I have felt a distinct difference in my strength after a week of practice with my new technique. It took a while to manage my mana correctly while moving, at first I barely could keep everything going while sitting still. When I first tried to move it promptly unraveled and I face smashed into the ground from the involuntary jerk my body did when I lost my enchantment.

But now I could actually run and jump with it. It was so exhilarating jumping over two meters upward and running faster than Usain Bolt. I didn’t have a timer for my hundred meters, but I believed it would take me less than eight seconds now.

I would have liked to have proper weights and tracks that could measure my progress, but here it was only on gut feeling and for now it was more than enough with how easy it was to see the difference from before I came to this world.

It really brightened my day that it worked, I was getting noticeable progress and it was without those god awful headaches that my image produced. Now I only had a slight sting in my muscles and a sense of accomplishment.

Smiling to myself I sat down to take a breather while practicing my technique. It was still nowhere close to where I wanted it to be. It was a rough approximation of my goal, and it was still unstable and crude while I was moving. It was extremely hard for my concentration to keep up the whole thing while moving. I needed to make it into muscle memory, or is it called soul or mana memory? What I knew was that keeping it up and controlling it actively wouldn’t work. Until I had it down pat and could do it subconsciously it would be relegated to safe environments only, as I couldn’t rely on it if I wasn’t relaxed and mentally prepared for the endeavor.

It was enough that one of the orphanage girls called to me that the whole thing unraveled at this point.

I guess that’s why Inara appeared in front of me when I was undressing at the glade, the shock was enough to rile even her who was experienced with her technique. The memory brought a chuckle to me, at that point I didn’t even know she was an insecure pervert that only pretended to be a tough girl. It wasn’t an accident that she was there like I thought at first.

The thought of the girls reminded me that a month had already passed. Lyria promised that they would be back at this point and I was getting worried.

What if something happened to them? Their profession couldn’t be a safe one with going out into the wild fighting monsters that could easily rip a person to shreds with a casual swipe. The bear that they rescued me from wasn’t even counted as a monster, they didn’t even see it as a dangerous creature to them. But back at home it would have been an apex predator that could easily win versus anything that earth had to offer. Only the dinosaurs would have a chance against that juggernaut, here it was only a big beast dangerous for regulars but expected that any awakened worth their salt could take it down.

My stomach chruned from imagining them being hurt. Putting a dampener on my good mood I went towards the clinic to get my thoughts away and check out how they were doing. Nira had made sports bras for herself, Clara, Eris and Lisandra to see if it would work, they were the only ones she could take measurements for the trial. As for now only the initial recipe that Clara spilled over me worked. The other test didn’t have the same effect, or it didn’t get completely absorbed by the material and got washed out. The best effect came from letting it lay in it for a whole day before drying for another day.

Well the good news was that a batch could be used on two to three clothes depending on how big they were.

Knocking on the clinic door I headed inside.

“Hey, so how is the bra treating you?”

“Ooh, hey Alex. It feels really nice, I never had cloths of this quality before. I get now why those pompous merchants and nobles always dress in finery. I didn’t even realize how different it would feel until I tried it. The best part is how easy it is to take on and off compared to my usual bindings.”

Smiling towards me Lisandra looked up from what she was reading.

“That’s good to hear.”

“By the way Nira came earlier. She is in the back with Clara.”

Nodding towards Lisandra I headed for the workshop. It seemed that Nira was excited about the new product as well.

Knocking and heading inside I saw them standing over a tray, it was a test with some color pigments. It was a dull blue but compared to the dour brown colors from most outfits it was a fresh of breath air. Especially for Nira who was a seamstress and found something completely new for her profession. Only the expensive clothes from the upper class had any color in their outfits.

“Is the latest test going well?”

Clara did a cute yelp when she heard me. She was completely fixated on the experiment until then, she didn’t even hear me knock on the door when I entered. It wasn’t anything extreme like in the past, but she was still stammering in my presence and had a problem with eye contact.

Nira turned around with an excited smile on her face and a glint in her eyes.

“This is wonderful. I always dreamed of working with this kinda of material and different colors. But I never thought I would have the chance, especially now when I was getting up in my age. I feel like I’m young again with how excited I am.”

Smiling towards her I nod.

“That’s good to hear. There hasn’t been any problems with the bras or the material degrading?”

“No it’s all working great with the initial formula at least. But I’m worried about how we are going to sell them. I worked with regular people and they can’t afford to use gold for clothes, a whole family can live for a couple of months with that kind of a sum.”

Stolen novel; please report.

She got a pondering and uncertain look on her face while airing her concerns.

“Yeah, I though about that. We should be fine, just have to wait for my family to come home and I wanted to try something… I’m kinda worried about them since they said they would be back by now…”

I had a worried tone by the end, it reminded me that they still hadn’t come back.

“It will be fine Alex, mercenary work is never precise. They are smart girls that have done this for a long time. I’m sure they are doing just fine and will be back any day now.”

Nira comforted me with her gentle smile while clapping me on the shoulder.

Clara was fidgeting the whole time uncertain of what she should do or say, whenever I turned towards her she would swivel her head a different direction.

Sighing I really hoped everything was alright with them.

“Thanks Nira. There isn’t any problem with the bras your wearing? How do they feel?”

“It’s wonderful. It’s such an easy concept that I’m surprised no-one has come up with it yet. It’s so much more comfortable than the usual wrappings and easier as well. Maybe the nobility have something like this, but I never came across something quite like it.”

Nira was beaming while answering she really liked this new type of underwear.

Clara was nodding along the whole time, and when I looked inquisitively towards her she gulped while grabbing the hem of her robe with both hands. Taking a deep breath she stammered out.

“I-t-t’s re-a-a-lly nice. Tha-thank yo-you.”

Well it was an improvement compared to before, but it was still a long way until she was comfortable around me.

Waking up the next day I heard a commotion outside going towards the noise I was thrilled. The girls where back, I saw Lyria run towards me with a beaming smile on her face, Inara was looking smugly towards me with a crew of rough looking women. There was a scarred thirty year old that was scowling towards me with the rough looking crew around her looking shocked. Nyla waved towards me with a proud look on her face, I didn’t see Cassandra though.

Lyria jumped into my embrace and I twirled her around.

“Hehe, we’re back.”

“I’m glad you are safe.”

Letting her go I walked towards the rest of them, I saw that Inara was somehow holding back. She was looking awfully stoic and proud, while talking with the crew.

“Welcome back.”

Calling out I waved towards Inara and Nyla. I wanted to go up there and hug them, but since they were in company I held back for now.

“I missed you Alex.”

Nyla smiled while coming towards me I hugged her as well.

Looking inquisitively at Inara who was still standing there with the crew. She introduced me to her presumable friends, I was uncertain with how they were acting and looking at me. But since they came together I assumed that they were at least somewhat friendly.

“This is Alex, my man that I told you about.”

Beaming with pride she looked smugly towards the scarred women in front that seemed like their leader.

“Hey Alex, are you really with this bunch of misfits? Your not their brother or something?”

I didn’t like the tone she said it in, she was both surprised and disdainful at the same time and calling them misfits was really unnecessary. Scowling towards her I refuted her.

“Of course I’m with them. I’m more surprised that they brought you over instead of coming by themselves.”

“Hahaha, sorry about that. I was just so surprised that at least some things she spewed where true. Inara here was telling so many unbelievable stories about you that I had to make sure. You know she told me that she is a goddess in bed, and that you couldn’t wait for her to get back. That you were completely enamored with her and had completely submitted to her.”

Inara looked shocked towards the woman, crying out.

“I did no such thing, I never said I had submitted him or anything like that.”

“Shut up girly, you insinuated it. You should hear her yap about herself during our trip, if you didn’t know her better you would think that she was an elite merc that had a guy wrapped around each arm. I don’t know how she acts around you, but among us women she shows her true colors. I would suggest you find yourself a better family, someone like you could do so much better.”

Who was this woman? She didn’t even introduce herself and started talking shit about Inara in front of me. I know she likes to brag and make herself bigger, but that just makes her cute in my eyes. She just wants to impress people because she is uncertain about herself.

“I’m disappointed in you Inara.”

I could see her flinch and get a hurt look on her face, the crew behind the scarred woman started snickering and laughing while she got the biggest leer on her face.

“Instead of coming straight back to me you brought this buffoon with you. Even if what you said is true I don’t want you to share our moments with strangers. You know I was waiting for you girls to come back, that I was worried about you. Dreaming of you in my lonely nights while you where away aching for your touch. As punishment you are mine for the whole night, until I’m completely and utterly satisfied. Don’t expect to get any sleep tonight.”

Everyone around me where gaping with their mouths and eyes wide open, no-one expected me to say something like that at all. Nyla was redder in the face than I ever saw her before. Mother Eris who was close by put her hand in front of her mouth.

“Hohoho, oh my.”

Inara who was at first looking distressed when that woman started to talk shit had gotten the biggest smile I ever saw on her while she held her head out high and puffed her considerable chest out in pride.

“You heard him Hera, pay up and get lost. We don’t have time wasting it on you buffoons.”

After a moment of shock Hera turned and glared hatefully at Inara.

“I don’t know how you told him but this is bullshit, no guy would ever say that voluntarily.”

Walking up to Inara I looped my arm around her thin waist, looking directly at Hera.

“I don’t know anything about what is going on, I didn’t even know they would come home today. But your not going to talk shit about my family in front of me and expect that I will play ball.”

“So you admit that what you said is bullshit!”

“There was no bullshit involved, what I said was the truth. I would never talk like that among real company but when assholes like you disparage them I’ll gladly set things straight. No matter how embarrassing the truth is.”

The girls where glaring at them now.

“Hey, stop trying to weasel your way out we had a bet and you lost, or are you telling me that you never intended to honor your word?”

Growling under her breath Hera glared at me before tossing a small pouch at Inara. It flew so fast that I couldn’t see it, but Inara just casually snatched it out of the air. Looking inside she smiled.

“It’s all here, hehe I told you easy money. Now get lost, I have an obligation to fulfill.”

Winking towards the crew Inara laughed out loud while turning around so we could walk away.

When the crew had grumpily disappeared around the corner Lyria went up to me and entwined my arm.

“Did you miss me like that as well?”

She looked directly into my eyes with her beautiful sky blue eyes, I could see a hint of jealousy from the way she had a slight pout on her cute pink lips and a determined glint in her eyes.

“Of course, I thought of you everyday and night.”

Bending down I gave her a deep kiss, when I pulled back I could see a dreamy gaze in her eyes.

“It’s unfair that I have to wait now…”

She pouted after a moment.

Inara just laughed at her.

“Should have taken me up on the threesome then. Now it’s my turn.”

She was positively beaming since I disparaged Hera.

“What?”

Nyla cried out, she had been quiet since the whole ordeal. But the look of shock on her face and how red she was gave me a chuckle. I didn’t know she could blush even harder, but guess I was wrong.

“Where is Cassandra by the way?”

“Ohh, she went to the guild to give her report on our mission. We couldn’t finish it so they need to send a stronger team to get the rest.”

Lyria answered me.