30-50

EP.50 The Female Knight Helpless Before the Merchant 

"Welcome." 

The inside of the shop was rather dim. 

A deep pink reminiscent of a brothel colored the place. 

Anyone could tell the atmosphere was suspicious. 

Even the voice of the shopkeeper who greeted her was languid and moist. 

"Are you Kaella, the owner here?" 

"Yes. I am the owner. Is there a reason you’re looking for me?" 

"I am Eintri, a knight of the lord. I have questions for you, so answer honestly and without evasion." 

Eintri demanded as a knight should. 

She didn’t want to be here in the first place. 

She wanted to finish her business quickly and leave. 

Even the scent in the air was overly sweet. 

"A knight, I see." 

"Do you know this man?" 

She handed over the same drawing she’d shown many times before. 

Kaella feigned surprise. 

She thought to herself that Eintri had come to exactly the right place. 

"Ah... this person..." 

"I heard he visited here. Don’t tell me you don’t know him." 

"Yes, I know him, knight. But... for what reason?" 

"It’s important. It must be kept secret. But if you help, you’ll be well rewarded." 

"But he is a very important customer to me..." 

Perhaps because she was the owner of such a shop, Eintri thought Kaella didn’t grasp the seriousness of the situation. 

To wake her up, Eintri drew her sword. 

"Surely no customer is more important than your own life." 

Shing- 

She had no intention of attacking a civilian. 

Just drawing her sword was enough to make her intentions clear. 

Few could ignore such intimidation. 

But Kaella replied in her slow, calm tone. 

"I didn’t realize it was that important. Trust is important for a merchant, but not as important as life." 

"A wise choice. Now tell me what you know about that man." 

"That man is named Theus." 

"I know that." 

"He comes to my shop and buys items for teasing women. Judging by the amount, it’s not just for one or two women." 

Her testimony made things even clearer. 

Eintri’s image of Theus solidified: 

He was a shameless womanizer. 

Someone she’d rather not get involved with. 

But she couldn’t refuse an order from her lord. 

"Sounds like he’s quite the womanizer." 

"As far as I know, he’s the most vigorous man around... hehe...♥" 

Eintri couldn’t understand why she was laughing. 

It felt off, but she didn’t think to dig deeper. 

"I heard he lives in this village... Why is it so hard to see his face?" 

"He sometimes visits a mansion, but he doesn’t seem to like going out. I think he’s busy with all the women." 

"Ugh... you don’t need to tell me that." 

"Is that so? But you seem quite interested in him..." 

"...It might be important, so go ahead and tell me." 

She couldn’t let her feelings interfere with her duty. 

A knight’s code put her lord’s orders above her own emotions. 

She had to endure even stories she didn’t want to hear. 

"If you want to meet him, why not enter as a maid?" 

"A maid...?" 

"Go undercover. If a knight came all the way here, it must be a pretty important matter, right?" 

Going undercover wasn’t a knight’s job. 

That was for spies. 

But... 

Her lord’s orders were absolute. 

Her pride as a knight versus Lady Milleille’s command. 

Which was more important was obvious. 

Of course, she hadn’t been told to go undercover. 

It was her own choice. 

It was an order given in trust. 

That made it even more important than a normal command. 

She wanted to succeed, even if it meant swallowing her pride. 

"Is he recruiting maids?" 

"Not officially, but he welcomes beautiful women at any time." 

"Beautiful...?" 

Eintri didn’t realize she was beautiful. 

She looked cool, but no one could deny her beauty. 

Few would say it to her face, though. 

Sometimes Milleille would mention it, but Eintri just thought she was teasing. 

"Knight, you’re incredibly beautiful." 

"I’m not really..." 

"I can guarantee it. If it’s you, Theus will gladly accept you as a maid." 

"Hmph... I haven’t decided yet." 

"If you decide, I’ll help you get in. He sometimes asks if there are any beautiful women looking for work." 

She had to choose: 

Approach normally, 

or go undercover to get more important information. 

There was only one chance. 

"Are there any suspicious rumors about him?" 

"Ah... now that you mention it, there are rumors he associates with unusual people..." 

"Unusual? Do you know who?" 

"Sorry, it’s just a rumor... I only visit the mansion occasionally, so I don’t know the details." 

Maybe it was about contact with the Demon King. 

That was information her lord Milleille considered very important. 

If he was open about it, it’d be hard to find. 

He’d never reveal such information openly. 

There was only one choice. 

"As a knight... I don’t like the idea of pretending to be a maid, but..." 

Eintri knew how important this information was. 

"Fine. I’ll use your help to go undercover." 

"As a knight, won’t it hurt your pride? Even for your lord’s orders..." 

"My lord’s orders come before my pride." 

Her resolve was set. 

Sometimes, swallowing one’s pride was the greater chivalry. 

At least, that was Eintri’s code. 

She was determined to endure any humiliation. 

"Then... could you take off your clothes?" 

"Ugh... m-my clothes...?" 

"Yes. No maid would show up for work dressed like that." 

"T-that’s true..." 

The initiative had shifted before she realized it. 

Her status was higher-she was a knight favored by the lord. 

Of course, she couldn’t be compared to a mere shopkeeper. 

But right now, she couldn’t refuse Kaella’s words. 

She had sworn to put her mission above her pride. 

Refusing would be denying her own will. 

"Kuh... I-I suppose I have no choice." 

Her armor came off, piece by piece. 

With each bit of skin exposed, 

the air in the shop seemed to grow stickier. 

She told herself it was her imagination, 

but she couldn’t shake the feeling. 

"L-like this...?" 

"Hmm..." 

Kaella looked dissatisfied. 

Even Eintri, for all her obliviousness, could tell. 

She was nervous under the merchant’s gaze. 

"I-is there a problem?" 

"Your outfit... it’s not great. Too plain, not feminine enough." 

"Of course. I’m a knight serving the lord..." 

"But now you’re entering the house of a man who loves women, as a maid, right?" 

"Ugh..." 

She had nothing more to say. 

Since she’d decided to go through with it, protesting further would be pathetic. 

"So, what do you plan to do?" 

"I’ll lend you some clothes. Maid’s clothes... and feminine underwear." 

"B-but... even underwear..." 

"He’s a lecher, he might check your underwear. You can’t be wearing knightly undergarments, can you?" 

Would he really be that particular? 

Eintri wondered. 

She couldn’t be sure. 

She’d never met him. 

She just had to trust the merchant in front of her. 

"I’m used to this, so I’ll help you undress." 

"W-wait..." 

Kaella stripped off her bra and panties. 

Her calm actions gave Eintri no chance to resist. 

The knight’s hesitant resistance was no obstacle. 

"Ugh... w-wait... I’m not ready..." 

"Ah... are you embarrassed?" 

"It’s not that..." 

Even the cool-headed knight shrank in embarrassment. 

It felt strange to have someone else undress her. 

It was her first time. 

She couldn’t even stop herself from being stripped naked. 

"There, all done." 

"Quickly... g-give me the underwear..." 

"Don’t worry. Let’s see... what size..." 

Kaella’s gaze flickered over Eintri. 

It felt as if all her shame was being seen through. 

‘I-I can endure this much humiliation...’ 

She had to endure. 

Without that resolve, she couldn’t have made it. 

Her sword belt was already behind Kaella. 

"Your expression is a bit too cold, so it’s better to match you with flashy underwear. He might like you more if you look like a lewd woman." 

"That’s not necessary..." 

Kaella pulled out a string panty made of beads.