In the guest room, after dark…

It’s nearly time. Can’t wait!

Now that Anna and I are clean from a nice, hot bath, our bellies full of beef stew… and me stripped down to nothing but my undergarments… it’s time to open up that fancy coffer from Saint Alyssa! Whatever’s in there… I’m more than ready to play a little bit of dress-up!

“Ready!?” I ask Anna excitedly, prompting her to nod eagerly. “Let’s see what’s in there!”

I open Saint Alyssa’s coffer, revealing my prize as it rests amid the shimmering radiance of wisps of light rising out towards the ceiling like little twinkling stars. It’s all in there – a full set of Healer vestments worthy of a Hero. Worthy of me, surely!

“Oh my…” Anna gasps softly as she peeks into the coffer. “It’s…”

“Robes! Hooded, too!” I exclaim as I reach into the coffer, laying upon the bed, the first of the items stored within. “Hmm. Or not. It’s more like a gown…”

White like freshly fallen snow and trimmed gold and blue, the hooded gown radiates raw Mana and the light scent of perfume. Mystical inscriptions line every inch of enchanted silk. It also has fancy sleeves that are separate from the gown itself, bearing the same inscriptions and aura of Mana. They fit me perfectly as if shaping themselves around my body, and as I put them on… I feel my Mana expanding, and my thoughts as I think of casting my spells feel faster than what I’m used to. It’s gravy! And to think we’re just getting started!

“So… what do ya think?” I ask Anna as I show off my hooded gown and those fancy, flowing sleeves. “Does it look good?”

“Yes! You look really pretty!” Anna exclaims joyfully. “Are those fresh flowers on your hood?”

“Woah. No kidding!” I exclaim as I look up to the side of my hood, reaching up to touch the flowers. “They feel like real flowers… that’s for sure!”

“Nice! What else is in there?”

“Hmm… let’s see…”

I take out the rest of the ensemble inside the coffer, laying them out on the bed. Let’s see… we’ve got white long-sleeved gloves… white stockings… and white shoes with… high heels!? It’s all radiating the same vibes of Mana, just like the hooded gown and fancy sleeves I’m already wearing at this very moment. But geez! This is a lot of white! And these high heels, uh…

“You should put them on, Arisa!” Anna exclaims excitedly. “It all looks so pretty!”

“Promise you’ll like what you see?”

“I already do! But I’m sure you’ll exceed my expectations!”

“You bet!”

With great gusto, I put on my gloves and pull up my stockings. They’re soft to the touch, silks so delicate and gentle upon my skin, and they fit me like a glove. These gloves, especially so! These pieces, along with the hooded gown and sleeves, are all part of the same fancy ensemble, and their magic amplifies in each other’s presence, becoming stronger together. But they’re still not at their full potential just yet. One more item remains. These shoes, though…

“Is something wrong, Arisa?” Anna asks me with a look of concern. “You’re staring at those shoes constantly, and you’re not putting them on…”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“It’s nothing!” I exclaim, playing it cool as I quickly slip my feet into those accursed high heels. “And now…”

Hey, these shoes aren’t so bad! They fit me pretty well, actually! Sure, I feel a little taller than usual… but that’s good! I may or may not have trouble walking through doorways now, but hopefully not! And now, with the full set of vestments bestowing their enchantments upon me, each piece compounding in strength in the presence of all the others, I…

“Arisa?”

Oh, Rinnah! In the previous timeline, I obtained the Blessed Rosary and became a fully-fledged Healer. I became a whole lot stronger that day, learning the Divine Blessing spell, and I felt amazing! But I’m quite sure it didn’t feel as absolutely wonderful as I do, right now! Like I can just… do anything and everything with the near-limitless Mana flowing through my veins, my very being! Fuck, I daresay these new vestments suit me well! This power they channel through me… the greatest high of all!

“Umm… Arisa?” Anna asks worriedly, her voice piercing through the veil of my thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Eh!?” I answer immediately, shaking my head rapidly. “Was I spacing out?”

“Yes, actually! You looked a little... umm… peaked?”

“Oh, shit. You’re right. The enchantments on these things are a bit potent. Even for me!”

“I felt it too while you were taking each piece out of the coffer! And now, they’re all on you! Oh my! Umm…”

“It’s okay! I can handle it!” I exclaim, taking a deep breath. “It was just a momentary shock, to be honest. It’s all settling in now…”

“Oh, okay. That’s good to know.”

“Anyway…” I tease as I brandish Elizabeth, winking and striking a proper heroic pose with my new outfit. "How about it, huh? Do you like what you see even more now?”

“Yes, I love it even more than I thought possible!” Anna exclaims enthusiastically as she examines me from top to toe, her cheeks flushing deep red as her hand reaches for her cheek. “But then, umm…”

“Huh? Something wrong?”

“Well, umm…”

Oho! Anna’s blushing again! I didn’t touch her or say anything raunchy this time, I swear! I put away Elizabeth and set my sights downward, gazing upon the whiteness of my gloves that go slightly past my elbows, and both of my legs in stockings, both of my thighs completely visible for the world to see, thanks to the cut of my gown.

Good grief. This outfit’s a little bit… yeah. Thought so. Oh boy.

“Umm… you’re so pretty right now, Arisa!” Anna stammers. “And I…”

“Is that right? If that’s the case…” I tease, smiling mischievously. “There’s only one way to fix this.”

“How?”

“I’ll just have to… aah!”

“Arisa!”

In the nick of time, Anna intervenes and keeps me steady before I trip and fall on my head after taking but a single step forward towards her, thanks to these accursed high heels. Standing with ‘em was easy enough (these shoes are pretty comfy, so credit where credit’s due!)… but walking!? The horror!

Oh, fuck me. I knew these shoes were gonna be trouble, high heels and all.

“Fucking hell…” I curse under my breath. “That’s a tricky bit of floor. So deceptively… flat.”

“Umm… is this your first time with high heels, Arisa?” Anna asks innocently, her cheeks still slightly blushed with light shades of red. “If so… umm… I can help!”

“You can?” I exclaim, prompting a sincere nod from her. “Oh, right! The Order teaches that fancy stuff to Paladins, right? ‘Court Etiquette 101’… that’s the class for it, right?”

“Yup. Healers learn it too!”

“Heh. I was on an accelerated curriculum, being a Hero and all that.”

“That’s okay! We can catch you up right now!” Anna exclaims enthusiastically as she holds on to my arm, the shyness of being in my (very pretty – her words, not mine!) presence all but vanishing as she helps me in my time of need. “Besides, umm… I do need to… umm…”

“Get used to all of this?” I tease, gesturing at myself with a playful flourish. “Let’s work on this and do our best together, shall we?”

Anna nods dutifully.

“Yup! There should be enough space to walk in this guest room, so umm… let’s do it! Going from the bed to the door should be simple enough.”

“For sure! So, uh… what’s the way to do it?”

“First, you have to roll the weight of your foot from your heels…”

“Okay. Gotcha.”

“Take small steps, and don’t rush!” Anna adds, my hand in hers as we walk towards the door. “And umm… as you move, lean back a little, keep your posture straight, and…”

“Woah!”

“Easy there!” Anna exclaims, her cheeks red as her firm grip keeps me in balance. “Slow down a little for now! And remember… walk heel to toe.”

“Right. Of course…”

We continue our little trek towards the other end of the guest room, Anna’s firm hand keeping me steady as I do my best to keep myself straight and walking, fancy heels clicking on the floor. It’s gonna be the first of many training laps, I suspect. Back and forth, over and over. But we’ll keep at it together, for as long as it takes!