Chapter 187 – Posh Frame.

“Quarterly shop association meeting…”

Rusty muttered as he studied the piece of parchment in his gauntleted hands. The merchant who had delivered it was long gone, and the customers in his shop had already returned to browsing the system-made weapon replicas displayed on the shelves.

“Could this be some kind of trap? Should I be worried?”

He asked his two guides, while the people nearby remained unaware of their conversation.

“I’m not sure. Considering you have become a shop owner, perhaps the people in the settlement simply want to know who they are dealing with.”

Alexander replied. He was no merchant himself, so his insight was limited. Hidden contracts and arrangements were common in the city, but Rusty had built his business on his own, without relying on outside help.

“So, it should be fine?”

Rusty posed another question, and this time, his other guide replied.

“I wouldn’t be so certain, my dear Rusty. These lesser beings are driven by greed. They may want to control you, or worse, strip away what you have built.”

“I see…”

Rusty murmured. The words unsettled him. Aburdon’s concerns sounded reasonable. Money was at the heart of humanoid life, perhaps even the most important part of it. Without it, nothing could be accomplished. Even powerful nobles and adventurers hoarded wealth to secure strength and luxury. In a society like this, almost everything depended on coin.

Rusty tightened his grip on the parchment, the letters glinting faintly in the reflection of his polished helmet. Curiosity appeared within him as he wondered how the other shop owners in the settlement might look. He was still fascinated by this humanoid world and its peculiar rules. It was a contrast to the life of monsters, where strength was the only law. He could not yet decide which side he preferred, but this seemed like a good chance to discover more of what the world had to offer.

“I have decided. I will attend this meeting!”

“⸜( ˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝”

“You want to come too? Hm… I am not sure how the humanoids will react. It might be better if you stay at the store.”

“( •̀ – •́ )”

“I know, Gleam, but you understand how these people are.”

“( – ⌓ – )”

Gleam clearly disliked the idea of staying behind, but her movements in the city were limited. A monster wandering freely through the settlement would only stir panic, and the guards might attack her. The only way she could travel safely was while perched on Rusty’s shoulder or hidden from sight.

“Rusty is right, Gleam. They will probably not allow someone like you to take part in the meeting. And Rusty, I am not sure they will welcome you either if you show up dressed like that.”

Alexander gestured toward Rusty’s armored body. Although Rusty passed as an adventurer who happened to run a shop, arriving at a formal gathering in full plate armor was unusual.

“This is my body. I cannot change it!”

Rusty protested. At most, he could possess another human, but even then they would need to wear his helmet to keep the disguise.

“Hm… Perhaps a small makeover is in order. Something that softens your appearance.”

“There is something wrong with the way I look?”

Rusty asked. His armor had been chosen to blend in with adventurers, not other groups. He had seen armored men around the settlement dressed differently, but he was unsure what Aburdon meant.

“Indeed. First of all, we need to get you a cape.”

“A cape?”

Now that Aburdon had mentioned it, Rusty recalled that nobles and wealthy merchants often wore flowing capes and glittering jewelry. He had also noticed knights whose armor looked far more polished and ceremonial than his own. Perhaps this was what his companions meant.

“Should I craft a suit of armor more like that of a noble knight?”

He asked, and Alexander replied.

“That would not be ideal, but considering the way your body works, it would certainly look better than this adventurer’s armor.”

As a living suit of armor, Rusty was bound to metal, yet there were ways to soften his appearance and make him seem less threatening. Cloth and silks could be draped over his frame, and thinner plates could be fashioned to appear more decorative than functional. Still, one problem remained: what to do about his face.

“But how should it look… I am not familiar with these people. What’s the word… fashion?”

Rusty admitted that he had no idea how to dress. He noticed some people wrapped in cloth from head to toe and wondered if he could simply throw a robe over his body and call it done. Before he could decide, Aburdon spoke.

“Do not worry, my dear Rusty. When I was Demon King, I was hailed as the most fashionable of all my predecessors!”

Aburdon declared with a triumphant laugh. Alexander let out a sigh and offered a quick rebuttal.

“That is an obvious lie. Let us just copy what the people in this settlement are wearing.”

“Copy them? That is… possible. Hm.”

Rusty pondered for a moment and glanced back at the paper. The gathering was exactly five days away, so he had enough time to create something presentable with the help of his guards. He would have preferred to spend that time increasing his levels or forging more enchanted weapons, but designing a suit of armor suitable for formal encounters was not a bad idea. The future was uncertain, and it was best to have a variety of frames ready in his system.

“Good, let us do it then. We will need a schematic first.”

With that in mind, he headed into his forge. By now, he had grown used to the life of a craftsman. Making steel armor and altering it had become simple after he had rebuilt so many pieces in the past few weeks. The only challenge would be the clothing elements, but if they sketched out a design, it would be easy enough to pick up the right materials from nearby shops.

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“I think it should cover the neck area. Considering the limits of your borrowed ‘face’, we could disguise the helmet with a hat or a hood. Maybe even chainmail coif.”

All three quickly discussed their ideas and studied a drawing of how the suit of armor would work. It would be much thinner than his usual frames and shaped to resemble a human body more closely. Over it, they planned to place a tunic that would cover his entire body and neck. His face would remain exposed, but beneath his chin, he would still need to wear part of his helmet. To hide this detail, he would use a cape trimmed with fur to draw attention away from it. To cover the rest of the helmet, he would combine a padded coif with one of the peculiar merchant hats that others often wore.

“This is perfect.”

When the schematic was complete, Rusty reviewed it. Aburdon seemed delighted with his design, but to Rusty it looked a little ridiculous.

“Is it?”