On a bright, clear afternoon, I found myself standing before a storefront that radiated an air of undeniable luxury.
Strictly speaking, this was my second time visiting. It was the clothing boutique catering to the nobility where Lilia-san had taken me to buy clothes before the Six Kings Festival. Back then, I had ended up having Alice make my outfit, so the only things I actually purchased were gifts for Lilia-san and Sieg-san. This time, however, I was here for myself.
My goal was to purchase a formal suit for Mitsunaga-kun's wedding. Naturally, the stars of the ceremony would be Mitsunaga-kun and Cattleya-san, not me.
Lilia-san had explained that at a noble wedding, it was a breach of etiquette to wear clothes more extravagant than the couple of the hour. Apparently, guests are usually informed of the appropriate rank of attire beforehand, and they prepare accordingly. The clothes Alice had made for me were exceptional, but since she had used rare materials with reckless abandon, they were far too extravagant for the occasion. I couldn't exactly wear my festival gear to a wedding.
I had considered the suit Lilia-san bought for me shortly after I arrived in this world—the one for the barbecue—but when I asked her about it, she told me the design was two years out of style. She suggested I buy a new one.
Under normal circumstances, I might not have cared, but this was a ceremony with many nobles in attendance. Given that the level of attention on me tended to be strangely high, she insisted I wear something that reflected the latest trends. I could have turned to Alice again, but then I remembered I had never actually bought anything for myself at this shop, so I decided to make the trip.
I would have loved for Lilia-san to join me, but unfortunately, our schedules didn't line up. Instead, I had different company today.
"...W-Wow, it’s huge, isn’t it? Are you sure this is okay? They won't charge us just for stepping inside, will they?"
"Hina-chan, they wouldn't do that. Still, it really is a magnificent shop. I've rarely seen anything this lavish, even among high-end brands back home. I suppose that’s what it means to cater to the nobility."
I had brought along Aoi-senpai and Hina-chan, who were also attending the wedding. They had been planning to look for dresses as well, so the timing was perfect.
"Well, shall we go in? Lilia-san said if we tell them we're here for the wedding and show them this paper describing Mitsunaga-kun and Cattleya-san's attire, they'll pick out something appropriate for us."
"Having an expert handle it is a relief. I'll admit, I'm quite ignorant when it comes to the trends of this world."
"...Aoi-senpai, you make it sound like you were a fashionista back in Japan."
"Hina-chan? Is there something you'd like to say?"
"N-No, nothing at all!"
They were both girls in the prime of their youth, so I assumed they knew a thing or two about fashion—certainly far more than I did.
"I always had the impression you knew your way around luxury brands, Aoi-senpai."
"Hmm, I owned a few things, but I was a student. It feels a bit tacky to walk around decked out in nothing but brand-name items, doesn't it?"
"It's true, Aoi-senpai didn't really flaunt that stuff. I wasn't that interested either; the most I ever had was a bag I got for my birthday."
"Me too. Aside from gifts, I only really had my wallet and my watch."
It was easy to forget, but Aoi-senpai was the daughter of the Kusunoki Group, one of the leading conglomerates in Japan. Hina-chan’s family was equally elite: her grandfather was a member of the Diet, her parents were doctors, and her oldest brother—the firstborn, not Akira—was a lawyer. By any standard, they both came from serious high-society backgrounds.
"Hearing you guys talk about it really drives home that your families are loaded."
"Well, it’s not like we're the ones who are impressive."
"Exactly. Besides, Kaito-san, your financial power in this world is on a whole different level."
"That's not really my doing, either..."
"Ahaha, I guess we’re all in the same boat, then."
We chatted casually as we entered. A clerk greeted us with an elegant bow.
"Welcome to our establishment. Oh? If I am not mistaken, this is your second visit to our shop, sir."
"Ah, you remembered me?"
"Of course. It is an honor to serve you again. How may we assist you today?"
The thought suddenly hit me. Last time, Pandora-san had secretly swapped places with the staff. This was a shop under the Phantasm King's umbrella, wasn't it?
Perhaps that was why. The clerk recognized me instantly, even though I had only been here once, two years ago.
...Pandora-san isn't going to pop out today, right? Last time was partly to give a formal greeting, so surely it won't happen again. Probably. Still, since I was with Aoi-senpai and Hina-chan, I made a mental note to tell Alice to keep Pandora-san away.
Serious-senpai: "The junior duo has been getting quite a lot of screen time since Part 2 started. Was their treatment in Part 1 just that bad?"
???: "Well, they still can't hold a candle to Seigi-san."
Serious-senpai: "...Seriously, I wonder how many more chapters it’ll take before he finally gets another line. It’s been forever since the Hydra incident..."