Proposal
"Uh..."
A voice came from deep within my throat. I was oddly aware that the voice was mine.
“--!! –!!”
Something could be heard. What could it be?
"Rr!"
The sound of a kitten?
"Mister!"
A human voice?
"Mister Kazuo!"
A girl's voice?
At the same time, a long light leaked into the pitch-black space in front of me. The elongated light slowly expanded vertically. Naturally, it was getting brighter. It seemed that I was in the process of opening my eyes.
Mister Kazuo!"
A familiar voice?
My blurry vision started to focus on the scene in front of me. A ceiling? Indoors? And my entire tactile sense recognized what was touching my body. A bed. A pillow. A blanket. And a small, soft, smooth, and warm thing that gently wrapped my right hand.
"Mister Kazuo‼"
As I turned my head to the right and the person holding my right hand called my name, it happened almost simultaneously. That's right, I am "Kazuo." And this person was...
"Miss… Al?"
"That's right! I'm Al‼ ...Mister Kazuo… Mister… Kazuo‼"
She had suddenly let go of my right hand, hugging me as I lay in bed. The soft, warm touch, the faint fragrance tickling my nostrils. No doubt about it, this person was Miss Al.
"Ahhhhhh, I'm really, really glad... Mister Kazuo... Mister Kazuo...!"
She hugged me, sobbing like a child.
(Miss Al…)
I wanted to stroke her cherry-colored hair, so I tried to pull my left hand out from under the blanket. Then:
"Ouch!"
A sharp pain coursed through my body, causing it to spasm involuntarily.
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry‼"
She hastily detached herself from me. I hurriedly explained that it wasn't her fault. Then, I asked:
"Where...is this?"
After a moment's hesitation, she answered.
"...It's an inn in Atia."
Looking around, this was indeed the inn room we were originally supposed to stay in. Our belongings seemed to be properly stored. She continued:
"The people who found us were apparently planning to come to this town..."
*Knock, knock*
Interrupting her words, there was a knock on the door. When she responded, a middle-aged man with a distinctive tan skin, glasses, and a goatee entered.
"Oh, Mister Kazuo, this man is the one who saved us."
With her explanation, I tried to get up from the bed.
"Ugh!"
Again, severe pain coursed through my body and I couldn't move properly. The man gave me a gentle smile and said, "Stay as you are, really," so I prefaced with the words: "Very well..."
"Thank you very much for your help. I am Kazuo Hikono from Hinomoto. I am a traveling merchant."
I expressed my gratitude and introduced myself. The middle-aged man replied in a calm, clear voice.
"First of all, I'm glad you've come to your senses. My name is Hans, I run a souvenir shop."
He introduced himself.
"Mister Hans... a souvenir shop... You, no, you are!?"
I, too, was a merchant of sorts. I couldn’t not know about 'Souvenir Shop Hans'. He was a great merchant said to have amassed a vast fortune through dealing in many Queen's Blade-related goods. It was rumored that his financial power had a significant influence on national politics. Notably, the "figures," miniature statues of beautiful fighters, were super hit products with fervent fans domestically and internationally. Popular fighter figures reportedly fetched 10 or 20 times their regular price at auctions. Hans, who owned villas that served as bases for his business in various towns, also had a villa in my town. This town was a rather famous tourist spot with beautiful streets, canals flowing through, and gondolas on those canals, located near the royal capital of Gainos. Of course, the villa was located in a region where the town's wealthy residents lived, a place I hardly ever approached.
The three of us, including Miss Al, talked for a while. The morning after that day, she left the forest seeking help and happened to encounter Hans's merchant group heading towards Atia, and they apparently picked me up. It seems I was unconscious for three days after that. As they would be leaving this town tomorrow, he dropped by this room intending to discuss what to do next with Miss Al, and heard voices... that's what had happened.
"...Speaking of which, Kazuo. Your wife is truly remarkable. I was deeply impressed by how she took care of you non-stop for these three days, hardly taking a break."
"Eh, wife⁉"
I inadvertently raised a surprised voice. When I looked at her, she quickly left the room:
"I-I'll go get some water..."
Unable to comprehend the situation, I asked Hans:
"Um, by 'wife', do you mean her?"
Hans answered with a somewhat surprised look.
"Yes... Three days ago, a woman in blood-soaked clothes suddenly ran out in front of our carriage heading towards this town, shouting 'My husband has been severely injured by bandits. Please help!' I was surprised. I heard from Al that you two are a couple doing business while traveling, and that you were attacked by bandits while intending to camp in the forest, and she was out looking for food, but is that incorrect?"
I gave a rough explanation of what had happened from when I met Miss Al to the present. As for the lie that she told Hans, I decided to use all of it, except for one part. No one should find out about those ‘abilities’ of hers.
"So... she and I are not 'husband and wife'. Probably, to save the trouble of explaining our complicated relationship, she might have conveniently referred to us that way..."
"Oh, is that so..."
It seemed that Hans was satisfied with my explanation.
"By the way... Kazuo, you're from Hinomoto, right?"
"Yes."
The topic seemed to have changed.
"I love reading, and I often read books from your country. Initially, I intended to gather information that would be useful for business, but they were all so interesting that I ended up getting absorbed in them. Historical texts, essays, creative stories... all are truly splendid. 'Hinomoto Shoki', 'Tsujo Kusa', 'Nanko Riko Hachineko Den' were particularly interesting."
"Oh, I've read 'Hachineko Den'! That's really interesting, isn't it‼"
I didn't expect to discuss a story from my country with a foreigner, so my mood was suddenly elevated. As Hans and I spent some time discussing the characters and episodes from 'Eight Cats', Hans changed the topic again.
"By the way... When reading books from Hinomoto, there are some words I just can't understand... ah, yes, what does 'bokunenjin' mean?"
"Uh, if you're talking about 'bokunenjin,' I think it means 'obtuse person'."
"I see... then, what about 'tohenboku'?"
"'Tohenboku' roughly carries the same meaning, and also implies someone 'insensitive' or 'foolish'."
"And 'yaboten'?"
"'Yaboten', or 'uncultured person', is someone who is 'uncouth' or 'lacks playfulness'."
"Interesting, thank you."
I wondered if it was a coincidence that all these words were somewhat similar and were derogatory.
"...Well, I should take my leave. I apologize for taking up so much of your time while you're resting."
With that, Hans stood up, so while still lying down, I expressed my deepest thanks. He smiled gently, nodded slowly, and headed toward the door.
"Oh, by the way."
Just as he was about to grasp the doorknob, he stopped as if he had thought of something and turned to me.
"Yes?"
"It would be better if you keep up the lie that Al is your wife for a while. I won't tell anyone either."
"Huh, but why?"
"Well, she has quite a few fans among my young staff. I think you understand why."
With a grin, Hans left the room. I lay there, looking at the ceiling of the now empty room.
"..."
I had been unconscious for three days. During that time, it seems Miss Al took care of me without rest. Come to think of it, when she hugged me earlier, I definitely saw some white hair mixed in with her pink locks. I checked my body. The reason I wasn't sticky was probably because she had been regularly wiping me down. Fresh bandages. Clean clothes. Hm...?
I reached down and checked my lower half. I was... wearing an adult diaper. Of course, even if I was unconscious, if it lasted for three days, I would have to relieve myself...
"..."
Miss Al, I haven't seen or touched your "important parts", but you've seen and touched every part of me. I mean, I'm happy. Really. No matter how much I thank you, it's not enough. But... well, I mean... I needed some mental preparation...!
*Knock, knock*
"It's Al."
"Oh, yes, yes!"
When I heard her voice, I replied in a rush. Al entered carrying a tray with a pitcher of water, bread, and soup. The reason she took quite a while to return was probably because of this.
"Did something happen?"
She looked puzzled when she saw my face.
"Ah, no, nothing. Ahahaha..."
Miss Al didn't seem particularly concerned about my dry laughter. She placed the tray on the shelf next to the bed and asked if I was ready to eat. When I nodded, Al broke a piece of bread and held it to my mouth.
"No, no, I can eat it myself!"
But when I tried to refuse, Al said in a somewhat angry tone,
"No! You looked like you were in pain earlier!"
"...Yes."
I reluctantly complied. Honestly, I was happy. But I couldn't show that to others. While eating, I took another look at her. When I woke up, she was already wearing a bright red dress of casual design with a white apron.
(Red... she likes red...)
I remembered that she wore bright red panties under her habit. The apron covered quite a large cleavage. It made me recall the events from three days ago. The exposed voluptuous breasts. The softness, smoothness, warmth that I felt on both cheeks--
"Is something the matter?"
She asked the same kind of question she did a little while ago. Well, if someone stared at her, she would naturally want to ask.
"Ah, no, that... right, that outfit...?"
"Oh, this... Mister Hans gave it to me. It was originally for sale, so I offered to pay for it, but he insisted it was okay. Is it... weird...?"
"No, not at all. It suits you. Rather... it's... beautiful... and... cute...!"
"Oh, you..."
She looked down. She had a white scarf wrapped around her head. It seemed more for the purpose of "hiding her ears" rather than "tying up her hair." This was Atia, after all.
"Oh, by the way..."
"Yes?"
Upon my question, she raised her head.
"Do you know why Mister Hans came to this town?"
As she brought the spoon to my mouth with her left hand, she answered:
"He was holding a 'exhibition sale' for these three days only in the square over there. It was decided long ago, and a tremendous number of customers came from afar."
No wonder the other side of the window was noisy. The people of this town must have put all their efforts into business, seizing this opportunity.
"So... that... I also helped out a bit... but... uh..."
"Eh?"
"There were so many dolls dressed in... inappropriate clothes... I was quite embarrassed...!"
She was probably talking about the "Beautified Fighter Figures."
Seeing her blushing, I asked:
"Miss Al, have you never seen Queen's Blade?"
"I'm sorry. I... can't remember..."
"Ah, right, right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
I completely forgot. I felt ashamed of my thoughtlessness. But she forgave me, gently shaking her head from side to side with a smile.
"But... still..."
"Hm?"
"When I hear the words "Queen's Blade," something in my chest gets hot and restless..."
She placed both hands on her chest and looked far away. Pressed between her upper arms, her breasts came closer together, creating a deeper cleavage.
In the evening, an unusual visitor came. It was the town mayor. I thought it was a complaint about the disturbance a few days ago, so I started by apologizing,
"No, on the contrary, we should have maintained public order and not caused you any fright. We're truly sorry."
For some reason, the mayor apologized to me in polite language, which was completely different from the other day. To be honest, I was a bit taken aback. The mayor's story continued:
"You two are from Mister Hans' trading company, aren't you? If that's the case, I wish you'd have said so earlier...!"
It was decided several months ago that Mister Hans’ trading company would hold an exhibition and sale in this town. According to Miss Al, there were quite a few foreigners and demi-humans among the members of his trading company, and it seemed that many of the customers who came from outside the town were also the same. This kind of event would probably gradually change the town. Of course, we should never try to erase their "sad history".
It seemed better not to correct the misunderstanding that "we were members of Hans' trading company". Perhaps someone had seen Miss Al helping out at the exhibition and sale. She seemed to understand when I signaled to her.
The next morning, we left Atia with the trading company. We returned the cart to the local dealer in this town, and had our luggage loaded onto a horse-drawn carriage. Nobody, including Mister Hans, said anything about this contradictory situation where "the luggage of people who were planning to camp in the forest a little away from the town was kept in the town's inn". The destination of the trading company was the town where I lived. It seems that Mister Hans originally planned to stop by a villa there.
"..."
While feeling the vibrations in my back, I pondered while dozing. Because I was injured, I was laid to sleep inside the carriage. I felt grateful and sorry. Miss Al was sitting next to me, also dozing. This morning was early. As for me, although I was still in pain here and there, I had been able to stand and barely walk yesterday. This was probably thanks to the "Elf's Secret Medicine" that Mister Hans had provided. Anyway, with that, I didn't have to bother her with taking care of my "lower body needs".
"..."
We would arrive in the town in about two days. The journey with Miss Al would end there.
When the sun was at its highest, the caravan stopped its journey. It was a break for lunch.
"Ah, I'll go and help."
Saying that, she got out of the carriage.
"Kazuo, how are you feeling?"
Mister Hans came in after she left. He had several boxes and some documents in his hand.
"Ah, yes, thanks to you, I'm feeling much better. This medicine really works wonders. No matter how much I thank you for letting me use such an amazing thing..."
After saying that such thanks were not necessary, he changed the topic.
"Did you... watch the last Queen's Blade?"
"Ah, yes, mostly while doing other things..."
You never know when a Queen's Blade match will start, who will fight against whom, until the time comes. It often starts abruptly in the middle of business. For a poor merchant like me, I can't stop what I'm doing to watch the game closely. Actually, I've heard quite a few stories about people who were victims of theft, pickpocketing, snatching, shoplifting, and other crimes during a Queen's Blade match. Watching the images projected on a mysterious sphere high in the sky means directing your gaze and consciousness there. The intensity of the displayed match, the concentration of the spectators' consciousness, and the high probability of being involved in crimes like those mentioned earlier are likely proportional.
"Hahaha, I see... So, what about the finals?"
"Yeah, I definitely watched that. The date and time were settled in advance."
The final match of the Queen's Blade was between Aldra, “The Queen" who had won the Queen's Blade two times in a row, and Leina, the “Exiled Warrior” who had abandoned her noble status to relentlessly hone herself. Leina endured the fierce attacks of Aldra, who had remained the same as she was eight years ago and fought using her overwhelming strength and mysterious techniques. Leina poured out everything she had cultivated up to that point, and finally stripped Aldra of all she had in a great comeback victory.
"But right after Leina's victory was announced, didn't the broadcast cut off when Aldra turned into some big monster or something? And after that, we have no idea what happened to those two... The current Queen is her older sister because Leina didn't become queen, right?"
The new policies of the new queen, Claudette, feel like they've "gotten somewhat better" for us common folk. More than anything, the previous queen Aldra was a "benevolent and wise ruler" for the common people, so her policy was followed with slight improvements. However, on the other hand, we also hear troublesome stories about "crushing the nobility" and "beautiful fighter hunts". It's not uncommon to be bothered by troublesome soldiers in the town who act under the "prestige of the nation". The previous queen Aldra was also said to show no mercy to those she recognized as enemies. I wonder if that's what "ruling a country" is...
"Yes, I don't know what happened to Leina, but I've heard that Aldra was freed from the demon or fallen angel that possessed her right after that, and returned to a form appropriate for her real age. If you think about it simply, she should be in her early twenties now..."
Hans answered like that. There was something that caught my attention in Hans's words, so I voiced it.
"Hans, have you met 'Lady Aldra'?"
"Yes, just twice."
Saying so, Hans placed the box and documents he brought in front of me and kept talking:
"As you know, our current main product is the 'Beautiful Fighter Figure'. There are various difficulties in making these, but negotiating with the beautiful fighters who serve as models is especially tough."
"Right..."
What did this talk of “meeting Aldra" have to do with his main product? Unconcerned with my confusion, Hans continued his words.
"Most of the beautiful fighters are difficult to contact, or even if contact can be made, they are not interested in listening. Among them, Aldra actively cooperated with us."
So that was the connection. Hans's story continued:
"The first time, I was granted an audience, and I went to Gainos Castle with the modeling staff, and we received permission to make a figure and permission to take images as references. Then, a few days later, we brought several magical tools capable of storing images to the castle for shooting, and the queen was very cooperative, and she seemed to enjoy it."
Having said that, Hans paused for a moment.
"But, well, of course, I was nervous. After all, there were rumors that anyone who angered her would be ruthlessly turned to stone..."
He put on a slightly grim face. I was also drawn into the atmosphere and swallowed my saliva.
"However, on the second day, she was cheerful throughout, and spoke to us kindly. Before becoming the Queen, she seemed to have had a hard life. Apparently, she decided to become the queen to search for her separated younger sister. Maybe her cooperation with making her own figurine was also due to the hope of it catching the eye of her sister who might be somewhere on the continent... I also received various questions from her as I traveled around for business, but I couldn't provide any information that would help Aldra. I cannot forget the look of loneliness on Aldra's face at that time..."
Hans took a breath and then asked,
"You seem to be traveling around as well, Kazuo. Do you, um, uh... Ah, yes, do you know a woman named Annelotte? I believe she would be in her late teens by now..."
It seems that this "Annelotte" is the sister of the previous queen. When I replied that I didn't know her, Hans, laughing, said, "Is that so?", and then went on:
"This is the material we created at that time, and the Aldra figurine currently on sale."
He placed the documents and a box he brought in front of me. The box was made of a transparent material on the side, and I could see a figurine of a girl who looked to be in her early teens wearing a very daring red costume inside. Wondering why he brought this to me, I decided to take a look at the documents. There were numerous images of the girl who served as a model for the figurine, taken by a magical tool. Detailed notes and sketches were scattered here and there on how to recreate her intricate costume design.
"...?"
As I turned a few pages and reached a page with many large images of her face taken from various angles, I felt something was amiss. The girl in the pictures— who was apparently in her early teens— was certainly beautiful. She has some sort of sinister armor design on her right eye, but even discounting that, she was overwhelmingly beautiful.
(Have I seen her before...?)
Of course, I have. I saw the previous queen's battle in the Queen's Blade finals on live broadcast. The previous queen restrained her left arm by her own will, handled a huge sword as tall as she was with just her right arm, and bewildered Reina with her nimble movements. She kicked Reina's temple with her right heel, that… girl...?
(⁉⁉⁉⁉)
Al, who skillfully manipulates a giant barbarian sword as tall as she was with one right arm.
Al, who slipped through the bandits with her nimble movements.
Al, who collapsed the head of a brute with her right heel and easily broke a neck as thick as a bull's.
Al, who hardly ever used her left arm.
Al, who mercilessly cut down bandits and fed them to small monsters.
Al, who around the age of 12-13, was berated and chased by many people who threw stones at her.
Al, who might have killed many people around the same time.
Al, who looked lovingly at a pair of small sisters playing happily together.
That said, when I saw Miss Al—seeing her sister fall and her expression dramatically changing as she started to run—!
The footage I saw on the broadcast, the things I've seen directly with my own eyes, the stories I've heard from her, the stories I've heard from Hans, the tale of the "fox possession" that I told her. Various pieces were coming together in my head. Speaking of which, in that final battle, didn't Aldra use those creatures called "minions"...?!
"⁉️"
I looked at the documents again. Among the pictures taken from various angles of her face, there was one picture where she had removed her headgear. Her revealed ears were long. And indeed, it should have been the first thing I noticed, but her hair was the color of cherry blossoms—‼
(Is Miss Al... Aldra⁉️)
My heart began to race. Then, Hans, who had been silent until now, spoke in a bright tone.
"I'm not involved in any shady business, you know? I'm prepared to show my gratitude by paying money for making a profit from figures and related goods of the Beautiful Fighters. To be blunt, I keep a portion of the money based on the sales of each product for each Beautiful Fighter, separate from the initial modeling fee. But, well..."
Hans paused and then continued with a laugh.
"Most of them, I don't know where they are! But I do pay those who are reachable. For example, every month, I go to the newly reestablished Amara Kingdom, not only for Menace but also for her two friends. Even I can't go to the swamp."
Hans was talking about the amounts of money he delivered each month to Menace's country, deep in the desert. He referred to the continent-wide menace, the Swamp Witch, her former subordinate Menace, and her current subordinates Melona and Airi. But did the other two really need the money?
"But, well..."
This time, Hans spoke in a slightly serious tone.
"The person I most want to pay, and feel I must pay, is none other than Aldra...!"
"!"
When Hans mentioned that name again, I felt a small twitch in the muscles of my back. Whether he noticed that or not, Hans continued.
"I've made quite a profit thanks to Aldra, and as I mentioned earlier, she was a great help when making the figure. Actually, I'm prepared to hand over enough money to buy an average house. Also, I can't easily forget her lonely face from that time. It would be good if she's living well somewhere. Kazuo, do you know anything?"
"Eh, what⁉️"
Hans, who had been speaking in a distant and melancholy tone, suddenly asked me.
"No, I don't know anything..."
Feeling as if he had seen through the suspicions that had arisen in my head a moment ago, I responded.
"Ha ha ha, that's fine then. However, I've heard rumors that after that final battle, Aldra hid herself as a nun in the church in Gainos for a while, and then she went to Hinomoto with Tomoe, a Beautiful Fighter and a warrior priestess from your country... Oh, at that point you were already here, weren't you? My apologies, my apologies."
As always, Mister Hans spoke with a smile. However, his story reminded me of the tale I heard in Nicod, about a nun from some town who had crossed into another country with a foreign guest, which became a piece that filled the blank spaces in the puzzle inside my head.
(Miss Al is... Al...dra...⁉)
"Mister Kazuo, lunchtime!"
While I was standing in shock, a cheerful voice came from outside the carriage.
"Oh, it seems to be ready. Well then, I'll go ahead!"
As if nothing had happened, he began to get up, preparing to exit the carriage. In his hand, he held some figure data and several boxes, just as when he arrived. However, there was still one box left in front of me.
"Ah, Mister Hans, there's one left!"
When I called out to him, he gave a casual reply:
"Oh, I'll give you that one. I'd be happy if you take good care of it."
His eyes were fixed straight on me.
"Ah, y-yes, thank you! I will take care of it!"
To my unexpectedly high-pitched response, he smiled gently and left the carriage.
"Oh, Mister Hans!"
Her voice came from near the carriage door.
"Oh, Miss Al. I'm sorry, I was borrowing your master for a while."
"No, no, thank you for keeping him company...!"
As I heard their casual conversation, I raised the figure box that he gave me to the height of my face, staring at the figure inside through the transparent side. The figure was "Aldra, The Queen". I stared at the face of the adult woman with a girl's appearance inside the box.
(Hey, are you really...?)
"Mister Kazuo?"
"Whoa⁉"
"Kyaa⁉"
From almost directly behind the box, a woman with a face similar to the figure's suddenly appeared. I was startled and let out a loud voice, startling the woman.
"A-a-ah, Miss Al. I'm sorry."
"Don’t 'I'm sorry' me. I've told you several times it's lunchtime, but you didn't come out, so I thought you were feeling unwell again...!"
I apologized again to her, who spoke in a slightly angry tone. She muttered, "Really..." in a small voice and returned to her usual calm expression. Then her gaze fell on my hand.
"Mister Kazuo, that box...?"
"Ah, yeah. Mister Hans just gave it to me."
I handed the Aldra figure to her. Seeing it, she exclaimed:
"Oh, this is one of those naughty dolls! This one's particularly naughty!"
She examined the Aldra figure from various angles through the transparent part of the box. Then she turned a serious gaze on me.
"Mister Kazuo...!"
"W-What?"
"Um... could it be that you really prefer them 'small'...?"
Her tone was more "anxious" than "angry". By "small", did she mean body size including height, or something else...?
"No, it's not like that...well..."
"Then what is it?"
"Well, it's like...if they're small, they have a beauty unique to 'buds', and I guess there's the anticipation of what kind of large 'flower' they'll become..."
I stumbled through my explanation. Seriously, what am I saying about "flowers" and "buds"...!
"I see."
Miss Al, who had been alternately looking at my face and the figure in her hands, quietly said that. Then, she added,
"I'll take care of this doll for a while. That's okay, right?"
"But... I was the one who got it..."
"Tha-t's o-kay, right?‼"
Without blinking, she moved her face close to mine and said it. I could even sense a killing intent.
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