I Formed a Party with a Girl via an Adventurer Matching App - Chapter 13

 Clothes Make the Man

"How does an ensemble like this suit you, honored patron?" 

"Whoa."

Prompted by the silver-fox clerk, I looked into the full-length mirror. Reflected back at me was an version of myself looking entirely unfamiliar.

The shirt was fundamentally different from the limp, worn-out ones I usually lived in; it had a simple yet distinctly refined design. The trousers were olive-green cargo pants designed in a way that even if they got stained or torn during an adventure, it would actually make them look like a rugged stylistic accent.

Over my chest—a vital area—was a perfectly fitted mithril plate, complemented by gauntlets and leg guards made of the exact same material. Not only was the sparkling, transparent silver gleam beautifully striking, but there was absolutely no doubt that it offered elite defensive capabilities for combat. When I gave the metal a light flick with my finger, a quiet, crisp ting... echoed out, proving that it utilized a particularly high-grade, refined class of mithril. Attached to the leather belt was an item pouch hanging from my hip, featuring a studded design that looked incredibly cool.

From head to toe, every single item had been prepared by the swallowtail-coated clerk strictly according to Cordelia’s specifications. While it was all being assembled, I had just stood there like a complete idiot, watching the clerk sprint across the massive store with the agility of an elite shadow-operative from the Eastern Lands—a "NINJA," as they call them.

……Well, I had let out a pretty confident "Whoa," but in reality, I still couldn't genuinely tell whether this actually looked good on me or not. However, even if I didn't understand fashion, I could tell the outfit possessed a high-class aura without being overly flashy. It had a sleek, mature coolness to it... and it felt like it wasn't half bad. In fact, since this was Cordelia's personal tailor, I could probably safely assume this looked pretty damn good, right?

As I stood there lacking full confidence in my new look, the swallowtail clerk spoke up, as if reading my mind.

"It suits you magnificently, sir." 

"O-Oh…… you really mean it?" 

"Yes, profoundly so." 

"Well, hearing you say that definitely makes me feel better. But, you know... if it were up to me, I feel like this chest plate would look way better if it had magenta polka dots on it. Do you happen to have anything like that in stock?" 

"We do not." 

"I see. Well then, what if we—" 

"We do not."

He shut me down with lightning speed before I could even finish my next suggestion...

"Oh, are you finished already?"

As the clerk and I were going back and forth in front of the mirror, a voice called out from behind us. It was Cordelia, who had been off browsing the store on her own. She was holding a shopping bag she hadn't had before we split up, suggesting she had picked up something for herself.

Her boots clicked sharply against the marble floor as she confidently strode around to face us.

"Huh."

"Huh"? That's it?

While her verbal review was incredibly brief, her eyes told a completely different story as they slowly swept up and down, thoroughly scanning my entire body. After giving a small nod of approval, she wore a deeply smug expression.

"Well, clothes really do make the man."

She smirked.

"Excellent. We'll take the whole set." 

"Thank you very much, milady!"

Faced with a high-rolling VIP customer who made a massive purchasing decision without a moment's hesitation, the clerk bowed so fast his upper body left literal afterimages. It happened too quickly for my eyes to follow. Is this guy seriously just a tailor? Are we sure he isn't a former mercenary?

"So, what's the damage?" 

"Right then. We have the 'All-Season Easy Wear Comfort Adventure Series' shirt from our in-house Aoyama brand, the 'Jack Gargoyle Club' trousers, the 'Shine Knight Club' leather belt, the 'Akinai Merchant Guild' body-molding underwear, the iron-plated boots from 'Label Iron,' and the vanguard mithril armor set from 'Villain Viron,' along with various custom sizing adjustments…… However, we are currently running our Spring New Adventure Fair, so after applying that specific discount……"

The clerk retrieved an abacus out of nowhere, his fingers clicking across the beads with blinding speed.

"……The grand total comes to 3.5 million Noogle." 

"HUH?!?!?!?!?"

That is absurdly expensive! That's impossible! I don't care if we're buying mithril armor, the vast majority of this ensemble is still just fabric, right?! And yet it costs 3.5 million Noogle?! This is a highway robbery!

"H-Hey, Cordelia! You are getting completely ripped off here! Let's get the hell out of here and report this place to the town guards……!" 

"I'll pay in a single lump sum." 

"CORDELIA?!?!?!?!?!?"

Without even a single change in her facial expression, Cordelia smoothly signed the itemized receipt the clerk handed over. With that, the contract was finalized, legally binding Cordelia to a payment of 3.5 million Noogle.

I was the only one in the entire room losing my mind. Both Cordelia and the clerk proceeded with the transaction completely unfazed. Wait. Am I the crazy one here? These are just clothes, right? Is spending 3.5 million on an outfit considered normal?!

In the face of an amount of money that regular commoners wouldn't even see in their entire lifetimes, the clerk simply bowed his head, his calm demeanor never wavering for a second.

"As a complimentary gift for patrons who purchase a full, complete set, we would like to present you with this 'Goodbye Puppy' wallet. Please, accept it with our compliments."

With those words, he handed over a wallet adorned with a cute cartoon dog character. While I was happy to get a freebie, it was way too adorable for a guy like me to have any actual use for……

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