Summoned a Hero But Got a Villain Instead-Chapter 97: Shopping[2]

They were in the mall.

As Dante, Clara, and Elena stepped through the grand, crystalline entrance, a wave of respectful silence followed them.

The shopkeepers behind their glowing counters, the attendants in their neat uniforms, even the heavily armed security guards standing at attention—all of them stopped what they were doing.

They turned, and in perfect, practiced unison, they bowed.

Dante’s eyes widened slightly beneath his crude mask.

’Wow,’ he thought, genuine surprise cutting through his usual cynicism. ’What a wonderful world. They respect the customer, even if they’ve just entered, even if they’re just here to look around.’

It was a stark, pleasant contrast to the cold indifference of his old world. A place where the customer was truly king.

"So," Elena said, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked at Dante. "Where do we begin first?"

But Clara cut in, her voice cool and practical. She pointed a slender finger toward an elegant-looking shop with a beautifully carved wooden sign.

"First, we need to go there. To the mask store."

The mask store wasn’t a simple shop. It was a gallery. Dozens of exquisite, handmade masks were displayed on velvet stands, each one a work of art, each one seeming to hold a unique, timeless beauty.

Dante, still wearing his rough, half-face covering, shook his head. "You girls can go on. I have one."

Clara and Elena exchanged a look. A silent, shared thought passed between them.

A moment later, they each grabbed one of his arms and began to drag him into the shop.

They emerged a few minutes later.

"How’s this looking?" Elena asked cheerfully.

She’d chosen a beautiful, ornate mask made of shimmering silver filigree, shaped like a butterfly’s wings and studded with tiny, sparkling sapphires. It covered the top half of her face, making her already beautiful features seem even more mysterious and alluring.

Dante gave a simple nod of approval.

Then he looked at Clara.

Her mask was a masterpiece of cold, elegant beauty. A simple, smooth piece of polished, snow-white porcelain that covered only the right side of her face. It had no decoration, save for a single, delicate, silver tear-like marking under the eye.

It didn’t hide her features. It enhanced them. Her cool, untouchable aura became even stronger.

She was no longer just the Ice Queen. She was a beautiful, tragic phantom.

"What do you need first?" Clara asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

Dante thought for a moment. "I’ll take the desserts at the end. So, I guess buying gifts for my team would be the best place to start."

"So what gifts do you want to give them?" Elena asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Clothing would be best," Dante replied. "We still have our clothes from our previous world, which are in no condition to be worn."

"And the clothes given to us by that old smug man... they look even worse."

Elena let out a bright laugh. "Okay! I know a place for men’s clothing. It’s the best brand here. I even gifted Alaric a blazer from this shop."

Clara’s grey eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"If you ever say his name again, I’ll break your face."

"I was just telling him the best place!" Elena protested, though she took a small, cautious step away from her friend.

They went to the shop.

It was a place of quiet, masculine elegance. All dark wood and soft, magical lighting.

Dante, with his newfound fortune, didn’t hold back.

He chose two outfits for himself: one, a simple, well-tailored black suit that would allow him to blend in at any formal occasion, and the other, a more practical, durable set of dark grey combat gear that was both stylish and functional.

Next, he chose for Jin. He picked out a simple, black martial arts uniform—its fabric light but impossibly strong—and a more formal, dark blue blazer.

After he’d made his selections, Elena looked at the small pile of clothes.

"Is this all you want? Just one for your friend? Didn’t you say you were a team of six?"

"Yes, you’re right," Dante said. "But Jin is the only other male on the team, apart from me."

Clara, who’d been acting like she wasn’t listening, her gaze wandering around the shop, suddenly turned to look at them.

Elena’s eyes widened. A slow, devilish smile spread across her face.

"So, does that mean... there are four girls on your team?"

"Yeah," Dante replied, not understanding the implication.

Elena looked at Clara, a triumphant, knowing glint in her eyes. "Well, that’s not good."

"Yes," Dante said, completely missing the point of her comment. "That’s why I brought you two with me. I’ve never bought a dress for a girl before."

Elena’s smile was blinding.

"Then you’re with the right people, bro," she said, grabbing his arm. "Let’s go! I know the best place for the women’s section!"

She began to drag him out of the shop, but was stopped by the shopkeeper—a tall, elegant man with a polite but firm expression.

"Sir," he said, his voice smooth and professional. "You haven’t paid for the dresses."

Elena looked at him. She slowly pulled down her new silver mask, revealing her full, beautiful, and now very angry face.

The shopkeeper’s professional smile faltered. He recognized her.

"I’m sorry, miss," he said, his voice suddenly nervous and apologetic. He bowed low. "My apologies. I’m really sorry. Please, take them. As a gift."

Elena’s mood changed in an instant. The anger vanished, replaced by a bright, cheerful smile.

She looked at Dante and Clara. "So, let’s go!"

Dante was confused. ’What was that? Was showing your rage enough to scare people into giving you things for free? Or was I missing something?’

They moved to the women’s section—a vast, beautiful space filled with a thousand different colors and styles.

"So," Elena began, rubbing her hands together with a gleeful, hungry look in her eyes. "Tell us about these girls. What are they like?"

Dante thought for a moment. His mind, for the first time, trying to analyze his teammates not as assets, but as... people.

"First, Talia," he began. "She’s an assassin. A duelist. She likes athletic dresses, things that are easy to move in. Nothing too flashy. Simple, practical, and deadly."

Elena and Clara exchanged a look. A silent, perfect understanding passed between them.

They led him to a section of the store filled with sleek, dark, and elegant outfits that were both beautiful and brutally efficient.

"And the next one?" Elena asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Masha," Dante said, a strange, almost imperceptible softness entering his voice. "She’s cold, logical, and composed. She needs something that reflects her authority."

"Something elegant, powerful, and... beautiful."

He paused. A flicker of a memory of her standing before him, offering to forge him a new arm of ice and bone, flashed through his mind.

"And," he added, his voice a low murmur, "something warm."