"It's not a suit of armour. It's meant to make yourself appear more appealing to others. Perhaps a potential partner?"
Hikari gave her a confused look, seeming unable to comprehend at all what she just said.
Nevertheless, she began attempting to assemble the pieces onto herself.
Several pieces floated off the wardrobe top surface, stitching themselves together into one continuous piece.
Hikari studied the deformed piece, sticking it on her body to see where it fits.
"No, that's not right."
She disassembled the pieces again.
"There's a major event that I'll be attending tonight and I want you to escort me."
Hikari fumbled.
She managed to piece together a continuous block but was struggled to figure out where it was supposed to fit.
"Knights, merchants, investors, bureaucrats, generals would all be in attendance. A bit of wine would make their tongues looser than usual."
Hikari was able to fit a piece covering one of her breasts. She tugged it around a bit, as it seemed to be leaving a slither of area uncovered.
"They are there to court the young knights of various houses who would be entering the prestigious spire academy. Myself included."
Pieces of silk wrapped around Hikari's muscular arm. Hikari flexed, testing the elasticity of the silk. It didn't break.
There was still a hole on her arm that revealed her bear skin. Hikari sniffed through the pile of silk looking for it.
"Most of the young knights of the various houses will be in attendance along with their guardian knights. Perhaps this is a good chance for you to gain some exposure to the outside world too? "
Hikari pieced together her torso and arm wraps. She spreads the remaining silk pieces trying to figure out if it's a skirt or pants. She followed the weaving runes, piecing together a long vertical piece.
Pants, she assumed. She tried wrapping the pieces around her leg. The silk stretched down to just above her ankles. But it didn't match the shape of her leg at all.
"Gosh. In just over a year, I'll be leaving the estate for the spire academy. I wish I could bring you along. I feel so safe with you around."
Hikari disassembled the pieces again. She double checked the weaving runes. With her squarish cotton shirts, she could get away with a bit of improvisation. But here, it seemed like the dress just wouldn't stitch if she did not follow them to the letter.
"I'm sure we'll work something out. You're so strong and powerful."
Hikari pieced together the whole dress. She managed to match the weaving rune to the tunic, allowing it to drape over her legs. Hikari checked the wardrobe. There seemed to be a triangular silk piece left which she can't seem to fit anywhere.
"Done?"
She turned to Ria.
Ria looked up at her from atop the wardrobe. She was speechless. Hikari was in her mind, an impenetrable wall of steel. She had almost forgotten just how stunningly beautiful she actually was.
Her perfect figure. Her immaculate skin. Her cold countenance.
Unlike her. Frail, skinny, pale and insignificant.
"Down… Down.." The voice echoed in her head again. Ria shakes her head and slapped her cheeks with both hands.
"There's holes everywhere."
Hikari tugged away at the hole in the middle of the chest pieces which exposed her cleavage line. She was pitching the part with her fingers, trying to close up the hole.
"Oh, that's not a mistake. Exposing just a slither of that part really helps to attract or distract men depending on what you're trying to accomplish."
Hikari continued tugging away annoyingly at the gaps in her dress.
"My lady, it's airy"
"Airy?" Ria gave Hikari a confused look, trying to process what she meant.
Hikari fiddled with her skirt, pulling it around her hips.
"Oh right. It's that triangular piece there." Hikari turned her attention to the last triangular piece of black spider silk remaining on the wardrobe top.
Ria walked to a bundle of thick silk string piled up against the wall. With her tiny arms, she dragged the pile towards the triangular silk piece.
Unbundling it, she grabbed on end of the silk piece and attempted to attach it to the triangular piece.
"How do I do this?" Ria tried to channel her mana, but she couldn't activate the weaving runes.
Then the silk moved on its own. The threads on the end of the strap weaved itself into the triangular piece.
Then the whole silky construct floated down off the wooden platform and up Hikari's leg.
"its still airy"
Hikari continued to fidget with her skirt. Pushing her fingers in between her legs.
"That's how ladies wear their dresses. If you wear some pants underneath, it will show through the slits and might spoil the elegant aura."
Hikari glanced over at the pile of her dirty laundry beside the shower area. Her standard one was thick and absorbent. But even that probably won't last past two days of workouts.
"I know they are a little thin for you but you likely won't be fighting with them."
Hikari stared at Ria with her usual cold expression. Ria's face was red as a tomato.
"Ahem! Moving on."
Ria walked over to a row of crates assembled along the wall. They had a posh texture to them.
She pushed one of them towards Hikari.
Ria lifted the lid revealing a blood crystal embedded in silver, resting in a pure white form.
"A thorny rose. Blood in the night. Silver glittering in the moonlight. The bane of all evils cowering in the dark. After reading the report on the capture of the cultist holdout, I think this is an appropriate theme for your debut appearance in high society."
Ria grabbed one from the box, using both hands to hold it in front of her chest.
Hikari reached for it, letting it slide down her fingers onto her palm. The blood crystal glowed bright red in response to her mana.
"I think this one goes on your wrist."
The jewellery floats in midair, the silver chains glittering as they unwrap themselves.
The chain wraps itself around her hand.
The blood crystal glows in response to her mana.
She continued.
A necklace, the ruby landing right above the cleavage.
The largest piece of blood crystal, embedded in a pair pin. Hikari tied her hair up in a high pony tail before inserting the piece.
The blood red crystal glowed atop her head, embedded in her silver hair.
"Where do these two go?"
Ria swallowed. "I think these are your ankle bracelets."
Hikari blinks at her blankly.
"How would I wear my boots?"
"You won't. Lower me to the ground."
Hikari rested her palm on the platform, allowing Ria to sit on it and lowered her to the ground.
She walked to a huge black box whose height was up to her neck.
It was a pair of platform heels. Scaled up to match the size of Hikari's feet.
The insole had a silver rim around it. The insole was made of a strange kind of foam to cushion the wearer's feet.
Black leather straps nailed into a strip on the side of the platform.
The thick heel had a cylindrical steel core surrounded by thick rubber and a layer of black varnish.
"What are these?"
"Your shoes. They make you walk with your feet arched and your back straightened. "
Hikari grabbed it by the heel and studied the strangely shaped object.
At least the steel reinforcements could properly support her weight.
She places the heels on the ground, producing a loud sound as the heavy steel knocks against the stone.
Her foot sled onto the shoe. The slither of silver varnish on the rim of the insole glittered as her foot fit nicely on the insole.
Once her foot was in place, the straps floated over it, crisscrossing over the top of Hikari's foot, the other end weaving itself onto the other side of the heels.
Her toes exposed.
Hikari lifts her foot, waving her foot in circles.
She slid her foot into the other shoe and began walking.
Click! Clack! Click! Clack! She walked, taking small steps with pauses in between to maintain her balance.
The sharp sound of her steel heel core knocking against the stone ground.
Ba dum! Ba dum! Ria's heart pounded as the sound of Hikari's heels echoed in her head.
Hikari paced back and forth in her new heels. She wobbled a bit as it was difficult to walk in them.
They make a loud noise with every step which makes her feel uneasy.
She walked back to Ria and gently stomped her foot in front of her in dissatisfaction.
A jolt came over Ria as her heels suddenly landed in front of her and smashed the stone ground. Her knees gave way.
Hikari's feet arched before her.
She had looked at herself in the mirror countless times and been to many high society parties. She had indulged herself in the most idealistic beauty standards of the day.
And yet, she was absolutely stunned by the sheer beauty of Hikari's feet of all things.
Hikari stood over her, bent forward and looked down on Ria kneeling before her.
A sudden surge of primal pleasure courses through her body.
Despite being unwieldy, the extra height and the arching shape of her foot made Ria appear lower and smaller.
She was starting to like it.
A voice came from outside. "My Lady! Your carriage is ready! We have to leave soon."
Ria was startled. She was still wrapped in nothing but a towel.
"Coming!" She scrambled to stand up.
—- Hikari —-
Physique : 743 -> 756
Weight : 2200 -> 2255 (kg)
Platform high heels : height + 0.5 metres, martial proficiency ( - 20), firearms proficiency ( -20)
Blood crystals : mana + 20
Black spider silk dress : defense + 5, mana + 5
—- Ria —-
Physique : Physique : 6.5 -> 7.5