I took a deep gulp of my spiced mead. The golden liquid flowing down my throat. I let out a content sigh of satisfaction. We were sitting down in the tavern area of the inn. In fact, we were in the same place where we had first met. We had ordered a veritable feast. It was exactly what we needed after our previous *exercise* sessions. I tried to pay for it all with the last of my money, but Mary had insisted on letting them pay. Apparently her tailoring shop entertained quite a wealthy crowd, and the two were well off.

“So Alina, what are your plans for the rest of the week?” Eran asked me in between bites of the massive steak he had ordered.

Well I said he required a lot of protein after all. I spoke up once I finished chewing on my potato gratin.

“Uhm… well, I thought I’d find a bank willing to lend me a bunch of money to get my own house, preferably one with a storefront on the bottom floor. After that, probably registering with the hunter’s guild. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at dealing with problematic beasts.”

Or at least that was my cover. I just wanted to find a bunch of cool templates to steal, or be inspired by. Both to enhance myself and for protection. I'd be a bit safer if I could turn my hand into a massive claw I stole from some scary creature.

“I should probably get some new clothes at some point too. My healer’s robe doesn't even fit me all that well.”

The couple both nodded sagely in response to my comment. Hey now, my ill-fitting robe only nearly caused a bloodbath.

“Are you sure you don’t want to settle down in our hometown of Terebria?” Mary said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Oi! Don’t use those puppy eyes on me. Awww… NO! I WON’T YIELD!

“Look, It’s not like I’m going to be in this town all that much either. I really want to see the world and all it has to offer. I’ve been locked in a dusty school for what feels like half my life. Maybe in a few years once my wanderlust settles down okay?”

I looked deep into her eyes. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be. There was nothing inherently wrong with their hometown. But it was a lot smaller than this, and it didn't have a hunter’s guild.

“But you better come visit! And often.” They said in unison.

“Of course, of course.” I yielded. “It’s only a day’s worth of travel anyway. I'll visit as often as I can.”

Half an hour later we were all satisfied with our meal. Eran was holding his stomach and groaned. He had managed two of the huge steaks. Well it wasn't too strange, the man was probably about the same weight as Mary and I combined. And there wasn’t almost no fat on him. Mary was a lucky girl, then again, she was pretty damn cute too. Eran was a lucky guy. Or maybe the world was just lucky that they met and made such a good pair. Seeing as they liked me too. I was a lucky girl too. Maybe the luckiest.

“Well, I’m off to see if I can’t shake down some unlucky banker. Ciao!” I waved the pair goodbye.

I had enough money for one good dress. And I needed some combat attire for the upcoming visit to a banker. So, a tailor was my first stop. I made my way along the streets. It was prime time as everyone was done with work for the day but the sun had not started to set yet. There were people everywhere. It would probably smell if it wasn't so windy and the wind brought in the fresh smell of the ocean. It was the first time I had been near the ocean or well, the whole country was near the ocean, but Ravenvale wasn't a coastal town. After just a few minutes I found my first goal. A tailor shop with the name “Evergreen Magic Tailoring”. I hoped I had enough money for this.

When I opened the door I was greeted by the clear sound of a bell and the smell of dyes. The inside of the shop was a cornucopia of colored cloth. There were more unique colors in here than I had seen in my entire life. It wasn't too surprising since Aletia was famous for its dye industry. But I was still taken aback. The desk was however unmanned.

“Hello? Anyone home” I shouted out while looking at all the amazing clothes.

“Yes, yes, I’ll be there in a moment.” It was the sound of a woman.

A few minutes later, the head of an old looking woman popped out from the side of the door frame behind the counter. She had graying hair, but she still moved like she was thirty. If she wasn’t already married she probably still got a lot of suitors. She looked at me, and slowly took in my clothes and body.

“No, oh no. That just won't do darling. Oh, that poor robe. So. Business or Pleasure. Or perhaps just an adjustment of that poor robe?”

She had a deep comforting voice. She could probably weaponize that voice against her male clientele. Or people that swing both ways. Like me. I had to be careful so that she doesn’t sell her entire stock to me.

“Business actually. I have a meeting with a banker later to secure money to open a business. So I’ll need some appropriate attire for that. As you might have guessed from my ill-fitting robe. I’m a healer. I recently graduated. 'could give you a checkup for a discount.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I beamed a playful smile at her. then quickly brought forth my ID. It was my graduation certificate, but that was a mouthful, and it basically worked as identification anyway.

“Name’s Alina, pleasure to meet you.”

I shook her hand as she read my ID.

“Annabelle Evergreen. Pleasure is all min—, S RANK!?”

I scratched my head as I put my ID away. “Ye… yeah, that’s me.”

“I can give you a discount darling, it's not every day you meet a healer with a rank such as yours.”

“Well, I'll have a quick look then.”

I put my hand on her shoulder.

“I know my body honey, don't try to upsell me”

Yes mom! I sent my magic into her, exploring as I went. I could immediately tell she took well care of her body. There were a few issues that were unavoidable as age took its toll. A lot of her joints were worn down. I fixed each thing I encountered as I went along. I found a few very early cancers, well, not even that yet, rather it was cells I could tell would start acting up in the future. They would probably not be an issue before she died of old age, but I fixed them anyway. Lastly, I found a defect in her heart. It would probably be another five to ten years before that became an issue. But when it did rear its ugly head, it’d be a quick trip to the cemetery.

When I let go of her shoulder, she took a few bouncy steps around to test things out.

“I mostly fixed your joints. There were also a few minor issues that aren't really worth mentioning. Don't worry about it. I caught a few early cancers, probably wouldn't have revealed themselves for another twenty to thirty years. Lastly there was a defect in your heart that would've killed you in five to ten years, perhaps earlier if you overexerted yourself. Honestly, I get that healers are expensive and most of them are stuck up assholes. But even a mediocre healer would have found and fixed that. Please take care of yourself Annabelle.”

I gave her a stern look at the last part. Nothing I had said was a lie. She stretched like a cat and gave me a hard look. I gulped. Then her face did a 180 and turned into a shining smile.

“I like you, Alina. I feel twenty years younger. And I could sense your honesty. Moreover, you’re right. I’ve had a hard time admitting I’m getting old. I'll make sure I visit a healer regularly. By the way, where will you be opening your store?”

Phew, that was terrifying, I need to remember to not piss off Mamabelle.

“Well, I still need to find a spot, but I'll drop by once I know. So about that dress?”

“Yes…”

Annabelle got a thoughtful expression on her face.

“I have just the dress in mind, I originally made it for the previous count’s daughter. Until she suddenly passed away from a Biomancer letting loose a magical plague. We lost a lot of good people that year. Oh don't worry, You probably weren't born back then. The crown cracked down on the biomancer real fast and hard.”

Eh! heh, heh… Calm thoughts Alina. Calm thoughts.

“Honestly, I’d give you the dress if it wasn't so stupidly expensive to make. Best I can do is fifty percent off. I’d still lose a lot of money, but if you become a regular, I’ll make it back in time.”

I could feel my purse sweating at her words.

“I uh… don't have all that much left. Perhaps I could get something cheaper now, and I'll take a look at the fancy one another time…”

“No!”

HUH!? What do you mean no?

“No, you’re getting this one. You’ll just have to pay me back later then.”

Ooookay. Apparently the choice was made for me already.

“Right… I’ll do that.” This woman was really throwing me off my game.

“Well I’ll go get the dress right away. Why don't you undress in the changing room over there darling.”

Very well then. Taken aback, I made my way to the dressing room like the good girl I was. I slid the drape to the side and stepped inside. It was a moderately sized dressing room, You could fit three people in there comfortably. Towards the back wall was a huge mirror; almost covering the entire wall. I struggled to get the robe off me, hopefully for the last time. I stood around checking out my body in the best mirror I’ve encountered so far. I had to suppress my urge to change a few things that I noticed thanks to getting a better look.

The drape slid open. She gave my underwear a look and just closed the drapes again.

I could hear her mutter “That simply won't do” as she walked away.

Okay firstly, rude! Second… no, that's actually fair. They were nothing special. Just plain cotton underwear and a bra that was… not even supporting my chest. Yeah, fair enough Annabelle, fair enough. She got back quickly and handed me a pair of incredibly nice black silk panties.

“Throw those old things away. You don't need them anymore,”

I nodded and waited for her to leave.

“Oh, get to it darling. Don’t worry about me. I’ve seen a naked body before. Besides, you’re young enough to be my grandchild.”

She smacked my butt and I let out a yelp. I let out an exasperated sigh of acceptance and simply gave up, proceeding to strip right then and there. Quickly pulling the new pair up until it sat snug against my skin.

“Okay, let's see here.” Annabelle mumbled as she opened a paper wrapping.

What was revealed was a large mass of black cloth. It was silky and smooth, but I couldn't tell what was what. She motioned me to raise my arms. I did as she ordered, and she let the mass of cloth slide down over me from above. It was way too big, and I still wasn't sure what it even was.

“And… inject some mana,” She said quietly to herself.

Suddenly the cloth compressed snugly around my body. It was skintight, applying just the right amount of pressure for comfort. It was so smooth, like being caressed on all sides by clouds. The dress was stunning. It had a silky black color with a lightly glossy surface. It started at my neck with a thin choker that expanded down over my chest, covering and accentuating it perfectly, while still leaving my shoulders tastefully exposed. The folds and frills cascaded down, flowing and wrapping tightly around my stomach and hips, yet did not impede movement at all. It wasn’t one solid piece, however.

From just below the choker, down to my navel was a small gap, crisscrossed with a lace, giving the world a small taste of my cleavage and smooth stomach. A similar laced gap went down the entirety of my spine. The dress flowed down my hips and over my left leg down to knee-length, while the right leg was covered just enough to be appropriate while still showing parts of my thigh. The only confusing parts were how my arms and hands were suddenly covered in tight black silk gloves. But I wasn't going to complain. Luckily my gray leather boots fit well enough with the design, as there was no way I could afford new ones right now.

It was absolutely perfect, I had never seen a more beautiful woman. Hold up! That reflection is the new me! I had never seen me look so good before. It was mature and tasteful, while still revealing some of my best parts without being inappropriate.

“Alina. You owe me 150 platinum coins.”

…

Fuck!