ITK C196: An Unexpected Reunion
Batemy here.
I am once again back in my old home, the Demon Capital.
“Through teleportation, of course!”
And today’s destination is Mixpider, the most famous tailoring brand in the capital.
I longed to work for them when I was still Miss Astres’ aide. Alas, I couldn’t, since soldiers are forbidden to have a side job.
“…So?” asks my partner Belena sullenly.
It’s been a while since we did something as a duo, so she should be enjoying this more…
“What business do you have with those Mixpider people? Are you going to directly appeal to them by telling them to stop making a fuss because it’s becoming an issue?”
“I won’t say such a sassy line to their faces. I think meeting them personally will give us an idea of how to fix this problem. And also because I want to observe a top-class workplace.”
“In short, you have no plan. Right, you do have that optimistic side of you.”
“Whatever will be, will be. That’s my motto.”
The demon army adopted me after I was separated from my family when the human army destroyed my hometown.
And just when I thought I had lost everything again during Miss Astres’ downfall, Lord Saint helped us get back up.
I’ve been striving towards my childhood dream of making clothes under him for some time now.
Life sure works in mysterious ways.
“That’s why I’m letting nature take its course as usual. But first, we have to stop by Pandemonium Trading Company before we go to Mixpider’s main branch. Without Mr. Shax’s intermediation, our appointment won’t be granted.”
“Hey, just to ask again, what’s the point of me coming along?”
This is what I answered the persistent Belena.
“Because the more, the merrier?”
“So, I’m just here to make things merry?!”
“Oh, come on. You’re free anyway, what’s the harm?”
“Don’t say that! Even if it were true, don’t say it!”
Whoopsie-daisy.
I brought up a sensitive topic for Belena by accident.
When we arrived at Pandemonium Trading Company, there was some kind of commotion by the entrance.
“Listen! Just listen to what I have to say; it costs you nothing!!!”
Someone is fighting with the guard.
As is to be expected of a large company, it seems one can’t enter the building without permission.
The two of them are arguing back and forth.
“I’ve come here to offer you guys an extraordinary money-making deal! Let me meet your president! Or better yet, Noujou’s tailor!”
…
……Hm?
“With my revolutionary ideas, Noujou’s state-of-the-art fashions will sell ten times faster! You’ll regret it if you refuse this! I’m sure the sophisticated tailor who makes the stylish Noujou clothes will have sympathy for me!”
“Um… Excuse me?”
I didn’t mean to disturb him.
I needed to say something to the guard if I wanted to enter the building and see Mr. Shax.
“You must be Ma’am Batemy. The president has informed me about you. Please, go in.”
“Hey! How dare you butt in just like that? I came here first!”
“The President will not meet anyone unauthorized by him. If you want to see him, get a referral from the right person and schedule an appointment.”
“I don’t need that crap! As long as I have my ideas, I can change the world! Let me meet the president! Let me meet Noujou’s tailor!”
Belena and I ignore their argument and make our way into the building.
“Hey, wait! Why does that girl get priority over me? Let me meet Noujou’s tailor! Let me in!!!”
The voice of the man who couldn’t get inside because of the guard was becoming more and more distant and inaudible.
We proceeded toward the company’s principal residence.
We’re outdoors again.
After meeting Mr. Shax, the three of us head to Mixpider’s workshop.
There, Mr. Shax tells us the details of today’s meeting.
“A sewing contest?”
“Indeed. The union president has proposed that if they win, you’ll join Mixpider…”
“Huh?! But what if I win?”
“They didn’t mention anything about that.”
What a one-sided deal.
What makes them think I’d accept such a contest?
I mean, sure, it’d be great if I could join Mixpider, the dream company of every tailor, but I can’t just leave Lord Saint’s farm.
“…Moreover, Her Majesty has already been informed of the matter.”
“What?!”
“The moment she heard it, she excitedly told us she’ll host the contest herself…”
Miss Astres.
It seems you still haven’t grown out of your love for competition even though you’re already married and are a mother of one…
“Guess your right of veto is automatically lost if Miss Astres is that enthusiastic about this.”
I couldn’t even refute Belena, who also knows our former superior well.
Fine, I get it already!
Surprisingly enough, we first come across a familiar face upon our arrival at Mixpider’s workshop.
“You really are loyal, Batemy,” says Miss Astres whilst cradling Prince Goetia in her arms. “Goetia will grow up to be a brave warrior who will work as the Demon Kingdom’s backbone. That’s why it’s better to expose him to some real bloodbath sooner than later!”
“No blood will be shed here, Miss Astres! It’s just a sewing contest! What exactly are you expecting to witness?!”
Those traces of your barbaric general traits have to go. It’ll affect the prince’s growth negatively!
You’ve even deployed a large group of people as spectators in this rather open space of the workshop!
The owner of this place is confused!
Look, he’s huddled up over there!
“It’s all right, Mr. President. Please come here so we can have a formal introduction.”
The president finally comes over after Mr. Shax’s mediation.
Understandably, people find it hard to approach someone like Miss Astres.
I sense something bad happening, considering she’s a queen now.
“I-I’m the man who leads the tailoring brand Mixpider, Your Royal Majesty. Pardon our tardy wishes, but we congratulate the Demon Prince’s birth from the bottom of our hearts.”
“I apologize for not accepting the goods that came with the congratulatory address you gave for Goetia.”
“Please, it’s nothing, Your Majesty. We sincerely regret not being able to prepare something worthy of your acknowledgment despite having the honor of being your purveyor.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can atone for your past mistake with today’s bloodshed.”
Like. I. Said!
I beg of you to change that part of you as the Demon Queen, Miss Astres!!!
Didn’t I just say that no blood will be shed today?!
The president can’t even approach you from a certain distance because he’s too frightened!
“Anyway, where is the soldier you’ve prepared? You’re not going to be the one fighting, are you, Mr. President?”
“N-No, Your Majesty! S-She’s right here!”
Prompted by the president, a woman in her mid or late twenties came out.
It was Mixpider’s head tailor.
“My name is Fleurety,” she says as she bows her head.
…Hm?
Her name…
“Although Fleurety is my own daughter, she is the most skilled of all my tailors and as such is the best representative of our brand. I believe she can live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”
“Today, I’d like to exert my skills as a tailor right before Her Majesty. And…”
She abruptly stops and shifts her gaze toward me.
Not everyone has the gall to do that in front of the Demon Queen.
But I feel like…
I’ve seen her somewhere before…
“You must be Noujou’s tailor. You’re younger than I thought.”
“…”
“You seem to be going all out by working solo, but let me tell you that there’s a certain moral code that comes with organizations in the industry. And you’re going to manifest your talents by working for Mixpider.”
“…Sis?”
“Pardon?”
Ah.
There’s no doubt about it.
It’s been more than ten years since we last met, so it took me a while to piece the memories together.
She’s the sister who I was separated from when I was a child.
I haven’t seen her ever since our village was destroyed by the human army and I was separated from her during the chaos.
Since then, I joined the Demon King’s army by force as an orphan and struggled my way through till I became a Heavenly One’s aide.
“…Wow, and here I thought all of my relatives died long ago. You’re actually alive! Here in the capital! What a small world we live in…”
“A-Are you really Batemy? You’re alive? For real?”
Then does that mean that’s Father and Mother over there?
Oh dear, they’re all alive and well.
“Batemy?!”
“Batemy?!”
My parents rush over to me.
Our family of four has reunited after more than ten years.
It was a touching moment.
“Huh? So… There’s no fight? Boring.”
“Miss Astres! Please don’t be such a killjoy!”
While I was busy savoring the moment with my family, Belena came to the rescue with the perfect comeback.
Thank goodness I brought her with me.
“Oh, come on. You’re free anyway, what’s the harm?”
Emotional damage.gif
Thank you for the chapter 👍
I have one problem with chapters with a plot like that, why would the character accept a condition like that. Lose and you become mine, win and you get jack shit. Specially when someone else agrees to that. Just say it’s not my problem.
Porque su señora ahora reina aprobó el encuentro, dejándole cero oportunidades para negarse de antemano. Jaja.
Really this whole side-story has missed the mark. Normally when the author pulls out something dumb (like the Goku angel) it at least feels like it was meant to be a joke.
This side-store though has felt more like an asspull to resolve the issue they created by having Batemy become the super-special tailor to the demon queen.
In this case, partly because the “penalty” for losing is a reward for her and partly because someone else accepted for her with her input being completely ignored.
It’s hardly a reward, considering that she can do way more with Kidan’s support, eats delicious food every day, has a chance for even more wonderful goods (sewing machine, the silk she uses etc.) and…is free to do or not do what she wants for whoever she wants. There’s no merit for the top tailor having support of the top materials provider to join and become a subordinate of a big company. Especially a company that is literally LOSING to them.
Even though miss Astres accepted for her and she’s a queen…she has no actual power to force Belamy (or was it Batemy?!) into this deal. Remember that she is Kidan’s tailor right now. There is literally no one (except gods, most likely) that can force anything on him, and by extension, by those under him. The only reason why she resigned herself to it is because she is loyal to Astres.
Given that Mixpoder doesn’t want her to cut ties with her material supplier, she’ll literally just be doing what she was doing before plus entering an important company. She’s not losing anything, only gaining: she loses, she gets to work for a good firm while keeping her current perks, she wins, she gets the4 reputation of being better than the best.
They explained it already. Was it a good one? No? Was it something cause of a characters low intelligence score? Of course. Unfortunately, not everyone can be smart even if you just use our world as an example.
Batemy was actually going to refuse (like a normal person) but their Queen is a muscle brain. Plus, Batemy is considered really good so to her, may not even seem like an actual challenge.
A good example of people in power with low brain power is when they think poor people or middle class people pay for certain items. It’s like playing that old school game show, “The Price is Right” but its rich people who actually don’t have to worry about what they pay for things.