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Once it was decided that I would be performing a ceremonial dance as the final act of the winter solstice festival, the maid corps wasted no time and came to help me out with costume coordination. It should've been a trifling matter, but—
<According to my experience, I think this design suits Master more, don't you think so?>
<It doesn't. It's closer to a church outfit so it lacks the flexibility for dancing.>
<Then, what do you think about this outfit? It's the dance costume from the other world of Master's previous life......>
Since I was immortal with perpetual youth, the measurement that they had taken before worked well in this case. As a result, I was made to go through a dress change loop with all sorts of dance costumes that the maid group suddenly pulled out while Teto and the other girls played the role of critique.
"Majou-sama, this dress looks cute on you!"
<This dress received a pass from Teto-sama. Move on to next......>
"Ahahahaha......haaaa."
Change into the next outfit, get evaluated, and change into another outfit— I was stuck in this seemingly never-ending loop of being played as a dress-up doll. With each passing moment, light gradually faded from my eyes.
Once all the outfits had been tried, the maid team started talking enthusiastically about the design. Meanwhile, the first thing I did after getting freed was to throw myself onto the sofa.
"You worked hard, Majou-sama."
"Teto... I'm tired."
No, seriously, this ordeal had sapped away all my energy.
I knew about the desires of the other girls, Baretta, and the maid corps who all wanted to see me in different types of clothes.
I hardly paid attention to my fashion sense after being reincarnated, that was why I really appreciated the hard work of all the girls as they naturally sorted out the clothes that I would take off after. However, there was already a precedent where I was left dead-tired after they turned me into a dress-up doll, and just as I had dreaded, this dancing costume coordination process had once again sapped all my strength.
"There, there. You did your best, Majou-sama."
"Teto, just spoil me like this for now."
Teto gently stroked my head as I lay sprawled across the sofa, with my arms circled around her waist. Then, one of the maid corp's girls called out to me.
<Master. We have finalized your dance costume. Could you please confirm it?>
"Alright. This is—"
I raised my face from my sprawled position and looked at the design sketch of the dance costume the maid, who was the lead dress coordinator, presented.
It was a sleeveless outfit based on the priest's hooded white robe, with attached sleeves up to the elbow like the traditional Japanese dance costume, the chihaya, that I had tried earlier, and a long stole hanging from the shoulder to the front. I think I shouldn't have any problem moving while dancing with it given the comfortable fabric of the dress.
"Hmm...... I think it's pretty good."
Honestly, it felt like something I would see in cosplay, but I was also looking forward to seeing how I would look when I danced and fluttered while wearing this. The maid swiftly nodded after hearing my words.
<Very well, we'll start working on the dress right away.>
"Yes, please."
"Teto is also looking forward to it!"
After seeing off the maids, who leave with the final design, I let out a quiet sigh.
"Next is ceremonial dance practice, huh?"
"Shael and the others said they'll be coming along-nanodesu!"
Once the dress was finalized, the next step was to practice the dance.
That being said, it was something we were making from scratch so Shael who was fond of dancing back at the flying island, and the devil-kin who wandered the western continent and earned a living as performers or fortune tellers were helping out as well.
All the related members gathered at a place with each contributing their own idea about the ceremonial dance. But—
"Let's incorporate the spear technique in the dance performance to make Chise's staff more noticeable!"
Shael proposed as she swung around the staff — which was attached with innumerable metallic rings, imitating the staff of reincarnation — like a spear in a stab and a sweep, producing a sharp humming sound whenever it moved.
"Unfortunately, no! Waist movements are more important to convey the charm of Majou-sama, not bold moves! It's waist!"
After saying that, Devarna, a devil-kin woman, smoothly moved her fingertips, wrists, and arms, showcasing a seductive dance with inviting hip and leg movements that made even me, who was simply watching, slightly embarrassed.
"Are you an idiot! A-Are you planning to have Chise perform such a l-licentious dance!? Also, Chise will not be able to use the staff with these movements!"
"That's my line, how can Majou-sama's charm be conveyed with such crude swinging? I believe the movement that brings out her adult charm would be more suitable for Majou-sama."
Shael of angel-kin and Devarna of devil-kin glared at each other, but in my opinion—
"Both are rejected."
" "—What!? Why (—is it?)!" "
Both raised their voices in disbelief. Teto, who had been watching it by my side, pressed her finger on her chin and shared her opinion.
"Both of your dances are amazing but neither of them suit Majou-sama!"
Hearing the words of Teto who had been with me for the longest time, both of them looked crestfallen. But if I were to share my opinion, both of their dances had something worthwhile to watch.
"I would like to perform a calmer, more serene dance. But I think I can use Shael's staff movements and Devarna's footwork as references."
After saying that, I borrowed Shael's staff and started dancing with the impromptu movements I came up with.
—I held the staff diagonally with both hands as it made a clang clang sound with my wrist movement and my feet gilded left to right while I moved my arms to draw a semi-circle in the air, making sure not to let the staff ring, before suddenly stopping at my eye level, eliciting a clicking sound from the staff.
I alternated holding the staff between my hands, creating a melodious clinking sound as I did so. Teto and others watched my performance intently.
For reference, I was trying to recall the bell dance, one of the variations of a shrine maiden's ceremonial dance.
Gradually changing angles with slow movements, I spun around while making the staff ring with each turn. The slow turns that made me shift my weight and the movement of holding the staff at my eye level used muscles that I normally didn't.
I wasn't sure how long I would need to keep dancing on the day of the winter solstice festival, but continuous dancing like this would be impossible without making use of body-strengthening magic.
Besides, thinking about it now, the main act of continuously using purifying magic through the
<Staff of Reincarnation>
would surely take quite a toll on my mana capacity. I would have to take that into account as well."......Haaa, what do you think abo— huh, wha!?"
The bell dance lasted for 10 minutes as I internally mused about the consumption of mana. Once I was done, I turned to glance at the Teto and the others to ask their opinion but I was surprised to see their appearance.
Teto was applauding with her usual cheery countenance, but Shael was dumbfounded with her eyes opened wide like saucers while Devarna-san was applauding as large drops of tears trickled down her cheeks.
"I was really ignorant...... I didn't think there could be such an eye-opening dance."
"This, This is too sublime! Majou-sama, you looked so divine that I almost thought I was going to be purified!"
Devarna-san's voice was hoarse with tears, and she looked so moved that it instead stunned me.
"I mean, well, did it seriously move you to tears?"
"Majou-sama, that was amazing! Your movements were so relaxed, so beautiful. You looked cool!"
Teto, the only one to keep her calm, praised. Though I really didn't understand what part of my dance caused them to burst into tears so I just waited for Shael to come out of her stupor and Devarna-san to calm down. Once they did, I asked them again—
"How was my dance?"
"Terrific. That mystical, serene air that hung around you as you danced was just like the spitting image of your character, Chise."
"I also think so! We just need to polish Majou-sama's movements a bit more and it will truly shine like the moonlight at night!"
"Mystical....... Serene...... Sublime."
I mean, yeah, I preferred a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere, however, they had exaggerated to the point that it made me bewildered.
I glanced at Teto to seek her help, but she just gave me a beaming smile, making it clear she was just going to look from the sidelines. So for the rest of the time, I continued to polish my movements under their feedback.
Shael gave me pointers about my wrist movements when ringing the staff and the frame of mind required to maintain the posture of my upper body while Devarna-san guided me on my footwork.
I wasn't sure how long the purifying of the souls who came from different dimensions would take on the actual day of the performance, but at the very least, I think I would need to dance multiple times.
Editor's Note - So a devil-kin tried to make a loli dance seductively. I can hear the FBI agents bashing down our doors already 😂