The first thing John seemed to register upon waking wasn't the soft mattress beneath him or even a weight at his side but rather an odd warmth and weight both on and around him that made sure he knew he wasn't alone which. There was a comforting pressure pinned each arm, while a heavier, softer burden settled squarely on his chest, anchoring him firmly to the bed. With a gentle sigh, all but knowing the cause of them he gently shifted and freed his good arm before pulling aside the blankets to reveal the source of his impromptu captivity. On either side, nestled into his sides and holding his newly armored arm, were Ash and Saya, their peaceful breathing a soft rhythm. On his chest, curled into an impossibly cozy heap, were both Angel and Aria, Angels small form radiating a comforting heat as Aria seemed to cuddle and hold onto her. Only Hope and her sister Ivy remained apart, slumbering serenely on a plush armchair a short distance from the bed.
Before he could even think about wriggling himself free or gently waking his sleeping companions his newest slithering friend took matters into her own fangs. Iris, the brilliant green serpent he hadn't realized had materialized with him, slowly uncoiled from her perch around his neck with a fluid grace and a silent ripple of scales. She slithered effortlessly across his chest, her sleek body a warm ribbon and began to nudge both Angel and Aria first with surprising gentleness. Then, with a delicate, almost playful flick, her forked tongue darted out, tickling the tip of Angel's nose making it scrunch up.
A soft groan escaped Angel's lips, her brow furrowing in irritation before her eyes fluttered open and instantly freezing up, her pale gaze locking onto the hypnotic, bright yellow orbs of Iris as they began to stare at each other almost unblinkingly. Luckily, the snake possessed a secondary, translucent eyelid, a natural shield that prevented her intense stare from causing any discomfort or harm, her young age ensured she couldn't paralyze or kill but would cause discomfort and some pain from her stare. "Hmm, is Master awake?" Aria soon mumbled as she stirred beside her only to also freeze mid-stretch as she registered the snake's presence, its head tilted inquisitively as it turned to regarded her.
"Morning, girls," John chuckled softly as he watched before feeling the two young women tense up on top of him as the ones at his side began to stir before trying to cuddle back in with soft grumbles. "Care to explain why everyone is once again in my room after I made it quite clear not to come in here tonight?"
Angel spoke first, her voice a hushed whisper tinged with alarm. "Master, this one notices a rather deadly and dangerous serpent upon you. Please, don't move much and hopefully the serpent shall leave."
John couldn't help but laugh, a genuine and warm sound that softened the edges of his earlier question. "That's just Iris. She won't do anything harmful. She's someone special I picked up last night from a rather unique friend of mine, I didn't realize she would come directly with me instead of being brought over with the others, and there is a whole lot more from the other friends I made. That I still need to unpack and have join us." He gently stroked Iris's head as she slithered back around his neck before seemingly settling in comfortably. With a careful motion he eased the girls off his chest, allowing him to sit up.
"Mmm, John? You awake now?" Ash mumbled sleepily, pushing herself up on her elbow. Her eyes, still heavy with sleep, took him in. "You were glowing more than normal last night but you were also super warm and comfy."
"How did you get a change of clothes and style?" Saya added, rubbing her eyes as she pushed herself up, her gaze tracing his form from head to toe seemingly still half asleep but awake enough to notice his changes before noting the sword from Oleg resting on the bed beside him and carefully moved it to the side. "You weren't wearing any of that when we came in but honestly? It really does look good; it just seems to suit you."
"The same friend who helped me bond with Iris here and lead me to getting our various forces also got me a new wardrobe, telling me how that I need to look the part of a leader if I want to be one." John explained, a thoughtful expression on his face. "A lot also happened including seeing Alice, or something like her again and he made me feel like I've been to passive and we will need to be far more aggressive towards our foes." Ash, now fully awake and intrigued, moved closer, reaching out a hand to gently pet Iris with some slight hesitation only for the serpent to let out a low, warning hiss, making her quickly withdraw her hand with a pout.
"What do you mean?" Saya asked, stretching languidly, her curiosity piqued and a hint of worry returning. "What actually happened and brought this about?"
"I'll tell everyone over breakfast," he announced, getting out of the bed now and pull a small, amber-filled bottle. "Make sure everyone is there, also I expect all of you to tell me how you got into my room and why after I made sure to tell all of you to not come tonight along with how since I had the door locked." He said exasperatedly as he shooed the girls out of the room, ignoring their questions about the bottle he had just pulled out, his change of wardrobe and the new sword.
With a deep, slow breath John uncorked the vial and downed its contents in a single gulp. A sudden, intense warmth flooded out from his stomach and was quickly followed by a strange but exhilarating sensation of expansion. His form began to swell and change, his previously lean, muscular physique softened, rounding out and filling out as his clothes stretching to accommodate the transformation but not strained or tight, still fitting perfectly as promised. His muscles relaxed, his frame broadened and his stomach expanded, transforming him back into his big, cuddly and undeniably chubby self that he had missed, possibly even a bit more round and fuller than before. His new suit now seemed to somehow fit him even better than before and well-being more form fitting was far less baggy and loose. His newly robust stomach rumbled loudly wanting to be filled, no doubt needing the food to make up for the energy used in returning him to how he wanted. It felt like coming home, his every movement even felt smoother now, as if there was a weight lifted off every part of his body he didn't know existed and even his reactions seemed not just smoother but faster in a way that didn't match his large frame.
A tense, half-hour later, the make shift table he set up in the cafeteria was layered and filled with a full breakfast spread: an array of sizzling meats, fluffy eggs, golden-brown toast and warm bread, all sourced from Z's impressive stock and gifts from his friends at the mall. The smell alone was enough to make the stomachs of anyone who smelt it growl.
"You're fat again!" Z practically shrieked, eyes locked on him as she walked in followed closely by Kay rest of the group. All eyes immediately fixed onto him, their expressions ranging from shock to utter bewilderment at his suddenly larger, more robust figure.
"How?" Ash gasped, pointing an incredulous finger at him. "Earlier you were still thin and muscly and now you're thick and cuddly like when we first met!"
John met their stares with a wide, unapologetic smile with a slight edge to it. "What? Are you disappointed? Do you dislike it? This is how I am and this is me, the real and proper me. Any issues with that? Well, it's not my problem." He challenged.
"Not even close, my Master," Angel was the first to answer, her loyalty unwavering. "This one quite prefers Master as he is now, there is more of master and this one can see it channels master's soul far easier and smoother." Aria nodded vigorously in agreement, a soft smile gracing her lips.
"No! No issues or problems, I was just surprised and I do like it better! I was just a bit shocked." Ash Said quickly trying to explain as her initial shock gave way to genuine fondness. "I mean, I understand why most people prefer tall and muscly and everything, but there's more a charm to you being this way. It feels… warmer? And if this is you then all the more power to you."
"It's how you looked when we first met and rescued us," Saya admitted, helping herself to the food he had made and laid out. Her eyes held a nostalgic warmth. "So it feels better seeing you this way, I actually feel more comfortable with you like this to be entirely honest, probably a psychological trigger or something but you like this is a very big improvement." She added with a shrug before biting into a slice of toast.
"As long as my lord can fight and lead effectively, I care not for his form," Sieg added, his voice steady as his sentiment was met with a echoed agreement by the others.
The 'returnees,' however, remained silent, their gazes shifting between John and the breakfast spread. Hesitantly at first filling their plates before eating with a quiet intensity, still grappling with unspoken anxieties and trying to figure out how to prove their renewed loyalty and worth well not wanting to say something to upset him or ruin the warm atmosphere well feeling a mix of envy wanting to be part of that well regretting how their past actions prevented it.
"Are you going to tell us everything now?" Saya pressed, breaking the comfortable silence. "You said a lot happened last night and you would tell us at breakfast but also that you wouldn't talk until everyone was here. So, what was it? Spill."
John took a leisurely bite of meat, savoring the flavor for a moment before setting down his fork and casting his gaze over everyone. "I should question how you got into my room first and have those answers before I give my own but I suppose that's not as important as the real news. I had thought staying somewhat low-profile, building up my own strength and forces step by step while facing whatever was thrown at us was the correct way to do things. I didn't exactly go out my way to hide and grow but I didn't go out my way to fuck with the gods either, at least not as my main focus." he began, his voice calm but imbued with a new resolve. "My friend made it clear I was wrong. Doing it that way is just playing their game, playing things how they want and dancing to there tune. I have access to more options and tools than others but I haven't been using them properly at all. That changes now. Today, I'm breaking from their rules, from their entire system and will start doing things my own way. I'm not going to be playing the game by the rules anymore; I'm not going to be on the defensive or slowly build everything up well reacting to their actions anymore, rather I'm going to be breaking everything I can, taking the fight to them in every way I can regardless of who gazes upon us."
He then turned his gaze to Z and Kay, causing a small shiver to run through them both. "Z, Kay, your merchant place, does it have close ties to the gods?"
"I don't really know properly," Z admitted, looking a little flustered. "I mean, the connection goes back around a hundred years or so which considering how long the merchant realm we come from has existed isn't really that long, but I've never been that into history." She turned to Kay, who shook her head.
"I can't say properly either, but I do remember a lot of history before a certain point got destroyed and replaced by the last remaining merchant lords, the others having disappeared or died in unexplainable ways but nothing could ever be proven." Kay clarified, her brow furrowed in concentration. "The gods from what I've seen and heard visit them from time to time but their actual ties and interaction in our merchant realm and for how long it's been going on? Well, it's as Z said, it's only been happening within the past hundred years or so, but only in the past thirty or so have they really been increasing their interest in the realm, even openly marketing new realms and worlds to all merchants, again we can't prove it but it's an open secret that they started long before that from the time they first arrived. Also, I don't know I should mention this or not but there's been whispers among the other black merchants that the Merchant Alliance's rules have been changing over those years in subtle ways, small things here and there that seem innocent but added together are not for the benefit of the merchants as a whole and the merchant kings have been… Off and strange, at least according to those still alive and can remember how they where from before they took those titles. Z can confirm it as well about the rule changes, its things like controlling the worlds they can trade in, what they can or can't trade and even constantly increasing the percentage they take from trades are just some examples of the rules that have been changed or added over the past twenty years, little rule changes or add-ons that seem innocent but when put together result in what I just said." She paused, leaning forward conspiratorially. "It's why black merchants are slowly increasing in number, it offers better freedom. Another rumor I'll tell you for free is that the merchant guild and the kings are planning to tighten their control on trades further by using ranks in a more extreme degree than before, the higher the rank, the lower the tax and the higher quality of items available to the merchant, a tighter grip on what can or can't be traded dependent on a merchant's rank is also slowly being pushed through the system."
"Well, you two are going to be giving them just as much a finger as I am if that is really how things are going," John declared, his tone firm. "I will be giving you both resources and finances beyond what I had originally promised. But there is a catch to this offer. You two will need to create an association, or maybe two: one for the regular merchants and the other for the black merchants so we cover both sides. To change up and use my friend's words to explain what I want you both to do would be is throw down roots and make it too deep to be pulled out without causing significant damage to them and to their own interests. Do you think the two of you can do something like that?" He watched them carefully as they exchanged a long, meaningful look before finally turning back to him, a flicker of fierce determination in their eyes yet a clear hesitation in Z's. "Would you be willing to take things a step beyond being my exclusive merchant Z rather than just merchant and investor?"