Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Amber didn't feel particularly disheartened.
After all, she'd admired plenty of two-dimensional waifus in her time—missing out on one wasn't going to ruin her day.
Besides, they'd be attending the same school as her juniors; it wasn't like she'd never see them again.
"To think a customer with skills like yours is actually a beginner… geniuses really are different from ordinary folks, aren't they?"
The shop assistant, who'd been interrupted mid-sales pitch, seized the opportunity to speak again. He quickly offered praise while steering the conversation back under his control.
"I'll gladly accept the compliment! I'm really happy with this guitar. Want to give it a try, Mei?"
"No, I'm alright. Even if I tried, I don't know how to play the guitar."
The black-haired girl replied shyly, "Since Kiana thinks it's good, I'll just custom-order one just like it."
"Then tell us about the custom options! I want the most unique guitar possible—one that makes the audience feel something special the moment I take it out!"
Amber had been wondering what made this guitar so great, but seeing that Wakaba Mutsumi also used one from this shop eased her doubts.
If a guitar pro thought this place was good, there had to be something to it. Guess that's the star endorsement effect for you.
"Hmm… but Kiana, shouldn't a band leave an impression through their music? Relying on flashy instruments feels a bit like… showboating, doesn't it?"
"Ah… you're right… So, should I just go with an ordinary guitar then?"
"Showboating isn't great, but if it's just about expressing Kiana's personality, I think it's a wonderful choice."
"I see! In that case, let's get this guitar made as soon as possible!"
"You two have excellent taste! For custom orders, we offer full recommendations and guidance!"
Seeing they were serious about buying, the shop assistant's smile grew even warmer.
A young lady from Tsukinomori, with such clear intent to purchase—this sale was practically in the bag.
Whether it was Amber or Dark Amber, money was little more than numbers on a screen.
Once they'd made up their minds, there was no point in delaying. They followed the assistant to the back, explained their custom requirements, then exchanged Line contacts.
Progress updates and further communication would all happen through Line.
With their main goal for the day accomplished, the rest of their time was free to spend as they liked.
That said, this world was different from every one before it.
There were no world-ending catastrophes here, no pre-set plot to follow. Sure, other worlds existed… but she hadn't even figured this one out yet. Wouldn't going to another just leave her equally lost?
After a moment's thought, Amber declared cheerfully, "Let's just grab some food first!"
This would be a good chance to ask Dark Amber more about how this world worked.
Their highly professional driver picked them up and, drawing on his local knowledge, recommended a Western restaurant he thought was excellent.
Though it served Western cuisine, the place had adapted well to local preferences, offering the excellent service of private rooms.
The reason they hadn't chosen a Chinese restaurant was that Japan's local adaptation was too good—what passed for Chinese food here definitely wouldn't taste like what they imagined.
Better to skip it altogether.
Dark Amber wasn't surprised that Amber felt a little lost.
After all, she'd just arrived today—nothing was familiar yet, and she hadn't established the relationships that would anchor her here. That feeling of drifting in a strange place was perfectly normal.
But there wasn't much she could do to help with that.
While she could set goals and create motivation for Amber through her own arrangements, this world was meant for relaxation and vacation.
After all they'd been through, having a chance to take it easy was precious. No need to rush into finding something to do.
Something to do would come along eventually.
With that in mind, Dark Amber simply gave a brief overview of what she knew about this world and her experiences here over the years.
As Amber had seen, this was a world blending everyday life, magical girls, and otherworldly elements.
The main themes centered around girls' bands, idol culture, and the moderators of magical girl super-topics.
The magical girl situation was a bit complicated.
Though she'd just separated magical girls from other worlds, the mascots that all magical girls had actually came from another world as well.
From what Dark Amber understood, these two other worlds were not the same one.
Magical girls formed contracts with these mascots to gain magical powers, which they used to fight evil enemies.
The evil side was rather… diverse.
Some were natives from other worlds trying to invade this one; others were wicked mascots from other dimensions, searching this world for evil magical girls to turn into villainous executives.
The battle between magical girls and evil organizations had been going on for decades, becoming an inseparable part of this world's culture.
People had long grown accustomed to the presence of magical girls, and an entire industry chain and set of policies had sprung up around them.
When Candy Fantasy mentioned it earlier, Amber had felt a flicker of doubt.
A magical girl agency? From what she knew, magical girls were supposed to be like heroes of the night—their true identities unknown, never appearing in times of peace. How did agencies fit into that?
Dark Amber had the answer.
Magical girls had to eat too.
It wasn't just that many magical girls were orphans struggling to get by.
More importantly… the fights between magical girls and evil organizations weren't child's play. The damage to the environment was very real. Who was going to cover the property losses?
The government? Once or twice a year, even a dozen or so times, would be manageable. But this destruction happened daily, several times a day.
No government, no matter how wealthy, could keep funneling resources into endless reconstruction.
So, starting fifty years ago, the United Nations introduced a policy requiring magical girls to cover a portion of the property damage.
And the evil organizations? Who could find them? Even if they were found, they'd never pay up.
The kind-hearted magical mascots and magical girls, upon learning of this, naturally agreed to the policy. But… most of them were ordinary middle or high school girls.
Few came from wealthy families, and even if they did, they couldn't just use that money freely—what if their real identities were discovered?
After negotiations and several years of trial and error, the idolization of magical girls became fully established.
From then on, magical girls were no longer just heroes fighting evil organizations—they also became idols who endorsed products, sold merchandise, filmed commercials, and even held handshake events for their less popular members.
Magical girl agencies officially entered the public eye, operated entirely by the magical mascots from other worlds.
Saving the city while earning activity funds and compensation payments for battle damages—that's how the magical girl tradition had continued to this day.
"…"
This world really was strange. The victims were demanding compensation for economic losses from their saviors.
Even Amber couldn't help making a slightly twisted expression.
Since when did magical girls become part of the grind?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.