Before leaving the villagers alone to begin preparing the land for the water park, Erik made sure to hand out blueprints he made of the place. They weren't to scale, nor were they incredibly detailed, but they had enough information for the villagers to get a sense of what needed to be done.

Erik conjured up a basic set of power tools along with a magic generator, faintly surprised to find out it wasn't as draining on him as before. He briefly taught the villagers how to use the tools as well as how to recharge them using the generator. Erik hoped that Talia was able to teach the villagers who could use magic how to power the generator using lightning magic.

After he was certain and satisfied, the pair headed off to Geritara's clothing shop in the bustling village, the scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling meat still lingering in the air. They pushed the door open, and Erik felt a strange wave of nostalgia wash over him as he saw the same wooden racks filled with fabrics and clothes he'd seen before.

"Oh my goodness, you guys are back!" Geritara squealed with delight as he saw Erik and Talia enter his shop. He rushed over, a tape measure around his neck, his hands fluttering with excitement. "I've been waiting for you!"

"Yeah? What do you have so far?" Erik asked politely. He had scheduled a talk with Geritara regarding the position of fashion designer, giving the clothing shopkeeper the task of coming up with new, more modest swimsuits.

Geritara flitted over to a rack in the corner of the shop, his eyes gleaming. "Well, I've been thinking about your request, and I've come up with some ideas!"

Talia and Erik exchanged a glance before walking over to Geritara. The rack was filled with swimsuits that were indeed more modest than the uniform Erik had begrudgingly allowed at the burger shack. They were still quite revealing, but Erik figured it was a step in the right direction.

"Aren't they fabulous?" Geritara held up a particularly eye-catching piece of fabric. It was a deep blue, almost the same shade as the water in the lake. The material looked soft and clung to the mannequin's curves in a way that was alluring yet covered enough to not be scandalous. "I call it 'The Lake's Embrace'. It's made from a special type of silk I got from the merchants passing through from Elfara. It's lightweight, and it dries quickly. Perfect for a day at the water park!"

"Holy shit..." Erik muttered to himself. The clothing he could draw and subsequently conjure couldn't compare to the material that he was feeling. An idea suddenly came to him.

"Hey, Geri? How do you usually make clothes?" Erik asked.

"Oh, I love the nickname 'Geri'; you can keep calling me that," Geritara said with a wink. "As for making clothes, I start with a pattern, pick the right fabric, and then it's all about the stitching. Of course, a bit of magic here and there helps to keep everything just right."

Erik had a small, devious grin. "Have you ever heard of a sewing machine?"

Geritara tilted his head, looking at him quizzically. "A what?"

Talia was equally as puzzled as the two watched Erik sketch something out in his journal. With a tap of his pen, a silver light brought forth a strange contraption. It had a metal frame with a needle and thread, moving rapidly by unseen hands.

"Goodness!" Geritara gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at the whirring machine. "What sorcery is this?"

Erik chuckled, placing his hand on the sewing machine. "It's not sorcery, it's science. Or rather, it was back in my world. Honestly speaking, I was thinking of having Talia modify it even further using that rune she was able to place on my generators, but this is basically what a sewing machine is."

Geritara approached cautiously, his curiosity overriding his skepticism. "So, this... 'sewing machine' can make clothes faster than a person?"

"Yes, and more consistently too," Erik said proudly. "It's a game-changer."

They watched in silence as Talia pushed a piece of cloth near the moving needle, which immediately drew it in and clogged the machine. She turned around with a straight face.

"I don't think it works."

"It's cause you don't know how it works!" Erik exclaimed with irritation. As he angrily half-lectured, half-explained to Talia, Geritara tentatively stepped up to the sewing machine, marveling at all the features.

As if by instinct, Geritara deftly moved his hands, quickly unclogging the sewing machine. Erik paused mid-yell, surprised by the man's quick adaptation to the foreign technology.

"Oh, damn. Did not expect you to pick up on that," he murmured in awe. Talia took her fingers out of her ears and stared at Geritara and the machine with equal wonder.

Geritara beamed. "I've seen many fabrics and tools in my time, but this... this is something truly amazing!" He grabbed a fresh piece of cloth and expertly fed it through the machine, the needle and thread dancing together in a symphony of stitches. "It's like it understands my touch!"

"Geritara was one of the few people who actually took the time to get to know me better," Talia quietly murmured over to Erik. "Besides being a decent friend, we've shared a lot of things with each other. One of them being that his dream was to one day make clothing that people all over the world would wear. However, many people thought his style was... too flamboyant, too revealing."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Erik nodded, watching as the clothing shopkeeper's eyes lit up as he worked the sewing machine. An idea began to cross his mind. "If anything, he's got a keen sense for thread weaving or whatever it's called. If he could become the president of his own brand and clothing company..."

"What are you plotting now?" Talia raised an eyebrow. Erik simply flashed a devilish grin as he dramatically sidled up to Geritara.

"My dear Geri, how would you like to hear this offer I've thought up?" Erik purred to the clothing shopkeeper.

Geritara looked up from his newfound toy, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "What is it, Erik?"

"I see a bright future ahead of you," Erik began soothingly, "and I believe you have the potential to really make a difference in this world. So, I was thinking: I'll conjure up all sorts of sewing machines for you, as well as develop new ones with your input. In return, should you choose to distribute clothing made from my machines, I only ask for a 5% cut in return. You also have the liberty of promoting and selling the devices I conjured up for you."

Geritara's eyes grew wide. "You'd do that for me?"

"Oh, I'll go even further," Erik whispered. "I could help you expand your business. Think about it. One day, you have a really nice idea for a top, so you use my fancy machines to make rough versions until it's perfect the way you want it. Then, all you'd need to do is hand it to your factory, which will begin mass production for distribution..."

Geritara's eyes grew wider with every word. He had never imagined his dreams could come so close to reality.

"But... I've been told that my clothing wouldn't appeal to everyone," Geritara said hesitantly, looking from the sewing machine to Erik and then back again. "I've tried spreading it throughout the kingdoms and was rejected time and time again."

"Well, from what I've learned in my world, it's that there's an outfit for every occasion," Erik grinned confidently. "That just means we need to create situations where your clothing is a matching necessity. Like, say, for our water park! You can incorporate your styles into the swimwear. That's why I had you make some in order to see if it could work out. Plus, I've got a few other ideas to boost the demand for your creations."

Geritara looked at Erik with hope in his eyes. "You really think so?"

"I'm willing to invest a lot in you. Besides, in my world, I know what it was like to have my ideas go unheard and unappreciated," Erik pressed, his voice encouraging despite the greedy expression on his face. "Together, we can change the fashion scene here in Windoria."

Geritara nodded, his enthusiasm building. "But how do we ensure that people from all over Windoria will wear my designs?"

Erik closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Debut it when the water park opens. We'll stock the shops with your brand and see if it's a hit. Then we'll see where we can go from there."

Geritara's eyes widened, and he clapped his hands together. "Yes, yes! That's brilliant, Erik!"

"It's just business," Erik said with a shrug, though his heart was racing with excitement. He had never felt more alive than when he was coming up with these crazy schemes. "Now, I need you to start designing. We've got a festival to prepare for, and I want our park to be the talk of the town. I’ll write up a contract to officially instate you as a business partner."

Geritara beamed. "Of course! I'll start immediately!" He disappeared into the back of his shop, and Erik could hear the sound of fabric being tossed around.

"Well, I guess there's that," Erik murmured to himself, watching Geritara disappear into his workshop. He turned to leave, eager to get back to the burger shack and check on the progress of the water park.

"What's up?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Talia's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You know, with all the talk of water festivals and fashion lines, I had an idea for the burger shack's next big hit."

Erik groaned. "What now?"

"Well, I was thinking..." Talia began, her eyes dimly lighting up with excitement. "What if we had a themed seasonal burger? Something that's so unfathomably delicious, patrons from across the nation will want to come try it. We could also come up with a seasonal outfit to help promote the new burger as well as the water park."

Erik opened his mouth, then closed it. He glanced at Talia with a strange sense of surprise and approval. Did this woman actually have a good idea for once? "Go on," he said, intrigued.

"That's it. That's all I have so far," Talia's eyes lost their spark. "I didn't think about it any further."

It would have been too much of a change for Talia to have come up with a well thought-out plan, but Erik was still willing to give her a little bit of credit.

"We'll discuss that later then," Erik said, his voice filled with a hint of amusement. "For now, let's go back home. I've gotta draw up a contract for Geri to sign."

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

Back at the shoddy hut, Erik was busy writing up an agreement while Talia had gone next door to the outdoor kitchen, curious as to what Alyssa was up to with the employee meeting and training.

Erik let out a sigh once he was finished with the contract. It wasn't legal, but it would serve as a formal agreement between him and Geritara. He had included clauses for profit sharing, supply rights, and future collaborations. It was the best he could do without a law degree or a court system to enforce it. He hoped it would be enough to make Geritara feel secure in their partnership.

Distractedly avoiding stepping on Illyanth, Erik headed outside to the burger shack kitchen, where Alyssa and the employees were gathered. The aroma of sizzling meat filled the air, making his stomach growl. Alyssa looked up from her cooking, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Hey, boss! We've been cooking up Talia's new seasonal burger idea! It's a spicy dragon burger with a twist," Alyssa called out as Erik approached. The employees, all wearing their scanty burger shack outfits, looked over at him with anticipation.

Erik warily studied the burger, the smell making his mouth water despite his skepticism. "Spicy dragon burger, huh? That's... interesting. Is it actually–"

"No, of course not," Talia denied Erik's apprehension over it being actual dragon meat. "It's just a spicy beef burger with a dash of dragon pepper sauce. I figured it'd be a hit with the locals."

Erik took a bite of the burger, the flavor exploding in his mouth. The heat from the peppers was surprisingly pleasant, not overpowering the meaty goodness of the patty. "This is... really good," he admitted, nodding his head in approval.

"Of course, we did need to use a bit of Illyanth's waste to make it–"

Erik immediately spat out the food from his mouth as Talia smirked mischievously.

"...Just kidding, Erik. There's no strange ingredients this time."