落とし穴外伝：ファッションは服から
Dungeon Side Story: Fashion Starts with Clothing
Fashion Starts with Clothing
Side: Yuki
"Faaah..."
I woke up before the break of dawn.
I stirred in the dark room, pulling myself out of bed.
Well, another day of work, I thought to myself.
"Ratz. It’s morning. I’m heading to the morning bath—what about you?"
"Hmm~? Big brother. Good morning~"
I’d spent the night getting cozy with Ratz.
Even the capable Ratz is surprisingly groggy in the mornings, always like this.
"Morning. Still sleepy?"
"No~. I’m up~. I’ll take a bath too~"
And so, the two of us walked together through the chilly hallway toward the open-air bath.
I had built a private bath in our room, but if there’s a hot spring available, you just have to use it.
Ratz followed me into the men’s bath without a hint of hesitation.
Well, that’s our usual routine.
It’s not like Taizo-san or anyone else is around, and since it’s our own home bath, we’re just a happily married couple.
That said, we don’t get intimate in the morning.
We simply don’t have the time for that.
We scooped up the hot water to rinse off...
"Ahhh."
We both let out the same pathetic sigh at the exact same time.
We looked at each other and shared a wry smile.
"We worked hard last night, didn't we?"
"We sure did~. We’re so lovey-dovey~. But honestly, having this much work every single day is tough, isn't it~?"
"You’re right. I thought I’d finally be done with the Commercial District representative role, only to end up being appointed as the school principal. Sorry about that."
Yes, the reason Ratz says she’s so busy is because she’s serving as the principal for the school catering to international students.
It couldn't be helped, but having this much on one's plate is something to think about.
"You don’t have to apologize~. We’re still being all lovey-dovey every day, after all~. Besides, being a principal is good experience~. I’m sure there will be all sorts of interactions with the international students~. It’s a great place for my own business, too~"
"I’m glad you feel that way. *Sigh*, though this isn't exactly the kind of talk for a relaxing bath."
"Ahaha. It can’t be helped that we end up talking about work~. I mean, if we tried to plan when we could go out and play, who knows when that would be~"
"True enough. Well then, at least tell me if there’s anything you want to eat."
"Let’s see~. Anything you make is delicious, big brother, so it’s hard to choose~. Oh, that’s right—this is separate from the food, but next time we have a day off, let’s go on a date. We’ll be all lovey-dovey~"
"Oh. Right, come to think of it, we haven't really done that lately."
"We’ve had plenty of events where everyone participates~. But we haven't really gone out just the two of us in a while, have we~"
As Ratz said, we’ve had plenty of lively group outings, but going out with just one person hasn't happened much.
Of course, it’s not zero.
There are wives who specifically request that, and I make sure to schedule time for them when they do.
So, Ratz is hoping for that too.
"You’re right. Let’s make sure to set aside some time for us."
"Yes. Let’s relax, just the two of us~. Ah~, I have to start thinking about a date course for that."
"A date course, huh..."
When it comes to dates within Weed, I’ve basically been everywhere already.
Well, in terms of just playing together, maybe it doesn't matter if we’ve been there before.
Come to think of it, what would be fun to do with Ratz?
"Do you have any requests?"
"Let’s see~. I want to see you in a swimsuit, so let’s go play at a resort and be all lovey-dovey..."
A swimsuit, huh.
Now that I think about it, we’ve never been to the beach just the two of us.
That might be nice.
As I was thinking about that...
"Oh, big brother. Aside from that, there’s one more thing. Well, it’s related to work, but there’s something I want."
"Hm? What is it?"
"A clothing store."
"A clothing store?"
"Yes, a clothing store~. Super Ratz carries everyday items, but when it comes to fashion, it’s a bit lacking~. You know how Micos started making 'Monthly Weed' recently, right~?"
"Ah, I remember hearing about that."
It’s an information magazine within Weed.
In other words, Micos is leading the effort to manage information in Weed.
By the way, they’re also properly announcing the international student program. It’s to keep trouble to a minimum.
Of course, it’s not just political stuff; they cover recommended shops in the commercial district, event info, and lately, they’ve been taking photos of models to try and create idol-like figures.
"What does that have to do with clothes? There are plenty of clothing shops in Weed, aren't there?"
"Yes, but they’re basically all second-hand clothes~"
"Well, isn't that normal?"
In this world, brand-new clothes aren't something you can easily get your hands on.
No, wait—it wasn't that long ago on Earth that ordinary people could easily buy new clothes, either.
It was only thanks to the establishment of proper textile production systems and companies that mass-produced clothing.
Before that, buying fabric and sewing it yourself was the standard way to get new clothes.
Of course, you could buy new clothes at shops back then if you had the money, but they were custom-made, so the price was inevitably high.
"It is normal, but~ I was thinking it might be time to start circulating clothes as fashion~. We’re selling arranged second-hand clothes now, but that’s..."
"Well, it’s hard to call that 'fashion'."
"Right~? Besides, in Weed, some workplaces provide uniforms or brand-new items~, and lately, quite a few people choose their jobs based on those clothes, so they’re waking up to the idea of being stylish~"
Ah, so it’s like, "That school’s uniform is cool/cute, so I’ll go there."
It’s true that a nice uniform can make a place a candidate.
That’s not something to laugh off.
"But... I don’t think Weed alone can handle the supply side of things."
Well, as far as Weed is concerned, providing new clothes is easy.
With my Dungeon Master abilities, I could just copy a store like Uniqlo or Shimamura and place it in the shopping mall, commonly known as Wee-Mall.
But that has no future.
That’s just ordering things via DP.
It’s not like we’re producing goods starting from the thread and fabric.
"That’s exactly why~. We show them the samples, and have them do everything from cultivating the plants for materials to making the clothes~. There are countries that won't thrive on food alone, right~?"
"Ah, I see. And it’s even more convenient since international students are coming."
"Exactly~"
If we’re going to make fashion a trend, this is the best opportunity.
Indeed.
"Everyone can easily buy new clothes."
That would be a welcome change for the general public.
"But what about the second-hand shops? Will they go out of business?"
"I don’t think there’s a problem with second-hand shops continuing to exist~. Some will probably transition from second-hand shops to personal brand clothing stores~. Since fabric will become cheaper, that’s where their skills will really shine."
"Well, that’s true."
Even on Earth, second-hand shops still exist today.
So, second-hand shops won't go extinct, and if they can't stay in business, it just means they didn't have the talent.
"You said it yourself, big brother. 'When the granary is full, people learn etiquette'."
"No, that works for second-hand clothes too, but... you’re right. There’s no such thing as 'used food', so new is better for that, too."
"Yes, exactly~"
Ratz replied with a beautiful smile.
Yeah. My wife is definitely cute.
"Well, we have preparations to make, so let’s get out before we get lightheaded."
"Yes, let’s. It’s going to get busy from here on out~"
"Selecting the clothes is going to be a headache, isn't it?"
"We’ll just have to rely on everyone for that."
And so, it was decided that we would open a new clothing store in Wee-Mall.
Man, things are really a lot of work.
Still, I welcome my wives dressing up in cute outfits.
...Though I hate waiting for them to finish shopping.
Clothes.
They are the foundation of fashion.
Even so, it’s an endless road.
We take the first step.
I’ll be honest.
Yuki basically has no interest in clothes.
I’m the type who thinks that as long as it’s standard and doesn't cause any problems, that’s fine.