planned to just pretend like he hadn't heard anything. Instead, he whistled and meandered away. After making his way over to Hina, he quickly hid behind her back. When he spoke next, it was from the shadow of her maid outfit. "Ah, that reminds me! On my way here, I spotted a group who looked to be guests as well! I imagine they'll be here any moment!" "There are guests yet to come? Who?" Elisabeth furrowed her brow. However, her answer arrived quicker than she expected. Down the hall, she could make out a group of boisterous voices. "Vice-Captain Lute...I know it's a bit late to be asking this, but are you really sure it's all right for us to let ourselves in?" "As far as Sir Kaito told me, it should be fine. Although I must admit, I didn't expect for us to get chased by a walking suit of armor the moment we came inside... Now, I think it was somewhere around...here?" "Lute!" "Sir Kaito! Madam Hina! Captain Elisabeth!" Kaito sat up from his spot on Hina's lap, and Lute let out a cry of delight. He ran over, and the two of them exchanged a light fist bumpâ€”a symbol, perhaps, of how beastfolk-human relations had improved over the past years. Kaito thanked him for showing up. "I'm so glad you could make it! Wasn't it hard on you, having everyone take the day off at once?" "Ha-ha-ha, not in the least. Our Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast's magnanimity knows no bounds! And besides, there aren't nearly as many incidents these days as there were three years ago. Taking a day off like this is nothing! And that, too, is thanks to our captain's undying efforts." The rest of the Peace Brigade members nodded in agreement. Despite their praise, though, Elisabeth frowned. The image of a regal beastfolk woman flashed through her mind. "Valisisa Ula Forstlast..." The name carried a heavy nostalgia with it. It would appear that Valisisa was in good health, and La Christoph was probably carrying out his duties in the Capital like normal as well, praying and believing in God while accepting the love of the people. Elisabeth closed her mouth without finishing her sentence. Her Peace Brigade subordinates let out cries of relief at having finally found the dining hall. It was clear that they'd gotten lost in the castle's vast corridors. After a few of them handed Hina small gifts as thanks for inviting them, they all got to work removing their armor, revealing the layered formal wear beneath. Each of their chests was decorated with colorful tail feathers. Even in times of peace, it was exceedingly rare for a beastfolk soldier to take off their armor. It was a sign of their utmost trust in the castle's owner. They lined up in front of Elisabeth and saluted. However, they then paused. "Um...Captain?" "I've a fair guess at what you wish to ask, but go on, say it." "Is there somewhere you'd like us to put these gifts?" The beastfolk gestured to the packages they were all carrying. Some were wrapped bundles of cloth, and others were covered baskets, but every one of them was impressively large. Still seated, Elisabeth let out a small sigh. "This isn't a child's birthday party, you know. I appreciate the sentiment, aye, but surely, there was no need to bring that much! 'Tis excessive!" "We're sorry, Captain... We just got to thinking about how much you always like to eat, and we got a little carried away." "Wait...you mean to say... That isn't all food, is it?" Elisabeth reflexively leaned forward in her chair. The Brigade members meekly nodded. "Just what kind of image is it you have of me?!" she cried, turning her gaze up toward the ceiling. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked to her side. There, she saw a beastwoman with a goat head. "I'm sorry for interrupting your lament, but might I have a moment, Madam Elisabeth?" "Ain? What is it?" Ain, Lute's talented wife, was wearing a modest gray dress. She gestured with her chin. Elisabeth looked and discovered that Kaito and Lute were surreptitiously peeking their way. Ain lowered her voice. "Just now, Sir Kaito and my husband came to me with a request. It's a special occasion, so they were really hoping that all the women would dress up. I'm here to help with that. Do you have a wardrobe room somewhere?" "Hold on. Jeanne is one thing, but they want me to change, too? What a pain." "Everyone's gotten on board, even me," replied Jeanne. "As the star of the show, what are you waiting for? If you don't get ready, nothing can start, and nothing can end. The thing is, see, I gotta go get changed so a certain lovely lady'll tell me I look cute! Get a move on!" "I see it didn't take much to win you over." Nobody could have possibly imagined that the self-proclaimed "oppressor of slaves, the savior of the world, the saint, and the whore" would ever get so thoroughly domesticated. Elisabeth sighed in exasperation. A thought crossed her mind. If I don't get ready, nothing can start, and nothing can end, eh? There was some truth to that. Elisabeth nodded, and her heels clicked as she set off. Accompanied by Ain and Jeanne, she headed out into the corridor. The moment she left the dining hall, it went dead silent. It was as though nobody had even been there in the first place. However, Elisabeth pretended not to notice that. Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti-ti-ti-tiâ€” â€”ti...tick...? Of the castle's many rooms, one of them was where Elisabeth kept various garments. Inside, it was a veritable sea of cloth. There were whites as white as snow, blacks as black as night, reds as red as roses, and blues as blue as the sky. Processed fabrics of every quality and texture had been haphazardly shoved inside. The room seemed to go on forever, yet at the same time, it felt as cramped as a box of sweets. Either way, though, it was an odd state of affairs. The thing was, Elisabeth didn't own anywhere near that many dresses. In fact, the wardrobe room had originally held mostly outfits for her servants. At that point, though, an irregularity that minor hardly even warranted notice. After all, nothing about the situationâ€” â€”could be described as anything approaching normal. Hina hadn't accompanied them to the wardrobe room. Because of how early the guests had arrived, she was still in the middle of setting the table. Lute and the rest of the beastfolk had offered their services and were helping carry various plates to and fro. As she directed them around, Hina had offered Elisabeth a wave. Her warm smile was the last thing Elisabeth had seen before departing the area. Now Elisabeth was facing off against a seemingly endless assortment of dresses. Beside her, Jeanne let out a faint murmur. "Man, I ain't got a fuckin' clue what to pick." "Hey now, best not omit the polite bits entirely." Elisabeth shot Jeanne a warning. If Izabella were there to hear her, she'd probably have gotten upset and scolded Jeanne for her foul language. However, Jeanne proceeded to cock her head to the side. It would appear she actually didn't know what would be best to pick. Ain took that as her cue to briskly step forward. She spread her arms with the mountain of clothes laid out behind her. "Now then... It looks like answer is no, but I'll ask anywayâ€”do either of you have anything specific in mind?" "No. I'm up shit creek here, lady! How the hell does everyone else pick out their own clothes like it's nothing?!" "I haven't anywhere near the patience to look through that mass. I'm more than happy to delegate the selection to you. I'd prefer something extravagant, though, with bold lines and clean cuts." "Ah...something to my lady's preference would be nice, actually." "Something flashy and something trim, then. Very well. One moment." Ain strode forward, her expression as composed as ever. The other two watched as she descended into the sea of cloth. It was like a fish vanishing into a wave, or perhaps a honeybee slipping into a rose. The soft folds of fabric conformed to her shape, then went still again. Elisabeth and Jeanne waited in solemn silence. A few minutes later, the two of them shared a quiet exchange. "...This is taking quite a while." "It really is. Fuckin' hell." "Sorry about the wait." Ain popped her head out of an opening in the mass of dresses. Elisabeth and Jeanne practically leaped out of their skin. Just as promised, she was holding a pair of dresses. The other two each took their proffered item. Elisabeth turned hers inside out, then nodded. "Aye, not bad." "Yes, mine looks good as well. I'm gonna be the belle of the goddamn ball!" Jeanne seemed to have taken quite a liking to hers. The main dress was golden, and it was adorned with a number of pieces of faintly gleaming cloth, which were layered atop it. On its back sat a ribbon in the shape of a flower. And as for Elisabeth's dress, it was black with crimson highlights and had suggestive openings on its sides. Upon seeing their expressions, Ain nodded. "Now, finding those took a good deal of time, so let's be nimble and quick about getting you into them." "You know, I can't help but think..." "Yes, me too. I've got a baaad feelin' about this." Elisabeth and Jeanne were no strangers to corsets and tightened belts. Even so, though, the way the skilled healer in front of them looked to be itching to go was enough to strike fear into both of their hearts. But it was Ain's next words, and the unsettlingly cheerful tone she said them in, that truly sealed the deal. "You're both in good health, but I can see you've let that keep you from learning to take proper care of your bodies. Let's see if we can't get those joints moving a little." The two of them were both Torture Princesses. As such, chirotherapy was a sensation yet unknown to them. Elisabeth and Jeanne tried frantically to flee. Before they could get far, though, Ain snatched Jeanne by the shoulder, and Jeanne replied by quickly grabbing Elisabeth's wrist in kind. "H-hey, Jeanne! Don't get me wrapped up in this! Unhand me!" "Never! If I'm goin' down, you're comin' down with me!" "Making more victims is never the answer!" "Don't worry," Ain reassured them. "When it starts hurting, just raise your left hand." "By that phrasing, you make it sound as though pain is a presumption!" "W-wait, no, Iâ€”I said 'wait,' goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Jeanne's shrill cry echoed across the sea of cloth. The two Torture Princesses both let out rare screams, then were quickly silenced. Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti-ti-ti-tiâ€” ...Tick? T-tick? "I-I've never been through such a harrowing experience in all my days." "So much clicking and clacking and snapping and popping... Who knew bones could even bend like that?" "Now, I hope this will serve as a reminder to the both of you to take regular care of your bodies. If I don't see some improvement, next time is going to have to involve a medicinal bath." "Heavens, woman, what do you intend on doing to us next? What more could you possibly ask of our poor bodies?" Elisabeth and Jeanne clung to each other and trembled. Ain's nails were sharp, but her fingers were nimble enough to perform all sorts of minute movements. Never before had the two of them cursed the beastfolk's digital evolution so much. "Welcome back! Oh, Lady Elisabeth, Ms. Jeanne, you look splendid! Those dresses fit you so well! They're splendid! Lady Elisabeth, you're like a gleaming jewel! And, Ms. Jeanne, you're like a