Chapter 164 - Shall We Equip Here?
・Erin's personality is influenced by the traits of the body her Fragmented Soul inhabits.
・Erin cannot use defensive magic.
・Erin is weak against muscular men.
・Erin is weak against black hair.
・Erin hasn't grown all her hair down there yet.
The above are Erin's weaknesses, as told by Philia.
Some of the information is rather trivial, but it's my role to devise a strategy leading to victory from this.
"The personality influence is what bothers me most. Has Erin, who's inside a cat, taken on a cat-like personality too?"
"Most likely."
"...Is that a weakness?"
"Having one's psyche drawn toward a creature inferior to humans in intellect and willpower can only be a negative influence."
"Well, it does feel like there are various openings to exploit."
A black cat. A black swallowtail butterfly. A crow. Perhaps I should choose tactics that turn their very biology against them.
"Another thing that bothers me is that she can't use defensive magic. That's news to me. When she was adventuring with us, didn't she normally cast magic barriers and such?"
"She seems to have forgotten."
"...She should have had a good memory."
"This is precisely the negative influence of the Fragmented Soul. When she fragmented her soul into a black cat, knowledge on how to catch mice flowed in, and in exchange, she forgot several spells. Defensive magic, which she was originally poor at, seems to have been the first thing she became unable to use."
"...Animal knowledge flows in, and her original knowledge disappears? Won't Erin go mad at this rate?"
"The more time passes, the more she will break down."
"Then should we just wait it out? If we do, Erin will neutralize herself."
"How many years do you think that will take? It took a full year just to forget a very small portion of her magic. Completely losing her combat ability would require an immense amount of time."
"...A war of attrition lasting years is impossible, as expected."
A short, decisive battle suits me better anyway, so that's fine by me.
Now then, how shall I cook her?
I think as I pace around Philia.
It was an unconscious action, but it seems to have stimulated my stomach. A growling sound of gastric contraction echoes.
"...I'm hungry."
Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything since last night.
Moving around on an empty stomach just makes my head stop working, so I should put thinking on hold for now and have breakfast.
"As you just heard, my stomach seems to be at its limit. I'm going to go buy breakfast now. You'll eat too, right, Philia?"
"A wise decision."
"Haha. You were hungry too, huh?"
"It's a natural physiological phenomenon for a human. Why are you laughing?"
"I was relieved that you still have some humanity left. I thought you might say something like, 'My internal organs have been modified, so I actually have no need for meals...'"
"I have merely stopped my aging, I have not ceased to be human!"
I pull the hand of Philia, who is huffing with anger, and move my feet forward. Our destination is a convenience store visible a few hundred meters ahead.
"Don't get so worked up. If your appearance hasn't changed for over fifteen years, it's normal to think your internal organs have been tinkered with too. Plus, you're so beautiful you lack a certain human touch."
"Just how lacking in delicacy are you? Treating a person like some artificial object... eh, beautiful? ...Eh, I'm happy... Shall I treat you to breakfast?"
"You don't have any money."
Anyway, as long as I praise her looks, she gets back in a good mood, so she's an easy woman to handle.
...From an outsider's perspective, wouldn't this look like a couple flirting in a stupid way? I can't help but feel that, but since no one can perceive us under Concealment, we can act like fools without worry.
"I'll have bread. What do you want to eat, Philia?"
"Anything but Japanese food. The cuisine of this country doesn't suit my palate."
"...You say that right in front of a Japanese person?"
"It can't be helped. Rice and fish were hardly ever on the table where I'm from. To my senses, all of this country's dishes are exotic delicacies."
"Could it be that you find the meals I usually make unpalatable too? Didn't you eat them looking like they were pretty tasty?"
"Those are different. If it's food personally prepared by Hero-dono, even a caterpillar would taste delicious. During our usual meals, I'm not savoring Japanese food; I'm enjoying the situation of having an indirect kiss with Hero-dono's fingers. Do you understand?"
"..."
Her love is heavy.
It's already gone past creepy and into the realm of disgusting.
"...Would it be better if your breakfast wasn't rice or bread, but something like sucking on my fingers?"
[Party Member, High Priest Philia's Affection Level has increased by 100]
"...If Hero-dono is fine with that..."
"I'll say one thing. This isn't a scene where you should be blushing."
While we were talking nonsense, we had arrived right in front of the convenience store. It would be bad to remain invisible people during shopping, so I release the Concealment.
"Philia, you wait outside."
"I would also like to enter."
"...Why?"
"There is something I want you to buy for me."
"I'll buy it if you tell me?"
"I want to choose it myself. Please understand."
...Don't tell me it's sanitary products.
Harboring a bad feeling, I nonetheless release Philia's Concealment, and the two of us enter the store.
Ding-dong. A cheerful chime rings, and a young woman's voice announces, "Welcome!"
"I will go look over there."
Saying that, Philia strides off toward the magazine corner.
I grab a shopping basket and hurry to the bread corner.
I toss in a sandwich for myself, a cream bun and a croissant for Philia, and tea for both of us.
All that's left is the "something I want you to buy" Philia mentioned...
What on earth does she want?
Absolutely certain that only trouble awaits, I head toward Philia.
Rounding the corner of the beverage section, passing the snack shelves, to that place where a white woman, out of place in a Japanese convenience store, is bending over and glaring at the products.
"So, what's this thing you want me to buy?"
"This."
Philia pulled something like a black box from the shelf.
It was underwear.
"...What's the meaning of this? Did you dislike the striped panties that much? Do you want to change into chic adult panties after all?"
"I do dislike those childish panties, but I am fond of the situation itself where Hero-dono makes me wear them and treats me like a little girl. That's not a problem. It's not that; what I need is the top."
"No, that's a huge problem... Top? Ah, a bra."
I realize it when she says it.
Indeed, Philia isn't wearing a bra right now.
Under her thin white dress, her ample chest is forcibly contained.
"You finally noticed. ...Yes. Because I moved around without wearing a breast cover, the tips of my breasts hurt. They rub against the fabric. They sway every time I walk, and it hurts!"
"I get it, so don't talk so loud!"
I wonder if that girl at the register thinks I'm some brute who makes his girlfriend walk around braless.
It's reputational damage I don't even want to think about.
"I understand the situation, so just put it in the basket quickly."
"About that. There are panties, but I can't find any breast covers."
"Huh, really?"
I quietly peer at the shelf.
...It's true.
I had the image that recent convenience stores carry everything, but apparently, they don't stock bras.
"What should I do? Should I strip that female clerk who's eavesdropping over there and forcibly take her breast cover?"
"Show a little respect for the people of this country. Besides, that girl's bra would definitely be way too small."
From the looks of it, that young lady over there has an average Japanese body type, around a B-cup at best.
Philia, on the other hand, has what can only be called huge breasts; by my estimate, they're probably 91 to 93 cm.
Since I bathed with Angelica and the others yesterday and had my face washed with their breasts, my bust sensor's accuracy is temporarily enhanced.
"In that case, I need a substitute for a breast cover."
"...A substitute..."
I glance over at the medical supplies corner.
They have adhesive bandages and such there, but...
"Ah, there's something like cotton you stick to your skin. Would that be okay?"
"I don't mind. Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Let's buy it right away, Philia urges me.
However, there was one problem.
"Do you know how to use adhesive bandages?"
"There's no way I would know. Hero-dono will put them on for me, right?"
"...So it comes to that after all."
"Yes, hurry and buy those adhesive bandages, and help me put them on."