Micchi Versus the New World - Chapter 90

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Chapter 90

Anya and I said screw it to waiting around. We went ahead for Grishant without telling anyone else. Yui was safer in Yowan since Chika wasn't expected to attack again after getting what she wanted from us. I was probably going to eat an earful from Kain later, but hell… What's new?

We didn't see Kaoru on the way out, but it was probably better to keep her out of it. I still didn't trust that bitch.

Chieftain Breila was nice enough to give us some food for travel and promised not to tell the others that we left. Despite acting like a stuck-up bitch at the Lannarkis Ring, she turned out to be pretty chill. I got to return the favor at some point.

Past the gargantuan forests of Kazaar and beyond the tract of farmlands, the mountains of Mou'nan awaited us. So high were the peaks that they disappeared past the clouds. Kain wasn't kidding when he mentioned that this place was cold. But after seeing Chika again, this temperature had a tough time matching her.

"You know, I'm down to go with you, but we don't know jack about this place. Any idea where to start?" Anya asked.

"Uhh… I didn't think this far," I said, then singled out a beastling who was tilling the fields. "Hey, fursuit. Where's Grishant?"

When the beastling pulled off his sunhat, a visceral feeling of disgust welled up within me seeing his long eyelashes and bright red painted nails. The makeup looked so artificial and fake.

"You ladies are on the right road," he said. "Just follow this straight to that mountain!"

That was what we did. However, after talking to the beastling, I couldn't help but notice that others were caked up in their own way, too. Some wore lipstick, others blush, and most of them had done something to their nails.

Just what the fuck was going on here?

The city of Grishant turned out to be nothing like I expected. We were like grains of sand at the foot of an anthill. A massive entrance carved into the mountain served as the entrance. Each floor was a circular ring so large that birds could comfortably fly around. Homes and shops built along the outer ring, and inhabitants made use of the inner ring as the road. A hole through the center of every floor led into a lake below and the sky above.

"Geez. It's like multiple floors of Ash'tar in here," Anya said, leaning over the inner circle railing in an attempt to see the top.

Because of the hole, a chilling draft constantly blew into the city. What bothered me the most wasn't the cold, but how everyone… everyone wore some amount of makeup.

Why?

The beastlings were nothing like Kain described. Sure they were bulky and got arms the size of tree trunks. So why did they all look like a page out of a fashion magazine?

"Oh, your eyebrows are just to die for!"

"Thank you! I had them threaded last week."

"That fabulous dress really brings out the color in your eyes!"

Even though they were showering each other with compliments, the words sounded forced and under duress. Their eyes darted from corner to corner, and upon meeting someone else's eyes, they quickly avoided direct contact.

"Get your fashion products right here! Cheap and at a bargain! Look sharp today, fresh tomorrow!"

Vendors and market stalls hollered to people with cheap-looking makeup products.

"Man, I'm getting goosebumps just listening to 'em. Let's just ask someone to point us to the guild branch," Anya suggested.

The two of them entered a shop at random, hoping to gather some information. They were immediately bathed in warmth. Various pottery and earthenware sat on display in shelves etched into the stone, carefully arranged by color and increasingly intricate design.

"Why, hello! How may I help you today?" a flamboyant voice asked.

At the counter was a beastling man who wore a heavy layer of foundation, which made his cheekbones appear deeper than they were.

"I got two questions," I began, walking up to the guy. "Where's the guild branch in this place, and why the hell is everyone wearing makeup and dressing up funny?"

The potter tensed up. "Y-You can't call the way people dress funny. Please, have some self-respect. If you have nothing polite to say, keep it to yourself. Perhaps it is you who needs some lessons in fashion."

"Hahh? You wanna run that by me again?" I grabbed the guy by the collar and pulled him over.

"Hiieee! Don't hurt me! I don't want any trouble!" he cried.

"I'm about to show you the latest fashion trend of wearing a vase on your head!"

"Yo, Micchi. We got company." Anya tapped on my shoulder and was staring at the door.

Neither of us needed to open it to know there were a large number of people waiting for a fight outside.

"Come out with your hands in the air!"

"We have you surrounded!"

"Hehe… Now you have done it," the beastling potter said. "Troublemakers like you always get the boot. You better—"

I squeezed a vase onto his head to shut him up.

Anya and I walked out to meet new friends, but we were greeted by flashy-dressed beastlings who were each striking a different pose. One of them, a female wearing a gaudy silken tunic, pointed a finger at us.

"This is the Glamour Guard , and you are in violation of Fashion Code section 3: failure to maintain public decency with that hideous outfit. Put your hands in the air!" she shouted.

The others mimicked her movements and pointed at us, too. "And shake 'em like you just don't care!"

"Hah?" I uttered, the single non-word that was filled with so much irritation that caused them to flinch from their stalwart poses.

"Don't mind her, she's a little bitey today. You guys look like the ones in charge. Maybe you can point us to a nice place to stay? If you wanna do this the hard way, I can't guarantee it ends well," Anya said.

The 'Glamour Guard' as they called themselves, snapped out of their fear and faced us down with fresh resolve.

"Our rules are clear. You're coming with us to be rehabilitated!"

Two beastlings guards grabbed me by the arm each.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you…" Anya put a hand to her face and sighed.

The entire group attempted to dogpile on me for resisting, but I walked over to the edge, dragging them as they clung onto me.

"Time to take a dip," I said, chucking everyone except the head guard into hole.

Several seconds and a bunch of screaming later, a splash followed, and their heads could be seen bobbing out of the water as they tried to swim onto land.

Without Kain here to sass me about playing by the rules, that meant I could make my own. It was a lot more enjoyable this way.

"Y-You did that not knowing if they could have died?" the female beastling asked.

"You know what they say— You only live once." I held her over the edge and threatened to let go. "Now, do you wanna answer me or not? Why in the fuck are you guys dressed so weird?"

"I-I don't know what to tell you, these are the rules. Ever since the Fashion Queen took over, everyone has had to dress a certain way or be punished!" she answered.

Anya grimaced. "That… Your Fashion Queen wouldn't happen to go by the name of Ririko Minami, would she? Blizzard of Hokkaido? Either of those names ring any bells?"

The beastling shook her head.

"What about the guild branch? Where is it?" I asked, pulling her back from the edge.

"Disbanded… As ordered by our Fashion Queen. It's been converted into a fashion runway for special events. You can see for yourself on the second floor. I can show you!"

We were led to the upper floor, the second ring of the interior mountain city. Unlike the first floor which was primarily populated with traders and craftsmen, this section appeared to be mainly entertainment. If it couldn't get any worse, people up here wore flashier clothing with animal furs, long silk dresses, and caked in heavier makeup than clowns.

The beastling pointed to the Grishant Branch guild hall which was flashing with bright, neon lights inside.

"Thanks for the trip. Now get outta my face." I picked her up and sent the beastling flying over the railing.

"WHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY—"

Splash!

"This whole thing reeks of Ririko, I just know it," Anya remarked, eyes fixed on the guild hall before us.

When we threw open the doors, our eyes were assaulted by strobe lights caused by magic crystals on the ceiling. Like the beastling said, there really was a runway, and models were strutting like chickens up and down with different outfits.

There was only one spectator. She sat at the very front, where the models walked right up to the edge and did a turn.

"Huu, huu~ I'm digging the colors on this one! A little more ass is nice, too! Come on, bring out the next!" the sole audience member shouted.

Our feet stopped as soon as we stepped in, not because we were scared, but because we were straight up stuck.

"The fuck?" My legs wouldn't budge.

"Weeeeellll… I figured you would come eventually. Anya, I haven't seen you in a long time, but I was hoping you changed up your fashion sense. You still look like a bum in the streets." The person at the seat stood up.

Anya chuckled. "How about you let us move and say that to my face instead, Ririko?"

The woman named Ririko turned around, flashing a big smirk. She wore a full fur cloak, curly blonde hair tied up to a tail, and her complexion was tanned like the gyarus I'd seen at school before.

"Oh, I don't think so." Ririko clapped her hand twice, and a powerful force blasted us out the hall and into the hole. She appeared right above us, more focused on her painted nails than us. Each time she blew on one, it lit up each nail with magic. "I have to remind you that you're in my territory now, and that delinquent fashion sense is sooo out of style."