'Alright, this is an order to all kaijin in the city: do not start a fight with any of these bastards. If any of them decide to throw a punch first, feel free to end it yourselves. Otherwise, maintain neutrality and no violence. Got it?'

[Understood.]

...

[Wait, big sister Hurricroak. Does that mean the caretaker doesn't want us to kill those henchmen at the first opportunity we get?] Corpse Doll asked as seriously as she could muster.

[I am also confused. I thought the Caretaker wanted to officially bury his enemies on this day if possible,] Porcelain Doll added. [Why does he say we have to wait for them to make the first move?]

[Oh, that? That's because the maestro is a firm believer of... I feel like there's a name for this philosophy...eh, whatever. He believes that one should never start a fight if they could help it, but that they should be the one to end it if possible,] Hurricroak explained.

[Okay...why?]

[Something about it being related to morality or something,] Hurricroak shrugged. [Oh, hey, look alive. Bellona and the others finally found a tailor worth a damn.]

...

After poking through at least eleven stalls for fabrics and six different stores for tailors, Bellona, Taurna, Lyona, Alice, Olstenna, and Antonio eventually settled on a tailoring shop that was being run by a Bloodliner woman with multiple arms named Mendina.

Well, technically, Mendina had called out to them first.

…

*Bing-bong*

Bullshit, you want me to read this.

| Oh come on, it's not the worse dialogue I've ever written. |

See you say that…

| Hush. |

*Bing-Bong*

…

In her words, she saw that Taurna and Lyona were unpolished gemstones that were demanding someone to thoroughly cut and polish them into proper showpieces and adorn them with finery and gilding that would put even the Queen of the Golden Sands to shame…more or less.

There was also a fuckton of artisan slang mixed in, but it was far too much for the group to process in a single moment.

…

*Bing-Bong*

| Cop out. |

Fuck you.

*Bing-Bong*

…

Either way, once Medina had gotten her hands all over the physical assets of Taurna and Lyona, she had gotten to work to make the most perfect outfits for the former slaves. Although Medina was being rather…crude in her proceedings.

^ Oh my word! What in the Phoenix Saint's name are these rags?! I understand that you were slaves, but did your master never consider at least providing you some basic yarn to patch these up?^

^Uhh…no?^

^Most people just wore the clothes that they arrived in. Any additional clothes were taken from the dead or dying,^ Taurna answered in a matter-of-fact tone that caused everyone but her and Lyona to pause and stare at them in disbelief.

^What?^

^Oh, honey…^

Realizing that this was going to be a challenge on not only a physical level, but an emotional one as well.

^Darlings, I'm going to make you two a set of clothes so fine that not only will it turn the heads of everyone who sees it, but it will cause them to weep tears of joy as they bask in the beauty being enhanced by these clothes.^ Medina promised with fervor and fanfare.

^Okay...^

In the face of all of this passion and promise, Lyona and Taurna couldn't do anything but simply roll with the punches.

Well, they could also imagine themselves in such clothes and using them to seduce the people that they like to do more...intimate activities, but they dismissed the notion as a silly fantasy...that Bellona managed to read through thanks to her innate gift of mind reading.

'By the saints, these two are just plain adorable,' Bellona thought to herself as she parsed through the fantasies in their heads.

While this was happening, though, Alice, Olstenna, and Antonio decided their time was better spent waiting outside the shop.

In other words, they didn't want to just hang around and do nothing as they watched the former slaves get outfits that signified their fresh new start on life.

^So...you guys remember how Zhen Liu mentioned that there was a chance that some of his old enemies were present in the city?^ Olstenna asked in order to break the boredom that was surrounding the three of them.

^Yeah.^

^What about it?^

Earlier, they had spotted members of the House of the Golden Sabertooth and the Silver Jungle Dragon Shipping company, but they didn't do anything other than watch.

The trio knew better than to randomly attack someone on the street, especially when there were so many other people surrounding them.

Rumors and news had a tendency to spread faster than diseases on city streets, and if word got out that they attacked subordinates of what they recalled of being a pair of powerful organizations, then they would have to cut their plans short.

And they still had plenty of things they wanted to do before dealing with any old foes.

That stated, the trio couldn't help but speculate a bit about the immediate future.

Especially once a certain rumor started prickling at Olstenna's ears.

^Word on the street is that people with those particular armbands have been going underground and wiping out underworld societies left and right,^ Olstenna explained. ^They've been looting that was worth a damn, taking over these bases of operation and forcing the surviving subordinates to swear loyalty or death before their leader...a warrior with obsidian skin and gold scars.^

^Oh...oh shit.^

^Ah, so this trip is definitely going to be more interest than I thought...wait a minute.^

The more Alice mulled over Olstenna's news, the more things started to click in her head.

Well, partially at least.

^Olstenna, by any chance, do you know when these rumors started appearing?^ Alice asked as her mind began to work. ^And to be more precise, do you happen to know the names of these organizations? I imagine there has to be a few with memorable names.^

^I heard a few names pop up, but none of them were names that I recognized,^ Olstenna answered. ^But I did remember the ones that sounded oddly familiar at least.^

^Like...^

^I heard mention of a group called the Bloodfire Forge Hall getting knocked over, something involving the words "Shadow Garden," and I vaguely remember hearing something about the word "beautiful" being involved as well.^

^Wait, like the Beautiful Marionette Society?^ Antonio asked once he heard that last word being used. ^Didn't they just invited to go and purchase their goods soon after we arrived here?^

^Yeah, well, apparently they ended up getting taken over by that rumored obsidian warrior.^

^Well, isn't that a coincidental pain in the ass,^ Alice muttered to herself.

Aside from realizing the possibility that Axer's problems might be stemming from a newly minted hostile takeover or are about to get heavily mitigated because of it, the mentioning of "Shadow Garden" caused her eye to twitch in annoyance.

Several decades ago, a member of this organization had turned her into a weird living mask and stolen away any possibility of a future she may have had at the time.

But now, she was free, she had new friends, and now she had the sweet possibility of revenge.

And to top it all off, she may not need to dirty her hands herself...provided the rumors that Olstenna was hearing were true in any sense of the word.

Either way, they still wouldn't be able to act until the get some proper intelligence on the matter.

'I really hope Zhen Liu is able to deliver on that front...'

... Coincidences are bullshit ...

[What do you girls think? Is this Medina character going to put them in dresses or something more athletically inclined?] Hurricroak asked Porcelain Doll and Corpse Doll.

At this point in time, the aforementioned kaijin and proto-kaijin twins were hanging around on the wall perpendicular to where Alice and others were loitering.

With their [Chaos] senses, they could easily peer through the walls and see how that tailoring session was going.

Of course, they also made sure to pay attention to their surroundings as well.

[I don't have any strong opinions on the matter of dresses, Senior Hurricroak,] Porcelain Doll answered in a straightforward manner. [Although, clothes that can withstand athletic activity is probably ideal given our lifestyle.]

[Pragmatism seems to be your bread and butter, Porcelain Doll,] Hurricroak observed. [I wonder if that's because you're Corpse Doll's counterpart or because of just how you like to be.]

[Can't it be both?]

[Fair enough,] Hurricroak capitulated. [Corpse Doll, what about...Corpse Doll, what are you staring at?]

Right when Hurricroak was about to ask the other proto-kaijin her thoughts on the matter, she noticed that the aforementioned Corpse Doll was looking into the distant crowd with a strange look on her face.

More specifically, a look of intense focus and concern.

[Corpse Doll, what's wrong?] Hurricroak asked, aware that she was about to kick a hornet's nest.

Without initially saying anything, Corpse Doll pointed into the crowd towards a random-looking individual.

[That guy over there is about to start a riot.]

[Oh really?]