My heart sinks. As much as I love seeing my dog-kin girl happy, the thought of her wearing something so revealing makes me rather uncomfortable. The last thing I want is for my mate to be ogled by every passerby. “Ghost, are you sure you want this one?” I ask, trying to keep my tone gentle and non-confrontational. “It doesn’t really offer much protection.
How about we look for something a bit more… substantial?”
She hesitates, her voice soft and uncertain. “But… it’s so pretty, and it does offer good protection…”
Her words tug at my heartstrings, making it exceptionally hard to say no.
Determined to find a compromise, I scour the racks and pick out a few alternatives- still sexy but more conservative designs with better coverage for combat. “How about this one?” I suggest, holding up a sleek leather armor that still has a feminine cut but provides much more protection.
Blossom takes one look at it and her pout deepens. “It’s… nice,” she admits, though her tone is less than enthusiastic. “But… not as pretty or great as the other one.”
Since when does she care so much about fashion?!
I feel a twinge of guilt as I see the disappointment in her body language. It’s clear that she’s torn between wanting to please me and her own preferences. Her shoulders slump, and she’s on the verge of tears, her voice barely above a whisper. “Blo- Ghost doesn’t want to be a bad girl again… but she really likes that armor…”
Before I can respond, a young shop employee- a girl who can’t be a day older than sixteen- approaches us cautiously. Her eyes flick between Blossom and me while fiddling with her fingers nervously. “E-Excuse me,” she says with a very timid voice. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but… I couldn’t help seeing a difficulty arise in the dearest customers. Are you perhaps… looking for armor for a beast-kin?”
Her question catches me off guard, especially since we’re fully covered by our robes and masks. “How did you…?”
The girl blushes and quickly stammers, “Oh, I-I didn’t mean to assume! It’s just… I’ve worked here for a while, and I’ve noticed that, for whatever reason, beast-kin often prefer to fight in more revealing outfits. No one really knows why, but it seems to be instinctual for them. I-I just thought… maybe that’s why your friend likes that armor so much…”
I raise an accusatory eyebrow at her. “Really? I hope you’re not making a sales pitch to get rid of an extremely overpriced item that no one was stupid enough to buy…”
The girl shakes her head vigorously. “No, I promise! I’ve seen it happen a few times. Since every beast-kin that steps into this shop is a slave, most of them are not given the chance to choose, but those that have kinder masters often leave the shop after making a similar purchase. The item you are looking at is made specifically for beast-kin combat slaves.”
I glance back at Blossom, who’s now looking at the revealing armor with renewed interest. It’s clear that her instincts are pulling her toward it, and if what the girl says is true, then maybe this really is the best choice for her. As an Assassin, being comfortable and stealthy is also arguably much more important than being properly protected… I suppose.
If she were a fighter I would’ve chosen to die on this hill, but in her case…
Furthermore, it reveals nothing of her privates, and the thought of having a loyal bombshell of a grim reaper who slays all my enemies who are infatuated with their own killer has its own appeal, especially when I know that I will be the only one tending to her fertile fields at the end of the day, no matter how many of her prey wish to change that fact.
Seeing the hopeful and wishful look in Blossom’s eyes, I realize that maybe I need to trust her on this. If this is what makes her feel confident and strong, so be it.
I let out a sigh, finally relenting. “Alright, Ghost,” I say with a small smile. “If this is what you want, then it’s yours.”
Blossom throws her arms around me in a tight hug. “Ghost loves Master!” she squeals.
The shop girl smiles too, clearly relieved that the situation is resolved and probably also at the strange sight that we must provide. “I’ll get that packaged up for you right away,” she says, hurrying off to prepare the purchase.
As I watch Blossom practically bounce with excitement, I can’t help but smile. Now it’s time to select one for myself.
I begin browsing the shop, searching for a set of armor that strikes the right balance between protection and subtlety. I need something that will fit comfortably under my robe and mask, allowing me to move freely without sacrificing my safety.
After a few minutes of searching, my eyes land on a sleek, black armor set displayed on a mannequin. The armor is made of a dark, matte material that almost seems to absorb the light around it. It’s designed with smooth, overlapping plates that contour to the body, offering both flexibility and protection. The lines are clean and minimalistic, giving it a modern, tactical appearance.
It’s lightweight yet looks sturdy enough to withstand a significant amount of damage.
I examine the tag hanging from the armor and read the details:
[Abyssal Warden]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Skills: Void Fortitude]
[Void Fortitude: Increases resistance to physical and magical damage by 20%, and reduces the impact of critical hits.]
The more I look at it, the more I realize that this armor is perfect for me. It’s sleek enough to remain hidden beneath my height-changing robe, and its design is exactly what I’ve been looking for- something that offers significant protection without compromising mobility, furthermore, it’s made for men of my size, which is a real rarity.
I was afraid that I would be forced to choose one with a size adjustment spell imbued in it like Marjorie’s storage ring, but I was saved of splurging the extra cost this time.
I turn to the shop girl, who’s returned to assist me. “I’ll take this one,” I say, my decision firm.
With the payment done we only have one more stop left for the day, and the one I’m most excited about; visiting an alchemist.