Chapter 73: A New Wardrobe and a Trip to the Academy

The dorm campus lay just outside her window, offering a reasonable degree of privacy. Gern shed her outer jacket, taking several deep breaths as she placed a hand on her chest, feeling the unfamiliar sensations within her body. A blush crept onto her cheeks. It was her first time truly seeing a female body, and despite it being her own, her heart pounded with an unfamiliar rhythm.

With trembling hands, Gern shed her last shirt, revealing everything that belonged to a maiden. Gazing at the two mounds now adorning her chest, Gern was overcome by an indescribable sense of strangeness.

She took several deep breaths, making a concerted effort to calm her racing heart, before retrieving a set of women’s clothes from her pale blue pendant. These were items Lilia had previously stored in the pendant, and Gern had yet to wear them much.

The garments weren’t a perfect fit, suggesting they were Lilia’s own worn clothing. The thought sent an inexplicable flush to Gern’s cheeks. Wearing clothes previously donned by a beautiful girl—the thought itself was rather thrilling.

Just then, Gern stumbled upon a peculiar piece of clothing. To even call it ‘clothing’ felt like a stretch; it was a tiny garment, peculiar in its appearance. The entire piece was made of silk, adorned with lace patterns, giving it an extremely opulent look. Gern had rarely seen such attire even in her previous life; it was almost exclusively found in the homes of royalty and nobility. For a girl from an ordinary commoner family like hers, even a simple bellyband was considered a luxury.

The front of the ‘garment’ featured two rounded sections, while the rest of the fabric was sparse, serving merely as a means of attachment. Gern frowned in thought, then lowered her gaze to the two small peaks on her own chest. In that instant, she understood its purpose: it was a girl’s intimate undergarment.

‘This thing… could Lilia have worn this too? Why would I have to wear it then?’

The thought left Gern feeling utterly bewildered. Her body trembled faintly as a surge of blood rushed to her head, and her nose once again gushed crimson. She tilted her head back, waiting for a long moment until the internal heat dissipated somewhat.

‘Ugh, why dwell on it so much? It’s just a piece of clothing,’ Gern mused inwardly. She had already taken out the bra. With this, she wouldn’t feel so exposed when venturing out, and it would certainly help avoid awkwardness.

Yet, as she attempted to put on the bra, she suddenly remembered that she had no idea how to wear such an item. Gern found herself utterly at a loss. She draped the undergarment over her chest, unsure of her next move.

“Luoya? Little Luoya, are you dressed yet?”

Just then, Lilia’s voice echoed from upstairs. Gern wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, striving to keep her voice level as she replied,

“Almost, almost! I…”

Gern’s words were cut short as, from above the only window in the storage room, a head suddenly dangled into view.

“Ack!”

Gern’s pale golden dragon eyes widened, staring. The maiden’s golden hair cascaded down, and the lingering traces of blood on her face only amplified the eerie atmosphere around them. Gern gasped in fright, almost instinctively gathering her battle aura, poised to strike forward.

“Oh, so Little Luoya was here all along! What’s wrong? Can’t put on a bra? Does big sister need to help you?”

The golden-haired maiden, her head still dangling, chuckled sweetly, utterly oblivious to how terrifying she appeared at that moment. Hearing the voice, Gern instantly halted her movement, focusing her gaze to realize it was indeed Lilia.

“You… you scared me half to death!”

Gern let out a long breath. Lilia had nearly scared her into a panic attack; if not for the lack of blood on Lilia’s face, Gern might have unleashed a Blizzard spell directly.

“Ehehe~”

Lilia giggled, then several earthen platforms sprouted from the ground, and she hopped down from the second floor, one step at a time.

“My apologies, I was just a little impatient. When I heard your voice down here, I just came right down.”

Gern’s mouth twitched. Lilia was far too eager; anyone ignorant of her identity might have mistaken her for a demon or ghost.

“Hey, what… what are you looking at? I haven’t finished changing yet!” Gern quickly covered her chest with both hands, as if fearing someone harbored ill intentions towards her.

Lilia found Gern’s reaction highly amusing.

“Oh my, little sister, I’m not some man-eating beast! Why are you looking at me like that? It makes me so sad!”

“You… you hurry up and leave! I… I haven’t finished changing!”

“Tsk, little sister, are you truly sure you don’t need big sister’s help?”

Gern’s expression froze. She had never worn a female undergarment before and truly didn’t know how to put it on. She genuinely needed Lilia’s help.

Seeing the look on Gern’s face, Lilia knew she had won. Unable to wait, she vaulted through the window into the storage room, extending her ‘sinful’ little hand towards Gern’s chest.

“Luoya-sister, let me check if your development is normal.”

“Ahem, no, that’s not right.”

“Let me check if you’re wearing your undergarment correctly.”

“Eh!?”

Gern, whose body was being forcibly examined, felt the touch on her skin and instinctively tried to pull away. But at that moment, her body was so overcome with shyness that she couldn’t muster any strength. The poor little dragon girl could only allow Lilia to have her way.

****

The way to wear the garment wasn’t complicated. After Lilia had her fill of touching, she began to patiently teach Gern how to put it on. With Lilia’s help, Gern quickly managed to put on the bra, but there was a problem: the two front sections seemed a bit too large. Gern felt an uncomfortable emptiness in her chest.

“Ugh… it doesn’t fit well, does it?”

Lilia observed the little dragon girl, now wearing the bra, and stroked her smooth chin in thought.

“Little Luoya, how about we go pick out some clothes first? It’s on me, you know.”

“Really?!”

Gern paused, momentarily stunned. Her first thought was how exorbitantly priced clothes were at Theoviga Academy; if Lilia bought her clothes, she could surely make a handsome profit by reselling them. Then a wave of shyness washed over her. ‘I’m a boy, going to a lingerie shop—no, wait, outwardly I’m a girl now. What is there to fear?’

Ultimately, Gern’s craving for gold triumphed over her inner modesty.

“Alright, alright, let’s go right now!”

“Hm?” Lilia frowned, grabbing the little dragon girl, who had yet to put on all her clothes.

“Put on your clothes before we go out!”

“Ahem, I know, I know.”

****

As the continent’s foremost academy, Theoviga Academy boasted an incredibly comprehensive array of facilities. There was a bustling commercial street, a vibrant food street, and even various theme parks and entertainment venues specifically for students. The underlying principle was that if you could conceive it, it could be found here, encompassing virtually everything across the entire continent.

Gern gawked like a country bumpkin, her head swiveling from side to side. Even in her previous life, she had never witnessed such a magnificent spectacle. Today, she was truly broadening her horizons. Lilia, on the other hand, was much more composed. Although the Klett Kingdom itself was somewhat remote, it was far from insular. This was evident from the quality of new students entering the academy; students from the Klett Kingdom were in no way inferior to those from other kingdoms. Lilia, moreover, had visited Theoviga Academy long ago, so she was not surprised by the scene before them.

At this moment, the lively street teemed with people, bustling with the cries of hawkers. Gern noticed that many of the vendors wore the academy’s uniform. These were all students, taking advantage of their holiday break to set up stalls and sell goods. The merchandise at these stalls was incredibly unique. Things like monster meat and monster bones were merely the basics. Some more sophisticated stalls even offered precious alchemical ingredients, making Gern’s eyes gleam with desire. These were all valuable commodities; any single item taken to the black market would yield a substantial profit.