Chapter 97

"Damn it, losing to Lili..."

"Well, I guess so. After all, with the longbow as the main weapon and the knife as the secondary, the priority is the longbow, right?"

"Well, if there's another chance..."

The two, who were disappointed, were consoled with these words, but they didn't seem to be suffering. Rather, I smiled wryly at the words that sounded like a comedy routine.

"This can't be done!"

"What can't be done?"

Reacting to Claude's words, I was exasperated by my own punctiliousness, but there was nothing to be done about what I had already said. I was also exasperated by the content of what I had heard.

"If there's no armor for reinforcement, I was thinking of having you wear this instead!"

What he took out was a sleeveless top with a white base and blue trim, a blue tie, a white sailor hat with a ribbon in the same color as the tie, and a skirt that, although separate, was slightly short, revealing a bit of the stomach. I sighed.

"You're as stubborn as ever. Rather, isn't the experience from reinforcement more important?"

"I always live for the immediate aesthetics. Or is the white sailor style not good? Then how about a red base with a floral pattern in a Japanese style?"

One after another, he took out different costumes. How many gimmicks does he hide? The Japanese style was quite different from what I had seen before, with a strong fantasy feel. The simplified structure and the design that used a unique language as a pattern were impressive, even beyond exasperation.

"No, I won't wear it even if you change the clothes."

"Damn! Then, how about this new set of leather armor, spats, skirt, and leather gloves in the archer style! Made from the new leather material, it achieves comfort and lightness, and is the latest armor that realizes unprecedented speed performance!"

"Even if you do that, I won't wear it. Give up."

He clenched his fist and looked regretful, but I couldn't sympathize at all. It was so routine that only a wry smile came out.

"Shouldn't you give up, Claude? Ah, Yun, which weapon are you going to reinforce? Black and magic modification."

The black and magic modification that Lili mentioned were the longbow of the Black Maiden made by Lili and the longbow of Commander Volk made of magic modification material. The longbow of the Black Maiden, a player-made equipment, can be repeatedly ranked up to gradually enhance its abilities, but the effects it can hold are currently limited. In the future, it will likely become a versatile equipment. On the other hand, the longbow of Commander Volk is a unique equipment that has already been completed and is unrelated to durability. While it cannot be further enhanced in terms of performance, the limit for reinforcement materials is an extravagant fifteen, and it is possible to remove unnecessary additional effects and add new ones. This has the potential to become a specialized weapon by narrowing down the types of effects to be granted.

"Hmm. This time, I'll go with the Commander's."

"Got it. So, you're planning to make it a specialized anti-air weapon?"

"No, I haven't decided yet, but I'd like to make it some kind of specialized weapon if possible. Well, it can be adjusted, so there's no need to rush."

"Got it. But if you need a new bow, let me know. I'll prepare it with all my might."

"Then, maybe I'll order a bow that can be used underwater."

"Whoa!? Suddenly a difficult request!"

"Well, I'll wait patiently."

I handed the equipment and materials to Lili, signaling that the serious talk was over.

"Okay, wait a bit. I'll go to the workshop and reinforce it."

As Lili stood up and left, I took a sip of tea. While Lili and I were talking, Magi and Claude were having their own conversation.

"Alright, Lili it is."

"Is it decided? Aren't you going to wear it yourself?"

"What's the fun in wearing what I made myself?"

Claude replied with a straight face, and Magi looked perplexed.

"Well, the next presentation is mine, but let me prepare a bit."

"Huh? Prepare?"

Saying that, the fruit tart in front of him disappeared. No, it was probably stored in Claude's inventory. What kind of relationship does armor and tart have with preparation? Rather,

"My tart..."

"The preparation is starting. Just a little patience."

Saying that, the clothes he took out were a brown and green-trimmed outfit, a very heavy and serious color, with fine metal decorations shining on the details. The hat design was childishly made, but it was relatively cool.

"Another strange outfit, and the next victim is Lili?"

"Don't say it like that. This is a Halloween gimmick I came up with, putting in a lot of effort."

Ah, the Halloween costume he mentioned before. Still, what kind of monster is this heavy outfit supposed to be? A skeleton soldier?

"Back. Yun, it's done."

"Okay. Welcome back, magic modification confirmed."

Taking the properly reinforced Commander's longbow, Lili looked at the costume Claude was holding.

"Lili, I need you to try on the Halloween costume."

"Okay. Can I borrow it?"

Lili put on the costume, which had a gender-neutral feel but became decidedly masculine with this kind of cool outfit.

"Oh? Claude, is it like this?"

Lili straightened her back and saluted beautifully. I wondered if I would look a bit more masculine in such an outfit.

"Lili, you look really cool. Hmm, seeing this makes me want to decorate it fully. It would be more realistic with a survival knife or military equipment."

"That's for another time. Lili, as a Halloween costume, it has a gimmick that activates when you say a specific word. So, what do you think of Halloween?"

Halloween, ghosts, candy, and trick or treat, right?

"Hmm. Trick or treat?"

"Correct."

Ah, it was right. At that moment, Lili's clothes began to change. Triangular ears sprouted from the hat, her arms were covered in fur, and a fluffy tail curled out from under the pants.

Magi and I were shocked by the sudden change and couldn't speak. Lili seemed to only notice her fur-covered hands, staring at them intently. Claude, the creator of the gimmick, smiled at the double success of the gimmick and the prank.

"Since you said it, I'll bring out a different cake."

What he took out was a pumpkin pie. This guy really seems to be seeking romance.

"Can you explain what this is, Claude?"

"Hmm. I succeeded in adding a gimmick at the cost of the armor's performance. It changes the shape of the equipment or switches to registered equipment based on conditions like voice. It's a kind of gimmick equipment."

"Claude! This is a dog!?"

"Correct. More accurately, a werewolf. A Halloween classic. I've also completed vampire and cat costumes."

"Hmm. Claude? Can this technology be applied to armor as well?"

Magi put her hand to her chin, thinking.

"Of course it's possible. Rather, don't you want to make romantic equipment too?"

Claude smiled slyly, and Magi also smiled.

"Of course. Armor that gradually peels off when damaged would be refreshing, wouldn't it? For the attacker."

"For me, armor that turns into just underwear with a purge chant or full equipment with a transformation chant would be interesting."

Is this a reference to some game or manga? I don't know, but I decided not to get involved and just watched Lili and the equipment closely.

"Lili, can I touch it?"

"Sure."

I gently touched the triangular ears that protruded from the hat. They felt soft and fluffy, almost like the real thing. While it was a fake beast, this could be a popular equipment.

"Do these ears have a sense of touch?"

"No, they're just a bit ticklish. Ah, I can move them when I focus."

Saying that, Lili's tail, which curled like a Shiba Inu's, wagged back and forth.

"Interesting. I wasn't really interested in Halloween, but what other equipment do you have?"

"Plenty. Do you want to try them on?"

"No, that's fine. I just want to see them."

"Then, Lili, how about this witch girl set next?"

"Okay, Claude."

Lili took the witch girl set with pumpkin pants. A black cloak with a red lining, a pointed hat, and a simple, easy-to-wear outfit. The entire body was covered like a cloak, making it impossible to see what was worn inside.

"Here we go. Trick or treat."

With those words, Lili's eyes changed to a golden color—

"Hey!? Claude, what's going on!"

"Hahaha! Who said witch girls don't transform! This is a transforming witch girl costume!"

I put my hand to my forehead and looked at the victim, Lili. The dress inside the cloak had changed to a Gothic style.

The white-based color contrasted with the dark cloak. The white Gothic skirt inside was pumpkin pants, adhering to Halloween traditions while showing a unique touch. The boyish cloak had transformed into a girl's white Gothic witch outfit. However, the short hair was a bit mismatched with the outfit.

"Hmm. It feels like the outfit is wearing you."

The gender-neutral appearance made the upper part of the body stand out. If it were a normal vampire boy, it would be a cute look, but the current outfit felt a bit lacking.

"Claude, what's happening?"

From Lili's perspective, she could see her body but not the overall image. Claude set up a full-length mirror in front of Lili, who frowned unusually.

"It doesn't quite fit. I think a vampire might have been better."

"Hmm. Can I play with your hair a bit?"

"Please, Yun."

Halloween costumes are probably more accepted because they are for dressing up. Lili's concern was whether it fit or not.

I combed her fine, straight hair with my fingers. I tried parting it to the right and left, but the length was insufficient.

"Lili, how about using a ribbon?"

"A bit embarrassing, isn't it? And with this length, a ribbon wouldn't work, would it?"

"But it looks so nice, it feels like a waste."

I sighed and let go of her hair, understanding at the same time. It was similar to how Miu and Sei-nee would try different outfits on me. Recalling Sei-nee's comment, "The material is good, so I want to try different things," I smiled, realizing I was the same.

"What's wrong, Yun?"

"No, I just remembered being thoroughly played with by my sisters. Watching is fun, I thought."

"You should enjoy it to the fullest, Yun..."

"Lili, excessive playing can be tiring. If you say so, I'll thoroughly play with you."

"Only if you can change it back properly..."

Our gazes met through the mirror, and I smiled slyly. There was no particular emotion, but Lili seemed to be saying, "Do as you please." I took out a hair growth potion, a completed version that didn't explode or shrink the body. I dripped a little on my hand, spread it thinly, and applied it to Lili's hair like camellia oil. As I combed her hair, it grew to a certain length.

"Cold! Yun, it's ticklish?"

"Just bear with it. Your hair is growing."

She tried to twist her body, but I carefully combed her hair. Magi was surprised by the growing hair each time I combed it. Claude, who knew the gimmick, just enjoyed the situation without saying anything.

The back hair grew to the shoulder blades, and the sideburns grew to the jaw. As a result, the Lili in the mirror looked like a fully-fledged girl. The main reason was probably the long sideburns that hid the face's contours, making it look slender. Lili, who was passive like a borrowed cat, felt more like a girl than a boy.

"...Is this me? It feels a bit strange."

"Well, this is probably appropriate. What about the hairstyle and hair accessories?"

"Maybe not. What do you think, Magi?"

"Wow... Miss, I'm too surprised to say anything. I didn't expect such a transformation."

"Only for Halloween, right?"

A Halloween pun about ghosts and transformations. Claude, who had made the pun, let out a suppressed laugh, which was itself a kind of horror. The cold stares from me and Magi pierced him, but he was oblivious.

"Still, it fits. Yeah, it fits so well it's scary."

"Really? Hehe, thanks, Magi."

"Hmm. Lili, or should I call you Lily in a girl's outfit? Lily?"

"Hmm. How about renaming cross-dressed Lili to Lily!"

The energetic duo made me feel a bit uneasy. Lili, now Lily, looked confused but managed to smile.

"Then, I'll go back to my original clothes, I guess?"

Lili, sensing the danger, but it was probably too late.

"That's a waste. Try on more outfits and pose for screenshots. Ah, with a sword or weapon."

"Exactly. Take poses and let me take screenshots."

The two, with a suspicious gleam in their eyes, approached Lili.

"Y-Yun... h-help..."

She pleaded with a trembling voice and teary eyes, but I quietly shook my head.

As a man, you have to go through a black history—probably not, but—

"Relax. I'll pick up the bones."

"Yun, you betrayed me too!"

Ah, it's good that I didn't get hurt this time. Well, the damage that would have come to me just went to Lili instead.

Hmm, the tea is good. Watching the girl-like Lili, now Lily, being cornered by two grown-ups, I realized that being the observer can be fun.