NoveLight ™
My head throbbed painfully. The calm state I had just managed to achieve crumbled, and my mind became a whirlwind of confusion.
What on earth is this supposed to mean? It was so absurd and convoluted that it took me a while to escape the state of shock and comprehend what was being said.
'Does “seeing as a woman” refer to my standards? Or his? Ah. They’re both the same. Anyway, she wants to be seen as a woman by me.'
I was breaking a sweat trying to understand this kid’s mental state. Calm down. I’m currently the “dark uncle.” I’m a pillar of support for Yuri, someone with whom she can share her dark and secret preferences.
Now, Yuri is seeking my advice. Specifically, how can she make a man, namely me, see her as a woman? So this means...
'She’s mad because I haven’t acknowledged her cross-dressing skills!?'
That’s a bizarre conclusion I’ve come to. So, Yuri has wanted to appear as a woman to me all along… Now it makes sense why she insists on wearing women’s underwear to work, indulging in such a risky hobby.
'I’m losing my mind. She’s a genuine pervert who wants to flaunt her desires around everyone.'
Was she hoping for a situation where she could be mistaken for a woman without openly cross-dressing? Things have escalated far beyond what I had initially thought. Yuri is suffering from a severe cross-dressing addiction that surpasses my imagination.
What will happen if I leave this unchecked? It’s obvious. She’ll start to become bolder, going beyond just the underwear she wears underneath.
Driven by stubbornness, she will gradually change her outfit to be more feminine, clearly trying to appeal to me. Will she still not see it? Will she still not look like a woman?
'The fate of this world is at stake...!'
If that happens, Yuri will cross a point of no return. From the heroine who is meant to save the world, she will become a monster who has lost her sense of identity due to her obsession with cross-dressing. How terrifying and dreadful is that?
I can’t let this happen. I must guide Yuri back to the right path. I shut my eyes tightly and took up my pen with a determined heart.
“Uncle. Why do you look so distressed?”
“The fate of the world is very precarious right now. I’ve just made a significant decision to prevent its destruction.”
“Wow! Uncle, that sounds cool...!”
I began to write my reply.
Sometimes, a little white lie is necessary.
To prevent the hero’s corruption. To prevent Yuri from straying. To stop the reckless behavior of this growing boy, I carefully persuaded her.
This should be enough. There’s no need to stand out any longer. You’re already incredibly girl-like...
'Not a parasite husband, but a husband who wants to be a parasite...'
Ah, this really is a terrible game. It’s worse than the review I wrote. I suddenly felt wronged and wanted to cry.
“Asl… Huh! Aslan! Huh, huuuuuh...!”
“Catch your breath and then speak.”
[The evil god, ‘Kali,’ scolds you for not providing water to our necromancer.]
At that moment, the door swung open with a bang, and Yulia stumbled in, her legs shaking as if she had been running around the training ground without a break.
“Ah, huh?!”
“…!”
Just then, her legs seemed to give way, causing her to lean toward me. Instinctively, I moved to catch her, but Charlotte darted out like lightning and hugged Yulia.
“Gotcha!”
“Ahhh! Charlotte, you serious?!”
“What are you doing? The bet is already over, so why are you acting like this? You were furious when I did the same thing.”
“Th-that’s... Ah, I don’t know!!!”
With a start, Yulia’s legs suddenly stood firm on the ground as if nothing had happened. Was her breathlessness just an act? What was she trying to achieve...?
“What’s important is not that! Aslan! We have a guest outside! ...!”
“A guest? Who is it?”
“It’s that... that sneaky-looking uncle, you know? ...!”
“Ah, you mean Count Arient.”
As soon as I heard it, I realized immediately. Count Arient does indeed have a rather sneaky appearance. But why has he suddenly come to the mansion? If he had business with me, he could have sent a letter or sent his son. Is it urgent?
“Okay. Thanks. Drink some water first.”
“I just had some water…”
“Fine, if you’re okay with that.”
“I-I’ll drink it...!”
As I reached for the cup again, Yulia dashed in and grabbed it. Then she stared at the cup for a while, her expression tense as her pupils began to tremble.
“Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.”
“That’s not it... Aslan... Is that the cup you were drinking from? ...?”
“You don’t have to worry about that either. It’s a brand new cup that I haven’t even touched.”
“Ah.”
So she doesn’t want to drink from a cup someone else has used. How fastidious.
In truth, I had taken a sip, but I made up a lie and put on my coat to go outside.
“Brother! Brother! Emergency! Something’s happened! State of emergency!!!”
“Count...”
As soon as I stepped out, I was greeted by Count Arient, banging on the bars and yelling. His face, usually pale, had turned even whiter from fear.
Could there have been another monster rampage? Looking back with suspicious eyes, I saw Earth-Earthy, who was sunbathing in the garden, shaking his head in indignation.
[Why are you looking at me again! Damn it! I’m not an easy target!]
This time it didn’t seem like Earth-Earthy was the culprit.
“What on earth is going on for you to be in such a frenzy?”
“This isn’t a frenzy! If you see it, you’ll end up like me! It’s just, oh my! It’s chaos! I’ve never seen anything so terrifying before, and I’m at a loss for words!”
“Calm down and tell me. Is the Arient territory in danger?”
“If you’re talking about danger, then yes, but I don’t really know! So far, there have been no damages!”
“So what exactly has happened? I’m getting frustrated, so hurry up and tell me.”
“Don’t be too shocked when you hear this! Right now, the Vermont Highway has been temporarily closed! The reason is...! Kyaaaaah!!! They’ve come! They’ve already caught up!!!”
“...?”
Count Arient jumped up, shocked. His gaze darted toward the Vermont Highway. A long shadow stretched out under the fading light of the sunset.
Not just one or two, but dozens... no, hundreds of figures? The sound of steady footsteps grew louder, thumping from afar.
“Lord. That’s…”
“Right.”
Sitting next to me, Sylvia murmured, sensing that things were not good. The silhouettes of those shadows and the sound of footsteps. I quickly recognized the identity of those shadows and grabbed the trembling shoulders of Count Arient.
“I-I didn’t do anything wrong! They asked where the way to the Vermont territory was, and I just pointed with my finger! I emptied the road just to avoid putting the people using it in danger! I’m not betraying you, so please forgive me!”
“Count. Don’t worry. They’re not dangerous.”
“Huh? How can that be? Kyaaaaah! They’ve already arrived! They’ve come!!!”
Thump thump thump thump!
With an overwhelming sense of discipline, the skeleton soldiers began to reveal themselves. Count Arient screamed and clutched his neck.
“The old skeletons have come!”
“Did you all have a good trip on the way here?”
“Thump! Thud! Thump thud!”
[The evil god, ‘Kali,’ grins confidently, declaring that her army has finally arrived.]
Charlotte and Yulia came out with bright smiles to greet them.
“Thump! Thud! Thump thud thud!”
“Did you come to keep your promise? Ah! You said you’d be loyal to me from now on...!”
As soon as they spotted Yulia, they lined up in front of her and all knelt on one knee to pay their respects. Their noble swords, shields, and armor had all vanished, replaced by shabby weapons a mere mob would carry, draped in rags.
These skeleton soldiers, who couldn’t ascend even after laying all their grudges to rest, had cast aside their names and memories to lend their strength to the young necromancer who saved them.
“Thump! Thud thud!”
“Hmm? They all say the people they encountered on the way here were too scary? What should we do, Aslan? Where should we let the skeletons live? ...?”
“...”
That was quite a tricky problem. For first-time witnesses, the sight of an undead army could indeed provoke a panic.
The Vermont territory is already densely populated to the point of overcapacity. There’s no way we can accommodate hundreds of skeleton soldiers here.
However, considering that skeleton soldiers don’t need food, sleep, or warmth, we do have a suitable space. It’s a barren wasteland, but there’s more than enough area.
“Our training ground was built on that wasteland. There’s still plenty of land left there, right?”
“Yes, Lord. We could build at least 20 more training grounds.”
“Let’s build a barracks there and house the skeleton soldiers.”
“W-what!? Why them in the Arient territory? You’re joking, right? That’s a joke, isn’t it!?”
I decided to ignore Count Arient's tearful protests as he clung to my sleeve. After all, we’re going to be seeing each other often now.
Let’s get along a little better from now on.