My setup was the same every time. While the shops' prices differed depending on the location and size of the city, the way I handled things afterwards was pre-determined. I hired whoever I thought would make a decent clerk, whether man or woman, together with a guard of rank 4. I sold similar goods like raw materials, minerals, semi-precious stones, and fresh fish.
Speaking of fish, I now had to buy some every other day, and agreed on a full-time contract with Ouxai the fisherman. He was also improving his methods, allowing him to focus more on the fish species I wanted and for more of them to survive until he reached port. I sometimes visited Selva there, and we enjoyed some sex every time we met. She was now getting used to the act, to the point she complained about wanting to see me more often.
I had to deal with some expected issues, too. In one of the stores, the clerk was taking money from the business earnings, and in another one, the female guard was sexually harassing the male clerk. I fired both and replaced them with more trustworthy people.
After a while, those five businesses gave me a small but steady income influx. The name of my company, Urtek, was also slowly getting recognition when travelers noticed the same shop in several cities throughout the kingdom.
I only had a few hundred gold coins left after all those heavy investments, but this was exactly what I wanted. I was also getting busy, teleporting all over the land every single day. I wished I could trust my employees to do their jobs correctly, but we were still far from that point. For now, it was critical to closely monitor everyone to avoid as many issues as possible. I would check income and registers every day, but also talk with my employees, to build some trust and listen to their stories if they had any problems.
I would also need to pay tax eventually, at the end of the year. Fortunately, tax rates weren’t too heavy in Makji. To be exact, the flat rates were fine, but local lords had the right to add additional taxes to fill their domain’s budget. I had been careful to avoid domains ruled by greedy and incompetent lords, which always felt grimmer compared to the rest of the kingdom, with populations looking much more desperate and hopeless.
A few weeks later, I was hugging Ulum as part of her effort to get over her touching issue. Our current close contact was proof of how much she improved during the last season. I continued visiting her from time to time, and we always did a bit more than in the previous session.
She was now relaxing in my arms, both of us appreciating each other's warmth. Of course, I used the opportunity to let my hands get slightly adventurous. I sometimes touched her medium-sized, perky breasts or massaged her butt. Despite those places being no different from any other for her, she couldn’t help questioning my weird gestures.
“Why are you focusing so much on my breasts and butt?”
“I like them. They have a nice shape and feel good to the touch.”
“Again with your nonsense.”
It was impressive how she could now talk normally, even in this situation.
“You’re not uncomfortable anymore. Aren’t you fully rehabilitated by this point?”
She released me and shook her head.
“Not yet.”
“What’s missing?”
“I’m not cured yet. I know very well.”
“Hmm. Then, should we go with more intimate contact?”
She was surprised.
“What’s more intimate than a hug?”
How innocent. Fortunately, I was here to teach it all.
“Leave it to me.”
I approached her again. She knew me well now, and I guessed she could see something from my expression because she suddenly seemed a bit scared. Yet, she steeled her resolve and accepted whatever would come her way.
I gave her lips a small peck, which made her widen her eyes in surprise.
“Huh?”
Without leaving her too much time to think, I went on, pecking her several more times. Then, as she tried to take a step backward, I encircled her head with my arms and went for a full-blown kiss. Now, my lips stayed longer in contact with her, her eyes bulging in bewilderment.
Still, she was a strong woman. Past the initial startle, she relaxed again, accepting my gesture. I wasn’t done, however. When she thought she had seen it all, I sent my tongue through her lips and invaded her mouth.
“Ah!”
She couldn’t help letting out a yelp of shock as I ran wild inside there, enjoying the sweet savor of her saliva. She was now frozen in place, not understanding what was happening to her. When my tongue entangled with hers, she suddenly rebooted and let out another weird noise I wouldn’t be able to interpret.
“Hyuh!”
She tried to push me away, but I didn’t let her. Her blameless eyes filled with tears as I attacked her upper inner cavity without respite. Finally, she pushed me away with all her strength, and I broke off our kiss. She glared at me with incomprehension and resentment, panting hard to get her breathing in order.
“Haaah, haaah, haaah. What was that, Tila!”
I smiled nonchalantly.
“What do you mean? It was intimate contact.”
“But… My lips… and mouth… and tongue…”
“Hehe. Did you like it? Didn’t it feel good?”
“What good? It only felt weird.”
“Is that so? Then, let’s train with this until you get used to it.”
“Ugh…”
“What? Are you giving up? Was that too much?”
“Of course not. Fine, I’ll master this too. But…”
“But?”
“Not today. I’ve had enough for now.”
I chuckled.
“Sure. You did great, Ulum. I’m so proud of you.”
“Don’t talk to me like a child. Get out now.”
“Yes, yes. See you soon, darling.”
“What darling!”
I laughed as I left her office. Now that my situation in the outer world had stabilized a little, it was time to focus on the inner world again.