Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Perched atop the Red Line, the massive continent of red earth, it serves as the nerve center of the World Government and the exclusive residence of the Celestial Dragons, the world's nobility.
In theory, only a select few—high-ranking Marine officers, World Government officials, or those of comparable standing—are permitted anywhere near this place.
...Though even if you could get close, who in their right mind would actually want to?
After all, nobody willingly associates with walking landmines.
Today, I discovered that even within the strictly guarded confines of Mary Geoise, there exists an even more isolated realm.
At the heart of Mary Geoise stands the colossal Pangea Castle.
Beyond the Celestial Dragon Gate within its walls lies the "Land of the Gods," another ridiculously grandiose name—the actual living quarters of the Celestial Dragons themselves.
I heard that not even an Admiral or a high-ranking World Government official was allowed to enter this place. The only exceptions, besides the Celestial Dragons themselves, were their guards, servants, wives, and slaves—those who served them.
The thought of being granted special access to a place off-limits to an Admiral made my heart race with a thrill of being special. But when I calmed down, I realized I was simply being "brought in" as a possession of a Celestial Dragon. Yeah, that didn't exactly feel like something to be happy about.
We disembarked from the ship, and I followed Saint Banosakka, the Celestial Dragon, without a word.
Even here, no collar was placed around my neck, though security was tight.
I walked past the guards, their elaborate armor making them look like living statues. I only flickered my eyes at them as I passed through the Celestial Dragon Gate. And there it was—a city filled with the grand, imposing buildings you'd expect from the Celestial Dragons.
Everything was spotless, meticulously maintained. Not a single piece of trash littered the streets, and no signs of wear or age marred the buildings.
Glancing sideways, I even spotted moving walkways like you'd find in an airport. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to run in our direction.
The cleanliness, the convenience—this place truly felt like the center of the world.
But...
'How much blood, sweat, and tears from member nations went into creating this marvel? How many slaves had their futures stolen to make it possible?'
Thinking about it made it hard to feel genuinely impressed, to be honest.
Before I knew it, we'd arrived at what seemed to be Saint Banosakka's private residence—another massive palace.
'This place is huge...' It definitely didn't seem like the kind of place a single person would actually live in.
"Saint Banosakka, I'll escort your 27th Consort to change her clothes," a servant announced.
"Hmm, I'll leave it to you," Saint Banosakka replied.
(Change her clothes?)
I was then led to a separate building, like an annex, which was just as enormous as the main palace Saint Banosakka had entered. The first stop was a colossal bathhouse.
I was stripped completely naked and escorted into the bath by several female servants who washed me meticulously.
'Having someone else help me bathe... this is a first for me, even counting my past life.'
They scrubbed me from head to toe—front, back, everywhere, even my hair—with far more care than I'd ever given myself. The staff were all women, but it was still incredibly embarrassing.
After washing, I slowly sank into the overflowing tub, the herb-scented water enveloping me in warmth until my bath was complete.
When I stepped out of the bath, a fresh set of clothes lay waiting in the dressing room, just as the term "re-dressing" implied.
From underwear to outerwear, the fabrics felt incredibly smooth to the touch, adorned with intricate details. Even someone like me, who knows nothing about fashion, could tell they were ridiculously high-end. How many tens, no, hundreds of thousands of Berries must a single garment cost?
Wait, is this a dress? I've never seen anything like it before and have no idea how to put it on. While I was puzzling over it, the maids stepped in—or rather, they simply dressed me. Honestly, I was relieved.
Still, being helped with my undergarments felt a bit embarrassing.
When I tried it on, I realized it was designed like a nightgown—thin fabric, lots of skin showing. The neckline plunged low, my shoulders were bare. It felt kind of... sexy.
But it wasn't vulgar at all. It had this delicate balance between purity and allure, somehow perfectly mixed.
'Is this going to be my everyday outfit?' Uh... I mean, I couldn't exactly complain, could I?
Luckily, I didn't feel particularly cold or anything. The temperature was perfectly comfortable.
Next, they led me to the dressing room.
There was this massive mirror made of several full-length mirrors connected together. I sat down in front of it, and a professional makeup artist started doing my makeup. She used what looked like super high-end cosmetics, lotions, and all sorts of other stuff I didn't even recognize.
I hardly ever bother with makeup normally. It's just too much of a hassle.
After all that pampering, my skin felt incredibly smooth and my complexion looked amazing—or at least, I thought it did. You could definitely tell I was in the hands of a pro.
They didn't stop at my face; they styled my hair, did my nails, and even touched up my eyelashes. I felt like a meticulously maintained robot or something.
Between the bath and this, it was the first time I'd ever let someone else take care of every detail like that.
Once they were finished, they helped me choose clothes and accessories that suited me perfectly. With that final touch, my "makeover" was complete.
Next, we went to the main residence to present me to Saint Banosakka.
I walked into the living room, where he was waiting, and bowed as gracefully as I could.
That was the first time I really got a good look at Saint Banosakka's face and bearing. I hadn't had a chance to properly observe him before.
Maybe it was because I was back in Mary Geoise, or maybe it was just easier to tell without the bubble helmet, but this guy was something else.
In the One Piece manga, Saint Charlos, the poster child for the Celestial Dragons and notorious for being one of the most despicable characters in the series, had a design even the original author admitted was ugly. But this guy... this guy was right up there with him.
A round face, a heavy build, oily skin, and thick, protruding lips.
He had the signature Celestial Dragon hairstyle, but I thought I detected a receding hairline. And when he smiled, I caught a glimpse of his teeth—crooked as hell. I wondered if he could even chew properly.
He looked exactly like the kind of guy who'd star in a lewd doujinshi or an adult game.
Now, if he was wearing a jumpsuit and working as a janitor at a girls' high school, that would be the perfect package of perversion (no offense).
I was a little worried about facing him in this demurely erotic dress, but there was no turning back. I took a deep breath and stepped forward. He scrutinized me from head to toe, then nodded with satisfaction. "Hmm," he murmured, looking pleased.
"Alright, you're free to go now."
"Yes, of course. I'll show you the way back."
...Huh? That's it?
Just a quick once-over? They barely glanced at me and sent me on my way.
Not a hint of anything scandalous, not even small talk. Just a brief introduction—"I'm Sue"—and then I was told to leave. Wait, what?
Well, I couldn't exactly linger, so I turned around and hurried back to the annex with the servants.
Once back, they explained the basics of my life here.
Basically, I had no duties or responsibilities.
Three meals a day would be provided.
Clothes and accessories would be prepared daily—or rather, a stylist would select and arrange them for me. Though if I preferred, I could choose my own outfits.
If I wanted something, I could just ask a servant, and they'd usually arrange it. Nothing too extravagant, though. I could even get newspapers if I wanted.
The catch was that I couldn't contact the outside world. Leaving the house was strictly forbidden, and even sending letters was generally out of the question.
Otherwise, they took care of everything. Servants and slaves were always around to assist with my needs.
Essentially, my only job was to live here—a state-sanctioned NEET.
And, when necessary, follow the instructions of Saint Banosakka.
Oh, and take care of my health, I suppose.
My status was that of Saint Banosakka's "Wife," meaning my body belonged to him. I was expected to maintain my beauty, avoiding anything that might damage it, like getting too fat or too thin.
As my title, the 27th Consort, made clear, there were twenty-six other wives in this mansion besides me. I was instructed to get along with them and avoid causing any trouble.
'...If I remembered correctly, the maid I met on the ship had mentioned that Saint Banosakka had a peculiar hobby: enjoying the sight of the wives interacting and getting along.'
So, as long as I adhered to these three rules—'don't leave the mansion, be friendly with the other wives, and obey the Celestial Dragons'—I could live as I pleased.
That meant... I might even be able to write when I felt like it. Though I'd have to be careful not to draw too much attention to myself.
I received this explanation in the room that would become my private quarters. At the end, I was informed about the slave who would be assigned to attend to my personal needs.
The mansion's upkeep and household chores were primarily handled by the regular staff, but apparently, each wife wasn't assigned her own personal attendant.
Instead, I was told, they granted limited authority to a cultured slave, trained to mimic a servant, who would take care of their personal needs.
With that, the servant called in the woman who had been waiting outside. "Come in," he said.
She looked a few years older than me, a striking beauty with flawless features and a graceful figure. Her silky golden hair, fair skin, and clear blue eyes were particularly striking.
But what truly caught my attention... was her smile.
It wasn't a forced, plastered-on grin, nor did it seem strained. Rather, it struck me as a strong smile, one that refused to falter despite her circumstances as a slave—a brave, genuine, and unwavering smile that seemed to say she was determined to laugh as much as she could.
Her coarse clothing and metal collar unmistakably marked her as a slave, yet the fact seemed almost irrelevant, overshadowed by her radiant beauty. She shone like a star.
"This slave will attend to Lady Sue's personal needs. You may command her as you wish, but remember, she remains the property of Saint Banosakka. Please refrain from wanton harm or mistreatment. Now, greet her."
"Yes."
She stood beside me, listening to the degrading explanation without betraying a flicker of emotion.
Stepping forward, the woman met my gaze directly and introduced herself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Stella, and I will be attending to you from today onward. I look forward to serving you, Madam."
To be continued...