Chapter 6

July 12, 2015 - Typo corrections

Following Marie, I gently opened the door and stepped into the shop.

"Welcome."

I was greeted by a calm, gentle voice.

She had been reading a book. She stopped writing and looked at me with a kind smile.

"Sorry, I was touching the clothes without permission. It's my fault."

I apologized to the woman who had been writing something behind the counter.

"No, it's fine. Please feel free to pick them up and take your time. Just looking can be enjoyable too."

The woman put down her pen, stood up gracefully, and pointed to the items displayed in the back of the store. Instead of reprimanding my actions, she seemed to encourage them.

Her posture was impeccable, making her appear elegant.

I bowed slightly to the woman behind the counter, thanked her, and turned to Marie.

As I followed Marie's movements, the interior of the store came into view. It was larger than it appeared from the outside, with a wide variety of items on display.

The atmosphere was a mix of a boutique and a fancy shop. However, all the items on display were doll-sized.

The large glass windows allowed plenty of natural light to flood the store, making it bright. There were also many light magic devices. The Atari Shokudo from last night had many light magic devices, but this place had even more.

The glass windows and light magic devices indicated a significant investment in the store's facilities. The clothes must be expensive too. I had thought they were just doll-sized outfits, but I might have been wrong. If they are too expensive, I'll have to make Marie cry.

"Marie, let's take a look around first. Choose the ones you like and try them on. We'll decide which ones to buy after that. You'll get tired if you carry too many."

I tried to guide her to choose the clothes in a way that wouldn't inconvenience the store.

"Got it! Michinaga, hold these for me."

She handed me a few small outfits and flew off to look for more.

"Sorry, can I use this space for a moment?"

I apologized to the woman behind the counter again and started folding the clothes Marie had given me.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll do it for you."

The woman, who was probably in her mid-twenties, with chestnut hair, started folding the fairy clothes from the other side of the counter. She was wearing a frilly, fluffy dress similar to the ones displayed in the store.

Her dress had a deep neckline, revealing her ample bosom. From my vantage point, I could see about half of her generous cleavage. It was a beautiful sight.

"Talia, this young man is staring at your cleavage."

Suddenly, a voice from above made my heart skip a beat. I looked up to see a male fairy floating in the air with a smug expression.

"What! When did you get here? Who are you?"

I couldn't form a coherent sentence. All I could do was gape at the floating fairy and the woman, Talia.

"Really, I'm sorry."

It had been years since I last did a dogeza. I made sure to look sincere.

"Please, stand up. I'm the one who's uncomfortable with this."

Talia, looking genuinely troubled, tried to help me up. I could see her kneeling on the floor.

"Alright, if you insist."

I raised my head, and once again, her ample cleavage caught my eye.

My gaze was drawn to it again. I felt disgusted with myself. I couldn't help it. But this was a moment to show my manliness. I raised my head further to look at Talia, the store owner.

"Talia, this young man is looking at your chest again. And this time, he's even closer."

"Really, that's embarrassing."

Talia blushed and looked at me with a slightly amused expression, thanks to the mischievous fairy's words.

She crossed her arms, not to hide her chest, but to push it up, emphasizing her beautiful cleavage even more.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I really didn't."

I repeated my apologies, trying to explain myself while secretly glancing at Talia.

"It's fine, young man. Talia likes being looked at in this outfit. Right, Talia?"

The fairy's tenor voice echoed.

He whispered something in Talia's ear, making her blush even more and squirm with delight.

What did he whisper? I was very curious.

◇

Talia, with a sensual expression, handed Marie the clothes and shoes she had chosen.

However, the relationship between Talia and the handsome fairy was quite suspicious. They seemed to have a dangerous connection. The fairy even shared intimate details of their three-day dream encounters with me, a stranger.

Talia didn't stop the fairy from talking and listened, squirming. Her breathing seemed a bit heavy.

The fairy would occasionally tease Talia with words during the conversation. They made a good team, but a dangerous one. It was entertaining to watch.

In any case, she was dangerous. Talia was a dangerous woman in many ways. I should avoid getting too involved with her.

"We are kindred spirits. I look forward to working with you."

When she handed me the bag with the clothes, she looked at me with a flushed face and a mysterious gaze.

Oh no, I've been recognized as one of her kind. I needed to leave this place quickly, but my mind and gaze were still fixed on Talia.

Please don't look at me with those moist eyes. I might lose.

"Yes, I look forward to it. I'm not very familiar with fairies, so I appreciate your help."

I lost. I had lost. While pretending to take the bag, I firmly held Talia's hand under it.

◇

We left the dangerous store, "Fairy Together," and headed to the Explorer's Guild.

We had spent about an hour in the store. Even if we walked slowly, we still had plenty of time before lunch.

I wasn't sure how long the registration at the Explorer's Guild would take, but I planned to have lunch either after or during the registration. A street vendor for lunch would be a good choice to save money.

In the end, I bought enough clothes, underwear, shoes, and accessories for Marie to last two months. It was a significant amount, but I didn't mind the expense since I intended to work soon, either using my modern knowledge or becoming an explorer.

As soon as we left the store, Marie was flying around the bag with her clothes, looking very excited.

She laughed and giggled, and at times, she hugged herself and squirmed in the air, much like Talia had. Had she been influenced by Talia already?

She must be very happy. Her expressions and movements were entertaining to watch. Her cute appearance made me feel at ease.

On the way to the Explorer's Guild, I observed the surroundings.

The street wasn't far from the main road, and it was busy, probably because it was daytime. There were many women walking alone, which was surprising.

The town must be very safe. Mr. Don had mentioned that while there were many explorers and rough people, the town was safe. It was even better than I had expected.

However, how could a town with frequent fights be safe? Perhaps there were fewer serious crimes, or the law enforcement was strict.

While pondering this question, I arrived at the Explorer's Guild.

The guild building was three stories tall, with the first floor made of stone and the second and third floors made of wood. It stood out among the mostly one- or two-story buildings in the area. There were two large squares on either side, similar to soccer fields. According to the information I had, these squares were used for parking merchants' carriages and as temporary markets. There were also two similar-sized squares at the back, one for training and the other for material purchases.

From what I had gathered, the atmosphere of the Explorer's Guild was similar to the adventurer guilds in the light novels I had read in Japan.

"Please behave yourself in the guild, okay?"

I reminded Marie, who was fidgeting next to the bag of clothes I had bought for her.

She must have been curious. She nodded without taking her eyes off the bag.

The bag contained five sets of clothes, three pairs of shoes, and some underwear. All the clothes were frilly and fancy.

"Let's change when we get back to the inn."

"Okay."

She smiled brightly in response.

I looked forward to seeing this girl in the cute clothes I had just bought. I opened the guild's door, imagining Marie changing into them.