Chapter 19

Are you enjoying it?

I hope I'm not just being self-satisfied... I'll do my best.

Now, on to the main part... please!

"…And… um… Eki? Egidus? I want to ask you something."

Lina, who no longer had any intention of remembering, said it offhandedly. In reality, it was forbidden to mispronounce the name of a royal, but she didn't care.

"…Where did you get the 'Dos' from… 'Ed' is fine."

He seemed to have no energy to argue, speaking as if he were utterly exhausted.

"…Ed?"

"…Yeah… that's fine."

Prince Egidus gave up.

I don't know why,

...but I thought I won.

"…Um, I wanted to ask Ed something."

She no longer even used polite language.

Prince Egidus, for a moment, had a sour look on his face, but since he had his own faults, he couldn't say anything.

"Did the 'documents' and 'ancient texts' you saw when you summoned me say that all the 'Holy Maidens' and 'Heroes' were beautiful?"

"..."

The princes looked at each other and fell silent.

...I knew it.

Because when they saw me, they were so sure it wasn't the right person, calling me 'fat' and all.

"You guys… were you looking for your own 'brides' instead of a 'Holy Maiden'?"

Lina looked at Prince Egidus with a blank stare, as if she were exasperated.

"…No! …I was serious about the Holy Maiden…!!"

"Hmm? Then, even if the text said the 'Holy Maiden' was powerful but ugly, with a bad body odor and breath, and looked like a skeleton, you would still have summoned her?"

If he was serious, appearance shouldn't matter. Lina said this maliciously.

"…!!"

Everyone was taken aback and fell silent. One of the mages, however, couldn't help but say,

"…No… that… is…"

BAM!!

"…Ouch…"

At that moment, a teaspoon sharply hit the mage's forehead.

Lina hadn't missed a beat.

"…You guys, sit in seiza!!"

Lina stood up from her chair and pointed to the floor where Prince Egidus and the others were standing.

She was telling them to sit in seiza.

"…Huh!?"

"Sit in seiza!!!"

"…!"

Prince Egidus, who had initially tried to argue, met the eyes of Prince Schuel, who was sipping tea behind Lina, and gave up. Reluctantly, he began to kneel.

"…!…"

The mages, seeing the prince's action, followed suit, all sitting in seiza.

"Say it without hesitation, 'We summoned her because she was beautiful'!!"

Lina was half exasperated and half angry.

It was as if she had proven that they had summoned her because she was beautiful.

"…"

Feeling guilty, everyone kept their heads down and their mouths shut, apparently deciding not to say anything more.

"Basically, why is everyone so fixated on 'Holy Maidens'…? Why can't it be 'Holy People'?"

Generally, those who use holy magic are 'Holy Maidens', is there a reason why men can't?

"…S-Sacred… maidens… because…"

The mage next to the one hit by the teaspoon, with teary eyes, hesitantly answered.

"…So, there are no sacred men? …Magic that only maidens can use? …What kind of story is that, like a dream for men?"

"…"

The princes looked even more downcast.

They might have had their own thoughts.

"Besides, a 'Hero' might be a hairy, smelly, muscular brute, like a bandit."

"…"

"What if he swings a huge axe and says, 'Bring me the beautiful women after I save the world! …Hahaha!!' …What would you do then? Would you take responsibility and give him your lovers or wives?"

"…"

"Trying to summon someone you've never seen is shallow… sigh…"

Lina sighed deeply.

These people are too dreamy…

Thinking about it, I was dragged into their 'dream'…

The feeling of helplessness washed over her… but she shook it off.

And then…

"Basically…!!"

There she was, venting all her pent-up frustration.

Prince Schuel, who was sipping tea, found it interesting and was watching the whole time.

She only noticed this after nearly an hour had passed.

Beautiful women have a hard time in any world…

I'm glad I'm not a beautiful woman…?