Chapter 28: Pincotat Grand Festival (5)
Because Subaru's numerous heroic deeds were constantly spreading, rumors about the Blue Mage Ferris rushing from the capital to save the near-death Subaru Natsuki—and accidentally pulling the door in her hurry—also spread quickly.
Combined with Ferris's status as a royal guard knight, as well as her contributions in the Great Rabbit and White Whale subjugation battles, the legend of the violent "nanny" who entered the royal guard due to her strength had become a popular part of recent heroic picture books.
Naturally, as Ferris's popularity rose, the public also learned about her male identity and her victory over all the women in the beach beauty contest. As a result, this time at the Pincotat Grand Festival, Subaru and Reinhild found themselves in front of the "Opposite-Gender Costume Experience Shop."
To prevent any shocking scenes, this shop had very strict appearance requirements. Of course, Subaru and Reinhild's appearances naturally allowed them entry.
"Surprisingly, so many people chose to try this kind of shop," Subaru remarked, observing the line ahead.
"By the way, Rein, can I ask why you suddenly became interested in seeing me in female clothing?"
Reinhild paused.
"So it really is because of Ferris, huh?"
"Ferris?" Subaru murmured, slightly puzzled. Reinhild nodded.
"When we were in the capital, Ferris told me about what Subaru looks like in female clothing… so when I saw this shop, I wanted to see for myself."
"So, Rein-chan got jealous!"
"Jealous?"
"Yeah, meaning Rein-chan was jealous?"
Faced with Subaru's teasing, Reinhild showed a seriously thoughtful expression and then nodded firmly.
"Jealous?!! Indeed! So this is what jealousy feels like? Every time I heard Ferris talking to me about Subaru in female clothing, I felt that irritation… now I realize it's jealousy. I'm jealous of the side of Subaru that only Ferris knows."
—Damn, looks like this is it. But it's fine—strictly speaking, my female outfit is pretty good, and I get to see Reinhild in male clothing. No matter what, it's a win, no loss. So don't chicken out!
Subaru nervously reassured himself while watching the men ahead. As they drew closer, he could see the boxes. Both male and female outfits had a minimum level of 2 and a maximum of 4.
—Amaterasu, please bless me… don't get swimwear, don't get a short skirt…
"Um, Subaru, maybe we should just skip this?"
"No, no, no! A real man—never breaks his word."
"Excuse me, who will perform?"
Subaru stepped forward and took a deep breath. At that moment, Reinhild's hand had already reached into the box and pulled out a more gender-neutral outfit.
Due to the outfit's unique nature, this shop didn't require a performance; one only needed to change and remain in the room for five minutes.
"The truth is singular!"
After changing for the fifth time, Subaru entered the room that was temporarily theirs alone. He wore a detective-style plaid outfit with a knee-length skirt and a long wig. His face had light makeup, and he pushed up a monocle on his right eye, then quietly approached Reinhild.
"Rein, did you cheat?"
"No, I'm a knight. Besides, do you have any proof?"
"Hmph, first of all, this is the fifth time. Two of the five were shown to Ferris, and the remaining three were low-star, gender-neutral outfits. In this situation, it makes sense that you used a Divine Protection to see the answer."
"You really are a famous detective. Looks like I have no choice. Speaking of which, four-star female outfits have… well, the three-star female outfits are also quite worth looking forward to. Considering there are five more draws, Subaru's odds are about 7%?"
Reinhild placed her right hand near her chin and gave a faint smile.
"Really worth looking forward to!"
"Please, show mercy and help me, sir."
"Then it's settled. I'll handle the next five role-plays."
"Ah!"
"Don't worry; after we leave, I'll choose the shop. Is that okay?"
"Ah, that's fine. But why end so suddenly? I thought it was going well… no, it's not that I've developed an interest in female clothing, it's just that I feel like I've reached a high-quality level now."
"Indeed. Subaru looks shy in female clothing, but it's cute."
"Ahahaha, it's impossible not to laugh at that kind of praise."
"Although it's cute, and it makes my heart flutter, it's not a feeling for girls. I like Subaru, no matter what. But, in a way, Subaru in female clothing isn't bad either."
Reinhild looked at Subaru hesitantly, then lifted his chin with one hand, showing a mischievous smile.
But it's not the Subaru I truly like; I prefer the cheerful, confident Subaru.
Subaru froze, then blushed. A few seconds later, Reinhild's face also began to turn red.
"…Then I'll go change." ×2
Clearly, Reinhild's move left both of them emotionally overwhelmed.
Whether lucky or unlucky, Reinhild, who had turned off Divine Protections and participated in the draw, didn't get any four-level outfits, and only got one three-level outfit. Subaru, however, had the opposite luck.
First round: Reinhild wore noble attire, with a ceremonial smile on her face, a sword at her waist. The simple outfit perfectly conveyed her elegance and heroic aura. When she used a wall-pin move, Subaru felt he nearly became a helpless bystander.
Second round: Reinhild entered in a single ponytail wearing a butler's tailcoat. She began making coffee gracefully. After a short inquiry, she smiled slightly and created latte art on the cup. She then respectfully placed the rose-adorned coffee in front of Subaru.
Fourth round: When Reinhild entered, Subaru was dumbfounded. She wore obviously ill-fitting clothes—a school uniform-like outfit. The style vaguely resembled the midriff-baring short-top with ultra-short shorts that had once been popular.
Because the outfit was too small, it gave a completely different impression from the previous V-neck outfit. It felt almost pushed up by her chest.
"Subaru!"
"Sorry, I just lost my head for a moment. Anyway, I'm really sorry."
"Never mind. Since it's bought already, if Subaru wants to wear it, I can help adjust it."
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