Seleria pushed a quite large chest out of the corner and opened it in front of her friends.
"Uhm... Seleria, don't you think you took too many of them?" Katrina raised a rather small piece of clothing from the chest, "how can you cover anything with this?"
Vina picked up what should have been a one-piece swimsuit from the chest and studied the figure of the red princess.
"But it won't fit you at all... Did you plan to dress us in this from the beginning?"
"Heh," Seleria beamed with a satisfied grin, "not until we start promoting this product on the markets. In Varania, it might not catch on due to your excessive conservatism, but I'm still curious to see your reaction."
"Don't turn us into guinea pigs!"
"Oh, come on now. I just thought you might want to make a good impression on the guys. But if you prefer boring old costumes, I can't help you," Seleria began to close the chest with a cunning smirk, but her hand was stopped by one of the girls.
Leira held the lid.
"I still want to try some," the girl blushed heavily, avoiding eye contact.
"Of course, of course, I'll find something more modest for you. A closed design will suit your figure better, plus a different size and color," the girl got inspired and began sorting through possible options. Eventually, the girls each chose one outfit and disappeared to the far side of the room.
"So, what do you think about this?" Katrina still looked at the contents of the chest with skepticism.
"I like it," Vivien took out one of the two-piece suits, "it looks simple and comfortable. I've always felt uncomfortable swimming in those bulky swimsuits, and swimming in regular clothes is not very convenient. I used to practice swimming when no one was around..."
"Sister!" Miriam nudged her twin in the side, "don't you think this outfit leaves too little to the imagination?"
"Oh, it doesn't reveal anything new. Our legs are already exposed in the uniforms, and many girls, including Ragni, have their midriffs uncovered. Necklines can also vary on different outfits; here, you're just revealing all those parts at once," taking a couple of outfits, the girl followed Seleria, "I still want to try them on, it will be interesting to see the boys' reactions."
"Vivi!" Katrina frowned disapprovingly, but other hands were already rummaging in the chest, "Miss Reines?? And you too?"
The dragoness carefully chose her outfit with poorly concealed interest.
"What's the big deal? I've lived in confinement for four thousand years; I want to feel like a woman again."
"Haaah," the girl helplessly lowered her head, but the rustling of clothes nearby didn't cease. One after another, the girls picked out swimsuits for themselves and disappeared into the fitting room, "Miss Levris, you too."
Concealing one swimsuit behind her back, the teacher stealthily moved away from the princess.
"Huh? Me? No, come on, I just want to make sure the girls aren't behaving too... immodestly," Levris quickly disappeared behind the curtain with the other girls.
"Oh my, there's no sense of decency left," Katrina sighed.
"Come on, don't you want to see their reactions yourself?" A girl in a black cloak walked past Katrina. A couple of outfits hung on the silver staff's handle, "Don't linger here for too long."
The princess was torn between inner conflicts; she was certainly raised with all the rules of etiquette, but it seemed the other girls weren't too concerned about that.
"Well... in this distant little town, no one will recognize me anyway... So be it," picking out an outfit for herself, she rejoined her friends.
We went to sleep quite early, but I've never been particularly fond of sea voyages, so I decided to take a walk on the deck.
"Why can't you sleep?" a voice called out to me from behind the helm in the darkness.
"I don't like the swaying," I replied.
"Pff, and that's coming from a person born on an island. How did you manage it before?" Aileen stood by the helm all day, showing no signs of fatigue.
"Well, even in my childhood, I tried to avoid the sea," I confessed.
"Oh, don't tell me you can't swim," a girl in a red robe ascended to the deck. Her reddish eyes glistened even in the moonlight.
"No, I can swim, but I prefer not to venture far out into the sea. So why aren't you sleeping, Seleria?"
"Ah, I got tired from helping the girls try on all those new outfits. That's why I went to bed early, but decided to take a stroll at night. By the way, this is for you," the girl handed me a bundle of clothes, "There's some beachwear in there. Of course, it's less than what the girls have, but at least you won't stand out."
"Hmm, thanks, and thanks for bringing everyone together with your gifts."
"I just wanted to show them that Leran can create the most beautiful clothing. But they'll understand it themselves based on your reaction," Seleria slyly smiled, "By the way, I have a couple of outfits for you too, Aileen."
"No, I have enough. My uniform, armor, and a few outfits from my past life are sufficient."
"Well, it might be a bit challenging for your future husband... if you have one, that is," Seleria closed her eyes and leaned against the railing.
"That doesn't matter. As long as I can serve my country, I'm content," Aileen sighed deeply, "You think you're going through a tough time with a gang of orcs attacking your village and struggling to survive, but you just haven't been to our lands. Meeting monsters is an everyday occurrence for us, so in every major city and village, there's a troop of soldiers ready to protect people in case of danger. And, of course, the Imperial Guards protect various regions, ready to come to the aid of those in need. From a young age, children in our country are trained in martial arts, so young talented fighters often obtain high positions in the army."
"All for their merits, right?"
"Yes, trying to get a position through connections with higher command is a one-way ticket to prison; the laws are strictly enforced."
"And you managed to obtain one of the highest ranks in the army at such a young age?"
"Yes, I had to defend my hometown on several occasions, nothing unusual for us."
"Hmm, by the way, how old are you?"
"Hympf," Aileen grunted in annoyance and turned away, "Eighteen."
"Really?" Seleria smirked playfully, "You're just a couple of years older than us, but you talk like an old lady."
"Hympf, it's none of your business. My childhood was tough, like that of many children in my country. I won't waste my life on useless pursuits."
"But you could at least try. Consider this as a vacation; you can relax at least once in your life."
"Haaah, I suppose there's no getting rid of you, is there?"
"Correct."
"Well, fine, just this once. But when we're at the Academy, I'll get rid of all the unnecessary stuff."
"Well, at least some progress," Seleria sat on the railing, playfully swinging her legs, and turned to me, "Now it's your turn to open up. Tell me, why have you never mentioned your hometown?"
"What's there to mention? It's not my native city; I just grew up there."
"Hmm, and your parents? Do you know anything about them?"
"No, they found me on the shore after a severe storm. The ship sank far from the coast, so we never knew where it came from. I was still too young and didn't remember where I came from. That's how they raised me in the village. We didn't have an orphanage; orphans were never left alone. The settlement wasn't too large. If parents perished at sea, there was always someone willing to take in the children. So, the local priest raised me.
"Ohh," Seleria exclaimed, "judging by your reaction to the inquisitors, I thought you couldn't stand them since childhood."
"Well, it's not that simple. I was brought up by a humble priest in a small settlement on the kingdom's border. The church's ideas seemed normal, and, of course, I didn't know that inquisitors conducted themselves differently under the guise of working for the greater good," I immersed myself in memories, "I was afraid to venture into the sea, and it was the first time my father managed to convince me to accompany him to the mainland. I was eleven then, and I could already think for myself without relying on others' beliefs. The holy father thought I would see the greatness of the grand church and one day take his place, but alas, I saw the other side of the coin."
"You stumbled upon another witch trial?" Seleria inquired.
"Yes, at least that's what they called her. Although the crowd gathered in the square didn't approve of it, the inquisitors had to perform their 'duty'. A couple of months before that, an epidemic of smallpox broke out on the city's outskirts, and only one girl survived, whom they accused of cursing her neighbors. In reality, she was still mentally weak after surviving a severe illness, and the inquisitors easily elicited a 'heartfelt confession' from her. In the end, they found a scapegoat and, unwilling to admit they couldn't help the people, decided to execute the alleged culprit."
"Mhm, standard tactics. Step one: declare yourselves saviors and servants of God, step two: fail to help people, step three: look for scapegoats. I assume this execution left an indelible impression on you?"
"Yes and no," I chuckled, "the execution never happened. Just as the executioner was about to fulfill his 'duty,' lightning struck the ground, and people took it as a divine sign. You should have seen the inquisitor's face as he had to release the so-called witch amidst the crowd's cries."
"But was that enough to change your mind?"
"Yes, everyone knows that demons can't control lightning, but angels primarily use that kind of magic. So, a random lightning saved the girl's life."
"And after that, you left the church?"
"Yes, the core ideas, such as helping those in need and living by conscience, were straightforward and understood by many. However, concealing a simple tool for achieving power by higher ranks of the church... I didn't want to be a part of such a system. So, I simply left the church and started living on my own."
"No one took you in?"
"Even here, people are fairly devout, and no one wanted to take in a runaway from the church, so I settled in an abandoned hut on the edge of the island. Although shortly before my departure, the coast subsided, and the house disappeared into the sea, I received help from the local miller, Harod. I earned a living by doing odd jobs at the docks, carrying cargo and fish from ships. If not for Harod, I'd probably have starved in hard times. Ships didn't come to the port every day, and the townspeople didn't want anything to do with me. And then there was Lady Alira, the local healer, who sometimes sent me to gather certain herbs, although she wasn't well-off herself. I guess they were the only ones I missed away from home. With the rest of the townspeople, no matter how much I tried to talk to them, they weren't interested."
"Hmm, I've actually been a bit curious about you, specifically how you ended up at the Academy," Seleria scratched her chin thoughtfully.
"Ah, you're talking about the arrival of the inquisitors? Yes, the priest I lived with passed away a couple of years after I left, and there was no one to take his place, so the church slowly fell into disrepair. And a year ago, Belenor remembered the existence of our town and decided to send a squad here to restore the true faith. They had heard suspicious rumors from the locals about a glowing phenomenon that emerged from a cave on the north side of the island every month. It turned out that only four people lived near that place: the healer, to whom more than half the island owed their lives, a homeless boy whose house recently collapsed, and no one knows where he lives now, and the miller's family and his daughter, who could be replaced if needed. They decided to stage a public cleansing, accusing Kris of practicing black magic in the underwater cave. Of course, they couldn't go down there to verify it, so they resorted to obtaining her confession using their tried and tested methods. When her father refused to give her up, they decided to burn down the mill, and that's when I stood up for them.
"Ho-ho, so the knight in shining armor syndrome was already showing in you before you met us?" Seleria chuckled.
"What? Oh, come on, I just didn't want them to do the same to Kris as they did to that girl. Well, luckily, our feudal lord refused to acknowledge the inquisitors' arguments and asked them to leave his lands because they had conducted a vigilante act without proper authorization. That's how I got out of that situation and developed a strongly biased attitude towards the church and the inquisition."
"Ha, now it's somewhat clear why you were so 'polite' with the archbishop."
"Hmm, what happened in that cave?" Aileen squinted thoughtfully.
"As Ignis later explained to me, it's a sanctuary where dragons come to honor their ancestors' memory. Although all the inscriptions there are in the ancient language of gods, I believe I could translate them now."
"Mmm, I'd love to see that place. Can't you give me a tour?"
"Um, I'm afraid that would be a problem. The cave only opens during low tide on the night of the full moon, and at that time, dragons from different tribes visit it. So, I don't think they'd be happy to see you there."
"Mmm, what about another day?"
"The cave is quite vast, but there's no air inside. You wouldn't have enough time to read everything written there."
"Hmm-hmm, so the problem is only the air... I'll have to come up with something about that," Aileen took out a collapsible tube from her pocket and looked into the distance, "look, there's the island, can you discreetly lead the ship into the bay?"
"Alright," I glanced towards my hometown, "but I have a somewhat unpleasant feeling."
"Do you see anything unusual?"
"Well, perhaps there are fewer ships in the harbor than there should be for this time of the year. Maybe the threat of war has deterred the traders from using this port."
"And would it be a significant loss for the town?"
"Yes, many will have a hard time, but they'll manage to sustain themselves through fishing and agriculture. I'll need to visit some acquaintances and inquire about the situation in the town."
"Hey, hey, we came here primarily to relax, so let's start with the beach and fun, and then we can worry about the town!" Seleria slapped me hard on the back.
"Hmph," I turned away and muttered disapprovingly to myself, "I originally wanted to go alone without you."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing, everything's fine."