Eina sent her gaze around the room. The sight of all of the girls working hard met with her approval. She nodded once, casually, and then returned to her associates. She stopped in front of Scott once more then placed her hands upon her hips. “So, you managed to pussy-foot your way through the licensing test? How many times did it take, three?”
“Got it in one,” said Scott, with a smile.
The Crystallim snorted derisively at him then looked to the side. “Not like I care. I was just asking.”
“Right,” said Scott. "You don't secretly yearn for my success or anything."
She snorted loudly once more and lifted her nose into the air. "As if that is a concern for me."
“Didn’t you bake him something, Eina?” asked Jack, after a somewhat silent moment passed.
The girl gave the man a death glare then said, “I did not bake it for him. I had extra ingredients and made a cake.”
Jack laughed at her openly and she frowned. He was the one guy she could not legitimately order around in this place. He was her current master after all.
She turned away from them and looked to the side. After she crossed her arms over her chest, she said, “You shouldn’t tell this idiot things like that. He’s stupid enough to believe it.”
Scott sighed. “And here I had hoped it was true. Ah well... Guess I’m not special to you after all Eina.”
She snapped out, “Who’d think you were special? You’re a stupid fatty. I bet you haven’t done anything but have sex with your whores for the last few days.”
“They aren’t whores, Eina. They’re my friends, just like you,” said Scott.
She snorted then turned away from him completely and looked toward the opposite side of the room. “Who said I was your friend...”
“My mistake,” said Scott with a smile upon his lips. "A man can dream after all, right?"
The girl was quiet for a moment, but then said, “So did you want a slice of cake or not, you idiot?”
“If you made it, then yes,” said Scott.
“Of course you do. Fat boys love cake, don’t they?” she asked with a snarky laugh.
“Yep.” said Scott. He eyed her backside briefly, knowing that she'd notice it despite being turned away from him. "I do love your cakes."
Eina snorted but a very slight tinge of pink crossed the bridge of her nose. She turned back to him then strode forward and snatched his hand. She turned her head to the exercising girls. “You fat bitches work or I’ll be back, and I won't be happy!
“Yes, Mistress Eina!” cried every girl in the room. They had absolutely no desire to disappoint their battle mistress.
She jerked Scott forward through the door and he followed along. Jack tried to fight back a laugh, but he was unable to stop it from happening. It was always fun when Scott came to visit. He followed them out the door to enjoy the festive atmosphere a bit more.
The trio ended up in the kitchen near Jack’s private quarters. Eina tossed Scott’s hand aside like it was a diseased rat, and then calmly called up the room’s internal MISS system. A lop-sided and strangely decorated cake appeared on the kitchen counter.
Eina gestured at it with a hint of pride in her tone. “See? A cake.”
“I see. It’s definitely a cake,” said Scott. It looked more like someone had tried to decorate a dog turd, but it was definitely supposed to be a cake.
“Well, have a slice,” said Eina in a neutral tone of voice. She pointed at the knife sitting nearby.
Scott cut off a piece of the aberrant creation and smiled at Eina. She huffed loudly then turned her head. "You don't have to look so happy to eat it, you fool..."
He took an experimental bite, and expected the worst. Strangely, it was reasonably edible. “Not bad...”
The girl whirled back to him and cried out, “Not bad? I spend my precious time baking you a ca-”
Her voice froze up before she could finish her sentence. Her face turned bright red and she made a strangled noise. She recovered quickly, but the damage was done.
“So, it was for me, huh?” said Scott. He casually took another bite of cake and she glowered darkly at him. Her gaze promised worse things than death.
Scott slowly licked icing off of the knife while looking at her. He considered it a personal victory when she made another little noise and looked away. She could be a difficult girl to like, but he’d learned to accept her abrasive nature.
She was like any other Crystallim. She just wanted to be strong and find someone special. There was also the fact that she was actually a sweet girl underneath it all. Her situation was made more difficult by her recent ascension to a higher form. As an Amazon Battle Mistress, she required someone who was far more capable as a fighter than Scott was currently. Otherwise, she would never be able to truly see her supposed master as her true master, even if she wanted to do so.
Jack smiled at the interplay between them. He was technically her owner, but they had no real chemistry beyond that. Most of the girls left on his team were either old friends, or young Crystallim who needed to find a good situation. There was little sexual intimacy involved with most of them, especially Eina. She was the daughter of his heart, even if she was not born to anyone in his harem. He treated her as a daughter, and she saw him much like a father.
“Who said it was for you? I never said that!” she cried. "Don't make up strange stories!"
“Sounded like you said it,” said Scott evenly.
“You hear nothing but lies!” she said with a threatening growl. "Lies and more lies..."
Scott smiled at her in a friendly manner that infuriated the girl. “If that’s the case then everything you said before must also be a lie... So you think I’m sexy, smart, and you specifically baked me a cake.”
She turned so red that she looked like she was about to explode. “You... You...!”
He looked at her, that infuriatingly calm smile still resting upon his face. “Me.”
She could not stand it anymore. She gripped him by the shirt and growled out, “Stupid, boy!”
Scott casually leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Eina’s eyes widened in shock, but she did not pull away.
Jack looked on like a proud, if strange, father. His kids grew up so fast these days. Was it incestuous that he considered both Scott and Eina to be like his children?
“Sweet girl,” said Scott softly.
“Stupid... Who is sweet?” murmured Eina, before she placed three fingers to her lips.
“Obviously, I was still tasting the cake,” said Scott.
She snapped out of her temporary stupor then glared at him. “Are you saying my cake is sweeter than I am, you fat bastard?”
“Well, it never called me a fat bastard,” said Scott.
Eina glanced at the cake then snorted. “It doesn’t want to motivate you.”
“You do?” he asked her while smiling warmly. "I never knew you cared so much..."
She looked at him for a moment then turned away. “Be quiet. The noise that your face makes annoys me.”
“Ah. I was going to confess my undying love, but I’ll just keep it to myself.” said Scott.
Eina made a strangled noise then coughed into her fist. “Do what you want...”
“I think I will,” said Scott.
She huffed once then folded her arms across her chest. She did not say anything, however. Eina waited for a moment then looked back and saw that Scott had moved over to talk to Jack. She frowned slightly at his abrupt change in conversation partner.
“Ah, I see. You wanted to talk about setting up a private training schedule,” said Jack.
“Yeah, my girls need to receive proper training. Earning experience here might be best. I need to train my skills as well,” replied the hunter.
Eina glanced from one to the other then snorted. “Well, if you’re going to ignore me I will go back to work.”
“Give ‘em hell, Eina.” said Scott warmly.
“Such a hard worker,” said
Jack with a wink.
She growled while clenching her fists, and then stormed out of the room. The guys watched the beautiful, but volatile, girl leave then went back to their conversation.
“She’ll walk on air for a few days now,” said Jack.
Scott rolled his eyes, but said. “She’s a sweet girl, when she’s not a violent maniac.”
“True, but what about your girls?” asked Jack.
“Ah, one is warm and kind but has difficulty trusting. The other is an incredibly innocent and loving girl, but timid.”
“I see, so they both need a confidence course?” asked the muscular man.
“I would say so,” said Scott. "They could both use a confidence booster. I can only do so much by being there for them."
Jack scratched his chin for a moment. “I assume they are very low in level, still?”
“Yes. I just caught one, and the other was level one a few days ago.”
Jack let out a low whistle then nodded. “Alright, they are not ready for Eina. You could try coming by the gym tomorrow at around eight hundred.”
“We can do an assessment and maybe put them on a training course that suits them. Do they have any special conditions?”
“Shaia is a Caesg,” said Scott.
“Ah, a mermaid. She’ll need a water course. She is the timid one?” asked Jack.
Scott nodded. “Yes, she is a nice girl, but she does lack confidence.”
“Right, alright. Come by in the morning. I’ll get you sorted out.”
“Thanks Jack,” said Scott, "I appreciate it."
“If you want to thank me, scrape up five hundred gold credits and buy Eina.” said the man.
“Well, I have five,” said Scott. "Though I need to save up for Seventy-Two..."
Scott grinned when the older man released a loud groan. The reason for Jack's reaction was obvious, but Scott did not say anything about it.
"That's right..." Jack looked to him and shook his head, "Don't go into that with her just yet. Let the next couple of days at least involve Eina more than your former partner, please."
"She might not take it well when I tell her. I know that," said Scott.
Silence briefly reigned throughout the room. Eventually, Scott spoke up. "Hey, all I have to do is go out and make an obscene fortune in a short amount of time. Should be easy right?"
“I guess she can stay here a while longer, but you kids were meant for each other...” said Jack.
Scott snorted at the man. “You just don’t want to get woken up at dawn anymore.”
Jack nodded. “Yes, that too.”
The men had a good laugh about that. Eina was known for her determination and desire to be a strong as possible. She was a naturally gifted trainer, which was a common trait for the Amazon Battle Mistress breed.
"There's also one other thing..." said Scott.
"Oh, there's more?" asked Jack.
Scott nodded. "How do you think Eina will take it when she finds out that I'm contractually obligated to be another girl's boyfriend?"
"Boyfriend?" asked Jack, mildly confused for a moment. His eyes widened slightly when he realized the implication. "You don't mean master, right? The girl is a human?"
"Yes. Her name is Alexis, and she's a hunter. There is a small chance that she might awaken as a succubus. She needed someone on file as her official master of choice," said Scott.
Jack sighed loudly and slowly shook his head. "She'll act like it is no big deal, but it will definitely eat at her. Give that conversation a few days, too."
"The other girls know about it, though..." said Scott.
"If they say anything, have the conversation with Eina at that time. Just be careful. She's a lot more sensitive and far easier to hurt than it seems," said Jack.
Scott ran his fingers through his hair then sighed. "I know. Sometimes I think she'd be better off with someone else, but..."
Jack shook his head. "She only wants you."
"You sure about that?" asked Scott.
"She won't even bake me a cake, and I'm both her master and her father."
"Come on, she'd bake you a cake..." said Scott with a laugh.
"Oh, really?" Jack reached out and poked the lopsided cake gently with his index finger.
A loud alarm suddenly erupted inside the room. "Alert! Alert! A thieving fatty is stealing cake! Alert! Alert!"
Eina's angry voice reached them from the gym. "Keep your fatty fingers off my cake, Jack! I didn't bake it for you!"
Jack groaned loudly. He then threw a hand to his face and shook his head. "Every. Damn. Time."
Scott threw his head back and laughed loudly at Jack's expense. He could not even speak. At this point all he could do was point a finger at the older man and make ridiculous hooting noises.
"Ah, this guy..." muttered Jack, before joining in on the laughter. It was a little funny, now that he thought about it.
“So, how do you like it Scott? Is life as a hunter all that you dreamed of, so far?” asked Jack. The man called up a few chairs and he gestured for his guest to sit down properly. The conversation moved beyond the simplicity that a stand-up chat offered. It was time to move into more important topics.
Scott sat down on the hard wooden chair then said, “So far, though obviously my team needs training. This ninety-day period is a good idea. I can see why limiting hunters a little is good.”
Jack pointed at Scott with one of his big meaty fingers. “Ah, already feeling it, huh? It’s not like the games and movies that people enjoy. Crystallim have a lot of emotional needs, and those needs have to be met first and foremost.”
Scott nodded to the man. “I like both of the girls who I am teamed with, but they could use a little toughening up." He took a moment to quietly reflect then said, "I suppose I could as well.”
“Have you bought them any equipment, yet?” asked Jack.
“Not yet. I am trying to get to know them better first. Need to see if they truly want to help me in my work,” said Scott.
Before Jack could respond, Scott asked, “Does that make me cheap?”
“A little, but it also makes you smart. Crystallim have different needs and desires. They are no different than humans in that way. Not everyone wants to fight. As a hunter you’ll need fighters and combat supporters more than anything,” said Jack.
There was a short lull in the conversation, but the silence was soon penetrated by a loving cry of motivation. “Take that biscuit dough you call an ass, and move it faster! Move it! Move It!”
Scott laughed a little. Eina was always enthusiastic about training.
Jack chuckled as well. Then he asked seriously, “Four hundred ninety-five. Do you have it?”
Scott grinned at the man. “Still just have the five.”
Jack groaned again. “She’ll make me eat leafy green vegetables and put me on a schedule for the rest of my life.”
Scott patted the man on the shoulder. Poor guy, a busty warrior woman wanted him to be the best that he could be. His life was terrible.
“Crying? Are you crying? Of course you’re crying. Fat bitches always cry!” came another motivational shout from the training room.
“Four ninety-four?” asked Jack, his eyes slightly bloodshot.
“Five?” asked Scott lightly.
The man eyed him like a dangerous serpent for a moment and then sighed, “Don’t tempt me. She’ll let you eat cake at least...”
“She won’t let you have any cake, Jack?” asked Scott curiously. That did not sound like Eina.
Jack groaned again, “You heard her. Fat bitches always cry. I’m her master, yet she still chases me around and demands that I work out an extra hour for every slice.”
Scott smiled at the man. Jack did love his cake. Life with Eina had been good for the man from what he'd heard. She was like the bitchy obsessive daughter he'd always needed. The gym owner had always been in good shape, but since Eina's evolution he now looked like someone sculpted him out of stone and did an
amazing job of it to boot.
“What about the rest of your family?” asked Scott.
“Kidda took the little ones out to train in the highlands. Gris-Gris is resting after burning off her eyebrows last night,” said Jack.
“She burned off her eyebrows?”
“Yeah, she took up alchemy or something. Magic and chemistry might be a powerful combination, but I’d rather keep my eyebrows intact,” said the man.
“I’m surprised Eina didn't go with Kidda,” said Scott. "A training trip would probably give her a lady boner or something."
Jack smiled at him then waved one hand in the air and shook his head. “Isn’t it obvious why she didn’t?”
“Maybe...” said Scott. He looked to the side then tried his best not to be obvious about his understanding.
The massive man laughed softly. “The girl has it bad. I still don’t know why. She sees a lot of people on a daily basis, but you're the poor bastard who caught her fancy.”
“I have an idea about why, but you’d probably punch me if I told you,” said Scott.
“You didn’t molest my little girl, did you?” asked Jack playfully. He had no concerns about that. Eina was a level sixty Amazon Battle Mistress, and B-rank on top of it. Scott would have been turned into a meat paste if he did anything too unwelcome.
Scott nodded to him. “Yes, a little. It was right after the renovation. I had not gotten used to the new layout yet and walked into what I thought was the training room.”
“Ah, the old training room is the girl’s locker room, now,” said Jack. "So, it all started that far back?"
“I know that, now,” said Scott, "Back then I was still pretty new around here. She was still a normal Amazon at the time."
“So, what happened?” asked Jack curiously. He held an amused expression as he listened to his sort-of-son's juicy gossip.
Scott laughed a little. “I walked in and saw Eina naked. She... did not take it well.”
“Yeah, she does not like anyone to see her naked unless she’s fighting,” said Jack. "If the adrenalin's flowing she could be naked all day long, but she does get embarrassed easily outside of that..."
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