Her green hair was combed into soft, layered strands, neat yet flowing, and two strips of black gauze perched atop her head like dainty cat ears.
The dress took green as its main color.
The bodice, an ornate black-and-green corset, subtly lifted the gentle curves of her not-so-abundant chest, making her look irresistibly adorable.
Puff sleeves framed her shoulders, and elegant green-and-white stripes ran along their length.
The design itself was a classic European medieval corseted ball gown.
Beneath the flare of a short green skirt lined with black lace, her waist, trained by years of constant exercise, looked exceptionally slender, her graceful silhouette outlined perfectly.
A pair of thigh-high stockings, one black, one white, hugged her slim legs, and paired with the pale green ribbons fluttering behind her, they made her look like a charming, ethereal fairy.
If one ignored the ornate longbow in her hand, she was obviously the most beautiful and eye-catching woman present.
"Th-this… this kind of outfit… I'm really not used to it," Atalanta tugged at the hem of the skirt, cheeks flushed as she looked herself up and down.
"C-could I… could I please change back into my original clothes?"
This huntress from Arcadia, who could sprint effortlessly through forests and shoot down any enemy with ease, now looked terribly nervous simply because of a dress.
Her tightly clenched hand gripping the bow made her feelings painfully clear.
"Eh? Why would you want to change back?" Circe, standing beside her, looked her up and down with appreciative eyes, admiration spilling naturally into her voice.
"It's so rare that Uncle prepared such an adorable outfit just for you. You should be grateful and enjoy it!
I came first, but Uncle never prepared anything this beautiful and attention-grabbing for me."
To be fair, Circe herself looked stunning today.
A simple white Greek-style robe paired with golden accessories made her appear elegant and pure, fully bringing out the charm of her petite frame.
But unlike Atalanta, who preferred armor over dresses, Circe cared a great deal about her appearance and loved outfits that were beautiful, cute, or elegant.
Practicality came second; looking good was always the priority.
Atalanta, however, almost never wore outfits that focused on beauty rather than mobility.
This sudden change in her usual image made the contrast extremely striking, and naturally drew everyone's attention.
"B-but… but…" Atalanta tugged at the puff sleeves, then pulled nervously at the lace inside the skirt. "Wearing this… I can't… I can't even run properly…"
"That's fine," Alaric said gently, placing a soothing hand on her head.
"Tonight we're going to a banquet, not a battlefield. And a cute girl like Tama-nyan should wear something pretty every once in a while."
"C-cute…? But I'm just a huntress…"
Her face reddened even more at his words.
"So what if you're a huntress? Who says a huntress can't pursue beauty?" Alaric offered an example.
"Think about it, who's the greatest huntress in all of Greece? The goddess Artemis herself. And even Artemis likes wearing beautiful clothes."
"R-really?" The moment Alaric mentioned the Moon Goddess, Atalanta's eyes sparkled. "The goddess really likes that kind of thing?"
"Of course," Alaric said with the easy tone of someone intimately familiar.
"I made many of her outfits myself… A cute girl like you should definitely keep up with your goddess, don't you think?"
Then he added, "Don't worry. Even though it's a dress, I enchanted it for combat, so you won't have any trouble fighting in it."
"T-then… thank you, Lord Alaric." Atalanta bowed gratefully, then immediately went back to touching and inspecting her dress, clearly unable to put it down.
Sure enough, even a girl like Atalanta loved beauty when given the chance.
Jason glanced at her dress, something he had never seen before, exquisite and cute to an absurd degree, then looked down at his own gaudy gold armor.
Suddenly, his armor felt unbearably tacky.
Compared to the dress that made Atalanta look like the loveliest princess, he, with his blinding, glittering outfit, looked like a bumpkin, a nouveau riche clown.
"Damn brat… She's just a huntress! Why is she allowed to be this cute?! She's going to steal all my spotlight!"
Jason felt personally attacked, but he obviously couldn't walk over and say: 'Please dress uglier so you don't outshine me.'
Left with no choice, he tried to comfort himself.
"She's just a girl. I'm a man. As long as I'm the most dazzling man, it doesn't matter."
"Hey, Jason, what are you staring at?"
A sudden pat on the shoulder snapped him out of his self-soothing trance.
It was Orpheus, son of Apollo, the greatest poet among the Argonauts.
"Oh, nothing," Jason replied. "Just admiring Lady Atalanta's dress."
"I see. Well, that dress certainly is stunning, unique, too. I never imagined that heroic huntress could look so cute."
Orpheus nodded, then glanced at Jason's own outfit and praised.
"But your attire is magnificent as well… I guarantee that with that outfit, you'll definitely be the most dazzling man at the banquet tonight."
Those words soothed Jason's heart immensely.
Of course he was secretly delighted, though he kept a modest smile on his face.
"Oh, not at all. Prince Orpheus, with your handsome looks, you'll surely charm many ladies tonight."
It was just polite flattery, Orpheus hadn't prepared an over-the-top, show-off outfit like he had.
But just as Jason relaxed, thinking no one else would overshadow him, he saw Alaric beside Atalanta remove his black mage robe and reveal the outfit beneath.
It was a pure white dress coat. The long tail-coat hem fluttered like a cloak, gold trim and intricate patterns making it look mysterious and holy.
If Alaric's demeanor were a bit more solemn, he would look exactly like the most dignified archbishop imaginable.
Beside such attire, even Jason in his blinding armor seemed shamefully inferior.
"H-how… how is this fair…?"
Jason's heart let out a silent wail.
.
.
.
Guys, do leave some power stones and reviews.
✌patreon.com/bobthewriter✌
If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.