A Date and Stalking

Eriri and Ais strolled through the bustling streets, stopping occasionally to admire something novel or to buy items they liked, their outing resembling a typical date in every way.

Trailing them from about ten meters away were three shadowy figures trying to remain inconspicuous.

"Loki, Lefiya, isn't following them like this a bit too much?" Tiona asked nervously, glancing at her companions.

"It's fine as long as we don't get caught," Loki replied nonchalantly, waving off Tiona's concerns with an air of carelessness.

"Ugh, Ais-san and Eriri-sama are so close to each other!" Lefiya muttered, her face filled with jealousy as she watched Eriri and Ais walking arm in arm up ahead.

Hearing Lefiya's lament, Loki also adopted a heartbroken expression. "Ah… my precious Ais-tan, she's being stolen away!"

Her tone shifted abruptly, and she added, "Damn it, I'm so jealous! If only I could squeeze in between them and be sandwiched by those two…"

Although Eriri hadn't invited them to join the outing, Loki wasn't the type to obediently follow instructions. The moment Eriri and Ais left the house, Loki had sneakily trailed after them. Lefiya, worried about Ais, quickly joined Loki, forming an impromptu tailing squad. Tiona, on the other hand, tagged along purely for the fun of it.

Unbeknownst to them—or so they thought—Eriri had been aware of their presence from the very beginning. However, she didn't bother confronting them, as long as they didn't interfere with her time with Ais.

Earlier, when dozens of adventurers were turned to ash in an instant, Loki and her companions had witnessed the event. It didn't take them long to deduce who was responsible. Having heard about Eriri's immense power from Ais, they quickly connected the dots.

The scene left them thoroughly shaken, fearing they might suffer the same fate if Eriri discovered their tailing. But seeing Eriri and Ais continuing their date unperturbed, they managed to relax and resumed their surveillance—leading to Tiona's earlier expression of hesitation.

"Look! Ais-san and Eriri-sama just went into a clothing store," Lefiya whispered urgently, her eyes never leaving the pair.

"Quick, let's follow them!" Loki, ever eager, immediately tugged on Lefiya and Tiona to move closer.

Tiona was now deeply regretting tagging along but had no choice as she was dragged forward by the overzealous Loki and Lefiya.

Soon, the trio arrived outside the clothing store. Loki cautiously poked her head inside, peering around to observe the situation.

Their actions didn't go unnoticed by the adventurers on the street. However, none of them said anything. Unlike Freya, who rarely left Babel Tower, Loki was a familiar figure in Orario, and the adventurers recognized her immediately.

The adventurers on the street naturally recognized Loki and her two companions. Coupled with having seen Ais, the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia, earlier, they could easily guess the purpose of Loki's little group.

Inside the clothing store, Eriri picked a black-and-white maid outfit from the rack and pulled Ais into the fitting room.

"Ais, try this on," Eriri said, handing the outfit to Ais, her eyes glinting with anticipation.

"Okay."

Ais didn't hesitate to agree to Eriri's request, nodding her head with a slight smile.

"Eriri, hold this for a moment. I'll take off my clothes," Ais said as she began to remove her white backless dress. She didn't immediately take the maid outfit from Eriri but instead started undressing herself.

Ais wasn't wearing her usual combat gear or light armor, just the simple white dress. Her long golden hair cascaded down her back, completely covering her bare skin.

Eriri made no attempt to avert her gaze, and Ais showed no intention of asking her to leave the fitting room.

As a result, Ais's body was fully exposed in front of Eriri's eyes, save for the close-fitting underwear still covering her lower half. Due to her regular training, Ais's physique was flawless. While her chest wasn't as large as Aoi Kujo's or Utaha Kasumigaoka's, it was well-proportioned and attractive. Her slim waist lacked an ounce of fat, and and her slender legs were smooth and shapely.

Under Eriri's watchful gaze, Ais took the maid outfit from her hand and began putting it on, piece by piece. Since it was her first time wearing such an outfit, Ais struggled a little. Eventually, with Eriri's help, she managed to get everything in place.

Once she put on the white headband to complete the look, a beautiful maid stood before Eriri's eyes.

"Hmm, it suits you well. Not bad at all," Eriri said with satisfaction, nodding approvingly. "Now, strike a few cute poses for me. I'll take some photos to commemorate this moment."

As she spoke, Eriri retrieved her phone from her storage space, opened the camera app, and aimed it at Ais.

"Like this?" Ais asked, obediently striking a pose.

She gently lifted the edges of the maid outfit's skirt with both hands. The already short skirt rose by several centimeters, revealing a stretch of fair, enticing thigh. Tilting her body slightly forward, Ais wore an adorably blank expression that was absolutely devastating.

If Loki had been present, she might have had a nosebleed right then and there.

With a click, the stunning scene was captured on Eriri's phone. At Eriri's request, Ais continued to strike various poses, adding dozens of ultra-clear photos to Eriri's collection.

Outside the clothing store, Loki and Lefiya stared eagerly at the door to the fitting room where Eriri and Ais had entered.

"What are they doing in there? They've been inside for so long! Even if they were trying on ten outfits, it shouldn't take this long," Loki muttered anxiously in a low voice.

The three had watched Eriri and Ais enter the fitting room but hadn't gotten a clear look at what kind of outfit Eriri had picked out.

"Do you think Ais and Eriri are doing something... intimate in the changing room?" Tiona asked curiously.

Unlike Loki and Lefiya, who had special feelings for Ais, Tiona only saw the situation as an amusing scenario.

However, her question dealt a heavy blow to Lefiya.

"Ais-san and Eriri-sama..." Lefiya murmured, staring blankly at the changing room door.

Meanwhile, Loki straightened up suddenly. "I can't take it anymore—I'm going in to see what's happening!" she declared, already moving toward the store.

She seemed prepared to face whatever punishment Eriri might give her. However, before she could take her first step, the changing room door finally opened.

Loki hesitated and quickly pulled back, leaning against the wall once more as she peeked inside the store.

The three of them watched as Ais, now dressed in a maid outfit, stepped out of the changing room, following behind Eriri.

"Ais-san in a maid outfit!" Lefiya, who had been feeling down, instantly perked up.

Loki, her eyes sparkling, stared at Ais with bated breath. "Wow, Ais-tan is so adorable!"

Then her gaze shifted to Eriri, and her breathing quickened even more. "Ah, Eriri is also super cute. What should I do? I can't decide—I want them both!"

Lost in her fantasies, Loki's face twisted into a lecherous grin, making her look no different from the kind of pervert people warn others about.

"Um, Loki, I don't think it matters what you choose—it won't make a difference," Tiona interjected, unable to hold back her sarcasm.

Loki's laughter stopped abruptly, and she glared at Tiona with a look of wounded pride.

For the next while, Eriri picked out several more outfits for Ais to try on, including a bunny girl suit, a princess dress, and even a shrine maiden outfit.

Each time Ais changed outfits, the two of them would spend ten minutes or so in the changing room. During these intervals, Eriri not only indulged her eyes but also had her fill of playful touches.

As she recalled the image of Ais in each outfit, Eriri quickly turned those mental snapshots into photographs and uploaded them to the chat group in rapid succession.

[Adele (Level 3, Stage 7): Wow, Eriri, are these photos of you? You look so cute.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Nope, that's Ais. @Ais (Level 5, Stage 3)]

[Adele (Level 3, Stage 7): Oh, I see. I thought it was you.]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 5, Stage 9): Eriri, are you with Ais right now?]

[Ais (Level 5, Stage 3): Mm-hmm. We're on a date.]

[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 5, Stage 7): Eriri-sama, you should visit our world someday. You've never been here before, right? I promise to give you the best hospitality.]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 5, Stage 9): Yes, Kaguya-chan, that's a great idea!]

[Ruri Gokou (Level 5, Stage 9): Our world too—you're welcome anytime.]

[Fumino Furuhashi (Level 5, Stage 2): You should come to our world as well. It'd be great to have you visit.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Mm~ Mm~ I'll definitely visit everyone's worlds when I have the chance.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): @Adele (Level 3, Stage 7) @Azusa Aizawa (Level 3, Stage 9) @Kaede Honjou (Level 1, Stage 2) @Yuna (Level 1, Stage 2)]

[Azusa Aizawa (Level 3, Stage 9): What's up?]

[Kaede Honjou (Level 1, Stage 2): I'm here.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): You haven't watched the memory projections in the chat group yet, have you?]

[Adele (Level 3, Stage 7): Not yet. I plan to watch them once I reach my destination. There's a lot to go through, and it takes quite a bit of time. Watching them in a moving carriage isn't very convenient.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Okay, once you've watched them all, you'll get a good understanding of the group members. But remember, those projections should be treated as stories. Ever since joining the chat group, everyone's future has changed drastically, so they're no longer reliable as references.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): By the way, I'll upload a projection of everything that happened during the week of the Martial Arts Tournament. Watching it will let you see what all the group members look like.]

[Ding! Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9) uploaded the memory projection 'First Martial Arts Tournament of the Chat Group.']

[Azusa Aizawa (Level 3, Stage 9): Got it. I'll watch it now.]

[Yuna (Level 1, Stage 2): I'll take a look as well. I'll head to the Adventurer's Guild after I finish.]

…

Eriri and Ais spent over an hour in the clothing store, while Loki, Lefiya, and Tiona lurked outside for just as long.

Their sneaky behavior naturally drew the attention of nearly every adventurer who passed by the store. If not for their identities, the store owner might have already come out to chase them away.

Inside, Eriri bought every outfit that Ais had tried on. While half of them weren't suitable for formal occasions, they were perfectly fine for private moments between her and Ais.

Of course, it was Ais who paid.

Not just for these clothes, but for everything else they had purchased earlier as well. Eriri didn't carry any of this world's currency. While she could easily create some if needed, it simply wasn't necessary—after all, Ais was quite wealthy.

As Eriri and Ais walked out of the store hand in hand, Loki and her crew quickly retreated, pressing themselves against the wall beside the shop.

When the two had walked far enough down the street, the trio finally stepped away from the wall.

"Loki, Lefiya, are you planning to keep following them?" Tiona asked, watching Eriri and Ais walk closely together.

She had no desire to continue tailing them. Deep down, she was still nervous about the possibility of being punished by Eriri.

"Of course, we're following them! And you're staying with us—don't think about sneaking off," Loki declared, gripping Tiona's arm tightly to prevent her escape.

Lefiya immediately grabbed Tiona's other arm, making her intentions equally clear.

"Fine, let's keep going. If we get caught, I'll just endure whatever punishment Eriri-sama gives," Tiona sighed, resigning herself to her fate.

She had no choice but to comply, silently cursing her earlier decision to join in on this tailing escapade just for fun.

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