Before and After (2)

When Skadi stepped out beneath the glittering lights, every gaze in the room swung to her.

She was in a burgundy dress, nothing like the girl they knew—the one who lived in a school blouse, a skirt, and stockings—and the people looking couldn't help the little sounds of admiration that escaped them. Skadi herself flushed, embarrassed, and pinched the fabric between her fingers, tugging it this way and that.

"Well?"

"Long arms, long legs. It's got a clean, breezy look."

"Annoying."

She smacked his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠arm hard enough to crack and grumbled under her breath. Karlfeld, who had tipped his head at Blow's remark, clapped his hands and launched in.

"Young Master, really! If you ask me, she is the most beautiful person who has ever set foot in my shop. Only, since it wasn't made to measure, a few places don't quite fit."

Karlfeld studied her bust and the line of her hips with a professional eye, then went to fetch a tape. Skadi, mortified, let her gaze dart all over the room.

"Skadi! It suits you so well!"

"I think this is the first time it's really hit me... Skadi, you actually are a young lady, aren't you?"

"Ha... haha..."

Jane and Hervena said it with open astonishment on their faces, and Skadi, thoroughly broken, dropped her eyes for no good reason at all. By then Karlfeld had returned with the tape, and Blow beckoned him over.

"Yes, Young Master."

"I've a suggestion. What if we cut one side of the skirt—something like this? It's all lovely, but it looks a little stifling."

Blow even sketched it as he spoke. Karlfeld studied the drawing, then stroked his chin, eyes wide.

"This is a truly daring design. Shall we talk it through with the young lady first?"

Interest kindled, Skadi came closer and looked over Blow's notebook. The length itself was as long as the dress she was wearing. One side of the skirt, though, had been cut away in a bold triangle that climbed all the way to mid-thigh. At the sight of it Skadi gasped and cried out.

"Th-this shows my whole leg!"

"Funny thing to say, from someone who walks around in stockings every day."

"That's different! Other young ladies will be there this time..."

"Your legs are on the pretty side. The dress ought to make the most of them, shouldn't it?"

"Hey! Hey...!"

"And when, exactly, did you see them."

Skadi's face had gone so red it looked ready to burst, and Hervena sounded thoroughly unimpressed. Blow paid neither of them any mind and went on.

"I see your face every day. I ought to know at least that much."

"......"

"And at the gathering, you're going to flatten them. The dress suits you better than I expected."

Praise did what protest couldn't. Before she knew it, Skadi's face had brightened. Karlfeld, who was still poring over the notebook, let another sigh of admiration slip.

"May we go ahead with it like this? It's a design I find myself rather coveting. Your eye has only gotten sharper."

At Karlfeld's fussing, Blow grew embarrassed and scratched his head. The design was shocking only here. He had copied, line for line, a dress he had once seen at a year-end awards show. Skadi, who had agreed to try other colors as well, disappeared back into the dressing room.

Meanwhile Blow went over to Hervena. Seeing him, she pointed toward Jane, who stood well apart.

"Please choose Jane's clothes first."

"What's this? I thought you'd ask me to do you first."

"Later is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠better. Then I get to look longer. May I look too?"

"Yeah. Choose properly. The retainer I'm taking to the Black Bridge Gathering this time is you."

Hervena startled and pointed at her own chest with a trembling hand.

"M-me? Really, me?"

"Yeah. As of yesterday, Jane's at minus three million, two hundred seventy thousand."

"Young Master!"

Jane, browsing other clothes at a distance, shouted it in a wounded voice. Blow pretended not to hear and turned his attention back to Hervena.

"Something happened yesterday, I take it."

"We're eating together later. I'll tell you then."

"Yes."

Hervena looked light enough to float. She dug through her clothes and held out a sheet of paper.

"Young Master, this..."

"What is it?"

What she offered, careful as if it might crease, was her report from the second examination.

The number one sat there as if it had never belonged anywhere else, beside the words First in Class. All at once Hervena grew shy. She drifted away from him, pretending to browse the clothes.

I've been busy with one thing after another since I came up here, and she still took first without a miss.

Struck all over again by how remarkable that was, Blow patted her shoulder.

"Well done."

"...Add some points, please."

"You really do care about that, don't you?"

"Even so, I hate being in the minus."

"Scorekeeping worthy of first in the class. Fine. Plus three hundred."

Hervena, who thought the number far too stingy, puffed her cheeks and grumbled as if it didn't satisfy her at all.

"Last time, that business with Rosaline was minus three hundred. So now I'm at zero? And I'm first in the class..."

"Fine. Plus three million."

"Tch. Forget it."

With that she headed off to the far side of him. Blow watched the sulk as if it were rather adorable, then turned his attention to the clothes. Karlfeld, finished conferring with his staff, came over wearing a smile.

"Won't you be choosing anything, Young Master?"

"I have to finish choosing for them first, don't I? Oh—and you. Is business treating you all right?"

"Not badly. Thanks to regulars like yourself, Young Master."

"You design, you cut, you do all of it yourself? That's a great deal of work."

"All of it ends up in my own pocket."

"Think of it that way and you do throw yourself into it. People are still the hardest part, aren't they? If you've any tips, would you share them? I'm looking to take on more hands."

"Hmm? Judging by your retainers' faces, I don't think I have anything I need to tell you."

At that, Blow clicked his tongue. The business with Jane had come back to him, of course. Karlfeld, though, seemed to have plenty of his own worries on the subject of managing people. A long sigh escaped him.

"Lately my apprentices keep running off, and it's been weighing on me."

"Running off?"

"No will to learn, shall we say. And the workmanship isn't much to speak of..."

...Workmanship that wasn't much to speak of.

Something occurred to Blow. He showed Karlfeld the handkerchief he always carried. At the sight of the rabbit worked in charming embroidery, Karlfeld burst out laughing.

"Oh my, what a darling rabbit! I never knew you had such tastes, Young Master."

"A girl named Liz, from Paulos Monastery, gave it to me. The rabbit—she embroidered that herself."

"Truly? The stitches are wonderfully neat."

He seemed to like it, so Blow came straight to the point.

"Karlfeld, could you take this girl on as an apprentice? She'll be thirteen soon."

"Ah, you're introducing her? I don't mind in the least. If she comes on your introduction, Young Master, she won't run."

"If she does come, look after her."

"I'll treat her exactly as I treat everyone else."

"That's enough."

Blow held out his hand, and Karlfeld took it. Another contract was sealed, just like that.

Late afternoon in the Dusk Block, while Blow was still in the middle of choosing Skadi's clothes. Rill, owner of Poison Umbrella, the potion shop by the front gate, was hurrying along.

Red Forest, wasn't it? They said it was somewhere around here...

The moment she turned into the alley, a soft scent of potato came out to greet her. She stopped short, shook her head, and tried to gather herself.

Restaurant Hills? I'll go after the potion shop. Oh? Right next door... is this it?

What met her eyes was a sign so clean it hardly seemed real.

Even a glance from the street was enough. The place shone, bright and immaculate, and her courage wilted on the spot.

It looks like a shop that sells expensive perfume...

While she hesitated, students came out with their arms full. Potions, to start with, then lab tools and books—unmistakably the stock of a potion shop. She steeled herself and stepped inside. A clear welcome ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reached her ears at once.

"W-welcome! This is Red Forest."

Rill flinched and looked around, and her mouth fell open at the sight.

It's spotless, there's far more stock, and even the air in here feels fresh...

Only then did she understand the looks on the students' faces. If she herself stopped in a place like this and then walked into her own potion shop, she wouldn't have been pleased either. The size of the enemy she had met came home to her, and her steps grew slower and slower. She let out a sigh deep enough to sink the floor, gathered up her sunken heart, and only just managed to slip back out of the shop.

"Jane, do you like the glasses?"

"They're light. I love them. And the clothes you bought me—I loved those too."

"You'll be wearing them a long time. Better this way."

They were on the way back, shopping done. Jane, fitted now with both clothes and glasses, answered Blow in a pleased voice.

"Thank you. For going to the trouble."

"You have to be able to see."

Hervena, who had been watching the cozy little pair, slipped in as if it were nothing.

"Are we going to Hills now?"

"Might as well. We've done everything we came to do."

Skadi, wrung out from changing dresses again and again, spoke in a worn-thin voice.

"The dress design is bothering me..."

"Why?"

"It's too bold..."

"Try being a little bold yourself."

"Is that really all right?"

"This time, we're more or less the stars of the gathering."

They talked, and before they knew it they had reached Hills. The moment he arrived, Megan came out and offered a proper greeting.

"You've returned, Young Master. Did you enjoy your shopping?"

"Yeah. They all seem pleased. Anything happen?"

"No. I'll give the ledger to Miss Jane in a little while."

"We're settling right away, so hand over at least the weekend's for now."

"Ah. Yes."

While they were speaking, Skadi caught sight of the oak casks and came back to life all at once. She called out, bright as anything.

"Six beers!"

"And how did you arrive at that?"

"One each for Jane and Hervena, two each for you and me!"

"Skadi, I have to settle the books starting now. Drink mine too."

"Yes! Perfect! Shall we start with three, then—bwahaha!"

Just as she wished, beer was set on the table, and Jane got down to the accounts. Skadi glanced at her, then opened her mouth in a careful voice.

"Blow, you sell all sorts of things at the potion shop."

"That's right."

"So usually you're buying wholesale and reselling. You don't keep much, do you?"

"Depends on the item, but yes. You've got a bit of a head for business, haven't you?"

"I-I use my head too! My score went way up this time!"

"What score?"

"Forget it!"

Blow let out a short laugh at the pout. Her question had come in sharp, and he was drinking his beer because of it. She wasn't wrong. Compared with the sales, the money wasn't much.

It had been the same with the convenience store in his days as Han Ji-hoo. Franchise fees to headquarters, wages, everything that had to come out—once it all came out, there was little left. Red Forest was a different case, and the reason was simple: Red Forest was producing potions as well as selling them. Feathers and ready-made potions left little, just as Skadi said, but the margin on the potions Jane compounded herself was better even than Hills. All those other goods, in other words, were bait for the potions Jane made.

Blow had no intention of explaining any of that to Skadi in detail. She didn't seem likely to care. So, partly to soothe her mood, he decided to ask her rank again.

"So what place did you come in?"

"Fifty-second."

"Hm? What were you before?"

"Outside the top hundred..."

"That really is a jump. You've more of a gift for studying than I thought."

"See? I told you I do well when I actually try."

At Hervena's words Skadi grew embarrassed and fiddled with her beer glass for no reason.

"We ought to drink one to our Skadi's studies."

Blow lifted a glass as if it were nothing, and Hervena and Skadi knocked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠theirs against it, pleased. They were savoring the cold bite of the beer when the restaurant door opened and Rowbedi and Linne came in.

"Y-Young Master! We've closed up for the day."

"Thanks. Was it manageable?"

"Y-yes! Senior Jane set everything up before she left, so all we had to do was take the payments properly!"

"The ledger?"

"Here it is."

"Give it to Jane."

While Linne handed the ledger over, Blow turned her words over, tapped the table with a finger, and spoke.

"Linne, while you're working at the potion shop, it'd be better to call Jane manager."

"I-I will!"

"When you're working, you need a bit of rank. Try to understand."

"Yes!"

"Anything else out of the ordinary?"

"Um...! Th-there was one thing."

"What?"

"Th-the owner of another potion shop came by. Th-the owner of Poison Umbrella, at the front gate. I stopped in a few times when I was a freshman."

"Poison Umbrella? The owner's pretty decent."

Hervena, twirling pasta around her fork, looked over with interest.

"Someone you know?"

"She's our senior. I think she was in the same class as Instructor Aurora and Instructor Mnevoir."

"Is that so?"

"She's quite a young owner. Her potions were at least drinkable, I'd say. And the shop felt warm."

Linne swallowed and stole a look at Blow. He waved it off as if it didn't matter.

"It's fine. She'll have hit a wall and left."

"Yes. She really did stand there in a daze, and then she went out."

"Did she? Hmm..."

That meant, at least, that this owner was capable of taking in what she saw. Blow stroked his chin and decided at once.

"I should see her face."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't it be good to have a branch at the front gate too? And if her potions are well made, better to bring her in if we can."

"She's of Instructor Aurora and Instructor Mnevoir's generation... Do you think she'll take it well?"

"She'll decide it's better than drying up and dying."

Something in his tone had turned faintly ominous. Thank goodness the boss is on our side. Linne swallowed around the thought, and Jane, finished with the accounts, came over to Blow.

"Settlement's done, from opening day through today."

"Good work. Then shall I ask the thing I'm most curious about?"

"What?"

"The raffle you all ran, obviously."

Skadi set her glass down, and her eyes caught the light.