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Chapter 203: Traitors (4)
Valhalla City’s Commercial District.
It was the most crowded place in the expansive Valhalla City, a melting pot where the diverse cultures and goods of the three nations intertwined.
It was the most popular destination for young cadet couples on their weekend outings, though you didn’t have to be a cadet to enjoy the district.
The streets were always bustling with energy, teeming with residents of Valhalla City and tourists from across the three nations.
As the younger cadets who had recently enrolled would put it, it was the “hottest” spot in Valhalla City.
“Um… Dale.”
“Hm?”
The silver-haired woman walking beside me drew all the eyes around us as we strolled down the street.
Her silvery hair, braided as though woven from moonlight, was tied back in a neat ponytail.
She wore a skirt that revealed her pale, graceful legs and a blouse with a hint of cleavage showing.
It was Yurina.
Yurina, seemingly unaccustomed to wearing skirts, gripped the hem nervously and looked at me with concern.
“Do I… look weird?”
“Weird?”
Thanks to Iris’s help with light makeup, Yurina was breathtakingly beautiful—so much so that it was hard to catch my breath just looking at her.
“You look amazing.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah. But…”
“But?”
If there was one downside…
She’s attracting way too much attention.
I directed a subtle but sharp glare toward the men ogling her with their jaws hanging open.
Startled as if scalded, they quickly recoiled and slunk away.
Clicking my tongue, I turned back to Yurina.
“Don’t you feel cold wearing that? It’s pretty chilly today.”
“Hehe. I’m fine.”
Fair enough.
Though she looked delicate, Yurina was a superhuman capable of tearing steel apart with her bare hands.
The winter chill wasn’t likely to faze her, even with her legs exposed.
“Still, just in case, we should stop by a clothing store later and get you some stockings.”
“Oh~ What’s this, Dale? Do you like stockings?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then you don’t like them?”
“...”
Sigh.
Stockings, huh?
I shook my head firmly.
“I have no particular interest in stockings.”
“Hmm, really?”
“Yes. I only suggested buying them because it’s winter, and they’d keep you warm. It’s purely for practical reasons and has no other….”
“Black or white—which do you prefer?”
“They each have their appeal. Black stockings highlight a sense of sophistication, while white stockings exude purity. It’s hard to choose between the two. Personally, if they’re slightly see-through, like when wet, white stockings are charming. In everyday situations, black stockings tend to be more alluring. Considering we’re not near any water today, I’d say black stockings would be a more classically….”
Wait.
“D-Dale… you really do like stockings, huh?”
“N-No! That’s not it!!!”
“Hehe. Got it. I’ll buy a pair and wear them later.”
“Ugh…!”
Yurina smiled sweetly and nodded as if she’d reached her own conclusion.
Despite my best efforts to clear up the misunderstanding, Yurina only responded with a knowing “Ah, I see~” expression and refused to budge.
“…Damn it.”
“So, Dale, have you thought about where we’re going today?”
“Hmm…”
Somewhere suitable for a date, huh?
When I’d gone out with Iris before, we’d gone to the movies, but that wasn’t an option this time.
The purpose of today’s outing wasn’t a simple date—it was to track down a suspicious masked group that had been making waves lately.
“For now, let’s stick to crowded areas.”
“Hmm… wouldn’t demons prefer hiding in less populated places?”
“That’s likely, but crowded areas make it easier to observe movements.”
Besides, there was something I hadn’t told Yurina yet.
The mysterious masked group we were looking for might include not just demons but also “heroes.”
If they’re not all demons, there’s no reason for them to avoid public places.
Drawing on my mana, I heightened my sensory perception and scanned the bustling streets.
“Anywhere you want to go, Yurina?”
“Hmm. Nothing specific comes to mind. Hehe, this is my first date, after all.”
Yurina scratched her head shyly and laughed.
Stifling a chuckle, I started walking.
“Then let’s just stroll for now.”
“Okay!”
Matching my pace to hers, we began leisurely exploring the streets.
“…Hey, Dale.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s… getting really cold, isn’t it?”
“Well… it is winter.”
“Right? And, um… maybe it’s because it’s winter, but my hands are feeling a bit cold.”
With that, she hesitantly extended her pale hands, which had been tucked into her pockets.
Suppressing a grin, I glanced down at her hands, which seemed to be making a strong case of their own.
“That’s funny… I think I heard someone say she wasn’t cold earlier.”
“Ugh…”
“Haha. I’m kidding.”
I took her outstretched hand in mine.
Although Yurina’s superhuman body didn’t seem to register the cold, holding hands like this made me feel warmer, somehow.
“Hehe. It’s warm.”
Yurina smiled softly and tightened her grip on my hand.
Thus began our not-quite-a-date undercover investigation.
As a seemingly ordinary couple blending into the crowd, Yurina and I roamed the bustling streets of Valhalla City, keeping a sharp eye out.
“Hmm. Just looking like this, I can’t tell anything at all.”
Although I was heightening my sensory perception with magic, it was hard to single out a suspicious individual from the hundreds or thousands of people walking through the streets.
"Don't rush. Let's take our time looking. Professor Elisha said it might not be easy to find them in just one day."
"Yeah."
As I continued walking through the streets, holding Yurina's hand.
"...Ah."
Yurina suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong?"
"...Dale, do you want to go in there?"
The place Yurina pointed to was a clothing store in the busy shopping district.
It was the same store we had visited the first time we snuck out of school and ventured into Valhalla City.
"Wow, this brings back memories."
"Hehe. Right? It feels like ages ago, even though it wasn't that long."
"Back then, I didn't even know you were a girl."
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Thinking about it, so much had happened in just these past few months.
"Let's go in."
"Okay!"
Ding.
As we opened the door, a small bell chimed pleasantly.
"Dale, over here."
Yurina pulled me by the hand to the women's clothing section—an area we hadn't explored on our previous visit.
'Come to think of it, she was staring at the women's section back then too.'
At the time, I didn't know that Yurina's true identity was disguised as 'Yuren,' so I had found her lingering gaze towards the women's clothing section a bit odd.
Now, understanding how she must have felt back then, a pang of emotion tugged at my chest.
"Wow..."
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she browsed the racks of women's clothing.
"It was always my dream to come here and buy clothes."
"...The women's section?"
"Yeah. Back when I was 'Yuren,' I couldn't buy the clothes I wanted, even if I saw something I liked."
"......"
To call it a dream might seem like an exaggeration, but for someone like her—forced to live as 'Yuren'—it must have been an unattainable wish.
Swallowing my wry smile, I tugged on her hand gently.
"Pick whatever you like. I'll buy it all for you."
"Oh, no. I have enough money to buy my own clothes—"
"I want to gift it to you."
"Ugh... then I'll really pick something I like, okay?"
"Please do, my lady."
I exaggerated my movements as if escorting a noblewoman—which, in fairness, she was—and Yurina burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
"Ahaha. It doesn't suit you at all, Dale."
"Ugh."
"But... thank you."
Still chuckling, Yurina let herself be led toward the racks, moving lightly as if her feet barely touched the ground.
"Oh, right."
Suddenly, she turned around, a playful glint in her eyes as she winked.
"I'll get some stockings you like too. Black ones."
"......"
No, I don't like them, but she keeps insisting.
"In that case, why not grab some white ones too? You never know when they might come in handy."
"...Dale."
Why did it feel like her gaze toward me suddenly turned a little colder?
"That'll be 1,270 gold in total."
"..."
One thing I learned from buying women's clothes was how absurdly expensive they were compared to men's clothing.
'How can just a few items add up to over a thousand gold?'
Wearing a ten-gold shirt myself, I couldn't help but feel conflicted about the price.
"Thanks, Dale. I'll wear them well."
"It's nothing."
Though pricey, it was nothing compared to the gold I earned from selling Behemoth materials.
"Wait outside, Dale. I have something else to buy."
"Huh? I said I’d buy everything for you."
"Ah, no, it’s just..."
Blushing, Yurina glanced toward a section of the store.
It was the lingerie section.
"...Ah."
No matter how close we were, buying underwear for her would definitely feel awkward.
"Got it. I'll wait outside."
"Y-Yeah! I’ll be quick!"
Yurina hurried off toward the lingerie section.
A few minutes passed as I waited outside.
‘She’s taking a while.’
Sitting on a bench outside the store, I glanced inside, but Yurina was out of sight—probably because she was in the lingerie section.
‘Well... it’s probably her first time shopping for those.’
Recalling the short time we had lived together, I remembered that Yurina had very few women’s undergarments.
Most of the time, she was in her disguised form as 'Yuren,' only reverting to her true self before bed, so she didn’t really need many.
The ones I had seen while doing laundry were simple, functional sportswear.
‘She’s probably taking her time choosing proper ones for the first time.’
I didn’t know much about women’s underwear, but I imagined it would take more time than just picking a size like men typically did.
At that moment.
Ding.
The bell chimed as someone exited the store.
Thinking it might be Yurina, I turned my head—but it was a store clerk, carrying a large trash bag as she stepped out to empty the bins.
She caught my gaze and smiled.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"Are you perhaps the boyfriend of the young lady in the lingerie section? The one with silver hair?"
"Ah, yes. That’s me."
"Ah, I see."
She gave me a once-over and nodded knowingly.
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing, really..."
The clerk glanced back into the store before giving me a sly smile and a thumbs-up.
"Tonight’s going to be a night to remember."
"......"
What on earth did she buy?
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