Chapter 275: The Competition Outfit
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 275: The Competition Outfit
After a magical, extraordinary day surrounded by bunny girls, it was time to return to the ordinary.
The rhythmic, cheerful sound of horse hooves echoed like a morning alarm. I pushed my sluggish body up, pulled the curtain aside slightly, and looked outside.
Miro, the horse beastkin and racing representative for the Merchants of Death, was running around the estate from early in the morning.
While the rest of us were drinking and fooling around, she had been training silently on her own. She was truly diligent.
Looks like Mirabelle is still asleep.
Spring was ending and the sun was rising earlier, but this was well past the time Mirabelle would have normally given me a morning kiss.
She probably hadn't recovered from last night's hangover yet.
Well, it wasn't something I absolutely had to receive, and since I was already awake, I didn't mind much.
I shook the bell on the bedside table. A clear chime spread through the room, and a moment later, a water-colored spirit appeared.
It was a spirit-summoning bell, imbued with the power of Alfia's Servants.
Spirits never help humans. They are mystical beings that don't even show themselves.
However, Alfia had told me that thanks to the Blessing of the World Tree, spirits always lingered around me. She said that if I rang this bell, they would help.
With Mirabelle and Alfia around, I didn't use it often, but I did on occasion, like now.
"Some water, please."
-Chime.
The spirit created water. It floated in mid-air, not spilling a drop.
I drank some and washed my face. When I was done, the spirit collected the water back. As if its job was finished, it vanished.
Now fully awake, I threw on a coat and left my room.
Maids, starting a new week, were busily cleaning the hallway early in the morning. When I opened the door and our eyes met, they stopped what they were doing and bowed.
"Did you sleep well, Master?"
"You're all working hard this morning. Don't mind me, please continue with your work. Ah, has Narsha woken up?"
The maid shook her head.
"Seeing as she's still in her room, it seems she's still asleep. Shall I wake her?"
"No, that's alright. It's likely the hangover. Let her sleep in."
If I had to pick the hardest worker in the merchant group, it would undoubtedly be Narsha. She wakes up earlier than anyone and goes to bed later than anyone.
She dedicates most of her waking hours to her duties and even carries out my sudden orders.
I should take this chance to forcibly reduce her working hours.
No matter how many mystical elements there were around to care for her, Narsha's work ethic was excessive.
I knew she did it for me, but there's a limit to everything.
A five-day work week.
No, a four-day work week.
As her master, I should at least ensure she has that much work-life balance.
Everyone was probably out of it from their hangovers, so I decided not to bother them until they woke up on their own. Instead, I'd take care of the one who was already up.
I packed some carrots and a drink into a basket from the kitchen and headed to the garden. I was sitting at a tea table sipping cool black tea when, before long, Miro approached after finishing a lap.
"Ah, Trainer! Good morning!"
"Good morning to you too, Miro. You're hard at it this morning."
"I get anxious if I don't run. Oh, thanks. I'll enjoy this."
Miro drank the water and munched on a raw carrot.
"What makes you anxious?"
"Hmm... I don't know?"
Miro gave a bittersweet smile.
"I guess I just feel anxious standing still, and maybe I'm anxious about getting eliminated from the race in an unsightly way."
"That's quite detailed for someone who just said 'I don't know'."
"I guess so~"
Miro stuck her tongue out slightly.
Her gaze didn't meet mine, instead wandering in the air.
That was one of her habits, an unconscious expression that the topic was uncomfortable to discuss. She probably hadn't sorted out her own thoughts on it yet.
Since she seemed uncomfortable, I decided to end the conversation there.
"Miro, do you remember what I told you last time? That you'd have to wear a new outfit starting from the main tournament."
"The competition outfit, was it? Yeah, I remember. Why?"
"I received word that it's finished. The size should be right, but shouldn't the owner try it on in person?"
"That's true."
Miro nodded.
Then, as if something crossed her mind, she wrapped her arms around herself.
"...But Trainer. I don't remember getting measured."
"Who measures by hand these days? It's all done with magic."
"I don't remember giving permission, either."
"Does a master need permission to measure his slave's body?"
"Wow, hitting me with the hard truth now. Seems a little late for that, but you're not wrong, so I'll let it slide. So, do we have to go pick up the clothes?"
"Yes, but it's a bit far. Normally we'd go with Mirabelle's magic, but since she can't get up from her hangover, we'll have to fly."
Miro blinked.
"Fly? Where?"
I raised my index finger.
Miro followed my raised finger and looked up at the sky.
"Up there?"
"Up there."
*
Today was a Mirabelle-Portal-Free day.
I had commissioned Miro's competition outfit from the dwarves of Doomheim.
Normally, I would have had a portal made to get there instantly, but she hadn't woken up yet.
It wasn't a trip to be made by carriage, either, so I brought Skadia.
Azyeth was also passed out, so I couldn't bring her. Still, since I had a subjugation contract with Skadia, it wasn't a problem even without Azyeth.
"To think you'd stoop to ordering this body around without the Princess...!"
"How am I supposed to wake a girl who's drunk? You have to make allowances."
"And to top it off, you're making this body carry a creature that can fly with its own wings. Are you mocking me?"
"They haven't grown in yet, so she can't fly. And let's end that conversation there."
As expected of a dragon, she could easily see through an invisible identity.
I was worried Miro might have heard, but seeing her state, I didn't need to be concerned.
"T-Trainer! I'm flying! I'm flying!"
Miro squeezed her eyes shut. Clinging tightly to my waist so she wouldn't fall, she let out a scream that could shake the heavens.
"You're not going to fall, so you don't have to scream like that."
"But Trainer! I'm a horse beastkin! Horses are animals that run on the plains! The sky is too high for us!"
"Don't overthink it. Just think of it as running across the sky."
"That's easier said than done! Eek?!"
Squeeze!
The arms wrapped around my waist tightened.
As a horse beastkin, her leg strength was exceptional, but being a beastkin of a higher physical class, her arm strength was no joke either.
I thought my back was going to snap.
"Miro, opportunities to fly are rare. Countless people go their whole lives without ever flying."
"But..."
"Don't look away. Face where you are right now, see the scenery below your feet with your own eyes. That's an order."
"Ugh..."
Miro let out a pained groan and cautiously opened one eye. She moved her head ever so slightly and cast her gaze downward.
"How is it?"
"Th-the clouds are below me. And the ground is so far away."
"From up here, doesn't everything look small? Even colossal cities and great beings look like mere dots from above the sky."
"..."
"How does it feel to look down on the world?"
"It might be... pretty nice."
It was a different sensation from running across the plains. With the clouds spread out below, there were no obstacles to block her view.
Just like when she was running in the lead.
A view reserved only for first place.
A sight only the one at the very front could see.
"This is a view permitted only to a select few. Etch this scene, this feeling, into your mind, and don't forget it. The day will come when it will help you, Miro."
There was no reply.
She just stared endlessly.
For some reason, my back felt ticklish.
Riding Skadia, we arrived in Doomheim in no time.
If Skadia appeared again in Doomheim, where the fear of dragons was deeply ingrained, it would surely cause an uproar, so she changed her form.
Polymorph. A transformation magic used by dragons when they wish to enjoy the human world without causing a disturbance.
Skadia's human form was so tall that the short dwarves had to crane their necks to look up at her. She resembled Azyeth, yet boasted a mature figure that the princess lacked.
The aloof and cold-blooded queen of ice.
She lacked nothing to be called the stepmother of Azyeth, the Snow White.
The appearance of Skadia in her human form was more than enough to drive the dwarves, who were ardent fans of Snow White, into a frenzy.
Of course, this was an attitude they could only take because they didn't know Skadia's true identity.
"It's the Queen!"
"Ooh, the Queen of Ice! Snow White's mother!"
"I love you, my Queen!"
The dwarves who had been ready to kill her not long ago now swarmed her with adoration, causing even Skadia to show a hint of bewilderment.
"What is wrong with these moles?"
"Who knows? Isn't it because you resemble Azyeth? The dwarves were always fond of her."
"This body resembles the Princess? Your eyes must be knotholes. The Princess is the most beautiful in this world. Someone like me can't even compare!"
What a load of crap.
She spouted nonsense even when I was complimenting her.
"Do whatever you want. I'm going with Miro."
"Are you telling this body to mingle with these dwarves?"
"Yes. Listen to the voices of the dwarves you tormented."
I unceremoniously dumped Skadia into the crowd of dwarves and headed to the tailor shop with Miro.
While it was true that dwarves were a race of blacksmiths, their dexterity was so exceptional that their skills weren't limited to smithing; they excelled in many fields.
The clothes made by their rough hands also boasted incredible quality.
"Greetings. I've come to pick up the clothes I commissioned a while ago."
"Oho, I was just waiting for you. I'll go get it, just wait a moment."
The dwarf went into a separate room and brought out a set of clothes.
"Here it is. Try it on."
"Miro, go ahead and try it on."
"Uh, okay."
Miro took the clothes and entered the fitting room. After some rustling sounds, the door soon opened.
Looking awkward in the new outfit, Miro hesitantly came out.
"H-how is it? Does it look good on me? I feel strange."
"It suits you perfectly. Well, it's an outfit that exists only for you, Miro."
The competition outfit I had commissioned for Miro was akin to a formal uniform.
It had a neat, suit-like top and a skirt of a moderate length that came down to her thighs. A hole was even made specifically for beastkin so her tail wouldn't be obstructed.
The base color of the outfit was white.
A sky-like blue decorated parts like the cuffs and the hem of the skirt, while gold epaulets and chains on the shoulders added a touch of luxury.
It was a clean color scheme, not gaudy at all. It suited Miro, with her white hair and tail, perfectly.
"How does it feel to wear?"
"The texture is so soft, I can tell it's much better than the school uniform I used to wear. But this outfit... the back feels so empty..."
While the front was like a formal suit, the upper part of the back was completely bare, without any fabric.
Her smooth back and shoulder blades were exposed.
"It's fine. It's a modest exposure that highlights your feminine charm, Miro. I'm sure your fans will love it."
"You think so...? I don't know if anyone would like someone like me, but if you say so, Trainer, I guess it must be true."
Miro stood before the mirror, checking her appearance. Wearing this outfit made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Can someone like me really wear such pretty clothes?
Running in an outfit like this would give her courage she never knew she had. It was truly an invincible outfit. She felt like she could beat anyone wearing this.
She understood now why it was called a competition outfit.
...I want to run.
She wanted to run on the track so badly she couldn't stand still.
Her legs were itching to move.
Standing in front of the mirror, Miro's legs couldn't stay still and began to fidget.