Chapter 404: Going Out Together

　After Tauro and his group checked into their lodgings, they finally had some free time on their own.

　Ankh went out while it was still light outside, saying he was going out for a drink.

　Tauro saw him off and changed into his regular clothes to go out as well, and opened the door to his room after having pela mimic his belt.

　Then he saw Sion, who was just about to knock on the door.*

　Just then, Shion appeared in front of me as she was about to knock on the door

“Zion, what’s wrong?”

　Tauro confirmed with Zion, who was in her usual hooded attire.

“Ah! — Ragune-san left immediately on the Dimensional Corridor, so I was wondering what Tauro-sama was up to…”

　Sion answered, surprised and fidgety, as Tauro came out of the doorway.

“Ragune in the ‘dimensional corridor’?  She went to visit the Dragon-peoples village. That’s unusual. I was thinking of heading out to the mayor’s residence now,……, will you come with me, Zion?”*

“Is that alright with you!? Then I’ll come with you!”

　Zion looks happy.

　Although Zion has cat-people blood running through her veins, but her appearance is different from that of normal cat-people.

　Her appearance is almost human, with only cat ears and a tail, which makes her different from ordinary cat people, but she is also not human either, which makes her self-conscious about this and she always wears her hood pulled down over her eyes.

“That hoodie, is that the leather armor dark magic Hood? It’s your  day off so you should take it off.”

　Tauro suggested.

　Today is your day off and I want you to relax.

“This leather armor is so convenient, I can’t take it off. The dark magic effect of the leather armor means the hood won’t come off even if the wind blows. And most importantly, it was a gift from Tauro-sama, so I can’t just leave it in my room.”

　Zion answered as if it was obvious.

“Eh? So, you’re still wearing the gauntlets under that hood?”

Of course!”

“…You can’t really relax like that, can you? Look, I’ll take care of your leather armor and gauntlets while we’re here, so go ahead and take them off. ——Let’s go buy some clothes for you before we go to the mayor’s residence.”

　Tauro said, ignoring her confusion and had her remove her equipment.

　Zion contemplates and removes the effect of the leather armor, and the black hooded figure disappears, revealing a fully equipped Zion with cat ears and a tail.

　Thinking about it, ever since I upgraded her equipment, I’ve only seen Zion in her hoodie, so this look is refreshing.

“Now, take off your leather armor and gauntlets. I’ll keep them for you.”

　Tauro said, and first of all, he made her take off her gauntlets and put them in the magic storage, then she took off her leather armor as well.

　The leather armor was very revealing so that it was easy to move around in, so for that moment Tauro’s eyes widened in surprise, and he was like “Huh?”

　This was because the bare skin was visible underneath the leather armor.

“Zion, you don’t have anything on under your leather armor, do you?”

“I’m wearing nothing but underwear under my leather armor because it’s so hot!”

　That was when Tauro finally started to panic as Zion took off her leather armor as he had asked her to.

“Waa, I’m sorry I tried to undress you in a place like this!  go into the room for a moment!”

“Yes?”

　 Zion finally realized then that she was about to embarrass herself in front of Tauro.

　I was usually so at ease that I had completely lost track of that kind of awareness.

　Tauro hurriedly let Zion into the room.

　Then, he took out a change of his everyday clothes from the magic storage and handed it to Zion.

“When you take off your leather armor, put this on.”

“Tauro-sama’s clothes?! Thank you!”

　Zion’s joy at being given Tauro’s clothes outweighed her embarrassment as a woman, so she quickly took off her leather armor and changed into Tauro’s regular clothes.

　Tauro turns his back and waits for her to get changed, then stores her leather armor in the magic storage.

“Yes, this is fine… I’m used to seeing you in a hoodie all the time, and with the way you talk I almost forgot you’re a girl, sorry. –How does it feel? Just make do with it until you get some new clothes.”

　Tauro confirmed with a chuckle and an apology.

“No, I was always with Ragune-san so I didn’t have to worry about it, and I was completely at ease… Tauro-sama’s clothes are, of course, very comfortable to wear! Ah, but they might be a little tight around the chest…”

　Zion made a pretense of stretching the hem of her clothes a little.

“I’m on the small side. I guess I should buy some clothes soon. Well then, I guess I’ll go together with you to buy some clothes then.”

　Tauro decided so, and he and Zion went out to buy clothes before heading to the mayor’s residence.

　At first, zion was concerned about her cat ears and tail being exposed to the public’s view since she wasn’t wearing her usual hoodie.

　Tauro walked while holding the restless Zion’s hand.

“Zion, you should be confident in your appearance. At least you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“!—Yes, Tauro-sama!”

　Zion, perhaps encouraged by the push from Tauro whom she respected, straightened her back, which had been hunched like a cat, and began to walk.

“Oh, my my, what a lovely child.”

　A passerby, an old lady, looked at Zion and praised her.

“You’re so cute! Where did you get it? What? Is it the real thing and not a costume? I was thinking of buying one for my daughter.”

　Zion’s unusual appearance, neither human nor beastman, led an old man passing by to ask where he could buy cat ears and a tail, thinking that it was a costume.

 “Oh, you are a rare type of cat person, aren’t you? ─ ─ Wait a minute. A catsuit with cat ears and a fake tail ……. I have a feeling  I could make some money from this!”

　The female manager of the sewing store the two had entered, perhaps inspired to create by seeing Zion’s cute appearance, forgets about serving customers and begins to put brush to paper.

　The happy reactions of the people around her made Zion feel something she’d never experienced, and she began to enjoy shopping with Tauro from the bottom of her heart, as if her complex had flown away somewhere.

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