Dante woke up warm.
Way too warm.
The straw mattress was still lumpy, the room still drafty, but there was something else this time.
Something soft.
Something breathing.
He blinked.
Blinked again. This time he saw something.
Hana was curled against him, her arm draped over his chest, her head tucked neatly under his chin.
The [Gourmet Meal] buff was still humming through his body, but this warmth?
This was Hana.
Her hair smelled faintly of smoke and honey, and every time she exhaled, it tickled his collarbone.
Dante froze, like moving might break the moment, or trigger some hidden skill check he wasn't ready for.
'I… feel good,' he thought, dazed.
Across the room, Rin-Rin was still dead asleep, her pink hair glowing in the morning light like glitter.
Shivvy sat up on her cot, dark circles under her eyes, staring into nothing.
And she was still wearing the rags she had been summoned in.
The same tattered and bloody leather armor.
The "bank alt" uniform.
Dante's "Producer" brain kicked in.
The scene didn't match the vibe.
He felt like a Level 3 buffed-up commander.
And his party looked like a disaster.
A farmer. A circus performer. And a victim.
'Yeah. Major branding issue.'
His gaze shifted to the table. To the bag.
The heavy, leather sack Reeve Murdoch had given him. It was full of silver.
He had funds now.
"Okay," Dante said, his voice quiet but firm.
The two women who were awake looked at him.
"We're going shopping."
***
Dante grabbed the bag. It was heavy.
He had no clue how much it was worth, or how this world's money even worked.
Last time he "bought" something, he just threw down a shiny [Aethelgard Silver Piece] and ran.
Total panic move.
He turned to Hana. His "Support." Basically, the adult of the group.
"Hana… you know about this stuff, right?"
He lifted the bag.
Hana set her sewing aside and walked over, calm as always.
She untied the bag and poured a few coins into her hand.
They weren't perfect polished coins. These were rough; handmade, uneven, some chipped.
"It's good silver, My husband," she said, all business.
"Just not official mint. This one's a 'King's Mark,' this one's an old 'Baron's Clip.' It's all priced by weight."
She weighed the bag in her hand.
"This is a lot, My husband. Enough to buy… well, a lot."
'Thank god she was my CFO.'.
"Right," Dante said, turning toward Shivvy. She was still sitting on her cot.
"Shivvy."
She twitched.
"You're with us," he said, gentle but firm. "Hana. Rin-Rin."
Rin-Rin groaned, burying her face in the pillow.
"Producer-sama… the sun's too yellow!"
"Up," Dante ordered. "We're getting costumes."
That word did the trick.
Rin-Rin shot up, her eyes sparkling.
"A comeback stage outfit?!"
"Something like that," Dante said, totally lying.
***
Mistress Gable's shop smelled like wool, dried fish, and soap.
Getting there had been rough.
The whole village stared, like, stopped-what-they-were-doing stared.
Farmers, smiths, even kids with baskets just froze as the "heroes" of Oakhaven walked by.
They saw the tall "Pajama-Mage" in fresh clothes (Dante).
The calm, motherly woman with an apron (Hana).
And the glowing, neon-pink witch who looked like a festival accident (Rin-Rin).
"Producer-sama!" Rin-Rin whispered, grinning. "They're obsessed! I need bodyguards!"
"You need a cloak," Dante muttered, trying not to die of secondhand embarrassment.
'Huhhhh my "Producer" problems had officially become PR problems now.'
Inside the shop, Mistress Gable greeted them with a respectful bow.
"Lord Mage," she said, voice trembling a little. "And honored guests. The Reeve told us… what you did."
For once, Dante didn't freeze. And he wasn't awkward.
He was just a customer now.
"We need clothes," he said. "For my assistants."
His eyes went straight to the trembling figure hiding behind him.
"Hana," he said quietly. "Take Shivvy. Get her everything. Best stuff you've got. And whatever she wants."
Hana smiled warmly. "Of course, Creator."
She reached out and took Shivvy's small, shaking hand. Shivvy hesitated… then let her.
"Come, dear," Hana said softly.
"Let's find you something warm. This won't do."
She led her toward a row of tunics. Dante watched, the whole room fading away for a moment.
Hana picked up a soft green tunic and held it against Shivvy's shoulders.
"This color would look lovely on you," she said gently. "It brings out your eyes."
Shivvy... looked at it.
She reached out a hesitant, trembling finger. She touched the fabric.
It was soft.
Her tattered leather was stiff. Bloody. Ruined.
It was a uniform of her old life.
But this…
"I... I..." Shivvy's voice was a dry whisper.
"Try it on," Hana urged, her smile never wavering.
Shivvy disappeared behind the curtain with her new outfit.
When she came out… she didn't look like the same person.
The green tunic was a little too big, hanging loose on her thin frame, but it was clean, warm, like something belongs to her.
Hana wasn't done.
"And boots," she said firmly. "No more running around barefoot."
She found a small pair of soft leather boots.
Shivvy sat down, slid her dirty feet into them.
They fit perfectly.
Now she had boots. A warm cloak. A sturdy belt. Dark wool trousers.
Hana paid Mistress Gable silver coins, and turned back to Dante.
Shivvy stood there quietly, clutching her cloak. She didn't look like a ghost anymore.
She's a little girl now.
She looked up at Dante, her eyes still a bit hollow, but a bit softer now.
She gave a tiny and shaky nod of thanks.
Dante nodded back, swallowing hard.
One problem down.
Now... the other one.
Dante turned to Rin-Rin. She was already tapping her foot, unimpressed.
"Producer-sama! This shop's fashion rating? Zero stars! Everything's so peasant!"
Dante sighed and pulled her aside.
"Rin-Rin," he said quietly, "look outside."
She peeked through the window. The villagers were still there.
"They're mobbing us," Dante said. "You're too recognizable. Too famous. We need to go incognito."
Rin-Rin froze, eyes wide.
"A secret identity?" she whispered, like he'd just pitched the best drama ever.
"Exactly," Dante said smoothly. "Every real star has one. You can't be 'Rin-Rin the Idol' all the time. You need a mysterious traveler vibe, dark, secretive, and cool."
Honestly, it was the best lie he'd ever told.
Rin-Rin gasped, practically vibrating.
"A mysterious concept?! That's so edgy! I love it! I need a cloak! The darkest one you have! And a deep hood!"
She spun toward the counter.
"Shopkeep! Your most mysterious cloak, don't ask why!"
Before she could grab something ridiculous, Hana stepped in. She found a deep-blue traveler's cloak, plain but sturdy, made from heavy wool.
It was perfect.
Rin-Rin threw it over her neon-pink, glittering dress. The result a bit chaos and genius.
A glowing idol hidden under monk-core aesthetic.
She pulled the hood up, lowering her voice dramatically.
"Who am I? What are my secrets? The fans will freak!"
Dante just exhaled.
"Problem two… kinda solved."
***
They walked out of the shop.
Dante.
Hana (who had bought a simple, new apron and some mending-thread).
Shivvy (in her new green-and-brown outfit, her [Iron Dagger] now on a new belt).
And Rin-Rin (a mysterious blue-cloaked... thing... that occasionally glittered pink at the hem).
They looked... almost... like a real adventuring party.
They returned to the inn, their [Gourmet Meal] buff still effecting them.
And they had silver left. A lot of it.
But Hana wasn't done.
She took some of the [Leather Scraps] and [Linen] she'd had Dante buy.
She sat by the fire. Her hands, calloused and capable, began to work.
Her [Crafting (Adept)] skill was quiet. Efficient.
An hour later, she presented them with three sturdy [Traveler's Packs].
They weren't "digital" items from an [Inventory]. They were real. He could smell the leather.
She handed one to Dante.
She handed one to a hooded mysterious Rin-Rin.
And she handed the last, smallest one, to Shivvy.
Shivvy just... held it.
She ran her fingers over the new buckles.
Dante shouldered his own pack.
'It felt... good.'
He felt prepared now.
And his team... his team was finally geared up.
They were ready for whatever this world threw at them next.