"Uh... Asselin, I'm not sure that's in my budget..." Ikaris winced.
Asselin shushed him with a wave.
"You can definitely afford the clothes sold here. Five hundred gold coins is more than enough to buy any garment as long as the materials used in their design remain conventional." He dispelled his misgivings coolly but soon after broke into a big grin. "But this time, I will pay. Don't refuse, it's pocket money given by my father and it's mostly stolen from the many noble clans that perished during Hadrakin's fall. If it was really his money I would certainly have asked his permission first, but this money is as dirty as it gets. I'll feel better once I've spent it all. If you refuse, then that means you don't consider me a friend."
Before Ikaris could refuse his offer, approaching footsteps made the varnished wooden floor squeak and they all turned their heads in that direction. An elegant man dressed in black leather shoes, burgundy pants, a white shirt and a charcoal grey checkered jacket entered their field of vision, a professional expression on his face.
His blue skin had no wrinkles and his medium-length hair was lacquered and styled to match the burgundy color of his pants. Wearing thick-rimmed golden glasses that highlighted his burgundy irises and slit pupils, he wore a business-like smile, rubbing his hands together as if he was looking forward to meeting new customers.
From behind his pants a thin blue tail ending in a spade swayed to the rhythm of his feline gait. Ikaris and the others gasped.
Catching the intrigued gazes of his new customers, the man chuckled in a soft voice,
"Is this the first time you have met an Arch Imp? I suppose in the Warring Lands I am indeed a rarity, hehe."
An imp? Ikaris imagined them differently. Smaller, scarier and more monstrous, but definitely less human. This eccentric man didn't even have membranous wings or horns.
"Hmm, do you know how rude it is to stare at a stranger like that? Even if he is an Arch Imp." The vendor chuckled again, this time with a hint of annoyance.
Ikaris and the others snapped out of their daze and apologized.
"So! What brings you to my humble abode?" The man asked as he questioned Asselin with his eyes.
He remembered that blond boy who had come to spend like a prince in his store a few days ago. He had an almost eidetic memory when it came to his work, especially when it involved big spenders.
Asselin explained the purpose of their visit while pointing out matter-of-factly Ikaris and his retinue. The Arch Imp stroked his non-existent beard and nodded,
"A new Lord and his retinue... I have entertained quite a number of them in the last few days. You've come to the right place. And since your generous friend is paying... I can let my creativity run wild. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you want if you have any special request. Oh by the way, you can call me Glenrow or Sir Glenrow like everyone else around here. I have this curious feeling that we will be running into each other again sooner than you think."
Ikaris was unfamiliar with the local fashion, so he dithered imperceptibly, then gave the shopkeeper carte blanche. A beaming smile lit up the Arch Imp's face.
"Follow me."
Glenrow guided them to the back room where they turned left. A door barred their way, and as they opened it, the first thing that struck them was that the interior was as deceptive as it looked.
A spiral staircase of varnished wood led directly to a huge lower floor drilled into the rock, well below the foundations of the various dwellings that lay above it, open to the sky. Also, instead of being narrow like the exterior façade, the floor in question was a large quadrilateral of balanced proportions. It was a truly large area hidden underground.
Another identical staircase led not to the ground floor but to the upper floor. They had no way of seeing what was there, though. Probably Glenrow's private apartments or a room reserved for special VIPs.
It was the staircase leading to the basement that they took. Once downstairs, a vast display of ready-to-wear clothing filled their vision, much more diversified and functional than the flashy clothes on the ground floor. There was something for every taste and budget.
It ranged from dresses and gowns delicately embroidered with silk, velvet or satin to cheap uniforms for employees of different trades. One could even find light armor, but most of it was customized to be worn under clothes.
The floor was a light wood, perfectly polished, the decoration was as exquisite as on the floor above, and fitting rooms were even available to customers. A few scattered oil lamps ensured proper lighting, although distorting the perception of certain colors.
That was at first glance. Once the initial impression was over, one would notice all the sewing tools, multicolored silk rolls and other expensive fabrics strewn about the floor. At the back of the room in a corner sat an antique sewing machine, a crucible, an anvil and other tools that would be more at home in a blacksmith shop.
This floor was more of a warehouse and workshop than a second store.
"Ouch!" Ellie yelled as she tripped over a meter tape barely after taking two steps into this room and Malia narrowly caught her by the collar, saving her from a memorable fall.
"Sorry for the mess. When I'm working I forget about everything else and to be honest I like my mess. I feel anxious when it's too clean."
'Great! A costumer with diogenes syndrome. Not strange coming from an Imp I guess...' Ikaris' lips twitched as he spotted on the floor not just clothes, tools and materials but also various wrappers and crumbs belonging to all kinds of food. If the place didn't reek of cheap perfume, this workshop would probably have stunk.
Once at his workshop, Glenrow clapped his hands cheerfully and exclaimed,
"Who do I start with?"
All eyes immediately focused on Ellie, who took the bullet for everyone else. This was the price of being weak and an easy prey to mess with.
"Sigh... I guess it's me." The blonde Swede surrendered to her fate.
"Excellent! You won't be disappointed. Now, it's time for me to do my magic." The Arch Imp clapped again, this time with a predatory glint in his eyes.
'Thank you for your sacrifice.' The other inhabitants of Last Saint prayed for her soul as Glenrow began aggressively groping her with his meter tape to take all sorts of measurements.
"Oh, I see a lot of potential in you. What do you usually wear? No, no, no! Don't tell me. Let me guess... Shy, not very brave, sociable but not outgoing. You want to be popular, but you don't want to appear flirty or vulgar because you care too much about your image... Mmm, I can see it!
"See what?" Malia couldn't help but ask.
"The butterfly!" Glenrow shouted like a zealot under ecstasy as he spread his arms in a grand flourish. "Let me break that butterfly out of its chrysalis!"
Ellie gulped but it was too late. He took her to a room out of sight and Ikaris and the others heard dozens of surprised squeals and involuntary moans setting their imaginations on fire.
"What the hell is happening in this room?" Nardor spat out, asking the question everyone was wondering about.
Asselin was quick to put their minds at ease while waving his hands, "Don't worry, it's not what you think. Glenrow has his methods and he can be touchy-feely, but he's an expert and he knows what he's doing. Trust me, I couldn't have taken you to a better place to redo your wardrobe."
Indeed, about twenty minutes later, Ellie came out of the room completely transformed. Her sundress had been replaced by a satin dress with similar colors, but much more upscale. Its design was much more daring, the dress having clearly been retouched to highlight her pretty legs and the two mounds on her chest. A black leather belt girdled her waist, on which was stored two fine daggers in their superb sheaths.
Sensing she was ill-suited for heels, Glenrow had replaced her cheap sandals with a pair of fine black-gold suede ankle boots, but to give her a little more sophistication, she had also donned black tights embroidered in gold to create continuity with the rest of her outfit. Over it she wore a black trench coat, giving her the mature charm of a distinguished woman.
Even more shocking, her haircut had been refreshed, her hair cut a little shorter giving her a more daring look. From her beaming smile, she was more than happy with the result and her confidence had just shot through the roof!
Glenrow was apparently also a hairdresser in addition to being a stylist, a costumer, a blacksmith and a beautician.
Too eager to strut out in front of her friends, Ellie twirled once, lifting with the wind the bottom of her dress and giggled, "How do I look?"
