After reaching the castle’s main gate and walking into the plaza right in front of it, we all stop together by the carriages belonging to our establishment. Two distinguishable groups form. I’m standing with Cornelia while Vanessa stays amongst our Heroes as we face each other.

Shino breaks this division and trots close to me. Already figuring out her intentions by the blooming blush on her cheeks, I lean forward a little to make it easier for her to pull herself up and gently peck my lips while on her tiptoes.

“I’ll be leaving with the others, for now, Sensei. You have your things to take care of and we have ours. We will most likely check out that village Rossberg-san mentioned and help with the outbreak. Thank you for taking us with you to escort Ghilerie-san back home.”

I nod at my adorable samurai girlfriend and place a kiss on her soft lips too. 

“Got it. It was a pleasure and a lot of fun travelling with all of you. Let me know whenever you’d need something. And take good care of Vanessa.”

She smiles sweetly and I pat her head from all that cuteness, evoking a quiet giggle from Shino. Ending with just that to not embarrass her too much, I glance at her and the others.

“Good luck with your stuff. Be careful with Abyssals. We still don’t know a lot about them.”

“We’ll be as careful as possible,” Paul replies first. “I don’t think we’ll be heading out right away so we’ll most likely drop by your place at least once before that.”

“Oh, there’s no doubt about that. I’m not moving anywhere without saying goodbye properly.” Marcia winks at me and I smile wryly.

“Besides, we should spend some time with Vanessa-san and talk about things. We need to get our proper cooperation back in the correct place after fighting by your side, Sensei. Things are completely different when we are just by ourselves,” Shino adds.

I chuckle and pat her some more. “Right. I can imagine that. Sorry for ruining the experience for you.”

“It kind of felt like we rode the bus with a stupidly over-levelled and over-geared player through some random side-quest,” Natalia comments, making our mutual black-haired friend chuckle at her remark.

“I don’t really get it but I’m looking very forward to being relevant again,” Kamil grunts to the side.

Marcia elbows him lightly while laughing. “Is our little star getting jealous of someone stealing its shine? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to polish you lots so you regain the radiance of the main protagonist again.”

He rolls his eyes at her while groaning again and Natalie sighs softly.

“I don’t even know which option is worse, you implying obviously what you are, or you actually talking about his armour.”

She earns herself an elbow too and glares at the energetic redhead. Their almost entire part begins friendly bickering with each other, with the exclusion of Vaness and Shino, while the rest of us watch the show.

“They are truly a merry bunch.” Cornelia chuckles by my side.

“That they are. I’m glad everyone got accustomed to our situation. It hasn’t been that long since we’ve been thrown into this world and armed up.”

I notice her smile gradually disappearing and getting replaced with a slightly sour expression. Without thinking about it too much, I wrap my arm around Cornelia’s waist and pull her to me.

“Don’t blame yourself for this. What’s done, is done. Besides, if we didn’t come here, I wouldn’t be able to meet you.”

Shino pulls us into a group hug by embracing Cornelia and me from the front and she glances at us with a warm smile.

“And I wouldn’t be able to become one with Sensei. So, thank you for bringing us here. You made my dream come true, Cornelia-san.”

A tinge of rosiness covers our magician’s fair cheeks as she tries to look away, clearly embarrassed from the unexpected gratitude. We chuckle together at her with Shino and hug once more before the shortie steps back.

“We’ll be going, then. Take care of yourself, Sensei, and your companions too.” She turns her gaze to Cornelia. “Good luck. I’ll come to see how you are doing before we depart, Cornelia-san. Definitely this week.”

“Oh, you little—”

Before Cornelia brings her face to the front, the giggling samurai girl is already on the run to her friends while mischievously looking at us over her shoulder. I chuckle and peck my charming researcher’s cheek.

“She got you good, didn’t she?”

“Shush it,” she huffs at me.

“Or what? You won’t ride with me back home?” I ask in a hushed whisper, nibbling on her ear a little.

“We are NOT fucking in the carriage again. Goddess, I don’t know if becoming a Primordial with that Class is a blessing or a curse. You are insatiable.”

“I’m pretty sure you do know which one it is. And I do wonder who here is truly insatiable. Besides a certain lewd Queen, perhaps.”

Cornelia snorts quietly and rolls her eyes. “Alright, let’s end this before I have to clench my thighs together. I’m still not wearing underwear if you forgot and you aren’t exactly helping.”

“What about the ride, then?”

She glances at me with an upturned gaze. “I’ll see about it.”

We again chuckle at each other and head to the carriage waiting for us patiently. The others return to the castle so the second one is going to follow us back home empty. I could suggest it to a certain lady hiding away Goddess knows where, but I have a feeling that Hecate prefers roaming free rather than being locked in a moving box. I’m really curious how she catches up with us without getting noticed by anyone.

After informing our driver about our next destination and getting inside, we sit side by side and Cornelia raises a brow at me.

“What? Did you think I would really go after you again after this much?” I raise one at her in return. “I was just teasing you, as usual.”

“I mean… Not that I would mind, you know…” she answers, glancing slightly away.

I shake my head with a smile. “I’m really an insatiable pervert in your eyes, am I?”

She leans on my side and lovingly kisses my neck. “Don’t worry, we all are. Just not everyone shows it openly.”

Surprising her a little, I get off the seat and kneel in front of Cornelia. A shade of crimson surfaces on her cheeks and she slowly spreads her legs with some uncertainty, most likely thinking that I’m going to act on the moment. Her beautiful slit gets revealed to me as the material of her dress rises a bit.

I take her right foot into my hands and lean forward, beginning to place tender kisses on her skin. Slowly but surely, I climb with my lips higher and higher, leaving a trail of pecks on her calf while moving one palm to her other leg and grazing up it too.

Cornelia sighs faintly as I continue the gentle caresses. As I near her thigh, she moves the front of her dress away, completely uncovering her hips and waist for me to see while watching my slow movements with clear anticipation.

As I finally cover the entire length of her marvellous thigh and reach her underbelly with my mouth, I place a loving kiss on her skin and… withdraw myself with a smirk, bringing my face up to match hers.

“What?” Cornelia blinks at me repeatedly, confused as hell.

I chuckle and skip down with my eyes. She follows them and notices sexy dark purple panties covering her nether regions, growing even more confused. I’ve slowly snuck them onto her precious place with my hands while distracting Cornelia with sensual kisses and stroking her skin with my fingers.

“You look extremely alluring down there but it would be a shame if you caught a cold from going full commando through the open city,” I say with a grin.

She finally registers everything and her brain processes all the information after seeing it. Almost immediately after, Cornelia starts hitting my chest with her fists.

“You fucking tease! I hate you! I hate you so fucking much! I swear, you are just the worst!” she shouts but slowly stops the assault and chuckles to herself with her face cast down. “You bully…”

I lean forward again and kiss her lips from below. “I would like to shower my incredible wife with something more delicate and romantic than just rough pounding in a random carriage or she will really take me for an insatiable horndog. Besides, you’d rather not have the servants at Jericho’s place notice your state, would you?”

She pecks me back while throwing her arms over my shoulders and we start lovingly making out. I push myself a little bit higher and press Cornelia into the back section of the carriage. She pursues my lips for a good minute before stopping with a contented sigh.

“All you want to do is just to tease me. You won’t convince me otherwise.”

“My wife is so smart.” I smirk at her.

She smiles at me and shakes her head. “Thank you. If you really want to be such a good husband then better get to kissing already.”

“Your wish is my command, my queen.”

For the rest of the road to Jericho’s mansion, we keep exchanging soft pecks while tenderly embracing each other. It doesn’t grow too heated and we avoid getting too much into it, leaving our loving caresses almost completely pure and wholesome. 

As we arrive at our destination, Cornelia sits sideways on my lap and rains kisses onto me from above while I delicately rub her back and stroke her neatly arranged hair. We wrap it up the moment the carriage comes to a halt.

Helping Cornelia stand up I smile at her. “How was the less carnal version of our ride?”

She smiles back. “Pleasant, very pleasant. I’ll allow more of it, husband. Now, let’s focus on the matters at hand.”

“You mean these?” I ask, brushing my fingers up her thigh and squeezing her soft bottom.

She slaps my hand away while chuckling softly. “Those are for the second part of the return trip. Show some restraint.”

“And who is the tease now?”

We laugh together and exit the carriage, growing slightly more serious as we step into the fancy plaza in front of the main entrance to the mansion. The butler I’m already well familiar with makes a polite bow towards us and we follow him inside.

Not that much changed here since my last visit but I know it only looks like that from the outside. If things really succeeded just as the girls told me earlier, quite a bunch of things should have changed their state, including a certain group of women and a certain poor man.

It doesn’t take long before we stop in front of the office I visited in the past and the butler announces our arrival. Jericho’s voice responds from the inside and we are invited to join him.

The man himself stands up from behind a massive desk and quickly paces to me while extending his hand.

“Ah, Sir Carter, it’s so good to see you again! So much time has passed since our last conversation! Please, sit, both of you.”

We exchange a firm handshake and he respectfully nods at Cornelia, who lowers her head a little in response too. As instructed, we plop down on the sofa in the resting area and Lord Jericho takes the comfy chair opposite us.

“Has your journey brought positive results, Sir Carter? I hope everything went well,” he begins, pouring each of us a glass of wine.

Receiving one, I nod. “You can certainly say that. Like everything in life, it wasn’t as simple as it seemed, but we managed to overcome all the difficulties and reach our final goal.”

“That’s great. I’ve heard about the discovery in a few of the rural villages and your involvement in it. It’s hard to believe something like that took place right under our noses.”

“We were very shocked, that’s true,” Cornelia joins in. “But, the world is full of monsters wearing Human skin. Plenty of them are much worse than the demi-humans so many still openly despise.”

“I agree. In my eyes, racism is the worst thing to exist amongst the inhabitants of our world.”

“May I ask why?” I raise a curious brow at the alchemist.

“Of course. It’s very simple. We are missing out on so much knowledge, experience, and information on alchemy amassed by all the other races, species, and such. We, Humans, are very… bland. We are good at everything but that’s pretty much all. Meanwhile, countless races excel in various fields. Yet, due to the past grievances, it’s extremely hard to gain enough trust to share any of that.”

“I see.” I nod repeatedly. “And I wholeheartedly agree. It’s nice to find a great man with such positive views.”

“Nevertheless, that’s just pointless chattering.” He waves his hand at us. “You two didn’t come here to listen to me blabbering about the current state of the world but to talk about the case that concerns all of us, right?”

“It is as you say, Lord Jericho. I’m already aware that you have succeeded in my request and I wanted to thank you personally for your aid and all the support.”

“Oh, stop it. We both know that I had a very important reason to give it my all and its existence was only possible thanks to your suggestion and offer, Sir Carter.”

I smile at the man. “How are the results of your personal research then, Lord Jericho?”

He chuckles lightly and a relieved expression takes over his face.

“It worked. It simply worked. After countless failures, I managed to partially cure my son. I can’t express my gratitude to you and your followers, Sir Carter. Even after we were finished with the research for the charmed women, they remained focused and assisted with my own study without being obliged to.”

“I’m glad to hear that they were useful, then. I was a little afraid that the lack of experience for most of them would have been an issue there. Only one or two people knew anything deeper about alchemy amongst our ranks.”

“That might be true but the people you assigned to the task showed a great deal of self-motivation. Everyone tried to help however they could. There was not a single person left out during our brainstorming session. You are an extremely lucky man, Sir Carter, to have such incredible followers.”

“Thank you, Lord Jericho. I know that well.”

“It’s not just luck. He’s a born leader. Not many can have so much charisma and charm,” Cornelia adds while glancing at me.

“Indeed.” The black-haired man nods sagely.

“Ekhm. How is your son then, Lord Jericho?” I try to divert the topic before I actually blush.

“He’s currently under rehabilitation but he’s making steady progress. I don’t think it will be possible for him to fully regain past capability but at least it’s something.”

I’m not exactly sure how they are rehabilitating that part of him but I guess it's working out. Are they repeatedly trying to get the guy hard or subjecting him to some deeper stimulation? Somehow, I can’t get the picture of that jerk pushing his hips back and forth on one of those gym machines sparking so many memes of guys using them wrong.

“That’s great. Good for you,” I reply, pulling my mind back from that unnecessary scene.

“It is. It truly is. I’m eternally grateful for it.”

“What about the girls?” I ask.

“Everyone is fine now. Most of them returned to their friends and families after their initial treatment. We, of course, made sure there were no lingering aftereffects before letting them go. A few decided to stay and recuperate here, accepting our suggestion to let them fully come back to themselves at our expense.”

“That’s very kind of you, Lord Jericho. I’m sure they appreciated it.”

“Oh, but I made it sound like everything was just about me. You can rest assured, Sir Carter, that all of them have been notified about your and your people’s involvement in the research, without omitting any details that could make a false impression that it was our side that did the most.”

“Isn’t that right, though?” I stroke my chin while pondering.

Jericho shakes his head. “Not in the slightest. We wouldn’t get anywhere without your help, Sir Carter. We wouldn’t have been able to even begin. Don’t forget it’s all thanks to you and your incredible serum that we are where we are. And one of your very passionate about alchemy employees was a key figure during the research too.”

Knowing exactly who he has in mind, I lean slightly forward and rest my elbows on my thighs.

“Speaking of which, I’ve checked out the lab that was built under your guidance. I don’t know much about that stuff but it is certainly amazing. I’m extremely grateful for it. But, also, I might have a small favour to ask, related to that person.”

Refilling our glasses, Jericho smiles joyfully. “Please, I’m all ears, Sir Carter. How can I help you? I don’t think this debt of mine is going to be repaid anytime soon so feel free to give me ways to at least reduce it bit by bit.” He chuckles.

“As you have mentioned earlier, various races possess various knowledge, and that includes Humans too. Our resident Lizardfolk who took part in the research would like to deepen her expertise in the field of alchemy. She’s familiar with cruder ways more suitable for less developed villages and wants to learn. I was wondering if you didn’t perhaps know anyone who wouldn’t mind mentoring her,” I explain.

He closes his eyes and enters deep thought while rubbing his temples. We wait for a moment as Jericho is clearly going through various options in his mind. After just a few seconds, he returns to us with an enthusiastic smile.

“I believe I do know a person. I would happily take that role myself but that would have been terribly difficult with my current responsibilities. If you would like, I can introduce you to that someone even today and we can ask them if they wouldn’t mind fulfilling your request. Rest assured, though, they care not for one’s race and other such trivial things,” he replies.

Cornelia puts a hand on my shoulder. “That’s great. I’m sure Dhosk would appreciate it. When could we meet them?”

“Whenever you wish to do so. She is part of one of the teams under my jurisdiction and currently working at this mansion.”

My frosty magician sends me a knowing glance and I roll my eyes at her. It’s not like every woman we meet and bring back home is going to end up like that. Elise and Ria are proof enough, and a bunch of other girls who arrived much earlier in the establishment and still didn’t take part in any special activities with me.

“Let’s go after we finish here, then. There are still a few matters we should discuss,” I say, ignoring Cornelia’s gaze.

“Indeed. We can leave at any time. Before that, though, let me just mention that I have stored a few letters of gratitude from the women we have healed from their unfortunate condition. I just wanted to let you know in case I forget about it. It would be rude not to pass them onto you.” Jericho glances towards his desk.

“We’ll remember about them, then, don’t worry,” I reassure the master alchemist. “Regarding the healing, where and how is the production of the cure conducted?”

He gestures around with his hand. “Fully inside the walls of my home, specifically speaking, in the labs underneath us. It’s the safest and the fastest. I personally keep an eye on the security and all the people working there. The production is not an issue, for both the cure for the charmed state and for similar conditions to my son’s. From what I’ve heard from the King, you don’t mind negotiating to share those with the kingdom, right?”

I nod. “That’s right, I promised the King to see if anything useful that comes out of this can be utilised by the kingdom. I would be happy to leave the production in your hands, Lord Jericho, if you don’t mind.”

The man quickly shakes his head and hands. “Oh, no, no, no, not in the slightest. It’s a good experience for the alchemists working on those. I’ll deal with the production while you can focus on the trade. I think that’s the most secure option. No one should dare to mess with us. No offence for you or your place, of course.”

“None taken, don’t worry, I think the same.” I smile. “Now, besides those two cures, there’s one more thing I’m aware of, isn’t there?”

Jericho thinks for a moment and gasps quietly. “Ah, you must mean the side effects!”

Cornelia chuckles, covering her mouth. “Definitely. That was a truly groundbreaking discovery.”

“I’m wondering about our options here. It’s just too good to pass on. Can we somehow divide it into a more commercial version and one meant for the kingdom and more medical use?” I ask.

“I think so. We could introduce some simple, non-intrusive changes to differentiate the two. If you would like, it should be possible to instruct a small team at your place to be able to create those fully on their own in small supply. That could be good practice for the person you mentioned,” Jericho replies.

“Wonderful. This could be big if introduced properly. And, if we play our cards right, we won’t need to bother you with it too much, Lord Jericho.”

“I do believe that it’s an amazing accidental discovery,” he agrees. “It’s always so fascinating how much we can learn along the way while pursuing a specific end goal. Fun trivia, most of the innovative inventions came to be exactly that way.”

I chuckle lightly. “Yes, I’m aware. It’s not that uncommon where I’m from too.”

“The only issue is the single ingredient we can’t acquire by ourselves. As you can imagine, it’s the core element of any of the mentioned solutions, which you have been so kind to provide for us, Sir Carter. It’s no doubt it's thanks to it that we’ve been able to achieve any meaningful results. I’ve never come into contact with a substance this potent and mysterious.”

Trying not to smile wryly at the man, I nod to his words. “I guess I’ll have to work on producing some more of it, right? Do you have any of it left and how much do you need to operate comfortably?”

Cornelia snorts to the side, also doing her best not to show any weird reactions.

Jericho rubs his chin while thinking. “We have pretty much run out but the dose you have delivered us lasted for the entire research and development process without an issue, which took a few weeks as you are aware. Now, after everything has been mostly finished and is in the phase of final tweaks and polishing, the same amount would be enough for a month or two at the current pace of production.”

Great. Now I’ll have to regularly donate my jizz to the royal alchemists so they can make more wonder pills for me and the King. The hell is even this situation? I guess I need to wank into a vial or three now and then.

Gods, that’s so bizarre. I can already see a number of girls very willing to give me a hand in the process. As if the whole nutrition experiment in the desert wasn’t enough of a completely bonkers proceeding. Things somehow keep getting better and better every day.

I return my gaze to Jericho after making myself look like I have been calculating things in my head and smile at the master alchemist.

“We will see what we can do. It shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll have one of my employees deliver the next batch as soon as it’s ready. I need to prepare for it.”

Mentally, that is.

“Well, then. I’ll wait for your notice, and for the word from the King regarding the earlier matters. Take your time, Sir Carter, there’s no hurry. We have achieved our goal much faster than I would have dreamed and everyone deserves a good break. That includes you, naturally, after returning from your journey.”

“I will, thank you.” I stand up and Cornelia follows. “Now, not to bother you for unnecessarily long, Lord Jericho, let us move on to the next part. In case something important comes up regarding the matters discussed earlier, we’ll be in touch.”

“Please, I enjoy every minute of it, Sir Carter. But, I agree that time is an invaluable resource and shouldn’t be wasted. Let me just grab the letters I mentioned earlier and we’ll move to one of the labs.”

We wait for the man to shuffle through his desk and watch Jericho bring out a packet of neatly bundled envelopes from its depths, tied up with a single string. He walks up to us with it and I receive the letters, already noticing some scribbles on top of the paper. I’ll read through all of them after getting back home.

Then, just as promised, he leads us outside of the office and takes us on a short tour around his mansion while taking the chance to explain a few facilities and showcase them as we pass by. There are many more laboratories and workshops here than I would have assumed.

Soon, we arrive at a lower level and enter a small, complex facility. A bunch of people scurry around while clearly working on something at their own pace. They operate more mechanical-looking appliances and contraptions but also attend to some that look very magical at their core.

I notice that this room isn’t that far off from the one that has been built at our place, perhaps even a little bit outdated compared to it. Jericho truly went to the full extent of his resources to bring us a lab second to none as he promised. Now, we just need to fill it with talented people.

Gods, what are we even becoming? A brothel with a forge, a painting studio, an alchemical laboratory, soon most likely a tailoring workshop too, with a slowly collected professional mercenary unit and many more unusual departments. Things might be getting a little out of hand.

My pondering is shoved aside for the time being as we stop in front of a certain section of this lab, behind a woman with shoulder-long brown hair working on some solution with the utmost attention.

“Velen, would you mind sparing us a moment of your time?” Jericho asks with a calm and soft voice, most likely not to spook the researcher.

No answer comes immediately and he glances back to nod at us. We respond with the same, understanding that we should wait and not disrupt her until properly prompted about it. The last thing we want is to ruin someone's experiment which has been ongoing for who knows how long. 

She doesn’t make us wait long and puts the glass vials she has been focusing on away after around two or three minutes. I’m not exactly sure about the time since I got a little lost in the mesmerising process of her mixing various colourful liquids together and noting down the results.

As she turns around, we are met with a young woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties, wearing brown pants, a tidy, blue shirt, and a long, white lab coat on top. A pair of glasses slightly bigger than Cornelia’s adorn her pretty face, with round and thin frames, and you can spot a faint trace of freckles on her skin. Her amber eyes fit her slightly curled brown hair very well.

“Lord Jericho, what do I owe this pleasure?” she asks with a calm tone and expression, shooting a glance at us standing behind the man.

“I might have an offer for someone of your talents, Velen. I believe you are the right person for the job and can benefit from this arrangement greatly. Naturally, you don’t need to agree with me on that or give an answer immediately. Would you like to hear about it?”

The woman fixes her cuffs a little and nods. “Gladly, Lord Jericho. You know that I’m always looking for new ways to develop myself. What’s this about?”

He gestures at us. “These good friends of mine are looking for someone to mentor their companion in the ways of alchemy. She’s a Lizardfolk with some basic experience and techniques learned in her village, freshly fascinated with a more advanced approach. I owe them a lot and would like to help them find the best possible person for the task.”

Velen doesn’t reply for a moment after he finishes and I’m not sure if she’s considering her answer, thinking about how to escape the unfavourable situation, or trying not to look offended. It’s always hard to judge those researcher types without knowing them well.

“Now, I guess I should mention that this man here is the person who initiated our recent research on the Wonder Fluid and provided the marvellous substance himself.”

I almost choke on air when he calls my semen Wonder Fluid and I catch the woman glance at me with a visible spark in her eyes.

“His friends were the ones you have consulted with during the recent weeks and I made sure to provide them with the best possible working environment so you wouldn’t be lacking anything in terms of equipment and necessary supplies,” he continues. “As long as you don’t mind technically working at a brothel—no offence, Sir Carter—then I think this would be a great opportunity for you with a lot of potential gains. A fresh perspective can be really helpful.”

“None taken, again. It is what it is and I’m all for others knowing exactly what they are getting into. Well, she wouldn’t be getting into that, but the location is still the same,” I comment with a smile.

We share a nod and turn to the female alchemist again. She’s clearly much more interested in our offer now and it’s visible, even if she doesn’t show that much emotion on her pretty face.

“When can I start?” she suddenly asks, looking at Jericho.

“I think we should discuss the details first before you make a decision, Miss Velen. I do believe being comfortable with the workplace plays a big factor in this,” I suggest.

She moves her gaze onto me and shows a very faint smile. “I see no issues there. I’m blessed with wonderful focus and my brain can tune out everything other than the things I work on so even if my lab would be located right next to a room with very intense activities taking place inside, I wouldn’t even notice. Honestly, I don’t think I would even if it was the same room. And the environment doesn’t bother me, Sir Carter.”

Jericho chuckles and pats her shoulder. “That is true. Velen is a very dedicated person. I’m glad you are on board with the idea. I truly think this will let you reach new heights in the pursuit of your passion.”

“And not only in that,” Cornelia adds in a whisper and I bump her with my hips, causing her to chuckle quietly.

“If you allow for it, Lord Jericho, I would like to excuse myself to pack my things and prepare to move. I’m very curious about the laboratory in which construction you have personally taken part, and very eager to meet my new coworkers. If I’m allowed to stay at my new workplace, that is.”

“Very well. I’m pretty sure Sir Carter would appreciate having you around at all times so you don’t have to worry about accommodation,” Jericho answers before I can.

Velen makes a polite bow and jogs away. I really wanted to mention a certain very particular detail about this week but they just don’t want to give me a chance. Well, I guess we’ll see how much the environment really doesn’t bother her in a bit.

I turn to the man and extend my hand. “Thank you for this, Lord Jericho. Please, tell Miss Velen not to rush things. She can arrive whenever she is fully ready.”

He takes it and we share a firm handshake. “Don’t speak of it. And I will, naturally. Let’s start tomorrow morning to keep things proper. You can expect Velen to reach you around that time in one of my carriages.”

We exchange a few more words and slowly head to the exit together. Jericho sees us out and we jump into the carriage. I close the door behind Cornelia and we plop down on the comfy bench together.

“So, another poor scholar is going to be corrupted by your ways,” she teases with a knowing smirk.

“Oh, stop it. Besides, you were already deep into it even before meeting me. I bet she’s another freak too. All the scientist chicks are.”

Cornelia chuckles as she leans on my side and rests her head on my shoulder. “You might be onto something there.”

Chilling together, we arrive at home after a relaxing drive and step out of the carriage with the help of the driver. Afterwards, he takes our ride away, leaving us alone in front of the grand entrance.

We share a look with Cornelia and I grin at her. “Ready?”

She takes a deep breath and starts walking. I follow after her and we move inside. Shortly after we get a little further from the entrance, she stops, glances at me over her shoulder, and moves her hands to the clasp of her dress at her neck.

The smooth fabric falls to the ground and reveals her dazzling figure from behind. With a slightly hesitant movement, she reaches towards the panties I have snuck onto her butt earlier and slowly brings them down, flashing me a little bit of her precious place in the process.

I quickly approach Cornelia and hug her from behind, placing a peck on her flushed cheek.

“If it becomes too much at any point, just stop. Teasing and jokes are teasing and jokes but I would hate to make you really feel uncomfortable.”

She smiles weekly and grabs my crotch. “Get out of your clothes before I assume you are afraid to fulfil your end of the bet,” she says, trying to act tough despite her clear embarrassment.

In a flash, my outfit disappears and her hand gets in direct contact with my junk. Cornelia blushes even more while glancing down at it. She starts gently fondling my package, which rests close to her butt.

At least until someone clears their throat right in front of us and she jumps away from me in panic. Directing our gazes towards the source, we find Rene standing there with a faint trace of rosiness on her adorable cheeks, and something in her hands. Her tail makes cute wags behind her back.

For a moment, Cornelia doesn’t know what to do with herself and switches the placement of her hands over her body quite a few times, covering various precious parts in turns and finally ending up with her arms crossed under her beautiful, naked chest.

I nod at Rene as the slightly chubby Dogkin girl walks closer to me, sneaking a few glances below at my waist.

“Master, this letter came to you while you were gone. I don’t know who the sender is, we didn’t see anything and just found it at our doorstep.”

Ruffling through her soft hair and petting her fluffy ears, I leave a kiss on Rene’s forehead.

“Thank you, my dear.”

Very curious about the contents, I open it in front of them and check the message.

~~~

Dear Mr Carter,

We have taken notice of the successful development of your fresh establishment and would love to invite you to discuss the trade amongst the people well-known in this profession. It will be our honour to welcome you to our group. There are plenty of things we would like to discuss with you, especially about your way of operating in this field in our beautiful city.

Please, pay us a visit during our monthly gatherings which happen on the fourteenth day of the month, this time, located at the Travelling Tit, one of the establishments of our proud members.

Best regards,

Evaneheim’s Night Service Association.

~~~

I raise a brow at the letter.

“Looks like we have finally become a thorn in someone’s side. How typical. They never help the newcomers but instantly rush to curb the competition the moment it grows too much.”

Cornelia sighs while shaking her head. “I was pretty sure there were no such cliques in this trade.”

We then both glance at the sweet doggirl in front of us and notice that Rene is looking down at a certain place without paying too much attention to us. A small trail of saliva escapes the corner of her mouth.

My charming magician snorts at us and rolls her eyes. “Get a room, you two, would you?”

Rene breaks out of her stupor and blushes heavily while glancing up at me. I smile at her and pat her head.

“Well, thinking about this can wait for a little, I guess.”

She shows a happy, wide smile after feeling the slight pressure I lightly put on her hair and moves to her knees as her tail becomes a smudge from how fast it flings from side to side.

And so it begins.

This is going to be one hell of a week.