落とし穴１３４堀：正月の女の戦い (Part1)
Pitfall 134: The Women’s Battle of New Year’s
Happy New Year.
Wishing you a happy new year.
Please continue to support the Victory Dungeon this year as well.
January 1, 2019 - Snowman
The Women’s Battle of New Year’s
Side: Solo
"Well, there is only a little time left this year. We are under the three-minute mark. From the one-minute mark, we will begin the countdown. Everyone, please join your voices together."
Such a voice drifted from a device called a radio.
This radio was a tool developed in Weed to transmit voices; a machine that reproduces the power of the "Call" that Yuki-sensei uses. If you possess one of these radio units, you can hear the broadcast anywhere within Weed—a truly excellent invention.
And now, listening to that radio, the year was coming to an end.
"This year, there were many events. Among them, what remains in everyone’s memory is surely the beginning of intercontinental exchange. Not just this Rogari Continent, but the If Continent and the New Continent as well—this was a commemorative year where we began to join hands on a grand scale."
Just as the lady on the radio said, this year had been a whirlwind for me.
I, who used to hide in the academy restroom to eat lunch alone, had somehow ended up working alongside the super-famous Kagura-senpai to face the problems of the New Continent, traveled to other continents, and met people like Eoid and Amanda. It was a year that was truly unbelievable to me.
I was just a regular person who entered the Magic Academy, right?
While I was lost in those thoughts...
"Finally, we are approaching the one-minute mark... 60!! 59!! 58!! ..............."
The final minute had arrived.
"40!! 39!! 38!!"
Surprisingly, Yuki-sensei and the others were also counting down in unison.
Furthermore, before I knew it, Kagura-senpai and her group, Sota-san and his group, Hairen-sama and her group—everyone, absolutely everyone, was counting down...
"5!! 4!! 3!!"
I, too, raised my voice to join the countdown, and finally...
"2!! 1!! 0!! Happy New Year! A happy new year to you all!!"
The year had ended, and a new one had begun.
"Happy New Year."
It seems that in Weed, this is the greeting used when welcoming the New Year.
"Um, Happy New Year."
"Indeed. Happy New Year. I look forward to your company again this year."
The one who answered my greeting was Enoru-sama.
"Um, Enoru-sama, you seem very used to saying that."
"Well, of course. Sota over there has been saying it every year."
"Ah, I see."
"Well, never mind that. The main event starts now."
"Eh? From now?"
"That’s right. We are going to offer our first prayers of the year to the gods. We are going to perform *Hatsumode*. We must dress up properly."
"Ehh!? I didn’t bring any pretty clothes with me!?"
I had come straight here after work, after all...
"Don’t worry. Sota has prepared everything for that. Hey, Sota. The year has turned, so let’s get ready. Or rather, I have no idea how to do this."
"Ah, you’re right. Well then, Yuki-san, Taiki-san, Taizou-san."
"Yes. The New Year’s greetings end here, then."
"Women have it tough, don't they?"
"We are planning to change our clothes this year, too."
"Yes? I don't know how to wear a kimono..."
"Don't worry. I know at least that much. Of course, Eoid-kun does too."
"Ah, yes. Thank you very much."
It seems the men have their own outfits to change into as well.
As I was thinking about that, the maids, Kirue-san and Sasari-san, approached us.
"We will assist you with dressing here."
"Go ahead. And Riel-sama, if you eat too much, the kimono will be tight, you know?"
"It’s fine, it’s fine."
"But your stomach is already poking out..."
"...Tori, it’s no use telling Riel."
It seems the clothes are tight if you eat too much.
But what kind of clothes are they, exactly?
Is it like a corset?
While pondering this, I entered the dressing room and saw beautiful, mysterious pictures I had never seen before lined up across the entire room.
"Whoa. There are so many kinds this year. Wait, what is this kimono?"
"...Riel is right, this kimono is somehow different from the usual ones."
"You're right. It feels like the items in this area are different..."
As Riel-san and the others approached one of them to look closer, we followed suit and saw a beautiful picture with a red base... wait.
"Eh, this is clothing!?"
I couldn't help but exclaim along with Mikos-senpai.
Because no matter how you looked at it, it just looked like a painting.
I had never seen clothes with such beautiful patterns and embroidery covering the entire surface.
As we stood there in surprise, Kirue-san explained it to us.
"Yes. This is a kimono, a unique Japanese garment worn in the home country of the Master and Sota-sama, Earth."
"Eh, but how do you wear this? It looks like it just has sleeves and nothing else to Mikos-chan..."
"Ah, Mikos. Look, it has sleeves, doesn't it? I haven't seen a kimono this magnificent before either, but fundamentally, it isn't much different from the shrine maiden outfit I wear. Isn't that right, Kirue-san?"
"Yes. That is generally correct."
Ah, I see. When she put it that way, I could understand that it was similar to the shrine maiden outfit Kagura-senpai wears.
And since we were looking at it from the back, it had just looked like a flat painting.
Looking at it from the front, you could tell it was a garment. They were probably displaying the patterns of the kimono this way.
"Well, compared to a shrine maiden outfit, it is incredibly luxurious. And these kimonos were chosen by Sota-sama for Kagura-sama and the others. That side was prepared by the Master for his wives, and the opposite side was prepared by Taiki-sama and Taizou-san for their wives. So, each one has a different theme."
"I see..."
Even being told there were differences, I could only really tell that the patterns were different.
In the first place, the fact that we were scheduled to wear something this luxurious...
"Eh, are we really going to wear these? Something this expensive!?"
"Yes. These were prepared by Sota-sama, and if you don't wear them, it will actually cause trouble for Sota-sama and the others."
"Kirue-senpai is right. It is better to accept such kindness honestly. Well, we weren't planning on letting you escape anyway."
Saying that, Kirue-san and Sasari-san approached with smiles, and we were unable to resist, quietly allowing ourselves to be dressed.
"...It’s surprisingly hard to move."
"It is a *furisode* (long-sleeved kimono), after all. Because there is so much decoration, it is heavy; it is clothing meant to be shown off. Please try to be graceful."
"Yes..."
When Kirue-san stepped away, a person who looked like a stranger stood in the full-length mirror, dressed in a beautiful kimono.
I was surprised myself at how much I had changed just from the makeup and the clothes—no, the kimono.
"My, it suits you, Solo."
"Ah, Kagura-senpai. Wait..."