The grueling two-day carriage ride finally came to an end as the grand, familiar stone walls of Caria City rose up on the horizon. I had left without giving my baby sister, Evelyn, a proper heads-up that I'd be gone for four days, but it was entirely necessary. If I wanted to keep surviving the brutal hunts in the wastes, I desperately needed to get my legendary crimson trench coat repaired and properly resized.
We hopped down from the carriage and offered a nod of appreciation to the merchant driver. I securely fastened my leather purse to my hip and strapped the heavy Death Chant Shotgun across my back, keeping it fully visible now that we were back in a city where carrying high-grade hunting gear was the norm. Since my left arm was gone, Alta kindly lifted the heavy wooden chest packed tight with the precious neospider silk, carrying it for me with ease.
We marched up to the bustling city gates, where the guard on duty, Luscious, stepped forward to block the path.
"Tolls and status cards, please," he droned, his eyes scanning the incoming crowd.
Alta didn't skip a beat. Pulling out her heavy money pouch, she smoothly paid the required entry fees for both of us without a second thought. Luscious verified our Bureau status cards, offered a respectful nod of thanks, and stepped aside to grant us entry into the city.
Our primary objective was to head over to the 8th District to officially turn in the Neospider Queen's heart and close out our S-rank contract. However, before we took a single step toward the Bureau headquarters, we had a more pressing matter to attend to. I tapped Alta's shoulder, gesturing toward the heavy chest of mana-infused silk she was holding. First things first: we needed to pay a visit to Olive and get my crimson trench coat prepared.
I pulled out my notepad and quickly scribbled a brief note for my companion:
Follow me.
Alta gave an understanding nod, adjusting her grip on the heavy wooden chest of neospider silk, and we set off into the bustling city streets. We navigated our way out of the gates, cutting straight through the busy thoroughfares of the 4th District and traveling all the way down to the 6th District, the vibrant Merchant District where the legendary magic tailor shop was located.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the familiar scent of premium fabrics, enchanted threads, and expensive perfumes washed over us. Alice, the shop's receptionist, was waiting at the front desk. Her eyes lit up the moment she recognized me.
"Roxy! You came back! What can I do for you today? Oh, by the way, those custom F-cup dresses you ordered a few days ago are completely ready for pickup whenever you want them!" Alice gasped, a bright smile spreading across her face.
I felt a slight twitch in my single jade eye, but I kept my composure. Alice didn't use my real name, instead calling me Roxy… the old alias and nickname I had used back when I was a simple adventurer girl in Town Allure.
Ignoring the comment about the dresses for now, I flipped to a fresh page in my notebook and wrote down a direct instruction, holding it up for her to read:
Lead me to Olive.
Alice's expression quickly shifted from bubbly to professional. Recognizing the urgency, she nodded smoothly.
"Right away. Follow me, please."
Alice turned and led the way through the labyrinth of hanging fabrics and sewing stations, guiding both me and a very curious Alta toward the private back rooms. We arrived at the reinforced door of the master workshop, stepping inside Olive's room to finally begin the long-awaited preparations for my crimson trench coat.
We stepped into Olive's private workshop, and my eyes immediately drifted to the wall. Hanging there under the arcane lights was my legendary Crimson Trench Coat, its torn fabric and altered stitching waiting for a master's touch.
Olive was already standing by his worktable, a measuring tape draped around his neck.
"Good morning, Eirene, so... do you have the neospider silk?"
Alta stepped forward and set the heavy wooden chest down on the table, flipping open the latches. The moment Olive saw Alta's face up close, his jaw practically hit the floor.
"Wait... the Blessed Blade, Alta Granite?! I'm a huge fan of yours! You're the top contributor for monster hunts in the entire Bureau!"
Alta offered her trademark humble wave, her deep voice smooth and relaxed.
"No worries, I'm just doing my job."
Olive tore his gaze away from the celebrity hunter to inspect the chest. When he lifted the lid, his eyes went wide. Resting inside were dozens of pristine, glowing spools of pure neospider silk, flawlessly harvested by the Petrivna Tribe.
"No way... this much?! These are incredibly rare... a haul like this is priceless!"
I stepped up to the table, pulling out my notepad to present him with a pre-written offer:
Repair my trench coat. I will sell the rest of this thread to you.
Olive looked up, a massive grin breaking across his face.
"Sell it to me? Well, thank you, Eirene! I always knew you were a hustler. My business is going to absolutely boom thanks to this silk! Here is your payment."
He reached into his secure desk drawer and pulled out a heavy, well-worn leather pouch containing his business savings. He handed it to me, and when I counted it out, it totaled exactly 1 gold coin, 43 silver coins, and 12 bronze coins.
Feeling a bit guilty about taking the entire sum, I immediately tried to split the coin pouch with Alta. But she quickly shook her head and pushed my hand back.
"No need, Eirene. The merchant's payment is all yours. I'll take the entire bounty reward money when we turn in the Queen's heart at the Bureau."
I smiled faintly beneath my hood. I knew her real motivation, she didn't want to mess with her official documentation at the Bureau. She was on a massive contract completion streak, and keeping the official S-rank kill entirely on her record kept her at the absolute top of the leaderboard.
Olive cleared his throat, snapping his fingers to get my attention.
"Alright, business is settled. But Eirene... I'm going to need you to take off that canvas cloak of yours. I don't know your exact size anymore, and I need to measure your height, waist length, and other specific dimensions to make sure this trench coat fixes and fits your form perfectly. You know I'm a high-end fashion designer, right? I won't let a top-tier bounty hunter walk around dressing in old, tattered cloaks. We need your crimson trench coat to look like it has a real, commanding aura when you wear it."
I froze for a fraction of a second. Taking off the cloak meant exposing my missing left arm and my massive, folded blood-wings right in front of Olive and Alta.
I hesitated for a long moment, my hand hovering over the clasp of my canvas cloak. The bounty for the Crimson Phantom was still highly active across the region, and I had promised myself that I would keep my monstrous form completely hidden from the public. If Olive saw my wings, the secret would be out, and I would be hunted down by every greedy mercenary in Caria City.
I shook my head firmly and made a sharp, denying gesture, stepping back.
Olive groaned, crossing his arms in disapproval.
"Eirene, come on, you need this size. The base coat you gave me is an XL, and you're a small girl! It'll look like a tent on you if I don't get your actual measurements."
I bit my lip. He was right, and I desperately needed that trench coat. Without its magical properties, I wouldn't be able to grow stronger, and I absolutely had to ensure I could endure Vanessa's devastating tar and fire magic in our upcoming encounters.
Decision made, I pointed at Alice, who was still lingering in the room, and then gave Alta a meaningful look. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Alta stepped forward.
"Okay, Alice, you need to leave the room right now."
"Wait! No fair! I want to see Roxy! Don't touch me, Alta!" Alice complained, crossing her arms poutily.
Alta didn't have time for games. She firmly but safely pushed Alice out into the main hallway and slammed the heavy workshop door shut, turning the key to lock it from the inside.
Seeing the sudden lockdown, Olive tensed up, his eyes darting between me, Alta, and the locked door. Suspicion flooded his face, and he raised his hands defensively, clearly thinking I was about to rob his shop.
To calm him down, I quickly scribbled a note on my pad and held it right in front of his face:
Don't tell anyone. It's a secret.
Olive swallowed hard but nodded slowly.
I walked over to the corner of the room, unstrapped the Death Chant Shotgun, and hung it alongside my leather purse on the coatrack. Turning back to face them, I reached up to my collar. One by one, I unbuttoned the heavy clasps of my canvas cloak. I let the fabric slide off my shoulders, pooling onto the floor around my boots.
There I stood, revealing my true form. My missing left arm, my single jade-green eye, and the massive, horrifying crimson blood-wings folded tightly against my back. The undeniable aura of the blood-sucking winged demon filled the small office.
Olive froze entirely on the spot, the color completely draining from his face as his breath hitched in his throat. Alta, having already known my secret, remained perfectly calm, her arms crossed as she watched the designer's reaction.
"You… You're... you're the Crimson Phantom."