Chapter 58
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Power Enhancement (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Aria, having fully changed into the new holy garb, creaked the door open and called for Priest Bremer.
"Priest Bremer, do you have a moment?"
"Yes, Lady Aria."
Priest Bremer entered the room immediately at her call.
The moment Bremer stepped in, Aria asked,
"Um... it feels like there's a missing part from this holy garb. A very... very important part."
"Ah, I forgot to mention it. That's the original design of the holy garb."
"Wh-what? This is the original design!?"
"Yes. This design allows the full blessings and materials for restoration and defense to be incorporated properly."
"B-but it doesn't cover the important... the very important parts!"
"Lady Aria, you can just buy separate undergarments for that."
"W-well, that's true, but..."
There was no doubt that buying separate undergarments would solve the issue.
But given the design of the holy garb, even if she wore underwear underneath, most of it would show through, and even something with minimal coverage would have its straps blatantly visible.
The original holy garb hadn't been designed for much underwear to begin with, so when she first put it on, she'd convinced herself the high-leg cut was basically her underwear and given up on covering her chest.
But this new outfit didn't even have that high-leg part she'd thought of as underwear.
She practically had to treat the full-body tights as her own underwear.
"If I may offer some advice... wearing anything else under the holy garb might weaken the blessings' effects."
"What!?"
Aria's eyes widened in shock at the sudden bombshell statement.
"Wh-why is that?"
"A holy garb is truly a sacred garment. The blessings only fully manifest when worn in its pure form. All previous saintess candidates were well aware of this and wore it accordingly."
"..."
Hearing that past saintess candidates had done the same made it hard for Aria to argue further.
"Then we'll take this old one back."
Priest Bremer picked up the original holy garb Aria had been wearing.
"Pardon? Why take the original holy garb...?"
"You already have your new one, Lady Aria. Keeping a holy garb with inferior blessings would just be extra baggage. We'll give this one to a future saintess candidate or nun in need."
"Th-that's..."
She couldn't very well demand the old one back now just because of the design.
Kalt's donation was already spent.
Aria couldn't disregard Kalt's generous investment in her growth.
In the end, Aria left the room with Priest Bremer and rejoined her companions.
"Aria, why'd you call Priest Bremer?"
Nellis was the first to ask.
"Oh, it was nothing... I just wondered what happens to the old holy garb when you get a new one like this. He said they'd take it back."
"Oh, that's all? I thought something was wrong with the new holy garb."
'There is a problem...'
"Don't be silly. What could be wrong with a holy garb? It's top-tier equipment that's gone through rigorous testing and verification from the start."
'And after all that testing, it ends up like this...?!'
"Well, it looks just like the old one, so it doesn't even feel new."
'It's missing the most crucial part, so in a way, it's so 'new' it's bothering me, Nellis!'
Aria responded silently to her companions' comments in her mind.
But those were words she had to keep to herself.
It was fine with fellow women like Nellis and Scarlet. But Kalt was in the Nellis Party now too.
He was the party's only man, and he'd been kind to both the party and her personally—she trusted him and even felt a bit fond of him. The last thing she wanted was for him to discover the secret of this holy garb.
"Priest Bremer, thank you for the new holy garb."
"No need for thanks. This merely reflects our church's expectations, earned by your proven worth, Lady Aria. May you shine even brighter in your new holy garb."
Watching Kalt exchange laughs and pleasantries with Bremer, Aria thought to herself,
I'll just stick behind Kalt for a while.
As they left the church and wandered the streets, Nellis asked Kalt,
"Kalt, are we taking it easy today then?"
"Yeah, our swords are with the elder for now. Let's head to the guild and check out tomorrow's requests early."
"Sure!"
"Sounds good."
"Th-the guild... it'll be packed, right?"
"It's a guild in a commercial city, not some village cleared of adventurers like last time. It'll be crawling with people."
"Crawling..."
"Aria, you okay? Feeling unwell or something?"
"N-no! Nothing like that. It's just... we've only seen quiet guilds lately. Going into a crowded one suddenly feels kinda awkward."
"Huh."
"Hehe, with all those people, more folks will recognize our party! Well, technically mostly your feats, Kalt, but still... our party's rep!"
"Word of the Kobold King subjugation has probably spread already."
"Yay! The more famous we get, the more I wanna power up!"
"Quit making a fuss and walk properly."
"Att- attention... people's eyes on me..."
Nellis beamed at the thought of growing recognition and attention for the Nellis Party.
Aria, meanwhile, broke into a cold sweat at the idea of drawing eyes.
They arrived at the guild.
"Whoa."
Nellis's eyes sparkled at the throng of adventurers and other hero parties inside.
The streets were busy, but the guild's crowd density really drove home the scale of a commercial city.
"Let's scout the request board for something good."
"Yeah!"
No one paid the Nellis Party much mind as they passed.
The newbie hero party that felled the Kobold King was known, but their detailed appearances weren't public knowledge. And since it was 'just' a kobold—even a top-tier one—most parties couldn't spot them at a glance.
'What if they take one look and go, "That's the Nellis Party!"? What do I do?!'
So Nellis secretly harbored vain hopes for a reaction that wouldn't come.
'Please don't look my way, please don't look my way!'
Aria, the opposite, desperately wished for no attention.
"..."
Scarlet silently stared only at Kalt.
"This one first... and this should do nicely."
Kalt selected the extermination of Tentacle Boars, D-rank monsters, and Lizardmen, C-rank monsters in a nearby dungeon.
"C-rank..."
Having only hunted up to D-rank so far, Nellis shrank back a bit.
She knew her skills had grown under Kalt's guidance, of course.
But the memory of flying from the Kobold King's single strike was seared into her.
Noticing her unease, Kalt placed a hand on Nellis's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Nellis. With your skills, you can handle Lizardmen just fine."
"R-really?"
"Of course. And I've got your back, so relax."
"...! Right! I'll do my best, Kalt!"
After picking suitable requests at the guild, the Nellis Party turned to leave.
That's when.
"Well, if it isn't... Kalt."
"Hm?"
'That slightly sleazy voice...'
Someone called Kalt's name.
Turning around, there stood a hero Kalt knew.
Kalt's assessment: A guy whose personality didn't match his abilities at all.
"Fancy running into you here~ What a coincidence."
A man who wielded ice but spoke and acted all flamboyantly.
The Freezing Hero, Smoothy.
"Smoothy. Didn't expect you in a commercial city."
"That's my line, Kar~lt! My rival! Who'd have thought the Mabel Party would be in Tridia! So where's Mabel? Where's my rival~?"
The Freezing Hero Smoothy was another famed hero who called himself the Fastest Hero Mabel's rival.
"Mabel's not here."
"Whaaat~? No rival for me~?!"
'He hasn't heard yet, huh?'
"What happened, Kar~lt?!"
"Simple. I'm not in the Mabel Party anymore."
"Whaaat~?"
Smoothy pressed his finger dramatically between his brows, striking a pondering pose.
"What gives? I can't imagine you, my ri~val, abandoning the Fastest Hero Mabel! Oh~ what riddle is this~?!"
'Same old speech pattern. Not a bad guy, though.'
"Here's what happened..."
Kalt briefly explained to Smoothy how the Mabel Party had kicked him out and that he was now with a new party.
"That's the story. Right now, I'm..."
Kalt placed a hand on Nellis's shoulder.
"...going to raise the Indomitable Hero Nellis here to greatness."
"Wh-whoa!? Th-the Indomitable Hero Nellis! Pl-please take care of me!"
Nellis knew full well how famous the Freezing Hero was.
Second only to the Fastest Hero Mabel in feats, he'd slain countless monsters and demons.
Tensing up, she bowed in greeting.
"Hmm... Ah! The Nellis Par~ty! I've heard of 'em! The ones who took down the Kobold King! Indeed, indeed! Oh ho~ ho~!"
Smoothy stared openly at Nellis before saying,
"But that feat... wasn't yours~!"
"Eep!"
Smoothy instantly pegged that Nellis hadn't been the one to finish the Kobold King.
"Kar~lt! Even after getting booted, I never figured you'd mentor a greenhorn hero like this~. Being too nice is its own curse~!"
"Ugh..."
She knew she was a newbie.
And she knew how valuable—and grateful—she was to have Kalt. Nellis had no retort to Smoothy's words.
"If you're open to it~! My party could..."
"Sorry, pass."
Cutting Smoothy off, Kalt pulled Nellis closer by the shoulder.
"K-Kalt!?"
"Appreciate the offer. But I've decided to stick with these guys from now on."
"Hoo~."
"So get ready, Smoothy."
Kalt flashed a grin—provocative yet friendly, baring his teeth without malice.
"Your new rival party is coming soon."