Chapter 3: The Girl in Aqua
The next day.
“What should I do… Seriously, what should I do…”
I was in a state of confusion.
After the Magic Tournament ended, which may or may not have gone well, I contacted Eve to let her know I was ready to accompany her for our planned shopping trip.
She responded, “Okay, let’s go tomorrow,” so I readily agreed and quickly returned home, trying to forget everything as I fell asleep. The bed was filled with happiness.
And now, today. I woke up in the morning, stretching out and feeling refreshed, but then reality suddenly hit me. I had wanted to stay in that dream forever.
In the first place, I have no idea why Rafine came to Magikosmaia.
I shouldn’t have told anyone about the location. Yet, it seems like the people I dealt with before are gathering again. If Letty and Wedd are there, it’s almost a complete reunion. This is ridiculous.
“Or rather, even if she is the Fourth Princess, it’s not okay for a princess to walk around the city…!”
There didn’t seem to be any guards either… Well, with Rafine’s “Words of Magic,” it shouldn’t be too dangerous. But it’s still careless.
Moreover, she probably came out without telling anyone. If she had told someone, she wouldn’t be walking around alone, as there should be guards all around her.
So, that means… the entire Univercia Kingdom is probably in chaos by now. The fan club and the king must be in an uproar.
Given Rafine’s attitude, she might still be watching somewhere… I’m extremely unsettled. Because of that I’ve been looking around anxiously and acting suspiciously.
“…What’s wrong since earlier?”
As I was acting suspiciously, a girl with aqua-colored hair and a fashionable outfit approached me with a concerned tone—Eve.
It was early in the morning. We had gathered at the meeting point for Eve’s shopping trip, waking up early, and getting ready for it.
“I’m fine, there’s no problem.”
I answered like everything was fine, even though I was far from okay. If I believe it’s okay even though it’s not, then it will be okay (confusing).
“Should we cancel after all?”
“No, it’s alright.”
Eve suggested stopping when she saw my condition, but I immediately rejected it. I absolutely couldn’t do that. I might lose the tickets.
“It’s really not a problem. I just don’t want to be seen by someone. I’ve also disguised my magical powers… It should be fine.”
“I see. If you don’t want to be found that much, why not change your face?”
“…If I change my face too much, it feels weird and uncomfortable because my senses change.”
The “Ring of Illusion” allows me to freely change my appearance, but when I make it too different from my real self, my senses change, and it feels strange.
Besides, I don’t really want to change my face. I am who I am. It’s fine to change my hair color or something a bit, but changing everything is not something I want.
“Plus, I kinda like my own face… I’m handsome, right?”
“…If your eyes weren’t so dull.”
That’s harsh.
“If there’s something to hide your face, that would be great, right? Well then, wait a moment.”
Eve said that and went somewhere, then she returned holding something bulky and metallic—a suit of armor and a full-face helmet.
“Put these on.”
“You bought them for me? Sorry, how much did it cost?”
“Money is not important. Just put these on.”
I tried to take out money, but Eve insisted and forcefully pressed the helmet against me. In that case, I’ll take her word for it.
“Hmm, it’s light. Is it for costumes?”
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When I held it, it felt much lighter than usual. It seems to be a replica for costumes.
I put on the bulky full-face helmet, hiding my face. With the “Magical Disguise” in place, unless something extraordinary happens, I shouldn’t be recognized as myself. Now I can relax—
“You should wear this too.”
That’s what I thought, but for some reason, Eve also handed me the armor.
“No, it’s really not necessary…”
“If we’re going to do it, might as well go all the way.”
“But it’s a hassle…”
“It’ll look cool.”
“But…”
“The ticket.”
“Fine, I’ll wear it.”
I ended up wearing the armor too. I love armor!
“Yeah…”
Eve nodded in approval as she looked at me, seeming satisfied. I don’t quite understand, but if it makes her happy, then it’s fine.
“Well then… Let’s go shopping.”
And now—with the apparent resolution of the issue that had been worrying me (although it hadn’t really been resolved), Eve and I began our shopping trip.
“This store.”
Following Eve, we walked for about ten minutes until we reached the clothing store we were aiming for.
“It’s pretty ordinary…”
I honestly voiced my thoughts upon seeing the exterior of the shop.
The store’s name is [VillageIsland]. It’s a famous clothing store that caters to both commoners and slightly affluent upper class, offering a range of clothes.
To be honest, I had expected to be taken to a store with more expensive designer brands since I had said, “I’ll buy everything.” I had even prepared money for that purpose.
“But well, what did you expect? A place with excessively expensive stuff?” Eve asked.
“Yeah, I thought you’d take me to a store filled with high-end brands, where It’d be showered with luxury,” I replied.
“Well, I just said that casually. Besides, expensive doesn’t necessarily mean good,” Eve retorted.
She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, displaying a hint of irritation. It seems she’s unexpectedly down-to-earth. It’s a pleasant surprise that it won’t cost me much. I can use the leftover money to buy magical tools.
And so, after entering the store with Eve, she quickly picked up the clothes she wanted and headed to the fitting room, instructing me to follow her.
“This… What do you think?”
With that, the mysterious event of “me critiquing Eve’s fashion show” for this shopping trip began.
First, Eve changed into a stylish outfit with a predominance of light blue.
“Hmm, doesn’t it look good?”
“Do I suit it?”
“I think it looks great.”
“…I see.”
The curtain of the fitting room closed with a swish, and the sound of clothes rustling could be heard.
“…How about this?”
Next, she changed into another trendy outfit with light blue as the main color.
“Well, I think it’s good.”
“…I see.”
The curtain closed again, accompanied by the sound of clothes rustling. Then she tried on yet another fashionable outfit.
“…This one.”
“Doesn’t it look nice?”
Without hesitation, I responded, and Eve approached me.
“Seriously, give me a serious answer.”
She grabbed the full-face helmet I was wearing with both hands and exerted pressure, squishing it forcefully. There was no smile in her expression. It was intimidating.
“No… I am giving you a serious answer.”
“If you don’t tell me where it looks good or why it suits me, it’s not helpful at all. It’s no different from looking in a mirror.”
She seemed dissatisfied with my review.
“Well, even if you say that, I don’t really understand fashion, and honestly, all the previous outfits looked the same to me. Besides, as long as the clothes can be worn, isn’t that good enough?”
As I countered, Eve’s face scowled.
“All those outfits were different. You should pay more attention to appearances.”
“I do pay attention… to the comfort when wearing them.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Eve would tell me the names of the clothes and explain their qualities, but it just wouldn’t register in my mind. Frankly, as long as the clothes aren’t horribly unfashionable, I think it’s good enough. Once you put them on, they’re all the same, right?
“…Sigh. Well, I’ll make the next outfits easier to understand.”
Maybe she gave up on me, who wasn’t really listening. She picked up a few more items from the store and entered the fitting room with a swift stride.
…This is bad. She seemed slightly angry earlier, so I have to think carefully and give proper answers from now on. I need to do my best.
“…So, what do you think?”
After the sound of clothes rustling, the curtain of the fitting room opened.
Eve was wearing a refreshing, light blue and white-themed dress.
The hem had cute frills, accentuating her girlish charm. She wore a white beret with a light blue ribbon, giving her a refined appearance. In short, it was the kind of outfit that young ladies and debutantes might wear.
After careful consideration, I replied, “It looks like something a young lady would wear.”
“…Next, this one.”
Next, Eve changed into a slightly loose white polo shirt with a light blue hoodie loosely draped over it, paired with shorts.
On her head, she wore a cap with a brim tilted forward, and her hair was gathered up with a hair tie, giving off a very boyish vibe.
After pondering for a while, I answered, “It has a boyish feel.”
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