Chương 33: Chapter 31: Advice

I stared at the Magical Girl, wondering if she was crazy.

"Um…?" I trailed off, glancing around with some concern.

"One of the problems you currently have is one of perception," Everglaive explained, folding her hands on her lap.

"See, you've been fighting without your Astral Shift this entire time. You know what it's like to fight Anathema as a mortal, not a Magical Girl. You've had no real stat advantages, no magic, and no shield. If you were not already aware, when you use your Astral Shift, you get a shield which we refer to as our Aura. It's capable of reducing the damage we receive or even negating it completely."

Everglaive watched me carefully as she explained the last part, but I only dipped my head in acknowledgement. She must have been unsure about my reaction to not having that available for my Death Wish, but Selene had already told me about it. Everglaive gave a careful nod, continuing.

"You've experienced the terror of fighting the Anathema as a normal human. Before you make your decision of being a Magical Girl, you need to experience what it's like to properly fight them with all the tools at your disposal. Well, at least two out of three. It might be a bit early to commit to purchasing any magics just yet."

Chewing on my inner lip, I grudgingly accepted her logic. The thought of going back out there to fight more Anathema so soon made my heart flutter in panic, but she was right. I'd never had any of the physical or magical benefits of being a Magical Girl, so how was I supposed to decide if I actually wanted to be a Magical Girl? Or, a "standard" one, at least.

"Oh God, it's going to be so fun for you!" Thorina laughed.

"You must have gotten a good amount of levels from what you did, so you're going to go in and feel a huge difference!"

"It should prove, if nothing else, enlightening," Everglaive agreed.

"I will also be with you the whole time, so there will be no chance of real danger."

Instantly, I felt a lot more calm about the idea. An over level 200 Magical Girl keeping me safe against whatever low level Usurpation they found for me made me feel much more comfortable.

"Okay," I agreed, hesitating.

"Um… Before any of that, should I spend any of my points to prepare?"

"Hm. I would recommend saving the majority for now except to spend on whatever you will be using for a weapon. Speaking of which, you used guns in the mall. While that was most definitely the most pragmatic choice for the situation, I have to ask if you plan on sticking with firearms for your primary weapon."

I thought about it for only a few moments before nodding. Swords, bows, and fantasy weapons were cool, and while I loved watching shows where people did superhuman things with them, I was pretty sure that wasn't me. Maybe I could see myself using two short blades like the Magical Girl I played in Rebellion, but using the guns had felt more than just good, it had felt great. Besides, with my HUD, it seemed a little bit of a waste to use anything else.

"Are you sure?" Everglaive hedged.

"If your Familiar hasn't already warned you, guns pose a bit of a problem for optics."

"She told me, but…" I trailed off, shifting nervously as I considered my words.

"It would work."

The bass voice of Gildscale suddenly broke the silence, and I looked at him in surprise. He had a thoughtful look on his face as he flicked his eyes over me in examination, rubbing his chin.

"No, not just work," he shook his head.

"It would be very effective. She might even be the most ideal candidate to introduce guns as a more commonplace weapon among Magical Girls."

"Gild, please explain," Everglaive said, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Hmph. From a marketing standpoint, she would be able to fill many of the same tropes and archetypes that Thorina does. While not quite fitting as a 'pint-sized powerhouse,' an argument could still be made. More importantly, her smaller stature leads to a natural cuteness that the 'girls with guns' genre can exploit for maximum effectiveness, especially because she will be double dipping with 'young gun.' Even better, if she ever uses larger guns she'll easily fit in the 'small girl, big gun' trope.

Depending on her Astral Shift, she could very easily make use of 'little miss badass' or 'badass adorable.' Another possibility is 'military moe' with team Panther Four being the most popular example, but I digress. To put things simply, her natural appearance would put many people at ease when paired with a gun, and with the amount of tropes and archetypes backing her, she would quickly become popular without being seen as particularly problematic.

I'd expect her to earn quite a number of fans very quickly with this approach, especially due to its current rarity."

I stared in shock at the seemingly quiet man as he finished his marketing speech, only sort of following along with what he was saying. Mostly, I'd just heard him call me short and cute a few times, but it all had come out with a clinical and detached delivery that didn't leave me feeling particularly hurt or embarrassed.

Naiad looked over at me, and blinked at my surprised expression.

"Oh! Gild is sort of our image consultant. He knows all about marketing and stuff like that, so we generally go to him with any of our questions. He's helped all of us refine our outfits into what they are now, so you can see he's kind of a genius."

Gild waved a hand, looking away in something like embarrassment. Everglaive was quiet for another moment before giving a slow nod.

"I see… I believe I might agree with your assessment. Very well, then. If your choice is firearms, then you have my support. Just remember, you are still a new Magical Girl. There is no shame in rebranding and trying something new, though doing so earlier is better, obviously."

I nodded, giving Gild silent thanks in my heart. I'd already had this conversation with Selene, but hearing an experienced Guardian say guns wouldn't be an optics problem for me made me feel a lot better. Truthfully I was still a little lost on the nuances of what he was saying, but that hardly mattered so long as it worked.

Everglaive clapped her hands softly.

"Well then, to answer your question about spending points, all you will need to purchase is ammunition for whichever guns you want to use during this expedition. All that remains now is for you to pick your Astral Dress and whatever alias you will be using as your codename."

"Okay… Before that…" I glanced at Selene and started sending my thoughts to her.

"Should I ask for advice on what to use my points on?"

[Only if you feel comfortable, but I would highly recommend it. Remember, they are bound by the mentorship geas now, meaning the information you ask or share should be safe in their hands.] I nodded, taking a deep breath before addressing the group.

"I-if it's all right, could I, um, get some advice on what to spend my points on?"

"Of course," Everglaive said, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"We would be happy to help. Normally, this kind of thing is best learned at the academy, but with the large windfall of points you've come into, I believe it would be prudent to advise you now. If you feel comfortable sharing, could you tell us how many points you are working with, or at least a general amount?"

"4, 000 points," I answered, and Thorina whistled.

"Very nice. You're going to be an absolute monster with a lead like that. Could buy eight of your Skills right off the bat."

"That would be a waste, at least until she reaches level ten and gets her first Class," Naiad frowned thoughtfully.

I bit my lip, and after hesitating, I decided to make a leap of faith and tell them my general level. The geas should keep me safe, but it was also hard for me to see Fantasy Fatale using that information against me. It's not like my level would be remaining static, so giving it away to get better advice seemed like the smartest move.

"I'm, um, over level ten," I stated, and all of them blinked.

Everglaive gave the hint of a wince while Naiad full on grimaced. Gild looked at me with a deep, hard to read expression, and Thorina…

"Hell yeah, sister!" she jumped out her seat in a cheer.

"You really kicked some ass! I knew you must have had it rough, but damn, girl, the Anathema definitely got the short end on this one. Level ten on day one of being a Magical Girl? In what, like seven, eight hours? You probably made a record!"

A blush warmed my cheeks as Thorina shook her head in amazement, and Naiad let out a groan.

"Oh God, she's going to go on another leveling binge now, isn't she?"

"Without a doubt," Gild sighed.

"Congratulations are most definitely in order," Everglaive addressed me, speaking slowly.

"While it is easier to level the lower level you are, achieving what you have is no small matter. You should be proud of yourself. I am only sorry you had to go through what you did."

I shrugged, ignoring the acidic bitterness boiling in my stomach. It was what it was. Besides, it wasn't like I hadn't gotten anything out of it.

"Should I choose a Class now, then?" I asked Everglaive, trying to ignore the aching sensation the memories brought back.

"Not until you've decided what kind of Magical Girl you want to be. Though, I find myself curious. How many Class choices do you currently have?"

"Ten," Naiad and Thorina both made a choking sound, Gildscale shaking his head in amazement. A small smile pulled up on the corner of Everlglaive's lips as she dipped her head toward me.

"Once again, congratulations. You normally get offered a generic seven, meaning you unlocked three unique Classes through your achievements. Unique Classes offer more specific options and will most likely be slightly more powerful than average. We can deal with those later, though. Right now, we are on the topic of spending points."

"Right," Naiad shook herself from her shock.

"Well then, should she just save them until she picks up her Class? Getting all those Skills early on means she can start earning experience and leveling them up."

"I think that would be wisest," Everglaive said.

"What she spends her points on should wait until she's decided her path as a Magical Girl. If she chooses not to be a traditional one and work on the backlines, she'll be spending her points very differently. No, for now I would recommend saving your points."

"Sorry," Naiad gave an apologetic smile.

"It wouldn't have mattered if you weren't level ten, because Skills wouldn't be a realistic option, but you are, and getting those Skills early will let you start earning experience and leveling them up to be stronger. Waiting seems like the right choice for now."

"Lame," Thorina grumbled.

"I wanted to spend points with her now."

"Patience, Rina," Everglaive murmured.

"You can help her later, but for now, I would recommend waiting to spend your points."

I nodded, feeling vindicated in my choice to tell them. I forgot Selene said getting my Class would unlock special Skills depending on what I chose. I really needed to write down notes on everything sometime soon, just so I could go over everything without bothering Selene about the same thing repeatedly.

"That just leaves you choosing your Astral Shift," Everglaive said.

"The process is pretty simple, actually. You go lie down somewhere, and you'll enter a sleep-like state. During that time, you and your Familiar will be able to create your outfit in what is more or less a dream. Once you finish, that will be your new outfit when you activate your transformation. You can change it once a day, so don't worry about choosing something permanent. As for the actual mechanics of your Astral Shift, I believe your Familiar can go over the details with you once you've chosen your outfit.

Hmm. What else…"

"Magic skirt and enchantments," Naiad said offhandedly.

"Ah, right. The magic skirt. Perhaps the usual demonstration then? It does tend to get the point across better."

Naiad shot Everglaive a betrayed look, but the other girl's face remained passive. On the sofa next to me, Thorina got a malicious grin as she popped up onto her feet, walking over to Naiad. Grumbling and hesitantly standing, Naiad shook her head as she folded her arms in front of her chest.

"You see," Everglaive explained.

"All of our outfits, properly called Astral Dresses, can be enchanted with several effects. It doesn't require a Vault, and you can get several useful utility effects such as water wicking and thermal regulation. There is, however, one enchantment that every Guardian gets for free called the 'magic skirt.' Thorina, if you would do the honors? Gild, girl talk time."

Gildscale looked straight up to the ceiling, squinting as if he was studying it in great detail. Meanwhile, Thorina looked at Naiad with a dark glitter in her eyes. Without any warning whatsoever, she reached down to Naiad's short skirt, and in one quick, violent motion, brought both her hands up, catching the hem of the skirt with her fingertips as she tried to flip Naiad's skirt.

Thorina's arms were a blur, the speed at which they were moving causing an audible woosh of air, and I watched as Naiad's skirt flicked upward, moving up her thighs and- I blinked, the hem of her skirt stopping just before anything was visible. Naiad still flinched, very obviously holding her arms tight while scowling at Thorina. The smaller girl merely cackled, skipping back to her sofa and jumping into it. Naiad's skirt fluttered for a second before lowering back to its proper position.

She quickly sat down, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles in it with a faint blush on her face.

"That is what we call the magic skirt enchantment," Everglaive replied.

"To put it simply, any skirt you wear will refuse to fully obey the laws of physics, always working to provide modesty from any visual observer. It's what allows us to wear such extravagant outfits without worry."

"It still feels really embarrassing," Naiad grumbled.

"So no need to worry about any upskirts," Thorina gave me a thumbs up.

"Oh, and even if somebody did get a straight up view, like if you jump over them and they look up, all they would see is darkness. The enchantment makes enough shadows that it's like a void under there."

Everglaive nodded.

"Indeed. However, please note that if your skirt takes severe enough damage, even the enchantment won't be able to do much. Usually if your Dress has taken that much damage, though, you're in too serious of trouble to worry about such things. Just keep that in mind when choosing the undergarments for your Astral Shift. In the worst case scenario of somebody getting a picture or video they shouldn't have, there is a division at Guardian Command that is 100 percent effective at finding and deleting such things."

"You can also disable the enchantment when you turn eighteen," Thorina piped up, and I gave her a baffled expression.

"Why would…?"

"Fanservice," she shrugged.

"Some Guardians play into the sexy angle to build their popularity."

"Until you turn eighteen, it's best to avoid trying to play into that style," Everglaive warned, a serious edge to her tone.

"I don't believe I have to explain why."

Feeling a little embarrassed by the subject matter and also for Naiad having to go through that demonstration, I nodded vigorously while glancing at Gildscale. He was still frowning as he stared at the ceiling, studying it with an impressive amount of focus. Thorina gave him a nudge with her elbow, and he blinked a few times, lowering his gaze back to a neutral position.

"Beyond that advice, there isn't much more to say on your Astral Shift," Everglaive said, pausing briefly after.

"Unless you would like Gildscale's advice on possible outfits, of course. Your Familiar will have opinions of their own, but a second opinion from a professional never hurts."

I shifted nervously, giving Selene a glance, but she shrugged with her tails as she spoke directly to me.

[I will not be offended. So long as you feel comfortable with receiving his opinions, I would highly recommend taking the offer. While the Zenith believe they have a good grasp on human fashion sensibilities, it never hurts to receive opinions from an actual human, let alone a professional in the field.] I fidgeted slightly before giving a nervous nod. Gild leaned forward, eyes narrowing in thought. Although he stared at me, it lacked a certain sense of discomfort I would have expected.

It almost felt more like he was analyzing a complex equation than studying me.

"Hm. Well, the first thing you need to know is there are a few different overarching styles you can aim for. Generally they are divided into the four broad categories of cool, sexy, pretty, and cute. Some might use the term elegant instead of pretty, but they are talking about the same thing. My style would be an example of cool, Naiad and Everglaive both have a focus on pretty, and Rina's is a cute and pretty combination. Generally most outfits are a combination to some extent."

He took in a deep breath, squinting further at me.

"I would recommend one of three possibilities. First, if you wanted to go the more cool route, you could attempt to make a more military style outfit. Obviously, it would work well with you utilizing guns, and being a Dark limits you to primarily using the color black, working in your favor for this style. The biggest issue you would run into is differentiating yourself from a normal Magical Soldier or their elites, the Wardens. I would recommend offsetting this by adding a themed aspect.

You could go for a modern aesthetic with animal attributes, possibly delving into changing your physical appearance while shifted like Naiad does with her skin and hair or Everglaive with her ears. Alternatively, you could choose a more historic outfit like a World War Two inspired uniform, though this might limit the appearance of your weapons if you wanted to stay 'in character.' I would say this route had a good chance of success, and would be especially popular among gun fanatics."

"Your second option is to go for a more pretty oriented style. This is a fairly broad option as you would simply need to choose a more complicated looking dress. Beyond that, I don't have many notes, not without working with you directly to compare your interests in tastes. Black limits your choices, so I would recommend a Victorian style, possibly utilizing a crinoline or some other type of puffy underskirt to make the dress over it flare out.

Keeping the skirt on the longer side will help align you more into this style. Alternatively, going for a fallen angel style with a simpler dress could also be effective. Overall, this type of outfit would be more distinct than the cool style in general, though many Darks tend to wear something similar if they choose a pretty route."

"Finally, cute…"

He hesitated, giving Naiad a look who only gave him an encouraging nod.

"Well… You have a lot of the same positive attributes Thorina has going for her. Your diminutive size and slender build create a natural cuteness, and no matter what outfit you end up going with, that is going to shine through. You could very easily capitalize on this by focusing on a cute aesthetic. I would recommend something similar to the pretty aesthetic, possibly going for a cuter gothic Victorian style that is sometimes called 'Gothic Lolita.'

It's very similar to a normal Victorian dress, but with more ribbons, frills, and bows added to give it the cute factor. I would once again recommend a dress, but the puffy underskirt is more optional. Keeping the skirt shorter, no longer than knee length at the most, and using thigh-high socks, tights, or some kind of leggings would most likely look best.

Going for this style would, in my opinion, maximize your natural looks while also building off your choice of guns in a beneficial juxtaposition of cute and dangerous. Personally, this is the style I see working the best and having the highest chance of becoming something iconic."

He settled back into the sofa, and my face burned lightly after his analysis. He had said everything with a professional, analytical tone, but it still felt weird to hear somebody talk about me like that.

"Those are the ideas off the top of my head," Gildscale shrugged.

"There's plenty of other possibilities or themes. A dark knight princess, a more sci-fi special forces angle, or some kind of animal themed huntress are other possibilities. You have a variety of options to work with, and I'm sure your Familiar has quite a few ideas. The only thing I would urge is for you to make sure you have some kind of signature, something that will differentiate you from others wearing similar outfits. Naiad has her water spirit appearance, for instance.

I have my dragon scales, Everglaive her elf ears, and Thorina… Well, her personality more than makes an impression of its own."

"Hey!" Thorina shot him a half-hearted glare, and he smiled.

"Um… I have a few ideas," I nodded, my hand instinctively going to brush the hair covering my right eye further into place.

I wasn't sure how unique eyepatches were among Magical Girls, but maybe it would work? When Katie revealed to my class I was wearing it to cover my heterochromia and not an "actual" reason, I'd gotten called edgy and goth a lot. A few of the more creative ones called me a chuuni, which was slang for a Japanese word describing kids trying to act dark and dramatic.

But if it was for my Magical Girl outfit, maybe my eyepatch would actually look good? My augment's new improvement should let me see through my eyepatch, so it wouldn't even hinder my use of firearms.

"That sounds promising," Everglaive gave me a soft smile.

"So, unless there's anything else we need to cover, I suggest you go set up your Astral Shift. Afterwards, we can proceed with the rest of the plan. I'll wait out here for you to finish, if that's alright?"

I nodded, mostly because they already seemed to have keycards to my room, so it didn't matter where she waited. I did plan to use the lock on the bedroom door I spotted earlier, if for nothing else than my peace of mind.

"Uh, do I have to stay, or…?" Thorina gave Everglaive a pleading look, and the other girl sighed.

"No, Rina, you can go and begin your leveling spree. We'll contact you when our new friend is ready to spend points, if that is her wish."

Thorina jumped up, letting out a cheer and giving me a quick wave as she ran to the door and left. Gildscale shook his head, turning to me.

"I'll be returning to my room, but feel free to stop by once you have your outfit finalized. I might have some more advice once I see what direction you are going in."

Nodding, I stood up while keeping the blanket wrapped around myself only for Naiad to rise with me.

"Before you begin, I was hoping we could have that private word about the medical magics I used on you?"

I felt my heart skip a beat. I'd almost forgotten the predicament I was in with the healer. She had remained ambiguous about what she knew so far, but I had no way of knowing if that was because of everybody listening in, or if she really didn't know anything.

"S-sure," I stuttered, about to move for the door when Everglaive raised a hand.

"Oh, please take the third folder with you," Everglaive said.

"Error Machina wanted me to give it to you and told me it was important for you to read before you left. Perhaps you can read it after your chat with Naiad."

I jerked my head in acknowledgment, picking up the folder and heading to the bedroom. Selene went ahead of me, claiming a spot near the edge of the bed. It was a little hard juggling the IV, folder, and blanket all at the same time, but I somehow managed to reach the bed and set everything down just as Naiad closed the door behind her. I sat down next to Selene, facing the healer.

She gave me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and I held my breath as I wondered exactly how much she knew.