"So should I begin with the discussion or the test?" he asked, smiling towards the three ladies.
"I could already imagine what the discussion would be about," June said, narrowing her eyes. "What is the test for?"
"Of course, to asure my charisma," he grinned.
June shot him a asured look and then shook her head.
"I'm being serious," Gale cut in. "You guys probably didn't feel any of the glamour boost because I kept it all sealed."
June frowned, while Dawn looked between the others to judge their reactions.
"Oh, it's a celestial thing, huh?" Agnes nodded. "I guess I did feel sothing different about it, which I couldn't point a finger at... but now I can..."
"Before you judge for any of that, know this," Gale sighed. "I have not even used 1% of it."
"Well, even if you do use a hundred per cent of your glamour, I don't see myself throwing myself at you."
June glared at her after Agnes finished.
"We'll see," he snorted. He let the [Cloak of Void Radiance] manifest over his body, currently in a thin white and gold regal camouflage. He had used the cloak's warding effect to seal all his aura and glamour, but now, for the testing, he turned off its effect and only used his own control to keep the boosted charisma at a moderate noble level.
"How is it now?"
"I don't see any change..." Agnes muttered, glazing over his form. "The cloak looks good on you though."
Gale let free a tenth of the glamour, unsure what else he needed to do. It was a completely different field, considering he had no tingling feeling in the back of his mind that he had tried anything like this before.
"Oh~" Agnes reacted, blinking at him. "I don't know what happened, but it's like... I cannot describe it. I can still see it's you, but I feel sothing more..."
"It's like you're glowing..." June ca forward to touch his cheeks.
Dawn nodded
and mostly kept her eyes down.
"If it's all you've got, then you have no chance of getting our panties wet," Agnes blurted with a laugh.
"I don't need to get your panties wet for this," he snorted and turned to Dawn. "What do you think?"
"I..." Dawn lifted her head to give him a proper look. "You feel more perfectly aligned with the Way, which makes you look more ideal to others..."
Even though she gave a magically sound answer, her cheeks were blushed in pink as she quickly looked down, as though it wasn't proper to look at him.
"Well, so long as it's enough to enable to leave a good impression on soone, it's good enough," he said out loud, letting out a breath of relief, even though he didn't need to breathe. So habits just didn't wear off within a few days. "I was fearing I had to learn ways to manipulate the ethereal glamour to my advantage..."
Glad to see it wasn't the case!
"Who are you trying to impress?" June asked, unaware that she was clasping his palm. "I already noticed you're very good at that with how you keep all your students entranced in your teaching like a spell..."
"That's easier because the students are receiving sothing from ," Gale explained. "But the calculation becos a little tricky if it is on the receiving end."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I have called so people from Dragonforge, planning on getting a big deal out of them..."
"I'm assuming there would be a lady coming to discuss this?" she snorted.
"Well, Miss Arden is my only contact with Dragonforge," he said.
June punched him softly on the chest.
"Hmm, I haven't checked how this boosted charisma works on a man," Gale muttered.
"Well, you have used it enough on us, you can quit it now," Agnes said with a frown.
"Nah," he shook his head. "I plan on keeping this up to get myself familiarised with it. I also feel freer this way."
She groaned. "So you want to—" Agnes stopped herself before completing the sentence. "What do you have to discuss?"
"Well, mostly on my future plans and about how you can absorb dark essence the most efficient way," he paused. "Hmm, it would take so ti to get through that all, and I have a class. Should we do this after I'm done? anwhile, you guys can read through my scribblings to get yourselves familiarised with my plans."
He left his notebook on the table and crept to the guest house. The won exchanged glances and watched his figure leaving. Agnes looked like she wanted to complain about sothing, but didn't. Dawn was silent and serene as ever, while June was the most competitive.
*****
As he hadn't experienced the effect of the boosted glamour on the sa sex or on a mass, Gale kept the glamour at a moderate rate for the class.
Within a couple of minutes of observing the class, he could tell the glamour didn't affect n the sa way it did won; in fact, he didn't believe it affected anyone in the sa way. Most of the adepts looked thoroughly amazed for no reason, and the effect didn't wear off easily.
Finally noticing that it was making them less attentive to what he was saying, which was counterproductive to the class, he restricted all forms of glamour.
The class was applying the designs into physical forms, so it took more ti than usual. Most of them did well, though nothing surprised him yet. He was also getting used to Jenni's unique way of working, and her application for the class was rather lacklustre compared to herself.
Like every day, half of the adepts had sothing more to show him. They exited after getting his words on it one by one, until only Jenni remained with dozens of designs in her hand.
"It will take so ti," she said, sowhat giving him an accusatory look for so reason. "If you do not have ti, I can use the token..."
"Are you angry for so reason?" he asked, taking the designs from her. He laid them over the table and pushed his Void Sense through the designs. It turned out they were all just alternative versions of the sa design with various utilities added to them. "This reminds ... I forgot to tell you, but I'm planning on showing your designs to a representative of Dragonforge in a few days.
It would be better if you could be present at the eting."
Jenni blinked, then her eyes widened like saucers. "I thought you completely forgot about it," she gasped. "But to present it to Dragonforge..."
"Why are you having cold feet?"
"I..." She let out a weird noise, palms clasped into fists. "I an, the designs are not perfect. Yet. They might not like it and write off completely from their list of runesmiths to work with, and then I'll have to go back and work for my father, beg him to take back... He'll be real smug about it... I can already imagine the looks..."
"Slow down, girl," Gale chuckled. It had been so long since he had seen her feeling down on confidence and spiralling into thoughts of all the bad things that could happen to her. "At worst, Dragonforge will not give you the deal you like, but even they would like to purchase the designs."
"Even if they do not intend to go forward with the project?" Jenni frowned.
Gale nodded. "I'll advise you not to sell the design... Yes, it could get you a hefty sum of wealth, but that couldn't compare to the brand you can make with this product..."
Jenni seed like she couldn't believe his words. Yes, she had imagined making it big in the runesmithing market, but never in her wildest dream had she imagined her first big design would have a shot at it.
"Actually, it will be better if we discuss this more thoroughly," he said and stood up. "If you have nothing on your plate, co with ."
****
Jenni hadn't had her breakfast yet, or eaten anything last night, yet she wasted no mont in joining him on the way back to the lake. Well, considering the hours, he probably had sothing cooking.
The delicious aroma wafted in the air the mont she stepped foot in the open sanctuary the master runesmith had created on the banks of the lake. Jenni licked her lips and noticed the other three won. She already hoped to see two of them, but it seed the captain had returned as well.
Dawn was the one who prepared the food, while the beautiful elf woman served at the table. The al was light and nothing extravagant, but it was rich in flavour and spirituality.
"Looks like we need another plate of serving," Agnes laughed. "Gale has brought another girl along..."
"I hope I'm not intruding upon you," Jenni said, even though the polite words rang hollow even to her own ears.
"No need to act polite, girl," Agnes laughed. "Politeness and reservedness actually don't look good on you. Just be yourself, spontaneous and fun."
Jenni smiled and nodded, though she didn't bring out her tomboyish self. Perhaps Agnes would like it, and Dawn would understand, but she wouldn't want to make an ass of herself in front of the high elf, who was also Warden's partner and probably had so say in his decision making.
Jenni sucked in a deep breath, feeling empty in her stomach. Perhaps I should fill that first.
_____________
The Chronicles of Gale Joseph Paul Rizzler
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