Chapter 23: Hero’s oath.
Translated and Edited by: ynlucca.
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“Thank you so much! Not only did you give Rokoko a nice bath, but also so many good clothes. I appreciate it,” I bowed slightly.
“…Thank you. Um, it was enjoyable,” Rokoko followed suit.
“Hehe~ You’re welcome, sweeties.”
“Hahaha! We had a blast, too!”
Still in the lounge area, we both got ready to leave. As soon as we were, Madam Lisette and the three older sisters came to see us off. Rokoko, now squeaky clean, wore a short white mini-dress with frilly sleeves. The tattered thing (which was supposed to be a cloak) and the extra outfits were stored away in my extra-dimensional space.
“I never imagined we’d be treated so kindly. I mean, we both have the Darkness attribute, so it’s not often we’re treated without any prejudice. It made my day! And, uh, thank you for the tea and snacks too.”
“Hehe~ You being all formal like that’s got me embarrassed~ As I mentioned before, this brothel welcomes everyone without discrimination or distinction. This is the kind of place I run~ Yeah?”
Lisette’s kind warm eyes narrowed as if looking to the distance. She continued.
“Maybe it’s because we’re also people who live on the sidelines, in the shadows, if you will. So, and this is just a thought, maybe I wanted to help someone like us.”
Having said that, she chuckled mischievously, and her lips curled into a tender smile. Still, I could see a faint loneliness within her warmth, just like those three older sisters who gave Rokoko her new clothes.
That’s why—
“Luminous.”
“Hm?”
“Luminous. That’s the name of the party I, Rokoko, and people with our same ‘disgusting’ attribute will be a part of. Ms. Lisette, please remember this name. Eventually. we’ll be known and heralded as the heroes who’ve defeated the demons. We’ll be proper, bonafide heroes.”
My tone was serious and my gaze stone. After a few moments, my words sunk in and she broke into a wide smile.
“When that happens, I’ll just have to boast, won’t I? This brothel will proudly declare, ‘We’re the shop that aided the heroes!” She said and chuckled joyfully.
“That was a great place, wasn’t it, Rokoko?”
“Yeah, Noel.”
As we left the establishment, the sun had begun to set, and day gave way to night. Because of that, we gave up on looking for proper combat attire for Rokoko and decided to just dine out together.
Oh, and don’t think I have forgotten. Just as I had promised back in the Forest of Bewitching Trees, we headed to a high-class dining establishment—with Rokoko dressed up to a tee, ready to enjoy a feast.
Dressed beautifully as she was, we wouldn’t face any rejection at the door or run afoul of any dress codes, even in broad daylight.
“Ah, Noel…! I smell something amazing…!”
“Mhm. We’re almost there, and there are plenty of diners around here. —Hey, wait!”
“Drool… Feast!”
Unable to contain her bursting excitement any longer, Rokoko dashed forward, enchanted by the tempting scent of food. At that moment, a fleeting memory lackadaisically crossed my mind, something so innocuous I didn’t even pay mind to.
Come to think of it, what was that all about when we were leaving…?
“Got it, little Rokoko? Try out the special ale I gave you tonight! I’m rooting for you. Do your best!”
“…Yeah. Thank you.”
Trained as an assassin, my ears caught wind of whispers between Rokoko and the three older sisters back when we were parting ways. Still, I didn’t really understand it back then.
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