The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 90
EP.90 Information (4)
“Why? Are you worried about something?”
Alice asked after Bella left, noticing the look on my face.
Of course, I was worried—about many things.
I’m not worried about the Knights Templar. Whether or not there is a goddess has been a subject of debate among the fans of the game, but even if there is a goddess, I think the fact that my existence is tolerated indicates that there isn’t a significant problem. If anything, the goddess might be on my side. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left me alone for the past ten years.
If she wasn’t aware of my existence, or lacked the means to stop me, then there was no need to worry. And if she was aware of my blasphemous thoughts but chose to ignore them, well, that was fine too. The nation of Vatican merely used the goddess’s name as a front for seizing power. If the goddess favored them, I wouldn’t consider her a goddess worth worshiping.
No, what I was truly worried about was the outfit I’d have to wear there.
“…Your Highness.”
“…I told you to call me Alice…”
She replied, though the intensity in her voice softened upon realizing my serious expression.
I looked at Alice seriously and spoke.
“Even if it’s a legally operated place, it’s still a gambling den. Neither the people who frequent it nor those who run it can be considered righteous.”
“I know that.”
Alice seemed a bit relieved at my words, as if to say, ‘Is that what you were worried about?’
But I shook my head at her.
“…It may be a much filthier place than you imagine, Your Highness.”
There were, naturally, no “noble-born” bunny girls there. At best, one might encounter the daughter of a fallen noble, but they would hardly be any better off than commoners in such a situation.
But those with the wealth to walk into a casino were often the very rich—mostly nobles, or at least those connected to nobility. Even though concepts like capitalism and nationalism had begun to emerge, this world still adhered firmly to a class hierarchy. It wouldn’t be surprising for a noble to make a move on a pretty bunny girl intended as eye candy in the casino.
After all, not many men can resist women who are barely covered, with more than half of their chest exposed or their back almost completely bare.
In most parts of the Empire, brothels are illegal. But that doesn’t mean they can prevent consensual relationships. If a noble visiting the casino and a woman working there claimed to have had a “fleeting romance,” the Empire typically wouldn’t prosecute. Any tips received would be dismissed as gratuities for service.
Strictly speaking, it’s illegal. But everyone just turns a blind eye as long as things look good.
“……”
I doubted Alice was aware of the full extent of this situation, but she could read my expression and knew how earnestly I was discussing it.
“If it’s truly such a place, then I certainly can’t let you go alone.”
“……”
Well, that thought was admirable, really. Alice’s presence would definitely be helpful. While I could use time reversal to analyze the situation and preemptively strike, making it seem like I fought well, in a head-on battle without preparation, Alice would be far stronger.
“And if I said I won’t go?”
I asked, pressing further.
“If I were to disobey His Majesty’s orders and not go?”
“Is that really your own will?”
Of course, it was my will. The very will not to end up in a bunny costume.
“Or is it because you don’t want me to go?”
Uh…
Well, it was my will, wasn’t it? My strong will to avoid dressing up as a bunny girl.
“…Even if you don’t go, it’s not a place we can just ignore. Father gave you this mission directly, and Bella herself came to provide information.”
Well, that was the Empire’s perspective.
“Who’s supposed to be the next Emperor?”
“…It’s you, Your Highness.”
“As the future Emperor, I have a duty to know as much as possible about the things happening behind the scenes in the Empire. And─”
Alice said, her eyes practically blazing with determination.
“─maybe after I become Emperor, I won’t be able to. The Empire is vast, and an Emperor has many responsibilities, so I won’t have the freedom to roam around and gather information personally. But right now, I’m not yet the Emperor, so I can do things like this without hesitation, can’t I?”
“Your Highness, as the future Emperor—”
“Why call me that now?”
Alice said confidently.
“At the academy, I talk to commoners as equals, I train with them, and I join them in field training. Even during beast hunts, I risk my life just like everyone else. Naturally…”
She pointed at me.
“You─”
Then turned her finger toward herself.
“─and I are equals here. We’re just students wearing the same uniform, so at least while we’re dressed like this, stop calling me ‘Your Highness.’ I’m not even the Crown Princess yet, so there’s no need to talk about me as the next Emperor.”
“……”
“If you don’t want to call me by name, you could always call me ‘sister.'”
“I’ll just stick to Alice.”
“…Even if I ordered you to call me ‘sister,’ you wouldn’t, would you?”
“You were the one who just insisted we’re on equal terms here, Alice.”
My curt response made her look as though she was about to burst into laughter.
*
I had hoped, in my own way.
I mean, in this world, when ‘game logic’ and ‘reality’ clash, reality seemed to have more weight. Even the finest swordsman couldn’t slice through a bullet, and if bitten by a beast, they would be injured. Regardless of whether a beast required dozens of sword strikes or gunshots to kill, a sword imbued with energy could still draw blood, and bullets could still kill.
It was a bizarre steampunk-fantasy world, yet it held a semblance of realism.
So, I’d naively hoped that maybe, in this world, actual casinos wouldn’t feature those types of sexually appealing costumes—since real-world casinos rarely did.
“…….”
But, seeing Leo’s flushed face in front of the casino, it was clear that my vain hope was easily shattered.
“Unnecessarily flashy.”
Alice muttered, frowning.
As Alice said, the casino building had a much more extravagant atmosphere than expected. Of course, it still had a more classic feel compared to the over-the-top style of the 21st century I knew.
If you watch American movies or dramas set in the 1950s or ’60s in places like New York or Las Vegas, you’d see buildings with bright, extravagant signs studded with lightbulbs, a level of flashiness that was eye-catching for that time. This place had that feel.
Since there were no lightbulbs in this world, the building was instead adorned with magic stones that glowed in similar colors, casting a vibrant light.
Even though the buildings in the capital were relatively flashy compared to other regions, there weren’t many places as flashy as this.
“…I think I understand why the teacher didn’t want to come here with us.”
Alice remarked, to which Claire nodded in agreement. Unlike Alice, however, Claire’s gaze was fixed somewhere else.
While Alice was observing the building’s overall vibe, Claire’s attention followed Leo’s line of sight toward the building’s entrance.
Near the entrance stood attractive, well-proportioned women holding up signs, most of which displayed advertisements for the casino. Some wore sashes emblazoned with promotional slogans, while others were advertising the hotel operated by the same organization as the casino.
A few nobles, mostly older and more corpulent ones, were flirting with these women, and some already had their hands on their waists or shoulders, heading somewhere.
It was, quite literally, a city of indulgence. If Las Vegas was a paradise built in the middle of the desert, this place felt more like a hidden pleasure villa nestled deep within the forest. I remember being dumbfounded the first time I saw it, as it was a place completely removed from the image of the diligent and innocent Carolyn.
…It was exactly as I remembered it.
“…It’s vulgar.”
Charlotte muttered in shock.
Her gaze was fixed on a particular bunny girl with a darker complexion, whose generously exposed chest hovered close as she chatted and laughed with a large-framed noble. The bunny girl’s hair was a striking silver, exuding a mystique that, if it weren’t for her behavior, might have painted her as the tragic heroine forced to work in such a place.
…
She was enjoying herself, wasn’t she?