GSS Chapter 4: Promised rewards? It’s shopping time!

After some time, the happy couple was able to arrive at their destination with no trouble whatsoever, as they found no more sour surprises on their way to the Merchant District from the Tea House.

On the contrary, the only surprises that appeared were those of gratefulness, for a couple that consisted of a dryad and an earth attribute attuned demon could not hold themselves back and presented them both with gifts, all as they told them how they had just moved to the Kingdom to start a family and that it was thanks to Auros and her Maid-Knights saving the city that such dream did not stay as just that, a dream.

The gifts they presented to them were both made on the spot by the couple, the dryad conjured up a matching set of flower crowns and the demon created a matching set of gem bracelets.

And of course, they happily wore them, with each of them putting said objects on the other while in the middle of flustered and playful giggles.

Yes…their stroll to the merchant district was full of such surprises, continuing to show Auros how the people of the Kyrie Kingdom were and how beautiful the world she had come to was.

Truly, for with every turn they took, there was something that surprised her, that amazed her, that left her in awe, that…inspired her.

Be it a building that had parts of it floating, or the architecture itself showing her that things were not as easily classified as ‘typical gothic European-isekai-esque’ as she had previously thought, for some places were truly the stuff of fantasy.

And of course, the incredible variety of people walking, floating, and even flying all around her.

All as a certain goddess poked fun at her for falling into a certain cliché she had made fun of not so long ago, causing Auros to blush in embarrassment and…

‘W-well, can you blame me?! I’m a weeb now living in a fantasy world! Of course, I would still get like this! Hmph!’

…mentally respond to her like that.

The words ‘adorable tsundere’ were spoken shortly after and the usual mental back and forth between such couple of Goddess and Mortal girlfriends started.

That is…if Gabrielle, sensing that something was going on, even when that should have been impossible, intervened. Doing so by letting go of Auros’ hand–which surprised her–and immediately yanking the high dragon lord to her side, not only locking arms with her once again, but also completely grabbing her attention by giving her a good feel of the side of her chest.

But that was not all, as she opened her eyes in very particular manner and looked upwards, not towards the sky but to the metaphorical place from which the Goddess of that world peeped on them and said…

“Miss Nerinne, I do not mind you watching over us, but please refrain from grabbing Auros’ attention too much. It is our date after all.”

…that.

Somewhat scaring Auros, but most importantly…one would think that the Goddess would be mad at such words, yet this Goddess was not.

Far from that, she was ecstatic as she told Auros how the look on Gabrielle’s face gave her the…good kind of shivers and how she was awarding her with ‘5 second heroine points’ for what she did.

On a side note, Erevain–who was playing with Celesia at the time–suddenly felt threatened for some reason, causing her loving gaze to turn into a glare that inadvertently scared her dear daughter and made her cry, which in turn brought her to tears.

Lots of hugs and reassurances ensued after that but let us digress.

“Do you have the list of rewards you wanted to acquire for everyone, Auros?”

“Hmph, who do you think I am? Of course, I have it. Here.”

As they arrived at the merchant district, Auros answered to Gabrielle’s question in her seemingly ‘cold’ tone and took out a piece of paper from her cleavage, or at least she made it look like that.

The truth was that she simply teleported the paper from her personal storage while doing such motion.

Still, her partner found that amusing enough to giggle and not comment on it.

“Sadly, we are missing one person in that list.”

“My, let me guess, Erevain.”

“Indeed.”

“Haa…that is just like her. She is as likely to have forgotten as she is to think that just doing her duty is reward enough.”

“Huhu…no, I do not think that was the case here. Judging by the way she spoke when she gave me the list, I am quite sure she wanted me to surprise her. Ahh…she truly is adorable.”

So said Auros as she made a loving smile…which was the wrong move…

“Uhuhu…is that so?”

“…!!”

…for she showed once again how much common sense she lacked, but this time it was not a common sense unique to this world, and instead it was one shared between worlds.

One that also showed how inexperienced she was in the matters of love or, to be more specific, courtship.

Such common sense was…not lovingly speaking about someone else when you are already in the middle of the date with another person.

Even more so when that person practically told a Goddess to back off for a similar transgression not so long ago.

Of course, it was of no surprise then that Auros felt quite the intimidating pressure coming from Gabrielle right after, even when her expression did not seem to change at all.

“I…I deeply apologize…Gabby…”

“Uhuhu…it is fine, Auros. Since it is your first offense, I will forgive you.”

Then again, one can safely say that she would make sure to not commit such blunder ever again after that.

“E-err…amm…l-let’s go…w-we have many stores to visit and little time before sunset!”

“Yes, let’s~.”

With that, they started their journey through the merchant district.

Their objective, find and buy all the items in Auros’ list, items that would serve as the rewards that she and Erevain had planned to give to all the Maid-Knights after their mission in the Kingdom.

A task that Gabrielle graciously accepted to help with after beating Erevain–play of words intended–in their little game to decide who would go with Auros.

For Roxxy, they went to a store that traded with products from the Kingdom’s city of Mountain Heart, Roxxy’s birthplace, and bought a package of things that she had previously mentioned missing.

Like some local sweets, snacks, sauces, beer, a special pillow that is only made there, some bedsheets made from the soft fur of the Sleepy Goats–a common beast that lived alongside the people of such city–and other things like a book compiling the most recent events that happened there. Plus…

“Auros, this too. I believe even Miss Nerinne would approve.”

“Hooh~, yes, I think so too.”

“Uhuhu~.”

“Huhuhu~.”

…acting on Gabrielle’s suggestion and totally looking forward to seeing Roxxy in it, Auros also bought her Mountain Heart’s traditional dress, accessories included.

If we were to describe said dress with words from Auros’ former world, then said dress was quite similar in form to a Swiss traditional Heidi dress, though it had its differences, one being the number of designs carefully sewn on it, designs that showed just how proud the citizens of Mountain Heart were of the melting pot that their birthplace was.

Some of those designs belonged to the dwarves, some to the fairies, others to the humans, and still others to the demons, elves, and more. Yet…they all complemented each other perfectly.

“This is so well made. One can clearly see that it was made by quite the experienced hands.”

“Indeed, it also seems like it would be quite comfortable to wear.”

“You know, Gabby, I have an idea.”

“My, I was just about to say the same thing.”

The couple ended up liking the dress so much, that they bought more of them and even went ahead to try them on…

“““Ooohh!!”””

““““So pretty…””””

…marveling the staff of the store and those who were lucky enough to be there at the time.

And yes, there were dresses for Auros’ size, which was a relief for her. Then again, such thing was to be expected, as half-giants, ogres, and orcs were known to have body types that can resemble hers.

Having had their fun at such store, they went to Arte’s equivalent of a game store for the reward that belonged to a certain maid who was fond of games, Lucy. Said reward was a bundle of different board games and magic games, many which were released in the 5-year period the Maid-Knights were in exile.

“Nn…!!”

“Uhuhu~.”

Of course, Auros was barely able to hold back her desire to peruse every single one of the products in such store, wanting to know everything about Arte’s boardgames and most exciting of all, Arte’s version of videogames, the aptly called ‘magic games’.

‘Videogames…videogames…VIDEOGAMES IN AN ISEKAI!! THIS IS A CHECK! AN UNEXPECTED BUT SO WELCOME ONE! I WANT THEM! I WANT THEM AAAAAAAAAAAALLL!! Wait…could there be…COULD THERE BE RPG’S HERE?! AND VISUAL NOVELS?!! AHHHH I NEED TO LOOK FOR THEM! Ah! But I can’t! I can’t go full gamer weeb right now…and not because of Gabrielle…I am sure she would accept that side of me too…but because I have a character to maintain with everyone else…so sad…and yes…I know I played myself. Don’t poke me when I’m down…you evil…dark weeb…’

All by the tune of such thoughts.

Still, she was able to buy one magic game, stating a certain curiosity for them as she did so, and the one she bought was a…fantasy magic game.

Although, once she read the description on the back of the box, she could not help but…

“Fantasy?! This is Sci-fi!!”

“““““…??”””””

…let that out, confusing Gabrielle and the rest of the people in the store for one awkward–at least for her–moment. After all, what is fantasy in a fantasy world but normalcy? And if that is the case, then would sci-fi not be the best to fill that void and be named as such?

In any case, among the games included in such bundle was a horror board-magic game hybrid where the participants would be dropped into their worse–yet still family friendly–nightmares if they did not clear the many fun and embarrassing challenges found in the squares their pieces could fall into, all after each roll of the dice, and a dancing magic game with over one hundred songs, which included both new hits and all-time classics, both were perfect, family friendly fun games for parties and more.

Although, in the not so far future, the Goddess, the Villain of Villains, and the Head Maid-Knight, almost died after seeing their daughters play the dancing game, so perhaps it would be best to put up warning labels on the latter’s box, explaining the dangers of cuteness overdose.

Moving on, some may think that Mika may come right after Lucy, and they would be right, so much so, that the couple did not even have to walk that far at all, for the store that sold such bespectacled maid’s reward was just on the other side of the street, and such store was, of course, a bookstore.

Once inside, and after greeting the staff, they went straight to the sections where their buying targets were and grabbed them with smiles on their faces. Such targets were a collection of all the new volumes of Mika’s favorite novels and both miscellaneous and specialized encyclopedias.

Every. Single. One.

“Auros, are those…?”

“For the castle’s library. I thought that since we were here already, why not go ahead and add more books to it. And in that regard, choose whatever books you would like to add to it. All books help, one way or another. From those that teach us how the world works, to those which hold stories that can make us laugh, cry, and reflect.”

“My, I did not take you to be so much of a book lover.”

“I am, actually. Is that…bad?”

“No, not at all. I’ll be going to look for those books then.”

“…I knew that you would say that but still…thank you…”

And so, after such relief-filled murmur vanished into the air, unheard by everyone, except for an smiling high human, they bought quite the quantity of books for the castle’s library, including various tales for Ilya and Celesia to enjoy, bestiaries for Jules, and newly published research on poison and medicine for Allegra and the healers in general.

One thing that was not in their purchases, however, was novels specially bought for a certain Prince(ss), for Auros…

‘Hmm…yeah, this would be the ‘expected’ gift and while she would accept it happily, I do want to surprise her. I really want to see what kind of lovely face she makes when she sees it…’

…thought that when was about to grab some of them but stopped herself.

Their next stop involved the rewards of not one, but two maids and those were, Gail and Louise. Not only was it because the store they went to was one of the best in regards of kitchen utensils, but also because said store was one owned by someone from Gail’s hometown, Vivliene, and they proudly sold plenty of products from such place.

“For Gail are the cute cookie molds, some Elder Puzzlewood wooden spoons, a cute mithril baking tray and pans set, an orc-made pastry brush, wooden pastry tray, and a wire rack. And if possible…dragon claw kitchen scissors and pastry blender. That’s…is there even…”

“My, but of course. Many dragons still think of us as food, so using their remains to help us make our own food is just another way for us to punish them.”

“…I-I see…”

‘I-I mean, there many isekais with mithril cooking utensils but dragon kitchen scissors and pastry blenders…that’s a first! But most importantly…so cold! The eyes she showed while saying that were so cold! Kowaaaaiiii…!!! So scaryyyyy…!!’

“Anyway, why don’t I go and get Louise’s gift while you take care of Gail’s? That way we will be able to move on to the next store in no time. And do not worry, I already memorized what she wanted so you can keep the list.”

“Eh…ah…yes, yes, alright…see you at the Vivliene ingredients section…”

‘From cold to sweet in an instant…my heart can’t take these sudden changes…even if it’s as OP as me…’

Shaken, the Nightmare of the Dragon Lords who many considered to be fearless, went about getting everything Erevain thought the Cute Maid-Knight could ask for, even if she hid the state she was in well. Meanwhile, Gabrielle went about happily doing the same thing but for the main cook of the Maid-Knight’s, Louise, whose part of the list mentioned better cooking utensils than the stainless-steel ones the castle had, utensils that in her case were more general in their use, like mithril pans, pots, dwarven frying nets, a set of dragon claw and tooth cooking and butchering knives, and more.

All before meeting up at the place where they would get plenty of Vivliene bred and harvested ingredients, from unique types of berries, fruits, vegetables, and even sugar, to the city’s famous sweet cream and Puzzlewood oil, the latter being one of the best oils to cook with as it was not only very nutritious, it also partially seasoned the food with a very unique, yet tasty flavor all on its own.

Though a certain poisonous maid’s concoction could be said to be at the very top when it came to frying, something said maid was very proud of.

Either way and luckily for our shopping couple, none of these purchases would even make a dent in their funds, for even without the well-deserved discount all merchants gave to them, they had plenty of change thanks to Auros’ sweet and adorable volcanic daughter, who provided plenty of extremely pure fire crystals and other minerals of similar quality, which some could even call invaluable.

Leaving the shop with everything that had been listed for those two cooking maids, Auros and Gabrielle immediately went to their next stop, a brewery run by an ogre and a dwarf, one that not only offered quite the variety of alcoholic drinks–both brewed in house or imported–but also plenty of the best and rarest ingredients that would go with it, which of course included an ample selection of meat, ranging from the usual to the rarest.

Such was the place where they would buy the rewards of three maids, Kris, Bertia…and Evangeline.

“I get it from Kris and Bertia, given that it is plenty clear those two would enjoy the beer and the meat together and respectively, but is it truly alright for us to reward Evangeline solely with bottles of wine from various places? Should we not try to look for something that is from her place of origin? And in that regard...where is she from? It is not listed here…”

“My, my, that...is not something for me to say, Auros. Give her some time and I am sure that she will tell you on her own though.”

“Umu, I see. Then I shall not press the issue anymore.”

“Mhm~. As for her reward, why, trust me, she will be quite happy with such a varied supply of wine. Even more so with the rare ones we can now obtain.”

“Heh, is that so? Then let us try and get the rarest of wines to compensate her properly.”

“Uhuhu, that is a great idea.”

It was said that when the rough talking maid received her reward and saw what it was, she almost fainted after loudly screaming "…THE FUCK?! THESE ARE…THESE ARE…!!", but she did not as that would have meant dropping the bottles.

Still, what happened next, the epic pursuit and battle between the alcohol loving maids who wanted her to share, and she who did not want to, is a story for another time.

In the case of Luca and Allegra, their rewards were even easier to obtain than the other ones, given that for the former there was not even a need to buy it at all.

“…I see, a treehouse with an alchemy lab in the innermost part of my castle’s forest area. Hmph, that is simple enough.”

*snap*

“Done.”

Indeed, there was no need to buy it, as with a snap of her fingers such treehouse silently appeared in the best place possible, it even had a perfect view of one of said area’s lakes and waterfalls.

“My, that was fast. And here I thought that we would need to take a detour to find the best materials to build it.”

“Heh, there is no need for that. After all, the best materials for it were already available there. As for Allegra’s reward…”

…it was quite the obvious one, for it consisted of the newest alchemy equipment available for purchase, plenty of poisons and venoms, along with samples of both venomous and poisonous organisms, and poisonous minerals, all to replace those that had decayed over the years Allegra had not been able to return to her lab.

Ah, but that was not all since the list also mentioned pretty clothes for both her and Luca to wear.

“My, Erevain really knows Allegra’s likes…well, perhaps a little too well? Hm, I suppose that is to be expected of our earnest Leader.”

“Huhu…indeed. Still, what should we get first, Gabby? The equipment or the clothes?”

“Why, both of course. If we take this road on the left, we can not only arrive rather quickly to the clothing street, but there are also stores who deal with that sort of equipment and samples along the way. We might even be able to buy the rewards for both Max and Maevis too.”

“Hooh~, then please lead the way, my dear Gabby.”

“It will be my pleasure, Auros.”

With that, they crossed to the street Gabrielle mentioned and immediately began going from store to store getting everything they needed for Allegra’s alchemical side of her reward, and along the way they were indeed able to buy the rewards for both Max and Maevis.

For Max they obtained various brushes and other tools for the grooming needs of her summons. Plus, plenty of toys and treats for all of them. It is safe to say that the tiger beast-kin owner of such store was very, very happy to see all their stock in both toys and treats go, even more so when Gabrielle mentioned for whose summons all that stuff was for.

“Oh! Yes! I heard that one of you summoned a White Manticore, right?! I can totally see someone that amazing having plenty of other summons too! Please, do come back whenever she needs more of anything! I’ll be sure to have plenty of it stocked!”

Such was what they said, their eyes filled with admiration for such Maid-Knight, which in turn made Gabrielle think…

‘My, if only they knew about the other thing Max was very passionate about. I wonder if they would still admire her with such intensity, uhuhu.’

…that.

As for what is that other thing, well, this is not the place to reveal such thing, so let us digress and talk about what the couple got for Maevis, and that was a certain couple of magical artifacts.

The first one when turned on would project Arte’s starry night sky on whichever surface one desired, with the most common one being the ceiling of one’s room, while the second one was…

‘…a camera…? This is a camera…! I didn’t know this world already had cameras! Sugoi! Arte just keeps amazing me! I really love it!’

…indeed that. Although, it was slightly different from the cameras found on such surprised self-proclaimed protagonist’s world, as in they did not take a still picture but rather it captured the whole moment, granting movement to the magically printed final product.

“Hm? You look quite surprised, Auros. Are there not any mementorias where you come from?”

“Ah! Ahem…! Hmph, yes, of course there are, I was just surprised at the quality of it.”

“I see…then, how about we try it out?”

And so, Gabrielle immediately took such artifact from Auros’ hands, made it float with a bit of help from her light attribute magic, and used her nature attribute magic below her feet to match Auros’ height before…

*kiss*

“Wha…!”

*SNAP*

…kissing her on the cheek and taking the magical picture, all in a matter of seconds, perfectly capturing such moment and the blushing that came after.

With such demonstration of its capabilities, they bought not one, but two of those magical cameras. The one that contained said ‘photo’ and another one for Maevis.

After that, they arrived at the aptly named ‘clothing street’ in no time…

“LADY AUROS! MISS GABRIELLE! I KNEW THAT YOU WOULD COME BACK! PLEASE, COME, COME! I HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY MAKING SO MANY CLOTHES FOR YOU ALL SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU CAME TO MY STORE! COME IN, COME IN! I KNOW YOU WILL LOVE THEM!!”

…which just how much it took for a certain overly enthusiastic and very familiar dwelf to welcome them in such an eager manner.

“Ah…Lady Solmi…”

A dwelf who is one of the very few people in Arte capable of being ‘too much’ for Auros herself to handle, a group that Ludovica Aldert was of course part of.

“Oh me, oh my, it seems her enthusiasm has only grown since then.”

Still, it seemed that Lady Solmi’s attitude had no effect on Gabrielle whatsoever, as she seemed anything but troubled.

“Do we really need to go that store…?”

“My, of course we do. You might not know it, but Lady Solmi is one of the best in what she does. Why, I am sure that we will be able to get quite the cute clothes for Allegra and Luca in her establishment. Besides, I am curious to see what kind of clothes she made for us. Are you not?”

“…I cannot say that I am not curious…”

‘Not only is the trying on different clothes a must for date events and an obvious check in the waiting, but I also really want to see Gabrielle in different outfits! Just imagining her in the is making my heart flutter!! But…Lady Solmi…last time I bragged about Nerinne, but I could just feel it, if I gave her any more than that inch, she would have swallowed me whole!! Still…Gabby in different outfits…Lady Solmi interrogating me…Gabby in different outfits…Lady Solmi interrogating me…’

So, as she was in the middle of such great philosophical dilemma, Auros glanced at Gabrielle, who looked up at her and smiled…

‘HNNNNGHHHH! GABBY IN DIFFERENT OUTFITS AND HAPPY IT IS!!’

…causing her to finally come to a decision, swallowing her reticence towards Lady Solmi and letting herself be ‘pulled’ by Gabrielle towards the store.

“…haa…I just hope she does not try to interrogate me like last time.”

At least most of it.

“Let me say it again! I’m so glad that you have returned to my store! Even more so after what you did! I promise that all the clothes I and my people have made are worthy to be worn by heroines such as you! And while I would absolutely love to ask you all about the new clothes you are wearing right now…”

“…!!”

Shivers ran down Auros’ spine as Lady Solmi said that while glancing at her and licking her lips, to the point that the Nightmare of the Dragon Lords was even preparing herself for the worst, which meant another interrogation from the dwelf, but this time…

“…I have heard that you have been going all around the district buying many, many things! And most importantly, you seem to have plans for later and I don’t want to interfere with those. So, what brings you here today, Lady Auros, Miss Gabrielle? I promise that I will be able to deliver!”

“…?!”

…the dwelf who seemingly was quite enthusiastic about promising things did not do that, and instead acted a little bit more like a normal, respectful merchant, which surprised Auros.

Although, she was able to get ahold of herself fairly quickly to answer Lady Solmi’s question.

“*ahem*…we are here to procure some dresses for two of my Maid-Knights, Luca and Allegra. They were here with us last time.”

“The former has dark burgundy hair, and the latter has lilac hair.”

“Ah! The shy one and her big sister! Yes, I remember them! I made various dresses for them, they are upstairs, but they will need some adjustments since I could only make educated guesses about their measurements. If you can give me their measurements, I will have them ready in no time!”

“Hmph, I see…”

And so, without missing a beat, Auros immediately materialized a little black notebook on her left hand and nonchalantly opened it on Allegra’s page in the first try. In there, one could find more than just her measurements, one could find all the data she had on said maid, from her skills, spells, explanations of them, and her personal notes about her.

Said notebook had for title ‘The Maid-Knight’s Official Handbook’ written in English with gold letters on its black leathery cover.

“Allegra’s measurements are…”

Then, after telling Lady Solmi Allegra’s complete measurements, she moved on to Luca’s page with the same quickness, clearly showing that she knew where both pages were from memory.

“Luca’s measurements are…”

“…”

That was something that the smiling Gabrielle obviously picked up on and understood in a certain way, making her ‘look’ at Auros rather intently as everything happened.

“Perfect! Like I said, my people will have them ready in no time! But while we wait, please try these dresses on! And I won’t accept a no for an answer! I had them brought down here while you were coming to the store!”

“This is…”

“Oh my…”

“Oh, and there’s more of them! Just give me a minute! I will bring those while you change!”

Having taken such dresses from her assistants and left them in the couple’s hands, the dwelf excitedly ran towards her personal workshop in the last floor of her store, leaving Auros and Gabrielle alone for the moment, with everyone else being too starstruck to approach them.

Thus, the young blonde woman took advantage of the situation and…

“I wonder how you got all our measurements and why is it that you know each page by memory.”

“…!! Erm…”

…whispered that in the direction of Auros’ ear, taking her beloved by surprise.

But her assault did not end there.

“Could it be that Miss Nerinne gave them to you? Or perhaps your eyes are that hyperactive, hm?”

“That’s…!!”

Not at all, as her words kept hitting every nail on the head.

“May I see that notebook of yours, Auros?”

“…”

And then she finished with such question, one just in name, as it was clear for Auros that it was more of a demand, despite of her seemingly warm smile.

“Here…”

Thus, having no option but surrender, Auros surrendered her little black notebook to Gabrielle, who then began looking through its pages without noticing that a certain giggling Goddess was making it possible for her to read it by showing its contents in the common tongue rather than English, which made her soul partner go ‘of course you’d do that! You…lovable troll!’, and while she seemed to get more and more bothered by what she was reading, she was actually just teasing her date, as she could not deny that seeing her nervous was not funny. Even more, what happened when she reached her page would not have been possible if she was truly bothered or worse…angered.

“…!! This is…oh me, oh my…uhuhu…I see…you have…this much…”

She blushed, closed the notebook, gave it back to Auros, and then ‘hit’ her on the shoulder before…

“…you are forgiven.”

“…”

…seemingly leaving for the changing rooms, but not before slightly turning and telling her that, the red on her cheeks still not disappearing, landing with such cuteness what Auros would call a ‘critical hit’ on her heart.

Still, what did Gabrielle see that caused such reaction on her?

To answer that question, we only need to speak of the images she could not stop recalling as she closed the curtain of her respective changing room, or if we are to be specific, the content of them, as it was something rather simple but at the same time sweet and adorable.

There, on the pages that were dedicated to her, were hand drawn hearts acting as a frame for both her name and a list of things Auros loved about her, a very extensive list, one filled with things that were already known to her, and other, small things, that she did not know that Auros loved, much less noticed.

“‘…I love how she plays with her curls while working or thinking…’ My…she really knows how to…strike at my heart….”

Like that one.

Such was what ended up landing quite the critical hit on Gabrielle’s heart.

In any case, with Auros coming out from her cuteness-induced shock and going into the changing room beside Gabrielle’s, both lovebirds began changing into the dresses provided by Lady Solmi.

Of course, Auros did so slowly, as she, even after such wholesome thing happened, did not miss the chance to provide her ‘weebs’ with what she calls ‘fanservice’, proudly taking off each piece of her clothing in a way that would make it as alluring as possible before showing off her lingerie with the same pride and ending with a bit of a tease, as she was seemingly about to show off her bare breasts to them, but she then used her long bangs of hair to cover them while making a smug smile towards the inexistant camera.

As for why she would do something like that…there were apparently two reasons.

‘First! As it is tradition when trying clothes in any anime, not just iskeai, one’s hairstyle needs to change to go along with the outfit being tried on! That is partially why I let my hair loose! The other reason was so that you were focused on me and not on my dear Gabby! After all, the time for that fanservice is not here…yet. Oi, don’t ‘tch!’ me you weebs! You will be grateful to me when the time comes! You’ll see!!’

Reasons she masterfully explained in her inner ‘narration’.

In any case, it did not take long for either of them to put said dresses on, and just before they were about to come out of their changing rooms to show them off, Auros told Gabrielle to not fret if her hairstyle changed, that it was for fun and that it would surely please the crowd that was already forming in the store.

“My, then let us give them quite the show.”

“Heh, with you and I, Gabby, it shall be way more than that.”

‘Nerinne, you’re up!’

With that, Auros and Gabrielle came out of their respective changing rooms.

““““““““OOOOOOOHH!!”””””””

“And there they are! Wearing two of our best creations, which were solely made for them! For Lady Auros we prepared this one, ‘Her Royal Darkness’! My people and I poured everything we had into making it so it would represent those three words perfectly! After all, it needed to compliment Lady Auros herself, whose presence is nothing but royal, while also showing off that certainly fearful dark side she takes on when going into battle! Thus, that is why we used black and dark purples as the palette for this sleeveless dress!”

“Oi.”

“Kyaaa, Lady Auros look over here!”

“No, please, over here! I am your greatest fan!!”

“You look gorgeous!!”

“Please make me yours!!”

“No, me! I’m fine even as a chair!”

“Meanwhile, for Miss Gabrielle we made the aptly called ‘Her Smiling Spring’! Taking some nods from the beautiful elven fashion with its silhouette and their mastery over the greener palettes and embroidery! Perfectly fitting the smiling healer who helped save many lives, doing so with a warmth that resembled spring itself, but also the confident and refined woman who did not doubt to confront that trash we all know as the Mad Bull!”

“Miss Gabrielle, oh Miss Gabrielle, smile this way!”

“Marry me!!”

“And me!!”

“Wait did their hairstyles change…?”

“Yeah…now that you mention it…how did they do that?”

“Fools! Nothing is impossible for the Nightmare of the Dragon Lords! I bet she is a masterful user of the unique hairstyling magic!!”

““Oooohhh!!””

And they came out to not only the commentary of the already-there Lady Solmi herself–which rubbed a certain Nightmare the wrong way with the one about her–but also the cheers of the crowd that had indeed formed inside the store, all as they proudly showed off the dresses they were wearing by doing multiple poses for everyone’s delight.

“Up next we have a pair of dresses from our ‘Elegant at any time!’ collection, Kyrie Heroines Edition! Because elegance is a way of life!”

“““““OOOOOOOOHHH!!”””””

“Lady Auros in wine red looks so good!!”

“How can she pull of looking so elegant while being so daring!!”

“Hopes and dreams! Hopes and dreams!!”

“Ahhh Miss Gabrielle in blue…!!”

“I want her to marry me even more!!”

“The dress is clearly there to accentuate her natural elegance, but by the Goddess, it’s so good!!”

Of course, such was but the beginning of what turned into quite the parade of beautifully made clothing and perfectly matching hairstyles.

“You know it! I know it! We all know it! When it’s about purity, innocence and a puppy love bathed in the warmth of summer or a flowery garden, this dress is the one that is always there!! From our ‘Essentials’ collection, ‘Sweet Heroine’ edition, a classic reborn!! Maidenly White!!”

““““““““““AAHHHHH SO BRILLIAAAAAAAANT!!”””””””””

“Such innocence!!”

“Lady Auros looks so pure…it thought that was impossible but…ah…I’m crying…”

“THAT INNOCENT SMILE! THAT HAIRSTYLE!! THE FRILLS!! MY HEARTS CAN’T TAKE THIS!! LADY AUROS IS TRULY POWERFUL!!”

“Come on girl, get ahold of yourself! We are orcs, we can endure any—AGHH WHAT AM I SAYING I’M ABOUT TO FAINT TOO!! MISS GABRIELLE…!!! PLEASE, SMILE AT ME…!! ”

“Kyaaaa!! Let me be your ogre darling, Miss Gabrielle!!”

“Take me to a walk through the gardens of love, Lady Auros!!”

All enthusiastically preceded on by the one behind all the designs, Lady Solmi.

“What? You thought we were done after pulling out such a classic? Hahaha! Well, then you are colorfully wrong! Because we are far from done! Now, hold on to something because our heroines are about to show us that they can be as cute as they are fierce! And they are going to do it with a palette ranging from lush pink, aqua, and lime green, to the trifecta of blue, orange and red! I call these and the other nineteen that are waiting to be worn, the ‘Colorfully Cute Heroine’ collection!”

“““““““““““““CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”””””””””””””

“Ahhhh, I so want to hug them!!”

“Just hug them?! I want to be beside them! They look like they are having so much fun!”

“Lady Auros…Miss Gabrielle…ribbons…matching braided pigtails…”

“And that dress…so puffy…I can die in peace now…”

“Yes…”

“YOU CAN’T, YOU IDIOTS, THERE’S MORE LEFT!”

““THEN I WON’T!””

One that only kept the crowd cheering and asking for more.

“Oh, oh, oh! The following ones are very close to my heart! For I designed them all right after I met Lady Argento for the first time! Such style, such presence! I needed to create something that could match that trench coat and suit ensemble while being true to our style! So, I thought why not a trench gown instead of a trench coat? And from there an epiphany hit me almost as if the Goddess was guiding me! I needed to create something not just for Lady Auros herself, but for all her followers! This is what came of it! I call them all ‘Stylish First Second Meeting’!”

“““““““““““““….!!!!!”””””””””””””

“Everyone’s speechless but I can’t see why. I mean, there’s no way that’s a trench gown…that’s just a dress.”

“Heh, you idiot.”

“Hah?! You said something, tiny?!”

“Yeah! I said you’re an idiot, you dog! Just wait and see!”

“Now, judging by the reactions of some of you, it seems that our trench gown did its work very well! That is, disguising a more serious outfit under one that is quite colorful and casual! Showing the perfect duality of these magnificent women! So, Lady Auros! Miss Gabrielle! Please show everyone what I mean!”

“Hmph, of course.”

“My, it will be my pleasure.”

**click**

**SWOOSH**

“““““““““““““…!!!!!”””””””””””””

“I tried my best to make the suits like the one Lady Auros was using when we met, but once I started, I couldn’t resist to look towards the fine tailoring of our dear friends of the Demonic Kingdom when adding elements that I was sure would fit our lovely Nightmare and Smiling Healer the best!”

“““““““““““““SO COOL!!!!!”””””””””””””

“SEE, WHAT DID I TELL YA, DUMMY?! AHAHAHA! LOOK AT THAT! SUCH A COUPLE OF FINE SUITS!!”

“You were right, darling! Sorry for being impatient! AAAHH, MISS GABRIELLE LOOKS SO SLICK TOO!!”

“For Lady Auros those elements can be seen in the gold lacing for the vest and the moving embroidery on both her enchanted-buttoned shirt and her pants, all in perfectly form-fitting package made with materials that accentuate the figure while never being too tight or too loose!”

“Take me, Lady Auros! Just take me!!”

“And me, I don’t mind!”

“Four is also a good number!!”

“As a demon, the only thing I can say is…daaaamn! She looks so good!!”

“In Miss Gabrielle’s case, some of those traits are found in the enchanted skirt which changes from an underskirt that fits the trench gown to a form-fitting one that complements the suit! Of course, it also has a fine jade lacing job for her vest and moving embroidery for her skirt and shirt! All while being easy to move on despite its appearance!”

“Ahh…Miss Gabrielle…she looks so handsome and pretty at the same time…*faints*”

“Fi! Ahh! Wake up!”

“Yes…she does…I’m so glad we have the same name…*faints*”

“Not you too, Elle!”

“Sorry…Fel…she is just too—AH SHE IS SMILING AT US!”

““SHE IS?! AHH MISS GABRIELLE! WE LOVE YOU!””

Something that not only Lady Solmi was happy to oblige to, but Auros and Gabrielle too, as they were having lots of fun seeing the reactions of the crowd and of each other, marveling at how beautiful the other looked with each dress.

“Now, let us move on to the classic of classics in another way! Yes, it is time for a flash of the past that is still relevant today! I’m of course speaking of our kingdom’s very own traditional dress!”

“““““““““““““YEEEEEESSS!!!!!”””””””””””””

“I was waiting for this one! They look incredible!”

“No way! They even have the traditional hairstyle! That one takes 3 hours to prepare!!”

“I heard someone mention hair styling magic, I bet that’s it!”

“Yeah, that makes sense!”

“Ahh, it’s making me want to go use mine too!”

“But of course, we are not alone in this world! We share it with all of our siblings from the Allied Nations! And thanks to that we have come to know and love many, many things, including their traditional clothes! So, here we have our heroines in Zenji’s very own traditional dress for the Carnival of the Souls!”

“““““““““““““WOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!!!”””””””””””””

“Fuck yeah!! Zenji represent!! If only our King could see ya! He’d probably turn even redder! Ahahahaha!!”

“Just red? He’d ask them for their hand! I know I would!”

“Well, now that would be quite the thing to see!”

“They look incredible, and the attention to detail on the dresses, the colors, all of it! They even have the appropriate flowers!!”

“You have always been a stickler for the details, but they do look stunning! Even more so with that traditional hair and make-up combo!”

“Please visit Zenji, Lady Auros, Miss Gabrielle! You will love it!”

“Yes, please do! You can even stay at my family’s house! We have lots of space!!”

“Next up! From the New Kingdom of Fairies, Faerum, we have something that it would be a sin not to include here! Their incredible traditional dress! Or as we all endearingly call it, the Elemental Dress!!”

“““““““““““““WOOAH!!!!!”””””””””””””

“FIRE AND ICE?! LADY AUROS CAN WIELD BOTH?!”

“Both sides…they are nurturing each other…it’s…wow…”

“Lady Auros looks majestic! To think that she could pull off one of my country’s toughest dresses! Her mana control must be incredible!”

“Yeah, but look at Miss Gabrielle too! Have you seen a nature dress bloom that much? She looks just like our Ever-Spring Maiden! Oh…wait, are those Light Blooms too?!”

“Oh my Goddess! They are!! If Miss Gabrielle ever goes to Faerum at the time of the Spring Jamboree, then any Ever-Spring Maiden candidates will have to watch out for her! It doesn’t matter if she’s a healer or not, Light Blooms are not a flower that appears to just anyone!”

“You know…I may be a beast-kin, but with everything you two are talking about, wouldn’t these two be the perfect candidates for the Ever-Spring and Summer Maidens, respectively?”

““YOU ARE RIGHT!!””

“Wah…?!”

““LADY AUROS! MISS GABRIELLE! YOU MUST GO TO FAERUM!!””

And if we were to describe the traditional dresses they used with Auros’ words, then we could say that the Kingdom’s dresses were similar to Germany’s traditional Dirndl Dress, while Zenji’s dresses were similar to the Mexican Catrina’s colorful attire. Although, of course, with their own differences to those, differences that could be found in longer sleeves and skirts, magically changing colors, moving designs, and more, just like Mountain Heart’s traditional dress.

Meanwhile, Faerum’s elemental dresses were unlike any from Earth, as they were truly the product of a world as magical as Arte. They brought out the elemental attributes that lied within each person and gave them form through a special cloth, the form of a dress. This was then maintained and nurtured by the wearer’s own mana, which added a level of uniqueness that could not be underestimated, so much so that there were many unique variations even within the same elemental groupings.

Not to mention how difficult it was to wear one of opposing attributes or how uncommon it was to manifest a very, very rare type of flower in one of them, things that only spoke very highly of the people capable of such feats.

In any case, as the show went on, both young women came up with a game, one where they tried to see who could charm the other the most.

Be it through their poses, their expressions, or with their sheer beauty.

Something that only made the crowd even louder and happier.

As for the winner…

“Huhu…no matter what you wear, you are breathtaking.”

“Uhuhu…my, and here I was about to say the same.”

…well, let us just say that it was tie until the very end.

An end that came with the expected words from Lady Solmi to Auros and Gabrielle after they showed off their last dress and the crowd dispersed.

“Thank you for going along with this and for trying all of the dresses I gave you, Lady Auros, Miss Gabrielle! It meant a lot to me and my staff!”

“Hmph, no need to thank us. The dresses you and your staff made were truly a delight to wear. Right, Gabby?”

“Indeed. It was truly an unforgettable experience, Lady Solmi. One that I am very grateful for.”

“Ahhhhh! You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear that! To hear you both say that! I could hug you right now!”

And she did, taking the couple by surprise, if only for a moment, as they then turned to look at each other, giggled, and hugged Lady Solmi back.

After all, it was very clear that the joy she was feeling was nothing but genuine and there was no way they would not respond to that positively.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hold myself back.”

“My, it is alright, Lady Solmi.”

“Hehehe…ah! Here are the dresses you asked for! Are there any other dresses you want to buy this time?”

So asked Lady Solmi after signaling a couple of her staff to give Auros two wooden boxes containing the dresses meant for Luca and Allegra, boxes that were enchanted to keep the dresses in the best of conditions.

As for the response Auros gave after thanking those two members of the staff, it was…

“Hmph, do you even need to ask? I am taking all of them. Even those meant for the other Maid-Knights, no matter how many they are.”

“…!!! O-of course! Of course! I’ll have those ready as soon as possible! I just need their exact measurements to make them a perfect fit!”

…both surprising and expected, shocking Lady Solmi and her staff, and confirming what Gabrielle already thought was going to happen. So, after giving Lady Solmi the measurements she needed, and her telling them that such dresses would be ready for pick-up in a couple of days, Auros was given the boxes that contained the dresses she and Gabrielle had tried on. Boxes that disappeared with a snap of her fingers as she stored them all in her personal storage, surprising Lady Solmi and her staff even more.

With that done, the couple exchanged goodbyes with Lady Solmi and her staff and exited the store, happy with what they got and the fun they had there.

Finding themselves once again in the still busy streets of the merchant district’s ‘Clothing Street’, they began to walk aimlessly for a few moments, arms locked and looking at the now reddish sky with a smile on their faces.

“My, it seems our little fun took more time than expected.”

“Well, it is as they say, time flies when you are having fun. And speaking of flying, should I carry you and use my speed to reach the remaining stores, Gabby?”

“While that is quite tempting, there is nothing to worry about, Auros. I know the perfect route that would let us buy all the remaining rewards before it is time for dinner.”

“Hoooh~~, then I shall continue to rely on you to lead the way, my lovely, lovely guide.”

“Uhuhu…of course. But do know that I will be expecting quite the tip at the end of our date.”

“Hmm, I am sure that I shall come up with something satisfying by then.”

“I am sure you will. Now, our first stop will be...”

With both little time left and more things left to buy, they went down one of the many turns found in the clothing street and continued their hunt, going from store to store and buying everything that was on the list.

In the end, it was just as Gabrielle had said, the route she had picked had enabled them to obtain all the things they needed.

Well, almost all of them, as there was still a couple of maids without a reward.

One was Erevain, whose reward Auros had failed to find yet, as she really wanted to surprise her.

Another was Patricia, whose reward they were about to buy, as they had just entered the perfect place to get it.

A store that specialized in dioramas, statues, and the supplies needed to make them. And those very same supplies were what was written down on the list as her reward, something that took Auros by surprise.

A welcome kind of surprise.

‘I didn’t know she liked to make stuff like this…! Should I show her that I have some experience with that too? That way we can have some nice Master and Maid quality time! Perhaps even something beyond that! No, not that kind of quality time you pervs! Go cleanse your minds! I meant wholesome and friendship building–pun totally intended–quality time!’

“Wait, is that…?!”

There, as she kept adding things to her multiple baskets while looking forward to deepening her bond with one of her maids, something grabbed her attention, so much so that she did not notice that such loud whisper had left her pink lips.

The thing that had taken her attention so suddenly was behind the store’s counter and inside a glass cabinet that was mounted at the very top of the wall, a place truly reserved for what could only be the most important item in the store, and that item was a highly detailed statue of a certain legendary Knights’ Order that she came to know of very early in her time in Arte.

“Hoho! Pardon my intrusion, Villain of Villains, but I can see that besides yer combat might, ye also have quite the good eye! That’s a very, very special statue of the Knights of the Ever Burning Will.”

And as she found herself moving towards it, entranced how incredibly detailed it was and the great craftsmanship of it, a dwarf suddenly approached her while stroking his large and well-kept beard.

“Well, the Order that came before yers at least.”

“Hooh~, then does that mean that no one else rose up and took their mantle before us?”

“Oh-ho-ho, no, there certainly were, but many of them were either swindlers trying to get ahead by using their name or people underestimated the weight that came with it.”

“The weight, huh.”

“Aye, the duty, responsibilities, and all that. Ye and yer own are the real deal though, I should know, me and mah trusty hammers were right there in the frontlines with the Kingdom’s forces, I even got to see that colorful lass do her thing. And let me tell ya, that was really something.”

“Heh, indeed it was.”

“Thank ye, really. Ye see, mah husband passed away a hundred years ago, this store is the only thing I have left of him, we built it brick by brick. He even made the counter and all of these shelves.”

“…”

‘Wow…to think this place had that kind of history. And I can see how much this store means to him…just look at the eyes he is making right now and how well-kept everything is, from the shelves, to counter, and the very walls…’

“It might sound foolish, but I wouldn’t be able to bear losing this place to some overgrown lizards who think they can have their way whenever they want. So, thank ye again.”

“…it was nothing. It gladdens me that we were able to protect this place and all the memories it holds. And, if I may, I am sure that your husband is proud of you for doing your part in that too.”

“…!”

Moved by the dwarf’s genuine words and filled with a joy only experienced by those who help others, Auros could not help but smile and say that from the bottom of her heart, surprising the store owner with such heartfelt tone.

“I…aye…gah, look at me getting all sappy! Where was I?! Ah, the statue, right. That thing is one of ten in the world. It was made by expert craftsmen of this kingdom and the Demonic Kingdom of Zenji. It’s one, if not the rarest, piece of modern paraphernalia of those Knights.”

“Hoooh~~?”

“Picked yer interest even more, aye?”

“Verily so.”

“Oh-ho-ho! Good, good! But that’s not all, right? Let me guess, as a sculptor yerself ye want to know what is made of and how, aye?”

“Hmph, was I that obvious?”

“Ha! Not at all, I just have a knack to know when one of my people is near me. Ye know, those of us who are very, very passionate about something.”

“Then you should know best not to keep me in suspense.”

“Heh, then just for ye I’ll take it out from its cabinet and give ya a full tour of the making process.”

Thus, Auros happily waited for the dwarf to grab the statue while Gabrielle watched from a distance at first, happy to see another side of her date, but then she of course joined her date at the counter, for doing anything else was unlike her, and Auros welcomed her with a smile on her face.

“Oh, glad yer joining us, lass. I was about to tell yer Master all about this statue, but first let me thank ye for saving this city and helping heal those who were injured in the battle.”

“My, there is no need, it was our duty, and we were happy to help.”

“Geez, you lasses are truly the real deal, huh. Even yer Master said something similar…anyways, let’s get on with this…”

With that, the owner started his ‘tour’ of the statue’s crafting process, explaining how it and its nine sisters were made of a special titanotite alloy created by a very special sculptor of the Demonic Kingdom of Zenji, how it took the craftsmen two years to come up with a viable design before even starting on making the mold, and how there were of plenty of discussions between historians, experts on the legendary Order, and plenty of artists who only made that task even harder.

“Let me tell ya, those basterds just yapped and yapped and yapped around the clock, telling us ‘this thing is off’ or ‘the horse of the Builder should be more majestic’ and other stuff, as if the ones making the bloody thing weren’t fans themselves! Bah! Just remembering that bit makes me angry!”

“I…perfectly understand your feelings.”

“Of course ye do! I can see it in yer eyes, ye’ve made lots of statues of the thing you love.”

“…!!”

“Hm? Is that true, Auros? Can I see them? Please?”

“I…I…ahm…”

“*INNOCENT OJOU-‘You will show me, right?’-STARE*”

“*INNOCENT DWARVEN-‘Ye will show me too, right?’-STARE*”

‘AHHHHH, WHAT DO I DO?! WHAT DO I DO?! I CAN’T SHOW THEM ANY OF MY STUFF BECAUSE ITS ALL SCULPTURES OF MY WAIFU…! THEY WILL SURELY THINK I’M CRAZY!! OR WORSE, A NARCISSIST!! AND I HAVEN’T HAD THE TIME TO MAKE SOME STATUES OF THE MAID-KNIGHTS…AHHH WHAT CAN I DO?! MAYBE I CAN CHANGE THE SUBJE—’

“*INNOCENT OJOU-‘Please?’-STARE*”

“*INNOCENT DWARVEN-‘Please?’-STARE*”

‘—AS IF! JUST LOOK AT THEM! THEY ARE BOTH STARING AT ME LIKE THAT! Also, I never thought a dwarf could make that sort of cutesy face, BUT STILL!’

Such was what went on inside the head of Auros as she desperately tried to figure out what to do, but in the end the stares of both her date and the store owner were too much to bear, and so…

“*INNOCENT OJOU-‘Pleeease?’-STARE*”

“*INNOCENT DWARVEN-‘Pleeeease?’-STARE*”

‘GAAAAAH! THAT’S IT! THEY WANT TO SEE ONE OF THEM?! I’LL JUST MAKE ONE OF THEM! WE ARE IN THE PERFECT PLACE FOR IT, AFTER ALL! EVEN IF I THINK THAT USING MY SUPER-SPEED FOR THIS IS CHEATING!’

“…ahem…very well. But instead of merely showing you one, I shall make one right here, right now.”

"...Auros, I might not be an enthusiast like you, but I think that would take too much time."

“It shall not, I promise.”

"Heh, if yer that confident, then be my guest, take everything ye need and show me how serious ye are. If ye manage to do it, I'll consider selling this baby to ya."

"Hoooh~~, so you knew of my intentions towards it."

"Oh-ho-ho! Of course! Any shop owner who respects themselves know when a customer wants something. Though, it seems to me that ye have more reasons to want it besides being one of my people."

"Heh, indeed. I am not of the habit to explain myself to other, but you see, I believe that this statue would be the perfect surprise gift for someone dear to me, and I am ready to blow you away for it."

"..."

"Ha! Spoken like a true Villain of Villains! Then go! Show me yer skill! Show me that passion my sister in fandom!"

"Hmph, then heed this warning of mine, if you blink you shall miss it!"

And so, Auros went all around the store, gathering tools that were similar to those she knew, reading the manuals for those she didn't know at an absurd speed, and grabbing all the materials she would need to create the statue she had in mind, from paints to a sculpting clay that–after a small mana infusion–can become similar to Earth's resin in appearance and feel, but sturdier.

Then, Auros put everything on the counter and began doing her ‘magic’, creating one new garage kit by hand, from the very first stage of the process to the last, giving form to the clay, adding all the details, polishing it, infusing it with mana, priming it, painting it, and more, all at super speed.

She even made an incredibly detailed base for it, using some of the supplies sold at the store to give it a texture similar to grass on the sides.

“…!!”

“This is…!!”

All as the store owner and Gabrielle watched it all come together in awe before…

“There…it is done…”

…Auros said that but a few minutes after, putting her signature under the base, which marked the end of a crafting process that had taken less than half an hour, not at all close to the estimations of both Gabrielle and the store owner, just as she had promised.

The end product was a statue of herself with the Maid-Knights that went with her to Illumbee Village, Erevain, Gabrielle, Kris and Luca, and the base even resembled the road they took to arrive there.

“Oh my, is that us? We look so well…but that placement of Leader and I…neither of us are ahead of the other, hm? Now that…is a tad disappointing.”

“…!!”

“By the Goddess…this craftsmanship and this style…it’s good!”

“Ha…thank you…”

While she was not physically exhausted, she mentally was, as having to come up with something like that and craft it at the speed she did was not an easy task at all.

‘I’m never doing this again…lots of things could have gone wrong…and I would’ve loved to play around with posing a bit more. Also…I’m sorry Gabby, but I couldn’t bring myself to put either of you ahead of the other! Sumanai…’

“Villain of Villains, nay, Lady Auros, I must admit that ye have impressed me! This is an already incredible piece made only better by how little it took you to make it.”

“…then it is time for you to fulfill your promise and sell me this statue.”

So said Auros as she turned to the legendary item that had started it all, but…

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA!! SELL IT?! NAY, NAY! I’M NOT SELLING IT!! AHAHAHAHAH!!”

“…!”

“…”

“…!!”

…the dwarf burst out laughing while shaking his head, his words shocking both Auros and Gabrielle. Or more like, shocking Auros, and slightly irritating Gabrielle, for it as it almost seemed as if he was making fun of her dear date, and that was not something she could permit. Fortunately, the former noticed that quickly and immediately told the latter with her hands that it was alright.

“Ahahaha…haha…sorry, sorry, but I couldn’t help but laugh even if I had prepared myself for it.”

“I see, but still, you promised—”

“Nay, I promised that I would consider it. And I have, the answer is nay. It’s very valuable to me and not in the monetary sense.”

Said the dwarf, interrupting Auros as he raised his hand.

“How so?”

“Ye see, I was one of the Kingdom’s craftsmen that made this statue and its nine sisters. It was purely a passion project for me, but the days I passed making this thing with the others makes it difficult for me to give to someone else.”

‘Yeah, I can’t beat that. After all, I’m the same, I wouldn’t be able to sell any of my statues unless it was an extreme emergency…and even then, it would be hard to part with them.’

“I…understand.”

And hearing the owner’s explanation, Auros did the only thing she could, she lowered her head in resignation, and said that, giving up on obtaining such statue.

“Woah there! I did not say that I wasn’t willing to sell ya something else! Something that that dear person of yours might like even better.”

“…?”

‘This guy…don’t tell me…’

Puzzled, Auros looked up at the dwarf, and he smiled a smile unique to those who are about to reveal something incredible.

“I just have a question for ya, Lady Auros. How much of a fan she is?”

“That…well…huhuhu…she is the very reason why we took that name, actually. That is how much of a fan she is.”

“…”

“Ha! That much?! Pardon my language, but damn! I guess I should thank her for that then! After all, it made me very happy to see people fighting under that name once again…anyways, that is what I wanted to hear, so wait here for a moment.”

And so, after such exchange, the owner left to the back of the store, and the couple were left to themselves for a moment, giving Auros a chance to…

“I am sorry, Gabby. I know you said that I—”

…try and apologize for going out of her way to get something for another girl when she was already in the middle of a date with one, but this time Gabrielle interrupted her by placing her index and ring finger on Auros’ lips, ‘sealing’ them.

“It is alright, Auros. There is no need for you to apologize in this case. Why, she might be my rival in many ways, but she is also one of my best friends, and if there is someone who has done more than enough in this mission to deserve a reward it is her.”

‘Gabby…’

“Besides, I think a statue like this will look quite lovely in her office. Do you not agree, Auros?”

It was only after making such question that Gabrielle freed her date’s lips, but even then Auros simply smiled to her warmly and nodded rather than saying anything.

After that, it only took a couple of minutes for the owner to come back, and he was carrying something that left Auros unable to form a complete sentence.

“…!! That’s…do not tell…it is…”

“Aye, it’s what ye think. This here is one of the prototypes we made back then. We sadly had to take the Builder’s horse out of the final version because of material limitations, but we still managed to make this one.”

So said the owner as he placed the even bigger statue on the counter with great care, it was almost identical to the other one, with all the Knights of legend present in it, like a certain maid’s ancestor, but there were some differences in their poses and the presence of a certain equine.

“So, how about it? Ye want it?”

“You cannot be serious…if that one holds so much value to you, then this one even more so! Besides, this thing is invaluable!”

Shocked by the dwarf’s words, Auros was unable to hold back as she said that, not noticing that she was raising her voice.

“Hahahaha! Aye! That’s true! But if ye see it in another way, then this thing has no value at all, as it is merely a rejected prototype.”

“You and I both know that is not true!”

“Ahhh shut it already! Here I am trying to offer ye something nice and yer yapping! Besides it’s not as if I’m giving it to ye for free!”

“Auros, you are raising your voice a tad too much.”

“…! Ah…apologies, I got too excited for a moment there…”

“Aye…me too…”

“And thank you, Gabby.”

“My, it was nothing.”

Having calmed themselves down after Gabrielle’s timely intervention, both Auros and the owner cleared their throats and got back to the point.

“So…how much are you asking for this prototype then?”

“I’m not asking for money.”

“Then what?”

“I’m asking for this.”

So said the owner as he pointed at the statue Auros had made but a few minutes ago.

“I want that statue. The fact that ye, the Villain of Villains, heroine of the Kyrie Kingdom, made it, and signed it, already makes it as valuable as this prototype. So, it’s actually quite the fair trade if ye ask me.”

“Hmph, that is indeed true.”

“So, do we have a deal?”

Auros smiled before such question and after giving a last look at both statues, she nodded and…

“We have a deal.”

…said that.

“Great then! That lass is lucky! I’m sure she’ll love it!”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Having secured Erevain’s reward, they paid for the supplies that were meant to be Patricia’s own reward and left the store after exchanging goodbyes with the owner, with the owner making Auros promise him to come back whenever she made other statues, as he wanted to see what other beauties she made.

“Hmph, it seems we finished just in time.”

“Yes, but it is sad that we did not have the time to visit any other of my favorite spots.”

“Indeed…and I apologize for that, Gabby. I did not know it would take this long.”

“Oh me, oh my, what are you saying, Auros? While it is a bit sad, we had lots of fun and I got to see other sides of you I did not know about. So there is nothing to be sorry for. Besides, it is not as if our lovely date is already over.”

“True, we still have that dinner reservation in the restaurant that Jules recommended. And perhaps…a stroll under the moonlight after that. Perhaps in that garden we visited first. I am sure it looks even lovelier by night.”

“Mhm, that is certainly true, and I would love to do that.”

With that, the Gabrielle and Auros walked off towards a certain fine restaurant, all while the former rested her head on the latter’s arm.

To be continued…(cue collage of all their activities in the merchant district! Why? Because I can’t choose!)

Holy fact: Arte’s videogames work in a magical manner rather than a technological one, functioning with unique, custom variations of certain spells. Like in the board-magic game, each square is enchanted in a way that if you don’t answer the question, it will cast a modified [Nightmare] spell on you.