"Shut up." Talia coldly replied, surprising Erik. He had never heard her speak with such authority. The golden flames surrounding her grew brighter as she stepped forward. "You're the one who's pathetic, coming into our home and threatening us."

"Stay with me Erik, I'll get you patched up quickly," Myrese quietly assured him as she rushed to his side. She pulled out thin needles like the ones she used on Morthanu and stuck them into Erik, her gentle voice guiding him through the pain as she closed his wounds. Illyanth moved to stand in front of them, growling as the baby dragon watched Talia confront the assassin.

Ulrich looked down at the sword that had been shattered by Talia's power, a hint of surprise crossing his face. "You're more than just a pretty face, aren't you?" He smirked, wicked green lights swirling around him. "Very well, I'll take you seriously."

Talia immediately launched several gigantic fireballs at the man, shocking the assassin as he barely managed to dodge them in time. In fact, compared to the utter dominance Ulrich had demonstrated upon Erik, Talia was now the one doing the domination.

"What the- what kind of sorceress are you?!" Ulrich exclaimed, his eyes widening as he realized he'd underestimated Talia. "I was made aware that the highest Circle was the 5th here!"

"Numbers mean nothing to me," Talia sneered, her eyes burning with a fiery intensity that mirrored the blaze in her palms. "I am Taliana Pureos Myrian of the Myrian household, and I will not let you harm this village or Erik."

"Of the Myrian household- you're the 12th Circle prodigy?!" The shock in Ulrich's voice was apparent. The green lights around him grew more intense, and Erik could see the man reconsidering his next actions. "So the Traveler was telling the truth. Why are you protecting him?"

Talia didn't break her fiery gaze from Ulrich. "Because he's my friend. And I don't take kindly to threats against those I care for."

With that, Talia summoned golden lightning to supplement the fireballs in her hands, sending them crackling towards Ulrich. The assassin barely managed to dodge, his eyes widening as he realized the gravity of the situation.

"Come on, boss, let's get you to safety," Alyssa urged Erik as she and Ricteronu each took one of his arms, trying to drag him away from the fight. They set him on the back of Illyanth and the three of them hurriedly escorted him back to the village.

"W-wait, Talia..." Erik protested weakly, to which Ricteronu shook his head.

"It's okay, Erik. Myrese is helping Talia out. You need to worry about yourself right now. Those women will take care of that assassin."

Erik nodded feebly, his head spinning from the alcohol and the adrenaline. The village came into view, and the villagers rushed out to meet them, eyes wide with worry. The sight of Erik, bruised and bleeding, was enough to stir them into action. They helped him down from the dragon's back and led him to the infirmary, where he promptly passed out.

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Meanwhile, Talia was utterly overwhelming Ulrich, toying with him as she battered the assassin around with elemental magic. He couldn't even think as Myrese followed up Talia's break in attacks with some of her own, essentially causing Ulrich to abandon defending in lieu of escaping instead.

"You're a worthy opponent, Lady Taliana," he said, his voice strained as he managed to dodge another volley of spells. "But this isn't over."

"Who decided that?" Talia shot back, her voice like a whipcrack. The trees around them creaked and groaned as her magic grew more intense, the very fabric of the air seeming to bend and warp around her fury. "You won't escape from me."

With a burst of speed, she closed the gap between them. Her hands weaved intricate patterns in the air, and the ground trembled. A giant, fiery maelstrom swirled around her, engulfing everything in its fiery embrace. The heat was so intense that even the foliage was scorched, leaving nothing but ash in its wake.

"I'll admit, this is a little too much for me to handle," Ulrich said, his eyes narrowed as he backed away from the fiery vortex. "Consider it my loss."

The assassin produced a small bag from his robe, tossing it at the ground beneath his feet. A cloud of smoke erupted, obscuring him from view. When it cleared, he was gone. Talia stood there, panting heavily, her eyes ablaze with fury.

"You'll pay for this," she murmured, her voice a low growl. "You will not touch him again."

"H-hey, Talia?" Myrese called out behind her. Talia turned around, seeing the elf awkwardly standing in the midst of a forest fire. "Could you... help me put this out?"

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Erik awoke with a start, the smell of smoke lingering in his nose. He blinked rapidly, registering that he was back in his room. The bed felt surprisingly comfortable, and the pillow was heavenly. It took him a moment to remember the events of the night before. The fight, the fire... it all seemed like a bad dream. His body felt sore, and the light coming through the windows was harsh, making him squint.

"Holy fuck," he muttered, gingerly sitting up. His entire body ached as if he had been hit by a truck, and his head throbbed like it had been used as a drum by a heavy metal band.

It was the first time he had ever been so close to actual death, despite the multiple times he had joked or thought about it. Erik looked around his room, his eyes adjusting to the light. His body had been tightly bandaged, restricting some of his movements. He was relieved to see the bone charm necklace still hanging around his neck.

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"You're awake," a gentle voice said from beside him. He turned to see Myrese, her pointed ears peeking out from her hair. She had changed into a simple white robe instead of a dress she had come to prefer, which made her look like an angel sent to comfort him.

"Yeah," Erik sighed as he carefully laid back down. "Don't tell me you're going to punch or stab me to heal my wounds."

Myrese snorted amusedly. "No, no. I've already done that."

"Good. At least I wasn't conscious for that." Erik groaned, his head pounding. "Where's Talia?"

The elf raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're finally awake after having survived an assassination attempt for the second time and the first thing on your mind isn't profits but Talia?"

"Because as much as I hate to admit it, she saved me again," Erik scowled, knowing full well what Myrese was insinuating. "She's also my business partner, which means if anything were to happen to me, she's the next in line."

"Sure, whatever you say," Myrese shrugged. "She's currently resting. After the... exertion from last night, she was quite tired."

"Yeah, I bet. I've never seen her display such raw magical power."

"N-no, she was helping me put out the- never mind," Myrese shook her head, sitting down on the bed next to Erik. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. At least when you tried to kill me and Mr. Mort, we came out healthier. This time around, I'm just bruised and burned," Erik grunted, shifting his weight on the bed. The pain was a constant reminder of the battle he had barely survived. "I didn't think I'd actually have to worry about someone trying to kill me again."

Myrese's expression grew serious. "You need to understand, Erik. You're not just a normal person anymore. You're a Traveler, and you're getting involved in things that are much bigger than you. Dangerous people are going to come looking for you."

"Just because I came from another world?" Erik scowled again. "I've already proved that I'm not up to par with my predecessors, so they really think I'm a threat?"

"W-well, it's not that you're a Traveler more so that your business ventures have been making an economic uproar in the three kingdoms," Myrese averted her eyes as she corrected him, like she knew how sensitive the topic of Erik not being the model Traveler was. "You're shaking up the market, and not everyone is happy about it."

"Too bad for them, then," Erik mumbled, his voice filled with pain and determination. "I've turned an ordinary, poor village into a tourist hotspot. If they can't handle a little competition, that's their problem."

"Restia Village wasn't that poor to begin with... regardless, Erik, if you continue with your projects, there's bound to be more trouble," Myrese cautioned, her expression a mix of concern and admiration. "You've brought change, and not all change is welcomed."

"Then if they want to come for me, so be it. I'll be ready for them," Erik gritted, pushing himself up into a sitting position. The pain was still there, but he was fueled by a newfound resolve. "I'm not gonna let some rich assholes stop me from getting rich myself."

Myrese sighed, knowing that arguing with him when he was in this state was futile. "I understand, but please, be careful. We're all here to help you, Erik."

A wicked gleam entered his eyes as Myrese swore she heard gears turning in his head.

"I know, Myr. That's why I plan to squeeze the most out of you guys."

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After resting for a little while longer, Erik managed to recover with the healing magic, allowing him to stand up and get dressed. He painstakingly slipped into his suit, grimacing at the discomfort of his injuries. The fabric felt heavy and foreign against his bruised body, but he knew he had to maintain his image. He couldn't let anyone know how much he was shaken.

As he tried to head downstairs, Illyanth padded up to him, snorting softly. Erik wasn't sure, but he swore the look in the dragon infant's eyes had changed from disapproval to slight concern.

Illyanth waited patiently at the top of the stairs. Confused, it didn't take long before Erik realized the baby dragon was willing to help him down the stairs.

"Oh, thanks buddy," Erik murmured, placing a gentle hand on Illyanth's scaly snout. The dragon lowered its head, allowing Erik to lean on it as they descended the stairs. Each step was agonizing, but the warmth from Illyanth's body was oddly comforting. Erik wasn't completely certain that the dragon wouldn't eat him at a moment's notice, but the gesture alleviated his worries somewhat.

Illyanth left his side as soon as they made it down the stairs, huffing as he trotted off. Erik grumbled his thanks before heading into the kitchen.

At the stove, Myrese was busy cooking lunch as Talia sat at the table with a weary expression. The smell of sizzling meat and spices filled the room, reminding Erik of his own hunger. Despite his near-death experience, his stomach rumbled, demanding sustenance.

Talia's eyes lit up in relief when Erik sat down in front of her. "You're okay," she murmured, her hand reaching out to touch his cheek gently. "Thank the gods."

"Er, yeah," Erik managed to smile back, surprised by her gesture. "Thanks to you guys. That was... intense."

Myrese brought over a plate of food, setting it in front of him. Sizzling strips of meat and eggs, topped off with toasted bread. "You need to eat to recover your strength," she said firmly.

Erik nodded, picking up a piece of bread with his uninjured left hand and taking a bite. The flavors exploded in his mouth, a stark contrast to the metallic taste of blood that still lingered from the battle. He winced, his other hand still throbbing from where the blade had pierced through.

"So, what's the plan?" Talia asked as Myrese joined them at the table. "We can't just sit here and wait for the next one to come after us."

Lost in thought, Erik didn't notice the two staring intently at him. Choking down his food, he swallowed painfully before speaking. "What? What're you guys looking at me for?"

"You're the one who always comes up with plans," Myrese answered, sharing a look with Talia. "Even I know that you always have some sort of trick up your sleeve, and I’ve only known you for, what, a little more than a week?"

"When it comes to building and earning money, yes," Erik sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I've never had to deal with assassins before."

"So, does that mean you don't have a clue on what to do?" Myrese pressed.

"I didn't say that," Erik vaguely replied, a hint of a devilish gleam creeping into his eyes. "In fact, the experience last night gave me several new inventions."

Talia raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "And what might those inventions be?"

Instead of answering, Erik dramatically pulled out his journal, grimacing all the while, and plopped it onto the table. He cracked it open, showing the women various designs he had sketched out. Finally, he sat back in his chair, closing his eyes with a smug smile.

"Um... what are we looking at?" Myrese asked after a moment of silence, squinting at the journal.

"Oh," Erik sat up in his chair and glanced at the sketches. "Let's finish up eating and head to the village forge. Then I'll show you what these are."