Chapter 42

Noquia scrutinized Blaine, who was now utterly swayed by her words, then pulled him into the workshop. Father and Holanghee exchanged worried looks as they watched the two disappear inside. Physical beauty?¹ Just what kind of state is she going to leave that poor kid in?

Every user had their own lifestyle Action suited to them. Father had cooking, Holanghee had alchemy, Theo had fishing—and Noquia specialized in tailoring.

She not only made her own clothes but also the outfits for Father, Holanghee, and Theo. Her design skills were excellent, but she sometimes went too far. The others could refuse when her designs got extreme, but Blaine? Could he? The thought of all that “too much” being dumped on Blaine made them uneasy.

Ready to intervene if necessary, Father and Holanghee slipped into the workshop after them. But Noquia barked that they were ruining her inspiration and promptly kicked them out. Left with no choice, the two hovered anxiously outside.

Time dragged by, until finally Noquia and Blaine emerged. Noquia wore a thoroughly satisfied smile, while Blaine looked more self-conscious than ever, his cheeks tinged pink.

Father and Holanghee immediately scanned him up and down.

“?”

But there wasn’t much visible change. Father glanced at Noquia, silently asking what the hell she’d done. Noquia just smirked arrogantly.

“Hmph. How could commoners like you possibly understand?”

That was when Holanghee’s eyes narrowed. She tapped Father’s shoulder quickly and whispered by her ear.

“His top—it’s different.”

“His… top?”

Repeating the word, Father looked closer. Indeed, the shirt under Blaine’s cloak had changed. But that was it. There wasn’t a single thing that showed off “physical beauty.” In fact, with the collar now standing stiff, he looked cleaner, almost prim.

Both of them frowned in confusion. But then Noquia’s grin turned sly. She spun Blaine around and, with a flourish, revealed her “masterpiece.” Father and Holanghee went pale and nearly toppled backward in shock.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

Father’s face flushed red as she jabbed a finger at Noquia, yelling furiously. Holanghee’s voice rose to match, her expression fierce.

“Take it off! Right now!”

Noquia quickly shoved Blaine behind her back and snorted.

“Take it off? What nonsense! Do you know how hard I worked on this? It’s a masterpiece!”

“Masterpiece, my ass! I’ll snap your damn wrists!”

Father flew at her, raging, and Holanghee joined in, pinning Noquia’s limbs so she couldn’t fight back. Holding her down tight, they both shouted at Blaine.

“You! Take it off right now!”

“Physical beauty, my ass—it’s indecent exposure!”

Startled by their thunderous voices, Blaine flinched. His face twisted with fear as he clutched his cloak tightly closed and backed away. Then he cast a nervous glance toward the doorway.

Father caught the meaning of that glance immediately and reached out a hand toward him.

“Where do you think you’re going? Where are you planning to run off to, dressed like that?!”

Just as Father’s fingers were about to catch Blaine’s cloak, Noquia clung desperately to her arm and shouted.

“Run, Blaine! Don’t let them take it from you!”

Blaine blinked, startled, and looked at her. Noquia nodded at him with solemn determination. Torn between the three struggling behind him, Blaine clenched his teeth and sprinted toward the entrance.

Chaos erupted behind him.

As he ran frantically, an explosion-like sound thundered at his back, followed by crashing, shattering, and breaking. His spine tingled with icy dread, goosebumps racing up to the top of his head, but he was too terrified to look back. He only knew something monstrous was chasing after him.

He had proof: countless users and NPCs on the street were screaming, scattering, and running away from whatever was coming.

Sweat streamed down his limbs, his eyes trembled with tears.

‘Please help me. I’m so scared.’

He cried inwardly as he shoved through the crowd in desperation—until he slammed headlong into someone he couldn’t dodge.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

Both Blaine and the stranger shouted at once. But the voice was familiar. Blaine steadied himself quickly and looked up—straight into Theo.

Theo was half-supported in Aslan’s arms.

Fresh from clearing the Survival Dungeon, Theo had returned to Lucilvania with Aslan and was heading toward the guild house to fetch Blaine. But before he could reach it, something barreled into him with a scream.

Aslan caught Theo’s falling body just in time.

“Hey, you okay?”

Aslan’s voice came from behind, worried, but Theo’s gaze was fixed on the one who had crashed into him. Panting, trembling in a half-crouch, staring right back at him—

“Blaine?”

Theo pulled away from Aslan’s steadying hand and stepped toward him. Blaine’s face was pale, distressed. Reaching out in concern, Theo lifted his hand toward Blaine’s cheek—but just before it touched, a thunderous bellow split the air behind him.

“Hey! Catch him!”

Startled, Theo jerked his hand back and turned. Charging toward them with terrifying momentum were Father and Holanghee, with Noquia scrambling breathlessly behind.

Theo looked back at Blaine in confusion. Blaine glanced over his shoulder, saw the two bearing down on him, and went deathly pale. His feet stamped nervously, eyes darting around, searching desperately for somewhere to escape.

“Blaine? What’s going on…?”

Still unable to grasp the situation, Theo called again. Blaine looked ready to cry as he suddenly darted behind Theo’s back, trying to hide. Of course, Theo’s frame was nowhere near big enough to conceal him.

Theo faltered, confused, and glanced at Aslan. Aslan’s eyes were wide as well, darting from Theo to Blaine.

Blaine clutched his cloak tight around his whole body, trembling.

Father finally closed the distance, grabbed Blaine’s arm from behind Theo, and yanked him out by force.

“Come here already!”

Startled by her roughness, Theo quickly blocked Father and shielded Blaine.

“Wh-what the hell? Why are you grabbing the kid like that? What’s going on?”

“Kid? Don’t give me that crap… someone brimming with ‘physical beauty’ isn’t a kid.”

“What? Physical… what?”

Holanghee arrived a beat later, stamping her feet with a threatening glare.

“Sweetie, come here this instant!”

The louder they got, the more Blaine shook in fear, and the tighter Theo held him. Then Noquia finally staggered up, gasping for breath, and shouted furiously.

“Y-you… you conservative old farts, knock it off! You’ll traumatize him! He likes it, so why are you throwing a fit?!”

“Shut your mouth!”

Father drove a fist into Noquia’s ribs.

“A conservative old fart won’t allow this filth!”

Holanghee stomped on Noquia’s waist as she collapsed.

Theo stared at them in shock, utterly lost.

“Wait, what the hell is this? Why are you trying to drag him off? Did Blaine do something wrong?”

“His body’s the crime!”

Father and Holanghee roared nonsense again. Theo blinked, about to demand what they meant, when suddenly a powerful wind swept over them.

The gust came like a storm. Everyone shielded their faces with their arms or crouched down. Theo and Blaine did the same. Leaves rustled, clothes whipped in the air.

When the wind died down, Theo cautiously opened his eyes—and almost screamed.

Right before him, Blaine’s cloak was fluttering upward, caught by the gale. Through the parting folds of fabric, Blaine’s back was revealed in full view.

Broad shoulders. Smooth skin. A solid, toned frame without an ounce of excess. The beautiful curves of muscle, the Venus dimples at his lower back. He was wearing a backless top that laid everything bare.

Theo’s gaze was drawn helplessly, following the flapping cloak as though time had frozen. Was this… Deadly Time?

Gasps, small cries, and the sound of throats swallowing spread all around them.

Snapping out of it at last, Theo shouted and yanked the fluttering cloak down over Blaine’s back with both hands.

“Wh-what the hell is this?!”

He turned on Father, Holanghee, and Noquia, face blazing red all the way to his ears. Father and Holanghee averted their eyes guiltily. Noquia, in contrast, flashed a smug thumbs-up.

“What the hell did you make him wear?!”

Theo’s furious face was scarlet, like a burning radish, from his cheeks to his neck.

Father and Holanghee froze at Theo’s unexpected outburst. Then, exchanging glances, they both lifted their thumbs toward Noquia in approval.

Theo, flustered beyond belief, hurriedly pulled Blaine’s cloak tight and secured it for him. Blaine didn’t resist—he only stared dazedly at Theo’s face, which was as red as his own cloak, too stunned to react.

Once Blaine was covered, Theo grabbed his arm in a rush.

“C-come on, let’s get back to the guild house.”

“Huh? Why there…?”

“To change clothes, obviously! Where the hell did you get something that indecent? Take it off now before anyone else sees!”

Blaine jolted in shock and yanked his hand free.

“N-no way!”

“What?”