- Swaaaah.
·······.
- Drip. Drip.
···.
“Haaah····.”
- Papapapapak.
My wet hair was ruthlessly shaken out against the towel.
Until now, there hadn’t really been any events like this.
At most, with Bell·· I mean, Veronica, whom I’d thought was Bell, I had talked and walked around together,
but when looking at the overall ratio of my life, it wasn’t that much.
For a mercenary like me, eating with a woman with the intention of getting closer in something resembling a date was far too much of a luxury,
and most of the mercenary corps were men to begin with,
and if anyone happened to suggest it, I’d refuse, saying I was busy.
In reality, my daily life was filled with two things: requests -> training.
But even when I refused like that, there were occasionally women who came looking for me for no reason, like people trying to “disciple-light” me,
and I refused all of them too.
Each time, I had my own reason for refusing.
Ah, but it wasn’t as if I ever refused because I didn’t like the other person’s looks.
I’m the type who doesn’t care much about appearance··· and by my standards, the other person’s looks weren’t that important.
Of course, it was nice if they were pretty.
But even so, I was satisfied as long as their appearance was enough that I could look at their face without feeling unpleasant.
Because I considered personality more important than looks.
While working as a mercenary, I’d met plenty of nobles,
and even if they all looked refined on the outside, many of them were rotten to the core inside.
Anyway,
for these reasons, this situation right now was unfamiliar to me, and perhaps even a little uncomfortable.
Just look at me now.
Normally, I could have just gone out in comfortable functional clothes,
but because I’d made something of an appointment and was meeting a woman, I was washing up and grooming myself more diligently than usual.
- Clack.
Since it wasn’t enough to just tidy up my appearance and clothes were important too, I opened the wardrobe,
‘There are·· no clothes?’
Come to think of it, it wasn’t as if I’d brought my old clothes with me,
and among the clothes I had in the first place, there weren’t any I could wear casually.
Most of my days were spent carrying out requests and training, so there hadn’t been any need for clothes other than combat gear. This was the problem that had resulted from that.
- Creeeak. Thud.
- Tatatatatat!
I hurriedly ran to the bustling district within Roten.
- Jingle jingle~.
And among them, I opened the door of a boutique that looked relatively free.
“Huh·· a customer? Our boutique operates by reservation onl···.”
I cut off the employee’s words and, without preamble, bowed my head first.
“I know·· but is there any way you could help me? I’m in a really urgent situation right now.”
I knew that boutiques, unlike ordinary clothing stores, handled high-end clothing and operated by reservation for nobles.
But what could I do? The situation was what it was.
Time was tight.
Women tended to take a long time washing up to begin with, but I still didn’t know exactly how long it would take.
It was right for me to go as quickly as possible and wait.
I lacked experience, yes, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know what I had to do.
The information I’d obtained from countless married mercenaries was very well organized in my head.
And going out and waiting before the appointed time was common sense in the first place.
“Well·· right now, I’m…”
I explained the circumstances as concisely as possible.
Thankfully,
“Next time, you must make a reservation before coming.”
I was able to receive that answer.
“Thank you.”
I bowed my head in apology, then began looking through various clothes with the employee.
After trying on several outfits so quickly that it was almost like a speedrun,
“I think you’d look good dressed like this.”
we were able to find a rather decent combination.
‘Oh··.’
Honestly, I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about clothing,
so I couldn’t explain exactly what kind of clothes I was wearing right now.
But even someone like me could tell one thing for certain:
I had been recommended an outfit that was just right—not so dressed up that it looked like I’d tried too hard, but not so plain that it looked like I hadn’t tried at all.
“This is nice. How much is it?”
“The price is···.”
I had gone in expecting it to be expensive,
but the price wasn’t as high as I’d thought.
I paid coolly.
The employee had shown me consideration, and in a boutique like this, it would look strange if you didn’t spend freely.
Money existed to be spent in the first place.
I changed into the clothes inside the shop and bowed repeatedly before leaving, thanking her.
“It’s nothing. Um·· you’re Sir Evan, aren’t you?”
All of a sudden?
How does she know my name?
“Ah·· yes, that’s right. How do you know me···?”
“I heard some young ladies who occasionally visit the shop say that if you look for a young man who’s a mercenary but looks like a noble, that’s Sir Evan··.”
“Ahaha···.”
“You don’t need to worry about today’s matter. You may think you owe us a debt, Sir Evan, but rather, our shop is the one repaying a debt.”
After listening to her for a moment, it seemed that among the merchant groups I’d helped before, there had been one connected to this boutique.
‘So good deeds really do come back to me.’
After hearing the story, I felt a certain sense of satisfaction at having been of help in someone’s life.
“Still·· if there’s ever anything I can help with later, call me anytime.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I wanted to talk more like this, but there was no time for that,
so I said goodbye to her and hurriedly left the shop.
‘I should come by again later.’
Thinking that, I sprinted down the street.
“Argh··!!”
The clothes weren’t incredibly easy to move in like the clothes I usually wore, but since I’d dressed up somewhat, this was something I had to endure.
***
“Whew··.”
Fortunately, when I arrived back at the marquis’s castle, Elladrien had not yet come out.
No.
Actually, she might already be out somewhere and I just hadn’t found her.
After all·· we’d only said to wash up and meet, not when or where we’d meet.
‘This is an emergency··?’
I couldn’t just stand there and wait.
So I first headed toward the room where the Hero’s party was staying.
- Knock knock.
After knocking on the door from outside and waiting for a moment,
“Just a moment!!”
Elladrien’s voice came from inside.
I leaned against the wall beside the door and waited for her to come out.
- Murmur murmur. Crash bang.
···?
What on earth was she doing in there to make sounds like that?
“A·· are you all right?”
“Y-Yeah! I’m fine··!!!”
Elladrien’s words disappeared before she could finish them.
‘You’re·· sure you’re okay, right?’
Well, there was nothing I could do anyway·· I didn’t know what was happening inside, and I couldn’t just fling the door open and go in.
I decided to simply wait quietly for her a little longer.
- Creeak.
About ten more minutes passed before the door opened.
I was about to greet her happily when I saw her,
“Miss·· Elladrien?”
When I met her again, I felt as if the values I’d held until now were completely collapsing.
The outfit Elladrien was wearing was, overall, like a pure white lace dress that seemed to hold a snowy radiance.
I didn’t know much about clothes, but to describe it in a little more detail···.
Including the high-neck lace, lace was placed appropriately here and there throughout the outfit,
and on her arms, thin fabric like gloves wrapped around her skin.
That alone was already quite something,
‘Ohhh···.’
but the dress was off-shoulder, and in particular, there was a small opening between the fabric that flowed down along the line of her chest.
‘Are elves a people of exposure??’
I was so flustered that I wanted to ask, because every outfit she’d worn so far had some exposure.
Of course, it covered much more than the outfit I’d seen this morning, the one with the completely open back,
“Ugh···.”
She was pushed out of the door by Signica’s hands.
Perhaps Elladrien felt my gaze, because she turned her head to the side.
The tips of her ears were faintly dyed red.
Seeing that, I stood there with my mouth hanging open, unable to say anything.
It was, how should I put it, a situation that stimulated something in a man.
Her appearance had already been extremely beautiful to begin with,
but now she looked elegant and dreamlike, while at the same time even giving off a sacred feeling.
‘This is a real emeeeeergeeeeency!!!!!’
Some middle-aged man I had never seen before was shouting emergency at the top of his lungs inside my head.
It made no sense to eat a meal like this,
what kind of recreation is this, damn it.
No matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t just something resembling a date—it was simply a date.
How am I supposed to foster friendship like this!!!!!
“S-Signica? I really don’t think this outfit is right. I’ll change into something el···.”
Elladrien, who seemed to have thought the same thing as me, tried to protest,
“Perception interference.”
- Bang!
but before she could finish speaking, Signica pointed at us with her finger and cast something like a barrier over us before immediately closing the door.
‘A room you can’t leave unless you go on a date···.’
After having another incomprehensible thought, I came back to my senses and looked at her again.
The Elladrien I’d seen until now had been a very calm person.
???: How much have you even seen of her to say that?
Well·· you’re right.
But there’s such a thing as a first impression.
And I had seen her for a few days, so even if I didn’t know everything, I thought I had a rough idea.
Anyway,
she was a very calm person.
When she occasionally opened her mouth, I was surprised because she spoke more frankly than I’d expected,
but just judging by her appearance, anyone would think she was calm and quiet.
Especially when she shot her bow in the dungeon.
She would wordlessly draw and release her bow over and over, calmly setting priorities and dealing with things no matter the situation.
I thought her current personality might be something like a side effect? from hanging out with the Hero’s party.
Look at her now.
She was standing with both hands neatly gathered,
and her long eyelashes had lowered, covering her amber eyes.
If she had originally been the type with a brisk personality, she would have said not to worry about it and that we should just go eat.
She wouldn’t have shown me this embarrassed and awkward side of herself.
“Ahem··.”
It couldn’t be helped.
For now, I was the man here··.
I didn’t have experience either, but I should still do my best to lead.
“Um·· Miss Elladrien?”
At my words, she flinched slightly.
“Y-Yes?”
“Shall we go now··?”
“R-Right. We should.”
“Do you perhaps have a place in mind··?”
“I do··. It’s a restaurant called Ruzadin de Saver.”
The moment I heard the name, I could immediately recall where that restaurant was.
It was one of the most famous fine dining restaurants in Roten.
Though I’d never gone there even once because it was expensive.
Anyway,
‘Since it’s come to this, let’s try to finish it as well as possible.’
Together with her, I headed toward the restaurant.