Chapter 1057: Clothes Make the Man, and Little Witches Are No Exception!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1057: Clothes Make the Man, and Little Witches Are No Exception!
After saying goodbye to the sisters at the Primitive Dream Laboratory, I left with the Fool's Dreams, finally ready to go out and relax for a change.
The suggestion was met with enthusiastic support from the four little Fool's Dreams and Sister Bai.
The little ones had been cooped up in the lab for far too long; as long as they were going out to play, they didn't care where it was!
As for Sister Bai... naturally, she just wanted to be with me.
In her eyes, it had been a very, very long time since I had returned to a "normal" life. What was a bed?
What was sleep?
What was dressing up?
What were new clothes?
I had become so detached that these concepts felt almost foreign to me. Now that I had finally taken the initiative to suggest some downtime, it was only natural to properly update my daily necessities.
For instance... new clothes, and perhaps taking a look at the current state of the Witch Academy.
After all, I seemed to have drifted too far away from the academy's social circles.
Against the backdrop of the birth of the United Club and the onset of the Academy War, what kind of life were the average students leading?
The answer was... they just carried on as usual.
Aside from the prices of many goods rising to a certain extent, there was also an endless supply of gossip to follow on the Academy Network.
It seemed... this wasn't entirely unexpected.
The Academy War that the Witch Academy participated in followed an invasion model led by the Core Clubs. For ordinary students, the threshold for participation was simply too high to reach.
The only wartime tasks they could interface with were those issued by the Jack-of-all-trades Club, and not everyone was willing to get involved in that business.
This was especially true after the Blood Sacrifice incident. The efficiency of wartime task acceptance through the Jack-of-all-trades Club had suffered a massive plunge. It only began to slowly recover after the news of Soul Essence repair was made public and compared with other rumors.
Strolling through the academy's bustling commercial street, I could indeed feel the impact of the war. For example, in the areas with independent vendors, the prices of certain Beyonder materials had surged, while others had plummeted.
The ones that rose were mostly essential materials, while the ones that crashed were materials from outside the Witch Academy.
For instance, after the Sun Rock Elf Academy was plundered, the low-end material market was momentarily saturated. This led to a boom in alchemy and potion-making side-professions within the academy, attracting students to enter the field of alchemy to accelerate consumption and circulation.
A Transcendent Academy was essentially a miniature society powered by Beyonder forces. Even students who prided themselves on mastering extraordinary powers would occasionally fall into consumer traps.
But as for me... Sister Bai and I were basically immune to such things. If anyone actually had the ability to dig a pit for us, I could crush them even if I fell in.
After all, regarding my family fortune... one sentence summed it up: "As long as it's enough."
If I really wanted to make money, the Nightmare Workshop and my Hexagonal Crystal Amber Preparation Technique could make me filthy rich. I didn't even want to mention the money earned from collaborations like the Fool's Dream and Fool's Dream Drink.
I felt like my current state was akin to having a cheat code for infinite money in a game world.
I had so much money I didn't even know how to spend it.
However, Sister Bai quickly made me realize a girl's terrifying capacity for spending.
Hair care, nail art, and cosmetics were just the basics. Then there was regular shopping for clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry... even here at the Witch Academy, these things couldn't escape the traditional framework. Luxury goods here were handmade using Beyonder techniques and imbued with Beyonder effects.
This series of refinements only served to make a girl's cost of living even more expensive.
I had to say... luckily I wasn't a "pure" girl and didn't have that typical feminine mindset. After Sister Bai's introduction, I felt like I was becoming a total country bumpkin.
Of course, I didn't feel inferior.
When you are capable enough, your every move influences the trends; no one dares to mock you.
I might not be able to achieve that in the entire Main World, but within the Witch Academy... I felt I carried some weight.
"Xiao Han, you've never been to this area, have you? Well... you might have passed through, but you've never really explored it," Sister Bai asked beside me.
"Hmm~ the Decoration District... have I really never been here?" I looked at the regional directory. The "decorations" here weren't just simple ornaments; they were equipment accessories.
Equipment wasn't limited to alchemy. While alchemy claimed that "everything can be alchemized," that naturally included Beyonder forging techniques.
However, when it came to the finest equipment, one had to look to professional master smiths. Alchemists couldn't even hold a candle to them in that regard; professional items required professional skills to shape.
"Even if you have been here, with that outfit of yours, it's no different from never coming at all," Sister Bai said with a smile. "Equipment is part of one's personal strength. Of course, while that's a truth many students believe in, you can ignore it."
"True enough. Is Sister Bai bringing me here to pick out a new outfit?"
"That's the plan, provided you're willing. You are, after all, the most dazzling face of the Witch Academy, Xiao Han. It wouldn't do if you didn't show off your charm a little~"
"Charm..." Hearing Sister Bai's words, I realized I really hadn't cared about that for a long, long time.
The last time I had cared this much was back when Sister Bai first brought me to the Witch Academy, and I still had that sense of novelty after turning into a girl.
A girl's charm... I really missed it. Where did that mindset go?
"Is Sister Xiao Han going to buy new clothes?"
"I want Sister Xiao Han to wear new clothes too!"
As I was reminiscing, the voices of the Fool's Dreams echoed in my ears.
"Hmm?" I reacted quickly, grabbing Yulan as she floated beside me.
"Behave~ what are you all getting so excited for?" I asked with a smile, though I wasn't actually scolding them.
"Hmph, it's because of Sister Xiao Han's clothes! It feels like you never change..." Yu Yun, who was perched on my shoulder, spoke up. "And Sister Xiao Han, we saw you wearing this same outfit even before we went to sleep..."
"Uh... really?" I looked down at my clothes.
This was an outfit manifested by a Change of Clothes Spell. It didn't even need a Cleaning Spell; under my derivation, it remained perpetually spotless.
"Yu Yun is right. Xiao Han, you've worn this outfit so much it's become your fixed image in the academy~" Sister Bai came up behind me, hooking a finger under my shoulder strap before letting it snap back against my skin.
"I guess so! But this is a spell effect," I defended myself weakly. "I have many other styles recorded in my spell library."
"Those are about to go out of style too. Why not try something new? Think of it as... a new 'experience.' You love experiencing different things, don't you, Xiao Han?"
"Honestly... when you put it like that, Sister Bai, I have no reason to refuse."
...
After agreeing to Sister Bai's request, I followed her to another location.
At first, I thought she was going to take me to some luxury boutique to buy "high-end" items, but upon arrival, I realized that wasn't the case.
Compared to the high-traffic areas, this place was much quieter.
"The Tailor Society?"
Looking at our destination, I read the sign. Though low-key, it was completely different from the brand-name stores on the commercial street.
"Exactly~ rather than wearing expensive luxury brands to prop up your status, it's better to have a custom-fit outfit to highlight your charm. You've long since passed the stage where you need external fame to bolster your identity. Clothes are just the accompaniment; you are the protagonist in everyone's eyes."
Sister Bai explained with a smile. It was often said that high-end clothing was always custom-made, and there was no lie in that.
"When you put it that way... I suppose it's true."
I looked at this peculiar shop that operated behind closed doors. The Tailor Society was clearly a club, similar in nature to the Baking House created by the Shopkeeper.
However, the scale of this shop was even smaller than the original Baking House.
Still... I didn't look down on them.
In a place like the Witch Academy, the more generic a club's name was, the more it indicated one of two things: either it had a long history, or it possessed immense strength and deep heritage.
For example, names like "Jack-of-all-trades Club," "Potion Coven," or "Spell Research Society"—the more classic the name, the more foundation it required.
Even a club like the Baking House had a powerhouse like the Shopkeeper.
Shopkeeper Xia Li was no weakling. Even the usually lazy Senior Sister Ying Shiqian and the baking-obsessed Senior Sister Tang Yihan were the type of people who could hop on a broom and deliver a "Red Velvet Cake" to someone's face.
Upon pushing the door open, the interior was a whole different world. Right at the entrance, several mannequins stood as decoration, dressed in very avant-garde clothing.
The layout of the Tailor Society fit my stereotype of a tailor to some extent—piles of fabric and garments mid-design.
However, after entering, I saw a familiar face.
If I remembered correctly, she was part of the United Club's Logistics Department and was the logistics representative the Jack-of-all-trades Club had been trying to recruit.
I hadn't bothered to memorize her name, but a quick Ley Line Identification Art revealed it: Maritis Gold.
"Ah... it's you! Teaching Assistant Xiao Han! I didn't expect to run into you here. What a coincidence!" Upon seeing me, a flash of disbelief crossed Maritis's eyes. She looked closer before daring to greet me.
Her enthusiastic tone completely shattered the "career woman" aura she had just been projecting.
"It is quite a coincidence, Student Maritis."
"I'm honored that you remember my name!" Maritis said. Though she suspected I probably didn't actually remember it, such flattery at least elevated her to the level of "someone worth being remembered."
As one of the high-ranking members of the Jack-of-all-trades Club, Maritis knew very well that in the Witch Academy, even having this Teaching Assistant remember your name counted as a valuable connection.
Mainly because this person was usually impossible to "accidentally" run into even if you wanted to.
Even her clones didn't just talk to anyone. Trying to force an interaction could even lead to her resentment.
"And this one! This... you must be Teacher Bai Yu?" Maritis's gaze swept briefly over the Fool's Dreams before landing on Bai Yu.
Rumor had it that this mentor and Teaching Assistant Xiao Han were in that kind of relationship. This was her first time seeing them together; it seemed the rumors were true.
Sister Bai gave a soft acknowledgment but didn't engage in much conversation.
Maritis was tactful enough not to push further, instead looking for a new topic. As for leaving?
How could going back be more important than this chance encounter?
"Since you're both here at this time, you must be here to order custom clothes?"
"Is there even a need to guess? Why else would anyone come to my shop if not for custom designs?" At that moment, another figure stepped out from behind Maritis. Upon seeing me, her eyes sparkled!
"I didn't expect such distinguished guests! Teacher, and Teaching Assistant Xiao Han. I am Chushi Bulei, the President of the Tailor Society. How can I help you today?"
The girl set down the garment she was holding. The semi-finished fabrics were draped over a blank mannequin by magical force, with several pearl-headed pins temporarily pinning the mid-design fabric in place.
She then stepped forward enthusiastically, gently nudging Maritis aside.
"I'd like to order a few outfits for Xiao Han. Is that possible?" Sister Bai was the one who spoke. When it came to negotiations, Sister Bai was much more proactive than I was.
"Of course~ absolutely!" Chushi Bulei nodded repeatedly.
That was exactly what the Tailor Society did! Designing clothes for this legendary Teaching Assistant was basically a walking advertisement!
"What are your requirements for the clothes? Style, pattern... what occasions are they for?" Chushi Bulei asked immediately.
As the fashion design master who maintained the Tailor Society's name and a well-known tailor in the Witch Academy, she had her own pride.
"If you haven't decided yet, I have many existing design templates and unreleased original drafts you can reference. I'll go get them, and bring the tools to take measurements while I'm at it." As she spoke, Chushi Bulei pulled out a form.
It contained many categories: style choices, materials, colors, production techniques, and even personal taboos or precautions.
Her voice was filled with sincerity and the excitement of a challenge.
It was clear that Chushi Bulei was the type of person who was very pure in her pursuit of her craft.
She possessed an unmasked passion, especially when it came to designing clothes.
After Chushi Bulei stepped away momentarily, only Sister Bai, the four little Fool's Dreams, and I remained.
However, Maritis, who had been nudged aside by Chushi Bulei, didn't seem in a hurry to leave.
According to the information she had, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han should have had her own business to attend to. Seeing her here really piqued her curiosity... was she really just here to order clothes?