Andaros made his way home in a good mood for once, he hadn't ever won anything before, and hadn't experienced any accidents since the school beauty had launched herself into him. Rounding the corner of the short dirt road he lived down, the small farm his mother owned came into view. A small home with a smaller yard in front lay nestled within a larger yard, and a distance of 15 feet to the side of a smallish barn. A chicken coop like structure sat to the opposite side of the home, forming a kind of L shape. To the other side of the barn sat two small fields, side by side, one lying fallow, while the other was currently full of half-grown Chelg stalks. The grain, which was similar to old earth's wheat, but provided protein, and much more nutrients, was unique to Torm.
The main yard took up nearly the same size as one of the fields, and the bleating of the sheep-like Gult his mother and he raised came from a small pasture located there. Nearby stood a stable, and horse yard. His mother had the single draft-horse imported from off planet for a premium. It wasn't cheap, but upkeep for the horse was much cheaper than the upkeep for a combine, even considering the veterinary bills. For two small fields, it just wasn't worth getting one of those mechanical monstrosities.
Andaros had difficulty doing chores on this simple, small property. He always seemed to be getting hurt, or breaking things, but there was one thing that he could always count on. Andaros was very good with animals, he just seemed to have a natural affinity with them. Not once in his life had he ever been harmed by an animal, and even vicious ones known for harming people refused to hurt the young man, and would listen to him like it was the natural thing to do.
This disposition had many of the neighboring, or nearby farms asking for his help in taming, or breaking animals. He might be hurt doing anything else, but when it came to animals, he was as steady as they come. They didn't spread what he could do though, that would only help out the nobles. Therefore, the school beauty knew nothing of his ability with animals. If she was aware, she may have taken a liking to him for selfish reasons. It was a good thing she had no such motives, because their destinies were soon to be inextricably intertwined.
"Mom, I'm home!"
Entering the small yard surrounding the house itself, Andaros called out to his mother. No response came back, which was unusual. She would usually call out a greeting to him from the kitchen window.
"Mom, are you there?" Andaros called out, opening the front door. The lack of response continued as he walked into the home, heading for the most common place for her to be at this time, the kitchen.
"Mom!"
When he arrived, Andaros found a horrific sight waiting for him. There, near the sink where she would normally be cleaning vegetables lay his mother, with a knife sticking out of her back. There was blood everywhere, and more blood still flowed from the wound.
Andaros was stunned for a moment, shocked by the situation. He then fumbled with the communicator, contacting emergency services.
"Emergency services, what is the nature of your emergency?"
It took a moment to describe the situation, give his information, and for the operator to dispatch a medical team. Andaros waited anxiously while he gave the operators all the details he asked for.
As soon as the medical shuttle landed in the yard, alongside a police shuttle, he opened the door to let them in. Not very long later, the police officers came, and handcuffed him, leaving the young man in shock.
"Andaros Terasien, you're under arrest for the murder of Andrea Terasien," one of the officers stated, matter-of-factly.
The rest of the night was a blur, but he couldn't help but be shocked by the absurdity of the situation, and stuck with grief over his mother's death. During the next 3 days, he was subjected to numerous interrogations, and a sham of a trial in which he was judged guilty. There was no jury of his peers, the judge simply pronounced guilt, with minimal evidence brought forward. The only fingerprints on the knife were those of Andrea Terasien, and Andaros Terasien, which was used to pin the blame squarely on his shoulders. He was given a death sentence, a sentence that should not have been applicable under planetary law. His execution was scheduled to be in 1 month's time, if no refuting evidence were to come forward.
He was summarily thrown into a jail cell, sitting in the corner, he pulled his knees up to his chest, and cried. Not only had he lost his mother, but he had also been wrongfully convicted for her murder in just under seven days. It was a bitter end to what should have been a happy event.
The three gruff men who shared the 4 person cell with Andaros approached him, scaring him. They were big, thuggish guys with scars on their faces, one with a big scar across his eyes.
"What's wrong little buddy," the guy with the eye scar asked in a concerned voice.
Andaros didn't know what to say at first, but soon told his story. The men listened intently, patiently waiting for him to finish speaking.
"So, that happened, huh?"
"Did you do it," one man asked sternly.
Andaros just shook his head as let out a sound meant to refute the claim that he had murdered his own mother. The man looked at him for a moment, then his stern look disappeared.
"In my experience, God doesn't allow such injustices to go unpunished," the man told him. "I believe this will turn around before you know it."
"There you go with the God stuff again."
"What, I believe what I believe," the big guy responded, "I don't force you to believe, so let me believe what I want."
"Jedediah there is a Christian," one of the other guys informed him. "Not many believe in that Old Earth religion anymore, but he's probably the nicest guy I know, despite his looks."
"What do my looks have to do with it?!"
"Hahaha, nothing Jed, nothing."
"Hey bud, mind if I pray for you," Jedediah asked. "Oh yeah, what was your name, mine's Jedediah, but you can just call me Jed."
"Um, okay," Andaros replied, confused, "My, my name is Andaros."
"Then, Andaros, I'm gonna put my hand on your shoulder and say a prayer, unless you object," Jed told him. Seeing that Andaros didn't say anything, he put his hand on the young man's shoulder, closed his eyes, and said, "Father God, Big Brother Jesus, I come to you today for the sake of my Little Buddy, Andaros. He has been accused, and convicted of a crime he did not commit. I ask that you provide those who would fight for my little buddy, and right the wrongs that have been done to him. I also pray for his deceased mother's soul, that she would find peace in your loving arms. Reveal the truth of all that has happened and, if possible, return Andaros's mother to him. A thief has stolen from him, let that thief return 7 times what was stolen. Oh, and remove the curse that has haunted him for so long. In your name, Big Brother Jesus, I pray. Amen."
"You're lucky, I may not like admitting it, but Jed there, his prayers always seem to be answered in one form or another," one of Jed's buddies stated.
"Yeah, hate to admit it, but somehow his prayers get answered," the guy who responded to Jed's words about God, responded. "I don't agree that it's this God doing it, but they do seem to be answered by the universe, or something."
"Just agree to disagree Tap," the other guy replied.
"I'll Tap you!"
"Quiet in there! No loudmouths in my jail," the jailer called out from down the hall. "Go to sleep!"
The three settled down, after comforting Andaros once more. Andaros laid down in one of the lower bunks, and settled into fitful dreams of the times with his mother.
"Andaron Terasias," the next morning, one of the jailers came for him.
"It's Andaros Terasien, Sir," Andaros replied.
"Ah, my bad," The jailer replied. "Come with me, you have a visitor."
"A visitor, Sir? Who," Andaros asked with confusion evident in his voice.
"Some fancy attorney, she demanded to see you," the jailer replied, a bit nonplussed.
"See, what did I tell you, Jed's prayers always get answered," one of the men replied. "Well, except when it comes to us three anyway. There wouldn't be any attorneys here for us, would there, boss?"
"Afraid not, I gotta put up with you three for another month," the jailer responded. "Although Jed there could leave any time he wanted, but he won't. What he sees in you two, I will never understand. Come along, son."
"Yes Sir," Andaros replied, then turned to the other three, "Thank you for being so kind to me," he told them.
"Take care of yourself, and don't come back," Jed replied, smiling at him.
"We'll see," Andaros replied after some thought. "I don't even know what this attorney wants from me."
"She's here to free you, I'm certain of it," Jed replied, "God has great plans for you, little buddy."
"Not so sure that's the case but, thanks Jed," Andaros replied, then stepped out of the cell.
The jailer led him through a couple relatively short corridors, and to a room. "She's inside, make sure you're on your best behavior," the man told him, gesturing toward the door. Andaros had not been placed inside the jail only today, so the older man knew the young man's character enough to know he wouldn't cause any problems. Still, he felt compelled to advise him to be on his best behavior. "Maybe she'll be able to do something about that sentence of yours, but you wouldn't want to blow it by acting improperly."
"Thank you, Sir," Andaros replied, truly appreciating his thoughtfulness. "I promise to behave the best I can."
"Alright, that's enough sappy stuff, go on in," the man replied, indicating he get moving with a wave of his hands.
As Andaros entered the room, he stood in stunned amazement. "Mom?"
-------------------------
Going back in time a bit, in a noble's hidden manor, several men were having a discussion. Well, more like one was ranting at the another, while others stood by, listening.
"I don't care what you have to do! Get it working," Grevel Trem shouted at the technician. He then turned to his right hand man, "Didn't you say this guy was able to crack a platinum pod within hours? It's been 3 days!"
"That's because it isn't a platinum pod," the technician told him, "I don't know what it is, but it's design is completely different, the system is so far beyond the platinum pods, that I can't even analyze it in such a short time. And cracking a platinum pod is not so easy, it can take months, or years to crack one. The only time I've ever successfully cracked one in under an hour was on a first generation platinum pod."
"I don't care about your excuses, I want it done, today!"
"That's impossible," the technician replied, "it would probably take me at least a year to even design a software to help crack it, and then it would likely take around 257 years to actually crack."
"257 years?!"
Grevel Trem was not happy, if anything, it could be said he was extremely angry. He contemplated just killing the man, outright.
"257 years, 9 months, 21 hours, 51 minutes, and 42 seconds to be precise," a strange voice said, interrupting the noble's angry thoughts. "That is assuming you find the most optimal algorithm in that 1 years time."
"Who the hell are you," Grevel yelled at the man, an oddly familiar salt-and-pepper haired individual. Grevel couldn't help feeling he should recognize the man, but he just couldn't put a name to this man's face. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"Come now, that's hardly difficult, considering the lack of sophistication in your security network," the man replied in an amused manner.
"It can't be," Grevel turned to see the technician staring at the man, looking pale as a ghost.
"You, what was your name... Kilve? Who is this man?"
"It's Golve," the technician replied, with a flash of annoyance crossing his face. Grevel noted it in his head, he always paid back slights to himself. "Are you really so stupid as to not recognize the great Professor Norton Coolidge," the man answered, looking warily toward the man.
"It is as Mr. Golve says, my name is Norton Coolidge, and I am most often called "The Professor" by my colleagues," the man said, bowing lightly.
Grevel looked at the man, but saw no danger in such a man, he sneered at him. "And what would, "The Professor" be doing in my humble abode," he asked.
"You have something that belongs to me, or more precisely, to my company," Norton said, pointing toward the pod.
"Humph, it was awarded to me by the courts," Grevel replied.
"Oh, I am quite aware of how you "acquired" that device," Norton replied, nodding. "You had your men kill the intended recipient's mother. You then proceeded to bribe the police, and the judge, having them pronounce a death sentence on the young commoner intended to receive that pod. Next, you proceeded to blackmail that judge to demand the item be released into your custody. And finally, you hired the underworld's best technician in order to have the pod cracked so that you could replace it's user data and have it for your use, along with all the rewards that come with it. Sadly, that never would have worked, as what was sent was not the simple Platinum Pod you expected, but you'll never have the opportunity to find out what it truly is." Throughout his rant, Norton was talking to Grevel in a very disgusted tone of voice
"What right do you have to speak to me like that?! This is my domain," Grevel roared at him, having become irate at the old man's lack of respect for his great self.
"No, it is not," Norton replied in a cool tone that somehow made Grevel's body shudder. "As one Old Earth gaming company would say, "You're in my world now.""
Grevel wanted to reply, but found he couldn't, the world soon grew dark, and his awareness of the world was cut off.
-------------------------
"Good job, Teraise," Norton told his chief security officer as the body of Grevel Trem fell to the ground.
"It's my job," a feminine voice responded from out of thin air. A shimmer appeared, and slowly the silhouette of an androgynous person appeared. If Norton didn't know any better, he'd think it was a girl under that suit. A moment later, Mr. Golve toppled to the ground as well. "Did you find the evidence we need?"
"Yes, Master," Teraise replied in his typical fashion. "We have secured the footage we needed to prove the boy's innocence. I have had it forwarded to your Ms. Tranis through encrypted communication."
"Good, have Nobleman Trem delivered to Facility 4218, as for Mr. Golve, have him delivered to Orcasa, she could use another decent programmer," Norton told him. "Have her try negotiating first, and erase his memories of this entire event if he refuses. Tell her she is only authorized to use a loyalty implant if she cannot either secure his help through negotiating peacefully, or finds that his memories cannot be removed."
"Yes sir," Teraise responded.
"How is the cleanup?"
"Shouldn't take too long to complete," Teraise replied.
"Make sure you clean him out completely, and strip this gaudy room too. He won't need the wealth where he's going, and he owes the boy 7 times the value of that pod, as well as the mother that was lost to him forever," Norton said, in a very serious manner. "Let's get the pod where it belongs, and see if we can do anything about remedying the loss of the boy's mother."
"It's unfortunate that such a thing is unlikely," Teraise replied, lifting the pod with a single hand, a feat not easily done considering the materials, and devices packed into it, but Teraise wasn't in the least phased by the heavy object. The two unconscious individuals had disappeared toward their destinations sometime during the time the two were talking. The two set off, leaving the place behind, it would be cleaned out shortly, and the two did not need to be present to ensure it happened. The boy would be paid back 7 times the value of the pod that was stolen from him, quite a large sum, but Norton estimated there would still be a large sum of money that could be paid into the economy of the territory in order to pay back the commoners the man had been stealing from while lording over them.
As the two stepped outside the hidden manor of the now disappeared Trem noble family, they stepped into a ship which quickly took off, as it went into stealth mode and disappeared.
"Oh yes, that Trem girl was quite lovely, if she is not a despicable girl, let's spare her, and have her trained to serve the victim of her brother's actions," Norton said.
"I thought you'd say something like that, so she's already on the ship," Teraise replied, "although lovely is quite the understatement."
"She does have quite a nice body, but I was speaking of her personality," Norton replied, with a supercilious look at his head bodyguard. "If I remember, she is the same age as Andaros. Tell her the entire story, let's see how she responds."
"As you will, Jen is on it as we speak," Teraise responded. Silence fell, until a few moments later, when Teraise stated, "She has agreed to do anything she can to make it up to Andaros as much as possible."
"Have her informed, that it may mean her personality being over-written," Norton replied blandly. "I don't believe Andrea Terasien to be that kind of person, but it never hurts to be prepared."
"She, she agreed immediately," Teraise stated in shock.
"Good girl," Norton replied, smiling brightly, "Yes, I do believe Andrea would approve of her."
"Indeed," Teraise replied, refusing to further comment on the subject, it was not something he had a place in. He just hoped Andrea would not be the kind of person to force the girl to give up her personality, which would effectively be killing her.
-------------------------
"Mom?"
Andaros was shocked by what he saw when he entered the room.
"Hello Andaros," his mother said to him. "I don't have much time, so I will make this brief. They tell me I am no longer alive, that I'm just a residual consciousness that is left behind. This device doesn't have enough power to sustain my consciousness for long, so please listen carefully to what I am going to say to you," she told him, tears rolling down her face, and disappearing into nowhere, accompanied by strange visual effects like cubes coming out of them. "Andaros, I am so proud of you. I don't have much I can be proud of, but the one decision I am most happy to have made is deciding to have you, despite the rape. You were the sunshine of my life, the one thing that made that horrible experience worth having experienced it. I raised you to respect women, but I raised you using the lessons my father taught me, and I'm happy to say you ended up just like him."
"What hurts the most about this whole situation is knowing that you have the rest of your life before you, and I won't be a part of it. I love you, my Andaros, my precious baby boy. Live your life how I taught you, and I'm sure you'll be fine. Goodbye, my heart."
With those words, Andrea Terasien disappeared. Leaving the young man in the room with a strange woman.
"Goodbye... Mom," Andaros replied softly, tears falling down his cheeks.
Before he knew it, Andaros was wrapped up in a hug. "She testified on your behalf, and we were able to procure evidence to clear your name. I'm sorry you had to go through this," the buxom beauty told him. "We'll be taking care of your case, in order to let you live your life as normal as possible."
"Thank you," Andaros told her, stepping back out of the hug, "but, can I ask who you are?"
"Oh, where are my manners," the woman responded, "I am Celia Tranis, Personal attorney to one Norton Coolidge," she informed him, causing the young man's jaw to almost drop to the floor. The woman giggled at this, then spoke again, saying, "and your legal guardian from this day forward."
"Eh?"
"Celia, have you told him yet," the door opened, and a baritone voice rang out. Andaros turned to see Norton Coolidge starting there, accompanied by two people, one who he recognized from his school.
"Yes Sir," Celia responded.
"What of his mother?"
The woman shook her head. "She shut down the device herself sir," she responded.
"That's a shame," Norton replied, fiddling with a device Andaros hadn't noticed on the table. "I thought she would do so, but she had a second chance available. Still, it seems she left something behind for the girl."
"Andaros, this is Eva Terasien, and was the last known surviving member of the Trem Noble family," Norton indicated the young woman, a girl he knew to be the school beauty. "She is also your wife, as agreed upon by your mother prior to her untimely death."
"WHAT?!"
"I'm sure this comes as a shock to you, but I assure you, it is completely legal," Norton replied.
"...But, what about her family," Andaros said, after a while of struggling to find a response, "and what of her own will? She's not some animal that doesn't have feelings."
"Her brother was the one who ordered your mother's death," Norton replied. "As for her situation, this is actually helping her. What her brother did is a blot on the nobility. He went against their Noblesse Oblige, and had your mother slain for his personal gain. He then went against galactic laws, breaking at least 3 of them in order to have you framed for your mother's death, and removed via a death sentence. Under such circumstances, she would normally be auctioned off as a slave. I would say being your wife would be a much better option, wouldn't you? She is innocent of any wrongdoing in your case, so this is what we came up with in order to protect her."
"You agree with this," Andaros asked the girl.
"Yes," the girl nodded, "It's not a bad deal for me. I don't become a slave, and I will have access to the same type of pod as you do."
Andaros gave an inquisitive look to Norton, and Ms. Tranis.
"It's a contractual marriage," the attorney told her charge. "Eva will have to meet certain contractual obligations as part of the bargain. She cannot seek divorce, and cannot cheat on you, among others. One of the contractual obligations involves taking the place of the companion you would normally receive as part of the package for the Mythril Class Pod you will be using to play. She will have to log in when you log in, and you will decide her character parameters, instead of herself. In the game, she will have to follow any instructions you give, regardless of consequences to herself," she explained.
"But, that's unfair! She didn't do anything wrong!"
"These are contractual obligations, obligations required in order for the young Eva to avoid becoming a slave," Celia told him in a stern tone. "They are necessary, regardless of your feelings. If she is unable to meet them, the noble houses will make certain to have her enslaved, and auctioned off to the highest bidder. She will then be their thing, their object, with absolutely no rights. We have already worked the conditions of the contract to be as lenient as possible. If you do not wish for her to become someone's plaything, then you must understand, and accept the rules of the contract."
"We've already worked things so that she has a number of advantages she would not have under normal circumstances," Professor Coolidge explained, "There were a number of concessions your mother requested on her behalf. While some of them may be inconvenient for her, they will not harm her. Others were given in exchange for other conditions. I am not at liberty to speak of some of them at this time, but your young wife had a say in what those conditions would be."
"Others, like the requirement to log in when you do, have some flexibility to them, in order to allow for things like bathroom breaks," Celia explained. "Galactic laws are very convoluted, and this is the only way around them that can be somewhat satisfactory for Eva's side. She may be required to become your woman for life, but she is in turn given some rights by that decision, and avoid a much worse situation."
"You agreed to this," Andaros asked the young lady.
"Yes, your mother allowed me to decide my fate," Eva replied calmly, "I was given a choice of Wife, Maid, or Sex Slave, and chose wife. I was given the option of going into the game with you, or staying out here. I was given the option of a silver edition pod, or a better pod in exchange for additional requirements. She allowed me to choose most of the things I would face, although the Professor allowed a Mythril Pod in exchange for a requirement that I am not willing to state at this time."
Andaros couldn't help but sigh at this response. "I suppose that's fine, so long as you are happy with your choice," he told her. "So, I've been cleared? What happens next?"
"That is your choice, young Terasien," Norton Coolidge replied. "Ms. Tranis has been appointed as your guardian until you reach the age of 18, so you may choose for the two of you to live with her at her mansion on the planet Druuf, or you may stay at your family farm, if you so choose."
"You are welcome to stay with me," Celia told him with a smile. "Of course, your cute wife is welcome to come with you. We can even move your mother's farm animals there if it will make you happier. As for your family home, we have already cleaned it to remove any signs of the tragedy that befell your mother, and made repairs to the structures on the property. We also had your mother's things gathered up, prepared her favorite dress for the funeral, and gave the remaining clothes to charity according to her wishes. She really had a lot of requests for us. The biggest was that that draft horse of hers goes with you wherever you decide to live until you turn 18."
"Um, what will happen to the home if I decide to live with you, Ms. Celia," Andaros asked.
"Supercal will hire a maid, and grounds keeper to maintain the property, should you decide to come stay with me on Planet Druuf until you come of age," Celia responded. "The Draft Horse, I think she called her Ebony, will come with you, as per your mother's request. Yet, you may choose whether to take the other animals with you, sell them outright, or have a hand hired to feed, and care for them until you return, if you decide to return when you turn 18."
"I, I need some time to think," Andaros replied.
"Take all the time you need," Norton replied. "Miss Tranis will take care of the paperwork, regardless of your choice."
A knock sounded, and then an officer entered the room. "Ms. Tranis, the paperwork has been filed," he informed the attorney, "Your client is free to go."
"What of his record," she asked.
"It's been purged from our local and planetary systems," the man replied, "the guys in IT had a field day with that one. Our office has issued a press release, as a noble caught onto what was happening, and made it into quite a big deal."
"Good, Norton, let's have a press release to inform them of the details of the situation that has occurred, and the contractual marriage Ms. Trem has undergone," Celia Tranis told her employer. "Forgive me, Mrs. Terasien, not Ms. Trem."
"Is that really necessary, Ms. Tranis," Norton asked.
"It is if you wish to avoid any further similar instances," Celia replied, "and it will prevent further troubles for the young Eva. You know how we nobles are."
"Sometimes I forget you are one yourself," Norton replied, sighing heavily. "Alright, we may as well get it over with. Let's go, you two," he told Andaros and Eva. "It's time to remind these upstart nobles that they shouldn't mess with our company, nor her backer."
"Backer," Andaros couldn't help asking.
"The woman standing beside you, Andaros," Norton explained, "She and her Grandfather before her. May I introduce Miss Celia Tranis, one of two people who made Trinity Online possible, and the most powerful woman in the galaxy. She also takes care of our legal matters."
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"He's exaggerating," Celia replied when Andaros turned to look at her.
"No, no," Norton denied her words, "Without your protection, it's not hard to see that Supercal would quickly be taken over by some noble family."
"Hmph, I'd like to see them try," Celia replied haughtily, "The fools would destroy the game within 3 months, and bankrupt themselves not long after."
"You don't give them enough credit, my dear lady," Norton replied.
"No, if anything, I give them too much credit," She replied, "The vast majority would take under a month to destroy the game. A few noble clans would then drop the game, while the majority would panic, and in their attempts to salvage it would bankrupt themselves within weeks."
"Let us not argue over this," Norton replied, "we should take the children and leave." He then turned to the officer and asked, "What of Andaros's clothes?"
"They were, unfortunately lost," the officer informed him. "Our department has been unable to locate them despite our best efforts."
"Teraise..."
"Already on it, Haeva should be about 15 minutes," the man who had been standing quietly beside Norton replied. "I took the liberty of having her purchase a changing screen as well."
"Very good, that should do nicely," Celia replied before Norton could. "Make certain the clothes are something fashionable," she added.
"That's why I sent Haeva," Teraise replied, "You know how she is about buying fashionable things. . . Plus, she's seen his pics, she'll know what should look best on him."
"Then it seems we have a bit of a wait," Norton replied.
"I'll take my leave, and inform the front desk to send Ms. Haeva back as soon as she arrives," the officer informed Norton. "Would you like us to arrange a Press conference?"
"That would be helpful, but unnecessary," Norton replied.
"Understood," the man replied, then left the room, and headed down the hall.
"While we're waiting, why don't I explain to you two the extras that come with your Mythril Pods. You will receive 100 special Mythril coins which can be used to purchase traits during character creation, which is a marked difference from the standard case. In this case, the coins will go to Andaros, and can be spent on traits for him, or for the both of you. Each Mythril tier account will receive a special hybrid race, which allows them to combine a system chosen race with their favorite, or current, race. In your cases, the race is not random, and you will each have the Myth tier Angaellis race as the system chosen side of your hybrid. Each Mythril tier account comes with a customizable companion but, due to your situation, Andaros will receive what would have been Eva's companion, and Eva will be considered his companion as well, for a total of two," Norton explained.
"Mythril tier accounts have access to a choice of one of 3 randomly chosen rare or better hidden races, and a single growth weapon, or paired growth weapons semi-randomly chosen, they will be based on that class. As these are all standard features for a Mythril Tier account, and due to your winning the commoner's division of the promotion, Ms. Tranis and I have decided to award you, and your companions with a hybrid class. You will have to train using two trainers, but it should also be quite useful when dealing with those noble brats. The growth weapon you receive will also be based on your race and class combination, which could be very interesting depending on your race and class choices. These are the changes to the reward you will be receiving, Andaros, and you will receive all the rewards that were already announced, including lifetime access to the game. Any questions?"
"You said that I will receive Eva's companion, does that mean she will be allowed to keep her weapon, or weapons," Andaros asked.
"Good question, the weapons will be chosen based on the Angaellis hybrid race, and will include all of your, and you companions' classes in their wieldable classes. They will be bound on equip, rather than bound on acquire, so you may choose who is equipped with what weapon," Norton informed him. "You know, we may as well give you a third growth weapon for your other companion."
"No, leave that as it is," Celia responded, "He will have to outfit his companion as per normal. You can allow a choice of 2 out of 3 options, but only 2 weapons. Seriously, that's why we only give one growth weapon to normal Mythril accounts, so they have to take the responsibility to provide weapons for their followers."
"Can beasts or animals be chosen as a companion," Andaros asked.
"Hmmm, That might be a viable option for the Mythril accounts, allow a beast, with less equipment slots to be chosen, for those who don't believe they will be able to afford a companion with more equipment slots," Norton said, thoughtfully.
"If you're going to do it, beasts should be a bit stronger on the base, with 4 equipment slots," Celia stated, "When they are both fully equipped, they should be roughly balanced, although Beasts would have skill choices based on their race, while humanoid races would be able to choose a class to train. I suppose we can allow Andaros a choice of Hybrid race and class for his second companion, but you will have to allow the same should the other Platinum Pod winners choose to upgrade to a Mythril tier pod."
"Hmmm, let's announce it with the announcement of Andaros and Eva's situation," Norton replied, "There will be a minor fee, for the nobility at least, but about 25% of the difference in price between the two."
We'll allow the winners 6 months before the Mythril Pods begin to be sold," Celia stated, "That should be sufficient to for them to consider the option somewhat of a reward."
"Good idea," Norton replied, excitedly.
A knock sounded out a moment later, and a woman entered the room carrying a folded up screen, and a pair of bags filled with clothing. "I went a bit overboard," the woman stated sheepishly.
"You didn't get anything for yourself, right," Celia asked sternly.
"No ma'am," she responded nervously, "I just couldn't decide what would look best on him, so I purchased 6 complete ensembles."
"That's acceptable, but I had better not find out you bought goods for yourself in Supercal's name," Celia responded in a very serious tone.
"I, I wouldn't dare, ma'am," She responded, seeming to be sweating profusely. She quickly set the screen, and quickly arranged the clothing on a the table, setting each outfit in a different stack.
Celia raised one eyebrow upon seeing the outfits, but said nothing for a moment, before finally saying, "This one." She picked up the outfit, and handed it to Andaros. "Put these on behind the screen, this is the most simple outfit she purchased, and should go well with your green eyes and brown hair."
Andaros did as she instructed, quickly changing into the clothes behind the screen. When he was done, he stepped back out, wearing a stylish, but simple green shirt made of a silk-like material, Brown dress pants made of a smooth, yet durable fabric, black dress socks, and simpler brown suede-like shoes. The outfit fit him surprisingly well, and was quite comfortable despite how it looked to him.
"Very nice," Celia replied, a glimmer in her eyes.
"He would look even better in some of the other outfits," Haeva grumbled under her breath.
"You clean up nicely, my boy," Norton said, giving him a nod. "Haeva, we'll have to see how he looks in the other outfits you purchased at a later time. For now, let's leave here, and call a conference aboard the Phoenix. I'll have my programmers make modifications to the system, and set it up so the Mythril Tier accounts can choose beasts, as well as create equipment for them to purchase or make in-game. It should only take a couple of hours with some help from The Guardians."
"Those three have their own jobs to do," Celia said, giving Norton a sidelong glance, "You'd better handle it yourself, or it'll be too troublesome."
Norton let out a sigh before saying, "I suppose you're right, it's just that these press conferences always drain me. Let's get going. Haeva, grab the extra outfits for Andaros."
With that, Andaros was lead out of the building with Eva, and stopped in his tracks when he saw a huge ship hovering over the square outside the Jail. It's orange-ish metal hull was vaguely shaped like a huge bird.
"Impressive isn't it," Norton asked. "This is Celia's personal spaceship, the Phoenix," he informed the young man, "The galaxy's most powerful Star Cruiser. It can take on a Behemoth class Star Carrier with little to no trouble. Let's step into the lift field, so we can board her. It's that lit up area. Once everyone is in the field, we'll have the crew bring us aboard."
Andaros followed The Professor's directions, and stepped into the field area alongside Eva, who stood slightly behind him on his left side. Andaros looked toward the girl, and received a shy smile from her, before she looked down. Andaros wondered if he should say anything to her, but before he could think of anything, everyone had assembled in the field, and they began to rise into the air. Andaros's eyes grew large, as they rose above the ground, and he slightly panicked, getting a few laughs out of the other members of Teraise's team that had joined them in the field.
"You'll get used to it kid," an old guy said as they rose up into the air, "The field takes some adjustment, but at least you didn't react as bad as half the people who are riding this thing for the first time."
"You reacted better than I did my first time," Teraise told him calmly.
"You gotta be kidding me," one of the women from Teraise's team remarked. "There's no way Captain "steel balls" Teraise would even respond to something like this."
"It's true. The first time I rode one of these, I was flailing my arms and legs like an idiot," Teraise replied.
"He's telling the truth, Missy," the old guy responded, "I was there. He nearly knocked out his entire team in his panic, and over the next year he actually got worse. It took him 6 months of intensive training with constant ups and downs in the field to break that habit. Now, you wouldn't know he ever had that problem."
"It's kinda hard to believe," the woman replied as they rose up through a port in the ship's underside. As soon as they had risen through, A door snapped shut below them as they continued through the hull, and into the ship. A second door snapped shut once they had all passed the half-way point of the tube they were being transported through, and a third snapped shut once they reached a room that looked equal parts reception room, and cargo bay.
"Welcome aboard the Phoenix, Young Master Terasien," a jovial old man greeted them. "Welcome back to My Lady, Professor Coolidge, and the young lady Eva."
"Andaros, I would like to introduce you to Captain Armin Ahab, a long-term friend of my grandfather's, and the Captain of the Phoenix," Celia told the young man.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Andaros addressed him, attempting to be polite, and bowing after speaking.
"Now, now, there's no reason to attempt to by polite with me Young Master Terasien," the old man replied to his obvious attempt at being polite.
"But Sir..."
"Don't Sir me, Young Master Terasien, I've never been a Sir before, and I don't intend to start now," the captain replied sternly, he soon returned to a jovial manner. "You may address me as Captain Ahab, or simply Captain. I'm not one for trivialities most of the time, but as long as you are in My Lady's care, I will refer to you as Young Master Terasien.
"Captain Ahab is a bit of a stickler for protocol," Ms. Tranis explained, "That being said, I can get him to change his mannerisms on many things, but this is the one protocol I can never get him to budge on."
"I am flexible in a great many things, but I will not allow disrespect toward My Lady, nor her charges," Captain Ahab explained. "As for Professor Coolidge, he has earned my respect over the years I have known him."
"Come now Armin," Norton responded, "You know I dislike that title. Stop calling me in such a stuffy manner just because we have two young ones with us."
"As you wish, Sir Coolidge," Armin responded. "What is our next destination?"
"Take us to Andaros's farm, and prepare any intergalactic press conference aboard ship," Celia instructed.
"At once, My Lady," Captain Ahab responded. "It should not take too long to arrive, Young Master Terasien. My Lady's maids shall be available to attend to your... needs, until we arrive." He added, before turning to leave the bay.
"Don't make it sound like I would allow them to take part in elicit services, Captain."
Captain Ahab paused at her words, before responding, "Of course not, My Lady, that was not my intent. Forgive my lack of words." He then left the bay.
Celia let out a sigh, and Professor Coolidge explained, "Celia's maids do not engage in sexual acts, so don't misunderstand. Armin's native language is not Galactic Commons, so there are times he chooses questionable wording. You get used to it."
"Um, I didn't even think of something like that," Andaros responded.
It had taken him a moment to realize what Ms. Tranis had been speaking of when she responded to Captain Ahab. It wasn't that he was dense, but that he didn't think of things in a noble's mindset. Needs, to him, indicated things such as food, drinks, and possibly conversation, although that last one would likely be unnecessary with people like the Professor, and Ms. Tranis, around. Having a chance to talk with the creator of Trinity Online would likely be a big help, if he had the time.
Unfortunately, such a conversation was not to be, Norton soon excused himself, stating that he should get the changes to the companion system made so that Andaros could choose a beast companion for his second companion, if he so chose. It would take a few more days before he could log in, but Andaros wasn't really in the mood to do so at the time. His mother's murder was far too recent, along with the injustices done to him, and to Eva as well. It frustrated him that she was forced to become his wife due to circumstances outside of her control. His thoughts were interrupted by a dainty hand being placed on his own, and he looked up to find Eva looking at him compassionately.
"Are you okay, Andaros," she asked in a gentle, soothing tone.
"What of you," he asked in response. It was easier to worry about her situation than to be reminded of the loss of his mother. "I can't imagine this has been easy on you," He told her.
"I'd be lying if I said it was," she responded, "but I was lucky enough to marry such a kind husband. I may not be a noble anymore, but I wasn't really free even then, and my own brother treated me more like a piece of merchandise than a noblewoman. In fact, I'm probably freer as your wife than I was as a noblewoman. It's much easier to face than what you're facing. I...hardly knew my parents before they passed away, but you knew your mother for much longer, and, and she was much nicer than my parents were."
Eva began to tear up, as she thought of the mother Andaros had lost, and Eva had only met after her death. She was such a wonderful, warm-hearted person that Eva regretted not being able to have gotten the chance to know what having her as a mother would be like. She knew she would soon have to go through some difficulties at Andaros's hands due to the contracted marriage conditions, but that was not something she would hold against him, nor was she allowed to tell him of those clauses. The result was that she would also have a Mythril tier account, she would be counted as a companion, and her husband could have one more companion, which was enough for her. He was much kinder than she had feared, so she did not mind the things she had to give up in order to be his wife. The fact that she was not a slave who would have to obey her master no matter how cruel the command was a big plus. She may have to obey Andaros, much like a slave, while in the game, but she had no doubts her husband would not be the kind of person who would require unrealistic things of her.
"Yeah," Andaros replied glumly.
"I, I know I could never replace her, but I want you to know you're not alone," Eva told him, "You have me."
Andaros's eyes widened as he registered what she had just told him. He couldn't think of a response, so he just wrapped the girl up in a big hug. Eva soon began to cry, and Andaros soon joined her as the two unleashed their tears.
"It seems you made a wise choice, dear sister," a quiet voice whispered, unheard by the two crying teens. "We'll continue the work you began, both of the works you began."
The galaxy didn't know, The universe of Trinity Online wasn't created by Norton Coolidge. Thousands of worlds, billions of beings, histories of many different lands, they were the product of one singular mind, a brilliant, albeit unknown life who was now lost to the galaxy. The galaxy would likely never know that Norton Coolidge was not the one to create the histories, planets, races, and various beasts of Trinity Online, but that a single gentle, unassuming woman had created the masterpiece that was Trinity Online with the help of the professor. That's just the kind of woman Andrea Christiana Terasien, formerly Tranis, was.
-------------------------
Norton Coolidge stepped up onto the podium within the augmented reality theater of the Phoenix. The press were already there, present as holograms within the theater.
"Professor Coolidge can you tell us why you requested a press conference on such short notice," one of the reporters asked before he could begin. He couldn't help smiling at the question everyone was no doubt thinking.
"Yes," he replied, nodding heavily. He took on a stern countenance, and then stated, "A member of the Nobility has broken the Galactic pact, and a number of similar incidents were attempted against our warnings. My commoner division winner had his mother murdered, and the blame was laid upon his head. Meanwhile, his pod was stolen by corrupt authorities, and handed over to his mother's murderer."
Norton paused, taking in the deathly stillness that descended upon the room, before continuing.
"The pod was tracked, and found in the possession of one Grevel Trem of the planet Torm. Also found within his data banks was a recording of the entire event, which has been relayed to each of you. By his actions, Grevel Trem not only broke the Noblesse Oblige by taking what was given to another for his own gain, but also broke no less than 3 galactic laws in having the rightful recipient framed for the murder, and securing a death penalty in order to cover up his own crimes. He has been convicted and transferred to Facility 4218, the facility that handles all nobles who break this law of the nobility."
"Grevel Trem is survived by his sister, Eva Trem, the last member of the Trem noble family. As the charges against her house's head are severe enough to warrant the remaining house members being stripped of their nobility and sold as slaves, a contractual marriage was performed to allow the innocent young Eva to avoid such a sentence. Her Nobility has been stripped as a clause of the contractual marriage, and the marriage has already been arranged, and filed by my secretary. It was approved prior to Andaros's release on false charges and wrongful conviction. I am here to make this very clear... if anyone, ANYONE, breaks this rule again, and harms a winner of any galactic promotion held by Trinity Online, do not blame us if we no longer hold back. Your accounts will be stripped, and your noble clan may just cease to be. Those who tried to harm our other contestants can consider themselves lucky that their attempts were thwarted before something like this case occurred a second time, we know who you are."
Norton stopped there, and gave all the people in his view a hard look, making sure to look into each and every camera feed in order, before continuing.
"As this situation occurred following the announcement of his winning, Supercal has decided to offer Andaros the next Generation Mythril Tier pod, and a lifetime Mythril tier account in apology for the delay of our protectors reaching his planet, which resulted in his mother's death," Norton went on to say. "The other winners of platinum pods will be offered the Mythril tier pods at a discounted cost of 25% of the market value. These pods will be available only to the winners of this contest for 6 months of time, as a sort of additional prize, after which they will go on sale at full price."
We will also be introducing a new modification to the companion system, in which beast companions will be available. These companions will have boosts to their base stats, but in exchange will have only 4 equipment slots. In the end, they will be comparable to humanoid companions of the same rarity tier. This will provide players with a companion that is cheaper to outfit. I suggest those who won pods in this event hold off on creating their new companions, if they have not already created them, and save them until the new changes go live in 4 days. Good Day."
With those words, Norton Coolidge cut off the feed, and left the conference, returning to the simple stage aboard the Phoenix.
The words of Norton Coolidge soon spread throughout the galaxy, causing a huge stir. Along with the evidence of his mother's murder, the contractual marriage agreement was publicized, with certain clauses blurred out for the privacy of the two involved. Someone had dared to attack someone who had won Supercal's commoner division, and they had responded with force. Every noble family in the galaxy couldn't help but silently fume at Grevel Trem, and those who tried to go behind Supercal's backs to harm the winning contestants.
Still, the news that garnered the most attention was undoubtedly the announcement of the new Mythril Tier pods and accounts, and the nobles that won a platinum pod couldn't be happier, a discount, and early access to the new account tier, with 6 extra months of play time as the only owners of Mythril access was a huge bonus for them. Not only would they have a younger generation with the accounts, but they could learn more information about the perks that came with it. Within a short time, the clans had contacted Supercal, and purchased the pod upgrades. Not a single one opted to stick with a platinum pod, even if they would have to skimp a bit on their usually luxurious food in order to buy the pods and begin saving for more at full price, it would be well worth the effort.
All the galaxy's elite players and wealthy merchants made similar plans, for a time, inexpensive foods became the staple for nobles and commoners alike, luxury food providers took a serious hit for approximately one year. The event would come to affect most of the galaxy's industries, though none more-so than luxury foods, despite their penchant for such foods, they were not a requirement to exist, and the nobles were willing to give up luxurious food outside the game in order to get the new pods, they could, after all, still enjoy luxurious food within the game.
-------------------------
Andaros was completely unaware of the events soon to be set off by the announcement Norton had made concerning his situation as he made his way to the house he had grown up in. With him was the girl who had become his legal wife, Eva. The gigantic ship known as the Phoenix hovered overhead, but he had requested some privacy for the night. Unfortunately, the contractual marriage arrangement included a clause that required Andaros and Eva to consummate their marriage that night. This meant that he couldn't simply push her away, and had to be intimate with the beautiful young woman. He didn't want to treat her like an object, but the circumstances were bad. For her sake, he had to follow through with it, but it didn't make him feel good, and he worried he'd just treat it as a chore. That wouldn't be fair to Eva, no matter how awkward the two might be, that was much better than him being detached, and treating her as an object. He was so worried about it that he didn't realize the the fact that he was even worried about it already meant he was not treating her as an object.
The two entered the silent house, and Andaros turned on the lights. Looking around, the house had obviously been cleaned, but all the things his mother had used to decorate, the small amount she had, were still there in their places. There were a few obvious differences though, there were appliances there that had not been before, including a new big screen Galactic Communication and Entertainment System installed into one of the living room walls. The spot had always been empty, so it wasn't a huge change, but it did change the overall look of the place. He walked slowly into the house full of memories of his mother, a memory of him as a little kid crying when he scraped both knees, and his mother had to carry him in, and place him on the couch while she was getting some disinfectant spray and skin sealer to treat the wound, the couch had still had his blood on it from that time just a short few days ago, but it was now gone, a memory of holding a little chick while his mother tried to bind it's broken wing, a memory of climbing the stairs to the second level, and falling, giving his mother a big scare. There were memories everywhere within the place. Everything was still in it's place, but someone was missing from the scene.
Andaros stepped into the kitchen, his mom was at the kitchen sink, cleaning a few vegetables that were difficult to deal with, and had to be put into the meal near the end of their cooking, or they would cook long before the rest of the meal. The summer sun flowed in through the kitchen window that displayed a bright blue sky in the distance. She turned back and greeted him, telling him that dinner would be ready soon, only she wasn't there, the illusion fled away like dust in the wind, and Andaros was left feeling empty.
The memory of finding his mother lying there on the floor, in a pool of her own blood began to play, and Andaros couldn't help crying out, and rushing to the place and kneeling down, only to find his mother wasn't there. He began to cry, burying his face into his own hands as he did so. The next thing he knew, he was wrapped up in a big hug, and looked up to see his mom.
"My dear boy, My Andaros," she seemed to say, "I will always love you. Take care of Eva, she has no one else to turn to. I will always love you, take care, My Heart."
With those words, he found his mother gone, replaced by Eva, who gave him a tender look as tears fell down her cheeks. He buried his head in her chest, crying heavily. Those were the words his mother always used for him, My Heart, as if he were the most precious thing in the world to her. An hour later he was still crying, it was then that he heard Eva tell him something that shocked him to the core.
"I will always be here for you, My Heart," the young woman told him, her voice full of tenderness, just like his mother's had always been. His eyes flew wide open as he registered her words, and the way she had spoken them. He hugged her tightly, and them brought his lips up to overlap hers. He knew she wasn't his mom, but that overlap of their personalities caused him to truly accept this girl who was now his legal wife.
Eva, for her part, did not know that she had just spoken his mother's most memorable phrase, nor the impact it would have on him. She had only tried calling him something her mother called her father when they were in private, so she was completely taken off guard when he sat up and kissed her. Their lips overlapped for just a few moments, sharing a chaste kiss, but it left an impression that would stay with the two for the rest of their lives.
"Thank you, Eva," Andaros told her, wiping the tears from his eyes.
The young woman looked at him in a daze before showing a look of confusion. "Why," she asked.
"For calling me, "My Heart"," he replied.
"Oh, okay?"
Seeing her confused face, Andaros couldn't help chuckling. "Did you know that was my mother's favorite thing to call me," he asked her.
"No, I don't know anything about..."
Realizing what he just said, Eva's eyes grew wide open and her voice stopped as she was halfway through what she was saying. "I'm, I'm so sorry," she stumbled over her words as she spoke to him.
"Don't be," he replied immediately, causing her to calm down as he wrapped her up in a gentle hug, "You have nothing to apologize for. It helped me to calm down. If anything, I have to thank you." He then kissed her and said, "Thank you, my beautiful wife."
Eva blushed before saying, "I don't think it's that great."
"Perhaps not, but it makes what comes next much easier for me," he told her.
Before she could ask what he meant, Andaros moved, and quite suddenly he had her in his arms, held in what was called a princess carry, even in that day and age. He then carried her up the stairs, and to his mother's room. Although his room would be more comfortable for him, Andaros realized that his mother's old room, with it's queen-sized bed would be a better place for what they were about to do.
When they reached the room, he found a surprise, where a queen-sized bed had once been, was a King-sized bed, and the room was arranged very differently, with new furniture that somehow matched the one piece of furniture still conspicuously left behind from his mother, an old hope chest that was still very well preserved. There were a few trinkets and figurines his mother had loved arranged in the room, but it was otherwise a vastly different layout. It seemed like someone had arranged it using his favorite things, and the sorts of things a girl, or young woman would love. Thinking about it, it must combine his things with Eva's, and his mother's. Seeing a letter, he set Eva down and picked it up. On it were computer printed words in a familiar hand-writing.
My Heart, my dearest Andaros,
I had the workers remove most of my things, only leaving a few things behind. I arranged your favorite things with those of your wife. I hope you don't mind that I chose to make her as such, but Eva is a delightful girl, and I hope you come to enjoy the time you have with her. I kept my old hope chest in the room, still full of mementos of when you were a child, I hope you can pass them on to your own child one day.
Norton splurged, and replaced the furniture in the house, although most of it is a look-alike for our furniture, it's all much better materials, and will likely last generations. The old study has been renovated into a virtual reality pod room and mini-library, and your old room is setup with a crib three-in-one unit that will hopefully serve you well when my lovely new daughter bears your children. Even the kitchen has been fully updated with new technologies that, while designed to last, are very different on the inside, despite looking the same. I hope you like the shower, it ate half of my old walk-in closet, but I think it was well worth it.
Take care of yourself, and of my daughter. Make plenty of memories together, live, laugh, love, and talk with the creator once in a while.
With love,
Your Mother, Andrea Terasien.
P.S. The Galactic Communication and Entertainment System in the living room was my idea, you can use it to check for news on the game, if Norton doesn't bug you about it himself. He seems to have taken a shine to you after listening to my stories. Supercal has agreed to pay for it in order that Celia may contact you if you decide to stay here.
Andaros couldn't help smiling after reading the letter. It was so like his mom to do such a thing for his sake. She didn't have to say it in the letter, the layout of the room showed him her love. Some objects might be foreign to him, but they were a part of the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.
He had been dreading entering the room until now, but it suddenly wasn't so bad. He had a part of his mother here, but the room was not her room he had always seen, so the pain seemed much more manageable. He turned toward his new wife once more, who was staring at the room in wonder. She hadn't spoken to Andrea about any of her favorite things, so the fact that she had every single one in this room, including an old, broken down music box, was incredible. She had no way of knowing how she had managed to determine what her favorite things were.
"Ready," Allarian asked, using just a single word.
"Huh? Oh, uh... yes," Eva answered, not understanding at first.
The two went to the bed, and when the blanket and top sheet were moved it was revealed that there was a smaller red blanket above the sheets. On top of this blanket was a note indicating that they should use the blanket for their first time, then dispose of it. The note stated that there was a waterproof layer to protect the sheets underneath from staining, but it was not meant to be slept in as it did not breathe.
Truthfully, the situation became a bit awkward due to this note, but they decided to follow the instructions. Andaros's mother had meant well, and even explained why they should use it. Apparently it was for the blood that would leak after Eva's "deflowering", as she put it. She also told her son to be gentle on their first time, and make certain he didn't hurt her too much, and even suggested using the lubricant she had left a tube next to the note for their first time.
The two awkwardly followed the instructions, and made love. It was bitter sweet, but the two managed to complete the act, and even feel good by the end. Afterward, the two fell asleep, snuggling together.
The next morning, Andaros awoke to find a beautiful woman clinging to him. In his drowsy state, he froze up, and it took him a few moments to remember who she was, and realize that she was his wife. Once he had come to that realization, he relaxed significantly. This whole situation had been pretty crazy so he had not had time to fully process the situation, and therefore it was not surprising that he had been confused upon awakening to find the beautiful former noblewoman clinging to him.
Eva was quite the beauty. Standing at 5'7", she was not particularly tall, but was not short either. The young woman had a modest chest, with a slim figure. Wide hips attached to a slim waste, and long, shapely legs. She had small, but firm buttocks, that were quite pert. An egg-shaped face with delicate cheeks, and expressive blue tsurime eyes, and long, flowing brown hair matched against a reddish brown skin tone completed the picture. If there were something he'd change about her, it would be her modest bosom and buttocks sizes, but those were hardly that important. The most important thing to consider was always the personality, and so far Eva had quite the lovely one. Perhaps he would modify her bust and buttocks sizes to meet his preferences in the game, but this was a cosmetic change, and it wasn't something he would force upon her in real life. There were supplements to safely improve a woman's bust size, with a limit of 1-3 cup sizes, but they were costly. Having a larger bust size would also require stronger back muscles, or their heavy weight would most assuredly hurt her back as time went by.
He thought it might be nice to make her physical specs match his preferences in the game, but would need to make certain that he could choose to strengthen her back musculature in the game so that it would not harm her there. While bust size was considered a cosmetic change, life-like physics were applied to the game, and things like back pain from too large a chest size might affect a woman like in real life. If this was the case, he would certainly have to hope there was a race that had particularly strong backs, or was naturally designed to have large chests, and therefore already had such considerations built in. The other possibility was if one of the special traits the mythril pods allowed him to purchase would provide for back strength, or gave a naturally large bust size and protection from associated back pain.
These were silly thoughts. Here he was, laying with this beauty whom he had just met, and who had become his wife. Yet, he was worrying about such things, and deciding their future in the game based upon them. It was likely a stupid mistake, but he really did like large bosoms and buttocks, so he thought he was entitled to such stupidity just this once.
It was a long while before Eva stirred, but Andaros waited patiently, silently wondering if he were a fool for having such thoughts. When she did finally open her eyes, he was there looking into them. Eva didn't panic, or even flinch, at Andaros's presence. She simply stretched while yawning, and greeting him with a, "Good Morning."
"Morning," he responded, "We should take showers, and then I can deal with this blanket," Andaros suggested to his new wife.
"Okay," Eva responded, and gave him a passionate kiss. "Are you joining me?"
"Yeah, give me a minute to get the this blanket off the bed. Mom warned about staining the sheets," he replied.
Eva got up, and strolled into the bathroom, waggling her hips as she walked. Andaros couldn't help realizing this wasn't entirely an unconscious movement, and she confirmed it by looking back at him just before entering the bathroom door. This was slightly comical, as she was walking a bit bowleggedly, enough that he couldn't miss the strangeness of her movements.
Andaros shook his head in amusement, and got up, checking to make sure none of the sheets were stained from last night. He removed the blanket, and again checked for stains to ensure he hadn't missed any. Thankfully, there were none, as he didn't have any funds to replace the sheets or blanket, and it would take a great deal of time to replace the sheets if he had to make new ones from the wool his mother collected from the gult she raised with him.
Andaros carefully wrapped the blanket up on itself to ensure the part that might be bloody would not touch the floor, and the area rug covering it, and then put it down near the bedroom door, before heading into the bathroom. He found quite a different bathroom than he expected, a large tub that would fit two people comfortably was alongside a shower stall with a lot of room within. He couldn't see where the shower head was, which somewhat confused him, but he reasoned there must be one, somewhere. Despite the time he had taken to check the sheets and bumble to blanket, Eva had not done anything, and was looking at the bathroom in awe.
"Why are you like that," Andaros asked, letting out a chuckle.
"It's just that I've never seen such a spacious bathroom," she replied sheepishly.
"You haven't," Andaros asked, a bit surprised.
"Well, no. My brother treated me as a pawn. He didn't even let me live in the family home. I had a separate house on the estate, kinda like this house, but a bit larger. The bathroom was just a normal one, nothing this big, or fancy," she explained.
"It wasn't this fancy before," Andaros replied, "It was probably a third this size last I used it. The tub was smaller then. Mom's letter on the dresser seems to have indicated doing a renovation to the bathroom, at the cost of closet space. Well, Mom used that huge walk-in closet as more of a storage space anyway, not sure why it was so large. Everyone out here on this side of town makes their own homes. At least everyone I know of. So, it's probably something she chose to have for herself."
"Oh."
"Let's take a shower, and don't try to do another sexy walk until after you've recovered," Andaros advised her. "It was cute, but your walking was so awkward it wasn't really sexy."
Eva's face turned red at his words, and she looked downward. "Was, was it that bad?"
"No, not bad," he replied, "It just seemed awkward for you. It's not like I minded, but it made me feel sorry for causing your discomfort."
"Oh..."
"Let's take a shower, do you like hot, or cold showers," Andaros asked.
"Um, I like medium showers," she responded, "My mom said to do cold showers for hair but, I'm not good with cold."
"Okay, we'll set it for the best temperature for you," he told her.
After this short conversation, Andaros and his new wife had an awkward shower together. Not knowing how your partner likes to shower, nor how the particular shower you are using works, can be quite an embarrassing predicament, as the two quickly learned.
It became apparent that the shower was quite different from the ones either of them knew. Jets of water came down from nozzles hidden in the outside perimeter of the ceiling above the shower stall, and angled to the center, meeting at a point three feet above the very center of the stall. This was a strange setup to the two, and figuring out how to move to wash, and rinse, their hair was a painful experience. The pain was due to the shower spray blasting down into their eyes when they tried to move under the spray like one would with a normal shower. It took a few attempts before they learned to back into the spray instead of walking forward into it.
Once their shower was done, the two found no towels, and it took a minute to learn of the air jets built into the shower stall, these air jets blew hot air out at high speeds to dry the showering individual or individuals. It would take Eva several days to learn how to use the jets to blow dry her hair without making it a tangled mess which she had to spend a long time combing. The two had plenty of time, however, as The Professor was busy making new coding for the new beast companions. This gave the two plenty of time to become more acquainted over the next 4 days.
Andaros picked up the chores around the place, feeding the animals and tending to the farm. Eva's help was quite appreciated, as Andaros still experienced accidents, albeit far less than before. Once she took over the parts using machinery, it was much easier to work, even with her obvious lack of experience she didn't have things breaking every so often.