Chapter 4

After placing our order at the royal armorer's workshop, we decided to head to a weapon shop next.

Of course, this one was also a royal supplier.

"Where is it?"

"It's next door."

"Right next door?"

"This area is the craftsmen's district."

It seems that in this Holy Capital Jupiter, there is a "craftsmen's district" where craftsmen gather, created by the order of the Seventh Holy King.

Not just blacksmiths, but also leatherworkers and tailors, all craftsmen with workshops are gathered in this area.

Thanks to this, all travel preparations except for food can be completed within this district.

When we entered the weapon shop, the interior was the same as the armor shop. The first room had samples and a counter, and the sound of hammers could be heard from the back.

There was also a dedicated salesperson, and our shopping went smoothly.

One notable point is that the unit of length in this world is called "stoot."

Both Haruno and Sera ordered swords, and when deciding the length of the blades, the salesperson used this term.

According to the butler, "stoot" is the unit of length in this world, which means "the distance the king walks in three steps."

It is generally used until the next Holy King ascends the throne after being measured once.

Therefore, the length of one stoot varies by country and changes with each new king.

Haruno and I were shown the current standard ruler for one stoot and estimated it to be about one meter.

The salesperson said that the length of one stoot doesn't change much even with a change of reign.

I couldn't determine if this meant the length really doesn't change or if they just don't care about minor differences.

"I've heard that it was quite a problem when the Fifth Holy King ascended the throne."

"Why?"

"Because the Fourth Holy King passed away at a young age, and the Fifth ascended at the age of five..."

"Oh..."

In other words, the stoot at that time was the distance a five-year-old child walked in three steps, which was quite short.

"Apparently, it was so inconvenient that when the Fifth Holy King came of age, he made an exception and remeasured it."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

After that, the law changed so that if a Holy King ascended before coming of age, the previous stoot would be used until the coming-of-age ceremony.

In any case, Haruno ordered a longsword slightly over one stoot, and Sera ordered a short sword less than one stoot.

It seems that priests in this world are allowed to carry weapons.

As for me, after consulting with the salesperson and the butler, I chose a single-edged broad axe, which is a one-handed axe with a wide blade. It's not too large but powerful enough for a novice to wield, and easy to handle if you don't mind the weight. The salesperson recommended it as both a combat weapon and a tool for outdoor life.

After trying it out, I decided it would work. The power of blessings is truly amazing.

I also ordered two daggers as secondary weapons. They seem to have more uses outside of combat, and after recommending them to Haruno and Sera, they each ordered one as well.

After that, we were asked to hold a lump of clay for the handles, and our order at the weapon shop was complete.

Next, we headed to a tailor's workshop.

Until today, we had been borrowing clothes from the temple, but for our journey, we needed to prepare our own clothes and spare outfits.

"What's that sign? A leaf?"

"That's the sign for 'Ficus Brand.' I've heard it's based on a fig leaf."

"Hmm, is it famous? This 'Ficus Brand.'"

"Ficus was the name of an ancient tailor, now known as a great person. If I say it's available in almost every major city in the world, you can imagine how famous it is."

"Wow, that's impressive."

According to the butler, the tailor's workshop we were taken to is a world-renowned brand.

As we entered the workshop, an unexpected scene greeted me.

"Is this a challenge?"

"Absolutely not."

"If not, is there an intention to exclude male customers?"

"That might be the case."

"Really!?"

The samples lined up were all women's undergarments, giving an unspoken pressure to "go home, men."

"Ficus was a tailor specializing in women's undergarments. You really need more training if you're flustered by this."

The old gentleman said this calmly, but he might be a perverted gentleman.

Haruno and Sera both blushed.

"Wait, were medieval undergarments like this? I've heard they used corsets to tightly bind women."

"Oh, now that you mention it..."

At that moment, I realized something. Haruno also seemed to notice.

The samples of undergarments lined up were almost identical in design to modern Earth women's undergarments.

While other clothes were not exactly like medieval Europe, the undergarments were clearly from a different era.

Confused, Haruno and I looked at each other, and a female salesperson came to answer our questions.

"The great Ficus was a tailor specializing in women's undergarments."

"Yeah, if there's a specialized skill, there will be specialists."

"He studied what women's undergarments should be to make women look beautiful and is said to have advanced the history of women's undergarments by a thousand years on his own!"

"Isn't he a pervert!"

Naturally, I couldn't help but point this out to the proud salesperson.

Regaining my composure, we decided to buy our clothes.

We had to act separately from Haruno and Sera.

"Still... is there no difference in treatment?"

There was a section for men's clothing in the workshop, but it was very small, taking up about 20% of the total space.

I picked up a piece of underwear. It wasn't a loincloth, but the design was unfamiliar to me, resembling old-fashioned boxer shorts.

"Did Ficus never make men's underwear?"

"From what I've heard, the great Ficus believed that 'a single leaf is enough' for men and never made a single piece of men's underwear in his life."

"My head hurts... So, what's here is..."

"Probably made by his disciples who inherited the workshop after Ficus's death, using his designs as a reference."

"Was he from the past?"

"Yes, about two hundred years ago."

"So, they couldn't catch up to Ficus in two hundred years?"

"Even as a brand for men's clothing, it's unmatched by others."

"Wow, Ficus."

Involuntarily, I praised Ficus.

Ficus was a pervert. A big pervert. That's for sure. But he was also a great genius, a fact that can't be denied.

"The great Ficus lived his entire life with a single leaf and died of illness on a winter day."

"You really take things to the extreme! And the leaf on the sign, is that it!?"

Eccentric geniuses are probably like this.

Incidentally, wearing a single fig leaf is recognized as a formal attire to honor the great Ficus.

It's fixed with magic. What a fantasy. I didn't want to feel this kind of fantasy here.

It's said that you can appear before the king in this attire, but no one has done so in the two hundred years since Ficus's death.

No one can follow the great Ficus, for better or worse.

I wouldn't want to either.

In any case, despite the old-fashioned design, the functionality seemed fine, so I bought underwear and everyday clothes.

There were also sturdy clothes for travelers, but those had to be custom-made, so I asked the salesperson to take my measurements.

Incidentally, the person who took my measurements was a middle-aged woman.

After completing the order, we paid for the ready-made clothes we could take home today, but Haruno and Sera's shopping was not yet finished.

Knowing that women's shopping, especially for undergarments, takes time, I decided to wait patiently.

After a while, Haruno and Sera returned after completing their orders.

Seeing me and the butler, they both bowed apologetically, but I laughed it off, saying it was a man's duty.

It seems that both of them, who look slimmer in clothes, had to order custom-made bras.

On the way back in the carriage, Haruno spoke with a mixed expression of amazement and exasperation.

"You might not understand, but... the functionality of the undergarments might be better than on Earth."

"Really?"

I looked at her with wide eyes.

"Skipping the details, they seem to consider the needs of those who fight and are made specifically for that."

"Is it a cultural difference?"

Haruno nodded.

"They use magic to consider the wearer."

"Wow, they go that far."

"Yes. It was a bit more expensive, but..."

The details were omitted, but it seems they were designed for those who move vigorously.

I couldn't help but glance at Haruno's chest, wrapped in a black cardigan, and Sera's chest, wrapped in a white, loose robe, but quickly looked away.

Both of them are of the type that look slimmer in clothes. Or rather, they seem to deliberately wear clothes that don't reveal their figures.

"Plus, the designs are cute."

She must have had her own struggles. I've heard that the larger the size, the fewer options there are.

"Really impressive, Ficus."

"Yes... I might have underestimated this world, thinking it looked medieval."

"There's magic here, after all."

This encounter with Ficus Brand made me realize that this world is not just a backward civilization at the medieval level.

There is magic, and there are things like Ficus Brand that have made unique progress.

Just because I'm from the modern world and have modern knowledge doesn't mean I can take this world lightly.

For Haruno, it seemed to be a good opportunity to reconsider her view of this world, as she also looked serious.

"But why?"

"What's wrong?"

"I can't feel any gratitude towards the great Ficus."

"I feel the same..."

I looked up at the ceiling of the carriage and muttered. Then I turned to Haruno, who also had a troubled smile.

After that, we bought shoes for our journey, cloaks to protect us from the cold, lighting equipment, fireboxes, and other necessary items.

We completed all our shopping except for food today.

When we finished the last purchase and were ready to return, the butler said to me:

"Sir Touya, rooms are prepared for you at the castle until your preparation period is over, but the High Priest said that if you want to learn magic, you should return to the temple. What do you think?"

"Learn magic?"

"Yes. He said he can teach you the basics during the preparation period."

"Really? Is it okay not to use the castle rooms?"

"It's not ideal for finding companions, but if you want to learn magic, we can't stop you."

"Hmm..."

I crossed my arms and thought. The status card I made at the temple showed that my MEN, related to magic, was high.

Also, the "Infinite Bathroom" creates items from my MP. Learning magic might help me train my MP.

"Sera, what kind of magic can you learn at the temple?"

"Various, but for the basics... probably the spell to summon the light spirit, a servant of the Goddess of Light."

The light spirit apparently appears as a blue-white ball of light the size of a palm.

"What do you do with it once summoned?"

"It can attack evil beings. Once it attacks, it returns to its world. Oh, it can also be used as a light source."

"Are there healing spells? Or antidotes?"

"Those require more training..."

It seems that in this world, divine magic is not primarily for healing.

However, it also means that with training, you can use healing spells. Training my MP by learning magic might not be a bad idea.

"Got it. Butler, I'll go to the temple."

"Understood. What about you, Haruno?"

The butler asked Haruno, who thought for a moment before answering.

"I want to learn as much swordsmanship as possible. Where should I go for that?"

"In that case, the castle."

"Then, I'll go there."

She turned to me.

"Thank you so much, Tounya-kun."

She bowed.

"No, the butler was the one who guided us. It's not that big of a deal."

"That's not true. I didn't know about armor and was planning to take you to the temple first."

"What would have happened then?"

As I was flustered by the sudden gratitude, Sera joined in.

Even though she was the one in charge of explanations, if we had gone to the temple, the High Priest might have given us advice.

"Since we were helped, you should accept it graciously."

"Ah, yeah, you're right."

I turned to her, and Haruno smiled.

"I'll do my best, so you do too, Tounya-kun!"

"You too."

"Okay!"

We laughed together, and Sera also smiled at us.

"Since the castle is closer from here, I'll take you there first and then head to the temple. Is that okay?"

"Sure, that works. Oh, one more thing."

"What is it?"

I glanced at Sera.

"Teach her the necessary knowledge as the explainer."

"I understand."

The butler smiled and agreed, and Sera blushed and laughed.

Then, Haruno and I burst out laughing at her expression.

*The origin of "stoot" is "strut," meaning "to walk with a proud or important air."