"Raincoat?" The saleswoman asked. "Like… a coat made out of rain?"

"No, no," Vivi said. "A waterproof comfy coat. Like this one I have now. I'd like a newer one."

The woman blinked, genuinely confused. "Miss, I apologize, but I don't think anyone in this city is worried about rain."

"Raincoats aren't just about protecting you from the rain," Vivi said. "They work for every situation. They'll protect you from the sun, and they receive coatings of ether surprisingly well."

The woman lost her eager smile, crossing her arms.

"So…" Vivi asked. "You don't have raincoats?" What kind of clothes store doesn't sell raincoats?

"Our wardrobe has everything a lady needs," the woman said. "Dresses, ball gowns, corsets, casual skirts, shorts—and for a hot summer day, we have hats, eyewear, jewels, silk underwear to ensure the heat won't get to your privates—but we certainly don't have these raincoats."

"I see…" Vivi said. She considered asking if there were any other stores that sold fancier raincoats, but the saleswoman seemed to be in a complicated mood. Vivi would probably be kicked out if she asked a single more question about raincoats. So instead she laughed and said, "I was just joking. I need an outfit to enter Vanhalla. The budget is five hundred ether. If that works."

"Vanhalla?" the woman asked. "The smithy?"

"Yes," Vivi said. "I heard I won't be let in without a good outfit."

"That is correct," the woman said. "You and your raincoat will struggle. For a budget of five hundred ether… yes, I think we can come up with something." She started to smile again. "Give me a moment, and I can make you look fabulous."

Fabulous? Vivi thought. I've never even looked good.

"Sounds good," Vivi said.

"Before any of that, you require a bath," the woman said. "I understand you've had a long journey. I don't blame you for getting dirty. But fitting any outfit in the state you are is unacceptable. Our sister company provides baths next door. For twenty ether, we will provide you with the best full service bath you've ever had. In the meantime, I will prepare your outfit."

Twenty ether for a bath? That sounded like a scam. But Vivi was tired. And she figured that if she declined, she wouldn't be getting any clothes.

Vivi was tired, and she did have fourteen thousand ether. Twenty wasn't much. She transferred twenty ether for the salesperson and said, "Take me there."

The salesperson laughed. "Silly woman, I'm not the one bathing you."

Vivi's face went red, and the salesperson quickly added, "It's alright, I will give it to the right person."

The shop was connected to the bathhouse next door with a door on the inside. The saleswoman led Vivi to the baths, where another near-naked demon took Vivi to a private bath stall. The fiend-like demon introduced herself as Zin, Vivi's bathing assistant. She was slim and short with a face that reminded Vivi of Eem. Her teeth were sharp and conical, but a cute smile helped them look less threatening.

Inside the stall was a metallic bathtub filled with hot soapy water. Vivi followed instructions nervously and got into the bath. She was told to get on her back, and Zin gave her some sort of massage, rubbing the soap all across her body.

The massage was comfortable, but Vivi was far too distracted to enjoy it. She tried to think like one of Fellwater's girls. They were probably more experienced with massages. How would they act? What would they say? The girls usually acted arrogantly. Ladies were people who persuaded others into compliance with beauty and trickery.

"Vivi, you paid twenty ether for a bath," Lucius said. "Just relax. The demons will take care of you as if you were a princess. There's no need to pass out from nervousness."

If you say so… Vivi thought.

She couldn't believe Lucius was better at being a lady than she was.

Vivi was eventually told to get out of the bath. She was hoping that was it, but to her fears, Zin made Vivi sit in front of a mirror to dry her hair. The bathing assistant tried to indulge in some sort of small-talk by complimenting Vivi's smooth hair, to which she responded with a quick thanks.

Vivi watched with nervous curiosity as Zin grabbed some weird device, which Vivi realized was a hair curler. The full service bath apparently included hair treatment as well. Vivi had the urge to decline, but she sat still, listening to Zin's totally unrelated stories about a little brother being born at this age while her hair got curled. Zin used an ether-powered heat gun to speed up the drying process.

Then she pulled out two weird vials and asked, "Lavender or amber, miss?"

Vivi blinked. "Um, no potions, please."

Zin laughed. "Silly human, these are perfumes. Would you like the scent of lavender or amber? Lavender has been popular lately."

Perfumes? Vivi blinked in disbelief. Was she really being offered perfumes? She'd never worn perfume in her life. "Uh, Lavender, please," she said hastily.

Her bathing assistant grinned, then sprayed the bottle a few times on Vivi's hair and neck. A sweet and strong floral scent filled her nose. "All done! Looking beautiful."

Vivi stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't know if she agreed. Her hair was wavy now, and her skin was smooth, clean of any battle signs. Gods, the calluses on her fingers were starting to heal. She had been away from the smithy for way too long.

Zin asked if Vivi would like to buy a new pair of underwear. Vivi thought about it for a few seconds before deciding yes, she definitely required a new pair of underwear. A simple pair would have sufficed, but the ones she received were fit for nobles. Vivi decided to just take them.

Finally, Zin wrapped a white bathing gown around Vivi, and the full service bath was over. She was led back to the clothing store, where the saleswoman welcomed Vivi with an assortment of expensive-looking clothes.

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"You're looking gorgeous already," the salesperson said with a grin. "I have picked the perfect outfit for your purpose. A ball gown would be far too delicate to take into a smithy. A nice summer dress will suffice. This one is my favourite." She showcased a white dress that, in Vivi's opinion, was nicer than any of the dresses Fellwater's girls wore. "Try it on."

Vivi's instincts wished to decline once again. There was no way she would be allowed to wear anything like this. What would people think if they saw her in something like this? They'd probably steal it from her.

"Vivi…" Lucius said. "You're seriously nervous about this? Why?"

What would Grandpa think if he saw me now? Shopping for this nonsense.

Vivi remembered asking Grandpa about ball gowns and ladies when she was young. He'd said, "You might not be a lady like other girls. But just because you're a girl, doesn't mean you need to be a lady. In my opinion, a strong runesmith is much more useful than a ball gossiper."

Lucius floated in her core. He let out a sigh, though he was smiling. "Vivi, I don't usually like to waste ether on clothes, but you know, you are no longer a cursed child. You can do whatever you want now."

I'm not supposed to be a lady, Vivi thought. I'm here to fulfill our dream. To open a smithy.

"And why are we buying clothes?" Lucius asked.

Vivi paused for a second. To visit a smithy…

"Exactly," Lucius said. "We're currently on a work trip. So try the dress and treat yourself. I'll tell you if it looks nice."

Vivi wasn't happy about it, but she took the white dress to the fitting room. It took her a minute to figure out how to put the dress on at all—she was nervous she'd accidentally rip the fabric—but she eventually managed to figure out which limb went where.

Glancing in the mirror, Vivi felt as if she was looking at some sort of fake reality.

She looked like a girl. Wavy hair and all, Vivi actually looked like she belonged somewhere. With the perfume, she smelled like a fairy. Vivi couldn't recognize the cursed child that spent countless nights on her anvil. She looked almost like Senith.

Still… Something about the outfit looked fake. When other girls wore dresses, their faces glowed, as if they were the most important people in the room. Vivi wasn't glowing at all.

She tried to smile, only for it to look creepy. She tried to push ether to her face. That made her brighter, but she did not glow like trained ladies did.

Lucius seemed satisfied, however. He floated around her with a grin. "Yes, this is fancy. We will be let in."

Vivi sighed. That's all that matters, I suppose. Let's take this one.

Vivi stepped out and faced the saleswoman. "This one is fine. I'll take it."

"Fantastic! I knew you would love it. This dress is a perfect foundation for a great outfit. You won't need much more to be considered amongst the most beautiful women in the city."

Yeah, sure… Vivi thought.

"Are you interested in accessories or jewels, perhaps?" the woman asked. "A slight hint of personality would do wonders for your outfit."

Vivi considered it. "I could use a hat. To protect me from the sky." And to hide the fact that I have no horns…

The saleswoman eagerly led Vivi to the headwear section. Most of the hats were wide-brimmed straw-hats. Vivi had seen a lot of those in the desert. She picked a hat that had a pretty flower embedded into its band. The hat wasn't anything too fancy, and it only cost twenty five ether. Vivi would go as far as to say she liked the hat.

"Now, you definitely require footwear," the woman said. "Heels will attract the best attention, though you will have to move in a palanquin. Are you an avid walker?"

"I would like boots," Vivi said.

"Ah, of course," the woman said. "This way, please."

She showcased the women's boots to Vivi. At first glance, they all looked flimsy. They weren't tall enough, and their soles were weak-looking. Vivi wouldn't have trusted her life on these boots. But perhaps the demons had some sort of magic design to make the boots feel better than they looked.

They did not. The boots felt awful. Vivi couldn't imagine herself smithing anything at all with any of these boots. She tried three different pairs. Every time, the saleswoman said they looked good.

Boots, however, were not about looking good. The boots had to fit. How was Vivi supposed to fight monsters with flimsy boots like these?

After the fourth pair of boots she tried on, Vivi asked, "Could I see the men's boots?"

The saleswoman lost her grin, but she took Vivi to the men's side of the store. Right away, Vivi was far more satisfied with her selection. She picked a pair of sturdy looking boots and tightened them as thoroughly as she could.

The boots didn't feel nearly as homely as her previous pair, but with some use, Vivi could imagine wearing them. She nodded and said, "I'll take these."

The saleswoman's lips were slightly twisted, as if Vivi's selection of footwear somehow completely ruined the outfit. Vivi, however, wasn't about to wear heels or anything of the sort. Boots were a necessity. She had already made a compromise by not wearing a raincoat; she couldn't also give up boots.

The total of the purchases, with the underwear and bath and all the nonsense added, came to 740 ether. Vivi wondered if she had been tricked, or if this was how clothing stores usually worked. 740 ether was a lot.

But at the same time, Vivi could earn that much in one lucky hour of hunting. And she figured that this was probably the best outfit she would find. She paid for her clothes, though it did sting a little.

When she exited the store, Haglan was still waiting for her. The guide grinned, seeing Vivi. "Wow. You weren't lying. You really are rich."

Vivi wanted to roll her eyes. "Just take me to the smithy, please."

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