“I wonder if there’s anyone out there with such bad taste...”
“There definitely is. In fact, I guarantee it.”
She may be observant, but she’s completely clueless when it comes to herself... This particular Angelic Knight, Richard, was part of the patrol that bumped into Nephteros when she was being attacked by the chimera. After recovering from his wounds, he kept trying to interact with her as much as possible, which made it clear he was in love with Nephteros.
“...Sir Richard, please hang in there,” Kuroka said as she let out a long sigh. Her ears practically flopped down in disappointment as she watched them interact. Richard, however, merely formed a strained smile in response.
Let’s just not think about Barbatos’ matter for now. I’m sure it’s just Nephteros’ imagination... Chastille thought as she finally got her mind and breathing in order.
Unfortunately, a new question suddenly popped into her to mind and threw her into disarray once more. What do I even think of Barbatos...?
It hadn’t even been a week since she realized she was in love with Zagan, so Chastille found herself unable to answer that question.
◇
“Stop right here, Foll!” Zagan yelled at Foll as she tugged him through Kianoides. Incidentally, because they could find no clothes that fit Zagan, he simply lopped off the pieces of his usual robes to make them fit, then tied the rest together.
“What’s wrong?” Foll asked as she looked back at him and curiously tilted her head.
“What’s wrong? Do you even need to ask? Why are we going to this shop of all places!?”
They were currently in front of their usual clothing shop. Zagan used it often, and the clerk there was someone he was on good terms with, but...
“You bought my clothes here. They have stuff for boys, too. It’s okay.”
“...You don’t get it. If Manuela sees me like this, I’m doomed.”
“Huh? But Nephy said she was a nice person. You shouldn’t be in any danger.”
That wasn’t a lie or anything, but Manuela also didn’t have much in the way of self-control. Unfortunately, the two of them caused quite a commotion right outside the shop, which obviously attracted attention.
“What’s with all this noise?”
The door opened with a clank, and out came the avian clerk with green wings, Manuela. This woman was one of Nephy’s best friends, which meant Zagan held her in high esteem, but... she often turned into quite the nuisance when it came to clothing people.
Wait, I’ve only ever seen her toy with girls. Maybe she doesn’t any interest in boys... Plus, there was also the chance that she didn’t dare fool around with him because he was an Archdemon. Still, Zagan raised his guard just in case as Foll stepped up to her.
“We’re here to buy clothes.”
“Huh? Hm...? Um, I don’t think it’s possible, but... are you Foll?” Manuela knit her brows as she asked that question.
“I am,” Foll responded. And at that point, she finally remembered what she looked like, so she spread out her arms and span on the spot.
“I got bigger,” Foll explained as the cloth around her chest burst open once more. Zagan had to fix her clothes in an instant to keep her from being fully exposed.
“I keep telling you not to make any sudden movements...” Zagan muttered, drawing Manuela’s attention to him.
“Um, sooo, who’s this kid?”
“Zagan.”
“Pffft,” Manuela snorted before bursting into laughter and saying, “How!? He’s so cute! How did you end up so amus... so deligh... joyful? Hmm... Well, whatever. You’re all amusicute now, Zagan!”
“Don’t just make up words!” Zagan roared as he wondered why she gave up on finding the proper word so easily.
“Geheheh, well, let me hear all the juicy details inside. We’ve got two paying customers here!” Manuela scooped Zagan into her arms and walked him into the shop as he was lost in thought.
Oh, I see. It had nothing to do with me being an Archdemon. Manuela’s just not interested in adults... As he was dragged inside, he spotted another familiar face.
“Welcome!”
The girl with fluffy white ears who welcomed them with a smile was a vulpin. Her “uniform” was a one-piece dress that looked similar to what Nephy wore. The main differences were the frilly lace all over the dress and the headband that fit snugly between her ears.
“Kuu? Why the hell are you here?” Zagan asked.
“Hm? Do you know me? Well, even if you do, you should respect your elders. Otherwise, this scary lady might just treat you like a toy!” Kuu’s fluffy ears quivered about in an annoyed manner as she said that. It seemed like she didn’t notice that the child in front of her was Zagan.
Maybe it’s better this way... Acting like an innocent child seemed preferable to having more people know about his situation. And so, he bit down on his lips and formed a faint smile.
“S-Sorry, Miss Kuu. I saw you at the church before, so I just blurted that out without thinking,” Zagan claimed. Then, a loud thud resounded from behind him, and when he turned around, he spotted Manuela rolling around the ground with her hands on her stomach.
Fuck! I’ll remember this... Even if she was Nephy’s friend, she really was going too far. The way she behaved reminded Zagan of Gremory, which made a shiver run down his spine. And having interpreted the expression on Zagan’s face as one of regret, Kuu pat his head to comfort him.
“Is that so? Heehee, it’s good that you apologized right away... Oh, but you should really work on that smile of yours. It looked just like Mister Zagan’s does when he’s picking a fight.”
Does she remember what happened when Bifrons took control of her body? Zagan’s face stiffened as soon as he heard her say that. Kuu went through a lot when Bifrons manipulated her, which was why Zagan asked Orias to wipe her memories. Though, looking back on it, he didn’t recall her actually accepting his request.
Hm, it seems like I also suck at smiling... Zagan thought of the way Nephy pulled at her own cheeks to practice. And as he did, he realized that he had to put in the same amount of effort since he was her groom. That was why he pulled at his own cheeks. He’d assumed his facial muscles were still stiff, but it seemed like turning into a child had made them all stretchy. He kept stretching them over and over, and eventually, someone hugged him from behind.
“What are you doing?” Zagan asked. He was confused about why Foll was hugging him so tightly.
“Cute.”
“Huh? Who’re you calling cute!?” Zagan protested. However, that didn’t deter Foll from rubbing her cheek against his. And when he tried to tear himself away, Kuu came over and pet his head once more.
“Oh, boys really hate it when you call them cute, don’t they? But you know, it’s really not that bad because it makes us want to hug you!”
“Grrr...” Zagan growled in annoyance. Though, thinking back, he did recall that Foll constantly hugged Nephy and called her cute when she was turned into a child. Perhaps that meant she just had a habit of hugging cute things.
“Hm... You know, you kind of look like Mister Zagan. You’re all dressed up like a sorcerer, too... Are you related to him?” Kuu asked as she cocked her head to the side.
“W-Well...” Zagan was rendered silent as he tried to think up an excuse.
“Huh? What do you mean? Zagan is Zaghamph,” Foll tried to expose his secret despite his hesitation, but luckily, Manuela came in and silenced her by covering up her mouth.
“This child is Zagan’s distant relative, Dagan. Oh, and this pretty lady here is his older sister, Farah. They’re Zagan’s guests, so mind your manners around them, alright Kuu?” Manuela said in an attempt to help Zagan hide his identity. Then, she silently whispered into Foll’s ear and said, “Play along, okay?”
In an unusual turn, Foll was quick on the uptake, so she simply bobbed her head up and down in response.
“By the way, who exactly is this ‘scary lady’ who treats
children like toys?” Manuela asked Kuu as she turned to her.
“Huh? What are you talking about? You must be confused! I just said that bad kids should be punished!” Kuu exclaimed as she straightened her back with a snap.
Oh, I see. Manuela must already treat her like a toy... Zagan felt bad for her.
“So Dagan is Mister Zagan’s relative? I wonder if you’ll look like him when you grow up? Oh, in that case, you should learn to be nice to girls before it’s too late!”
She really does remember everything, doesn’t she? Zagan mercilessly thrust his arm right through her heart during their last meeting. Even if her memories were erased, that pain probably remained fresh in her mind. And upon realizing that, Zagan was overcome by a sense of guilt.
“Um, Zagan seemed worried about that as well, and he said he wouldn’t do such mean things again. So, um, please relax. You won’t have any more painful memories. He won’t allow it.”
Zagan was giving her his best attempt at an apology, but for some reason, Kuu’s face was turning red as she took in his words.
“Hnnngh... Oh, what’s this feeling? Th-This is bad, Kuu. He’s just a kid,” Kuu mumbled those words as she pinned down her chest, then walked away while fanning herself.
Well, I guess I should’ve known that comforting words weren’t going to be enough... In the end, he had probably just made her remember a painful memory instead of helping her get over it, and knowing that made Zagan droop his shoulders in disappointment.
“Zagan, you shouldn’t be too kind to people in your current form,” Manuela said as she reached her wit’s end.
“You think I was being kind? Please, I was just speaking my mind,” Zagan replied.
“Uh... I mean, that’d be fine if you were your normal self, but when you’re all tiny there’s something about it that seems oddly charming... Even I find it hard to resist you right now...”
“Ch-Charming...?” Zagan stuttered in a confused tone. Honestly, he kind of understood what she meant, but the concept also confused him, so he decided to save thinking about it for later.
Hold on, isn’t she really similar to that granny...? He prayed that Gremory and Manuela would never meet, lest his life be ruined.
“I’ll be careful...” Zagan obediently answered, which made Manuela face break out into a broad grin.
“Alright, time to get you changed!”
“No, I can pick out my own clothes... Hey, are you listening? Wait, what are you holding? Stop! Don’t get any closer!” Zagan desperately screamed for Manuela to stop as she walked over to him with a skirt and one-piece dress in her hands.
“Fufufu, you’re a lot cuter when you’re shy... Foll, hold him in place so we can get this over with.”
“Oh, okay,” Foll replied. Her body may have grown, but she was still the same innocent girl at heart, so she trusted Manuela wholeheartedly.
“Stop, let me go... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Several minutes later, Zagan was covered in frills and lace like some little princess.
How dare she do this to me... Usually, Zagan didn’t go anywhere near the changing room, so he was unaware that entering it was the same as falling into the pits of hell.
“Hnnngh! My eyes definitely weren’t wrong! You really do have potential! Be more confident in yourself!”
“What confidence...? Don’t screw with me...” Zagan meekly muttered that, seemingly having lost his will to fight her.
“Manuela, these are girl’s clothes. No more pranks,” Foll said as she tilted her head to the side in confusion. Then, she puffed out her cheeks, and contrary to Zagan’s expectations, Manuela’s eyes sparkled.
“Wow, I should’ve known. You may have grown, but you still look adorable... Look, see Zagan right now? Don’t those clothes look good on him?”
“They do, but I can tell he doesn’t like them, so stop,” Foll demanded. Zagan was shocked that his own daughter was sticking up for him.
“Hm, I guess you’re right. Wow, you’ve become a proper big sister, Foll. I’m proud of you,” Manuela said as she wiped her eyes, which seemed to be on the verge of leaking proud tears.
“Big sister...! Yeah, I’m... his big sister,” Foll said as she puffed out her chest with flushed cheeks.
That part of her is still childish, but whatever... Zagan decided not to say anything because he found her actions cute.
“Well, I guess that’s enough playing around. It was fun, but now it’s time to pick out some real clothes,” Manuela said as she squeezed down on Zagan’s shoulders. Then, she spun him around on the spot once. And just as he started to wonder what she was doing, his frilly outfit was replaced by a dashing suit that came complete with a puff tie. He was wearing rather tight clothes that made him look like an uppity noble, which would hold him back in a fight, but it did make him look good.
I actually wanted her to get me something like this for my date with Nephy... Zagan has planned to ask for her help with that earlier, but there was no point now. After all, he wasn’t even sure if he would return to his normal form anytime soon.
Foll stood and clapped with sparkles in her eyes as she watched Manuela change his clothes in an instant.
“You’re amazing.”
“Fufufu, aren’t I? Aren’t I? Go on, praise me more!” Manuela exclaimed. Her skills were rather impressive, but the fact that she was starting to act more impudent rubbed Zagan the wrong way.
“...Are you a sorcerer?” Zagan asked, his confusion evident due to the look on his face.
“I am simply the clerk of a clothing store. Nothing more, and nothing less. More importantly, what do you think of Foll’s clothes?”
He hadn’t even noticed that she had dressed her, so he turned to her to take in the new sight. Foll was wearing a one-piece dress that had an elegant piece of armor over it. Both parts matched and made her look beautiful, so Zagan thought it was a good choice.
“It’s a little tight, but also easy to move around in. Still, I don’t need armor. This thing’ll just get in the way,” Foll explained as she did a little twirl on the spot. Sure, Foll was young, but since she was a dragon, her body was still protected by her scales. They weren’t visible in her human form, but they still projected a sort of magical barrier that made all normal weapons and sorcery useless.
“That’s not it, Foll. Your breasts are really heavy now, right?” Manuela asked as she shook her head at Foll’s previous statement.
“How do you know?” Foll replied as she stared back at her in wonder.
“I can tell just by looking. You see, they start to hurt your shoulders when they’re that big, but wearing a breastplate will lighten the load. Just think of it as underwear you have on over your clothes,” Manuela said as she thoroughly explained her reasoning.
“I see. You’re amazing,” Foll responded, voicing her honest opinion.
However, for some reason, all that talk of underwear had Zagan blushing. Wait, why do I find that so embarrassing?
He could understand blushing if they were talking about Nephy’s underwear, but this was his daughter. No matter how big she got, he would never see her as anything else.
Is my mind being influenced by my new body? When Nephy turned into a child, her mind also started to degrade to match her age. Perhaps he was experiencing similar symptoms. It seemed he didn’t have much time, so Zagan resolved to take action immediately. And just then, the door to the shop swung open.
“Welcome! Oh, hi there, Miss Gremory!” Kuu, who had been watching them from from a far off corner, reacted to the intruder right away.
“Hello. Oh my, your face has quite the lovely look on it, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t really get what you mean, but thanks!”
And the one to show up, was Gremory.
Huh? Kuu knows Gremory?
Gremory casually raised her hand and greeted Kuu, then immediately looked over to Zagan. However, instead of walking up to him, she stopped right in front of Manuela.
“We
lcome, Comrade Gremory.”
“Good work, Comrade Manuela.”
This town is doomed... Zagan was left speechless as he watched the two of them exchange salutes.
Judging from their use of the term comrade, these two were already well beyond the realm of just acquaintances. The two who should never have met were already conspiring together. And while Zagan turned pale at that reality, Gremory finally addressed him.
“I thought you’d come here. Looks like you finished changing without any problems. Well, I’m sure you’ll be happy to learn I managed to get in contact with my teacher.”
“Oh, uh, good job...” Zagan said that and nodded as his expression began to cloud over.
“Come now, it’s not like you to look depressed. Don’t worry, you have both me and my teacher on your side, so I’m certain you’ll return to normal in no time,” Gremory claimed as she puffed out her chest proudly.
After that, Zagan and Foll followed Gremory out of the shop. And sure enough, what awaited them was—
◇
“I am truly sorry for all the trouble my foolish disciple has caused you,” Orias said that, bowed deeply, and apologized to Zagan as soon as they met. Like usual, she was wearing a hood that covered most of her face and a baggy robe to hide her high elf nature. In fact, her, Nephy, and Nephteros were likely the only living high elves in existence. And she also happened to be Gremory’s teacher, which meant she could easily manipulate her own physical age. However, the features of her face that could be discerned were those of an old woman, and her voice was also hoarse. Incidentally, Gremory had a large lump on her head and was weeping. The moment they met, Orias had brought her fist down upon her.
“Um, no. This is due to my own carelessness, so I wouldn’t hold her entirely responsible...”
“Do not spoil her. There’s the matter of what happened at the hidden village, too. Back then, she was using sorcery to watch you run around like a headless chicken.”
“Alright. Rake her over the coals all you want,” Zagan said as his feelings of sympathy for her completely vanished.
“My liege, I think it would be fine to treat me just a little more kindly...”
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 6 Page 8
