Chapter 255: A Promise of a Match, and Care After Punishment

Lily had already stood, and walked following the carriage while ringing the bells attached to her nipples.

Probably on the return too things would be thrown from the roadside.

I wanted to do something, but could do nothing.

"What sort of person is that Ivano?"

To distract the frustration, I spoke to Freit.

"For form he is a member of the assembly. Origin is the Ventia Kingdom, I am told. The merchants of that country are cunning. Honestly, in business I do not want to get involved much."

"Is that so."

Had Freit’s gesture at that time been not "give up" but "do not get involved"?

"Well, please be careful. He, that gladiator slave, Regina, was it. Since getting her he has been picking fights left and right. She is probably that strong. Ah, and he likes gambling. He will come saying let us bet something. Well, the loser lends the winner’s Dule, that sort, though."

Freit wore a somewhat fed-up expression and cautioned me.

If Sara lost, lend Sara, or something. I disliked it.

"...Instead, can I not come out?"

If me, I would probably not lose first, and even if I lost I would accept.

No, Sara might not accept.

I should have thought a little more before accepting.

"He will probably find fault. But if Lord Hiroyuki fights next after Sara, the other side might accept too."

Hm. Then bring it to a draw, fine.

"Then I should prepare too."

I answered Freit that, and looked at Lily walking behind the carriage.

She grimaced as if it hurt, but neither rotten eggs nor overripe tomatoes stuck to her body yet.

On the walkway beside the carriage road there were onlookers, but no one tried to throw something.

At this rate we would return to the assembly hall without incident.

...

"Hm, this ends it."

Bonifatius, who confirmed the brand and bells attached to Lily’s body, said that to me.

I at once set a hand on the wound I had put on Lily by whipping and put in mana.

"Nnn..."

Lily, who had been shy from the body check by Bonifatius, jumped her body once.

The bells of the nipples rang, clonk clonk.

At the same time she hurriedly pressed both hands to her mouth.

Apparently she pressed down the voice that had been about to come out from feeling with my mana, and endured.

I ignored Lily looking resentfully while fidgeting her legs, and carefully painted my mana on the whip marks all over the body of Lily, who was shrinking shyly.

"Uuu..."

I healed the wounds of the piercings of the nipples too.

Unfortunately the piercings could not be removed, so the holes stayed open, but with this the pain would vanish too, and blood would not come out or it fester.

After that...

"Rosina, please."

"Understood."

Have the pain of the brand marks taken with Rosina’s magic.

With my mana as the Dule’s master this brand could not be healed, so I had no choice but to rely on Rosina’s magic.

The time it worked was limited, so when the effect cut the pain would return, but while casting the magic several times the pain would settle.

Even so, there was a sense of incongruity in Rosina’s honorifics in the words.

No, it was not wrong, and Rosina took a polite attitude too, so to the side it would look like she was doing a firm Dule.

Not the usual Rosina, so I felt the incongruity.

Normally even in front of people she would come fawning with the usual drawn-out words, but this time for form a solemn event, so she seemed to be restraining.

This switch I thought as expected.

I stroked the head of Rosina, who had set a hand on the brand of Lily’s chest, and Rosina looked up at me.

She herself probably intended to glare, but because happy feelings oozed too, it looked not scary but cute.

Rosina looked at me smiling, gave up the silent protest, sighed, and looked at Lily again.

"Aah!!!"

Just at that time a scream rose from Lily.

No, this feeling was... Hexa.

"W-wait..."

When Rosina hurriedly moved to chant pain-stopping magic, Hexa pressed Rosina’s hand.

"What is it? ...Oh, you are Hexa."

"Nnn... y-yeah... k-kuu..."

Hexa answered while grimacing.

Beads of sweat floated on her face and body.

"What is it?"

"I-I too, if I am bad, guh, making only big sister suffer, how is it, I thought. Ehe, ehehe... kuu."

Hexa, even while suffering, smiled and told us her feelings.

Then the feeling changed again, smoothly.

"Guh, haa, haa, that Hexa, coming out on her own..."

Lily, who had come out, said a monologue with a complicated expression.

Angry-like, sad-like, and yet happy-like, that complicated expression.

"Just a little more and it would end, though. Well, I who let my guard down am me too..."

Further she grumbled complaints.

Probably Lily, who did not want to make Hexa feel pain, had been holding Hexa down so she would not come out.

But when she felt relieved that it would end soon, Hexa had come out.

I stroked Lily’s head, and Lily glared at me.

"D-do it soon!"

"Got it, got it. Rosina."

"Yes."

I smiled at Lily, face bright red angry yet not brushing off my hand, and asked Rosina, and Rosina smiled too and cast magic on each brand one by one.

When all were cast, Rosina and Lily both sighed, ho.

She had been getting used to it, but the pain had probably not settled that much yet.

When Hexa came out she had worn a pained expression.

After that, the relief that it had finally ended, maybe.

"Now then, let us return home once. Preparations have to be made too."

"Yes, right."

I nodded at Freit’s words.

"Hm? Is there something from now?"

"Yes, Lord Hiroyuki had a fight picked by Lord Ivano."

When Bonifatius asked interestedly, Freit smiled wryly and answered.

...Was that a fight?

"That is troublesome. Well, be careful so I do not have to take care of it."

Bonifatius taking care meant it would become an incident or accident.

Thinking that, I did not feel I wanted to meet Bonifatius much.

"I will be careful."

I smiled wryly and answered too.

Then seen off by Bonifatius, we left the assembly hall.

...

"So, from noon you are going to pick a fight?"

Sophia swallowed the chewed leaf vegetables and asked me.

"I said it is not a fight."

"It is a fight. Only putting out Sara as proxy."

I denied, but the one word Freit put out after drinking a mouthful of water ruined my words.

We, who had returned to Freit’s house, took lunch including my Dules.

Of course Lotte and Freit’s maids served Freit, and Ilma, Helma, and Yuki served me and the other Dules.

Even so, having gotten Freit’s permission they served themselves too, so the Te-Dules were mainly having me served.

"No, no, it is training. Toward the war."

"Hahaha. Let us leave it as that."

Freit, after teasing me, tore steamed chicken with his hand and put it in his mouth.

Lotte held out a cloth to Freit, and Freit wiped his hand with it.

Lotte, who received the cloth from Freit, swayed the heavy-looking metal lumps hanging from her nipples, grimaced her face a little, and stepped back to the wall.

"Which means, may we participate too?"

Birga entered the talk modestly.

If training, fine, maybe?

"How about it?"

"I think it is fine, but what he will say... Well, if only this side there is no problem. The arena is free, he said too."

When I asked Freit, that answer returned.

Ah. He did not know what Ivano would say.

Fine to have them fight separately, but the content of the bet...

But if so, Regina’s strength bothered me.

"Sara, how strong is Regina?"