Chapter 66 — I Strongly Suspect You're Doing Something… But I Have No Proof
So—first he was Frieren's father, and in the blink of an eye, he had become her stepfather.
The woman in white before them—flamboyant tone, exaggerated expressions—was undeniably a master saleswoman.
To sell a dress, she would say anything, no matter how absurd.
With just a few carefully chosen words, she had completely hijacked both Flamme's and Frieren's attention.
At this moment, master and apprentice wore identical dazed expressions, gazing dreamily at the gowns on display, gently stroking the fabric as if touching a newborn's skin.
Only Elias remained clear-headed.
From the instant he stepped into the shop, he had sensed something off.
And the moment the shop owner opened her mouth, he understood—
Hidden beneath her honeyed words was charm magic.
—Snap!
Elias raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
The sound echoed sharply.
At once, Flamme's and Frieren's eyes cleared, the greasy, entranced look on their faces dissolving like syrup in water.
The two stared blankly, utterly confused.
"Huh… what just happened?"
"Why did I suddenly feel that strange urge…?"
They looked at each other, then at Elias, as if they had completely forgotten the seductive whispers from moments ago.
Meanwhile, the shop owner jolted as if struck by lightning.
Her body stiffened. One hand trembled in mid-air, fingers pinched delicately, pointing at Elias.
"Y-You… you actually—!"
Elias let out a cold laugh.
"The Holy City is full of talent, but this is my first time seeing someone use charm magic to fleece customers."
"So this is how you became the most popular formalwear shop in the city?"
The woman had never imagined her magic would be exposed so casually.
Forcing a smile, her gaze flickered as she barely met Elias's eyes.
"Impressive intuition. To think Anna Belle would slip up one day…"
"Unfortunately," she continued softly, "for the sake of this shop's reputation, the three of you—"
"—What?" Elias interrupted, the corner of his mouth lifting as he looked at her with lazy amusement.
"If we insist on leaving, do you honestly think you can stop us?"
"—Everything depends on how it's done!"
Anna suddenly whipped her feathered fan through the air.
Purple light burst outward in rippling waves.
So that fan was her magical focus.
The world around them began to distort.
Rows of gowns swayed unnaturally, overlapping, splitting into shimmering afterimages—
And the shop itself started to dissolve into illusion.
Elias remained silent.
So that woman intended to turn the entire shop into a barrier—an enclosed domain meant to trap the three of them?
This kind of barrier magic felt oddly familiar. He was sure he had seen something like it recently… perhaps just a few days ago—
"—Hehehe~"
"Senior Sister Anna, stop it."
"Your barrier won't work."
A bell-like laugh rang out, and in that instant, the shifting world froze.
Whether it was Anna or Elias and his companions, everyone turned at the same time toward the graceful figure stepping into the shop—
The Forbidden Queen — Carlile of Enchantment.
The very same charm-type mage who had lost to Elias three days earlier on the arena stage.
Elias smiled in sudden realization.
No wonder the magic had felt so familiar.
So Anna and Carlile practiced the same lineage of enchantment magic.
At the same time, Flamme's expression subtly changed the moment she saw Carlile.
She stared at the woman with clear vigilance, occasionally flicking sideways glances at Elias.
Damn it…
She had almost forgotten about her, carried away by the satisfaction of watching Erwin get his hands severed.
And yet—of all times—
This woman had to show up again?!
Even worse, Carlile swayed her hips as she approached Elias, eyes half-lidded, exhaling a soft, fragrant breath toward him.
"Senior Sister Anna, we both cultivate charm magic. You're good at enchanting women, while I specialize in enchanting men."
"Unfortunately, the man standing before you—Elias—is someone even I couldn't handle."
"Just three days ago, the suffering and torment he inflicted on me in our duel left a truly memorable impression…"
"S-Sister… what did you just say?!"
Anna's face drained of color, her eyes filling with near despair.
"If even your Peach Blossom Spring couldn't trap him, then I stand no chance at all!"
She stared straight at Elias, swallowing hard for reasons she herself didn't quite understand.
"In that case, this man is practically… a walking catastrophe!!"
"—That's enough!"
Flamme finally snapped, shrieking so sharply that the entire shop fell silent.
She had already let that nonsense go—but if it was going to be dragged back up, then they were going to clear everything up properly.
But before that—
"Frieren, get out. Now."
Frieren: Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ
"Huh?! Why? Teacher Flamme, is there something I'm not allowed to hear?"
"—Everything."
The shop door slammed shut.
Frieren sat down on the steps outside, propping her cheeks in her hands.
Listening to the muffled arguing inside, her ears drooped as she sighed.
"Teacher Flamme, honestly…"
"They already settled who won between Elias and Carlile. What's there left to argue about?"
"I really don't get it~"
...
After hearing the entire account, Flamme crossed her arms tightly, her expression icy as she stared at the two women opposite her.
"So…"
"According to you, all of Carlile's seduction attempts failed—and she was beaten senseless by Elias instead?"
"—Yes, yes~"
Carlile adopted a pitiful look, lightly clutching her shoulder, lips trembling as if deeply wronged.
"How could thirty-six delicate maidens compete with seventy-two grown men?"
"Especially a man like Elias—domineering, powerful, and utterly savage!"
"Every cry I uttered, every scream of agony, was a response to his pure, overwhelming strength!"
"I, Carlile, swear that even with one hundred and eight clones, I'd still lose to this divine brute!"
Flamme took a deep breath, doing her best not to roll her eyes too obviously.
She suspected this lunatic was talking nonsense—but had no proof.
Until Carlile suddenly brushed aside her curled hair, revealing a dark purple bruise along her long neck.
"See, Flamme? This wound was a gift from Elias."
"He deliberately avoided vital spots—that's the only reason I survived."
"In any case, I won't ever fight that man again."
Flamme finally relaxed. "So… you really were fighting."
"—Of course we were."
Carlile tilted her head, noticing the subtle shift in Flamme's tone.
"Hmm… Flamme, could it be that you—"
"—No! Absolutely not! Don't spout nonsense!"
Flamme jolted awake, denying it vehemently.
"I was just… a little curious. About how Elias defeated you."
"—Curious, huh…"
"What a wonderfully absurd excuse."
Carlile understood at once and glanced toward Elias, who stood aside as though none of this concerned him.
Heh…
What a fascinating combination.
With a light chuckle, Carlile turned to Anna.
"All right, Senior Sister. Go take their measurements."
"Waive the fee—consider it payment for our… overestimation of ourselves."