Preparations for My Journey

After a bit more playful banter and cuddling, we returned to the dressing room to work on my clothes. I instructed her to show me some of the common clothes that people wore, and I spent the better part of what felt like an hour watching as she made the clothing materialize on my body and hers in some strange fashion show.

Most of the outfits were very similar to what you would expect from medieval styles, but with some subtle and no so subtle differences. In the case of the latter, most of the female clothing was a bit more revealing than one might expect. When I asked Amelie about that, she simply said that it was written in the Atlas that feminine clothes either showed a lot of skin or accentuated the more appealing features of the female form, but no actual reason was given. If you were to ask someone in Seradyne about it, they likely would say they never thought about it, and that it was just the way things were.

Elven-styled clothing was even more revealing, often including sheer fabrics. Interestingly, there was a reason given for this attire, and that was that elves were a more sexually free people, and often found artistic and natural beauty within the nude form.

Even the armor was much more revealing. When I pointed out that it seemed impractical, Amelie replied by saying that most well-crafted suits of armor had dwarven magic cast upon it to make it more durable and protective despite its appearance. The magic was cheap too, so practicality was rarely an issue, most armor was designed in whatever way the smithy or commissioner deemed most visually appealing or intimidating.

Finally, Amelie showed me the kind of things that a self-proclaimed “spellsword” might wear. She explained that since I would be a front-line combatant, armor would be nearly a necessity. While magic spells could be used to offer protection, many of those spells would dispel after absorbing too much ****, so having both magical and practical protection would be crucial. On the other hand, if the armor was too heavy, it may interfere with spellcasting and with efforts to conduct and manipulate magical energy.

I was a bit confused about something, so I asked Amelie for clarification, "I thought you said armor was designed based on style rather than function because there was magic to fill in the gaps. Why do I need to even bother being practical?"

"Ah, I may have been unclear. Armor that has been magically enchanted to be better fortified in spite of potential gaps would count as practical armor even if it did not visually appear to. In fact the reason such spells are often so cheap is because in addition to making the armor as protective as a regular suit of armor, they also make them just as heavy regardless of how much material is actually present."

"Oh, so the spells I could use to protect me can stack with the magic infused into the armor?"

"That is correct, so it is ideal to have both, just in case. Either way, the armor can look as practical as you want it to."

To this end, we decided on something light. Leather armor with patches of chain mail throughout, and steel plate pouldrons, gauntlets, and greaves. In addition, we designed the armor specifically to be easy to move in, and I was satisfied with the results. Amelie informed me that in Seradyne, spellcasters often made their talents well known by including clothes, robes, cloaks, or other forms of wearable cloth that had silver or gold lining. In some kingdoms it was required by law that they do so. With this piece of knowledge, I decided that a blue, silver-lined scarf would look best. Finally, we adjusted the armor so that the codpiece would be easy to remove. For practicality.

“You look excellent, Master.” Amelie smiled at me once I had finished. “And very handsome.”

I smiled at Amelie and rubbed my chin thoughtfully, eyeing her up and down.

Amelie smiled. “Thinking about sexual release again, Master?” She asked.

I blinked. “Actually no. Well, not exactly. I was actually just thinking that it would get lonely out there all by myself. Would you be able to accompany me?”

Amelie nodded. “In a manner of speaking, yes. Your predecessor had written in the Atlas that the studio could be used to create entirely new people with the same creative control as the owner has with their own appearance and physiology. Ordinarily the answer would be no simply because we lack the Quill, but thankfully because my former master had the foresight to write that rule in the Atlas, the answer is yes, in a roundabout sort of way.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I get it completely.”

“Remember, Master, that the person you are speaking to now isn’t the real me. I am simply a user-interface for the studio itself, a living control panel, as it were. I have no actual physical body of my own, but I can create a body for myself in Seradyne and control it much like I am controlling this one. I can even do this for multiple bodies if you prefer.” Amelie giggled. “You don’t need to worry too much about it, and I would be honored to join you.”

“Excellent, then we need to decide on a relationship. Who are you going to be to me? Why are you traveling with me? How did we meet?”

“The possibilities are limitless, Master, and entirely up to you. I could be your lover, a family member, a friend, a mentor, a student, even a ****.”

“Is slavery legal?”

Amelie nodded. “It is perfectly legal, though opinions on the matter are greatly divided, except in the case of elven communities, wherein the distaste is almost universal. Slavery is a means of punishment in the Castian Empire, which is Seradyne’s leading trade power. Because of this, other kingdoms have legalized slavery even if they don’t contribute to it in any way. Many elves, for instance, would argue that **** is a far more humane form of punishment.

“A more acceptable variant is traveling prostitutes who will sell their company on journeys to adventurers. Said adventurers typically pay them by the day, week, or even month to accompany them wherever they go and to do whatever they want. Prostitution in general is not frowned upon and is socially acceptable.”

“That’s interesting.”