Volume 2 Chapter 9 Battleground？
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Girls dressed in swimsuits are serving customers──.
However, it wasn’t just that one tavern engaging in such, in a way, genius sales tactics.
While not every shop on central street was like this, a few others were also serving customers in swimsuits.
In some places, there were shops that operated in their actual underwear because they couldn’t prepare bikini fabric.
It wasn’t uncommon at all to see bare cleavage.
”What on earth is going on…”
Serena murmured quietly as she looked at the crowd gathered on either side of the street.
Some shops had a crowd, while others did not, and that difference was partly due to whether they were engaging in provocative business or not.
Aside from the quality of food, drink, and accommodations, the fluctuations in foot traffic were becoming apparent.
”I’ve lived in this town for over ten years, but this is the first time I’ve seen central street in such a messed-up state. Did the tavern Guild change its policy? Either way, it seems like this quasi-brōtḥel operation will be stopped immediately from above…”
”Serving customers in underwear or with nothing at all is definitely a no-go.”
”As for swimsuits…depending on the design, they might be acceptable.”
For instance, the serving outfit at ‘The Boar’s Trot Inn’ has exposed shoulders and a super mini skirt that is about 20 centimeters above the knee.
From the viewer’s perspective, there are times when it can be even more revealing than a swimsuit.
If mini skirts with exposed shoulders are okay, then swimsuits with even less exposure should theoretically be fine.
The swimsuits are quite revealing, but miniskirts and bare shoulders… Kian can’t quite explain it, but they seem to give off a more forbidden vibe than being n*ked.
Kian personally finds it a difficult line to judge.
”Ah, good. ‘The Boar’s Trot Inn’ is normal.”
Serena points to the left side of the street.
There is Kian’s regular haunt, and the place for tonight’s drinking party──the Pigfoot family’s shop.
Delicious smells and bright lights leak out, and cheerful laughter can be heard from inside.
However, it doesn’t seem to be full like it is during peacetime.
They are definitely losing customers to the indecent businesses around them.
”Good evening…”
Standing in front of Serena, they pass under the entrance of ‘The Boar’s Trot Inn’.
Immediately, the girls in their waitress outfits cheerfully reply, “Welcome!”
”Ah, it’s Kian.”
”Welcome back, Kian.”
”Thank you, Ms. Moimoi, Ms. Melissa. I’d like to have a drinking party with my friends tonight, but is the seat by the wall available?”
”It’s available.”
The waitress with blonde twin tails, Moimoi, grins and points to the seat in the back on the right.
”See, there are some empty seats today.”
”Yeah. The stores around here seem to be doing something strange.”
”Is there some kind of event going on?”
When Kian asks, the two waitresses shake their heads together.
”Hahahaha. Don’t know.”
”I don’t know.”
”I see… but I’m glad nothing strange happened at this store. I just wanted to relax and enjoy a drink. Serena, it’s at the back on the right. Let’s go.”
”Take your time! I’ll come by later to take your orders!”
”Thank you very much.”
After replying to Moimoi, Kian took Serena to sit at a corner table.
”Speaking of strange things…, someone weird was bothering you during the exam today, right?”
Seated across from her, Serena turned her light blue eyes towards him.
Kian nodded while pulling out a water bottle from his backpack.
”Yeah, it seems my partner was someone from the nobility, and their knight hurried after us.”
”Oh… were you okay? With everything?”
”The exam went smoothly as you know. I was nervous since I couldn’t mess up, but in the end, it turned out well.”
”I see. But I wonder what they were thinking when they joined. Those 2 in hoods, right? Nobles?”
”I can’t tell if the one with black hair is a noble or not. But the one in the mask is most likely a high-ranking noble.”
”I didn’t get a good look at their appearance, so I can’t say for sure. I was busy with my own things.”
”Yeah, the mohawk swordsman seemed like a novice who had never really dived deep into the labyrinth.”
”Can you tell?”
”Mostly. Just looking at his core balance and stuff, it was clear he lacked muscle to really be called a swordsman.”
”Well, that’s true… but I never imagined it would end up like this. Even though he passed the exam, at this rate, he has no choice but to quit being an adventurer.”
”Losing a leg and a finger over just an exam is quite a high price… It’s something that rarely happens, but did something go wrong in the labyrinth?”
”It seemed like they were panicking.”
Serena tightly grasped the mug of ale that had been brought to her.
Kian also thanked the server as he received a glass of wine.
Serena continued.
”Basically, I was the one doing the scouting and fighting alone, but I thought ‘if this keeps up, their evaluation will drop.’ So, we decided to switch places, and they carelessly got their hand caught in a trap.”
”So, that’s how he lost his finger.”
”Yeah… the leg was Shield Cain’s. I should have taken it down more quickly, but the armor was too tough, and with my weapon, I could only maneuver behind it and slash.”
Serena said this while glancing at the longsword on her waist.
Her weapon was still the same one she had used when fighting the vampire in the ‘Labyrinth of Roses.’
For swordsmen in the western world who don’t infuse their weapons with magic, the strength of the weapon is directly linked to the strength of the swordsman.
With Serena’s gear, which was beginning to fray with magic language, it had been difficult to face Shield Cain.
”The magician’s kid also had her staff broken right at the start of the battle.”
As they heard it, both of them seemed to have relied heavily on Serena to get through the exam. It’s not like it was their fault, but he doesn’t think Serena needs to worry more than necessary.”
”We were a team of 3… I just played solo.”
”Well, you need to move on to the next one. Just make sure not to be selfish next time. By the way, I’ve never felt that Serena was selfish.”
”…Thanks, Kian.”
”I’m just being honest. Come on, let’s drink. Let’s wash away today’s events down our throats.”
”Hmm.”
The two clinked their glasses in a toast.
Amidst the cheerful music, they silently sipped their drinks, not saying a word. Although the atmosphere wasn’t very lively due to Serena’s low spirits, Kian, without his ‘glasses,’ quite enjoyed this quiet drinking session.
After a while of quietly sipping their drinks, Esther emerged from the kitchen, carrying a plate of Sarah’s ham and wild herb dish.
”Welcome back, Mr. Kian.”
”I’m back, Esther.”
”Welcome, Ms. Serena. Please make yourself comfortable.”
”Thank you, Esther.”
”May I sit here?”
Esther pointed to the seat next to Kian as she placed the plate down.
”Of course.”
”Thank you. Both of you, well done on the exam. How do you think it went?”
”It was okay, I guess.”
”Kian would definitely pass. As for me… I was able to protect myself, but I ended up putting my companions in a bad situation…”
”Oh…”
Sitting next to Kian, facing Serena, Esther furrowed her brows.
”The promotion to lower-rank adventurer isn’t that difficult. I think Serena will pass too. I don’t think you need to worry.”
”Yeah…”
”Cheer up, Ms. Serena. Oh, we have a new pancake today, would you like to try it? It’s sweet and full of cream, it’s delicious.”
”I want to eat it. I think I’ll order it.”
”Go ahead and order, I’ll pass.”
”Mr. Kian doesn’t eat oily or sweet things at all.”
”I get the necessary sugar, but… isn’t the new pancake the one Mr. Robert came up with? If I eat the whole thing, I think I’ll consume 2 days’ worth of calories for an adult man all at once…”
”I think it’ll be fine if you move a lot!”
”Yeah, but I’m good with meat and vegetables.”
”Ms. Esther, would you like to split it with me?”
”Huh!? Really? Then I’ll deduct the cost of my share!
(This is probably how Esther gets fatter…)
Kian maintained his smile, gazing at Esther’s stomach.
Thanks to the design of her waitress uniform, her waist was tightly cinched, but when she took off her clothes, her stomach was quite flabby.
Her belly was slightly bulging enough to do a belly rub.
She thought that girls around Esther’s age probably looked like that, but whenever he imagined Serena’s toned body, he couldn’t help but feel…
”…”
(This is bad. Thinking about the two of them n*ked made me erect.)
Kian crossed his legs to camouflage the bulge in his groin.
”By the way, Central Street felt a bit strange today.”
”Strange? What do you mean by strange?”
”Well, you know… they were serving customers in swimsuits.”
”Ah!”
Esther nodded.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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