Chapter of Arkdragon, Episode 3: License to Explore

Arilai, Royal Castle—

Arilai ruled over vast stretches of desert lands, though its development had been rather slow in pace, perhaps due to its habitat. Another factor stilting its progress was said to be religion. Upon looking into its history, I found that numerous tribes had merged into one, its religions combining, as well. As a result, a religion with complex and often contradictory teachings had been formed.

However, this kingdom was in the midst of undergoing massive changes. The royal family, nobles, and even the commoners had all felt it coming since the discovery of the ancient labyrinth...

When we arrived at the hall, there seemed to be a hundred or so people gathered there. Or, more accurately, a soldier had told us while we were wandering around the marketplace that everyone else was already here, so we rushed over.

The individuals gathered there all seemed to have a peculiar air about them, and they were each dressed in formal attire. I presumed they were in service to the kingdom. Many adventurers traveled freely in this world, but the skilled ones tended to settle into one region and serve the government there. I was sure there were some high-level adventurers around my range, as well.

As for the two of us, we huddled out of sight near a window and observed our surroundings.

“Ahh, the breeze feels so nice. I suppose it’d be quite comfortable in a royal castle.”

“Arilai was always good at utilizing their underground water reservoir to mitigate some of this geothermal heat.”

The comfort in the royal castle was surely a happy discovery for her. But as soon as we stepped foot outside the castle walls, the extreme conditions would be very harsh for an elf with an aversion to heat.

The girl in question dusted off the dirt from her robes, then spent a little more time than usual fixing her hair. There was a tinge of nervousness to her expression, which I attributed to her being unaccustomed to situations like this. It was also new to me, of course, but it was much less intimidating than being in a meeting with some higher-ups at my company. At least in this case, all I had to do was patiently wait for it to be over.

“As I thought, there are many big names here. That gentleman over there is Aja, a renowned wizard.”

“Yeah, he seems to be high-level, too. But considering his age, it may be hard for him to go spelunking.”

The man with the white beard was covered in wrinkles and would likely be joining the exploration once a base was established in the labyrinth. When a unit slowly advances through ruins, a back line to support them is usually required. To me, it seemed there were great expectations for the wizard, which was a much higher rank than sorcerer.

I looked to my side at Marie. Her ears were perked and fully visible, unlike her usual state in Japan. Her long, beautiful hair was tied back, and her exposed nape was pale and almost dazzling. She seemed to be enjoying the sense of freedom without the need to hide her ears, as I caught her fidgeting with them a couple times. As she stood with her back straight, there was a mature air about her that matched her actual age.

Though, it seemed we looked quite small from everyone else’s perspective, judging from all the unreserved and frankly unsettling looks we were getting. I wasn’t too fond of speaking with strangers after all.

“It seems you’re all here.”

A stern-looking man appeared on stage. The details regarding the labyrinth exploration were about to be revealed.

We weren’t from this region, but we were given permission to participate since we were the ones who discovered it. I suspected it was merely for formality’s sake, though, and they were unlikely to share any valuable information.

Marie seemed to be excited by the mood in the air, but we were basically outsiders here. They wouldn’t let the treasure resting in the labyrinth go to foreigners so easily.

“We have yet to receive any useful intel from the preliminary search team. According to the reports, the labyrinth is spacious, deep, and highly dangerous. Although it’s still under investigation, its difficulty level is expected to be AA or higher.”

Conversations broke out immediately in response to this news. Seeing the pleased expression on everyone’s faces, the elf looked around with confusion.

“Why does everyone look so happy about the high difficulty? That means it’s all the more dangerous, doesn’t it?”

“It’s because the drops in the labyrinth improve as the scale of danger increases. Everyone here seems to be a high-level adventurer, so they’d be pretty disappointed if we were dealing with a small labyrinth.”

Sorcerers sought to unveil ancient wisdom, which had no relevance to the difficulty of the labyrinth. Their reason for mobilizing was based on whether there were important tomes to retrieve.

But those who were gathered here probably saw labyrinths as a potential goldmine for loot. Items could be obtained from fallen enemies, and valuable treasure could be found inside. At times, they could even produce far greater rewards than winning a war. The specifics really depended on the reports from the preliminary search team, but it was likely that the kingdom was going to be developed around the labyrinth, just as the citizens had been suspecting.

“I’m getting a little nervous now. It sounds like it really is a big deal that we’re able to participate. I should go report to the Sorcerer’s Guild in person instead of just sending a bird messenger.”

“Well, we’ll need to get a license to explore first. Also, any information we can gain here could be valuable, so let’s keep our ears perked.”

Marie nodded. The man onstage then cleared his throat, opening his mouth to speak.

“Now, the important part. The magic stone, or something that seems to be one, has been found. It’s currently still under appraisal, but the ruins will be closed off from entry for the time being. Rejoice, for the prosperity of Arilai has been secured!”

The room erupted in fervor in response to those words. But as someone with a little bit of pessimism that came from worldly experience, I had a feeling it wasn’t just easy loot that awaited us. The giant monster that had appeared at the oasis must have been over level 200 or so. Would they all still be celebrating if we had to face such a foe someday?

“They’ve already reported about the monster, so they leave the rest for the people here to deal with... Seems to me we’re being moved along with a carrot on a stick.”

“Oh, you’re such a downer. Though, your face looks just as sleepy as ever.”

“Just so we’re clear on this, I’m a pessimistic person in general. There’s an equal amount of good and bad things in the world, after all.”

“Maybe you’re right,” the elf said in agreement. But judging from the look on her face, she was only agreeing with what I said about my personality.

I didn’t say it out loud, but comparatively, there were far more “bad things” in the world than good. The reason the castle we were in was so nice and comfortable was because it was supported by countless people. Surely they’d agree there were more “bad things” in their life.

As I thought about it, the girl at my side tugged at my sleeve.

“Did you know? The religion of this kingdom believes in the duality of good and evil. Which do you think the labyrinth would fit under?”

“Good or evil... I think that would depend on how beneficial it is for this kingdom. I guess it’s good in that sense, but there’s a chance it could do a 180.”

“You really are pessimistic,” she uttered with an exasperated look on her face.

My role was to make sure Marie was safe, so I was fine with erring on the side of caution.

We didn’t get any notable information after that, and we were told to wait for more reports from the preliminary search team. They informed us to make any necessary preparations, then the meeting adjourned. But the others still lingered in the hall, likely to exchange each other’s information.

“We should also find people to talk to... Oh? What’s that annoyed look for? You’re the one who wanted to gather information, are you not?”

“Y-Yeah, but I meant more like, listening in on other people’s conversations...”

“We are not doing that. You tend to avoid civilization because you dislike interacting with others so much. This is a good opportunity for me to train your sociability.”

“I’m a full-fledged working member of society, you know...”

Unsurprisingly, she ignored my words of protest. I had no intention of interacting with others, but Marie had other plans. She took my hand and pulled me into the crowd so we could greet the renowned wizard. The hierarchy of the Sorcerer’s Guild sounded like a pain to deal with, and they gave the impression of being a group of elites... but it seemed I didn’t have a choice.

“Smile! And stand up straight! Come on, you’re so reliable when we’re in the other world...”

She was too busy fixing my collar and tidying me up to notice her words would have made any guy’s heart skip a beat. She suddenly froze, her cheeks turning to a shade of red.

“N-Now, hurry and come with me.” She took me by the hand again.

Some random kids like us normally wouldn’t have been given the time of day, but we were warmly welcomed and able to talk to the wrinkled old gentleman thanks to being the discoverers of the labyrinth. He sleepily opened his mouth to speak, but his speech was awfully hard to comprehend.

“My name is Aja. I’ve already retired, but a life of simply eating and sleeping is far too boring. That’s why I’ve decided to do something with the rest of my time here.”

“My name is Kazuhiho. I’m a swordsman who’s spent all his time traveling around.”

“Great Aja, I am Mariabelle, a spirit sorceress from the Sorcerer’s Guild.”

We each shook his outstretched hand and introduced ourselves. In this region, it was customary to introduce oneself with a handshake.

“Hm... You have quite an interesting look about you. Like that elf there, it seems half of you is not from the realm of humans... Ah, nevermind that. Nothing but an old man’s grumblings.”

He’d hit the nail on the head right away, leaving me unsure of what to say. This was why I disliked dealing with those who could peer into the world of mysticism. They were terribly astute, with sharp words to match.

I looked at Marie’s widened eyes, and we both wordlessly agreed to let it go. His narrowed eyes appeared to be smiling, but there was a deep sense of intellect behind them. Those eyes of his scanned the room suspiciously.

“But to think they haven’t reached out to the Adventurer’s Guild yet... It’s a bit surprising, I must say.”

“It seems they only gathered people who are involved with the government in some way. Maybe that’s just how attractive the Magic Stone is. I have a feeling they’re very wary of someone else taking it.”

I told him just how I felt, and his wrinkles creased deeper as his face formed a smile.

The Adventurer’s Guild was quite accommodating when it came to these things because they only required money to get work done. It was possible that they would be called upon as backup later, but they would probably arrive after Arilai had set up a favorable position. I said as such to the old man, and he nodded.

“You’re quite the cynic for a mere child. It must be quite a pain living with him, isn’t it?”

Before I could answer, Mariabelle blinked her purple eyes and smiled cutely.

“Actually, not at all. He’s a very smart and considerate person, so I’ve never felt that way being about him.”

As she finished talking, she glanced at me. Though, of course, I was too embarrassed to look her back in the eyes. In fact, I was getting flustered wondering if she’d heard me talking to myself the previous night...

“Wahaha, there’s more to you than meets the eye, I see! How delightful! To think you’re living with an elf; they’re usually known to be rather fussy, you know.”

Sheesh, I didn’t appreciate being laughed at so openly. And, incidentally, Marie was actually pretty well known as an elf who hated humans at first.

The old man was in a good mood now, and he was giving orders to bring out snacks and tea, but I was feeling quite uncomfortable. To be honest, I wanted to get out of there.

The culture of drinking tea was deeply rooted in this region, with tea breaks occurring wherever people had the time and space. I looked around to find several other groups were grouping together, as well.

A few disciples were gathered around the old man, and he was conversing with them quietly. His appearance wasn’t all too impressive, but it reminded me that he was a famous figure.

Marie mainly did most of the talking, but before I knew it, the topic had shifted to the ancient labyrinth.

“They don’t even know what sort of powers the Magic Stone has yet. That thing has already brought about great catastrophes in the past. I have a suspicion it’s not something to be sought after...”

Hearing the old man’s ominous words, Marie and I looked at each other. The last time we saw the Magic Stone was when that Neko was holding it in his hand. It was taken away by the monster before we could even touch it, so we didn’t know too much about it at the time, but from what we saw, it seemed to us that it was far more than a simple magical catalyst.

Marie leaned in slightly to ask him a question. “I heard the Neko tribe had been refining them before. Do you know why humans can’t do the same?”

“’Tis a mystery. It was only two hundred or so years ago, but there aren’t any written records of it. Wouldn’t you say it’s as if someone deliberately erased the existence of ancient labyrinths from history?”

The old man stared at us with his bulging eyes, and we audibly gulped. He was subtly telling us that we weren’t dealing with any ordinary underground labyrinth. But since the great Aja was participating in this investigation, he, too must have been seeking the truth behind the mystery.

“I’m sure we will be seeing each other in the labyrinth, as well. I would say we have about a week. Be sure to prepare sufficiently until then.”

“Ah, yes... but it’s a bit dangerous with just us two, so we’re thinking of sitting this out until we have a team ready. Not only that, but we still need to get approval from the Sorcerer’s Guild.”

The old man’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Truly regrettable. To think the first discoverers won’t even step foot in the labyrinth... When I was young... Ah, well, it’s true that it may be too dangerous for two children. But if you do participate later on, come talk to me.”

“Thank you, we’ll be sure to do that.”

We bowed our heads in gratitude. He seemed to be impressed by our respectful attitude. The old man then reached and called for someone in the distance.

“Hakam! Have you forgotten to give these two something?”

The person who slowly stood up was the one who was speaking on stage earlier. The man was dressed in noble attire, but it didn’t seem to match his muscular, bronze body very well. He walked over like a bear in his too-tight clothing, then observed us with a long gaze. There was clearly a strong will behind his slightly wrinkled expression, and he had an aura about him of a man accustomed to the battlefield.

“What is it, Aja...? Ah, you mean the exploration license.”

“Yes, it seems they report to the Sorcerer’s Guild with it. They’re a stubborn bunch that won’t lift a finger until they actually see the license. It would be better for them if you give it to them already instead of making them waste time here.”

Hakam sighed in exasperation, then called over his subordinate and told them to bring something from his room. The man, who clearly seemed versed in military arts, turned back around and sat next to the great Aja.

“I am Hakam, the supreme commander in charge of conquering the labyrinth. I do not mind giving you a license, but departure will not be for some time yet. Do not try to explore the labyrinth prematurely.”

“Oh, we wouldn’t do that. But being able to report to the guild early will help us a great deal.”

Marie and I bowed in gratitude once more, and his intimidating face softened into a smile. It was only a slight change in expression, but it completely changed the atmosphere about him.

“You seem like well-mannered kids, but I can’t judge a book by its cover. I’ve heard the stories of you saving a Neko tribesman and discovering this ancient labyrinth. They say you fought off multiple bandits, despite your young age.”

“Thank you. Things ended up going well, but it was quite dangerous. I can’t say it was very commendable of us to put ourselves in such a situation.”

Marie nodded along in agreement. Ever since we played right into the hands of those bandits before, we’d learned to be far more cautious.

“Ah, it’s good that you have a grasp of your own abilities while you’re young. Whereas Aja here is a wrinkled old geezer now and still hasn’t learned.”

As soon as he finished his sentence, he was knocked on the head with a staff. The sound of the impact was quite loud, but he seemed unfazed as he gave us a look that seemed to say, “See?”

Just then, some of his subordinates approached him with a rolled up letter. The string binding it was undone before us, revealing a license with the seal from the king of Arilai on it.

“Here’s what you asked for. I intended on giving it to you later, but I’d rather not deal with the trouble of refusing Aja’s request.”

“Th-Thank you.”

He was probably going to delay giving it to us because he didn’t want us going off to the labyrinths by ourselves, as he’d mentioned earlier. Of course, we weren’t the type to lose sight of ourselves over greed, and I think he understood that after talking to us.

He handed Marie the letter and turned his head toward me. “Ah, I’d like to ask something of you before you return to your country. I’m about to meet with the Neko, and I would like you to be my translator. We have our own, but I thought he’d be more at ease with someone he’s familiar with.”

“Oh, you mean Mewi. Yes, of course. We don’t mind.”

I quickly glanced at Marie to find her nodding enthusiastically, so I accepted the request. He didn’t explain the reason for their meeting, but I figured it had to do with the Magic Stone. It was clearly something he couldn’t say here, and he did mention earlier that something like a Magic Stone was under appraisal. We’d also seen the Magic Stone in person, which may have contributed in their decision to choose us for this task. We were wondering how Mewi was being treated anyway, and whether or not he’d be able to live in peace.

Hakam nodded with satisfaction, then directed his warrior’s gaze toward my hip. I didn’t have a sword at the time since the bandits had broken it, so all I had was an empty sheath.

“Do the swords of our land not suit you?”

“No, no, it’s not that... I’ve been looking for something that’s cheap, durable, and long-lasting, but I’m having a hard time finding one.”

I sounded like a frugal housewife, but I really didn’t have much of a budget to work with. However, he seemed more perplexed by the fact that I seemed fine without carrying a sword.

“I was wary when I heard you’d be participating from a foreign country, but it seems there was no need.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. The elf girl is as clever as she looks, and the boy is deceptively so. They’re even living together, despite their age.”

We both made a face and tried shouting over Aja, but it seemed those around us couldn’t ignore that statement.

“Elves these days are pretty open about that sort of stuff, huh?” “Who knows? Maybe it’s the guy that’s...” They all chimed in unnecessarily.

Our faces turned red as we said the same thing simultaneously:

““It’s not like that! We’ve only held hands so far!””

The hall erupted in laughter. Their chuckling voices didn’t stop for some time, and our faces were still red when we left the castle.

And so, I learned that it was better to just keep my mouth shut in situations like those...

It seemed that while we were away, the conversation in the hall continued. The amused laughter died down after quite some time, and eventually it settled into its usual calmness. Hakam, the man in charge of the mission to conquer the labyrinths, looked around as he rubbed his beard.

“They’re quite strange, those two. Even those who were cautious of outsiders relaxed quite quickly around them. That’s not something you can do deliberately.”

It was natural to be cautious of outsiders, especially when meeting one for the first time. Considering this was a conquest for a labyrinth that could steer the future of an entire kingdom, it was only natural for everyone to be on edge. But Hakam could clearly see the peaceful mood in the air, as if the hostility had been neutralized.

“Ah, the power of youth,” Aja sighed. “We could never reach someone’s hearts as they do, with the countless secrets we harbor.”

Hakam exhaled from his nose and sat down. There was a smile on the wrinkly face of the old man sitting across from him, as well as those around him. Hakam frowned dubiously.

“And what about you? You seem to treat them like your own grandchildren, but you’d better not leak any of our information, unintentional or not.”

“Fool... Of course I know what I can and can’t tell the Alexei Sorcerer’s Guild. But it seems they will have difficulties ahead. Even if they do manage to get approval from the guild, I don’t know if we should send them into ancient labyrinths where many perish on a daily basis...”

Hakam exhaled quickly from his nose again. The old man indeed sounded like someone worried for his grandchildren.

The refreshing aroma of tea wafted up from the cup he was holding. Hakam took in the scent and opened his mouth to speak again.

“They should be fine. If they do end up participating, I’m certain they’ll manage, just as before. Though, this is nothing more than a hunch.”

Aja seemed surprised, then smiled even wider than before.

“How interesting that a veteran of many battlefields says so. I suppose I’ll leave the fact that you were captivated by a cute elf girl during your speech to myself.”

Hakam nearly spit out his tea. This was followed by his repeated attempts to explain himself, and the hall became lively again.

We were oblivious to all of this happening, as we were resting at a plaza in Arilai.

Bright sunlight... would have been a mild way to put it.

Mariabelle stood in the middle of the plaza, bathing in the infernal beams from the sun.

She was gripping her holly staff with both hands as sweat ran down her face. She was muttering something that the spirits around her could hear. A sphere of water, several buckets worth, was floating before her. It was a water spirit called Undine.

In Arilai, there were no restrictions on using water or ice spirits in the middle of a city. As soon as Marie learned this, she told me she wanted to try something before going to see Mewi. I was sitting on a bench and swinging my feet back and forth, acting like a sort of escort for her.

Looking around, there were various clever methods of dealing with the desert heat in the city. For example, this tall plant that looked like a palm tree. They’d been planted all over the place, and it was clear to see they were deliberately positioned to provide shade from direct sunlight. The regions for the upper classes, such as royalty, were surely even more comfortable to live in.

But we were in the lower layer of the city, where the quality of life had a stark contrast from the upper layer. The citizens dealt with the climate by wearing breathable clothing, rehydrating with tea often, and taking naps on particularly sunny days to replenish their energy. Many around us were even taking a post-lunch break by lying down in the breeze.

The uncommon sights of an elf and Spirit Sorcery were attracting great amounts of attention, but she continued her muttering.

“Oh, something’s changing?”

I voiced my observation when I saw that something was sparkling around the water spirit. It seemed like tiny water particles, and all of them moved in unison the moment Marie raised her thin finger. Mist was dispersed in the area around her, and after a brief pause, the crowd around her cheered.

“Ahh, it feels so nice! You did it, Marie!”

“Hehe, I’ve finally learned to control vaporization. I was thinking about it at the oasis and during the tea party. It should really prove to be useful here.”

As the vaporized fluid spread to our surroundings, the heat became significantly easier to manage.

“I don’t know if you realize this, but there aren’t many elves who can pull off such a complicated and delicate order. I may have mentioned this before, but my strength lies in this extreme precision,” she explained with a proud expression while wiping beads of water from her forehead.

Dispersing mist that was a lower temperature than the surrounding atmosphere did indeed serve to make the area cooler overall. As it lowered the air temperature, the evaporating water absorbed some of the heat along with it. Children gathered around, excited and drawn by the interesting sight.

Marie smiled faintly and touched the water, then gave the water spirit an additional request.

“Keep cooling them off for me.”

The transparent sphere bobbed as if nodding in response.

With the sound of children shouting happily behind us, we slowly climbed down the stairs. Marie was still sweating as she turned toward me, but there was a satisfied look on her face.

“That should help with the heat, but they’ll need to figure out how to secure more water.”

“Water is quite precious in the desert... By the way, Marie, have you been getting better at handling spirits?”

“Yes, I’ve come to appreciate them more, since I’ve been unable to communicate with them in Japan. I feel like I’ve become much better friends with them now,” she said proudly.

According to her, going to Japan felt like reverting back to level 1, and it was very difficult for her to communicate with spirits there.

“But I feel as if I’m inching closer to them, so it may get better over time. Although, I don’t want you to expect too much.”

“I don’t expect anything, and I don’t think it’s all that necessary while you’re in Japan.”

“Maybe not, but it bothers me. It gives my back this itchy feeling knowing I can’t do something I normally can.”

Hm, I hadn’t known that. Personally, I’d have preferred if Marie just lived her life quietly, but I wanted to leave that decision up to her. But now that she could control vaporization, it would certainly help us get through the extreme heat that would be approaching in about three months.

We continued down to the lower layers of the city. The buildings were closer together, with more residential areas and shopping districts in the nearby surroundings. It was more humid with the increased traffic, and the lack of wind made it feel even hotter than before. Marie seemed to be having a hard time dealing with this, and she walked from shade spot to shade spot, hiding from the sunlight.

“Maybe you should at least change out of those thick robes. Look, everyone else is wearing light clothing.”

I voiced my idea after noticing a clothing store when we descended the stone stairway to an open area. There was colorful clothing in breathable-looking fabrics displayed at the store. We were still far from our destination, but the girl’s feet stopped at my suggestion. I seemed to have caught her attention. Seeing her light purple eyes staring at the clothes, I decided to entice her a little more.

“Don’t they all seem nice and airy? Looks like they’re Arabian style or something. I always think about what would look good on you, and I think those colors that match your eyes would look nice.”

“Oh, stop that. As you can tell by my robes, I’m a sorceress. I’d be setting a bad example by wearing thin clothing like that...”

“Hmm, I think you’d look good in a simple white color, too. Look, it matches your hair perfectly.”

The store employee gestured for us to try it, so I took one and held it up to her shoulders. It drew out the color of her eyes even further, making them seem more beautiful than precious jewels.

...But from behind the clothing I was holding, I could see a pair of glaring eyes and a frowning mouth.

“...The Sorcerer’s Guild would be angry with me if I showed up wearing something like this.”

“We’re in Arilai right now. There’s still a long way to go until we get to your country, and I doubt anyone from there is watching you. You liked wearing pajamas while we rested in Japan, didn’t you?”

She made a troubled face. Just to be clear, there were no rules stating that she had to wear robes. Anything was fine to wear, so long as the fabric didn’t restrict movement or get in the way of interacting with spirits. The rest really was up to the sorcerer’s sense of code.

“Hmph... You always try to lure my interests like this. You started this, so take responsibility and help me choose an outfit, okay?”

“Ah, good. I’ll gladly help, of course.”

Marie put on an exasperated act, but her footsteps seemed lighter as she followed me into the shop. I already knew how much she liked clothes, so it was easy to convince her.

It seemed there was a wide array of dyes available in this region, seeing how the clothes came in all sorts of colors. The shop was also well-stocked with different fabrics, ranging from thin to thicker cloths.

“I think pants like these would be easy to move around in. What do you think?”

“Oh, it has drawstrings to cinch up the waist and ankles. It does look quite lovely, with a foreign style to it. As for the color, I do think white looks nice. Say, what do you think of these? Would it look strange if my stomach was showing?”

I looked at what she picked out. It was the type of top that covered up the chest down to the wrists. It seemed to be designed for hot weather and didn’t completely cover the stomach. Well, all I could say was that I would’ve been more than happy to see a cute girl’s belly button from wearing something like this.

“Then I think you should wear this veil along with it. It’s a little flashy, but it’d go really well with your pretty skin.”

I placed the thin fabric over her head. She seemed to be getting into it, too.

“There’s nothing wrong with wearing this. It’s for dealing with the sun, after all,” Marie said, almost as if she was making excuses for herself.

I’d heard that shopping with women could be a hassle, but there was no pain in spending time with a girl as cute as her. Even the old lady working at the shop seemed enchanted and helped us pick out clothes that would suit her, rather than just directing us to the most expensive ones.

We didn’t have the convenience of a changing room, of course, but she kindly let us use the room in the back. After a little while, the elf girl emerged from the back wearing ornate sandals. The shop worker and I stared.

The white, breezy-looking clothing was cinched up at her waist and ankles. There were slits in her top from her shoulder to her sleeve, from which her beautiful skin peeked out. She looked like a dancer from a foreign country, and her outfit emphasized her natural allure even further. All I could manage was a wordless sigh... and the shop worker seemed to be in a similar emotional state, seeing how we both sighed at the exact same time.

Marie was a slender girl, but there was a definite sexiness to the curvature of her hips, and her cute little belly button was openly visible. She wasn’t showing skin excessively at all, but the little bit of wrist, ankles, and waist she was showing hinted at her beauty as a whole.

“H-How do I look? It’s a little embarrassing wearing something so light...”

The veil covering her white hair and elf ears swayed a bit as she shyly asked for my opinion. I mean, she looked so good, there was nothing for me to critique. The shop worker and I clapped without thinking, clearly impressed by the end result.

“Please come back again!” The smiling older lady waved her hand enthusiastically as she walked us out of the shop.

Marie seemed much more comfortable in her new outfit as we walked out under the sun, though the expression on her face seemed somewhat apologetic.

“She gave us such a big discount. I’d feel guilty if we didn’t come back to shop here again... I also feel bad about you holding my bag for me...”

“We can come back once we save up more money. As for the bag, it doesn’t suit your new clothing, so I don’t mind holding it for you.”

She was so adorable as she thanked me, it seemed to lighten the mood of everyone around us. They couldn’t help but stare at her gorgeous smile, and I certainly couldn’t blame them.

That reminded me, I’d need to buy new clothes for her to wear in Japan, too. It was getting warmer over there as well, so I debated whether to get her spring or summer clothes.

As I stood there thinking about it, the girl peered at me with her purple eyes.

“So, where does Mewi live? I hope we didn’t make Sir Hakam wait too long with our detour.”

“Hmm, I think he’ll forgive us when he sees your outfit. It should be right over there, just around the corner.”

I repositioned the bag, which was now bulging with Marie’s robe in it, and we walked around the corner.