It was difficult to drink alcohol without feeling uneasy about being a child, and others would worry about you.
If this disguise was only a means to escape from the castle, to begin with, then shouldn’t they return to being adults? This was Plan B, also known as ‘The Plan to Disguise Ourselves as Normal Human Women.’
Kaider had not contacted them for two days. His job was probably keeping him busy. Maki and Chiharu had caused them enough delays as it was. And so they had felt a little guilty and were relieved that he had not tried to contact them yet.
“He doesn’t have time to worry about two strange children.”
“Maki-chan…”
Maki said, as if to convince herself. She was also just a little bit sad.
But it was not all bad, and the two of them had decided to leave their inn and move to a new one. It was the White Lily Inn. They didn’t know if the name had anything to do with it, but there seemed to be many sophisticated-looking dwarf women staying there. And so they knew that it would be safe for them.
First, they changed into the women’s clothes they used to wear in the castle, then put on a robe over that and left the inn. And after making sure that their hair was covering their foreheads, went into a lady’s clothes shop. This is where Chiharu came took the lead.
“I wanted to order some dwarf clothes since we came all the way to this capital. But we don’t have enough time. You wouldn’t happen to have anything I could wear right now, would you?”
“You are small for a human, so I think that we should have something. But your older sister is bigger than most dwarven men… Oh, I know. We can do something like the Midland clothes you are wearing now, and just layer these. The two of you are too narro-, I mean, you two are slender, but this should work well for you, even if it is a little short.”
“That’s nice. Can we try a few on?”
Indeed, dwarven women were voluptuous and had very pretty physiques. The two women acted like typical young tourists who were excited at being in the dwarf country. But what was wrong with that? And so they both bought two pairs.
“We don’t want to be recognized when we go out. Do you have any wigs?”
“Yes, we do!”
And so they bought wigs as well.
“After all, dwarves are known for having red hair. Our eyes are brown. We cannot change our eye color, but it is not the same for our hair. Wigs are very popular among dwarven women.”
How convenient. Still, blond hair was apparently deemed excessive, and most of the wigs here were brown.
The clerk said passionately:
“This bright chestnut hair will suit you. It will go perfectly with your dark eyes. Oh, are they actually black?”
“No, look more clearly. Our eyes are reddish brown. You know, they say that the Saintesses who recently arrived have black eyes. I wouldn’t dream of saying mine was the same.”
“I understand that completely. But I am so glad that the Saintesses have come. The miasma in this city has become a lot thinner, you know?”
“The human territories too.”
“Yes, we are all so thankful for them.”
“So thankful.”
They bought a bright chestnut color wig and an even brighter brown one. Then they sold their old clothes as they would be too heavy to keep carrying around. After that, they borrowed a mirror to add some light makeup and style their hair.
“Oh, you look so beautiful. This Midland style of wearing it might become the latest fashion.”
They turned out looking cute enough to receive this praise from the clerk. They looked a little younger than their age, due to having to cover their forehead with their bangs. But they were still larger than dwarven women, and so even Chiharu appeared like an adult. Now no one would think it odd if she was drinking. She was able to relax now that she was finally dressed like a woman again.
Maki and Chiharu were in high spirits as they left the store when a birdman dropped down in front of them. It was Sauro.
“It is today. The Midland soldiers are arriving today.”
“But why?”
“There are too many monsters in the dungeons now, and the adventurers can’t hold them off anymore. And as they cannot send so many new adventurers with little notice, they decided to borrow soldiers from the human territories.”
“But what about the dwarven soldiers?”
“Among the three lands of this continent, beastkin, elves, and dwarves are all superior to humans in terms of strength. But many do not like to use swords. So much so that elves stick to using bows. And so it is difficult to gather enough useful men.”
“But isn’t this the blacksmith country?”
“It is really more of a farming and cooking country. Also, Maki and Chiharu…”
Sauro had an unusually troubled expression.
“Aeris is worried about you two. To be honest, I don’t like elves, and the chief and Aeris do not get along, as they fight over the possession of the Saintesses. But still…”
Still?
“We are the same in some ways. We didn’t get along at first, but we started talking about you a lot, and when I was still at the castle, we would trade information about you two.”
Uhhh, off-putting… Could they be fan number 1 and 2?
Chiharu and Maki looked at each other. Setting that aside, they did not want the kind Aeris to worry about them. Chiharu took out a small bag from her suitcase.
“Give this to Aeris. Tell him that we’re safe.”
“Should I tell him that you are here?”
“Don’t tell him! We, we want to be free for just a little bit longer.”
“I understand. I’ll come again.”
Sauro placed it carefully into his pouch and then flew away with a flutter of wings. When they looked back down after seeing him off, Maki and Chiharu saw that they had attracted attention. This was not supposed to happen! Damn it, these birdfolk! The two of them hurried away in a huff.
“How unusual. Human girls.”
“They were kind of big, but still cute.”
“Nah, they’re way too skinny!”
“Yeah, but they still had curves where it mattered.”
“Did you see how thin her waist was?”
“I did!”
“And the brown hair.”
“That pointed chin.”
“So pretty.”
So it had not been the bird person who attracted attention after all. The dwarven men talked excitedly for some time after that:
“Did you see them?”
“They are way too big.”
“They also looked so underfed.”
The women giggled but also said:
“Did you see?”
“That waist.”
“Impossible!”
“I’m jealous.”
“And that one piece. Don’t you think it was pretty how they layered it?”
“Oh, yes. It was so adorable how the cream-color peeked from underneath.”
“Why don’t we check out that store?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
The women were also very excited. Maki and Chiharu had not realized how unusual it was for young human women to visit the city.
They returned safely to the White Lily and were just about to order their dinner when an elderly dwarf gentleman approached their table. He looked like a wealthy merchant.
“Excuse me, beautiful human daughters. You two seem to be alone, and I was wondering if you would like to eat with us?”
Maki and Chiharu were surprised, but,
“Thank you so much, but we are fine.”
They said.
“Then how about a drink together after dinner? You see, I have a wife, and I thought that you might prefer to sit with us.”
At this, he glanced to the side. Puzzled, they looked too and saw that a young dwarven man was staring at them. His eyes were shining, and he was about to walk towards them when the merchant-like man’s stare gave him pause.
And it seemed that the young man wasn’t the only one who had been watching. This…was awkward…
“Oh, uh, thank you. We would be happy to drink with you after dinner.”
“Brilliant. I am Edmond, representative of the Edmond Company. I will come again when you are finished eating.”
And so Edmond returned to his table in the back. It seemed that he was eating with another, younger dwarf.
“Maki-chan, why are we being stared at?”
“Maybe humans are rare?”
“But people treated us pretty normal when they thought we were kids.”
“Because we are so ravishing?”
Maki posed with her chin in her palm and fluttered her eyelashes. Chiharu almost spat out the apple wine she was drinking but managed to stop herself. This was a special apple wine with mild sweetness. She was not going to let it go to waste. But more importantly, had she just heard people sighing around them?
“No way.”
Chiharu felt that her voice shook a little.
“Are we actually popular here?”
“While it is very shocking…”
Maki looked down and massaged her forehead. Was she turning into Arthur?
“We are…”
“Yes.”
“Not supposed to stick out.”
“Yes.”
Where had they gone wrong?
The answer: Plan B.
It was difficult to drink alcohol without feeling uneasy about being a child, and others would worry about you.
If this disguise was only a means to escape from the castle, to begin with, then shouldn’t they return to being adults? This was Plan B, also known as ‘The Plan to Disguise Ourselves as Normal Human Women.’
Kaider had not contacted them for two days. His job was probably keeping him busy. Maki and Chiharu had caused them enough delays as it was. And so they had felt a little guilty and were relieved that he had not tried to contact them yet.
“He doesn’t have time to worry about two strange children.”
“Maki-chan…”
Maki said, as if to convince herself. She was also just a little bit sad.
But it was not all bad, and the two of them had decided to leave their inn and move to a new one. It was the White Lily Inn. They didn’t know if the name had anything to do with it, but there seemed to be many sophisticated-looking dwarf women staying there. And so they knew that it would be safe for them.
First, they changed into the women’s clothes they used to wear in the castle, then put on a robe over that and left the inn. And after making sure that their hair was covering their foreheads, went into a lady’s clothes shop. This is where Chiharu came took the lead.
“I wanted to order some dwarf clothes since we came all the way to this capital. But we don’t have enough time. You wouldn’t happen to have anything I could wear right now, would you?”
“You are small for a human, so I think that we should have something. But your older sister is bigger than most dwarven men… Oh, I know. We can do something like the Midland clothes you are wearing now, and just layer these. The two of you are too narro-, I mean, you two are slender, but this should work well for you, even if it is a little short.”
“That’s nice. Can we try a few on?”
Indeed, dwarven women were voluptuous and had very pretty physiques. The two women acted like typical young tourists who were excited at being in the dwarf country. But what was wrong with that? And so they both bought two pairs.
“We don’t want to be recognized when we go out. Do you have any wigs?”
“Yes, we do!”
And so they bought wigs as well.
“After all, dwarves are known for having red hair. Our eyes are brown. We cannot change our eye color, but it is not the same for our hair. Wigs are very popular among dwarven women.”
How convenient. Still, blond hair was apparently deemed excessive, and most of the wigs here were brown.
The clerk said passionately:
“This bright chestnut hair will suit you. It will go perfectly with your dark eyes. Oh, are they actually black?”
“No, look more clearly. Our eyes are reddish brown. You know, they say that the Saintesses who recently arrived have black eyes. I wouldn’t dream of saying mine was the same.”
“I understand that completely. But I am so glad that the Saintesses have come. The miasma in this city has become a lot thinner, you know?”
“The human territories too.”
“Yes, we are all so thankful for them.”
“So thankful.”
They bought a bright chestnut color wig and an even brighter brown one. Then they sold their old clothes as they would be too heavy to keep carrying around. After that, they borrowed a mirror to add some light makeup and style their hair.
“Oh, you look so beautiful. This Midland style of wearing it might become the latest fashion.”
They turned out looking cute enough to receive this praise from the clerk. They looked a little younger than their age, due to having to cover their forehead with their bangs. But they were still larger than dwarven women, and so even Chiharu appeared like an adult. Now no one would think it odd if she was drinking. She was able to relax now that she was finally dressed like a woman again.
Maki and Chiharu were in high spirits as they left the store when a birdman dropped down in front of them. It was Sauro.
“It is today. The Midland soldiers are arriving today.”
“But why?”
“There are too many monsters in the dungeons now, and the adventurers can’t hold them off anymore. And as they cannot send so many new adventurers with little notice, they decided to borrow soldiers from the human territories.”
“But what about the dwarven soldiers?”
“Among the three lands of this continent, beastkin, elves, and dwarves are all superior to humans in terms of strength. But many do not like to use swords. So much so that elves stick to using bows. And so it is difficult to gather enough useful men.”
“But isn’t this the blacksmith country?”
“It is really more of a farming and cooking country. Also, Maki and Chiharu…”
Sauro had an unusually troubled expression.
“Aeris is worried about you two. To be honest, I don’t like elves, and the chief and Aeris do not get along, as they fight over the possession of the Saintesses. But still…”
Still?
“We are the same in some ways. We didn’t get along at first, but we started talking about you a lot, and when I was still at the castle, we would trade information about you two.”
Uhhh, off-putting… Could they be fan number 1 and 2?
Chiharu and Maki looked at each other. Setting that aside, they did not want the kind Aeris to worry about them. Chiharu took out a small bag from her suitcase.
“Give this to Aeris. Tell him that we’re safe.”
“Should I tell him that you are here?”
“Don’t tell him! We, we want to be free for just a little bit longer.”
“I understand. I’ll come again.”
Sauro placed it carefully into his pouch and then flew away with a flutter of wings. When they looked back down after seeing him off, Maki and Chiharu saw that they had attracted attention. This was not supposed to happen! Damn it, these birdfolk! The two of them hurried away in a huff.
“How unusual. Human girls.”
“They were kind of big, but still cute.”
“Nah, they’re way too skinny!”
“Yeah, but they still had curves where it mattered.”
“Did you see how thin her waist was?”
“I did!”
“And the brown hair.”
“That pointed chin.”
“So pretty.”
So it had not been the bird person who attracted attention after all. The dwarven men talked excitedly for some time after that:
“Did you see them?”
“They are way too big.”
“They also looked so underfed.”
The women giggled but also said:
“Did you see?”
“That waist.”
“Impossible!”
“I’m jealous.”
“And that one piece. Don’t you think it was pretty how they layered it?”
“Oh, yes. It was so adorable how the cream-color peeked from underneath.”
“Why don’t we check out that store?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
The women were also very excited. Maki and Chiharu had not realized how unusual it was for young human women to visit the city.
They returned safely to the White Lily and were just about to order their dinner when an elderly dwarf gentleman approached their table. He looked like a wealthy merchant.
“Excuse me, beautiful human daughters. You two seem to be alone, and I was wondering if you would like to eat with us?”
Maki and Chiharu were surprised, but,
“Thank you so much, but we are fine.”
They said.
“Then how about a drink together after dinner? You see, I have a wife, and I thought that you might prefer to sit with us.”
At this, he glanced to the side. Puzzled, they looked too and saw that a young dwarven man was staring at them. His eyes were shining, and he was about to walk towards them when the merchant-like man’s stare gave him pause.
And it seemed that the young man wasn’t the only one who had been watching. This…was awkward…
“Oh, uh, thank you. We would be happy to drink with you after dinner.”
“Brilliant. I am Edmond, representative of the Edmond Company. I will come again when you are finished eating.”
And so Edmond returned to his table in the back. It seemed that he was eating with another, younger dwarf.
“Maki-chan, why are we being stared at?”
“Maybe humans are rare?”
“But people treated us pretty normal when they thought we were kids.”
“Because we are so ravishing?”
Maki posed with her chin in her palm and fluttered her eyelashes. Chiharu almost spat out the apple wine she was drinking but managed to stop herself. This was a special apple wine with mild sweetness. She was not going to let it go to waste. But more importantly, had she just heard people sighing around them?
“No way.”
Chiharu felt that her voice shook a little.
“Are we actually popular here?”
“While it is very shocking…”
Maki looked down and massaged her forehead. Was she turning into Arthur?
“We are…”
“Yes.”
“Not supposed to stick out.”
“Yes.”
Where had they gone wrong?
The answer: Plan B.
