Claire smiled under her helm as her boat slowly crept its way through Vel'khagan. She almost hadn't realised how long it'd been since she last saw it in person. It felt like it was just the other day that she last wandered its streets, and in fact, she'd just recently toured it with Lia's parents.

Still, every corner they turned brought with it a notable dose of nostalgia.

Like the fox on her head, she couldn't help but reminisce and think back on the past every time she saw something familiar.

"I wonder how the shop's doing," muttered Sylvia.

"Probably well enough," said Claire.

She didn't need to close her eyes or stretch her ears to imagine Estelle napping at the counter. The siren had remained quite fond of Misadventures Incorporated even after everything that had happened. And at the very least, she was likely keeping it afloat regardless of whether Claire's part of the business was functional. She did pretty well in both her doctor and informant roles, and Lia's connections had provided the shop with a steady influx of clients. With any luck, some of their customers might have passed on their referrals and furthered the shop's reputation. In any case, it would probably be worth checking if the bear that'd apprenticed under Lia had made any headway—and correcting his course if not.

Claire wasn't the only one feeling nostalgic. Half the brigade basked in a similar, sentimental silence, while the other half happily chatted about the local attractions. For once, Krail's mouth was useful. His ranting and raving filled the void otherwise left by those too busy with their thoughts. He talked about the many times he'd gotten lost and the things he found when wandering the canals. At one point, he even went completely off kilter and started ranting about how one of the symbols he found was proof that the gods had been fabricated, but a light bonk to the head—Chloe's handiwork—steered him back on track.

Though she paid him at least a little bit of attention at first, Claire changed gears as they passed a particularly busy district with boats and people parked all over. It was the fish market, the one she'd nearly bought out when she'd made Sylvia a half-decent dish.

That time of year had already come again; there were only two days left until the silly fox's birthday and then another six days after that before Claire's nineteenth reared its head. The thought was accompanied by the urge to glomp the fox and squeeze her as hard as she could, but she held herself back. It wasn't appropriate, given the formal setting, and the last thing she wanted was for her father to see that side of her.

Stuck at an impasse, she eventually settled for moving the furball from her head to her lap and slowly stroking her fur. Sylvia leaned into the pets, nuzzling into them and lightly pressing her body into the hand that ran its way down her frame.

She continued until she got bored of it, at which point she switched to playing with the vixen's paws whilst gazing into the waters that coursed their way through the city. Before she knew it, the morning was over; they'd driven a full circle around Vel'khagan and moved over to the castle for lunch.

The castle's chefs presented the sort of delicious meal that had both of Claire's pets drooling all over the floor. Made with fish caught just that morning, it was a veritable seafood banquet that completely filled the castle's main hall. Hundreds of Vel'khanese bureaucrats waited with bated breath for turns to interact with the foreign kings, the Vel'khanese queen, and the fully-strengthened champions.

They weren't the only guests present. Claire caught Lana talking to her sister and Arciel speaking to an older mantis. She expressly muted her ears so as to not invade her privacy, but she was fairly certain, from the little she overheard, that she was the late Matthias' partner. She couldn't help but feel a little awkward. He likely would've survived if she'd been just a little bit quicker.

All in all, it was short for a luncheon, lasting just under two hours from start to finish, after which the foreign guests were given a quick tour of the castle before being sent back home. The Northern Brigade stayed just a little bit longer, mainly so Arciel could discuss their circumstances with the aunt she'd left in charge. Once that was done, they were off to the races, returned to Cadria for a brief reprieve.

The downtime largely stemmed from the need for Virillius to sort through his paperwork and draft an announcement such that his underlings could spread news of the gate. Of course, there was no explicit need to head back to their communal room. Claire could have just as easily remained in Vel'khagan and checked in on everything she wanted, but she refrained. It felt like a reward for something she'd yet to do, like she was closing the loop too early.

"Holy crap, we're finally back!" Sylvia leapt off Claire's head and dove into one of the couches as soon as the door closed behind them. "That took forever!"

"It wasn't that bad," said Claire.

"I was awake for like, five whole hours! That's more than I'm normally awake for in an entire day!"

"It is unfortunate, but rest shall continue to elude us," said Arciel. "We must prepare a set of outfits for the ball, and it is scheduled to begin in a scant few hours."

"Mmmnnnn… a ball? That sounds kinda fun," said Sylvia. "Wait, did you say we need outfits? Do I have to go as a person?"

"Yes. It is in our best interest to strike an impression in our humanoid forms, and it shall be necessary for our members to wear a series of formal outfits."

"Okay. I think I have something like that in my tail, but I can probably just sing one up even if I don't."

"I would rather you refrained. It would be to our advantage to make a local purchase and leave an explicit paper trail."

"Yeah, I dunno about a formal outfit," said Jules. "Doubt they've got anything for anyone shaped like me."

"I don't have anything either. All I brought was casualwear," said Krail.

"And I'm a maid," said Chloe. "I'm pretty sure it's best for me to stay in uniform."

"Your status as a maid is irrelevant, Chloe. It is necessary for all of us to dress in the finest of threads. It is a matter of dignity."

"Are you gonna cross dress?" asked Sylvia. "Since that's what you do for formal stuff in Vel'khan, right?"

"Under normal circumstances, I believe that would be for the best. However, in this particular case, I believe we ought to refrain. We must prove to the Cadrians that we are capable of understanding and adapting to their sense of fashion."

"Yeah, I dunno about hitting up a tailor's this close to the deadline, especially when you've got fuckers like me sitting around," grumbled the clam. "Wait a fucking second. What the hell are we gonna do about Claire? You know, with her disguise and shit."

Arciel frowned. "A fair point. Her armour is unlikely to be appropriate, but I do not believe we would benefit from revealing her identity so early."

"Oh, oh, I know!" said Sylvia. "She can just wear a dress over her armour!"

"Too silly," said Lana.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that one," said Chloe.

"Won't be necessary. Armour is considered formal wear," said Claire. "It's not ideal, but it's fine."

"Cadrians, I swear to the gods," muttered Jules. "...Wait, are you just fucking with me?"

"Not this time."

"Dunno if I'm buying that." He took a moment to scan the room. "Alright guys, let's do a quick vote. Hands up if you think she's fucking with me." He raised his own as he spoke.

"Er, am I supposed to vote too?" asked Allegra.

"Nah, you know too much," said the clam. "Let's see… we've got… three yeses and three nos? Goddamn it." Lana and Chloe had joined Jules in raising his hand, while Krail, Sylvia, and Arciel kept theirs down.

"The rule seems like it'd fit, with everything we know about them," said Krail.

"Doubt," said Lana. "It's a formal event. Armour isn't formal."

"That's pretty much what I was thinking too," said Chloe. "I know they're Cadrian, and I know that Claire's daddy was wearing some armour the first time we met him, but it still seems a little much."

"It is logically consistent with the remainder of their behaviour, and I have seen many well-decorated pieces of armour during our stay. I see little reason for them to consider fashion and function together in tandem."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Yeah, it just seems like it fits, if you ask me," said Sylvia.

"Fuckin 'ell," said Jules. "Shame our numbers are what they are. We need a tiebreaker."

It was then, as he made the announcement, that Boris waddled into the center of the group. And after an exaggerated yawn, slowly raised a foot.

"Well, if he's voting, I think it's pretty safe to say it was a goddamn lie."

Claire narrowed her eyes. "Traitor."

Boris only looked the other direction. His metal frame almost seemed to glisten with sweat as he ignored the gaze boring into the side of his face—not that Borises could sweat.

"So? What's the call?" asked Jules. "You keeping that armour on or replacing it with something else?"

"I'll take Sylvia's suggestion and wear a dress over my armour," said Claire.

"Yeah, I dunno if that's gonna cut it."

"We'll just tell them I'm a living armour."

"Oh! If we're gonna do that, then I can make it so everything inside your armour is invisible," said Sylvia. "Then we can probably just trick everyone by having you take off your helmet once or something."

"It is a contrived solution, but perhaps a viable one," said Arciel.

"I might still be better off sitting out," said Claire.

"I would much rather you participated," said Arciel.

"Wait, why were you hiding your identity again? I'm not sure I see the point. I doubt you'll be able to keep the secret if you're going to be fighting your father," said Krail.

"I'll be revealing it then," said Claire.

"Then why the fuck are you hiding it now?" asked Jules.

"It is a matter of timing," said the queen. "A well-measured unveiling shall provide for us the opportunity to swing Cadria's public opinion in our favour, even should victory elude us."

"We've gotta consider Rubia's position too," said Sylvia.

"Somehow, I doubt that's all there is to it," said Jules. "Figured it'd be more along the lines of it being a pain in the ass."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Claire.

"There it is," muttered Jules. "I knew that was the real reason."

"It's not," said Claire, as she stood up. "I'm going to wander around the city and figure something out. I'll be back before the ball begins."

"I would rather we had your input," said Arciel. "We know little of the trends chased by the local nobility."

"I don't know any of the latest ones either."

"Perhaps not, but surely you must be aware of those chased in prior years? Your advice could prove fruitful in their avoidance. And besides, it was not my intention to siphon your knowledge directly. I wish simply to leverage your presence as bait, such that we might summon another."

Claire sighed. "Fine. I'll sneak her out."

"That shan't be necessary. We need only to make a formal request." The queen snapped her fan shut and looked towards her maid. "Chloe, could you please bring this matter to 'Claire's' attention?"

"Sure. I'll be just a second." The half-succubus stepped out of the room with a smile and flagged down one of the castle's workers.

"What, precisely, were the prior years' trends?" asked Arciel.

Claire frowned. "There've been too many to count. The most recent one I was aware of was wide-brimmed hats with matching silken gloves. Before that, it was fireproof fabrics, which I'm pretty sure followed iridescent ribbons and ties. Most last for two or three years before fading."

"Two years? That's a lot longer than I was expecting," said Jules. "I heard noble ladies change their colours every goddamn season."

"Fashion trends tend to last longer in Cadria, given the average lifespan," said Allegra. "That, and the longer tail gives craftsmen more time to help their patrons one-up their peers."

"The variability is… rather impressive," muttered Arciel. "I would never have fathomed a trend involving fireproof fabrics."

"Fire magic was popular the year it caught on," said Claire. "There was a cult that worshipped some sort of fake fire god."

"Wait, isn't there a real fire god?" asked Sylvia. "Dorr, right?"

"His concept only relates to the inner flame, not fire in general. Rikael is closer, but still not quite right," said Allegra.

"Surely there must be a god that reigns over the flame itself?" asked Arciel. "I presume there must be, given its wide-spread popularity."

"Not that I'm aware of," said Allegra.

"How curious."

There was a knock on the door, with Chloe stepping back in soon after. "It sounds like the princess will be happy to accompany us. She'll be heading over shortly."

"You see, Claire? It was precisely as simple as I described," said Arciel.

"Except now we'll have to deal with her guards."

"I see little reason to be so concerned. We need only to render them unconscious and hide them in the nearest closet."

"...You've adapted surprisingly well to Cadria," said Claire.

"Yeah, I know, right!?" said Sylvia. "You almost sounded like Claire for a second there. Except for the whole you talking more like you part."

"Perhaps, yes. But if that is the case, then we know the fault is entirely hers."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Violence bad," said Lana.

"Motherfucker, you don't get to say that. You're a goddamn pirate!" said Jules.

"Pirates steal. Not kill."

"Yeah, say that again when whoever you're robbing resists."

"Not our fault. We like less violence. Saves effort."

"Somehow I don't really think effort is the problem there," said Sylvia. "Wait, so how are we gonna make sure they stay in the closets we shove them in anyway? Aren't they just gonna bust out? We're probably better off trying something else."

"I could freeze them," said Claire. "Knocking them out without alerting them is going to be the harder part. That, and moving them into position before they wake. We'll probably need to gag and blindfold them. Cadrians wake up pretty fast."

"Uhmmm, is it just me, or are we getting ahead of ourselves?" asked Sylvia. "I'm pretty sure we're still supposed to be questioning if knocking them out is a good idea, not figuring out a whole plan!"

"We'll probably also need to use a bunch of different closets. We'll get found out too easily if we put them all in the same one, since we'll be running out of places to hide them. They'll need to be hidden under a pile of clothes." Claire walked over to the door as she spoke. Extending an arm, she pulled it open just as Rubia prepared to knock.

The homunculus had changed out of the fancy dress that she wore all morning in favour of a cheap-looking dress and a late-spring shawl. Her ears were combed back and hidden under a large straw hat, and her cheek-scales were obscured by an oversized bandana. She even had a pair of glasses to further add to the disguise, most notably one that changed her pupils from slits to sparkling diamonds. All in all, it was a fairly decent disguise, even if a little mismatched.

She was accompanied by a pair of guards. Though they weren't the same idiots that'd managed to lose her just the other day, they didn't exactly look any more competent. The hydra sitting on her hat would certainly prove a much better protector.

"Good afternoon, Princess," said Arciel. "It was our hope that you would be willing to accompany us on a shopping trip."

Rubia nodded.

"Excellent. Would you happen to know of any locations capable of accommodating clients of both sexes on such short notice?"

The homunculus paused for a moment before turning around and pointing out one of the windows.

"Thank you, Princess. Please lead the way."

Nodding again, Rubia began stepping towards the door, but Claire scruffed her before she got too far. The guards reacted immediately; both knights lowered their stances and readied their spears in a heartbeat, but Claire paid them no mind. Not even looking in their direction, she opened one of the windows with a vector and threw Rubia right through it.

"W-what are you doing!?" screamed one of the guards.

Not bothering to answer him, Claire began walking towards the windowsill, only for him to run up and grab her by the shoulder.

"Halt! We will be taking you in for questioning."

"Keep that up, and she's going to fall," she said.

"Huh?" The guard blinked.

It took him a second to look at Rubia, who'd just reached the peak of her ascent and started back towards the ground.

"Oh shit!" He opened his eyes wide and moved to leap out the window himself, but Claire grabbed him by the tail, pulled him inside, and took his place. Spreading her arms wide, she assumed her true form and caught Rubia on her back before she could fall too far.

Rather than reforming her cloak as a pair of ear cuffs, as she usually would, she equipped a suit of armour, a full metal jacket that completely obscured her telltale scales. She'd considered adding a place for a saddle as well, but she shelved it in favour of copying Alfred's trick. A chair made of vectors was much better for her image than something made for livestock.

With only her fox and her sister on her back, she was nowhere near max capacity, but she had Boris step up instead of offering more seats. Floating out from atop his cushion, he grew a hundred times larger whilst maintaining his usual shape and extended his tail to the windowsill in order to load his cargo.

Each member was magically transported upon coming in contact with the lizard; Arciel was floated over to another fancier-looking Boris, Chloe was positioned like a driver, and Allegra was put in the bird cage that hung from between his jaws. The princess' guards were likewise given their own mounts, though theirs were far more mundane—brooms pulled from the nearest closet and kept afloat by way of vector. Both men were thoroughly confused, albeit not by their mounts; though out of fashion broom-shaped flight artifacts were far from uncommon.

The rest of the afternoon went by in a flash. Claire left the guards in the dust and headed straight for the store that Rubia had mentioned. She helped the others pick out their outfits, threw her own together, and returned to the castle just as the sun began to set.

She had never really liked balls. They existed only for the nobility to flaunt, scheme, and probe.

But for once, she looked upon the event with a smile.

She no longer had to entertain the constraints imposed upon her father's daughter, nor did she have to concern herself with her prior relations.

Finally, she could see the ball as it was written in the average play; an opportunity to enjoy the evening.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.