As we emerged from the dungeon, looking for adventure, the worried faces of those who awaited us greeted us with beaming smiles.
While the blurry image of the outside world visible through the dimensional portal was somewhat expected, it seemed as if Erebos had fled to another location.
The travelers, greatly concerned that we had been there for three whole days and only emerged on the morning of the fourth, greeted us with great excitement.
Shortly after we emerged, the entrance to the dungeon quietly collapsed and disappeared. After we were informed that Erebos, whom we had encountered in the dungeon, was in an inexplicable state and told the gist of what had happened, we returned to Ladia.
On the way back, Ars spoke with a man who seemed to be the leader of the adventurers, with a rather stern expression, but I wasn't particularly interested.
What I liked most was the feeling of Lisbeth's ample buttocks against my waist.
The day will come when I can finally have those buttocks.
I walked toward the city for quite some time, and then suddenly noticed that all the adventurers ahead were roughly the same height.
It wasn't just that they were all roughly the same height; there were differences in height, but the difference between men and women was negligible.
The average townspeople were the same height as the adventurers. Both men and women stood between 150 and 170 cm tall, and their height distribution was satisfactory.
Furthermore, despite being adventurers, the men looked very English.
It would have been understandable if they were mages or supporting characters, but even warriors who wielded swords or firearms were flat-chested.
Among the ordinary people, there were neither particularly thin nor particularly fat people, but these self-proclaimed adventurers weren't even close to the average person who visited a gym on Earth. This seemed a little odd.
All the women were more attractive than on Earth, but why were the men like this? I decided to ignore it. They probably had something to do with what was happening, observing the people on Earth.
Arriving in Ladia, we went to the Guild, where Lisbeth presented a rather detailed report.
After reviewing the report, the staff informed us that, based on its contents, a mission would be issued to track down and defeat the Hero Eater.
Despite the report being presented, we also advised that after Arsa's gradual recovery, it would be best to perform the operation in the City of the Lords, so that we could appear in person.
After this, we left the Guild building.
We then went to the clinic near the Guild to inquire about Arsa's condition. Only Lisbeth and Ars entered and left; when Ars made his announcement, his arm was bandaged.
We briefly listened to the diagnosis; fortunately, the injury was not serious.
The cause was apparently a muscle strain in his legs, which required medication and rest. As for his arms, we said that even with the hero's ability to recover, they would need to be bandaged for a week and kept as still as possible.
"So, you at least need a week off? What will you do during that time?"
"Actually... I thought about it on the way here."
In a cafe-style teahouse with outdoor tables, located below the street where the guests were seated, as we began to discuss our next move, Ars leaned forward with a wide expression.
"I... plan to train my combat aura at the Adventurer Training Center's training grounds during my recovery period."
"Huh? Just a week? Why not just take a good rest?"
"Yes, Ars. You're pushing yourself too hard..."
This should be a time for rest, and for a short week at that, and he says he'll train during this time? He added that this caused his recently healed wounds to reopen, and Ars shook his head.
"Meditation-based combat aura training... it doesn't require physical activity. In that case, I plan to sleep at the gym during this recovery week and use everything but food and sleep to train my combat aura."
It seems a gym or something similar is mentioned in the adventurer's path, which was apparently the leader. "That battle with the Hero Eater made me realize that even as a hero, my strength is still too weak."
Even after activating my hero aura for the fight, I still found myself at a disadvantage.
This won't do.
I want to get stronger as soon as possible, even if just a little faster.
Worry was evident on Ars's face as we talked.
However, for Ars, who was only around level 20, killing a hero above level 50 was quite impressive, perhaps even exceeding all expectations, right?
Besides, even with training, it's unlikely you'll be able to make rapid progress in just one week... Maybe there's another reason for his concern? "Liz. While I'm gone, you need to either train your magic or..."
Level up with Shimo. I hope Shimo can take the quest with her when Liz levels up. If something happens, it's no big deal, but try to finish it within a week." Hearing this, Lizbeth was chastised, but Ars's resolve was unwavering.
However, to avoid danger, Lizbeth, albeit reluctantly, eventually agreed.
After that, I agreed to meet Lizbeth every morning, starting tomorrow, to complete the quest and observe how they treated the inn. "...Pfft," I couldn't help but laugh as the inn's entrance closed.
"Ars... you've done me a huge favor." He said he was going into seclusion for the weekend to practice his combat aura?
This was exactly the good news I wanted, as I really wanted Lizbeth.
I initially thought that creating Lisbeth as a female character would require an incredible amount of time and preparation.
But if Arsenal is absent for a whole week, that will change.
The plan is for the two of us to complete the leveling quest together.
Ars's inattention took over my "I" technologies, puzzling over how to win Lisbeth's favor and make her want to applaud.
Furthermore, when I learned that cultivating aura is a form of meditation, I understood the peculiarities of the male adventurers in this world and Ars's mediocre stats, despite being called a hero.
In short, the people of this other world are, by traditional standards, fools obsessed with the thrill of sudden death.
According to the Bureau, while leveling up is the primary way to improve stats, physical training can also boost stats on its own.
However, it also states that the more you trust, the less effective the attribute increase becomes.
Perhaps those warriors who mastered aura only needed to safeguard their bodies in this way in the initial stages, and then, as soon as the effectiveness of their aura diminishes, immediately switch to focused aura development?
Indeed, the heroic charm that Ars exuded was quite astounding.
His speed and strength increased significantly; he practically became a different person.
Apparently, even if a non-hero's aura isn't as strong as a hero's, it still provides a significant boost in strength.
While this is merely my concentration, it's entirely possible that people from other worlds who use aura are addicted to the thrill of the incredible increase in strength and complexes that comes with aura training.
However, the duration of its effect is so short that it can only be used as a trump card or a sneak attack—to end a turn.
With such low baseline stats, why are they so obsessed with excitement, providing techniques, and trusting only them?
Ars and Aura users currently need not increased effectiveness, but rather increased duration.
To achieve this, they must level up and train their bodies, but these people, obsessed with the insignificant sensations of their adopted techniques, mistakenly believe that Aura training is the highest path, and for this, we subject them to extremely grueling physical training.
Since they can temporarily become stronger through a simpler method—meditation—they neglect what they should be doing and focus solely on training.
My brain concluded: this is the true face of the strange feeling I observed in relation to this unearthly man.
"Tsk-tsk-tsk... such fighting spirit really does ruin people."
Well, I should be grateful. Thanks to this, Ars won't have to watch Lisbeth for a whole week.
"See you later, I'll be here today... ah!"
What should I do after lunch, before sunset...? I suddenly remembered that the upscale shop that made Lisbeth's clothes had said they'd make me a custom outfit for free.
Was that supposed to be the next day?
I'd completely forgotten about it because I was just finishing the dungeon, perfect.
"Today, it's probably more appropriate for me to say, '...Oh, by the way, I forgot to schedule a meeting with Lisbeth today to discuss the terms.'"
Oops.
I was so excited about the extra week of free time that I forgot about an important promise: to maintain my sexual desires.
Now that I think about it, I didn't even name a specific time. If I don't plan ahead, it'll be impossible to make up their mind.
Maybe I should just go back to the dorm and find someone to have sex with?
"Sigh... too bad I had to postpone it today." After all, Ars's absence gave me an extra week of free time. If he were here, I'd have to be more careful and disrupt the president's work for a few days. It's a shame, but today, victims turn a blind eye.
"I need to go and get my things measured... I need to arrange a time with her to see her in town tomorrow."
Thinking about this, I followed the path I'd taken with Lisbeth and headed toward the clothing store.
y, located below the street where the nobles lived.
......
"Oh, welcome, Divine Beast Master. I've been expecting you." Entering the shop, I noticed that the saleswoman's clothes were different from the last one. But they were still revealing and luxurious dresses; she truly seemed to have designed and sewn them herself.
"Ah... hello, saleswoman."
"My name is Leona. Please call me that."
"Ah, I understand, Miss Leona."
Looking at her radiant, seductive smile, I felt a strange thrill in my chest. Although I had decided to pursue only Lisbeth, Leona's beauty captivated me.
But even putting that aside, Leona's beauty was first-class even in this world.
Her face, slightly sharp but radiating mature femininity, was marked by bright makeup and a smile that made her attractive and charming.
While her breasts weren't as large as Lisbeth's, they were still quite substantial for the inhabitants of this other world; on Earth, they would have been enough to make men turn their heads in admiration.
Her revealing dress accentuated her full, firm breasts, highlighting the curves of her upper body.
Furthermore, the side slit of her dress revealed problematic brown stockings that reached up to her thighs and were topped with high heels.
The fact that she was already married further fueled my desire.
Despite my determination to control my desires, not only were lustful thoughts flaring, but my lower body was throbbing with arousal.
This little girl feigned such innocence at the entrance to the store.
"Will you please come inside today? "Please be a little careful here, please move around because of the chairs..."
The store was spacious, but with my impressive build, I couldn't navigate many of the aisles. After walking around the room and entering the inner chamber, I saw Leona emerge with a measuring tape and several rolls of fabric.
"Let's begin our examination of your body today."
"Um... is this really okay? I'm a little... embarrassed that such a beautiful woman as Miss Leona is seeing my body like this... I hesitated for a long time before coming here..."
Even though I came because it was free, you offering to show off this fierce body still felt a little awkward.
Lisbeth will be my woman, but I don't intend to touch anyone else for half an hour...
"Heh-heh, you say I'm beautiful and all that. It's rude of you to tease your aunt like that. It seems the Divine Beast is even more wicked than it looks."
No, that was true. "But everything's fine."
Thanks to the Divine Beast Lord, we've sold quite a few expensive clothes. More importantly, famous customers like you are suffering from illnesses.
Just a few words about our shop, and business is guaranteed to be profitable.
Wow. Even though this is a very simple, rough fabric, easy to sew, I didn't expect it to be used in advertising. Retail isn't for everyone.
"So, shall we lift the fabric you're wearing?"
Leona said this, lifting the cloth covering me and creating her main bag, placing it on the shop counter. Hmm... even though I'm only wrapped in cloth, being completely naked still makes me a little uneasy. Setting the bag down, Leona took a measuring tape and began to examine my body from the side. Her swaying breasts and bare legs were quite enticing as she bent over... Just as I was thinking this, my seemingly well-behaved friend suddenly appeared and asked, "Is now the right time?" Thinking everything was fine, I entered, but felt completely betrayed.
Fearing that Leona, who had unconsciously walked around behind me, might stun me... Leona, who had been silently watching my back for a while, suddenly crouched down next to my waist and said in a loud, excited voice, "...What the Divine Beast Lord possesses has finally come to pass... Such a huge and masculine Being... Haa..." W-what?
What responsibility do you feel for Leona now?
"Size aside, I've never seen anything so ferocious in stores before... And I can see how the pulse is confirmed by such beautiful veins... Even the smell..."
"Um... Miss Leona?" Turning around, I saw Leona blushing and looking at me, holding a measuring tape in her hand. Even though I'd foreseen this situation, it was still incredibly awkward when it happened.
"If... something like this... uh..."
"Hey, Miss Leona!!!"
No. This condition is too dangerous. Realizing this and thinking of Lisbeth, I resisted the urge to cross the line and shouted Leona's name. "...Ha! My apologies. Divine Beast Master."
Hearing my voice, Leona abruptly woke up, stood up, and bowed her head in apology. Hmm... are there really women in this world who, upon seeing such a monster, not only aren't afraid, but actually feel delight?
"Today... excuse me. Um... such a magnificent sight, I've never seen anything like it before..."
"Oh, no. On the contrary, I'm very..."
"I'm sorry I presented you with such a shameful thing."
Leona apologized vaguely.
Is it me who should apologize... is this really the sexual desires of mature women?
Despite all these awkward situations, after taking my measurements and a short wait, Leona cut out the fabric and began sewing my clothes.
Dressed in fabrics with simple yet exquisite embroidery, and looking in the mirror, the horse's body, which seemed fierce and intimidating, actually looked quite beautiful.
And perhaps because the fabric was tailored to his figure, she was pleasantly surprised.
"As expected of the owners of a high-end clothing store... your skill has proven itself, Miss Leona."
"Heh, nothing special. That doesn't qualify as such praise."
"No, it's simply wonderful!" If this weren't a store focused on the emerging feminine appearance, I'd like you to sew my clothes once I've mastered the art of manifesting in a human." Looking at the diverse designs around her, even someone unfamiliar with the craft could sense Leona's exceptional skill. Even if she specialized in women's clothing, with this level of skill, she could probably make some very beautiful men's clothing. "...If it were a Divine Beast, I could sew it for you right now, okay?"
"Yeah, right?"
In response to this question, Leona perked up.
"I opened this women's clothing store to fulfill my dream, not because I'm specifically against the production of men's clothing. I would be honored if customers like you, Divine Beast, visited..."
That's good. Indeed, there is a store for which I can be grateful and make a purchase with peace of mind.
After a brief conversation, Leona helped me put on my bag, saying she'd be back once she'd acquired the "Human Transformation" skill, and then left the shop.
"But judging by her opinion today, it'll be pretty hard for her to get into the bottom half of the list..."
Having succumbed to the introduction, I asked myself, "Couldn't she have sewn something bigger?" I headed toward the warehouse.