Chapter 309:
Spring Things
NOW THAT WE HAD the payment for the magic stones all sorted out, we could fully focus on preparing for our travels. Since it still snowed a little at night, we decided to wait until the weather was more springlike before we departed.
“Okay, we’re gonna go look at some spring and summer clothes now.”
Druid declared this after some post-breakfast deliberation. He said it as if the decision were as good as made, so I stared at him blankly.
“Um, is this set in stone?”
“Of course it is.”
I see… It’s set in stone, then… Wait, when did we set it in stone? When I just kept staring at Druid, he laughed and stood up.
“Ivy, can you come stand a little closer to me?”
“Huh? Uh, sure.”
I stood next to Druid and looked up at him.
“Do you notice anything different?”
Notice what? I kept staring up at Druid, still confused. Wait a minute…
“Let me guess…did I grow taller?”
“Yes, you did. So, I’m pretty sure the pants you used to wear are too short for you now.”
He was right. I had grown since the summer, and my pants were already a little short when we bought them. That meant they were probably way too short by now.
“Haven’t you been feeling any joint pain this winter?” he asked.
Joint pain? Yeah, my joints do feel a little stiff first thing in the morning. “I have, but I always thought it was just soreness from bumping into so many things.”
“Ah, yes, you and the snow aren’t that compatible, Ivy.”
He sure was right about that. Even those shoe thingies I’d borrowed from Dola that were supposed to keep you from slipping didn’t help much. For some reason, whenever I walked on a road where the snow was a bit deep, I would fall constantly, usually because my foot would get caught in the snow and pitch me forward. I got a lot of scrapes and bruises from rocks and stumps on the road that were hidden by the snow. Thanks to the blue potions, I was able to heal my wounds right away, but the areas that got hit still hurt afterward. And since I was such a klutz, whenever we were in the forest, I would only walk along paths that Druid had melted first. But that wouldn’t work in town, so it really was harsh. I hope we get to spend next winter someplace where there’s less snow.
“On that note, let’s get you some new clothes. We have all that magic stone money to spend, after all.”
Since we had supplied a lot more magic stones than we thought, we had a startling amount of money, meaning there was plenty to spare. But I remembered how our shopping trip for winter clothing had gone down. Would I be able to assert myself this time?
“Okay, let’s get going. What do you want to do with the slimes? Take them with us?”
The creatures reacted positively when Druid said “take them with us,” so I put them all in their bag and we headed over to Modd, the clothing shop that Baluka ran. We hadn’t been there for a while, and we were surprised to see that the place’s design had changed quite a bit.
“Hello! Come on in,” Baluka said, opening the door for us.
“It’s good to see you again, sir. How did the winter treat you?”
“Pretty well. I was able to get some high-level magic stones from the guild, so all my employees were safe and warm through the winter. The current guild master and head watchmen sure are great at their jobs. There were rumors earlier that they weren’t up to the task, but now we know we’re in good hands.”
A smile spread over my face. I was so happy to hear that Captain Tableau and Guild Master Priya had done their jobs so well that the villagers were put at ease.
“We came here to get some spring and summer clothes. And we’ll be on the road, so we’ll need them sturdily made, please.”
“Of course, sir. By the way, Miss Ivy, have you grown a little taller?” Baluka looked me over with a pensive gleam in his eyes.
Why is he looking at me like that? Do I look weird? He knows the clothes I’m wearing are from this shop, right?
“Yes, you might want to order your trousers a little on the long side, with an adjustable hem. It looks like you’re bound to grow even more.”
“An adjustable hem, sir?”
“Yes, we roll the hem over a few times instead of cutting the fabric. That way, you can unroll it to make the trousers longer as needed.”
Aha, that sounds like it could work well for me. It was such a waste to have to buy new pants every time I grew a little taller.
“I’ll take a rolled hem, then, please. You wanted to buy some pants, too, Mr. Druid?”
“Yeah, I’ll need to get three pairs of pants and a coat.”
I guess I’ll browse for my own clothes for now, then…
“Ivy, don’t go for the cheap stuff. Pick clothes that are built to last.”
He’s on to me. I stole a glance at Druid and saw that he was staring critically at me. “Ha ha ha! Okay, I get it.”
I’ll find some clothes that’ll last. Hmmm…y’know, looking at clothes is quite a thrill. Okay, let’s start with some pants! I chose three pairs of pants, selecting them based on color and embroidery designs. These three ought to do it.
“Don’t you think you should have some more pairs of pants?” Druid asked from behind me, eyeing the ones I’d selected.
“You think so?”
“Yeah, you have to think about the times you won’t be able to do laundry, like when it’s raining. It rains a lot in the spring.”
Taking that into consideration, I supposed I was a little short on pants.
“How about these? The fabric on them is quite sturdy.” Druid brought six pairs of pants for me to look at. I chose two of them, which gave me five pairs in all. That should be enough.
“Hey, Ivy, how about a spring coat?” Druid held up a coat with beautiful embroidery. I had looked at it earlier, but it was too expensive, so I’d discreetly put it back on the rack.
“No, it costs way too much.”
Druid looked upset. He walked off to return the coat…only to return with a different one. “How about this?”
He was holding a coat of a different color, with less lavish embroidery. I checked the price out of concern and saw that it was within our budget. I really wanted it…but I didn’t exactly need it.
“Isn’t it a bit pricey?”
“You think so? I think it’s fine.”
I was concerned about the price…but more importantly, I wanted it. But if I bought it right when I was going through a growth spurt, I would surely regret it later. I didn’t know how long I would be able to wear it, so I decided I should pass it up.
“If you buy the next size up, you’ll be able to wear it much longer. And this style has an adjustable pleat at the back, so you can easily adjust it to your current size. It will be a little long for you, but there should be no problems with the design. I can also roll the hems in the sleeves just like your trousers.”
Baluka brought over the same coat in a larger size and pinned it up to fit me.
“Wow…it looks a bit different, but I think it’ll work. Wouldn’t you say so, Ivy?”
The design did change a little…but it was so cute. I really felt like I needed to have it. But…
“Then it’s settled.”
“Hey!”
The sale was made.
“I let Mr. Druid have his way yet again…”
He chose my clothing not only this time but on our winter shopping trip, too. And every item he’d selected for me was something with beautiful colors or embroidery that I had wanted but put back because it was too expensive. It was probably because I was so used to settling for clothes that were “good enough.” I’d never been able to buy clothes of my own volition. So whenever Druid insisted on buying clothes because they were pretty, I found it hard to agree. I also complained out of embarrassment whenever he said I looked good in something.
“He probably sees right through me…”
Druid was so forceful when we bought clothing because I was too timid to admit that I wanted something. It was strange, since I never hesitated to buy food or magic items that interested me.
“Ivy, we’ll need to buy some tops for you, too.”
“Got it.”
Okay, Ivy, it’s time to be assertive and pick out some pretty clothes for yourself that you truly want! Ahh…but will I really be able to do it?
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