{Komi}
Yo! What’s up?! Former hitman Komi here!
I’m on the streets of Alluga with my familiar, Sei, as we’re browsing the shops for good clothes and gear for my slave companions, Lola and Momo, who are also with us. I say we were browsing, but we were having a problem finding a place that catered to Demon-Kin patrons like those of the Minotaur races.
Alluga is one of the Human-Kin’s cities that sits closest to the border that separates territories, specifically the Demon-Kin’s. With that close proximity, while being one of the best places for its red-light district, Alluga has grown to become one of the more progressive cities in the Human-Kin’s Territory that accepts residents from the Demon-Kin as well as some Demi-Kin. While I personally find this development good, there were still some lingering problems Alluga was still trying to resolve, such as shops selling gear for the bigger clientele like Lola. A few shops we visited could make special orders once they got her measurements, but the wait time wasn’t something we could afford. Most places didn’t have magic enchanted clothes to automatically fit the wearer, either, and apparently the clothes have to be bigger than the person before it could adjust itself to necessary proportions. If the outfit was too small for the wearer, there would be next to no change to it at all, other than getting stretched to its limits. It’s because of this fitting magic that I was able to find clothes for Momo, even when the smallest sizes they had were too big to conform to her thin body frame.
While I do have more than enough money to buy what I need from the shop in my Champion’s Bracelet—it was actually named something else, but it was too big a mouthful to say it all and I didn’t like its initials—I’d like to see what I can splurge in the city first that’s less expensive than the Immortals’ shop. Plus, I’ve been spending the last three months since I came to Raiza getting stronger while earning my keep and living frugally, not giving myself a chance to really explore much of the city, even though Nao-chi showed me around when I first came here. I’ve kept aside more than enough money for Jin-chi and I to live off of for years to come. I wanted to try to really ‘live’ in the new world for a bit and see what it has to offer so I can show Jin-chi a good time during our stay.
Oh, and Nao-chi, or Nao Yosaka, was something like my senpai to the pub I mostly worked at. ‘Mama’, the pub’s owner, who also found me when I first came here, introduced her to me. They’re both Champions from Japan like me, but Nao-chi has been in this world for four years, and Mama was here for a little longer than that. What’s more, they’re both Brawlers like me, so they likely got quite strong over the course of their stay. Anyway, Nao-chi was expecting me to explain to her why I redeemed my slaves all of a sudden over dinner later. We haven’t spoken much of each other’s personal lives from how busy I kept myself, but she was a cool and chill woman that I’d like to keep in touch with, so I wondered how much I should open up to her tonight.
“I must admit that I didn’t think I’d actually wear clothes like these in my lifetime,” Momo commented as she looked down on her new black blouse and matching skirt.
“Are you sure you’re okay with something that plain, though? There were a bunch of other clothes that you’d look so much cuter in!” I exclaimed.
“My village didn't have much … variety, in clothing as this city does,” Momo explained, “Plus, I don’t like using my head to fret over what to wear when it could be used for research, and black makes stains the least noticeable. Along with the outfit I will wear out in the field, I’d like to try and keep things simple. Plus, I’m fairly certain this visor throws off any attempt to look fashionable. I’m still grateful to be given this much luxury as your slave, Mistress, and I must thank you for that.”
The black visor Momo was wearing on her face, covering her one large eye, was something that I got along with redeeming her as my slave. It both protected her from any wind and dust that could disrupt her focus as someone with a Sniper class, and it helped her blend into human societies by hiding her one lone eye. While the slave ring around her neck made her stand out already, she could totally pass off as a human wearing the visor around everyday. Just like she said, though, finding clothes that would make the visor as an accessory was a bit of a challenge.
“... Lola? Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard from you yet. Do you have any preferences for what clothes to wear?” I asked my Minotaur slave.
“H-Huh?! Oh, that, um …” Lola trailed off, pushing her fingers together awkwardly, “Well, we no wear a lot of clothes back home. Me not know what Mistress or other humans think about clothes, but … me thinks me also want to keep simple like Momo do. A skirt and something like ‘bra’ be good, but no ‘panties’. Panties no look comfortable.”
“And you already know where I stand in terms of clothes, Mistress,” my reptilian familiar, Sei, commented while shrugging her shoulders, “I am only wearing clothes under your orders, but I would rather not wear anything at all. Putting on and taking off clothes is so bothersome.”
What’s with these drastic ‘function over fashion’ ideals?! Can you even call it that at this point?! I screamed in my head before sighing internally, Maybe I should have dragged Nao-chi along on this venture. She may not convince them otherwise, but at least she seemed fashion-savvy enough for both of us to actually talk on equal terms in style. At least then we’d actually get this friendship of ours off the ground. Hell, even the few times I went shopping with Hyo-chi back home were fun.
Thinking back, it’s surprising that I wasn’t always into fashion and the latest trends as I am now. As a kid, I was rigorously trained to be the next successor of my blood family’s line of hitmen, and I took it quite seriously during that time. Even before that incident, I didn’t really get along with other kids around my age, as I was tasked to hide and watch over Jin-chi as a sort of ‘bodyguard-in-training’. He and Hyo-chi never noticed me until some time after we were released from the hospital, and that was when we became something like friends back then, at least until I had to move overseas for my hitman training.
When I got older later, as my high school life with Jin-chi and Hyo-chi drew near, I was tasked to research fashion and basically become the gyarus that I saw in the magazines and pictures they sent as my ‘study material’. This was to help me get close to Jin-chi, as there were reports of him spending most of his time with these gyarus while he was still in primary school. You don’t normally see such a unique sight, a kid hanging out with delinquent high school girls. Like his predecessors, though, Jin-chi was born with an innate ability that attracted people that, and I’m putting this lightly, were ‘strayed off from what’s normal’. Me, as well as Hyo-chi, Jin-chi’s mom, and even his ‘aunts’ were no exceptions of these people that were ‘strayed’.
Anyway, in order for Jin-chi to open up to me, I had to dress and act like the gyarus he enjoyed spending time with as a kid. Since becoming one of his mistresses was my main goal in life, I had to make myself attractive as a girl, so I dove headfirst into the fashion magazines and pictures.
Not too long after that, what started out as building and acting in my public persona actually became a part of a new me. Being someone so colorful and bright appealed to me, igniting something inside my soul that I didn’t even know I have, considering my line of work. It gave me a sense of freedom, being able to create my own image with the tools I trained myself to use. My cosmetic skills became comparable to a professional makeup artist by the time high school came around.
Now, though, realizing I was the only fashion-minded person in a group of girls made me a little lonely. I wanted to share my passions with my girlfriends, but the girls with me right now only saw themselves as my servants beneath me. I just couldn’t abuse my authority to force them into it if they weren’t interested.
I need a girlfriend who can humor my fashion cravings … hm? I thought, suddenly noticing something new in the distance.
It was a girl with only a large rag for her ‘clothes’, staring at something through a shop’s window with dilated eyes of great wonder. Not only did her garb stood out, but she had glossy, flowing locks as pink as sakura, with fin-like ears of a matching color. [AN: sakura = cherry blossoms] There were also hot pink, reptilian claws gripping into her rag, matching feet, and a long tail that was as thick as two of my own arms put together, poking out from below and swaying from side to side.
“... Hm? A Lizardman?” Momo asked, noticing where I was standing, “That’s the first I’ve seen one around these parts, if you don’t count Sei.”
“True. Though I look like one, I am technically not, given my origins,” Sei admitted.
“... Hm? Mistress? Why so pale?” Lola asked me after I used [Size Up] on the pink Lizardman to see what we were dealing with.
That’s no Lizardman, that’s ...
Just as I was thinking about us quickly moving to someplace else, a couple big shady-looking human thugs approached the ‘Lizardman’ girl with the most disgusting smiles on their faces. I couldn’t help but use my [Mind Read] skill on them to see what was up.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Their thoughts were like those and then some. And so, without much thought, I quickly moved through the crowds to reach the ‘Lizardman’ before those thugs could.
“Heeey! There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you!” I called out to her, putting on my best ‘friendly’ aura I could muster while acting really familiar with her.
“... Eh? Are you talking to me?” she asked while pointing a claw to herself.
“Of course, I’m talking to you, now come on! We got a long day ahead of us, so let’s do some shopping! Lola! Momo! Sei! Let’s head on inside! Quick!” I yelled while my hands were on her shoulders.
A bit flustered at my sudden order, Sei snapped my slaves out of it before coming over. The thugs were flabbergasted at Lola and her size as she and the rest of my party followed me and the ‘Lizardman’ girl inside the shop in front of us.
Though some of their thoughts were crude, the thugs immediately gave up on approaching the pink ‘Lizardman’ girl after seeing she had intimidating company. With my [Insightful Mapping] and [Size Up] skill combo, I watched them move past the shop we were in and went about their day. I sighed a breath of relief when the coast was clear.
“Um … I hate to burst your bubble, but I think you got the wrong person. I’ve never seen you before in my life,” the pink ‘Lizardman’ said, snapping me out of my moment of relief.
Realizing I still had my hands on her, I immediately broke away and gave her some space. My party was looking just as confused to what was going on, but they didn’t say anything, probably waiting to see if I’d explain myself.
I scratched my head and gave an awkward smile, “Ah … sorry about the surprise. I know we’ve never met before, but I saw some bad-looking guys earlier staring at you with wicked intentions, so I felt I had to step in and pull you away from them.”
“Bad-looking guys with wicked intentions …” the ‘Lizardman’ girl trailed off, looking up with innocent thought, before she widened her eyes in realization, “Ah! So you were protecting me?”
I nodded, “Yes. Sorry again if I scared you. I don’t mean any harm.”
“Wow! You’re a really nice human to go out of your way like that!” she answered with amazement before giving a friendly smile, “I appreciate the concern, but you don’t need to worry about me. I can look out for myself when I need it.”
Yeah, I know, because I was worried about everyone that isn’t you and those thugs in Alluga. This city would fall into chaos if those guys tried to make a move on a Dragon in disguise.
That was the first thing I found from identifying this pink individual with my [Size Up]. Her stats were the highest that I’ve ever seen from this world’s locals, and as for her skills and titles, I only took a glance, and I wasn’t even sure I saw everything she had for how big the lists for both were. I lost my cool for a moment after seeing that, and I was too surprised to even see what her name was.
“Well, I’m just glad I was able to help out without making things too awkward,” I said, “It’s good that you can look out for yourself when the need arises, but you should still be careful, you know? And even though those guys were bad news, I assure you that not all of us humans are that bad. I just hope that any of this didn’t leave a bad impression for you on what we’re like.” I wanted to avoid a potential disaster falling on me or anyone innocent, so I tried to be as formal as possible while getting my point across.
The pink reptile girl shook her claw in front of me, “Oh, of course not! If that were the case, then you’d be lumped in with them, and that would be no good at all! I may have heard some stories, but I’m glad to see there are humans like you out here that would say otherwise.”
… My [Intuition] didn’t respond to anything, so she’s telling the truth. Good. I can rest a little easier now, I thought while sighing internally, “Well, then, if we’re all good here, I guess we can head out—”
“Wait!” the Dragon exclaimed, grabbing my wrist to stop me, “Since you were kind enough to help me back there, maybe you can help me again with a question I have!”
Mildly interested in what she had to say, I turned back to her, “What is it?”
“Um, these … ‘clothes’ you humans call them, like the ones you’re wearing right now, what is their purpose? Why do you wear them?” she asked while gesturing to a rack of cute tops next to her before pointing out what I was wearing.
“Clothes?” I asked while looking down to myself, checking my current ensemble.
I was wearing a similar blouse Momo currently has on, but in white, along with a light red mini skirt and matching shoes with white stockings. They were something I bought for myself along with Momo’s set. I also bought other clothes that were currently in my [Storage] right now along with other items and equipment.
After seeing what I was wearing, I looked around and saw we were in another store for clothes. I didn’t even notice what shop I pulled the pink Dragon into to get away from those thugs.
“Why we wear clothes … there are so many reasons that I don’t know where to start to explain. Why do you ask?” I asked.
“Well … where I’m from, we don’t really wear clothes, and I’ve only heard mentions of them in stories, but these clothes …” the Dragon trailed off as she brushed her claw over the cute tops hung together on a rack, staring at them longingly, “Along with others I’ve seen on humans, I never thought they would look so different from each other, so colorful, so … cute. I just wondered, that even if I’m not human, I could still wear something so incredible.”
As I listened to the pink Dragon, I thought my chest was going to burst from how fast it was racing in excitement. I was doing my best trying not to smile like a total idiot.
A bit unexpected, but if this is you answering my wishes, O Great Immortals, then I owe you a great debt! I praised internally while calmly and earnestly rested my hand on the longing Dragon’s shoulder, “... If I may introduce myself, I’m Komiwa Karuga, but I usually go by ‘Komi’. And your name?” Though I could just look up above the Dragon’s head and see her name for myself, I was just met with one surprise after another to even register it, and so I just had to get it the traditional way.
The hot pink Dragon blinked her sakura-colored eyes in surprise, “... Mailigon.”
“Ms. Mailigon, what would you say if I told you that you not only can wear cute clothes, but you can look amazing in them, and you can keep as many as you can carry?” I asked in my best sales pitch. Unlike most people I’ve talked to, since I was dealing with a Dragon, it was best that I address her properly with some formality.
“Can I really?!” Mailigon asked with excitement.
I rested a hand on my bosom, “And you’re just in luck, for I’m an expert when it comes to all things fashion. If you put your faith in me, I swear that I will teach you everything I know while finding you the best clothes to wear. You’ll look as cute, beautiful, or whatever you want to be with the very clothes you like so much. Would you allow me to help you become the very best you that you can be?”
“Yes!” Mailigon responded without hesitation.
“Then are you ready to start that now?” I asked.
“Yes, yes, absolutely yes! Let’s do it!” Mailigon exclaimed, and in her overwhelming excitement, she took the rag she had on and ripped it off her person, flinging it in the air.
Before I realized what happened, the Dragon stood before me, stark naked. Mailigon’s face and frontside of her torso, resembling a human, had the cleanest and smoothest peach-pink skin I had ever seen. No hairs, freckles, moles, blemishes, or scars stood out, and her chiseled six-pack abs looked to be hard enough to grate meat on. Her melons, which were bigger than mine and maybe on the same level as Nao-chi’s, had incredible perkiness and shape as they stuck out from her chest with hard peaks just smaller than a five hundred yen coin. As for her toned arms and legs, they were covered in hot pink scales while carrying a reptilian appearance. Even her entire back gleamed with the same beautiful scales, down to her tail where her taut derriere was exposed with skin underneath it.
“I’m ready, Komi! Lay whatever you have on me!” Mailigon exclaimed with vigor with arms and legs stretched out in a way that made her body scream, “Take me!”
It was because of Mailigon’s exclamation that I was snapped out of my stunned state and scrambled to put the rag back on her, laughing awkwardly, “I’m happy you’re so eager, but there’s a time and place to strip down, and this is not the place. That’s your first lesson in clothing, okay, Ms. Mailigon?”
“Okay!” she exclaimed with purity and innocence. There wasn’t a hint of shame or embarrassment in her features.
I looked back to my party, who had been standing by watching it all with mixed levels of shock, “Change of plans, girls! We’re getting a wardrobe for this lucky lady here! Think you all can help me out?!”
“Yes, Mistress!” my slaves answered without question.
Sei wasn’t as eager as she raised a brow at me.
While it was true we needed to watch over this Dragon and I had a ton of questions for why she’s even here, I was admittedly excited. The amount of muscle Mailigon had surprised me, but she was overall a hell of a looker. The beautiful curves on her sculpted frame made her martial artist-like body a work of art that rivaled the Immortals’. My mind was already running at full speed with design ideas that would complement her dazzling hot pink scales and emphasize her bust, waist, and hips. If I could also convince Mailigon into fixing her silky sakura hair, maybe do some work on her claws, and touch up her lashes, then this will be the first I’ll be having the time of my life in this world.
Introducing Mailigon to Jin-chi as a potential harem member might be asking for much, but at the very least, I want to have a long-time friendship with this girl. I couldn’t be more sure of this decision than becoming one of Jin-chi’s mistresses, and that really says a lot.