Chapter 40: Close Combat (part 1)

Cadets attending the academy in this world were usually nobles, and the academy grounds were lined with shops catering to them. 

The clothing store was no exception. 

In this world without factories or machines, every piece of clothing was handmade. As a result, commoners with limited funds would weave their own fabric and wear similar clothes for life. 

Meanwhile, wealthy aristocrats took pride in extravagance, flaunting their wealth by changing into new designer outfits every season.  

“This store is the best.”  

“Huh…?”  

Stella led me into the clothing store, and I glanced around, pondering her statement. At first glance, it seemed… acceptable.  

‘This?’  

The store displayed dazzling suits, Renaissance-style garments reminiscent of medieval nobility, sailor outfits, and other clothes whose purpose I couldn’t even comprehend.  

If this had been in my world, I wouldn’t have given the store a second glance. To me, clothes were simply things I grabbed from any store for a few thousand won, without worrying about brands or trends.  

“Welcome, honored guests.”  

As soon as I stepped in, the manager rushed over, eagerly rubbing his hands.  

Stella gave him a quick wave. “I’ll browse on my own. You can leave us.”  

“Yes. Feel free to call me if you need anything.”  

After dismissing the manager, Stella turned to me. “Now, pick something out.”  

I sifted through the clothes on the shelves, trying to find something appropriate. However, given my lack of fashion sense, I couldn’t even tell if these clothes would suit me.  

Stella, watching my feeble attempts, snatched the clothes from my hands and hung them back on the rack.  

“You’re not a kid. Can’t you even pick out clothes? Really—”  

Despite her grumbling, she seemed oddly cheerful as she began choosing outfits for me. Garment after garment piled up, none of which made sense to me. Eventually, I had no choice but to try on the clothes she selected.  

“Here, put on this set. Wear it properly before you come out.”  

“…Uh, okay.”  

Following the manager’s guidance, I entered the changing room and put on the outfit Stella had chosen. Afterward, I glanced at myself in the mirror.  

‘Wow, not bad.’  

While people often think they look better in mirrors than in reality, I had to admit, objectively, that I looked quite good. The only thing was… this body wasn’t really mine. It belonged to the game character, Ian Clark.  

‘…Suddenly, I feel depressed.’  

I left the changing room with a gloomy expression. Stella, waiting outside, looked me over, scrutinizing every detail before giving a satisfied nod.  

“Good enough. For now, adjust the size of this,” she told the manager.  

“Yes, right away.”  

Stella turned to me again. “Ian, take that off and try this one next.”  

“No, one outfit is enough…”  

“Enough? You’ve been wearing nothing but your academy uniform!”  

“…Right.”  

Realizing she wasn’t wrong, I sighed and returned to the changing room to change into the next outfit.  

The store manager used a magic tool to tailor the clothes to fit me perfectly, even throwing in a warning that refunds or exchanges wouldn’t be allowed since the sizes had been adjusted.  

“Charge this,” Stella said, handing over her card.  

“No, these are my clothes. I’ll pay.”  

“With what money?” she scoffed.  

“I’ve got plenty now. Your father gave me a card.”  

“…Why did he give you that?”  

The moment I mentioned that I’d received the card from the Duke of Eritz, Stella shot me a curious look, as if demanding an explanation. I kept quiet, slipping the card back into my pocket.  

To explain would mean recounting the entire awkward situation—how I’d received the card after turning down a marriage proposal from Stella.  

“I’m going to be late for my appointment,” I mumbled, hoping to change the subject.  

“Why did you even take it!?”  

“Let’s go.”  

“Hey!”  

Ignoring her protests, I grabbed my clothes and headed toward the dormitory. 

Stella trailed behind me, complaining the whole way.  

***

“Whoa… Ian, are those new clothes?”  

“Yes,” I answered flatly.  

“Of course they are! You’ve been wearing that academy uniform every day.”  

As soon as Syrah spotted my new outfit, she noticed it was brand new. For someone like her, who usually didn’t pay attention to details, that observation spoke volumes.  

‘It must’ve been really bad before,’ I thought, reflecting on my previous wardrobe choices.  

I glanced past Syrah toward the restaurant behind her. It was a famous establishment with reservations booked months in advance. How she’d managed to secure one was a mystery.  

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one curious. Noah, standing nearby, opened her mouth to ask.  

“Wow—this place must be super expensive, right?”  

“It’s not that expensive. That’s why it’s so popular,” Syrah replied with a casual shrug.  

“Really? I heard the meal here costs millions of credits.”  

“Don’t exaggerate.”  

With that, Syrah led us inside. The strict reservation policy matched the restaurant’s reputation, and the professional way we were guided to our seats was impressive.  

The tableware was already arranged, and appetizers arrived the moment we sat down, perfectly on time. It was clear that such precision wasn’t achieved overnight.  

I picked up a spoon and tasted the soup, savoring its flavor. As expected from a high-end restaurant, the taste was impeccable, though slightly bland—understandable since it was just an appetizer.  

“So, did you visit the Duchy of Eritz?” Noah asked between bites. 

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Sponsor Chapters at the Patreon Shop: Along with BuymeaCoffee where you can now make payments in your local currency.

The Shop section on Patreon can be used as a way to make a one-time-payment. I will be creating products in the Shop section with the title of the webnovels. It will only have an image as the product, but it will count as the payment for the Sponsored Chapters. 

For example: You will buy the product with the title “Flower Stealing Master” to sponsor a chapter for the novel. As far as I know, you can buy the same product multiple times, so you should be able to sponsor as many chapters you want. I hope it was easy to understand.

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