落とし穴外伝：マッドな人たちの食事会 (Part1)
The sunlight, which had finally settled down, illuminated my body, but I still felt a slight prickling sensation on my skin.
"Is this okay?"
As I thought that, I checked the back of my hand.
There, my usual, overly pale hand was reflected.
Anyone who looked would understand immediately.
This body is not alive.
Yes, I am the dead.
A high-ranking undead, a Lich with free will, is a type of monster that brings disaster to this Rogari Continent. However, in my case, I have an employer, or rather a friend, so I don't attack people out of hatred or resentment. I also have a job, and honestly, my life is more fulfilling now than when I was alive.
"Seriously, you never know about life, do you~"
No one would have thought that life would become fulfilling after death.
When I was alive, I could barely keep up with my main job, research, and I also had dungeon management to deal with. It was truly tough.
Well, that was fulfilling in its own way, though.
Helping the children and somehow managing with Hifi was also fun.
As I was lost in such thoughts, I was suddenly called out to.
"Hey, Comet!"
Turning around, I saw Agil, one of the members I was working with today, approaching me.
As usual, she was wearing an outfit based on research attire.
There was no hint of allure whatsoever.
I was so envious.
"...What? Am I wearing something strange?"
Perhaps noticing my gaze, Agil looked at her own outfit again.
"No, I'm just envious that you're dressed like a researcher. Look at me. My chest is bare in the middle, and my skirt is short."
"Ah~. Isn't that Hifi's preference?"
"Yeah. She's the one who coordinates my outfits."
That's right, there's no way I would wear something so revealing on my own.
While I think my figure is... good enough to pull off a dress that accentuates the body lines like Deryu's, it's due to my race...
"If you don't like it, why don't you wear a lab coat like me, or the robe I wear in winter?"
"If only I could do that."
'If I gave you a robe, you'd always cover yourself up so much that you'd wear the hood too and get reported.'
"That's what they told me."
"Can you deny it?"
"I can't, really~"
"Then it's no good. Even though I'm wearing a lab coat, I'm still showing off the clothes underneath."
"Aren't those Enaria's military uniforms?"
"Yeah. It's a bit of promotion for Enaria. Sigh, now that I'm Yuki's wife, I should be wearing something a little cuter."
"Huh? You want to wear cute clothes?"
"Well, yeah. Yuki is happy when her husband tells her she's beautiful and cute."
Oh, I didn't expect such a straightforward answer.
Well, that tendency was certainly there.
"Is that how women are?"
"It's not just women; it's a natural human emotion. Isn't it nice to be praised? That's all there is to it."
"Ah, I see."
I realized it when she said that.
It's a normal emotion.
It's just that it feels good to be praised.
"On top of that, it's words from someone you love. It's even more pleasing than any flattery."
"Yeah. I understand that too, but..."
"But?"
"When it comes to Yuki, she rarely genuinely praises someone wearing flashy clothes like that, does she? Or rather, isn't she put off? Or is that just a trait of the Japanese members?"
That's right. While it's nice to be praised by acquaintances, I don't recall Yuki, Taiki, or Taizo ever praising me for my clothes.
Even for myself, Yuki and the others in high society are literally just flattering.
I can tell that even from my perspective.
"It's not just a Japanese thing. Generally, men in positions of power in high society need to be wary of seduction from women, and praising their clothing or even their figure can lead to trouble later on. Like them asking to marry you."
"Ah, that's true. Many people would probably think Yuki could handle it."
At a glance, she has a collection of beautiful women surrounding her.
Internally, it's entirely for work.
No, I wouldn't say there's no love there, but Yuki isn't being consumed by those kinds of desires.
"That's right. And besides, next time, try to observe who Yuki talks to. It's so obvious how they're trying to get in her good graces that even we find it off-putting. As for praising the clothes of acquaintances, wouldn't that imply you're interested in them?"
"Indeed. My outfit doesn't change every time, so actively praising it would be strange and suggest I'm paying attention to it."
"Right? For Yuki, who has a wife, that would be unnatural. Or rather, it could lead to a scandal. Well, she probably wouldn't care much if it happened, but she avoids trouble. Especially if the other party is a child."
"I see. That makes a lot of sense. But I don't remember ever being praised. Even though I'm a stunning beauty with a great figure, right?"
"Ah, yes. I think Comet is beautiful and has a great figure, but..."
As we were talking, suddenly.
"No, you were complaining that Hifi was forcing you to wear that, weren't you? Praising that would be the height of sarcasm."
"That's right."
"Exactly."
Then, turning towards the direction of the voice, I saw Yuki standing there with Narjia and Zargis.
"Did we keep you waiting?"
"No, I think you just arrived?"
"I don't think it's been more than 10 minutes since we started chatting."
"Is that so? That's good. Zargis was only wearing a worn-out outfit."
"That's right~. Because of that, I had to go all the way back home to change. And why do you have proper clothes at home?"
"Well, I was a Four Heavenly King in the Last Kingdom, so I do have formal wear prepared. If I don't handle things like that properly, the pressure from those around me is quite intense."
Ah, Zargis is strangely organized, but it stems from that.
Come to think of it, when I was a student, there was an idiot who used to nitpick about my clothes and hair.
"Alright, I was thinking we should go eat right away, but now that I think about it, I don't know what your favorite foods are."
" " "Research" " "
Yuki suddenly said something strange, so we all answered at once.
"I asked what your favorite things were. I meant your favorite foods. Food."
" " "Food?" " "
This was also a simultaneous response.