Chapter 170

That aside, do you think there’s anything that would suit me?”

As Daniela’s business seemed to have been settled nicely, I wanted to search for something for myself as well.

“I would like something that’s comfortable but doesn’t make me look weak.”

“Hmm…wait one moment please.”

Segura started walking around the store while grabbing things off of the shelves. Leaving everything to the clerk…not bad, Asagi… Up until now, I was the kind of guy who just picked up cheap shirts in a 3-pack.

As Daniela and I talked about nothing in particular, the clerk returned with an armful of clothes.

“So-sorry to keep you waiting…”

“That’s a lot of stuff…”

She dumped the pile over the counter. There were at least twenty items there. Was I supposed to try all of them on…?

“The sizes should be right…”

“Uh…yeah, it looks fine.”

I picked up a shirt and held it up in front of me. It seemed like a comfortable fit.

“So, you want something rough so people don’t underestimate you?”

Turia asked, her arms folded in front of her.

“I’m not exactly sure. But that’s what Daniela says I should wear…”

“Asagi has miserable clothes in spite of being an Adventurer. It results in people looking down on him no matter where he goes.”

Daniela said with a nod.

“But Daniela, I don’t exactly want to advertise my own abilities everywhere I go.”

“I am only saying that you should meet a certain standard. If you want to avoid being picked on.”

“Well, I don’t think I’m likely to lose anyway.”

That’s not the point. Daniela seemed to say as she sighed. But it was true, I had improved to the point where I felt that I could take on the average Adventurer. We had overcome so much up until now… Not that I had any scars to show for it.

“It should be fine. I was able to take down a wind dragon.”

“Overconfidence is not good.”

“It’s a rare moment I’m quite proud of. Let me have it.”

It was a historic moment in the life of Asagi Kamiyashiro. I wasn’t sure what else I could use if I needed to boast.

“…Wait a moment now. You are the one who killed the wind dragon?”

Miss Turia took the bait.

“I heard word of it yesterday. High-quality wind dragon materials had entered the market, they said. I assumed you had just bought them…”

Segura looked at me with astonishment. Hey, I wasn’t lying. I really did do it.

“See. It is because of your clothes that they do not believe you.”

“Grrr… You got me there…”

Alright, I could see it. I was dressed like some uncle on his day off. No one would believe that I had killed a wind dragon… I was starting to realize how important clothes were.

“Asagi, you could have clothes made of wind dragon materials too.”

“No, I already have some.”

Well, it was a young dragon.

After some more aimless talking, Miss Segura rolled her eyes and pushed the pile of clothes into my arms. She was now a devoted member of Daniela’s new ‘Put on some decent clothes’ club. I looked at Turia for help, but she averted her eyes. At three against one, I had no choice but to unwillingly participate in a one-man fashion show that lasted the rest of the day.

□ □ □ □

The original plan was to buy new clothes and armor for Daniela, but we ended up buying a great heap of clothes for me first. I felt a little bad about it, but it was by Daniela’s order, and so I considered it a necessary expense.

And so I started to dress in a decent manner from the next day on. I just wore the same clothes all the time when I only had a few pairs, but the moment my wardrobe expanded, I experienced an awakening. Well, I still lacked any sort of fashion sense, and so Daniela selected everything… But I did have the will to learn and had a new goal, which was to eventually leave the building in something of my own choice.

The next week passed by very quickly. We did quests from the guild, ate, and shopped for traveling supplies.

And today was the day we were to return to the White Lily.

We were now in the store, but Segura and Turia were nowhere to be seen.

That was strange… They knew that we were coming today.

“I will go look.”

Daniela made the unusually extroverted decision to go and search for them. Was it because this was about her own clothes? I decided to sit down on one of the chairs and wait.

Daniela returned after a few minutes. She was alone.

“Huh? Where are they?”

“Hmm… Oh, they should be here soon…”

“?”

She sounded a little uncertain? But I didn’t have to wonder for too long, as the sounds of them running quickly followed. Their faces looked a little red. No, very red.

“S-sorry…”

“Ahhh…oww…mm…phew. Sorry to keep you waiting…”

“Are you alright?”

Perhaps they were busy, as they were both out of breath.

“I’m…f-fine…”

“Your buttons are done wrong.”

“!?”

Miss Turia frantically spun around and fixed her shirt. On closer inspection, Miss Segura was wearing hers backward. I pointed this out and she yelped before retreating to the backroom in a dash.

“What were they doing?”

I whispered to Daniela.

“What indeed…”

“Eh?”

What did she mean by that? Daniela’s ears were red, but she refused to say any more.

□ □ □ □

“Let’s start again… Daniela, here are your new clothes!”

Miss Turia pulled out several pieces from under the counter. Hmm…I didn’t get it.

“As you are an Adventurer, you favored practicality, which tends to have masculine results. And so we have made some clothes that are practical but have a feminine finish!”

The thing she spread out in front of us…looked like a one-piece dress.

“Hmm, but this will show your underwear when you move.”

“Who the hell would fight in something like that…”

Daniela said with annoyance. But wait a minute, bikini armor exists in this world! I saw one in Replant!

“You will be wearing this underneath.”

“Hmm…”

Daniela took the pair of shorts. Three-quarters length… I’ve seen those before.

“It is not jade green.”

They were all different colors in spite of being made of wind dragon materials. The one-piece was pure white, and there was jade lining at the skirt. The shorts were a beige color. It looked like hemp at first, but on closer inspection, it was clearly high-grade material.

“We used a special dye. Which will cost you a little extra… But sacrifices must be made for fashion!”

“Indeed.”

Daniela nodded. Well, some women certainly thought so.

“We made a few other things with the leftover materials. Try them on.”

There was a jacket and several skirts of varying lengths. Varying colors as well. Women’s clothes were often quite beautiful, which raised your motivation. Men’s clothes were often just something you were thankful that they fit. Well, that was probably just me.

“We made some for you too, Mister Asagi!”

“What? Me?”

I already bought so much…

“Those were ordinary clothes. Not for battle, right? If you have dragon armor, you should have good clothes under it as well.”

“So that’s why you wanted me to come in my armor.”

In fact, they had sent a message to the Babbling Brook.

‘Come to the store in your armor!’

That was all it had said. But I had somehow sensed the urgency in it and so paid them a visit in full battle gear. However, all she did was walk around me several times without saying a word, then she said, ‘that’s enough!’ and threw me out of the store. I had wondered what kind of odd variety of spitefulness that was, but it turned out she was just figuring out what kind of clothes to make.

After all, it was actually a great thing that I was receiving something to wear under the armor. I had been hit several times, and whenever it was bad enough to draw blood, it was always on my clothes where I was unarmored. What amazing aim they had. But I could not change into chainmail, as I prioritized speed, which was quite the dilemma. So this was all very good.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you!”

She gave me a light green shirt and an extra one in black. It was to be for casual wear. I had gone quite up in the world to be able to wear dragon shirts as casual clothing.

“That would be all of it.”

Miss Segura looked quite happy, as if it had been her who had received the clothes. Then she handed us a sheet of paper.

“Hmm? What-what…the bill. Four hundred pieces of gold… Four hundred!?”

“Yes. We gave you quite the discount, as we used the materials you brought in.”

“I don’t see any discount…”

“Oh? Do you wish to know how much it would have cost had you not brought the materials?”

Right. The world of dragon equipment always involved hundreds of pieces of gold. The fact that I had gotten my own equipment at a great discount had affected my perception.

“Well, it’s not like we can’t afford it…”

“How broad-minded of you!”

We had two thousand on us… And so I took out the money from the hollow bag and paid them. Four hundred pieces.

“Thank you very much! Oh, Turia. Look at how much money we have!”

“Hurry up and put it in the safe! Do you wish to be robbed!”

At Turia’s command, Miss Segura took the purse and ran to the back of the store. While it was a rather rushed ending, we had successfully acquired new clothes for Daniela. And some for me as well. So all was good.

By the way, they charged an additional sixty pieces of gold for my clothes. They said that it was cheaper because mine was made of the extra scraps… I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel about that.