Erwin stood at the loading dock within the outskirts of Horris, the city of stone that he had not gotten to explore at all.
It was an eye opener for sure, as the presence of magic was more prevalent than ever before. Birds as big as horses pulled carriages, the common sight of old ladies using some sort of telekinesis to hold their watering cans, kids playing a soccer-like game where the ball would defy gravity as they kicked it, and even a few adventurers were spotted amongst the crowds.
They wore magnificent armor, weapons that looked like legendary loot from video games, and exuded an aura that they were perowful.
Erwin could only sadly look at them in slight envy, stare at the storefront with trinkets he had no name to describe, hear real taverns with rowdy music, and glance at monuments which most likely held deep history.
Unfortunately, he could not take the time to really soak in the wonders of a fantasy world, since the city of Horris was a long way away from the central province of Arcavelle. He would only need two days to travel thanks to the cottage-carriages, plus he had been tight on time since the academy term started so soon.
Maybe one day, when there were no world-ending threats, he could come back to canon Erwin's hometown and come to see it as something more than the first city he visited.
Hopefully.
Focusing back on the world around him, Erwin found himself standing on a heightened platform that looked much like a shipping dock except there was no body of water. People with bags, adventures, merchants, and travelers all nestled on the edge, waiting patiently for the wondrous thing that would help them travel over the almost endless grasslands of the Lumbelle province.
Cottage-Carriages, a contraption made by the only -Magical Crafter- ranker in the human realm, Ava Skyright.
It was just a house, one that hovered above the ground and would follow planned out routes like a ferry. They could be mansions, only a scant two stories, small cottages, or in some areas almost as big as skyscrapers. They were very diverse, sometimes made of brick, stone, clay and whatever else this bizarre world had to offer.
Commonly though, they were large, and Erwin could not help but widen his eyes in awe as a building that looked much like the white house floated toward them like a boat in an invisible sea.
Then, as it aligned itself with the dock, it set down with a slight groan, a man in all blue clothes going to stand at the door to collect tickets.
Erwin was frozen for a few moments, watching as dozens of people made an orderly line and handed a blue ticket to the man and walked inside.
It seemed no one but him was taken back by the sight of a full fledged floating house, but then again he was a transmigrator. The fact that this was normal was going to be a slight problem going forth, but a good problem to have in Erwin's eyes.
He looked to his side to see Charles next to him holding his suitcases, the old man not watching the crowd, but him. A smile was on his face, and Erwin quickly donned a poker face to try and hide his surprise.
"It is okay young master, the first time seeing these would be wondrous for anyone, though I hope we will not be too late, it seems more cottage-carriages are in the queue."
Erwin nodded, previously forgetting the fact the butler was going to drop him off at the academy, and once he did Erwin would officially be free.
He no longer had to be quiet and shy, and he no longer had to fight Charles day in and day out about not wanting to wear female clothes. He even insisted he bring at least a few, but Erwin was adamant about changing his personality, telling Charles that the dream he had, the combat training, and anxiety of the coming academy term demanded he do so.
Charles could only nod his head, he was Erwin's servant afterall, not parent. It was a refreshing feeling for him to put his foot down and people listen, unlike his old life where people on his team would insist their ideas were above his, the team leader, every single time.
After standing in line, the two made their way toward the entrance of the cottage-carriage, Erwin producing a blue ticket from his pocket and handing it to the scrawny man.
"Two riders, but three rooms…um, it will be on the fifth floor, Dragon Suite number 1, 2, and 3. Have a nice trip sirs."
The ticket just dissolved into ash, eliciting a few rapid blinks from Erwin, but nonetheless he had a tighter rein on his emotions.
With that, he finally stepped into the expansive foyer, more employees in blue uniforms guiding people to and forth. Marble floors, pillars, arche ceilings, and once again floating orbs of light that illuminated the place teeming with busy bodies. It was a breathtaking sight, and Erwin soaked it all in.
As he did. A younger female worker came toward them, but as she got closer her mouth practically fell open upon seeing him.
"Hello, Dragon Suite number one please." Charles said.
However, the brunette was still a little stupefied, having to clear her throat and try to reclaim her professional air, "Yes, um, right this way."
She began to walk, the two following shortly behind, which gave Erwin time to realize he had forgotten one aspect of his new life.
'I'm hot, how could I forget?'
He was one of the main harem members of Love and artifacts, naturally, he was probably in the top percentile of handsome men in this world in more ways than one. He did not need to wash his face to keep away pimples and such, his skin was always the same color despite the hours of training in the sun, and even with aforementioned training his skin was smooth to the touch.
Unfair was an understatement.
Erwin now had butterflies in his stomach, especially as he previously had been on the lower end of the scale when it came to looks. He was used to people judging him by his character and actions, not almost ceasing to breathe upon seeing him.
The brunette was a perfect example, her attempts to hide her glances at him so pathetic she might as well have just started.
It was definitely a new experience, and Erwin was now truly understanding that his starting position in this world was better than others.
He was no beggar, had at least one parent, and was handsome beyond belief.
However, the trade off was that he was weaker than most, stuck with a class that was meant for the sidelines, and had no connections with the heavy hitters of the world.
Erwin being hot was in this case, a huge advantage.
"The lift is this way." The woman worker said as she led them to a row of what looked like modern elevators.
Erwin had no problem getting on, and as the doors slowly closed the brunette took a slight step toward him, causing their shoulders to be inches from touching.
"So I assume the academy?" She asked, gazing at him.
Charles nodded, "Yes, the young master here will be attending Queen's Spear."
The worker's eyes widened, but she seemed down because Charles had answered not Erwin. She pressed her shoulder a little closer to Erwin, "Oh my, such a stunning man who will gain power in the future, what is your name handsome?"
Erwin wanted to shout in joy, or whatever the tingling feeling he felt was, but he also knew letting the fact he was beautiful get to his head could prove disastrous.
It was always the pretty face that got messed up, so being humble would help, well going forward from this point.
He smirked, looking over to the worker and speaking somewhat softly, "Thank you, I appreciate the compliment. You yourself are very pretty."
The woman almost tripped despite standing still, which made Erwin chuckle as he glanced at Charles who was blinking slowly at their small interaction.
He was surely very confused on the fact the young master who had clearly been gay not long ago was flirting openingly with a woman.
Erwin knew in the future this would be a problem, especially since he might one day bring home a wife, most likely leaving Charles utterly shocked.
A small dose of it a little earlier would not be so bad, so Ewin pushed a little harder, "Hey um, well there doesn't seem to be name badges, how can I address you?"
"J-Jane."
"How has working this job been Jane?"
It was like the floodgates opening, and she talked about her days, the worry her family had from her working away from home, her thoughts on the recent fashion of the human realm, and the fact that she had a sister who was an adventurer.
Erwin would only answer briefly, nodding and allowing her to speak all she wanted. It seemed she had been stressed lately, and despite no longer looking professional she did not seem to mind.
Charles almost intervened to politely tell her to shut up, but a shake of Erwin's head told him not to, he was currently working his magic.
The elevator opened, and she walked next to them instead of leading, her entire demeanor changing.
"You are brave for being so far away from your home without even being an adventurer or knight, I can see you enjoy it greatly though."
Jane smiled, "Of course, the wonders of magic, and the people I meet are always a treat, especially you."
Erwin chuckled at her boldness, "Again, I appreciate the compliment, now which room was it?"
Jane realized how close she was, quick footsteps bringing her forward as she brought them to a circular chamber with a skylight letting in the rays of the sun beautifully. Three big redwood doors were evenly spaced apart, the highest and most valuable rooms before them.
Charles had bought all three, since he wanted no one to bother Erwin as he slept or worked on his artifacts, so he picked the far left and pushed open the doors.
Surprisingly, the room was a little lacking compared to his old room at the castle, thought the vibe was wholefully different.
Marble, glass, gold, and plant life mixed into almost a painting. There was even a small waterfall, the water flowing around the edges of the room, small outcropping to trees that had plenty of room to grow as the ceiling was almost thirty feet up. The floros were marble, and now that Erwin was taking it all in, it reminded him of a Roman aesthetic, the perfect architecture and layout quite grand.
However, nothing beats the lavish crimson, gold, and silver of the castle.
"Thank you miss Jane, we will be making ourselves at home." Charles said as he entered the room and began checking for dust, tidying up the already perfect bedsheets, and testing the wards placed on the windows.
While he did so, Erwin turned to Jabe who awkwardly stood in the doorway, her brown eyes looking up to meet Erwin who towered over her.
"If you need anything, just ring the bell by the door and I will make sure to come as fast as possible."
Erwin smiled, "Thank you Jane."
The young lady bowed and began to walk away, but she did not fail to hear the words Erwin whispered in her direction.
"The door will be unlocked tonight."
She did not turn back, Erwin knowing he had successfully won himself something special, though he would need to do some more preparation.
"Young master, is this room to your liking?"
The old man was standing next to the bed like he always did, hands clasped behind his back, and a cheery smile on his face.
"Not at all."
"Really?!"
"No Charles, a joke, I have been trying them out lately. Was it good?"
Charles scoffed, "I suggest you stick to artifact making, though, Jane would have laughed her heart outside her own chest. Young master, it may not be my business but I assumed that…"
Erwin jumped on the giant bed, ruining the sheets that his butler ha djsu tmade, "I am bisexual Charles, I discovred the fact in the last month."
"Oh, well, good to know. You have truly changed from the boy I remembered before, I can only guess it is puberty."
The old man sighed, "Would you like me to order some food, or do you have plans?"
Erwin rolled over, "How strong are the wards?"
"[Rare] level strength, no special functions."
Erwin nodded, "I will work on artifacts, and I prefer to do so alone if you do not mind."
"Of course, I will be in the third room, just think of my use and I will appear."
The old butler made his way out, Erwin calling out as he did, "Thank you Charles, for everything, the loss of mother has been hard."
Charles looked back as the doors began to shut, "It is my job, no need for thanks."
The door shut, and with the silence except for the sound of water from the waterfall, Erwin took a moment to just let his thoughts roam.
He had come to terms with this new world, which just so happened to be a BL, and was starting to be a little more thankful than before.
A second chance technically, a world of magic, the most gorgeous women, and freedom to do what he wants.
Erwin still missed his dog Fenrir, and his roommate Sophia, but dwelling on them would not bring him back to Earth.
So, dropping it, he got up and began to work on his mana battery project. The task was going to take some time, and even now he was still only at the starting line.
After setting up a table and placing four different colored crystals on it, he began to think.
'Emerald amplifies mana, but how does it achieve it? Can mana supplement the conversion of energy, or is it using up its own matter to do so? Science is not my forte."
The emerald crystal was grabbed by Erwin and separated from the others, a surgical knife-like artifact he himself created in his right hand. With precision, he cut off a chunk of the green emerald, then put his hand's opposite finger on its surface.
With a flash of green, which was [Uncommon], the piece floated closer to Erwin's face with [Material Control]. He then began to speak, but none of his words were coherent, as if he was a stumbling drunk spewing latin underwater.
The runic language, the most powerful form of magic in the human realm. It was how humanity was able to fight against the other four races and their unique forms of power.
A language written by the Titans, the oldest humans who walked the earth. A people who sought knowledge and nothing else, pursuing the truth of Albion for all of its secrets.
They created the runic language to hide such secrets, and it was also because of this they were killed by the Fairies, another race in this world.
Although it was long ago, tensions between humans and Fairies would never go away, and even the third arc of Love and artifacts explored this inherited hatred for one another.
One day, Erwin would need to go there to stop the Queen of the Fairies from sacrificing the human race for her scheme, but this was years from now.
He had time, which he was currently spending on seeing how emeralds could amplify mana. It was quite bizarre, you put one in, you get two out. It made little sense, but then again that was a running theme when it came to mana.
The same mana that allowed volcanoes to spew water, forest trees to be made of rubber, clouds that could sometimes become solid, ice that would set fire upon touch, and places where gravity just did not work correctly.
Anything was possible in the Beyond, a place where mana was not controlled by the Realm Cores, a contraption that gave order to the chaotic mana Albion was used to.
Finally, after applying his enchants, complex curves and swirls of black lines appeared on the emerald.
Pushing mana into it, a flame appeared, one that was equivalent to a torch instead of a candle.
Erwin examined it closely, and upon waiting for upwards of an hour, he did discover an issue.
The emerald was getting smaller, meaning it was slowly deteriorating to invoke the amplified effect on mana.
Emeralds were going to be a part of the mana battery, which meant Erwin would have to make each part a puzzle piece. If one was used up, he could slot in another piece just like car parts.
Now, he needed a way to store copious amounts of mana, which was a glaring hurdle to cross.
In this world, the storage of mana was not a thing, the mana engines that were sparingly used were powered by naturally occurring liquid mana, which was not renewable as it would take thousands of years for more to appear. It was like oil, eventually it would run out, so Erwin had to find a way to extract mana from the air, which with his little knowledge was going to be hard.
For now, he had the basics of what he needed. A diamond casing, since diamonds did not let mana pass through them, emerald slots to enhance the mana that will be output, and a lot of copper as it conducted mana almost perfectly.
He just needed a way to store mana, and connect it to the artifacts he had.
If he succeeded, he would have officially let his life become pay to win. As long as he had the sufficient mana to power artifacts, he could potentially go into battle with dozens if not hundreds of artifacts at his disposal.
His body was fragile, but with [Legendary] or higher tiered gear he would be unstoppable.
However, that was only theoretical, and it was true that 'in theory, practice and theory are the same, but in practice, they are not.'
To gleam as much as he could, for the next few hours he tinkered with artifacts, drew up many ideas on a sketchbook, wrote down materials he would need, and dodged the occasional bolt of lighting or small explosion as not everything went smoothly.
It was fun, and if not for the knock at the door he would have honestly not have even noticed the sun had already set.
Erwin had come to truly love the aspect of crafting, and he knew it would only grow more intense as time went on.
Crafting was his lifeline in this world, he could admit that openly, so he craved a more thorough understanding of it.
Done crafting, he put away his things, changed his clothes that were slightly singed and opened the door to see Jane smiling at him.
She wore her uniform still, which was odd but he could care less.
"May I help you?" He teased me.
"I uh, you said-"
Erwin grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, closing the door and activating the lock.
"It was a joke, perhaps I do need to stick to artifact crafting."
"Crafting, are you going to be a Nightingale and take the support course?"
Erwin nodded, "Does it bother you?"
The woman stared into his eyes, quickly shaking her head, "No, not at all."
Erwin chuckled at her innocent reaction, or well, until he noticed the wine bottle she carried.
The two exchanged a few looks, and soon they sat on the bed sharing a glass of wine.
Jane broke the silence first, "Your name, I never got it."
"Erwin, Erwin Everett."
"Jane, Jane Amos."
The two chuckled at their formal introductions, the atmosphere lightening as the buzz of alcohol, and the moonlight coming through the open window set the mood quite nicely.
"So Jane, do you get this close with all your passengers?"
The young woman gave him a side glance and scoffed, "As if, most of them are rude, adventurers who like to sit in corners and brood, or couples flaunting their love like it is a million dollar mare note."
"Oh, and what makes me so different?" Erwin was honestly curious, taking a moment to truly look at Jane.
She gave him the girl next door vibe, her small frame, long brown hair that was tied in a ponytail, and a face that was not particularly beautiful nor ugly.
She was just another girl, but upon them talking he came to understand she had her own goals and aspirations.
She wanted to be an alchemist, despite her class of -Rogue-. Jane did not want to fight monsters, go on great journeys, or meddle in wars. She just wanted money, enough for a stable life back home.
"You are charming, tall, and your eyes." Her words brought Erwin back to reality.
"Not my amazing personality, how harsh."
"Ha, like I will see you more than a day or two, we both know someone like you would never stoop low enough for someone like me."
Erwin set down his glass of wine on the nightstand, not really a fan of wine in the first place.
"Who decided that? You are currently sitting on my bed right now, no?"
Jane laughed, "True, and what would that entail?"
The two caught each other's gaze, and almost as naturally as breathing, her buttoned uniform was undone, and Erwin was without his shirt.
He was on top of her, her hair spread amongst the sheets and her face illuminated by the moonlight. Erwin stared deeply into her eyes, his body reacting as he saw the white undershirt she wore, no bra to be seen.
"I'm not that experienced." Jane said as each passing second made her cheeks a deeper shade of red.
"Then I will lead," He said as he helped get her uniform all the way off as she undid the single button on his slacks.
It was then that she noticed, and Erwin could only smile at her shock.
"I… wow."
'Truly, BL was both a blessing and a curse'
She slowly started to stroke Erwin's member, having to use both hands which only took up half of what he had to offer. He leaned in, their noses touching, and both of them giggled for a moment before they interlocked their lips.
For a few moments they relished the feeling, and Erwin could feel tingles racing up his back with each stroke of Jane's petite hands on his cock.
They pulled away, their breathing heavy as they took a moment to catch their breath, only to find pleasure in each other's lips once again.
Erwin began to explore her body, cupping the soft small breasts for a moment, before tracing a line down her spine and gripping the hem of her pants. Slowly, and not too rough, he pulled them off.
His face was slightly overtaken by shock upon seeing she wore nothing underneath.
Jane smiled, "I was looking forward to this."
Erwin chuffed and kissed the woman more as his hands slowly rubbed her thighs and the entrance of her vagina. Jane shivered at his touch, and such a reaction made Erwin more inclined, two fingers spreading her entrance and allowing him to lower his head and insert his tongue.
"Oh, yes, this…"
Erwin looked up to see Jane lean back in pleasure, her eyes closed as she let herself enjoy every movement of his tongue.
Erwin knew she was getting closer, his index finger joining in his crusade as it also entered her.
In tandem, his tongue and hands pleasured her for minutes, a soft grunt and shake of her body letting him know she finished.
As Jane took a moment to calm down her beating heart, Erwin stroked his member, placing it at the entrance of her private part and leaning forward.
"Ready?"
"Just a moment," She ran a hand through her brown hair and slowly nodded, "Okay, just don't be too rough."
"Understood," He slowly pulled his body closer to her's, the tip pushing past and quickly entrapped by the wetness of her walls.
Slowly, he began to move, hitting her womb while only halfway inside. Jane dug her nails into Ewrin's back, and with the feeling of pain on his shoulder blades he thrust harder.
She moaned, pulling Erwin into a kiss and no longer trying to hold back her want for him. Their tongues twisted together, hips moving constantly, and the sounds of the bed rocking and the occasional grunt all that could be heard.
The two never took a moment to stop, Jane pushing him back and straddling him. She began to bounce up and down, Erwin able to see her naked body in all of its glory. His mind went blank, and he no longer tried to be stoic as he too audibly gasped and groaned in pleasure.
Jane reached out her hands and grabbed Erwin's, interlocking their fingers together as he began to thrust as hard as he could.
They stayed in this position for a while, and as their senses heightened, Erwin was overwhelmed with instinct and pushed her back to missionary. He wanted to finish inside, but he knew better, pulling out and releasing on her stomach.
Jane smiled, taking a finger to wipe some of his semen and tasting it.
"Salty."
They laughed, not holding back as they cleaned one another and poured another glass of wine, only their pants on at the moment.
"So an alchemist, why?" Erwin asked.
Jane blsuhed, more so when they were having sex, "I want to help my sister, she is out there, doing God knows what, putting her life in danger. I just want to help her, send potions to her for free, make sure she knows that we haven't forgotten her."
Erwin bristled at the mention of forgotten, his mind wandering to his previous life, "Forgotten, how long has she been an adventurer?"
"Four years, and my family would believe she was dead if not for the money she sent back. Adventuring is dangerous, Erwin, but it is necessary."
Erwin nodded, "Yeah, the Beyond is truly a scary place, no one knows when an undead legion will come waltzing into the human realm, your sister is doing the world a great service."
Jane looked at the red liquid in her glass, swirling it aimlessly as she spoke, "Yeah, I wish I had her courage."
'She looks better with her hair down'
Erwin took a long swig of the wine, placing the glass down on the marble floor, "You don't only have courage when risking your life Jane. Waking up and facing the day, not letting the rude customers get to you, and willing to live so far away from your family to save up. In my book doing so is courageous, so don't doubt yourself.
I also doubted myself recently, wondering if the things I am doing are really steps on the path forward, or if they are leaps toward a cliff. I am sacred, shitless truthfully, but it won't stop me, and I hope it will not stop you either."
Jane met Erwin's gaze, "Thank you, I needed this, plus I can say I slept with someone who is most likely the prettiest person in the human realm."
Erwin swallowed hard, "Hah, if only you knew."
'I am technically. The author of Love and Artifacts did not hold back.'
"Anyways, would you like to spend the night, or would that jeopardize your job?"
Jane downed the rest of her wine, "Sadly, the latter, but the night is still young. If you want we could…"
Erwin shook his head and leaned in to kiss her, the coming hour filled with more pleasurable things best left to the imagination for now.