CHAPTER 77: LIVES RESTORED

"Now that you two are done preparing, Linda, I’d like you and Celia to take their measurements," Nolan said.

The two nodded and quietly went around measuring the fourteen women, noting their height and stature. When they finished, they returned to the living room, where Nolan was standing with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Good," he said. "Well then, I’ll be heading to Cedric’s shop."

He slipped the measurements into his pocket and left the mansion. The streets of Sindra were lively, and soon he reached the old wooden storefront of Cedric’s.

The bell above the door chimed as Nolan entered.

"Welcome, welcome! How may I—oh," Cedric said, turning around with an armful of folded clothes. "It’s you, Nolan. What brings you here today?"

"I need female clothes," Nolan said, handing him the list. "These are fourteen different measurements. Make sure each one fits."

Cedric’s eyes widened slightly. "Fourteen?" He chuckled and nodded. "Don’t worry. I’ll prepare only the best—quality fabric, fine stitching." He passed the note to his assistants, who bustled into the back, pulling out dresses and fabrics. Soon they returned with armfuls of clothing and even a few accessories.

Cedric placed them on the counter with a flourish. "And of course, women usually need a few extra items, so I included them as well."

Nolan frowned slightly. "Why are you bringing out things like this?"

"Ah, so you don’t need them?" Cedric raised an eyebrow.

Nolan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Wait... no. I’m sure the girls will need them. Fine. I’ll take everything."

"Excellent choice." Cedric smiled as his assistants carefully packed the garments and accessories into large bags.

"How much?" Nolan asked.

"Altogether... about three hundred gold coins," Cedric replied smoothly.

"Three hundred..." Nolan muttered. "This man’s goods are always expensive. And yet, for some reason, I keep coming back here." Still, he pulled out a pouch heavy with gold and placed it on the counter.

"Pleasure doing business, as always," Cedric said, bowing slightly as Nolan took the bags. "See you next time."

Nolan simply gave him a nod before turning and making his way back toward the mansion, the weight of the purchases in his hands and the thought of the women awaiting them in his mind.

"That man really knows how to run his business. His things are always so expensive," Nolan muttered as he walked away from Cedric’s shop.

By the time he returned to the mansion, the garden lamps were glowing softly. "I’m back," he called as he stepped through the door.

Celia and Linda rushed over, their eyes lighting up when they saw the bags in his hands.

"Master, you brought clothes!" they said together, quickly taking the bags from him.

They peeked inside, and Celia froze, pulling out a small piece of fabric. "Wait... isn’t this... underwear?"

Nolan’s face turned red as he snatched it out of her hand. "I swear I wasn’t the one who picked that! It was Cedric. At the last minute he added a male underwear!"

Celia narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Dead serious," Nolan groaned. "That sounds exactly like something Cedric would slip in without telling me."

Linda giggled softly, but Nolan cleared his throat. "Anyway, all of you—come and take your clothes. But before you get dressed, this mansion has about forty unused rooms. Each of you can have your own. And before anything else—look at yourselves. You’ve been through so much. You need to wash, to feel clean again. Freshen up first, then wear your new clothes."

"Oh... you’re right," Linda agreed. "They should bathe first."

One of the women stepped forward, her eyes lowered as she bowed her head toward Nolan.

"Thank you... for everything you’ve done," she whispered. "You rescued us when we thought there was no hope. We watched others try to save us—brave adventurers—and they all died before our eyes. But you... you stood against that monster and won. Thank you, thank you, thank you. When the God we prayed to never came to save us... you did."

Nolan shook his head firmly. "No. Don’t put it that way. Don’t thank me as if I’m a god. If anything, let’s say the God you serve... maybe He directed me to you. Maybe He sent me there. That’s all."

Her lips trembled as she nodded, and Celia and Linda gently guided the group away, showing them the long halls of the mansion and preparing rooms for each woman.

Nolan sighed, heading to his own chambers. "What should I do today? Should I go to the guild? Report all of this to the guild master?" he muttered, pushing open the door.

But when he entered, he stopped in his tracks. Lyra was already inside, sitting cross-legged on his bed, sipping wine casually.

"Hey—wait a minute!" Nolan pointed at the bottle. "What wine are you drinking? Don’t tell me it’s the expensive one I saved for a special occasion."

Lyra tilted the glass in her hand and smirked. "Does it matter? You’re rich now, right?"

"It does matter!" Nolan marched over and snatched the bottle from her hand. She didn’t even flinch, just sipped calmly from the glass she’d already poured.

"You don’t get it," Nolan said, setting the bottle aside. "It’s not all about spending. Back in my world... I wasn’t from here, you know that. In my world, life was harsh. I had to work just to survive. Cleaning toilets, mopping school halls, working as a janitor—it was humiliating, and the pay was nothing. I know the value of money because I had to fight for every little bit of it. Now, yes, I make money by defeating monsters, but that doesn’t mean I can throw it away carelessly. I try to manage it. Appreciate it. Not waste it."

Lyra raised a brow, swirling the wine in her glass. "Well, well. You’re blabbering again." She leaned forward with a grin. "So tell me—how was today?"

Yes, that’s what I wanted to come back to you about. The Goblin King... oh God. I wasn’t prepared. I mean, it was truly, as you say, someone despicable and evil—and also disgusting at the same time, Nolan said, frowning.