“Alright, we need to head down to that underground area now.”
Late at night.
Three figures huddled in an alleyway on the outskirts of the estate, wriggling to avoid the moonlight.
“We need to figure out how many magical beasts are inside and set things up in advance.”
“This feels like a stealth game, makes my heart race.”
“But why did you call me?”
“Lord Bjor will be at the mansion with Dariann, drinking heavily and off his guard, so we need to move quickly while he’s distracted.”
Currently, Lord Bjor was indulging in drinks with Dariann, completely letting his guard down.
With Lord Bjor away, they needed to enter the underground area guarded by many soldiers to execute their pre-planned operation.
“I see, so do you have a plan?”
“Hello? I’m asking why you brought me along?”
“Currently, the underground area where the magical beasts are kept is guarded by soldiers. We could use concealment magic… but that sly old fox Lord Bjor might have installed magical tools to detect magic, so it’s better to scout the inside without magic if possible.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Hey! Could you stop ignoring me?”
“Besides, we’re already known, so it’ll be difficult for us to get in.”
“True, if the Count’s siblings suddenly showed up, Lord Bjor would find it suspicious. Plus, you’re famous now, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“What we need now is someone who can visit openly without raising suspicion, someone Lord Bjor wouldn’t particularly question…”
“If there is such a person….”
“…? Why are you suddenly looking at me?”
“I, I brought food… Hehe…”
‘Why am I doing this…?’
Thus, Tene, the result of ‘carefully considering the most suitable element for this situation, someone who can enter openly without raising suspicion,’ awkwardly held up a basket containing bread, jerky, and diluted wine, offering an awkward smile.
Tene’s true identity was a dragon, but currently, she was simply a maid working at the Count’s estate, making her a perfect fit.
Even if something went wrong, it wouldn’t be a problem since she was a dragon.
She was truly the perfect executor of this plan.
Of course, the process of asking for Tene’s permission was completely absent from all of this.
“…O-oh, really? Food’s here?”
“Good, ahem… hmm…”
The two soldiers, who had initially raised their spears, suspecting her, soon lowered them and smirked.
“That’s good. Hmm. Did you come from the Count’s estate?”
“Y-yes… that’s right. C-can I go in?”
“Of course, miss. Go right ahead.”
“T-thank you…”
Receiving permission to enter between the two men, Tene quickly scurried inside.
“Phew…”
The moment Tene, who had entered without any problems, let out a sigh of relief.
“Hey! Wait a minute!”
“Nyehet?! Oh, yes? W-what’s wrong?”
‘Huh?! Did I get caught?’
One of the guards, who had been quiet until now, approached Tene and called out to her, making her heart drop.
“It’s dark in here, so I’ll guide you.”
“Ah… th-that so? I-I’m fine…”
‘I didn’t get caught… Thank goodness.’
Tene, who had been anxious that she might have been caught, felt relieved again when she realized it was nothing.
“The stairs here are dark, so people often fall. Let’s go together.”
Thump-
“…!?”
‘Eek! Where is this guy touching me?!’
The man, grinning with an unpleasant smile, made the excuse that it was dangerous in the dark and subtly placed his hand on Tene’s waist.
Although she was in the form of a woman now, Tene was undeniably born and had lived as a man.
Therefore, the man’s sticky touch, filled with lust, was extremely disgusting and repulsive.
“Ah… haha…! I-I’m fine… I can go alone.”
“I said it’s okay? I’ll guide you!”
“I-I’m really okay!”
‘Hold on…! Hold on…! If I hit him, his corpse won’t even be found, he’ll be shattered into pieces…!’
Tene kept saying she was fine and declined the guidance, but whether he was oblivious or doing it on purpose, the soldier continued to cling to her.
Tene wanted to flick the soldier who was bothering her on the forehead, but if she did it with all her might, it wouldn’t end with just a flick-! So, she forced a smile, enduring the goosebumps on her arms.
“Pretty lady, isn’t it hard working at the mansion?”
‘Crazy!? Did he just call me pretty lady? Just now? And why is he touching me like this? I feel like I’m going to throw up…!’
Her face turned pale at the soldier’s attempt to flirt with her using outdated lines from the past.
“If you’re free, would you like to spend some time with me?”
Grasp―
“…!?”
Just as Tene was barely suppressing her anger, the soldier’s hand finally moved from her waist and grabbed her soft butt, fondling it.
At that moment.
The precarious thread that Tene had been holding onto snapped in her mind.
“Your butt is soft, which is good? What? Is this your first time? Cute? Are you stiff right now?”
“…I’m done.”
“…Huh? What did you just say?”
“I said you’re dead, you
Thwack-
“….bastard!”
“Ugh?!?”
Unable to contain her anger, Tene swung her finger at the solar plexus of the soldier, who still hadn’t grasped the situation and was grinning.
At the same time, the soldier let out a strange noise and floated into the air.
Thud-
“Haa…..! Haa…..! Ugh, I have goosebumps! Die!”
Eventually, the soldier, struck by Tene’s attack, slammed his face into the stairs and fainted.
Even in her rage, Tene desperately tried to avoid killing him, lightly swinging only one of her ring fingers instead of her fist.
“Ugh, that was refreshing! I’m a man, you jerk!”
Tene, who had vented her pent-up frustrations with a shout, had a face flushed red with shame.
…Thump
“…Huh?”
Roll-roll-roll
“Huh? Uh oh?! That shouldn’t be happening?”
Then, his body tilted backward, and he began to roll down the stairs in an unconscious state.
Crack-
“Ouch…! That must hurt… ouch…”
Tene winced and shuddered as she heard the sounds of something breaking and twisting each time he went down a step.
“What?! What’s that noise?”
“Hiccup!?”
However, Tene had already made too much noise.
The soldier guarding the entrance, whom she had met earlier, rushed over, startled by the crashing and banging sounds, and witnessed the whole situation.
“W-what is this…!? Hey! You! What’s going on here!?”
“U-uh… well… uh… that is…”
Tene froze, stuttering, overwhelmed by the thought that she had been caught and the suddenness of the situation.
“Th-the stairs! He must have lost his footing! He suddenly rolled down!”
‘I’m doomed. Who would believe that…’
In the end, the excuse she came up with was a ridiculous one, that he had just rolled down the stairs on his own, so Tene felt doomed and made a crying face—
“…I see. What an idiot. Why would you fall on the stairs?”
“…Huh?”
‘He believes it?’
—but then her eyes widened at the sight of the soldier actually believing her excuse.
“He… he was trying to guide me… and then he… fell…”
“Well, he’s just stupid, so don’t worry about it. Just throw him aside. We can clean it up later.”
“I-is that okay?”
“Of course, miss.”
“H-haha…”
Fortunately, the soldier believed Tene’s hastily made-up excuse, and Tene was able to feel relieved again.
However.
“But, miss.”
“….Yes?”
“How old are you, by any chance? Hmm?”
Slide-
“….”
Even the second soldier who approached her wrapped his hand around Tene’s waist in the exact same way and lowered his voice, leaving Tene speechless.
It wasn’t so much that she was surprised, but rather that she was dumbfounded.
“Isn’t mansion life hard? Want to take a break with me?”
“…Haa.”
“Is this your first time? Hmm? Don’t be nervous~
“I was a man too… but really, men are…”
“What?”
Thwack-
“Ugh?!”
Crash-bang-
The second time, she was able to swing her finger a little more easily.
“Wow, he’s going down well.”
Tene, who was now able to smile brightly as she watched the soldier roll down the stairs in a chaotic manner, was a sight to behold.
After passing through the narrow, dark, and long staircase. Tene finally arrived in the underground area.
“Who are you?!”
“What have you done?”
As soon as she came down to the underground area, numerous soldiers surrounded Tene and shouted.
The banging and crashing sounds had already spread throughout the underground area, and the soldiers had rushed over, wondering what had happened on the stairs.
Tene watched the scene for a moment and then opened her mouth.
“Um, excuse me…! Two people fell down the stairs here~”
Tene, now without trembling, said as she dragged the two men, who were battered and unconscious, while pretending to be exhausted.
Naturally, the soldiers in the underground area believed her.
On this day.
Tene hurt someone for the first time.
But strangely, she felt more relieved than guilty.
And Tene also realized that men, when gathered together, become more foolish than one might think.
Of course, Rosaria, who had served in the military, already knew that fact very well.