In no time, the two had changed their outfits.
They exchanged a glance, finding the results fairly satisfying.
However, as they stood together before the mirror outside the fitting room and saw the combined effect, their expressions began to shift into something peculiar.
As mentioned before, Elysia's outfit was a black sweater paired with a knitted dress. Since she was already wearing tights and knee-high boots, it didn't clash at all.
It's just that her demeanor suddenly turned much more serene—quite a departure from her usual lively and sweet style—but still within an acceptable range.
And what about Durandal's side?
She wore a punk-style black jacket studded with rivets over a low-cut sweater, while below she kept her original black trousers and combat boots. It didn't seem mismatched either.
After all, Durandal naturally carried an imposing air, though she usually came across as very upright. This outfit, however, gave her a slightly rebellious edge.
Looked at individually, the ladylike style suited Elysia well enough, and the punk style fit Durandal quite nicely.
But standing side by side, they somehow evoked the image of the school's famously innocent sweetheart being caught dating a rebellious street racer after the holidays.
It felt strangely disillusioning yet oddly thrilling, perfectly capturing that hidden or overt sense of rebellion so common among the young.
"How about… we go back dressed like this later and give them a scare?!"
Elysia instantly thought of this mischievous little scheme.
Durandal was actually tempted herself.
But, to maintain her usual image, she pretended to hesitate. "Isn't… that a bit inappropriate?"
Yet Elysia had already started gathering their discarded clothes, packing them into the shopping bags.
Then, she pulled out her credit card, pushed open the fitting room door, and headed straight for the counter to pay.
By the time Durandal stepped out and saw that Elysia had already settled the bill, she couldn't help but complain, "I should have paid for your outfit."
"I told you, I'm making up for your birthday gift," Elysia replied. "As for what I'm wearing, I just bought that for myself while we were at it."
"Speaking of which, when we first met, my birthday had just passed not long ago. Today's January 2nd, and there are still over eleven months until my next birthday."
"If you want to prepare a gift for me, you've got plenty of time~ But since you have so long to plan, my expectations will be quite high, you know?"
Elysia blinked, her tone carrying a hint of playful warning.
"Why wait for a birthday just to give you a gift?"
Durandal didn't specify when, though. Instead, she wore a rare, mysterious expression. No matter how much Elysia pressed her, she refused to reveal the timing or details.
And so, the two continued their playful banter all the way back, stopping midway to buy a cup of milk tea, sharing sips back and forth, sweetly and happily returning to the inn.
Once women start shopping, they tend to lose all sense of time.
Sure enough, by the time they got back to the inn, they realized the sky was already growing dim.
Checking the time, they saw it was nearly dinner hour.
Walking into the backyard of the inn, they found the members of Schicksal, with the help of the staff, already setting up a barbecue grill and preparing for the evening cookout.
As soon as Durandal and Elysia appeared, someone immediately called out to them.
But the moment everyone saw their new outfits—so different from their usual styles yet creating a curious chemistry when paired together—the reaction was unanimous: they'd already been fed enough dog food.
Maybe we should just skip the barbecue tonight?
Of course, that was just a joke.
Though their spirits were already full from the dog food, their bodies still needed actual nourishment.
Durandal and Elysia went back to their room to put away the day's spoils, then brought the yogurt to the backyard kitchen fridge to chill before joining the lively preparations.
Tonight's stars, however, clearly weren't Durandal and Elysia anymore.
There wasn't much to say about Durandal, that little expert in culinary disasters.
All she could manage was washing vegetables, chopping ingredients, and slicing meat.
And while Elysia was quite skilled in the kitchen, she seemed a bit overshadowed by two particular individuals.
Those two were none other than the swordplay genius Sakura and the applied scientist Vill-V.
Watching the two expertly mix seasonings and marinate the various cuts of meat, the other Schicksal members busy with their own tasks couldn't help but marvel.
"Sakura, Vill-V, with skills like that, you could be professional chefs, couldn't you?"
Kevyn asked, barely holding back her drool.
Truth be told, Sakura and Vill-V were also surprised by each other's culinary talents.
Sakura was the first to explain.
"In my case, it's because Rin has always been somewhat frail and often had a poor appetite. So, I had to study all sorts of recipes and hone my cooking skills just to get her to eat a little more."
Nearby, Rin, who was earnestly washing mushrooms, immediately put them down upon hearing this. Ignoring her wet hands, she hugged Sakura tightly, cooing, "Big sister is the best!"
Sakura didn't mind at all that Rin's wet hands were dampening her pants.
She gazed at Rin with utter fondness. "Because I'm your big sister, of course I want to take good care of you~"
"Then…"
Rin thought for a moment before letting go of Sakura and going back to washing the mushrooms. "Then little sisters should take care of their big sisters too! So Rin will wash mushrooms for big sister to eat!"
"You're such a good girl~"
Sakura praised with a smile.
"Your little sister is adorable~"
Vill-V, standing nearby, also had a soft spot for the cute little girl.
After complimenting Rin, Vill-V answered Kevyn's question.
"As for me, it wasn't for anyone else. I've just had many dreams since I was young. I once thought about becoming a great magician—I love seeing people's amazed and admiring expressions when they watch my magic tricks, so I've always practiced hard to hone those skills."
"I also wanted to be a mystic scholar, dedicated to researching things that science can't explain. But after joining Schicksal, I realized that while most mysterious phenomena can't be explained by science, they all seem to be explainable by Honkai energy."
"Besides, as you all know, I'm currently Schicksal's chief engineering consultant. And right now, I'm showcasing yet another dream of mine: I want to become a top-tier chef. Though, I've never let anyone else taste my cooking before. You'll be the first, aside from myself, to sample my creations."
"So many dreams, and you excel at all of them. Vill-V, you're truly a genius!"
Kevyn praised from the heart.
--+--