Eat lunch with Blythe

Your new {if@ sword = true}sword is a knightly broadsword, sporting almost three feet of double-edged blade{elseif mace = true}mace is like a metal baseball bat with small spikes along the last ten inches or so{elseif spear = true}spear is an eight-foot shaft of bronze capped with an iron head{endif}. There are bits of rust, and it’s very much old and worn down, but it’ll do until you can find a new weapon to replace it. You have no way of storing it or your new shield, so you end up carrying them down the road. You spend the rest of the morning searching bookstores for something that’ll give you a basic understanding of how magic works in this world. However, none of the bookstores you find have sections that are specifically for books about magic, or if they do, it’s not obvious to you. Around mid day, you and Blythe stop at a street vendor selling sandwiches and find a bench nearby to eat at.

“I must admit I am curious to know more about you, Evan,” says Blythe.

You finish chewing a bite of your sandwich. “Like what? I already told you about where I’m from.”

“You did not tell me everything,” she say. “But perhaps, if you would say no more of where you are from, then I would ask where it is you are going?”

“On an adventure, most likely,” you say. That’s not even a lie, you think. I’m going to have to skip town once word of a new Demon Lord hits. “What about you? I’d be happy to have you along, but I don’t know if you would really want to be a part of it.”

She laughs. “Saying things like that will only make someone more interested, you know. Besides, I would like to stay with you for as long as you will have me.”

You might not say the same thing once you know the truth about me.

“If we are to go on an adventure, we shall need supplies,” she says. “Since our search for an introductory magic book has not gone well as of yet, I propose that we take a break to go and purchase some traveling equipment. And do not worry, I shall purchase everything. Consider it my contribution to our adventuring party. What do you say?” You have to admit that you’re getting tired of failing to find what you need at bookstore after bookstore, so you don’t offer any objections to her plan. The two of you finish your sandwiches quickly and move on.

The first thing that Blythe buys for you is a brown rucksack almost exactly like her own. She helps you strap your buckler to it so that you don’t have to have it strapped to your arm all day. At the same shop she buys two small tents, and makes you pick one to carry and call yours. Further down the same road, she finds a place selling bedrolls and acquires one for each of you.

As you’re walking down the street, you watch Blythe closely to see how she’s taking her “assignment.” She walks by your side with a gentle smile resting on her face, casually looking over the various shops and market stalls that you pass by. “Blythe,” you say. She turns her head to you as you continue walking. “How’s your ‘assignment’ going?” Suddenly, you find yourself walking by yourself. You turn back, and see that your words stopped your elven friend in her tracks. Her eyes are wide, her teeth are grinding together, and her hands are desperately pulling down on the hem of her skirt.

“I had forgotten,” she admits as red fills her cheeks.

Suppressing a chuckle, you close the gap between the two of you and grab hold of the top buttons of her doublet. “Well that’s no good,” you say as you pop the first button. She stares at your hands and her whole body is trembling, but she puts up no resistance whatsoever. “If you aren’t feeling it, then the exercise becomes pointless.” You pop another button. People are walking past you on the street, some doing double takes as they catch a glimpse of what you’re doing. Nobody stops to yell at you, though. You only stop undoing buttons once a tasteful — by your definition — amount of cleavage is showing. Blythe looks like she’s about to start foaming at the mouth, but you just grin at your handiwork, take her hand, and continue walking down the street.

The walking pace is dramatically slowed down after your outfit modification. Blythe is constantly trailing behind you, her eyes darting left and right as passersby casually glance at her partially exposed assets. She’s completely lost focus on the shopping she was doing, which means that you have to do it yourself. You spend the afternoon traveling all over the town, visiting all kinds of shops. At the end of your search, you come up with a map of the region, canteens for each of you, and several wrapped loaves of bread. Still no magic book, but it’s already evening now.

“I believe I saw an inn renting rooms for two silvers apiece,” says Blythe, momentarily breaking out of the haze of arousal she’s been swimming in all afternoon to help you find lodging. She hangs on your arm, subconsciously rubbing her chest against you as she points the way to a nicer inn than the Wayside. When you get there, you use the excuse of saving money to only get one room for the two of you. The innkeeper obviously assumes you’re a couple, with the way Blythe is clinging to you, and Blythe is in no state to make a fuss over it, so you successfully pay for the room and head up to the second floor.

The room is much nicer than the last one you stayed in. There is only one bed, but there’s plenty of floor space. The room also contains a table and chair set up by the window. You walk Blythe over to the bed and have her sit down. With the two of you alone, she’s starting to calm down a bit. You walk over to sit in the chair, and the two of you sit quietly for a few minutes.