NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19
After a simple chat with Lucius, I took him into a certain shop.
“Welcome, welcome!”
A blonde man greeted us, dramatically rolling his R’s.
His hair slicked back, he wore a white shirt adorned with frills and tight light pink pants.
“Welcome to the best salon in Normans.”
“Let’s go.”
“W-why? Why would you do that?!”
“It’s awkward.”
“W-wait a moment!!”
The man reached out and pulled us back inside.
I heard some shuffling sounds from inside, and less than a minute later, he came back out.
“Welcome to the salon, lady. I am the general manager here, ‘Cospaco.'”
“Wow.”
The man, who was unbearably awkward before, transformed into a well-dressed gentleman in an instant.
“It feels like a hotel manager.”
“If that’s more comfortable for you, I’ll handle the reception like this. How do you feel?”
“Much better than earlier. We came to buy clothes.”
I pointed at Lucius.
“We’re registering as adventurers, so please set up his outfit.”
“Are you pursuing practicality or style?”
“Don’t worry about practicality; I’ll have a seven-layer shield spell over my body.”
“I see….”
Cospaco licked his lips as he eyed Lucius.
“M-Master…?”
“Why?”
“I feel a bit uneasy….”
“Come on, what’s there to worry about? We’re both guys here.”
“That’s precisely what makes me more uneasy.”
“Hehe, don’t worry.”
Cospaco kept licking his lips as he approached Lucius.
“Your physique is good, not too peculiar, just standard with some practical muscle… Perfect! With this build, the clothes would look amazing… Wow, your muscles are just… so well-defined.”
“Master…?”
“Just adjust the budget accordingly.”
I flicked a gold coin at Cospaco.
“Everything, even the underwear.”
“What color would you like?”
“That’s up to you.”
“As you command, lady.”
Cospaco caught the gold coin in mid-air, grinning as he took Lucius inside.
“Uh, ahhh…! What are you touching?!”
“Hold still. Of course, I need to take your measurements to tailor the outfit to fit your physique.”
“Uh, umm….”
Screams echoed from inside, but I didn’t care.
‘A tailored suit is far better than an old tunic.’
Lucius is a hero.
Naturally, he should be dressed nicely rather than in tattered clothes.
Why?
‘Because I can’t walk around with my student looking shabby.’
A student reflects on their master.
If I let the Hero of the Holy Sword walk around in shabby clothes, it would tarnish my reputation.
And there’s an ultimate reason why Lucius must look cool.
‘He’ll need to charm the ladies.’
Lucius is handsome.
Considering that the Saintess Yan Diere fell for him the moment she saw his face, many more women will undoubtedly do the same when they see him.
If even someone in rags like Yan Diere was charmed, just imagine how it would be if he donned a suit like that of the Hero of the Holy Sword?
‘Women would swarm him like bees.’
Ladies of all kinds, including the Saintess, would approach Lucius favorably, and I would choose the ones most helpful in targeting the Demon King to make them his allies.
In other words, the Lucius Harem Project.
‘It’s best to weave together allies with love.’
I’ve watched countless hero parties.
And I came to one conclusion.
‘If it’s not a sweaty or harem party, it’s bound to fall apart.’
If it’s a macho party filled entirely with men, it’s better off having one handsome man with a pack of girls swarming around him, not the other way around.
What happens if we throw in a weak porter or someone useless among the male companions?
The hero party is destined to be shattered.
And the women would become obsessed with that one missing spot, or the hero would chase after that man, while the girls would resent and envy the hero for paying attention to that guy.
I’ve seen too many hero parties fall apart this way.
When I was the Demon King, how many hero parties did I ruin with schemes and intrigues?
‘Get Lucius to attract capable women, then use them as combatants. Those who will swoon over Lucius.’
Thus, the answer is a harem party.
If the only companions around Lucius are ladies who love and adore him, there shouldn’t be a problem.
‘I’m so clever.’
A hero party that won’t fail.
Meanwhile, the ultimate party that can seal the Demon Kings will be formed.
For that, Lucius has to make any woman’s heart race.
“Wow.”
“Master?”
In a white coat and black shirt.
It seemed plain, yet Lucius’s natural charm made the outfit feel like it was being overshadowed by his presence.
“Just like that, if you go out, you’re bound to make several women cry.”
“R-really?”
Although he’s embarrassed, he doesn’t seem to dislike it.
Now, if Lucius walks with confidence, all the women around will wear gentle smiles.
‘That’s it.’
Feeling the satisfaction of having spent all my gold coins, I left the shop.
“Thank you for your efforts.”
“Lady, may I request one thing?”
“Sure?”
“I still have a lot of money left after spending one gold coin. I’d like to fit you with an outfit too…”
“Me?”
In Cospaco’s eyes gleamed a madness I’d only seen in the Demon Race.
“I only need a robe.”
“You’ll need clothing to wear underneath that robe, won’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”
“Uh….”
“Master.”
Lucius had suddenly appeared behind me.
“If my student is dressed this well, then it won’t do for you to be in shabby clothes, will it? Your dignity must stand firm.”
“… is that so?”
He’s got a point.
If I let Lucius look fantastic while I wandered around looking shabby, I wouldn’t look like his master but rather like a slave sorceress to him.
‘That won’t do.’
Even the Demon King has pride; how could I be treated like Lucius’s slave?
“Then, I’ll choose the clothes.”
“Eh?”
“I have a particular outfit in mind.”
I pointed at one of the garments on display.
“Can you alter this?”
“Which outfit…?”
“This one.”
Just like the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus wore.
A bit plain, yet it clearly expresses the identity of a ‘Witch.’
“Like this….”
“Wait a moment.”
Cospaco seized the lower garment I was reaching for.
“Are you really saying you want to wear this?”
“Of course?”
“That’s not acceptable.”
“What do you mean it’s not acceptable….”
Whoosh.
Cospaco tore the skirt in half.
“Customers like you shouldn’t wear skirts that come down to the knees!!!”
“…….”
Not even a dragon’s roar would match that force.
“Lady! I’ll craft you a skirt! Please wear this!”
“Are you out of your mind?!”
I couldn’t help but curse.
“What the heck is this skirt?! There’s a limit to shamelessness!!”
“It’s fashionable! This is called ‘miniskirt!’ It’s a popular design among the Order of the Red Moon Goddess! Even potato-picking women wouldn’t wear such a skirt!!”
“I’d rather walk around completely naked!!”
“Ah! Would you prefer the fashion of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess?”
“What…?”
Cospaco pointed to the mannequin beside him.
Seeing that mannequin, I recalled the outfits worn by Yan Diere and the Blue Moon Goddess’s followers.
“This… is clothing?”
“Since the Pope of the Order of the Crescent Moon introduced this, it’s become the nun’s habit.”
“…Where is the nun’s habit in that? Aren’t you just out of your mind?”
I pointed to the line going from hips to thighs.
“You’re showing off your legs completely!!”
“It’s in vogue!!”
“Indecent! It’s rank! Is this church sane?!”
It seems the Pope of the Order of the Crescent Moon is most certainly insane.
“But lady, since this saint’s robe was introduced, the Order of the Crescent Moon has been enjoying its golden age.”
“What? How? Why?”
“Well….”
Cospaco gave a thumbs up.
“Since we introduced this nun’s habit, the number of followers in the Order of the Crescent Moon has increased exponentially.”
“…….”
“The population has surged, and those serving the church have skyrocketed too. It’s trending in the social circles as well! Would you like to join? Let’s take a look around.”
“…….”
What Cospaco showed me was truly a new world.
A new world where miniskirts were considered quite modest.
“So you’re telling me… that nobles wear those see-through clothes?”
“They’re called see-through.”
“What’s that? What kind of insane woman wears a white t-shirt with black underwear underneath?!”
“It’s fashion.”
“What is fashion exactly?!”
“It’s what everyone wears nowadays.”
“That’s absurd!!”
I couldn’t believe it.
These people in the Hero’s Village didn’t dress simply and ordinarily like they did 500 years ago!
“I can’t believe it! Only the street vendors should wear such things. Who would wear such scandalous outfits?!”
“Well… lady, everyone dresses like this.”
“Really?! Then let’s observe it for a moment!!”
I pointed to the window on the opposite side of the salon.
“For 30 minutes! Let’s observe the women entering the Adventurer Guild for 30 minutes, and if there are plenty of women in such attire, then I’ll wear a miniskirt!”
“…….Are you thinking I’m trying to trick you into wearing this?”
“Are you not? You pervert.”
“……Heh, heh.”
Cospaco simply chuckled as he guided me to the window.
“I’ll make you some tea, lady.”
“…What’s with your calm demeanor?”
“If you see the women of the Adventurer Guild, you’ll fully understand.”
“…Are adventurers a joke? In a life-and-death situation, would a woman need to wear full plate armor…?”
I saw it.
A line of adventurers clad in clothing that looked even more reckless and risqué than the nun’s habit of the Crescent Moon Goddess.
“W-what is that?! Why is no one saying anything about those who are only in their underwear?!”
“That is bikini armor.”
“Those things… are adventurers?”
Is it really okay for this to happen in the Intermediate Realm?
“The miniskirt is comparatively modest, right?”
“…….”
All right.
Let’s destroy it.
To restore the modesty of 500 years ago.