"Wow..."
Lisha, who had entered the highly renowned clothing brand Unislo, stood there with her mouth agape.
"Is this shop a royal brand shop?"
"While they have a wide selection, it's genuinely a casual brand for commoners."
"So, even though they have so many clothes, this is a shop for commoners!?"
Lisha exclaimed in surprise.
I should clarify, Asteris' royal brands, which are favored by the nobility, usually don't carry many clothes in their stores. They primarily focus on custom-made outfits, so they only have a few samples on display.
Conversely, shops for commoners often have a variety of second-hand clothing.
Lisha probably doesn't know about such things since she rarely ventured outside.
Now then...
"Excuse me."
"Yes, may I help you with something?"
I beckoned to a nearby female store clerk, who, upon seeing me, then looking at Lisha, froze in place.
"Could you help select a complete set of comfortable clothing for this young lady here?"
"Huh? M-Me!?"
You are a store clerk, right?
"This girl is a bit sheltered and hasn't shopped at a place like this before, so it would be a great help if you could choose everything for her."
"Me? I, uh..."
Saying this, the bewildered store clerk looked at Lisha.
The clerk probably sees Lisha as some kind of princess or noble. Well, she is wearing pseudo-religious attire, so it's not surprising.
Indeed, in Asteris' context, Lisha holds a much higher status than a mere princess. But, on Earth, she's just an inexperienced young lady.
I've had enough of this, so I'm executing the "Leave Everything to the Shop Clerk" grand plan.
"Well then, please help us out. Lisha here doesn't know much about these things, and she'll appreciate your expertise."
"I-I'm not sure about this... so please help me out."
The store clerk, who had just been bowed to by Lisha, was visibly flustered, but I didn't care anymore.
"I'll be over there, so please call me when it's time for payment!"
I said this and left the rest to the store clerk.
...
...
"Ugh, what am I doing?"
I sat on a bench in the store's designated resting area, placed my hand on my forehead, and sighed.
I never intended to get this involved, yet I've ended up taking care of things this far.
While it may seem like a rational decision, I'm aware that I've stuck my neck out too far. In the first place, I should have just left after rescuing Lisha from the fire dog, without displaying any undue curiosity.
Ugh, why did they even come to Earth? To put it in Earth terms, it's like having used nuclear weapons in a civil war and then, when the conflict didn't resolve, deciding to wage a nuclear war with another country.
Honestly, the gods in that world are no good at all.
Initially, I was summoned as a Hero and gained that title, but it didn't grant me any special privileges. In essence, the title of Hero and Demon Lord in the God-Demon War is bestowed upon chosen humans, and it's not about the gods bestowing power.
So, I didn't have any say in the matter.
I was summoned as a Hero because, as a mere Earthling, I happened to possess talent as a mage in Asteris. There's no free will involved in that.
To return home, I have no choice but to fight. And not all humans from the human race are cooperative with Heroes. Just being chosen as a Hero makes me the target of jealousy, and to top it off, someone who doesn't know a thing about fighting was chosen from a different world, completely unrelated to Asteris.
Although only a few knew I came from another world, the harassment was still severe.
Why could they interfere with me, who was risking my life to fight, even though I had no connection to Asteris? I found it truly baffling at the time.
Even so, I had reasons, or it could be said I stumbled upon her, for fighting in Asteris. Well, that was before she betrayed me in the worst way possible...
"Ugh... unpleasant memories."
I shook my head as if to dispel the memories in my mind and stood up. It's probably about time they finished selecting Lisha's clothes.
I went to the fitting room area and found them surprisingly quickly.
"Um... is this type of clothes normal here?"
"Yes, it suits you very well!"
Lisha, who had been complimented by the excited store clerk, blushed and squirmed shyly in the fitting room.
The white capri pants and the refreshing sky-blue blouse suited her well. With her beauty and hair, Lisha was already close to perfection, so the simple outfit complemented her even more than I had imagined.
...This is quite something.
"I've picked out a few more outfits; what should we do with these?"
"Ah, yeah, I'll take them all"
I replied the clerk with a nod.
I had considered buying some cheap, inconspicuous clothing to avoid attracting attention. However, that wouldn't do. I had underestimated the significance of the unique nature that came with being a Saint.
While I was absentmindedly watching Lisha, a sudden question crossed my mind.
"By the way, what about underwear?"
"Wh-What!? Th-that's so indencent!!"
Lisha's face turned crimson as she hugged herself defensively.
Even the store clerk gave me a cold look.
...Right, this was my bad. It's undoubtedly harassment. But, it's natural to be curious about that kind of thing, isn't it?
"No, it's fine if you're uncomfortable. I'll buy that for you separately."
"Um... thank you."
Once I allowed Lisha, who was still on guard, to change into the new clothes, along with the store clerk who was giving me questioning looks, we headed to the cashier.
The prices were reasonable, to say the least. Although I worked part-time, I wasn't familiar with the going rate for women's clothing, but at Unislo, it didn't differ significantly from men's clothing. Hooray for chain stores!
"Thank you very much!"
We were sent off by the clerk, who was beaming with happiness.
Since Lisha had changed into the new clothes in the fitting room after the purchase, she no longer wore her religious clothes. She still stood out, but the ordinary clothing had toned down the curious stares significantly.
"Now, Lisha."
"Yes, what is it?"
Lisha, holding clothes in both hands, looked up at me.
The moment I saw her in this state, thoughts rushed through my mind. She had been identified as a Saint because of the strong association with her religious clothes, but now, dressed normally, she appeared no different from any other girl, a mere human.
If I were to thrust a knife into her soft neck, no, I could easily break her neck with a simple strike.
This girl's life is in danger. The one who has fought for over four years against the demon race is me, a person with the talent of a Hero.
Lisha's appearance overlapped with that of the black-haired woman who I had truly loved and had to part ways with.
If she were Tsukiko instead of Lisha... If I knew that she was targeted by the demon race, I would have fought without hesitation.
No, don't be foolish.
Lisha is not Tsukiko. That assumption is meaningless.
If I were to help everyone in need just because I had the power, there would be no end to it.
I'm not a Hero anymore.
"Is something wrong?"
Lisha tilted her head, asking.
People can die easily. If we part ways now, maybe the next time I see Lisha, she won't wake up again, and I won't hear her beautiful voice.
So, choosing that path is up to me.
Lisha finding her own way, possibly encountering a guardian and surviving for another half year, or me abandoning her here, leading to the possibility of her being killed by the demon race.
Which outcome is more likely? It's painfully obvious, isn't it?
In that case...
—You're no longer needed, are you? You understand, don't you? You're nothing but a hindrance to both this world and to me.
A noise interrupted my thoughts.
"..."
"Yuusuke-san...?"
I grabbed Lisha's shoulder and looked directly into her eyes. I didn't know what expression I was wearing.
"Lisha, it's over. I can't do any more for you."
A shiver ran through Lisha's body in my grip. Probably, my voice was trembling as well.
And unexpectedly, Lisha smiled.
"...I understand. Thank you very much for saving my life and caring about me. Yuusuke-san, the Goddess will never forget your righteousness and dedication. Of course, neither will I."
Lisha said this while bowing her head.
Despite her naivety, this girl was by no means foolish. If she were, even with guards, she wouldn't stand a chance against the demon race.
That's why she tried to rely on me, even if it meant pushing herself. She judged that it was the best way for her to survive.
The fact that she couldn't stick to that choice until the end was Lisha's kindness and gentleness.
Continuing to gaze at her beautiful golden hair was painful for me, so I quickly left that place.
I told myself that this was the right choice.
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