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“With that said, the ingredients for this potion…”
“Can you really make such a magic potion if you’ve got those ingredients?”
“It sounds fairly suspicious…”
Candy-dono immediately restarted the activity of our party as soon as he came back from his grandfather’s funeral. It’s good to get going again, but…he’s picked up a very shady job this time. Candy-dono explains to us that it’s a job where the client wants us to fetch the ingredients for a special, magic potion allowing you to turn into a handsome man or beautiful woman by all means, and that they’ll pay a considerable amount of money for those ingredients.
“It’s shady as hell.”
“Is it a scam?”
“I hate to say this, but our job is to gather the ingredients for that potion and hand them over to the client. Once we give him the items requested, it’s not our cup of tea if the client fails to combine them into a potion or if the result doesn’t show the desired effect.”
“You’re quite blunt about this…”
“I mean, we don’t have any responsibility for the client’s potion production technique, do we?”
“No, we don’t. It’ll be our fault if we pick the wrong medicinal plants, but if we deliver the correct ingredients, the rest will be out of our hands. Right, Dalton?”
“…*nod*”
I guess Boltor-dono and Dalton-dono agree with accepting this request.
“The requested ingredients…are valuable medicinal plants that can only be found fairly deep in the mountains. They’re rather rare, so they’ll earn us some good money if we find them. Or rather, it’d be smarter to use them for other medicines. It’s plain obvious that medicine to turn one into a handsome man or beautiful woman is completely lust-driven.”
He’s right. I also feel like it’d be much more reasonable to use those ingredients for medicines to cure serious illnesses or heavy injuries. Even if you don’t artificially prettify a person’s looks, they can still lead a normal life.
“Anyway, all will be fine as long as we pick up those special plants for the client.”
“Understood.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“Just treat it as a regular job.”
Adventurer might be a profession where you’re free to do as you like, but it’s not like you can afford to be too picky about the jobs. Twilight of Dawn heads towards a remote monster domain where the requested plants grow natively.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Ahh, thanks a lot. This is just what I wanted.”
“It’s great that we managed to find them.”
“I’ll add them to the magic potion right away.”
As we moved to the area where the plants grow in the wild, we got worn out from all the battles with monsters that came to attack us, but we still succeeded in gathering the required medicinal plants. We immediately went back to get the client’s reward, but the meat and crafting materials we looted from the monsters actually earned us more money than the reward for the plants.
Candy-dono usually lets us gather experience on expeditions which would earn us some cash while also training us. Looking at it like that, he’s a man with an extraordinary talent in training young adventurers.
“A magic potion to prettify a man or woman, was it? Hmm…”
“Boltor-san, my name is Beckenbauer. I’m a magician focusing on research at the Sorcery Guild.”
Mr. Beckenbauer looks like he’s in the second half of his twenties, and gives off the feeling of still being young for a magician. Since the amount of his mana rivals that of Bruno, he should also be able to make a living as an adventurer.
“My main research subject revolves around the improvement of magic crests.”
“Magic crests?”
“Correct, Bruno-kun. I’m researching how to create a standardized magic crest that can use specific spells by just pouring mana into it without having to rely on the senses and imaginations of individual magicians.”
I see. As a magician who seems to be in the Sorcery Guild, he’s truly considering various aspects.
“That is an amazing research subject.”
“No doubt, but this research takes time and effort. Because it’s extremely difficult to achieve results, I also do other research with the aim of finding sponsors. Normally, magic potions are outside my field of expertise. But, look, it’s normal for nobles, who are ignorant of the world and don’t understand magic, to believe that all researchers in the Sorcery Guild are the same. Also, no matter what kind of magic potion it might be, it’s impossible to turn a human into a pretty woman or handsome man all of a sudden. Since other researchers have failed with this several times already, it won’t be much of a problem even if I fail as well. As long as I can get some funds with this, it’ll also be of advantage for my research on magic crests.”
“You’re way too frank about this.” Boltor-dono comments.
Even so, Mr. Beckenbauer is quite sarcastic. Or rather, he’s too openhearted…
“Is this magic potion going to fail as well then?”
“That’s not what I’ve said. Since I’ve accepted the job, I’ll properly compound it. Since I’ll also be able to obtain more funds for my own research if it succeeds, I’ll try my best as it also serves as a means to kill some time.”
As he sure doesn’t mince his words, I wonder whether he isn’t getting alienated within the Sorcery Guild.
“All that’s left is to grind these plants well and add them to the potion I contorted in advance. Do you want to watch?”
“Why not. I’ve got some spare time anyway.”
Since we have nothing else planned for today, Candy-dono answers that he’ll watch the completion of the magic potion. The rest of us have nothing planned either, so we decide to stay since we’re curious.
Mr. Beckenbauer leads us to his laboratory. The place is filled with decorations of many magic crests and unfinished crests that have been recorded on framed pictures. The big table in the room is littered with beakers and flasks filled with magic potions of all sorts of colors.
“You do have lots of various stuff in here.”
“There’s also obviously failed products. But, the real deal is over here.” Mr. Beckenbauer points at a bright red, potion-like liquid contained within a beaker.
“This?”
“After carefully grinding the medicinal plants and adding them to this, I’ll mix all of it well, and once the sediment has settled down within the mixture, it’ll be done.”
If it succeeds, it’ll make men handsome and women beautiful, huh?
Boltor-dono stares at the red liquid with suspicion clearly coloring his eyes.
“It’d be great if it succeeds, but it’s not like I’m harboring any exaggerated expectations. I’m just making a prototype since I’ve received money for it. In the first place, it’s about high time for the idiot, who continues to make the same request to many researchers, to give up on this, but he’s quite tenacious about this. Even if he turns into a handsome man, he still won’t have any chance with the women because of his lacking character.”
Yep, as expected, Mr. Beckenbauer does have a sharp tongue.
“Now then, I’m adding this…” Mr. Beckenbauer grinds the plants properly, and pours the pulp into the beaker with the red liquid.
Thereupon, the liquid gradually begins to emit smoke and bubbles.
“Is it fine like this?”
“Who knows?”
“You’re the creator here…”
“I don’t know what the end result is supposed to look like since it’s never succeeded so far.”
Hmm, that makes sense…but, if Mr. Beckenbauer is the one saying that, I feel like it’s problematic on various levels…
“But, it looks like we can place some hope into this. When I asked my colleagues, who had failed before, about it, they never told me anything about it fuming and foaming in such a way. Maaan, I got to say, being talented sure is scary.”
As I’m looking at Mr. Beckenbauer who’s already praising himself while certain that it’s succeeded, I somehow feel uneasy…
“Mr. Beckenbauer, hasn’t the amount of smoke and foam become quite astonishing? It’s gradually increasing in volume.”
“That’s because it’s a special magic potion. It probably won’t succeed unless you can see that much of a change.”
Mr. Beckenbauer is saying some carefree stuff as usual, but once I look behind me, I realize that Boltor-dono and Dalton-dono have already escaped from this room. Is this what you call the intuition of veteran adventurers?
“Bruno, isn’t this getting dangerous?”
“Maybe…”
“I’m not feeling so sure about this either.”
The liquid in the beaker continues to produce so much smoke that it becomes increasingly difficult to see anything, and its burbling is gradually becoming very loud.
“Candy-dono.”
“Let’s get out of here!”
Following Candy-dono’s order, Bruno and I try to leave the laboratory, but then I realize that Mr. Beckenbauer, the one responsible for this, has followed the other two earlier and vacated this place in advance.
“Just what has happened to his confidence from before?”
“Whatever, let us run away from here!”
However, it looks like we’ve been a moment too late. Suddenly the entire laboratory is filled with smoke, and after we breathe in some of it, we faint on the spot. As expected, the magic potion must have failed.
◇◆◇
“Ugh…”
“That sucked.”
“No kidding.”
How long have we been out? When I opened my eyes, the red liquid in the beaker was already gone. I suppose it has evaporated after all of it turned into smoke.
In addition, it seems like we lost consciousness only for a moment. Mr. Beckenbauer, Boltor-dono, and Dalton-dono immediately rushed into the room.
“Oh noes…the magic potion is completely gone with all of it having turned into smoke, huh…? I wonder how I should deceive that idiot of a noble.”
“”””…””””
Mr. Beckenbauer laments over his potion having evaporated rather than worrying about us. I had expected as much to some degree, but as usual, he’s foulmouthed, or rather, self-centered…
“In a certain sense, he has that typical disposition of a researcher…”
It’s as Candy-dono says. I wonder if researchers won’t accomplish anything if they aren’t selfish to such an extent?
“Well, it’s fine since we’ve still got some of the medicinal plants left. I guess I’ll mix an appropriate potion so that it won’t turn out like this next time…”
“That man is truly unbelievable…”
Regardless of whether he succeeded or not, he wants to hand the noble something close to a finished magic potion to cover the expenses for his magic crest research with the reward. Bruno is flabbergasted by that man’s blunt way of speaking and acting.
“Come to think of it, we’ve ended up breathing in a full dose of that smoke, but it has no effect whatsoever?”
“It doesn’t look like we got injured.”
Us losing consciousness lasted only a moment, so there should be no external wounds.
We begin to check ourselves for injuries, but at the same time I start to feel some indescribable feeling of discomfort.
“”…””
“What’s wrong, Boltor, Dalton?”
Which reminds me, the two have remained quiet ever since entering the laboratory together with Mr. Beckenbauer. Looking at us, they seem so surprised that they’ve become lost for words.
“Boltor-san?”
“Dalton-dono?”
“You see…I’d like you three to stay calm and listen, okay? Haven’t you guys turned into women?”
“Haha, why would I be a woman…huh?”
Just for caution’s sake, Bruno tries to touch his own chest, but he stops moving just like that, sinking into silence.
“Klimt, try to touch your own chest.”
“I’m a descendant of the Armstrong House. Our family’s men are all blessed with bulky chests by birth, but chests and boobs are different…”
When I touch my chest as told by Bruno, I feel an elasticity that isn’t supposed to be there. Just like him, I don’t know what to think of this.
“Why does my chest feel so soft?”
“Because of that potion?”
“This is an effect I hadn’t expected at all. That’s my brilliance for you.”
“Listen buddy, if you don’t give it a rest, you’re in for a rough time, okay?”
“…*nod*”
Mr. Beckenbauer, who created a potion that turns a man into a woman instead of one beautifying a woman or a man, admires his own talent, but gets rebuked by Boltor-dono and Dalton-dono for his imprudence.
“My dream has come true at long laa───ast! I have become a gi───irl!”
Moreover, just one person rejoices from the bottom of his heart over having turned into a woman ─ Candy-dono.
◇◆◇
“So, is this potion’s effect going to last permanently?”
“I think it should stick for several days at most.”
“Several days, eh…”
“What a pity.”
“No way in hell is it a pity.”
Candy-dono, Bruno and I have become women thanks to Mr. Beckenbauer’s potion. For the potion to turn men into women despite its supposed goal of just beautifying…
Just how does that even work…?
“The underlying theory isn’t wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Boltor-dono asks Mr. Beckenbauer.
“If you physically beautify a person, you must change the shape of their face. So how would you reproduce this effect with magic or a magic potion? I applied the 『Disguise』 spell.”
In other words, we have been disguised through magic.
“I actually have breasts on my chest, though. Also, I’m missing the part below.”
Bruno points out that this is no disguise as our bodies have completely become female.
“It’s because that part is different from the 『Disguise』 spell. The magic potion actually changes the structure of the body itself. If all had gone right, you would have been beautified, but…”
This is the downside of a potion that’s just a prototype. It’s also the reason why we have become women instead of being beautified.
“Wait, even if you explain this as if it’s a trivial mishap, we’re looking like this. You gotta take responsibility, buddy.”
“Correct!”
For him to not even feel a shred of responsibility for having turned others into a woman, that’s a problem for sure.
“It’s not like you will stay like this forever. It’ll wear off in two or three days.”
“Truly?”
“Since you’ve been forcibly turned into women through the power of magic, it won’t have such a long-lasting effect. Of course it’d be a different matter if you were to apply that magic potion all the time.”
So he’s saying that the mana consumption matters as well, despite the magic potion serving as catalyst. It’s great to hear that I won’t stay a woman for the rest of my life.
“Those medicinal plants can only be obtained in fairly remote regions. On top of that, they’re also rare.”
“The other ingredients are pretty expensive, too. The compounding takes time and effort, and it’s not like I can contort this potion every day.”
In other words, if you’re not very wealthy, it’ll be difficult to keep the effect of the potion going for an extended period of time.
“You’ll return to your original appearance without having to do anything yourself, and it’s not that inconvenient either, right?”
“It’s inconvenient.”
“Oh, really, Boltor-dono?”
“Man…it’s not like you haven’t noticed it yourself, right? There’s no friggin’ way that you can mistake this for a beautification potion, is there?” Boltor-dono points at Candy-dono.
“Me? I’m a proper girl.”
“As if girls like you exist anywhere───!”
It’s only natural for Boltor-dono to shout. Certainly, Candy-dono has become a woman, but the only obvious disparity to his male self is the bulging chest.
It’s not like he’s become a beauty, and although it’s malicious to phrase it like that, he looks as if a man had simply his chest stuffed out.
“Do I need to coordinate my clothes and put on some make-up?”
“It’ll be pointless even if you did something like that. The problem lies a lot deeper after all.”
“You’re such a meani───ie, Boltor!”
“(This goes way beyond the level where you can fix things with clothes and make-up…)”
I thought so as well, but I lacked the courage to actually voice it out. Besides…
“Candy is terrible to look at, but so are you, Klimt.”
Well, I’ve expected as much. I’ve become a woman, but I’m taller than Candy-dono, and my body has more muscles as well. Even I know that no one would know how to deal with such a woman.
“I do have a big chest, though.”
“Now listen…Klimt, your chest is only thick.”
It’s as Boltor-dono says. My chest is bulging out as well, but with most of it being muscles, it completely lacks softness.
As sad as it may sound, I’d also turn down such a woman.
“…”
“Is something the matter, Dalton? Ah, you mean Bruno? I guess he’s the sole exception here.”
It’s deplorable if I have to say this about myself, but Candy-dono and I merely look like cross-dressing men, however Bruno has a delicate, androgynous appearance to begin with, so he totally looks like a beautiful girl with a short hair-cut.
“I’m so jealous. You completely look like a girl.”
“If I was going to turn into a woman anyway, it would have been great to at least look like you, Bruno.”
“Candy-san, Klimt, your praise doesn’t make me happy at all.”
That’s what he says, but with him looking like this, it’s only reasonable for us to be envious of him.
“The ratio of women in Twilight of Dawn has grown significantly.”
“I don’t think that’s what happened here…”
Makes sense. We are men who have merely turned into women through a magic potion.
“We’re going to revert back in two or three days, right?”
“Yes, it should last around that long.”
“Has our combat power decreased or anything like that?”
“No. You can also use magic normally.”
Since it’s a variation of 『Disguise』 to begin with, I suppose our skills and abilities aren’t influenced by us turning into women.
“That’s great to hear. At least we won’t need to take a break for tomorrow and the day after then.”
“Which reminds me, we’ve got work lined up.”
“It’s a job you got for us, right? It’ll be alright since it won’t be anything with a ridiculously high level of difficulty then.”
Although we’ve turned into women due to an accident, it’s impossible for us to take several days off that easily. We decided to do our work as adventurers while looking like women for two or three days.
“I might as well consider it as a valuable experience since we are going to turn back anyway.”
“You sure take this ordeal easy, Klimt…”
“Bruno, with your appearance, it is absolutely no problem for you to be a woman.”
“Like hell, it completely sucks!”
“True, I wish all my clients were like this.”
We end up completely flabbergasted by Mr. Beckenbauer who doesn’t show a hint of remorse over what he’s done.
＊ ＊ ＊
“A-…Are you the famous Twilight of Dawn….?”
“Yep. Nice to work with you for today and tomorrow.”
“Sure…”
“That butler has clearly drawn back after seeing you, Candy-san.”
“It’s because his appearance is quite intense. Same for you, Klimt.”
On the next day we decide to finish a job Candy-dono has accepted in advance. Although we’ve turned into women, it has no impact on our combat ability, and since it’d become an issue of our party’s credibility, we didn’t cancel the job.
Besides, our job this time is to tutor the son of a certain noble. His abilities as heir are sufficient, but since he’s somewhat timid, his father wants us to amend that weak character of his through hunting and other training regimens.
Seeing how the reward is extremely decent for the level of difficulty, we headed over to the mansion of that noble. And then, after seeing the female Candy-dono, the mansion’s butler became speechless.
Right now various thoughts are probably swirling around in his head such as Candy-dono possibly being a woman for real since he’s always insisting to be one, or rather him possibly having become a woman exactly because he’s always thinking he is one.
“Your tall friend can also be described as very adventurer-like, I suppose…”
“True. But, I’m a girl in the first place.”
“Haah…”
Which is the better woman between Candy-dono and me? I’m sure that question is the most worthless in this world. The butler is also troubled about how to answer here.
“In any case, I would like you to meet with my master.”
Seemingly finding it painful to continue this conversation with Candy-dono, the butler leads us into the mansion.
◇◆◇
“Oh, Twilight of Dawn has a lot more female members than I thought.”
“Not quite, Earl Morgensohn. This is due to some special circumstances.”
“It’s not that I’m blaming you for it. Twilight of Dawn is a party with many achievements under its belt either way. I just voiced out what came to mind.”
Our client for this job is Earl Morgensohn. Father previously told me that he’s an appointed, high-ranking nobles, specialized on flood control. He’s not one exercising overly much like the nobles of the military section, but since he also goes on site for the flood control work, he’s required to have stamina above average. He also heads out to remote rivers, lakes, and swamps to survey them, and if you consider that he also has to deal with camping and fending off wild animals, it’s desirable for the family head to be able to do light stuff like hunting. We were called here to give his son the necessary training for that.
“What are those special circumstances?”
“As a matter of fact…” Boltor-dono tells Earl Morgensohn about the magic potion created by Mr. Beckenbauer.
“As long as they can hold out for one or two more days…”
“I see. This kingdom has many nobles, and such oddballs exist among them as well. Rather than wasting lots of money on something like this, I’d lay out irrigation channels as possible.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Earl Morgensohn probably can’t understand the feelings of his fellow nobleman for spending so much money on a beautification potion. He mentions that laying out irrigation channels for the sake of the farmers would be of much more help for society.
But, Earl Morgensohn might be able to say this because he’s a rare handsome, good-looking man. The members of his family have all been beautiful women and men for generations. I’m aware of this because my father told me about it.
That magic potion is useless for this family, I’m sure. And it’s not just the earl’s family. In addition to the butler, all the employees and maids are also pretty.
To be honest, compared to them, Candy-dono and I must look like abominations.
“Even if he’s been turned into a woman, the reputation of our leader Candy remains unchanged. And our Klimt is a magician.”
Boltor-dono backs up Candy-dono and me.
“There’s no problem if their abilities are no different from usual. Well then, please take care of Franklin. If he manages to camp out for a night after you teach him the basics on our family’s hunting ground, he should become a bit stronger.”
Since his heir and son Franklin has some unreliable parts, he’s going to have us train him, including camping outside. I don’t know how camping out for a night is supposed to help, but I guess the earl is trying to start low at first?
“Let me introduce you to Franklin. Fraaanklin, come here!”
“Yes, father.”
In response to Earl Morgensohn’s loud shouting, a young boy enters the room. He seems to be around 12 or 13 years old. He has a small and slender build, and I feel like he’s even more fragile than Bruno, but his handsome and adorable face completely suits him being the heir of the Earl Morgensohn House.
In a few more years, he should turn into a handsome boy who’s going to attract droves of women.
“I am looking forward to your assistance. My name is Franklin.”
He seems to have a very decent character too. At least I don’t sense any of the usual hubris some heirs of high-ranking nobles possess.
“Franklin, you’re going to stay with the people from Twilight of Dawn from now on, and go hunting with them. Make sure to catch some game with your own hands.”
“As you wish, father. Everyone, I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Nice to meet you, Franklin-sama. (I can’t wait for your futureee───!)”
As usual, heart marks have appeared in the eyes of Candy-dono as soon as he saw the beautiful boy, but it should be no issue since he’s someone capable of properly keeping private life and work apart.
“Umm, I would be honored if you could tell me your name.”
“Me? I am Klimt.”
Franklin-dono is a boy as well. I thought that he might be calling out to Bruno, who’s currently a pretty girl, but unexpectedly he’s talking to me. Considering how dealt with Candy-dono moments ago, he might feel no animosity towards a muscular woman like me.
“Klimt-san, it is? That’s certainly a valiant name. By the way, Klimt-san, is there anyone you’re dating?”
“No.”
“That’s wonderful news.”
Once I tell him that I have no girlfriend or anyone like that, a smile blooms on Franklin’s face. Why is he so happy about learning that I have no girlfriend or fiancée?
Since I don’t understand, I look at Boltor-dono, just to see that his face has turned ghastly pale.
“(Boltor-dono, what is this about?)”
“(That lil’ rich boy goes way beyond being unusual!)”
Goes beyond being unusual? What does he mean?
“(Just why has he fallen in love with someone like Klimt in spite of being surrounded by so many beautiful men and women, and with Bruno being right next to Klimt?)”
Franklin-dono has fallen in love with my female appearance? No way that could be true…
“Now then, let’s go, Klimt-san?”
“Okay…”
I was decided that we’d head for the hunting ground right away, but Franklin-dono immediately calls out to me in order to go there together with me. Moreover, his face has become so red that anyone can tell he’s blushing.
“(Candy-dono?)”
“(Ee───eh! God damn it, I’m the girl here───ee!)”
Even though I ask Candy-dono for help to somehow do something about this, he seems to be shocked about Franklin-dono having fallen in love with me instead of him.
“Anyway…let’s go to the hunting ground?”
“You’re right. I’m looking forward to the next two days, Klimt-san.”
“…”
Although it pains me to say so myself, but for a man who likes my appearance as a woman to have appeared…I’m getting completely dragged down into the whirlpool of worries as I have no idea just what I should do for the next two days.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Franklin-sama, a rabbit has come your way.”
“I see it. I’ll make sure to not let it get away.”
Franklin-dono, the eldest son of the Earl Morgensohn House, has fallen in love with the female me. Even as I wonder how that came to be, a job is a job.
We have started to coach Franklin-dono on the hunting grounds managed by the Morgensohn House. Seeing how the student is the heir of an earl house, Twilight of Dawn has been attached to him as guards which is way too excessive for the level of danger he could face here, but so far there has been no problems, and Franklin-dono himself isn’t that much of an unreliable boy as the earl made him out to be.
He brings down the rabbit, Boltor-dono and Dalton-dono had herded towards him, with one shot, demonstrating extraordinary skill in archery.
“That was amazing.”
“It’s nothing so exaggerated, but I’ll give this game to you, Klimt-san.”
As soon as he wasn’t any longer under the watchful eyes of his father, Franklin-dono stopped hiding his affection towards me. He’s always sticking with me, and whenever he takes down prey like this, he offers it to me.
Now then, what should I do about this?
“(Didn’t you explain the situation to Franklin-dono?)”
“(You see, we couldn’t get him to believe us.)”
“(…He probably doesn’t want to believe the fact that you’re actually a guy, Klimt.)”
I’d like him to obediently believe that part, or rather, a woman like me doesn’t even exist in this world to begin with!
Also, there’s the matter with Candy-dono, huh?
“(I know it’s rude to put it like this, but although both of you’re terrible to look at, Candy is still preferable over you.)”
Certainly, it’s a scant difference, but if you asked which of us looks less objectionable, eight out of ten people would likely name Candy-dono.
“(Awwww, I’m not terrible to look at. My heart is that of a girl. It’s mean of Franklin-chan to pick Ron-chan over me.)”
“(What a pain in the ass…since you’re just making matters worse, stay out of this. Also, from my point of view, you look like a monster. If children saw you, they’d run away while bawling, and old people might die from the visual shock.)”
I had been aware of it myself, but after turning into a woman, I looked much worse than Candy-dono who’s branded as a monster by Boltor-dono. And yet, I wonder what Franklin-dono finds so appealing about my womanly appearance? Above all, despite usually being surrounded by beautiful women and girls.
“When I saw you for the first time, Klimt-san, I felt a shock as if lightning had struck me!”
“(Well, obviously. I mean he’s a woman with a height of more than 180 cm, packing nothing but muscles.)”
I’d love Boltor-dono to stop butting in with a whisper on each and every single thing.
“Until now I’ve never experienced anything like that from any woman I’ve seen. That’s why I realized. Klimt-san, you’re most appropriate to be my future spouse.”
He’s already proposing to me?
“Franklin-dono, because you’re the heir of the Earl Morgensohn House…”
There’s no way that a weird woman like me would be able to marry into the Morgensohn family…I’m the second son of the Earl Armstrong House, but right now it’s awfully troublesome that I must keep pretending to be a simple female adventurer…no, would Franklin-dono actually give up if I revealed my true identity?
“Of course it’ll be impossible to take you as the first wife, but I’ll definitely welcome you as an official concubine.”
“I’d like you to give me some time to consider…”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. For you to properly consider my proposal is more than I could ask for.”
Well, since I’ll turn back into a man by tomorrow or the day after, Franklin-dono will give up anyway.
Seemingly happy over my reply, Franklin-dono kept hunting one game after the other under the tutelage of Dalton-dono. It meant Franklin-dono wasn’t as unreliable and inexperienced as his father worried.
◇◆◇
“Klimt-san, I’ll treat you to a wonderful dinner with rabbit meat tonight.”
“I appreciate the thought.”
Sometimes Franklin-dono calls out to me, drawing the picture of a husband hunting for the sake of his wife.
“(Klimt, why did it turn out like this?)”
“(Bruno, are you frustrated that Franklin-dono has no interest in you despite being a beautiful girl?)”
“(It’s not like I have turned into a woman because I like it. Whenever I walk through the city, everyone is staring at me, so I really wanna revert back to being a man as soon as possible.)”
Given that Bruno has turned into a beautiful girl, approved of by everyone, unlike Candy-dono and me, he’s had lots of trouble with drawing the attention of many men when we walked through the city yesterday.
“(Isn’t that half the fault of Candy-san and you, Klimt?)”
Candy-dono and I were not only considered big and brawny, but even suspected to actually be men when we were next to Bruno yesterday. He’s right. In a certain sense we’ve also drawn attention. It was just the opposite type of attention.
When I voice this out, Boltor-dono whispers, “(This might actually be the reason.)”
“(What do you mean, Boltor-san?)” Bruno asks Boltor-dono.
“(Try to think about it for a bit. The people of the Morgensohn House are all beautiful or handsome, right?)”
“(No doubt about that.)”
“(With the family members being beautiful for generations, and since it’s only nobles who marry into the family, it’s just reasonable for there to be many pretty people.)”
Come to think of it, Franklin-dono’s elder sister, younger sister, and mother were all beauties. The Morgensohn family’s members being beautiful men and women probably lies in their blood.
“(In the eyes of Franklin-dono, who’s grown up in environment where he’s surrounded by just such people, the beautiful people of his family must be the norm. He regards the beautiful people at home just like we look at people with ordinary looks. Thus it’s inevitable for him having received a big shock from seeing Candy and Klimt. He might have misunderstood that shock as budding feelings of love.)”
In other words, for the people of the Morgensohn family, beautiful people are normal and not unusual. So Franklin-dono fell in love with me because I’m someone with a novel appearance, contradicting his usual surroundings.
“(I don’t know whether you’re aware of it, Klimt, but occasionally you’ll encounter such people…every once in a while. Like, for example, high-ranking nobles who take a woman as mistress while everyone around them doesn’t understand why they’d pick such a woman.)”
“(It’s because they want to secure the woman for themselves by all means because she’s a type of woman they never encountered before, right?)”
I suppose it’s because people always desire what they don’t have.
◇◆◇
“Klimt-san, how’s the meat of the rabbit I shot myself?”
“It is delicious.”
“That’s great to hear. Everything tastes much better if you eat together like this.”
“No doubt…”
Since the sun was already sinking when we finished our hunt, we began setting up tents in an open plain. This is also part of the request in order to train Franklin-dono…but then again, Franklin-dono himself happily offers me rabbit meat.
He’s probably very excited out of joy over being able to spend the night with me, a woman he fell in love with at first sight, while being away from his parent’s control. Love is just like a drug that makes you crazy. That’s all there is to it.
Or rather, why is it me and not Bruno, who’s a beautiful girl as visible to anyone? This world is truly full of mysteries.
“Why is it not meee───” Candy-dono screams by himself, but all of us pretend to not have heard anything.
Franklin-dono probably doesn’t care at all since he’s fully intoxicated with me. It’s not that I don’t understand Candy-dono’s feelings. Losing to Bruno would be one thing, but even losing to me must be vexing.
“It is about time for me to go to sleep.”
I tell Franklin-dono that I’m going to enter my tent to retire for the night since it’s already late. Since he has his exclusive tent, he’ll sleep by himself…I definitely won’t sleep together with him. I think that’s only natural since the members of Twilight of Dawn have to take turns on the night watch duty.
“You’re right. Klimt-san and I officially don’t have such a relationship yet. But, I’ll wait for you as long as necessary.”
At this point, the situation has become completely hopeless. Franklin-dono seems to have already drawn up a future of him turning me into his concubine.
“(Hey, Klimt. Haven’t the people of the Morgensohn House noticed your true identity?)”
“(They should have.)”
The Morgensohn House and the Armstrong House belong to different factions, and because both families have never tied with each other through marriage, there’s almost no exchange between the two, but it’s unthinkable that they haven’t investigated about me, the second son, to work as adventurer with Twilight of Dawn right now.
“(Because we explained the circumstances to Earl Morgensohn, he let us do the job like that.)”
No matter how things pan out, it’s impossible for Franklin-dono to take me as concubine. The earl probably sent us out here while thinking that I’d prevent this from happening at any price.
On the other hand, Franklin-dono doesn’t know anything about the second son of the Armstrong House, and it’s a fact that I’m currently a woman. No matter what others tell him, he likely won’t accept it.
Hm───m, love truly makes blind.
“(We’re going to turn back tomorrow anyway, right? Earl Morgensohn might consider it as a good experience for his son to have his heart broken.)”
In the end, we retired to bed while taking turns for the night watch.
◇◆◇
And then, on the next morning…
“Klimt-san, please wake up.”
“Ugh…is it already morning?”
For some reason it’s Franklin-dono who’s come to wake me up.
“Franklin-dono?”
“Thinking that I’d love to wake you up, I got up earlier than usual.”
“I see…”
I have a bad sleeping posture and snore rather loudly, so he must have been disappointed. Just when I think about all that…
“Klimt-san, you’re someone not prettying yourself at all, aren’t you? I’m falling in love with you even more and more.”
“Wow… So you can interpret it like this as well, eh?”
Bruno, who has come to check the situation, admires Franklin-dono for not only ignoring my snoring and sleeping posture, but even describing it as charming and novel instead.
Now that it has come to this, I feel like it doesn’t matter what I try to do about it.
◇◆◇
“As usual, you eat plenty. Our family’s cooks will be delighted, I’m sure.”
“The size of your body is directly proportional to the size of your open-mindedness.”
“You’ve beaten a big deer to death with a single blow. Killing an animal quickly so as to not make it suffer shows how deeply compassionate you are.”
“At this point, it’s useless whatever you say to him.”
“Right…”
We are unable to do anything about Franklin-dono who discovers a merit in everything I do.
But, on that evening, just when the remaining task was to go back to the Morgensohn mansion, the effect of the magic potion finally wore off. With this I’ve returned to being a man, relieving me from being courted by Franklin-dono.
“Noo───o! Gimme back my original girl foo───orm!”
“Come on, that’s not your original form, man!”
Candy-dono shrieks after having reverted into a man just like me, but I leave dealing with him to Boltor-dono.
“I wasn’t popular at all, even though I became a girl───!”
“I think that’s only reasonable.”
“Boltor, you meanie───ee!”
“Yeah, yeah, leave it at that. You should get ready for us to pull back as leader of Twilight of Dawn.”
“I know without you telling me that.”
Still, as might be expected of a super adventurer. He immediately recovers, and starts preparing for our return. And, I have also reverted into being a man again, but…
“Klimt-san?”
“As you can see, I have been turned into a woman for the last three days thanks to a strange magic potion.”
It might be a cruel reality for Franklin-dono, but there’s no way that I’m going to become his concubine. I’d like him to recover his broken heart as quickly as possible.
“Franklin-dono, you are no frail, weak man as your father worries about. I am sure another good woman will appear in due time. I am a man, so we cannot be together.”
“Klimt-san…”
It might be a shock for him, but I’m certain Franklin-dono is going to encounter a wonderful woman in the future. And this is no flattery, but my honest belief that I told him.
“Klimt-san.”
“What is it?”
It looks like he’s given up at long last. With this I’ll be able to return to my old life…
“I don’t mind at all! Even if you are a man, Klimt-san! It’s not like I fell in love with you just because you’re a man or a woman! After listening to your sincere words just now, I’ve become convinced of this all the more! Klimt-san, please become my wife!”
“Impossible!”
“Please consider it somehow! I won’t give up!”
“Please do give up!”
“Klimt-sa───an! Please wait fo───or me!”
“No, it is impossible!”
“I won’t give up, for sure───ee!”
For some reason Franklin-dono continued courting me for a while even after turned back into a man. As he seemed to be completely crazy about it, Earl Morgensohn did his utmost to make him give up on the idea, or rather, he tried to get him back to normal, but it needed several months for results of the treatment to bear fruit.
◇◆◇
“Even though I had turned into a pretty woma───an!”
“Klimt has been a rare case, huh? Also, no matter what you do, you’ll never become a beauty, Candy.”
“Boltor, you meanie───ee!”
“I had become a beautiful girl, and yet didn’t garner any attention from Franklin-dono. That’s good, though.”
Good grief, I’ve gone through a horrible experience thanks to Mr. Beckenbauer’s magic potion.
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