In a certain store, Eiru woke up with a feeling of a sharp headache brooding over his consciousness. He did not know what actually happened but a loud and painful noise suddenly attacked him leading him to faint.

However, he did not expect the situation he is in right now…

“Have you come to, Young Lady?” the man who pulled him inside earlier came to his view with the tone of distress and worry.

As what Eiru remembers, that man pulled him inside his clothing shop for rich people. No, it is more accurate to say that Eiru was lured by the amount of coin he was offered.

“What…happened?” Eiru asked with a hazy voice and foggy sight as his headache just only started wearing off.

“Young Lady, you suddenly fainted when Guidance was initiated. Are you perhaps a traveler?” the man asked Eiru with a still anxious face.

“What…guidance?” The word caught Eiru’s attention and asked for it since it seemed to be the one who made him faint. “Also, it’s really vexing to be called young lady…” He inwardly thought.

“Oh, my…Guidance is the time of Worship. One may feel lightheaded from the effect of the Guidance but the Archpriest said it is the proof that we received the today’s blessing.” The man explained as he started fiddling with Eiru’s hair.

Eiru’s senses slowly came back and suddenly, he realized that rather than lying down on something, he is actually seated on a soft and expensive looking inclining chair with soft foam.

With a pale face, Eiru saw his reflection being shown by the mirror in front of him.

What stares back at him is a girl of fair radiance and astounding beauty that can astonish any men who will gaze at him. Not only that. The long blond flowing hair that seems not just a wig but a hair extension made his appearance saintly.

He is garbed in a really expensive looking dress with simple linen and silk. The simple design of the dress greatly brings out the natural beauty of the wearer because it does not overshadow the quality of the person itself.

“How is it, young lady? I haven’t even applied the foundation and yet, you look so gorgeous already! No, I think additional make-up will ruin the overall appearance.” The man said with a satisfied expression as he places his palm on his jaw.

Eiru’s face, instead of showing awe and gratitude, can only conceal his true emotion of despair. The reason for his despair is because he looks like Thenea, the girl who he showed to Arytorio Kerias, and not only that, the improved version too.

“This is the last thing I wanted to do! But…! But…! The payment…!” Eiru’s conflicted thoughts made him knit his brows. “It’s wonderful…” He forced himself to smile and said those words.

“Young Lady, you look a little displeased…” The man noticed Eiru’s unrest. Eiru’s face is readable and he knows it himself.

“What to say?! The payment might get revoke if his mood drops!” Eiru panics inwardly because he has already dug deep into the hole and wanted to take whatever he can before going out.

“Young lady, is there something wrong? This is a masterpiece that I painstakingly completed for more than five years and this masterpiece is my tribute for the great Madam Fleur.” The man exclaimed as he stares at Eiru’s eyes.

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Deep inside Eiru, a switch is triggered, an innate talent of all the member of the Band of Bandits, the Host Mode.

The Host Mode is a psychological abnormality that boosts the person’s confidence, thinking of suave lines, and a huge release of the person’s pheromones that explosively raises their charisma to the limits. As a man who is looking at a quality of a beauty, Eiru’s mind immediately came up with the best answer to the situation.

Eiru stands up and faces the man eye to eye. His demeanor completely changes and the man notices the change in Eiru’s ambiance that it made him stare at Eiru with awe.

“No good. This dress is nothing more than a twinkling accessory!” Eiru strongly exclaimed that astonished the man.

“You mean…my years of hard work to create a dress for the purpose of beauty…is no good?! On what basis are you declaring that?!” The man answered Eiru as he thrust his hip sideward as he places his hand on it.

“A dress for purpose of beauty is not something like this. For what you have done something like this? Don’t you make a dress to give life to a maiden who seeks beauty? Is beauty is something so transient that a maiden need to garb herself? Nay, you disappoint the prospect of beauty!” Eiru said as he swings his hand to her hair that flings it backward.

“Beauty is not as simple as garbing a maiden with a dress! Beauty goes beyond the dress! The dress does not create the beauty in a girl, you bring out the beauty out of a girl whoever they are! I daresay, do you think something as fragile as this could make Madam Fleur happy?!” Eiru added with strong and compelling voice.

The man who received Eiru’s words stares at him with widened eyes. His shoulder started trembling and his eyes started getting watery. His legs collapse on the floor and he grovels in the ground.

As he stares at Eiru’s figure, tear gushes from his eyes.

“No…way…I…but…what have I been doing with all these years of my hard work?! I…I was completely blinded…by my ambitions that I lost sight of…what beauty should be…” The man said with coarse and trembling voice. “Thank you…thank you…! You…you have opened my eyes! You…are you a goddess?!” the man added.

Eiru, from the question, took a step back. He feared of the branding of Goddess to the woman he portrays to the world.

“I am no goddess, I am just a passerby like what you’ve seen of me earlier. It is time for me to leave. I have matters to attend to.” Eiru reasoned as he walks away from the groveling man.

“I understand! Please wait for the payment we agreed upon. Heck with that, take double of what we’ve talked about! No, triple! Please wait a moment!” The man ran to the back store.

Kaching.

Eiru’s corrupt monetary moral erupted. Hearing that the man will triple the amount that they agreed upon was something he grins for, however, he is still balancing the pros and cons. Whatever he thought. Coin is coin and lot of them is so much better.

He feels like he is stealing the coins but it doesn’t matter now. He is a bandit anyway and knowing that he is a bandit has its perks such as relieving his self from the guilt or something like that.

And so, upon receiving the coins on a bulky purse, Eiru left the store, albeit still wearing the dress despite the cold weather. The man still grovels towards Eiru’s direction while walking away gallantly with his spoils.

“I really never intended to gain this much coins but, well, whatever. What am I doing again? Ah! I am lost! Where am I even going anyway?!” Eiru said with a low voice.

In that very moment, a strong wave magical energy envelopes the place. Three or four presences with strong magical power started wafting the place and two of those are familiar to him.

The bad weather, a snowstorm is brewing that dyed the sky with icy and hollowed darkness, a girl Eiru knows well came flying towards the opposite direction of where he is walking to, a girl whom he took care in her younger years.

Ivy Hellbeing crashes on the paved road. Eiru notices that Ivy’s body is covered with bruises and burn.

From atop of roof of a house, a masked woman appears.

“Oh, a citizen? Ohhhh…Ahahaha! So beautiful too! Why beautiful women always come in my way!? I am going to make a harem in no time!” The girl with masked, the summoned hero Victoria said as she laughs in amusement.

Eiru, worried about the Ivy, run towards her direction.

“Ivy! Ivy!!” Eiru shouted as he kneels down beside Ivy.

“Oh…is that you…Eiru? Amazing...I missed you so much. It’s good to see you now of all times. I feel invigorated.” Ivy weakly said as she smiles at the sight of Eiru.

“Who…did this to you…Ivy?” Eiru asked. “That…woman…?” he followed as he glances at Victoria.

“Yeah…” Ivy said as she tried to get up.

“My Demon Lord Ivy, do you have possession of my horns?” Eiru asked Ivy.

“Of course…but you can’t attach it right now you know. Still, you can use the magic power in it.” Ivy said as she hugs Eiru with weak arms.

“I see. Please hand it to me.” he beckons Ivy with a furious face.