My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 73 & 74

Chapter 73: Let’s Submit the Report

I gave them to the four women and collected their feedback.

…Right now, I felt like I was holding the strangest “report” of my entire life.

If it had been a sword prototype, I could have explained things properly as a knight—sharpness, balance, edge damage, durability.

But this was different.

This was about breasts. About fabric. About decoration.

Why was someone with the title of Knight writing a fashion report… what exactly was I doing with my life?

Still, if I chose to do it, I would do it seriously.

First—Nagi.

When I went to see her, she had already neatly summarized everything in a letter.

The letter was short. But just like her, it was honest and sincere.

—“It’s good for daily use. It’s not as tight as a sarashi. It doesn’t rub. It feels safe. It smells like Hort.”

I decided not to read the last line.

The moment I saw it, my soul nearly evaporated.

I would focus only on the important points.

During movement, since she wasn’t used to it yet, the sarashi reduced bounce more and felt easier to fight in.

For daily life, the pressure was gone, and wearing the bra felt better.

Yes. As a developer, this was helpful. Very helpful.

But when she wrote that the “bounce was noticeable,” the problem was that my brain automatically started imagining it.

When Nagi wore the bra, the size she usually kept hidden—

No, no! Stop thinking useless things!

Next!

I couldn’t meet Commander Adelheid in person, so her report was delivered to me instead. It was written in strict military format. The pen pressure was so strong that the paper was slightly dented.

Summarizing the densely packed report…

—“Because it’s supported from two directions, I didn’t have to consciously hold my chest in place during movement. Even under armor, breathing is easier, and the strain on my shoulders is reduced. Even with full equipment, it doesn’t crush anything, and the restriction on movement has clearly improved.”

…“Hold my chest in place.”

Just imagining the Commander writing that made the corner of my mouth twitch.

And then, at the very end, written in red ink:

—“However, if you speak of this to anyone, I will cut you down.”

Yes. That’s her. For some reason, that threat actually reassured me.

Next was Natasha.

She gave her report verbally.

—“Since I’m not used to wearing it, the first day felt a little tight. However, I believe it’s very good for maintaining a woman’s figure. Especially with formal wear, my posture felt straighter, and it gave me a sense of security. Though… it feels too precious to wear every day, so I plan to wear it when I meet you, Lord Hort. It helps calm my heart.”

With Natasha, I always ended up feeling like I had taught her something I probably shouldn’t have.

And then—last was Gina.

Her report was short. Straight to the point.

Which made it terrifying.

—“Design is good. No size issues. Request mass production for change of clothes.”

That was it.

…Mass production. Mass production!?

I held the reports in my hand and slowly collapsed face-first onto my desk.

How did I end up becoming some kind of underwear craftsman?

♢

Even so, work was work.

I had to deliver the feedback from all four of them to Captain Brigitte.

I was a knight… and yet I felt like I was in charge of underwear development.

With that thought, I prepared my bag.

Four improved versions. Separate from the ones I had given as gifts, I had recreated the same designs beforehand as “submission copies.”

They needed to be kept as official records.

Even though they were just pieces of cloth, imagining each of them wearing them made the blood rush to my head.

“Guh!?”

♢

Third Knight Order, Ninth Unit.

The moment I stepped into the forge, the smell of iron and oil hit my nose.

Captain Brigitte stood in front of the furnace with her sleeves rolled up, swinging her hammer. She was a small dwarf, but every strike echoed loudly.

When she noticed me, she set the hammer down and grinned.

“Oho! You’re here, Hort! So? Did the ladies cry tears of joy!?”

“They didn’t cry… I think.”

“But you made proper women test them, right!? Good! Very good! As expected of Hort!”

“As expected of Hort? What is that supposed to mean…?”

This person truly had a talent for only hearing the parts she liked.

I set my bag on the table and handed over the reports.

“I got feedback from four people. I summarized everything.”

“Let me read! …Eh? I’m bad with small writing!”

Bad with small writing? You were just staring at blueprints a minute ago!

Captain Brigitte’s eyes had already locked onto the contents of my bag.

“Oho? What’s this!?”

“They’re improved versions, adjusted for each woman. All four are here.”

“…Improved versions!? Let me see!!”

Captain Brigitte’s eyes began sparkling.

In the very next moment, she shoved her face straight into my bag and lifted the fabric with both hands.

White.

Black.

Decorated.

For movement.

For heavy armor.

All the results of my desperate trial and error were now lined up across the table.

Captain Brigitte stared at them in silence for a while.

…Please. Evaluate them calmly. Just this once, be serious.

That was my silent prayer.

Then she threw both hands into the air.

“GENIUS!!”

“…What?”

“Hort! You are a genius at making bras!!”

“Y-Your voice is too loud! Please stop!!”

I instinctively glanced around the forge.

But apparently everyone was already used to Captain Brigitte’s dramatic behavior. No one reacted.

Meanwhile, she was only getting started.

“What is this level of perfection!? Look at this! Double support! The load is distributed here! The shoulder width is properly adjusted! And the decoration is mature and cute! The black lace is erotic! Hey! Nobles are secretly perverted, you know! Who told you to make such a sexy bra!?”

“Well… I thought it was my job… and I might have gotten a little carried away.”

“What kind of job brings out this much genius talent!? This is incredible!!”

Was I being praised or insulted…? No, this was something else entirely.

While I kept talking about “comfort,” “functionality,” and “military use,” she kept praising me in terms of “raw talent.”

“So? How did the ladies react!? Tell me! Was it erotic!? Was it!?”

“It wasn’t!! I properly collected their feedback!!”

“And was there any erotic content mixed into that feedback or not!?”

Was she always like this!?

I cleared my throat, tapped the report with my finger, and handed it over again.

Captain Brigitte began reading. Once she finished checking everything, she slammed her palm on the desk.

“I’ve decided! Hort! Starting today—”

I had a very bad feeling about this.

“—you are the Head of the Bra Workshop!!”

“No thank you!!”

I rejected it instantly.

“I’m a knight! Not the Head of a Bra Workshop!”

“But you’ll get paid separately! And as the inventor of the bra, you’ll receive product royalties in the future!”

Inventor? Royalties? As a knight, I had absolutely no idea how business worked.

Captain Brigitte shook her shoulders with laughter.

“Relax. I’ll talk seriously now.”

The sudden shift in tone made me straighten my back on reflex.

“The feedback from the four of them is perfect. The direction is solid. Your summary is good too. …And now.”

Captain Brigitte grinned—and pointed at my chest.

“I acknowledge that you’re a knight! But I’m not letting you escape!”

“W-Wait! What are you planning to do?”

“Oii, Fururu. Azet.”

When Captain Brigitte called out, two small girls walked over.

“…Huh?”

One of them was a dwarf who looked almost exactly like Captain Brigitte. The other was a petite young woman.

“Fururu is my daughter! She’s the one who said her chest hurt, so that’s why I started thinking about this in the first place!”

“I’m Fururu. Nice to meet you.”

Captain Brigitte… has a daughter!?

“And this here is Azet from the smallfolk tribe. She’s Fururu’s friend and works as a clothing merchant. Any contracts related to the bras you developed will be handled through Azet.”

“Nishishi, I’m Azet! Nice to meet you, Big Brother!”

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by three small women.

And my head was starting to ache.

Chapter 74: Exclusive Sales Contract and Captain Brigitte

After stepping away from the heat of the forge, I found myself leaning against a desk.

In front of me sat three small women.

Captain Brigitte the dwarf.

Her daughter, Fururu.

And Azet Corbitt, a smallfolk merchant.

The real problem was the paper lying on the desk between us.

A product contract.

I’m a knight. Why am I about to sign a contract for underwear?

“Listen carefully, Hort. This is a product contract. Also known as a patent contract.”

Captain Brigitte crossed her arms and nodded proudly.

“A product contract? A patent?”

“That’s right! It allows the inventor’s name to be used and protects the rights when similar products are sold. The chest guard I originally made was technically armor. It wasn’t truly what you’d call a bra. But the version you improved and brought back—we had me, Fururu, and Azet examine it properly.”

At that point, Azet suddenly leaned forward across the desk.

“It’s amazing, that’s what it is! This is absolutely a product that should claim exclusive rights! Umm, basically! If it’s sold under Mr. Hort’s name, you’ll receive a few percent from every sale!”

…A few percent from every sale.

“A few percent… as in actual money?”

“Money! Dreams! The future!”

Captain Brigitte might not listen to others, but this smallfolk merchant Azet was just as intense in her own way.

Captain Brigitte clenched her fist tightly.

“In other words, every time you make a bra or provide a design, you earn money! There’s no escape for you now!”

“I very much want to escape!?”

When I shouted that, Fururu quietly raised her hand.

“…Fururu just wants one that doesn’t hurt. So if Big Brother runs away, that would be a problem.”

“Guh…!”

Her eyes were completely serious.

Fururu and Captain Brigitte were both dwarves and looked similar at first glance. Both were around 140 centimeters tall.

But there was an obvious difference in their chest armor.

Captain Brigitte had a completely flat build. Fururu, on the other hand, clearly had curves—and she had said they caused her pain.

So the person Captain Brigitte mentioned before, the one who was hurting… it had been Fururu.

I knew from Commander Adelheid that chest pain wasn’t something to joke about.

When it was put that way, I had no defense.

Azet flipped open the contract with a loud flap.

“Mr. Hort, make up your mind! You just need to write your name here!”

Her tiny finger tapped the line repeatedly.

Written there in large letters:

Inventor: Hort Rubel
Developer: Fururu Plum
Registrant: Azet Corbitt

“…I’m the inventor?”

“That’s right! You gave it its final form!”

“And Fururu is listed as developer because…?”

“I was the original reason for it. I didn’t want my chest to hurt anymore. The double-cross support bra you made, Big Brother—it doesn’t hurt now! Work is much easier!”

So wearing a bra while doing blacksmith work made things easier.

The bra I originally made for Commander Adelheid was now helping in a completely different way.

Captain Brigitte nodded proudly and puffed out her chest.

“I may be the captain and a master craftsman, but the one who started this was Fururu! So from now on, Fururu will cooperate with you as the developer!”

“I see…”

So even if I didn’t personally craft every piece, Fururu would handle the production. She might be a dwarf, but she was sixteen. Azet was also sixteen.

Both of them looked much younger than that, but since I was older, they kept calling me “Big Brother.”

“I’m listed as the registrant because I’m the one who sells it! I handle the complicated paperwork!”

“Yeah, that part makes sense.”

When I nodded honestly, Azet puffed out her chest proudly.

Her chest was modest—but still larger than Captain Brigitte’s.

“And! The important part is here!”

Azet pointed to another section of the contract.

“The period?”

“Yes! Ten years! For ten years, if anyone sells a similar Hort Rubel–style bra, a few percent goes to you, Mr. Hort!”

Was that long? Short? I honestly had no idea.

Captain Brigitte grinned mischievously.

“With ten years, we can save countless women’s chests!”

I felt like holding my head.

Seeing my troubled expression, Azet let out a mischievous “nishishi.”

“But! This is the fun part of business!”

“I have a very bad feeling about this.”

“You can renew it through improvements!”

Captain Brigitte slammed her hand on the desk again.

“That’s right! A new structure! A new design! A new purpose! Every time you release an improvement, it becomes a new product with a new contract!”

“…Isn’t that the kind of thing that never ends?”

“It never ends! Bras will continue to evolve!”

What did she mean, bras evolving?

Fururu nodded quietly.

“…I want more that don’t hurt. For running. For formal wear. For summer. For winter.”

“For seasons too!?”

I couldn’t help but shout.

Azet snapped her fingers happily.

“Exactly! Summer versions! Winter versions! Sweat-resistant versions! Dress versions! Different sizes! Set bundles!”

“Wait, wait, wait! Don’t switch into full merchant mode all of a sudden!”

Even Captain Brigitte joined in.

“Hort. If you don’t run away, women are saved, and we make money! It’s perfect!”

…What even was a knight’s pride again?

But reality was reality.

Commander Adelheid.

Nagi.

Natasha.

Gina.

All four of their feedback had been serious. Chest pain could affect battle and daily life. If this system helped spread something useful, then maybe it wasn’t a bad thing.

And Gina had requested mass production.

I slowly raised my head.

“…Alright.”

“Oho! He understands!”

“Then sign right here!”

Azet quickly handed me a feather pen.

I took it. My fingers felt more tense than when gripping a sword.

“Hort Rubel…”

I wrote my name in the Inventor section.

The moment I finished, Captain Brigitte pretended to cry.

“Uuugh… you’ve grown up so well… walking the path of underwear…”

“Don’t turn it into some kind of sacred underwear path!”

Azet quickly snatched up the contract before anything else could happen.

“Alright! Registration complete! From now on, whenever similar products are sold, a few percent goes to you, Mr. Hort!”

The weight of those words slowly settled in.

Fururu gave a small, shy smile.

“…Big Brother. Thank you. My chest is saved.”

“…No. I think I was saved too.”

If it made someone’s daily life easier, then that was enough.

The moment I thought that, Captain Brigitte began repeatedly slapping my shoulder.

“Good! That clears Hort’s debt!”

“…Huh? Debt?”

“Yes indeed. The improvements to your weapon ended up costing quite a bit!”

“Wait, what? Isn’t that covered by military funds?!”

“What are you talking about! Basic weapons and armor are issued. Personal customizations are your own responsibility! And repairs are deducted from your salary!”

“What?!”

I froze in shock. Captain Oren never told me that. Neither did Commander Snake.

“Hmm. Fururu. Azet. The contract is complete.”

“Then I’ll transfer the contract fee to Lady Brigitte right away!”

“Much appreciated.”

Apparently, a deal had been finalized behind my back.

“Now then, from here on, we discuss military matters.”

“Yes. See you again, Big Brother.”

“I’ll see you again too, Big Brother.”

They waved lightly as they stepped away.

Since Fururu and Azet were both so small, it felt like I had suddenly gained two adorable little sisters.

But the woman standing in front of me—Captain Brigitte—was a seasoned dwarf who had lived for over two hundred years.

The moment the two girls left, she gave me a sly grin.

“Now then, Hort. You’re looking for the fool in the Third Knight Order who sent documents to the Second Order, aren’t you?”

“…What?”

“No need to act surprised. I’m on close terms with the Marshal.”

Was that true? I honestly couldn’t tell. She had been joking nonstop until now.

“Heh. You don’t believe me, do you? Then how about this? There’s another person cooperating with the Marshal.”

“Cooperating?”

“Yes. Sixth Unit—Falcon Smash. She and I both received secret orders from the Marshal. Just like you, we’ve been investigating the Third Knight Order.”

I couldn’t say anything.

Captain Brigitte clearly had far more information than I did—and her mind moved much faster.

“And as we continued investigating, we narrowed it down to Commander Snake, Vice-Commander Daitaros, Eleventh Unit Captain Uragar, and Fifth Unit Captain Oren. So I took Commander Snake. Falcon took Uragar. And you were assigned to observe Captain Oren.”

It sounded like an outrageous revelation.

And yet… it made sense.

“Oren wasn’t originally considered that dangerous. But like Uragar, she was hiding information about the Sister and her father. Falcon learned about the demon cult during her investigation and moved to assist you. And based on the personality I uncovered in Snake, I was able to use that to push Uragar into action.”

Captain Brigitte spoke as if she had watched everything unfold.

I hadn’t told her anything. After our first meeting, we hadn’t even been in contact.

So… was she telling the truth?

“You’re quite the skeptic, aren’t you? Here.”

She held out a letter.

It was identical to the one I had received when the Marshal gave me the secret order.

At the very least, her connection to the Marshal wasn’t a lie.

“Well? Ready to believe me now?”

It seemed that Captain Brigitte—and Captain Falcon—might truly have been given the same secret mission as me.

Even so…

“Who knows.”

“Hmm. Kukuku… Hort, you really are a fine man. Don’t you want to know why I told you all this? And why I made you create bras in the first place?”

“I do want to know.”

There was no point pretending otherwise.

“Good. Honest as always. Then I’ll tell you.”

She raised one finger.

“First. The investigation target has already been narrowed down to Daitaros.”

A second finger.

“Second. Daitaros has realized that an investigation is underway.”

A third.

“Third. Falcon and I have been acting like fools on purpose. Meanwhile, you’ve been honestly pushing the investigation forward.”

A fourth.

“And fourth. By having you develop bras, we cleared the suspicion Daitaros had begun directing toward you.”

“…You used bras as a cover story?”

“And we discovered something else, Daitaros sent documents to the Second Knight Order’s Adelheid to conceal a different set of documents.”

Her tone had completely changed. No jokes. No shouting.

And somehow… I could believe she was capable of this kind of intricate scheme.

“Different documents? Why send them to Commander Adelheid?”

“They were documents related to the demon cult. And it’s not just the Third Knight Order. There are knights in the Second and even the First Order who have been corrupted by the cult. They needed a way to exchange information. So they mixed their secret communications into the stack of official documents being sent to Adelheid of the Second Order.”

“…They were using her as camouflage?”

The documents I saw hadn’t contained anything obvious.

Which meant…

They were hiding the real messages among the routine transfers.

“You destroyed their method. And then, out of spite, they attacked you. A regular knight attacking a mere trainee like Hort Rubel? That would never happen under normal circumstances.”

Through the knight who attacked me, the Marshal and Captain Brigitte had identified their suspect—and decided to launch the secret investigation.

In the First Knight Order, the Marshal himself moved.

In the large and chaotic Third Knight Order, Captain Brigitte and Captain Falcon took action.

“So?” she asked.

“So… because I was standing out, you needed camouflage?”

“Exactly. Your actions produced more interesting results than we expected. That’s why I decided to trust you. I introduced you to my daughter and had you sign a contract with Azet because I want you on my side. Well then, Hort—don’t you think Fururu is cute?”

“…What?”

“She’s sixteen. As a dwarf, she’s still inexperienced, but as a woman, she’s more than ready. I’ll give you Fururu as your bride. Won’t you become mine?”

The proposal came so suddenly that I simply stood there, completely stunned.