"...Absolutely not." Morthanu immediately shot down Erik's proposal about revolutionizing Restia Village. "This 'burger restaurant' I can get behind, maybe the possibility of a water line system that reduces the need for magic, but completely revolutionizing the village with projects beyond my comprehension? No, I'm sorry."

"Well, we tried everything we can–" Erik grabbed Talia's arm and dragged her back.

"Stop giving up every time we get rejected!" Erik snapped at Talia, then turned to Morthanu. "Mr. Mort, I understand your concerns. However, I have a plan to slowly introduce these ideas, one at a time. We can start with something simple like that restaurant, then move on to other things. If the restaurant does well, perhaps that would be an indication of how successful my future projects would be."

"And what if it doesn't?" Morthanu countered. "We can't risk the stability of the village on such a gamble. I'm sorry, but I must decline."

"What is it that you are missing from your life, Mr. Mort?" Erik suddenly asked in a low voice.

Morthanu frowned, taken aback by the question. "I have everything I need," he replied eventually. "My home, my books, my studies..."

Erik leaned in closer. "Money, women, fame...?"

Morthanu's face turned red. "I-I don't know what you mean."

Talia watched the two men with an ignorant curiosity.

"I'm not sure, Sir Morthanu Preclaner of the Restia Village, but it seems as though you aren't very wealthy? Granted, you are one of the wealthiest compared to the other villagers, but when it comes to the rest of the world, you're no better than the Beggar Princess, right...?" Erik casually pressed on.

"W-well, it's true that I don't have much in the way of wealth- wait, you just said my full title- but I don't need it. I have my studies and my books, that's all I need," Morthanu stammered, clearly uncomfortable with the line of questioning.

"Okay," Erik shrugged and half-turned, pausing for a moment before glancing at Morthanu from the corner of his eye. "What about fame? Do you really not desire having your name spread outside of this village?"

"I... I suppose I wouldn't mind a bit of fame," Morthanu admitted reluctantly. "But it's not something I seek out. My studies and my books are enough for me."

"I see," Erik closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Talia got the feeling that he had planned the entire conversation for this moment.

"What about women?"

Morthanu subtly twitched.

"Well... I... I suppose... women... yes, I suppose some companionship wouldn't be unwelcome..." Morthanu stammered, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

"Are you married, Mr. Mort?" Erik opened an eye to peer at the village leader.

"No, I'm- wait, why did you go back to shortening my name- I'm not," Morthanu replied, frowning at the sudden change in topic. "There were some... complications in the past, but that's ancient history now. Why do you ask?"

Talia swore she saw the faintest shadows of devil horns on Erik's head.

"No particular reason, Mr. Mort. But, I just want you to think for a second," Erik slowly faced the village elder. "It all starts with the restaurant. If it's successful, then news of it will spread outside the village, yes? Obviously, there will be some momentum as outsiders visit Restia to try the burger. But eventually, it'll lose traction, right?"

"Well, I suppose it might," Morthanu replied, frowning.

"So then, what if there was another attraction to help keep that momentum going? It's pretty hot nowadays, right? What if there was something that could help cool people down? Something like... I don't know, a water amusement park?"

"Water amusement park? What... what is that?" Morthanu asked, clearly confused.

"In my world, they're places where people can ride slides, swim, and basically lounge around in water. Of course, all that activity is bound to generate hunger, right?" Erik explained, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "So, imagine if you had such a place right here in Restia. Not only would it keep people coming back, but it's also a good synergy with the restaurant."

For what it was worth, Talia began to understand Erik's vision. In fact, it actually seemed to make sense. A water amusement park could indeed serve as a great attraction to keep people coming back to Restia. The idea of having such a place right next to the restaurant was genius, as it would create a perfect synergy between the two. It would be like having a built-in crowd control system, with hungry patrons being drawn to the restaurant after a day of splashing around in the water park.

"I-I see..." Morthanu stammered, visibly intrigued by the idea. "But where would we find the resources to build such a thing? And what about safety concerns? We can't just put something like that together overnight."

Erik lifted a finger in a grand gesture. "Worry not, Mr. Mort. I will personally take care of it all. I just need your permission to do some reconstruction in the village."

"Well..." Morthanu was still clearly skeptical. "In theory, it does sound good, but there's still a large risk to be had."

"Loss of profit? Not to worry, I think we might be able to deal with that."

Morthanu raised an eyebrow at Erik. "And how, might I ask, do you propose to do that?"

Erik stole a glance at Talia, licking his lips. She suddenly felt like running.

"Are you familiar with swimsuits, Mr. Mort?"

The village elder's eyes widened. "Well, yes, I suppose..."

"I've noticed fashion in the world is drastically different from my world. Do you guys have a style of swimsuits called 'bikinis'?"

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"N-no... I suppose not," Morthanu stammered, looking thoroughly unsettled. "Where are you going with this, Erik Park?"

"Tell me, Mr. Mort," Erik ignored his question, sidling up to the village elder. "What do the swimsuits of this world typically look like?"

"Uh, well..." Morthanu fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "They're... quite modest, actually. Oftentimes, they're simply just a one-piece streamlined suit, much like what most of our fishermen wear when diving for seafood."

"Ah, so that means no one has ever thought about creating... sensual swimwear?" Erik quietly whispered into his ear.

Morthanu visibly paled and tried to take a step back. "I... I suppose not. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"A place to play, a place to eat. Those things will help this village generate income, but I thought I'd throw in a little something extra, just for you, Mr. Mort. In my world, bikinis and the like are typically worn at water parks. Want to know what they look like?"

Erik paused for dramatic effect, his gaze lingering on Morthanu's face as he imagined the reaction of the villagers to such an attraction. The elder seemed to be struggling to keep his composure, his face flushing a deep shade of red.

"Y-yes..." the village elder whispered.

With a triumphant and devilish grin, Erik pointed at Talia with a grand flourish. "Behold!"

No one said anything for a moment.

"What... what are we looking at?" Morthanu stammered, eyes locked on Talia, his face still flushed.

"Psst, Talia. I need you to strip and show off the bikini I sketched out for you," Erik hissed at her.

"I refuse."

"What?! You just did it so easily earlier!"

"That was because I had reason to," Talia casually replied. "I have no reason to show off your creation to Morthanu."

"I'll give you two gold coins–"

Talia immediately removed her t-shirt and sweatpants in one move, revealing a two-piece bikini in a vibrant shade of red. Her toned stomach and long legs were on full display as she spun around, her hair cascading down her back. Morthanu's eyes widened, and he seemed to have trouble catching his breath. "Well, I... I never..." he stammered.

"How did you take that off so easily? You've only worn that outfit for the first time today-" Erik shook his head and dramatically gestured to Talia's display. "Behold! Alluring and sensual swimwear! You'll be able to see all kinds of women dressed like that at the water park!"

"R-really...?" Morthanu stammered, clearly still stunned. "Well... I suppose that... that might be a good idea. Yes, a water park would certainly be... interesting." He paused, taking a deep breath. "We'll see about that. In the meantime, Erik, I think you've done quite well today. Your ideas are... quite... impressive–"

"I have future designs for swimwear that becomes semi-see through when wet."

"How soon can you start?"

----------------------------------------

After putting her clothes back on, Talia and Erik left Morthanu's home, walking back to their hut. Talia smiled happily, playing with the two gold coins Erik had given her.

"You should... really do something about that," Erik wearily remarked.

"Do about what?" Talia asked.

"Look, in the future, I'm probably going to ask things of you that I feel morally conflicted about, but in all other cases, you shouldn't be so willing to just... offer your body just for some money like that." Erik gave her a side glance.

Talia flinched, her eyes fixed on the ground. "I-I know, Erik. I'm sorry. It's just... it's hard for me sometimes. I need the money."

"I understand," Erik said, his tone softer. "But I don't want you to feel like you have to do that. You don't have to sell yourself to get what you need."

"Then, are you willing to pay for me whenever I require funds?”

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Talia chuckled softly, still playing with the two gold coins. "That's precisely why I believe I can trust you, Erik Park."

"I'm not so sure about that," Erik said, shaking his head. "But listen, you gotta change that habit. I'm not just going to give you money whenever you ask. You have to earn it."

"Oh? So you want to pay me in exchange for a nightly strip show?"

"N-no..." Erik hesitated, considering her offer. "No, nothing like that. You're going to have to work hard to earn the money. Well, I was going to have you help me work on some of my projects anyway."

Talia made a face. "Fair trade, I suppose."

Erik narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute. Do you... not like working?"

"No, it's not that. I just..." Talia shrugged. "I've found other ways to get what I need without working."

"By begging and stripping?!"

"All for the sake of restoring my family's former prosperity and to become a medical sorceress," Talia continued, ignoring Erik's question. "But... I guess if you're willing to help me, then I won't have to resort to that."

Erik sighed. "Well, I guess we'd better get started on those projects, then." They fell into silence until Talia cleared her throat.

"Pardon me for asking, but how were you able to sway Morthanu into accepting your proposals? The furthest I've ever gone to persuading someone was by tempting them with my bare skin."

"That's because lifting and physical activity wasn't all I learned in construction, engineering, and carpentry," Erik smiled mischievously. "A bunch of my old coworkers taught me the art of scamming- of finding the right words to say, and the right ways to convince people. It's all about knowing your mark, knowing what they want, and giving it to them."

"Ah, I see," Talia said, intrigued. "So you just played on Morthanu's desires?"

"Wasn't hard to do. You told me that this village didn't have a lot of visitors, so I assumed it wasn't very prosperous either. I noticed he wasn't married, but he did seem to take an interest in you every time we showed up, so I figured he was also a sucker for pretty women. That fame talk was just a back-up," Erik's eyes glittered with a greedy light.

Talia nodded slowly. "So you used me as bait."

"I... y-yeah..."

Talia looked a bit uncomfortable at the mention of being used as bait, but she didn't seem upset. In fact, there was a hint of admiration in her expression. "You seem to know a great deal about people and how they work. That's an interesting skill to have."

"I'm not that good at reading people. For example, I have no idea with the fuck goes on in your head sometimes."

"Well, it's not that complicated," Talia shrugged. "I'm just trying to survive and find a way to help my family."

"Through the most unconventional means necessary. Is this what you've been doing for the last three and a half years?"

"Well, no, I was actually questing for a good bit until I stumbled across this village. It was actually a good place to hide out until everything blew over."

Erik stopped walking. "Until what blew over?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention another reason why I'm trying to restore my family's status. It's a bit... personal." Talia looked away, her expression distant.

Erik shifted uncomfortably, but it seemed like Talia needed someone to listen, so he offered her a reassuring smile. "Hey, I'm here for you. You don't gotta tell me if you're not comfortable."

"No, no, it's fine," Talia returned his smile. "I guess I can tell you. You see, my parents are powerful mages in their respective career paths, with my father being a Necromancing researcher and my mother being a Technomancing blacksmith."

Erik was immediately lost in her explanation.

"They were doing good, until one day a client came to them, asking for help. Being kind people, my parents help the man achieve his goals of resurrecting his former army and enhancing them with biomagical attachments, inadvertently creating a secondary evil alongside the Demon King."

Okay, that was something Erik understood. He stared at Talia incredulously.

"A lot of things make sense now..."