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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: A Man's Disguise
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When Lellia came to her senses, she was in front of her inn.
Lellia only set foot on the ground once they arrived.
Perhaps because she was startled by encountering Emperor Perseus, her legs trembled, making it difficult to keep her balance.
Calix quickly grabbed her arm.
“Are you okay, little sister?”
“…Yes.”
Lellia managed to reply, then pressed her lips together firmly.
She felt nauseous, as if she were seasick. Calix, despite having run at such an incredible speed, showed no signs of fatigue.
*He’s grown into a complete monster, hasn’t he...?*
Calix was the one who ran, yet I’m the only one who feels exhausted.
Lellia glared at Calix with a somewhat resentful expression.
Entering her room, Lellia checked the clock on the wall. Romeo should be here soon as well.
*Somehow, my room has become our hideout...*
Lellia smiled, suddenly remembering how her room at the temple had become the same way.
As Lellia suddenly laughed with a deflating sound, Calix plopped down on the sofa, looking puzzled.
Lellia poured a glass of water from the tea table and handed it to him.
“After all that boasting, you failed in the end. Should’ve gone with me, shouldn't you have?”
Calix asked sarcastically.
Lellia shot him a glare and sat down opposite him.
If Calix had gone with her...
It would have been a disaster.
Calix would have been so startled by Emperor Perseus's sudden appearance that he would have knocked him out, and then some. The situation would have escalated.
“For now, it’s fine since we didn't leave a trail. We'll just have to wait for another chance...”
Paying little attention to her words, Calix gulped down the water and asked.
“What is this thing you're looking for, anyway?”
“…It's something.”
Lellia bit her lip.
*I was 95% successful...*
This is all Emperor Perseus's fault.
*So, what do I do now...*
After what happened today, security at the northeastern gate will probably be even tighter.
One soldier passed out on the ground in front of the gate, several others passed out standing, and the emperor and his knight passed out in the cabin.
Fortunately, she hadn't left any traces, so she wouldn't be caught, but the future was the problem. Lellia had to go back to that cabin.
*Is my only option really to pretend to be Lord Romeo's fiancée or a distant relative to enter the palace...?*
A frustrated sigh escaped her.
*Come to think of it...*
Lellia stared intently at Calix.
The [!] quest icon and the [?] favorability window were still floating above his head.
Lellia searched her memory.
[Special Favorability can be checked once the value becomes positive (+) by using Crystals or completing hidden quests! o(≧∇≦o)]
According to that explanation, Calix's favorability score was currently positive.
*Just how high is his favorability...?*
While everyone else was stuck with negative scores, Calix was the only one whose score had risen into the positives.
Just like when they were children, Calix was truly... simple.
Just then, a translucent rectangular window appeared.
[Would you like to check Special Favorability Target 's favorability? (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
※Notice
You do not have a Quest Clear Ticket. 1,000 Crystals will be used. ʘ‿ʘ
“……”
A thousand Crystals? One thousand?
A thousand Crystals was a whopping one million shillings.
*I'm not checking.*
It was far too expensive. Lellia turned her gaze and stared intently at the [!] quest icon.
Truthfully, she had wanted to check the quest markers floating above her five friends' heads for a while now...
But with Oscar and Griffith's sudden departure and the hastily arranged plan to infiltrate the palace, she hadn't had a moment to spare.
The other friends' exclamation marks were gray, but only Calix's was red.
It seemed the quest could only be initiated once favorability turned positive.
*Tiring!*
A cheerful sound effect played as a rectangular quest window popped up.
The special UI mode was supposed to allow her to issue commands without pressing buttons, and it was certainly convenient.
[It seems Special Favorability Target has something on his mind. (｡•́︿•̀｡) Solve his problem and raise his favorability! (๑•̀∀•́ฅ ✧]
※ Quest Story Progress: 0%
Below that, reward icons were displayed.
Lellia checked the rewards one by one.
∙ 1 Favorability Check Ticket
∙ 1 Special Recipe Puzzle Piece
∙ 1 Lv. 1 Random Gift Box [?]
∙ 1 Alchemy Lottery Ticket
*The 'Favorability Check Ticket' seemed to be for checking someone's positive favorability score without using Crystals, just as the guide had mentioned.*
And the 'Special Recipe Puzzle Piece'...
*Do I have to collect all the puzzle pieces to get the recipe? How many do I need to collect? And what about the ingredients?*
The string of questions made her head ache.
In any case, collecting all the recipe puzzle pieces and completing it would bring her closer to the final item, the 'Philosopher's Stone.'
*I don't know how many quests I'll have to clear...*
But it didn't seem like something she could finish overnight.
*What's that random gift box?*
Lellia stared at it, speculating.
Given that it was the lowest level, Lv. 1, and had a wooden box icon, it didn't seem like a box that would yield any good items.
*Maybe it contains ingredients for a special recipe.*
It was always a good idea to collect things; they might be useful later.
And finally...
*An Alchemy Lottery ticket?*
The original game had a lottery-scratching system, since the protagonist ran a lottery shop.
*But that feature was blocked here... Whatever, let's just do it.*
Lellia looked at the 'Accept' button without hesitation.
[Accept this quest? (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑]
*Yeah.*
As she said it in her mind, she could see a quest list appear on the right side of her vision.
Because it was in special UI mode, the settings button, crafting button, and inventory in the bottom right, and now even the quest list, were all visible in her field of view.
Thankfully, they were small enough not to interfere with her daily life.
“What are you staring at all by yourself?”
“It's nothing. Um, by any chance... is something bothering you?”
“……”
At the abrupt question, Calix's brow furrowed. He looked at Lellia as if she were crazy.
The words had come out of nowhere.
Flustered, Lellia shook her head and changed the subject.
“…I think I'll have to enter the palace again under the guise of Lord Romeo's distant cousin, just as he suggested.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
“……”
Lellia fell silent, racking her brain for a way to find out what was bothering Calix.
Calix sat comfortably, cleaning his weapon as if he didn't have a care in the world.
That weapon was a greatsword he had received as a gift from a mercenary he had taken as a master when he left the palace.
The mercenary had jokingly gifted Calix the greatsword, which had been collecting dust in his house because it was too heavy for anyone to lift.
He had expected Calix wouldn't be able to lift it, of course, but Calix had raised the sword with ease, even at his young age.
It wasn't simply a matter of strength.
The sword, which possessed a will of its own, had chosen him.
Swords with their own will existed in this world, and that sword was one of them.
Lellia asked a question to break the awkward silence.
“That sword is so big, it must be hard to carry around.”
“Yeah. It's not heavy, but it is cumbersome. That's actually been bothering me.”
As soon as he said that, a rectangular window popped up.
[Special Favorability Target has shared his problem. Find a way to solve it! ✧٩(•́⌄•́๑)و ✧]
It seemed to be a notification guiding her through the quest.
“……”
After a moment of thought, Lellia came up with a good idea.
Lellia looked away to bring up her recipe list, then scrolled through it.
*There it is!*
The item Lellia thought of was a 'Shrinking Potion.'
It was a special item that could freely adjust the size of a specific object.
Fortunately, she had just enough ingredients to make one. It was a rather rare item since it required special ingredients.
*Should I give it to him, or not?*
If she gave this to him, Calix's problem would be solved instantly.
*What if he gets suspicious?*
But she might arouse Calix's suspicion.
*…Somehow, I feel like Calix is too simple to be suspicious.*
After some hesitation, Lellia worked up the courage to speak.
“I have a potion that can adjust the size of an object. If you need it…”
“Really? Give it to me! Me!”
Calix reacted before she could even finish her sentence. As expected, Calix was very simple.
Lellia mentally pressed the craft button, then took the completed potion out of her inventory. She handed the potion to Calix, pretending to have taken it from her bag.
“…This is another potion that the people who raised me acquired for me…”
“Let's try it, let's try it!”
Calix didn't even listen to Lellia's excuse. There wasn't a hint of suspicion on his face.
Instead, he voiced a different kind of suspicion.
“It won't ruin the sword, will it?”
“That won't happen.”
At her reply, Calix poured the potion directly onto the sword.
To his amazement, the massive greatsword shrank to the size of a dagger. Calix let out a cry of admiration, his eyes sparkling as he watched.
“…But how do I make it big again?”
“You just have to give the command in your mind.”
He must have done it right away, because the dagger-sized sword returned to its original size.
Calix looked at the sword with a somehow moved expression, then turned his gaze to Lellia.
“I've always had a good opinion of alchemy.”
“……”
“That alchemist, I don't know who they are, but introduce me. They seem very useful.”
“I don't know who they are either…”
Lellia mumbled a vague reply.
Finding the sword shrinking and returning to its size fascinating, Calix repeated the process over and over.
Just then, a rectangular speech bubble appeared.
[Quest Complete! ✧*.◟(ˊᗨˋ)◞.*✧ Claiming rewards!]
∙ 1 Favorability Check Ticket
∙ 1 Special Recipe Puzzle Piece
∙ 1 Lv. 1 Random Gift Box [?]
∙ 1 Alchemy Lottery Ticket
Then, another quest window appeared.
[Raise Special Favorability Target 's favorability by <10> more!]
※ Quest Story Progress: 10%
Lellia accepted immediately and moved on to her item list.
*Since I have to raise his favorability more anyway, I should save the Favorability Check Ticket for later.*
First, she tapped the Lv. 1 Random Gift Box.
She opened the box with anticipation, but only a few useless ingredients came out.
*I knew it.*
Disappointed, Lellia tapped the '1 Alchemy Lottery Ticket' item she had received as a reward. A small notification window popped up.
[The Alchemy Lottery can only be used once the Special Shop is unlocked! The Special Shop is unlocked by completing sub-quests. ٩(｡•ㅅ•｡)]
What the heck is a sub-quest…
Her situation was already complicated enough; trying to manage the game on top of it was making her head spin.
Just then, a *knock, knock* sounded at Lellia's door.
Peeking through the small peephole, she saw it was Romeo.
As she opened the door, Romeo walked in and asked.
“A failure, I take it?”
“……”
Lellia nodded with a dejected look.
Romeo paused for a moment at her expression, then clicked his tongue as if he had expected it.
“So, what's the plan now?”
“…I suppose I'll have to go with the method you mentioned, Lord Romeo…”
“Hold on.”
“Yes?”
Romeo, who had flopped onto the seat opposite Calix, glanced back and forth between her and Calix.
“Something's off.”
Romeo muttered.
“What is?”
Calix retorted bluntly, still cleaning the shrunken dagger.
Romeo glanced at him, then looked back at Lellia.
“Didn't you call Calix 'brother'?”
“……”
“So why am I 'Lord Romeo'? I'm feeling a bit distant, you know?”
Lellia clenched her fists. *Don't tell me you want to be called that too?*
She asked with her eyes, and Romeo replied.
“Just call me by my name, without the 'Lord,' like you do with him. Why are you discriminating against me? Why am I the outcast?”
“What's your problem? I like being called 'brother.' I've always wanted a little sister like Leo!”
As Calix flared up, Romeo scoffed.
“Then why not have her call you what a boy would?”
Calix frowned as if to say, 'don't be ridiculous.'
“Well, that wouldn't be bad. But she's a girl.”
Unable to watch any longer, Lellia stepped in.
“We don't have time to debate such pointless things. What do I need to do to enter the palace as your distant cousin, Lord Romeo?”
To that, Romeo replied nonchalantly.
“That plan is rejected. There was a commotion on my way here, and when I looked into it, it turns out the emperor is looking for some woman. A woman with green eyes.”
“……!”
Lellia sighed in dismay.
He must have only seen her eyes because she had worn her robe's hood pulled down low.
*He was so drunk, I thought he'd think it was a dream...*
She now understood why Romeo was so sure of her failure the moment he walked in.
“In this situation, there's only one way to enter the palace without arousing suspicion.”
“…What is it?”
Lellia looked at Romeo with little expectation in her eyes. The corners of his mouth curled up into a grin.
“You can go in disguised as a man.”
“……!”
Lellia's mouth fell open in surprise. Calix let out a deflating laugh.
“Disguised as a man? Her? No matter what she does, she'll still look like a girl.”
No, that's not it.
Lellia blinked.
If the emperor was looking for a 'woman with green eyes,' there was no better method than this.
The talk of a man's disguise suddenly reminded her that there was indeed such a potion among the 'Alchemy Lottery' recipes.
*'A potion that makes people mistake me for a man.'*
That recipe had been in the game since her past life; it was an item for an NPC named 'Phantom Thief Lupin,' one of the 'Alchemy Lottery' shop's customers.
It was a potion specially requested by Lupin, who committed thefts while concealing his gender, age, and name—everything.
When the vial is opened, an invisible smoke flows out.
The smoke makes the other person see an illusion, causing them to be mistaken. It could be considered a type of hypnosis.
It was a useful recipe that gave a lot of experience and money.
There were many similar potions in the series, such as a potion to be mistaken for a woman, a child, an old person, a turtle, and so on.
However, the duration was very short. Ten minutes at most.
Therefore, she couldn't maintain a man's disguise with this method, but it could be used to resolve a situation if she were openly suspected face-to-face.
*In that case, I'll have to use methods like wearing a wig for everyday use...*
Lellia wondered if there were any other disguise items in the 'Alchemy Lottery.'
She would need to be able to change her hair and eye color... There were so many recipes, she felt she needed to look into it more.
“That's a good idea.”
“You're really going to do it?”
Romeo asked, surprised by Lellia's determined voice.
He had said it as a joke, and a hint of bewilderment showed as she took him seriously.
“I'll use an alchemy potion to change my hair color and cut it short. Same for my eye color. For your information, those potions were also acquired by the people who raised me…”
“Do whatever.”
“……”
Before Lellia could finish, Romeo waved his hand and replied, as if he couldn't be bothered to hear the detailed explanation.
*It's a good thing Griffith isn't here. If that guy were here, he would have immediately suspected me, asking if I was an alchemist...*
Lellia looked at the two incredibly simple-minded men and sighed in relief inwardly.
