Chapter Fifty Eight: Classy Girl

“If only you weren’t so painfully weak!” That’s what I always find myself telling Meila.
We could have gone on real adventures together if she had even a little magic. But after what happened in the Nightmare Forest, I doubt she’ll ever want to face a monster again.
When I returned home after my fight with the four Elementals, I was greeted not by silence but by a mountain of shopping bags piled on the cushions of the living room. Meila sat nearby, busy checking through the items inside.
“Oh, you’re back,” she said, her tone casual as though nothing had happened.
“Yes, I’m back,” I replied.
“Good timing. I just returned from shopping myself. Duddul even let me ride on him.”
“I can already guess the shopping part,” I muttered.
“I also bought you some new clothes. Don’t you think it’s boring to always wear those creepy black clothes? Since I’m such a nice person, I went through the trouble of picking them out for you. Aren’t I great?” She rummaged through one of the bags and pulled out two outfits.
The first set was a long gray shirt that reached down past my knees, paired with thick, dark red trousers that looked like jeans. The second was an orange shirt with a bird embroidered across the back, coupled with steel-blue trousers. She’d even gotten two pairs of footwear—boots and slippers.
“You bought all that for me? Not bad,” I admitted, surprised she had an eye for men’s clothing.
“I know, right? Be thankful I even thought about you,” she said smugly, then gathered the rest of the bags—at least five of them—and stood up.
I narrowed my eyes. Was she hiding something?
I called out just before she left the room. “Tell me, where did you get the money for all this? If I recall correctly, you don’t have any money. Or am I wrong?”
“Hick!” She froze, caught off guard.
“Wait… don’t tell me you used my money!?”
“So what if I did!?” she shot back before bolting to her room. “It’s not like you ever use it!”
Her door slammed with a sharp bang.
I sighed. Yes, I rarely spent any money—but did that give her the right to use it without permission? Still… part of me couldn’t help but feel oddly happy. She had thought about me enough to buy clothes, even if most of her shopping was for herself.
While she sulked in her room, I decided to cook. She’d probably eaten something in town, but I still wanted to prepare enough for us both. It was my way of saying thanks for the clothes—even if it was technically my money she used.
As I was cooking, I heard her door open, followed by the bathroom door. She was taking a bath while I prepared the food. How ironic—me cooking while she relaxed. Maybe that’s why she bought me clothes. I hadn’t cared about my appearance in a while, not since I’d gotten caught up with the dungeon.
I focused on the food, experimenting with ingredients and flavors. If I pulled this off, she’d be stunned by my cooking. But just as the aroma began to fill the house, Meila stepped into the living room.
And I froze.
She looked completely transformed.
Her long dress shimmered like silk, pure white with sparkles that caught the light. Silver heels made her legs seem longer, while a ribbon tied back her glossy brown hair. Her face was carefully done with makeup, accentuating her features until she looked like a completely different person.
Badump. Badump.
“Who… who are you?” I stammered.
She smiled, striking a model’s pose with one hand on her waist. “What do you think?”
I could barely form words. “You… you look so different…”
“Huhu~ Just thought I should act more girly now that I don’t need my deception gear anymore. Beautiful, right?”
“Beautiful… yes… it’s beautiful.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
She giggled, then hurried off. “Wait here. I’ll change into another outfit.”
I nodded dumbly, forgetting all about the food as I sat there grinning like an idiot.
She returned later in another dress, colorful and flowing, her hair styled differently this time. She sighed, brushing it aside. “This is why I don’t like my brown hair. It never matches flashy clothes.”
“That’s not true!” I blurted. “It’s perfect. I really like it!”
Her face flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly. “You’re just saying that.”
“I’m not! I mean it.”
Her lips curved into a small smile. “I-It makes me happy to hear that…”
We kept going through the outfits, each one showing a side of Meila I hadn’t seen before—elegant, shy, playful. And with each change, I realized how much I had underestimated her. She wasn’t just the stubborn nuisance I thought she was.
But when she returned to her usual blue shirt and shrugged, saying she felt “more comfortable in these,” I couldn’t help but chuckle. Typical Meila. She hid herself behind her casual clothes, even when she could look like a shining noblewoman.
Before I could say anything else, the smell of burning hit my nose.
“The food!!” I dashed into the kitchen, coughing as smoke poured out. The dish I had poured my effort into was nothing but blackened ash. My heart sank.
“What a shame,” I muttered, “I wanted to impress her.”
Sighing, I set the ruined pot aside and quickly prepared something simpler—noodles. It wasn’t glamorous, but at least it would fill our stomachs.
By the time I carried the steaming plates to the dining room, I felt calmer. I went to fetch Meila from her room, worried she might still be upset. But when I peeked in, I found her rolling on the bed, hugging a pillow with a wide smile on her face.
“What…?” I whispered. I had expected her to be sulking or angry. But instead, she looked happy.
She noticed me and yelped. “Wh-What are you doing in my room!?” Her face turned scarlet. She threw the pillow at me. “I hate you!!”
I barely managed to close the door before it hit me.
Her words didn’t sting. Not when I had seen the smile she tried to hide.
“Food is ready!” I called.
“I don’t want it!” she yelled back.
But in the end, she still took the plate from my hand, snatching it like a mouse grabbing food before shutting the door again.
I sighed, chuckling to myself. For all her stubbornness, she was eating what I made. That was enough.
Later, when my stomach was full, I felt the urge to fly. Taking Duddul with me, I soared into the sky, heading northwest. Beyond the towns and hills, I spotted a massive mansion surrounded by a strange purple barrier—the same one I had seen on the way back from Taht’s town. My curiosity burned, but I kept flying.
Minutes later, I saw an abandoned cart on the roadside. Scattered objects—possibly bodies—lay beside it.
I slowed down, my heart tightening.
I knew things in this world rarely worked in my favor… but I couldn’t ignore something like this.