Author: Sakurakiri Kohaku (桜霧琥珀)

“R-Raizen. . .?"

"Alright. If I'm a woman, then I can be Kent's object of attraction, right? Now there is no problems. Kent can be my bride!"

From the darkness, the beautiful girl- – -Feminized Raizen approached Kent-chan while saying that.

"Well then Kent? I am confident with my body. Am I not a beautiful young girl? So if I'm cute, then won't that make you stir? Are you enchanted!?"

With a grin, the beautiful Raizen-san got extremely close to Kent-chan.

Kent-chan slowly tried to back away, but Raizen-san refused to let her go. She hugged Kent-chan closely, got close to her ear, and whispered.

"Even if I appear like this. . .is it still no good? I wonder if I'm just not good enough. . .?"

Raizen-san's words came with a hint of loneliness.

That surely hit Kent-chan hard.

Kent-chan must have been lonely herself. That's why she was happy when Raizen liked them.

However Kent-chan doesn't need Raizen-san. She doesn't need to cherish her. So of course you would feel dejected.

But surely Kent-chan's- – -Pride wouldn't allow that?

". . .Hey, Raizen!"

Kent-chan then grabbed Raizen-san from her shoulder, and pushed her off. Looking her right in the eyes, and asking.

"Feminization. . .Can it be reversed?"

"No, that isn't possible. The feminization magic  forces the body to be remodeled into a woman's body. It isn't a technique used to restore a person's body. Especially changing from a man's body to a female. It isn't possible. It is an entirely different structure than the one I studied for years."

"I see."

After hearing that, Kent-chan gave a deep sigh.

"Okay, Raizen. Listen closely. Because I will only say this once."

Kent-chan said in a firm voice.

"I said I won't be your bride. I refused it because I don't like being treated as a convenient tool that can be used. I didn't reject you because I hate you. And I. . .was very happy that you treated me like a person. So I would like if we could get to know each other more little by little. Regardless if you were a man or a woman. . .If you were serious, then as a n.o.ble, I would have the responsibility to respond seriously to you. You didn't need to worry about throwing you real body away for me. . ."

Kent-chan then hugged Raizen-san.

Kyahs were heard all around from Rig and Anne-chan. Onee-sama was looking with a complicated expression. While Lilinsensei was at her wits end.

I was. . .a little envious.

I think I would want a deep bond like that with Rig.

Kent-chan and Raizen-san were hugging for a while.

Although if you think about what they just were, it's a fat young boy and a middle-aged man. It's a very picturesque scene.

Although I was a 24 year old college student. So I'm in no place to judge.

Soon those two slowly disentangled.

"Kent, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? You don't need to apologize for anything."

Somehow, Kent-chan looked really cool.

People change so quickly. . .

Kent-chan was just a fat n.o.ble with a terrible personality. Now treating Raizen so gently.

". . .Well, I'm still angry that I was turned female."

"Hmm, I'm sorry Kent. But no matter how much I like your personality, I couldn't love a chubby young boy."

"Guu, If you say that I'll get hurt, Raizen. . ."

"But it's true."

"Fyuu, it can't be helped. Then I think it's fine I was feminized."

Somehow those two started to flirt.

Yeah. This case is closed.

". . . .No no no, wait wait wait! Kent-kun, You are being deceived by this lovey dovey atmosphere, in the first place, Count Raizenstein is a violent criminal that destroyed an entire city! I can't leave you with this guy!"

Lilinsensei said, completely dispelling the flirty atmosphere between Kent-chan and Raizen-san.

Speaking of that, I forgot.

Raizen-san seems so harmless, he is like an ordinary wizard.

No, not ordinary. Just perverted.

I was celebrating with them for their new found love. But now that I think about it. This is awful.

It's a violent criminal with an aristocrat's only son. Well, now daughter? Either way, it's something that shouldn't happen.

"But Lilinsensei. If Count Raizenstein says they are completely devoted to Kent-san, then wouldn't they refrain from doing any dangerous activities?"

Rig proposed that idea to Lilinsensei.

But it's terrible to use Kent-chan as an offering, although I do know where you are coming from.

That is the plan with the best happy ending. Two lovers, and then nothing bad will happen ever again.

"No, that's not the problem. . .The problem is leaving a student under the protection of a violent criminal."

However Lilinsensei won't budge. There is no other option, a teacher can take in this situation.

This is quite the conundrum. I'd never imagine the last obstacle for Kent-chan and Raizen-san's love to be Lilinsensei.

". . .Fuu, Call me what you like. No matter what you say, I have Kent. As long as Kent believes in me, It doesn't matter what stigmas you put on me."

Raizen's eyes went sharp. Somewhat cold like when we first met.

Just like then, Raizen was gauging whether or not we were hostile.

But honestly, I don't know what to believe.

Raizen is a pervert that abducted a boy and transformed him into a girl, so she can be Raizen's own bride. But Raizen seemed like such a nice down to earth guy.

I can't see Raizen as a ruthless criminal who destroyed an entire city by themselves.

". . .Is that so?"

Kent-chan unexpectedly whispered that. As if she was convinced of something.

"Raizen. You were also. . .Betrayed."

She said that as she gently put her palm on Raizen-san's cheek.

"Ah- – -K-Kent."

And the Raizen-san buried her face in between Kent-chan's breast and began to cry.

A little while pa.s.sed as Raizen-san cried into Kent-chan's bosom, once she calmed down, she wanted to tell Kent-chan and all of us her story.

It was a pretty unexpected turn of events. So from what Raizen-san account. Apparently she or he at the time, did not destroy that city twenty years ago, but was rather a victim.

Raizen-san used to be the count of a small country, far from here.

It was then that he received an odd request from a rural village at the corner of his territory. 

The request was to manipulating the dead to increase their labor force with Raizen-san's necromancy.

Because of that strange request, Raizen went directly to the source.

According to the village leader, the youth were attacked by monsters and injured. Crippling that years crops.

Aside from a bad harvest, if you don't have a workforce, you can't farm in the first place, so with the young people injured, the old and the children will starve to death.

Therefore the village elder asked Raizen-san if he could help by resurrecting the previously dead.

Raizen-san decided to help the poor village by developing a magic to use the undead for labor. 

However it will only be used once. And only use the dead in the village cemetery.

They will then have a festival to celebrate the spirits, to cleanse their souls and mourn for them.

Those were the conditions.

After a few sleepless days and nights, Raizen-san completed his magic.

The next day he used the spell in front of the village elder.

But, maybe he shouldn't have.

The villagers greed started to show.

Not only did the elder want to use it for farming, but also wanted to use it for their own convenience.

With the crisis averted, they also wanted to use the same solution the next year, and the next year.

Unknown to Raizen, the villagers got the aid of another similar dark mage, who then copied Raizen's formula.

But greed has no bounds. And it won't be contained only to that villagers.

If you want to make a ma.s.sive undead labor force, then doing it in a rather more populated place is far better than a small village.

To that end, the magic that was stolen from Raizen and used in the capital.

However. . .The magic was complex.

And the sorcerer failed in his imitations.

The sorcerer ended up with a technique entirely different from the original. . .corrupting it from its original purpose.

The magic for the undead labor was a magic the created a temporary soul into a well-preserved corpse in a certain range. The undead moved in accordance to the blueprints implanted in the temporary soul.

However that technique was messed up. It became a spell that stripped the soul from a human that existed in a certain range. It then added a fragmented magically created soul into the body. Creating a stumbling zombie.

In short. . . the human being around the impact zone became zombies driven only by the ingrained desires. Such as appet.i.te. The fragmented souls placed in the bodies didn't have reservations or intelligence.

The worst part was, the range of the spell was the entire capital. The city was completely destroyed. Everybody became a dangerous mindless undead.

The only survivors were Raizen-san because he had a high dark magic resistance, and the caster himself.

By the time Raizen-san noticed, it was too late.

He knew that a spell caused this, and one similar to his own. So he searched all of the city and found the mage hiding in a deserted place in the city. The man told him the truth, and what he did. Raizen-san knew he couldn't allow this forbidden magic to spread, and killed him on the spot.

From the start, Raizen-san was not well liked in his country.

There were often rumors spread that he was an "evil lord who couldn't finance or tax properly."

He was bad with politics, and had a habit of forcibly solving disputes with magic.

Moreover, he was known to be a user of necromancy, which was a hated practice. 

So rumors began to spread that a mad lord slaughtered all his people. The negative stigma around necromancers only encouraged the false rumors, and it became a known fact from country to country. Raizen was the one to blame.

He was labeled a criminal, and forced to abandon his country. 

"- – -The next 20 years don't need to be described in depth. I simply moved place to place only living in remote areas, never getting involved with any people. Pa.s.sing my boring days by doing magic research, and here we are today."

That was quite the shocking tale.

"My country is no more, and the capital has already been cleansed of undead by the hunters. Therefore I have doubt any evidence remains to collaborate my story."

Raizen-san said with a tired expression.

"Regardless, I may be a criminal. . .I was the one that made that forbidden spell that, the fool stole. So in a way, I am the count that destroyed his own country."

She said that last part in a solid tone. Surely having some pride for his long gone holdings.

"Lilinsensei."

I said.

It's an awful story to hear. Raizen-san living her life as an on the run convict for a crime he never committed.

So I'd like if she could show her some mercy.

I looked up towards her, making that apparent on my face.

"I get it. You don't have to look so anxious."

She smiled back at me.

"Count Raizenstein. I can't immediately believe your story entirely, however. . ,you don't seem like the type of person who would harm their own people.”

Then Lilinsensei bowed her head.

"I'm sorry for how we treated you."

Raizen-san looked at Lilinsensei with a complicated expression.

". . .Raise your head young lady. There is no reason for you to be apologizing to me. All of those dark memories are in the past for me. I'd prefer to look forward, and wish for the future."

Raizen-san said as she glanced at Kent-chan.

Kent-chan then looked away bashfully, in a cute gestured.

It seems like she will make a fine girl.

Yes yes, As you gender bender senior. I am proud.

Well, that is the story so far.

"Well then- – – Everybody, I have a small proposal!"

I said as clapped my hands to get everybody's attention.

I started to think thoroughly- – -About good ideas for Raizen-san and Kent-chan future.

After several minutes of devolving my idea, we soon got to an understanding.

"- – -I see. I have no problem with that. Rather I'm grateful that you thinking about my situation. I have no better suggestion."

Raizen-san gave me a nod of approval.

". . .Well, don't hope for this years allowance."

Lilinsensei showed some willingness to accept it.

She was the only one that actually losses in this proposal.

However it looks like she might agree to it.

Lilinsensei is a good person. She may be the type of person who hears Raizen-san's story and can't just ignore it.

"So what about you, Kent-chan? Are you prepared?"

I asked Kent-chan. 

Kent-chan would be abandoning her previous life.

The n.o.ble status. Luxurious living.

I'm sure they will face a lot of hards.h.i.+ps in the future.

Kent-chan should think carefully about what's the best for them both.

"- – -I am a n.o.ble."

She said in a firm voice.

However, It's not like when she was a bratty arrogant boy.

There is no selfish expression.

"And as a n.o.ble, tough decisions will naturally come up."

I feel like Kent-chan changed immensely in the past few hours.

It's a miraculous att.i.tude s.h.i.+ft from a once toxic person.

"And I have decided not to go home, and be together with Raizen. I understand the responsibility that comes along with that decision. And am prepared to face those consequences."

So in short, Kent-chan agreed with my idea.

"Alright. We are all in agreement!"

After I said that, Raizen then bowed towards me.

"You saved me. Fari-domo. Thank you very much."

"Raise your head Raizen-san. Because I didn't do it for free."

". . .What?"

Raizen-san then gave a surprised but cautious response.

Kent-chan was glaring at me.

"What are you getting at!"

Kent-chan yelled.

"Now now, don't get mad. I'm just asking for a simple reward."

"Oh, and what do you request from me, young miss?"

Raizen was now interested.

And then I said confidently.

"Raizen- – -I want to have a contest!"

Another chapter bunch and some lore droppings. Also I have no idea what Fari's plan is. They didn't say, so perhaps we will learn after this contest. And the match will be in the next chapter bunch.

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