I Reincarnated into a Game Filled with Mods – Chapter 143

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Following Lakscia out of the castle, I spotted someone beyond the assembled knights and mirrored their troubled expressions.

As I approached, the knights parted, revealing the unexpected visitor.

‘…Aurora?’

It was Aurora.

She wore a wide-brimmed beige hat pulled low over her face and a black mask that concealed the lower half, but her long, black hair and the glint of gold in her eyes were unmistakable.

The fact that Aurora, who should have been at the mansion, was standing here in disguise was surprising enough.

Her attire, however, was even more baffling.

She wore an unbuttoned white shirt that revealed a glimpse of her cleavage and the black lace of her bra.

And that was all. The hem of the shirt barely covered her bottom. In other words, she was wearing a bra, but no panties.

I couldn’t comprehend her choice of clothing.

If she had chosen to forgo underwear entirely, like with her usual dresses, I could have understood. But wearing a bra and no panties made no sense.

‘Why is she here?’

While such attire was commonplace for the women of this world, I couldn’t fathom why Aurora would come to the castle dressed like this.

‘And why the disguise? Does she want me to recognize her?’

I doubted she had any real intention of concealing her identity.

The Vice-Commanders and the knights had clearly recognized her, and I had suspected her identity the moment I saw her.

That explained Lakscia’s hesitant expression when she had referred to Aurora as a “visitor.”

She must have thought Aurora’s disguise was deliberately flimsy, an attempt to be recognized while maintaining a semblance of anonymity.

I leaned towards Lakscia, whispering,

“Lakscia, what do you think of that outfit?”

“You mean what the visitor is wearing? It looks like normal women’s attire for going out. A rather plain choice, actually. I don’t understand the point of the disguise.”

‘Normal?’

I looked at Aurora again.

The white shirt, unbuttoned to reveal her black lace bra, cleavage, and upper chest, the thin fabric practically transparent. The hem that barely grazed her bottom. Her bare legs exposed below the shirt, accentuated by the high-heeled black shoes.

That was considered normal attire for going out?

‘…Ah. Was that the original model?’

If Aurora’s outfit was a modified version of the common NPC attire, a simple tunic, then Lakscia’s reaction made sense.

She would perceive it as normal clothing, just as she perceived the bunny girl outfit as a suitable uniform.

I sighed, approaching Aurora.

“What are you doing here, My Lady?”

“Who’s My Lady? I don’t know anyone by that name.”

“If you’re going to pretend to be someone else, at least try to change your voice. Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize you?”

“…….”

Aurora remained defiant, showing no signs of revealing her true identity. Either she genuinely believed her disguise was effective, or she was deliberately being brazen.

It was likely the latter.

“Fine. Have it your way.”

“If that’s—”

“But why are you using informal speech with me?”

My sudden shift in tone startled Aurora, as well as the Vice-Commanders and knights who had recognized her.

“I’m the second most powerful person in this territory, after Lady Aurora. You can’t just waltz in here and use informal language with me. Either identify yourself, or use formal speech.”

I calmly presented her with two options. The best way to deal with someone brazen was to be equally brazen.

Either way, I had nothing to lose. If she revealed her identity, I would have achieved my goal. If not, I would at least be addressed with respect.

Aurora hesitated, then spoke cautiously.

“……I apologize, Knight Commander.”

She seemed determined to maintain her charade.

I didn’t want to pry.

She must have a reason for this elaborate act.

“Good. Now, who are you? You already know who I am, so no need to introduce myself.”

“I’m… Orora.”

‘Orora?’

Did she really want me to see through her disguise?

“Alright, Orora. Why are you here?”

“Lady Aurora sent me with a message for you, Commander.”

Aurora, or rather, Orora, reached into her cleavage.

Her unexpected action startled me.

I glanced around, but everyone else seemed unfazed. I was the only one who found it surprising.

Orora pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from between her breasts and handed it to me. It was still warm from being close to her skin.

I unfolded the paper.

It was a short note from Aurora,

The handwriting was unmistakably hers.

Or Orora’s.

“Alright. This is definitely My Lady’s handwriting.”

I refolded the note, glancing at Orora.

“You know, I would have spent time with you even without a note like this.”

Orora flinched, seemingly understanding the implication of my formal tone. She quickly recovered, returning to her brazen demeanor.

That was more like the Aurora I knew.

As lord, she must have been under a lot of stress dealing with the aftermath of the former lord’s actions. She needed an outlet, especially after her recent trip to the Imperial Palace.

I just didn’t understand why she had chosen this method.

“Lakscia.”

“Yes, Commander?”

“You’re in charge while I’m gone. If it’s too much for you, delegate to the other Vice-Commanders. You can do this whenever I’m unavailable, not just today.”

“……Understood.”

Lakscia tilted her head at my instruction to continue this in the future, glancing between Aurora and me, then nodded in understanding.

She seemed to have the wrong idea.

“It’s not what you think, Lakscia.”

“I understand completely.”

Lakscia smiled and nodded.

I wasn’t sure what she understood.

I handed the note back to Orora, who tucked it back into her cleavage.

I was incredibly curious about the pocket in her original outfit that allowed her bra to function as a substitute.

“My Lady wants me to spend the day with you. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“Um… not really.”

“Alright, then I’ll take you somewhere first. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Orora had quickly adapted to using formal language with me, showing no hesitation.

I checked the pouch of gold coins at my waist, told Lakscia I was leaving things in her capable hands, and exited the castle.

Orora followed obediently.

I could hear the knights whispering amongst themselves as we left. I couldn’t make out the words, but I could guess the content.

They were probably speculating about the nature of my relationship with Aurora.

‘My reputation is ruined.’

I had postponed the knights’ assembly until the next morning because I was busy with Lize, and now I was leaving with Aurora.

While Lakscia hadn’t seemed bothered, I wasn’t sure about the other knights.

“Knight Commander, where are we going?”

“The blacksmith.”

“Why?”

“I have some… weapon maintenance to take care of.”

I had almost said “weapon upgrades,” but changed my mind at the last second.

Iris had understood when I explained the Vitality Enhancement rune as “stamina,” so the concept of weapon upgrades likely existed in this world. But it was best to be cautious.

I walked through the streets, discussing my plans with the woman claiming to be Orora.

I noticed people staring.

Their gazes were different from before, more… intense.

I tried to ignore the unsettling feeling, but it was difficult.

Everywhere I looked, people were staring at me with awe, or blushing and quickly looking away.

After finishing our discussion about my demon hunting plans, we arrived at the blacksmith.

‘It’s much bigger than in the game.’

I opened the door and entered. Orora followed close behind.

A wave of heat washed over us as we stepped inside. It was almost as hot as a sauna. Any closer to the forge, and it would be scorching.

I could see the walls lined with weapons, and the glowing forge in the back. It was identical to the blacksmith in the game.

A figure sat slumped over the wide counter that separated the customer area from the workshop.

‘It’s a woman.’

In the game, the blacksmith had been a muscular old man.

Here, naturally, it was a woman. Her hair was cropped short, barely reaching her neck, perhaps due to the heat. It was a plain, dark color.

She wore nothing on her upper body, her breasts bound tightly with bandages, likely to cope with the heat.

I couldn’t see what she was wearing below the waist, as it was hidden by the counter.

The woman, who had been listlessly biting her nails, looked up as we entered.

“Wow, a big shot on my first day. What can I do for you?”

“I’m here for… weapon reinforcement.”

I answered cautiously.

“Is that so? Let me see it.”

She held out her hand. It seemed the concept of weapon reinforcement did exist.

I unbuckled Wingless Nightmare, placing it in her hand.

The woman let out a low whistle, examining the sword.

“A Knight Commander, huh? Nice weapon. I can tell it’s high quality.”

She continued to examine Wingless Nightmare for a moment, then spoke.

“So, how far do you want to take it?”

“As far as it can go.”

For now, it could probably be reinforced to +10. Further upgrades required progressing through the game.

You needed to find clues, clear dungeons, and discover a forgotten text detailing special reinforcement materials. Then you could bring the text to any blacksmith to unlock the next tier of upgrades.

After +10, the weapon’s UI would display a message, “Further reinforcement requires knowledge of special materials.” It was impossible to miss, unless you completely ignored the in-game descriptions.

“The payment—”

“Ah, wait, wait. Forget about the payment.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’ll do it for free if you do me a favor. What do you say?”

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