Ch 59

  While waiting for Greg to return, Matt spent the rest of his day catching up with those he was closest to. This even included Maria, who surprised him by being one of the few who seemed completely unaffected by Jaelyn’s ability. Though from their brief exchange she made it clear that she saw no real need to be on friendly terms with him. After all, she had carved out her own niche by expertly weaving cordage into various items—a skill at which she was among the fastest. In fact, she had been diligently working on a net when Matt found her, and from what he could tell, it was being crafted to withstand most level 3 monsters and even slow down a formidable level 5.

  Yet, aside from Zara and Yumiko, only those two reminded him of the people he’d known before Jaelyn’s return, leaving Matt to question whether he was still the same person he once was. If Jaelyn’s power worked in such a way that those affected continued to feel unchanged, would they ever realize the subtle influence it had over them? Nonetheless, Matt believed that if he had truly changed, someone—perhaps even Tempormr—would have pointed it out.

  Later that evening, when Greg finally returned and Matt found himself sitting with him and Eleanor, his mind was still occupied with planning whom to bring along with him and Jaelyn, as they needed at least two more campers. His thoughts were soon interrupted as Greg opened the meeting.

  “Man, leveling up just gets harder with each level we gain. I wish we could find a powerful monster on its last legs and kill it for a massive boost. Just imagine how much a level 100 monster would be worth.”

  “46,560 experience for a level 4 like yourself,” responded Matt with a sigh. “So, how is your group working out?”

  “It’s a bit rough,” admitted Greg, “but I’m confident that in a few weeks we can create something truly impressive, provided we don’t end up burning the whole forest. Fire magic is no joke, yet on its own it’s as weak as I expected.”

  “Do you think your magics can combine to smelt iron?” Eleanor inquired.

  “Not at their current levels,” Greg replied, “although they do amplify each other quite nicely when the timing of their castings is perfectly synchronized.”

  “It might help if Tana didn’t find you so repulsive,” Eleanor commented wryly. “Please tell me things went at least a bit better than yesterday.”

  “Things are fine,” deflected Greg with a chuckle. “I know it takes time for anyone to warm up to my personality.”

  “What happened?” asked Matt, almost dreading the answer. “Give me the short version, please.”

  “Tana got upset over a comment I made about wanting a harem.”

  “More like Greg here suggested that she’d be the ideal candidate to be the very first member,” Eleanor corrected. “I spent hours last night calming her down and convincing her that, in his own messed up and distorted way, Greg was actually paying her a compliment. Thankfully, Jaelyn managed to help her see things more clearly so that she wouldn’t refuse to work with him.”

  “Yeah, and now every time I mention the word ‘harem’ she threatens to force me into some kind of reverse harem. It’s absurd, but I understand what she’s trying to do.”

  "On another note," said Matt, eager to steer away from delving any further into the sensitive subject, "I need to figure out how to manage one of my new skills—it can passively affect others, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

  "What exactly does it do?" asked Greg, leaning in with genuine curiosity.

  "It motivates those I help to improve themselves, or something along those lines," Matt explained, his tone a mix of uncertainty and intrigue.

  "Then I wouldn’t worry about it," replied Greg with a reassuring smile. "It sounds like you’re simply helping others become the best versions of themselves. Just promise me you won’t use it to aid any mass murderers or the like. Although, if you believe it could help me create—"

  "You’re not about to ask Matt to indulge your deviant desires, are you?" Eleanor interrupted sharply, her eyes narrowing.

  "Let’s not get too sidetracked today," Matt continued, shifting his focus. "Greg, I need you on full serious mode right now, and Eleanor, I need you to remember who you are and get back to being yourself."

  "Come again?" Eleanor challenged, her voice tinged with confusion. "How am I not being myself?"

  "What do you think of Jaelyn?" asked Matt, rather than answering her.

  "She’s an invaluable part of our group," Eleanor began, her tone defensive as she listed her contributions, "bringing unique insights and—"

  "Can’t be trusted," Matt cut in abruptly. "Whether it's intentional or not, she has a skill that influences everyone around her, and I suspect it makes people see her as more important than they ought to. So, tell me—if you were in danger and could only help one person escape, who would it be?"

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Jaelyn, because she’s the one who knows best how to survive on her own," Eleanor replied without hesitation.

  "Really?" Greg mused with a hint of skepticism. "Sure, she's useful, but I would have thought you'd refuse to play favorites when your own safety is on the line. Would you, for instance, shield her with your body if she were truly in harm’s way?"

  "I don’t see what you’re getting at—" Eleanor began, only to be cut off.

  "Thanks for noticing it," Greg remarked, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "I knew something was off when Tana tried to get me to imagine myself as one of Jaelyn’s paramours instead of—"

  "Greg, please stop derailing things by bringing up harems," Matt interjected firmly. "I get it— you never grew up and realized that dealing with one woman is the most any man should dare try to do, but I really don’t want to hear about it right now."

  "I think she’s got her hooks into you too," Greg observed thoughtfully. "You used to let my comments slide, but now you never even let me finish my sentence—especially when I’m talking about the fact that Jaelyn might even be considering a reverse harem or some other unconventional situationship where she’s at the center."

  "Excuse me?" Matt snapped, clearly taken aback.

  "You know whom Tana includes on Jaelyn’s roster of paramours? You! The other women who rave about who you might get together with are usually projecting their own fantasies. But the ones closer to Jaelyn all agree—she’s the only one who can truly tame you. So, tell me, are you seriously planning to separate her from the rest of us just so we can shake off whatever hold she has on all of us?"

  "Yes, I figured that I'm more resistant to her—"

  “You are, but I’m immune,” Greg stated evenly. “She is the last person with whom I’d ever want to be friendly, especially since she carries a chip on her shoulder from the perception that men think she can’t handle things simply because she is a woman. That attitude defines her from my point of view. Even though I am the only wind mage here and there are at least two men wielding fire magic, she always opts for women when possible—as if she sees men as incapable of leadership. The only exceptions seem to be you and me, and I suspect that’s solely because you placed five women at the top along with us. I’m even beginning to bet that she’s scheming to make me look like an incompetent fool so that you’ll eventually stop trusting me.”

  “Slander,” Eleanor retorted sharply. “You just dislike her because she dares to challenge your ability to lead.”

  Matt raised an eyebrow. “You were in the dungeon with Greg, issuing commands. Did you find anything lacking in my approach?”

  “No, I never suggested that I doubted Greg’s ability. I merely meant that he has now been given the opportunity to show everyone what he’s capable of and shouldn’t complain about legitimate challenges.”

  “Is he being set up to fail, though?” pushed Matt.

  Eleanor hesitated, then admitted, “I—I don’t really know. I’ve been preoccupied with other matters.”

  Matt sighed deeply as he considered his next words. “This situation is complicated. We all need to rethink our assumptions about Jaelyn. Perhaps it would do us well to ask ourselves whether we’d treat Rose or another member of our core group the same way we’re treating her. For me, that should be enough. With that said, I’m leaving with her and Greg, and you’ll be in charge of leading during combat. I’m entrusting you with deciding who will accompany us. Just make sure that if we encounter other groups, some of them can guide those groups back to the fort while we press on.”

  “How long are we going to be out?” Greg inquired.

  “Three to five days,” Matt replied.

  “Got it. And is there a limit on numbers?”

  “We shouldn’t complicate the fort’s work on current projects,” Matt reasoned.

  Greg thought for a second before responding. “Then I think fourteen is a good number—with ten able to return and you, me, Jaelyn, and Tana making up the rest of the group.”

  “Anything to add, Eleanor?”

  “Only that I believe you’re making a mistake by not trusting Jaelyn.”

  “I will trust her once she figures out how to control her ability and shows me that she can handle it responsibly.”

  “Good. Now, since you’re going to be gone again…”

  Elanore seized the opportunity to update Matt on all the latest developments and the projects planned for his absence. After tweaking her plans slightly, the meeting wrapped up, leaving Matt some uninterrupted time to reflect. Feeling restless, he wandered along the walls, noting the fort’s recent enhancements. Almost as if drawn by an unspoken signal, Yumiko soon joined him, quietly walking by his side as if eager to speak yet struggling to find the right words.

  "What’s on your mind?" Matt asked, realizing he couldn’t truly relax with his thoughts buzzing.

  "How can I ensure that you remember me when you leave?" she replied softly.

  "Why would you think I’d ever forget?" he countered.

  "They always do. When you're apart from someone, it’s as if they cease to exist," Yumiko explained, her eyes distant with memory.

  "I'm not sure I follow your logic," he admitted.

  "I haven’t always been alone. I once had friends. When I was twelve, my family moved, and making new friends became a real struggle. I clung to the hope that my old bonds would last—I called, wrote letters, and did everything possible to stay connected. Yet the last time any of them replied or took even a moment to chat was six months later. Even though they were only an hour away, to a twelve-year-old that distance felt like the other side of the world. I even bumped into them years later while shopping with my parents, and they didn’t even remember me."

  "And now you’ve essentially laid everything bare, and here I am dismissing your feelings with a vague promise to revisit them after all this is over. You believe it will happen the same way again?" he probed.

  "It’s more than that. I know another woman will likely make her move before any reunion, and whether it’s Zara or Emily, I could handle that—even the one from before all this, I might forgive—but—"

  "Nothing," Matt interrupted. "Yumiko, I understand the pull of these emotions, but you know very well that I can’t return them while were in this world. Honestly, I don’t see myself settling down; the path I’m on doesn’t allow for lasting relationships. Besides, neither of us is quite ourselves nowadays, not since Jaelyn’s group arrived. So tonight, let’s simply walk under the stars and leave aside worries about whether we’ll remember each other when this world is behind us."

  "Alright," she agreed quietly.

  Matt smiled as he sensed a calm overtaking Yumiko, though a nagging unease lingered about spending prolonged time with Jaelyn. Yet, as he finally closed his eyes that night, a smile spread across his face—comforted by the awareness of Jaelyn’s unique ability and amused by the thought that Greg was sure to drive her up the wall, that is if he was indeed immune to her influence.