She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter SS

EX:

Cats, Underwear, and Firsts

NINE SPIRES rose toward the noonday sun above the Sacred City of Silverhorn, located in the southwest corner of the Kingdom of Alcait. Both the symbol of the city and the seat of magical research on the continent, the Linked Silver Towers were beloved by mages and tourists alike.

A gate situated along the high wall surrounding the tower compound allowed access to the city’s main street, and it was through this gate that a fairy passed. She repeated words to herself over and over, almost like a chant. But it wasn’t a magical incantation—it was a shopping list.

Mariana, attendant to the Elder of the Tower of Evocation, was on a mission to make sure Mira’s next visit would be a bit less scandalous. Master Danblf had entrusted her with the care of his precious pupil, and she would not fail him.

Well, he hadn’t actually said that… He’d been missing for thirty years. But it was what he would have wanted, and that was all that mattered.

Now, what should I buy first? 

She pondered this and was struck by the memory of when she first met Mira, half-asleep and mostly naked.

Right, let’s start with a nightgown.

She triumphantly made her way toward a shop specializing in bedwear. The sign above the door was emblazoned with the mascot of a stuffed animal that looked like a cross between a bear and a pig. “Pookey Bear” was printed below the whimsical picture, and the store specialized in all things sleep. Founded in Lunatic Lake, the establishment sold fashionable and practical goods. The Silverhorn branch was brand-new.

Inside, Mariana found a directory and located ladieswear on the second floor. The number of customers and the endless aisles of products were nearly overwhelming, but she soon found the sleepwear section and began her hunt.

Then came the difficult task of choosing. She personally preferred plain, undecorated nightgowns, but it seemed that styles for young ladies had changed radically to favor eccentric prints and lacy frills. What would Mira like? Arranging Master Danblf’s treasures and keeping the quarters tidy were one thing, but selecting sleepwear for a girl she’d only met once was something else entirely.

A bit farther down the aisle, a young girl and her mother were shopping as well. The girl seemed about the same age as Mira, and after a quick look through some of the options, she picked one up and exclaimed, “This is so cute!”

“It is,” her mother agreed. “I’m sure it’ll look great on you. Let’s go try it on.”

Waiting until the pair moved away, Mariana rushed over to see what the girl had been looking at. It was a section of nightgowns sharing a similar design, but in differing sizes. Which begged a question: What size did Mira wear?

Mariana held her hands in the air, widening and narrowing them to try and remember Mira’s general shape.

“Maybe something like this?” she murmured when her hands were roughly shoulder-width apart. Looking at her reflection in a nearby mirror, she realized the Mira had been almost the same size as herself. That would be handy—if she found something that fit her, then by extension, it should fit Mira as well.

The shop had everything from animal print pajamas to see-through negligees. Mariana picked one of the former, thinking it more appropriate for a girl of Mira’s age. The loose-fitting pair of purple pajamas had a sleepy-looking version of the store’s mascot printed on the chest.

Decision made, she took the outfit to the counter, and as the clerk rang her up, she saw the same mother and child she’d seen before. The girl was picking up all sorts of items and declaring them to be “cute” before piling them into the waiting hands of her mother.

If they were all cute, then what did cute even mean? Still unsure, Mariana left the bedwear store pondering a new philosophical conundrum.

Where to next?

She glanced around the main street and spotted a souvenir shop on the other side of the road.

The Sacred City of Silverhorn, a holy land to mages, was a well-known tourist attraction. Accordingly, the main street was home to a great many shops offering trinkets and keepsakes. Goods related to the Nine Wise Men were commonplace, and the shop Mariana stood before seemed to focus on apparel.

She didn’t know who they would appeal to, but the products hanging from the eaves were all replicas of the Wise Men’s costumes. This included replicas of the Elders’ robes in both adult and child sizes, Soul Howl’s favorite ominous cloak, and even Danblf’s treasured rainbow loincloth.

“That’s right, undergarments,” she said with a nod after staring at the souvenirs for a moment. The first time they had met, Mira was missing underwear. That wouldn’t do at all.

She strolled down the boulevard to the lingerie shop Litte-Lotte. Inside, the shop was airy and bright, decorated with pastel colors, with an open atrium in the center for customers to rest. Most of the clientele this morning were ladies.

Fashion on the continent was highly informed by the days when the world had been a game. The players had introduced a wide range of cultures to what should have been a classical fantasy game—and the realm of women’s underwear made that cultural influx apparent.

Mariana stood and gawked at a rack of panties that looked considerably more decorative than she was comfortable with. For a fairy given to wearing modest drawers and slips, this was uncharted territory.

Do these even count as underwear?!

She picked up a pair from the shelf and unfolded it. “This is what they call panties?”

An impulse seized her, and she looked around to make sure she wasn’t being watched. Then she held them before her hips and imagined what they’d look like on her frame.

They’re pretty…but not really my style.

It was sort of like trying on jewelry, but with an extra little thrill. Unfortunately, these just weren’t appropriate, and her shoulders slumped as she felt slightly dejected. Still, no matter—she had a mission to complete.

But the more she looked, the more questions she had. What was Mira’s taste in underwear? There were so many styles after all. And what was fashionable? What did they keep around for people who didn’t care about fashion? She wore a pensive look on her face as her options piled up with no clear answers.

“Oh my, if it isn’t Miss Mariana. What an unusual place to bump into you,” a familiar voice called.

“Oh, Miss Lythalia. Good morning. What a…coincidence.” As she bowed to her counterpart and friend, she caught sight of the bag Lythalia was carrying.

“Do you shop here often?” she asked the elven assistant to the Tower of Sorcery.

“Oh, this shop is one of my favorites,” Lythalia said, looking as if she’d been dying for Mariana to ask. “I’ve been coming here ever since it opened.”

A wave of calm swept over Mariana—her savior had arrived.

“Oh, that’s excellent! I need your assistance.” The fairy reached out and grabbed Lythalia’s free hand with a pleading look in her eye. “This is my first time here, and I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Well, now, you don’t say? Of course I’ll help.” That was just who Lythalia was. Besides, it would be fun using her friend as a dress-up doll for a bit. “Now then, what is it that you’re looking for? Something cute? Something pretty? Something sexy, perhaps?”

The question flustered Mariana a little, but she quickly regained her composure and thought about what might suit Mira the best.

“Something cute, I think,” she said decisively. Mira was cute; ergo, she needed cute underwear.

“I see.” Lythalia gave Mariana’s body a quick up-and-down glance. “Not particularly adventurous, but it’s your first time. And what color?”

“Color?” Mariana muttered. This was a question where she could actually put her feng shui to use. What aspect would best suit Mira’s disposition and fortune? “A light green would be best, I think.”

Light green, the color of new grass, would improve health and bring stability. Mariana nodded at her choice. The health of Master Danblf’s pupil was always paramount, and gods knew the girl needed some stability.

“Light green,” Lythalia parroted, then slipped past, catching Mariana’s hand to pull the fairy along in her wake. “I can see that. Let’s take a quick look.”

Soon, Lythalia was rummaging through the shelves like a seasoned pro. After watching her for a few moments, Mariana took a peek at the shelf behind her. Then she turned back to the shelf Lythalia was browsing and puzzled over what the difference was—they seemed almost identical to her, but apparently, there was some subtle difference she was missing.

“I’m glad to have bumped into you. It makes me so happy that you’re finally showing an interest in fashion,” Lythalia remarked as her hand snaked out to snag a pair of cute light-green panties. The elven woman arched an eyebrow as she looked back at her friend. “And starting with underwear instead of clothes? I can’t wait to see where this goes!”

Mariana’s eyes went wide. “Oh, but this isn’t for me, it’s—”

She was cut off as Lythalia forced six pairs of panties with matching camisoles into her hands. “For your first time, I’d recommend these!”

“No, but I—”

“They’ll look great on you. Look, the changing room is over here. Let’s go try them on.”

Protests ignored and overwhelmed by her sense of duty to improve her friend’s undergarment situation, Lythalia grasped the fairy by the shoulders and marched her to the fitting room. Before she could say anything further, Mariana heard the curtain slide closed behind her.

Alone, she let out a sigh…but as she saw herself reflected in the mirror, she reconsidered. Mira’s physique was almost the same as her own, so perhaps there was a silver lining to this mix-up. Taking off her clothes and putting them on a shelf, she gazed at herself in the large, full-length mirror. The hem of her slip rode across her upper thighs and her drawers just peeked out from underneath. It was what she’d always worn, and she wasn’t really interested in reinventing her brand.

Running her hands along the hem of her slip, she gently pulled it off and picked up the camisole. A few moments later, she was sliding the new panties over her hips to complete the ensemble.

“What do you think?” Mariana peeked through a crack in the curtain, but Lythalia whipped the curtain back so she could get the full picture.

“You look spectacular! Better than I imagined!”

Mariana’s body was modest but pleasantly proportioned. Her sapphire hair hung softly around her shoulders, and the light-green underwear gently hugged the contours of her pale skin.

“Th-this is kind of embarrassing!” Mariana squeaked before tugging the curtain back to protect herself from the gaze of other customers.

“All right, now try on the others!” Lythalia commanded.

A diamond in the rough. Lythalia had always known there was potential buried in Mariana, but she was surprised at the difference just one pair of underwear had made. She smirked and tried to suppress her excitement for future makeovers and fashion outings with her friend.

Behind the curtain, Mariana looked at herself in the mirror once more.

“It doesn’t suit me,” she muttered.

“That’s not true! Mariana, you are beautiful!” Lythalia said, peeking her head inside the curtain. “And a beautiful girl deserves beautiful clothes.”

The statement warmed Mariana’s heart, but only for a moment. “But I…”

Taking this matter into her own hands before Mariana chickened out and turned back from the path of fashion, Lythalia burst into the fitting room and closed the curtain behind her. As she made a point-by-point commentary on just how attractive Mariana was, she helped her friend dress in the different underclothes—some sleek, some frilly with ribbons and lace.

Feeling somewhat like a dress-up doll, Mariana listened to what Lythalia was saying as though it were a dream. She fantasized about being just a little bit taller.

“Thank you for helping me find these,” Mariana said with a bow after the pair had checked out. All six of Lythalia’s suggestions were tucked neatly into her bag.

“Whenever you want to do it again, just let me know! I’ll always be glad to help.”

Lythalia still had no idea the underwear was for Mira, but Mariana was happy to let it be a misunderstanding. Instead, she gave a little nod and bid her friend a good afternoon.

After parting ways in front of the store, Mariana found a bench in the small nearby plaza and sat down with a tired little sigh. The plaza was crowded with tourists and stalls, and you could see all nine of the Linked Silver Towers from here. All about her, people looked up and marveled at the sight.

As she sat, she gazed blankly at the Tower of Evocation and thought of panties.

Maybe by mixing and matching colors, I can fine-tune my fate.

With feng shui in play, lingerie was suddenly a more interesting field than she’d expected. She’d discovered a new aspect of herself—one that included cute underwear.

Master Danblf… What would he think if he saw them? Would he think they were…cute?

In her mind’s eye, the figure of Master Danblf superimposed itself over the Tower of Evocation. Suddenly, her face went even redder than it had been in the fitting room, and she tugged at a lock of hair that fell over her shoulder. Perhaps her interest in underwear went beyond simple feng shui.

As Mariana writhed in embarrassment, she heard something creeping up beside her. She spun toward the presence and found only her shopping bag, but for some reason, it was jostling and shaking. With trepidation, she reached toward the rustling bag, wondering if this was common behavior for modern lingerie.

But just as her hand touched the handle, a cat poked its head out, something small stuck in its mouth—a pair of her new panties.

Their eyes met, and after a brief standoff, the cat growled and took off like a bolt of lightning.

“Oh, kitty, please give that back!” Jumping to her feet, she grabbed her shopping bag and darted off after the cat onto a side street.

Unlike the main street, the side streets were narrow and packed with smaller shops that served the locals more than the tourists. Tools, arms and armor, food vendors—each shop had its own particular offering, but all of them catered to adventurers and craftsmen.

This was the cat’s home turf, and it raced along the street, dodging Mariana’s grasp as it scampered through stalls and back alleys.

Mariana realized she couldn’t keep up on foot. She spread her wings and gently took flight on the ambient currents of mana. As she was a fairy, her wings were delicate things never meant to be aerodynamically sound; rather, she could glide on the air’s ambient magic and turn quickly to match the cat’s every move.

Flying slightly below the rooftops to keep sight of the cat while avoiding pedestrians and stalls, she quickly got within range of her target. With a swoop, she reached for the felonious feline.

“Ah!”

It abruptly changed directions, as if sensing her apprehensive attempt. It plunged into a narrow gap between buildings that was too small for Mariana to squeeze through.

“Please don’t run, kitty!” she called as she peeked into the crevice. The cat didn’t reply, but it did keep running to the street on the other side.

With an indignant huff, Mariana spread her wings and took flight again just as a man emerged from a nearby store.

“Miss Mariana? Is something the matter?” he asked in surprise, bags dangling from both hands. He wore robes embellished with a special mark labeling him as one of the few researchers from the Tower of Evocation.

“Can’t talk now. A cat just took my underwear,” she blurted out before taking off in a hurry.

Her explanation was short and lacking, but the researchers who worked within the Silver Towers were the best of the best when it came to discerning the truth from even the smallest bit of information. His mind set to work at once to solve the problem based on the clues available.

The subject: Mariana’s underwear. 

The situation: Taken by a cat. In other words, stolen.

But what was particularly important was the item of underwear. He began with a clear picture of Mariana within his mind. Then, using skill that only a true master could attain, he removed clothes from the imaginary Mariana piece by piece until he hit the end of the line.

She wasn’t busty enough to need a brassiere, which left only one thing to be stolen.

If a cat had stolen her underwear, that meant Miss Mariana wasn’t wearing any—

Realizing what this all must mean, the researcher cast aside the bags and ran off in pursuit.

He never considered how the panties someone was wearing could be stolen right off them. But the moment Mariana had said the word “underwear,” all rationality had flown out the window.

Meanwhile, the cat scampered from back alley to side street, exhibiting masterful footwork and leading Mariana on a merry chase. Somehow, she managed to keep sight of it. 

At the end of a narrow path was a bench, upon which sat two elderly gentlemen chatting with each other. Both were well-built for their age and bore the scars of old battles across their arms and faces like medals. A cat ran briskly by the pair, followed soon after by a fairy wearing a maid’s uniform.

“Wasn’t that Miss Mariana? The way she’s chasing after that cat reminds me of Mistress Kagura,” one of the two said, staring off after the pair and chuckling.

“What are you talking about? Mistress Kagura was always chasing thunder beasts. They look like cats, but they’re not the same.”

“In all fairness, I think she used to chase thunder beasts because they look like cats. Just loved cats, that woman did. Damnedest thing—we were fighting a cat-type monster once and she switched sides and fought with the enemy.”

As the two veterans sat reminiscing about days gone by, a large group of men hustled past.

“Now, that there reminded me of the chase for Mistress Artesia.”

“You know, me too.”

A cry went up from the group as they hurried off. They were clearly driven by animal desire, which added to the uncanny resemblance.

“Did you know she was a widow? She was calm, caring, and gentle. Men would follow her to hell and back if she asked.”

“You don’t have to tell me. Mistress Artesia couldn’t fight to save her own life, being a cleric and all—but she could bless the devil out of her troops! Never had a shortage of fighters willing to swing a sword on her behalf.”

The old men sat and remembered bloody battlefields where the fight had been carried by morale and adoration for the Mistress of the Tower of the Holy.

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

The pair looked up at the blue skies and the tranquility set their spirits at ease.

Meanwhile, Mariana finally cornered the cat at the end of an alleyway. With one running and one flying, the only escape for the cat would be in climbing the wall, but Mariana’s flight gave her the edge. The cat watched warily and waited for a chance to slip around her side.

“All right, kitty. Time to give it back,” she said as she moved in closer, but the cat growled and maintained its distance. It was a standoff.

“Oh, right!” With a sudden flash of inspiration, Mariana pulled a small bag from her skirt pocket and emptied it into her palm. “Hey, kitty, how about a trade?”

In her hand were two cookies—plain and sugar-free. She’d made them that morning to carry as the day’s lucky item. She slowly advanced, hand outstretched, and the cat’s nose twitched.

Lured in by the scent, the cat tossed aside the neatly folded panties in its mouth and pounced upon the cookies. It must have been hungry because it ravenously tore into the snacks. Mariana gave the cat a gentle pat, then dropped the treats on the ground and backed away. Quietly, she crept around the munching animal and reclaimed her wayward undergarment.

“Well, then, time to head home, I suppose,” she muttered and sighed in exhaustion. Glancing at the cat, she fluttered into the sky and headed back toward the Tower of Evocation.

Below, the group of men who’d heard that a cat had stolen her panties rushed into the alleyway.

The tower researcher leading the group looked between the cat, who was absorbed in eating the cookies, and Mariana flying away and instantly grasped the situation. The cat had given away the treasure in exchange for the treat.

But upon closer inspection, this was no ordinary cat. The cat who had been Mariana’s adversary for the day was famous among the citizenry of Silverhorn. Known as Tenok, the Heavenly Hunter, his hunting grounds were the plazas about the city where he preyed upon souvenirs of tourists who had stopped to gawk at the towers. 

His aim was to snag snacks and other morsels from shopping bags, but in a pinch, any item would do.

To the men, this heist must have been the cat’s greatest achievement—for this was the time that Tenok stole Mariana’s panties. The accomplishment quickly became legend, and he was admired and revered for act of sheer moxie. Men across the city began to make offerings to Tenok, no doubt reducing the damage done to tourists’ souvenir purchases.

But soon, another anomalous occurrence arose.

Cats began flipping girls’ skirts. Testimony from one victim stated that she’d been looking at the Silver Towers when Tenok jumped up and pulled at her skirt—and at the same time, a chill ran up her spine, as though someone was staring at her from afar.

What mystery lurks in the Sacred City of Silverhorn?

The culprit may be closer than you think.