Welcome back. I skipped narrating today's events because let us be honest. Most of the time, being a trader is kind of boring. You don't want to hear me haggling over a few void-favors with each customer, right?

Okay, I have to admit, scores of women acting all sneaky is amusing in itself. My new special enchanted bras are flying off the shelf. Well, if I would put them there. They're supposed to be secret, but judging by my many requests for them, it wasn't a very good one. At least there is one positive aspect. I made nearly four thousand void-favors in one day. Three of those through my special bras alone. Not a bad haul. Though I expect interest to diminish in a day or two. It's not like bras are consumable and need constant resupply. Still, it was a nice bonus.

While tidying up my shop, I can already spot Pasus lounging close by. He hadn't been that hesitant yesterday, right? Well, I spotted him late, so I can't tell. To be honest, I've been looking forward to another walk with Pasus. No, I am not into him. I told you, this isn't a shitty romance story. I swear if you weren't my imaginary audience I would bet someone would already ship me with him.

The reason is that Pasus is now one of the few people that know I am from Earth. A fact that I don't throw around lightly. I only have Essie to talk about it. While she is patient with me, it comes with teasing. A lot of it. Little sadist that one. I don't mind most of the time, but Essie and her Aunt Awyn teaming up is a scary experience.

Before Pasus can make up his mind, I push the button to close the ramp of my Little Mule. Now he springs into action. Too late, sucker. Acting like I haven't noticed him, I wait until the ramp is closed. Time to walk out nonchalantly and do some teasing myself.

"Pasus. What a surprise," I say as I step out and find him with a hanging head before my closed-up Little Mule. "I liked our little walk yesterday and thought I might have one today too. Care to join me?"

"O-Of course. Good evening, Lillyn."

"Good evening."

Just to flip the role of yesterday more I offer him my arm to link into. What? I am a gentleman. Even though I am now a woman and in a different world.

While we start our walk, I glance at Pasus. Today he is wearing a light blue button-up shirt and dark blue pants. The latter is made of dyed leather I think. Do they even have jeans here on Besona? Or even cotton for that matter? Anyway, I have to do my most darn of not smirking or laughing. With his pasty skin, Pasus looks like a gradient from dark blue to white. Not the most flattering look. Even I, as a fashion snob, can tell that this isn't a good choice.

"That Maynard guy must have been very rich," I muse aloud as we walk past the smaller mansion building.

"He was," Pasus confirms. "Right, you don't know. Alysander Maynard was a tinkerer and mechanical genius. We void-traders owe him a lot."

Wait, that guy and void-traders are connected. Color me curious.

"How so?"

"When Alysander was young, he had a dream. To build a ship, but one that could sail the land. To fly wherever it needed."

"Sounds like our Little Mules. Wait, he invented them, right?"

"Correct, but it took some time. His first ship was called the Little Sparrow and it was tiny. As in one person could sit in it. Barely. But it got people talking and soon he had a few investors. Over the next decade, Alysander created his first commercial ship. The Little Swan class. It was designed as a pleasure vessel. For all those rich investors to travel in style. Since it didn't have a storeroom it had enough space to house one person nicely or three if they squeezed in. The real genius was that Alysander designed it in a way that the Little Swan could be upgraded. With a fully upgraded version mocking the name by being anything but little."

So, the flying equivalent of a yacht. No wonder Alysander Maynard got rich quick. Owning a Little Swan probably became a status symbol.

"So, why are void-traders using Little Mules instead of Little Swans?"

"Well, Little Swans aren't exactly cheap. But there is another reason. When Alysander Maynard was alive the void-trader profession was fairly young. Just a few centuries. They either stayed in one place or traveled the land in caravans. Both options weren't very profitable. One lacks the customer base and the other spent most of their days traveling. However, one void-trader family that managed to amass wealth looked at the Little Swan and had an idea. They actually commissioned a new ship type from Alysander. Made for traders and favoring a more practical interior to be more affordable."

Now, that made sense. A more practical ship for a practical profession.

"And that's how the Little Mule came to be. Interesting."

A good-natured laugh makes me look at Pasus. Did I say something wrong?

"This story is far from over, Lillyn. You see, the new ship type was never completed. Alysander had his hands in a lot of projects and the ship was delayed and delayed again. At some point, the merchant family got angry, so Alysander threw them a bone. He gave them a prototype. The Little Mule as we know it."

"I see. Did he die or why was the ship type never finished?"

"This happened," Pasus said and gestured to the whole area. "The mansion and the surrounding land became a hardened space. Do you know what this means?"

"My friend Essie explained it to me. That this area refuses changes to its reality or something like that. So, Alysander is still out there? Stuck?"

Now, Pasus is nodding.

"Sadly, yes. Behind this main building is a wharf. The adventurers call it the garage. A large underground cavern that was the main tinkering spot for everything related to flying ships. There, adventurers reported is the nearly finished prototype of the ship in its most upgraded form. Protected by Alysander Maynard and a literal army of mechanics and automata."

"Never to be finished as this would mean change."

What a sad story. I already pitied those trapped in the mansion. This story only reinforces the notion. Walking by the facade of the main building, I wonder how many other sad stories are bottled up here. Waiting to be told.

Now I know the story of my Little Mule and her sisters. No, wait. Something is missing. A piece of the puzzle.

"If the Little Mule we know is only a prototype, how come there was a trader at Tsundore Fields selling upgrades?"

"Good thinking, Lillyn. After Maynard Mansion fell into its hardened state, the merchant family claimed the Little Mule as their right. Ever since then, they have been researching the Little Mule and its upgrades. They are the sole provider of Little Mules ever since."

"I think I met one of them. Pretty rude. Part of me just wants to make enough void-favors to break their monopole and show them their place."

"Lillyn, don't"

Shit, Pasus stopped me in my tracks and is now staring at me with concern. Grabbing my arms with just a little too much force. I've got to admit, he is scaring me a little.

"Lillyn, that family is rich and not above playing dirty. People who try encroaching on their turf tend up dead. But not before they leverage the guild to outright banish someone. The guild knows that if the family refuses to sell Little Mules, then it will be back to fixed shops and caravans for them. They even got the guild to sign an agreement that only they can trade in Little Mules and Little Swans. They control the market."

"Okay. Pasus, I get it. Let go of me."

Shit, this got awkward real fast. Pasus had stepped back and is mumbling apologies. Meanwhile, I rub my arms. Hope they don't bruise. Well, I can drink a health potion later.

I think I see Pasus in a new light now. He is stronger than his lanky build suggests. Probably a high-strength stat. I don't think he wanted to hurt me. The opposite. The thought of me going against that family scared the shit out of him. I think he cares for me. More than he lets on.

Shit, this is awkward. Does he think I hate him now? Maybe a change of topic might be good.

"What else there to Maynard Mansion? Obviously, we are standing in front of the main building and behind it is the wharf. What is the purpose of this building? The one we walked past first."

This sudden shift clearly threw Pasus off, but not for long. I think it dawned on him why I did so. The relief on his face was evident.

"That's the guest mansion. Alysander had many visitors. Most stayed in the many wings of the main building, but now and then a person of status arrived. Royalty or a high-ranking member of a guild. Those would be granted a stay in the guest mansion as a sign of respect."

"That's a pretty big sign of respect," I comment lamely. What? Got to keep the ball rolling. "What else is there?"

"You may not have noticed, but between the guest and main mansions is an overgrown path. It leads to a labyrinth made of sculptured hedges. A gift to his children, but now one of the worst nightmares for adventurers. They not only have to battle servants and forever lost guests. The very hedges come alive to harass them. Coupled with narrow pathways it makes for a claustrophobic experience."

I never understood the appeal of a labyrinth. Be it from hedges or cut into a cornfield. They always struck me as creepy. Then I was proven right when I saw the fourth Harry Potter movie. Damn, now I am even more glad I am a trader and not an adventurer.

"Can't they burn the whole thing down and be done with it?"

"The hedges resist fires really good," Pasus said and shot down my hopes. "But sometimes you hear explosions around here. There are most likely from a mage cutting a short-cut into the maze by force."

"Sounds like a great idea to me."

Pasus was offering his arm again and after a small moment of hesitation, I link into it.

"We are now coming up to the gap between the servant dormitory and the main building. This is the easiest way to the garage. Along the way are smaller pleasure gardens and pavilions for social relaxing. It was the second area to be liberated as not much of resistance was present."

"So, this is the servant dormitory," I ask as we arrived at the very utilitarian building that bordered the pathway leading back to our Little Mules. "That explains why it is so plain."

"Actually, it is a bit of a misnomer. You see, Alysander invented many things. One was automatas. Contraptions that could move on their own and perform tasks following a set of specified orders. Some of these order structures could become quite elaborate."

"Sounds like robots to me. That's what we call them on Earth."

"Well, these automatas, robots, were clunky at first, but Alysander poured a lot of time into them. They resembled more and more humans in appearance and their specified list of orders actually managed to fool some visitors into believing they were alive."

In other words, androids. Once again, Besona manages to surprise me. Most of it is like a typical fantasy world. But now and then something advanced comes along. Like flying ships, skyscrapers, or now robots. We aren't even close on Earth to making lifelike androids. It is an intriguing topic and I would have loved to pick Alysander Maynard's brain. But he was lost. Just like his inventions.

"Maynard was a genius," Pasus continues. "But his character was flawed. You see, most of the servant staff weren't human. The so-called Servant Maids were all modeled after human women. Attractive ones too. This led early on to speculations about Maynard's deviant nature. Now, that adventurers explore the mansion, we know that was only the tip of the iceberg. Maynard was into a lot of strange stuff and he attracted like-minded people."

"If all these Servant Maids are robots, automatas, why do they need a dormitory?"

"That's why it is a misnomer. The Servant Dormitory is more like a storage and maintenance area for the automatas. You can find them all over the grounds and buildings, but this building contains hundreds of them. After the garage, this is the second most dangerous area of Maynard Mansion."

Creepy androids in sexy uniforms. Why do I get a horror movie vibe here? It explains the bustier bra I got from one adventurer though. That one wasn't practical. More likely designed for visual appeal.

"Still, some adventurers brave-"

My voice trails off as I notice that Pasus is distracted. His gaze locked at something in the area our Little Mules were parked in. As I look there myself, I see another Little Mule land. Though this one was longer than my own. Maybe by one-third. The hull was painted in an intricate design of intertwined lines of red, white, and pink.

"Is that the soul-guide?"

"No, Lillyn. They are due tomorrow. It is a void-trader, but a high-ranking one. Do you see the golden crest there on the bow? I think someone messed up. Big enough to warrant a personal visit."

Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling? Oh, right. Because I am on Besona and every time I relax, the world stabs me in the back.

"Looks like we better cut this tour short."

"There isn't much else, Lillyn," Pasus said as we start to walk again. "The mansion is surrounded by woods. They are caught in the hardened state too. A few monsters and wild animals. Not very difficult, but as the woods are vast, it is hard to weaken the area enough to unfreeze them. Directly behind our Little Mules and a stretch of woods is a lake. There are a few guesthouses and some boats. Not a very difficult area either, but it lacks good loot and most adventurers look elsewhere for opportunity. I wouldn't recommend swimming there though."

Pasus rambling broke off just as we arrived at the first Little Mule. The one owned by Xarestes (the asshat). Just now the ramp of the new arrival lowered and a woman stepped out. She sported an elaborate dress that began with a gray neck holder strap and flowed into a tight top. It accentuated her athletic build perfectly by being skin tight but also having an eye-catching design of layered bands of ribbons. At her hips, the grey material gave way to strands of wispy blue silk that joined together to form a cloudy skirt. Then I noticed the woman's hair. It was blond and knotted into dreads. Contrasting slightly to her tan skin. I don't think I need to get any closer to recognizing her.

"Iren." There was no doubt about it. "I think I better confront her alone, Pasus."

"You know her?"

"She is my mentor. Sort off. I owe her a few favors and she is probably here to collect. Don't worry. I'll be fine. Thank you for the walk."

After giving Pasus a reassuring hat on the hand, it is time to face Iren. She probably wants me to do something that I won't like much. Like the rotation, I spent at Kingswood Forrest. Though this time she shows up in person so I can't run my mouth in front of her like I did last time. When she was just a hologram in my Little Mule.

Getting closer, I was once again reminded of Iren's beauty. Or maybe the last few times I had been too angry or annoyed to really notice it. She clearly was older than me. Maybe by a decade. The backend of being thirty. Still, she had some youth to it, and damn she was athletic. It makes me feel like a couch potato.

What also struck me curious was her outfits. The first one had this pirate chick flare. Like a female Jack Sparrow from those Disney movies. Then a perfectly tailored tuxedo that accented her female form while still giving a very formal look. And now a dress that couldn't be wrong at a royal court.

"Iren," I say as I arrived. Time to get this over with. "How deep am I in trouble."

Okay. I admit. I expected a lot. Not Iren breaking out in a burst of loud laughter. Barely hidden by a hand she raised to cover her mouth.

"Oh, Lillyn. You aren't. Don't worry. This is a courtesy call. Come. Step into my office."

Walking up the ramp behind Iren I was in for another surprise. There wasn't a counter or shelves like my own Little Mule was sporting. Instead, there was a big desk and a comfortable seating arrangement. Iren chose the latter to gracefully sit down. I fear my own sitting down was barely half as elegant.

"Shouldn't you close the ramp?" I ask.

"Sometimes it is good to be seen. Speaking of. You look good, Lillyn. Is Maynard Mansion treating you right?"

"I can't complain."

Well, I could. But I doubt Iren would care for my trouble with Xarestes. I can handle that idiot myself. Ignoring him is a valid strategy, right?

"Don't be so tight-lipped, Lillyn. I am not here to scold you or cause trouble. I invested a lot in you and I would like to hear I did the right thing. Are the void-favors rolling in? Did you go for potions, as I suggested?"

"I did. Got all the basic ones. I mostly researched upgrades to the ones I got. Though I managed to make some hybrid potions. They grant a bonus to two stats instead of one."

Great. Iren is starring at me. Did I say something wrong? She looks a little lost in thought.

"Lillyn?"

"Yes?"

Here it comes. I can feel Besona pulling back for another whammy in the guts.

"Is there anything else you researched? Maybe something- New."

Shit! Of course, Iren has a spy.

"What did Essie tell you?"

"So there is?" Now Iren is leaning forward. Eager. With a hungry look in her eyes. "I must admit Essie has been tight-lipped recently. Quite unlike her, but we'll talk about her later. What did you research?"

"It is embarrassing."

"I don't care, Lillyn. Tell me."

Such steel in her voice. No wonder Iren got into a position of power. Her whole aura was one of dominance. To make you feel she was in charge.

"It was an accident. I was researching a growth potion and a brassiere at the same time. Somehow the effect of the potion got transferred to the bra."

"A garment with an enchantment to make you grow taller. That is new."

"Well, only-"

I didn't have to gesture long around my breasts before Iren got the meaning. Leaning back, she looks oddly satisfied.

"You know, you got me worried for a bit, Lillyn. But this proves that my decision to back you was right. You don't know how relieved I am."

"Because I made a bra that grows one's breasts?"

"No, Lillyn. It is what it stands for. Progress, Lillyn. Progress. Ever since our profession came into being we had been in competition with traditional manufacturing. We are convenient and quick. Able to supply right at the spots where it is needed. But our research is slow. Advancements in traditional crafts outpace us. Not by much. But since we can't transfer blueprints from one person to the next, every new generation has first to learn the old blueprints before working on improving them. This makes us fall behind."

Right. Pasus told me he is still researching items that are standard stock for every other trader of his merchant family. How long does that take? Probably a long time, judging by Iren's passionate explanation.

"And my enchant-up bra helps how exactly?"

"It's a side effect, Lillyn. A symptom of your high void affinity. For you, it is easier to have two items on a research bench to influence each other. And that is what I was counting on. Lillyn, there were only three void-traders who reached an affinity of thirteen. Only one who reached fourteen. Whenever an extraordinary void-trader walked this world new inventions are discovered. Market niches developed no one before had even considered."

I think I get it. What Iren wants me to do. Was this why she had been supporting me from the beginning? Being generous with her own void-favors. Setting me up with my own Little Mule.

"You hope I find new avenues of products. Something that only we can provide. But won't traditional manufacturing try to break our grasp of the new products?"

"They undoubtedly will, Lillyn. But it might take generations. In this time, we can prosper again. Right now, our very guild is in decline. Has been for a century. We are mostly deduced to service adventurers and void trash no one else needs. This could help us become popular again. Attract young blood."

"What do I need to do?"

"Nothing, really. Just be a void-trader." Iren is giving me a knowing smile before elaborating. "It is in your very nature as one with high affinity to stumble upon new products. Just continue as you did. And if you stumble upon one develop it a little. Take your brassiere with the growth enchantment as an example. Did you manage to reproduce this accident? If so, there could be a market for it."

"I did. There may have been a secret selection in my shop."

"You see? Lillyn, you already started."

Great. No pressure at all. Just single-handedly revive a guild in decline. What could be easier than that? Iren is putting a lot of my shoulders. Maybe I should mess with her a bit?

"If you are correct, why should I share my new products? I could be egoistic and hoard them all. Get rich and leave the other traders in the dust."

"Spoken like a true void-trader." Iren doesn't even sound offended. Even a little proud. Curios. "Lillyn, you have barely been here for a few rotations and already stumbled upon your first product. Who knows how many you have in a year or decade. There is only so much you can sell yourself. If you develop a product you can pawn it off to someone else. Many traders will pay a small fortune to have a monopoly on a product. Maybe even found a merchant family based on it. You will gain more than just riches. Lillyn, you have the potential to be the most prestigious void-trader of this generation."

"I guess I can try."

"That is all I ask. Lillyn, I know you have been sent to Besona by accident. The church of the otherworldly might dismiss you as a hero, but for us, the guild of the void-traders, you might be the savior we desperately need. Not that all of my peers would agree with this assessment. But I also think you can find a home here. Your instincts as a trader are evident. Given time, I think you will fit in nicely."

Well, color me speechless. Towards, Iren I mean. I know I am currently talking to you. This is heavy stuff. I was glad when the whole summoned hero from another world was handed off to Marie. The one originally summoned. I am not the heroic kind of person. Now I got a new purpose. Great. At least, if Iren can be trusted, I can sort of wing it. Make things better as I go along.

"I still stub my toes left and right, but thanks to a few people I get the hang of things."

Again, Iren is giving me a long glance. As if I am a puzzle to figure out.

"Is Essie one of them?" Iren finally asks. "I know she can be a bit- Too enthusiastic."

"It is fine. Granted, she teases me a lot. But Essie is good at explaining things. I am glad you assigned her to me."

Iren gives a deep sigh. Only to turn serious and look at me straight. "It's a relief I could pawn her off to you. When she asked me to be your teacher I honestly felt a little bad for you. Then again, you owe me."

Wait a minute. What's Iren's problem with Essie. She isn't that bad. I mean it when I said I count her as a friend. And what was it about Essie asking Iren to be my advisor?

"I thought you assigned Essie to me."

"I did. After she may have bribed me. Honestly, she didn't need to, but it spared her ego. This sounds like I don't like her. Don't worry, Lillyn. It's not that. She just can be exhausting. You see, I am her hero. The very role model of what she wants to be. And not just as a void-trader. She used to follow me around like a lost puppy. But not in the last few rotations."

"You threw her a bone," I pick up aloud. "Me."

Iren is leaning back and laughing. Guess I hit the bullseye.

"Guilty as charged. Don't be deceived by her, Lillyn. Ever since you walk through my trade hub Essie was intrigued by you. She is a sweet girl, but she wants something from you."

"And what would that be?"

"There is no fun in telling you. Now, I think my little visit has come to an end. I've got to fly back and return to my duties."

Now it is my time to smirk. "A good way to dodge the question."

"You know it."

As we rise up a sudden thought pops into my head. Xarestes had made certain accusations regarding Iren and Essie hadn't exactly refused them. Should I ask her about it?

"Something on your mind?"

Busted. Apparently, I took too long.

"You should know there are rumors about you."

Iren gives me a small amused shake of her head while sauntering to the ramp of her Little Mule.

"There always are. Some of them are even true."

Well, that's just vexingly mysterious. Not helpful, Iren.

"Someone ran their mouth and said I was sleeping with you to get here. Or that I joined your- Well. Your Harem. And that this is my reward."

There is a short frown on Iren's face. Then it turned to resignation.

"I told you why I am helping you."

"So there is no harem?"

"Oh, there certainly is."

Woah, what? Really? I join Iren on the ramp, but she doesn't walk down. Instead, she is starring at the camp. Lost in thought.

"There is a saying, Lillyn. A void-trader has a lover in every town. An exaggeration, but certainly true for a few of us. You see, I made a name for myself as a trader of high fashion. My clients are not adventurers, but ladies of the court. I charm my way into the hearts of quite a few of them. Much to the dismay of parents and grandparents. People in a high position."

"Officially, Lillyn, there was nothing they could do. It was their daughters' and granddaughters' choices who they slept with. But they could remove the temptation. I was offered the position of hub-master in a town. A position too prestigious for me to refuse. Of course, it would mean I'd be stuck there. Their trap worked. And the guild elders knew that it was against my code of honor to pursue subordinates of mine."

So, Iren got caught with the hand in the cookie jar and she got a promotion from it. All to keep her away. She must be kind of notorious to warrant such action.

"Sorry, it didn't work out the way you hoped."

My sentiment of sympathy was overshadowed by a loud laugh from Iren.

"Oh, don't feel sorry for me. Pity my enemies. Let's just say that a lot of ladies of the court started to rent or built vacation homes close to my trade hub."

She gives me a mischievous wink and starts walking down the ramp. I've got to hand it to her. Iren is really something else. No wonder Essie is eager to learn from Iren.

No, wait a moment. Didn't Iren just say Essie wanted to learn more from her than just being a void-trader? Does that mean Essie wants to build a harem? Is that why she asked Iren to be assigned to me? There had been a lot of teasing and she already saw me half-naked.

A little lost in thought I follow Iren down. My mind already dreading the next call I get from Essie. That might turn out awkward.

"Lillyn, I know it is a lot I place on your shoulders."

Yeah, no kidding. The fact that Essie might be into me. Oh, wait. I think she means the whole being the savior of the void-trader deal.

"Don't worry about it," Iren continues. "Just be the best trader you can be and have fun with it. The rest will fall in place by itself."

"I will try."

I mean, yeah. Why not? It's a big deal, but compared to Marie, it's pocket change. She has to save Besona from something. I gladly take traders and possible seduction attempts over that. Wouldn't you?

A few pleasantries later Iren is walking up to her Little Mule again. Her ship's ramp now pulling up and now it is lifting up into the sky. Iren's visit had been short but she has given me a lot to think about. I guess I talk to you all tomorrow. There is brooding to be done this evening.

---

---

Dear readers,

sorry that this part is late.
My 'extra vacation' ended as suddenly as it started.
Now I am back to full-time working again.
I hope I will manage the next parts on time again, but I can't guarantee it.

As a little gift of apology, I include a little bonus. Ever since part 1 of TTkFMMAT I had to figure out when Leon/Lillyn narrates something in her life and when she doesn't. I wrote a little guide to consult myself and now I am sharing it with you.

Have fun.

Hugs and kisses,
Cassy

---

Lillyn's Narration Guide:

Lillyn is an unreliable narrator. She might highlight/narrate things she finds interesting or flattering to her ego. On the other hand, she might withhold parts that are embarrassing to her.

Lillyn might start a narration when:
- She thinks something interesting or annoying is about to happen. (The many false flag narrations are omitted for reader - convenience.)
- She wants to recap something that happened that annoyed her.
- She wants to boast about an accomplishment.
- She spots someone she likes and wants to share the experience of the interaction.

Lillyn might stop a narration when:
-Things get boring.
- She stumbles into an embarrassing situation that she can't even downplay by becoming overly annoyed.
- She comes into a situation where she can't spin into something showing her off as good or positive.

Lillyn might omit or downplay situations that:
- Are purely embarrassing for her.
- Are a repeat of something similar to what she already narrated.