(This prick! He''s really irritating!)


    Looking at Suzuki who was holding his cheeks as if he didn''t know why he had been pped, Aina felt the urge to give him another smack.


    (He really pisses me off! No, I''ve been angry with him since the moment I met him!)


    Aina red at Suzuki, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment.


    (The clothes that Lady Leelou went to great pains to make!)


    Aina, whose parents were killed by a demon when she was still a young child, volunteered to be a soldier in the Imperial Army at the age of fourteen.


    Although she was a woman, no one made fun of her because of her dedication to harsh training to save the world from the Demon Lord''s army. Although Aina had no talent for magic, she was more skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship than most men.


    However, the Imperial Army was annihted in the several-year-long human-demon war against the Demon Lord''s Army in which the fate of mankind was at stake. In the end, mankind had sumbed to the demons.


    Aina''s unit was defeated, barely escaping with their lives. Rumor had it that Syness Castle in the south had also fallen into the hands of the Demon Lord''s army. As the news of mankind''s continuous defeats spread, Aina''s superiors, who had treated her as if they were their parents, and herrades, who were like siblings to her, were all killed by the demons that pursued them.


    Before she realized it, Aina found herself alone in a deep gorge. Her tears had dried up from all the crying, and just as she was about to throw herself into the waters, someone grabbed Aina by her shoulders.


    She looked back and saw beautiful peach-colored hair. Standing there was Imperial Army Strategist Leelou Dimension with a sorrowful expression on her face.


    "L-Lady Grand Tactician!? You''re supposed to be dead!?"


    Leelou silently shook her head. And then…


    "I apologize."


    She hugged Aina and apologized.


    "Lady Leelou…?"


    "All of this is due to my failure and my inability to take action. I cannot apologize enough for what I''ve put you through."


    Tears streamed down from Leelou''s eyes. The great strategist, whom up until today Aina had only seenmanding from afar, was shedding tears for the sake of Aina, a no-name foot soldier.


    "It''s not your fault, Lady Leelou!"


    It was because of Leelou Dimension''s ingenuity that the empire had been able to survive the several-year onught of the Demon Lord''s army. And yet, the strategist shed tears and said in a voice that sounded as if she was trying to wring them out of her mouth.


    "I can''t say to you, "Don''t die," after making the world like this. Still, I want you to wait before you die. At longst, I have found it. A ray of hope for a world overrun by the forces of the Demon Lord''s army."


    "That is…?"


    After a long, distant look, Leelou suddenly put her slender finger on Aina''s chin as if she had just noticed. Then she brought her face close to hers as if looking into her.


    Aina''s face turned red. Leelou whispered to her from a close distance, as if she could feel her breath.


    "Uh-huh. I see glimpses of that talent in you as well."


    "I-I have the talent to save the world?"


    …From that day onwards, Aina became Leelou''s disciple and began training in the art of <em ss="chakra-text css-0">Pritis</em>.


    Leelou treated Aina like a parent, sometimes harshly, sometimes tenderly. Aina, who had previously only thought to avenge her parents, now had a new goal in mind.


    (I will devote my life for the sake of Lady Leelou!)


    One night, when Aina had be proficient enough in <em ss="chakra-text css-0">Pritis</em> to the point where she was able to serve as Leelou''s escort. Aina noticed that Leelou was strugglingte at night with a knitting needle in her hand.


    "Lady Leelou, I see you knit too as well, don''t you?"


    "I''ve just started. It''s quiteplex… Ouch!"


    "A-Are you ok!?"


    She apparently had stabbed her hand with the tip of her knitting needle.


    (<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Fufu</em>–! Lady Leelou is such! She''s a grand tactician, but she''s got a certain cuteness about her!)


    Aina thought as she watched Leelou continue despite a little clumsiness.


    (But, this kind of peach-colored little girl outfit, who in the world is going to wear it…?)


    "And with this holy cross-dress, you''ll look, even cuter!"


    Aina realized when Leelou said so.


    (I-I''m so d that Lady Leelou took the trouble to get *this *for me!)


    "I''m thinking of adding some frills to the skirt section. What do you think?"


    "It would be awesome, Lady Leelou!"


    "I''m thinking of embroidering a one-horn rabbit on the stomach part."


    "It would be perfect, Lady Leelou!"


    (You stayed up all night for my sake! Oh–! Lady Leelou!)


    Aina worked even harder to master the art of <em ss="chakra-text css-0">Pritis</em>. In order to be worthy of the holy clothing that Leelou is weaving.


    However, after the ndestine meeting with Tartanin and Zhaviest, Leelou handed Aina a package containing the holy female attire and said.


    "I want you to deliver this to Suzuki."


    (It wasn''t… for me…!)


    Aina felt a deep sense of despair. But, somehow, she managed to keep herposure so Leelou would not realize it.


    (I''m an idiot! It was my own misunderstanding from my selfishness! That''s right! If the hero wore this and saved the world, then I''d be satisfied!)


    Aina forced herself to think that way and pushed her feelings out of her mind.


    And yet, and yet…


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