Since night had already followed them, they quickly searched for an inn to stay for the time being. Artemis did not know how long they would stay in the town so she quickly paid for five nights without hesitation. Only when the situation had calmed down did Artemis realize that their pitiful appearances were quickly attracting odd gazes from the other customers. The place that they were placed in had all people wearing robes as their daily clothing. It made their uniform which did not have a trace of its brilliance look pathetic.
Her gaze turned to Ian who was casually eating his dinner. They were at the inn's dining room and even with all the stares they were receiving, he did not even give a single bit of care. She did not know how he could still have an appetite. Being stuck with drenched clothing made her irritable and odd.
"After dinner, could we buy clothes? We stand out too much."
"Hm," Ian nodded his head in agreement before continuing eating. Their dinner consisted of plain bread and ginseng soup that managed to at least pacify her hunger. The moment their plates were empty, she quickly dragged Ian out of the inn to go look for clothes. They ended up at a small street shop and a staff greeted them when he saw two conspicuous-looking pair with unusual clothes.
"Greetings, traveler. Is there any specific type of clothing that you are looking for?"
Artemis looked around the humble room and saw racks of the same type of robes with varying designs. It reminded her of a traditional hanfu she once saw on television. She scanned all designs with great interest, fascinated by the swirling patterns on the cloth.
"Any clothes will do. Help us pick two sets each and one ready to wear."
The staff nodded his head and went away to prepare it. They both sat at a waiting room accompanied by few biscuits before Artemis remembered something, "What do you think of this place? I can't remember any location that has this specific style of wardrobe."
Except for a few Asian countries that she knew, which of course was impossible to find here, there was nothing of her knowledge that pointed to this. Ian thought for a minute and his eyes narrowed.
"I remember one that I read in the books. Kimasa. It was a small country that had ceased to exist for centuries now. They specialize in this type of clothing and back then when magic was not discovered yet, people who are wielders are considered demons. They annihilate these people the second they found out."
"Huh, Kimasa? I did not know it existed."
"It's only natural as proof of its existence numbered so few that it could count in one hand. I was fortunate enough to pass by it when I was in the royal library. I remember that it—" Ian suddenly stopped speaking and his lips pressed into a tight line. Artemis tilted her head in confusion and was about to speak when the plate on the table disappeared and appeared on her lap as a way of telling her to continue eating.
"It seems I've rambled on too much, Lady Francia. Please forgive me—"
"What? No, you're not," She was astonished at Ian's abrupt actions as he only apathetically stared at her, his face a mask of coldness, the momentary show of mildness disappearing within the second. In Ian's mind, he felt he had been too careless. It seemed these past few days, he had gotten too loose-lipped to his liking. Ian did not like his actions which were becoming more reckless as the days passed. It made him uncomfortable that he was about to confide in someone he did not fully know nor trust. Especially a high noble.
The atmosphere around the two grew tense once again and Artemis could only resume her nibbling on the biscuits, her appetite gone. She really couldn't understand him. Artemis was afraid that with how complex his mind works, it would be hard for them to get along well as she was the complete opposite of him. Whatever she wanted to do, she would do and those that she did not she would not. Because of this, a lot of people had called her strong-headed and stubborn. Perhaps they were really meant to not get along well.
But for the sake of this fragile identity as a noble, she was willing to at least compromise. As long as she does not get on his bad side, everything would be fine.
The staff who had disappeared for a few minutes arrived to save the tension while carrying a pack of clothes for them.
"Dear travelers, here's your clothing. I've packed the other ones in a bag. Please try it out in the dressing room just to your right. Staff will be waiting if you need any help."
Artemis grabbed the robes which were designated to her and immediately went to the dressing room. Fitting through the clothes was no problem as usual robes were not meant to be fitted but looser. She had tried wearing the clothes by herself but still ended up failing miserably and had to call a staff. The moment the staff finished tying the knot to tie all parts together, Artemis looked at the mirror and was quite pleased with what she wore.
The set of clothes she was currently wearing was in layers that consisted of an underwear, inner garment, and an overcoat. The overcoat which was designed to be cross-collared had realistic patterns of flowing cloud that was in all lapels. The whole outfit had light blue as its main fabric that perfectly complemented the embroideries. Accompanied with her small and bright face that had her raven hair tied into an updo with a silver jade hairpin, she looked just like an actress in a historical movie.
Even the staff can't help but exclaim in amazement, "Traveler, you really suit this type of clothing more than that odd pair of sleeves and pants you previously wear. This shows just how pretty you are!"
Artemis was embarrassed by her sudden lip service and could only casually nod her head. She headed towards the waiting room and found Ian patiently waiting while talking with the previous staff. He wore a silver robe with black lapels and had a jade pendant hanging on the black sash. With his silver hair, he looked brighter than ever. Artemis secretly appreciated this rare appearance of his. Who knew just when he would wear this type of clothing again?
When Ian sensed Artemis walking to the waiting room, he turned his head to look at her and blinked a second slower, "You're here."
"Sorry it took so long, I had the staff do the clothes for me."
"Hm," He nodded his head and went back to talking with the staff. Later on, he had paid the corresponding amount and they left the shop. Cold wind brushed against their skin with the thin clothes and the silent night provided an odd relief within her. As they walked along the cement pavement, Artemis finally remembered just what their objective was. Perhaps she had been too lax because of the realistic world. It did not even look a single bit like an illusion.
"What did you talk about with the staff?"
"Oh," Ian was caught out off his daze and perfunctorily answered, "I asked him if there were any recent records of witch sightings. Unfortunately, it did not seem the case."
"Then?"
"He pointed me to a priest who was apparently famous for his true prophecies in this town. Rumors were spreading that a woman who had weird engravings on her skin had asked for an appointment with him. They suspect it might be a witch."
Artemis can't help but click her tongue in annoyance. The mission had not been specific as to who they were exactly targeting. What if they accidentally mistook the identities and failed to do the mission? That was an outcome that she was not willing to imagine. Especially now that Ian was her partner. She was not willing to let him down with her inability to perform this simple task.
It was as if Ian sensed her annoyance and was about to pat her back in comfort when he suddenly realized what he was about to do and stopped, "Do not worry. At least with this, we have a clue. It's better than nothing."
"Don't mind me. I'm just feeling a little emotional."
When Ian heard this question, he raised his eyebrows in confusion. Artemis feeling emotional? He could not even imagine such a scene yet she had straightforwardly just admitted it to him. Without knowing what to do, he only kept silent until the time they had to separate in front of their rooms.
"Goodnight, Lady Francia."
"Goodnight to you too, Your Highness."