"I offer my deepest apologies."

Talia bowed her head as she stood in front of Erik, Myrese, and Morthanu back in the village elder's home. Illyanth snorted, giving Erik a once-over before the dragon infant curled up into a corner. Erik wasn't sure if the dragon meant it as a snort of relief, or disappointment.

"Thank you for saving us," Morthanu wheezed, his shoulders still tender from the fallout of the explosion. "Your timing was... quite dramatic."

"Save us from what? Myr was clearly going to be on our side after I convinced her!" Erik exclaimed, his eyes narrowed at Talia as he rubbed the back of his head. "What the hell was that?"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Erik. I just got worried this morning when I couldn't find you. No one else had seen you either, so I just..."

Erik blinked, his anger vanishing in an instant. Sure, Talia might lack a bit of common sense and go overboard in pretty much anything she involved herself in, but at that moment, Erik realized how much she seemed to care for him. She was a little misguided, but her heart was in the right place.

"It's fine," he sighed. "You didn't know what was happening. But we're all safe now, and we figured everything out."

Talia looked at the elf, still slightly suspicious. "What do you mean? There was an assassination attempt on you, no?"

"Hey, I was targeted too..." Morthanu chimed in, but it went ignored.

"Yes, well, sorta. Myr was just hired by one of the royal families to get rid of me, but as it turns out, she has a knack for medicine. So, I convinced her to start a practice here in the village while I think of something to deal with the people who wanted me gone," Erik explained, rubbing his jaw where she had hit him. "It's all a misunderstanding."

Myrese bowed her head. "I apologize for the trouble I've caused. I never meant to harm anyone. Except for the targets I had been hired to kill. Though they're not actually dead, but alive and healthier than before."

"Don't worry about it," Erik waved a hand dismissively. "We're all good."

Talia glared at the elf. "If you're really going to help us, I want you to swear an oath on your life that you won't harm anyone here."

Myrese looked up, her eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and annoyance. "I don't owe you an oath, but I'll swear it for Erik's sake. No harm will come to anyone in Restia Village under my watch."

The tension in the air dissipated slightly as Talia's shoulders relaxed. She looked from Erik to Morthanu, who both nodded in agreement. It was clear that they had come to some sort of understanding with their would-be killer.

"Alright, now that that's settled, Myr, you can tag along with me. As your punishment for delaying my schedule, I will need to orient you with the village," Erik went into work mode, heading for the door. "Come on, our first stop is to check on Ric and the water park."

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Myrese gazed around in wonder at the newly completed water park as Erik and Ricteronu went over the final details. The once dry, barren area was now a bustling hub of excitement, filled with the sounds of workers testing the waterslides and other amenities. To her, the sight was quite a contrast to the usual quiet forests and shadowy places she frequented.

"So, we're ready to open now?" Erik asked Ricteronu, who nodded.

"Yes, sir. As soon as we get all of the workers stationed, we can open the gates and start letting everyone in. Did you know there's already a massive line at the entrance? A little under half are visitors outside of Restia Village, who camped out near here instead of returning home," Ricteronu grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Great," Erik clapped his hands together. "The more customers, the better. Now, let's get those lifeguards and staff ready."

Myrese studied the water park, her mind racing. She had never seen anything like it before. The gleaming water slides twisted and turned in impossible configurations, and the pools sparkled like sapphires in the sun. She turned to Erik with a hint of skepticism.

"How did you convince them to build something so... unnatural?"

Erik smiled as he closed his eyes and pointed to a nearby shop. Myrese followed his finger, seeing what looked like revealing pieces of swimwear.

"Bikinis."

Myrese stared at him, confused. "What?"

Erik pointed to one of the water slides. "Water."

Finally, he dramatically flourished towards a smaller version of the burger shack. "Burger."

"Ah," Myrese nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. "You've introduced concepts from your world to entice them into your projects."

Erik clapped his hands above his head, posing gracefully with his eyes still closed. "And that equals money, honey."

Myrese rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at her lips. "Fine. But I expect to be fully briefed on these 'bikinis' and 'burger' concepts."

Erik's eyes flashed open, startling Myrese as he straightened his posture. He gazed at her with an unreadable expression.

"...Have you ever tried a bikini on?"

Myrese noticed Ricteronu's head snapping towards them with an eager look. She shifted uncomfortably underneath the two's gazes. "Erm, no? I'm not sure what they are..."

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"This feels... too exposing..."

The once quiet and mysterious elf assassin looked positively flustered, standing in the changing room of the newly constructed water park in the village of Restia. She had agreed to Erik's proposal to start a medical practice, but the man had other ideas for her first day in the village. He had convinced her to try on a bikini as a way to 'understand the culture'.

"Oh, sweetheart, don't worry about that. I'm sure you look absolutely stunning!" Geritara assured her as he turned towards Erik and Talia standing outside. "You two, get ready to see my best work yet!"

Talia had already changed into her now signature red bikini while Erik opted for a t-shirt and swim trunks. He leaned against the doorframe, waiting for the elf to come out.

Myrese took a deep breath and stepped out, the bikini fitting her slender figure surprisingly well. The top was a simple black string-tie, and the bottoms were a modest cut that left her feeling slightly less exposed than she had feared.

Erik couldn't help but stare at the dark skinned elf, his eyes widening slightly. He hadn't expected Myrese to be so... curvy. The bikini highlighted her slender frame and toned abs, something he didn't know she had.

Geritara beamed with pride, clasping his hands together. "Soo... what do you think?"

Myrese's cheeks were a darker shade of pink than her eyes. "It's... it's fine," she murmured, tugging at the strings of the bikini top.

"Hmm... I can't tell which one I like better. On one hand, Talia's swimwear is flashy and bold, but on the other hand, Myr's is subtle yet seductive..." Erik mused, stroking his chin. Talia folded her arms indignantly.

"Are you saying you prefer this wannabe elf doctor?" Talia huffed, gesturing to the crimson-faced Myrese.

"No. I'm just saying, since I've gotten used to you, something new is bound to be more stimulating, right?" Erik continued, glancing between Talia and Myrese. "Maybe we could hold another fashion show."

"Oh, I'd definitely love that," Geritara excitedly chipped in. "Thanks to your inventions, Erik, I've been coming up with so many designs. Oh! And I've started thinking about designs for other seasons!"

Erik's eyes glinted with a devilish joy. "Wait... we could start a modeling business as well..."

"H-hold on!" Myrese finally spoke up, her voice still quivering with embarrassment. "I didn't agree to any fashion shows or modeling. I just want to help people with my... newfound medical talents."

Erik snapped his fingers. "You mean earn money using your accidental gift for medicine."

Myrese nodded, still adjusting the bikini. "Yes, exactly."

Somehow, that seemed to sour Talia's mood even further. Erik picked up on the change, realizing that it probably wasn't best to discuss the topic of medicine out loud.

"Anyway, now that you've dressed appropriately, let's go to the water park's burger shack and see how Alyssa's doing with the grand opening," Erik nodded towards Geritara. "Thanks for everything."

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As the three of them made their way to the burger shack, Erik couldn't help but notice the way Myrese's new attire was turning heads. The villagers had never seen anything quite like it before, and their curious stares grew more frequent as they approached the bustling area around the water park. Myrese walked stiffly, her discomfort clear as she tried to ignore the attention she was receiving.

Talia tugged on the back of Erik's shirt. "Hey... are you really thinking of giving that elf her own practice in the village?" she quietly asked.

Erik turned to her, his expression serious. "Why not? She's got skills, and if we can harness that Mithril needle trick, we might just revolutionize medicine here." Of course, it would also net a large amount of profit, but Erik thought it didn't need to be said.

Talia made a slightly unhappy expression. "So what about me?"

Erik blinked at her. He did notice a slight jealousy from the Beggar Princess when she learned of Myrese's accidental discovery of medical talent, but he figured it wasn't that important. Now, he understood why Talia had been so sour.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm not forgetting about your dreams of being a medical sorceress. I'm just providing Myr with a quick and temporary solution for now," he thought for a moment. "Actually, if you guys work together, maybe you could gain some experience before doing whatever it is you need to in order to become a medical sorceress."

Talia's expression softened slightly at the thought of collaboration. "Okay, I guess that makes sense."

Despite not having done anything to wrong Talia, Erik still felt a sense of guilt. Maybe it was because she was so naïve and gullible that she whole-heartedly trusted him.

As they approached the second, newly built burger shack, Erik spotted Alyssa on the frontlines, managing customers and the employees using the experience she had gained from the mother business. He had to admit, her growth was incredible, more than he ever expected. He was glad to have offered her the manager position back at the original burger shack.

"Thank you, your order will be ready at the pick-up window... oh hey, bosses!"

Alyssa waved to Talia and Erik as she excused herself from the registers. She strutted over to them with the confidence of someone who had seen a business boom in a short amount of time.

"Hey, Alyssa. This is Myr," Erik introduced the still embarrassed elf, "she's going to be our doctor."

"Myrese," she corrected, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she took in the bustling burger shack. The scent of sizzling meat and toasting bread filled the air, mingling with the laughter of the villagers.

"Right, sorry," Erik said, slapping his forehead. "I keep forgetting."

"No... you've never actually used my full name–"

"Nice to meet you, Myrese," Alyssa beamed, extending a hand. "Welcome to the team!"

The former elf assassin hesitantly took Alyssa's hand, her grip firm despite her unease. "Thank you," she murmured. It was strange, the sudden shift from a life of stealth and danger to one of... well, burgers and medicine. But for some reason, Erik had a way of making the most ludicrous ideas sound plausible.

"So, what do you think of the place?" Erik gestured around the burger shack, his eyes glinting with pride. "I tried to replicate the original's atmosphere as best I could, but I think the pavilion really completes it. Too bad the water park doesn't have space for one."

Myrese took in the bustling scene, trying to ignore the self-consciousness the bikini brought. She had to admit, the scent of sizzling meat and the sound of laughter and chatter were comforting in their own way. "It's... lively," she said, her voice low.

"Seems like the secondary shack is going well, thanks to our talented manager," Erik continued, praising Alyssa with a nod. "I'm glad I hired you as the main manager."

"Thanks, Erik," Alyssa replied, her cheeks reddening. "Couldn't have done it without your guidance and support."

"I wonder what the profits will be from the sub-store..." Erik murmured, oblivious to Alyssa's reaction as he gazed around the burger shack. "I want to assume a higher rate since it's built right into the water park, but the parent store is doing really well right now..."

Myrese took a step back, feeling more out of place than ever. She had come to this village in order to fulfill her mission, only to find herself in a bizarre partnership with an eccentric human who had a knack for turning deadly situations into business opportunities.

"You know," she began, her voice strained. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for this... I've never done anything like this before."

"Hmm?" Erik turned back to her. "Really? Well, I guess most people in this world never have either..."

Myrese's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

Erik smiled. "Come on, I'll show you."