Chương 59: Bonus Story : The Makeover : Part 1 : An Armor No Longer Needed

The sun shone over Paris as Emma and Aldric left the neighborhood around the hotel. As she often did on his days off, the young woman had taken him on a long walk through the streets of the capital. Over the past several weeks, these outings had become a routine. They walked side by side through the bustling crowd. Nearly every café terrace was full, cyclists weaved between cars, and tourists frequently glanced up at the elegant Haussmann buildings. A little boy tugged on his father's sleeve.

"Look! A knight!"

"That's a really good cosplay." Aldric turned toward Emma.

"What does 'cosplay' mean?"

"It's when someone dresses up as a fictional character."

"I'm not dressed as any character." They continued their walk. A few streets later, they crossed paths with a little girl no older than six. Holding her mother's hand, she stared at Aldric with wide, fascinated eyes. When they drew close enough, she looked up.

"Mom..."

"Yes?"

"Why does the knight look sad?"

"I... I don't know." They continued on their way without waiting for an answer. Aldric, already several yards ahead, hadn't heard a thing. Emma, however, had turned back. Was he sad? She had never really asked herself that question. Aldric had always possessed an almost unshakable calm. He smiled sometimes, and lately he had even started laughing more often, yet there always seemed to be a quiet melancholy lingering in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No."

"I have an idea."

"What is it?" Emma pointed to the store in front of them.

"Today, we're going to buy you some clothes." The knight lowered his gaze to his breastplate. His hand brushed the steel plate protecting his chest.

"But it's still in excellent condition. It protects me well. So why replace it?"

"Because today, it's no longer your armor that needs an upgrade."

"I don't understand." She gestured toward the store entrance.

"Come on."

"Where exactly are we going?"

"To a clothing store."

"Is this where the warriors of this kingdom obtain their equipment?"

"Not just the warriors."

"The nobles as well?"

"Everyone."

"Even the rulers?"

"Probably." In his former world, clothing revealed its owner's social rank. Fabrics, colors, and embroidery distinguished a peasant from a merchant, a merchant from a noble, and a noble from a knight. Here, by contrast, everything seemed far less obvious. The automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss.

"Another enchanted door..."

"You'll get used to it." They stepped inside the store. Rows upon rows of clothing stretched out before him. Hundreds of shirts, sweaters, trousers, and jackets filled the shelves with almost military precision. His gaze swept across the room before settling on a mountain of sweaters.

"I understand."

"What do you mean?"

"The armor of this kingdom is made of cloth." He stopped at every display, studied the tags, ran his fingertips across the fabrics, then moved on before repeating the process a few yards later. He picked up a gray coat and let it slide through his hands.

"Thick wool..." He examined the stitching before continuing.

"Long enough to protect the legs from the rain. Travelers in my kingdom would have appreciated such a garment. It was clearly designed for long journeys." They continued exploring the store. This time, Aldric stopped in front of a display filled with puffer jackets. He picked one up. It felt surprisingly light. He turned it over several times.

"Strange..."

"What is?"

"It looks extremely warm, yet it weighs almost nothing."

"It's filled with down." Aldric nodded slowly.

"An excellent idea." He lifted one sleeve toward his face.

"Scouts could have saved days of travel with equipment like this." They reached the sweater section next. Aldric picked up a navy one. Then a gray one. Finally a black one. He compared their thickness.

"These are meant for winter."

"Exactly."

"The soldiers who stood watch through the night would have suffered far less from the cold." Emma browsed the aisles with a level of concentration Aldric had never seen before. She would pick up a garment, inspect it quickly, check the size, then drape it over her arm before moving on. Within a few minutes, she had gathered several T-shirts, two shirts, three pairs of trousers, a sweater, a light jacket, and a gray coat.

"How many clothes are you planning to buy?"

"None for now."

"Yet you're already carrying quite a few."

"First, we need to see what looks good on you." She added a white T-shirt to the pile.

"This one too."

"Is it truly necessary to try on so many different garments?"

"Two pieces of clothing can fit completely differently even if they're the same size."

"The clothing can fit differently?" She resumed walking before he could ask another question. Aldric followed her to the back of the store, where several fitting rooms stood behind a counter. An employee greeted customers, counted their items, handed them a numbered tag, and let them inside. Aldric watched the process. A woman stepped forward with four garments. The employee counted them, handed her a number, and she disappeared behind a curtain. A few moments later, a man did exactly the same.

"He counts each person's equipment before they enter. To prevent theft?"

"Among other things."

"So the premises are under surveillance."

"Like every store."

"What lies behind those curtains?" Emma handed him the stack of clothes.

"You're about to find out." He took them without difficulty. Together they walked over to the employee. His eyes moved from Aldric's armor to the mountain of clothes in his arms before returning to Emma. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Find everything you were looking for?"

"We're about to find out," Emma replied. The employee began counting.

"One, two, three..." He lifted a sleeve.

"Four, five, six..." He raised a pair of trousers trapped beneath the coat.

"Seven, eight, nine... ten." He paused briefly.

"Eleven, twelve." Aldric followed every one of his movements.

"Your method is efficient." The employee smiled.

"Thank you."

"You could probably keep track of an entire company's supplies." He handed Aldric a tag marked with the number twelve.

"Thank you. Fitting room number four." Aldric took the tag between his fingers.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Just keep it with you."

"Why?"

"So we know how many items you took inside."

"A control seal."

"You could call it that." The employee opened the gate and pointed them toward the fitting room. When they reached the curtain, Aldric stopped and looked to his left, then to his right.

"There is no door."

"The curtain is the door," Emma explained.

"This piece of cloth protects the entrance?"

"It mostly protects your privacy." Aldric grasped the edge of the curtain and pulled on it.

"It has no lock."

"No one's going to come in."

"How can you be certain?"

"Because people know the fitting room is occupied."

"Because of the tag?"

"No. Because they can see your feet underneath." Aldric lowered his gaze to the gap between the curtain and the floor.

"This system has several weaknesses."

"Go in." He obeyed and discovered a tiny space enclosed by partitions, with a mirror, a bench, and several hooks mounted on the wall. He set the clothes down on the bench.

"This is a room designed for changing equipment."

"Exactly."

"It is remarkably small."

"You're not supposed to live in it. Why don't you start getting changed instead of analyzing the fitting room? I'll wait outside. Try the blue jeans first, with the white T-shirt and the black jacket."

"In that order?"

"Take off your armor, then put on the T-shirt, the jeans, and the jacket."

"Very well." Emma stepped away and sat down near the large mirror in front of the fitting rooms. The employee folded clothes behind his counter, though he kept glancing in their direction. Several minutes passed. The curtain didn't move.

"Aldric, everything okay?"

"I am removing my armor."

"For the last five minutes?"

"I must store each piece properly." Emma closed her eyes.

"Just put it in a corner."

"On the floor?"

"Yes."

"The steel might scratch the surface."

"Then put it on the bench."

"The clothes are on the bench."

"Hang the clothes on the hooks."

"They might wrinkle." Emma stood up and walked over to the curtain.

"Aldric, just put the clothes on."

"I'm taking care of it." She went back to her seat. Several more minutes passed. The employee walked by carrying a stack of sweaters.

"Is he having trouble?"

"He's discovering fitting rooms."

"His first time?"

"Yes." The employee looked at the curtain.

"He's taking this very seriously."

"You have no idea." A sudden metallic clang echoed from inside the fitting room, followed by a dull thud. Emma straightened immediately.

"Aldric?"

"Everything is fine."

"What fell?"

"My shoulder pauldron."

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"No." A second crash rang out.

"And that?"

"The other shoulder pauldron." A few moments later, the curtain finally opened. Aldric stepped out. Emma looked him up and down, fell silent for a second, then immediately covered her mouth. The white T-shirt was on correctly. The black jacket was too. The jeans, however, were on backwards. The back pockets were in front, and the zipper was in the back.

"What is it?" he asked. Emma tried to answer, but a laugh escaped her.

"Your trousers..."

"Are they too small?"

"No." She burst out laughing.

"You put them on backwards. The back pockets are in the front." Aldric looked down.

"I thought they were meant to protect the thighs."

"And the zipper in the back didn't seem strange to you?"

"I assumed it was a method unique to this kingdom."

"This garment is poorly designed."

"It's perfectly well designed. Go put it on the right way." He disappeared behind the curtain once more. Emma was still laughing when she returned to the fitting room. After a moment, the employee walked over with an amused smile.

"I have to admit, your friend is amazing."

"He's not acting."

"You mean... he's really like this?" Emma smiled.

"Yes..." A few minutes later, the curtain opened again. This time, the jeans were facing the right way. Aldric took a few steps in front of the mirror, bent his knees, then turned in a slow circle.

"It restricts my legs slightly."

"That's normal," Emma replied.

"It's a slim fit."

"It could interfere with prolonged running."

"You're not going to run in them."

"Why wear a garment that prevents proper running?"

"It doesn't prevent you from running."

"Only from running properly." Emma stood up and gently tugged at the fabric around his waist.

"They fit you really well."

"This jacket provides no protection."

"It's a jacket, not armor." He raised his arms, rolled his shoulders, and made two quick movements.

"Mobility remains acceptable."

"You can just admit you like it."

"I have not yet completed my evaluation." The employee walked over as well.

"It really suits you." Aldric turned toward him.

"Would it withstand a fall from a horse?"

"I... don't think it was designed for that."

"A wolf attack?"

"Even less so."

"A short blade?"

"Definitely not." Aldric looked at Emma.

"So its durability is quite limited."

"No one attacks you with a knife in the street."

"That is what you always claim."

"Because it's true." The employee glanced at the sword resting inside the fitting room.

"For your character, I imagine this outfit is mostly for the non-combat scenes." Aldric frowned.

"My character?" Emma stepped in quickly.

"He means your new look."

"I see."

"Now try the black trousers with the blue shirt," she suggested. Aldric went back into the fitting room. This time, he was much quicker. The curtain opened only a few minutes later. He was wearing the black trousers, but Emma immediately noticed something odd about his torso. The shirt looked unusually thick.

"How many layers are you wearing?"

"A shirt."

"Just a shirt?"

"With the inner protective layers." Emma gently pulled back the collar. Underneath the shirt, she found a gray T-shirt, a white one, and a black one, all layered together.

"Aldric..."

"Yes?"

"Why are you wearing three T-shirts?"

"You asked me to try them on."

"Not all at once!"

"It seemed faster that way."

"Is there a problem with this method?"

"Let's just say it makes judging the fit a little more difficult." Emma tugged lightly on one of the collars.

"Take off the bottom two."

"Which ones?"

"The gray and the black."

"Why keep the white one?"

"Because it looks better with the shirt."

"So the color affects the effectiveness of the outfit?"

"It mostly affects how it looks."

"But not its function."

"No."

"Your classification system is remarkably complex." He went back into the fitting room. This time, the employee approached Emma.

"If you'd like, I can put together a few simple outfits for him."

"That would be great."

"What colors does he usually prefer?" Emma looked toward the curtain.

"Up until today? Mostly steel." The employee nodded.

"I'll stick with gray, blue, and black." He disappeared into the aisles while Emma waited. Aldric emerged a short while later, finally wearing only a single T-shirt beneath his shirt. The outfit looked far more elegant. The black trousers lengthened his silhouette, while the blue shirt brought out the color of his eyes and softened the usual severity of his features.

"It really suits you." The shirt accentuated his broad shoulders, while the trousers highlighted his waist and long legs. His hair, slightly tousled after removing the various pieces of armor, gave him a gentler appearance. He had always regarded clothing as nothing more than equipment. A tunic protected against the cold. A cloak protected against the rain. Armor protected against blows. Appearance had never mattered much to him, as long as a garment fulfilled its purpose.

"So?"

"I did not expect to look like this. Like a man who is not about to leave for battle."

"That's kind of the point." The employee returned carrying several more outfits over his arm.

"I found a few combinations." He handed them to Aldric.

"Let's try something more casual."

"What does 'casual' mean?"

"Less formal. Simpler."

"Clothing intended for rest."

"Exactly." Aldric took the clothes and returned to the fitting room. This time, he asked no questions. He removed his shirt, folded each garment before setting it aside, then put on the new outfit in the proper order. When he stepped back out, he was wearing beige trousers, a dark green T-shirt, and a light jacket.

"I really like this one," Emma said. The employee nodded in agreement.

"It suits him perfectly." Aldric stood before the mirror and slowly turned around. The trousers were more flexible than the jeans, the T-shirt did not restrict any of his movements, and the jacket was so light he almost forgot he was wearing it.

"This outfit is more comfortable."

"See? You can wear something other than your armor."

"I never claimed otherwise." Emma crossed her arms.

"Twenty minutes ago, you were questioning whether a pair of trousers could withstand an axe."

"My concerns were justified." The employee then handed him a gray sweater.

"Try this one." Aldric returned to the fitting room, then came back wearing the sweater with the black trousers.

"What do you think?" Emma looked genuinely surprised for a moment. It was the first time he had asked for her opinion before giving his own assessment.

"I think this is probably the one that suits you best." Aldric turned toward the mirror. The gray sweater fit neatly across his shoulders without looking too tight. The sleeves rested just above his forearms. The employee stepped closer.

"I agree. With a coat over it, it'll be perfect." He handed Aldric the long gray coat Emma had chosen. Aldric put it on, adjusted the collar, and stood silently before his reflection. Emma stepped beside him.

"So?"

"This outfit offers almost no protection. It would be useless on a battlefield. And this coat would not stop a single arrow. Yet... I like it."

"Finally." Behind them, the employee quietly pumped his fist as though he had just witnessed an important victory. Aldric removed the coat but kept the sweater on for a few moments longer. He turned in front of the mirror, studied his profile, then brushed a loose strand of hair back into place.

"So... do you think you look handsome?"

"I was evaluating the ensemble."

"Of course you were."

"A reflection reveals certain flaws that cannot otherwise be seen."

"And did you find any?"

"No." Emma burst out laughing.

"So you do think you look handsome."

"I merely acknowledge that these garments suit me well."

"They suit you very well." The employee spoke up.

"Honestly, sir, with your build, almost anything will look good on you." Aldric turned toward him.

"So my physique also makes it easier to wear this equipment?"

"Exactly."

"Then my years of training have proven useful in this field as well." Emma gathered the clothes they had decided to keep while Aldric returned to the fitting room one last time to put his armor back on. When he stepped out again, the contrast felt stranger than before. The weight of the steel was familiar, almost reassuring, but he also noticed the stiffness of the plates on his shoulders and the heat trapped beneath his breastplate. He lowered his gaze to the neatly folded clothes in Emma's arms.

"Which ones are we taking?" She pointed to the gray sweater, the black trousers, the blue shirt, the jeans, the green T-shirt, the jacket, and the coat.

"Those."

"That seems like a lot."

"You need more than one outfit."

"Would a single one not be sufficient?"

"You're not going to wear the exact same clothes every day."

"I wear the same armor every day."

"Exactly." The employee handed them a shopping basket.

"You can put everything in here." Aldric helped place the clothes inside, then they continued walking through the aisles. After a few steps, he stopped in front of an accessories display and picked up a black beanie.

"What is this for?"

"To keep your head warm." He put it on. The beanie rode up under the weight of his hair and ended up perched awkwardly on top of his head. Emma stared at him for a few seconds. Then she started laughing again. Aldric sighed.

"I assume I am wearing it backwards as well."

"No."

"This time, it is simply dreadful." Aldric took the beanie off and set it back where he had found it.

"At last, a piece of equipment on which we both agree."