CHAPTER 61: A WELL-DESERVED REWARD
At a shopping mall, a lively group drew attention from the surrounding area.
“Let’s go to that store! No, that one!” shouted Akira, leading the students back and forth in the different stores of one of the biggest malls in Zerzura City.
Going from store to store in search of the perfect clothes for her classmates.
Akira was so excited that she didn’t keep her appearance of a veteran S-Rank professional, she let on that of a young woman who liked to see other young women well-dressed.
Watching as she led Nicole into a large tent, Aurora held back her smile.
“Sorry about that,” Aeko murmured in a soft voice and watching Akira also take Clémentine, Érica, and Leslie, she added. “You know her. She gets pretty excited about this kind of thing.”
Hearing those words, Aurora’s smile grew.
Akira wasn’t a fan of clothes, but she was a fan of young women wearing all kinds of outfits.
People being like Nicole and embarrassing themselves were only more entertaining to Akira.
“Come on, pick up the pace or you’ll miss the parade!” Akira exclaimed from one of the tents.
Behind her back, Clémentine, Nicole and Leslie were embarrassed and the only exception was Érica who focused on the clothes with some enthusiasm.
“She has a problem,” Alice murmured with an indifferent expression as they approached.
Even though it was a murmur, it was a loud one causing Akira, who was ahead, to turn around.
“Look who’s talking... You eat those chips all day! You need to go on a diet!” Akira commented with a certain snort.
“Never! Chips are sacred!” Alice replied with a cold expression.
Aurora this time it was her turn to look at Aeko in apology.
Alice, with her loud muttering near Akira, evidenced that she was looking to cause trouble.
“Aurora! Let’s try some clothes. I think a white dress or a red one would look good on you!” Akira exclaimed, attaching herself to Aurora’s arm.
So lively and cheerful, her energetic vitality was infectious and hard to refuse, even for Aurora.
“I think you’d be better off helping them,” she advised with a ‘friendly’ smile, observing the students.
Did she sell out her own group? Aurora felt no shame in accepting that fact.
She wasn’t about to parade for her enthusiastic friend, let alone with so many people in this group.
“Yes. They are new. I think they deserve to have my magnanimous opinion,” Akira muttered as she turned her gaze to the group of students.
Actually, she wasn’t acting arrogant; she was just hiding her bright gaze like a predator who just saw some cute bunnies.
“...” Clémentine and the other ‘cute bunnies’ glanced at Aurora, knowing that they had just been betrayed.
In response, Aurora walked over to Alice, who was eating, and stole some chips from the small bag, completely ignoring the stinging looks.
Did she betray them?
It was a fact, however, to maintain dignity as ‘boss’, sacrifices were needed.
Akira, knowing that they could not refuse her, led the group to a particular store.
Such a store was one of the most luxurious and largest in the mall and had a parade section, along with fitting rooms, to satisfy the needs of customers like Akira.
The nice thing was that at the front it had some seats to rest and also the same store workers brought along some drinks or snacks for those who were watching.
The barriers that prevented people outside the group from observing were an extra that was appreciated.
Everything to satisfy the customer... Which worked quite well with Aurora’s group where Akira and Alice were.
One liked to have a comfortable place to watch her ‘prey’ and the other liked the food.
After choosing outfits, the parade began with Nicole walking the stage in a ball gown and high heels.
Perhaps because she was not one to wear such dresses and heels, her movements were very tense, which made her more embarrassed by Akira’s applause.
If at first it would have seemed as if they were kidnapped by some strange subject, the situation quickly changed.
Akira’s encouragement and infectious enthusiasm got everyone to start having fun.
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They gave their opinions, laughed and chose clothes for themselves, then chose clothes for each other.
They changed their styles and tried new ones, prompting others to choose different clothes for themselves.
Leslie, who had never been seen in a dress by her classmates, had to wear one at the insistence of the group, and everyone applauded as she left the room.
Although Aurora was not a great connoisseur of clothing and always looked for clothes that were most comfortable or suited the combat, she gave her comments.
‘Cute’, ‘beautiful’, ‘charming’... Those were Aurora’s basic answers, which were wisely confirmed by Akira, who also gave similar answers.
From formal suits for women to elegant dresses of all types and styles.
Not only did they try them on, but Akira, when she liked one, would buy it and give it away, so the outfits were increased in number without anyone noticing.
Aeko was invited to go up due to the enthusiasm of the students who were already liking to admire how others were embarrassed and because of the ‘pressure’, she had to accept.
Then it was time for Akira, who was not embarrassed and wore whatever outfit she was given.
Wearing an outfit that made her look like a member of some mafia she even wore a long dress that made her seem like a princess... And even though she wasn’t embarrassed with the others, her former ‘prey’ turned into hunters when the students paraded her in different outfits.
When the stares started to stop at her and Alice, who was looking calmly Aurora, felt quite strange.
The eyes of the students... They were too bright.
“I have work to do,” Aurora muttered, keeping a serious expression as she looked at her holographic watch.
“Dinner’s on me today, Alice. Catch her!” Akira said quickly and Alice, who was standing next to Aurora, grabbed her arm.
They both looked at each other and...
“They offer a good reward,” Alice muttered, looking away.
Aurora’s lips trembled, but it was too late as the others caught them with smiles.
However...
“Well, let’s both suffer,” Aurora commented, pulling her friend to her side.
Alice’s expression quivered, but Aurora wasn’t going to let go.
She was the one who betrayed her first.
******
After venturing to all sorts of stores from clothing, jewelry, weapons, artifacts, electronics, and more, the night caught up with them, and as promised, Akira invited them to eat.
Not only her group but Shao Ya, Oscar, Santiago, Liam, and Andrés, who had moved on their own were also invited.
Since the restaurant they were in had large private rooms, they were now all surrounding a large table.
“First, we should order drinks,” Akira said with a smile and, seeing the look on Alice’s face, coughed and added. “And the meals.”
“The drinks have magical energy in them. Be careful not to drink too much or you’ll end up drunk,” Shao Ya warned with a tone of a responsible adult.
Her tone was responsible and didn’t match her very different actions.
She had just ordered some drinks with high alcohol content and magic energy density.
Drinks with magical energy strengthened their effects, allowing the alcohol to be able to affect high-ranking people.
Occasioning the drunken state... And the hangover that came the next day.
“Come on. You can’t say that today we have to relax and party, don’t we, boss?” Akira asked, directing the conversation to Aurora.
Aurora was not only looked at by Akira but by Liam and Alice.
Their group wanted to relax and have some fun.
“Yes, you guys can have fun,” Aurora replied with a smile.
This was the first time the students left the building to have fun, having a little too much to drink was nothing to worry about.
Everyone here was an adult and because of their constant work, they deserved some time off.
After all, they were students and these past few days had been quite heavy for them... This was a reward of sorts.
“I want a beer from the dwarves. It’s a delicacy,” Liam muttered, getting those who had tasted it to nod.
Aurora nodded as well.
“I want to start with the food. I want to try most of today’s menu,” Alice commented, looking at the restaurant menu.
Some students looked at her strangely, but... Aurora knew Alice wasn’t kidding.
The entire group placed their orders and started chatting amongst themselves.
Akira and her group were talking about their adventures in Asia.
About how they cleaned up dungeons that appeared on the islands or how they sometimes eliminated underwater creatures.
How they prepared for subjugations where they had to clean entire islands.
There were twelve people present, and before Aurora knew it, the conversation became quite lively.
“My shapeshifting ability comes from a contract with a Great Bear. And if you’re wondering, no, I don’t lose my clothes every time I transform. In fact, my ring is specialized to dress me after the transformation and to remove my clothes before,” Oscar explained to Érica who seemed to want to know more about those individuals known as ‘shapeshifters’.
Why did he mention about his clothes?
Aurora knew that was a question everyone had asked at the time... She when she first met him had also wondered if he lost his clothes with his transformation.
Sure, she hadn’t asked it directly, but then after seeing him in battle, she realized that it worked just as Oscar mentioned.
Nicole and Santiago were talking about medieval-style armor.
Andrés with Shao Ya and Liam were chatting about the medical support drones that the pair of mechanics used and how they could improve them with the advice of a professional healer.
Even as the food was served and the drinks ran out only to be replenished, the conversation only became increasingly animated.
For her part, Alice was finishing her fifth course and while she was an excellent eater, she was also a drinker who was no slouch with Akira.
The group of students was eighteen years old and while it may not have been their first time drinking, their stamina was not as high in some cases.
Clémentine could resist the effect of drunkenness with her mental strength and Nicole, as a fighter, had a naturally resilient body.
And for Érica drinks with magical energy were a treat and while they were B-rank skill users, if they were not able to drink in moderation, they could end up drunk.
No one drank under pressure and even less so when there were non-alcoholic drinks, it was quite the opposite, every drink in this restaurant was a delight, one that no one could refuse.
The dwarven beer that Liam had ordered had an exquisite taste and was smooth making it drink like water... Even though it had a high density of magical energy and was capable of getting even an S-Rank, like Akira, drunk.
Unlike the others, Aurora drank calmly.
It was delicious, and she liked it, but... She had to work tomorrow.
“Don’t think about work. Others will take the missions, and tomorrow you can take care of the rest.” Alice advised noticing her slow drinking.
Just as Aurora could understand her friend without speaking, Alice was the same with her... So she quickly noticed that she was holding back.
—Zerzura has thousands of people helping now. You don’t need to be so mindful of missions.
Listening to Alice’s words and her system, Aurora gave a smile.
It was true that it was hard for her to stop focusing on work, but... It was a normal thing for her.
Looking at the delicious nectar in her glass, Aurora asked. “What if I’m not a good drinker?”
“I’ll protect you!” Alice answered immediately, puffing out her chest proudly.
While it was true that she was not a good drinker, she could not deny that the drink was exquisite.
Seeing Alice so serious, saying she would protect her, Aurora gave a smile and relaxed a little.
Nothing bad would happen, right?