Preparations were already finished. I came with plenty of time to spare anyway.
I’ve already changed my hair to silver from before. Facial expression was important, but changing hair color seems to have played a big part too.
Thanks to our efforts, any resemblance between my two forms had been minimized.
“Uh, um. Er…”
And, one of the more important things.
The voice.
I changed my voice to an ambiguous tone, not overly feminine or masculine. If I used my original voice, someone who recognizes my voice might be able to identify me.
In the end, it’s sad that even making me look more like Reinhardt and changing my voice to be ambiguous like this were just preparations for if everything was revealed.
If I had entered as someone entirely, I wouldn’t have had to worry about this shitty balancing act.
It would have been better if… I had competed in Miss Temple instead….
With the last insurance in place, there was no more room for hesitation.
All that’s left is to return to Temple, dressed as a woman, in time for the start of the cross-dressing contest.
However, if I go back to Temple exactly on time, I don’t know what might happen. In the first place, the participants have to gather earlier than the starting time to prepare.
So, I spent time in Eleris’ basement room and when I came out, I was in Al Ligar’s shopping district.
I was wearing casual clothing.
Of course, it wasn’t the Temple uniform, nor was it women’s clothing. I just changed my makeup and tweaked my face and body shape a bit.
Wait, didn’t that mean everything was changed?
While feeling wary of gazes, I was carrying my baggage while wearing a hooded robe.
It feels like I’m going on some secret mission or something.
Were those rewards really worth it?
Did I really have to go this far?
Amidst doubt and self-justification, I slowly headed towards the Al Ligar station.
I always checked the interior of the station whenever I came, and I saw that the stores were properly set up. Of course, it had expanded in scale since the first time I saw it.
When they first proposed the business, I thought it would be nice to have, but now that we’ve started it, I realized that it’s a real goldmine. The Merchant Guild was even expanding its investment. It seemed that the number of shops were increasing from just simple snack shops to larger establishments.
Now, there will come a time when it will be difficult for the Rotary Gang members alone to sustain the size of the business, and then we will have to acquire a workforce beyond the gang.
At this rate, a structure like an underground mall in a large terminal may soon be created. I don’t know when that will happen though.
Anyway, it’s true that the amount of money the gang is bringing in was increasing exponentially.
Anyway, even if other organizations or merchants come in, it won’t be bad in the end. We had the business rights, so there were endless ways to make money, whether it’s receiving royalties, delegating work and getting paid like tenant farming, or making money with other people’s labor.
If a store didn’t get with the program, we could simply wield our power and drive them out of the business. That’s what power was for.
It used to be that I didn’t even think about these kinds of things, but I was amazed at how easily I could have such wicked thoughts now that I’m living like this.
It’s crazy.
In front of the shops near Al Ligar Station.
The Al Ligar district was like Yongsan district in Seoul. There were always huge throngs of people passing by, and it was famous for its shopping district. Of course, those merchants were more famous for their wickedness.
I saw some little kids loitering around the shops.
‘How much is this?’
‘How much is this? Oh, that’s ten silver coins.’
‘What about that one over there?’
One child was asking for the price, getting the attention of the store keeper, and the other was cautiously looking around in a blind spot of the store keeper’s view.
These little bastards.
Just what did they think they were doing?
One person was being a distraction, while the others were slyly putting snacks in their pockets. Busy people passing by didn’t seem to notice or say anything about the sight.
Ha.
It’s a cute thing to do in comparison to the fight I had with a street vendor on the tram.
But still,
This was my rice bowl.
Who were these yellow-blooded bastards?
Just when I decided to approach these aspiring gangsters….
-Thud!
“Ack!”
“We got you, you little buggers.”
Out of nowhere, someone had grabbed the collars of the two brats.
”!”
Realizing the situation had gotten out of hand, the kid who was drawing attention at the counter suddenly tried to slip away.
“Catch that little shit!”
Someone who had been waiting, per the direction of the person who had already caught the two kids, suddenly appeared and caught the child who was trying to run away in a single motion.
When three kids were suddenly caught stealing, even the passersby who were watching the scene started to look surprised.
Wait, and who were these guys?
They weren’t dressed as guards, were they?
Even though they weren’t wearing the uniforms of security guards, they were acting just like them, even catching those shoplifters. But I didn’t know if they were legitimate, because the store manager, who was a gang member, looked confused too
“Caught you, you little fuckers. Didn’t realize how close we were, did you?”
-Snap!
“Ack!”
I could only stare dumbfoundedly as the thug who had caught the kids slapped one of them across the cheek.
“You too!”
“Ouch!”
-Pak!
“You bastards!”
-Snap!
“Argh! Hu, hu-huk!”
“Lock them in where they’ll never see sunlight for the rest of their lives….”
-Thud!
“…?”
Without realizing it, I acted on impulse. I found myself grabbing the hand of the security guard who was about to slap the crying child’s cheeks again.
“…What?”
“Ah, no… I’m sorry… it was wrong of me to do that… but why… why are you doing this to them?”
No, but still, to beat a child like this?
“I don’t know who you are, but these three are all crooks who have gone through every station and have more than 20 recorded thefts under their belt. They are well known delinquents. They’re a menace to society, so there is no need for a lady like yourself to be concerned about such people.”
Oh, a lady huh?
That word made me feel like my hair was going white….
No, since my hair was silver right now, it really was.
But these three guys were habitual shoplifters?
Twenty times?
They’ve touched my rice bowl twenty times now?
Then it’s understandable that they got beat up badly, right? No, I wanted to do that anyway, so it’s alright, isn’t it?
People were looking on in confusion at the thugs who were suddenly beating the child, and at me who suddenly jumped in to stop them, and at the child who started crying after being hit.
They looked at me with hope at first, but as the vigilante explained their crimes to me, they seemed to get more frightened the more they saw my face..
“Well, still. I mean, it was wrong, yeah. But I still don’t think that… This is kind of. That. It’s kind of wrong, isn’t it?”
It’s that… y’know… that…
Wasn’t it too embarrassing to do that in the current situation? Without stepping back, I said that word, and the boss’s eyes narrowed, making him look like the leader of the gang.
“It’s not your concern, Miss. Please continue on your way.”
It was a threat.
However you looked at them, these guys were not guards.
Their clothing were not much different from the passing pedestrians, but their behavior suggested they were not guards.
However, now I also had some sense of discernment.
The wrist holding the kids, the thick neck, the trapezius muscle, the biceps, and the calloused palms.
Just by looking at those things, I could roughly tell.
They’re not just gangsters either.
They were trained people. And quite thoroughly too.
If we go any further, the commotion would only get larger. The kids were now looking at me as if they were begging for help.
No, I was going to beat you guys up instead of him, so it wouldn’t do any good to look at me.
I had no intention of raising more of a fuss than this. Although I didn’t know who these people were, if we caused any more of a commotion here, there was a high chance that I would be dragged into something troublesome.
I didn’t want to be caught like this and be exposed as Reinhardt of the Temple Royal Class!
When he realized that I was about to relent, he smirked.
“I see you’ve been spared the harshness of the world, young lady. Be careful in the future. The world ain’t so easy.”
Ah.
The screws came off.
It’s been a while.
“This asshole is for real.”
“…what did you say?”
“You’re just some asshole who was taught to beat the shit out of a kid on the sidewalk and now you’re telling me you’re so great?”
His expression suddenly changed at my unwarranted curse.
The screws were lost and I couldn’t hear the brakes anymore.
“Who the fuck are you, anyway? You’re not even a security guard. This is their job, not the job of assholes like you who don’t have a clue.”
“I told you to be careful.”
“Be careful of your shi-”
-Thud!
“!”
“Huh, you’re the kind of bastard who throws a punch at the slightest provocation, huh?”
I grabbed his arm as he reached out to slap my cheek, and he was stunned by the fact that his arm was caught.
Yeah, I’m smaller, but I’m just as strong. Self-Suggestion was activated. I glared at him.
“Are you sure about that, you punk?”
I wasn’t like the Reinhardt of the past.
No, I mean….
Of course, I’m a lot different today, but….
“Haah… Doing a shitty job got me a shitty bitch….”
His gaze changed, and suddenly there was a strange light in his eyes.
Instinct kicked in.
Survival.
If he tried to make a move now, I had to seriously go for it too. He and I continued to glare at each other in a stare off, the tension so high it felt like it was boiling. Just before things went past the point of no return…
“Stop.”
A voice cut through the silence.
“What’s going on?”
Someone appeared, walking through the buzzing crowd who parted like grass.
“My lord…”
“I’m pretty sure I told you not to make a fuss.”
Bertus replied with a calm expression.
No.
Why are you here?
I’m lost.
I’m not sure what happened, but it seems like something went wrong.
“I’m sorry.”
“…No, please don’t mind it. I was also in the wrong….”
I stood stiffly while watching Bertus apologize as he served me tea.
Bertus didn’t recognize me at all.
I never thought I’d be in a situation where my disguise would be tested. I’m sure he didn’t recognize me because I wore so much makeup and changed so many things.
Since he really couldn’t recognize me, I felt relieved, but at the same time, I was covered in cold sweat because I didn’t know when I would be exposed.
“It’s been a busy time lately, with a lot of people using the mana train during the Temple Festival, so there’s been a lot of inconveniences. We’ve been bringing in extra guards to compensate, but we couldn’t provide them all with uniforms. They’re also not trained to do this professionally, so sometimes they overreact, and I understand if that makes you feel uncomfortable.”
“Oh, no… I didn’t know that at all….”
“But their response was clearly wrong, and we’ll be disciplining them according to our internal procedures. I know it won’t be enough, but I hope you’ll forgive this much….”
“Yes, yes, of course!”
I wondered what Bertus was doing while he was absent from the Temple dormitory. He was here.
Bertus didn’t reveal that he was the Imperial Prince.
He only introduced himself as the person in charge of the operation and security of the mana trains during the festival period.
During the Temple Festival, people from all over the continent gathered in the Imperial Capital. The flow of traffic increases greatly, so the number of passengers using the mana trains increases enormously as a result. It’s not just the Temple that attracts people, but also the Imperial Capital.
Bertus seemed more focused on working and achieving results rather than enjoying the festivities during this time
In the original when Charlotte was out of the picture, he participated in Mister Temple, but now that she was alive, he probably thought he needed to earn achievements.
Maybe unsurprisingly, he was a workaholic.
Meanwhile, Charlotte was just playing around….
Still, I’d rather see Charlotte enjoy the festivities than working during this festival.
It turns out that Bertus’ constant absence was due to his duties as Chief Inspector of the Mana train this festival.
It seems that they’ve deduced from the actions of the shoplifters that Al Liger station was going to be their next target.
So he sent out plainclothes guards to capture them. But while they were in the process of rounding them up, I got into a fight with one of the guards and the rest was history.
This.
It’s a terrible coincidence.
Too cruel of a coincidence.
To meet Bertus at this exact time.
He’s such a bastard! He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he? He’s doing this to me!
Bertus was apologizing to me without revealing his royal status.
Bertus was competent even without resorting to imperial authority.
I couldn’t deny it.
He seemed like an emperor.
“It was because I was causing a fuss without knowing the details… I’m sorry too.”
When I realized that the guy who beat the kids up was actually a plainclothes cop or something, I didn’t have anything to say. The kids will get what’s coming to them, and the dude will be disciplined for trying to punch a person in the face when he couldn’t control himself.
There’s no reason for me to stay here any longer.
Anyway, I didn’t want to stay in Bertus’ line of sight any longer than I had to!
“Well, then, I should go now….”
“By the way, Miss.”
Bertus’s voice stopped me as I tried to get up.
“That’s a rare hair color.”
“Ah, it’s dyed….”
“Oh, is that so?”
Bertus narrowed his eyes at me.
“By the way, are you a student at Temple?”
“That’s… Why, that’s….”
“No, it’s just…your face looks familiar.”
Fucking hell.
Fuck! I had to get away quick!
However, even Bertus seemed surprised at what he had just said and blinked his eyes in confusion.
“Ah! That’s not what I meant at all. I have no other intentions. Really. Um… it just seemed like I knew you from somewhere. No. It must sound strange.”
Perhaps thinking that his words might sound repetitive, Bertus sealed his lips shut.
Awkward silence.
I needed to escape, but when was the right time to do so? Bertus seemed to be at a loss for words, perhaps thinking that he had said something strange, while I was just focused on finding the right moment to run away.
“…Oh, are you planning to go on a trip or something?”
Bertus asked, looking at the baggage.
It was just a question. Should I say I’m going on a trip?
“Well, just…. Yeah.”
Stammering, I grabbed the teacup. It was black tea, poured by Bertus.
Teacup.
‘There’s no way that a nobleman wouldn’t know how to hold a teacup.’
An old memory flashed through my mind.
How should I hold the teacup? Was there a particular way to hold it? This guy knew that Reinhardt didn’t know how to hold one, but should I do it again? Was this really important?
No, there’s no way Bertus would remember something like that!
But what if he does remember?
The whole thing was driving me crazy with anxiety.
Fuck, just calm down! Why did I have to act out and make the situation worse for myself?
Even if this situation was troublesome, I’m the one who started it all!
While struggling with the urge to smash my head on the table, I grabbed the teacup with both hands.
-rattle
Of course.
I trembled like I had Parkinson’s disease. Bertus was staring at me silently with such a look.
“Um, I have a case of essential tremor….”
“Oh, is that so?”
Finally, I held the teacup with both hands and barely managed to take a sip.
Acting like nothing was wrong made me feel like I was actually doing something wrong.
“It’s surprising to hear that you have essential tremor despite seeming so young.”
Bertus also took a sip from his teacup.
What, having a tremor at my age? That’s strange!
Was there a reason for it?
What could cause tremors at such a young age anyway?
“It’s because of my alcoholism.”
“Pfft!”
Bertus probably didn’t expect that kind of reason for my tremors, seeing as he just spat out a mouthful of tea.
On my face.
“….”
“That, that! I’m, I’m sorry!”
Bertus was so bewildered that he fumbled with his handkerchief and hesitated to bring it up to my face, while looking at me with concern.
“…It’s okay.”
I wiped my face with the handkerchief that Bertus handed me.
At a young age, I had trembles. The reason was alcohol addiction.
The reason I could spout such a ridiculous thing was because I just randomly threw out the first thing that came to mind.
Bertus seemed greatly surprised, as if he never thought he could perform such a gaffe his whole life.
I carefully wiped my face with the handkerchief.
I felt sick.
What if my makeup comes off?
I’m already pissed at myself for needing to worry about this kind of shit.
“Then, I will… go now.”
“I’m really sorry….”
Bertus bowed his head, clearly feeling terrible about it. I’d rather he was embarrassed than being miserable like this though.
It’s clear that he thought I was leaving early because of the blunder he committed.
Fortunately, even the perceptive Bertus was fooled enough by my perfect acting and disguise.
“Excuse me. May I ask for your name?”
Bertus called out to me as I was leaving the stationmaster’s office.
I hadn’t thought of a pseudonym for cross-dressing!
I’m already ‘real’ enough.
I didn’t want to become any more “real” here!
“…It would be best if the honorable sir didn’t find out this one’s name.”
“…Ah.”
Leaving Bertus’s subtle reaction behind, I bolted out of the room.
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