Volume 4 Chapter 94: Shopping

The eastern commercial district is a bustling shopping area with a diverse array of shops lining its streets. Unless you’re a miner, you can usually find everything you need here, making it one of the liveliest sections of the Capital City of Elist.

While the shop White Road is also located in this eastern district, it sits quietly at the end of a maze of narrow alleys, in a spot you’d only find if you had a map or already knew where to look. Despite the bustling crowds just a step away on the main street, the shop receives very few customers due to its secluded location.

For a business, this might not seem like the ideal spot. But for living in the royal capital, it’s quite a prime location. Though the vibrant shopping district is nearby, the area is peaceful and free from the noise and commotion.

If you weren’t running a business, it’d be an incredibly convenient and desirable place to live.

If you weren’t running a business.

That being said, the location is very convenient for me, and the Manager isn’t struggling financially, so there’s no reason to consider relocating. The Manager also seems to like the current shop and its surroundings. If, on the off chance, she ever suggested moving, I would vehemently oppose it.

Lost in these thoughts, I idly stared out the window of a clothing shop, watching the bustling street filled with people.

This shop, a boutique specializing in women’s clothing, was apparently Fiona’s recommendation. A small establishment showcasing a colorful array of clothing, it had a refined, tranquil ambiance reflected in everything from the lighting to the decor and even the wallpaper. Probably.

To my unrefined senses, the most I could think was, Hmm, looks like they put some thought into it. However, judging by Tesea and Sierra’s favorable reactions, it’s probably a stylish place.

Fashion leader? Yeah, I’ve retired from that role.

“Oh, this one’s cute!”

“Hmm… but dresses might not be the best fit for Tesea-chan.”

“Huh? You think so…?”

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it wouldn’t suit you! It’s just that sizing might be tricky.”

“It looks like it would fit, though…”

“When someone as tall as Tesea-chan wears it, we have to focus on the chest size. But when we do that, it can make the outfit look bulky, or the hem might ride up. The sleeve length and shoulders wouldn’t fit properly either…”

“Huh, I see.”

“You could use a belt or a ribbon to cinch the waist, but that would make the hem rise even more. And if you select a size with that in mind, other areas won’t fit as well. You could suppress the chest with undergarments or combine it with another outfit, but it’s tricky to make it work on its own. Custom-made is another option, but that would take time and money.”

Clothing sounds so complicated…

Listening from a slight distance, I couldn’t contribute to the discussion between Tesea, Sierra, and, of course, Fiona, who had tagged along as if it were the most natural thing in the world. For the most part, Sierra simply pressed her chest flat with an expressionless face.

Fiona is the fashion leader now.

If she’s the fashion leader, then as her senior, can I still call myself one too? Nah, at this point, my enthusiasm for clothing has completely waned. As long as I can wear it, I’m fine.

To defend myself a bit, I did start out seriously. I had been picking out items I thought would suit Tesea, gauging her and Sierra’s reactions.

Even Fiona had just been smiling without interjecting.

But…

Tesea and I lacked any real knowledge about clothing. We had been selecting outfits without any consideration for proper sizing or fit.

And since Sierra’s proportions were quite different from Tesea’s, her instincts for clothing didn’t match either.

That’s when Fiona stepped in.

She probably hadn’t planned to intervene, but I guess she decided things were getting out of hand. The strained smile on her face eventually gave way to advice, and upon realizing how complicated women’s clothing choices were, I willingly handed over the fashion leader title to her. In other words, I left everything up to her.

It was simply too much for me.

Now, I just stood back and watched over them from a distance, occasionally gazing out the window. I wasn’t sure why I was even here in a store full of women’s clothes, but since Fiona, who I’d asked for help, was enthusiastically leading the charge, there wasn’t much to worry about.

She was wearing the outfit I had gifted her today—one of those free-size garments that didn’t care about minor size details as long as you knew someone’s general height. That’s probably why it looked so plain.

Feeling a bit guilty for gifting something like that, I turned my attention back to the bustling street outside.

That’s when I noticed something.

“……”

Noel and the Manager were sitting at a café across the street, casually enjoying tea—both wearing those plain clothes.

Noel noticed me and waved enthusiastically with a smile. The Manager, as usual, sipped tea at her own relaxed pace.

Why are they over there…?

Though I had taken the day off, had they closed the shop to follow us? Not that closing the shop would make much of a difference, considering how few customers we get anyway.

And even if they did follow us, why are they keeping this weird, awkward distance? Not that I’d want them to join us—it’d be way too conspicuous.

Deciding to play it cool, I gave a faint smile and averted my gaze.

Let’s pretend I didn’t see them.

With that thought, I turned my attention back to the three women picking out clothes.

After picking out some outfits, our next stop was a lingerie shop.

According to Fiona, this shop had a great selection of cute options even for larger sizes and was highly recommended.

Naturally, I have no expertise when it comes to women’s underwear. I’ve never even stepped foot in a lingerie shop before, so I had already resigned myself to leaving everything to Fiona.

Still, isn’t it amazing that there are specialized stores just for women’s underwear? Up until now, I’d thought of it as just “something you wear,” but I guess there are countless types and designs out there.

Who knows? Maybe there are even specialized stores for men’s underwear somewhere in the world.

The shop interior, like the previous boutique, isn’t large, but it’s unreasonably stylish. Various types of underwear are on display, and to me, it’s all a confusing blur.

On their own, they’re just pieces of fabric since no one is actually wearing them, but somehow, I feel out of place. The discomfort I feel here is overwhelming.

Did I really have a reason to come into this store…?

I mean, I’m not going to help pick out underwear. Wouldn’t it have been better for them to come here without me?

Other customers are casting suspicious glances my way as I wander around with three women. Can I just go sit somewhere and have tea for a while?

As I was thinking that, I continued to walk around the shop with the others when—

“Ah.”

“Geh.”

I bumped into Mina, who was holding a particularly frilly, cute piece of lingerie and staring at it.

“……”

“……”

Her face twisted into a grimace when she saw us—particularly me. Slowly, she put the lingerie back on the shelf. Her cheeks tinged red as she slumped her shoulders.

“…Why are you here…?”

“…Sorry about this.”

I apologized, sensing that this probably wasn’t a situation she wanted to be seen in. The awkwardness was palpable.

“That should be my line. Do you need a bra or something?”

“I DO NOT! I’ll kill you!”

“Padded ones, huh… futile effort.”

“Don’t look at it!”

Fiona’s brutally insensitive comment, followed by Sierra and Tesea casually picking up and examining the lingerie Mina had been looking at, turned the situation chaotic. Out of the three, Tesea was likely the only one without ill intent.

Seeing this, I turned to quietly leave the scene, but—

“Hey, Noil, fancy seeing you here.”

“Good afternoon, Noil-sama.”

“Isn’t this getting ridiculous?”

Elle greeted me with a big smile, while Sophie bowed politely.

Coincidence? Really?

Is this actually a coincidence?

“Ah, Elle! You knew I was here, didn’t you?”

“Whatever do you mean, Mina? I was just out shopping, and since I needed some new underwear, I stopped by this store.”

“You probably asked the spirits and waited for me, didn’t you?! I knew I shouldn’t have come along! I was hoping for a nice, peaceful shopping trip!”

There you have it. Not a coincidence.

As Mina tearfully confronted Elle, I let out an inward sigh.

“You’re overthinking it. But, Noil, could you take a look at this?”

With a smile, Elle held up a ridiculously skimpy piece of fabric that barely qualified as underwear and pressed it against her body—still dressed in that same plain outfit.

“What do you think?”

…About what?

“Would you get excited if I wore this?”

Are you an idiot?

As that thought crossed my mind, my vision was suddenly blocked by something soft and cool.

Ah, this is Sierra’s hand.

With my sight cut off, I realized that my little sister was covering my eyes.

“…Brother’s eyes… must not be tainted.”

Sierra, that’s honestly a little rude.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don’t show such filth to my senior!”

Fiona, could you put the gun down? This is a store, after all. You’re going to cause trouble for the staff. Even though I couldn’t see, I could feel the presence of her gun aimed at Elle. Sadly, I could tell.

“That’s a harsh thing to say.”

“Elle, your actions are just as bad.”

Seriously, can I just go have some tea somewhere? Call me when this is all over.

No? I can’t? Got it.

“Oh, by the way, Noil-sama…”

“Hmm?”

Amid this increasingly insane situation, Sophie spoke in her usual serene tone. Whenever something piqued her curiosity, she always asked about it without hesitation.

“Noil-sama, do you prefer larger or smaller ones?”

What an outrageous question.

The room fell silent.

Even though I couldn’t see, I felt the atmosphere shift dramatically. Sweat ran down my back.

“Previously, you seemed quite taken with Mina-sama’s, so I assumed—”

“Ahhh! Sophie! Sophie!”

Mina’s panicked voice interrupted Sophie mid-sentence.

“What is it?”

“Stop.”

“But this is an important—”

“Stop.”

With a pained voice, Mina cut Sophie off.

“Understood.”

Reluctantly, Sophie said no more.

But still… what am I supposed to do with this situation?

Sierra’s hand, which had been covering my eyes, slowly moved away.

The first thing I saw was Elle, looking at me with an oddly serious gaze, and Sophie tilting her head curiously.

“Senior?”

I turned around cautiously at Fiona’s voice.

She was smiling, Sierra was staring at me with expectant eyes, and Mina was looking down, her face bright red.

“Senior, you prefer larger ones, don’t you?”

“…Brother, do you like smaller ones?”

How am I supposed to answer that?

Silence. Silence is the only option.

Because no matter how I respond, it’ll be wrong.

There’s no right answer to this. The only winning move is to stay silent.

However, even staying silent has its limits in this situation.

Trapped between people stronger than me, there’s no way to escape.

What kind of dead-end scenario is this?

Why is this happening?

What am I supposed to do?

Someone, please tell me. Someone, help me.

“Umm…”

I frantically scanned the room for something, anything, to change the subject, and then I realized—

Wait, where’s Tesea?

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

“Look, Noil! How do I look?”

The curtain of the fitting room at the end of the aisle flew open, and Tesea stepped out.

She was wearing black lace lingerie.

“The clerk picked it out for me! Does it suit me?”

She has initiative, I’ll give her that.

While we were all busy with our antics, she had apparently asked the clerk for recommendations and tried some on.

Standing beside her, the female clerk looked our way with a slightly apologetic expression.

Sorry about this.

“Tesea-chan! What are you doing?!”

“Huh? I thought I’d show Noil since I’m already here…”

“You can’t just show him that!”

“Why not? He’s family, and it’s just Noil. Everyone else here is a woman anyway…”

“No. Absolutely not.”

Fiona and Sierra promptly pushed Tesea back into the fitting room.

Tesea, as usual, seems to have a decent grasp of basic manners but lacks any real sense of shame. She probably thought it was fine to show me since we’re family. While it technically isn’t a big deal, underwear isn’t something you go out of your way to show off like clothes.

Hopefully, with time and experience, she’ll learn. But as her older brother, I can’t help but worry a little.

“What… was that…?”

Mina muttered as if shaken by something about Tesea.

“We’ll have to teach her many things from now on, won’t we, Noil?”

Elle’s words were accurate, but I couldn’t understand why she spoke as if Tesea were her own little sister. This world is full of mysteries.

Well, thanks to Tesea, it seems like I might actually make it through this ordeal.

Just as I let out a sigh of relief—

“It appears there’s nothing ‘impressive’ happening down there. So, I suppose that’s your answer.”

Sophie spoke, her gaze fixed on my lower half as she pressed a finger to her lips, as if deep in thought.

I’m done. Absolutely done.