Chapter 3

First, I organized the situation.

It was my companions who wished to return to our world. However, given the current circumstances, returning seems almost impossible. Since we’ve come here, there might be some method to return, but finding and executing it will take a considerable amount of time.

We can use magic. However, due to the weak magical power in this world, our abilities are limited, and the actual effects may not be clear until we try.

I explained to them that there are no other races besides the human race, as understood in our world. We need to find a way to disguise ourselves as ordinary humans.

Princess Pritia and Sanctina are humans and can remain as they are without issue, while Filia, the elf, and Noctia, the Demon Lord, managed to resolve their appearance issues on their own.

“Transformation magic is available, right?”

“Is this all we can do?”

Using the transformation magic they both possess, Filia altered her long, elf-like ears to appear like those of a regular human, while the Demon Lord’s demonic crest on her face vanished.

Actually, they don’t look that different from humans. I wonder why.

The burden of the transformation magic seems to depend on the extent of the changes, but it appears it won’t be a problem for them in their daily lives.

So next, we need to address clothing, food, and shelter.

As for accommodation, they’ll have to stay at my place for the time being. It’s a house, so while it’s not spacious, it should suffice for living.

Regarding clothing… Well, it’s not as simple as staying as they are. The Demon Lord is in a dress, and my companions are in combat gear like armor and robes.

If we go outside, they’ll definitely attract attention with their overly realistic costumes.

When I mentioned this, they expressed a desire to see what kind of clothes are available, so I decided to show them by searching on my computer.

“How interesting! It’s not even magical equipment. It operates using a different kind of power from magic.”

When I turned on my laptop, the Demon Lord showed interest.

Princess Pritia is somewhat of a muscle-brain… or perhaps it’s unfair to say that. She prefers straightforward approaches and tends to leave the details to her vassals and maids. Sanctina, the saint, is serious but doesn’t seem to be the type with a strong intellectual curiosity. She appears to excel at quietly completing tasks given to her.

“I’ve never seen anything like this!”

Among my companions, Filia, the elf, showed the most interest. She probably enjoys exploring the unknown.

I quickly searched for images of women’s clothing and showed them; the four of them leaned in curiously to look at the monitor. I hope the clothes aren’t too expensive.

“Hero, is your money okay?”

Filia was the one to express concern, realizing this was reality and worrying about our future. Princess Pritia likely has never experienced commoner life. I don’t think Filia is particularly motivated by greed either.

“For now, I have enough money. I live apart from my parents, but I inherited some assets from my grandfather.”

My parents have been working overseas for about ten years now. I was raised by my grandparents, but my grandfather passed away when I was in middle school, and my grandmother died just last month.

“If the clothes aren’t too complicated, I can make them. The fabric may be different, but it’s not drastically so. Would that make them a bit cheaper?”

Ah, that could work. Wait a minute. Should I first go to a cheap store to buy some clothes? Having at least one outfit that doesn’t match my taste would be fine for everyday wear.

While I was thinking this and looking at my companions and the Demon Lord, I felt anxious about leaving them alone. Especially with Princess Pritia and the Demon Lord. I thought about taking Filia with me for shopping, but Sanctina wouldn’t be able to stop them.

I guess I’ll have to go alone. I really don’t know anything about women’s clothing, though.

“For now, I’ll go get some clothes. But don’t expect too much. They’ll be commoner clothes. We can think about having Filia make something based on them.”

It’s impossible to match the level of craftsmanship in my companions’ and the Demon Lord’s outfits. I need to make that clear beforehand.

After putting out some snacks and drinks I had at home, I urged them not to go outside and quickly pedaled to a chain store that sells relatively inexpensive clothing.

It was just the right time; the store had just opened. Being a chain store, there were no employees around, allowing me to take my time selecting items. Honestly, though, I have no idea what to buy when it comes to women’s clothing.

Especially clothing for noblewomen from another world.

I suppose it’s best to go with something neutral. One outfit each for everyone, with a pair of pants and a skirt for the bottoms. For the tops, we’ll need shirts and something to wear over them. Plus, socks and shoes. It’s best not to get shoes; I should probably buy some women’s sandals in a free size instead.

Clothes come in various colors, designs, and patterns, which makes it confusing, but since it’s an emergency, I’ll choose something that seems to be selling well.

“Uh-oh…!?”

Suddenly, I realized I forgot to ask an important question: What to do about underwear—specifically, the shorts and bras?

To begin with, I’ve never seen underwear from our world, so I have no idea what’s available. I don’t know their sizes either.

Should I go back once and bring them along to pick out their own? But there’s a risk in taking them outside.

They don’t look Japanese. I need to think about identification, passports, and such. I wonder if magic can help with that; I assume the Demon Lord has some ideas in mind.

However, given the current situation, it’s probably best not to let them go outside until things settle down. Even basic common sense and how to walk on the road differ between this world and ours.

That means I really need to get them some extra underwear. There’s no way they’d want to wear the underwear I picked out. They wouldn’t say it’s disgusting, but it would be an emergency.

With that thought in mind, I steeled myself.

I suddenly wondered how I must look to the store employees. A high school student, here early in the morning, picking out women’s underwear.

Since it’s a customer service job, I hope they won’t mind too much.

This chain store has self-checkouts anyway, so I shouldn’t stand out too much. Besides, it’s my first time here, and I don’t know anyone.

I reminded myself of that as I added two pairs of shorts for each of them—eight in total—into my basket along with the other clothes. The sizes for the shorts were just a guess: M or L. However, bras were a different story. I think I’ll have to give up on that this time.

When it comes to underwear and clothing, I have no clue about the designs or materials. I don’t know their preferences, so it’s impossible to buy something they would like. I just chose the items that seemed to be selling well in the most visible area.

Honestly, I rarely buy clothes for myself, let alone an entire set of underwear and clothing for women of noble status. It feels impossible.

I couldn’t help but think that if I acted suspiciously, someone might say something to me. I tried my best to stay calm as I completed the purchase.

I really didn’t want to be thought of as a creep.

“Haah…”

When I finally left the store, I felt completely drained.

Next, I needed to prepare lunch. Since I live alone, I didn’t have enough food to offer them.

I decided to stop by a nearby supermarket.

However, I figured they probably wouldn’t be too picky about meals. Princess Pritia had been a soldier and had sometimes made do with hard black bread and just salty dried meat. If anything, that was fortunate.

Well, even so, I should pick up some things they could eat. The stress of meals was tough on me after I came to this world.

If I can just make sure meals are taken care of, we should be fine for a while.

Side: Demon Lord

The new world is full of intriguing things that spark my curiosity.

The architecture of the house, the furnishings in the rooms, and even the magical tools that lack any magical power. There are so many interesting items here.

At the very least, this place doesn’t seem to belong to the impoverished. However, considering the nature of the Hero, it’s unlikely that he comes from the upper class.

Princess Pritia continues to keep her eyes fixed on me. If anything happens, she’ll likely spring into action. But conversely, that means she won’t move unless provoked.

“What beautiful glassware.”

As I ponder what to do next, the Saint, Sanctina, is admiring a glass. There are five identical glasses on the table, all perfectly transparent and shaped. The Hero must have prepared some barley tea in them.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that all the windows in the house are fitted with uniform glass. Is glass perhaps cheap here?

The Hero’s demeanor and lifestyle don’t quite align with the values of my original world.

“Demon Lord, can you read this?”

The elf, Filia, was perusing a book found in the room. The cover features a painting of a young woman, seemingly transcribed by magic, and inside are illustrations and text composing something.

The woman on the cover is quite revealing; I wonder if that’s considered normal here?

“Unfortunately, I cannot read it.”

There should have been writings left by past Heroes, and at least one of them should have used a similar script. However, the samples of the text are too few, and I haven’t been able to decipher them yet.

This is indeed a civilization very different from my original world. Perhaps it would be better for Pritia and the others to return to their world.