My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's

There were fewer entries than usual.

Heeding Kyousuke’s warning, I didn’t take my eyes off Amelia.

Of course I couldn’t stare at her every single second, so I used a trick.

I had a mountain of questions — why Kyousuke brought up Gram’s name, how he was involved in this contest — but for now I decided to enjoy the festival.

“Entry number 291! Princess Amelia!!”

After the Kansai dialect girl and another well-proportioned girl, Amelia’s name was called.

A murmur rippled through the venue.

Apparently Amelia was more well-known than I’d expected.

Even before she showed herself, the anticipation in the air was rising.

The moment Amelia appeared in a dress the color of fresh spring leaves, every gaze locked onto her.

Her pure white hair trailed behind her, and her crimson eyes sparkled as they caught the spotlight.

Her pointed elf ears were adorned with modest accessories that only enhanced her charm.

Men gaped with slack-jawed, silly expressions as they stared up at her, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away either.

“…She’s beautiful.”

I couldn’t help but whisper that.

Amelia normally boasted a beauty that set her apart from others, but seeing her dressed and adorned like this made even her usual appearance seem dull by comparison.

Come to think of it, I’d heard costumes were available to lend to walk-in participants.

Our eyes met and tangled on the stage.

Amelia smiled seductively at my stunned stare and snapped a flirtatious wink.

“Nooooooooow!!!?”

A chorus of male screams shook the ground.

Even after she walked to the edge of the stage, spun, and left, the cheers didn’t die down.

“…Hah… so women really can transform, huh.”

I put a hand to my forehead and let out a dry laugh.

Just a few hours earlier she’d been eating like a competitive eater and making everyone cringe, and now she’d taken us all by surprise.

I felt myself falling for her all over again.

Looking around, the women excitedly praised Amelia’s beauty while the men stared at the stage as if she were still there.

So far, there were no suspicious signs.

“The energy in each venue is at its peak!! Next, entry number 292! Rusty!!”

Before the lingering excitement had died down I looked back at the stage. Lattice Nail, hood up, strode confidently across the stage with a self-assured smile.

Unlike with Amelia, the crowd fell silent, waiting expectantly to see the face hidden by the hood.

Curiosity about the demon king’s daughter’s face drew my gaze to the stage.

In the center, Lattice Nail slowly reached up and touched the hood.

It was so quiet you could hear someone gulp.

With a rustle, the hood fell.

“…Huh.”

“Wooooooooooow!!!”

Amethyst-colored hair and eyes, and even over her uniform-like outfit her outstanding proportions were obvious.

She wore a skirt, and her plump bare legs were on show without shame.

Her face was slightly less striking than Amelia’s but well-formed, and perhaps because she’d hidden herself until the last moment or because the hood’s color had been plain, her softly curled purple hair that suddenly appeared looked the prettiest of all the contestants so far.

If Amelia was a finished sculpture, Lattice Nail had a fleshier, more human body.

Which one would appeal more to men? Obviously Lattice Nail for her body.

In blunt terms, it felt like a showdown: Amelia with the perfect face versus Lattice Nail with the perfect body.

So far there hadn’t been any woman to rival them, and I doubted any would appear later. If an endless parade of top-tier beauties showed up, the crowd reaction would be chaos.

“…Now, we will begin tallying the votes for this year’s handsome man and beautiful woman contest! Just flow your magical power into the panels installed at each venue and trace the entry number of the person you want to vote for with your finger!…”

I heard the MC’s voice coming from somewhere as I operated the nearby panel.

Of course, I voted for Amelia.

After the confirmation message that my vote had been submitted appeared on the panel, I headed over to where Amelia and the others were.