Denatus is About to Begin!
Chapter 40: Denatus is About to Begin!
"So, it was supposed to be just a small outing to buy snacks... How did it end up like this!" Shiro complained to himself, holding bags of various sizes.
After meeting up with everyone for a shopping spree, they headed to Orario's North Main Street, the most bustling commercial area in the city.
Not far from the Guild headquarters, it is surrounded by high-end residences.
Several carriages passed by on the road, and people were chatting about their favorite shops as they walked along.
After buying Jagamarukun, the excited Tiona grabbed Ais's hand, insisting on shopping for clothes, and they ended up in an amazoness clothing store, which sold clothes that were more like a few strips of fabric than actual garments.
Pure elves like Lefiya couldn't bear such unsightly clothes, leading to an outburst, and trying to pull Ais into a more conservative elf clothing store.
In the end, it was Riveria who, acting like a parent, made a compromise by choosing a human clothing store to which both Tiona and Lefiya had no objections.
As for Shiro, being the only male in the group, he was tasked with carrying everyone's clothes.
The reasoning was, "Since you don't have any good suggestions for clothes, you might as well help carry the bags."
In addition to his hands, the white-haired boy's body was laden with shopping bags.
"You've been complaining the whole way. And besides, you should consider yourself lucky to see Ais looking so cute!" Tiona said, patting him on the shoulder from behind.
Hearing Tiona's words, Shiro glanced at Ais again.
She was not in her usual blue combat attire but in clothes they had purchased earlier from the human store: a white, short-sleeved top adorned with floral prints, paired with a purple mini-skirt, and her legs enveloped in pristine white stockings.
Complemented by her golden hair, she presented the image of a graceful young girl.
"Please don't look at me like that..."
Ais was requested by Tiona and the others to wear cute clothes that she wouldn't normally wear, and being stared at by Shiro made her act coyly, with her complexion turning so red it made one want to give her a bite.
"Ah, I'm hungry now," Tiona suddenly interrupted.
"Didn't we just eat before shopping?"
"But that was two hours ago."
"So, you do know that you spend a lot of time buying clothes..."
Shiro, looking at the bags he was carrying, sighed.
"Forget it, I remember there's a cafe up ahead. I might as well put these down for a bit."
"Yay! Long live the Torajirou!"
"Ouch!"
The one who bumped into Tiona was a petite girl, her glossy jet-black hair tied into twin ponytails with a small silver clock-style hair band hanging around her waist.
She wore a white mini skirt, and a blue ribbon wound around her arm, accentuating her plump figure.
Her round face gave her a youthful appearance, making her look quite charming.
"Oops! Sorry, amazoness girl! I'm in a hurry!"
The girl hastily apologized to Tiona before running off towards a clothing store, her status apparent from her tone and the aura emanating from her body.
"Was that a goddess just now?"
"She seemed in such a hurry. What's wrong, Tiona?"
Tione noticed her sister staring blankly at the departing goddess.
"Wow...so big...despite being so small..."
Tiona exuded a rare gloomy aura, quietly lowering her head to glance at her own unremarkable and flat figure.
Gods don't age, maintaining a perfect appearance from birth.
Their apparent age is a matter of personal preference, with some preferring a mature look and others choosing a youthful look to avoid looking old.
Hence, it's not unusual for a god with a childlike face to possess a figure that doesn't match their appearance.
"Have you noticed there are more gods around than usual? Even though this commercial street usually sees its fair share of gods, it is still rare to see such a large number of gods," Lefiya noted, looking around.
"It's because the Denatus is about to begin," Riveria explained.
The Denatus, initiated by the gods, is akin to a party where bored gods gather to chat about recent events or brag about their children's accomplishments.
Despite its seemingly trivial nature, the gods place great importance to this event, each carrying several sets of luxurious clothes to wear.
As the sun began to set, painting the city in shades of orange, Tiona and the others concluded their day's activities and decided to head back to their Familia headquarters.
"I had so much fun today." By sunset, Tiona and the others were on their way back.
"The only ones who had fun were you girls. I did nothing but carry bags after eating."
"Don't say that. At least your popularity among us girls is rising."
"As long as it doesn't rise to the point where everyone thinks of me when they hear 'bag carrier,' I'll be grateful."
As they conversed, a carriage gradually made its way out of Twilight Manor, steered by a familiar figure, Raul, who appeared quite dejected.
Loki, the goddess in charge of their Familia, peeked out from behind the curtains.
"Wow, Loki, you're dressed up and even changed your hairstyle."
Loki had changed into a red dress and even styled her hair in a bun.
"Yo! You girls are back! Do I look good?" Loki gestured to her bun.
"Are you going to the Denatus? I thought you weren't interested and had decided not to go."
"I was planning on that, but who made Torajirou join my familia? I've got to go show off a bit, and I can also take the opportunity to mock that shorty. Just thinking about it gets me super excited!"
Hearing his name, Shiro couldn't help but react, "If you want to draw hatred, do it yourself, don't drag me into it!"
"Don't be so stingy. The Denatus is about to start."
"I'm just helping you make a name for yourself to get a cool alias."
"You don't want people to point at you after the Denatus and say, 'Look! There's the legendary Dark Flame Master!' 'What?! Is that the Dark Flame Master who advanced from level 1 to level 3 in just a month and a half?'"
Loki's imitation of gossiping onlookers was spot-on, causing even Shiro and Ais to make awkward faces.
Tiona, who had been unhappy with her alias of "Crusher," felt it was much better compared to what Loki suggested.
After sorting out his thoughts, Shiro told Loki, "Don't overdo it..."
Shiro would rather be noted in adventurers' revenge notebooks than be called "Dark Flame Master."
Being referred to by such a shameful alias every day would make him want to bury himself.
Loki gestured with an "OK" sign and said, "Raul! Let's go!"
'Snap—'
With a crack of the whip, Raul drove the carriage away, leaving Shiro and the others watching as it disappeared into the distance.
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