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C194: FRIGHTENED GIANT
“Mixpider is the largest, oldest, and most successful tailor brand in the Demon Capital. It’s run by a trade association of the same name,” says Mr. Shax, a fellow regular tradesman of the demon royal family.
“The fact that it’s the number one brand in the Demon Capital also means that it’s the number one brand in the Demon Kingdom. There are several other clothing brands in the nation, but none of them can compete with Mixpider.”
So, they’re like the supreme ruler of the industry.
“…Um, are you saying that this something-spider is angry at Batemy?”
“I suppose you could say that…”
For a long time, the fashion industry in the Demon Capital has been dominated by Mixpider and has maintained a power balance.
However, the new Demon Queen is wearing a mysterious dress that is not their work.
Not to mention, it’s attracting a lot of attention and becoming highly favored.
For a long-established company that has dominated the market for so long, this mustn’t be favorable to them.
“We’ve been receiving inquiries from Mixpider from time to time ever since our company started handling Madam Batemy’s clothes.”
“Inquiries? What kind?”
“Why, of course, it’s about who’s the tailor behind the clothes.”
Ahh.
Still, Mr. Shax is a professional merchant.
He’s been evading the other party’s pursuit to not breach his duty of confidentiality.
However, the situation has aggravated with the birth of the demon prince, Goetia.
“Why does the birth of the prince have such a huge impact?”
“The circumstances of this matter are unique, so it’s only natural. His Royal Highness Goetia’s clothes are directly involved in this.”
“O-Oh…”
While we were talking, Goetia, who is at an age where he is immensely curious about everything, was touching dragon Veil’s scales while being held by his mother, Astres.
He’s wearing the baby clothes made by Batemy.
Even from where I was sitting, I could see the radiance of its adamantine silk that can repel even a dragon’s fangs.
“The birth of His Royal Highness is something the whole nation should be celebrating. Therefore, Mixpider also made several dozens of baby clothes for the Demon Prince and delivered them to the royal family.”
“Several dozens?!”
I guess one must up their game big-time when dealing with the head of a nation.
“However, His and Her Royal Majesties didn’t accept Mixpider’s works after discussing it with each other.”
“Huh? But why not?!”
“And now, Prince Goetia wears clothes exclusively made by Madam Batemy. For a top brand that dominates the fashion industry, seeing their future ruler wear clothes not made by them is a dreadful issue…”
From that point on, they questioned Mr. Shax more aggressively.
“Who is making those clothes?!”
“What is their name?!”
“Age?!”
“Are they a man or a woman?!”
“Why won’t they show themselves?!”
“Just let us meet them!!!”
Etc.
They said that since he handles the marketing of Batemy’s clothes, he must know something about the person.
“They’re also one of the most important business partners of our company, so we can’t continue to feign ignorance… I was hoping for a solution by discussing this with you and Madam Batemy, the people involved!”
So, that’s why he accompanied Mrs. Astres here?
“Actually, why did you reject their baby clothes, Miss Astres?” asks Batemy, who’s been listening with me, straightforwardly.
She can’t really act like none of this is her concern since she’s directly involved in the issue.
“It’s the very reason why the top brand has their eyes on me, right? The Demon King is a great statesman, and you, Miss Astres, are the closest person who supports him. Why indiscreetly disrupt this harmony?”
“It’s not like I wanted to do it, you know,” says Mrs. Astres as she returns to her seat.
She left to rock Goetia earlier.
“Sensei’s taking care of him now. He’s so good with babies! I could leave Goetia to him without a worry!”
I looked over and saw Sensei the Lifeless King holding the baby high in the air.
Even the baby seems to be having fun.
…
Goetia will surely make a fine king one day!
“Back to the topic at hand, Lord Zedan and I both know what rejecting a work made by a highly-reputed top brand entails. We don’t want to create discord.”
Then why did they disregard their citizen’s goodwill this time?
“You see… It’s not so much our feelings that’s the problem, but the items themselves…” says the demon queen with a look of exhaustion on her face.
“The items themselves?”
“Perhaps it would be better to see it for yourself. Did you bring it, Shax?”
In response to being called, Mr. Shax placed the baby clothes he brought with him on the table.
THUD! They went.
“???”
Wait.
Please wait.
Do clothes usually make such a heavy sound?
These are baby clothes… Right???
It should be much smaller and lighter than adult clothes.
But that thud!
What the hell is this?!
“This is the baby clothes presented by Mixpider, Lord Saint,” says Mrs. Astres to me wearily.
As someone who grew up in a different world, I’ll use the extent of my knowledge and vocabulary to describe my first impression of the clothes in the most accurate way.
“L-Lady G**a?!”
It was just that indescribably over the top.
In addition to the typical parts of a garment, there are way too many dangling decorations.
If a baby wore this, it would be more than twice their size, which would surely attract attention.
Only its degree of flamboyance fits royalty and nothing else.
Sure, the intention of its production may be to represent the demon prince’s majesty, but…
“This isn’t something that can be used on a daily basis, whatever the circumstances may be!”
This was my honest opinion.
It’s just too flashy and daunting with no regard for convenience.
I tried lifting the clothes.
“Too… Ngh, heavy!!!”
It definitely weighs more than the prince himself.
I couldn’t lift it for long, and when I put it back on the table, it made a loud thud again.
“You can’t easily carry a baby in this kind of clothing, it’s even scarier if the baby can’t even hold his own head up yet!”
“That’s why you discussed it with the Demon King and rejected it?”
I had to admit that the Demon King and Queen made the right decision.
What is this veteran brand thinking?!
They’re not even mere professionals in the clothing industry, they’re at the top of it!
Why would they make such superfluous baby clothes?!
“I’m sure they’re getting impatient,” says Shax the merchant seriously.
“The clothes that Madam Batemy created are currently dominating the Demon Capital. All the upper-class demons of the nation are fighting over her clothes, and previous fashion trends have become outdated.”
As the top brand that has dominated the industry for so long, they’re desperately trying to recover to not become a relic of the past.
And the result of their desperation… is these over-the-top baby clothes.
“If memory serves me right, Mixpider has been launching such bizarre products only recently. They used to launch more orthodox works in a more composed style before.”
“Maybe their impatience is leading them astray?”
And them wandering off course is shown in their works.
I can’t even imagine what would happen if they started to stray from their practical ways.
In fact, it’s even showing in the form of their incessant inquiries to Mr. Shax…
“What should we do, Batemy?”
I asked our farm’s tailor.
After all, a company’s rampage doesn’t necessarily concern us.
We probably won’t be criticized for pretending not to know anything. But…
“I’ll do something about it,” says Batemy with considerable dignity.
“I’m the one who caused this in the first place. I’ll do something about it for the sake of the bright future of the demon fashion world!”