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“Sheeling the camule!” repeated the bright-eyed girl. “My name’s Rylnàsze! I’ve never seen a camule before!”

The magic beasts accompanying Rylnàsze—Sybe in his unicorn rabbit form, as well as Shebe and the couple’s child, Tybe, and Grimby—all perched on her shoulder.

Rylnàsze, did she say?Luna thought.She certainly seems to like magic beasts—or rather, I suppose magic beasts like her! But...Luna’s eyes grew wide as she realized what she was seeing. Sheeling the camule had lowered her head, drawing up close to Rylnàsze. It was almost as if she was a child fawning after her mother. Luna found herself unable to stop watching.But Sheeling’s such a shy girl! She usually just runs away if someone she doesn’t know comes up to her! She hasn’t just stopped for this girl; she’s lowered her head to her as well!

Rylnàsze patted the camule on the head, smiling all the while. “Ah!” she said, suddenly. “You were on your way to work, weren’t you, miss? I’m so sorry to interrupt you!”

“Eh? O-Oh, no, it’s perfectly all right!” Luna hastened to reassure her. “In fact, I was delighted to see you get along so well with Sheeling! But I had best be off...” She looked around, scanning from left to right.

“Miss?” Rylnàsze ventured. “Is there something you’re looking for?”

“Oh,” said Luna. “I thought I should see about heading to the store I’m meant to be doing business with, only usually it’s my husband who makes these trips, and I’m not entirely sure where it is...”

“What’s this store’s name?” Rylnàsze asked.

“The Fli-o’-Rys General Store...” Luna answered.

Suddenly, Rylnàsze’s face lit up bright. “How lovely! Fli-o’-Rys is my papa’s store! I’ll show you the way!”

“O-Oh! I see...” Luna began, but then her eyes shot open once again. “W-Wait! Your...papa? Th-Then...would that make you the child of the Divine Maiden Rys?!”

Some time ago, Rys had paid a visit to Esto, where she happened to run afoul of a group of ne’er-do-wells plotting evil deeds and had brought the lot of them to justice. For her deeds, the people of Indol came to revere her as an incarnation of the divine maiden who once saved their kingdom. Rylnàsze, however, had heard nothing of the whole affair.

“D-Divine Maiden?” Rylnàsze asked, tilting her head in innocent confusion—a gesture the magic beasts around her all imitated as one. “Well, my mother’s nameisRys...”

Th-That’s right...Luna suddenly remembered.The Divine Maiden Rys dislikes the title of “Divine Maiden,” doesn’t she...?“My apologies!” she said. “Please forget that. A-Anyway, since you’ve been so kind as to offer, perhaps you’ll show me the way to the Fli-o’-Rys General Store?”

“Of course! I’d be happy to!” said Rylnàsze, nodding with a smile.

“Ho there!” Another wagon came to a stop beside them, the heavy-set man in the driver’s seat raising his voice in greeting. “Are you gentleladies headed to the Fli-o’-Rys General Store as well?”

“That’s right,” said Luna. “And I suppose you are too?”

“Indeed, I am!” answered the man, smiling affably as he introduced himself. “I am Monko the merchant from Hi Izuru, Land of the Rising Sun. I have traveled far to this land under the recommendation of Itsuhachi-sama, the woman in charge of the Nagaseki checkpoint. Back in my homeland I am the proprietor of a shop known as Monko’s Market.”

Luna smiled back at the Hi Izuran merchant. “I see! In that case, you, too, are here to sell your wares to the Fli-o’-Rys General Store?”

“Hoh hoh!” Monko laughed. “But of course!”

Still smiling, Luna glanced away from Monko’s affable face and towards his wagon.Those goods...she thought.I’ve seen them before! Those are tanmono, I believe—fabric for use in Hi Izuru’s famous kimono! But that would mean that we’re business rivals, wouldn’t it...?

“My, my, my, my, my!” came yet another man’s voice from behind Luna and Monko. “You two are bound for the Fli-o’-Rys General store as well, I surmise?”

Luna and Monko turned around to see a slender man with a wide grin and pale bluish skin. It was clear at a glance that this was a demon. Behind him came a golem that seemed to be in his employ, carrying an enormous wooden crate on its back.

“Leggy Vuitton’s the name!” said the man, bowing deeply to the two and grinning all the while. “I operate a fine clothier business far away in a land of demons. Mister Flio of the Fli-o’-Rys General Store, it seems, wishes to discuss the prospect of making a purchase of cloth of the sort used in demonic attire, and so I, the owner of the shop himself, have seen fit to make a personal appearance.”

Luna and Monko watched Leggy Vuitton in silence.

I see...thought Luna.Mister Flio must be gathering textiles from all over the land in order to judge which company to take on as a supplier...

Hoh hoh!thought Monko.Then this summons must be his way of taking the breadth of the field, as it were!

I see, I see, I see!thought Leggy Vuitton.I suppose I must strive to make the best impression I can in these sales talks—I would hate to let an opportunity like this slip through my fingers!

The three merchants kept smiling, doing their best to appear friendly as internally they began considering how to get the upper hand.

“Excuse me, everyone!” said Rylnàsze, waving them over with a cheerful smile on her face. “The shop’s this way!” Ahead, they could see the sign marking the doors of the Fli-o’-Rys General Store.

“Very good,” said Luna. “Everyone, let’s keep things fair today.”

“Hoh hoh!” laughed Monko. “I have no other intention, I assure you!”

“Of course, of course, of course!” said Leggy Vuitton. “May the best merchant win!”

The merchants nodded and followed Rylnàsze inside.

◇Midday—The Fli-o’-Rys General Store◇

The flow of customers showed no signs of abating as the early morning vegetable sale gave way to regular operations at the Fli-o’-Rys General Store. Around noon, a magic circle appeared in an inconspicuous location in the back of the building and out stepped Flio himself.

“Hah...” Flio sighed, seeming just a little bit fatigued as he made his way into the shop. “Those talks of theirs sure took a while to finish...” He passed through the employees only hallway and opened the door to the shop’s reception room to find Uliminas already inside. “Just you, Uliminas? Is Rys not here?”

“Oh,” Uliminas answered with a smirk. “Rys took off straight back home, carrying a huge bundle of the cloth we purrchased from those meowrchants,” she said, gesturing off in the direction of the house.

“Incidentally...” Flio asked. “How much did you two end up buying?”

“Ha ha ha,” the hellcat laughed mysteriously. “You’ll just have to find out when mew get home meowrself!”

Judging by how Uliminas is acting, my guess is they ended up buying quite a lot...Flio thought, a wry smile coming over his face as he began counting out the vendors on his fingers.Well, let’s see. Today was Esto’s shop from Indol, a merchant from Hi Izuru, and someone from Dark Army territory, if I’m not mistaken...

“Well, let’s put it there for the time being,” Uliminas said. “As it happens, I have something I’d like to talk tomewabout myself.” She beckoned with her right hand, leading him further into the reception room, where Greanyl was waiting. Ordinarily, Greanyl wore a shadow demon’s typical black attire so as to easily blend into the shadows. Her outfit this time, however, was the total opposite. It was bright and colorful to the point of absurdity, decorated here and there with frilly lace. Greanyl, for her part, seemed embarrassed to be seen wearing the clothes. She was fidgeting awkwardly, bright red in the face.

“Uliminas...” Flio said. “What is that outfit Greanyl’s wearing?”

“It seems like it’s the latest craze ameowng young girls in Klyrode Castle lately to dress up in gaudy one-of-a-kind meowtfits like this one,” Uliminas answered, fixing Greanyl with a piercing look. “I figured we might as well try stocking a few meowrselves. What do mew think?”

“L-Lady Uliminas!” Greanyl protested as she covered her face with her hands, conscious of Uliminas’s gaze. “I-I really wish you had assigned this mission to someone else...”

“Mreowr? Don’t be silly,” Uliminas said. “Mew’re more than qualified. Here.” She snapped her fingers, and for a split second, Greanyl’s body seemed to waver. A moment later, she was standing there wearing a completely different outfit.

Ah...Flio thought, nodding in understanding.Quickchange, is it? So that’s why Uliminas called Greanyl here...

Flio’s inference was right on the money. Greanyl was using her Quickchange skill, instantly switching her outfit out for another they had prepared in the back of the room. Among all the shadow demons under Uliminas’s command, only Greanyl had mastered this ability.

I feel bad for Greanyl,Flio thought,but as shop owner I have a duty to properly inspect these clothes.

Flio brought his head in close, carefully examining Greanyl’s outfit. Next to him, Uliminas did likewise, looking her up and down with her piercing stare.

Nghhh...Greanyl moaned in her mind, her face bright red even as she continued to dutifully change her outfit each time Uliminas snapped her fingers.I-Is this some kind of humiliation fetish play...?

Alas, Greanyl’s one-woman fashion show would have to continue for a while yet.

◇ ◇ ◇

Some time later, Greanyl was curled up in a ball on the sofa, covering her bright red face with her hands. “My purity, gone!” she cried. “Now who will take me as a bride?!”

Uliminas and Flio, meanwhile, went to collect the clothes that had been adorning Greanyl’s body not long ago, looking them over together.

“I suppose they’re in style, and the designs are certainly striking...” Flio said. “But I can’t help but feel like the craftsmanship on these outfits is just a little bit lacking.”

“Mew handled clothing back in meowr original world, didn’t mew?” said Uliminas. “I guess it’s no wonder mew’re so attentive to the details...”

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“Let me guess,” Flio said. “Your plan is to take these designs as inspiration and create items of our own to sell at the Fli-o’-Rys General Store?”

“Purrcisely!” said Uliminas. “In fact, just the other day we got a meowssage from a store in Klyrode Castle Town called the Elmence Fine Clothing Company asking if we might be interested in a business partnership. Purrhaps we should hear them out.”

“Hm?” Flio said. “Couldn’t we create the clothes ourselves, with these as a reference?”

“I only bought these meowtfits to gather infurmation on what meowr rivals are selling,” Uliminas said, grinning as she looked over the articles of clothing. “Rys said she wanted them for reference material too, so I’ll be taking them once we’re done here. I’m sure we’ll purrduce some meowtfits like this in-house, but Rys also has the children’s clothes to worry about. I can’t ask her to do meowr than she’s already doing.”

Uliminas had always had a keen eye for cost management. Even back when she served as Ghozal’s confederate, she had overseen every aspect of the public finances of the Dark Army. Part of that work, however, was knowing when not to push her companions past their limits for promise of future profit, instead working with outside suppliers when it was feasible. In those occasions, she made a point of weighing every quoted estimate against each other, always with a keen eye towards cost.

I should have expected nothing less from Uliminas,Flio thought.I think I can see why Ghozal ended up trusting her with everything under the sun...“Thank you, Uliminas,” he said. “I appreciate you taking care not to push Rys too hard.”

“Meow need to thank me!” Uliminas said. “I’m just doing the job mew gave me as part of the Fli-o’-Rys General Store staff. Now, would mew like me to take the lead on meowr talks with Elmence? I’ll be sure to ask your opinion every step of the way, of course.”

“All right,” said Flio. “The project’s all yours.”

“Purrfect!” Uliminas declared, grinning and thumping her fist against her chest. “Leave everything to meowr trusty Uliminas!”

From over on the sofa, still curled up into a ball, Greanyl glanced over in Uliminas’s direction.L-Lady Uliminas...she thought.I wish you had shown me a little of that consideration as well...

◇A Few Days Later—Fli-o’-Rys General Store, Reception Room◇

A few days later, a sales team from the Elmence Fine Clothing Company paid a visit to the Fli-o’-Rys General Store for a meeting with Uliminas. However...

“Meowht arethese...?” Uliminas frowned, a deep crease forming on her brow as Elmence, the proprietor of the Elmence Fine Clothing Company, sat in front of her. Elmence was a tall, slender woman, and the look on her face seemed no less confused than Uliminas’s perturbed frown.

Uliminas looked over one after another of the design illustrations Elmence had brought, the crease in her brow deepening with each one.M-Meowt the heck is up with these illustrrrations?!she thought.These aren’t anything like the designs I looked at with Flio the meowther day... And meowr to the point, they’re all, well, supurr lame...

The current trend among the young ladies of the Klyrode Castle Town was for strikingly unique, brilliantly colorful clothing. The clothing Uliminas had acquired as reference material had all been of that sort. Looking over the designs Elmence had bought, however, brought different words to Uliminas’s mind.

Words like “purrdictable.” Or “meowld-fashioned.” Or even “mewnadventurous.”

I thought I’d have meowthing to worry about, partnering with a fameows shop in Klyrode Castle Town,Uliminas thought,but I never expected something likethis!My plan was to try selling the same flashy clothes that’ve gotten so popular in Klyrode Castle Town meow that they’re at peace thanks to the treaty with the Dark Army in Houghtow City, and then the rest of the Meowgic Kingdom and all over the world if it went well! But...She sighed deeply as she looked down at the designs Elmence had given her.Th-These won’t sell at all. I’m sure of it...

“Is something the matter?” Elmence asked, rising from her seat. “You asked for fashionable designs from Klyrode Castle Town, no? Then what could be better than my designs from the Elmence Fine Clothing Company, steeped in tradition and stately refinement? Every one of my pieces is strikingly sensible, if I may be so bold as to say so myself!” She bobbed her head in self-satisfaction, a look of rapture on her face as she began singing the praises of her own designs.

Uliminas glanced up at Elmence in stunned disbelief.I asked for fashionable designs from Klyrode Castle Town...mewning the latest styles, like the meowns I saw with Flio the other day! I couldn’t have found meowtfits meowr off the meowrk if I tried...

Elmence, however, seemed more than pleased with herself if the look on her face was anything to go by.

Needless to say, once Uliminas recovered her wits, she had Elmence removed from the shop.

◇ ◇ ◇

“The nerve of that woman!” Elmence fumed as she stormed off in the direction of the Enchanted Frigate station. “What exactly is so ‘out of touch’ about my designs?! How dare she speak to me that way?!”

Uliminas frowned as she watched her go.I can’t say I purrfer to put it as bluntly as that, but if I didn’t say it plain and straight, that womeown was never gonna get the picture. Sorry, but that’s business...“But now I’m not suremeowtto do...” she said. “I’m sure Rys would be purrfectly willing to help if I asked her, but after making such a big deal to Flio about not pushing her too hard, I’d really rather not... Mreow...” She sighed deeply, folding her arms in thought. “The demeowns living in the oni village can probably handle purrduction...but where am I going to get designs?”

“E-Excuse me...” Suddenly, Uliminas heard a voice from behind.

“Meow?” Uliminas said, turning around to see a young girl clad in glasses and a loose-fitting overcoat fidgeting awkwardly as she looked up at her. “I recognize mew... Mew were with Elmence when she came to our store.”

“Y-Yes, that’s right...” the girl said. “My name is Faren. I—erm—wasan employee at the Elmence Fine Clothing Company.”

“Mew...were?” Uliminas repeated.

“Yes...” said Faren. “Master Elmence let me go only moments ago. The truth is, I’ve thought for a while now that Master Elmence’s designs are... How do I put this...? Well, they’repredictable.Orold-fashioned.Unadventurous, even. Either way, they certainly aren’t designs that will sell, I think. So when you said as much, Miss Uliminas, I couldn’t keep myself from speaking up. I told her we should consider being more bold with the current season’s designs, and she fired me on the spot.” She laughed dryly.

Ahhh...Uliminas thought, nodding in understanding.That Elmence does seem like she towers above Dark Mountain in terms of purride if nothing else. I guess it’s no surprise to hear she’d fire an appurrentice for saying something like that...

“E-Erm...” Faren continued. “I’m sorry if this is presumptuous of me, but I happened to overhear what you were saying just now. If you’re looking for designs, I may just have something...” Her arms vanished into the sleeves of her overcoat, rummaging noisily for something before popping out once more, holding a notebook of the sort used in drafting designs.

“What do mew have there?” Uliminas asked.

“These are the outfits I’ve designed in the course of my training,” Faren said, handing the notebook over. “I would be honored if you would be so kind as to look them over, Miss Uliminas.”

Uliminas opened the notebook to find it was full of pictures of girls Faren had drawn, wearing outfits of her own conception.These meowtfits!Uliminas thought.Each meown is designed with the latest trends in the Castle Town in mind, yet they’re all bursting with originality!

“My parents were the managers of a small clothing shop,” Faren explained. “My mother, who designed our shop’s clothes, taught me the basic principles of design from an early age. I love thinking up new outfits more than anything in the world, you see, so I like to spend my time watching the women of town as they go about their days, thinking of how I might...”

That was as far as she got, however, before Uliminas interrupted, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders. “These are purrfect!”

“Huh?” said Faren.

“They’re purrfect!” Uliminas repeated. “We’ll take them!”

“T-Truly? You mean it?” Faren’s face lit up at Uliminas’s words.

“I do!” Uliminas insisted. “Meowr designs will sell fur sure! I guarantee it!”

“Th-Thank you! Thank you so so so so so so so so much!” Beaming with joy, Faren hugged Uliminas tight.

“M-Mreowr!” Uliminas cried, her face falling rapidly as her back began cracking audibly from the pressure of Faren’s embrace.Th-This girl!she thought, the color beginning to drain from her face.Sh-She’s a lot stronger than she looks!

Faren, however, seemed not to notice Uliminas’s plight at all. “I-I can’t tell you how delighted I am to hear that!” she said, grinning from ear to ear as tears of joy streamed from her eyes. “Thank you for acknowledging my designs! I believed in them this whole time, you know—I knew the day would come when I would meet someone who could see their potential!” She squeezed tighter and tighter as she spoke, mercilessly constricting Uliminas’s unfortunate spine.

M-Mreorwrrr! M-My back! My baaack!Uliminas tried desperately to escape from Faren’s arms, but with the girl’s ridiculous strength, it was simply impossible.

“I was a frail and sickly child, you see,” Faren jubilantly continued. “I spent all of my time back in those days engrossed in studying my mother’s designs. And now, all of my effort has at last been rewarded!”

Meow way...Uliminas thought, looking desperately at Faren in an attempt to get her attention.There’s just meow way...

◇Later that Day—Klyrode Castle Town◇

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The last Enchanted Frigate of the day pulled up to dock at the tower outside Klyrode Castle Town, and out stepped the proprietor of the Elmence Fine Clothing Company, Elmence herself. “The nerve!” she declared again, not bothering to hide her expression of impotent frustration. “I’ve never been so insulted in my life! Callingmydesigns out of touch! They don’t understand the first thing about fashion! I tell you, where did some bumpkin shopkeeper and a mere apprentice get the impression that they can speak tomeas if they know what they’re talking about! Pah!”

As she stomped along down the tower, Elmence grabbed the bag she had been wearing over her shoulder and tossed it in a nearby garbage bin. “I supposethisis what they think of my designs!” she spat before leaving the scene in a huff.

She was being watched, however, by a woman in a gold cheongsam some distance away. “I’m certain of it...” the woman said. “That was Elmence, of the Elmence Fine Clothing Company!”

She crept up to the garbage bin herself, taking care to step quietly, and retrieved the bag of designs Elmence had discarded not moments earlier.

“Well now...this looks like something we can use!” the woman said with a satisfied nod. Then, without making a sound, she vanished from the spot.

◇Flio’s House—Flio and Rys’s Room◇

“What’s on your mind, my lord husband?” Rys asked as she sat on the edge of the bed, fixing her hair. “You seem pleased about something.”

“Oh, Uliminas gave me a progress report just earlier,” Flio said with his usual easygoing smile. “It sounds like things have been going well with her clothing line project. I guess it’s put me in a good mood.” The next second, however, a puzzled frown crossed Flio’s face, as if he had suddenly remembered something.But I wonder...he thought.Why was Uliminas’s back in so much pain? I was able to heal it no problem with my magic, but it was a serious enough injury that regular healing magic wouldn’t have stood a chance...

Rys, however, puffed out her cheeks in a pout. “That Uliminas... If she wanted designs, she could have come straight to me! But, well, I suppose I’m glad she was able to find some new designs.”

“Uliminas said she didn’t want to put more work on you when you were already designing and creating clothes for all the children of the house,” Flio explained.

“She did, did she...?” Rys said with a wry smirk. “Well, I suppose I appreciate the consideration, but I would do all that and more for the sake of my lord husband’s shop! In any event, I’ve already finished making new outfits for everyone using the cloth we purchased the other day—it wouldn’t be an imposition at all! On that note...” She stood up on the bed, spreading her arms wide. “This outfit is just something I threw together last minute, but...what do you think, my lord husband?”

“Oh!” said Flio. “It’s looks—” But before he could finish the sentence, Flio found himself stunned into silence. Rys had used see-through material for much of her outfit, leaving her naked body fully visible through her clothes. “R-Rys!” Flio squeaked, his cheeks flushing red. “Th-That’s...”

Rys simply gave him an enticing, seductive smile.

Th-That expression...Flio thought.Sh-She must have made it that way on purpose, then...

Rys had taken sole responsibility for creating outfits for everyone in Flio’s house. It only stood to reason that from time to time she made outfits like this as well, for when she and Flio were alone.

“Well, my lord husband?” Rys asked. “What do you think?”

“A-Ah... I...” Flio stammered, flustered and at a loss for words. “I-It looks great on you, Rys!”

Rys leaned in against him, sensually pressing her body against his. Shortly after, the lights in the room silently went out.

In the dark, quiet room, Flio waved a single finger of his right hand.

◇ ◇ ◇

The hallway outside Flio and Rys’s room stood empty...that is, until suddenly, with a harshplinksound, Hiya appeared.

Hiya folded their arms, glancing over in the direction of the door to the married couple’s chambers. “Hm,” they said, lowering their head as a chagrined smile came over their face. “Another failure, I see...”

No matter how many times Hiya had been cast out of the bedroom, the djinn had yet to give up.

◇A Back Alley◇

In an unlit room in the second story of a building tucked away in the back alleys of a city somewhere in the world, a heavyset man sat in an ornate chair. From time to time he took a puff of the cigar in his hand, letting the smoke drift up into the dark room.

“Is that so?” the man—the Shadow King—asked, glancing over at Kintsuno, the woman in the gold cheongsam. “People in the city have taken to wearing strange outfits?”

“So it seems!” Kintsuno yipped.Personally, I can’t say I understand it at all...she thought to herself.What does anyone see in those strange frilly outfits?

For better or for worse, Kintsuno was unaffected by trends in fashion one way or another, preferring instead to wear her tailor-made golden cheongsam in any season or weather.

“Hmm...” the Shadow King considered. “Well, do you suppose we can make a decent profit for the Shadow Conglomerate if we take to selling these outfits ourselves, then?”

“I believe so! After all...” Kintsuno produced a bag full of design illustrations, holding it up for the Shadow King to see. “I just so happen to have gotten my hands on a number of designs produced by a designer from a famous shop in the Klyrode Castle Town!”

The Shadow King smiled, nodding his approval. “Well done, Kintsuno. I knew I could count on you,” he said as he began to leaf quickly through the designs, examining them like a man who knew the subject intimately. “Hm... Hmmm... I see!” he said. “Very orthodox designs, rooted in the classic aesthetic forms of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode. Truly, this sort of design is the highest and most exquisite!”Well...he thought to himself.The truth is, I couldn’t tell good design from bad if it bit me. But the signature on these designs belongs to Elmence of the Elmence Fine Clothing Company if I’m not mistaken. They’re a well-known shop with a long history, so any design of theirs is bound to be a success!“We begin at once!” he declared. “Let’s create clothes based on these designs and put them on the market! At once, you hear me?!”

“Yessss, sir!” Kintsuno replied as she hurried out of the room. “I’ll get it done!”He’s as harsh a taskmaster as always, I see...she thought, a twisted sneer on her face as she walked down the hallway.But no matter—that’ll just make it all the sweeter when I take the lion’s share for myself!

The Shadow King watched as she left, puffing on his cigar.Knowing her, she’s planning on taking the lion’s share of the take for herself,he thought.That’s a small price to pay for someone who still follows my commands even after all our losses...

And when they had earned enough, of course, he planned to abscond with their winnings himself. “Keh heh heh...” The Shadow King laughed crudely as he once again brought the cigar to his lips.

◇Later Still—Naneewa Town, Cloth Conglomerate Silkfleece◇

The Cloth Conglomerate Silkfleece had long been a fixture of the merchant town Naneewa, a city located not far from the Klyrode Castle Town. At the moment, a woman stood inside the Silkfleece main building, her arms folded in consternation. “It just doesn’t add up, does it?”

“Madame Fetabetcz?” asked Lil-Lil, the small woman wearing glasses serving as the shop’s head clerk. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” replied Fetabetcz, the current head of Silkfleece, looking up from her contemplation. “I’m just thinking about that suspicious woman the other day who showed up at our shop without warning to buy bulk quantities of the inferior cloth we’d set aside as too low-quality to serve as merchandise.”

“Oh, yes, I remember that customer,” Lil-Lil confirmed. “The one who cleaned out our bad stock in one sweep and marched out looking perfectly pleased with herself.”

“Well, guess what? That woman didn’t show up at just our shop—by the sounds of things she poked her head in just about every store selling cloth in the neighborhood and bought them out of their inferior cloth, just like us.”

“Oh, really,” said Lil-Lil, sounding not at all interested in whatever it was the mystery woman was up to.

“Listen, you,” Fetabetcz chided her. “You’re the head clerk now, remember? You’d better start taking an interest in that sort of information and keep properly abreast of the goings on in our field, or it’s the shop that’s gonna suffer for it, understand?”

“Ah ha ha!” Lil-Lil laughed lightly. “I suppose that’s true! But thanks to her, we got rid of our deadweight inventory and made a tidy sum for the trouble. Isn’t that enough?”

Fetabetcz pressed her palm to her forehead, smiling in fond exasperation at her subordinate. “I never said otherwise, but gathering intelligence is serious business too. Trends in the fashion world move lightning fast, you know.”

“I know, I know!” said Lil-Lil, still smiling as lightly as ever. “You don’t gotta worry about me!”

“You act like it’s all just a game, but I’ll admit you have a good nose when it comes to big payouts,” Fetabetcz said, smirking as she patted Lil-Lil on the head. “I suppose that’s a talent, of a sort.”

“But of course!” Lil-Lil- chirped, looking up at Fetabetcz with a bright and innocent smile. “I don’t care about anything unless it can be useful to you, Madame Fetabetcz!”

◇Houghtow City—Flio’s House◇

A magic circle appeared in the entryway of Flio’s house, followed shortly by Flio himself. “And that does it for business meetings on the Calgosi Coast,” he said, exhaling as he let himself relax. “That should do it for work today.”

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The Calgosi Coast region lay far to the south of Houghtow City. It was remote enough that an ordinary horse-drawn carriage would take two months to make the journey one way. For comparison, the magic beasts available for rent at the Fli-o’-Rys General Store could make the trip in two weeks, while Wyne flying at top speeds could do it in two hours.

With Flio’s Teleportation spell, however, he was perfectly capable of making the trip in an instant.

There were other spellcasters in the world of Klyrode besides Flio who could cast Teleportation. The number of mages capable of traveling the vast distance between Houghtow City and the Calgosi Coast in a single jump, however, numbered a scant few individuals—and considering that three of that number were Hiya, Damalynas, and Elinàsze, most of them were members of Flio’s household anyway.

As Flio entered the door to his house, Rylnàsze came running up with a great big smile on her face. “Welcome home, papa!”

“Hello, Rylnàsze! I’m home!” Flio said, smiling himself as he gave his daughter a hug. “Thank you for coming to meet me at the door!”

Just then, however, another magic circle appeared behind them, out from which stepped Elinàsze. “Rylnàsze, that’s no fair!” she protested, puffing out her cheeks as she hurried up to their father herself. “I wanted to welcome papa home too, you know!” She waved a finger as she ran up to him, and her outfit transformed from the unfashionable clothes she had been wearing into a stylish dress. Her hair, too, which had grown unkempt and disheveled from her long hours engrossed in her research became a beautiful up-do. Even the bulky pair of glasses she had been wearing vanished from her face. Elinàsze, of course, never neglected to pretty herself up when it came to welcoming home her beloved papa.

“Thank you for coming to meet me too, Elinàsze!” Flio said, giving her a hug as well. “By the way, those outfits you two are wearing...”

“Yes!” said Rylnàsze, positively beaming. “These are the new clothes mama made for us!”

“That’s right, papa!” Elinàsze chimed in, smiling brightly herself as she nuzzled her head against Flio’s chest. “It’s not just us either—Mama made lots of new outfits for everyone!”

Suddenly Wyne appeared from behind, her wings fully manifested on her back as she flew through the air with characteristically high speed. “Dada! Welcome-welcome home-home!” The outfit she was wearing wasn’t her usual poncho, but a unique design combining aspects of demonic and Indolan fashion. Or so it would be, if she weren’t already in the middle of stripping it off even as she flew.

“W-Wyne?!” Flio exclaimed, his eyes opening wide in surprise. “D-Don’t!”

“But, but,” Wyne protested, “these clothes are stuffy-stuffy!” She was naked in the blink of an eye, and flew up to Flio without a care in the world, hugging him tight around the shoulders.

“Young Mistress Wyne!” Just as Wyne grabbed hold of Flio, though, Tanya appeared wearing a particularly ferocious look on her face. “Are you behaving shamefully once again?!” She swiftly collected Wyne’s discarded clothes, chasing after the dragonewt in a mad dash.

“Nuh-uh, nuh-uh!” said Wyne. “I like being naked best!”

As Wyne was a type of dragon, she had an organ in her body that served as a source of heat. Without it, she wouldn’t be able to use her fire breath, but it also meant that Wyne’s body temperature had a tendency to run fairly hot. Unfortunately, this led her to dislike the sensation of clothes on her body, causing a great deal of bad behavior.

“You may not!” said Tanya. “You must wear your clothing properly!”

“Nuh-uh, nuh-uh!”

Flio watched with a wry smile as Tanya and Wyne began their customary game of chase up and down the hallway.Wyne took hers off, I guess, but all of the children’s new clothing looks fetching and well-made. I wonder if we’re about ready forthat...

◇The Fli-o’-Rys General Store◇

A few days later Flio sat in the room in the back of the Fli-o’-Rys General Store used for staff meetings, looking over the progress report Uliminas had given him.

“Things are going well, I see,” he said. “Faren’s designs have all been excellent, and clothing production has been proceeding without a hitch by the sound of things.”

“Meow!” Uliminas agreed, nodding happily. “It’s meowll thanks to everyone in the oni village. With Rys at the helm, they’ve been moving purrduction along at a fast clip. We’ve even created an assembly line to meownufacture the children’s clothes Rys has been making. In my humble opinion, the Fli-o’-Rys General Store is ready to begin selling meowr own designer clothing to the general public!”

Flio gave Uliminas’s words a moment’s thought before smiling his usual easygoing smile. “In that case,” he said, “perhaps we should hold a runway exhibition to commemorate the launch of our clothing line!”

“A...runway exhibition? Meow?” Uliminas repeated, tilting her head to the side with a blank expression on her face. It seemed she was unfamiliar with the term.

“Ah, sorry,” said Flio. “I guess that isn’t a common practice in this world, is it?”

Flio, of course, was a human from another world who had been summoned to the world of Klyrode as a candidate for the position of Hero. Before that he had worked as a merchant in the world of Palma, a role that had given him the knowledge and experience he needed to see the Fli-o’-Rys General Store to its present prosperity. Runway exhibitions, like the one he was proposing, were common events in that world.

“In my old world,” Flio explained, “when major companies that specialized in clothing wanted to sell their latest designs, they would hire models to wear their outfits at events where they would unveil their designs to the public. Those events were called runway exhibitions. I thought it might be a good idea for us to do something similar, in order to spread word that the Fli-o’-Rys General Store is stepping into the world of fashion.”

“I see...” Uliminas folded her arms, thinking the suggestion over.Meowr purrimary purroducts so far have been gear for adventurers, meowgic items, and food...she thought.But if we can find a way to advertise meowr everyday clothing line on a large scale, we could take Klyrode Castle Town by storm—no, the whole world! And it sounds like these runway events were purretty successful in Flio’s old world, at least...“Sounds purrfect!” she declared, nodding decisively as she took Flio’s hands in hers. “We’ll hold a runway exhibition of our meown!”

“I can handle the event space,” Flio volunteered, still smiling as mildly as ever. “Could I ask you to take care of the models and their outfits?”

“No purroblem!” said Uliminas. “Leave it to me!”

◇Naneewa Town—Cloth Conglomerate Silkfleece◇

In the reception room of the Cloth Conglomerate Silkfleece, Flio sat down for a meeting with Fetabetcz, the store’s proprietor.

“A runway exhibition, huh?” Fetabetcz repeated, looking over at Flio with an air of great interest. “That’s quite the idea you’ve come up with this time, Mister Flio.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Flio said, giving Fetabetcz one of his usual easygoing smiles. “The Fli-o’-Rys General Store is planning on holding the event to commemorate the launch of our line of clothing. We’d be more than happy to include Silkfleece as well, assuming you’re interested. What do you think? Would you like to work together on this?”

Fetabetcz didn’t waste a second before nodding her approval. “WouldI?!” she said. “I’d give my right arm for the chance to work on something this intriguing. In all my long years as a merchant in Naneewa Town, I’ve never been this excited to be approached for a partnership! Honestly, I can’t wait for the event!”

She eagerly scooped up the sheaf of documents Flio had brought with him and began poring over the contents while Lil-Lil, who had come by just moments earlier with a pot of tea for Fetabetcz and her guest, sat down beside her, reading over her shoulder.

“I see...” Fetabetcz continued. “If you’re looking for a venue in the Klyrode Castle Town, how about Lapapa Theater? It’s located along an even more important thoroughfare than the one in Naneewa. The theater itself is a little on the small side, but it’s set up so you can get a clear view of the stage from anywhere in the building. I think it would be perfect for something like what you have in mind.”

“Sounds good,” said Flio. “In that case, I suppose our next order of business would be to approach Lapapa Theater with our idea.”

“I’ll take care of things on that end,” Fetabetcz volunteered. “The people at the theater know my face, after all. If I’m the one making the application, then it should be easier for us to get permission much more quickly, and for a reduced fee as well.”

“And on that note!” said Lil-Lil, retrieving a slip of paper from her pocket. “Here is the application slip for Lapapa Theater!”

“Quick on the uptake as ever, Lil-Lil!” said Fetabetcz, sharing a well-practiced fist bump with her head clerk before turning back to Flio. “The two of us should probably have another meeting on location. I intend to give you my shop’s full cooperation on the day of the event, after all.”

“You’ve been a tremendous help already,” said Flio, bashfully lowering his head. “I really hope it’s not any kind of inconvenience...”

Fetabetcz, however, simply cracked a grin. “Not at all! You know what they say in the business—you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours. I’ll give you all the help I can now, and next time we put on one of theserunway exhibitions, maybe it can befor my shop! I’ll pay you a gratuity, of course.” She pressed the palms of her hands together, bowing her head as if she were asking for a favor.

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That explains it,Flio thought, nodding in understanding.Fetabetcz is hoping to learn the basics of putting on a runway exhibition by working with us. She really is an excellent merchant.“I understand,” Flio said. “In that case, I’ll look forward to working together. Although, instead of a gratuity...”

“Instead...?” Fetabetcz and Lil-Lil repeated, looking nervously between each other.

“Perhaps we can come to an understanding about the price of materials, when we come to you for supplies in the future,” Flio proposed, smiling his usual easygoing smile.

“Flio...” Fetabetcz winced. “That would be much harder on our end than a gratuity, you know. You’re already so confoundingly good at negotiations, we barely get out of the red whenever we do business as is...”

“Come now, there’s no need for that,” said Flio, his smile unfaltering. “We’ll talk it over and make sure whatever arrangement we come to is for the good of both our businesses, right?”

“Fwehhh...” groaned Lil-Lil, growing pale in the face as she did a few calculations on her abacus. “I don’t know if wecangive the Fli-o’-Rys General Store a bigger discount...”

And the business talks continued on.

◇Klyrode Castle Town—Market◇

Lil-Lil, head clerk of Silkfleece, hummed a tune as she walked along the streets of the Klyrode Castle Town, where she had just arrived via Enchanted Frigate from Naneewa. “Haah...” she exhaled. “Well, price haggling aside, I’d say that was pretty good as far as business talks go! Now all I have to do is head to Lapapa Theater to hand in our request, and I’ll be done with work for the day!”

Lil-Lil paused to open a magic window displaying the inventory of the Bottomless Bag on her belt as she walked, double-checking to make sure she still had the paperwork in question, when she heard a woman’s voice calling to her. “You there!”

“Yes?” Lil-Lil said, stopping in her tracks and turning around. “What is it?”

“You wouldn’t happen to be Madame Lil-Lil, head clerk of the famous Cloth Emporium Silkfleece from the town of Naneewa by any chance, would you?” the woman who had addressed her asked, bowing deeply.

“And what if I were?” Lil-Lil replied, smiling brightly. Her eyes, however, were deadly serious as she examined her interlocutor.Dark clothing, eyes hidden behind bangs...she observed.This person certainly looks like she’s up to no good...

“Actually,” said the suspicious woman, “I have some information I’m sure you would like to hear...an opportunity for profit.”

“Profit?” True to form, Lil-Lil’s ears perked up at the mention of that word.

“You’re interested?” said the woman. “I have a room prepared, if you’ll come right this way. I can tell you the details when we’re in private.”

“I’m certainly willing to hear you out,” said Lil-Lil as she followed the woman out of sight down a back alley. “Assuming you have something interesting to say.”

They continued on for a ways until they reached a building tucked away in a corner of the street and headed inside, making their way to a room where a man was waiting for them, sitting at a table. At the woman’s encouragement, Lil-Lil took the seat across from him. Atop the table was a pile of clothes.

“Quite striking, don’t you think?” the man said, grinning widely as he gestured with both hands towards the garments on the table. “Just between you and me, what I have here are none other than unreleased designs from the Elmence Fine Clothing Company...”

“Oh?” said Lil-Lil. “You don’t say. The Elmence Fine Clothing Company is one of the oldest clothing stores in the Klyrode Castle Town, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Well, that’s the head clerk of Silkfleece for you!” the man said. “Of course you’ve heard of them! Now, for this reason and that, these outfits have yet to be announced to the public, but it just so happens that my company has a bit of anin. Enough to get our hands on these unreleased Elmence designs...” Smirking, the man leaned back and thumped his fist on the wooden crate he had sitting beside him before continuing on with an air of great confidence. “Well, head clerk? Any inclination to buy the lot? These are unreleased designs, you know. If you put them on the market, I guarantee they’ll sell out before you know it. To be perfectly honest, I’d much rather be selling them directly myself, but, well, you know how it is, don’t you? I can’t exactly go publicizing my handling of this sort of merchandise! No...I need a discerning client like you to act as an intermediary. That’s why I approached you!”

Lil-Lil cracked a smile herself as she picked up one of the garments lying on the table and held it in her hands. “Uh-huh...” she said. “Well, these certainly do seem to be designs by Elmence of the Elmence Fine Clothing Company.”

“Quite right!” said the man, leaning forward out of sheer eagerness to close the deal. “Well? What do you think? Act now and I can sell them to you for cheap!”

“I see, I see!” said Lil-Lil, smiling cheerfully at the man. “Actually, I have some points I’d like to clarify, if that’s all right?”

“Sales negotiations, is it? Of course! Go right ahead!” said the man, grinning back.

The next second, Lil-Lil seized the man by his nose, using it as a lever to pull his head back.

“F-Fgwhoooaaa!” he cried, caught off guard by the sudden movement. With his nose held tight in Lil-Lil’s fingers, his voice came out sounding quite strange.

The woman, who had been standing in the back of the room observing the negotiations, darted forward, producing a small knife that she must have had concealed somewhere on her person. Lil-Lil, however, showed no signs of distress whatsoever as she handily sent the woman flying with a well-placed kick. The motion sent her skirt flitting upwards, but Lil-Lil paid no mind to her moment of exposure. As for the woman, she impacted the wall of the room hard enough to leave a crater.

W-Wait! H-Hang on!The man thought, cold sweat running down his brow as he glanced over at the dent the woman’s body had made in the wall.Th-That wall is made of stone!

“Who the hell do you think you’re dealing with, you punk? Hah?” Lil-Lil demanded, bringing her own face dangerously close to his. Her eyes were open manically wide. There was no hint of the personable store clerk she had seemed to be just seconds earlier. The cutesy tone was gone from her voice as well, leaving her sounding positively menacing. “Did you think you could get one over on Lil-Lil the Terrible? Well?Did you?”

“Ghfh...” was all the man could say, given that his head was still being wrenched painfully back by the nose.

“You’re telling me these came from the Elmence Fine Clothing Company?!” Lil-Lil spat, punctuating every enraged statement with a twist of the man’s nose. “That’s rich, even for a joke! Sure, the designs look like something Elmence might make, but just look at these inferior materials! The abysmal stitches! Elmence might have fallen behind the times, but her tailors are still some of the best around! You expect me to believe something this shoddy came from her shop? Hah?!”

Needless to say, with Lil-Lil twisting his nose this way and that, the man was wholly unable to answer.

“You’ve got some guts, punk, trying to pull one over on Lil-Lil the Terrible!” Lil-Lil continued. By now her voice was loud enough to be heard all throughout the building, punctuated by the man’s screams. “I’ll teach you to underestimate the head clerk of Silkfleece!”

A short while later, Lil-Lil stepped back out onto the street, smiling cheerfully and once again humming a jaunty tune as continued on her way to Lapapa Theater. “La la la!” she sang. “No profit, only lies! No thank you, and goodbye!”

Lil-Lil, the head clerk of the Cloth Emporium Silkfleece was an utter mystery. Her family, her homeland, and even her species were unknown. Fetabetcz, the current head of the company, found this girl with no clear origin and took her in, a kindness for which Lil-Lil pledged her complete and utter loyalty to Fetabetcz, body and soul. She was always on the lookout for opportunities for profit in order to help Fetabetcz, but rumor had it that people who thought they could pull one over on her had a habit of going missing...

◇Later that Month—Klyrode Castle Town, Lapapa Theater◇

“Well meow,” Uliminas declared, grinning in triumph as she watched the rehearsal taking place on the theater’s stage. “I’d say our prepurrations are complete! Flio’s brought over all the meowtfits we’re going to use for the show, and the meowdels are ready to go! The staff of Silkfleece is handling the postexhibition sales meet, so I suppose meowr role is just about finished.”

Uliminas was watching the show from the highest point in the building, perched upon one of the poles the theater used to hang lighting like the hellcat she was, using her vantage point to keep an eye on everything that transpired onstage. Some members of the theater staff below were still hurrying about getting everything ready, but most of them seemed to have finished their preparations. At a glance, the exhibition seemed ready to open to the public any time.

“We sent invitations to meowrchants from all over the world, not just the Klyrode Castle Town,” Uliminas said out loud to herself. “If this runway exhibition goes well, it’ll be a good oppurrtunity to establish relationships with companies we haven’t had a chance to do business with until now...” With that, she hopped down from the rafters, doing a triple flip in midair and landing gracefully in the aisle leading to the stage.

“Ah! Miss Uliminas!” Just as soon as Uliminas alighted on the ground, Faren came running up to greet her.

“Meowdy, Faren!” Uliminas said. “Everything good to go?”

“Y-Yes! It’s all ready, I think!” Faren replied with a great big smile, bowing her head low. “The last couple of weeks really flew by, didn’t they!”

“Meow’re telling me!” Uliminas agreed, smiling back at the girl. “And thanks to mew, we have plenty of top tier meowtfits to exhibit!”

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“U-Um...” Faren said, a puzzled frown crossing her face. “May I ask something, Miss Uliminas?”

“Meow? What is it?” Uliminas replied.

“I-It’s just... Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I can’t help feeling like you’ve been avoiding me...”

Faren had good reason for feeling that way. In fact, even though she had just run right up to her only moments before, Uliminas had already put a fair bit of distance between the two of them.

M-Mreowr?!Uliminas startled, apparently confused herself. It seemed like the taste she had gotten of Faren’s superhuman strength on their first meeting had left Uliminas with a fair bit of trauma, leading to her drawing away from the girl on a purely subconscious level. “N-Not at meowll!” she insisted, forcing herself to smile. “Mew know I like mew a ton, Faren!”

P-Purrposterous...Uliminas thought to herself.Who ever heard of a hellcat being afuraid of a human...?

“Th-Thank you!” Faren cried. “Thank you ever so much! I like you a ton too, Miss Uliminas!” Tears of joy in her eyes, she ran up faster than Uliminas could get away and gave the hellcat yet another big, tight hug.

◇Meanwhile—Lapapa Theater, Backstage◇

“Hm?” Flio had been busy double-checking the clothing for the exhibition, when suddenly he looked up in the direction of the stage.

“Is something wrong, my lord husband?” Rys asked, pausing in her own work preparing outfits for the child models.

“Oh, nothing’s wrong,” said Flio. “I just thought I heard something near the stage. It sounded a bit like a scream.”

“A scream?” Rys asked, the distinctive tufts of hair on her head perked up like the wolf ears they resembled as she looked in the direction of the stage herself. “Now that you mention it, I believe I might hear Uliminas’s voice...”

When Rys was in her human transformation, the ear-shaped tufts atop her head were nothing more than ordinary hair. Due to her lupine instincts, however, they had a tendency to twitch and move about whenever she strained to hear a sound.

“Well, Uliminas can take care of herself I suppose...” said Flio.

“She certainly can,” Rys concurred. “But we need to hurry up and finish our own preparations! The models from Silkfleece could be here any moment!”

“Right you are,” Flio nodded, returning to his work.

◇Lapapa Theater, Outside◇

In front of the theater, a long line of guests snaked its way up to the entrance, waiting for the doors to open. It was a remarkably fashionable line, with many of the guests dressed in lavishly gorgeous outfits of their own. As they waited, they chatted among themselves.

“A runway exhibition, is it? I wonder what it’ll be like...”

“I’m so excited! I just can’t wait!”

“Is it going to start soon, do you think?”

Hovering behind the very back of the line, however, was a group that didn’t seem to belong in the gaudily adorned crowd—they were wearing heavy black cloaks, concealing their forms.

“Damn that woman...” one of them said. “Head clerk of Silkfleece or no, how did she get so preposterously strong?”

“And thanks to her, we lost all the clothing we made for Lady Kintsuno!” said another. “Lady Kintsuno and the Shadow King are going to punish us for sure, unless we can do something about it...”

The group tossed off their cloaks as one, revealing themselves as demons, all with forms suitable for combat. Some of their number grew rapidly in size, while others began casting spells as they slowly advanced on the line of guests waiting for the show.

“Wh-What’s that?!” said a guest, turning around.

“Ah! D-Demons!”

“A-And it looks like they’re attacking!”

The guests fled screaming as the demons approached, running every which way in their confusion as the man at the head of the group of demons grinned wickedly at the sight.We made sure to confirm that that ludicrously strong Lil-Lil woman is busy at Silkfleece...he thought.With her gone, there’s nothing to stop us from running rampage!“Listen up, you lot!” he shouted to the demons behind him. “It’s time to pay these people back for ruining our merchandise! We’ll wreck their event, and make off with their products in exchange! Fail, and your life is forfeit!”

“Yeeeah!” the demons roared, working their fighting spirits to a fever pitch.

They soon found their path forward blocked, however, by a single man. “Hrm,” he said, crossing his arms imperiously as he glanced down at the assembled demons. “You. What do you think you’re doing? You aren’t planning on interfering with the show, are you?”

When the demons caught sight of the man’s face, they froze on the spot.

“H-Him! I-It can’t be...”

“Th-The retired Dark One...”

“It’s Lord Gholl!”

The demons began to sweat, unable to move a muscle until the man—Ghozal—took a step forward. Instantly, the demons shrunk back.

“If theyareplanning on getting in the way of the show, I certainly won’t show them any mercy!” came another voice from the opposite direction. The demons wheeled around to see their escape route blocked by none other than Sleip.

“Ah! Wh-What now?!”

“Th-The former Infernal...”

“It’s Lord Sleip!”

Trapped between Sleip and Ghozal, unable to advance or retreat, the demons had no choice but to resign themselves to their fate. Just then, however, a girl descended from the skies above, landing on the demon’s right flank. It was Wyne, flapping her dragon wings as she alighted to the ground. “You won’t-won’t get away-away with messing with my dada’s work!” she said, her claws and tail manifesting as well as she menaced the crowd before her.

“Th-That girl! Could it be...?”

“Th-The ace of the Dark Army’s strongest division, the legion of dragons!”

“It’s Wyne!”

With so many powerful adversaries on the scene, the demons found themselves rooted to the spot. In their desperation, however, they seemed to find something of a fighting spirit.

“I-In that case, there’s nothing for it but do or die...”

“At least we can go down kicking!”

“A-And run away if we have the chance...”

Even as they trembled with fear, the demons readied themselves to attack...until two more figures stepped up.

“Oh ho ho!” laughed Calsi’im, Charun accompanying him at his side. “Now, now, all of you! There’s no sense in throwing away your lives!”

“I-It’s him...”

“Th-The Benevolent Dark One himself...”

“It’s Lord Calsi’im!”

Weeping openly, the demons all threw themselves to the ground, prostrating themselves before the old skeleton. Calsi’im looked around at the crowd, and nodded in approval. “Good, good,” he said. “I’m glad you understand how foolish you were all being!”

“L-Lord Calsi’im...”

“P-Please...”

“F-Forgive us...”

Tears streaming from their eyes, the demons all crowded up to Calsi’im’s feet as he looked down at them with something like fatherly love on his bony face.

“You truly are extraordinary, Calsi’im,” said Charun. “Even after leaving the role of Dark One behind, you still have the adoration of demons everywhere.”

“Not at all, not at all!” Calsi’im insisted. “I would have never been able to stop them if it weren’t for Lord Ghozal, Lord Sleip, and our little Wyne giving them a proper scare first! But I must say...” he added, turning back to the demons. “It’s certainly good that you all had your change of heart when you did!”

“Huh?!” At Calsi’im’s words, the demons suddenly looked up. The number of figures surrounding them had only increased while they had been busy supplicating themselves. There was Elinàsze, Hiya, and Damalynas, their expressions stone-cold with magic circles at the ready. There was Garyl with his sword drawn, and Ben’ne with her naginata primed. There was Rylnàsze, doing the scariest pose she could manage together with her small army of magic beasts. Then there was Greanyl and the rest of the shadow demons, armed with shuriken and prepared for battle. And in the distance, Byleri was approaching fast at the head of a herd of horse demons.

“Wh-What have we gotten ourselves into...?” said one of the demons.

“E-Every one of these people has magic power out of this world...” said another. “Wh-What’s going on here...?”

“W-We never had a chance, did we...?”

Somehow, the demons managed to tremble even more violently than they had been before.

“I think you can well enough imagine what might have happened had you not thought better of things when you did!” Calsi’im said, his jawbone rattling with laughter. “Now, why don’t you think about what you’ve done and stop causing trouble for people, hm?”

In response, the demons all went back to prostrating themselves before Calsi’im.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the end, the demons’ rampage delayed the start of the runway exhibition for a little while, but despite that everything seemed ready to proceed without issue...or so they thought.

“Meowt?! The girls who were supposed to be meowdels meowll ran away?!” The color drained from Uliminas’s face when she heard the news.

Fetabetcz, who had been the one to deliver the report, hung her head. For her part she looked every bit as pale as Uliminas. “I-I’m so sorry...” she said. “It seems like they were spooked by the demons and ended up running for the hills...”

“M-Meowll of them?” Uliminas asked.

“Yes. Every last one,” said Fetabetcz, drooping despondently.

N-Now meow...Uliminas wondered, paralyzed with indecision.The audience section is packed full, and the event is supposed to start any mewnute! We don’t have time to figure out where the meowdels went.

Suddenly, there came a knock at the door. “Uliminas,” said Flio, stepping into the room. “Are the models ready? It’s just about time for the show.”

“F-Flio...” Uliminas stammered.

Next, Rys entered the room after her husband. “Uliminas, what is the meaning of this?” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips and puffing out her cheeks in frustration. “My lord husband asked you to stay here to assist the models with their outfits, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone here! What in the world is going on?”

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After her came Balirossa. “Yes, whatisgoing on? I’ve been standing by ready to assist as well, and yet there’s no sign of the models...”

Even Uliminas’s daughter Folmina poked her head in to see what was going on. “What’s wrong, mama Uliminas?” she asked, stepping into the room.

Uliminas glanced around at the assembled crowd, not moving a muscle.

“Uliminas?” Rys asked, a concerned expression on her face at the sight of the immobilized hellcat.

“Rys...” Uliminas said at last, staring back at her. “Who else came meowll the way here for the show?”

“Who else?” Rys blinked. “Well, Garyl’s waiting in the theater, and...”

“I need womewn!” Uliminas snapped. “Womewn and children!”

“Huh? Well, in that case...” Rys counted on her fingers as she listed the names of the women and young children in attendance. “There’s Elinàsze, Rylnàsze, and Wyne. Hiya and Damalynas are here too, and we could always summon Ben’ne if need be. Then there’s Byleri, Blossom, and Kora...and Greanyl and her shadow demons came as well to help with the preparations...”

Uliminas nodded along as she listened. “I see... Then I suppose there’s meownly one option...”

“Whatever do you mean?” Rys asked, tilting her head in perfect confusion at Uliminas’s words.

Fetabetcz, though, seemed to understand what Uliminas had in mind. She stepped up to Rys, carrying the outfits meant for the exhibition in her arms.

◇ ◇ ◇

One runway exhibition later, the curtains lowered to thunderous applause. This event had been the first of its kind in the world of Klyrode, and most of the guests had come out of nothing more than idle curiosity. Faren’s cutting edge designs found tremendous favor with the audience, however, and as the models ascended the stage in turn, unveiling one new outfit after another, they were met with excited comments from the crowd.

“Wow...that outfit looks amazing...”

“I’m rather fond of the one that girl is wearing, myself!”

“Butthatwoman’s outfit is simply too stylish for words!”

“It said on the program that we’ll be able to purchase these outfits after the show is over, you know!”

“It did?! That’s incredible!”

Indeed, the moment the runway exhibition ended, members of the audience flocked to the market set up outside the venue. In short order Uliminas and co sold out the entire stock of outfits they had brought for the day’s event.

◇Klyrode Castle Town—Lapapa Theater, Backstage◇

When the show was finished, Rys made a beeline for backstage, where she plopped down in one of the available chairs. “Really, I feel terribly misused...” she said, sighing deeply.

“Well, I really appurreciate the help!” Uliminas said, wringing her hands as she rushed up in an attempt to mollify her. “Thanks to mew and the others, the runway exhibition was a runaway success! Here, Charun! I think this meowne could use a bit of tea!” she added, beckoning over the magic doll, who hurried over with her Hi Izuran teapot, pouring Rys a fresh cup.

“I’m telling you...” Rys grumbled, the corners of her mouth turned down as she glanced up at Uliminas. “This will be the one and only time I agree to do something like that. I belong to my lord husband, you know. I would prefer not to have my body put on display for others.”

Yes—in the absence of the previously arranged models, Uliminas had recruited Rys alongside the more feminine members of Flio’s house in attendance to take their place. Rys had refused at first, expressing her dismay, but Flio and the other other men pleaded with her. Eventually, she agreed to participate under the condition that it would only be the once.

Rys’s sour mood showed no signs of improving, until Rylnàsze came up beside her chair. “But, mama, you were so pretty!” she said. “I could hardly take my eyes off you at all!”

“It’s true,” Rylnàsze added with a smirk. “I had to tap her on the shoulder just to get her to move!” She poked her sister’s shoulder to demonstrate.

“Thank you, both of you,” Rys said, her expression finally softening as she reached out to pat her children on their heads. “You were absolutely adorable yourselves, I’ll have you know.”

“Ehe hee!” Rylnàsze giggled, a grin spreading across her whole face. “Thank you, mama!”

“Well, I’m glad you thought so,” said Elinàsze, her own expression looking somewhat more complicated. “Personally, though, I would rather be wearing the lounging clothes you made me...”

Rys beamed at the both of them.

It looks like Rys finally cheered up...Uliminas thought, breathing a sigh of relief, only for Rys to shoot her a reproving glare.

“I still haven’t forgiven you, you know!” Rys huffed.

“M-Mreowr!” Uliminas exclaimed, startled into immobility to have Rys’s gaze suddenly turn her way.

Elsewhere in the room, Sleip was busy hoisting his daughter Ryslei up into his arms. “Ha ha ha!” he laughed, grinning from ear to ear. “You were as adorable as ever today, Rislei!”

“Hey!” Rislei objected, struggling and turning red in the face. “Papa, quit it! And why did you insist on shouting my name every time I appeared onstage?! I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life!”

“Ha ha ha!” Sleip laughed again, rubbing his cheeks against her in spite of her protests. “You were just so cute—I couldn’t help myself! Don’t take it too hard!”

“P-Papa, you are just the worst!” In spite of her words, however, Rislei wasn’t putting up any real resistance to letting Sleip do as he liked. It seemed that whatever she might say, she didn’t actually dislike her father.

“I see Sir Sleip and Rislei are as close as ever,” Balirossa observed with a smile, when suddenly she heard Ghozal’s voice from behind.

“Hrm... Balirossa really is beautiful, though...” he said.

“S-Sir Ghozal!” Balirossa’s face went bright red. “Wh-Whatever made you say something like that all of a sudden?!”

“Hey, I’m just saying what’s on my mind!” Ghozal said. “Something the matter with that?”

“N-No...” Balirossa said, clearly flustered by Ghozal’s straightforward personality. “N-Nothing’s the matter at all, just...”

Flio smiled as he watched the scene. Everyone seemed to be excited and full of energy.Seems like things went well...he thought, smiling his usual easygoing smile.

◇Meanwhile—Nearby Lapapa Theater◇

In the shadow of a building outside Lapapa Theater, Greanyl lay on the ground curled up in the fetal position.

T-To think that I should shame myself like that, and in front of so many people...she thought.

Greanyl had been among the number recruited as models for the fashion show that day. With her Quickchange skill, she was able to dress in more outfits than any of the others, and as a result she found herself ascending the stage the most out of all the models.

I-I’m so embarrassed I could die...she thought, pressing her palms against her bright red face as she trembled on the cold pavement.Now there’s no way anyone will marry me...