Near Tracen Academy.
Barbatos scanned the surroundings—this had to be the shopping district dedicated to fashion.
All around stood upscale-looking boutiques, their display windows showcasing the latest trends behind clear glass panels.
"First time coming here. Never realized there were so many clothing stores around."
Between classes, gaming, strategy meetings, and fishing, her life had settled into a predictable routine. Even after three months at Tracen Academy, she'd never ventured into this part of town.
She wasn't all that familiar with the local shops.
On the other hand, she'd already visited plenty of famous spots in Tokyo, mostly while attending races.
"So the shop that makes victory uniforms is somewhere around here?"
"Should be…"
Seiun Sky sounded unsure as she checked the map on her phone.
Much like Barbatos, she'd rather spend her free time catching up on sleep than exploring the neighborhood. This area was uncharted territory for both of them.
"Just up ahead, turn left," Seiun said, following the map.
They rounded the corner and found themselves in a rather shabby-looking alley.
Not truly run-down, but compared to the main street outside, it felt like stepping from a first-tier city straight into the eighteenth tier.
And there, standing alone, was a single clothing store.
Just from the facade, it was clear the place had been around for ages. The decor felt dated, yet there wasn't a cobweb or insect in sight—someone clearly took care of the place.
"Hmm…"
Seiun glanced skeptically from the shop to her phone.
Even someone as sharp as her was thrown off for a second, wondering if Minamizaka had sent them the wrong address.
But when she closed and reopened the navigation app, the location was still pinned right here.
Both she and Barbatos froze for a moment, trying to process it.
In their minds, the shop commissioned to make victory uniforms for Tracen Academy ought to be something grand, even majestic.
After all, the academy's wealth was obvious just from the dining hall alone.
Any place that could keep Special Week and Oguri Cap happily fed at every meal clearly wasn't strapped for cash.
So… was the map really not wrong?
"Let's just go ask," Seiun suggested.
"Yeah."
Barbatos nodded and started toward the shop. "There's an old saying back in China: 'Good wine needs no bush.'"
"Maybe this place really has something special about it."
Back in her past life in China, lots of true masters—whether noodle makers or tailors—often tucked their shops away in quiet corners. The most incredible flavors and skills could be hidden in the most unlikely places.
They reached the shop and pushed the door open, stepping inside together.
The moment Barbatos entered, she felt like she'd slipped into another world. All around were displays of outfits—costumes inspired by anime characters. Cosplay outfits, in other words.
And they looked incredibly accurate.
But… weren't they here for victory uniforms?
Just as the doubt sprouted in her mind, a middle-aged woman emerged from the back. The moment she spotted Barbatos and Seiun Sky, she broke into a warm smile.
"Ah, Miss Barbatos, here to have your victory uniform made, I presume?"
"President Rudolf already got in touch. We'll need your cooperation to get it done."
So it really was the right place after all. Just… not what she'd pictured.
Seiun, however, tilted her head curiously.
"Hello, I'm Seiun Sky. There's something I wanted to ask."
"Of course I know you, Miss Seiun. I'm sure it won't be long before you come to us for a victory uniform as well."
"And something tells me it'll be sooner rather than later."
As the tailor in charge of crafting victory uniforms, she kept close tabs on every Uma Musume with potential to compete in G1 races. Not every girl got to customize her uniform—often, the shop designed them based on the runner's racing style.
"Thank you," Seiun replied politely.
"What I wanted to ask is, if you make victory uniforms, why are there so many cosplay outfits here?"
The reason she asked was simple: any shop making gear for Uma Musume—especially Tracen's stars—should be doing just fine financially. Even if only a small number of runners made it to G1 level, being the academy's designated uniform maker would bring plenty of prestige.
And yet, this place was tucked away in a back alley and didn't look particularly prosperous.
Almost as if they had to sell cosplay outfits to make ends meet.
"Ah, that. Other Uma Musume have asked the same thing."
"You see, creating cosplay—bringing two-dimensional characters to life in our world—is a passion of mine."
"If either of you spots a costume here you like, feel free to take it. No charge."
"She'd probably be into that."
Seiun grinned and shot a sidelong glance at Barbatos. Knowing her as well as she did, she had a feeling this would catch her interest—the kind of intuition you build after spending so much time together.
"Mhm, if it's okay, I'd like to buy a couple of outfits to wear at a comic convention."
"But please, not for free—I'd feel bad about that."
Barbatos's eyes lingered on the cosplay wear. The craftsmanship and attention to detail didn't come cheap.
Even though they said she could take them for free, it wasn't like the Canopus team perks—those free dessert vouchers felt different. Her only real connection to this shop was the victory uniform.
Her gaze paused for a few seconds on the sets for Tohsaka Rin and Archer.
How would it feel, she wondered, to go to a convention with Seiun dressed as those two? Cosplaying as an anime couple…
Back when she first watched Fate, she'd even wondered if Rin used herself as a catalyst to summon Archer.
"Hehe~"
The woman chuckled softly. "In that case, I'll give you both a discount. No refusing, alright?"
"Now, about your victory uniform, Miss Barbatos."
"A company from China called MiHoYo has sent over a contract. They'd like you to endorse their character Venti from Genshin Impact, and they've provided designs for two outfits based on him."
"An endorsement?"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.