"What took so long?!" Tae exclaimed, annoyed. "Your delay made me have to be twice as careful. The reinforced and more frequent patrols will start any moment. The first soldiers have already started their shifts
"S-sorry, something really important came up" Alice replied.
"And you were supposed to come up with a way for me to enter the Golden District without problems. How do you expect to do that if we have only a few minutes?"
"Don't worry" Alice said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a small, round metal box. "I've got it! The Color-Changing Magic Ointment! We just need to powder your tail, ears and stripes with it, and they won't be visible. You'll just need to take off your cloak."
"Fine. Go over there, into the dark alley. No one should see me."
"Apply her camouflage makeup, and I'll stand watch" Zetto spoke up now, quieter than usual.
"And why so down?" Tae asked, surprised.
"I'll tell you later" Alice answered. "It's connected to our being late."
"Ah, o-okay."
Using the maid's pocket, Alice also summoned a small makeup kit. The zombie maid not only hid Tae's tiger markings but also gave her a full makeover. She emphasized Tae's large yellow eyes with golden eyeshadow and a touch of glitter, and enhanced her long, catlike lashes with thick black eyeliner. She added small amounts of foundation suited to Tae's pale skin to preserve her natural beauty while highlighting her slender, gentle chin. When she finished, she handed Tae a pocket mirror so the tigress could see herself.
"Is this really me?" she asked, in disbelief.
"That's not all" the proud zombie replied. "You won't go there in those clothes. I'll lend you my prettiest dress to wear over your outfit. Just don't tear or stain it; it cost a fortune compared to my salary! And I'll put your cloak in the maid's pocket."
"O-okay."
Alice and Tae stepped out of the alley. Zetto was leaning against the wall, staring off into the distance in thought.
"Ready!" announced the zombie.
Zetto turned to face them. He looked at Tae, her appearance completely transformed, wearing a long white dress with thin straps, richly decorated with frills and embroidered abstract patterns. The usually bold and confident Tae this time kept her gaze lowered, a blush spreading across almost her entire face.
Why is my heart racing like this? I don't even want him to like me! Right, I did this to go undercover. Goosh, Alice tried way too hard and is just causing trouble, but for some reason I feel… I feel… prettier than usual.
"Oh, wow…" muttered Zetto, slightly embarrassed by Tae's charm, now striking with double the cuteness.
"Just don't fall for her, Zetto," Alice joked. At the sound of her words, Tae lifted her head in disbelief. "I'm experienced in these matters," Alice continued, hands on her hips and smiling proudly. "Do you think the princess looked so amazing at all those events by chance? No official makeup artist could match me, hahaha!"
"C-Can we, please, focus on what matters most?!" blurted a flustered Tae. "This was necessary so I could buy new swords. Please, let's not complicate things."
"You're right," Zetto replied tersely, then added, "It looks great on you."
"Y-you really think so?!?" she stammered again, lowering her gaze to the ground.
To ease the tension between the two, Alice hooked both Zetto and Tae by the arm.
"So, shall we head into the Golden District? First stop: the 'Burning Tulip'!" she exclaimed loudly, pointing ahead toward the entrance of the noble district.
*
"Welcome to the 'Burning Tulip…'" - the same saleswoman who had welcomed them earlier didn't even finish her formal introduction. "Oh my… if the honorable Messenger will forgive my boldness… who is this otherworldly beauty?"
"Hmpf! You didn't compliment me like that last time," Alice replied, puffing her cheek.
"With all due respect, servants are usually praised for their work, not their looks. Anyway, will this lovely lady accompanying our Messenger introduce herself?"
"I-I'm… Ta…," she hesitated for a moment. She was afraid that saying her real name would blow her cover, "…Tina. I'm Tina."
"Oh my, she's shy! Quite the character, sir hero," the saleswoman said, joking, and both she and Alice laughed.
"She might look like that," Zetto replied, "but in reality, she's a very skilled, merciless warrior. I came to get her two new swords to replace the ones that broke during training."
"Two swords? Hmmm…," the saleswoman put her hand to her cheek in thought, "in that case, the best choice would be a pair of twin blades."
"Yes. I've used those before," Tae said a bit more confidently.
"Oh, I see the young lady knows her stuff. That's great, because we have a wide selection. Feel free to test them to your heart's content!"
"Just to clarify," Alice began, suspecting Zetto didn't fully understand, "twin blades are called that because when you use both at the same time, they grant an additional bonus, and their individual bonuses are much stronger. Used separately, they give a decent stat boost, but it's not the same."
"Oh, I get it", Zetto replied, watching Tae as she examined the twin blades.
"That's not all their advantages," the saleswoman added. "Some of them, even though they look like daggers, cut like the finest swords. They're very handy and comfortable to use; you could say substance over form, haha. As you can see, the entire row of wooden display cases on the right, where your Tina is standing, is our constantly replenished collection of twin blades."
The tiger woman carefully examined each piece. Finally, her gaze lingered on a pair of white blades decorated with golden vine-like patterns.
"I want to try them," she said briefly.
I don't even need to see her tail to guess it's probably swishing with excitement, Zetto thought, lightly amused, a subtle smile appearing on his face.
"Excellent choice," the saleswoman said, approaching her and pulling a bunch of keys from her pocket. "Please wait a moment while I find the one for the correct display case."
"That's fine."
It took her a little time, but finally Tae could hold the white twin blades in her hands. She made a few cuts in the air. They felt perfect in her hands, as if made for her.
The right sword boosts my strength by 100%, and the left one increases my speed by 400%. When I use them together, their bonuses double, and combined, they give me a shield that protects me from the first attack aimed at me in battle. Makes perfect sense and fits my fighting style.
"I'll take them."
"That'll be 500 pearl coins," the shopkeeper replied, the shine of the coins reflecting in her eyes.
"The Messenger is paying, after all, he's doing a lot for me, quite the character," she added, smirking at Zetto and puffing out her feline pride.
"Yes", Zetto replied, pulling a handful of coins from his pocket with a grimace. Though he had already spent a lot, the team's budget was shrinking fast. From now on, we'll have to manage our expenses more carefully if I want to build a house in the near future, he thought, handing the coins to the shopkeeper.
"Yay, another successful shopping trip!" said Alice, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Alice," Tae asked, "is there a good liquor store around here in the Golden District? My dad expects our visit today and told me we should get him something strong and nice."
"Yes, right by the entrance to the district, on the right," Alice answered, just as Zetto finished paying and received the shopkeeper's thanks.
Tae got her swords, along with a complimentary brown leather belt and sheaths. She strapped it around her dress.
"Did you hear that, Zetto?" Tae asked the messenger. "Next stop is a nearby liquor store, then straight to my dad."
"All right. If I know Alice, she's going to play tour guide," he said, chuckling.
Alice puffed out her cheeks. "Just so you know! Without me, neither of you would know what to do and would only get into unnecessary fights!"
"Okay, okay, don't get worked up, it was a joke," he said, patting her gently on the head.
Alice took it as one of the highest honors. She smiled, brimming with joy and determination.
"I don't deserve such an honor!"
"Huh?" Zetto said, surprised.
"Let's go, to the liquor store!" Alice commanded, and dashed ahead.
Tae and Zetto briefly said goodbye to the shopkeeper before having to catch up with their energy-fueled companion.
*
The one-liter bottle of alcohol they bought for Gerai was a locally beloved drink among the nobility, called banem. It had a pleasant, fruity flavor, like one of the sweetest and most delicate wines, yet it hit as hard as expensive, strong whiskey.
When they visited leader of the Tiriga again, he sat in semi-darkness, this time looking slightly downcast. Gerai requested the alcohol upon their arrival, and Alice handed it to him.
"Do you want a corkscrew?" the maid asked, already preparing to use her passive ability.
"No need," he replied, driving one of his claws into the cork and pulling it out effortlessly. Then he bit into it - removing it from the claw - and spat it somewhere in the corner. Gerai downed half the bottle in one go. A faint blush appeared on his face from the alcohol.
The tiger man wiped his mouth and, in a rather unenthusiastic tone, said, "Congratulations, Zetto. My daughter is officially joining your team today, and you've also earned the right to marry her."
"Dad! He didn't have to know that!" Tae responded, embarrassed.
"Don't worry, I explained your customs to him beforehand," Alice added, giving Tae a thumbs-up and winking.
"That doesn't help at all!" Tae exclaimed.
"Tae," Gerai started, his speech slightly slurred, "you dressed as if you were about to get married. You haven't made me a grandchild already, have you?"
"We didn't even hold hands, so how the hell would we?!" she shouted, irritated by the situation.
"Tae is a truly talented warrior. I'm glad she'll be in my team. As for the marriage right… I won't be using it for now," Zetto added.
Gerai got up from his seat and, unsteadily, came closer to Zetto. His eyes blazed with anger again.
"Do you have a problem with my beautiful Tae? Or were you just trying to seduce her, punk?!"
"Dad, stop. It's definitely not what you think!"
"…I mean, we need to get to know each other better before deciding, that's what I meant," Zetto explained.
Gerai extended the half-empty banem bottle toward Zetto.
"Drink up, dayun," the leader of the Tiriga ordered. "What are you waiting for? Drink it up."
"All right," Zetto took the bottle and, without hesitation, drank in one long gulp.
"Zetto, careful!" Alice tried to warn him. "It doesn't look strong, but it hits hard."
"Whas' tha… you say?" he added, then hiccupped.
"I can't believe it, he just chugged the rest in one shot," said Tae, completely stunned. "And he's totally wasted! In this state, there's no way we can drag him to the capital."
Gerai let out a loud, hearty laugh.
"Maybe he can spend the night here. We'll be safe. I like his spirit, he clearly won't back down from any challenge to achieve his goal."
Alice took Zetto under her arm to give the messenger some support.
"Tae, help me get him seated or laid down, he can barely stand. You're way stronger than me!"
"Ah, right. Sorry."
Gerai laughed until he nearly doubled over. Tae and Alice managed to lay Zetto down on one of the field cots further inside Tiriga's underground base, in a passage hidden by roots and darkness.
That day, Zetto didn't even remember when he had fallen asleep.