The two made eye contact for a moment, but Aiz’s golden gaze fell to the grass at Riveria’s feet.
“…”
“…”
Silence, but for only a second or two.
Riveria thought about how to bring up the issue at hand but quickly realized that it wasn’t necessary.
She didn’t have to beat around the bush.
The two of them could get straight to the point.
“What happened?”
Aiz looked up but couldn’t make eye contact.
The girl’s expression was still normal, but Riveria could tell that a conflict was storming inside.
At long last, Aiz started to speak.
“About the Minotaur…When we were at the bar.”
“Yes.”
“I…That boy…I saved that adventurer, but…”
Riveria listened intently to Aiz’s story, feeling increasingly sick to her stomach as she came to understand Aiz’s dilemma.
She learned what really happened two nights ago. Regret that she hadn’t put a stop to it sooner surged through her veins.
For now, Riveria looked at the girl’s face with a new understanding. Aiz appeared just as aloof as normal but somber at the same time. The elf thought she sensed a hint of dejection.
While Aiz hadn’t physically harmed the boy, she had inflicted a different kind of scar.
Part of her was happy that something other than training in the Dungeon was making Aiz feel emotion. Now she had to make sure it went in a positive direction.
“What action would you like to take?”
The blond girl looked back at the ground. Riveria said nothing else.
The elf waited patiently for the girl to come up with her own answer.
“…I don’t know, but…”
The answer came.
“I should apologize, I think…”
Her voice was quiet, uneven.
“I see…”
“…”
The conversation ended. A gentle breeze surrounded them until the sound of a deep bell echoed from one of the towers.
It was to let them know breakfast was served.
“Continue your search until you have confidence in your answer. Should you ask, I will lend you my ear and advice.”
“Okay…”
“Time to eat. Let’s go.”
The two of them glanced toward the ringing tower. Riveria said her piece before turning away.
She had given the girl direction.
It was not her place to say anything more. While it pained her to watch the girl suffer through this dilemma, Aiz would grow. That’s what Riveria wanted.
It made her proud, like a parent, to watch Aiz mature in front of her eyes.
“Riveria…”
“?”
“…Thank you.”
Riveria looked at her over her shoulder and noticed a hint of warmth in the blond girl’s eyes. The elf’s expression softened as she walked out of the garden and into the tower.
The young girl’s face was still cloudy.
Giving encouragement wasn’t Riveria’s strong suit, so she would be overjoyed if their conversation helped the girl recover in any way.
I would hate to borrow Loki’s words, but…
Her goddess had hit the nail right on the head.
The other girls would be better at cheering her up than she would.
“Gahh—”
Tiona crossed her arms and growled under her breath.
“Miss Tiona…?”
“What’s with that sound?”
Lefiya and Tione looked up from their empty breakfast plates. Tiona appeared to be deep in thought on the other side of the table.
“Aiz, something’s still bugging her.”
The blond girl had sat next to her while they ate, but she was already gone.
The four of them had eaten together, as usual. And as usual, whenever a topic came up, Aiz stayed relatively silent and answered any questions that came her way in a few short words. Everything seems completely normal.
Except.
Tiona knew.
She didn’t think that Aiz was depressed, but something seemed off about the blond-haired girl.
“She’s still angry at the mutt, don’t you think? We can just leave her alone.”
“No, I don’t think Bete had much to do with it at all. Well, I’m not saying he’s innocent, just that Aiz doesn’t really care about him one way or another.”
“After all you did to Bete at the bar, that’s what you think…?”
“Something else is getting her down.”
Thinking wasn’t Tiona’s specialty.
She could tell that Aiz had a problem, but it was highly unlikely that she would be able to offer any useful advice. In fact, she’d probably make things worse if she tried to get involved.
Tiona’s only option was to make Aiz have fun and to be her carefree self, in order to force a smile out of the blond girl.
“Lefiya, Tione. You have any plans today?”
“No, can’t say I do.”
“I was going to help the general…”
“Good, you’re free. Join me for the day!”
“Weren’t you listening?”
Tiona ignored her sister.
The young Amazon couldn’t stand to see Aiz’s dreary face much longer.
She wanted to see the smile that was as delicate as white flowers on a distant mountaintop being pulled apart by the wind.
Tiona considered herself Aiz’s best friend. It was time for her to take action. She jumped up from the table, her chair sliding against the wall in the process.
“I’ll go find Aiz!”
She tore out of the dining hall with the same vigor as entering a Dungeon cave.
Stubborn as a wild boar, there was no stopping her once Tiona decided to do something. She flew through the hallways like a bird that just learned how to spread its wings.
Rooms, rooftops, storage areas, the common room. She opened every door within reach on her way up the main tower. She was greeted by the startled eyes of other Loki Familia members every time hinges shrieked. The Amazon made it all the way up to Loki’s private quarters, but the goddess wasn’t there. In fact, only the stench of alcohol occupied the room. “Ugh,” she grunted as she pinched her nose. Closing the door once again, she took off down the spiral stairs.
She zigzagged through each of the towers in turn.
“…Oi.”
“Uwahhh?!”
It happened as she turned a corner.
A thin leg blocked off the narrow hallway like a fallen log. Tiona came to a screeching halt and glared at the one blocking her progress: Bete.
“What’s the big idea? You’re in the way, Bete! Move!”
Tiona had become much more direct when speaking to him after the incident at the bar.
The werewolf didn’t seem perturbed by her anger. Instead, he jerked his chin toward the window across from him.
“If yer lookin’ fer Aiz, go ta the garden.”
“Huh…?”
Bete looked at the stunned expression on Tiona’s face before moving his leg out of her way.
Lips pressed together, the gray-furred werewolf scratched the back of his head and walked away in the opposite direction, sulking.
Tiona watched him leave for a moment before squinting and sticking her tongue out at his back.
She did, however, go to the garden.
“!”
Aiz was there, just like Bete said.
She was sitting in a long chair next to a tree, looking at the sky.
Tiona’s face lit up as she dashed across the lawn.
“AIZZZZZ!”
“…Tiona?”
The blond girl’s golden eyes blinked a few times as the Amazon jumped into view.
Tiona grabbed ahold of the girl’s thin arms and pulled her out of the chair.
“Let’s go shopping!”
The two girls joined up with Lefiya and Tione
before heading out into the city.
Tiona led them to a shopping district relatively close to their home on the northern edge of Orario, North Main Street. This area was inhabited by many Guild employees and wealthy merchants. Each house was well decorated and luxurious, while each store was bright and colorful.
North Main was wide enough that several young merchants set up kiosks in the middle of the road. The four girls weaved their way through throngs of humans and demi-humans on their way down the street.
“I can hardly believe this, forcing me all the way out here…”
“It’s good to get out, you know? You said it yourself not too long ago, how nice it would be to have a full day of shopping!”
“Um, Miss Tiona, what exactly are we shopping for?”
“Clothes! Lots and lots of clothes! That sound good, Aiz?”
“S-sure…”
Tiona grabbed hold of Aiz’s hand and practically dragged her forward.
North Main Street was known as a fashion district.
Many races that called Orario home had a variety of tastes and needs when it came to clothes. Short and thin prums couldn’t shop at the same places that short yet robust dwarves would go. Each race had its favorite types of fabric and designs as well. In fact, their preferences were so different that clothing stores had to be careful to tailor to only their target customers. Otherwise, squabbles between races would never end.
That’s where the merchants came in.
They built their shops to cater to one specific race and then built up a relationship of trust with individual customers. Several deities had taken note of this and built their familias around the industry. So much so that many people considered Orario to be the trendsetter of the fashion world.
And it was here, on North Main Street, that fashion giants catering to all races had shops running up and down both sides of the street.
“Miss Tiona, wouldn’t it be better to explore the smaller shops in the backstreets? They’re cheaper and a lot less crowded.”
“Of course! The place that Tione and I really like is just around the corner!”
“Huh, a place that you and your sister like? Wouldn’t that mean…?”
Lefiya’s words trailed off as a sense of impending dread overtook her. Tiona giddily led Aiz by the hand, paying no attention to the elf. The crowd thinned out almost immediately as they turned the corner and found that shop right away.
“Th-this is…”
The pupils of Lefiya’s eyes shrank as she looked up at a large sign that used a vibrant purple color scheme.
Her gaze fell to the white open doors. It was just as she feared. This shop was for Amazons.
“It’s been ages! Perhaps this might be fun after all.”
“Come on, Aiz, let’s go!!”
“Huh, um…”
The twins ushered Aiz inside. Lefiya hesitated, a bead of sweat running down her face. Clenching her eyes shut, she followed the other girls inside.
The shop’s inventory was hell on earth—for anyone other than an Amazon, at least.
All of the clothing on display at the other end of the counter would make anyone with a shred of shame want to avert their eyes. Since all Amazons were female, the bright and colorful fabric was sold in two-piece sets that didn’t cover much more skin than the outfits dancers wore in a red-light district. The traditional patterns had a unique flair to make the wearer stand out from the crowd. Even the clerk, also an Amazon, wore an outfit that most would describe as underwear.
Tiona and Tione ran into the shop, grabbing the first garments that got their attention and talking with the clerk. A blushing Aiz and a beet-red Lefiya looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
“Aiz, want to try this? You have a sleek body, so this should look amazing on you.”
“Wh-why are you making Aiz try on clothes at a place like this?!”
“What’s the problem? We’re already here anyway. I found a good one for you, too, Lefiya!”
“I-I refuse!”
The elf violently shook her head side to side as Tiona held up a short skirt with high slits in the sides. Meanwhile, Aiz was desperately trying to avoid eye contact while quietly shuffling her feet backward.
It might be the influence of the gods and goddesses on earth, but the fashion world was starting to break down traditional barriers between the fashions of each race.
While many chose to wear only what they were accustomed to, people who wore clothes of other races from time to time out of sheer curiosity did exist.
“Aiz, how about this? It matches mine…”
“E-ehh…”
Tiona held up a pareo-style skirt and a piece of sturdy fabric of the same color to wrap around her chest.
Aiz glanced from the clothes to Tiona’s outfit, blushing so hard that her face almost matched the clothing.
“No—I won’t allow it!!”
Lefiya had reached her limit. Nervousness had overpowered her shame. Shoulders shaking up and down, she stepped in front of Aiz to protect her.
“I won’t allow you to force Miss Aiz to wear this…this obscene combination of so-called ‘clothing’! She deserves something…something more modest, more elegant! Yes, something like we elves would wear!”
Thud! Lefiya slapped both of her hands onto her chest, desperate for an example of acceptable garments. The surface of her cheeks radiated so much heat Tiona had to take a step back.
Despite the rage of the elf, Tiona decided to try a different approach.
“But wouldn’t you like to see Aiz in this?”
Lefiya froze.
Slowly but surely, the elf’s dark-blue eyes fell to Tiona’s chest and pareo.
“Wh-why would I?”
“But you were thinking it?”
Lefiya denied it over and over, her cheeks close to maroon at this point, until she grabbed hold of Aiz’s hand.
“Miss Aiz, I shall introduce you to an elf store! As unworthy to be your guide as I am, you will see the best we have to offer!”
“L-Lefiya…”
A very confused Aiz was pulled back out onto the street. If the elf had been more conscious of her actions, she would have been extremely embarrassed.
Tiona and Tione looked at each other. They wore exactly the same grin, one mirroring the other, as they watched the events unfold. Returning to the clerk the clothes they’d picked out, the twins followed the other girls out the door.
Aiz was pushed, pulled, dragged, and led to store after store the rest of the morning.
“““OHHH!”””
Three voices gave their approval.
Aiz had just pulled back the curtain to a fitting room. She stood there like a shy doll as the three girls looked at her with approving eyes.
She wore a white, sleeveless top paired with a miniskirt. A beautiful floral pattern was sewn into the shirt just above the hem as an accent. It was a very simple combination, but the blond hair and feminine figure of the wearer made the garments come to life.
“Y-you look amazing, Miss Aiz!”
“Really, really amazing! Loki’d be all over you if she were here!”
“Your skin is so clear and these clothes show off your body…Well, I’m a bit jealous, actually.”
Aiz was surrounded by compliments.
The armor she wanted to be wearing and weapon that should be at her side were nowhere to be seen. She asked them if it was strange for a knight like her to be so vulnerable, but the other girls quickly waved off her objections. The blond girl looked at the floor, cheeks turning bright pink.
Tiona and the others couldn’t help but smile after seeing Aiz react like a fish out of water.
“Aiz, let’s go with these!”
“O-okay…”
“All that running around, and we wind up at a human store anyway.”
“Well, it’s the easiest. Miss Aiz doesn’t have any strange tastes, so a place like this makes the most sense.”
Tiona was in an extremely good
mood, while Tione and Lefiya looked around the store with curious eyes.
They’d lost count of how many places they’d visited. After bouncing from store to store, they finally settled on a human shop to find clothes for Aiz.
“Tiona, how much…?”
“Don’t worry about it! This is a present from me! Wear them to your heart’s content!”
Tiona didn’t allow Aiz to object. The blond girl simply nodded and let the Amazon pay at the front counter. The transaction complete, the four girls left the shop together.
It was almost noon at this point. The sun’s rays poured into the city, making the brick buildings and stone pavement sparkle around them. The four girls made their way through dozens of clothing stores, all bursting with different colors, surrounded by the noise of the lively backstreets.
Aiz kept wearing her new clothes. The ones she had been wearing before were wrapped in a cloth and in a bag hanging from her shoulder. She would never have chosen to wear anything as cute as this on her own; she felt exposed and out of place. The others couldn’t help but giggle as the blond girl acted more and more awkward.
“Should we get some lunch? I’m pretty hungry.”
“It might be a little early, but why not? Lefiya, know of any good cafés around here?”
“Let me think. If I remember right, there should be a good one just a little ahead of here…”
The three girls were talking among themselves when Tiona suddenly felt a set of eyes looking at her.
The Amazon looked over her shoulder and saw Aiz hunched over and looking back at her.
“What’s wrong, Aiz?”
“Tiona…”
She was about to say something when suddenly—SMACK!—something ran headlong into her.
“Ahh!” Tiona yelped in surprise.
“Whoa there. Sorry, Amazon! I’m in a rush!”
The young girl who ran into Tiona by accident made a hasty apology before rushing off on her way.
Judging by the way she talked despite her diminutive size gave the girls a clue as to her identity.
“That cute girl just now…She’s a goddess, isn’t she?”
“Looks like it. She seems really busy, though…What’s with you, Tiona?”
“Her boobs, they’re huge…but she’s so tiny.”
“…”
The other girls rolled their eyes at Tiona’s suddenly dreary tone.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria, Vol. 1 Page 14
