aware of?"
The plump magician's sharp gaze continued unexpectedly.
"He's got a weakness, and he's going to take advantage of Lady Chloe's... ahem... alluring body... what a fiend!!"
"Eeeeeeeh!? Wh, what's with the...ahem...!?"
Although she couldn't move from that spot, Chloe tried to distance herself from the plump magician as much as possible.
Chloe Caduceus.
Her loose, flowing robe made it hard to notice, but she had a well-developed figure, just like Eva Kirke.
That was one reason why a certain Sword Dance Maiden would give her an overly sharp gaze.
The plump magician whispered a proposal to Chloe.
"If you're planning to assassinate him, we'll cooperate with you."
"No, no way! I'm fine, I'm fine!"
She firmly denied it, and the magician's face fell, looking extremely disappointed.
"So, you won't do that...I see..."
It wasn't that she had any intention of assassinating him. For a moment, she had considered it due to the shock of having her secret discovered, which had clouded her mind.
Naturally, the words that came to mind were not "knowing the secret" that Aaron had said...
But rather, the image of Aaron from earlier.
When he suddenly fell from the sky and landed here, Aaron Gale's figure caught her attention. His lean, muscular body, like that of a wild animal, had no excess fat, and his entire body was covered in numerous scars. He must have been in an intense battle, as his body temperature was rising, and steam was rising from his body.
And above all, the majestic organ that she didn't have, and the tight, toned butt she saw when he fell...
Just thinking about it makes her face turn bright red and feel like it's on fire. Maybe her heart is racing like crazy because of it too.
Because, after all...
"Oh, I've seen a naked guy...!!"
That's what it was.
Chloe thought, "I guess I have no choice but to take responsibility now..."
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