“I would buy better clothing if I could.” I looked back at Fay and frowned. “However, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I currently lack the funds to afford nice clothes.”
I only had a few articles of clothing, and all of them were made from the same rough, stiff, and uncomfortable material. While it might have been a good idea to buy clothes after selling that Spiritual Technique Scroll to the Spiritualist Academy, the fact that I didn’t have any valis left after buying all the items I needed proved that I wouldn’t have been able to afford them anyway.
Fay nodded. “I am aware of that. However, given the importance of making yourself presentable, I have decided to use my own allowance to buy you clothing. Consider this my way of thanking you for all the help you’ve given me in my training.”
Something felt inherently wrong about accepting help from someone else, but I knew this was simply because I was stubborn. I didn’t have much pride; however, having been forced to rely on myself for so long after Kari died, I’d grown used to not accepting help from others.
“That…” I was seconds away from telling her “no thanks” when I paused. Fay was staring at me with an anxious, worried expression. Her expressive green eyes gazed into mine as she bit her lower lip. The idea of denying her was suddenly swept away. “I appreciate your help in this matter. Thank you.”
The moment I accepted her offer, Fay’s eyes lit up like gems reflecting sunlight, and the smile that blossomed on her face stunned me into silence. I didn’t want to admit it, but her expression made my heart quiver.
“You won’t regret it!” she said, that blinding smile filling me with guilt.
The Valstine Family apparently owned a clothing store, which I found out when Fay decided to help me grab the clothing I needed now instead of later. I didn’t have to be at the library for another several hours. I guessed doing this first would be fine.
I followed Fay as she led me through the crowded streets of Nevaria. We’d taken a carriage for several kilometers before hopping off. I’d long since lost track of where we were. This was an area I was unfamiliar with.
It was something of a shock to realize that I’d never explored much of Nevaria. The area where I lived, which could have been considered the Peasant Quarters, was located in the northernmost section of the city. From there, I had access to the north gate, and the east and west gates were about eight hours walking distance and two by horse-drawn carriage. South of where I lived was the Imperial Royal Palace.
Fay had taken me past the Imperial Royal Palace, to a section that could only be described as ostentatious. It was the Noble District. All of the houses in this area were large estates that covered at least several thousand square meters of land. Each estate was surrounded by a large wall, which sectioned it off from the rest of Nevaria. The walls were made of carefully layered bricks. The only thing I could see over these walls were the elegant roofs of various structures and several spires that climbed dozens of meters into the sky.
Aside from estates, the Noble District also had several shops. Signs hung over the doors of these one and two-story buildings, which were made from brick, wood, and even had glass covering their windows. The signs also used words instead of symbols. This alone told me they were shops that only catered to nobles.
While compulsory education was now necessary, there had been a time where not all peasants could learn to read and write. The use of images instead of words to denote what a store sold was something left over from the time before Empress Hilda rose to power.
The store that Fay led me to was a single-story building made of white bricks and wood posts. Ceramic tiles on the triangle-shaped roof gave it a rich feel. Of course, this building also had several glass panels in their windows, which told me all I needed to know. The sign above the door read Helle’s Clothier.
“Here we are,” Fay announced happily as she pulled me up to the door. She didn’t even give me a chance to speak before she opened it and dragged me inside.
The inside appeared quite large. From one side to the other, the interior space was filled with several tables, upon which already made clothes sat. I found shirts, doublets, hose, tunics, poet shirts, dusters, greatcoats, inverness capes, jerkins, and numerous other types of inner and outerwear. There was a lot of variety.
A woman greeted us as we arrived, or rather, she greeted Fay. She had long brown hair, pale skin, and wore a light blue brunswick gown. There were some wrinkles along her eyes and gray in her hair. I judged her to be between fifty or sixty years old.
“It has been a while since you came in,” the woman said, crossing her arms. “Don’t tell me you need to replace the clothing you bought already? You know I can’t just give you clothing, even if your family are the patrons of my store.”
“No.” Fay smiled and shook her head before grabbing my arm and pulling me forward. “I am actually here to get clothes for him.”
Now that I had been presented before her, the woman turned her eyes on me and gave me a once-over. I could tell from her frown that she did not approve of my clothing. Her nose was even wrinkling. However, when she looked at my face, she bit her lip and gave a reluctant nod.
“He is quite handsome,” she confessed. “He’s got a very feminine charm that lends a sort of suave aura to his otherwise terrible fashion sense. That said, I do not think your family will approve of you finding a peasant to serve as your bed warmer, no matter how attractive he may be.”
“That… that isn’t what’s going on here at all!” Fay exploded, both vocally and in the face. While I was standing there in shock at how audacious this woman’s words were, my companion looked like her head might explode.
“It’s not?” The woman feigned shock. “Then why would you bring a man into my store?”
“W-we have our reasons, but they are nothing like that,” Fay muttered as she tried to figure out what she should say.
“Fay is doing me a favor,” I said, taking a step forward. “I recently helped her with something, and she’s returning the favor by gracing me with some clothing because she knows I currently lack the funds.”
“Is that so?” The woman sighed. “That’s honestly disappointing to hear.”
“You have no reason to feel disappointed,” Fay spat. I could tell she was still embarrassed.
“Fine then. I’ll not pry into your business.” Grabbing the hem of her dress, the woman curtsied to me. “I am Helle, the owner of this clothing store. Since Lady Fay has come to me, I will do my best to help you pick out a suitable set of clothing.”
After she said this, Helle gestured for us to follow her as she walked deeper into the store. She didn’t give us much choice. I glanced at Fay, who merely shrugged and trailed after the woman. I sighed before following.
“They say that the clothes make the man,” Helle said as she forced me to stand in an empty space and walked around me. Her eyes reminded me of a craftsman who was studying the quality of the material they had to work with. “A nice set of clothes can make even a pauper look like a prince. Currently, you are definitely a pauper.”
“Gee, thanks. I appreciate your frank assessment of me.” I withheld the urge to roll my eyes.
She smiled at my sarcasm. “Relax. Your clothing might be atrocious, but you at least have potential. If we can find the right set of clothing, you’ll have the appearance of a prince in no time.”
As the woman continued to walk around me, cupping her chin and muttering to herself, I glanced over at Fay. She was standing off to the side and watching the proceedings. From the smile she wore, I could tell she was enjoying my plight. That became even more apparent when she noticed the helpless expression I wore and her smile widened.
I’d get back at her during our next training session.
Helle finally stopped pacing around me and nodded. She wandered around to the tables and grabbed several articles of clothing, and then came back and presented them to me.
“I have a changing stall that you can use,” she said. �
�Go inside and get dressed.”
Glancing at Fay one last time, I grabbed the clothing and headed for the changing stall, which was another small room located off to the side. So only clothing stores catering to nobles had changing rooms? Good to know. Once inside, I stripped out of my coarse clothing, and then began the process of putting on the new outfit.
First I slid the pants up my legs. The material was softer than what I had been wearing and more elastic as well. They were dark black, and despite fitting quite snugly on my legs, it didn’t feel like they would hamper my movements at all. I put the under shirt on after that. It was a light blue and had a small triangle-shaped dip in the front that showed off my collar bone and a bit of my chest. The front was also longer than the back, trailing down all the way to my knees. A vest went over the shirt. It was an odd vest that featured a high collar, went over my shoulders, and had a massive gap in the center that exposed my shirt. It was also long enough to extend past my knees. I put on a belt that went over the vest and shirt. The last two articles of clothing were black boots and dark gray fingerless gloves that went all the way up to my shoulders.
“Not bad.” Helle clapped her hands together and smiled as I came out of the changing room, the longer ends of my shirt and vest swishing around my legs. “Yes, I think you look quite dashing now. If you had some armor and a weapon, you’d look very much like a powerful prince.”
“You think so?” I looked down at myself, glanced at Fay, and then raised a single eyebrow. “I notice that this design is strikingly similar to Fay’s outfit.”
“That’s just a coincidence.” Helle smiled.
“That so?”
“Just so. In either event, I believe you look quite handsome now. Wouldn’t you agree, Lady Fay?”
I glanced over at Fay, who was staring at me with a look I recognized. It was something I’d seen on Kari often enough. Seeing that expression on Fay made me a bit uncomfortable. My chest was fluttering a little, which caused a sensation of guilt to burrow itself into my stomach.
“If you keep staring at him like that, people might think he really is your bed warmer,” Helle teased.
Fay blushed bright red, licked her lips, and then looked away. She seemed to be studying a crack on the wall.
“It looks good,” she mumbled softly.
With Fay’s words of approval, Helle clapped her hands and decided these were the clothes I should wear. I didn’t protest. The clothes were good enough for me. They were comfortable, durable, and fit well. My only real concern was that I couldn’t wash these in the nearby stream. Due to the quality of the clothing, I would need to actually use a wash bin and soap, but I would be able to buy those if this deal with Fay’s father and the Alchemy Association came through.
Fay and Helle discussed the price after that. I didn’t know what they said, or what deal they had made, but a good amount of valis eventually exchanged hands. I was pretty sure most of the valis used were platinum coins, which made me wince. These clothes must have cost at least a few thousand valis.
As we were leaving the shop, Helle called out to Fay.
“I heard the Leucht Family came to visit the Valstine’s the other day.” Fay froze. I looked back at Helle as the woman gave Fay’s back a curious stare. “Is the reason you are doing so much for this young man, like buying him clothes, because you think he can help you? You should know that it’s not a good idea to upset the Leucht Family.”
I glanced at Fay. Her body still appeared frozen stiff, but she soon relaxed.
“I am not buying Eryk clothes because of anything the Leucht Family has done,” she said, her voice a touch cold. “I’m not the kind of woman who would use someone for my own purposes like that.”
“Okay. I was just asking.” Helle smiled even though she knew Fay wouldn’t see it. “Given what I’ve heard, I thought you might be trying to use this young man as a means of disrupting the current talks between the Valstine Family and the Leucht Family, but if that’s not the case, then never mind.”
“Come on,” Fay said in a quiet voice as she left the store.
I took one last look at Helle, who wore a cunning smile as she stared at me. She’d mentioned the Leucht Family on purpose. This was not a woman I could afford to underestimate. Frowning just a bit, I walked out of the store and quickly caught up with Fay, who was walking down the street with long strides.
Several carriages pulled along by Mares, an F-Rank Demon Beast that was completely harmless, passed us as we walked in silence. I wondered if I should say something, but I didn’t know if it would be appropriate. I’ll admit I was curious. However, everyone had their own problems to deal with, and I didn’t want to intrude where I wasn’t wanted.
“I am sorry about Helle,” Fay said at last. “She sometimes doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut.”
I didn’t think that was the case. That woman seemed awfully cunning if you asked me. I didn’t say anything about that, however, and instead decided that I should finally ask about why she was so set on becoming stronger. In fact, I already had a good idea.
“It’s said that in Nevaria anyone who has enough strength can become a prominent member of society,” I began, which caused Fay to look at me with a frown. “Those who have strength gain fame, fortune, and the ability to choose their own path in life. Those who do not are forever stuck with their current status. Even a noble like yourself may be subjected to the whims of others who rank higher than you on the social ladder.”
A group of young noblemen dressed in fancy clothes watched us as we walked past. They seemed to recognize Fay, for their eyes widened in recognition, though all of them frowned when they looked at me. I wasn’t sure if their expressions were because they didn’t know me, or because they knew something that I didn’t.
“That is true,” Fay allowed. “Even someone like Princess Kari has no choice but to obey the whims of her family. I myself am no different.”
I nodded. “Is the reason you are trying to gain strength because the Leucht Family is pressuring your family?” Fay slowed to a stop, and I stopped alongside her, staring at the girl as her brow furrowed. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. I’m asking to satisfy my own curiosity. Given that, I won’t force you to say anything.”
Fay’s face scrunched up upon hearing this, but it eventually relaxed as she sighed. Her shoulders slumped soon after.
“No,” she said. “You have the right to ask. You’re currently helping me out a lot, so it wouldn’t be proper if I didn’t at least give you the reason I need your help.” She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “You are correct. The Leucht Family is currently pressuring my family. They know that our Auction House isn’t doing well, which has caused our prestige and income to drop significantly. We’re very close to losing our noble status.”
“I’m guessing the Leucht Family has agreed to help,” I started, still staring at her. “However, I am assuming they asked for you in exchange. Is it an arranged marriage? Do they wish for you to become the wife for one of their branch members?”
“Close.” Fay gave me a long-suffering smile. “They want me to become Grant Leucht’s Second Wife.”
The name made me twitch as a deep red anger surged through my veins. That was a name I had long since hated for many years. Grant Leucht was the man who’d forced Kari into an arranged marriage, tearing the two of us apart for several years, and then poisoning Kari’s entire family during the Demon Beast Invasion. That said, I never heard of Grant Leucht taking Fay as his Second Wife in my previous life.
Perhaps the reason she didn’t become his Second Wife in my previous life was because of the Spiritual Poisoning. Without me, I was certain there’d be no one in Nevaria who could heal her. The mere fact that her affliction had reached such a dangerous level was proof that no one else had a cure. It was highly likely that Fay, in her desperation to gain strength so she could contest the arranged marriage, had died from Spiritual Poisoning in my previous life.
/> “I won’t let it happen,” I said to myself.
“Excuse me?” Fay asked, confused.
I looked over at the girl beside me. “I’m not going to let him force you into a marriage you don’t want. I will help you become strong enough to contest this marriage. What’s more, if your family and I successfully make a deal in regards to my pills and the Spiritual Technique Scroll being auctioned off, I will make sure they have the financial power to block further attempts.”
Fay stared at me with a blank look in her eyes, as if she couldn’t figure out what I was saying. Her expression didn’t last long. Soon after I finished speaking, her eyes became vibrant and startled, causing her to look away. Sadly for her, I could see the tips of her ears turn red, so I knew she was blushing.
“T-thank you,” she muttered, still not looking in my direction.
“You’re welcome.” I shrugged since this matter wasn’t a big deal to me. It wasn’t like knowing about the Leucht Family’s, or rather, Grant Leucht’s designs for Fay, was going to change anything. I had been planning to help her grow stronger regardless of her personal problems. That was the entire reason I was training with her in the first place.
And even if she wasn’t being forced into an arranged marriage with Grant Leucht, I still planned on killing him.
Because I worked that day, I did not go home after parting ways with Fay. I went straight to the library.
I entered the front door, my gaze sweeping around the first floor. There were several men and women sitting at the tables, a book in front of them. I couldn’t tell what they were reading from this distance. However, while some of them looked engrossed in their books, a number of others were quietly conversing as they glanced at the door. They seemed disappointed that the person who entered was me.
Ms. Nadine was sitting behind the counter. She looked up as I walked over, her eyes giving me a once-over as she raised a single eyebrow.
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 2 Page 7