Chapter 224 - Chapter 224
“Well then, we’re off.”
The main event for today was buying outdoor clothes for Mion—no, not really fishing clothes, more like general outdoor apparel.
Anyway, if we were buying that kind of clothing, a large store specializing in outdoor brands would be better than a typical department store.
A fishing tackle superstore would also be fine, but I felt like it’d be a problem if she wore something too shabby. She is a young lady, after all.
"Does Shizuku-san always pick out your clothes?"
"Yeah."
"I see..."
Almost all of Mion's casual clothes are dresses. Well, they do suit her.
I thought a white dress and straw hat wouldn't quite fit an outdoor store, so I had her change into one of her few plain white shirts and a navy long skirt.
She stood out even in the department store basement...
"I just thought of something, a stylist? Doesn't her company have someone like that?"
Mion shook her head at the question.
It's an entertainment agency, so I figured they'd employ someone like that...
“Stylists have their own agencies. Some are privately contracted, but they’d be exclusive to a specific talent.”
Tsubaki-san replied through the speaker.
So that's how it is.
“Also, most of the staff don’t know about the young lady.”
"Oh, really?"
Mion nodded repeatedly.
Well, I don't really know anyone from my mom's workplace either, so maybe it's just how it is.
Since her home and workplace are the same, I thought they'd cross paths somehow, but I guess most people just don't go up to that floor.
“By the way, will you only be buying one outfit today?”
"Uh, well, that was the plan."
“Considering future needs, I believe it would be better to purchase two or three outfits.”
"Huh, I don't mind, but these purchases count as necessary expenses, right?"
“Yes. I’ve already consulted Kumano-sensei about the payment amount for the end of May. I believe it would be wise to take tax countermeasures sooner rather than later…”
Come to think of it, she earned over 300,000 yen from her first live stream, didn't she?
According to Bell-bucho, she said that not only do super chats count, but also advertising revenue based on video views gets added... I feel like my sense of money is getting warped, and that's dangerous.
No, wait, it's Mion's channel, so it's fine to use it for Mion, right? It's an expense for Mion, after all.
"Alright then, let's find something you like."
"Mhm."
Well, if we get stuck, we can just pick different colors.
The classic pink and white would be cute too.
*
"Phew."
Two hours passed as they repeatedly picked out clothes and tried them on.
In the end, they bought three full outfits and returned home. Though 'home' means Mion's house.
"Welcome back. You must be tired. I'll make some tea."
"Mhm."
Mion pulled him along, and he sank onto the living room sofa.
I'm not exactly exhausted, but it feels like it's been a long time since I walked around in real life on a day off.
Full-dive VR only makes you feel like you're exercising, so I really need to be careful...
"Here you go."
"Oh, thanks."
He took a sip of the perfectly warm tea she brought, letting out a relieved sigh.
Mion nudged him and... showed him her tablet.
"A message from Bell-bucho?"
"Yeah."
I wondered if it was okay for me to see a message addressed to Mion, but Mion opened it without a second thought...
"A new IRO PV? Ah, a new World Quest just started, so..."
Wait. Last time, Lupi and I were perfectly captured playing around in the PV, weren't we? Is there a chance I'm in this one too?
Mion activated the holographic display and opened the official page, and right in the center, prominently displayed, was the 'Newest World Quest PV'.
No, I can't be in this one, right? It says 'World Quest PV', after all...
"?"
"Ah, yeah. Let's watch it."
The playback began, and the video filled the entire holographic display.
And then... an aerial view rapidly zoomed in, showing a horde of goblins, orcs, and their higher-ranking variants. Was this the end of the previous World Quest?
“Fire!”
"Oh, it's Natto!"
An arrow shower rained down from atop the provisional city walls, and next to appear was Bell-bucho.
The screen cut away as a [Fireball] flew and exploded, and this time, it was Leona-sama.
Using twin blades, she carved through the goblins as if performing a dance.
"Too amazing..."
As if it were an afterthought, she rescued a Winged Folk struggling against an Orc Leader, and moved on to the next enemy without a glance.
With a two-handed attack that felt like a finisher, the screen cut.
Where is it this time? Whoa, are those three-meter tall ones Giantkin...? Which would be the northern part of the Empire, right?
Some powerful-looking guy was going "Hyah-hah!" So this place was an easy win? The Giantkin were overwhelming them with their inherent power too.
Next up, the Principality, maybe? This place looks pretty tough. Was it purely a lack of fighting power?
Still, the Elves are active here. Were these NPCs?
The screen cut again, and since it's the end, it must be that Holy Nation.
It looks like the monsters are really pushing forward. Or rather, can they even hold out anymore?
“Leave this to me and go on ahead!”
Was that an Uruk? A tank, blocking a boss monster's club strike with a great shield, shouted.
It's a pretty cliché line, but the situation makes it feel rather fitting.
No, there's no escape left, is there? Just as I thought that, the camera cut, and watching it from the top of a hill was... Ice Princess Anshia.
She quickly swept her right hand downwards, and a large number of soldiers surged forward...
"Whoa..."
The screen went black, and text appeared.
[Will the Empire's turmoil awaken an ancient calamity...?]
Soon, footsteps could be heard? And then,
“Can everyone still go on?”
“Yeah, we’re fine.”
“We’ve come all this way, so let’s go as far as we can.”
Along with the voices, what gradually appeared was the inside of a dense forest. Have they come quite deep into it?
As they advanced, scattering the appearing Skeletons, Zombies, and Ghosts...
“Oh, come on, seriously...?”
The forest opened up, and beyond it lay a massive number of undead, and towering beyond them, city walls, a city shrouded in ominous black mist.
"I see. So this is the Necropolis..."
The camera slowly pulled away from the party's perspective, gradually shifting to an overhead view.
There were so many undead it was almost off-putting, and it definitely felt like a place you couldn't enter without permission.
I was a bit surprised when Mion grabbed my arm tightly, but come to think of it, she was surprised the first time we fought undead too, so I guess it's normal to dislike them.
"Whoa, it's Argenta-san..."
Just when I thought it had become a bird's-eye view, it turned out that view was from Argenta-san.
Then, as she flew off towards the mountain range,
[Iris Revolution Online]
the title was displayed.
Yes! I wasn't in it!
"Ah..."
"Huh?"
The screen was supposed to have gone black and ended, but instead, it cut to the island's Observation Deck.
I, Lupi, and Sweee gazed at the southern side of the island spreading out below.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Woof!”
“~~~♪”
As it showed us walking away towards the water source, the screen faded out,
[Uninhabited Island Start Resumed! Details on the official page.]