EP.157 Daily Life of the Military Nation's Citizens
Since the invention of clothing packets, the meaning of the fitting room had changed to merely a place to shield one's gaze while changing into a clothing packet. The fitting room, which was a symbol of luxury during the kingdom era, underwent a gradual change of becoming narrower and darker, until by now it had shrunk to a size where barely one person could fit inside.
The captain, who had changed clothes inside the fitting room, carefully opened the door and stepped out.
"...Question. Is this really casual wear?"
For everyday wear, it was a quite elaborately designed outfit. A shirt with a colored top layered over it, paired with a pleated skirt with added fabric, gave off the feel of an upper-class citizen who cared quite a bit about their attire.
Perhaps unaccustomed to her clothes, the captain kept glancing down at her entire body.
"How is it? The feel itself is different from what you used to wear, right? This is the charm of custom-made clothing that you can't feel from supplied goods..."
"...The clothes do not constrict my body. It feels like I'm wearing nothing at all."
"Huh?"
What on earth does that mean? It feels like wearing nothing? It's a bit weird to call that a compliment?
"So you mean the clothes are comfortable?"
"Negative. It is uncomfortable. Because the clothes do not hug my body... there is a lack of... tightness."
'There is no sensation of tightly embracing me. It feels like everything in the world has let go of me...! I am anxious!'
That's the problem? So you mean it's uncomfortable because the clothes aren't uncomfortable?
What kind of life have you lived, Captain A.B.?
Beyond my bafflement, Smen felt humiliated by the thought of failing to satisfy a customer.
"It seems you prefer slightly tight clothes. My blunder, it is my blunder."
No. That captain doesn't like tight things; she just feels a sense of security in uncomfortable clothes and restrictive situations. She grew up wrong.
With a determined expression, Smen took another clothing packet and headed toward the Akki Avatar in the corner.
"I made a mistake. In the past, I used to take measurements directly and ask about the customer's preferences or tastes. But since clothing packets advanced, I neglected the customer's personal preferences. Because working on the Akki Avatar makes it easy to fit everyone's body perfectly."
Akki Avatar. A magical mannequin modeled after the human body.
The clothing packet, one of the Military Nation's Seven Great Inventions, could only be made because this Akki Avatar existed. If you tailored clothes with alchemical fabric on the Akki Avatar and turned it into a packet, when inserted into another bio-terminal, the clothes would be tailored exactly following the avatar inputted into that person's bio-terminal.
"I will reduce the size in certain parts here. When you wear the packet, it will fit slightly tight."
Smen quickly adjusted the clothes on the Akki Avatar and turned it back into a packet. The captain, having received the new packet, just barely fit into the fitting room, changed, and came out.
"Ah. Much more comfortable!"
The captain, who spoke much more brightly, was wearing clothes squeezed tight just like a uniform. I pressed my forehead, but Smen's eyes sparkled, saying he had finally found the owner of tight clothes.
Smen took the opportunity to hand over a dress, casual wear, and even sleepwear, one by one. The captain, taking the packets, reached out toward me and rummaged through her own pockets.
"I will pay for this."
But before the captain could even take out the money, Smen politely bowed and refused.
"How could I accept money from Lord Hughes' guest? It is enough just for you to wear them."
"Negative. If so, I would be accepting a bribe. I cannot accept any monetary compensation from anyone, including you."
The captain's attitude was firm. Smen let out a small sigh and bowed even deeper as if he had no choice.
"Then, it cannot be helped. Please give me just 50 alches."
Even the most basic supplied shirt made in a factory costs 50 alches. Three personally crafted clothing packets for 50 alches was practically giving them away.
If the captain had even a little knowledge of market prices, she would have been suspicious. However.
'I have never used anything other than issued items and supplied goods, so I don't know the market well... Was the price 50 alches? It feels like less than my salary...?'
Of course Smen gave her a huge discount. But I made a fuss so the captain wouldn't even suspect.
"What, 50 alches? Smen, you've become quite the merchant since I last saw you! How rich are you trying to get by taking that much!"
'What? Merchant? ...Ah. So that's what it meant.'
She still bristles instinctively when she hears words like that. Still, Smen was a veteran tailor, a pro with experience in not only clothes but also pleasing the whims of nobles.
Smen kept his composure and played along with my rhythm.
"Please understand. Even if you are Lord Hughes' guest, this old man is just an ugly person who will starve to death without money."
"It can't be helped. But it's okay! The captain's salary will be much more than this!"
"Shouldn't we overcharge someone who can afford it? By no means, if it is a burden on the captain's salary, you don't have to pay."
They say if three people plot together, they can create a tiger out of nothing. To deceive the captain who didn't know market prices, two people were enough.
Actually, I could have done it alone. Two people was overkill.
"...Confirmed. I will pay."
A communications officer who knows Level 4 classified information but doesn't know market prices, what an irony.
Smen considered the captain's ignorance not as regrettable but as innocence, and smiled warmly. Then, as if suddenly remembering, he handed me a clothing packet.
"Ah, and Lord Hughes. It's the clothes you always wore."
"Thank you. How much is it?"
"Just take it."
It was an expected answer, but I feigned ignorance and replied.
"Is that okay?"
Smen nodded without a moment of hesitation.
"When I was unable to let go of my stubbornness for the clothes of the old era, didn't Lord Hughes personally teach me about clothing packet technology? You helped me make a new start, so this much is easy."
"Well then, fine."
I just told him the knowledge I stole through mind-reading, yet he treats me as a benefactor. Keukeuk. That's why it's easy to bestow favors on people who repay them well. A debt of the heart lasts forever.
Unlike the captain, I was positive about bribes directed at me, so I didn't refuse the free clothes. While I was packing the clothing packet, Smen lowered his voice and whispered in my ear.
"And about a week ago, the young lady was looking for you."
"Her? Why?"
"I didn't ask separately. I only told her that I haven't seen you lately."
Tch. I don't want to get involved with her. Right. Let's just pretend I don't know. If it's really urgent, she'll contact me first.
Having finished my business, I waved my hand at Smen.
"Anyway, thanks. I'll be going now."
"Take care on your way."
I went outside with the captain, who was still bewildered.
Even though it was quickly altered, it looked natural, as if it had been made that way from the start. The captain, wearing slightly tight clothes, was clearly revealing her body line.
I don't know if it's open-minded or conservative. Tight clothes mean enduring one's own discomfort to reveal one's presence to the world.
Anyway.
"Now that we've changed clothes, shall we go eat?"
"A meal?"
At my suggestion, the captain briefly surveyed her surroundings. Checking the time on the clock in the alley, the captain firmly expressed her refusal.
"Refusal. It is not the meal time permitted for me right now."
"If it's not meal time, you won't eat?"
"...? What does that mean? Isn't it common sense to eat at meal times?"
What nonsense. You should eat when you're hungry.
The captain and I met each other's eyes, and both tilted our heads.
"Beep. Is there perhaps a rule that says you can only eat at designated times?"
'Communications officers have a duty to observe meal times. Indiscriminate eating or overeating causes various problems. For example, the body becoming sluggish, or supplies running short requiring a request for additional supplies, and so on.'
"...It's classified."
She seems well-trained. Even by mistake, she was still keeping secrets, ensuring no information related to communications officers was divulged.
Anyway, I roughly understood. There's a separate way to handle this type of person.
"Beep, after such a long journey, energy consumption is high, so you need to eat heartily."
"I do not deny it. However, I think eating meals on time is sufficient. There is no need to break the set times."
"Dedicating yourself diligently to your duties is the most important thing. Rules exist for better duty performance, too. If you neglect your duties because you're hungry, isn't that a bigger problem?"
"Just because I'm a little starved doesn't mean I'll neglect my duties."
The captain claimed so confidently, but.
"Braised beans, bean stew, steamed beans with meat."
"...Slurp. Mmph!"
Saliva reflexively flowed at my prompting. The captain hastily wiped away the saliva that had escaped her lips.
Her body hadn't had a proper meal while riding the meta-conveyor belt and being hit by the cold wind. There's no way she isn't hungry.
It's the hunger of someone who walks outside, which someone holed up in a room would never know.
"Your mouth waters just hearing the word beans, are you sure you're okay?"
"N-Negative. No problem. I just had a little saliva."
"Are you going to do your duties like that? Drooling just at the sound of food, you'll really do a great job working! You should think about filling your stomach and working even harder!"
"Kuh."
"Answer! Is it affirmative or negative?"
When I yelled, the captain lowered her head and gave a sign of affirmation.
"...Y-Yes, affirmative."
Luckily, there was something like a restaurant on the market street. I took the captain and headed to a bustling street stall.
In one corner of the restaurant, people were packed tightly sitting at a single-line table. People were chatting noisily, putting some indescribable food into the bowls in front of them and eating. I took a spot in the empty part near the corner and banged on the table.
"Anna, one today's special here."
Then people's gazes turned towards me. Among them, a few recognized me and greeted me.
"Hughes?"
"What. I thought he died since he suddenly disappeared."
"That bastard wouldn't die that easily."
I replied to each of them with a smile, and called out the name of the person who was busily stir-frying and boiling something on the iron plate inside.
"Auntie! I'm hungry!"
When I said I was hungry, the owner finally reacted and looked back.
She was a middle-aged woman full of life. From the bandana wrapped around her forehead to her arms with rolled-up sleeves, her attire felt like what an expert on life would look like.
Seeing my face, she gave a refreshing laugh and spoke to me.
"Hughes, it's been a while! Who's next to you?"
"A new friend."
"Since you call them a friend, it's suspicious. They're not a criminal, right?"
"I'm slowly trying to make them into one."
'?! Were you intending to do that?!'
The captain was terrified, but so overwhelmed by the attention directed at her that she couldn't even 'Refute!'. Meanwhile, Anna rolled up her sleeves again.
"That gloomy kid you always used to bring around... What was their name again?"
"Are you talking about Anton?"
"Yeah, that kid! Right, a bright young lady is better than Anton! Much better to look at. Oops, my mind slipped. Wait just a moment, I'll stir-fry a bowl for you."
Anna poured oil on the iron plate and dumped pre-soaked canned beans. White steam billowed up and cheers erupted from the people.
The captain swallowed saliva unknowingly, then hastily averted her gaze and looked at me.
"Question. What exactly is your identity? Why do so many people recognize you?"
Come on. What a minor question. How can you question something like people recognizing you?
"I told you I lived here. Then obviously I would have made acquaintances with people. Everyone has about a hundred friends, right?"
"But..."
The captain felt the weight of the attention directed at me and my companion, and thought to herself.
'Outwardly, it seems you have considerable popularity. Question. How can such a suspicious and untrustworthy petty criminal gain the people's favor?'
What, you bastard?
"What did you mean by 'But' just now?"
The captain hesitantly answered.
"...It's classified."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Locked in a room as an involuntary loner... no, a voluntary loner? A military-state loner? What should I even call this.
Sigh, I should endure it. She's a pitiful person, a pitiful person.
It's okay if the captain calls me a suspicious social misfit. It's okay if she yells at me as a petty criminal.
But I shouldn't tell the captain that she's one of the biggest loners even in the Military Nation. That would be going too far, wouldn't it?
I let out a sigh and waited for the food to come out.