A Treasure Beneath the Skirt

Kang De strapped a handheld camcorder to Pigeon.

"Fly steadily, but not too low. Circle the island first and get as many of the elves you see on camera as possible. Then focus on the groups closest to us."

Those were his instructions.

"Coo, coo, coo."

Pigeon flapped her wings and took off. Though she was shameless and wild, she was surprisingly dependable, always appearing at the right place and time and never botching a job.

Kang De had complete confidence in her.

He watched Pigeon fly away.

Animals made the best scouts, but though they were intelligent, they couldn't speak and therefore couldn't describe information completely and accurately... This was the only way.

"..."

"..."

"...M-Mr. Kang De."

A troubled voice came from beside him.

The speaker was a beauty, an unparalleled beauty.

A short skirt and knee-high boots left a tantalizing stretch of black stockings peeking out between them. A pure white sweater stretched over a pair of proud peaks, and wavy curls cascaded down.

Long eyelashes, fiery red lips, and fair skin as soft as cream.

She had an ethereal air about her, and her exquisite looks were full of allure.

The beauty was staring at Kang De now, a little angry, like an adorable girl throwing a tantrum.

Kang De took a deep breath, edged a step to the side without drawing attention to it, and looked at Tina. "Miss Fulan, what is it?"

"...Please look at me when you speak, Mr. Kang De! And what's with the way you're addressing me!?"

Kang De still refused to turn and look at him.

"I'm calling you that to help you get into character quickly, so you don't give yourself away. As for why I'm not looking at you, it's because I don't want to see you in such an undignified state! As a knight, you've made this sacrifice for the princess and everyone else. I can't take your place, but I can at least refrain from laughing at you!"

He spoke with righteous conviction.

But he had only turned his head. His body was still facing Miss Fulan.

To be precise, the camera on the phone at his chest was still pointed at Miss Fulan.

The princess held back a laugh. As she looked at Miss Fulan, she couldn't help feeling both dazzled and envious.

Women were women, after all. When they saw pretty clothes, they imagined themselves wearing them.

But... the skirt was so short. She could only wear it secretly in her own room. After all, Head Maid Bedela would never allow it even if a skirt revealed just a little of her ankles...

And these stockings could be woven so thin, yet thin stockings looked so lovely...

Why was Kang De's country so risqué...?

Or was this his personal taste?

Hmph.

"Miss Fulan," meanwhile, had been rendered speechless by Kang De's righteous words. After a moment, he could only let the matter drop and turn his attention to the important question.

"That device you strapped to the white pigeon can record images?"

His voice was filled with unease and doubt. Without anyone teaching him, Miss Fulan pressed down on his short skirt and questioned Kang De with a suspicious look.

Kang De's eyes widened. "What do you mean? How can you make such a groundless accusation against an innocent man? I, Kang De, swear to heaven that I have never used that kind of device to film you. If you don't believe me, you can check it yourself later. You can even smash the thing once we're done with it. Will that satisfy you?"

One piece of common knowledge the natives of another world didn't know: smartphones and handheld camcorders were two different things.

Another piece of common knowledge the natives of another world didn't know: footage was usually stored on a memory card, not in the device.

This showed just how terrifying a technological gap and a difference in civilizations could be—the less advanced party wouldn't even realize someone had taken pictures of them in women's clothes.

It was truly a lesson worth remembering.

Miss Fulan had nothing to say.

"More importantly, Miss Fulan, once Pigeon gets back, we'll begin."

Kang De asked, "Are you ready?"

The knight's instincts quickly returned to "Miss Fulan." Ultimately, he was doing this to fight the elves and protect the princess, so he stood at attention. "Yes!"

Damn, what a figure.

Kang De had put thought into choosing this outfit for him.

The turtleneck sweater concealed his Adam's apple, the trench coat hid as much of his build as possible, and the boots covered his leg muscles. The short skirt and the tantalizing glimpse of black stockings were there to draw the enemy's attention, keeping them from noticing anything else out of place.

It was a truly cunning plan.

He focused and asked, "Can you move easily in those heeled boots?"

The knight tried walking a few steps. He felt a chill down below, which made him somewhat uncomfortable, but everything else was fine. He tried to persuade himself to judge the outfit purely from a combat standpoint, then said, "Ordinary movement shouldn't be a problem, but if a high-intensity battle breaks out, there's a risk the heels of the boots will snap underfoot."

Kang De thought for a moment. "I'll take care of that in a bit."

There was no problem a round of enchanting couldn't solve.

If there was, he would just enchant it again.

He asked, "Do you remember what we discussed earlier? The heart of the operation is a surprise attack. We need to take down a group of elves as quickly as possible. Your task is the hardest, and you'll have to take some risks, because the most crucial factor in the plan's success is how many enemies you can deal with right at the start."

The knight nodded. "Understood."

Kang De cautioned him, "Be sure to protect yourself. The defense these clothes offer is questionable, understand? Watch out for arrows from the elves in particular. You absolutely mustn't get hurt, or you'll definitely regret it."

How should it be put... Kang De did have a conscience.

Though he had tricked the knight into wearing women's clothes, settling the grudge from their first meeting, his intentions were generally respectable. This really was part of the plan.

So, though he had eagerly prepared women's clothes for the knight, he had also taken corresponding protective measures, reproducing the shield's Immovable as a Mountain enchantment on the garments.

Though it was a watered-down version.

It couldn't be helped. The materials of these clothes were limited in quality and couldn't bear an enchantment of too high a level.

Even so, the trench coat, sweater, short skirt, and boots now had considerable defensive power.

However, they also had the common flaw of the products of Kang De's current golden finger: enchanted objects had a limited capacity, and when the power of Elements was overused, the object would fall apart.

In other words, if Miss Fulan took an attack that was too powerful...

His clothes would burst apart.

Though, considering the explosive body wrapped in "Miss Fulan's" alluring outfit, that flaw might also be considered a trump card for turning the situation around...

Should he tell him or not...?

As he was wrestling with the question, the knight said, "Don't worry, Mr. Kang De. When the fighting breaks out, please throw me the shield immediately. That will be enough."

Kang De looked at him in surprise. "Miss Fulan" wore a majestic smile, and combined with his makeup and outfit, he gave off the full air of a mature beauty. He said proudly, "The shield is my armor. I absolutely won't let any elven attack touch me, so please rest assured."

Fine, fine. Since you're so confident, I won't warn you.

Kang De handed her the Crimson Blood Flame Edge shortsword. "Keep this sword hidden."

The women's outfit included a belt, and the knight tucked the sword into it behind his back.

Kang De also handed him a makeshift flashbang and an enchanted Molotov cocktail. The trench coat was loose enough for them anyway.

He carefully explained how to use them and what to watch out for.

The knight nodded attentively.

"Oh, right... There's this too."

Kang De hesitated, then took off his Type 92 pistol and handed it over with the holster.

"I'm lending it to you... You've seen how powerful it is."

He took the pistol out and demonstrated how to use it, placing particular emphasis on two major gun safety rules: first, never point the muzzle at anything you don't want to destroy; second, always assume there is a round in the chamber.

"Remember that carefully. There's no chance to let you fire a test shot. This is for the direst emergency, because firing it makes a huge noise and could easily alert nearby elves... But when it's time to use it, don't hesitate. Understand?"

The knight didn't take it. He looked at Kang De in surprise.

"You're lending this to me?" he said. "Even though I don't recognize it, I know it must be a very valuable and powerful weapon... And..."

"Precisely because it's powerful, I need to lend it to you. It's only a loan, though. You have to give it back."

Kang De said mildly, "Whatever the case, I came up with the plan, so I'm also obliged to do everything I can to ensure your safety... That's all."

The knight stared for a moment, then took the gun, cradled it in his hands, and bowed his head to Kang De. "I regard this as a precious sign of trust and goodwill, and I swear I will not let you down."

Following Kang De's instructions, he tried several times, rather clumsily at first, and grew more proficient.

Then he prepared to put it away.

Kang De reminded him, "Your thigh, your thigh. Yes, lift your skirt and strap it to the outside of your upper thigh. What do you think? Well hidden, isn't it?"

"..."

The knight gritted his teeth, turned around, and bent over.

Kang De was a little disappointed that he couldn't film the sight. Smacking his lips, he said, "Oh, right. When you approach those elves, remember your skirt. Don't let them see the strange thing under it... Of course, I mean the gun. Don't get the wrong idea, hahaha..."

The Earthling was talking trash.

The knight said angrily, "Mr. Kang De!"

Kang De laughed it off.

After putting the gun away, "Miss Fulan" turned back around, anger still visible on his face. Kang De's flippant remarks had clearly annoyed him.

But when he saw Kang De's expression, his own softened.

"Mr. Kang De... Are you nervous?"

Kang De was taken aback, then fell silent.

This was his first time, wasn't it... Hostility, combat, and even killing.

Though he had been forced into it, he had ultimately been drawn into a war.

He didn't know what would happen in the future, but he could guess.

He had been an ordinary Earthling, living in a peaceful age, far, far away from war. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed planes, been stranded on a deserted island in another world, and finally come to stand before the gates of war.

It was only natural to be nervous.

The knight seemed to see the unease in his heart. Standing before Kang De, he said slowly, "Please don't worry... You are a noble person; there is no need for you to enter the battlefield yourself. A knight's duty is to fight in place of those nobler than himself, to stain his hands with blood in place of people like you and the princess... Please leave it to me without worry."

Kang De looked at him, and he looked back at Kang De.

The princess slowly walked to Kang De's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

It was as though the knight were bowing his head to them both.

Suddenly, Kang De turned his head away and snickered.

"I was a little nervous, but seeing how dependable the knight is, I'm not nervous anymore, pfft..."

"...Mr. Kang De, that's going too far!"

Amid their bickering, Pigeon descended from the sky, cooing.

It was time to begin.

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PS1: Today's first update... (flops down)