The Dress and Martial Robes
"Ohhh!"
I tore into a chicken drumstick, letting out one rapturous exclamation after another. The outside was shatteringly crisp, the meat inside soft and yielding. The seasoning struck sweet and salty at once, a bright, pricking heat that danced along the tip of my tongue and woke every sense.
"So this is real chicken?"
"It's insanely good, right?"
Na-yeon smiled brightly as she watched me. I held the drumstick up and stared at it for a long moment, dazed, then carefully took another bite.
"Loud and aggressive on the tongue… and that is precisely why it is better."
The food of this age had chosen stimulation over subtle craft. And that stimulation sank into my present mouth with a familiarity that felt almost unfair. Oil burst and flooded, the fried crust shattered—stimuli of a different nature from the pure searing of spice, yet their sheer destructive power could stand comparison even with the cuisine of Sichuan in the Central Plains.
The culinary history of the Central Plains ran deep. Even the roast duck one ate casually at an inn could, in the hands of a true master chef, become a dish worthy of being called the finest under heaven. If I set this beside those memories…
"Like something flung haphazardly into a vat of oil, then rolled through a furnace and hauled back out—a taste of pure savagery?"
"Pfft—what kind of review is that?"
I spoke my honest impression while still savoring the flavor, and Na-yeon let out a short laugh. It felt as if the taste itself had seized my tongue and was pestering me—Isn't it good? Isn't it good? In a single word:
"Addictive."
While I demolished one drumstick in a frenzy, Da-yeon was nibbling away at her own share. Between the two of us we were splitting a single bird; Na-yeon, meanwhile, had already finished an entire chicken on her own. The meat had vanished so completely I never even saw it go. Truly combat-level dining. In pure eating speed, one could fairly say she had reached the absolute peak.
I set the bare bone on the plate and caught my breath. The smell of oil was already seeping into my clothes. Even that did not feel bad. Still, after so much greasy food, my stomach sat a little heavy.
"Is there anything to drink?"
"Yeon-ah, here. Drink this."
Da-yeon stretched out her small hand and offered a plastic bottle filled with a black liquid. I stared hard at the contents.
"Uuuum…"
I had definitely seen people drink this alongside fried chicken in those YouTube mukbang videos. Chicken itself was a meat I had known in my past life. But a "beverage" sealed inside a plastic bottle was entirely unexplored territory. After a brief staring contest with the liquid, I tipped the bottle boldly and poured a generous mouthful of the black stuff past my lips.
"……!"
My whole body jerked. A savage force rampaged through my mouth; a sharp, piercing power struck straight into my brain. The first thought that flashed through my mind was:
Poison?
This newly born body was not yet immune to the hundred poisons. I turned an incredulous look on Da-yeon, who was tilting her head in confusion.
"D-Disciple. Y-You dare… This Seat…!"
Once the brief uproar subsided, Da-yeon crouched beside my huddled form and grinned with pure mischief.
"Yeon-ie acts so grown-up, but you know even less than I do."
"Kh…"
I had nothing to say. My knowledge of this era truly was worse than a ten-year-old's. I resolved never again to neglect my studies through YouTube, then forced down the embarrassment and rose to my feet.
"Ahem. In any case, we have filled our bellies. Let us continue training."
"Okay."
I wiped my hands with a tissue and was about to stand when Na-yeon caught me.
"Hold on, Yeon-ah. Did you forget you promised to do Unnie a favor?"
"It will not take long, I trust?"
"Just play along for a bit."
A favor, was it? Even as Heavenly Demon Wiji Yeon sitting on the cult leader's throne, I had not spent all my time wandering outside and neglecting my duties. I had handled the affairs of the cult with reasonable diligence. And of course there had been rewards for those martial artists who rendered meritorious service. Most of them wanted powerful techniques or high-grade spirit pills.
But the present me was no longer the supreme of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. All I possessed was this small body.
"This Seat has nothing to give Sister Na-yeon."
"Nooo~ It's the opposite. Unnie's the one who has something for you."
Na-yeon's sly gaze traveled up and down my body. An inexplicable chill ran through me; I instinctively took a step back.
"…?"
I discovered the nature of that chill soon enough.
"Kaaah! What do you think you are doing?!"
"What else? Cute clothes. Hold still. These used to be Da-yeon's, but I think they'll look great on you too. If you like them, I'll buy you new ones."
"Begone! This Seat must wear martial robes!"
I thrashed. The situation was extremely alarming. Na-yeon pinned my small frame with those rough hands of hers and was trying to force me into a fluttery women's garment.
"Why are you like this? A pretty little girl wearing pretty clothes is the most natural thing in the world."
"Kh… This Seat is not a little girl…! W-Well, right now that is true, but even so—no!"
"What on earth are you talking about?"
Na-yeon's hands showed no hesitation as they went for my light workout clothes.
"Kh, this person truly…!"
For the first time since arriving in this era, I felt genuine wrath. Because I owed her the debt of a life saved, I had overlooked a certain amount of liberty—but this crossed the line.
A low thrum answered my fury. The qi in the air resonated with my mood. I raised my energy and swept my hand, intending to fling Na-yeon away.
However.
"…Yeon-ah?"
"U… uugh."
Though only second-rate, Na-yeon was still a martial artist in her own right. She had clearly sensed that my atmosphere was far from ordinary. She still held my waist, looking at me with frightened eyes—yet within that fear was an unmistakable trust as well. A silent question: You won't, right?
I let the energy settle and heaved a long sigh.
"…Very well. For a moment I nearly failed to master my emotions. As one who once stood supreme, there is no withdrawing from a promise once given."
"Hee, so you'll put it on?"
Na-yeon's smile was bright and disarming, almost cute on that oversized frame. Honestly. I could not tell whether this young lady was strong or weak.
In the end I surrendered everything and left myself in Na-yeon's hands.
"Kyaaa! Kyaaa!"
"Waaah…!"
A soft, pure-white one-piece dress was finally pulled onto my body. The fabric fluttering beneath my gaze felt utterly alien. The two young ladies surrounding me were making a tremendous racket. Na-yeon was shrieking for reasons beyond comprehension; Da-yeon's eyes had gone perfectly round.
"Yeon-ie… You look so pretty in a dress."
"I am not particularly pleased…"
"Huff, huff. You two stand side by side once. Kyaaa!"
Before I knew it Da-yeon had changed into a similar dress and leaned against me. Na-yeon's smartphone pointed our way, and the device kept making rapid click-click sounds.
Inwardly, however, I was thoroughly dissatisfied. For combat and training, clothing this devoid of any practical function was nothing but a hindrance. I muttered without bothering to hide the feeling.
"Is putting on a single garment truly worth such a fuss?"
"Heh heh heh."
Na-yeon gave a little laugh and guided me in front of the full-length mirror. Only then could I look at the figure reflected there.
And pure admiration slipped out.
"Oh."
Hair like black silk spilled and swayed behind the soft white dress. Black and white formed a harmonious contrast. Between long lashes that did not suit a child, an uncanny red light flashed. And yet the small frame and those absurdly soft-looking cheeks canceled out all that ferocity.
In truth, I had never examined my new appearance this directly. I had merely registered that I was a little girl. The impression of seeing myself so nakedly, in one word:
"Comely."
"…Is Yeon-ie secretly a princess type?"
"What is a princess type?"
"Heehee."
Da-yeon had somehow drawn close and was laughing mischievously. I tried to erase the sensation of being teased and, still facing the mirror, swayed my body left and right.
"Hmm."
The life of Heavenly Demon Wiji Yeon had been an unbroken chain of battle. Even after ascending unwillingly to the cult leader's seat, I had never taken a wife or sired children. Once I had leisure, wandering the world with Taeguk Geomseon had been the joy of my days. Once, when I went to celebrate a subordinate's daughter's birthday, the idle thought had crossed my mind: Raising a child of about that size as a daughter might have its own amusement in watching her grow.
I carefully lifted the corners of my mouth.
The girl in the mirror smiled.
"Well now. You really are cute."
But that appreciation lasted only a moment.
Whip!
I stripped the dress off in one clean motion.
"However, it is cumbersome."
"A-Aaah! Wiji Yeon! How can a little girl just take her clothes off anywhere like that?!"
"Hiiik!"
Da-yeon covered both eyes with her tiny hands; Na-yeon yelped and scrambled to cover my upper body with the discarded fabric.
"Even so, I refuse skirts."
"Eeeh! But Yeon-ie looked so pretty in the dress…!"
"The only clothing a martial artist should wear is martial robes."
I needed martial robes. Something easy to move in, that carried a solemn air, and black enough that blood would not show—yes, black martial robes were best.
Snatch!
"Ah! My phone!"
I seized Na-yeon's smartphone and searched for this era's "martial robes." Before long I was frowning and muttering.
"There are similar things, yet none that please me."
I returned the phone to Na-yeon and made a quiet request.
"Sister Na-yeon. Since This Seat has granted your request this time, grant me one request of my own."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Those things called 'tracksuits' are comfortable enough, yet the proper attire for a martial artist remains martial robes. Soon I shall sketch the form of the garments I desire. Using that as reference, could you commission a clothier to make them?"
"Clothier…? You mean a clothing store, right? Hmm."
I clasped both hands together and winked one eye. The gesture sat poorly with me, yet it seemed this body's appearance could be used as a weapon after all.
"Unnie, please."
"Uheh, okay!"
Na-yeon grinned ear to ear and nodded with violent enthusiasm.