Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: For Elise
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"Where's a clothing store?!"
I recalled the time I'd gone shopping with Winia, but that place had been a real high-end boutique—way out of my league right now. Grabbing Elise's hand, I dashed around like a wild horse, searching for somewhere that sold simple women's everyday clothes.
"Clothes—store!!! Where is it?!"
"Saint! Please calm down, calm down! I can buy my own clothes!"
"No, I should still pay since it's because of me."
After running around like a maniac for a while, Elise grabbed both my arms and stopped me. Well, it was my situation that required plain clothes in the first place, so it only made sense for me to buy them.
"It's for the public good, for paradise itself. That makes it my duty too, so there's no need for you to buy them."
"I see. That's a shame."
My plan to buy clothes for Elise fell through due to her fierce opposition.
"O-Of course, I'm truly grateful for your kindness, Saint."
"Heh heh heh."
It was still early morning.
And so, we wandered the streets like tourists, hunting for women's clothing shops. It kinda felt like a date, but if anything, we were more like friends or siblings, so thinking of it that way would be a mistake.
"So, the slums folks seem pretty wary of that Immortality Church thing. A few even looked outright scared... I haven't gotten the full details yet, so I'm still in the dark."
"I see. It does sound suspicious. A new religion setting up shop in a place like that..."
As we toured the city, I shared what I'd learned from my investigations over the past few days.
Most of the slum dwellers were clearly avoiding the so-called Immortality Church, showing some seriously shady reactions.
Were they hiding something as a group?
I doubted the slum folk were organized enough to keep secrets like that. It was probably external pressure or the overall atmosphere fueling that wariness.
And those factors likely boiled down to violence or ominous hints about the future. The weaker folks were, the more they bowed to that kind of thing.
"Tricky problem."
"Yeah, let's find some clothes first. Can't investigate without 'em."
Right now, I'd stashed my precious gear and was wearing a shabby tunic, brown work pants, and my boots. A sword belt with my blade was all I'd brought.
Going without armor tanked my confidence, but showing up armed to the teeth wouldn't let me blend in with the slums. Elise was just in her battle nun robes.
"Damn, no stores anywhere."
After scouring the commercial district for ages, we stumbled into a small square with a fountain. We'd run around too much, so we took a break on a bench.
"I'm not tired at all."
"I'm the one who's beat. Let's rest a bit."
"...Understood."
I felt bad for dragging Elise around so much. She said she was fine, but all that walking had to wear her out. Giving her breaks now and then was key.
Elise, sitting beside me, spoke up.
"You do some inexplicable things sometimes, Saint."
"Inexplicable how?"
Was she talking about my uncontrollable impulses?
"Oh, nothing weird. It's just... you're so kind to me. I've never received this many favors back-to-back in my life. And even now—you suggested resting because you thought I might be tired, right?"
Busted.
She was younger than me, but that was it. Her demeanor, posture, insight—they all surpassed mine, an adult. Maybe true maturity looked like Elise.
"It's 'cause I'm a real macho."
I laid my feelings bare in response.
"A real... macho?"
"Yeah. Like I've said before, you've done so much for me. You brush it off, but it meant the world to me. Remember way back when we first met? That kobold shrine quest."
It'd been a while.
Our party botched a quest thanks to their screw-ups, got wrecked by gremlins, and I blew 2 silvers on salve for my wounds. My gear was trashed too, leaving me broke. Then Elise's request came like a lifeline.
"That 1 silver you gave me back then made me who I am today. I'm just grateful. Seeing you makes me wanna do stuff for you."
Meeting Cloudy, patching things up with Winia, forming our trio with the couple—it all traced back to Elise, in the big picture.
"A real macho never forgets a favor."
Thanks to her, I'd made bank in the mausoleum too.
We'd enjoyed the festival together.
Beating the kobold queen? All thanks to Elise.
Of course I was grateful.
A real macho was a man who never forgot favors. He repaid grudges a trillionfold and favors to the best of his ability. That's what my dad taught me, and now, as a true macho reborn, it was time to live it.
"...My body's getting hot for some reason."
"Ah, that's called 'embarrassment.'"
Elise, who'd been listening quietly, blushed.
"Your body heats up."
"...A-Anyway, let's get moving again."
"Sure."
Pretty embarrassing talk for prying ears.
Stamina recovered, we resumed the clothing hunt.
"So, what exactly is a real macho?"
"A conviction that bows to nothing."
"Conviction?"
"With a heart of steel and ironclad will."
If asked, I'd explain—it was only natural.
"No anguish, no hesitation, no fear."
I pointed to the sky.
"He marches straight for justice, without compromise."
Elise listened intently, gravely.
"That's the man I am."
That was a real macho.
"...I'm envious. To have such certainty about yourself."
I'd poured epic gravitas into my words, and Elise looked up at me, moved. Certainty about oneself, huh. Yeah. It took tons of trial and error—and endless headaches.
But I'd done it.
"Don't you have that too?"
Elise struck me as the self-assured type. The girl showed no hesitation smashing evil heads.
That took serious resolve or ideology.
Only born warriors or serial killers could pull it off.
"...No. I have plenty of fears, and I often drown in anguish. Following in your footsteps still feels far off, Saint."
"Why follow me..."
"Hee hee, you might not realize it, Saint, but you're someone with so much to teach. Oh, isn't that a clothing store over there?"
Elise pointed, smiling mid-chat.
It looked like one, sure enough.
"Looks like it. Let's go in."
The shop had women's clothes in our price range on display. I recommended a brown robe—perfect for blending into the slums.
"Hmm... I don't know what to pick. I've never bought casual clothes before, so it feels tricky."
"Then let me choose for you."
Had the church kept her cooped up so long she'd missed out on normal girl stuff at her age? Pitiful. I picked outfits, cursing those Radiant Cross Society bastards inwardly.
They only gave her the hard jobs and nothing else!
Elise took the robe I handed her with trembling hands.
"That's the changing room. Go try it on."
"...Got it."
Swish.
Elise awkwardly closed the curtain. Clank, clank. I heard her unfastening her battle gear. She was about to strip, so I looked around instead.
"Not bad."
The shop seemed decent.
Price tags showed everything was cheap. As I waited, Elise emerged in the new outfit.
"S-Saint? How's it look?"
Just a brown robe.
No huge difference from her blue nun robes, but hey, the wearer makes the clothes 100%.
Less nun, more innocent girl—and cute.
"Oh, hits the spot. That's the one. Kinda like a regular girl instead of a nun, which is nice. You could pass for a shop clerk."
"A... regular girl?"
Elise spun around, checking herself out.
Time to pay.
Only 40 coppers. A steal for the show.
As I reached for my wallet, Elise grabbed my wrist.
"Wait, Saint. Can I look at a few more?"
Her eyes sparkled with uncontainable joy. Elise was a fresh girl at heart. What suited her wasn't monster brains pickled in heretic blood—it was this purity.
"Of course! Pick whatever you want!"
"...Thank you!"
"No need to thank me."
Investigation could wait a bit.
It felt great, like showing the world to a kid just stepping into society. Elise picked outfits herself, tried them on, and asked my opinion each time.
Lately, I'd been doing this clothes-shopping-with-girls thing a lot.
"Whoa, that's an outing look. With a staff instead of a mace, you'd pass for a mage."
"Hee, hee hee. Really? Thanks for the high praise."
This time, a fluttering white dress. Elise beamed as she showed it off.
That joy was the real win.
Damn right, Kim Katt's life was on track!
My true little sister, Elise!
We bought the original brown robe and headed out. Elise, back in her nun robes, stopped me from paying.
"Let's head to the inn, drop the stuff, change, and start investigating."
"Got it. I'll lead the way this time."
Elise's lodging was a small, rundown wooden inn near the Adventurer's Guild. She could've picked better, but choosing this showed her pious nature.
Creeeak.
We climbed to the second floor and entered together.
Tiny room.
"...Saint. I need to change."
"Whoops, followed you in like a zombie."
I stepped out to wait. Clanks again, then Elise emerged.
"Ready to go."
"Yeah. Let's hit it."
Elise in plain clothes looked like any girl her age—no usual menace.
"Hm? Elise? No weapon? The area's a shithole; could get jumped."
"Don't worry about that."
Smiling, she pulled a mace from her sleeve. Hidden up there. She looked confident showing it.
"Heh heh heh, no worries then. You're prepared, Elise."
"Entering the lair of the wicked demands a weapon."
Her gaze on the mace was pure zealot—no teenage innocence.
Some natures couldn't be changed.
"If they're heretics, we strike immediately."
"No need to tell me twice! For world peace! For paradise! Slaughter every wicked soul!"
"Of course! All for the God of Order!"
"For Lord Hwanung!"
"Hail! Hail again!"
Unstoppable hype.
I shouted for the divine too.
"Our holy war is forever offered to the gods!"
"So we charge without hesitation!"
"Divine!"
"F-Friend!"
"Uoooooooh!!!!!"
"Oh, ooooo...!!"
Truth be told, I was praying they'd all turn out heretics. A legal chance to beat 'em down and loot their cash and goods.
Elise seemed to feel the same.
"Alright, let's move! On this journey to exterminate the wicked!"
"Yeah! Let's go! Kill 'em all!"
"No paradise for them!"
"Filthy bastards!"
"Exterminate them all—that's right!"
"Real macho Kim Katt and Elise, deploying—!"
The investigation goal felt a bit twisted, but whatever.
Hail, hail, hail hail hail!