"Let's stop here today," Riveria closed the book she was reading while I was practicing my magic, trying to learn the new element.
"Ah, it's this time already?" I glanced out the library window. The sky had begun its shift to orange and gold. "But isn't it too early to end here?" I asked, since we usually spent our entire late evening in the library.
Riveria got up from the chair as she answered, "Yes, I was thinking of getting my staff repaired. It's been a while since the magic crystal was changed." She answered.
I looked at her magic staff leaning against the wall. To untrained eyes, it wouldn't look any different, but thanks to my skill 'Mage' and 'Mystery' along with all the magic item creation I'd done, I noticed the glow had diminished
"I had originally planned to get it repaired right after returning from our previous expedition, but I got too busy with writing all the reports." Riveria picked up the staff, staring at the nine magic crystals placed on the staff.
"Executive life sounds exhausting," I replied, getting up from my chair as well.
"You have no idea." Riveria heaved a sigh, but a smile touched her lips right after as she glanced back at me. "Though you might start to understand it better soon, since there are talks of making you an executive as well."
"Give me a break, no way in hell could I deal with all the paperwork," I answered, shoulders dropping, "besides, isn't it only a few months since I joined the familia, pretty sure there are better options."
"You must be jesting, Arin." Riveria replied, "You are a record holder, and despite being a level-five have the strength of a level-seven. If nothing else, that alone makes you qualified for the position."
"Ugh… I guess what they say is true, being too successful is also a problem of its own." I shook my head, trying to ignore the inevitable problem heading my way, and chose to escape reality. "Anyways, I don't want to talk about it, let's go get your staff repaired. I am also curious about it."
Riveria giggled at my sorry attempt at escape, but dropped the subject, as she nodded, "Sure, let's go then."
And so Riveria and I left the mansion behind and walked through Orario's northwest main street, 'Adventure's Way.' Despite the late evening, it was bustling with too many people to count. Human and demi-humans from all walks of life made their way, donning different kinds of armor and gear.
The shutters and heavy doors of every shop flung open to welcome customers inside. The proprietor of a shop further down the back streets was holding various suspicious-looking potions, trying to sell them to an inexperienced female adventurer as her friends tried to stop her.
Adventurers in a hurry constantly ran into others, bumping shoulders and shouting insults back and forth, yelling at someone else from somewhere else about something or other.
Unfazed by all those happenstances, we continued walking and conversing, "By the way, I never asked, but how much and how does your staff help with your magic?" I asked Riveria since I had been very curious, but it always slipped my mind before. "Does it amplify your magic potency?"
We took a turn onto a side street branching from Northwestern Main Street as she explained, "Yes, it does, and by a huge margin at that. But another benefit of these crystals is making use of my mind more efficiently. In normal fights, it doesn't matter much, but if I use my staff or not, but if we are fighting a stronger or a large horde of enemies, it's best to make full use of the staff. For normal mages, the difference in magic when using a staff and without it is like day and night." We took another turn and descended a staircase, and a wrapped wooden door. "We are here," Riveria informed.
"This place looks like it sells cursed artifacts as a side business," I observed the place, while Riveria pushed the door open. The shop was decently spacious if a bit dim. Magic-stone lamps designed to look like fireballs hung from the ceiling. The shelves built into the walls housed jars filled with snakes, frogs, scorpions, and other off-putting insects.
"I had the same thought the first time," she said, entering the place, "Lenoa. We are coming inside."
"Ahh, Riveria, so you have come…" the elder lady behind the counter greeted as her eyes settled onto me. "What's this? You have brought a man with you today?"
"He insisted on accompanying me," Riveria said, though there was no real complaint in her tone.
"Oh? How unusual. You've always come alone before," the shop owner's eyes glinted with knowing amusement. "Must be quite special for the Nine Hell to allow someone to tag along."
Riveria's ears tinted slightly pink. "He was curious about magical equipment. That's all."
Deciding to give Riveria time to recover, I stepped forward, "Hello, I am Arin Kael." Hearing my introduction, the elderly lady waved her hand.
"As if there is anyone in Orario who doesn't know Astralis, the man who brought an end to the dark ages. He-he-he, quite a grandiose title, isn't it?" she laughed, " though I would advise you not to travel alone at night, boy, there are a lot of people who have their eyes on you, especially those from Altena."
"Altina?" If I remember right, it's a nation specialized in magic. "But why me?" I asked, but I didn't remember dealing with anyone from that nation.
"They are an annoying bunch who detest people who can use more magic than naturally possible." Riveria answered, having recovered her composure, but soon she narrowed her eyes at me, "But I believe I had told you of this before, were you not paying attention?"
"O-Of course I remembered, it just slipped my mind," I said, a bead of sweat streaming down my face, "I wasn't sleeping, definitely not." Hearing my reply, Riveria sighed as the shop owner observed the banter with a slight smile.
"It seems you are far more scared of this high-elf than that bunch, how interesting," she said, and turned to address Riveria. "So, Riveria, dear, are you here to get your staff repaired?"
"Yes, but I want to get stronger crystals this time," Riveria stepped forward and put the staff on the table.
The elderly lady took the silver-and-white staff in her hands and inspected it closely. "Goodness, this looks terrible. What did you even do on those expeditions or whatever you do?" The shop owner's white hair stood out against her black robe. Her crooked nose twitched, and the wrinkles around her mouth worked their way into a smile as she complained.
"Then we will take our leave," Riveria informed, and we turned to go.
"Oh, leaving so soon? You never change, huh, Riveria?" the old woman observed. "…No, that's wrong, you have started to change…" She chuckled to herself as the door closed. "About time, to—" Her last words were cut off as Riveria closed the door firmly and hurried us away.
"Was she saying something?" I wondered aloud.
"Nothing of importance," she answered, without turning her head. Though her ears remained slightly flushed as we walked, and she seemed unusually keen to put distance between us and that shop.
"What did she mean by 'you've started to change'?" I pressed gently.
"Lenoa has a habit of seeing things that aren't there," Riveria replied, but her pace quickened slightly.
We made our way back toward Twilight Manor through the shopping district. That's when I saw it, a dress in a boutique window that stopped me in my tracks. It was a long, flowing gown made from deep green and white fabric, layered in soft waves that almost looked like moving water. Gold trim ran along the edges in smooth, sweeping patterns, giving the dress a regal, ceremonial feel.
"Hm? What happened, Arin?" Riveria called out as I stopped in the middle of the street, my gaze still fixated on the dress.
"Riveria, do you mind if we take a slight detour?" I asked, as Riveria tilted her head.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Is that what you mean by detour?" Riveria asked from inside the changing room as I looked around the mostly empty store in search of any other good dress I could find.
"Sorry, the dress was just too pretty to leave alone," I answered, and without even looking, I knew Riveria had heaved a sigh at my unreasonableness.
"Sometimes you act like an excitable child, Arin," she replied.
"Do you hate that?" I asked, and for a brief moment there was only silence, until Riveria spoke again.
"I don't." The reply was quiet, almost soft. But it was enough to satisfy me. "Anyways, I am done," she said. The curtain slid aside as Riveria emerged.
I looked back to see her in the dress. The moment my eyes landed on her, my brain stopped working.
Riveria stood there, framed by the soft light of the boutique, the dress flowing around her like it had been made for her and her alone. The deep green fabric hugged her form with quiet elegance, the golden lines tracing her silhouette like constellations meant only for my eyes. The white overskirt fell in gentle, layered waves, catching the light each time she shifted ever so slightly.
Her emerald hair spilled over her shoulders, mingling beautifully with the deep green color of the gown. She looked less like the stoic vice-captain of Loki Familia and more like some impossibly graceful elven queen who had stepped out of a forgotten legend.
Riveria blinked, her expression composed but her ears twitching ever so faintly. "W–what?" Riveria questioned when I didn't speak.
I swallowed. Words failed me completely.
"You look…" I tried. Everything in my mind was either too much or too little. "Beautiful," I finally breathed.
A faint blush colored her cheeks, so subtle I might've missed it if I wasn't staring like an idiot. Her fingers grazed the skirt, smoothing it down in a small, almost shy motion unlike her usual demeanor.
"Arin," she said quietly, "don't say things like that so casually."
"Who said I was being casual?" I replied without thinking.
Her eyes widened just a little, her breath catching for a fraction of a second. She looked away, pretending to examine the mirror beside her, but her reflection betrayed her. The faint smile she tried to hide, the way her fingers tightened around the edge of the dress, the shimmer in her eyes that wasn't just the store's lighting.
"…It fits well, then?" she asked, her voice softer than before.
"It fits you perfectly," I said. "Honestly, if someone told me the dress was designed with you in mind, I'd believe them."
Riveria's ears twitched again, sharper this time. Her composure cracked for a heartbeat. "…Fool," she murmured, but it had no venom, only warmth.
I'd take being called a fool by her any day if it meant seeing that expression.
Rivera went inside the booth again to change.
"We will take it," I said to the store employee, who was just as star-struck by Riveria's beauty as I was. Hearing my words, she jumped with a start and answered.
"O-of course! Right this way, please," I followed her to the counter and asked for the price. "That would be 1.4 million Valis," she answered. Hearing that price, my soul left my body for a moment. One point four million valis.
What? 1.4 million? Is that dress made of gold or what? I thought, but then remembered Riveria in the dress again. Ugh… but Riveria looked so beautiful in that. Not to mention, she seems to have taken a liking to it.
Yes, 1.4 million is a small price to pay for that.
"Customer?" It appeared I was in my thoughts for too long, as the employee called out.
"Ah, yes, sorry, I am still in shock. Please go ahead with the purchase." I answered. The lady giggled, finding something amusing in my words.
"Of course, I understand, sir. Madam is just too beautiful not to be in shock." While that is true, that wasn't my reason to be in shock this time.
She leaned in conspiratorially. "And if I may say so, sir, the gentleman who can appreciate such beauty enough to gift it without hesitation... she's quite lucky too. Besides, that dress is enhanced to work as a defensive gear as well."
Damn, is she good with sales. I appraised her salesperson's ability and paid the price. Shortly after Riveria approached the counter
"How much would it be?" she asked as the clerk shook her head.
"Ah, the price for the dress is already paid for by the gentleman here," she answered.
Riveria looked at me, "Arin, that—" I stopped her before she could say anything.
"Uh-ah, I'm not going to budge on this. In the first place, I am the one who practically forced that dress on you, so it's natural I pay for it." I could tell she wasn't satisfied with my words, "just take it as a gift from me… or do you hate the idea of it?" I asked, trying a different approach. Which seemed to work.
"Okay, I will happily accept the gift," she said with a smile. Her eyes met mine, holding my gaze for a moment longer than necessary. "Thank you, Arin. I'll... treasure it."
Seeing her smile, I only had one thought: Ah… maybe 1.4 million isn't such a big amount after all.
After buying the dress, we exited the store. By the time we reached home, the sky had already turned dark, with countless stars shining in the distance.
The moment we entered the mansion, I could see Raul running towards us. "What happened, Raul?" I asked as Raul stopped in front of us.
"The haa… the dragon haa…" He spoke through heavy breathing.
"Raul, take a deep breath and tell us what happened," Riveria advised, her expression serious, hearing the word dragon. Raul gulped and answered.
"The dragon had escaped the prison in the dragon valley."
Oh, crap. Of all the timing…