Episode 61: Seal of Chastity
Having finished hearing the past episodes from Nephthys, I let out a sigh.
To have an older brother, twelve years your senior, suddenly attack you—the terror of that is immeasurable for a young girl.
The Gold Coin I had unconsciously been gripping in my right hand was now twisted and deformed.
If I were Luna’s father, I might have twisted Barbat to death like this Gold Coin.
“That must have been a painful experience…”
I said that, then immediately thought it might be inappropriate.
Perhaps because of the letters, I feel like I’m getting too emotionally involved.
Naia is Ortenos’s mortal enemy.
And Luna is one of its leaders.
If I don’t switch gears, I’ll be tripped up.
“…Yes, it’s a pitiful thing. Although a gag order was issued within the castle, it seems the story leaked out from somewhere, and it became known throughout the kingdom that Luna-sama had developed androphobia.”
“What happened to Barbat?”
“…He was placed under house arrest for a while.”
Well, I suppose so.
The Second Prince attacking the First Princess is a major scandal.
But no matter how much they hate him, they can’t execute Barbat.
–In principle, there is no law to judge a Stella-Class.
There are two reasons for this.
One is the practical reason that their physical strength is extraordinary, so the means to eliminate them are limited.
The other is the traditional reason that Stella-Class have been revered as rulers of the land since ancient times.
If a Stella-Class is to be punished, the only option is imprisonment at best.
Assassination is an option, but they probably judged that it wouldn’t be cost-effective.
“The reason Luna doesn’t have much support is because of the rumors, after all?”
From my correspondence with Luna, I didn’t sense any mental illness.
She may just be putting on a brave face, but I think she’s originally a strong girl with a firm core.
If there’s a flaw, it can only be in areas other than her own qualities.
“…That’s part of it… But is Lord Sharka not aware of the symptoms of androphobia?”
“Symptoms of androphobia?”
“…Yes. Androphobia is a condition where, when a female noble is forced into unwanted sexual acts, she unconsciously manifests the ‘Seal of Chastity.'”
It seems I’ve been fundamentally mistaken.
I felt a catch in the unfamiliar words Nephthys spoke.
“‘Seal of Chastity’? I’ve never heard of it…”
“…Yes, it’s a delicate matter, so it’s not discussed with nobles before they come of age. …The Seal of Chastity is a type of Curse-Seal Magic where a woman covers her vulva with a solid Magical Power crystal to protect her chastity.”
“What… did you say?”
Vulva, in other words—the female genitalia.
Covering it with a Magical Power crystal?
…I wonder if she can still pee.
I’ll put that simple question on hold for now.
“…The Seal of Chastity cannot be engraved voluntarily. It only rarely manifests when a woman feels strong distrust or aversion towards male nobles, and a special pattern is engraved on her lower abdomen.”
“I, I see.”
Well, it’s a heavy topic, so I don’t know how to react…
From what I’m hearing, the Seal of Chastity is like an automatically activated chastity belt.
“…Yes, the effect varies from person to person, and it is said to become stronger the more knowledgeable one is about Curse-Seal Magic.”
“Is Luna’s Seal of Chastity strong?”
“…Yes. Luna-sama has been exposed to ancient texts left by the former Ortenos Royal Family since she was a child, and she has also eagerly studied ancient languages and Curse-Seal Magic. The Seal of Chastity must be quite strong.”
“I see…”
Suddenly, I wonder what we’re talking about.
Perhaps because Nephthys is in a hypnotic state, she speaks matter-of-factly, so I ask her all sorts of things without hesitation.
Objectively speaking, it might be dangerous to ask a strange old man who you’ve successfully persuaded all sorts of things about the chastity belt of a princess you’ve never met.
“…While the Seal of Chastity is in place, she cannot produce an heir. Luna-sama may become the Queen of Naia, so it is considered a more serious defect than for ordinary female nobles.”
“Can’t you just Dispel it with Curse-Seal Magic?”
“…The Seal of Chastity is an irreversible Curse-Seal, so it cannot be forcibly Dispelled from the outside. In some cases, it can even lead to death.”
I was startled by Nephthys’s words and asked back.
“Lead to death…?”
“…Yes, according to past documents, there was a case where a male noble tried to forcibly Dispel it, and his entire body solidified like a crystal, and he fell asleep.”
“Like a crystal… Did he never wake up?”
“…No, that female noble never returned.”
What the heck.
Does that mean that the true meaning of a chastity belt is to eventually meet death?
“I don’t quite understand, what was the fundamental cause?”
“…The cause is unclear. Some say the Dispel procedure was flawed, while others say the female noble had another lover.”
If.
No, it’s absolutely impossible, but if Elmia were to be embraced by another man, would Elmia also manifest the Seal of Chastity?
…No, no, stop it, my brain is going to turn to mush if I think about this any further.
“Then, how do you Dispel the Seal of Chastity?”
“…It is said that we can only wait for the ‘Thaw.'”
“‘Thaw’?”
“…When the Seal of Chastity is released, the crystal in the vulva melts into dew. Those who saw it described it as being like a thaw, and that’s how it came to be called.”
The old man in front of me said that with a straight face.