CH 72

Episode 72 – Girls’ Clothing 

TL Note: Three sponsored chapters today. Thank you so much!! (1/3)

After saying goodbye to the grandma and leaving Elf’s Tears, by the time I had stepped outside, the sun was setting, and it was starting to become dark out. My conversation with the grandma ended up getting quite drawn out. But the timing worked out, since it was about time for me to start heading towards Bee House. Lyra did say to come in the evening, after all.

My head was still filled with the news about the Healer’s Guild, and honestly, I couldn’t help that it was weighing on my mind. I pulled myself together and returned to the rundown inn to grab the spices before heading over to Bee House. In that time, I put my thoughts in order and calmed down considerably.

With the spices in hand, I arrived in front of Bee House, which was an inn near the shopping street. In terms of the outer appearance, it was far prettier than the rundown inn that I always stayed at, but… looking at the accommodation fees on the sign, it was still fairly cheap. I could tell just by looking at this accommodation fee that the members of [Iron Gear] were trying their best to save money.

Now then… would it be okay to just give the receptionist Lyra’s name?

While I regretted not discussing with them in detail on how to get in contact with them, I entered Bee House. Immediately upon entering the building, there was a place with a reception desk right up front. The receptionist sitting in the back room behind the counter was an older woman with curly hair, and I could see that she was reading something.

“Excuse me, could I have a moment?” (Lewin)

When I called out to the receptionist lady, she looked over and came out immediately.

“A customer? Sorry, but we’re currently at full occupancy… But if you are planning to stay on another day, then I can help you.” (Inn Receptionist)

“Ah, no! I’m not here to look for a place to stay… I have some business with someone named Lyra, who is staying here at the moment.” (Lewin)

“Hm? Lyra? …Ah! She did tell me to provide the room number in case someone came! Fufufu…so it’s a guy, huh? This kid don’t got a lotta male presence, but at least he’s doing what he can.” (Inn Receptionist)

I felt like there was a big misunderstanding going on here, but… the fact that Lyra told this person that I was coming was a big help. After getting Lyra’s room number from that older woman, I quickly headed towards her room.

The hallways of Bee House were meandering and crooked. Since I didn’t confirm the location with the receptionist beforehand, it took me a little while to find the room. After finally arriving in front of the door with the matching room number, I knocked. At almost the same time that I knocked, I heard Lyra respond from inside the room. The pitter patter of her footsteps resounded as she ran to the door, which she then flung open enthusiastically.

“Lewin! You came! Wait just a moment for me, okay? I just got back from doing a quest commission, so I’m not ready yet!” (Lyra)

“Alright. I’ll wait outside the room while you get ready.” (Lewin)

“Sorry! I’ll be quick!” (Lyra)

After that, Lyra once again shut the door with enthusiasm before she disappeared back into the room. She was just as energetic as ever, but there was something else I was curious about. Lyra’s attire… she wasn’t wearing clothes that one would wear for doing adventurer duties.

Just now, she was wearing a fashionable sleeveless top and short pants that looked easy to move around in. Her hair was in a ponytail, but it looked more fluffy and styled up than it normally did. I was feeling a little nervous because she felt like a totally different person than when she was on the escort request.

After waiting there for a while, a bit embarrassed, Lyra came out of the room with Nina. Unlike last time, Nina was also dressed differently. She was wearing a cute, comfy-looking white one piece dress, and her hair was exquisitely braided, which made her give off the air of a princess. Lyra was wearing a marine cap on top of her earlier outfit, which highlighted her lively, cheerful countenance.

Note: Not an official picture of Lyra, just an image I found that reminded me of her outfit a bit. Lyra was described earlier as having shorter, reddish-orange hair, and she has a ponytail in this scene. Credit goes to the artist, @anya_e24974 on Twitter. Sauce: (https://twitter.com/anya_e24974/status/1177743401740992512)

When we went to Mount Cornello together, I didn’t really feel it, but now… seeing these two dressed in cute, fashionable outfits made me realize once again that these two were girls after all. For better or worse, Ahmed wore the same outfit even when she was not on a quest commission, so I didn’t experience this strange tension with her.

“Heeey, Lewin! Are you listening?” (Lyra)

I had totally zoned out while looking at their outfits, when Lyra called out to me. It seemed that she had been talking to me, but it totally wasn’t registering just now.

“My bad. I spaced out for a second there.” (Lewin)

“You okay, Lewin? Are you sure you don’t have some fatigue left over from the trip?” (Lyra)

“Different from usual…? Ah! You mean different from when we’re doing adventurer stuff? Well that’s obvious… or not, I suppose, since you’re wearing the same outfit.” (Lyra)

“Yeah. I don’t have that many clothes, after all.” (Lewin)

“I see! Then, do you wanna go do some clothes shopping today? I’ll help you find something!” (Lyra)

“…Lyra. It’s already night, so I don’t think we’ll have that much time…” (Nina)

“I see… Then we can look for clothes for Lewin next time!” (Lyra)

I didn’t mean to make them feel weird about what they were wearing. I was usually indifferent to clothes and would honestly just wear whatever. However, judging by their reactions, it would probably be best to buy some good clothes. Maybe I should go to that clothing store that Dion showed me next time…

While thinking that, I followed the two of them to the spice shop.