True God In Another World (Tensura x Tbate)

Chapter 83 - A Confusing Day

Arthur Leywin POV

I decided to stay home one more day before heading back to school. Though I was planning to return next week for the Aurora Constellate anyway, Mother and Ellie had developed some sort of trauma about me leaving home. Every time I so much as mentioned going out, they'd exchange worried glances and hover around me like particularly anxious mother hens. I couldn't really blame them - my track record for staying out of trouble wasn't exactly stellar.

I knew I had people to inform about what happened, but I owed my family this time. The worried looks they kept giving me whenever I moved too quickly made that clear enough. Just yesterday, when I reached for a book on a high shelf, Mother nearly had a heart attack thinking I'd strain myself.

While Ri and Lilia decided to return to the academy, Sylvie stayed with me at Ri's specific request - "so you wouldn't get into trouble," were his exact words. Thank you so much for the trust, brother. Really appreciate it.

As a change of pace, I was determined to spend time with my family, particularly my mother and sister. Father had left at dawn for work after checking up on me, his usual stern expression softened with concern as he'd ruffled my hair before departing. That left just myself and the girls for the day. Aunt Tabitha decided to tag along, and after what could barely be called a discussion - more like them announcing their plans while I stood there - they wanted to go shopping. Their expressions made it fairly apparent that they wouldn't take no for an answer.

I sighed internally, already dreading the hours of endless browsing ahead. At least I could use this chance to take a detour afterward to Xyrus Academy. Everyone was safe according to what my parents heard from Professor Glory, but I shouldn't keep them in the dark about what happened to me for an extra day. Plus, I was worried about the condition of Tess's assimilation.

Though I dreaded what Sylvia would do when she saw me. Our last encounter - after the Dire Tombs incident - hadn't gone well at all. I could still remember the look of anger and disappointment in her eyes, which somehow seemed more terrifying than any dungeon monster I'd faced. And then there was Ciel, who just stood there laughing with Rei while Sylvia lectured me for what felt like hours about responsibility and proper risk assessment.

The shopping district was bustling with activity, merchants calling out their wares while customers haggled over prices. I lost count of the stores we visited after the first dozen, but I didn't dare show my displeasure in front of the girls. Their excitement was almost contagious, even if I couldn't quite share their enthusiasm for the fifteenth shoe shop. Ellie's eyes sparkled at each new discovery, while Mother seemed to relax more with each purchase, as if retail therapy was exactly what she needed.

While browsing through the stores, I realized how ignorant I was of this aspect of life in this world. The fact that the only time I'd visited the shops was a bit after I was first reborn into this world struck me as rather odd. This fact, combined with my notable lack of equipment besides my sword, made me consider getting some new gear. The memory of being carried on Mother's back through the small merchant tents in Ashber felt like a lifetime ago, probably because it was.

Most of my childhood had been spent in the Kingdom of Elenoir, specifically inside the castle where everything was provided for me. Even during my previous shopping expedition with the ladies, we'd gone straight to the fashion district where nothing had particularly appealed to me. Some items had protective capabilities, either from their materials or from embedded runes, but nothing powerful enough to catch my interest. The enchanted clothing seemed more focused on comfort and style than actual combat utility.

"Aunt Tabitha," I spoke up while we headed into yet another store, this one exclusively selling scarves in every color imaginable. "Are there stores where they sell something that can help me train faster?"