TN: The previous chapter was cut-off please read the chapter again
“Well, let’s talk while we eat. I just got back from the forest myself and haven’t had a bite to eat,” I said.
Elena, who nodded in response, fiddled with her dull gray hair, mumbling, “I wonder if it’s okay.”
It was a murmur, almost like a question without a subject.
I didn’t ask, “What?”—no need to. Understanding subtleties like this is essential when trying to court a woman, and I’m decent at it.
Stopping in my tracks, I used magic on Elena.
“Clean.”
I had already used magic to cleanse myself when I entered the city, so I didn’t need it, but Elena was a different story.
The inn I usually stay at has decent security and staff who aren’t swayed by bribes. It’s a rather classy place, well beyond what even someone like me, who had better finances than Blaze and his group, would use if it weren’t for the savings I had built up since my youth.
(If we went in as we were, we might’ve been turned away… Hmm?)
I examined Elena from head to toe, pondering.
(Hmm. This might not work, after all.)
Elena, being a “Druid,” had gained some knowledge and education from her grandmother, who served as the village’s herbalist. However, her outfit screamed country bumpkin.
Even if she wasn’t dirty anymore, her clothes themselves might still get her turned away. It was clear she needed to look a bit more presentable.
“Let’s hit the clothing store first.”
Elena’s outfit consisted of a plain, somewhat outdated wizard’s robe, and a pointed hat reinforced with metal to protect against arrows from goblins or other humanoid archers. It was the kind of getup that looked straight out of a fairy tale.
She also had a short staff, a hand-me-down from her grandmother, hanging from her belt. In the high-class inn’s dining hall, she would definitely stand out.
For the record, I’m an adventurer too, but I don’t wear armor.
Armor is smelly, and maintaining it is a hassle. Besides, heavy metal armor is too cumbersome and hot to wear while working in the forest.
Moreover, as a “Bounty Hunter,” my job offers a bonus for wearing lighter gear like a coat, rather than heavy armor. I had invested in a decent coat that wouldn’t get me turned away from upscale inns.
Of course, beneath the coat, I wore a nice shirt and trousers, both of which were also pricey.
As for why a village boy like me has that kind of money, well, in my youth, I was considered a prodigy. I could take on small jobs through the guild’s local office without being turned away, even on a provisional registration. I had other income sources too.
(The side profession unlock in the game required completing 1,000 guild tasks. My provisional registration was to meet that requirement, and it’s serving me well here. Hard work always pays off.)
By saving the money I earned instead of spending it, I now live comfortably.
By the way—
“Ed, are you buying me clothes?” Elena asked.
“You don’t have any money?”
“Nope. So, are you going to buy them?”
Well, clothes aren’t cheap. Even if Blaze’s party had done well, adventurers just starting out have a lot of expenses—gear, supplies, and then Blaze’s love for post-quest celebrations. It’s no wonder they couldn’t save much.
“Yeah, I’ll buy them for you. You were my woman once, after all. Consider it a favor.”
Elena smiled, clearly pleased. Even though she had fallen for Blaze’s charisma, we had been intimate a few times.
I had earned some money today, so why not buy her some clothes?
◇◆◇◆◇
As night approached, we slipped into a clothing store that was about to close, and I bought Elena some new clothes. Though the shopkeeper looked annoyed, my face and attire spared us from being turned away. I’d told you before that keeping yourself well-groomed had its perks, didn’t I, Cotton?
Unlike in my previous life, where clothes were mass-produced in free sizes, this world has “Jobs.” Thanks to that, the clothes we bought were tailored to fit right away.
I also picked up a hair accessory for Elena’s dull gray hair at the adjoining accessory shop. Then, I found a convenient spot to trim her overgrown hair myself.
(Since no barbers are open at this hour, this will have to do…)
After cutting her hair, I used “Clean” to remove the stray hairs, and then cast multiple spells to give it a shampoo and rinse effect, making it shine.
Lastly, I pinned her hair back with the barrette, and… she looked pretty good.
Satisfied, I nodded approvingly at Elena, who was busy checking herself out.
“Yep, once you’re cleaned up, you’re really cute, Elena.”
The once plain-looking village girl with gray hair now looked like a proper beauty after her makeover.
Back in the village, when I’d stripped off her Druid robe and held her in bed, I’d thought it then—if she were cleaned up, she’d be a stunner.
“Thanks, Ed. You bought me clothes, accessories… Was it really okay to do all this for me, even though we’re not lovers anymore?”
“I’ve got plenty of money. Besides, it’s a man’s duty to make sure a good woman looks good.”
Thanks to the pack of Forest Wolves I ran into on the way back, which I’d stuffed into my “Item Box,” I had plenty of cash after selling off their hides, meat, teeth, claws, and all other sellable materials except for the magic stones.
Seeing the beautifully transformed Elena, I felt satisfied with my own skills.
(It seems my abilities haven’t dulled.)
Cotton had become a beautiful girl because I had always taken care of her.
I had tended to her skin, hair, teeth, nails, selected her clothes, and prepared her shoes, transforming Cotton, who was just an ordinary village girl, into someone I wouldn’t be embarrassed to have by my side as the self-proclaimed prodigy of the village.
(I was exceptionally talented. I had to do this to ensure that Cotton didn’t feel inferior to the other village girls; otherwise, she might have considered suicide due to her feelings of inadequacy towards me.)
Using those skills to groom Elena would result in a charming young lady who wouldn’t look out of place dining at my regular inn.
As long as her manners were perfect, no one would think Elena was an adventurer from a rural village.
Furthermore, since Elena was educated by her grandmother, a ‘Druid’ of the knowledge class within the village, I thought she wouldn’t have any issues with etiquette.
I felt a bit anxious, but I believed Elena would be fine.
“Well then, let’s head back to the inn,” I said, gently holding Elena’s small hand. Now resembling a proper lady, she blushed and replied, “Okay,” following my lead.
“…After all, Cotton was a fool for betraying Ed while being drawn to the Hero, receiving Ed’s affection…”
Elena mumbled quietly. When I asked if she had said something, she shook her head slightly, denying it.
