Dupont Street

Driving the Alchemical Horse consumed a great deal of aether. The trio took turns playing coachman; in reality, the "horse" drove itself, while the "coachman" continuously fed it aether through reins threaded with silver wire.

Whenever Pascal took the reins, he simply pulled down his hood to block the light and squinted his eyes. Thus, there was now a carriage on the road whose coachman did not watch where he was going, terrifying pedestrians and other vehicles into giving it a wide berth.

Fortunately, to avoid drawing attention, Rorschach had removed the Tower of Stars insignia. It was now merely a finely crafted carriage, inferior to a noble's ride and not worth anyone's notice. After paying to leave the carriage in the backyard of an inn, the three officially began their shopping trip.

The people on Dupont Avenue were indeed not as well dressed as the gentlemen and noble ladies on Pastoral Street. They wore thick woolen or rough linen clothing, bundled up more practically. On closer inspection, the shops along the street were also plainer, aside from an imposing storefront on the left. Its Old Empire-style entrance stood a story taller than its neighboring shops, making it the busiest establishment on the street.

"What kind of shop is that?" Rorschach merely muttered to himself as he looked ahead, but a passerby behind him answered, "Young sir, if you and your companions are upright people, it is best not to enter that shop."

"Floran?" Hearing the familiar voice, Rorschach turned around. He still remembered that the tall, thin man was the seafood manager at the market.

"Wizard Rorschach, what a coincidence to meet you here. We meet again. I'm Floran. And these two are?"

"My fellow disciples, Pascal and Miss Paulina."

After they exchanged greetings, Floran explained, "Everyone, that luxurious establishment ahead is a den that devours gold. Our wise Majesty created it to seize the earnings of pitiful and loathsome people, thereby generating income for the Royal Palace. Yes, it is a casino. There have been more and more of them in Valois these past years."

Rorschach noticed that Floran had not called it the Holy Kingdom and found it somewhat strange. "Thank you for the warning. We're here to buy warm winter clothing. And where is Mr. Floran headed?"

The seafood manager looked a little uncomfortable. "Oh, I just came from a friend's place. Mm, a small club." He gave Pascal a deep look.

"All right, goodbye, Mr. Floran."

"Farewell."

As they passed the casino entrance, Rorschach saw two fierce, burly men standing guard. Some people entered with eager expressions, while others emerged looking utterly lost. Rorschach shook his head and hurried away with his companions.

"Let's start with this shop!" Madame Pingdu's sign hung outside, and neatly tailored ready-made garments were displayed at the entrance. Rorschach and Paulina went inside, while Pascal yawned and leaned against the doorway without entering.

Most of the fabrics here were not especially eye-catching. Camel and ivory shades predominated, and the woolen materials gave off a gentle feeling. Though the sign said "Madame," the young man behind the counter was the one doing the accounts.

When he saw customers enter, he glanced around and hesitated. His mouth opened, but instead of speaking to Rorschach and Paulina, he puffed out his chest and shouted forcefully toward the back, "Madame—customers—are here!"

The creak of a wooden staircase sounded from the deepest part of the shop, followed by an elderly woman's voice. "Valan, if you cannot receive customers, what is the point of my paying you to sit behind the counter? I could replace you with a bell, a dog, or even a goose."

"Madame, I'm still doing the accounts for you." Valan flushed red. Rorschach noticed that his clothes were exquisitely fitted but very old, especially conspicuous amid all the new garments.

"So, will this young gentleman or this pretty young lady choose first?"

"I will." Paulina had already picked out her target. She selected a teal-blue long dress and held it up against herself, asking Pascal at the entrance, "How about this one?"

"It's not bad, if we ignore the season." Pascal turned his head and gave it a sidelong glance, as though even that movement took tremendous effort.

"If you like it, you can pair it with this." The proprietress brought over a shawl and draped it around Paulina's shoulders. This was a common female outfit in Valois.

The old woman then turned and fetched a pale yellow woolen cape from deeper in the shop, fastening it around Paulina. "Wear this when you go outside. Indoors, those two pieces are just right. If you still feel cold, you can add a cotton lining..."

The young man behind the counter, Valan, lit up as though he had thought of something. But then he lowered his head dejectedly and continued flipping through the ledger in his hands.

"I'll take this set." Paulina was satisfied with the proprietress's recommendation. Madame immediately pulled out a measuring tape and had her go into the fitting room to take her measurements and alter the clothing.

The shop had little in the way of menswear, so Rorschach waited outside. By the time they emerged, the clothes had already been packed.

"That will be seven silver coins. Altering them to your measurements will take time. You may pay three coins as a deposit first and return to collect them tomorrow."

"How soon can they be ready? We won't have time to come back after today."

Madame looked troubled. "This young lady has an excellent figure, so they will not need much altering... At the earliest, come back after three this afternoon. I'll rush the tailoring for you."

After thinking for a moment, Paulina counted seven silver coins out of the Cowhide Bag. "Then please rush it. I'll pay the full amount."

The next shop mainly sold men's clothing. Rorschach directly bought ready-made garments that needed no alterations, selecting simple styles. He skipped anything that required servants to help put on.

"Let's eat." Rorschach remembered that Stomach of Valuana was nearby, and the restaurants around it should have fresher food. "Thank you for bringing me here, Senior Sister. Lunch is on me."

"Huh? How is that any help?" Paulina was about to decline when Pascal leaned over. "What about me, Junior Brother Rorschach?"

"Of course you're included, Senior Brother."

"You certainly don't stand on ceremony."

To get from Dupont Street to the main market, they had to cross the Seine River. When they reached the bridge, a large crowd had gathered, nearly blocking it entirely.

"Someone jumped into the river!"

"Should we save him?" Paulina asked quietly.

"Why hesitate when someone needs saving?" Pascal had already taken off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, ready to jump down.

"Yes, but not from the bridge." Remembering what had happened at the market when they entered the city, Rorschach had the other two hurry with him to the opposite bank.

In the eyes of the spectators, the young man who had jumped into the river had initially thrashed about instinctively, but he was now about to sink. "Heavens, someone save him! In God's name!" "It's so cold. Both the rescuer and the rescued will fall ill!" The spectators with the clearest view discussed it back and forth on the bridge.

Then a miracle occurred. A swift current swept him up and shoved him straight toward the shore without ceremony. Two passing pedestrians quickly reached for the drowning man, while the river helpfully carried him along. The young man was saved!

"He'll surely freeze to death!" "He jumped in himself, so what was the point of saving him?" The others muttered as they dispersed.

"Pah! Cough, cough... Sir, you're a wizard, aren't you..." Only the person involved could clearly sense that an unnatural force had firmly supported him all the way to shore.

"Why save me? Saving someone with nothing, someone so desperate that he jumped into the river... Sigh, no matter what, thank you both..."

"Your name is... Valan?"

"You're Madame Pingdu's customers!"

"You were fine this morning. What happened?"

The young man gave a miserable smile and shivered. Seeing this, Paulina began making gestures. When she finished, Valan discovered in amazement that although he was still soaking wet, he no longer felt cold.

"Thank you. You truly are kind-hearted people! But I'm afraid your efforts were wasted... After you left, my creditors came looking for me. When the proprietress learned that I had gone to the casino and owed money, she fired me. I have nothing left! Only this piece of worn Donkey Skin the old man gave me..."

As he spoke, he pulled a gray piece of hide from his clothes. Several lines of writing had been branded onto it.

A lot has been happening recently, so I haven't had time to refine the pacing, and the plot has become a little scattered... It feels more like the protagonist arrived in a new city, went shopping, and triggered events. But there is an outline, so please rest assured, readers.