Chapter 14. 7. No, That's Not It (2)
'Though the trends do seem to have changed a bit.'
That was probably the case. Being a high-end clothing store, they wouldn't display outdated clothes. In the first place, all the clothes in the shop had slight differences from what he had seen before.
But it wasn't dramatically different compared to the past. It wasn't to the point where it would be a problem selecting something.
Checking clothing sizes?
That was even easier.
Lumian was someone who had to instantly grasp countless pieces of information—the enemy's physique, reach, movements, aura, and more.
For someone like him, identifying clothes that fit his body was nothing at all.
'It feels kind of nice?'
To think that experience he thought was useless would shine like this!
He felt light-hearted.
Though it wasn't romance, receiving recognition from experts(?) in a related field made his shoulders rise on their own.
Excited, Lumian went on to purchase gloves and shoes as well.
Once again, his choices weren't wrong.
Teoro and Adele's compliments continued.
"Oh, nice, really nice! Why didn't I see this?"
"Hmm. Not bad."
"Haha... is that so?"
Lumian scratched the back of his head and added with a laugh.
"While we're at it, shall we go look at perfume too?"
"...."
"...."
"Ah, and I saw people dyeing their hair earlier when we passed by."
In truth, he'd never seen such people.
He was just speaking from old memories. In his previous life, quite a few people used magical reagents to dye their hair silver to give a mysterious feel.
But the two's reaction was far from good.
Adele said with a troubled expression.
"Hmm... friend, I think perfume is fine, but isn't dyeing a bit too much?"
"Yeah. Let's keep it moderate."
"Ah, is it not good?"
"No, it's not that it's not good... but us, to other people, we look completely like kids, right? If we try too hard to act like we're all that, people might actually laugh at us."
"Ah, could that be it?"
"Right? Well, your hair color isn't bad at all, so let's be satisfied with this. Hahaha."
"Hmm."
Lumian checked his hair in the mirror inside the shop.
Like wheat fields at dusk, the feeling of golden hair mixed with a slight reddish tint.
Certainly, even to his own eyes, it wasn't bad.
Lumian said with a smile.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Whew. You're really all fired up?"
"I told you to relax. We're just going for the experience."
Teoro said.
At first glance, his tone seemed indifferent, but there was a hint of worry in it.
Perceiving this, Lumian nodded with a serious expression.
Right, when it came to romance, he was nothing more than a novice.
Having assessed his own standing, he muttered with a suddenly calm expression.
"Well, that's true. I'm not handsome like you guys, and I haven't really hung out with women much either..."
"No, there's absolutely no need to think that way!"
Adele shook his head strongly and said with force.
"There's no need to worry that much? Honestly, being handsome does make things easier at balls... no, as long as you're not completely ugly, it's fine. First impressions can be overcome to some extent by dressing well, and after that, you can manage with your words and manners."
"Yeah. Don't worry too much. Once you see us in action, you'll get the feel of it."
"Teoro..."
Lumian's eyes became moist.
Infinite trust toward Teoro welled up. It felt as though an experienced veteran knight was standing before him.
He spoke the same words once again.
"Alright! Let's go!"
"Yeah. The timing works out perfectly! Let's go!"
Adele chimed in, and Teoro nodded without a word.
Lumian quietly followed behind them as they walked leisurely toward the ballroom.
It was a more thrilling moment than when he received his knighthood directly from the King.
***
The moment he entered the venue where the ball was being held, Lumian felt a sensation as if his heart had been pulled outside.
He couldn't collect himself.
Brilliant magical lights, subtle perfume scents, high-pitched laughter coming from here and there.
It was a completely different world from the Academy. Lumian gazed blankly at the new world unfolding before him.
'In my previous life, this was a place that was nothing but tedious and sad...'
Just having something to anticipate makes the feeling this different.
Naturally, his face flushed and blood rushed to his lower body.
'Ah, this isn't good.'
Calm down, stay composed.
Lumian desperately tried to maintain a clear and tranquil state of mind.
Fortunately, it worked. Having escaped the crisis of humiliation, he looked at Teoro and Adele.
Though they were 15-year-old boys much younger than himself, at least in this place, they were more adult than he was.
He should respect them, and learn from them. With the mindset of a knight's squire, he had to learn their know-how.
Just what kind of appearance would these guys show when facing the ladies of the ball?
Would they captivate women with flashy, conspicuous eloquence?
Or would they smoothly make their advances in a subtle and quiet atmosphere?
His anticipation pierced the sky.
At that moment, Adele Friedman made a surprised expression.
"Ah!"
"W-what. What's wrong?"
"She's completely my ideal type!"
Muttering blankly, he walked quickly toward a lady. She was a woman with a haughty-looking face wearing a gorgeous pink dress.
Adele's movements were extremely light. His movement passing through the crowds to reach his target was comparable to a knight cadet.
Just like that, he vanished in an instant. Leaving Teoro and Lumian behind.
"...."
"...."
"Well, I was the one who brought it up saying I'd teach him. That guy... don't worry about him. He's always been like that."
"I, I see."
"I'll show you the most natural way to approach a woman. From conversation to dancing. Watch once, and then you try..."
At that moment, another sudden situation occurred.
A lovely lady approached Teoro first.
"What is it, Teoro?"
"Just a moment... oh, huh? Rania?"
"What! If you were coming today, you should have told me!"
"Ah, well..."
"What. Are you going to keep making me stand here? A man who makes a lady take initiative first is an eyesore."
"No, that's not it... I have something to do right now..."
"Ugh, so frustrating!"
The lady pulled Teoro's hand with a bold expression.
Teoro couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away from hers. Being dragged along, he said to Lumian with his mouth movements.
'I'll be right back!'
"...."
It didn't seem like he'd be back soon.
Lumian turned his head toward Adele Friedman who had gone far away. But he couldn't be seen anywhere. It seemed he had disappeared to the terrace or garden with a woman.
Voices and laughter could be heard. The sound of glasses clinking, the sound of shoes clicking while dancing also came.
Amidst everyone's noise, only Lumian was quiet.
It was lonely. Instantly becoming depressed, he muttered lowly.
"Fuck."