That single nap lasted more than three hours.
When Kabe finally woke up again, he felt utterly refreshed, so comfortable that he could not even put it into words.
"Mmm... that was an amazing sleep. Even the blanket and pillow smelled nice. It really makes me not want to get up."
Even so, after lazing around under the covers for a few more minutes, he still got up briskly and straightened his clothes.
As strange as things had gotten, he had not forgotten why he had come here in the first place.
"I wonder if that girl is awake yet. I am still in a hurry to meet my future mother-in-law."
Muttering to himself, he pushed open the door. Just as he was passing the stairway landing and wondering whether he should head downstairs first, he felt a gaze from behind him filled with heavy resentment.
Turning toward the source of that stare, he saw Brandish sitting cross-legged on the sofa in the living room. Her eyes were bloodshot, and in a voice twisted with excitement, she cried out,
"Finally caught you! What exactly were you trying to do while I was asleep?!"
After staying awake for more than three full hours, she had finally caught this guy red-handed, and Brandish felt that all that suffering had not been for nothing.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Kabe walked toward Brandish with both hands in his pockets.
"I was going to wake you up and remind you not to forget your business."
The smile that had just appeared on Brandish's face froze instantly when she heard that.
'Right... what exactly was my original reason for dealing with him again?'
"Oh no, I am doomed!!!"
Shrieking, Brandish sprang up from the sofa. After shooting Kabe a vicious glare, she rushed upstairs at full speed.
'It is over, it is over, I am dead! I actually stood Lady Irene up. I am not going to get thrown into prison and then shipped off to some godforsaken corner of the Empire to mine rocks, am I?!'
Shaking with fear, Brandish charged into her bedroom and flung open her wardrobe. Ignoring the dazzling array of colorful clothes in every imaginable style, she pulled out a pure white shirt and a black hip-hugging skirt.
She was Brandish, a genius of the Empire, a future member of the Spriggan Twelve, and currently one of Irene's direct subordinates under her combat command.
And yet because of one moment of laziness, she had actually kept her immediate superior waiting for nearly four full hours.
No matter how lazy and free-spirited she usually was, even she knew exactly what the consequences of that meant.
The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became.
She hurriedly dressed, then pulled on a pair of black pantyhose that wrapped tightly around her long, shapely legs.
Then she came dashing downstairs with a rapid series of footsteps and grabbed Kabe, who had been standing there with folded arms and watching the show.
"Come on, hurry. You are coming with me to see Lady Irene."
As she spoke, she stepped into a pair of black pointed high heels by the entrance and yanked open the front door.
"Hehe, that will not be necessary. I have already arrived."
Dressed in a black mage's robe, with large cutouts across her chest and along both sides of her waist, and with only a narrow strip of fabric covering the space between her legs, Irene appeared right there before Brandish in all her overwhelming splendor.
Hiss...
Brandish sucked in a sharp breath and nearly blacked out on the spot.
But at the critical moment, her fear of Irene pulled her rationality back together.
Without a shred of hesitation, she immediately bent forward in a bow so deep that she was nearly folded in half.
"M-my deepest apologies!!!"
Irene folded her arms across her chest. Because of her anger, her chest rose and fell sharply, making Kabe, who stood behind Brandish, feel a little dizzy just from looking.
Without the slightest hesitation, a red light flashed from Irene's eyes and fell directly onto Brandish.
In the next second, Brandish watched in horror as her body began shrinking smaller and smaller, until she was reduced to a fluffy little white rabbit only slightly larger than a palm.
"This is your punishment. Four hours for four hours. Quite fair, would you not say?"
On the adorable little rabbit face, an almost human expression of panic appeared. She hopped frantically over to Irene's feet and clung to the straps of her long high heels, squeaking and begging for mercy.
Irene bent down, pinched the little rabbit by both ears, lifted her up, and tucked her into her arms. As she stroked the trembling little body, she sneered coldly.
"Begging is useless. This is a lesson you absolutely need."
"Clap clap clap."
A sudden round of applause echoed through the scene.
Kabe applauded sincerely and gave his heartfelt praise.
"As expected of one of the Empire's Twin Walls, the strongest female mage known as Scarlet Despair and the Mother of Dragon Slayers.
Lady Irene, your methods have truly opened my eyes."
Irene's brows twitched almost imperceptibly.
Only then did she finally raise her head and properly examine this young man, whom she had previously regarded as only mildly interesting.
"The Mother of Dragon Slayers? That title is not among the ones I currently hold."
Kabe's clapping hands stopped.
The smile on his face froze instantly as well.
"Uh... it is not? You are not joking?"
"No."
"...Are you sure?"
"Very sure."
Kabe was instantly embarrassed.
As a transmigrator, he naturally knew that Irene was the creator of Dragon Slayer Magic.
But that was from his point of view.
To the overwhelming majority of people in Alvarez, Irene had never exposed any obvious connection between herself and Dragon Slayer Magic.
Not to mention that Dragon Slayer Magic was a form of magic that had already been passed down for hundreds of years.
If someone knew Irene was the Mother of Dragon Slayers, then that also meant they knew her true age.
That fact alone was enough to make Irene realize that Kabe was far from simple. At the very least, he knew many things that someone his age should not possibly know.
"Ahem. Let us put that aside for the moment. Since you are already here, Queen of Scarlet, please come in and have something to drink."
Kabe stepped aside like the master of the house himself and courteously welcomed Irene inside.
Irene did not refuse. Wearing her high heels, she walked straight past the entrance and into the living room without the slightest politeness.
After sitting down with practiced ease on the largest sofa, she crossed one leg over the other and set the "little white rabbit" on her lap. As she gently stroked it, she narrowed her eyes slightly and asked Kabe,
"Sit down. Then tell me everything you know.
And also your purpose for infiltrating the capital.
You can skip the nonsense about admiring the Empire and sincerely wishing to join it."