NOVEL NEXT Chapter 90
“Why? Are you worried about something?”
After Bella left, Alice asked me that while looking at my expression.
Of course, I’m worried— a lot.
I’m not worried about the Cathedral Knight. Whether or not the Goddess exists has been a matter of debate among game fans, but even if she does exist, I don’t think it poses a big problem that a nation like this is being tolerated.
In fact, I would rather she took my side. If not, this country wouldn’t have been left as it is for ten years.
If they didn’t know I was here or couldn’t do anything to stop me, then there’s nothing to worry about.
If they don’t know that I’m having such blasphemous thoughts, then that’s no problem. If they know and still let it go, that’s also no problem. Eventually, the Papal State is just a bunch of power-hungry individuals using the Goddess’s name, so if they favor the Papal State, I wouldn’t think of the Goddess as a Goddess at all.
So, I don’t worry much about what happens over there.
The real problem is the clothes I’ll have to wear there.
“… Crown Princess.”
“… I told you to call me Alice…”
But seeing my serious attitude, Alice couldn’t say it too strongly.
I looked at Alice with a serious expression and said, “Even if it’s a legally operated place, in the end, it’s a gambling den. The humans stepping foot in there and the ones running the place can never be righteous individuals.”
“I know that.”
Hearing my words, Alice replied with a slightly relieved expression as if saying, ‘Oh, is that what you meant?’
However, I shook my head at her.
“… It might be a far dirtier place than you think.”
There’s obviously no ‘noble’ bunny girl in that place. Perhaps there are daughters of fallen nobility, but in that situation, they wouldn’t be much better than commoners.
But the ones who can freely go into casinos are mostly rich people. And among the wealthy, the vast majority are either nobles or associated with nobles.
Even if new trends like capitalism or nationalism are blowing in, this world still has a clearly defined class system.
It wouldn’t be strange for any noble to touch a pretty bunny girl they see as eye candy.
It’s hard to find a man who wouldn’t react to women exposing half of their breasts or more, almost baring their backs.
In most regions of the Empire, brothels are illegal.
However, that doesn’t mean they can completely stop free love. If a noble visiting a casino and a woman working there happen to fall in love and have a “short romance,” then the Empire wouldn’t bother with legal issues.
Tips could be claimed as something received as a sidekick.
Strictly speaking, it’s illegal, but they just overlook it knowing full well.
“…”
I don’t think Alice would know all this intricate detail. But as someone who can read my expression, she must understand how serious I am about this.
“If that’s the case, I can’t let you go there alone.”
“…”
Well, I mean, that thought is admirable. Of course, Alice would be helpful. In truth, I can rewind time, grasp the entire situation, and appear to attack first— if I leap into a melee without knowing a thing, Alice would be much stronger.
“What if I say I won’t go?”
So this time I asked her like that.
“If I defy your Majesty’s orders and don’t go?”
“Is that your will?”
Well, obviously, it is my will.
My will not to wear bunny girl outfits.
“Isn’t it because you want me to not go?”
Uh…
I am indeed determined not to become a bunny girl.
“… Even if you don’t go, I can’t just leave it be. Father gave you the mission directly, and even Bella came to provide information.”
Well, I guess that’s true from the Empire’s standpoint.
“Who did you say the next Emperor would be?”
“… Of course, it’s you, Crown Princess.”
“Then, as the next Emperor of the Empire, I have a duty to know as much as possible about everything happening behind the scenes. And,”
Alice said with an expression that looked like sparks were going to fly from her eyes.
“Once I become Emperor, I might not have a choice. The Empire is vast, and the Emperor has many duties, so it wouldn’t be possible to gather information directly. But on the contrary, since I’m still not on the Emperor’s throne, I can do such things without hesitation, right?”
“You, being the next Emperor—”
“What are you talking about now?”
Alice spoke confidently.
“While attending the Academy, I engage in conversations with commoners on equal footing, train together, and practice together. When hunting beasts, I risk my life just as much. Of course.”
Alice pointed a finger at me.
“You and,”
Then she turned that finger back towards herself and said.
“I am equal here. Since we are both students. So, at least while we’re both wearing the same uniform, stop calling me Crown Princess. There’s no need to use terms like next Emperor when I’m not even the Crown Princess yet.”
“…”
“If you don’t like calling me by my name, you can call me ‘Sister’ instead.”
“I’ll call you Alice.”
“… Even if I command you to call me ‘Sister,’ you wouldn’t listen, would you?”
“You said we’re on equal footing here, Alice.”
As I cut her off, Alice had a look that seemed like she was about to burst into laughter.
*
I hoped for something, after all.
So, in this world where ‘game allowances’ and ‘reality’ collide, doesn’t ‘reality’ feel more weighty?
No matter how brilliant a swordsman one may be, they can’t cut a bullet with a sword, and one gets hurt if a beast bites. Even beasts that need to be struck down dozens of times with a sword and hit with countless shots will bleed if they’re cut with a sword refined with sword energy, and will die if hit by a bullet.
Though this world merges steampunk and fantasy in incomprehensible ways, there’s a degree of realism to it.
Thus, I harbored a foolish hope that if there really are bunny girls in reality, maybe such sex appeal outfits wouldn’t exist in this world.
“…”
However, watching Leo’s face turn so red in front of the casino easily shattered my foolish hope.
“It’s unnecessarily flashy.”
Alice grumbled with a frown.
As Alice said, the casino building had a more flamboyant atmosphere than expected. Though even so, it was much more elegant compared to the noise I knew from the 21st century.
When watching American movies or dramas set in New York or Las Vegas from the ’50s and ’60s, there are often very extravagant and bright buildings that are heavily adorned with light bulbs for that time, and this place felt exactly like that.
Of course, there are no light bulbs in this world, so instead, there were abundant similar colored magical stones used for lighting.
The buildings in the Imperial Capital are relatively glamorous compared to other regions, but there aren’t many places as lavish as this.
“… Now I understand why the teacher didn’t want to come here.”
Claire nodded at Alice’s words. However, unlike Alice, Claire’s gaze was directed a bit differently.
While Alice was observing the overall atmosphere of the building, Claire was looking at the entrance of the building.
At the entrance, pretty women with great figures were holding up advertisements. Most of them were for promoting the casino. Some were draped in fabric that bore promotional slogans, while others were promoting the hotels operated by the same group as the casino.
Several noblemen, usually older and with hefty figures, were flirting with those women, and some were already placing their hands on their waists or shoulders, heading who knows where.
A city of pleasure in the literal sense.
If Las Vegas is a paradise built in the middle of the desert, this place resembled a hidden villa of pleasure deep within the woods.
The pristine and innocent-looking Carolyn felt out of place here, and I remember feeling bewildered when I first saw this place.
…It looks exactly like my memory.
“… It’s vulgar.”
Charlotte murmured nervously.
Charlotte’s gaze was on a big-breasted nobleman, dark-skinned, who was chatting and laughing with a bunny girl revealing her figurative assets.
To note, the bunny girl had silver hair. Honestly, if it weren’t for her attitude, it would be easy to think of her as a mystical being forced to work in such a place.
…
Is she really enjoying herself?