Chapter 238 – Bastard

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“Hmm… Then, the boy’s holy sword was destroyed by that human scumbag named Cleon, his comrades his were robbed, and he himself was stripped of his status as a hero, and then he was sentenced to permanent labor. “

The maid, who introduced herself as Belle Lily, guided Albein through the interior of her mansion, neatly organizing what she had heard.

When Albein heard that, he frowned as hard as he could because his pride his was somehow hurt, but he only told his story his at once.

“Ha. You’ll think of me as pitiful anyway. Just like the judge who tried me, the prison guards, and the criminals who treated me like a kid while receiving the same labor.”

Albein said so and put his clenched hands in his pockets.

For him, others were no longer a reliable entity.

The women who clung to him so much betrayed him in an instant and went to Cleon.

As soon as he lost his status as a hero, the humans around him pounced on him like hyenas.

It was the fault of others who could not recognize his worth that created this situation, Alvein sincerely believed and had no doubts.

“Well, at least I’m entrusted to Setos-lord Alvain-sama. I won’t feel sorry for you, the direct owner, after hearing rumors about you.”

“…Hmm, ‘waiting’. I mean.”

Saying that, Alban glanced at the back of the woman walking in front of him.

I thought of her from the first impression, but Belle Lily- no, Ishtal had that brown skin and burning hair. She has a somewhat calm impression and femininely curved lines.

With her distinct features her, Albein, who was both intelligent and captivating, was one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.

The word ‘attendant’ that came from her reminded Alban of her life in the North, where she was forced to live ascetic.

Anyway, it was a few months.

“I can feel the negative stars. I’ll tell you, that’s outside of my job.”

Whether it was familiar to receive such stars from others, Belle Lily-no, Ishtal swung and turned around and said as if to warn Albein.

Albein frowns at her at once, but she just clicks her tongue as she thinks of being careful with her actions her.

Belle Lily-no, Ishtal shakes her head as she lets out a sigh, then turns her body around and moves her foot her again where it stopped.

“I’ve heard of Cleon’s name before. Setos-sama said it.”

When Belle Lily put the names of Cleon and Setos on her lips, Alvein flinched and trembled in response.

“About a month ago. Aurelia-sama Sethos’s sister-in-law. She said she saw an adventurer invited to the mansion for dinner. While you were in the northern region, you made various achievements and won the nobles. It seems that the fame has spread in between without knowing it.”

“That Cleon guy… Made an achievement? Ha. He tricked someone again and stole the achievement.”

At Albein’s words, Belle Lily—no, Ishtal shut her up for a moment—but only shrugged her shoulders.

“Active performance in Elesia, a rural corner. At the academy, work together with the chiefs of each department to defeat the monsters of another dimension… I heard that they also defeated the demon beast of the spider and the thieves of Horseshoe Mountain a while ago?”

“… In other words, if I hadn’t been beaten by him, it could have been all my own.”

“That’s great.”

Words that do not know if they are sarcasm or pure admiration come out of Belle Lily’s mouth her, but Albein only snorts at her.

“It’s not just that I spent time rotting in the northern prison. The working environment was harsh, but if you move around carrying heavy objects all day long, you naturally train.”

“Is that so… But, I heard you were a hero? If you don’t have a holy sword, aren’t you weaker than back then?”

“Are you… Talking so arrogantly to the owner?”

Alvein spoke in a low voice as if he was completely offended by what he said earlier, but Belili- No, Ishtal replied as if he was not afraid of him.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you. But I was really curious. What the hell. How are you going to beat him?”

When Belle Lily raises the corner of her mouth, Alvein swings his hand her and strikes the vase right next to him with his fist, knocking it off.

Hearing her her loud, utterly shattering sound her, Belle Lily looked behind her to see her Alban glaring at her with her ghostly face.

“Don’t make me angry… Anyway, on the subject of the maid…”

“…Ha. I’m sorry.”

Belili- No, Ishtal sighed, but reached for the vase that Albain had broken and started putting the pieces in it.

“In the first place… I was defeated by him… It was because he investigated me to the point of feeling bad, cornered me, and took away my composure. …If it had been a fair duel, I wouldn’t have lost.”

Belili- No, Ishtal, who heard Albain’s words, lifted her head and looked into Albain’s eyes.

Amidst the swaying pupils, does he sincerely believe that his skills are superior to Cleon’s?

Or, is he using such words and attitudes to deceive himself?

‘…A funny man.’

Belili- No, Ishtal thought so, picked up the shard and stood up.

“Then you can return it the same way, right? Thoroughly investigate where and what Cleon is doing now … And find out his weakness of her.”

“…”

After hearing what Belle Lily said, Alvein seemed to ponder for a moment, then shook her head.

“I’m a warrior. I won’t do anything cowardly like that.”

“Are you sick?”

“What?”

Albein changed her expression and asked if she hadn’t heard what she said.

Belili- No, Ishtal shook her head in embarrassment herself, collecting the pieces and putting them back where the vase was.

“No, I accidentally said the wrong word.”

“Really…? Well, there’s no way I’d say that I’m crazy.”

As Alban said that, he shook his head as if to erase the shocking words he had just heard from his memory.

“That’s the biggest reason you lost to Cleon. What kind of hero are you without a holy sword in the first place?”

“Kuh…”

When Alban heard that, she let out a drool and turned her head away.

‘You don’t want to hear unpleasant words… He may be young, but he’s really a kid…`

Belili- No, Ishtal, sighing inwardly 15 times, decided to release his vigilance her step by step so that he could move him at will.

As the first step-pretending to be warmed up by the heat, I first unbuttoned a couple of buttons on my chest.

A brown chest bone visible through a black shirt that was slightly turned back.

As soon as Albein saw the scene, he unconsciously glanced at it.

And Belili’s hand he holds his hand his as it is.

“…Keep calm. Master. Obviously, as you said, the opponent may be superior in frontal skills. However, that does not guarantee that the opponent will always fight fair and square as he wants. Just like Cleon. .”

Speaking in a soothing voice, Alvein nodded his head while clearing his throat with a ‘Kuhhmm…’.

“That, that’s right…”

“In order to realize your justice, shouldn’t you find a way to make sure you win over your opponent, even if you are a little cowardly?”

The fact that Verily was right was a fact that anyone other than Albain could have known.

And Albein nodded her head awkwardly, perhaps weakening in front of a woman who showed a gap.

“Yes… You’re right. Certainly, to bury that cowardly Cleon… I’ll have to be a bit heartless too.”

And she seemed to affirm that she was right.

“But Lord Setos told me not to leave the mansion for a while.”

“That’s right. You’re a worthy criminal. The investigators will come to the capital, so it’s safest to stay in this house where others can’t enter to avoid their pursuit.”

“…Then, how are you going to investigate?”

When Albain asked, Belle Lily-no, Ishtal raised her mouth and took out a bottle containing a small reagent from her pocket.

“You’re lucky, Bocchan. It’s good to be grateful for the fact that the maid in charge is me, Belili.”

It was a small bottle, large enough to hold about 50ml of liquid, and a pink liquid could be seen dripping from the inside.

“What… Is that, what kind of medicine is it?”

“It is a drug that temporarily changes the appearance of the person who takes this drug into another form. It contains a degraded version of transformation magic called Polymorph. The disadvantage is that it can only transform into the appearance of the opposite gender.”

“Polymorph… The one that dragons use?”

“That’s right! I know it well, as expected, I’m an adventurer.”

When Belle Lily praises Albein to the point of exaggerating a little, she says, as if she is not offended, and she smiles.

“Because I have a close relationship with someone who can get some of these medicines. If I use this medicine, I can go out of the mansion without being seen as a young boy.”

“…I see. …No, no. I still can’t trust you. How do I know you’re a woman who was instigated by Cleon to assassinate me.”

“No… Huh… Okay. Then I can drink it first, right?”

Belili- No, Ishtal said that and immediately opened the cap of the vial and swallowed half of the liquid inside.

Then, her appearance was instantly engulfed in a haze of light on the spot, and then slowly changed-

It was to change into the figure of Albein in front of her eyes.

Her clothes were still maid clothes, so she was a little ugly.

“Kuhmm… Ah- ah-. I need to adjust my voice a bit.”

It is said that the voice belonged to a man, but it was different from that of Alvein.

“…It’s amazing, it’s really a transformation potion… Okay. Then pass it on to me too.”

When Belle Lily nods her head and passes her potion to him, Alvein does not delay and ingests it in one gulp.

“Ugh…!”

Feeling a little pain, and at the same time feeling that the whole body feels strange.

And, the body gradually changes its shape with magic power.

“You’re in a hurry… But, you have to decide what you want to transform into?”

Her words her seemed a little late, and after the light that appeared to Alvein disappeared-

“Okay, this changed my appearance…”

Saying that, Albein looked down at her hand.

However, his appearance had changed in a direction he could never have imagined.

His height his had shrunk to the level of a 10-year-old, and his hair his was long and straight.

Aside from her blonde hair and blue eyes, she was just an ordinary little girl.

“What is this!”

“Ah~. So you have to assume your true form before drinking… If you just drank without that, you’d think it would change into a form that’s just right for your state of mind?”

“That… No wait, then you’re saying I’m a kid!?”

When Alban, who grasped the meaning of her words, raised her voice in anger, Verili could only hold back a laugh.

‘That’s not just a kid, it’s a cheeky kid.’

Bell Lily-no, Ishtal was careful not to say the same thing as before, even by mistake, and grabbed the sleeves of her Alban costume, which had become loose due to her small body.

“Oh no way~! It’s just a child-like innocent person!”

“Aren’t you kidding me…?”

“Calm down. Well. If you look like that, even Cleon won’t suspect you’re Albain. If you’re careful.”

At Belle Lily’s words, Alvein bit her mouth once more, and that’s it too. She muttered and nodded her head.

`And the fact that this drug also affects her mental state her to match her her changed appearance her… What. I don’t think he’ll change that much because he’s like a kid.”

Bell Lily-no, Ishtal said so, and she took him and took him to the attendants’ locker room first.

“It’s fortunate that there are children’s clothes. Everyone looks like a commoner’s child~”

“…”

The dress she changed into was a dress for a girl that was a bit outdated for a nobleman to wear.

Albein looks at her reflection in the mirror and thinks of something about her, saying `Hmm…`, And then she speaks.

“As expected, it’s me. Being a girl isn’t bad either…”

“…”

Even though Belili-no, Ishtal looked at Albain who had such an absurd misunderstanding with cold eyes, her face quickly changed to a smile when her eyes met Albain.

“If it’s Cleon’s hostel, I know. If you want to keep an eye on him, you’d better go nearby. The effect of the medicine is 12 hours. I don’t have a reserve right now, but I’ll have it’s ready until you return.”

Belili, who said that, looked up at Alvein for a while before talking.

“You… Why are you helping me like this?”

“I’m Master Albain’s maid—to tell the truth. I also have a bit of a grudge against Cleon.”

Setting aside the former reason, what was said after that was true.

To him, his plans had been thwarted over and over again.

“So. If you defeat Cleon… You might really become my hero.”

“Kuhh… Yes. Trust me, Belle Lily. I’ll drop Cleon into the abyss as you wish. I’ll stab her with a dagger in her neck her, taking advantage of the carelessness of a girl like this. “

‘Wow… I said I wouldn’t do anything cowardly. Already…`

Looking at Alvein, who was already uttering vicious words, Belili- No, Ishtal raised the corners of her mouth, wondering if the reagents and aptitude were better than she thought.

Then, after guiding him out of the mansion through the back door, he sighed and released the transformation that was hanging on him on his own.

“It’s a garbage card… But will it become a joker. Or will it rot as it is.”

When his eyes lit up, his pupils split vertically, releasing his hidden magical power his.

“Lord Setos is a tough person… Putting an ‘collaborator’ as his son’s watchdog… Isn’t that right? Remilia.”

As she said that and muttered into the air, something like a human eye emerged from her shadow and looked at Belili.

[Isn’t that acting too conspicuously?]

“That’s good enough. I don’t really intend to act the way Lord Setos wants. It’s us, Astarothe, who get everything. You follow Albain, and don’t let him fool around and get caught.”

[All right. Ishtal.]

Belili- No, Ishtal attached her most trusted subordinate to Alvein and walked down the hallway with light steps.

Suddenly, the vase that Alban had broken earlier caught my eye.

“Huh…”

When Ishtar moved his hand her, channeling his magic her. The vase was to restore itself and return to its original place.

“Alvein… Eustes… Cleon… Three men intertwined with the Holy Sword. No, is it now one woman and two men? Let them dance on my board. I’ll show you an awesome ending.”

Right! When I rang my fingers, the flower in the vase that was still alive would wither away on the spot.