266: Costumes for Cheering
“…Will you say that again, from the beginning? ‘Master’?”
Rebecca, after listening to my elaborate explanation, looked at me with a blank expression. The ‘Master’ part was heavily emphasized, which I thought was her way of saying, “Are you out of your mind?” while still being respectful of my rank.
I waved the clothes in my hand.
“I said, I want you to wear this and cheer for me during the training.”
“…Do I have a choice?”
“Actually, this time, you do.”
“…And if I refuse?”
“I’ll lose my motivation.”
“Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t lose your motivation, even if I refused your whims?”
“That was for serious work. As for the operations of the Lord of Disease, I have no intention of letting my whims interfere.”
“I’ll give you that. …But if I refuse to wear this, you’ll lose your motivation now?”
“Because this is a voluntary training, almost a private matter.”
Rebecca sighed.
“…Fine. But don’t become like that again. I can’t bear to watch.”
“Yes! Then let me help you change…”
“I can do it myself. Get out.”
She snatched the clothes from me and, without another word, threw me out of the room. Even though it was my room.
“I’ve changed.”
While I had been kicked out, the door hadn’t been locked, so I had briefly considered bursting in while she was changing, but I didn’t want to betray her trust, so I had waited patiently. And when she had given me permission to enter…
An adorable fairy was there.
If there were fairies who granted victory, they would surely look like this.
“…So? What is this? …It’s… short…”
“Are you cold?”
“I’m an undead. That’s not a problem.”
A sleeveless top that showed her shoulders and stomach, and a short, knee-length skirt. Blue and white, with red lines. And in her hands, yellow pom-poms.
“It’s a cheerleader. It’s a costume for cheering.”
I had gotten Liz to make a prototype, using her interest in otherworldly knowledge as an excuse, but she had shot it down, saying, “You can make her wear it if Rebecca gives you permission. If.” And the outfit had been sleeping in the closet ever since.
Liz must have never dreamed that Rebecca would give that permission, and to be honest, neither had I.
I had a few other outfits I was waiting for an opportunity to have Liz and Rebecca wear. And if I were to talk about the outfits I wanted them to wear, the list would be endless, but even with my supreme commander-level brain, which was, if I do say so myself, specialized in this kind of thing, I rarely had the chance.
Probably—or rather, almost certainly—because it was difficult to connect a purely cute outfit to a military duty.
And yet, I had been helped by the fact that real maids existed in this world, and I had used the excuse of a disguise to have Liz wear a maid uniform. And just the other day, I had succeeded in getting Rebecca to wear a young lady’s outfit.
This one had been made by Liz, but since I had found an understanding soul in Elisha-san, I was considering showing her the real thing when she was in a good mood or when I was likely to receive a reward, and then making her wear it without giving her a choice.
“Cheering… huh?”
“Yes. You wave these pom-poms.”
“Hmm… like this?” Rebecca lightly shook the pom-poms in her hands. They made a rustling sound.
“Yes, you’re so cute, Rebecca.” Rebecca’s expression was a mixture of confusion and embarrassment.
“And you dance. …Um, you hold the pom-poms up, and you lift one leg.”
“…With a skirt this short, my underwear will show, won’t it?”
“That’s why you’re wearing the kind that’s meant to be seen.”
“What do you mean, meant to be seen?”
“The ones you’re wearing are called undershorts. They’re underwear that’s meant to be seen.”
“I don’t understand. Underwear is underwear. I am wearing another layer underneath, but…”
“Actually, I’m not entirely convinced either.”
“And all this exposed skin. Is a cheerleader a kind of assassin?”
“Far from it. The amount of exposure varies by outfit… but they usually wear miniskirts.” I wasn’t particularly interested in seeing her undershorts, so the skirt was a modest length.
“I’m not going to make you do that. It’s just for the mood.”
“Your world is strange, as usual. …No, perhaps it’s so peaceful that they can afford to dance and cheer in such an outfit.”
I didn’t know the history of cheerleaders. But I did know that they shone in a peaceful world.
“So, what does a cheerleader cheer for? Boxing? A sword fight?”
“Well… there’s that, but it’s a little less… combative…”
“So peaceful. Why is someone from a place like that playing the part of the Lord of Disease?”
“I wonder.” In truth, it was a mystery to me, too.
But to be able to dress a young… girl… with elf ears and translucent white skin in a young lady’s outfit, and a cheerleader’s outfit… perhaps it wasn’t so strange.
“…Hah. Are you satisfied? Then I’m taking this off.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Have you forgotten what this is all about? Come on, you’re going to train with Harken.”
“Ah… that’s right. So, why can’t I take this off?”
“Because I need you to cheer for me in that outfit.” Rebecca blinked.
“…In this outfit?”
