Herald of Steel

Alexander's 'simple' plan for the business had Gelene tongue-tied.

"Alex, slow down. Not everyone is quick as you," Seeing Gelene in a difficult position, Cambyses decided to help her out as a gesture of goodwill.

"Ahh, right." Alexander let out a light smile of realization.

Then handed Gelene a piece of papyrus and told, "Write. I will dictate the points."

And after Gelene finished, Alexander gave her further tips, "My suggestion is you make the bra sizes differ by an inch, i.e- the larger cup of the bra should be one inch deeper than the previous one."

"And let me now show you how to calculate the breast size," Saying this Alexander got up and from the back of his table bought a wooden ruler and some strings.

Then he signaled to Ophenia, "Tayin, stand before me and raise your arms."

Once Ophenia got in position, Alexander got behind her with the string and looked at Gelene, "First you measure what is called the under-bust size. The name gives you the clue about what it is. To do this, you take your string and wrap it around the bust just below the breast." Alexander showed as he told.

"And then you take the measured string, lay it next to a ruler, and note the corresponding number. For example, Tayin's underbust is thirty-four inches." Alexander said the measured number.

"Afterward, you measure the breast size." Alexander then wrapped the string lightly around Opehnia's perky breasts and using the previous method got thirty-eight.

"And then you subtract the breast size from the underbust size, or the bigger from the smaller number and you get the bra size." Alexander finished his demonstrations.

"Alex, you sure weren't a girl in your previous life?" Cambyses asked the question that had crept into many's minds.

'Well, I did once have people to buy lingerie for if that's what you're asking?' Alexander muttered in his heart but answered Cambyses with only a smile.

Then quickly he turned to Gelene, "Can you do substractions?"

"...." Gelene awkwardly avoided eye contact at this question.

This was not anything surprising as Gelene had only learned to read and write from Alexander, but never bothered to learn maths, unlike Cambyses and Mean.

Her brain could subconsciously do it when money was involved but whenever it was something else and it exceeded her twenty fingers, like many, Gelene struggled.

"Heh, Alex, you sure you want 'her' to run a business," Cambyses could not resist the taunt.

"Don't think yourself too highly Cam, you aren't much better either," Alexander shot Cambyses a penetrating look, causing the girl to shrink a bit.
'Hey, don't blame me for your bad choices,' Cambyses sulked.

Alexander then turned to look at all four of them, "Forgetting Gelene's mathematical deficiencies, one thing that has irked me is that all of you use Thesian even when you talk to people who don't understand it as you cannot speak or understand Azhak."

"This is not acceptable. Zanzan will be our home till we die and all of you need to be able to communicate with the people living in them."

Alexander then turned to Ophenia, "Tayin, as the sacred priestess, how will you preach if the people don't even understand you? Use a translator?"

"You think the people will trust you preaching a foreign religion in a foreign language?" Alexander pointedly asked causing the beautiful girl to lower her head in shame.

Done chiding Ophenia, Alexander turned to his next prey, Mean.

"And you Mean." Alexander glared at the now-turned-timid girl.

"Other than the odd twenty handfuls who used to work for our mercenary group, the hundreds of staff under you are all Adhanias. Do they speak Thesian or Azhak?" Alexander sneered.

"And that's not to mention the two thousand slaves we have in the servants' quarters." He added.

"When I went to see you in the kitchen, half the time you used your body language, and half the time you had someone else translate the order. Is this how you run the house? By dancing and using a translator like a clutch?" Alexander scolded, causing the small girl's face to shrink like a dried grape.

Alexander's harsh tone then changed to a soft, understanding one, "Mean, you have been chosen by me as the representative of this house. And in the future, there will be many guests such as nobles that stay here. As their host will you speak to them in Thesian? Or do you expect them to speak Thesian?"

"....." By this point, Mean had done quite as a church mouse.

"Alex, you are being too hard on her. It's been just two months since we came here. She hasn't learned yet but will learn." Cambyses jumped in like a mother hen seeing Alexander bully her favorite girl.

"....." Alexander just pursed his lips as he consented to Cambyses's sound excuse.

Thus, taking a deep sigh, he said, "Okay, you don't know but must now. Tayin needs it to preach properly, Mean to command the staff under her, Cam to talk to the general populace, and Gelene to talk to the customer."

Alexander then gave them his study routine, "Thus, from next week, you will practice Azhak every two hours, five days a week. I will get an instructor and join you too. My mastery of it is also very weak.

Alexander's rigid routine caused some girls to sigh inwardly.

They felt that the language difference was really not that big of an issue and didn't want to learn this new language.

And even in Alexander's previous life, there were many historical precedents, one of the most prominent being King George I of England, who couldn't speak English and so he and his Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, communicated in very bad Latin.

But Alexander would not look at George I as his role model and follow his route, and noticing the girl's demeanor, he said an Arab proverb, "Learn a language and you'll avoid a war."

The smart girls of course understood its meaning, i.e- them being a foreign, mostly unwelcomed force, people would look for any kind of excuse to attack them.

And thus it would be wise to try and mix with them.

So, they reluctantly but understandingly nodded.

But Alexander was not yet done setting the hours for the girls.


"After the two hours, the next hour, I will teach all of maths and other stuff. All of you are lacking a lot of basic knowledge and must gain so to run the fiefdom efficiently when I'm away," Alexander planned to teach them basic physics, chemistry, and biology, in addition to some more advanced business and humanities things like economics, sociology, and accounting, many of those that Alexander took in university as supplementary courses.

"Haaah, Alex, you sure have energy." Cambyses lampooned with a large sigh at the three hours of additional work.

"You should have been born a donkey. Cause you can work like one!" Mean was even more acidic in her remark, still sulking that Alexander had scolded her.

"*Smirk*" Alexander only smirked at the slight, saying, "A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work."

"We will try our utmost master," Ophenia solemnly bowed and others too expressed similar thoughts.

"Hmm," Alexander hummed in approval.

Then as he tried to think back on what he was discussing, he lost track and asked, "So where were we?"

"Umm, subtractions," Gelene said pointing to the papyrus that had Ophenia's measurements.

"Ohh yeah. Bras and panties! I was giving you tips about the new underwear," It all came back to Alexander.

Then turning to Gelene, he said, "Pay more attention to the bra. The panties are much simpler. You should have no problems with them."

"Master, I understand the bra, but the panties seem just like a loincloth. Why make them?" Gelene pointed out.

And her point was very valid as the panties were more of a fashion choice rather than a necessary one.

So why did Alexander invent them?

"It's because panties are erotic." Alexander passionately declared.

"Huh?" Gelene audibly gasped in confusion at Alexander's answer, thinking it was a joke.

But it wasn't as Alexander went on to explain, "The loincloths are too simple and unattractive. The square cloth wraps the entire lower region and doesn't tantalize the male sense."

Then clenching his fist, he announced to the world, "But the panty! The panty's shape is divine."

"It covers just the secret place, but not the creamy thighs that nestle it. Its thin seam wraps around the sexy, wide hips of the woman drawing attention to them but does not flaunt them shamelessly."

"And last of all, at the back, the panties hide the most shameful parts of the butt, the crack, but not the fleshy cheeks, letting the man marvel at the beautiful globules from behind and tingling this desire to cop a feel, squeeze them and conquer them." Alexander had an almost crazy, zealous look as he talked about the panty.

And letting his passion get to him, he even shouted, "Viva panties!"