Before leaving the Owl.
Ian first sought out Dolores to say his goodbyes. She was standing before a woman who looked like a tailor, getting her measurements taken. Fortunately, nothing was exposed, so nothing too awkward unfolded.
“I’m heading out. If I get the chance, let’s meet again.”
“Ah, yes. Please be careful on your way back!”
*Squeak.*
She replied while holding a measuring tape to her waist. After confirming Dolores’s exact waistline, the tailor turned her head toward Ian. The tailor, wearing a strangely shaped monocle, let out an exclamation of admiration.
“Hoo…… You’re quite an excellent model. That mask is impressive, too, and your body…… well, passable, I suppose.”
Her tone was openly appraising. Before Ian could voice his displeasure, she beat him to the punch.
“If you want clothes made, come find me. I’ll do it for as cheap as possible.”
“……Suddenly?”
“Excellent tailors are naturally drawn to excellent models. If we take photos and submit them to newspaper ads, we can enjoy promotional benefits as well, so is there really any need to react so sharply?”
She laughed shortly, set down the measuring tape, and snapped her fingers. The spools of thread floating in the air swiftly unraveled and gathered together again, forming a black business card. The thread-made card possessed a texture that was soft yet firm.
The tailor blew a sharp breath onto the card to emboss it and flicked it toward Ian. Ian barely snatched the fluttering card out of the air.
[Evriato Poriane]
[Tailor of the Clock Tower]
The name written in gold sparkled as it caught the ceiling light. Ian looked down at the business card for a moment, then turned toward the tailor.
“That’s a strange name. Where are you from?”
“South America. Born in a neighborhood with bad public order. I got lucky and became a mage.”
“South America…… Don’t people from there usually learn voodoo or sorcery? Not magic?”
“And you’re from the East, yet you don’t use Taoist arts. It’s the same for both of us.”
An irrefutable truth. Ian let out a small laugh and stuffed the card into his pocket.
“I’ll gratefully accept the goodwill. If I ever have reason to stop by, I’ll come find you.”
“Sure. And the woman behind you…….”
Evriato’s gaze suddenly shifted toward Yuna. Yuna flinched at the abrupt stare, and Evriato quickly scanned her body.
“Hmm…… Such a violent physique is hard to make clothes for…… The mask is fine, but…….”
“W-what?”
“I can’t offer you a cheap price. Even American mages don’t have breasts as big as yours. Getting the proper fit will be a struggle.”
“Y-you……! That’s sexual harassment……!”
Yuna shouted timidly, her face bright red. Evriato snorted.
“What’s the big deal between women…… Still…… Hmm, fine. Buxom girls like you do come by occasionally. Take the business card. Other tailors will gladly take you on if you have this.”
“C-cow……!”
The corners of Yuna’s lips trembled. She instinctively hugged her chest tight. Flesh she couldn’t fully conceal spilled out around her forearms, but Ian did his best not to look at her.
“Wow. That’s insane.”
“It is truly violent.”
Ari and Dolores did not show such restraint. At their unabashed admiration, Yuna ran out of the shop, and Ian let out a deep sigh and took Yuna’s share of the business card as well.
“Don’t be too harsh…….”
“What did I do?”
Evriato tightened Dolores’s shifting corset firmly and picked up the measuring tape she had set aside.
“If you’re coming back next time, make sure to decide what enchantment you want. Whether to use thread resistant to temperature or thread with high defense, I have to select and weave them in advance.”
“Is it difficult to apply both at the same time?”
“Impossible. Not even other skilled tailors can do that. Only one type of magic can be applied to a single garment.”
“…….”
“If you’re thinking it would be fine to apply different magic to a coat and shirt, give up on that. When you layer clothes imbued with different magic, neither will activate. Just like magnets of the same pole repelling each other, the magics will push each other away and eventually dissipate.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ian nodded meekly. Evriato grinned and brought the measuring tape to Dolores’s hip.
A figure once again focused on her work. After roughly exchanging glances with Ari and Dolores, Ian stepped out of the shop. Yuna, who had been crouching against the wall, raised her head and looked back at him.
“……I-is it all over?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Ung…….”
Yuna sniffled and stood up.
The two immediately passed through the fog passage where the door had vanished and went back up the stairs they had descended. Unlike going down, there was no need to take any special measures on the way up, so they stepped into the used bookstore without issue.
The owner, Eric, was sitting in a chair reading the original text of *Moby Dick*. He didn’t give Ian and Yuna so much as a glance. Likewise, the two of them didn’t speak to Eric. They simply left the bookstore in silence.
It was still daytime. The afternoon, just past noon. As soon as Ian exited the alley, he squinted at the pouring sunlight and opened his mouth.
“I’m thinking of going to the Godmother’s house. Do you want to come? Or should I take you home?”
“L-let’s go together. I was curious about the person called the Godmother, too…….”
“Alright. I’ve already gotten permission, so we just need to go.”
Ian took Yuna and first stopped by his own home. He dropped off unnecessary luggage there and packed only the items to deliver to Eunha into his bag. The lightened weight eased his shoulders more than before.
Leaving the house, he started the bike in the parking lot. With a *vroom*, the dashboard lit up. Ian handed Yuna the spare helmet he had prepared in advance.
“I’m not sure if it’ll fit, but put it on. It’s never been used, so it won’t smell.”
“Ah, n-no, the smell…… rather…… u-uum…….”
Yuna muttered quietly and pulled the helmet on with strained grunts. Ian checked that it fit and fastened the strap.
“Fortunately, it won’t come off. Now, step here and sit. Your hands…… just relax. It’s not like we’ll get into an accident anyway.”
“Ung…… okay…….”
Yuna nodded. Ian smiled, tapped her helmet, put on his own helmet, and sat down first. Yuna, seeming nervous, swallowed hard and carefully lowered herself onto the back seat. A heavy weight settled onto the bike.
“Heeeeek……!”
She made a strange sound and squeezed Ian’s waist tight. Their bodies pressed together naturally, but Ian paid it no mind and kicked up the stand.
“I’m taking off. Hold on tight.”
“Ung……! Uek! Hieeeek!”
*Vroooom!*
The bike left the parking lot and entered the road. At the unexpectedly fast speed, Yuna squeezed her eyes shut and screamed.
“It’s only thirty kilometers per hour, though……?”
“Huiiiiik! Ieeeek!”
“……Hmm.”
Ian let out a groan and lowered his helmet visor.
*
The Godmother’s house wasn’t very far from Ian’s home. Thanks to that, they arrived in less than thirty minutes.
“Heok……! Heok……!”
In the parking lot of the apartment where Eunha lived. As soon as she got off the bike, Yuna gasped for breath with trembling legs. Ian, who had skillfully locked the handlebars, let out a hollow laugh.
“We weren’t even going that fast…….”
“L-liar, hoo, lies! Y-you definitely went over a hundred……!”
“I didn’t even go over fifty…… The gear was fixed in first the whole time.”
“Is this for real……?”
Ian waited in the parking lot until Yuna calmed down, then boarded the elevator once she seemed alright. Yuna muttered, pounding her waist with a fist.
“I-I’m never riding a motorcycle again…… I really do prefer cars…….”
“Do you have your own car?”
“I don’t have a license, though……?”
“…….”
*Ding.*
While they were talking, the elevator reached its destination. The thick iron door slid open, and Ian walked down the corridor before knocking sharply on Eunha’s door.
Shortly after, a quiet voice came through the intercom.
[Who is it…… Ah, Ian. Just a moment. I’ll open it for you.]
“Yes. Take your time.”
As he spoke, the sound of bare feet padding across the floor came from beyond the door. Ian stepped back and waited for the door to open.
*Click.*
In less than five seconds, the door opened smoothly. Eunha’s head peeked out through the gap. Her black hair flowed down with gravity, and Ian’s face was clearly reflected in her irises, which had turned mint-colored due to her contract with a demon.
“Welcome, Ian. This is the second time you’ve come to my house.”
Eunha smiled vaguely and pushed the half-open door all the way open.
Then the figure of Yuna standing behind Ian entered Eunha’s sight as well.
“Hup.”
“…….”
The two women’s gazes collided in midair. Yuna’s pupils trembled at the appearance of a face she was seeing for the first time, and Eunha scrutinized Yuna’s face with an expressionless look.
“……You look more normal than I expected. Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie? Is it really you?”
Eunha asked. Yuna smiled awkwardly and nodded slightly.
“Y-yes…… G-Godmother…….”
“……I see. You don’t use that way of speaking in real life?”
“Th-then the Godmother uses honorifics in real life, too…… Is your head perhaps a little……?”
“I am perfectly normal.”
“I-I see……?”
“Yes.”
“I see…….”
“Yes.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
An awkward silence weighed heavily on both women’s shoulders. Ian wedged himself between them with a bitter smile.
Han Yuna, who went out often enough but found conversation and interaction with others difficult, and didn’t particularly think it important herself.
Yu Eunha, a hikikomori whose communication abilities were perfectly normal, yet absolutely refused to crawl out of her house unless absolutely necessary.
A conversation between the two of them, which sounded magnificent enough just to hear of it, had creaked from the very beginning.