An expensive coach rolled into town and stopped in front of the most expensive looking inn which coincidentally was next to the largest dress shop around.  Of course, being close to the capital, it was not difficult to be ignored by most of the town, but the staff sent out more than a dozen bellboys and maids to assist the guests.  Four veiled women exited the carriage wearing nearly identical travelling garments resembling shortened empire gowns in blue, green, black, and red.  The woman in red requested four rooms with dinner, breakfast, and bathing privileges overpaying with a bag of gold coins to ensure privacy. "If anything's missing, the one who takes it will be missing in the morning," the woman in blue offered with a bloodthirsty aura to the shivering nods of all the attendants around.  The women walk next door to the dress shop. "We have a ball to attend.  We are expecting our escorts who will take two of the rooms.  No funny business with the arrangements, you will not like Madame Red's response."

Not an hour later four men arrive rode in and asked after a group of four nobles.  A rumor had already circulated about the new women in town and a hungry orphan tugged on Wyen's coattails. "Sir, I don't think these are the ones you are looking for.... but four women just arrived at the King's Folly Inn down the street.  They are very scary... I mean dignified, but they don't where the clothes of your kingdom." Wyen looked at his companions while Swallow responded, "A woman who is not dangerous is one who's still a baby. It's likely them." Given the event and knowledge of a town's general layout, it took all of a quarter hour to find the correct inn.  Standing guard in front of the store (looking scared, impatient, and attempting to be stoic), a maid approached them and asked, "A-a-are you the escorts for the honorable Ladies?" Jote smirked, "Yes, but I suggest you request time off soon... Tell your boyfriend it's a life mage boy and if he doesn't marry you, I'm sure he'll die in obscurity." The maid looked cross, but nodded as she pointed at the dress shop. "They've been there for more than an hour...."

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Crestfallen, the men walked into the shop while thinking of their collective funds on hand. A wall display looked like it had been ransacked as a team of women hurriedly return hats, gloves, boots, coats, and all manner of sample dresses to their proper position.  In the back of the shop, three full length brass mirrors are setup and a stern expression is reflected from Cael's face. "I don't see why I have to be measured first!  It's not like I'm going to be the star of this ball."  "But, you are the only one who doesn't have properly fitting clothes.  Whoever heard of a baroness wearing boys clothes and binding her chest!  Such a shame..."  "Yeah, you say that now, but your Aunt hasn't been hunting you down since you were the size of the family hunting dog has she?  If that demoness knew of your existence, she'd have killed you too with the self-titled Windslayer who tried to protect your father!"

Noh, started at the mention of Windslayer, runs to the back as Esther retorts "Where did you hear Mom's title?  Even my younger sisters don't know it!" Noh trips over a discarded bolt of cloth falling at their feet.  "You're m-m-mother!?" Suddenly he's greener than the fabric he fell over, sick at the thought that he let down his master so completely as to not have protected her children.  "Master's daughters?"  The room spun as he passes out and the group of women freezes in shock.  "Get this man out of here!  This area is women only!"  The workers ungracefully expel the intruder placing an ex-adventurer who looked more like a golem than a woman at the entry way.