Leaving the merchant guild, I went to a nearby clothing store.
Roxanne and Cery are happily choosing clothes.
Indeed, it is a beautiful thing when people get along.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
"No, it's completely fine."
It seems they are still far from finishing their selection.
Well, it's not like Roxanne's shopping would end so quickly.
I sighed once.
There's nothing I can do about it.
"I see."
"Here, which one do you think is better, Master?"
Roxanne brought out two tunics.
It seems she had narrowed down the choices to some extent.
"Roxanne looks beautiful in anything, but—"
"Ah... thank you."
Since there was nothing I could do, I decided to wait until she was done.
"Is this okay?"
"Are you really going to buy new clothes for us?"
Finally, after they finished selecting the clothes, Cery asked.
It seems that the clothes for Cery, being a dwarf, are treated in the same category as children's clothes in this world.
As a result, there are as many types and varieties of children's clothes as there are for adults.
Without dwarves, children's clothes might have been less varied.
"It's fine."
"Thank you. Well, the clothes that slaves wear naturally become the property of their owners."
Cery whispered the last part.
It was an unnecessary comment.
"Also, I'm sorry. Is it okay if I buy this too?"
Roxanne hesitantly brought out additional clothes.
I wish Cery would learn from Roxanne's modesty.
What she brought out was more like a piece of cloth. It was red.
A fundoshi?
"Do you need it?"
"Well, I'm sorry. It started today. It's to keep from soiling my undergarments."
I didn't quite understand, but it seemed necessary.
"Hmm. Well, it's fine."
"Also, I'm sorry."
Roxanne whispered to me.
You're always saying sorry.
"What?"
"It started, so I can't receive your favors tonight."
Roxanne whispered in my ear.
It started.
Her period.
This cloth is probably a substitute for a sanitary pad.
Well, she's human, so it can't be helped.
That's just the way it is.
I wanted to test the power of the succubus skill Vigor Boost tonight, but it seems I have to postpone it.
There are other skills I need to test besides the succubus skill.
After buying the clothes and ingredients and returning home, I sat across the table from Cery.
"What is it?"
"Um, well, you know."
"Yes?"
I made Cery a blacksmith, but I'm not sure how to explain it.
That's the tricky part.
I should probably go with the straightforward approach.
Or rather, I can't think of any other way.
I took a deep breath and declared:
"From today, Cery is a blacksmith."
"Huh?"
Cery was frozen, mouth agape, at the sudden announcement.
"You're surprised, I get it. There are a lot of things that don't go as planned, right?"
"Ah, um..."
"Did you give up on becoming a blacksmith, thinking it was impossible?"
"Um, well..."
I took out a copper sword and a monster card.
"You're a pro now. Try fusing them."
"No, I can't..."
At this point, I had to bluff my way through it.
"Come on, you can do it. You can definitely do it. Keep trying, you can do it."
"But, but..."
"It's okay. There are people who understand. Come on, follow me. Monster Card Fusion. Repeat after me, Monster Card Fusion."
I forced her to do it.
"Monster Card Fusion?"
For some reason, Roxanne repeated it.
No, no.
It won't work if Roxanne does it. She's cute when she's confused, though.
But perhaps Roxanne was influenced by the atmosphere or the momentum, and Cery showed a little more willingness to try.
"...Monster Card Fusion"
She whispered the skill name in a small voice.
When she said it, Cery's eyes widened in surprise.
Cery's job is set to Blacksmith Level 1.
If she says the skill name in that state, what happens?
The skill incantation should come to mind.
Cery looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
"Try to get more passionate."
I made a fist and showed Cery a thumbs-up.
"But, but, how come..."
"By being serious, you can change yourself. By being serious, everything changes. Try fusing these."
I held out the copper sword and the rabbit monster card to Cery.
It's better to create a fait accompli and deal with questions later.
"Is it okay?"
"Whatever you do is fine."
This copper sword has an empty skill slot.
If my hypothesis is correct, the fusion will succeed 100%.
If it fails, it means my hypothesis was wrong, and there's nothing I can do about it.
There's a possibility of fraud, though.
It's said that the materials remain if it fails.
I didn't have time to prepare for that.
"Before that, can I check the skill incantation once?"
She's being cautious.
Is it that smart people are always calm?
"Sure."
"Come now, with the heart that is here, in the shadow of the world, ×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××