Chapter 175 – The Importance of Discipline Spoiler: Chapter “Looks like the initiation is finally over.” As a familiar voice reaches my ears, I open my eyes and raise my head towards its source. Cornelia slowly approaches the headrest of the demigod-sized bed and rests her elbows on the wooden piece. A visible smirk plays on her dazzling lips as she glances all over the massive mattress decorated with over a dozen naked bodies if we include me into the count too. I sigh blissfully while scratching behind Yuru’s ears as the pure-blood Leopardkin snuggles to my side, purring quietly. My other flank is in Oniri’s clutches as the half-blood Foxkin wrapped herself with my arm around her slim waist. A potent blush tints her soft cheeks at the arrival of another person, though neither of the girls escapes or hides their bodies. The rest of the squad lies sprawled all over the sheets too, in various states of dishevelment and exhaustion, leaking creamy fluids here and there. “Is this where the hidden audience steps forward and starts applauding the unaware actors?” I raise a playful brow at my magician wife. She chuckles lightly while shaking her head. “We’ve had enough time to observe and judge everyone’s physical performance during your absence. This part of the show was available only to you, as per their own request. But, compared to our own assessments, you seem to have put them through total hell. They can barely lift a finger right now.” “Damn straight.” A snort arrives somewhere from the side, coming from Ressia if I’m not mistaken. “Even Instructor Garrena’s most intense drills can’t hold a candle to this one. My entire body aches inside out.” “Gee, I wonder why that is? It’s completely not like you’ve begged Leader to turn you into a wreck by blasting all your holes,” one of the Tiefling ladies lying next to her smacks the wolfgirl on her bouncy ass, evoking a wave of chuckles and giggles from everyone around. “You really are a total bitch in heat,” another one adds, copying her friend. “Zip it, you wannabe Succubus!” Ressia quips back, flicking the other woman’s thin tail. “Only Leader gets to call me that! Don’t make me rip your throat out!” “Mmmmm… Feisty… Looks like someone slept through manners classes… Don’t worry, it’s never too late to begin… Let’s start with something simple… Sit!” The first Tiefling smacks Ressia’s behind once more. “You are fucking dead meat, you ashen slut!” The Wolfkin lets out an audible growl and rolls over, lunging at her offender in a flash. They tumble around all over the bed while wrestling each other. The other girls just chuckle at them and sometimes squeal as the pair bounces off the innocent bystanders. From the spoken words, it might have sounded like a serious situation, but Ressia and Besfi, the Tiefling, attempt to put each other into possibly the most shameful poses they can come up with. Roll after roll, they try to spread each other’s legs to flash to the world their opponent’s privates from multiple humiliating angles. Grapples and chokeholds are plenty in their little competition. The Tiefling girl has a small advantage over the Wolfkin thanks to her much more agile and nimble tail, which she often uses to spread the latter’s pussy open or accentuate the swell of her breasts. But, Ressia fights valiantly, without a single thought about giving up, and definitely scoring at least a few points. As I divert my gaze from the rolling, grunting, groaning, and moaning duo, my eyes find Cornelia, who stares back at me with an amused expression. Noticing my attention, she raises a brow at me in turn as if asking ‘you gonna do something about that?’ without any words. Sighing to myself again, I reluctantly leave the embrace of the remaining two beautiful Beastkin girls, not parting with them without an affectionate peck on their foreheads first. Hopping up to my feet, I step around a plethora of long, sexy legs and arms as their owners shoot me sultry smiles. At least those bolder ones do. The more timid fraction just blushes shyly. Arriving above the fighting duo, I grab them both by the scruff of their neck right as they give me the chance to do that. They yelp from surprise, suddenly getting pulled apart and into the air. Holding the shocked pair slightly above myself so that their feet dangle freely, I squint at the naughty couple. “Looks like some of my new troops seem to lack discipline. We can’t have that, can we?” They swallow in perfect sync as I grin at them impishly. Without a word of warning, I throw them forward and they let out startled squeals as their bodies fly to the back. Before they can land or crash into anything, I snap my fingers and a bunch of Void Chains quickly tie them up from multiple angles. The leather-imitating restraints put their wrists and ankles together at the small of their backs. “Girls, be so kind and teach your teammates the importance of respecting each other, will you?” I clap my hands and roam my gaze over all the other members of Eden Beta. “Since you are all a unit, I’ll leave the internal matters to yourselves. Don’t stop until they pass out. Today is a special day for all of you, so I will benevolently forget all this happened. Next time, you will be held responsible for your actions as a group. That applies to punishments and rewards both. Remember that.” “Sir, yes, sir!” they shout in unison. Then, I watch as ten naked women crawl up towards the dangling duo with wide, predatory smiles. They have clearly caught onto this little game and are more than eager to participate. In turn, the two offenders might have taken my words a bit too literally and their eyes are jumping from person to person with panicked expressions on their faces. Just as the first wet noises and ardent moans fill the air, I turn around and step off the bed to join my beautiful Cornelia behind the headrest. Her face remains directed forward for a little while after I reach her side, growing more flushed by each second as she witnesses the lewd punishment being justly handed out to the two troublemakers. I chuckle lightly and wrap my arm around her waist, bringing my lips to her ear. “Don’t worry, there’s no one else who looks better in these than you.” She shivers and smacks my chest with a playfully offended gasp. The way she looks back at me and nibbles on her bottom lip makes that more than clear. I catch her wrist as I pull us closer and our lips join in a passionate kiss. Cornelia doesn’t fight back. Rather the opposite. She melts against me while chasing my tongue with hers, closing her eyes to enjoy this brief moment of affection. “You are incorrigible,” she berates me after we finally put some space between our faces. “I wouldn’t be if only you put some effort into correcting me.” I smirk at her. She rolls her charming, hazelnut eyes and leaves a peck on my jawline. “And lose all this fun? Not a chance.” We laugh together and glance to the side. The punishment is in full swing. Pun intended. The girls are going hard after the two bound ladies, caressing them with quite an eagerness. It looks like they’ve employed the help of a bunch of toys available to our residents and customers as both offenders are stuffed with a vibrating dildo in each opening. Gags have somehow made it into the play too, muffling the cacophony of lascivious cries. “I can’t see how that can be considered punishment. They are having the time of their life right now.” Cornelia snorts. “It might look like it to you as someone who enjoys this kind of situation more than a little, but from what I’ve managed to understand about these two from our brief romp, they are much more interested in the more traditional, fleshy approach.” I rub her side lovingly. “That said, it’s not torture for them. They might prefer to be railed and wrecked by an actual dick, but they are blissfully cumming themselves to sleep right now. Just look at their ecstatic expressions.” “You. Are. Evil.” She gently slaps my cheek, then places a giggling peck on it. “Come on, then. Let’s leave them to it. We have lots to talk about.” I nod at her and turn to the girls before we leave. “Jump in the baths after you are done here. Wash your passed-out teammates too. Someone store the bed and bring it to me later.” And with that, I follow Cornelia’s lead to the very place I’ve just mentioned. A good, steaming pool is the best location to hold a serious discussion. Totally. I don’t even bother dressing up until we reach our destination and share a few simple greetings with the women we pass by. They are more than happy about my return. It honestly feels good to be back. As fun as it is to go out on an adventure, this is still the most important place to me. This is where everything started, and it’s nowhere near the end. There’s just so much more we have to do and introduce. But, there are also plenty of things to take care of outside the capital. I might have just come back from an epic journey but there are more waiting in line. Now that I’m Tier 6, the minimum requirement for Lilith’s quest has been unlocked. We should be able to access the information she’s been holding back from us due to her safety concerns. I just know that Ailish is looking very forward to it, even though she does her best to act patient and understanding. It’s a big deal to her and her entire race. Then, we have Elea. She’s one of the first ladies to join us and also become something more to me, and she did present her desire to visit her old settlement to settle some debts. I really owe her this. She deserves the best, especially for putting everyone and everything above herself so much. If I asked her right now, I’m certain she would start talking about the others and that she would wait for a time when I’m not busy to fulfil this promise I made to her. At the same time, there’s Sirgia. Save for Safi and Emi, she’s my literal first girlfriend or wife. Always working so damn hard to make me happy with her creations. Finally becoming proud of her own work, she has earned the right to reconnect with her famous family. She might belong to a lower branch, but she deserves nothing else than pure respect and I won’t be myself if we don’t travel to her hometown together and show those prideful pricks who is the real deal. And these might be just three main matters to touch upon amongst who knows how many more. It looks like our mercenary side hustle has just started too without a hitch. These twelve fierce ladies are incredible. We might have only had a bit of sex right now, but I could easily tell that they’ve gone through lots of training and learning to become who they are now. And each of them is an amazing woman with a unique personality and history too. I can’t wait to interact more with them outside of bed. As I’m mulling over my life in my mind, we step into the baths and the sight that greets us instantly recaptures my full attention. Cornelia grins slyly by my side, letting her purple dress fall to her ankles as I take in the view in front of me. “Don’t take too long staring.” She takes a few steps forward, winks at me over her shoulder, and continues toward the biggest pool. My eyes follow her jiggly backside as she prowls with clear intent to make herself look the sexiest possible. Stretching her arms above her head, which causes the sides of her charming breasts to swell past the edges of her torso, she descends into the water and joins the group of women already chilling in there. From what I can see, most of my wives are present. Sirgia, Elea, Neira, Teffith, Astrea, Meru, Shino, Ailish, and even Lianne. Additionally, I spot Ria and Elise huddled together right next to them. It seems that they’ve already been dragged deep into our small family after our little fun not that long in the past. Not that I haven’t thought about them seriously, of course. Taking into consideration Cornelia’s earlier words, I spend only a short while admiring the dazzling ladies gracing me with a plethora of mesmerising smiles. It’s hard for my eyes not to wander over Elea’s and Ria’s figures as the two seem to now compete in the contest of who has the most titanic tits in this little group of well-endowed ladies. Their generous peaks peek out of the water like plump buoys and it’s honestly hard to tell who is bigger. Trying not to throw myself into a daze with this painting-like scene, I shake my head, causing a bunch of them to chuckle at me, and start walking forward. Arriving at the edge of the pool, I put my fists on my hips and look down at the gathering of women. “Good afternoon, ladies. Do you mayhaps mind if I join you? The other baths seem to be quite crowded,” I speak with a gentlemanly tone. Shino giggles sweetly. “Oh, no. That’s so unfortunate. I can’t even imagine the pain you must feel not to be able to take a well-deserved bath, good sir.” “We can’t have that. A man needs to be clean and tidy. Especially a man of this calibre,” Lianne joins in with a tiny smirk. “What are we going to do? We can’t leave this poor guy alone and unwashed, can we?” Elea asks and they all shake their heads gloomily. “I think we can find a little bit of space right… here!” She grabs Sirgia under her armpits, who is sitting just next to her, and hoists the adorable Dwarf up. My precious cinnamon roll chuckles quietly and stares at me with a deep blush and expectant gaze, even if a tad shy. With an empty spot between Elea and Shino, it’s pretty obvious what their ploy is. Smiling at them, I descend into the water and slip into the created niche. Right after, Elea lowers her petite sister-wife onto my lap and Sirgia snuggles into my chest with her back. I wrap my arms around her petite waist and place a few kisses on her brown hair. Everyone scuttles a bit closer to me, with Ailish, Lianne, Ria, and Elise moving to sit down in front of me, the first two straddling my legs. “It’s good to see you again, husband.” The Queen bats her eyelashes at me. “It’s rare to see you here, wife.” I smirk at her a little. “I would have thought you would be at the castle, busy taking care of the mess you created by slipping away from your responsibilities and onto a random guy’s ship.” “What do you mean by mess? Everything is in perfect control, please and thank you.” She huffs playfully, crossing her arms over her modest chest. “No one even noticed I was away. Especially not my blind son. Besides, a week was enough to catch up with everything. I couldn’t miss my husband’s big return.” I shake my head and reach out, letting Lianne take my hand and pull herself close for us to exchange a few loving kisses. As she returns to her seat, I glance at our voluptuous accountant and her cheerful receptionist friend. “I hope they haven’t pulled you in here and made you both uncomfortable.” I look into their eyes while caressing Sirgia’s belly. “Not in the slightest!” Elise replies first, waving her hands at me. “We were really happy to have been welcomed here! Even though I’m nowhere as important or close to you as the others, I’m really glad I’m allowed to be here with everyone.” “Now, now. We both know you shouldn’t be saying things like that unless you want to make your boyfriend angry at you. Do you want that?” Ria rebukes her younger friend. “Goddess, no!” Elise’s eyes widen in panic. “Then be a good girl and greet your love properly before he has a chance to berate you.” The busty accountant gives her a light shove. Our sweet receptionist hastily crawls forward and pauses right in front of my face with a bit of hesitation, hooking a lock of hair behind her ear. As my palm rests on her crimson cheek, she crosses the remaining distance and does as she’s been told by the mature lady. As we share a lovely kiss, my other hand snakes down her spine and my finger slips down between her tender buttcheeks to tickle the first hole it stumbles on. She gasps into my mouth and somehow manages to grow even redder but doesn’t shake me off. Rather than that, I can tell that Elise is subtly trying to find an angle that could possibly force my fingertip into her extremely tight ring. This little minx. I part with her with a delicate smack on that horny ass, eliciting a moan of surprise from the pretty girl. She giggles at me while nibbling on her lower lip and returns to her earlier position, letting Ria have her turn next. As for Ria, she has to be extremely careful while approaching me. Her two enormous weapons of mass destruction could literally suffocate the tiny girl in my lap if she pressed herself into me without a moment of thought. As we exchange a few gentle pecks, I still completely lose sight of Sirgia under my chin, fully obstructed by the voluptuous mounds that have gotten in the way. After tonguing Ailish while firmly gripping one of her horns, it gets much easier to share greetings with my other women. We finish it in just a moment, turning ourselves left and right to reach everyone. I end things up with one arm wrapped around Sirgia and the other around Shino. It’s been a moment since we’ve been together in the flesh so she deserves some gentle intimacy whenever possible. “So, we are now mercenaries, huh?” I lean to the back and sigh contentedly. “Everything has gone official. We are registered and ready to take on jobs,” Elea replies. “The girls are eager to prove themselves in the field after enduring our harsh training. They want nothing but to bring us fame and respect. For many of them, it’s an opportunity to begin their life anew, with strength and wisdom that should allow them to become someone great.” “You might want to evaluate them once more now that they have joined for real.” I chuckle lightly. “I’m surprised you didn’t wait for my return for me to boost them before taking the registration exams.” “If they are going to represent us in the world, they have to be skilled enough to handle such a small thing without relying on your power,” Teffith explains. “Plus, as Elea said, they are eager to prove themselves. Achieving the highest possible rank during the initial assessment was one way of doing it. They really want you to be proud of them and find them worthy of your support. And perhaps something more.” “They are slaves, right?” “Former slaves,” Cornelia answers. “Most of them were either kidnapped or convicted for minor crimes. They have been released as of now. The twelve girls you met aren’t the first dozen we have purchased and freed. As per your wishes, we didn’t want to force anyone into this so we offered them a chance for a new start and slowly collected volunteers. The rest have been tended to over the course of a few weeks and either departed or are soon going to.” “We are slowly collecting the second batch while making slight adjustments to our training and lessons,” Teffith adds. “It might take a moment, but we aren’t exactly in a hurry. It would be good to secure proper headquarters first that will be capable of housing everyone. Or we can let them live in the city, taking care of the rent. After the recent changes in demi-human laws, it’s slowly getting better outside, and they wouldn’t be exactly weak.” “The adjustments are recent, but you can already see changes in the streets,” Lianne chimes in. “It’s far from peace and mutual respect, but people are aware that they can’t get away with what they could in the past anymore. Some are actively trying to look at other races in a new light, and that’s all thanks to your shrewd business idea.” “I honestly didn’t think we would see the effects of what we are doing here this soon.” I chuckle to myself. “I guess this isn’t one of the oldest and most ancient professions in the world for nothing. As some people from my home keep saying, make love not war.” “That’s a good slogan for our troops. And our main business too.” Neira comments, stroking her chin. “I need to integrate it into our calling cards and other things. It’s going to look great on promotional posters too.” “Speaking of which, how are we doing on the other fronts?” I glance all around at my lovely experts from each field. “Nothing to really worry about in terms of our standard services. Guests are flooding just as usual. The growth is quite steady. There have been no issues while you were gone,” Ria answers first. “As for our finances, as you might have expected, we spent way more than before due to all the projects and investments, but we are still above the line.” “What about our potential new employees?” I glance down at Sirgia. “We are preparing the access just as you requested, Master,” my master artificer replies with a tiny smile. “Underground construction is being handled by trusted contractors while I focus on preparing welcoming and comfortable living conditions for the aquatic races. I knew you would bring some of them home and started designing the rooms early. Everything should be ready in just a moment. The canals are more or less finished.” “Oh, you.” I tickle her sides a bit, making Sirgia wriggle and giggle in my lap. “This little devil knows me inside out it seems. Or am I just that predictable?” “You could not pass idly by people in need,” Astrea comments, lounging next to Neira. “It would have been more of a surprise if you returned without someone to introduce, Alpha.” “I assume things are alright in the Community?” I turn to the catgirl. She nods lightly. “No issues there. We actually had a few volunteers for both the pleasure and the mercenary departments from their new arrivals and a bunch of older residents. We will see how that goes.” “That reminds me, these current twelve girls, are they just mercenaries, or…?” “Most of them, yes.” Elea smiles at me. “A few were happy to join both departments and plan on sometimes showing up during open hours while they aren’t on a mission. They are two Tieflings and one Dark Elf.” “Thanks.” I gesture at the others to continue. “Sensei, the cosplay option is almost ready,” Shino takes her chance to speak next. “Mari-san and Nyfile-san created plenty of outfits in multiple copies. They are really lovely and look super professional. We assembled some of the common armours and clothing purely from this world too. It’s now just a matter of final lessons in acting and everything should be perfect.” “As for that, the dedicated acting and roleplay classes have been slightly reduced to make sure that Eden Beta finished their studies in time. But, there are plenty of girls who already know what to do and have a real talent for being all sexy while assuming a character so we should have no problems making the addition,” Ailish continues, licking her luscious lips. “That’s great to hear. If you think that everything is properly prepared, we can see to it whenever you want. It’s been a while since we introduced something big. We might want to give it a few test trials amongst our most loyal patrons before hosting an announcement party. It will both make them feel more valued and let us finetune the little details,” I suggest. “Definitely,” Cornelia agrees. “So, this is pretty much it. Naturally, there are many little details and plenty of other matters but everyone will fill you in along the way. It would take hours of just sitting in this bath and talking non-stop. I don’t think you are in a hurry anywhere just yet so it’s alright to take things slow, one at a time.” “Well, I don’t know that yet. I gotta make some plans first. There certainly are a few options to consider now that I’m back and also a little bit stronger.” I shrug at her and glance at the trio of Sirgia, Elea, and Ailish. “Ah, right. Sensei is now at Tier 6. Amazing! We are so far behind now!” Shino giggles quietly. “Or rather everyone else is since my progress is much faster thanks to you, Sensei. Are there any notable changes?” “I saved the surprise for later so that we can enjoy it together. We can take a peek at things after getting out of here, perhaps snuggled into each other on our beloved bed.” I chuckle at her. “Though, I’m not expecting fireworks. Just the stats alone are starting to spike considerably with how many Partners I stumble on during these journeys. Now you can even add another twelve sources into that, freshly connected.” “Regarding plans…” Ailish speaks up before the conversation moves forward. “I’ve been thinking…” Oho. Here it goes. “Technically speaking, you are now Tier 6 and the condition has been fulfilled, but according to Lilith’s words, the entire place is extremely dangerous. So, while I would love nothing more than to rush there to investigate her tomb right away, looking at this from another, more careful angle, makes me wonder if we shouldn’t wait a little longer just to be sure. It might be better to first reach Tier 7 or 8, don’t you think? Rather than struggle amongst many unknown dangers, you should be able to trample on them instead.” “That sounds wise.” Elea nods at her. “Alastair could gather more experience on another journey or two before we try to tackle this challenge. Perhaps we should start with Sirgia’s wish to pay a visit to her homeland. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet many other races besides Dwarves both at the destination and on the path leading to it.” “Alright, stop, stop.” I wave my hand to capture their attention. “Let’s not have this evolve into the three of you trying to convince us just how unimportant your own wishes and desires are in comparison to the others. If only I could, I would go out with all of you at once. Unfortunately, we will have to decide on an order, but we will do that together in a calm manner after taking into consideration all the pros and cons. Understood?” They share a look between themselves, chuckle softly, and apologise for their silly antics. “Are there any immediate matters I should attend on-site rather than half a continent away again?” I smirk at them. “Just the usual. I’m sure you would like to personally check on everyone and their respective fields of work. We might as well let you focus on visiting our alchemists, tailors, artisans, cooks, trainers, teachers, and so on,” Teffith shares her two cents. “Plus, your friends are currently back in the capital too. I’m sure you would like to catch up with them or at least spend some more time with Shino. In real life rather than in your head. Or soul. Wherever that secret realm of yours is located.” “You will definitely get many occasions, Sensei.” The samurai girl shows me a faint grin. “Possibly everyone from our party is involved with training exercises your mercenaries are going through so we are all around here quite often. In my opinion, it’s beneficial for both sides.” “True. You can never discard any free fighting experience against different Classes. I’m glad we have you all.” I smile at her and she graces me with the same. “So, the current main objective is to find a good place for our base of operations. Or create one.” “Perhaps we could do something about it from our side,” Lianne chimes in with a thinking expression, tapping her supple lips with her slender finger. “I’m sure you were planning to visit Ross and report your return. We could discuss this matter during the meeting. Having a troop of trusted mercenaries partially indebted to us would be great. And your group working with us would further elevate your position amongst the others in the future.” “We haven’t even opened and we are already talking about corruption and playing favourites?” I laugh at the petite Queen. “I guess you are right. In the long term, the government relying on a band of demi-humans as their first pick might support our anti-racist movement.” Our conversation is interrupted by the sounds of the doors opening and a cacophony of soft plops on the hard floor. The group in question strolls into the baths with two of them hanging off the Orc’s shoulders, passed out and twitching regularly. Of course, they are still naked as they chat happily amongst themselves. They notice our presence and stop in their tracks, unsure about what to do. Before they decide to postpone their turn for the sake of our privacy, my women start getting up. Elea approaches them and exchanges a few words with the mercs while Cornelia sends me a wink over her shoulder and leaves with everyone else. I shake my head at their antics, clearly catching the conversation that happens between my Dark Elf beauty and the other ladies. She also heads out while the girls step closer to my pool and start descending into the water with charming smiles. Pushing myself up, I get to work. First, I take care of the two unconscious girls, pumping them up with my Rejuvenate. They recover in just a moment and get startled by the sudden change in environment. After they calm down, I tend to their bodies, hair, and fur as lovingly as I can, personally washing them up just as Elea told them I would. Everyone gets their turn as the girls literally line up to make use of my services. I happily oblige and care for each of them attentively. We chat a little as I softly brush their fur, run my fingers all over their soft skin, and clean every nook and cranny in their appetising figures. Naturally, I make sure that their most precious parts are well tended too after our little fun a bit earlier. Just as my wives said, these women truly seem willing to prove themselves. It’s easy to get from our brief exchanges. They are grateful for what they received, including the chance to gain incredible strength through such amazing means. I really need to be careful with this project else it might turn into a damn cult if left only to Elea and the others. Thankfully, while they are definitely looking up to me, they don’t seem indoctrinated or brainwashed by the devoted Dark Elf. The earlier scuffle showed that they are still themselves in terms of personality and typical behaviour. I certainly don’t want to lead an army of mindless thralls and my wives understand that well. Finishing our unexpected social gathering, I help the girls dress up again and let them free. They leave together as one small family and I move to the dining area to grab a snack before we head to the castle. Paying my respects to the chefs afterwards, I try to find Lianne but learn that she’s gone ahead of me through the tunnel. Therefore, I jump into my usual suit and exit through the main entrance. Once more today, the sight of two rows of six women per side greets me. The mercs are back in their calm and collected character. Elea stands in front of them and I raise a brow at her. “Since you are going to be discussing the matters of our mercenary company, why not take them as your personal escort?” She smiles at me softly. “Lianne went ahead to let the King know so that the guards wouldn't panic when a dozen armed women marched towards the castle.” I shake my head. “You girls just survive a day without plotting something. No, scratch that. An hour.” She chuckles lightly and steps closer to brush my cheek. “We all work for your benefit, dear husband.” “You certainly do.” I smirk at her. We part with a brief kiss and I join the group of my personal guards. Standing in the middle of them, they form a triangle formation with teams of three and a bit of distance between the three peaks. I start walking and follow after one of them. We attract quite the attention as we walk the streets. The girls literally glow with pride while escorting me. I kind of feel like a king myself. They are clearly enjoying this even more than I do. Can’t deny that this looks epic. Never thought I would start my own private military. Thanks to their royal image, we reach the castle in no time. Everyone steps out of our way either in fear of getting shoved aside or to stop and admire the rare procession. Some people recognise me for sure as I catch a few comments and whispers amongst the passersby. The guards at the outer gate tense up when they see us, but Elea didn’t lie about Lianne’s involvement. We are let through in a hurry and one of the sentries takes the role of our guide. We follow the man to a meeting chamber and he announces our arrival before fully opening the door for us. Lianne and Ross sit on a royal sofa opposite the entrance as my unit flows into the room. The girls scan their surroundings attentively and proceed to take positions all around just by the walls. They avoid moving further than the royal family, though, most likely taught against that. It honestly surprises me that Elea and the others haven’t convinced them that I’m a god above any kings and therefore they shouldn’t bother with trivial respects like this. It’s a pleasant surprise, though. Ross stands up as I walk to the middle of the chamber. “Al! Good to see you again! And damn, you seem to have surrounded yourself with quite the retinue! Strength and beauty, as usual! I kind of envy you. There’s no way for me to fill my knights with badass chicks at my very beck and call. You lucky bastard!” Lianne shoots to her feet too and smacks the King up the back of his head with quite some force. “You little rascal! Is that the way to speak to your father?” He freezes with his hand massaging his skull. Ah, shit. Here it goes again.
Chapter 176 – True Nepotism Spoiler: Chapter Silence fills the chamber as Ross gapes at Lianne without making a single twitch. She has this knowing smirk on her sweet face, a symbol of someone proud of their little mischief. If the girls are in any way surprised about this reveal, they don’t show it in any way. But, considering the fact that they’ve been under the wing of Elea and the other amazing ladies, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they know everything about my relationships already. Plus, they certainly must have seen us together in the bath earlier. “What…?” The King finally manages to utter a barely comprehensible word. “Did you…?” The Queen continues her games and starts squinting at him like a mother scolding her unruly son. Technically, she is one, but I’m not so sure about the latter part. It’s more like she is the naughty one for suddenly dropping such a bomb on him out of the blue. Looks like we might have some spanking to do later. “Finally! Hahahahaha!” Ross breaks his daze and lunges at Lianne, catching her in a powerful hug. “I thought you would never give yourself a chance, hahahaha!” He starts spinning them in circles while she yells at him to stop while hitting the overjoyed man repeatedly on the head. Naturally, those aren’t harmful smacks and he shrugs them off without even registering the assault. Lianne definitely should be able to escape his grasp now after she has access to my stats but she chooses not to and remains hanging above the ground as her much taller son dances happily. After a short while, Ross relents and places his mother down. She huffs at him angrily as he chuckles awkwardly. These two are pure comedy right now. And only one of them is acting. I guess the other has always been kind of a clown, to be honest. Extroverted people glow way too much. “This is great news! You have no idea how ecstatic I am! Congratulations to you both!” He turns to me with a wide grin that barely fits on his face. “So, when can I expect a little brother?” “Rossberg!” Lianne smacks him up the back of the head again. “Now, hold your horses, boy.” I snicker while addressing him like my own kid. “This kind of decisions are best left in the hands of adults. Be a good lad and focus on playing kingdom while we take care of such things.” The Queen can’t hold back a giggle of her own and the King bursts out with an amused laughter too. I might have just gained a new way to fuck with him and tease the bastard. It might not be available to be used in the general public but private settings should be enough for me. “Are you already on the case?” He waggles his brows at me and earns himself another hit. “As the head of this family, I would advise you to stop teasing your mother before you end up with a concussion, or worse, turn into an idiot. Though, now that I think of it, I’m not sure if that’s a risk that can be applied to you,” I reply with a smirk. “Enough of this!” Lianne chimes in for the first time since the reveal. “Sit down now before I whip you up in front of your father like in the good, old times!” Ross' eyes widen briefly as he looks at me and obediently backs off to the sofa. I can imagine how the threat of getting your ass trashed with a belt in front of your best friend could make you feel. And from his reaction, this isn’t just an empty threat either. Someone must have been a bit of a troublemaker during his childhood. And I can easily see that. “So, I guess the cat is now officially out of the bag, huh,” I comment, turning my attention to Lianne, who fixes her dress and hair before sitting down too. “Are you good talking about such things with them present?” I gesture to the side with my thumb at our obvious spectators. They might be staying perfectly still and silent, but there’s no way they aren’t listening to the extremely amusing spectacle happening right in front of them. “What’s there to hide when they already know?” She shrugs casually. “Besides, I trust these girls more than most of the royal knights at the castle. My part was extremely short compared to what the others taught them, but I did have some of it during their training. I’m looking very forward to working with them on a daily basis. You won’t find better in the capital, I’m certain of it.” “How long have you two been at it?” Ross interrupts us with his open curiosity, not entirely giving away on prying further into the case yet. “You wish you would know.” Lianne scoffs at him playfully. Knowing that he won’t be able to extract any more information from his mother, he turns to me, but I just shrug at him while spreading my arms to the sides. “The first rule in a relationship, never answer the question the woman didn’t answer herself. Remember that one. It might save your marriage one day. Or your life.” He rolls his eyes at me but the corner of his lips curls up a little bit. “So, what exactly did you mean by the last part?” I refocus on the Queen. “Hm? Ah, I guess we can move on to actual business now that the greetings are done.” She giggles quietly. “We are planning to commission your guild a lot for the most important outsourced jobs in the kingdom, of course.” “We are?” Ross’ face snaps to her with bewilderment. She meets his gaze. “Think about it for a moment. You’ve just raised the status of all demi-humans in the nation and want to continue warming people up to them. What’s better than making use of a reputable demi-human guild instead of all those greedy and egocentric companies? They even look the part.” “Reputable? We’ve literally just signed up.” I chuckle lightly. “Nothing a few quick jobs can’t fix.” She winks at me. “Plus, everyone knows about Utopia. And everyone is aware that no one would even dare to impersonate you or your establishment. The girls working for you are not known not just for their unparalleled beauty and charms but also for their ferocious offensive capabilities. They would not let it slide, isn’t that right?” “Yes, Madam!” the girls respond firmly. Some of them direct their eyes to me without moving their faces so I nod at them reassuringly, letting them know that I don’t mind them answering to Lianne without my direct command. “I guess you might be right on something.” I sigh while shaking my head. “So, you are already putting a leash on us from day one?” “Oh, no, no, no!” Lianne waves her hands at me. “We won’t be making you work for us but submitting our requests just like everyone else. It’s going to be up to you, the leader, to choose which job to take. I just hope that you will consider those matters properly. All we can do is to make sure that the payment is more than adequate.” I rub my chin as I go over her words. “As you said earlier, it might be a good way to improve the lives of everyone even further. I certainly see no reason to turn down such a wise suggestion. The only issue I can see with it might be our headquarters. Or, to be specific, the lack of it. Taking royal requests in a brothel isn’t exactly the greatest image. Well, unless I would be getting officially summoned each time you would have a proposition for my troops. That could work.” “This is one of the matters we are going to take care of today too, naturally.” She smiles at me warmly. “You are already looking for options, aren’t you? Especially ones on the other side of the street?” I smile back and shake my head. “What have you girls already cooked up?” “Nothing much.” Lianne smirks and elbows Ross, who reaches to the stand to his right and puts a set of leather folders on top of the table between us. “Here is some information on four buildings fitting the criteria. You don’t need to worry about vacancies. I can assure you that they will be ready for your company to move in within a day.” Poor merchants or whoever currently owns those properties. Someone is going to get evicted in a flash. But, they will most likely even raise their asses up for the kick out of their own volition if we consider what kind of money they might be getting for letting go of the building. “I’ll have a look at them with everyone and let you know what we think. Since the girls will definitely be the ones spending more time there than me, I’d like for them to be the most comfortable and satisfied with the pick,” I reply as I shove the packets into my spatial storage. “Thank you for these. It will definitely make things much easier.” “Think nothing of it,” Ross joins back in this time. “If things go just like Mother expects them to, we will be the ones greatly benefiting from this cooperation. I have to agree with her on the fact that the available companies aren’t exactly up to par. It’s always a headache whenever I give any of them a job to do. I could use a few things more to not worry about constantly.” “I’m not sure what those jobs might be, but I’m certain that my girls will be able to take care of them with full professionalism and necessary decorum. I might have just met them a few hours ago but I can already tell I can be proud of them. They are the best out of the best.” I roam my gaze over the twelve beauties standing guard to us. They are doing a great job hiding their reactions. Except for Beastkin. Yeah. That part is close to impossible to conceal. The adorable swishing is a dead giveaway. “Hopefully we will be able to employ their services soon enough.” Lianne nods at them with respect. “I already have a few jobs in mind that could start spreading your name in various circles. It should work great as an advertisement. You will be drowning in clients in no time.” “Let’s maybe not jump straight into the deep waters right from the beginning, shall we?” I chuckle wryly. “We only have one regiment under our wing at the moment. Twelve fresh mercenaries. They certainly are eager to work and prove themselves but I’m not letting them overwork themselves to the point of exhaustion. We need jobs just as much as more members. But, that can only be remedied with time.” “True. The girls are already after the second batch. But, if this dozen of fierce-looking ladies have received private lessons from the glorious leader, I’m certain that they are plenty capable of handling most jobs in pairs or threes.” She grins at me impishly. “Let’s say that they can enjoy all the benefits that being part of Utopia’s Mercenary Corps entails.” I smirk at her. “Perfect.” She giggles quietly. “Too bad I couldn’t have stayed to witness the initiation.” “Just ask Cornelia. She might know a thing or two.” I wink at her in turn. I might have just thrown my beloved magician right under an extremely salacious bus with no brakes but she’ll survive somehow. For sure. “So, are the matters of the mercenaries done now?” The King asks with a raised brow, glancing between the two of us. “I guess they are.” The Queen sighs softly. “Until we remember something that might have been missed.” “Great.” He claps his hands and rubs them together. “So, how did your trip go, Al? I did receive a report from Mother and the captain of the ship but I would love to hear the story from you. Especially since you have taken off onto another small journey on your way back here, separating from everyone.” “What can I tell you? A journey like any other. We succeeded in stopping the fishy bastards from conquering all the waters and possibly ending the entire world too. Not without a few hiccups along the way but it’s just like our typical Sunday.” I shrug. “So, it was much more serious than you had initially thought.” He strokes his chin. “A little bit. Things ended up connected to the whole Abyssal problem. The Sahuagins were preparing gates to create artificial breaches. No one would really expect an army of those monsters to surge out of the sea. It turns out that there’s plenty of space down there for evil rituals,” I say. “But you took care of them.” He nods to himself. “Certainly. We tracked down all the sites and wrecked them. For the most part, the entire operation was looking decently good. At least until the evil goddess decided to join the party herself and take matters into her own hands.” I grimace a bit. “What?!” Ross stares at me in shock. “Yeah, my reaction exactly.” I snicker quietly. “She used the main bad guy to descend into the realm in the form of an avatar. Trust me, you don’t ever want to experience going against that thing. I was going to pop like a grape in seconds from her arrival. We have no chances of fighting back as of right now.” “Then how?” he asks. “She isn’t the only one playing dirty.” I smirk at him. “I have an avatar of my own too.” Understanding sparkles in Ross’ eyes, which is quickly replaced by awe and wonder. “You became an avatar of the Goddess Lumina? Damn, that’s insane. I knew from the very first day that it was you who was the real hero.” He laughs openly. “Let’s not be too hasty. It’s kind of an accident that things look like this on my side. That situation is just another variable coming from it. I’m protecting this world out of necessity rather than obligation. I can’t very well let all those amazing girls perish without having a chance to live their life to the fullest,” I correct him. “We do have an actual hero and I’m sure he’ll have enough time to grow into an important piece of the final confrontation.” “I’m going to wish him luck, then. He is going to need it.” Lianne giggles to herself. “Anyway, we took care of everything and the waters should be safe once more. We also made friends with a few powerful communities so we have allies down there now too. You might have a chance to see a few of them personally soon enough.” I give Ross the look and he immediately catches on. Obviously, the ever-so-observant lady does too and he somehow completely misses that. It must be nice living in your own, small world of delusions. I just hope I won’t be around when that bubble bursts. Or, maybe I should be. It might be entertaining. “Plus, I got myself to Tier 6 in the meanwhile, which is nice. I’m slowly climbing up. And so are many of the girls. They should be advancing quicker too now that I’m this high on the list,” I add. “What the fuck?! You hit Tier 6?!” Ross shouts and receives another smack, most likely for the language. “Yeah. I can now finally start with a thing or two. It’s the start of something good.” I smile happily. “Sure. You are the only one who can consider reaching close to the peak of humanity as the starting point.” He scoffs to the side. “Soon enough, you will be a titan stomping on these mortal lands. Towns and cities beware so they better not settle down on your path or else nothing but dust will remain in their place as you pass through.” “Right, right.” I wave him off. “How are things on your side, then? Any issues with the conservatives or other Human loyalist scum? You’ve made quite a big move recently. I won’t believe that everything is going smoothly.” “Obviously, they aren’t. But it’s not the end of the world yet.” He chuckles at his own pun. “The changes are being slowly integrated into the community without much trouble. There obviously are people who raise a fuss over it but that allows us to pinpoint those with something on their conscience. Many shady or completely illegal merchants have been taken down. I should be allowed to say that things are looking good. Not perfect, but at least good enough as a start. “Even before we departed, I’ve been slowly making my own moves too,” the Queen joins in. “It will take a moment but I plan to start introducing non-humans to the castle staff. I have my excuses ready, based on the recent alterations in general law, but it can’t be too abrupt. I’m hoping that the cooperation with your mercenaries will open these doors for us.” “Do you hear this, girls? The fate of all the other races rests on your shoulders. If you succeed, things may just turn for the better,” I address the warrior women in the room. Some of them sweat visibly with the prospect but they have to be able to overcome stressful and nervous situations. They are doing a good job at it. My wives definitely trained them well. They are not going to disappoint us. “Well, I’m glad to hear that we are moving forward with our long-term goals. It’s still hard to believe. But, I guess after witnessing and experiencing so many things this world has to offer, I can't really say that something is unbelievable. I saw literal gods descend upon the land and duke it out amongst themselves. I don’t think it gets any more crazy than that.” I rest my head over the backrest, feeling the pressure on my shoulder this time. “Never say never.” Lianne winks at me. “You are barely past halfway on the scale of power. There might be a thing or two that could still shock you greatly!” “Yeah, there is. You actually acting not being a horny tease for a full minute.” I smirk at her. “So, since it seems that we have returned to the beginning of our conversation, I have to ask, are you two serious about this? You aren’t just pranking me, right?” Ross asks with perhaps a tiny shred of doubt but mostly humorous amusement. I give him a single glance, stand up, go around the table, and offer a hand to Lianne, who looks up at me with some confusion in her pretty blue eyes, but still slides her palm into mine. “I’ll show you how serious we are about this.” I yank the Queen up. She gets to her feet with a surprised yell and crashes into my chest. Before she has enough time to react, I wrap one arm around her petite waist and sneak the other hand into her lush, white hair from behind, tilting her head to the back a tiny bit. Naturally, I dive for her pouty lips right away and seal that delicious mouth of hers with my own. Lianne barely tries to resist and soon melts into me as I invite her tongue for a wild dance. Her own palms wander all over my front as we make out in front of the King. While my lovely lady is distracted by the pleasant sensations, her eyes closed in bliss and pleasure, I sneak a one-eyed glance at our son. Ross attempts to avert his gaze as I go after his mother right in front of him but still can’t help but sneak one or two glances back at us. Part of his face is actually tinged with a faint, crimson shade, both from the awkwardness of the situation and embarrassment, but surely something else too. Lianne might be an actual MILF, but her body and beauty are still that of a sexy, youthful girl. Such sights and sounds might possibly be somewhat stimulating. And that’s why I guide my hands down Lianne’s back and onto her plump butt, giving it a good squeeze, which in turn evokes a sultry moan from the horny royal slut. “Fine! You’ve proven your point! You can stop groping each other so unabashedly!” He huffs in awkward resignation. I snicker into the Queen’s lips and spin her around so that her back presses into my chest. My hands trail over her soft tummy, slowly tracing paths close to her waist and over her ribcage. She arches herself lasciviously while grabbing the sides of my head. “What? Haven’t ever heard your father clap some cheeks? It’s pretty much an obligatory part of childhood where I’m from.” I grin at him while raining kisses on Lianne’s slender neck. “Goddess save me…” Ross whimpers with a visible shiver. I laugh a little and gradually stop enjoying my tiny wife in front of him. Lianne gives me a little pout as I leave it at just a tiny bit touching but we exchange soft smiles soon after. There’s only enough teasing we can subject our poor son to. We wouldn’t want to break him. “Weren’t you the one urging me to bone your own mother? Wasn’t this exactly what you said she needed?” I question him playfully. “It doesn’t have to happen in front of me! She does deserve all the happiness, of course, but I would rather not be there when she receives it!” he answers quickly and panics a little, realising what he’s just accidentally admitted to. I grin at him while the Queen acts as if she is squinting at him with murderous intent. “Fuck you, man!” he cusses me out. “Language! You are in the presence of your father!” Lianne snaps at him. “I hope you can remember to show him the proper respect from now on.” “Yeah. And we should start with the way you address me. I think we can settle on Daddy.” I wink at him. “Heavens beyond…” The King fakes getting dizzy and almost fainting on top of the sofa. We both laugh at him and decide to end it there. We had our fun and it’s time to give him some space. I’m sure we’ll be having lots of fun about this entire arrangement in a bit. I’m certainly looking forward to a chat with Ross one-on-one, like in the good, old times. I wonder if his thoughts on me boning his mother have changed now that his suggestion has turned into reality. Perhaps he could have bargained for more than he can handle back then. We sum the entire meeting up and touch on some crucial points again. Both sides have their own work to do so we separate soon after. I’m not even done settling back in from my trip and I already need to take care of so many matters connected to our new branch. In the meanwhile, the royal duo has their own side of things to it. I get the twelve girls with me and we leave the castle. Just like they have meticulously escorted me on the way here, they continue standing guard to my person through the streets with the same intensity and professionalism. We obviously catch some eyes but I’m already pretty used to that so it doesn’t bother me much. This is good marketing anyway. After reaching our destination, I release them from their duty and let them know to go do whatever they would be doing at a time like this. I promise to join them at one point to learn more about them and their lives. Before that, I have to locate a certain shy Dwarf and our busty MILF accountant. They are key elements of my plans. With the two lovely ladies by my side, I walk back to the street in front of our mansion and show them the packets with information. We read through them carefully and agree that there’s no reason to delay things. The Queen expects us to pick quickly and start receiving their requests. So, we need a base of operations. We go through the four buildings on the list of those who offered to let us examine the place on our own. Each mini-mansion is somewhat different but they all share similarities from the outside. Sirgia examines the foundations and general state of the structure while Ria discusses things connected to prices, money, and all that stuff with the owner or their representative. We might not be paying for this but it’s good to be able to know how are things like regular maintenance and such. My crafty little Dwarf brings with herself some of the technical plans of the city and the tunnels spanning all underneath it. That way, we can consider the degree of complexity behind our goal of connecting the brothel with the new headquarters. Such matter is one of the most important on our list of qualities a good home should have. Of the four positions, two are moved aside fairly quickly. The space inside them just isn’t up to our standards and the layouts are kind of troublesome. They are unnecessarily fancy and we would need to restructure lots of the elements. It’s always a dilemma to choose if you should renovate something from ground to ceiling or if you should let it be as close to original as possible too. The other two are actually more than decent. They are both in the shape of simple, rectangular fashion. They are both without some fancy side wings and so on. There’s a small but good enough lobby in either while the rest of the buildings are used for accommodations. No one can forget utility chambers like the kitchen and so on, of course. But, those can still be provided from the main mansion if necessary so they aren’t a priority. We tour the personal rooms and everything else. Marking those two places as our go-to choices, we examine the sewers next. It turns out that one of them has a perfect line to our home and we note that down. The other one isn’t that much worse, but having in mind the additional need to transform even the sewers, it might really be the best option. With that out of the way, we call the mercenary girls for a meeting and explain the narrowed-down choices to them. Armed with both for’s and against’s of each building, they are sent by us to tour them on their own before making a decision. We should make sure that they are going to be comfortable out there. Plus, there will be more of them. While the warrior women go property hunting, I spend some time around the brothel again. Led by Shino’s words from the bath, I sneak close to Mari’s and Nyfile’s workshop. Thankfully, I come at a less focused moment and it doesn’t take ages to find a window of opportunity to insert myself into their conversation. They are more than happy to show me their amassed collection of creations. Many people have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the roleplay service for ages now, including myself. And, it really looks like our fabric masters have gone beyond. As expected, the various outfits they have already prepared are of top quality. They are nowhere close to the kind of cheap and amateurish makeshift costumes the majority of enthusiasts use back on Earth. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, of course. They serve their purpose. But, our purpose is to be the best in terms of quality so the real-life clothes the girls prepared are breathtaking. No, wait. Since they are kind of perfect in any way, they are more of fantasy clothes. I have no doubt that they made use of some magical formations and artefacts from our experts. The outfits look just way too good. I learn that the volunteers for the service are already testing the new fashion out and giving the mystical seamstresses their invaluable feedback. Mari, in her joyful enthusiasm and passion for her beloved craft, jumps into a few sets of clothes for me to see. Some of the costumes are too dangerous to be witnessed by mortal eyes. She looks unbelievably cute in a few different versions of Japanese school uniforms, including the fabled pool ones. But, the weeb dreams aren’t the only theme available and they even have some styles from the other parts of the Earth world. At least wherever there are some characteristic uniforms. A bunch of sets imitating numerous different common jobs from Earth are included in the collection too. It naturally revolves around the most desirable roles amongst men like policewoman, nurse, doctor, office worker, and so on. Though, considering the fact that literally no one visiting here, save for me, will even know what those are, these might actually be Shino’s little ploy to grow the options she can use on herself while cosplaying privately for me to see. And touch too. That option is definitely viable in this world. Especially amongst my beloved mates and wives. But, there of course are many creations inspired by what should be the most sexualised occupations of this world. Jobs that the majority of native men are salivating just from the thought of. So, yeah, that includes receptionists, healers, knights, soldiers, mercenaries, but also noble ladies, queens, priestesses, and such. These were much easier to achieve considering where we are. I consult everything with them and leave with a list of names that includes individuals pretty much ready to get in on the fun. I spend the rest of the day acting out a few roles with those girls and verifying what they have learned or what kind of acting talent they possess. No surprises there, they are completely nailing that thing. Our mercenary recruits make their decision and we convey it to Lianne so that she can work her magic as soon as possible. Since the day has been really eventful, I spend some more time resting with my beloved companions and chatting in bed about various things. I don’t really notice when we all doze off thanks to the relaxed, homely atmosphere. Then, with my mind convinced that just minutes passed instead of hours, some weird, intense feeling wakes me up. My eyes shoot open as my heart practically jumps to my throat. I look around to find the source of my distress but there is no one at my sides. The girls are already out of bed, leaving me behind. It’s until I glance down my chest that I barely hold in the gasp as I find three pairs of differently sized pure black eyes peering at me from underneath the edge of the sheets. The sneaky, expressionless spidergirl is somehow lying on top of me without lying on top of me as I feel no contact with her chilly skin. It’s only thanks to her face cutely poking out from under the covers that I’m now aware she is there. This could explain the uneasiness I felt earlier. As my brain mulls over this sixth sense of danger, the charming Arachne’s lips part open and all of my focus instantly snaps to those two pouty bumps. “Master.”
Chapter 177 – Entangled ❤❤❤ Spoiler: Chapter For a few seconds, I do nothing but stare at the ethereal face of the pale beauty poking out from under the covers. Then, I realise that I shouldn’t be as surprised about hearing Hecate’s soft voice. It can’t really be helped. My brain is still locked on the notion of her being pretty much mute and illiterate, even though I just recall her trying to speak when I jumped here for a short Heart Swap during our journey. Besides uttering that single, sweet word, my loyal spidergirl doesn’t say anything else. She looks back at me with the usual neutral expression, which only makes the scene so much more adorable. The only issue lies in her pleasantly chilly body pressing onto me from above, and in turn, a certain part of me brushing against the now fully recovered plump insides of her thighs. And possibly, something a little higher too. Trying to shove aside the vivid imagery of our position under the sheets out of my mind, I slowly sit up while wrapping one arm around Hecate’s slim waist. The covers slowly slide off her shoulders as we both rise and fully reveal her lithe frame. Naturally, she is now no longer pressed into my chest so her own petite front enters my sight, from the gentle swell at the top to the alluring valley disappearing at the bottom. I do my best to take control of my body and make sure nothing is actively poking her from underneath. “Hello there.” I smile warmly at her as she sits on my thighs with her hands resting on top of them between us. “It’s been a while. I hope you were a good girl while I was gone, were you?” “Were.” Hecate graces me with a tiny nod and a single word again. “I’m glad to hear that.” I can’t stop myself from bringing my palm up to her face and delicately caressing her beautiful cheek. “What do I owe this pleasure of you waking me up? Do you perhaps need something from me or were you just feeling lonely?” “Request,” she replies calmly. “Promise.” “Request?” I furrow my brows at her as I try to decipher her brief messages. “Ah. Your request. Your reward for behaving while I was gone. Right. Well, if you came to speak your wishes, I’m all ears. Which means that I’m listening in case that phrase confuses you. I should probably ask around about what you’ve been up to but I’m fairly sure that’s unnecessary. I trust that you’ve been good for me.” “Catch criminals. Assassinate bad guys. Save people.” Hecate lists what must be her achievements or usual schedule. “Yeah, I probably really should talk to the others about this.” I chuckle to myself. “Not that you did anything wrong, of course. It was me who nudged you in that direction and I’m proud if you did all that. I would just like to receive a few more details on your time outside the mansion, preferably from someone more well-spoken.” I have no doubt that her mental communication would be not much different from how she talks so I would rather not put too much strain and effort on the silent girl when I can just ask someone else. “Anyway.” I ruffle through her short white hair. “Do you have anything in mind for your request?” Hecate extends her arms toward me, partially past my sides with how close to each other we are sitting, in a motion that mirrors a kid wanting to be picked up. She then gazes into my eyes with her ominous but charming pure black three pairs. “Take me,” she requests. “Pardon?” I raise a brow at her in moderate confusion. Does she want me to carry her around for the day or something like that? I mean, it wouldn’t be that surprising with how clingy she’s been with me since day one. This certainly could feel like a step forward from just stalking me from behind her reality-bending threads. I just hope it doesn’t mean we will have to parade naked once more, hah. “Mate.” Hecate interrupts my musings with another hint. “Mate?” I ask, refocusing on her charming visage. “Take me. Mate.” She repeats it together. “Ah.” It finally clicks. “I want to… Master… Feel good…” She adorably tries to form a sentence while clearly rummaging through her mind for the correct words. “What have those women been teaching you…” I sigh lightly while shaking my head and gently bring her arms back down. “Listen. You don’t have to use your hard-earned request, and neither your own body, to make me feel good. You don’t have to listen to them and give yourself to me, alright? I really need to have a talk with Elea and the others about what kind of things they are focusing on during your classes…” As I finish moving her arms to their natural position, she grabs my wrist and gives it a firm squeeze, showing the faintest shake of her head I’ve ever seen. “No. Want. Mate. Hecate. Master. Likes.” She holds me in her grasp while staring at me intently. I stare back at her in silence for a little while and sigh once more. “Do you even know what you are talking about?” “Sex,” she answers, dragging my hand to her chest and placing my palm over her modest breast. “Feel good.” “Yeah, the subject ratio of what you are learning is definitely skewed.” I smirk at her but she doesn’t really react to it. “Elea has been drilling all of this into you, hasn’t she? Just like she converted those girls into my excited devotees who dream about getting railed by their leader. Be honest.” She doesn’t reply immediately and I’m not sure if she is hesitating or just looking for more words to respond to my inquiry properly. “No. Elea teach good. Speaking. Writing. Talking to people. World. Humans. Cities.” Hecate squeezes my wrist a bit harder. “I was… curious. I was… get closer. Be good girl. I want. Not told. Me.” I have to say, watching her struggle to explain herself properly is literally melting my heart into a warm, gooey puddle. With her calm, serene, neutral face with somewhat sharp features, the awkward way she expresses herself with so much determination is just unimaginably adorable. It’s hard not to immediately give this sweet girl whatever she wants. But, it’s exactly because she is so sweet and pure on the inside that I can’t instantly jump at her without second thoughts. “I see.” I nod at her, using my free hand to brush her side since I don’t want to try and pry my locked one from her hold in case she takes that as me rejecting her affection. “It seems like you’ve been learning hard. Did you perhaps learn more about what or who you are?” She nods back cutely. “Arachne. Unusual. Human female like. Can sex.” I snicker a bit. She just had to add that last part. “And what am I to you right now? Your previous… leader… said I’m your queen. Are you doing this because it is your duty to make your queen feel good?” I ask her softly. “No. No queen. No tribe.” Her head swivels from side to side with a bit more force and she points at me. “You. Master. Friend. No duty. Want. Happy. Me.” My eyes wander to the solid grip she holds on my wrist. I guess it’s enough proof of her no longer mindlessly following my orders and my best interest or else she wouldn’t be able to show this much independence and defiance. “Alright. You can let go of my hand now. You’ve proven your point.” I smile at her reassuringly and her face tilts to her chest. She quickly releases my wrist and looks back up. “Sorry.” That evokes another chuckle from me. The fact that she’s been holding onto me somewhat unconsciously, unaware of the little squeezes she’s been making, just further shows how far she’s gotten on the road of becoming more of a person rather than a caged, enslaved monster. “No need to apologise.” I start caressing her side again, running my fingers up and down her smooth, alabaster skin. “I’m really happy to see you getting a bit emotional. You’ve made a lot of progress while I was out. I should be the one apologising to you. I promised to help you with that and yet I wasn’t there.” “No,” she interrupts me. “Master. Busy. Organised. Others. To help. Good help.” “If you say so.” I smile at her understanding words. “Does that mean you won’t be sneaking after me literally everywhere from now on?” No reply comes as she looks at me with the same blank expression. But, her deep black eyes betray how big of an internal turmoil my words have put her in and I let out an honest laugh. It’s great that she is conflicted about this. She’s finally starting to think for herself. For her own desires and benefits. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that. And I don’t really mind you watching over me all the time. You can continue doing that. Just promise that you will listen when we tell you not to do that at specific points of time in the future, alright?” I tap her thigh reassuringly a few times. “Yes. Promise.” She makes a more lively nod. “Great. Now, I’ll have to catch up with what you’ve already learned and are learning about so that I can insert myself into your program. I would love to begin right away, but I literally have no idea where you are. I don’t want to talk about silly, simple stuff and make you feel like I’m treating you like a child. I know first-hand how mature you are.” My gaze involuntarily wanders down for a second and then back up to her enchanting face. I meant it mentally but it’s kind of hard not to mention the physical aspects too. While moderate to some extent, they definitely can make a thing or two rise in a single breath. Especially from up close and personal. Without my very specific abilities, the sight of the little dip and line below her fit tummy would have towering consequences. “But, if you are serious about this, I think we can start with a more practical lesson,” I continue, taking both of her hands into mind and holding them between us. “I’m going to ask for the last time and won’t ever bother you with this again. You want to mate with me and feel good together?” “Yes. I want to mate and feel good together,” she repeats a major part of my sentence but it’s kind of sweet of an attempt to answer. “Want. Not duty.” With one more sigh, I stop thinking about all the unimportant stuff and give my full attention to the pale lady sitting on my lap. I let myself fully take in the sight of her pretty, sharp face; her adorable, petite breasts; her well-toned stomach; and her extremely tempting lower lips poking out from between her soft thighs, hiding the similarly coloured precious flesh of her most secret place. Which, well, I had her already spread open for me once or twice when we examined her physique in the past, including our little dip in the wild, underground hot springs, but that’s a detail. Now, everything points towards me seeing and learning about it a bit more intimately. And I can’t say that I’m not interested. Returning my attention to the silent Arachne’s face, I smile gently and lean forward. She observes me as usual while my face draws near and my lips touch the chilly skin of her pretty cheek. My thumbs brush over her hands as I leave a delicate peck on it and draw back. She takes one hand from me and touches the spot, rubbing it slowly. Glancing down, she looks at her fingers afterwards. I like to think that she’s trying to see the warm, fuzzy feeling I always experience whenever my lovely wives and the other gorgeous girls do the same to me. It can sometimes last for quite a while. Then, I notice her moving. I try to remain still as she leans forward this time and mirrors my motion, bumping her lips into my cheek. A tiny shiver runs down my spine from the chilly jolt of faint pleasure. Hecate then draws herself back and a wide smile sneaks upon my face. “Kiss?” she asks and I move right away. This time, I gently cup her chin up as I go for her pale lips and our mouths brush together in a delicate fashion. But, surprisingly, Hecate starts pursuing mine actively soon enough and even prods me with her cold tongue. It’s either pure instinct or someone has been teaching her how to kiss properly. I’ll have to get to the bottom of this. Later. Naturally, I let the wordless beauty into my mouth and we play with each other’s tongues a little bit. My other hand moves to her chin and I graze her cheeks as we make out with more vigour as time passes. Our caresses still remain soft and inquisitive but it’s clear that Hecate is becoming more comfortable with the act of kissing, growing more fond of it. Her slender hands move to my chest as she pushes herself forward. I let go of her face and grab her plump behind to pull her into me, removing the physical limits I’ve placed on my physique. Warmth soon rushes south as Hecate’s small peaks brush against my skin as we continue to kiss affectionately. I jump a little when something sharp touches my back but I quickly realise that she is wrapping her limbs around me the same way as I do. Her arms snake around my torso and embrace me closely while her six spider legs follow them from the sides and lock me in a gentle but undoubtedly deadly cage. Curious, I lead my fingers up her spine and trace some paths between the bases of her onyx spikes. As expected, they react to having the muscles over that area tickled and they shiver or tremble lightly. I don’t think she even notices, focused fully on consuming this sweet moment of us going after each other’s lips and tongues. When I finally end this long exchange, a faint trace of deeper grey tinges her fair skin around the softness of her pretty cheeks. Her petite chest marginally rises and falls with a bit more movement, though she certainly isn’t out of breath or even slightly winded. Without looking at the finer details, one wouldn’t know that she’s been up to anything else than existing. “And? What do you think?” I smile at her knowingly. “Like.” She licks her lips. “Very like.” Her face then tilts down and her eyes lock on a certain hot pole resting against her underbelly. Hecate’s hand trails down my chest and finds a grip around my member, evoking another shiver from me as her chilly fingers envelop my length. She gives it a few unhurried tugs up and down while staring at it intently. “Yeah… You’ve been taught… No doubt there…” I chuckle lightly. “But I can’t have you be the only one making the other person feel nice…” My own hands briefly graze her well-toned stomach before heading up and stumbling into the gentle swell of her tiny breasts. I can barely cup them in my palms but that doesn’t diminish their allure in the slightest. Leaning forward, I start placing kisses on her pale neck while lovingly kneading her perfect peaks. With my face at the side of hers, I can hear the slowly rising tempo of her breathing as she enjoys my care and showers me with her own. Still, she only inhales and exhales through her small nose, not yet warmed up enough to make use of her delicious mouth. It’s a super adorable and turning-on sound, though. Wanting to give her some of my own experience too, I trace my right palm south and reach the edge of her lower front. My fingers brush against her chilly folds and I note a tiny hitch in her breathing. With a satisfied smile, I rub her precious mound back and forth without yet dipping into her sealed-up pussy. But, it doesn’t take long before I run my digit between those two lower lips of hers and learn that she’s definitely starting to look forward to what’s coming. A bit of slick nectar covers my finger as it grazes against the inner flesh of her sensitive pussy, tickling her shy nub as it goes. The more I stroke her petite folds, the wetter it gets. Then, her spider legs unwind from around me and I freeze. Not because of something I feel or experience but because I literally can’t move an inch anymore. Withdrawing my affectionate kisses from Hecate’s shoulders, I examine myself and notice the faint sheen of an uncountable number of threads going all around my body, limbs, and close vicinity. I have no idea when, but she has bound me tighter than a straightjacket. Leaning back too, Hecate moves her hand to the side and hooks her fingers over nothing. But, that nothing turns out to be another invisible line as I’m instantly lifted up and rearranged in the air. “Woooooahhhh…” My gaze jumps from left to right as I desperately try to find balance before I fall even though I know it won’t ever happen. With just that single gesture from the skilful spidergirl, I end up in a sitting position with my feet resting on the bed sheets. It’s like I’m on an invisible chair. Or more like a lounge instead. My legs are spread open, my elbows lie on nonexistent armrests, and my back pushes into an imaginary backrest. Naturally, my member valiantly points towards the ceiling. Still, even though I’m suspended by tens of barely noticeable threads in this unusual pose, it does actually feel somewhat similar to resting on a comfortable piece of furniture. Nothing wedges itself into my skin, nothing cuts me, nothing painfully rubs against my sensitive spots. It’s like it truly is a royal, invisible throne standing atop the bed. Additionally, this position puts me at the perfect height for the beautiful Arachne to crawl closer to my crotch on all fours and sit on her knees in front of it. My cock hangs out just right for her to lean down and do the obvious. Of course, she does exactly that. Without a single word, Hecate rests her chilly palms on my thighs and lowers her lips to my tip. She pecks my glans a few times, sending some more shivers through my body, and opens that alluring, pouty mouth of hers to slip it in like it’s her everyday thing. I inhale sharply as her cold tongue and inner cheeks embrace my member lovingly. Not really having any options to move or do anything without expressing enough strength to ruin this entire contraption, I choose to just remain still and enjoy the slightly awkward but learning attempts of Hecate trying to give me a good blow. Her curious tongue swirls around my tip as she slowly bobs her head up and down, stroking me both with her lips and hands. And something else. It takes me a moment to realise but I finally notice that one or more of her threads are wrapped around my cock too. As I said earlier, it’s not painful and definitely super hard to spot. I have no idea how she can suck me with those around without cutting her own mouth but it’s better to just not think about the details. It feels heavenly and that’s all that matters. She is so dedicated to her work on my lower half that she doesn’t even glance up to meet my eyes. Though, I can’t be sure if she doesn’t pick up my expression with them anyway. She does have three pairs so who knows? I’m glad she isn’t forcing herself to push me far into her throat right away like some of the girls, though. Her gentle caresses are more than enough. Therefore, I approach my peak at a decent pace, fully relishing the devotion she shows to my cock. Hecate certainly notices the change as her movements and suction grow quicker. She shows no signs of stopping so I say nothing and watch the fierce Arachne coax an orgasm out of me with her honest efforts to make me feel good. Reaching my peak, I grunt softly and release my load with her lips still tightly wrapped around my length. She milks the bursts of cloudy delicacy rushing into her throat to the very last drop and proceeds to clean me up completely, finishing her act with a few cute pecks, nibbles, and flicks of her tongue over my tip. Our eyes meet as she sits back and calmly looks up at my face from the level of my crotch. Just the image of her down there is stimulating on its own. I have a feeling that she’s intentionally put me in this position to make me look like a king towering over his subject. Might be another idea she’s gotten from those damn perverts. “You were amazing. I loved every second of it. Including this.” I wiggle myself a little while honestly complimenting the awaiting spidergirl. “Now, would you mind letting me go so that I can return the favour?” She gives me a small nod in response but makes no further motions with her hands to pull another string and suddenly let me drop onto the bed free of my restraints as I expect to. Instead, she stands up and starts walking towards me. Step by step. Higher and higher. Up into the air. Her small feet move over even more of the webs she must have prepared ahead of time while we were making out and she literally arrives at the level of my shoulders. She steps on them gently and crouches down, bringing her alluring tummy and beautiful pussy right in front of my face. Then, she leans to the back and lounges on another set of threads at about twenty-five degrees or so. Her pale slit gets presented to me at the perfect angle to be worshipped while her delicious thighs surround the edges of my vision. I can only look into this inviting crevice of hers, trickling with faint traces of glistening liquid, or at her charming front deliciously angled for the best viewing. What even is this situation? I don’t dwell on it for too long as my arms come free and I lock gazes with Hecate once more. Full of desire to make her feel amazing, I slip my fingers to the sides of her chilly folds and spread her mesmerising flower to reveal its secret insides. Without further ado, I trail my tongue over her delicate flesh and start raining kisses onto her sweet pussy. As I gently eat her out, my gaze often wanders to her softly rising chest and cute nose which is barely working through her increasingly heavier breathing. Trying not to smile impishly, I use my tongue to delve deeper into her channel and tickle some usually good spots, sucking on her shy clit in the meanwhile. My sly actions are soon rewarded with the first open breath taken by the tough spidergirl. Her lips part and she starts making use of her pouty mouth to gasp for the air. Her raised breathing pace is still quite silent, somewhat quiet, but the small puffs she keeps releasing are already a ton more sexy and seductive. I know that she is enjoying it as much as I am. I’m still to earn my first moan but I’m happy to work hard for it. Something like that is a precious moment, a symbolic sigh of pleasure during our first embrace which breaks the dam for more enticing noises in the future of our lovemaking. My tongue explores Hecate’s chilly passage as I lap up her delicious nectar. She might not be showing it openly, but I can tell that she is quickly reaching her limit too. Her insides clench around my muscle now and then as her pussy squeezes me lovingly, urging me to do more. Having the same idea, I move one hand higher and begin caressing her clit with my fingers while the two digits from the other one slip into her leaking opening. A slightly sharper gasp escapes Hecate’s plump lips as her butt jolts up a little. I chuckle to myself and hold back from pushing my fingers all the way in, only tickling the beginning of her frosty channel. We will use something else for the farther areas soon. “Master…” Hecate manages between her quickening breaths. “Cum…” “Yes, come on, cum. All the way.” I double my efforts with an immediate response. “Cum… Cum… Cum, cum, cum, cummmmmmmmmmmmm!” She finally enters her high and gushes nectar at my lips a little more. Her lithe frame shivers softly while held up by tens if not hundreds of threads and we fortunately do not come crashing down onto the bed amidst her orgasm. It looks like she is able to keep them in check even while cumming. I stroke her pussy lovingly while waiting for Hecate to recollect herself fully. She meets my eyes and slowly climbs up with her hands grabbing invisible strings of steel-like silk. Then, she falls into my lap and hugs me from the front, squashing my member to her belly. My arms are still free so I hug her back and present my sweet spider mate with a delicate kiss. We chase each other’s lips for a brief moment before drawing back. “Would you like me to take the lead or…?” I raise a curious brow at the calm girl. “Both,” she answers right away. “Like both. Master?” “I’m fine with either too.” I chuckle lightly. “Since it’s supposed to be your reward, let’s have you start.” I receive a faint nod and she glances down at our nether regions. Resting her palms atop my shoulders, Hecate moves to a crouch and places her feet on the sides, opening up her legs quite wide. Of course, she steps onto more threads which makes it look like she is crouching on empty air in front of my dick. Giving her a small peck on her faintly flushed cheek, I watch her lower herself onto me. My tip kisses her lower lips for a second or two before Hecate pushes it in with her mouth parting for a silent sigh. She descends onto me bit by bit and we observe my cock disappearing into her chilly and snug channel until the very base. “You feel perfect, my cute little spider,” I whisper into her ear. “Feel good. Inside,” she whispers back and pulls her hips up with a more vocal sigh. “Like. Warm.” For a little while, Hecate repeatedly moves her waist up and down to impale herself on my member and get used to the pleasant motion of having her pussy stroked from the inside. Her adorable breathing grows more intense and I catch a few barely audible whines escaping her silent throat. It urges me to draw more of them out and I start nibbling on her shoulder and neck. Somehow, it makes it harder for her to ride me and she slows down a bit. I would like to help with that but I’m all stiff again, not just between my legs. Fortunately, it’s not necessary as the crafty Arachne figures out the solution to her troubles with the usual answer. Threads. She hooks her fingers over another line going by our heads and pulls it down. I gasp in surprise as my own hips rush forward and my pelvis smacks into her butt from the sudden thrust. Hecate wraps one arm around my neck for more stability and keeps drawing on the string repeatedly, which in turn makes me slam into her pussy like a swing. Damn, she is smart and skilled. “Mmmm… Mmmmm… Mmmmm…” Her sweet whines finally grow loud enough to be enjoyed fully without straining my hearing. Naturally, the noise of her folds smacking into my underbelly joins the cacophony of lewd sounds as her pussy leaves wet kisses on my skin with each slam. I sigh into her neck as her tight passage grips me firmly with each shove, parting with my cock very reluctantly as it drags back through the firm grip of her soft walls. “Don’t hold back. Go as hard as you want.” I bite gently into her collarbone. “Mmmmm!” Hecate lets me hear another delicious moan and speeds up my thrusts. At this point, she is yanking the string down like it’s a whistle on those old locomotives. My cock hammers her pretty flower relentlessly as loud slapping fills the room and bits of her chilly love juices splatter our bodies, dripping down onto the sheets. As she comes closer to another orgasm judging by the increasing grip around my member, I can feel more leeway in my arms again and quickly wrap them around her slim figure. Hecate turns her face to me and I steal her lips as my hands roam over her back, cupping her jiggly butt and caressing her smooth sides, rarely brushing against the swell of her petite breasts from behind. Her quiet but powerful voice reverberates in my own throat as she finally trips over the cliff of her pleasure and she tugs the string as much as she can, driving my cock into her pulsing passage as far as she can. My palms press onto her bottom and slam her hips down too, releasing my seed into her furthest depths, jet after jet. We exchange loving kisses while riding our respective orgasms, which in her case makes the ominous spikes tremble even more than her lithe frame. Hecate pulls away first and glances down, stroking her tummy with one of her spider legs. “Full. Seed. Hot. Feel good.” “As it should.” I peck the side of her forehead. She then looks up at me. “Master. Take me. You. Feel good.” I watch her climb off my lap and take a few steps to the back over empty air, almost as if she is hovering a few feet above the bed. Hecate then watches me calmly and waits. Our joint nectars drip down her slender thighs but she cares not for her exposed body. “I already did feel good a lot, but I guess I’ll oblige.” I flash her a warm smile. “Though, how do I…?” “Walk. Move.” She gestures around with her hand, brushing against numerous thin lines. “Me. Control. Master. Act.” Nodding as if I’ve fully understood her explanation, I try to stand up. I do so without any issues and realise that I’m stepping on the air too. Somehow, no matter how I move or what I do, I don’t get entangled in the countless webs. At the same time, whenever I take a step forward, I place my foot on them positioned at a perfect angle to play the role of invisible ground. Hecate lets herself fall to the back as I approach her in the air and run my hands along her smooth sides. I cup her breasts as she angles herself at an almost lying position again by operating her threads with her six spider legs. They twitch and pull on threads whenever either of us makes any movements. I can’t imagine how skilled she has to be with those to make it work for both of us at once. As I lean forward to join our lips together, her normal legs wrap themselves around my waist. I line up my tip with her dripping entrance and make a firm thrust since we’ve already been through a bit. She whines quietly into my mouth as I plunge deep into the spidergirl’s embrace and start my fully independent motions. She doesn’t boost my thrusts with her threads anymore. It’s just pure swinging of my hips and hammering of my cock into her tight little hole. Well, plus the fact that we are literally fucking in the air above the bed at an unusual angle. But that only makes it more exciting as I pound into my silent guardian gently but firmly, enjoying her occasional moans and sighs of pleasure. Her hands rake over my back and hair, pushing me more into her yearning, welcoming embrace. She clearly urges me to go harder and I naturally oblige. Hecate’s body swings back and forth on her threads as I rail her without holding back. Our loud smacking echoes from the walls in my spacious master bedroom. With her small breasts, they don’t really jump around from my thrusts, but they don’t have to. I love the sight of her modest bosom jiggling delicately under my fingers as I tease her nipples. But, when my hands move to her hips and drag her into my hammering even stronger, Hecate finally slips with her control. I hear the characteristic but super quiet thwang of a string getting free and vibrating from the accumulated tension as we lurch forward a bit. “Mmmmmmhhhhhhmmmmmmm!” The motion drives my cock even further into her precious lily as Hecate hastily regains her balance. I didn’t even notice one of her hands shooting to the side and clutching another thread to save us. She’s so fast and capable. While we haven’t crashed into the bed or the ground, this little event positioned her at something like forty-five degrees down, with her alluring bottom and the enticing valley between her legs pointing up. Our eyes meet and I smirk at the spidergirl, starting to slam into her tight channel with renewed vigour, making full use of this new angle. “Mmmmm! Mmmmm! Mmmmm! Master!” “Cum for me,” I command her and she explodes immediately. “Mmmmmmmmmmhhmmmmmmm!” I follow right after her and smack my pelvis into her with the mightiest thrust, releasing a sea of milky white liquid flooding her snug insides. We keep staring at each other for the entire duration of our peaks and I adore her heavily rising and falling chest as she gasps for air. Hecate yanks another line and her body floats up to press into mine. She observes my face for a few seconds, pecks my cheek, and snuggles to my neck, surrounding me with her spider legs in a loving and protective manner. A quiet chuckle escapes my lips as I do the same for her. “I love you too, my precious little spider.” The door to the room opens and I glance towards it, noting the arrival of my lovely wives. They walk inside with smiles on their faces and Shino curiously peeks from behind Cornelia with her eyes sparkling at the two of us hovering in the air while still united. No doubt she was very much looking forward to seeing Hecate use her threads for this. Oh well. I guess everyone is finally here and nothing else should distract us from taking a peek at my progress. Unless they are the distraction.
Chapter 178 – A New Force is Born Spoiler: Chapter As expected, Hecate isn’t bothered by the appearance of other people in the slightest. She regards the women with a calm glance while still resting her head on my shoulder, with her forehead pressed into the crook of my neck. I smile at the group of lovely ladies walking into our chamber and support the sweet spidergirl’s lithe frame by wrapping my arm underneath her tender bottom. A gentle breath tickles my ear as Hecate sighs delightfully the moment my warm member leaves her chilly embrace from the motion of being pulled up. I already miss that incredible sensation but we’ll have plenty of time to explore our new relationship in the near future. I have a feeling that a certain someone will turn even more clingy now. Knowing well that no matter her state Hecate is more than capable of manipulating her threads, I slowly descend to the ground as if I’m walking down an invisible set of stairs. Finally reaching a solid surface, my sharp hearing picks up the faintest vibrations from the air as most if not all steel-like strings snap, roll back, or do whatever they do when she dismisses them. I guess they dissolve after some time or else we would have walked into plenty of them around the mansion already. Sirgia, Cornelia, Neira, Elea, Ailish, Teffith, Astrea, Meru, Shino, Ellie, and Ria come closer to the bed. It’s honestly hard to believe such a sight. No matter how you look at it, this is pretty much a crowd of women. Women who decided to follow solely me and no one else. I know that I’ve decided not to think too much about things like numbers anymore but something this unusual still gives me a pause. For a brief moment, I hesitate. What exactly am I doing? Is it truly fine for me to hoard so many incredible women just for myself? It’s not one, two, or a few at this point. Am I perhaps starting to turn into a real bastard who collects girls like figurines? But, as I stand there with Hecate latched onto my waist, Cornelia stops right in front of me, her beautiful nose almost touching mine. Her smooth palms slide up my cheeks as she gazes deep into my eyes and shows a delicate smirk. Ah, shit. Figured she could read my mind just from my expression. Not a second passes before she leans in and pulls me into a loving kiss. Her supple lips brush against mine, affectionately grazing all over my mouth. She doesn’t bring out her tongue, limiting this tender exchange to just fluffy pecks. The faint noise of our light kisses travels through the silent air for a good while. As we finally part, she opens her previously closed eyes and shows a charming smile. “Do I even need to say anything?” “No. I got everything. To the finest details.” I chuckle softly and present her with one last peck right on that rosy cheek of hers. “Good. Because you are not allowed to have such thoughts anymore. It’s no longer about just you. You have plenty of people to think about. And they expect to be thought about and cared for,” she replies. “True.” I grin at her, pulling Cornelia into me with my free arm. “Thank you.” “Oh, stop it!” She swats me away. “You’ll get my clothes dirty with your thing.” A chuckle arrives from our side and Elea shows up next to me, hiding her smile behind her hand. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Cornelia’s face grows redder as she escapes my grasp, patting out her shirt while avoiding our gazes. I lock eyes with the enticing Dark Elf beauty and Elea winks at me slyly, making me shake my head. “Alright. Let’s get seated up.” I gesture at everyone and climb onto the mattress. “I brought towels,” Elise adds quietly and blushes when I glance at her. “Thought they could be of use…” I smirk at the somewhat timid receptionist and continue onto the bed. As I plop down with Hecate in my lap, Elise brings the small basin with a few towels to us and I begin to clean the silent spidergirl up after our earlier encounter. Something wet touches my back when everyone settles down around us and I take a peek over my shoulder to find a smiling face of Shino there with another cloth in her dainty hands. She giggles at me mischievously and proceeds to take care of me in the meanwhile. “I have to say, I was quite surprised to see Hecate already knowing this much about verbal communication,” I begin to break the comfortable silence. “Were you being that hard on her or is she just that good of a student?” “I can assure you that we haven’t been pushing the impossible onto her,” Ria answers first with a motherly smile, making Cornelia nod confidently. “We already have issues with one person who falls asleep from exhausting herself past her physical limits.” My sweet little Dwarf lover blushes heavily and I smirk at Sirgia. This damned troublemaker. It’s pointless to argue with her, though. If even they can’t do anything about it, I can only reward my devoted smith and artificer as much as I’m able to. Therefore, I shower her dark brown hair with a myriad of affectionate pats and scratches. “Honestly, we had a bit low expectations at first, and we need to apologise for that, to both of you, but Hecate shattered those in a flash and proved just how smart and intelligent she actually is,” Cornelia admits with a wry smile. “She is outstanding. You can rarely find someone with this much motivation and focus even amongst the top scholar trainees. Though, we have an inkling as to why she is like this.” She smirks at me openly, watching Hecate’s soft sighs as I wipe the spidergirl’s chest and tummy with the pleasant towel. I roll my eyes at the teasing magician. Well, she isn’t exactly wrong. I’m not unaware of Hecate’s tendency to please me in all possible ways. “Our new sister has also been taking her task assigned by you before your departure very seriously,” Teffith adds. Yeah. Again, no surprise there. I mostly wanted to keep her mind occupied by having her focus on something that isn’t me, but she’s like a somewhat harmless yandere, going to the extreme with all her actions connected to her chosen partner, which obviously is me in this scenario. “And what exactly does this entail?” I ask, curious about the details of our silent vigilante. “Before the establishment of the new slavery laws and regulations, I had her observe the brothels we’ve taken under our wings in secret and resolve any potential issues they might have,” Ailish explains. “You know, the typical, one thug trying to attack a girl during the day, another trying to kidnap someone after being unable to live without the woman, someone getting rough, aggressive, shady, and so on. I quickly learned that our little spider has a talent for making people disappear without a trace. Everything melts. Including her threads.” A cold shiver runs down my spine as I imagine the scene. Some not-so-poor bastard getting cocooned in her solid threads and then injected with something that turns him into a puddle. The only lacking part is Hecate drinking him up to finish the job. Don’t ask me why but I have a feeling that’s the only thing she doesn’t do. “And after the new legislation?” I raise a brow at the Succubus. “Not much difference but on a bigger scale. As you can imagine, not everyone was and is happy about the change. Demi-humans have to be treated equally to Humans now, pretty much. You can say that Hecate works as an invisible law enforcement officer, making sure that no one breaks the new rules and coming to the rescue of those being abused in the open and not-so-open streets.” So, our own little Batgirl, pretty much. Save for the part about operating mostly at night. “Hecate-san is incredible,” Shino joins in, scrubbing my thigh now with a gentle flush on her pretty face. “I accompanied her a few times and she is like the perfect assassin. Even I was having a hard time being so fast and versatile with my shadows. Her senses are just so amazing. I can see why you chose her as your hidden bodyguard, Sensei.” “Yeah.” I chuckle at my lovely samurai girl, not mentioning the fact that it was Hecate who chose me for her boss instead and I didn’t have much say in that. “Speaking of which, should we take a peek at Hecate’s status? I’m going to show you mine in a moment anyway, just as I promised.” “I don’t think there’s a lot that has changed for her besides the addition of your stats, Alpha,” Astrea answers with a quiet purr, rubbing her cheek into my shoulder. “But it’s a good idea nevertheless. Something might be different now that you two mated after so long.” I play with her fluffy ear for a moment, raising the volume of her purrs to the amusement of everyone gathered on the bed, and summon Hecate’s windows with just a thought. This is practically second nature to me at this point. No need to navigate through all the paths. “Let’s start with the bond,” I say and bring the smaller rectangle forth. I knew it. Language and communication skills aren’t the only things these vixens have been teaching this pure girl. Oh well. Not like I can do much about it. Hecate insisted that it was what she wanted herself and I didn’t feel any confusion from her at that moment. They at least taught her properly about some of the feelings she might have been experiencing on the inside. “We’ll talk about this later.” I squint at Elea, Ailish, and Shino especially. “Status board now.” “So, you worked so hard you advanced in the meanwhile, huh?” I ruffle through Hecate’s hair. “Looks like your status is properly displaying the buffs from our bond too. If you already are so deadly on the streets, I can only imagine how much more the criminals will fear you now.” “All thanks to you, Master,” Sirgia whispers quietly with a tiny smile. I switch my ruffling target to her head, causing the cute Dwarf to giggle. “Maybe. But I’m now curious about the mercenary girls. It’s been a night since we’ve partaken in the initiation. I should pay them a visit and see how they are adapting. It will be good to put them through some more exercises before their first real job so that they grow accustomed to their newly-enhanced bodies.” “Their training is not finished. And never will fully be. For us, vagrants and mercenaries, it’s important to keep polishing our skills and senses all the time. They will keep practising with us, albeit not as much as during their preparation phase. We have also already arranged a session with the boost they should have received from you in mind. Garrena will make sure they can go all out and find their new limits,” Teffith explains. “I’m really glad to have you and her on board.” I smile at the Dragonewt lady. “It’s our pleasure to train your forces, Alastair.” She bows her head while smiling back. “It’s also a whole lot of fun. It reminds me of times when I instructed one or two younglings in our nomadic community as we travelled in a bigger group. It’s even more enjoyable with students who are actually interested in getting better. And Garrena just loves beating others up.” “Hahahaha, right. That she does.” I shake my head, remembering our first meeting and how excited she got about the chance to spar with me and the others in the future. “Naturally, I’m grateful to all of you and whoever else might be involved in this project. It’s not a small thing. I still can’t believe you’ve aced the submission exam so easily and we are only headquarters short of matching all those professional mercenary companies.” “Correction. We are short of being a step ahead.” Cornelia smirks, waving her slender finger at me. “Only the big ones have their own base of operations. Most operate from within the guild. We are going to take the capital by storm. Sirgia and I are already on it. Just you wait until we get our hands on all the permits and papers linked to our new estate.” “I’m looking very forward to it, then.” I nod at the lovely duo. They might be often seen competing with each other in front of me, acting somewhat snappy and teasing, but when it comes to things for my own benefit, there is no greater pair of creative minds in this establishment. Cornelia has the power of magical research and the government on her side while Sirgia matches that with her knowledge about construction, artefacts, engineering, and all those fields Dwarves are pros at. Whatever they come up with will definitely be great. “As for the girls, Master, you can visit them in the section to the left of my forge,” Sirgia informs me. “We turned it into a temporary garrison until they can move into the new building. Though, they have nothing against staying under the brothel. In the end, it’s close to you.” “I see. I will. I would still like them to be stationed in our company’s base but they are obviously free to come here anytime, be it just to hang out, take a dip in our amazing baths, or to meet with me. We need to start saving rooms and space, as much as I would love for them to have their own chambers here just like the rest of the girls.” I rub my chin while thinking. “My plans for the underground connector are almost ready, Master. After you made your final pick yesterday, I started making checks through the drafts I had prepared ahead of time. When Lianne gives us the permission, I shall start the construction,” my smart Dwarf adds. “Perfect. I love your resourcefulness, even though it majorly comes from working way too much.” I grin at her. “Alright. Time to see my changes. Are we done here, Shino?” “Yes, Sensei!” My angelic samurai girlfriend pokes her face past my shoulder and places a peck on my cheek as I catch her dainty hands escaping from between my legs. “I took care of every inch of your skin.” I squint at her playfully and watch how her cute face grows redder and redder while she tries to hold my gaze. She might have been taking more thorough care of specific parts of my skin, this little imp. Chuckling at her embarrassed blush, I steal a peck from her delicious lips and turn forward again, picking Hecate up and seating her next to me as everyone else huddles up even closer. “Here we go,” I announce, bringing forth my own status. “No matter how many times I see it, your numbers always make me sweat just from looking at them.” Cornelia chuckles awkwardly. “Late, but congratulations on reaching the sixth Tier. And you switched your Job?” “I did. I made a habit of checking them regularly and noticed this one recently. I bet it came up after your girls had us registered as a proper mercenary company. It provides similar buffs to Slave Master or Slave Trader but focuses on subordinates instead. They will need my support more than you guys, at least for a little while, and it sounds way better too,” I explain. “Sensei, what are those?” Shino points at the lower part of my status window. “You got a lot of new skills I haven’t seen yet.” I follow her finger and move to the abilities. We all know that my stats change statically so there’s not much to see there anyway. The only variables are the brackets. And they keep gradually rising the more Partners I have. Additionally, I have taken a look at them during my trip back home so they aren’t that much of a surprise. Which can’t be said about the abilities. Lumina told me in the past that I shouldn’t expect too much at the higher Tiers as many skills are conditional and won’t show up immediately after advancing, needing the owner to fulfil additional conditions, so I was pretty sure I would get one or maybe two new skills. But, looking at the bottom end of my status, I can clearly see five new things in total. And they don’t exactly sound too normal. “Vessel of the Goddess?” Ria ponders quietly. “That must have appeared after the Goddess descended upon him, right? At least that’s how it sounded from Cornelia’s story.” “Yeah.” My beautiful magician nods. “She was forced to inhabit Al’s body to fight off her evil sister. It must have become a permanent thing.” “That does check out with what she said.” I scratch my head. “But I have no idea what the Divine Spark is. Nevertheless, let’s go one by one. The Vessel first.” I tap the entry to see if anything comes up. “That sounds… scary…” Elise shudders a little. “Although very unbelievable too…” “If I had not witnessed Alastair becoming an avatar with my own two eyes, I would also have a hard time believing or even trying to imagine this,” Meru comments. “It’s not something mortals such as us have a chance to witness in centuries if not thousands of years.” “And it’s not something that will happen often, if ever again,” I interject. “Lumina can’t interfere much in the matters of the world and the previous time was a special case. Her sister crossed the line again and she was able to confront her. I won’t be able to call on Lumina’s power whenever I wish to beat up a few thugs. I don’t think I will be able to make use of this even in front of something that threatens the balance of the world until the moment it truly does since she doesn’t want to risk anything anymore by taking direct action first.” “That’s understandable.” Elea joins her hands in a fashion resembling a prayer. “We should not blame the Goddess for not breaking the balance of the world to take preemptive actions against the forces of the darkness. In the end, it would make her no different than them and could lead to serious consequences for her and all of us.” “How do you know that?” Ailish cocks a brow at the religious Dark Elf. “I just know. It’s part of my identity as a Priestess. And I can feel things even better after becoming Alastair’s wife. My connection to the Goddess only grew when we became one. I even had a chance to speak with her, even if briefly as my soul isn’t strong enough to withstand the divinity for long, and I will never be able to express my gratitude for such an unbelievable opportunity.” “I always thought you were deliberately hiding her from us after learning that you two can meet in your Soul Realm.” Cornelia smirks at me impishly. “You know that’s not it.” My lewd Succubus chuckles playfully. “Even my soul can barely hold itself back from exploding when near the Goddess. My entire existence literally vibrates with power like I have dozens of those buzzing toys up my ass and turned on to the strongest setting. I don’t think there’s anyone else than Alastair who can handle interacting with her directly, and he is getting better at it. He didn’t immediately flail in agony after she kissed him on the cheek this time.” The older of my women in terms of seniority grin at me while the newer individuals look my way with pure shock and amazement. I guess not many receive a peck from the Goddess and live to tell the tale. Or even receive a chance to try. “Enough of that.” I wave a hand at them before it becomes too much. “We should continue. There are plenty of important things to take care of. Let’s check the Divine Spark.” “Uhhh…” I stare at the floating text with a blank expression and mouth hanging open, trying to process what I’ve just read. “Did he… become a god?” Elise asks in semi-awe, semi-disbelief. “It does mention followers…” Sirgia whispers quietly. “Sensei a god…” Shino’s eyes literally sparkle with excitement as she looks up at me. I can only smile wryly. Things are starting to get really crazy. I always had to be careful with Elea and the others not to suddenly start a cult with me on the top, but now, this is no longer just fun and games. They really can do it. “We are not making a religion out of it,” I hastily shoot them down, not risking anyone saying a word about it before me. “Awwww…” Shino whimpers sadly. “I already had a few nice ideas for uniforms and robes…” A few of the girls giggle and I glare at them. I do not need people of this world to worship me. Or worse, become some sex-crazed lunatics holding nationwide orgies in my name. Let’s just leave the divine territory to Lumina and her sister. Mainly to Lumina. “Are you going to check your active skills now?” Cornelia asks, peering at the three other entries. “They sound kind of… connected to this.” I can tell just by looking at their names. And I really do not want to dig myself even deeper into this hole but do I have a choice? It doesn’t matter if I read them or not, they are going to be there nevertheless, already making some kind of influence on me. It’s much safer at least knowing what kind of shit I’ve gotten myself into. Therefore, I pull up the first new active skill. “What the fuck…” I absentmindedly mutter under my breath. “Does that mean Alastair can become that glowing figure just like with the Goddess’ help back there but on his own?” Meru tilts her head cutely but I barely register it. “The cooldown is so severe for such a short duration,” Shino comments. “This must be extremely powerful.” “Obviously.” Cornelia snorts. “It uses his divine energy, whatever that is. If that’s a basic resource of the gods, there’s no surprise it would be unbelievably strong and most likely scarce.” “We should test it,” Neira suggests. “I’ve been unable to portray Asterios as a god so far but this changes everything. I need to see it.” “No chance.” I hastily interrupt them. “No way I’m going full godmode in the middle of the mansion. We have no idea if this is any similar to what has happened to me back during the fight and we can’t risk being careless with stuff like this. This is no joking matter.” “But, you are going to test it, right, Sensei?” Shino looks at me expectantly. I sigh heavily. “Of course. I need to know what it does just in case. Even if to avoid ever thinking about using it. But not without having a good, long chat with Lumina about all of this.” ~I’ll await your visit patiently. Come and see me whenever you have a moment.~ A pleasant voice echoes in my head, quite a familiar one at that. I flinch, looking around. “Lumina?” A chuckle follows, confirming my guess even further. “You weren’t so keen on contacting me directly in the past. What changed?” I ask while the girls stare at me curiously. ~You are now my vessel. We are connected much better than before. You can think of it as you being my Partner from the perspective of your Class, or something like that. It won’t be a problem for us to communicate this way anymore.~ “Great.” I rub my temples with a quiet groan. “I’ll meet you soon. And I’ll need answers. Lots of them.” ~And you shall get them. As many as I can provide,~ she replies. ~Also, you can speak to me in your mind.~ “I know. I’m doing this so that everyone knows I’m talking to you and not just ignoring them pointedly,” I say and smile wryly at the ladies. ~As kind as always. Well, then. I’ll leave you to continue examining your new abilities in peace. I think you’ve just been getting to the most interesting ones.~ My gaze falls upon the last two entries. I have a really bad feeling about them. “Okay…” I glance around at everyone. “So, I can now speak with the Goddess without having to disappear into my Soul Realm…” “We figured.” Ailish nods with a smirk. “Did she tell you something about this skill?” “No.” I shake my head. “I’m sure it’s impossible to sum it up in a few short sentences. I’ll get the details later. She suggested that we focus on finishing the list first.” “Well. What are we waiting for, then?” Teffith asks, sharing the eager anticipation with almost everyone else. I bring up the second to last entry. Since this ability is deeply connected to another one, I quickly opened another window with the description of the last skill to compare them side by side. Silence fills the room for a good moment as my wives and mates read through all the text and absorb the offered information. I say nothing either. It’s starting to become really, really too much. “This is incredible…” Ailish whispers. “You are just like the Allmother or Allfather… Or even greater…” “So epic…” Shino shivers excitedly behind me. “This is perfect,” Teffith comments. “The mercenaries can be your Devotees. It will make them even stronger and they can easily spread your influence across the realm. It’s a win-win situation. There is no way they would decline such an honour.” “Let’s maybe not get ahead of ourselves—” I try to regain control of the situation before it gets out of hand but Sirgia interrupts me. “As you said, Master, we should test your abilities out. And not making use of something like this wouldn’t be smart. You can grow stronger with this. It will make you safer against the forces of the evil goddess. It will make us safer.” She looks me deep into the eyes and I hold her calm gaze for a longer moment. Sirgia is definitely right. And I want nothing more than to make all of them safer. But this is also extremely scary. I did swear to change the world but this was meant to be done with sex and brothels, not starting a religion and converting people onto the right path. There are just so many things that can go wrong there. At the same time, there are so many things that can go right. We could spread the love for all the races much easier like this if we made sure that no one has the chance to twist the teachings to their own benefit. Maybe even unite everyone in front of the looming calamity. But, that’s a huge if. On a scale of the whole world, not just a single city or nation. I sigh heavily once more. “I guess…” Sirgia shows a tiny smile and pulls herself up with her arms around my neck to leave a loving peck on my lips. We nuzzle our cheeks together for a second or two and I help her sit back down in my lap this time, hugging her dearly to my chest. “So… Who are you going to appoint as your First Apostle?” Cornelia asks with a curiously raised brow. Everyone looks at me in a flash, all the faces turning my way at the same time. I roam my gaze over all of them while meeting their eyes, full of various different emotions, ranging from expectant, through hesitant, to flat-out scared and panicked. Until I stop at one person. Elea’s eyes widen to the brim as everyone turns to her. There’s honestly no better person for such a role than someone with years of experience, no matter what I said about our resident Princess and her slight fanaticism in the past. “Well…” I start. The Dark Elf beauty gasps loudly and her hands fly to cover her mouth and nose. Her long lashes begin fluttering quickly and traces of tears start gathering in the corners of her eyes, one small drop already racing down her enchanting skin. “You aren’t…” Elea’s muffled voice escapes through her obstructed lips as she crawls backwards on her knees and steps off the bed. I hastily follow after her and sit on the edge. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle or offend you. I know you are loyal to the Goddess even if you are no longer serving as the Princess. If you don’t want to—” “No! No, no, no, no!” She drops to her knees and grabs my palms, resting her forehead against them. “It’s an unbelievable honour! But I’m unworthy! I once abandoned my duty! I sinned! I’m no longer of pure faith and devotion! Someone like me can’t taint your divine name!” “Elea!” I shout at her to break through the stream of self-depreciation, succeeding at making her flinch and look up with a tearful face. “There is no one else who would make me happier being my Apostle. I personally know the extent of your devotion. I don’t care about the past. This is about the future. Will you help me make it a good one? Together?” Her lower lip trembles a few times before the dam breaks again, with tripled ferocity. I somehow pry one of my hands out of Elea’s death grip and gently caress her mesmerising, dark violet hair, letting her cry her heart out as much as she needs to. I can tell that those are tears of joy and happiness rather than sadness or despair. After she finally calms down, wiping her face off a little bit, she looks up at me with a determined gaze, still on her knees down on the floor. “Your wish is my command, My Lord.” She kisses the back of my hand with utter reverence. Great. Cult it is.
Chapter 179 – The Dawn of a New Faith Spoiler: Chapter “So, how does this exactly work?” Elise asks curiously after Elea manages to get ahold of herself. The women all glance at me but I just shrug lightly. “Beats me. I’m reading about these skills for the first time alongside you. This is quite a step up from most of my previous abilities, but I bet it’s just as instinctual and intuitive.” “Everything will become clear when you invoke the skill, most likely,” Shino agrees with me, nodding her head. “Well. What are we waiting for, then?” Neira smiles at me and Elea, clearly excited about the prospect of her friend and past superior being part of my official followers. I take a deep breath, refocusing my thoughts, and turn to the beautiful, dark-skinned former Princess still kneeling in front of me. Some visible streaks continue to stain Elea’s dazzling visage as evidence of her quite tearful reaction, but they make her no less enchanting. And the reverent yet still most likely doubtful gaze is strongly present in her purplish eyes. It’s obvious she finds this entire situation hard to accept as reality. “Elea. We don’t yet know that much about what this entails in its entirety, but would you do me the honour of becoming my first Apostle?” I make it official with a warm smile. She corrects her posture to add some more dignity and pride to it before lowering her head in acceptance. “My heart, body, and soul exist to serve you, My Lord.” Quickly navigating through the menus, I locate the correct skill and activate it mentally. It shows me a list of people I can send the request to and my eyes briefly linger over the names. The record isn’t as big as I expected. There certainly has to be some kind of a requirement applied here, perhaps the strength of one’s devotion, or how close we truly are, not just physically. Of course, Elea’s name isn’t missing from this list. There would have to be something really wrong with it if that was the case. No doubt, I would instantly file a complaint straight to the developer. I might be just a puny user among possibly millions, but this is a matter of life and death to me. And as if to answer my silent vow, a quiet, delicate chuckle echoes in my mind, with its owner more than obvious. I choose my Dark Elf wife for the role and her eyes snap up, clearly noticing an incoming prompt. Elea takes her time to read through the message, the beginning of another wave of tears forming in the corners of her eyes once more. But, she fights them off valiantly and taps an invisible button, making her choice. If there were any doubts about what it is, what happens next completely clears everything up. First, I begin sensing warmth spreading through my chest. Glancing down, I confirm that it isn’t only a physical or spiritual phenomenon as vibrant, pinkish glow lights up my torso, focusing at about the height of my heart. The girls gasp at the sight and scurry a little bit further away from me to give everyone a better angle to watch the show. Then, the unexpected power surges out of my chest in the form of pink energy resembling trails of fluffy smoke. The tendrils extend forward, starting to coil around Elea’s body, wrapping her up in multiple gentle lines. Easy to guess, they also focus on her chest, where her heart is. She closes her eyes and lets out a delighted hum. Without even trying or intending to, I get a feel of our usual connection. Something is being added to it, in a way that isn’t meant to alter or change things but develop them even further. The warmth flows from me to her and I realise that it’s perhaps part of my divinity being shared with her. During this unusual process, Elea’s chest starts mirroring mine in terms of the light it releases, though to a slightly lesser extent. If mine were compared to a flame, hers would be more like a spark. But, that’s not all. Through her closed eyelids, we all notice a similar glow making itself apparent. From its ring-like shape, it’s easy to deduce that it's her irises that emit that light, also pink, naturally. Finally, one last thing catches our attention. The back of her right hand lights up too. We stare at it all together and observe some kind of symbol or sigil forming in front of our very eyes. In an instant, it reminds me of the very beginning of my adventure in this world. One glance at my otherworldly lover confirms that Shino has exactly the same thoughts, rubbing the skin of her own hand. As the glowing wisps of energy slowly retract to me, Elea’s shining irises flicker out too. Only the symbol on the back of her hand remains bright and steady. Finished forming, it gives us a chance to make out some more details before our dark-skinned friend is done with whatever is happening to her. There’s a heart. A slightly different one this time. I’ve gotten used to my slave seals or other things depicting cute, round hearts with adorable proportions, so seeing a very slim but elongated one is certainly a surprise. Its length compares to that of a Hero Sigil, judging from memory. Thankfully, this one doesn’t seem to sprout any horns, wings, or tails anywhere around its contour. Honestly, it could end up being a little worrying for the messenger of a god to be branded with somewhat demonic features. Though, I guess plenty of this world’s residents have horns and other, devilish appendages, so maybe Naharren wouldn’t pay too much attention to that specific aspect. Nevertheless, the only other thing that shows up, doing so inside the shape, is the letter A in Infernal language. Again, something that has already made an appearance in the past. The fake slave seals I’ve been placing on the girls to raise their safety included it too. Besides the letter, nothing else pops up, and the sigil fades away a tiny bit, still emitting some faint glow. All the weird power retracts fully to me, gives a few pulses quite closely aligned with my heartbeat and disappears. We wait for Elea to raise her eyelids and say anything about the flashy event, and she doesn’t make us sit there motionlessly for long. Her previously purple eyes are now alight with a pinkish hue as she instantly moves her gaze to the mark on the top of her hand, clearly aware of its creation during whatever has happened. “Is this it? Did it succeed?” Sirgia asks quietly. “That sort of looks like our Hero Sigils, doesn’t it, Sensei?” Shino glances at me with a spark of excitement in her pretty eyes. “Are you now capable of creating your own Heroes?” I chuckle at her wryly while shaking my head. “I don’t think so. Lumina’s system has continuously proved to be mostly straightforward. It would have said so if this is what it was. Perhaps Apostles wear similar marks as Heroes. I’ll keep this question in mind for when we pay someone experienced in such matters a visit very soon.” “Alastair is correct,” Elea finally chimes in. “One thing I’m certain of is that I’ve become his Apostle. I don’t know what it feels to be a Hero, but I don’t think this is it.” “So, are your eyes now permanently like this?” Ailish bites into her bottom lip. “It’s kinda hot.” “My eyes?” The dark-skinned lady raises a brow at her. “They glow slightly pink right now, just like the mark,” I explain. “I wonder if you can suppress it just like the Heroes do. This might be somewhat inconvenient at night.” “Or very convenient.” Ria snickers softly. “You wouldn’t need any light to read books and documents in the dark.” “Of course, that’s the first thing that comes to your mind.” Elise rolls her eyes at her mature friend. “There’s another, but I don’t think we should distract Alastair with such thoughts at this very moment.” The MILF accountant smirks at me. The disappearance of the gentle, pinkish glow recaptures our attention, dragging it away from the squabbling duo. In the next second, Elea’s eyes are back to their rightful colour, and the heart on her skin is no more. She smiles at us with a proud expression. “It looks like I can control it,” she announces. “This might be connected to the divinity Alastair shared with me. When I glow, I feel traces of his warmth inside me. Perhaps that’s what happens when I try to make use of it or something.” “Good to know.” I nod at her. “We’ll have to explore that during a free moment. Just don’t start going around and brainwashing random people into being our followers by staring into their eyes with yours glowing pink.” The women laugh at my little quip but Elea just sends me a mischievous grin. “Anyway, that brings up a different issue into the light,” I continue with a slight frown. “What’s wrong, Master?” Sirgia runs her petite fingers through my hair in an affectionate manner. “I bet Lumina has no qualms with this entire situation about my sudden ascension to godhood, things might not be so simple with the people,” I respond, brushing my palm over her tender thigh. “There’s always been one god, or rather a goddess in this world. To the extent of the current generation’s knowledge, at least. Primordials knew of two. But, I don’t actually remember reading that much about other religions trying to form around the realm and what might have been their reception. As far as I know, be it Humans or all other races, everyone is under the same belief.” “You are afraid that trying to make use of this new god and follower system might bring us trouble.” Cornelia strokes her chin ponderingly. “That it will make some if not a lot of people frown to try and undermine the one and only Goddess.” “Precisely.” I snap my fingers at her. “I don’t mind keeping this only to our close circles, but I’m afraid of possible backlash towards our girls trying to spread the word about some unknown god and attempting to convert people, even if politely and without insisting. I’ve learned enough about the history of my own world and its experiences with religions to assure you that these things are capable of bringing the worst out of people. I was very glad to hear that this entire realm is more or less united on this topic.” “Crusades were no joke.” Shino shudders lightly. “I can see what you are saying,” Elea herself responds to my concerns. “I’ve been a devout follower of Goddess Lumina and wouldn’t take too kindly to anyone trying to convince me that there’s some other, better god that I should be directing my prayers to. Especially considering the fact that we do have plenty of evidence of the Goddess aiding the races with some of their troubles.” I let out a defeated sigh. “Maybe we should keep this a secret. I don’t want to endanger any of you to that kind of hate.” “But then you won’t be able to grow your divinity, right?” Meru asks calmly, though I can sense her worry about me. “Maybe not as quickly, but I still will. I’ll just have to focus on Devotees rather than normal followers. Quality over quantity, as they say. Many of our girls will definitely be willing to take part in this after we explain things properly to them. Even so, it’s still a very sensitive topic so we should make it clear that we aren’t suddenly turning our organisation into a heretical one,” I reply, correcting her. “Is the only option of gaining followers to convert people?” Elise asks, tapping her pouty lips. “What do you mean?” I turn to her. “Do they have to choose? Can’t they just believe in both of you?” She tilts her head adorably. “It’s not like either of you is fake. You are both real and exist. I don’t think there’s a competition of who gets more exclusive believers here, is there?” A brief silence descends upon my chambers as everyone stares at the sweet receptionist girl until I let out a hearty chuckle, startling a few of the girls. “Perhaps my thoughts were way too limited. The rules from my old world might have blinded me once more as they did a bunch of times in the past.” I smirk to myself wryly. “You are completely right. I don’t want or need to steal Lumina’s faith. I just need people to believe in me alongside her. In the end, there were plenty of pantheons on Earth in ancient times. Maybe we’ll manage to slip an additional god into this one without bringing fire and pitchforks upon ourselves.” “Technically, you are a demigod, so we could continue to portray you as one,” Cornelia suggests. “With the fact that you are here, physically walking the realm, it would help in proving that you are real. You could introduce yourself as a subsidiary or an ally of Goddess Lumina, sent here to help people stand against the threat of Abyssals. We could spin it in many ways.” “We’ll have to think about it more. I still feel like it might be risky,” I say. “Maybe you can ask the Goddess about it? Ask her to help us make the first step? Dunno, send a prophecy to her high priests or something about another god entering the game and him not being a bad guy?” Ailish ponders out loud. “Good idea,” Teffith agrees fairly quickly. “She did give a word to this kingdom that the Heroes will be arriving. Maybe it won’t be that much of a problem to do the same about a new god. You are now her Apostle too. If you don’t feel wronged about it, she could introduce you as some kind of a lesser god perhaps?” “Alastair is in no way lesser!” Elea raises her voice a bit, then her cheeks darken as we look at her. “No offence to the Goddess, of course.” ~None taken, fufufu~ Lumina’s voice echoes in my head. “She doesn’t seem to mind.” I flash my Dark Elf Apostle a kind smile. “And neither do I regarding Teffith’s suggestion. My ego isn’t as large as to put myself above or equal to an actual goddess. Going by my title, I’m not yet a god anyway. Though, I might be slowly getting closer to that with all the recent changes.” “In the end, it will be best for you to consult Lumina first before we decide on anything. It’s going to be pointless to have so many suggestions when she presents you with a solution on a silver platter.” Cornelia grins at me. “You are going to meet her about the skills anyway.” I nod and turn to Elea once more. “How are you feeling? Did you notice any changes?” “I feel better than ever.” She graces me with a loving smile. “I never dreamed of something like this. I can’t wait to start spreading your name to everyone in the realm. I did a quick check of my status and found a few new skills there. One to gather divinity for you, one to transfer it, and some minor ones that seem to further enhance my body and soul. I’m finally becoming a real Princess, a true link between a god and the world.” “Great. Just try not to go too far.” I chuckle at her enthusiasm. “We don’t need more people overworking themselves for my sake.” “I swear to abide by your teachings, My Lord.” Elea smiles at me impishly, no one missing the undertone in her voice. “Let’s wrap this up, then. As pleasant as it is to just sit around with all of you here and talk about this forever, you are right, it’s better to figure things out after gathering as much information as we can.” I stretch my arms above my head with a groan. “Besides, we have other things to worry about than just the insignificant fact of my godhood. Mercenaries, headquarters, waterways for aquatic races, accommodations, cosplay and roleplay introduction, and so on. Establishing a church is the least of our priorities.” “Don’t forget finally taking Sirgia and Elea out.” Cornelia waves a finger at me. “They deserve a moment of your time.” “I know. I know.” I rub my forehead. “We are always so fucking busy on the site. After things are a bit more in order, I’m making another sightseeing trip. Hopefully, one that doesn’t involve weeks of swaying over a horizon of blue.” They all chuckle at my words. At least the more expressive women do. Hecate remains as silent as always, trailing one of her spider legs over my skin from time to time. I’m starting to understand that it’s a gesture of affection and adoration. The sharp tip of her little spears could easily cut through jeans with the slightest nudge, yet they don’t leave even a red line on my skin. “Go and get Eden Beta on board before meeting the Goddess,” Teffith suggests. “Some servants might be of use when you are listening to her explanations.” “Will do. But first, don’t you girls want to join? I have twenty-five spots. It’s more than enough for all of us. Plus, I bet I will be able to promote you to Apostles further along the road so it’s all good.” I regard all of my currently present women with a steady gaze. As expected, they quickly agree so we go through a similar process as a moment earlier, this time adding them as my Devotees. There are no glowing eyes or marks on the back of their hands, unfortunately, which results in a few sighs of disappointment. They do confirm receiving the skills to gather and share divinity, plus some minor abilities. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to chat with our warrior maidens.” I peck all the cheeks and jump off the bed. “Before you return to your usual activities, Hecate, I suggest you enjoy a pleasant bath. I don’t think your light refraction trick is going to work on the little flood still escaping from between your thighs.” Some of the women chuckle at the evidence of our fun and Astrea snuggles closer to the spidergirl. “I’ll go with her, Alpha. You can fully focus on your responsibilities.” “Thanks.” Thanking her with a nod, I wave at everyone, summon some decency upon myself, and prepare to leave. “I think you might be able to withstand a bit more divinity now that you are my Apostle, Elea, so I’ll bring you with me this time. I’ll let you know before jumping into my Soul Realm.” Her eyes widen slightly, but she shows a wide smile. “Yes, My Lord. I can’t wait to learn more about my new skills. Especially about the blessings and rituals I seem to be able to conduct in your name.” For some reason, my mind pictures Elea wearing a simple robe, wielding a wooden staff, and chanting “Wolololo!” at unsuspecting people, but I quickly shake it off. Without further ado, I escape from the bedroom and stroll through the mansion. I pass by a number of ladies, pausing to chat just briefly with them. Most girls are already slowly getting ready for the evening as it’s going to be a working one. It just shows how excited they are about it and that makes me glad for them. I can feel genuine happiness in their upbeat voices and curious questions about what else is in store for our establishment. They know many ideas come from me, though others are pitching in more and more. I locate the temporary dorms in a blink. The entrance doesn’t look like anything special, just another wooden door in a dark grey wall below the ground. Thanks to yesterday's initiation, I can sense all of the mercenary ladies on the other side. For a moment, I consider barging in like a drill sergeant and seeing how they react to my obnoxious shouting and firm orders, but I dismiss that idea. They deserve much better. So, I knock lightly, just strong enough to penetrate whatever noise might be filling the room on the other side. In just a moment, someone opens the door a little and I recognize the pure-blood Leopardkin girl in the gap. Various sounds of chatting, laughter, and groans reach my ears from behind her. She must have been close to the door, or no one else bothered answering it and she felt like she had to take it upon herself. “Hello.” I smile at Yuru as her eyes widen in surprise. “May I come in?” She glances over her shoulder with a bit of panic in her movement, but it’s clear that she doesn’t really want to go against my wishes. I chuckle lightly as she returns her cute, furry face to me. “Is right now perhaps not the best moment?” I raise a playful brow at her, trying to peer through the gap. “Ummmm…” She appears uncertain about what to say. I lean in to combat our difference in height and reach out to caress her fluffy cheek, aiming to help Yuru relax a little. She sighs softly and starts releasing quiet purrs, rubbing her face into my palm. Additionally, I seize a peek inside and smile to myself. She raises her gaze as I slow down the scratches, and I put a finger against my mouth in a shushing gesture. Catching up immediately, she nods, so I bring myself even closer and leave a peck on her sweet lips. As quietly as possible, Yuru opens the door for me and I slip inside, now continuing to ruffle through her hair and ears. We enter what looks like a simple rectangular room with two rows of just as simple bunk beds on the sides. Like, military camp simple. Wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Shino has her part in it. All the other girls are gathered in the middle of the room, sitting on the floor in that single, central corridor separating the two rows of beds on the edges. Some of them do hang out over the bunks close to the event they are hosting, which seems to be cards of some sort. Additionally, there’s one woman tied up bondage style, hanging off the two frames above their play area. She’s naked, of course, upside down, and with one of the microphone-like toys pressed into her exposed flower, buzzing energetically. Perhaps the loser of the previous round or game or whatever. If not for the gag in her mouth, she might have already warned her teammates about my presence as she is positioned right towards the door. She is wriggling and whining with her eyes wide in terror, but the players below just laugh at her and give her a shove now and then, thinking that she’s just struggling from the administered stimulation. Thus, before anyone else notices, I nudge Yuru to lead the way and we approach her spot, which, as I suspected, is technically the closest to the door. I inconspicuously slip my hands under her armpits and we sit together, with her in my lap, obstructing most of me. The women are so focused on their game and banter that they miss me, somehow. Save for the victim, who wriggles even more, trying to point at me with her head. I notice that the ladies are in various states of undress, missing pieces of their clothing, which seem partially random, so I assume they are playing strip poker or such. The next round confirms it as the dealer adds Yuru back to the table after her brief absence. She picks the cards up and we hold them together. The entire time, I keep nuzzling my nose into her incredible fur, clearly, to her own enjoyment too. Finally, it comes to the stakes, and everyone states their bet. When it’s our turn, I lean forward and whisper to Yuru’s ear. She nods softly and pushes all of her colourful marbles which seem to represent tokens to the centre of the pile. It doesn’t attract as much attention as I hoped it would, until… “All in,” I add vocally. The dealer freezes, and a fraction of a second later, everyone else follows suit. Instant silence descends onto the room, save for the whimpering of the tied-up Tiefling and the buzzing of her vibrator. All the faces snap to Yuru’s position and I smirk at them from over her shoulder, nuzzling my cheek into hers. Not a blink later, all the women spring to their feet, causing a fluttering of cards in the air, and form two rows in front of us, standing at attention, with their lips pressed into thin lines and faces pale as ghosts. Those unobstructed by fur, at least. I notice a delicate grin on Yuru’s muzzle and she hops out of my lap with a complete lack of rush. She trots to the side and takes her spot in the right row just next to me. She tries to act composed and strict like the others, but the tiny smile fails to leave her cute mouth. And that’s exactly why this whole thing was worth it. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” I ask, slowly getting up too. “Anyone cares to explain?” At that very moment, the Tiefling reaches her limit and her muffled cries grow by an octave as her eyes roll to the back of her head. She shudders strongly and a few trickles of nectar burst around the head of the vibrator, raining down on the abandoned cards and trailing over her delicious front. Perhaps the fact that my movement brought her face-level with my crotch might have had some part in this. “Get her down,” I command with a flick of my head. Yuru jumps to action first, joined by who I think was Oniri, the half-blood Foxkin with golden hair and fur. They quickly untangle the Tiefling enough to take her off the contraption and put her in an upright position. They still need to support their wobbly friend on their shoulders, but everyone is now effectively in order. “Now, what am I going to do with you…” I roam my squinted gaze over their faces. A collective gulp travels through the air. I smirk at them. “At ease. And thank Yuru. I might have been a bit more angry if she didn’t come to answer the door for all of you.” They all relax a little bit and mutter their thanks to the leopardgirl. I reward her with some more ear scratches, enjoying her adorable purrs. “What brings you here, Boss?” Ressia, the half-blood Wolfkin asks. “What if I wanted in on your little fun?” I glance over the cards and the nude hostage. She chuckles wryly, but I catch a few curious and eager glances sent my way. “Maybe another day.” I shake my head with a grin. “I need to talk to you about something. It’s a bit sensitive so just understand that I’m not trying to offend you or undermine your beliefs.” “You can tell us anything, Leader. We exist to follow your beliefs,” the Orc woman says, and others murmur in agreement. “I appreciate it. Though, this might be a bit weird.” I run my fingers through my hair. “There’s one thing you most likely weren’t briefed about me during your training. You might have heard that the Goddess favours me, or even that I can communicate with her, but there’s one more thing. Technically speaking, I’m a god. Partially, at least.” A wave of gasps echoes through the dorms and they all look between themselves with shock. I try to judge their initial reactions, and I guess it comes as quite simple. The specific Beastkin features imply that they are excited about the reveal. Some other tails wag a bit too. “This might come as heresy to claim as such to you, so I apologise. But, I can show you my title to prove it. You can say that this is due to the Goddess’ will. Anyway, with that on the table, comes one specific feature. As a Demigod of Lust, I can appoint Apostles and Devotees. The former is already taken, but the latter is still open. Your instructors were inclined to think that you would be interested in becoming my representatives in the world, introducing my person to the people you meet on your assignments. It’s nothing as serious as trying to convert people to believe in me, but make them aware that there’s another entity by the Goddess’ side that can hear their prayers and maybe make some wishes come true. Especially regarding the physical aspects of love.” I pause for a moment to let my words sink in. “So, what do you think?” I ask, just a tiny bit nervous. “Anyone interested?” Suddenly, the air gets drowned in a chorus of voices as every single person starts talking at once. Their words are a jumbled mess and I quickly raise my hands to calm them down. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. One at a time, girls.” I chuckle to myself. “Ressia?” The wolfgirl steps forward. “I think I speak for everyone here saying that it would be an unspeakable honour to represent you as a god, Boss. We’ve already felt incredibly proud to be the faces of your mercenary corps, but this is just… insane. We get to serve a… god? Directly? That will make us practically Heroes!” Other ladies nod enthusiastically. “Don’t you think that this might not be received too well by the people of the realm?” I ask curiously. “Are you an evil god trying to take over the world and kill the Goddess?” Oniri, the ninja fox asks. “No.” I snort a little. “In fact, it’s the opposite. I’m helping her save it.” “Then there should be no problem. Even less if you are able to create some miracles. But, with what we’ve heard from our instructors, your strength and abilities have already reached that level,” she replies with a kind smile. “I’ll be learning about that in a moment.” I smile back at her. “Can’t promise anything, though.” “The power you gave us is already a miracle,” Yuru breaks her silence and adds shyly. “Yeah! I’ve never felt so mighty! My abilities are like three times stronger now!” One of the Elves pumps her fist into the air, starting a wave of cheers. “I don’t think I’m going to fuck every single one of my followers to grant them this boon but we’ll see.” I snicker and they laugh with me. “Does that make us special, then?” someone else asks. “Of course.” I nod at them. “There might be many females that have currently spent intimate time with me, but I appreciate and trust all of you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have received the choice to become my Partners. Not everyone gets it. And now, you have another choice in front of you. Perhaps of a similar significance.” “We agree,” Ressia quickly responds. “We will make you proud, Boss. And well-known too. There will be altars of you everywhere around the realm soon.” I can’t help but laugh a bit at their devotion and dedication, finding the same enthusiasm in everyone else. “Very well. Just maybe tone it down with those monuments of faith. Just simple prayers will suffice.” “And what do your prayers look like?” One of the Tieflings raises a hand. “Uhhhh… Good question!” I snap my fingers at her. “Maybe something like this?” The Oni girl clears her throat. “Oh Lord Alastair, the embodiment of love and carnal pleasure, I offer you my deepest gratitude for this seed I’m about to welcome into my womb, and dedicate my ardent cries to your benevolent name in hopes that you may choose to bless me with certain fertility and an orgasm equal the divine release brought upon us mortals by your celestial member. I seek only eternal pleasure in your sacred embrace. By your grace.” The girls clap happily while I just stare at her proud smile with a blank expression. “Well… I’ll think about it…” I laugh awkwardly. “For now, let’s just formalise your position. Come here. And someone help the poor girl with the ropes.” They snicker together and I slowly accept them as my Devotees, promising to explain more in detail after my talk with the Goddess. Before I leave, though, they talk me into one game with them and I play in tandem with Yuru, who returns to my lap, eager to receive more affection. The other Beastkin girls look at her with envy, but they direct those feelings into their desire to win. As I learn during the game, the main prize is one of the empty vouchers, which belongs to the tied-up loser who was hanging in the air during my entrance. She really must have lost it damn hard. After a little bit of fun, I thank them for the company, administer some kisses, rubs, and scratches, and turn to leave. On my way out, I mention that they will soon have proper housing in their new headquarters and that they should be expecting their first mission soon, suggesting that they get accustomed to their new strength as soon as possible. They promise to go after finishing their bets and I wish them luck. With a quick mental message, I call Elea to me and we meet in my bedroom. She showers me with her own affection and gratitude for the new position I have graced her with earlier, perhaps also somewhat excited about a chance to spend more time with the Goddess without the risk of spiritual explosion. After fooling around for a few minutes, we dive into our minds and arrive in my Soul Realm. Partially as expected, Ailish greets us in the pink world with a big smile. But, my attention instantly switches to the thing behind her. A massive, ornate castle stands over all of us, its towers suspiciously phallus-shaped and its windows and archways resembling hearts or some other, also suspicious openings. “And what the fuck is this now?” I swipe a hand down my face as the ladies chuckle in amusement by my side. Someone has lots of explaining to do.
Chapter 180 – Time to Expand Spoiler: Chapter After taking in the shocking, quite unexpected sight, I take a look around to note any other changes that might have happened inside my mind during my brief absence. But, everything seems to be more or less as I remember it. The only other difference from the massive, not-so-family-friendly castle is the lack of the cosy cottage which served as Ailish’s little home whenever she wanted to take a rest inside me. “Maybe it’s the result of your recent advancement?” Elea glances at me with a gentle smirk. I scoff at her, with no ill intent, of course. “Yeah, right. We both know there’s much more to that.” “This place responds to your mind, your imagination, does it not?” She chuckles lightly. “With all due respect, perhaps I’m not exactly the holiest of saints inside my own head, but I’m not at the level where my brain constructs cock-castles as its most default structures.” I roll my eyes. “Come on. Let’s see what this is about before I change my mind.” My lovely Dark Elf companion slides her arm around mine, linking our elbows, and leads the way to the pink fortress of debauchery. Thankfully, it stands proud atop a pinkish, grassy hill, without any kind of defences like a moat or an additional wall, palisade, or whatever. It’s pretty obvious that no one would expect any kind of trouble here. But, just in case, perhaps I should ask Lumina about this too. I’m getting quite deep into the higher Tiers and the whole divine territory. If Lilith’s soul echo can find a way in, even if only after bonding with me, there’s a chance someone or something might try to do so forcefully. I’m not exactly sure what the consequence of such an event could be. I’d rather not turn stupid overnight without even realising. We roam our gazes over the scenery, taking in the familiar sights. This entire pink world never fails at calming me down. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this is literally my soul, but I appreciate the feeling of being at peace. And while I could literally teleport the two of us to the front gate, or even inside the castle, walking side by side with Elea without the slightest hurry is more than simply enjoyable. As we near the light pink structure, the circular gate of a much deeper shade of rosiness rumbles to life, opening before our eyes. I’m not even surprised that it recedes into the castle’s walls as if revealing its opening to us while split in the middle. I can only shake my head at the unnecessary symbolism. Thank the Goddess there’s no veil we have to push through. Another thing we’ve been definitely expecting is the interior design and style. Everything is in various shades of pink, including the structure and the furniture. Round and oval windows decorate the walls interchangeably, with the latter adorned by bright rosy gems atop their arches. I swear the scarce window ledges underneath the circular openings resemble very specific tube-like appendages with thick tips at both ends. I’m already getting dizzy from pure embarrassment. Even though this whole place is new to me, it’s not exactly unfamiliar. Since it’s inside my Soul Realm, I naturally know it inside out. Therefore, I can easily lead Elea through the lewd corridors with perfect awareness of where we are heading. While moving towards what I imagine is the throne room, we pass by a hallway full of detailed statues and paintings. Obviously, they depict yours truly. And obviously, they lack any clothes. Elea sends me a few amused smiles as I try not to glare at every single piece of art, hugging my arm closer. At least, a little bit further in, the choice of decoration stops being so monotonous and the depictions of my beloved wives, mates, and those I care about the most join my own. We pause by a few that show Elea and admire the fine works. Some do ring a bell and we realise that they almost copy Neira’s masterpieces. I don’t know if it was harder walking through a corridor full of my naked figures or one brimming with enthralling nudes of all the ladies. The latter is certainly much harder to just ignore and the model for a portion of them is well aware of that. Soon, we reach an inner gate with the biggest gem atop it and the double wings start receding to the sides. This time, there actually is a thin, pink, see-through curtain partially obstructing the sight of the chamber on the other side. We can still make out its general layout, including what definitely is a throne on a raised platform, but the details are hidden from us. Elea parts the veil with a delicate smirk and we step into the throne room. The first thing we notice is the tall, thick columns, decorated with masterfully-carved veins. I don’t need to look up to know what exactly finishes the shape under the ceiling. The edges of the hall are adorned with oval mosaics of stained glass, bathing the room with a faint, rosy glow. Finally, at the very end of the most important place in this castle, sits a gleaming throne, with a person resting against the armrest from the side. In full nude, of course. “Took you long enough.” Ailish stretches over the fancy chair, just emphasising her perky curves. “Don’t forget to leave your clothes by the door and come join me.” “What?” I raise a brow at her. “I’m sorry, did you mean shoes? You can’t be seri—” As I glance at Elea by my side, I find her already mostly disrobed, finishing shimming out of her maid uniform. She bends forward to lay the neatly-folded pieces on the floor, flashing me the perfect view of her delicious secrets, and straightens up with a smile, displaying her equally enticing front. For a moment, my eyes pause at her more-than-generous bust, before rolling with a sigh. Choosing to ignore their antics, I walk towards the naughty Succubus, my shoes echoing throughout the chamber as they hit the perfectly-polished floor. As I ascend the few small steps, it becomes obvious that the throne itself is familiar too. If I’m not mistaken, it’s been modelled after the one Neira painted in her piece with me and all the Dark Elves. Turning to the violet-skinned seductress still lounging over the armrest, I notice that she isn’t exactly devoid of any apparel. There’s a wide, pink collar around her neck, with a darker, shiny chain hanging down from the clasp in the front. Her captivating eyes practically sparkle with mischief as I lean down to grab and examine it. Giving it a firm tug, causing some pleasant rattling, I bring the chained Succubus to me. “So, care to explain what this entire thing is about?” Ailish nibbles on her bottom lip while staring up into my eyes. “A king needs his castle, and a god needs his sanctuary. Where else are you going to give audiences to your loyal followers if not in your very own throne room, My Lord?” “Did it really have to be so… explicit?” I squint at her. She runs her hands over my things with a wide grin. “Symbolism is very important for faith and beliefs. There should be no doubt about what is the subject of your divine influence. Why give away your precious oracles in a plain, uncreative fortress made of boring, grey stone when you can ease the minds of your believers with this beautiful, lovely palace?” “I hate to break it to you, but the majority of common people find such displays uncomfortable at the very least, not to mention awkward.” I pull on the chain stronger as her fingers near a quite dangerous region, evoking a whimper from Ailish. “I really hope you don’t expect me to jump into that seat buck naked?” “Why would you cover your divine figure with something as unessential as unappealing pieces of cloth and material?” Her luscious lips form a sad pout as she playfully fiddles with my belt. “It’s a blessing in itself to be able to gaze upon your godly… assets.” Before she manages to unbuckle the strap, I yank the restraints up, bringing the frivolous woman to my eye level. “Yeah? And what is the purpose of this exactly?” Her gaze briefly skips to my lips before returning to my eyes. “There’s always a messenger by a god’s side. Shino told me the one in your old world loved to use those pure beings called angels. So, it’s only natural that you should own one too. I might lack an aureola, but I do have wings, no? I’ll be your obedient little angel. Just without the pure part.” An angel? More like a demon instead, which she technically is. A demon of lust. But, considering my title of the Demigod of Lust, possibly God of Lust at some point, I guess it isn’t that unexpected for my messenger to be a Succubus. Gods, I’m not going to command legions of them as my representatives after freeing Lilith, am I? Shoving that thought into the far corner of my mind, I refocus on the salacious lady pressing herself into me with more and more movement. Making use of my brief lapse of attention, Ailish has already started rubbing her nipples against my suit, clearly breathing a bit heavier than she normally does. Noticing me noticing, she smiles impishly. “Well? Aren’t you going to take your throne? Is this the way you should be questioning your lowly servant, right next to your symbol of authority, on very equal ground?” I’m certain she’s going to make it harder than necessary if I don’t play along so I just sigh heavily, loosen my grip on the glimmering chain, and step towards the fancy chair, thanking the universe for at least it not being genitalia-styled. Though, knowing Ailish, I might still be in for a surprise after examining the throne in detail. “Oh, My Lord, didn’t you forget something?” she asks and I glance her way. Ailish roams her eyes over my figure from top to bottom with a raised brow. It’s not rocket science to figure out what she means and I groan inwardly. With a dismissive flick of my wrist, I get rid of my clothes, wanting nothing more than to move things forward. She gives me a happy nod with a beaming smile and I finally drop my butt onto the comfy seat. “Now, allow me to just make sure you are all ready, My Lord, and we shall commence the audience.” She crawls between my legs on all fours as I frown at her sly expression. “Oh no! This won’t do! We forgot to polish your sceptre! Let me quickly rectify this mistake!” Before I can even speak a word, she’s already swallowed me whole, the entire package disappearing between her pouty lips, including the baggage. I groan again, for a different reason this time, and let go of my usual control. There’s no doubt that she won’t end the polishing until the sceptre stands tall and proud. So, I allow it to rise naturally, choosing not to prolong her little game. Clearly, she’s planned on taking much longer than just one or two dozen seconds, and whines in discontent while looking up at me. I squint at her with a no-nonsense expression and she obediently retreats with one last peck and a longing glance. “Perfect.” She smiles at me charmingly. Turning around, she rests against my left leg, embracing it lovingly. I try not to pay attention to her fingers tracing my calf and the kisses she places on my thigh. Moving my gaze forward, I find Elea standing just at the beginning of the raised platform with her hands joined over her delicious belly. She regards me with a warm, devoted expression, completely ignoring the glistening traces running down her long legs, originating at the obvious place. I smirk at her and gesture for her to come up. She does so with grace and stops by my right side. A bright flash interrupts our moment of gazing into each other’s eyes and all of us turn our attention to the blinding shape hovering in front of us. After just a few seconds, the intense light recedes and reveals the Goddess herself, wearing her usual, Greek-themed robe. Lumina opens her heavenly, golden eyes and regards us with a gentle glance, a soft smile curling up her celestial lips. Her gaze then jumps to Elea’s exposed chest, Ailish’s proudly displayed privates as she holds her thighs open, my similarly-uncovered waist, and finally up to my face. “Oh. My apologies. I seem to have forgotten the proper etiquette.” The Goddess makes the slightest bow, and her robes disappear, revealing all of her sacred physique. “Come on…” I rub my temples with a groan. “At least you could have not humoured them…” “I might be your senior but that doesn’t mean I should forgo the basic courtesy of following the customs and rules surrounding one’s domain.” She shows the faintest smirk. “Senior?” I ask, trying my best not to drill holes in her… hole with my gaze. “I’m no longer the sole goddess of this realm, am I? Save for my imprisoned sister, that is.” Lumina traces a finger down her perfect waist and then hip, definitely knowing what kind of effect that has on me. “I can’t help but feel like this has always been your plan.” I snort, dragging my eyes to her gentle face. “What? Making you a demigod?” The Goddess chuckles gently. “You should know me best by now. It’s nothing more than an oversight, a silly mistake. I have a knack for those. It should have been nothing more than a title in your status if we were to go with my initial plans.” “So, you have accidentally created a way for me to possibly take over, without even using that secret weapon I haven’t been ready to hear about previously?” I raise a slightly amused brow at her. “When you put it like that, then yes, I seem to have.” An equally amused glint twinkles in her golden eyes. “Given enough time, it isn’t impossible for you to dethrone me as the only God of this world. You have received the first set of tools to directly contend with me. Though, I shall warn you, being responsible for an entire realm is not as fun as it might sound to many mortals.” I shake my head with a snicker. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to contend with you. I was hoping to discuss a way to resolve this situation more amicably between the two of us. As a fledgeling demigod, I have no doubt that you could erase me from existence with a flick of your hand if you ever felt threatened.” “That would be counterintuitive, wouldn’t it?” Lumina sighs softly. “I’m not saying that the other Heroes are weak, but you’ve always had the highest chances of saving this world. To get rid of you would most likely be my biggest mistake yet. One that could possibly doom Naharren.” “Speaking of which, can I even still interfere the way I’ve been doing so?” I furrow my brows and stroke my chin. “I have all this divinity and stuff now, right?” “Yes, you do. But, there’s nothing to worry about yet. You aren’t an ascended god taking the reins of this realm. Technically speaking, you are an outsider, an entity that has grown powerful by its own means. Mostly.” “And what does that mean exactly?” I press on. “It means that you have all the right to interact with the world as anyone else and even challenge me. The same laws binding me from interfering directly aren’t binding you yet. If they ever will. I’m the protector of Naharren, you could be an invader if only you wanted, wreaking havoc in my beloved world as you aim for my spot. Contrary to what you think, I won’t be able to just smite you. At least not without heavy repercussions.” “Damn. That sounds… not too fair.” I grimace visibly. “I took a risk pulling souls from Earth.” She shrugs. “Honestly, if you weren’t such a kind and honest person, I might have sealed my own fate with that stunt. I definitely would have fought back with whatever means I have, but considering your prowess, I doubt that would have been enough.” “Alright, alright. We aren’t ever staging a coup against you so let’s drop this purely hypothetical topic.” I wave my hand at her. “I think we have plenty of other things that are much more important to discuss.” Glancing to the side at my very first Apostle, I pause momentarily, my faint smile fading from my lips. Elea’s entire frame is shivering as she stands next to the throne with her wide eyes locked on the Goddess. They seem somewhat glassy too while her lips draw a tense line, trembling lightly. She almost jumps into the air when I gently touch her forearm, snapping her attention to me. Giving her my most reassuring smile, I gesture at Lumina with my head, encouraging my devoted wife to step forward. She smiles back a little awkwardly as I stroke her dark skin and nods back at me. Elea takes a deep breath and descends the steps, arriving right in front of the celestial beauty. She drops to her knees and reaches out to take Lumina’s hand into hers. Lumina jerks back out of habit, clearly hesitant about touching the Dark Elf. But, after a moment of consideration, she relents and allows Elea to take hold of her palm. They both shudder lightly as my dark-skinned wife places a kiss on the back of the Goddess’ palm and then presses it to her forehead. “My Lady… I’m so, so sorry… Even after all the honour and grace you’ve shown me, I chose to selfishly break my vows and betray—” “Shhhh, my child.” Lumina silences Elea mid-sentence, stroking her purplish hair with her free hand. “Rise. You’ve already done your fair share of kneeling and bowing to me during your long life.” Not without reluctance, Elea does comply with her requests and stands up, gazing reverently at the Goddess’ beautiful visage, a hint of guilt in her tearful expression. “It’s been a pleasure having a devout, loyal follower such as yourself,” Lumina continues, now holding both of Elea’s hands. “I’m proud of your decisions. All of them. I can only apologise for being unable to save you from the pain the others have subjected you to during your service.” “No.” Elea shakes her head. “You saved me. You sent me Alastair. He’s the best thing that happened to me ever, and he’s been brought into this world by no one else but you.” “I’m glad you think that.” The Goddess smiles at her warmly. “And I’m glad he has you by his side now. I don’t think he could have found anyone better for his first Apostle. You are a prime example of the perfect Priestess. So, don’t blame yourself anymore. Be proud. For him. And for yourself.” In a flash, they are no longer facing each other and a chocolate-skinned bullet speeds my way, giving me just enough time to stand up so that it doesn’t crash into the hard throne. With a meaty oof, I catch Elea in my arms and embrace her tightly. But not as tightly as she squeezes me while stuffing her face into the crook of my neck. I can literally hear my ribs crack. I let her express her feelings of relief and love through this powerful hug, listening to her quiet sobs. After a moment, I bring Elea’s face up by her soft cheeks and wipe them off from the still-running tears, smiling kindly. She shudders as I join her lips with mine in a chaste kiss and slowly relaxes, calming down by the second. After she more or less recollects herself, I turn us both back to the Goddess. “So, this Apostle thing, how does it exactly work?” I ask with one arm around Elea’s waist. “More or less as you’ve guessed during your talk with your companions,” Lumina answers. “She’s not exactly your Hero, but something similar. Definitely a representative. She’ll be growing even faster with the help of your divinity. She will also have the highest efficiency of gathering and transferring it to you.” “Speaking of which, how do we do that? The skills did mention a sacred ritual but I’m unsure what that entails.” I scratch my head. She flashes me a tiny smirk. “I’m sure it’s not that hard for you to figure it out.” “Fuck yes!” Ailish cheers somewhere behind me, pretty much confirming my obvious guess. I sigh quietly. “Not unexpected but I was hoping for something a bit more… normal. Since we are already on the topic of collecting and transferring whatever this energy is, what about prayers? I admit that I have no idea what to do with them. How should they look? Do people have to pray to me?” “It would be best if they did. Prayers are the most basic way of generating divinity. As for their form, it usually depends on the god. Anything works, technically, from a few silent, random sentences spoken in the believer’s mind to loud and creative choirs. But, the better connected the praying ritual is to the god’s sphere of influence, the more efficient it is,” Lumina explains. “Then, in my case, that would be…?” I wrinkle my face while raising a brow at her. “Pleasure of the flesh,” she replies with a small smile. My expression draws a blank. “Seriously? What are they supposed to do? Rub one out to sleep each night?” Her smile widens a bit within the silence that responds to my question. I let out a groan while swiping down my face. “Well, it doesn’t exactly have to be right before sleep,” Lumina adds. “That’s not the point and you know it well.” I send her a mock glare. It looks like even the Goddess is starting to join in on everyone’s teasing of me. “As a god with a narrow area of expertise you have an advantage over me in terms of prayers,” she continues unbothered. “The divinity you will receive from slightly more themed prayers is much higher than the one that is reaching me. I’ve been introduced as the creator of this world since its beginning so the way to worship me is much more general.” “And in terms of worship, let’s finally address the elephant in the room.” I nod to myself. “I’m sure you’ve heard the suggestions from the girls. Can we somehow make it work?” “I certainly hope so.” A pretty excited expression brightens her angelic face. “I should be able to send out a simple oracle to the highest priests all over Naharren to inform them about your appearance and our relationship. Naturally, you should be careful with the way you are spreading your influence, but given enough time for the word to spread, the majority of people should treat you amiably.” “That’s good to hear.” Elea exhales in relief. “As much as I’m eager to introduce people to Alastair’s greatness, I would hate to argue with the more devout followers of the current, only faith.” “There’s no need to argue. This will work without you having to steal my followers. They can believe in both of us at the same time. They can respect us and pray to us without an issue. There’s no such thing as a cap on divinity that can be generated by a person. The two of us won’t be receiving half of the usual output but a full transfer each. Naturally, that can be more or less, depending on how much feelings have been put into the prayer itself,” Lumina continues. “Oh, I’m sure there will be plenty of strong feelings as people pray to him.” Ailish snickers. I ignore her comment. “Is that the only way to gather divinity from people?” The Goddess shakes her head. “No, there are plenty of ways you can receive it from them. Prayers are just the simplest and most common. The next in line are blessings.” “Right. Elea mentioned those briefly. What do they entail?” I glance between my Dark Elf wife and our divine guest. “You and your Apostle have access to various blessings related to your sphere of influence. At first, there won’t be many, but they will come to you as you grow your powers and following,” Lumina replies. “Right now, you have access to the Blessing of Fertility, which makes insemination guaranteed; the Blessing of Pleasure, which raises the sensitivity of the recipient’s body; the Blessing of Stamina, which raises the endurance of the recipient’s body, specifically in the reproductive area; and the Blessing of Carnal Desire, which is a weaker combination of the previous two while also preventing conception, contrary to the first one.” “And they all are sex-related. Obviously.” I chuckle wryly. “But, they sound like the perfect buffs for the brothel. Do you think it’s alright to use them there?” “Why not?” The Goddess smiles back at us. “As long as they are given to your followers, they are going to function properly.” “What would happen if someone lied about their faith in hopes of receiving our blessing?” Elea asks curiously. “At best, it just won’t work. At worst, a completely opposite effect might be invoked. For an unpredictable duration. It could be a day or it could be a century. It all depends on the one who requests the blessing and how impure their intentions are,” Lumina satisfies that curiosity, making us both shudder a tiny bit. “I think we should purchase one more building next to the mercenary headquarters,” Ailish suddenly suggests, arriving by my other side. “What do you have in mind?” I turn to her. “Right now? Something big.” She glances down and winks at me. “These blessings sound quite useful for the common folk too. Not everyone will be willing to visit a brothel to receive one from our lovely Head Priestess or the big man himself. I know you don’t want temples and shit, but a simple place where people can come to ask about you, discuss things with others and your actual followers, and just learn more in general, would be wise to have. Couples could visit without being all awkward and embarrassed about showing up in such a locale.” “I agree with her.” Elea nods appreciatively. “A separate location for such things that would uphold all the necessary respects is very much welcome. We don’t have to turn it into anything close to the typical chapels and shrines but it would definitely make the curious and interested visitors more at ease.” “I’ll bring it up with Lianne later, then. This is something she and Ross should know about anyway. Perhaps they will have some ideas on how to introduce this new faith without offending the entire capital,” I reply, evoking some chuckles from the women by my sides. “Is there anything else you would like to discuss right now? Your Apostle’s soul is still in the process of adjusting so we shouldn’t expose her to my presence for too long yet. Fear not though, child. With time, we’ll be able to spend more time together.” Lumina joins her gaze with Elea. “This much is already enough for the insignificant me.” My partner lowers her head. “I think we are fine for now.” I nod at the Goddess appreciatively. “I can always speak to you about the entire godhood thing and stuff related to it on my own. Including the existence of this… abomination. I don’t think Ailish has enough influence over my Soul Realm to raise such a fancy structure alone.” She just smiles at me mysteriously while the violet-skinned troublemaker avoids my eyes. Not wanting anything uncomfortable to happen to Elea, we bid our farewells and return to reality. Well, I say we, but it’s just Elea and me. Ailish is on temporary house arrest. Or rather castle arrest. She’s going to sweep the entire thing with a mop as a punishment before going out. It doesn’t matter that all the surfaces are pristine and clean by default. You don’t raise a massive penis castle in a man’s mind without consulting him about it. Elea decides to fill the others in on some of the information we’ve gathered from this brief meeting while encouraging me to take care of the other matters. There certainly is a lot so I can’t exactly complain. With a quick glance around my room, I confirm that my guardian spider is watching over me from hiding. Figured that it wouldn’t take her long to resume her protective duty. But, I’m glad that she hasn’t drastically changed after the recent developments between us. Nodding at Hecate, I leave my bedroom and do a lap around the mansion. There’s still enough time in the day before the night opens so most of the girls are either relaxing or slowly preparing for the upcoming work. I find a small group of them gathered together in one of the rooms which has been redesigned into what looks like a classroom. Stopping by, I listen briefly to the lesson about acting given by Elea’s friends. When they get to the live practice segment, I escape sneakily before their saucy lines distract me from my other objectives. Somehow, I don’t find Sirgia in her forge, which is surprising. A quick check through our bond reveals that she’s on the other side of the street with a few other women. Curious about that, I make my way to the building we’ve chosen for our mercenary headquarters. The entrance isn’t locked and I slip in without an issue. Immediately, I spot plenty of our girls, including the mercenaries, carrying lots of stuff around. There are also people I don’t recognize, but considering that they are mainly Humans, they must be hired contractors partaking in the redesign of this place. My favourite Dwarf trots from place to place while continuously instructing everyone as she holds a packet of what must be floor plans and such. I aim to surprise her with my presence but she clearly senses my approach and turns around with an adorable smile. Crouching down, I welcome the short cinnamon roll into my arms as she snuggles into me with a contented sigh. After a short moment of affectionately stroking her hair, I finally draw back to address my master architect. “Tell me just one thing. There are no pussy windows and penis columns in your designs, are there?” I raise a brow at her. Sirgia giggles quietly and shakes her head. “No, Master. I know you appreciate a more professional look so we are making this place resemble a respectful, noble-themed establishment. Since we are going to be working with the royal family, I thought it would be best to create a fitting atmosphere for any upcoming visits and meetings.” “That’s my girl.” I peck her forehead with a big smile. “How is it going, then? Did you find enough help or are we still somehow limited and I should hurry to recruit more Dwarves from your homeland as soon as possible?” “That would be great, but we are doing fine for now, Master.” She nuzzles her cheek into mine. “Lianne is assisting us a lot by recommending people who have previously worked with them on sensitive projects. Changing this place to suit our needs isn’t that complex. But, since we are already talking about it, there’s another issue connected to construction that I was going to bring up with you soon.” “Oh? What’s the matter?” I gesture at her to continue. “We are slowly running out of free rooms at the mansion. If we don’t want long queues to start forming during working nights, we would need to start using some of the girls’ private chambers as service areas. Naturally, some of the women do use their own rooms for work too, but so far it has been a choice and not an obligation. We continue to offer shelter for strangers as we did in the past, but that might get troublesome the further we develop and grow.” “I see.” I nod at her and wait since she looks to have much more to say. “Additionally, with the upcoming introduction of cosplay and roleplay, it has been suggested that we restyle some of the rooms to fit the most popular themes. Remember the temporary barracks for the mercenary girls in the underground? Shino is sure something like that would work for a service chamber where the customer could take a girl or girls in military uniforms, armour, and such. Cornelia confirmed that it’s a common male fantasy amongst many Humans to enjoy themselves within a garrison of female soldiers serving the kingdom.” “Yeah. Definitely.” I chuckle to myself. “So, you would like to make more of those bunk bed rooms and other themed chambers? I can get behind it. A guild reception with a guild receptionist would definitely sell like freshly baked buns. Perhaps a store or merchant shop with a cute clerk too. You are right, this is an amazing idea. But, the problem is the available space, yes?” She nods shyly. “Unfortunately, yes. But, we are planning to free some of it soon, including the dungeons. The mercenaries will move here, and so will the training grounds, Mari’s workshop, Neira’s studio, Velen’s lab, and my forge. That way, we will be able to expand the underground area and open it to the public. It will help a lot with the addition of the aquatic races who arrive at our establishment through the waterways connected to it.” “Your forge too? Damn, and after we’ve put so much work into building those workshops.” I sigh lightly. “But well, you can hardly ever predict how things are going to develop in the future.” “I’m sorry, Master.” Sirgia timidly lowers her gaze. I quickly pull it up by her cute chin. “Why are you apologising? You’ve done the Goddess’ work on their construction until now. I’m sorry we will have to destroy all that.” “It does hurt a little to think about it, but this is also a great opportunity to do better.” She looks deep into my eyes with strong conviction. “If we can convince my people to help, the new workshops will be ten, no, a hundred times more professional. At the same time, I’m sure they would be able to further expand the mansion’s wings without leaving a single hint that anything has been added. People would ask themselves if their memory is failing them after seeing the bigger, longer building.” “That would be awesome.” I ruffle through her brown hair. “I was afraid it would look cheap or bad if we tried extending the already constructed parts. There’s so much space in the front yard that we could make use of. Of course, I love the pretty floral compositions and gardens, but you know what I mean.” “Yes, I do, Master.” Sirgia graces me with a cute smile. “So, a trip to your homeland moves on top of our to-do list now?” I raise a brow at her. “I think so.” She fidgets a little, avoiding my eyes. “But, you don’t need to hurry. We can take care of the moving and reconstruction on our own, leaving things like the mansion’s extension and more complex workshops for later. There’s still enough space to last us a while, especially with the vacant underground, which we can now expand a lot. ” “Okay, but I’m not going to delay it forever.” I boop her on the nose. “Better start preparing for our very late honeymoon because we are leaving as soon as things are settled here.” Evoking quite a few giggles from the tiny lady as I yank her into me for a sweet kiss, I spin us around a few times. Sirgia’s cheeks turn quite rosy by the time we stop and she pecks my cheek shyly before we separate so that she can return to work. I’ve already distracted her long enough. “Boss!” We both turn around as a familiar voice calls to me and find Elise walking our way with another woman by her side, waving at us with a big grin. Sirgia scurries away with one last nod and I approach my favourite receptionist to see what she has in store for me.
Chapter 181 – The Real Woes of a Job Interview Spoiler: Chapter Elise jogs my way while dragging a person I’m not yet familiar with by the wrist. It looks a little comedic, to be honest. It wasn’t that long ago that she was the more timid one while interacting with me, save for the moments we shared in the guild, but right now, she beams at me joyfully while pulling a shy, blushing girl behind her back. Well, I guess our little fun together got rid of that awkwardness. Not that I’m complaining. Nevertheless, our black-haired receptionist is accompanied by a slightly shorter girl with ruby-red eyes that seem to gleam mysteriously. To add to that mystery, her long, straight hair has a similarly mystical, silvery shade. I’m not sure if it’s just my brain playing tricks on me but as her light grey strands flutter behind her back, a faint sparkle adorns the motion. As for her attire, she wears the same Adventurer’s Guild uniform in which I’ve been introduced to our dear Elise. I think I can already guess what this charming newcomer’s occupation is. The mystical girl does her best to avoid my gaze as I look their way, but fails to do so completely, and I do catch her glancing at me a few times. To say that she’s skittish would be an understatement. It doesn’t exactly look like she is too uncomfortable, but it’s obvious that Elise is pretty much forcing her assumed friend to come here. We’ll see if it’s really for her good. Expecting another brief conversation, I move slightly to the side so that we don’t inconvenience the people working on the interior and such. The sooner the headquarters are finished, the better. We need to start taking commissions and making ourselves known so that Lianne can trust us with her jobs. It would look quite suspicious if a newly established company were to suddenly immediately start working with the kingdom. So, I lean on the decently free wall and wait for the duo to get to me. They dodge and weave through the small crowd of construction workers and artisans. While Elise manages to avoid bumping into anyone, in her excitement, she doesn’t really take her companion into consideration. The silver-haired lady fails to match her evasive manoeuvres while being dragged like a piece of wet cloth, stumbling at least a few times and brushing her shoulders against some innocent bystanders, which evokes some frowns and vocal displeasure. Sighing lightly, I raise a brow at the airheaded receptionist as they finally stop in front of me, both catching their breaths. “You know you didn’t have to run all the way here, right? I could have very well come to you if you just sent me a word that there’s something you need from me.” “Sorry! I didn’t plan this encounter! At least not yet.” She smiles apologetically. “I was just showing the place to my friend here and thought it was the perfect opportunity to introduce her. She’s currently on a short break at the guild so I wanted to get to you as quickly as possible.” “That’s more or less fine, but I think you should pay a bit more attention to your friend here. With how absorbed in your objective you were, she must have collected a fair set of bruises and scrapes.” I tilt my head to look past them and hint at the small chaos they created. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I got a little too excited there! Are you okay? You are not hurt, right?” Elise faces her friend and pats the shorter girl all over with a concerned expression. “It’s alright…” the person in question answers with a quiet, gentle voice, barely audible to me with how shy it sounds. “Thank the Goddess. I promise to make it up to you. Sorry again,” Elise adds with a wry chuckle. “So, may I know the reason behind your sudden distress? You mentioned showing your friend around. I’m not really against that, but we aren’t yet open here and I think it would be wiser to save such activities for after we are done setting things up. Or at least give me a heads-up about the visitor. Unless you did notify Ria or someone else,” I address her again as they both turn to me. “Her being here is connected to why I wanted to speak with you.” She slips her hand into her friend’s palm. “After everything is ready, you are going to put someone at the reception to be the face of the company and to handle the introductions or requests, right?” I nod at her. “Yes. Definitely.” “And… Did you already find someone for that role?” Elise asks while softly biting into her lower lip. “Honestly, I haven’t thought about it yet. I assumed there would be someone interested in taking the spot amongst the girls at the mansion. I would be fine with anyone Cornelia, Ria, or Elea assigned here. They had much more insight into this than me,” I answer while stroking my chin. “Perfect!” she mutters under her breath while stealthily pumping her free fist. “I mean, I spoke with Ria and they don’t have anyone locked in yet, so I thought that maybe, you know, I could recommend someone myself? In the brothel, the only Humans amongst all the women are the receptionists, which is me and Cornelia, now I guess also including Ria as our accountant, but that is still in the shadows. We could perhaps make it a choice of style for all our establishments and also hire a Human girl for the headquarters, don’t you think? So, long story short, this is Lyona, and I think she would be perfect for us!” The overexcited receptionist shoves her friend forward with a gentle push and a wide smile, relinquishing the stage to the other actress. I didn’t expect to be conducting any interviews today, but a brief chat can’t hurt, right? I have to admit that her idea isn’t that bad. As long as we pick the right person for the job. Lyona keeps her pretty eyes glued to the ground as she curtsies politely with her short skirt. “My name is Lyona Altcroft… It’s my pleasure, Mister Alastair…” And she ends at that, continuing to blush faintly and avoiding my eyes. After taking one more look at the shy girl, I move my gaze to Elise. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but… That’s it?” She rests her hands on Lyona’s shoulders from behind and gives me an awkward smile. “I swear, while she is a little bit quiet, Lyona doesn’t usually act like this. She is an experienced receptionist, one of the most popular too. She’s always been able to keep calm and collected while handling her adventurers, to the point where many registered with her just to gaze upon her ethereal beauty. But, she’s also super smart and hardworking. I know you would want someone talented for the spot rather than just a pretty face, but why not have both when you can? I assure you she’s worth it.” “I admit that she certainly fulfils the first criteria perfectly, but there’s not much I can tell about the second part from our brief if not somewhat awkward introduction,” I reply while trying to find eye contact with the person in question and not really succeeding. “Are you alright?” “It would be an honour to work with you, Mister…” Lyona whispers without changing her stance. “Sorry. She really isn’t like this most of the time. Maybe she is a tad nervous right now, hahaha.” Elise tries to smile cheerfully while gently shaking her friend but I can tell that even she is getting slightly worried. “What is there to be nervous about? She hasn’t lost her job and is struggling to quickly find a new one to support herself, right?” I glance at her before returning my attention to Lyona. “I swear there’s nothing to be worried about. I don’t bite.” “No, she is still working at the same guild as I was in the past. We’ve been close friends. And still are. I’ve been keeping up with her since the day I quit. And well, we’ve been besties pretty much, so I shared a lot with her, like about my work for you, the establishment, the others, but also, you know, you. Including the fact that… Ummm… We are kind of together… And how happy I am… And how this exactly works for us with all your other wives… And such…” Elise explains, getting a bit embarrassed herself near the end. That certainly clears up a thing or two. If they are as close as she’s suggesting, I’m sure there aren’t really that many secrets between them, and plenty of those have to be related to yours truly. It’s not that hard to imagine how embarrassing it might be to meet the person you’ve heard so many improper things about. Anyway, I didn’t think she had any other best friends besides Ria from how she has introduced herself in the past, but maybe she’s just overselling this girl to help her out. Or she just didn’t feel like it was important to mention her close contacts in the guild. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is what we are going to do with this situation. “So, Lyona is still a guild’s employee, but she is looking for another job? May I know why?” I ask out of simple curiosity. “You see, it all comes back to me quitting,” Elise begins her story. “As I mentioned earlier, Lyone was already quite popular, but when I suddenly disappeared, many adventurers that have been frequenting my station switched to hers, and I think I told you how common it was to be hit on during our work, at the very least. She enjoys this profession just as I do, but it gets a bit tiring sometimes. Lyona isn’t really the person to actually complain and even I had to literally wrench anything bad from her polite lips during our chats. I just know that she could do so much better, and when I realised that we would soon have an open spot, I wanted to bring her here to talk about the possibility of her joining us and introduce her to some of the girls, but well, we suddenly ran into you and it kind of spiralled out of control.” “I see. And it’s not just Elise pushing you, right? You’ve been considering switching workplaces on your own?” I have to ask just in case there’s been a bit too much external influence. Lyona nods faintly and it looks like that’s going to be all I get so I turn back to our current receptionist. “Well, I can promise you to keep this in mind while looking at our available options. Since Lyona’s time here is limited right now, I would hate to bombard her with questions and make her late for her next shift. We’ll talk about this together later if you don’t mind, and I’ll naturally be in touch with your friend as much as possible, alright?” I smile at them kindly. “Yeah, that’s fine. Sorry for springing this onto you out of the blue. Just let me know when and I’ll be ready to chat with you about anything you might want to know.” Elise reciprocates the smile while tenderly brushing Lyona’s shoulders. “We’ll excuse ourselves now, then. I’m going to accompany her back to the guild if that’s alright. I’ll be back in a moment. It’s my night today anyway.” “Feel free to escort your friend back, of course. Have fun.” I wave at them as she pulls the blushing girl away and starts whispering into her ear. I do catch a few questions about what happened back here and a bunch of apologies answering them, but I don’t intend to listen in on their conversation so I quickly tune out so as not to eavesdrop unintentionally. But, that doesn’t mean I’m yet fully finished with the peculiar duo. “Hecate?” I glance towards one of the upper corners. My sneaky bodyguard reveals herself and descends to the floor in front of me, surprising a few people with her unexpected appearance. She looks up at me with her usual, pretty cold expression, but it’s more than apparent that she is eagerly waiting for any command or request to aid me with my plans. “Come with me. I need to stay out of sight for a moment. Do you think you can manage?” I ruffle through her hair as she nods in response. We stroll out of the reception hall shortly after Elise and Lyona, making sure that they are far enough not to notice us. Then, Hecate latches onto my back like a koala and her spider legs get to work immediately. I catch a few glints and flashes of refracted light and the workers moving in and out next to us suddenly jerk in surprise, staring in our direction with visible confusion. They jump again when I chuckle to myself, realising that we’ve literally vanished from their sight in a blink. Before someone walks right into us, I hastily make my way to the streets. Hecate spots the interesting pair first and points at them even though I can simply feel Elise’s presence. I start following them while hoping that she doesn’t notice mine through the bond, too focused on her friend. From what I can tell, Lyona isn’t blushing as much as before, and while she still seems just as quiet and withdrawn, she does actually engage in a mutual conversation with Elise. The latter is doing most of the work but that’s a quite common arrangement between an introvert and an extrovert. Or at least some degree of those archetypes. Nothing is really that simple to categorise in the world. The important thing is, the previously timid and shy girl does actually switch to a more refined, almost distant personality that Elise hinted at during our short introduction. I’m able to catch only a few glimpses of her calm and truly daydreaming face but it’s enough to understand where the appeal comes from. While not acting like a skittish bunny, she does have this unapproachable allure of a cool princess. The silvery-white hair and ruby eyes certainly add to it. It doesn’t take long before we reach the guild and I follow the girls inside. It proves to be a challenge to sneak in without grazing against someone as a constant flow of people almost blocks the front entrance. I’m not sure how Hecate’s active camouflage threads will work in contact with something physical so I aim to avoid any. A person appearing out of thin air in a crowd would definitely cause at least a slight scene. Not to mention the spider-legged backpack I’m currently wearing. I watch Elise escort Lyona to the very doors leading to the staff area and the two part ways with one last hug. It doesn’t look like our own receptionist has figured me out as she returns the same way we’ve all come in. Good for me. Finding a somewhat empty spot near the back wall of the lobby, I make myself as small as possible and simply wait. There are a few empty stations at the entire row of small windows so I keep my eyes peeled for our star of the show. Thankfully, the mysterious lady doesn’t make me wait long and I spot her unique features stepping into one of the free posts. Same as on her trip back here, she welcomes everyone with a collected expression, starting to shuffle through some documents under the counter. Almost immediately, a quite decent number of adventurers head her way as if waiting for the girl herself. The majority are young guys, as expected, but she does attract some older dudes, as well as a bunch of girls too. I never honestly thought about it but if cute female receptionists are this popular with male adventurers, why doesn’t the guild hire some handsome boys to appeal to the women? I bet some of them would still choose to register with the girls just for the peace of mind and not having to speak to a guy, but considering the typical female adventurer, that would attract even more attention to the guild. Nonetheless, I observe as Lyona assists everyone with their reports, requests, and whatever other dealings an adventurer can have in the guild. While almost all the other receptionists smile warmly to welcome their protegees, she instead makes no real change to her serene expression. It doesn’t seem to bother her conversation partners either. Quite the opposite. Still, just as Elise said, she takes her work very seriously and does her best to fulfil her responsibilities without a hitch. She looks to be well-organised and tidy from the glimpses of her notes and other things she hides on her side of the counter that I catch. I can’t really hear what she’s talking about but I think it’s given that she’s just as smart and knowledgeable as presented by her friend. Ah. Right. I can read lips. I totally forgot about that. After finding a good angle on the scarlet-eyed lady, I try to focus on her almost equally vibrant lips. Yet, I can tell that it’s just their natural shade, without the addition of any makeup or other supplements. Those plump, soft bumps definitely charm more than just a few people a day. And that proves to be a tiny problem for me too. It’s just damn hard not to absentmindedly stare at her sweet lips moving while missing eighty percent of words that I should be deciphering. But, with some brief internal struggle, I manage to focus on the message rather than the messenger and listen in on the pretty receptionist. I quickly confirm that she is just as knowledgeable and sharp as Elise has made her be. Skimming over any more personal information, I admire her clear and simple explanations of quest details, what the area might entail, what kind of entities one could stumble on during their journey, how to best prepare for an encounter, and so on. She seems just as resourceful when it comes to the topic of the city itself and the guild’s rules and regulations. Naturally, besides doing her job, she also experiences her fair share of less professional interactions, obviously initiated by the adventurers that approach her, either with an excuse of looking for their next quest, or more honest intentions which still somehow end up shoved aside in front of the delicate beauty. Even so, she handles any attempts to flirt with her exceptionally well, rarely batting an eye on different kinds of advances and strategies. I catch her supple lips twist into the faintest grimace only once or twice amongst the dozens of chats she shares with the adventurers. I swear, some of this world’s pickup lines are ten times worse than the ones random dating expert dudes share on the Internet back home. It makes me cringe while listening in from afar without the actual sound and she has to deal with that face-to-face. My opinion of Lyona definitely rises by quite a lot just from that fact. Her ability to tolerate bullshit is praiseworthy. Maybe she really would make a good addition to our roster. Deciding that I’ve stalked Elise’s mysterious friend long enough, I drag my attention away from the gorgeous receptionist and head back. Let’s maybe call it a field interview. A secret field interview. With a hidden camera. Just making sure that our upcoming employee is up to the company’s standard. Yeah. Since I’m already in the city, I figure out that it won’t hurt to let Lianne know about the recent developments in person. I could of course discuss it all with her through our bond, but I know she appreciates my visits. Even if she ends up all over me during the majority of them instead of listening to my news or requests. Dismissing Hecate and thanking her for her help, I move towards the castle, seeing just how fast I’m able to run through the capital with the use of my quite insane stats and godly body. It’s a real shame there are no magical speedometers here because I’m definitely breaking the carriage speed limits a bunch of times over. Thankfully, there are also no speed cameras to snap me a speeding ticket so I guess things balance out rather well. And, maybe Sirgia will be able to put something together after my brief explanation. Even if it won’t really have much use besides for shit and giggles in this realm. Nothing would really change with me being able to know that I’m going fifty kilometres per hour and I don’t think there are illegal street carriage races during the night where the participants care about such measurements. Maybe someday in the future after my little genius revolutionises the method of transportation with her brilliant ideas. Anyway, I make it to the castle in a flash and a cloud of dust, spooking the guards a tiny bit. But, after they recognize me, they just laugh it off and offer a safe passage. Learning about my intentions, they send someone to inform the Queen and check if she isn’t busy with some important matters while I’m escorted to wait in one of the usual chambers. It takes Lianne about twenty minutes to show up so she must have really been in the middle of something crucial. She enters the room wearing one of her amazing royal dresses and a pleasant smile on her angelic face. Standing up from my chair, I welcome her into my embrace after she rushes to my side. “Back so soon?” She chuckles daintily after the brief kiss we share as a greeting. “What can I say? I missed you really hard.” I smirk at her and steal one more peck before we sit down. “What brings you here, then? I hope it’s not trouble.” She pours us both some fragrant tea. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it trouble. It goes like this…” As she gazes excitedly into my eyes, I briefly recount everything that happened since we split up after the cordial welcome I received from all my wives and mates. That includes the stuff with my unexpected ascension to demigodhood and our progress with the mercenary headquarters. “Shoot! I knew I should have stayed behind! I missed so much fun stuff!” She wrinkles her nose in irritation after I finish up. “So, it looks like you are going to expand your little business much more than you first assumed. Not just into the mercenary market but even faith. What a time to be alive.” “Do you think it will even work?” I run my fingers through my hair. “It’s hard to say. But, we are definitely going to try, at least. After Lumina sends out her divine message, of course. Having the support of the most important religious figures in the capital will be of huge help,” Lianne replies with a grin. “I don’t think too many people will think badly of the kingdom trying to act according to the Goddess’ will, which is to welcome you into our realm as a second figure to direct our prayers to. It might actually be less of a problem than you think.” “That would be a welcome surprise.” I smile wryly. “But, we should always expect the unexpected and prepare as much as we can.” “True. I’ll discuss this matter with Ross and his advisors.” She takes a gentle sip to moisten her lips. “What about the place for your… office? Base of operations? Residence? I take it’s not intended to be a temple. Do you think any of the other buildings I suggested will fit?” “I’m sure the neighbouring one either on the left or right will be fine. And yeah, I would rather not start with a sudden appearance of extremely characteristic symbolism and decorations that scream suspicious cult.” I nod at her. “We’ll take care of it after the headquarters are up and running. Plenty of other projects came up with them which also need some time and effort. There are big changes coming for the establishment.” “Speaking of which, I think I found you your first job. If you are interested, that is.” Lianne waggles her brows at me. “Already? Weren’t we going to gain some experience in the field first before moving on to our direct cooperation?” I furrow my brows. “Oh, I’m just acting as an intermediary here. This isn’t a kingdom’s official request but just any normal commission that would have most likely made it to the Mercenary Guild and one of the companies registered there.” She waves it off. “If not for the fact that the petitioner was hoping to hire some of our royal knights for his cause.” “What?” I snort at her. “There’s a noble who is hosting a birthday party for his daughter and made a polite request to lend him a bunch of our knights to stand guard during the celebration, more as one of the entertainment factors than for safety concerns. He just wants them to stand around and look good, perhaps interact a little with the guests by showing off a tiny bit or such. Nothing too complicated,” Lianne explains. “And he and the rest of his family would be okay with demi-humans from a completely fresh mercenary group?” I raise a brow at her. “With how incredible the uniforms your girls wear are? Definitely!” She giggles softly. “As I said, it’s mostly about looks, presence, and appearances. I know them and they don’t belong to the extremist front. You shouldn’t need to expect any trouble or tension. A quick, simple request with decent pay and a good word making it into the noble circles. What do you say?” “I’ll have to run it through the girls first, but if you are sure about this, then why the hell not?” I shrug and we raise our cups in a light cheer. “Great. I’ll send them to you after your headquarters are ready so that they can make it fully official.” She beams at me happily. “I look forward to working with you and your girls in the future.” “And so do I.” I wink at the Queen, evoking another cunning giggle from the scheming minx. “Well, then. Returning to the previous topic for a moment, do you perhaps have any free spots left among your Devotees?” Lianne bats her eyelashes at me as she brings it up. “Yeah, I do.” I shake my head with a wry grin. “I saved one for you while expecting this. Just promise me not to abuse your position and powers, alright?” “I’m only going to find you some kind believers amongst the castle staff, nothing more,” she reveals her intentions. “And, of course, make sure I pray to you as much as possible so that you can grow into a big and healthy God of Sex! Speaking of which, how do we do that?” I cough into my fist while roaming my gaze over her lithe frame and the Queen guesses the answer almost immediately. We end up registering her as my next Devotee, which soon enough evolves into a quickie on a sofa as Lianne insists on practising her prayers with me. We do confirm that it actually works and Lumina wasn’t just trolling me alongside Ailish. I can sense the generated divinity, which is then transferred to me through the quite intimate ritual. To clear up any doubts and possible misunderstandings, I explain the prayers and rituals to her once more and we go our separate ways. Without wasting too much time, I jog back to the mansion and find Elise clearly waiting for me in the lobby, resting on one of the comfy sofas. She stands up as I approach her, holding her hands over her navel. “I wanted to talk about Lyona but noticed that you’ve left for the castle so I waited for your return. Do you maybe have a moment?” she asks expectantly. “I was going to find you for the same reason so let’s get straight to it.” I gesture at her to sit back while joining her on the opposite side of the coffee table. “I would just like to say that I’m sorry for earlier. Please, don’t be too hard on Lyona and blame me instead. I had no idea she would react like that in front of you and I know I should have first consulted her rather than dragged her straight to your face. She really is an amazing girl and she was more than alright after we left, returning to her usual self,” Elise starts to explain. “I know,” I interrupt her with a raised hand. “And that’s okay. It was something you didn’t expect. That happens from time to time, no matter how well we think we know others. I’m not going to immediately cast her away because of this single interaction. I can tell that you are telling the truth, but still, I would like to at least speak normally with my potential recruit before making the final decision. It will be a little tough if we have trouble communicating on a day-to-day basis, don’t you think? Still, I’m willing to give her a chance. Perhaps more than one since you are endorsing her so much.” “Of course. It’s your right as the boss. Just pick a date and I’ll make sure she is prepared this time. We’ve already talked a bit and I’m going to meet with her tomorrow morning to continue.” She bobs her head eagerly. “Thank you. I truly appreciate this. It would be fantastic if she could enjoy working for us. And I’m sure she will be very motivated to do her best for the upcoming best mercenary troupe in the whole world!” “We’ll see about that last part.” I chuckle lightly. “Now go. I bet you still have lots of stuff to do. Just like all of us.” Elise jumps to her feet, salutes me with a big grin, and marches out of the lobby with a happy step. Before someone else approaches me with whatever query they might have, I locate my proud mercenaries in their barracks and explain the opportunity of our first-ever job given by Lianne. They are all too eager to prove themselves in the field and everyone initially agrees. Leaving them to their own machinations, I slip out of their temporary locum as they lively discuss the mission amongst themselves. Now, as for me, there’s still so much to do around the establishment and all other areas. But, the evening is quickly approaching and I would love to take part in one of the open nights after a long time of absence, just like in the good old times. So, it’s time to prepare.
Chapter 182 – Lots of Reassurance Spoiler: Chapter The thought of overseeing a working night sends a faint thrill through my very being. You only appreciate something enough when you lose it, they say. And perhaps there’s some truth to that saying. In the past, it was an almost daily occurrence, but in recent weeks or even months, I’ve been more out there rather than here. Technically, it’s a natural order of things as any business develops. We can compare our little enterprise to a budding startup or a small one-man company. There isn’t anyone else around at first so most if not all jobs need to be taken care of by the boss. But, as things progress and the trade expands, the need to grow the number of employees often follows. And that’s where things escalate. So, with so many talented people working at the brothel, I’m almost not needed anymore. Which can be nice, since I can focus on other matters, but it always leaves you with that reminiscent taste in your mouth of how things were in the past. At least when you actually enjoyed being in that position, of course. Some people might only strive to move higher, wanting nothing more than to forget their time spent on the lower levels of the hierarchy. Anyway, I just hope that I’ll still be able to help out like I was in the very beginning. At least with this main establishment. There’s a high chance we’ll see more of them somewhere in the future, and it’s obvious that I won’t be able to be everywhere at once. Especially considering the entire faith thing and all the shrines or other stuff that’s going to soon be erected. Without my knowledge, most likely. Unless I secure a way to travel from place to place instantly. Heart Swap is still far off from being efficient. Not to mention the fact that I would be moving someone working at the targeted place away, effectively interrupting whatever their responsibilities are. So there’s that. But, with all that upcoming godhood and further, more advanced Tiers, there’s hope that I’ll get something interesting at one point. Maybe I’ll be able to find a new Partner who has such a skill. What’s Mine Is Yours is getting decently short on its cooldown now that I’ve been using it a lot. Not yet perfect, but it’s getting there. Eh, we’ll see how things develop. For now, I better focus on the present rather than the future. Therefore, after my brief chat with my lovely mercenary maidens, I start doing some rounds. While at it, I stop by the still-empty reception and take a peek at the menu cards. I bet they haven’t changed much since Neira was with us on the recent journey, but it’s good to check anyway. I wouldn’t want to make an ass out of myself in front of the guests. And the girls. Turns out that they have been a bit refreshed. If my eyes do not deceive me, I’m pretty sure our lovely Shino might have had something to do with it. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Neira left the artistic duties to our otherworldly heroine while taking her leave. They do work well together. Spending a few minutes to scan the pages and learn about anything new, I return the menu cards to their rightful place and take a look under the reception desk for any surprises. I don’t think a set of different dildos counts, but it’s certainly an interesting sight. But, I guess these are display products or something. Neither Elise nor Cornelia seems like a girl who would take one up the chimney during work, right in front of the customers. Or are they? I’ll check tonight. So, save for the colourful display of various packages, we also have a bunch of alchemical concoctions, salves, lubes I guess, and so on. Our band of pharmacists are definitely earning their keep. There are some products that I do not recognize. I better pay them a visit and get up to speed in that area too. I haven’t seen Velen in a little while. Finished with my little dive behind the reception desk, I return to my stroll through the mansion, roaming my gaze all over the walls of the pleasant corridors. Mostly to appreciate any new artworks that might have possibly been put up for display. Even though Neira has been out with us, I still find a few nice pieces I have no recollection of so I guess they have been saved for such an opportunity to keep things fresh even with her absent. Then, my eyes fall onto a full-body painting of a fox lady in mostly nude, of course. Her enchanting figure is covered only slightly by a sapphire sheet of fabric draped over her shoulders and hugging her curves alluringly. She’s one of the girls who joined us from Astrea’s Community if I remember correctly. But, it isn’t her identity that made me pause. The picture closely resembles all the other ones hung all over the hallway, created with similar if not the same brush technique, but after years of having my eyes feast on artworks belonging to a certain talented young woman, it’s just impossible for me not to notice the subtle difference. This was not painted by Neira. And that leaves me with the only other possible option. Shino. The surprising part is the fact that it’s what you could call a traditional painting. Shino naturally loves most if not all styles and techniques, but using dyes and paints has never exactly been her forte. She feels much closer to pencils, markers, and obviously, digital means, which is very lacking in this realm, speaking lightly. Yet, I can detect traces of both Neira and Shino in this piece. It tells me just enough to be sure that the creator of this masterpiece is my former student, who might have possibly come under the tutelage of my other artist wife. Perhaps exactly because of the lack of her favourite digital means, Shino has taken up the brush and sought guidance from her senior. And the result is glorious. As I continue basking in the glory of the charming fox lady’s nude, a quiet slosh and splash reaches my ears, making me realise I’m right near Meru’s personal chamber. It kind of saddens me to know that Shino’s masterpiece is placed this far away from the mansion’s core, but I can guess why. She’s definitely been too embarrassed and anxious to put her most likely first full painting out in the open right in front of the crowd. I better make sure she understands just how good she is. But that can come later. First, I drag my eyes away from the painting and move to the door leading to Meru’s abode. After a gentle knock, her calm voice invites me in and I step inside. My favourite Nershark is currently lounging in the clear pool surrounding her waterbed, slowly floating on the water’s surface with her front facing up. Easy to imagine, it gives me the perfect view of her modest charms and enticing figure. “Missing the sea already?” I chuckle warmly while walking up to the edge. She flips around and swims to me, pressing her perky breasts into the see-through sidewall of the pool. It takes a bit of effort to keep my eyes focused on her fierce and adorable face with those sweet mounds right before me. “Actually, no.” Meru rests her elbows atop the edge, staring deep into my eyes. “To be honest, I’ve missed this.” “What? This little pool?” I raise a brow at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek. “Yes.” She nods lightly. “It’s not been long since I come here, but it already feels like home. This is something you had made for me specifically. It perfectly shows how kind and accommodating you can be. And this is also where we mated the very first time.” I smirk at her. “You are giving me way too much credit over this. The girls came up with it and saw to its creation. Plus, we had plans to introduce something for aquatic races way before so it wasn’t something we went out of our way to suddenly create out of thin air. And now, with the Mermaids coming, these will be a bit more common. Though, I can’t refute the last claim. This place certainly holds some lovely memories.” “Even if weren’t already thinking about aquatic races before my arrival, you’d still quickly come up with means to make me feel comfortable under your roof,” Meru states, nuzzling her cheek into my palm. We stare at each other for a little while before I sigh in defeat. “Fine. I most likely would. Doesn’t change anything.” She pulls herself up and leans over the edge to bring our faces closer. I let the quiet sharkgirl nibble on my lips with an affectionate kiss, responding kindly to her loving bites as I move even closer, gradually pushing her back into the water as she no longer needs to reach out for my face. “How are you feeling?” I ask after we finally part, staying close enough to brush our noses together. “Good,” she whispers. “I’ve been thinking.” “Oh, yeah? What’s eating away at that sexy mind of yours, then?” I look at her curiously. “How I can be useful to you,” Meru replies. I laugh out loud a bit. “But you’ve been plenty useful to me already. Dare I remind you who it was that saved my ass during our journey not but one time?” “That was then, this is now.” She tilts her head cutely, resting it atop her crossed forearms. “But I think I got it.” “I’m all ears,” I urge her on. “When the waterways are fully finished, you might want a guide. To lead the visitors in and out of the tunnels. Perhaps a little further into the open waters too,” Meru continues. “I could fill that role. Whenever you would need nothing else of me, of course.” “Hmmm…” I contemplate her suggestion for a moment. “Who am I to stop a woman from finding work if that’s what she wants to do? I’ll just mention that you are free to be a bit more free.” “All your mates provide their help with what you do,” she points out. “Cornelia and Elea manage the mansion. Sirgia is an artisan. Neira decorates the halls. Teffith stands guard and trains your troops now. Elise works at the reception. Ria takes care of your money. Everyone has something to do.” “Astrea mostly lazes around,” I counter. “I still find her sprawled on top of random furniture in random spots around the mansion just like during her early days here.” “The feline girl regularly manages the Community.” Meru’s brows form a cute frown. “Fair.” I shrug. “And I guess I understand. I don’t want you to feel bad about yourself for not having anything to do. The last thing I wish for is for you to die out of boredom. I haven’t accepted you as my mate to lock you up in this glassy cage as some trophy to display or periodically look at for my personal amusement. I will gladly find you something to do. And your suggestion sounds like the perfect choice as long as you are comfortable with it.” “I am.” She nods. “Perhaps Fei would like to join me after she arrives. We could take turns so that you wouldn’t have to worry that I’m working too much.” Right. The Mermaid girl who almost snuck out with us instead of going to learn more about her evolving into a Diva. “You already know me so well.” I smile at her. “Run it through the others and see what they say. You have my vote and permission if you’d ever need it.” “Thank you.” Meru pecks my lips. “I can’t wait. I’m really curious how it will all work out with aquatic folk. It’s something entirely new, especially with Mermaids. They are a rather uncommon sight on land.” I chuckle at that. “Yeah. Definitely. We’ll have to figure out a way for them to show up in the lobby. I bet some of the ladies would like to tempt their own customers personally. Perhaps Sirgia will come up with some kind of a cylindrical tank on wheels, or something? But I really need more hands in that area. She’s only working more and more as pretty much everything new falls onto her shoulders.” “The trip to visit her homeland will be a good opportunity to employ more of her kin. Maybe she knows someone we could trust,” she offers. “You should not delay too much. I know she’s one of your earliest mates and you have deep feelings for her.” “I love all of you.” I use both hands to caress her cheeks. “It would be hard to pick favourites while surrounded by such amazing women.” We come together once more, exchanging a few loving pecks one more time, and I draw back with a playful ruffle of her hair. “Now, I would love nothing more than to jump in to join you in there, but I have duties, unfortunately.” I wink at the sexy fish lady. “Go. Thank you for sparing me some of your precious time. I enjoyed it greatly. My little lake is always open to you anytime, my mate.” Meru pushes herself off the edge and dives under the surface, making a few precious rolls and other water acrobatics and then waving at me. “Call for me whenever.” I wave back and slip out of her room. So, I better make sure that no one feels like they are useless and everyone has something to do. We can’t have anyone feeling down because they think I don’t want them to do anything but live by. I’ll raise this concern with the council later. Maybe I’ll learn something new too. For now, I continue to wander around and chat with some of the girls I run into. Even though our numbers are constantly growing, with some of the new workers being accepted into our ranks without a personal interview from my person, I would still like to know everyone’s faces and treat them like members of our big family. As wrong as it might sound in the usual, Earth-corp lingo. Therefore, I take some time to socialise with the ladies, mainly focusing on the new employees who have joined during my absence. It’s mostly small talk and attempts at tearing down any exaggerated propaganda fed to them by Elea or the others, painting me as this unbelievably incredible person, saviour of the non-humans, the entire realm, and so on. Thankfully, the senior workers help me out as much as they can, teaching the juniors that I’m just a friendly guy they should not feel awkward to approach. At one point, I catch a glimpse of a hazelnut hair bun moving through the hallways and extract myself from a casual conversation, leaving my current partners to their gossiping fun I’ve just joined. A moment later, I spot my target heading somewhere and sneak up on my unsuspecting prey from behind without being noticed. Which isn’t an achievement considering how deep in thought they are. With a quick lunge, I cover the busy lady’s eyes from behind. “Al!” Cornelia cries out with a startled jump, guessing who immediately. “Are you a child?!” I snicker. “Are you a mommy?” She falls silent, not moving an inch. I can see the furious flush creeping up her entire face as she stands there frozen. The sly smile fades away from my face as I begin wondering if perhaps my joke might have been a bit too distasteful and I might have offended my precious lover. “Cornelia?” I call to her gently, taking my palms away. “Sorry if that was too much. It was funnier in my head.” “No, no! It was good! Hahahaha!” She laughs a little awkwardly. “I was just surprised, that’s all!” “You sure?” I slowly turn her around and look at her dearly. “Please, do speak openly whenever I fuck up. I need to understand what I did wrong so that I can never again repeat that mistake, alright? I’m not a perfect guy. You can be angry at me. In fact, I would be glad if you did. Trying to figure out the silent treatment is truly the worst feeling in the world.” She quickly shakes her head. “No, I’m telling the truth. I’m not mad at your jokes. And I think you are well aware that I don’t hold back on you ever. I never had.” “Right. Just making sure. Things might change. All this for the other person’s sake or the relationship bullshit. I don’t want you to bottle anything up,” I clarify. Cornelia shows a warm smile and rests a hand on my chest. “I know. If I ever have a problem with you, you are the first person I’ll come to. Well, first male person, that is.” I chuckle at her little tease. There would be no secrets between my wives. And oh lord, Lumina better watch over my poor soul whenever all of them charge right at me to teach me some manners together after being a bad husband to any of them. “Good.” I nod at her. “Now, where were you before I so rudely interrupted you?” “Ah. Just heading back to Ria with some documents. Nothing you have to worry about. It’s regarding the building next to our headquarters. It should be ours very soon. We wanted to secure it quickly so that the contractors working on the other one move right to it after they are done,” she explains, fixing her glasses with a finger. “Got it. You girls work fast. I’ve barely spoken with Lianne about this.” I gesture at her to continue walking. “Of course, we do. Word spreads fast when your brain is connected to all the other ones.” She taps the side of her forehead with a smirk. “I truly love this part. No need to run around and arrange meetings when we can just talk at any time. And I guess the fact that you banged the Queen helps a lot. Perhaps you should work your way up all the important people around the realm. That would make things so much easier.” I snort to myself. “Did you just suggest I fuck all the women in power just so we can make communications a bit more convenient? Do you have any idea how many would that be? How big this harem would end up?” “You are doing rather fine with a mansion full of them.” She raises a playful brow at me. “But only a handful means much more,” I counter. “Well, a handful or two, but you get my point.” Cornelia chuckles openly. “Then they don’t have to be anything deeper either.” I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right. I can already see all those queens and leaders being up for a quick fuck and nothing more. That’s not how relationships at such a level work.” “It did with Lianne.” She bumps into me from the side. “And in the end, she’s one of you,” I point out. “Feelings happened.” “Some will, some won’t.” She shrugs. “Alright, enough of this.” I slap her juicy ass, evoking a yelp from my sly magician. “What’s on your mind? You are even more teasing than usual.” We walk in silence for a minute or two before Cornelia speaks up. “What if I was?” she asks hesitantly. “What?” I glance at her. “A… mommy…” She stutters a little. “Well, I’m not exactly sure, but I’m open to—” “Not in that meaning!” Cornelia interrupts me with a slap on the shoulder. “Oh.” I stop us both and make us face each other. “I hope you are not thinking that I would find you any less desirable, nor that my feelings for you would change in any way, after you decide to allow your belly to swell up a little bit. I admit that such a thought makes me a tiny bit anxious, but that’s because I lack experience and all that otherworldly stuff. To be honest, it’s like a true proof of love and I would in no way see you as less if you were planning for it.” “What if it was… unplanned?” She glances up at me but slightly avoids my gaze. I furrow my brows lightly, considering her words. “If by some miracle that does happen, it’s exactly the same. You know what I think of you. And that extends to our possible future children, come as they may. I’m not a man who runs from his responsibilities. Yet, I would hate to force the role of a mother upon you before you are ready, of course. So, if I’ve somehow gotten sloppy in assuring that nothing unexpected happens and made you unnecessarily uneasy, I apologise.” “No, sorry, it’s just my silly mind.” She chuckles awkwardly, then steps forward to place a loving kiss on my lips. “Your words reassured it a little. You know women, we have our moods. Magic doesn’t always help with that.” “And I’m here exactly to do that, reassure you as much as you might need.” I wrap my arms around her perfect figure. “I appreciate it.” Cornelia reciprocates the hug. “Now, I should really run. Ria is waiting for me. We’ll have a briefing in about an hour if you’d like to join, with everyone present. In the main lobby.” “I’ll be there. Can’t miss it.” I let her go and we share one more peck before going our own ways. Since I have about an hour of free time, I head down to the underground to visit Mari and Velen. First, I pick the lab, curious about our new developments. A group comfortably works on various substances under the leadership of our lead alchemist, the amazing lady who joined us under the influence of Lord Jericho’s decision. She’s really taken well to her new environment, judging by how passionate about her new job she is. Leaving whatever Velen is coaching the other women with, she approaches me with a polite nod. “Welcome, Master. How may we help you today?” “Just wandering about. I saw some vials under the reception and was wondering if you could fill me in on what might have come out of your research while we were gone,” I reply, gesturing at her to lean comfortably on the nearby counter and doing the same myself. “I do hope that the sample you gathered before our departure proved to be useful?” A faint hint of a blush tinges Velen’s professional cheeks as she recalls her little handjob to extract some fluids from me. “Our research went splendidly if I might say. I did my best to make the best use of every single drop. Now, we offer various new tonics, medicines, and other solutions to our girls and customers. Some don’t even need your fluids as we managed to recreate the desired effects with other ingredients after a long analysis.” “That’s amazing. You girls are geniuses.” I grin at her proudly. She fixes her glasses even though they need no fixing and her blush deepens just a bit. I guess it’s some kind of a nervous tick whenever she feels somewhat shy about receiving too much praise. It’s quite cute with how collected and focused she’s always been. “And how is it going right now?” I continue to avoid creating an awkward silence. “Slow progress, as usual.” She quietly clears her throat. “We ran out of samples a while ago so we are focusing on perfecting the already finished creations. Not all of them are connected to the pleasure department. We do have some projects that might be of use to Sirgia, Neira, or a few other people. With the mercenaries soon going out into the world, we wanted to assure that they are equipped with the best potions, oils, toxins, antidotes, and other consumables.” “Wow. I haven’t thought much about that. I was sure we were purchasing supplies from the usual sources.” I don’t hide my surprise and awe. “Great work. And, if you ran out, you should have come to request more the moment I was back. You know how busy I can get with everything. I need people to remind me of themselves and their needs or I might forget. If you’d like, we can take care of it now, just like the last time.” Velen clearly considers the idea for a moment but gently shakes her head, making her brown curls wiggle. “We are good with the current research so there is no rush, thank you. But… I will let you know when we are… ready for it, Master.” “Understood.” I nod at her. “So, care to boast a little about your achievements?” Prompted by my request, Velen launches into a detailed explanation of a bunch of their successful and failed projects, trying to keep it brief but unable to hide that little hint of excitement in her voice that everyone who talks about something they are passionate about has. It makes her words much more captivating. She doesn’t even notice when she completely drops any semblance of personal space between us and just grabs my wrists or hands whenever she wants me to experience something more directly, guiding and instructing me on stuff. We bump shoulders a lot and I catch her face near mine a bunch of times as she leans in over my side, often brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, most likely completely subconsciously. Sexy research nerds should really think more about what kind of effect they have on the male specimens with those actions. One of the other ladies interrupts our pleasant chat as Velen’s presence is needed elsewhere. I assure her that it’s alright and urge her to return to her responsibilities, promising to await her call for whenever they would be ready to extract another sample from me, which prompts another barely noticeable blush on her nerdy face. Leaving the mad scientists to their own machinations, I move to Mari’s workshop. Expecting her and Nyfile to be lost in their little world, I don’t even bother knocking and slip right in. But, it might actually be a mistake as the first thing I see after closing the door behind me is our lead tailor standing in front of a big mirror with some kind of dress pressed to her body. Save for that piece of material, there’s nothing else. Mari catches my eyes in the mirror and squeaks in surprise. I hastily turn around to save her from any further embarrassment. “Sorry! I really should have knocked! Last time no one noticed so I just…” I launch into a quick explanation. A sweet, embarrassed giggle reaches my ears. “No, no, no! I’m sorry for showing something unsightly! I’ll get dressed in a flash!” “Now, that’s not true. You have a very pleasant… backside…” I chuckle as the image of Mari’s plump rump remains firmly locked at the forefront of my mind. “You don’t need to be so flattering. I know I lack feminine charm. I’ve been continuously mistaken for a boy until I was like sixteen,” Mari admits with an adorable scoff. “That’s just part of your charm,” I respond. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Quite the contrary, rather. You are a hell of a sexy gal. Many men would be crazy about you from where I come.” “You really think so?” she asks a bit reservedly. “I know so.” I smirk to myself, since obviously, I’m one of them. There’s no reply for a few moments and I wonder if she’s slowly dressing up to avoid making any noise until she lightly clears her throat. “Could you… turn around?” Mari requests and I oblige. Rather than clothed, I find her even more exposed than earlier. This time, the slightly insecure tomboy beauty faces my way with nothing in her hands, which are joined behind her perky butt. A mad blush covers her freckled cheeks and nose as she looks at me with a slight upwards glance while my eyes roam over her modest charms. She might be somewhat petite, but damn, is she thicc where she needs to be. Those thighs and ass could kill. Not that any other part of her glorious figure couldn’t. “And?” She nervously bites down on her bottom lip, giving her hips a little wiggle. I tear my gaze off the light bush above the heaven’s door and meet her inquiring eyes. “My point still stands.” I smile at her. “And something else does too.” She lets out a timid giggle as her focus drops to my quite visible bulge. “I know. It can stand for days from what I’ve seen during the bet.” “I assure you this right here is all you.” I raise a brow at her. “No external influence included.” “That’s… flattering.” She smiles back, and chuckles again after realising she’s just used her own words. “So, I’ve come here for the clothes,” I say while slowly walking closer. “But, I don’t mind the lack of them either.” Her breathing becomes slightly quicker as we end up face to face, with Mari needing to look a bit up to match my gaze. Glancing down at her, I get an incredible view of her petite breasts from above, moving back and forth alongside her heaving chest. She blinks a few times as her attention switches between my eyes and my lips, and I wait, curious to see what’s her next step, if she will run away, or do something else. It turns out to be something else. Mari stands up on her tiptoes and hesitantly brings her lips to mine, brushing them together in a prodding manner, just a tiny bump. I remain steady, not wanting to spook her, and that rewards me with a few more reluctant brushes as she closes her eyes while peppering me with dainty pecks. “Fuck…” she curses quietly with a gentle sigh, then draws back a little. “Clothes… I like to talk about clothes…” I smirk as she peeks at my lips one last time and saunters away. Her enticing butt jiggles seductively as she jogs up to a chair and snatches something from the pile of clothes stored on top of it. Giving me a quick glance over her shoulder, definitely catching me staring, she trots behind a sliding curtain with even more bounce in her step, disappearing right behind the sheet of material. The placement of the light leaves nothing to the imagination as I observe her shadow pull something on both ends of her sexy frame. Looks like I will have to chase this hare a bit. In a flash, Mari comes out wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts, making me snort. “You are doing this on purpose,” I comment. “What?” She stops on her way to me. “Dressing up exactly the way that makes you even sexier,” I point out, bringing another flush to her slightly more calmed cheeks. She saunters the rest of the way and stands next to me by a design table. “So, what did you want to talk about?” I can’t decide if she’s playing with me or is just still indecisive, but if it’s time she needs, she shall have as much as she wants. “What are we working with in terms of cosplay? We did chat about it briefly but I would like you to go into detail, including numbers,” I reply, returning to business. She switches into her passionate mood rather quickly. “Well, there’s not a lot, but we currently have…” I listen closely as Mari flips some sketchbook and lists the costumes and attire they have already completed and even tried out on a few of the girls. I jokingly ask if she’s one of them and she just blushes silently. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she is into some dressing up too. Many cosplayers who work on their own costumes obviously love wearing them. Perhaps she even has a favourite one. We go through their entire stock while she also presents a bunch of the sets to me by pressing them onto her own body, this time with clothes one. Bummer. By the end of it, my brain has shelved all the options available into their corresponding places while also keeping tabs on the number of copies we have to spare. This might be helpful for what I have in mind for tonight, but I’ll need to present the idea to everyone during the briefing. It’s amazing how much our duo of tailors, most likely assisted by some other girls, managed to achieve together in such a short time. It looks like every department is pulling its own weight many times more than necessary. For a few minutes more, we discuss the future options as Mari is obviously super lively about any further prospects and I love listening to her ramble about anything. Then, the time to move on finally comes and I sadly have to interrupt the excited tomboy, reminding her about the meeting. Before leaving, though, I sneak a peck on her adorable cheek to show that her earlier interest wasn’t one-sided. And perhaps as a promise of something more. She swears not to get lost in her own little world and make it for the gathering. So, I stroll back to the main hall alongside a crowd of ladies, responding to their cordial chats while we walk. They stop at the base level while I move up the stairs, and it’s only when I’m at the top that I realise just how many people are standing down below. “Holy fuck.” I shake my head. “It’s hard to imagine this little mansion can fit so many.” “And it will only increase after we extend the wings,” Elea says from the side as she and my other wives arrive. “Ready to inspire the troops before the battle?” “Only one way to see.” I chuckle. “Let’s get this party started. We have so much to do.”
Chapter 183 – Clothes Maketh Woman Spoiler: Chapter Giving the very diverse crowd of beautiful ladies one last glance, I clap my hands a few times to silence the delicate chatter creating a faint buzz in the main hall. All the discussions end at once and everyone looks up to our elevated position. Successful at gaining their attention, I clear my throat. “Good night to you, ladies. And hello to all who I did not have the pleasure to stumble on yet after my return,” I begin with a wide smile, receiving a wave of nods and whispered greetings in response. “I’m glad to be here again. I honestly missed this place greatly, and everyone living or working here too, of course. I’ve been told how well you handled everything in my absence and let me just say that I’m unspeakably proud of every single person here.” A brief applause echoes through the spacious chamber before the ladies give me a chance to continue. “I’m looking forward to spending this night alongside you once more. But, this won’t be just any normal night. We have been probing our valuable customers about some new services that are bound to be introduced in the near future, but I think it’s time to take another step in that direction. I’m sure many of you know what I’m talking about.” Excited murmurs take over the silence this time as the girls exchange cheery and hopeful smiles. Not everyone is up to speed with the topic but their more experienced and well-informed colleagues quickly fill them in so I give everyone a bit more time to make some small talk and explanations. Unfortunately, the excitement is much higher this time and I have to smack my palms together once more or we would end up standing there for far too long. “Now, what does that exactly mean? It means I would like to ask for a favour from some of you. About halfway through the night, I would like for about a dozen or more ladies to walk in here while wearing the costumes prepared by our talented tailors and designers.” I gesture at Mari standing a bit away from me along with my wives and she sports a shy blush while meeting the gazes of some girls. “They will be able to choose whichever clothes they want, as long as there are no copies this time. Their role will be pretty simple, to wander through the crowd and chat up those who look at them with some interest.” I can see the urge in everyone’s eyes to turn around and discuss this opportunity with their neighbours but they do their best to keep calm and listen further. It’s not that surprising, honestly. There might be a few women who may not enjoy cosplay as much as the rest, but for the majority, it’s a fun new way to bring some entertainment to their usually monotonous days or nights. “We need more information, first and foremost,” I add quickly. “If they like the idea, what would they change if they had the chance, what themes they would love to see the most, if they know more people who would be interested in participating in such services, and so on. Personal interviews are always better to dig out all the details. People will be more willing to share if you make them comfortable and focused on things that please them visually.” Everyone nods along with my words, definitely taking mental notes of what is expected of them in case they end up selected for this event. “Naturally, this isn’t all you are allowed to do.” I roam my gaze over all the curious faces. “Don’t be too pushy tonight, but if you manage to find someone interested in having the privilege of being one of the first customers to get a sneak peek at this new service, you are free to have some fun with them. Just stress out that they shall not speak of any details besides what they have seen in the reception hall and you are good to go. You can even act accordingly with your getup if you wish to. And don’t forget to ask for some feedback afterwards. If you manage to leave them conscious.” A rolling wave of giggles spreads through the crowd. Considering all the clearly visible excitement, I’m sure it will be hard for them not to go all the way. “So, this is the plan for tonight. After the briefing ends, please remain here for a while longer. I’ll consult my lovely wives and assistants to pick the lucky ladies. It won’t be random, that I can say out loud. How you've been doing during your acting classes and some other activities does play a role in it. But, don’t worry, everyone interested in this will get their chance. One day, this new idea is going to be just another option available to all our guests.” Then, I exchange a few glances with Elea, Ria, and Cornelia, and my little family steps forward. We briefly discuss some more formal matters regarding the brothel. I mostly leave it to them while listening attentively. Sirgia brings up the reconstruction and upcoming changes, including the area for aquatic races. Even Velen joins in to introduce some of their new solutions and supplements. And we can’t forget Mari, who gushes about the projects she’s still working on. The atmosphere switches around when they are done and it's the ladies’ turn to report anything worth our attention. We hear everyone out, no matter how small and unimportant their thing is, according to them, of course. I’m happy to hear that pretty much everyone brings up quite positive news and information and there are only a bunch of little mishaps and improper elements to report. It’s nothing major and we immediately aim to fix those issues or uncomfortable aspects. With that part done, we move on to the most important and greatly awaited moment. Elea presents me with a neat list of names with their assigned scores and some comments from the teachers. It’s clearly made by Ria considering how neat the informative table is. You can see the accountant’s touch in it. We approach the candidates one by one and let them know about our choice. Then, after some initial explosions of joy and gratitude, we ask about their choice of costume. Mari and Nyfile showcase the designs that we already have in store and everyone picks up something that interests them, making sure that they can easily get into the connected personality without an issue. All slots taken, we close the meeting and begin preparations. There isn’t much time before we open. I oversee the lively rush as girls run everywhere and make final changes. Most of the time, I stay by Elise, observing everything from the reception. Garrena and Teffith take their usual spots. Additionally, I notice a few of my cute mercenaries dressed up in suits being sent to stand in front of the entrance. I guess this is a great way for them to gain some experience in guarding or escorting VIPs. Looks like I won’t have to worry much about our first commission. I gotta thank the instructors properly for their smart efforts. The opening hour arrives in a flash and we hear the noise of carriages strolling into the front yard almost immediately. From what I’ve been told, some important figures can now order a ride to our establishment for the beginning of the night before the transportation service switches to public use, both matching its main purpose and the slightly less decent one. As crowds start spilling into the main hall, I leave Elise to her responsibilities with a peck on the cheek and position myself above her, on the balcony at the half-level, getting a good view of the visitors. Plenty of old-timers quickly notice my presence and smile merrily, exchanging words with their companions while pointing my way. Things continue exactly the way I remember them going. People split into various groups, heading for different kinds of entertainment. Our ladies stroll around them and enjoy themselves with their favourite guests, already knowing who to approach for an interesting night. The Pleasure Chambers are booked out in a flash and a section of the waiting lounge is quickly taken over by very expectant women, being placated by a bunch of our girls, mostly Tieflings, who introduce new and interesting toys and options to them before a spot opens. Looks like there isn’t that much awkwardness and embarrassment among our female visitors anymore if they can literally sit around a table with a plethora of dildos and other tools lined up between them as someone sings praises of their correct use. I wonder if it’s thanks to the chambers or the influence of our quite open employees, like Mafaris. Soon, I move off my porch and start interacting with the guests too. Many approach me to exchange polite greetings and express their joy for my return. I listen to some tales and stories regarding their time at my place during my absence, glad to hear that it’s all good words and experiences. Unsurprisingly, the topic of us branching out into the mercenary market comes up a few times too. And as one would have expected, it surfaces mostly among the merchants who come here to take their minds off their constant financial and logistical issues. They express their hope and expectations for our new business to flourish just like the brothel has. News does travel fast and they have even heard about the exam. Someone must be quite the gossip in the guild. I bet it’s none of the people our girls beat into a pulp. So, it turns out that we actually might already have some prospective new and maybe loyal clients right from the day we officially open for work. The merchants I chat with hint quite obviously at their interest in hiring us as escorts and such. It’s no secret that our worker girls can take good care of themselves and people expect our professionally-trained elites to be on an even higher level. Which is completely accurate. I assure my conversation partners that they will not be disappointed if they choose to trust us with their requests and let them know that we’ll be up and ready in just a day or two. The headquarters are almost there and I’m pretty sure I’ve already found a fitting receptionist. Our merc girls are thrilled to get their chance to prove themselves in the field too. I can’t keep them away for much longer or they will explode on the spot. Especially the Beastkin girls. Time flies as everyone enjoys themselves, including me, of course. This is what I’ve been missing. The constant chatter, hallways full of cheerful people, folks laughing comfortably with girls of various races, and noble ladies giggling together while unsteadily walking down the stairs, sending me flushed glances while trying to hide the fact that they had just most likely blasted all their holes open with multiple devices mounted in the special chambers. You really can’t judge by the looks sometimes. The shyest, most petite one wearing bookish glasses has the most trouble putting her feet one after another. To the extent that I take pity on her and lend the sweet girl my arm as she bashfully looks away until I escort her to a free carriage. No doubt she isn’t making it home in that state on her own. Soon, the designated hour arrives close and I exchange a nod with Cornelia. Even though she doesn’t man the reception tonight, she wanted to remain around and help with a thing or two. She scurries away to the back of the mansion while a bunch of girls excuse themselves from their conversations and follow her. I make my way to the stairs once more and stop at the top this time. Sirgia rolls out a hanging gong and sets it up by my side. It will certainly be helpful in getting everyone to quiet down. I kneel down to fluff her beautiful hair and pepper her cheeks in kisses before she trots away to continue whatever she has been doing before. When Cornelia joins me and we share another nod, I summon my draconic hilt and shape its core into a blunt hammer. Taking a deep breath, I hit the metal plate and a powerful, resonating sound travels through the hall. Surprisingly, it’s much less annoying and invasive than I would have thought. On the contrary, I quite like its noise. It didn’t make anyone jump in place out of fright but achieved its intended purpose and the chatting died down. Clearing my throat, I step closer to the railing. “Ladies and gentlemen. I apologise for this unexpected disruption of your pleasant time but I have an important announcement to make. I hope you can spare me some of your attention for just a moment.” Seeing no visible refusal to my request, I continue right away. “It’s been a good while since we opened this establishment with my incredible wives. As you may already know, our first priority was always the quality of service offered to our honourable guests and visitors. Right after the well-being and comfort of our irreplaceable girls, of course.” Some customers chuckle at my little play and nod in agreement. “A few of you might still remember that we opened without as diverse a cast of beautiful ladies as we can boast of right now. But, since that very first day, we always aspired to keep growing in every possible area, especially the number of sexy races available to feast your eyes on. And not just eyes.” I notice a bunch of girls trying their best to steal the attention of their conversation partners back by acting quite flirty and touchy. They are having way too much fun with this already. “Today is finally the day we bring you something new,” I add with a brief pause. “It’s almost time to introduce our new service, or services if you consider the joint aspects of what I’m about to present as two different elements, which are undoubtedly the biggest innovation since the establishment’s carriages.” That gets everyone’s focus to the highest levels and the aforementioned girls huff at themselves for utterly failing their seductive games. “But, before we begin, I would like to respectfully ask everyone gathered here to try and keep as much of what you are going to see and experience to yourselves. I’m aware that we won’t be able to stop rumours and gossip from leaking out, but this is something you will have the privilege to be the first customers to ever see and possibly sample. Way before the public learns about it. It’s my way of showing gratitude to you all who support me and the hardworking ladies.” Cheers and applause interrupt me for a moment as some men loudly swear to say nothing, bringing a wide grin to my lips. “Thank you, thank you. Now, let us not waste any more time and get to the main point. Ladies!” I clap my hands three times and the doors on each side of the reception fling open. A line of women in very characteristic and eye-catching costumes walks into the main hall with a confident step on both left and right. There’s a guild receptionist, a robed scholar, a quirky store clerk, an awe-inspiring priestess, a rough military officer, and a few others. People stare at them with curiosity and confusion, perhaps trying to figure out what women of those professions are doing here. As the dressed-up ladies spread themselves over the bottom floor, I address the crowd once more. “Please, do not worry. If you haven’t noticed yet, you are looking at some of our best employees, just with a little twist. Tonight I have the pleasure to introduce you to a thing we call cosplay. In the near future, our girls will be able to don every single style of attire from every single corner of the world to suit your needs even better.” The intrigue is very clear in everyone gathered here. I have them. “Did you stumble on a hot adventurer on your travels but she would cut your head off just for daring to approach her? Do you have a crush on the clerk from the bakery at the next corner but she’s already happily married? Have you found the gate guard irresistibly attractive in that impressive full armour? Now you can fulfil your dreams without any risk!” For a few seconds, I just stare down at the guests with my arms spread wide and an uncomfortable silence hangs in the air. Before I can start wondering if I might have fucked something up by saying something that actually struck the wrong nerve, the entire building shakes violently as a roar of pure elation explodes right in my face. Men start yanking their comrades by their clothes while screaming incomprehensible words. And that includes some of the more mature ones too, not just the youth. It takes about five hits of the gong to calm them down. I’m so glad we actually thought to bring it out. “Hear me out for a bit longer!” I shout firmly. “While you will be able to gaze upon those mesmerising costumes for the remainder of the night, do not forget that they are just a few samples we have on hand. Don’t feel shy and suggest your own ideas for attire you would like to see them in. We can’t think of everything on our own. That’s why we need your help. But, that’s not all. There’s one more thing.” My eyes roam over their faces glowing with anticipation. Many gazes already wander off to the dressed girls. I need to keep it short. “With an additional introduction of roleplay, you will be able not only to witness the ladies in these amazing costumes, but also experience what it really means to meet the real person wearing them! Every single one of these girls is more than qualified to act the part, and it does include the more on-hand situations! Ladies, please!” With a snap of my fingers, all new arrivals change their demeanour in a blink. The guard girl starts glaring at the customers while crossing her arms and jutting out her hip, emanating a rough, soldierly aura. The guild receptionist becomes so friendly and cheerful her smile can melt hearts as she waves at everyone. The robed mage shrinks in herself a little bit, fixing her scholarly glasses as she timidly looks around with an adorable blush. The priestess regards everyone with a motherly expression, offering fake prayers to the Goddess in their name. And so on. Before another sudden eruption, I squeeze in a few more words. “You can learn more about these two services at the reception! Please, read carefully every single paragraph of our terms and conditions and ask all the questions that come to your mind! We trust you not to abuse this new opportunity in the heat of the moment and remind you that the consequences of breaking the agreements can be very serious!” The moment the last word leaves my lips, a tsunami of people rushes towards the reception, causing Elise to scream from shock. Poor girl. I need to get down there to help her out or she’ll grow to hate me for putting her out in the centre of all of this. “Ah, I almost forgot!” I enhance my voice to break through the positive chaos. “Neither of the new services is limited to male customers! Ladies are welcome to enjoy them as much as they can too!” Excited squealing joins the cheerful shouts, coming from the women bundled together on one side of the hall. There might be more interest in this from them than I would have first thought. Mafaris and other girls did insist on me adding this bit and it’s good that I listened to them. So many people I need to properly reward for their input. I have to figure out some impressive gifts rather than just pay them a visit. Cornelia joins me as we sprint to the reception, aiding Elise in her battle against the animated swarm of people. Just as I said, everyone has to familiarise themselves with the inner workings of these new options and no one seems to cause any trouble during the briefing. Those who want to try the roleplay during the usual service have to sign a temporary NDA, but even that doesn’t deter them from throwing money at us. This will be an exhausting night. Somehow, after about an hour, we manage to calm most customers down and return to a slightly more controlled and relaxed atmosphere. Our cosplay girls split up pretty evenly. Half of them showcase their costumes to the visitors while luring a person or two into seemingly innocent chats, fishing for useful information from them. The other half takes up the rooms with their chosen guests, and they do have who to choose from with the number of interested men and women sky-high. Both groups switch regularly so that not a single girl ends up doing only the boring part forever. Another two hours later, things are looking well. No incidents, only joy, from both visitors and residents. The cosplay ladies come to me often to express their thanks for this opportunity as it's the most fun they ever had while working here. That makes me as happy as they are, promising them more clothes and personalities to pick from in the future. Naturally, the customers will also be able to select those by then, but I think having a pre-set team of women strolling through the corridors is a decent idea too. Sometimes people have no idea what they want until they see it. The closing hour draws near and the atmosphere changes noticeably. People are reluctant to start leaving but they remain respectful as much as possible while dragging out their departure for as long as they can. It’s always such an amusing sight. As a result, we finish about fifteen minutes after the designated time, giving everyone a bit more leeway due to all the excitement we have caused with our revelations. Then, we gather for a quick debriefing, where the cosplay girls take the majority of the time since literally all of us are super invested in hearing them out. Mari takes notes of all the suggestions from the customers. The operation is a huge success. We might need to try it out a few more times for the data to be solid and undebatable but everyone is aware that this is the correct way forward. We’ll cause another storm in the market and grow our popularity even more. Just as planned. With all things covered, we wrap up for the night, or the morning considering the early hour, and everyone returns to their rooms for a well-deserved rest. I don’t really need to sleep that much so I shuffle through all the notes of the meeting Ria and Elise made for us. The next day, I share a quick breakfast with some of my lovely wives and move out to the other side of the street to help with the headquarters. Things are moving fast and they should be finished today. The barracks, the offices, the meeting rooms, and some recreational facilities are ready. All that’s hidden underground doesn’t need to be fully operational and can be worked on in the meanwhile. Finding the right moment, I separate from the workers and go after our sweet receptionist. Turns out that Elise still lazes in my bed, and she has all the right to. I sneak into the sheets and embrace the lovely girl from behind, gently brushing my fingers through her hair, knowing well that she’s already awake. Elise pushes her body more into mine while humming softly, continuing to act as if she is asleep. Chuckling to myself, I slide the fingers of my other hand at a painfully slow pace down her smooth tummy, watching her delicious lips part in anticipation. But, before they reach their target, I bite into her collarbone, evoking a loud moan from the cute receptionist, causing her to cover her mouth in panic. “That’s what you get for trying to trick me.” I laugh into her delicate neck. “I’m starting to realise why Cornelia hits you so much,” she replies with a pout. “Would it have been so hard to… to… to touch me?” “You were asleep. You should be aware that I don’t touch anyone unconscious like that,” I tease her, both of us knowing that she wasn’t. “And if I give you my permission?” she asks with a hint of hope in her voice. “I would be glad to wake you up in a glorious way.” I kiss the mark my teeth left on her skin. “Next time, then.” Elise blushes fiercely. “In… In the back…” “Promise.” “So, anything I can help you with? Or did you come just to fool around with me?” She wiggles in place and turns around, pulling herself closer to me. “I would like to meet with your friend again. For a proper interview,” I explain. A wide grin shows up on her sunny face. “I knew you would like her. If you give me just a moment to make myself proper, I can go and arrange it for you. We can meet at the same cafe you scouted me in.” “I appreciate it but I would like to meet her alone. You won’t always be there to keep an eye on her or help her out. I’m going to take the interview seriously. She is applying for an important position,” I add, hoping that Lyona will be a bit more confident without Elise next to her. “Hmmm. I guess you are right. I’ll just tell her that I’m going to be busy at that moment.” Elise assumes a thoughtful expression. “I certainly hope she gets the job. It would be good for her.” “Does she need a place to stay too?” I wonder out loud. She shakes her head. “No. She’s quite well off. It’s just something she always wanted to do. I meant the change in environment. Solely being one of your employees elevates one’s standing so much. People show me a lot of respect and are much more polite than many adventurers. Not to mention being hit on. I think they assume that every woman besides the working girls is exclusively yours and they don’t even dare to try too much.” I snicker to myself. “Well, at least they aren’t wrong about your case.” “Yeah.” She giggles and takes a deep breath, rubbing her face into my chest. “We should get up. But I feel so lazy. Well… Maybe if there was something… That could wake me up properly…” Keeping her eyes on me, Elise rolls away, ending up on her belly. Her shapely behind creates an inviting hill under the sheets and she wiggles it innocently. The rosy shade colouring her cheeks grows even stronger as she tries to act bolder than usual, forcing herself to stare me down during her seductive actions. I can’t leave her efforts unrewarded so the sheets disappear a moment later, revealing a complete lack of underwear over the sly receptionist’s privates. Soon, I lie on top of her while kissing her ear from behind as she whimpers quietly to the accompaniment of loud smacking sounds. She can’t be more awake after we finish, a bunch of strong orgasms later. Extracting myself from Elise’s rear, I bring her to the baths and we take care of each other before moving into the city. She directs me to the cafe while going to meet Lyona on her own. It doesn’t take long for me to spot my potential employee amongst the people on the street. Surprisingly, she shows up in something different than her work uniform. Lyona wears what resembles a black lolita dress with some white details, a full set including even high kneesocks. I thought she looked good in the guild’s attire, but this honestly fits her beauty even more. Spotting me by one of the tables, she hastily trots up to it and makes a polite bow. “Good day, Mister Carter.” She still mostly avoids my gaze but appears calmer than during our encounter with Elise present. That’s certainly a good sign. “Good day to you too, Lyona. And you may freely call me Alastair. Please, take a seat and try not to overthink things. Just relax while we share a fun chat. I would like to get to know you a bit better.” Lyona gracefully takes her seat and I signal at the server to approach. I insist on her ordering whatever she likes and we both take chilled chocolate drinks. “I would like to say that it’s a huge honour to personally meet you, Mister Alastair.” She surprises me by starting the conversation first. “And also to apologise for my previous behaviour.” “Nothing to apologise for. Everyone gets anxious from time to time. And I bet Elise has put me on a quite high pedestal which only added to it.” I wave my hands dismissively. “So, I assume everything she said during our brief encounter is true?” Lyona graces me with a respectful nod. “Yes. If possible, I would like to change the place of my employment from the Adventurer’s Guild to your mercenary company. I think my expertise will be useful to you. From little, I’ve been learning all about adventurers and mercenaries. I’m familiar with how both operate in most regions of our realm.” That faint blush tinges her cheeks again as she briefly meets my eyes and then drops her gaze to her daintily joined hands over the surface of the table. “We most likely won’t be following the usual procedures, I’d like to say. So, it depends on how flexible and capable of adjusting you are.” I raise a slightly challenging brow at her. She straightens up just a little, raising her cute face to better match mine. “I’m a quick learner. And it’s something I’m passionate about. There are many things I would love to change in how the guilds and companies do business and I would be overjoyed to have a chance to take part in those changes. If I might be so bold, I would even like to offer my advice. Of course, I’ll keep my opinions to myself if they aren’t welcome.” Intriguing. She seems like a timid lady at first glance but there definitely is a fire to her. She might be the case of a person of action ending up stuck at the bottom of the ladder where they aren’t able to see through their dreams of making the world a better place. People like her are really valuable. “If Elise blabbered about me as much as I think she did, you most likely know that I appreciate my employees being creative and striving to improve our situation. I’m not omniscient, I make mistakes and miss things like everyone else. Taking advice from those smarter than me is how I’ve gotten where I am.” “I know.” Her lips curl into the tiniest smile as her cheeks flush in a lovely way. “That’s why I risked bringing it up, Mister Alastair.” “Good. I like that.” I nod at her. “Elise vouches for you quite vocally. I have just one more question and please pardon my rudeness for being so straightforward. You seemed a bit skittish during our first meeting. Will you be able to face our customers without appearing so… unconfident?” Lyona takes a deep breath and sits up with almost royal dignity. When her ruby eyes open again, they emanate an aura of cold, experienced professionalism. Her beautiful face loses most of its rosy shade and becomes truly serene. In a flash, she turns into the same woman I’ve seen in the guild while sneaking after her and Elise. “I swear upon my name as Lyona Altcroft that I won’t bring shame on your establishment with my demeanour and actions, Sir Carter. You can expect only the best from me during my working hours, and outside of them too if only you wish. I understand that being accepted for the position of receptionist is equivalent to becoming the face of a company and it’s my duty to represent you in the most positive light that can be achieved. Shall you find my candidature sufficient, I will aspire to never disappoint you and my colleagues.” I hold her enchanting gaze for a good few seconds and see no hints of her wavering. It almost feels like I’m sitting in front of a different version of Lianne. Save for all the smuttiness. The air of cold confidence around her is excellent. Not unapproachable enough to scare off people from talking to her but rather has that something that lures people in with her ethereal visage. “Impressive,” I compliment her. “You can stop now if you would like. You’ve proved your point. There’s no need to be so tense all the time.” Lyona relaxes a little and the tiny flush instantly returns to her cheeks. Damn. Our cosplay girls could learn a lot about acting like a princess from her. “Well, then. How much time do you have today?” I ask, finishing my drink. “I’m free for the rest of the day, Mister Alastair. I took a leave before coming here. It possibly might end up being permanent since the shift manager wasn’t too happy about that,” she replies with some timidness back in her delicate tone. I chuckle to myself. “I like decisive girls. You have the guts to take a risk for an opportunity you consider valuable. Let’s move to the headquarters and have you signed in.” She shows a bit more of her precious smile and we stand up, starting to walk home side by side. It is almost time to take over the mercenary segment.
Chapter 184 – First Client Second Time Spoiler: Chapter We stroll through the streets at a leisurely pace while exchanging a word or two. Lyona remains her mostly silent self, needing some kind of a prompt to speak up. She does rarely start a topic on her own, though it doesn’t happen that often. Not like it’s an issue. I can tell that she enjoys being on the receiving end more. Our brief chats revolve mostly around her and my work. And obviously, we wander onto the topic of the mercenary company too. I fill her in on most of the responsibilities and duties that are going to be expected from her if she doesn’t change her mind at the very last moment. I do my best to emphasise the fact that she can do that at any time if there is anything that might not lie right with her. She doesn’t show any signs of such thoughts, though. Even if we don’t talk that much. One thing I can discern is her desire to switch her occupation from a guild clerk to a mercenary one. It’s nothing extremely desperate but she does show that air of fixation on the position. Which isn’t too shocking considering everything she’s told me earlier. We soon arrive in front of the mansion and our upcoming headquarters. Lyona takes a moment to glance towards the massive residence before we head towards the less impressive establishment on the other side of the street. She’s definitely seen it not just once but I would lie if I said that it doesn’t fill you with at least some awe each time it appears in your vision. Wondering about her opinion about that side of our business, I lead our new potential clerk into the company’s main base of operations, making a mental note to ask about that sometime in the future. I would rather not spook her right here. There’s no need for her to have any kind of interaction with our business across the cobbled road. Though, I bet I don’t have to worry about much considering how talkative Elise seems to be around her. In the lobby of our soon-to-bee reception hall, only a handful of contractors and other workers loiter around, adding finishing touches to the not-that-big-but-still-majestic chamber. It’s mostly tapestries bearing our characteristic purplish shade and the crest present on all the uniforms worn by our troops and other girls. I bet it won’t be long before we see some paintings on these walls. Perhaps Neira will want to create another masterpiece to hang above the reception desk like the one in the brothel. This time, with our badass merc girls instead of her Elf sisters. And maybe with a tad less nudity, heh. Anyway, things are looking to be almost done. Leaving the people working on the final details in peace, I turn to Lyona and gesture around with my arms. “You might have already been here at least once before, but let me officially welcome you to Utopia’s Mercenary Corps Headquarters. This might be the room you will be seeing most of your time here since you don’t need local accommodations. At least according to Elise. Feel free to speak for yourself if she is mistaken.” I chuckle lightly. “Also, feel free to comment on anything you wish and offer your feedback. Anything you would want changed, altered, replaced, or added will be taken into consideration.” Lyona looks around with a calm gaze. “I heard that your other place is decorated with lots of paintings.” “That’s correct. Courtesy of our resident maestro.” I nod at her. “You are well informed. We might do the same here.” “Perhaps it would be more interesting to switch things up a little bit?” she asks, turning her ruby eyes to me. “What do you have in mind?” I raise a curious brow at the white-haired beauty. “Instead of paintings, you could do statues. Or rather busts. Each establishment would be unique, like a separate entity. Of course, many will still be aware of the company’s origins, but it could help create a more independent image in the minds of those who will be hesitant to take their request to a subsidiary of a brothel,” our potential recruit explains. “Just to make their feelings and emotions more at ease. I’m sure you are aware that attracting customers is the first and most important point of a good enterprise.” I stroke my chin. “Naturally. I don’t think we are going to have trouble finding clients. Last night convinced me otherwise. We might not have enough people to accept all the incoming requests. But, you aren’t wrong. Making this place a bit more different from the usual style seen at the brothel is an interesting suggestion. I guess we’ll have to look for someone good at sculpting. Well, I might already have some ideas from our employees.” “I suggested this course of action while having a solution in mind,” Lyona admits. “I know someone who can be considered talented and fair. He does occasional work for some noble families in the capital. They use him quite often but I should be able to introduce you through some of my connections. If our project catches his attention, he might become a regular collaborator. There isn’t much variety to the requests made by the higher classes so he is mostly bored from the mundane work.” “We haven’t even signed your contract and you are already contributing so much.” I smile at her. “Maybe I should hurry the fuck up before something unexpected ruins the chances of that happening.” That gets a faint smile from her and I bring Lyona in for a quick tour of the headquarters. We first move behind the reception, arriving in the backrooms. There’s nothing much here besides a resting area for the clerk and a few other recreational facilities. Also, we put a small archive there so that we could organise the documents close to the main front. At least those that have to be at hand. Then, we venture upstairs and go through a few well-decorated rooms. While our girls will have their little barracks underneath the establishment, it doesn’t hurt to have something more dignified available for some rare occasion. I did talk to them about giving them those rooms whenever they weren’t occupied but they wanted to stay together in the military-themed bunkhouses. There’s also an actual main archive at the very back of the building. Most documents and papers are going to end up here. Whenever necessary, they can be moved to the reception archive before they are needed, saving the clerk time on going back and forth to look for them. Finally, there’s the underground. The barracks are mostly done too while the other facilities are still in the process of either being moved or constructed from scratch. That’s mostly studios, workshops, labs, and forges. The training grounds seem almost done and look to be better than before. It must have been the highest priority after the garrison. And that’s good. The girls deserve a good space where they can fully let go. After the tour, we move back up and end the journey in the room that’s supposed to be my office for whenever I would need to be stationed here myself. When we step inside, Ria is already there, holding a small bundle of documents. She shows a friendly smile at both of us and invites me to join her. I sit down in the massive leather chair while Lyona gets seated opposite the ornamental oak desk on an only slightly more modest seat. My perfect accountant lady hovers over my side after setting down the papers between the two of us. “Alright.” I lean a bit back in my comfy chair. “Your last chance to back out. Not that you can’t leave after joining. Just figuratively speaking. If you still have any doubts about this, now is the moment to clear them out.” She receives her version of the contract and starts quietly scanning its contents. I’m not really familiar with all the details written in it but I trust Ria with all my heart. She wouldn’t have put anything unnecessary in there. Especially not with Elise’s friend as the recipient. If anything important needed my attention, she would have contacted me before this moment. It doesn’t take Lyona long to work her way through all the clauses and she raises her enchanting gaze to meet mine. “Isn’t the pay too great for the scope of my responsibilities?” “You don’t need to be wary,” Ria answers before I can. “There are no hidden reasons for that. Everything is as clearly written. Your position is quite an important one and your salary only mirrors that. And it’s an additional incentive to work really hard. Trust me, we can afford it.” The ladies stare at each other in silence for a few seconds before Lyona makes the faintest nod. “I don’t think I see any immediate issues with this offer. Though, some clauses feel a bit… too loose,” she points out, a tad uncertain. “Don’t hold back. Lay it on thick,” I instruct her. “Anything can be altered to suit the needs and wants of both of us.” “Also, don’t forget the last paragraph under the listed duties. You retain full rights to reject fulfilling any requests different from the described occurrences. We can make them but can’t force you into anything or terminate your employment because of that,” Ria clarifies and I quickly catch up on what they are discussing. “This is a clause mostly directed at us so that you can get properly rewarded for taking actions that aren’t specified in your contract. I don’t ever plan on scamming you out of your remuneration by insisting that you’ve been taking care of something outside the scope of your duties, thus not qualifying as work,” I add to reassure her more. “I see. That does sound logical,” Lyona agrees. “Then I think I’m ready to sign. Can I do that right now or do I need to quit my current job first? Officially, I mean.” Snickering lightly, I shake my head. “Feel free to seal the deal whenever you wish to. You get paid for the days or hours, so you don’t need to rush here to man the reception immediately. The money will flow after you properly settle everything with your former employer. That is, unless you need some upfront payment for that period.” It’s her turn to shake her head next. “No, I’m stable financially. I appreciate the offer, though. I would like to sign today and come to start as soon as you open to the public. Tomorrow or the day after, most likely.” “That’s good. We’ll most likely start tomorrow. But in case you won’t be able to make it, things should start picking up after tomorrow as more people learn about our not-that-grand opening. That’s when we’ll most likely have to write down plenty of requests since we are able to fulfil a few at once at best. Don’t want to spread the girls too thin right from the start.” Ria lets out a muffled chuckle at my choice of words and I almost roll my eyes. These women just never give me any rest. Not a thing I say can’t be taken sexually. That might be the curse that balances out all the blessings and luck I’m receiving in this world. “Understandable.” Lyona nods confidently. “I’ll do my best to study and research the request to arrange your subordinates in the most effective and efficient way possible.” “Their comfort and opinions have the highest priority, okay?” I raise a brow at her. “We do want our clients to be happy, but just like on the other side of the street, our girls have to be even happier.” “Of course. I’ll learn all I can about them to make sure that nothing troubling takes place. Do you think they will mind me trying to prod them with some rather boring and perhaps annoying questions about themselves?” she asks. “Why don’t we ask?” I snap my fingers with a smile and it takes only about a minute for someone to knock on the door. “Enter.” The sexy but ferocious ladies pour into the office and line up in two rows behind Lyona’s seat. Those with visible skin seem to be sweating a little bit. I must have interrupted their training or practice. The shorts and t-shirts or tank tops they are wearing further support that notion. The gallery of taut, slim bellies is hard not to stare at. Their gym wear is clearly designed to display their sculpted midriffs with pride. And joy. For the observer. Most likely me. Ressia steps forward and salutes. “Eden Beta reporting for duty, Boss!” They all stand with their chests held high and their hands joined behind their backs. They really are making a scene. But, I might have to get used to that. Something tells me they are going to act this way in front of everyone who isn’t directly connected to our chain of command. Not that I’m going to complain. Military girls have always been a decent turn-on. “At ease,” I command and they relax visibly. “This here is Lyona, our new employee and the person who will help me manage you. She will be responsible for manning the reception, taking in the requests, and assigning you to them alongside me, for the most part. You should treat her well or someone might find themselves bound to guarding some gluttonous prick’s morning trips to the shitter for the rest of their service.” Most of the ladies chuckle at my little joke but I don’t miss the hint of anxiousness that passes through at least a few of them. I show an obvious smirk to relieve them of some of that tension. “Now, she was wondering if you would be okay with her interrogating you girls a little. To do her job properly, Lyona will need to know you inside-out. What do you say?” I ask while propping my chin atop my joined palms. “We are like an open book, Boss!” Ressia exclaims loudly. “She may ask anything!” “Anything?” The goth lady turns around to show her sides to both of us. “Yessir!” the wolfgirl confirms. “What’s your most preferred position?” Ressia’s cheeks explode crimson in a flash but she does her best to remain just as confident as a moment ago. “From… behind. With my butt higher than my head… And my tail pulled… And maybe a hand around my throat…” she reveals with just a tiny bit of struggle. “Oh. I meant in a party.” Lyona’s eyes widen briefly as her skin flushes with rosiness just barely enough for me to notice. The other women snicker quietly as Ressia turns even redder. No one can fault her, though. Even I’ve been sure that was the topic of Lyona’s question. What else could it have been after confirming that she is allowed to ask anything? “B-Back too…” the ashamed wolfgirl stammers out. “And she is damn good at that. I’ve seen her with a bow. Trust me, you don’t want to be far away from her. She can nail you right in the chocolate chip mid-sprint. Both the hunter and the prey. Not that she isn’t just as lethal in close combat,” I try to butter her up a little with fully-earned compliments so that she doesn’t feel only embarrassed in front of everyone. Ressia’s tail turns into a high-speed wiper as it wags from the praise and she stands a little prouder. As a result, it pushes her firm chest more into the tight material of her tank top, emphasising her more-than-fair bust. And her nipples are clearly hard, most likely from imagining the mentioned position. Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to notice. “Thank you.” Lyona nods at her gratefully. “And I apologise for the confusion. I’ll be more specific in the future.” “Think nothing of it!” Ressia replies with more vigour and confidence. “We have no secrets in front of Boss and will gladly answer all questions if it will help us serve him better!” “I appreciate that,” I add, nodding at her too. “Now, I think we’ve proved the aforementioned point with this so you are free to return to your previous activities. Soon, you are going to get some real field experience. You earned it.” They all perk up at that and salute together before scurrying out of the office. Ressia leaves as the last one, sneaking a longing gaze at me through the gap in the door before fully closing it, her cheeks quite crimson again. Lyona is facing me once more so she misses all of it. But I don’t. It’s a clear message that the one she imagined in the described position was me and most likely only me. “Well, that went well.” I smile wryly and evoke a tiny smirk from the silent princess as a result. “I apologise again. I did not think my words through enough. But, I’m glad to see that they don’t have any issues working with a Human stranger. I’ve heard that most of your employees don’t have the best experiences with that particular race,” she says. “It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s mine and the other side of my business. At one point, you get so used to it that you automatically assume anything closely to suggestive or implicative is related to sex. I really hope it won’t make your work harder,” I share my concerns with her again. “The guild is already full of lecherous men. And women too. The receptionists are used to some level of hidden meanings,” Lyona informs me. “Considering that your main customers can let their pent-up desires right on the other side of the street, I don’t think many will bother to chat up the mercenary clerk with their corny lines. Much fewer than in the guild, that’s for sure.” “Great. I look forward to working with you, then. Your uniform will be waiting for you in the backrooms. Elise swore she knows your figure perfectly well and already commissioned it from our tailor. I hope you are okay with that.” I sigh amusedly. “Figured. I look forward to seeing it, then.” She stands up and makes a polite bow. “And thank you. For this opportunity and everything. I’ll see you tomorrow then, Boss.” I laugh out loud and wave my hand at her. “No need for that. You can say that it’s Ressia’s thing. Most of them call me Sir or Leader. You are free to pick whatever suits you. Alastair or Al is fine too.” With both of us up, I escort Lyona to the door of the office and we part ways. Before anything, I let Ria fill me in on the details of the contract so that I don’t suddenly freeze on the spot whenever our new employee asks about anything related to it. Of course, I can always connect with one of my amazing ladies for help, but that feels like cheating. I should at least play my part as her employer. Then, as I kind of expected with how reluctant Ria is to leave, we fool around for a moment, breaking in the desk as she calls it. True, it comes very close to breaking a few times. Considering that I haven’t put up the silencing ward, people below us will hopefully think that we were nailing down some furniture so that it doesn’t move around unintended. Which isn’t that far off from the truth. We might have used a different hammer for it, though. The next few hours I spend assisting the contractors around the headquarters. Ria obviously returns to the mansion and dives back into her own world which is full of numbers, letters, and tables. Freshly energised, she is definitely going to work twice as fast today. As I’m standing in the lobby and admiring how everything fits just so well together, an unfamiliar voice reaches my ears from behind. “Hello?” Turning around towards the entrance, I find the head of a middle-aged man poking through the gap he has opened. He has rich golden hair, impressive and neatly trimmed full beard and a fancy top hat attached firmly to the apex of his head. His eyes are vivid red, full of wisdom and also vitality. “Yes? How can I help you?” I ask with my hands on my hips. “A delivery of some sorts? Perhaps more furniture?” “Oh, no. I’m just a requester. This is where the headquarters of Utopia’s Mercenary Corps are located, right?” he inquires back, stepping into the lobby. “I’m sorry but we aren’t open for business yet. The official opening is tomorrow. There’s still a bit to do,” I apologise while gesturing around. “I know, I know.” He waves his hands placatingly. “Her Majesty told me the date but I’m getting more anxious the closer we get to the deadline without anything concrete established.” “Ah. You must be the person Her Majesty was going to recommend us to. It was a birthday party, right? I can see how it can be stressful with an approaching deadline.” I smile openly and signal for him to approach. “Correct. I was looking to hire a group of ceremonial guards to watch over my daughter’s little party. Her Majesty assured me that I would not be disappointed with your finest. I wanted to take a look at them if that’s alright. Not that I don’t trust the Queen’s judgement, but you get me.” “I guess it won’t hurt to discuss the terms of the request a day earlier. Let us move to my office while I let the ladies know to armour up.” I invite the man upstairs and he gladly follows. After we are seated, he stands up abruptly once more. “Goddess! Where are my manners? Abarth. It’s my pleasure.” He extends his firm hands to me and I do the same. “Alastair. Mine as well. So, anything you wanted to clarify, sir?” “How many of your mercenaries would you be able to assign to our request?” Abarth asks. “Considering the fact that Her Majesty is your referrer, I’m inclined to see through your request to the best of our ability. I currently have a dozen skilled fighters at my disposal and can give you all of them if that’s your wish,” I respond. “That’s a good number. If it’s no trouble for you, I would be glad to have them all.” He nods. “And what can you tell me about the request? Details of the party? The location? The schedule? The planned entertainment? Your expectations?” I pry for some useful information. “It’s going to be just one day, in the evening hours. Nothing big, only a few close friends of my daughter are going to show up. They are all young noble ladies so I don’t think they are going to cause your subordinates any trouble. Especially since I just wanted some pleasing to look at knights to serve more as a gallant decoration rather than actual guards. The event is taking place at our family mansion so our regular sentries will naturally be present and continue to do their jobs as usual. I can send you the full schedule after returning home but it’s not anything complex. They aren’t planning to leave the mansion and just share a pleasant time during an all-ladies evening. Something akin to a tea party. My expectations are simple too. I would like for your respected subordinates to pretty much stand to attention around the main chamber like the royal guards and look the part. Of course, they will be allowed to move, drink, eat, or take care of any necessities. Hopefully, retaining the decorum of a valiant knight while at it,” Abarth sums it up for me. “It does sound simple enough,” I agree. “They are elites. They wouldn’t have a problem standing actual guard for three days and nights straight so some pretend play isn’t a problem. As for the presentation, I can only hope that this will be enough to satisfy your needs, sir Abarth.” At that moment, the door opens and the girls walk inside with a proud gait, fully geared up in their official uniforms and armour. Knowing exactly what to do, they surround us by positioning themselves by the walls, facing the middle. Their faces remain neutral as they hold their chins high, reenacting the perfect definition of an English guard stationed in front of a palace. They keep their weapons displayed before them and stay completely still, almost unblinking. The man examines them attentively, moving his gaze from one girl to another. From the little bobs of his head, I can guess that he finds our getups pretty satisfactory. The ladies might not be wearing blindingly shiny full plate sets, but the designer uniforms merged with pieces of perfectly fitting armour and legendary-looking weapons create quite awesome image. The black and purple colours just add to their ferocious charm. Especially with the girls of a lighter carnation or fur. Yuru looks as badass as always with that massive sword strapped to her small back. “Yes. Yes. Her Majesty wasn’t exaggerating. They look very inspiring. Somehow, they manage to evoke both awe with their beautiful uniforms and the feeling of skilled professionalism. They don’t seem like poster guards in the slightest. I can tell that they are more than capable of handling themselves in most if not any fights,” Abarth compliments them, and to their credit, they don’t react even faintly. “Definitely. They are C-ranks, in the end. Even though that was just the highest they could have placed during the exams. If not for that, you would be looking at at least B or A-ranks right now.” I chuckle quietly. “Do we have an initial deal, then?” “Definitely,” he parrots me with a wide smile. “The party is in three days. I would love to submit the official request right now and we can calmly discuss the particularities during that time.” That’s good with me so we proceed to talk a little more about this arrangement with the girls present. They remain standing on guard, clearly wanting to impress our guest and show that they are fit for his request. After ironing out the most important parts like the price, we bid farewell to our first client, both sides unable to wait for the big day. For the rest of the current day though, I continue helping with the headquarters wherever I can. We wrap up all the important stuff and finish preparing the place for the grand opening. A few of the merc girls give me a hand with the last cleaning bits and we dust things off, mop the floor, and even polish all the surfaces. They are excited about their first job and I can’t really blame them. Everything they did during my absence was leading to it. Unsurprisingly, the next two and a half days fly by incredibly quickly. The brothel continues to operate as usual, with us gathering more and more info on the cosplay and roleplay services. Surprisingly, no rumours get out into the wilds as our loyal patrons keep their mouths relatively shut, listening to my polite request. Thanks to that, we are nearly done introducing their feedback. Some of the themed rooms are ready too. I especially like the library-themed one. Might want to bring Cornelia here once in a while. Maybe she will be interested in teaching me a lesson in her research mode. As for the day of the party, the girls have been buzzing right from the morning. It’s not until the evening that they are needed and they can barely sit still. It gets so bad that Cornelia and Elea send me out to the headquarters to calm them down. Some affectionate headpats, tail brushes, ear scratches, pecks, kisses, and affectionate rubs work perfectly well. I enjoy seeing the side of those badass women only I will ever get to witness behind closed doors. Their time soon comes and I conduct an official departure for them in the lobby. They slip into their resolute personas and head out in a practised formation. This will further advertise us to the people on the streets. And they have lots of fun doing that anyway. Now, while they do that, I stay in the headquarters to receive any potential requesters until the closing hours, which today are synchronised with the brothel opening ones since Lyona is absent. She’s been doing a great job the last two days, proving herself in battle from the very start. Plus, she looks super cute in her black and purple uniform, which isn’t that far off from the lolita dress I’ve seen her in during our interview. Leave it to Shino and Mari to perfectly read what the girl needs and looks best in. Today, she wasn’t able to come due to important family matters which she promised she’d done everything she could to get out of the way but just had no luck in it. I told her that it was alright and it took a moment to convince her that it wasn’t going to ruin her image for taking a leave literally a day or two after starting work. Sometimes, there are just things we have no control over. She was honest with me, I could tell. Same as with the brothel, I’ll have to find a substitute at some point in the near future because it’s silly to force everything solely on her. And because of days like this one. Thankfully, when the time to close comes, there are no latecomers so I can close up right away and head to the mansion to start the night alongside the girls. It honestly feels like working two part-time jobs. Not in the bad way, at least. But my circumstances are quite favourable. I love both of them with my whole heart. At some point in the late evening, perhaps two or three hours in, I get a ping from one of the mercenary girls. ~Leader. Oniri speaking. I would like to consult you about the job,~ the half-blood ninja Foxkin says. ~Go on. Any trouble?~ I focus on our connection to feel her emotions. ~No, Sir. But the hosts are paying more and more attention to us. They are trying to involve our members in their celebration more directly. We’ve been trying to politely turn them down citing our role but we don’t want to start sounding rude. What should we do?~ she explains and pleads for help. ~Hmmm. Technically speaking, you aren’t on real guard duty out there. And making the client pleased is the core of this request and this line of work in general. If they are the ones initiating this, I don’t think you have to resist too much. You can have some fun too. But, while I know that a bit of alcohol won’t impede your senses, maybe leave a few girls out of it just in case. Never too safe,~ I suggest a new course of action. ~Orders received. We will not disappoint. Thank you for your assistance, Leader. Oniri out.~ I chuckle under my nose, causing the person I’ve been speaking to before this mental conversation to raise a brow at me. Shino has really turned them into real soldiers. I’m starting to feel like some kind of a general. Refocusing on my own surroundings, I dive back into our lively party. The lobby and the recreational area are as full as always. I have my hands full too. Though, I do wonder what’s exactly happening on the other side of the town where the birthday celebration is taking place. It turns out that I might actually have a chance to investigate as about two hours later, another communication comes in. ~Boss. This is Ressia. May we speak?~ the wolfgirl slips into my mind. ~Naturally. What did they come up with this time?~ I ask amusedly. ~The ladies have been drinking with some of us and chatting about our work. Your person came up quite often, of course, and now they really want to meet you. Like, they basically demand you to show up since you are our superior and they want to speak to our superior or they are going to sabotage the request. The host is trying her best to calm them down but she is outnumbered. I’m afraid we won’t be able to de-escalate this situation on our own. They are a bit tipsy.~ Her voice carries a note of disappointment in herself. I rub my eyes with a sigh. Young noble ladies. Yeah. That sums it up pretty well. It seems that the guests have hijacked the party from the host. Perhaps it would be wise to show up and spare her the trouble. It’s her big day, in the end. ~I don’t really have a matching set, though,~ I think out loud inside our link. ~You do.~ A giggle reverberates through it, one that I very much recognize. ~Do you really think we prepared all those fancy armours for the girls but completely forgot about you, Sensei?~ I snort lightly. ~I should have known. You little minx. So, where’s my super suit, Shino?~ ~Already in your ring, Sensei. I hope you like it.~ Excusing myself from the crowd, I disappear into the open night and jog to the headquarters to change without anyone around. The main lobby is empty so it’s more than enough. Dismissing my current clothes, I summon the unfamiliar armour someone has slipped into my spatial storage when I wasn’t looking. In a flash, I appear in sturdy black boots, reinforced black leather pants, shiny dark purple metal chestplate, and a long black coat with a hood. Purplish accents decorate many little details of my war outfit while the logo of our company protrudes from the plate and is definitely etched into the back of the coat. Buttons and cuffs aren’t safe from some of those either. All in all, it’s damn edgy, but it is decently different from my usual suit while still remaining close to Utopia’s style and theme. “I’m going to have a word with that tiny vixen about her vision of me.” Snicker to myself, pull up the deep hood, summon my draconic artefact to shape it into a glorious greatsword, and head out. I have a party to crash.
Chapter 185 – Customer First Spoiler: Chapter It doesn’t take me long to run to my destination, thanks to all the strength the girls are sharing with me. It’s quite dark now so people barely notice a dark silhouette zooming past them like wind. I can very much notice another one zooming right after me over the rooftops. No surprise that Hecate isn’t going to let me head out alone. Stopping in front of one of the big mansions in the noble residential district, I take only one glance at the golden gate with big letters spelling ALTCROFT displayed in an arch atop it. It feels a tiny bit familiar for some reason, but I guess it must have appeared in the details of the commission or something. The residence’s sentries are clearly already informed about the situation and lead me inside. No doubt the guests have been vocal enough about their request for it to make it to them. A few flights of marble stairs and hallways later, I’m guided through massive double doors and enter a decently spacious chamber clearly meant to be a high-class meeting place with lots of sofas, tables for food, a dance floor, cosy fireplace, and so on. All marble and gold, of course. This family is clearly rich as fuck, but I already knew that from my initial talks about payment with Abarth. Loud laughing and giggling reach my ears as I glance around the room, spotting four of my girls still proudly standing by one wall each. The rest of them are sitting or strutting by the feminine voices in the resting area. Save for Ressia, who approaches me with her ears down and tail tucked between her legs. I give her a little ruffle as we meet. “Cheer up. You did great till this point. Lesson number one. Nothing ever goes according to plan. Now, let me take over. I heard there are some brats that need a good lecture.” A half-smile flashes briefly on her plump lips and her tail makes a few hesitant wags. She nods at me and I sneak in a quick peck on her cheek as I push forward, hearing the speed-up of her fluffy appendage behind me, almost making me chuckle. As I walk closer to the sofa our clients are piled up on, sharing drinks and laughs together, my girls notice my approach and tense up a little. I wave at them to be at ease and continue interacting with the guests as they have been. Arriving behind the group of five young ladies dressed in colourful decorative dresses, I cross my arms. They haven’t heard me approach, which is perfect. “I heard someone wished to see me?” I say with a deep tone. Four women gasp in shock as their heads snap to the back while the one in the middle sinks further into the sofa and hides her face in her hands, most likely from the pure embarrassment of having forced the boss of her hired guards to show up. Must be our pretty host. Glad to know that she has some leftover humility, even if it’s not really her fault so she shouldn’t feel too bad about it. “Goddess, I have goosebumps!” one of the ladies exclaims with a gleeful giggle. “How did you appear out of thin air? That was scary. You are like a murderer,” another adds with an excited shudder. “We’ve heard so much about you!” The third one beams at me and they exchange glances, giggling together again. “But, are you going to keep your face hidden? It does make you look a tad scary, I have to admit.” “That depends.” I walk around them to be in front of the sofa, next to the low table. “Are you going to behave nicely if I do?” Without waiting for a reply, I pull back my hood and shake my silver mane, raking my fingers through my hair to fix it up a little bit. Since I’m already here, I might as well humour them. Customer is always right and all that. Loud ooh’s and ahh’s escape their lips, save for one person, of course, who keeps feeling quite embarrassed. I don’t think she can sink any further into the cushion seat but she does a good job blending in with the white-gold furniture thanks to her lolita-style white dress and beautiful white hair. The other girls have similar dresses but of different colours of course. “My, my. How handsome. It looks like they were telling the truth.” The first lady in green fans herself with her petite hand while gazing up at me with flushed cheeks, not purely from the alcohol. “Now I can see why they are so infatuated with you,” the third one in blue comments, nibbling on her bottom lip. “Who wouldn’t want to work for such a looker? If I didn’t know better, I would easily assume he was a noble. A high one at that.” The second one in yellow studies me attentively. “See? And you kept trying to convince us that it isn’t worth it and that their boss definitely is some average-looking scholar-type or a seasoned adventuring veteran with a scarred face.” The last lady in red elbows the birthday girl, who still keeps her face hidden. Sounds like the host was doing her best to get her friends off their silly idea to demand my presence, which I certainly can appreciate. People who understand how you should treat any kind of hired service are really rare. It’s not much different here compared to Earth standards. Or perhaps it’s even a bit worse within the lands of this quite rough realm. Especially when the service is provided by non-humans. “And what if she would have been right?” I cross my arms over my chest. “What if I showed up extremely annoyed at your insane demand? You not only dragged my girls, who were supposed to guard you, into your celebrations, but even dared to order them to call for me. Though, threatened them is a more accurate word for it.” “Do you even know who we are?” The blue dress snickers, rolling her eyes lightly. “You would dare to raise a hand at your own customer? That’s not very professional of you. I wonder what the guild would have to say about that.” The woman in green grins devilishly “Please… Stop…” Some muffled and desperate requests make it through the white-haired girl’s fingers. “Oh, come on. It’s your birthday. Have some fun for once.” The yellow dress sighs at her friend. “All you do is work and study. All the time. We barely see you during our tea parties and galas.” “I’m all for you ladies having lots of fun tonight, but I would be glad to resolve whatever your inquiry with me is as soon as possible. This isn’t the only business I run and I took my leave from tending to other customers. They expect me to return soon,” I interrupt them before another round of comments bounces off the four young noblewomen. “Our inquiry, huh?” The same lady taps her plump lips. “You know what, I think I got a better idea.” “Oh, I know that look on your face.” The girl in red giggles, biting down on her lip. The golden one smirks alluringly. “Say, aren’t you tired after coming all the way here? Why don’t you sit down with us and moisten your throat a little? Right here, between me and our shy little friend.” “I appreciate the offer but I’m good here. And this much was nothing. I’m in fairly good shape. You’d need a lot more to make me break some sweat.” I smirk back at her obvious play. No doubt I would end up with all of those young ladies all over me in a flash. And, most likely, they would also try to push their timid friend onto me too. “It’s true. Master is the strongest of us. Even during our initiation, all of us working together could not tire him out,” Oniri comments with a delicate flush and the other girls sitting with the ladies nod along. Even though our requesters lack context, the wave of giggles makes it clear what kind of thoughts and fantasies float through their minds. They might never get to learn how accurate those assumptions are. As long as none of my amazing mercenary beauties lets them know about that part of our activities too. The yellow dress clicks her tongue at me. “You are so impatient. But, no matter. Since you and your girls seem so confident in your incredible body, why don’t you… show us some proof, then?” “Are you suggesting I strip?” I raise an amused brow at her. More giggling ensues and she roams her gaze all over me before continuing. “Do I? I just don’t want to make your mercenaries sound like liars. It would be unfortunate if some rumours started spreading that perhaps not everything about this company is so truthful. But, it’s very easy to prevent that from happening.” “Do you really think I can’t protect the good image of my girls or myself? I guess the father of your celebrating friend didn’t tell you who it was that introduced him to us. Go on. Feel free to say whatever you want. We’ll see who will end up in bigger trouble.” I chuckle at her while shaking my head. “Oh, please, won’t you do it just this once?” The lady in green does her best impression of puppy eyes. “We are just so curious. It would be such an amazing gift for our friend here. A strong, muscular, powerful adventurer from up close. We won’t say anything about it to anyone, I swear.” “We can pay. Name your price,” the blue one chimes in. “Since this obviously wasn’t in the initial request, we will naturally cover the fee for additional services. Everything for our sweet friend, right?” The other women nod eagerly and direct dazzling smiles at me. I snort internally. It’s more than clear that they are just using their friend as an excuse to get some eye candy. And perhaps thanks to all the alcohol they have already consumed during the celebration, they definitely are much bolder with their demands and general behaviour than they usually are. There is no real reason for me to accept. But, as I glance over my girls sitting around the small coffee table, they all look up at me with somewhat curious and expectant gazes. A plethora of rosy cheeks meet my eyes, at least wherever they aren’t covered by adorable fur. I can also sense the women standing guard around the chamber listening to the exchange attentively. Well, why shouldn’t I give them a little show if they’ve been hyping me up for quite a while? And why shouldn’t I also show a few cocky noble ladies what happens when they mess with the wrong guy? Trying to hide my grin as my lovable mercenary squad realises my intentions through our bond and grows all excited in a flash, I gently shake my head and let out a heavy sigh. “Alright. But only because today is a special day and you are technically our first customers. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth to cancel the very first request. Sir Abarth seemed like a very nice man and I don’t want to make him anxious that the birthday party he planned for his daughter isn’t going to end well,” I respond to their taunts. They clap their hands and squeal like kids, exchanging glances with each other. The one in the red dress grabs the cloth covering the table and yanks it to the side, which results in all the plates, wine glasses, food, and drinks landing on the floor with loud clutter. But, of course, rich people couldn’t care less about wasting or destroying stuff they can just replace with a wave of their hand. Throwing the cloth away, she grabs a bottle of champagne from next to the sofa the main quintet is sitting on and the four somewhat tipsy ladies huddle up together, almost squishing the poor birthday girl between them. They wiggle around to get all comfortable and start taking swigs from the bottle while grinning excitedly and drilling holes in my person with their intense gazes. Though our host continues to hide herself in embarrassment, I can clearly tell that she does increase the gaps between her fingers by at least a tiny little bit. Honestly, I can’t really blame her. Curiosity is a powerful emotion. Maybe this will make it a tad easier for her and she’ll forget about her embarrassment for at least a moment, while the attention of her nagging friends also switches purely to me instead of tormenting her. I don’t mind her enjoying this fully since she seems like a great girl but I fear that pointing it out would only scare her away even more. So, with one more light sigh, I close my eyes and focus. The next time I open them, a wave of pleasant warmth gently spreads from me as I hit the four snotty noblewomen with quite a bit of my aura and skills. They flush instantly and some of them begin fanning themselves from me just looking at them with a charming smile. Let’s begin our little game. Putting my thumbs behind my belt, I step forward and get up onto the table. They chuckle quietly and lock their eyes on my fingers. I move them around a bit and then pull them up, evoking some disappointed groans. Trailing them over my leather vest, I reach the breastplate and knock on it with my knuckles three times. They all gasp as the metal disappears into my spatial storage and I smirk at them. Striking a somewhat alluring pose, I slowly turn around and give them a sweet smile over my shoulder. Wiggling my hips from side to side, I unhurriedly open my coat and let it slide off me, revealing more of my still-covered back. Some appreciative humming answers my efforts and when I also drop the vest, showing the purple shirt underneath, they all almost moan out loud. Those quiet cries become audible when I flex the material to its limits, listening to the sounds of the girls chugging the champagne down like thirsty travellers in the middle of a desert. Turning around once more, I bring my hands up to my collar and fiddle with the first button while raising a playful brow at the noble ladies. They swallow thickly even when it’s not their turn to drink anything and keep lightly nodding, reaching out with their necks most likely subconsciously. The gold dress is already breathing a tad quicker and shallower, unable to bring down the heat even with the fan she’s picked up in the meantime. Too bad something so puny won’t have the slightest effect on my Class. Each time I pop a button, still keeping the shirt relatively shut, they bite into their lips stronger. The passing bottle stops in someone’s frozen hand as all of their attention focuses on my chest. And I can now spot a barely noticeable sparkle of a red iris behind the slender fingers of our kind host. A small grin sneaks onto my lips and she clearly notices me noticing, shutting her digits close in a flash and sinking even deeper into the sofa, doing whatever she can to appear as small and insignificant as possible. Then, with one quick motion, I pull the shirt to the sides, ripping off the rest of the buttons. A collective gasp hits me right away, followed by a plethora of quite sultry moans. I let the shirt fall, but since it’s still tucked into my pants, it just hangs down from my belt behind my back. I act as if I’m examining my arms and front after the unexpected loss of attire, effectively flexing quite a few good-looking muscles. The lady in green groans thickly. “Goddess almighty… He’s more chiselled than the most expensive sculpture mommy hides in her closet…” “Look at those pecs, oh sweet daddy,” the one in red whispers with a slight shiver. The blue dress licks her lips while grinding her thighs together. “Girls… The stomach… So strong, yet so smooth… The abs, good lady…” “Forget the abs,” the golden chick breathes out heavily. “Look at those abdominal lines going below his belt... I bet his cock must be huge...” “I bet he fucks those girls with it like an animal,” the green one adds with a needy whine. They moan together with their cheeks blossoming with full crimson. A hand or two is sneakily travelling south here and there. That’s to be expected. I’m holding back enough for them not to instantly dive into the pot but their desires are stronger than I would have assumed. I guess that’s the young noble girls for you. “Stop hiding already and just look.” The yellow-dressed woman shakes the host. “You are missing out so much.” “No!” the victim protests firmly. “If you keep acting like a sheltered maiden he won’t show us more!” The one in red clothing groans. “It’s just starting to get good!” Somehow, the other ladies join in on the notion as I keep posing with my chest exposed and they grab the petite girl’s wrists. She fights back valiantly as they continue to admonish her silly behaviour and keep trying to convince the shy girl to let go. Then, with one good coordinated tug from both sides, they finally tear the gentle hands away and force the timid lady to look at me. Our eyes meet and we both freeze at once. It’s Lyona. Flashes of memories from earlier surge through my mind and it finally clicks. The man’s request for a noble birthday escort, her sudden absence on the day of the commission, the giant-ass lettering above the mansion’s gate, the lolita-style dress of the host, her lithe stature, perfectly white hair, and finally, ruby-like eyes. Man was I damn blind. Her face turns completely flushed in a fraction of a second and she springs to her feet, bolting away with surprising speed and agility. “Lyona!” I shout behind her as she disappears behind one of the intricate wooden doors, passing them so fast they slam shut strong enough to shake the entire frame. “Whoops.” The woman in gold blinks a few times in surprise. “She isn’t really that skittish normally.” I glare her way and she shudders lightly. But, I quickly tone it down as the only person I can blame for this entire thing is myself. If I paid more attention to everything, this could have been completely avoided. I knew that surname at the gate rang the fucking bell. “So… You guys know each other?” the green dress asks awkwardly. Ignoring her, I tell our girls to look after them and jump off the low table, heading for the same exit as Lyona. Behind the fancy door, I find a long corridor filled with paintings and busts. A few servants keep whispering between themselves so I approach one of the women and hit her with some of my aura. She gladly lets me know where Lyona went and I run after the spooked girl. Soon, I arrive in front of a glass exit leading into what looks like a spacious balcony. Seeing the familiar figure on the other side, I slow down and unhurriedly make my way into the open air. She definitely doesn’t miss my arrival but keeps her back to me while resting her elbows on the stone balustrade. Pondering briefly on what to do next, I decide to walk up to the edge too, keeping some distance between them so as not to scare Lyona away by being too pushy. She doesn’t run, but as I reach the guardrail, she turns her face away from me. I smile wryly to myself and rest my elbows on the stone too, letting out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry,” I begin before the silence draws out for way too long. “I have no idea how I haven’t realised Sir Abarth is your father and that this is your birthday party. There were so many signs. I’m just really stupid sometimes.” “No.” She shakes her head gently, still avoiding looking at me. “I’m sorry. I also didn’t notice until my father showed up with the girls by his side. I can’t believe I missed it. I even took a peek at the request. I really should have paid more attention to the client and other details.” “Looks like we both made ourselves look like goofballs.” I snicker lightly. “Gods, and speaking of the girls, they didn’t say a single word about this to me in their mental reports. There’s no way they didn’t recognise you. Someone might need a bit of disciplinary punishment.” That draws out a quiet chuckle from her. “Don’t be too hard on them, okay? They might have assumed that you were fully aware. It wouldn’t be surprising considering how infallible you are in their eyes. They kept singing only praises of you, both during our conversation back at the headquarters and here during the party.” “Well, even the Goddess makes mistakes sometimes.” I smirk to myself, sensing a slight pout at the very edge of my mind, almost making me snort. That uncomfortable silence which I wanted to avoid descends upon us. I really fucked up. But, that’s obvious. All I can do now is to salvage the situation as much as I can. Hopefully, this incident won’t make Lyona quit, though I would understand if she does. It might be really awkward and embarrassing to show up at work now. “Again, I’m really sorry.” I sigh once more. “I apologise for ruining your party. I let my ego take control of my actions and did something truly shameless. I never should have acted like that in front of you and your friends.” “No.” Lyona’s dazzling white hair ripples mesmerizingly as she shakes her head again. “They kept provoking you and you had all the right to answer them with much worse than you had. I have to apologise for being unable to keep them in check. They are my responsibility as a host and I failed at it.” “Hey, at least you tried.” I shrug lightly. “Not hard enough.” She exhales a little shakily. “I displayed a complete lack of competence today, and in recent days. If you would like to cancel our contract, I will understand. I don’t think I’m good enough to represent your company.” “What?” I look at her incredulously, noticing that she’s moved her face to the front now. “I am the one worrying here that you will quit because your boss just jumped on your table and started stripping right in front of you during your birthday party.” We chuckle together after a moment and return our gazes to the starry sky ahead of us. “So, I’m not getting fired?” Lyona sneaks a little glance my way. “Goddess, no.” I snort. “I need you. There aren’t that many people I can trust openly but you are a good person, I can feel it just by looking at you. Plus, Elise would be utterly heartbroken.” “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she replies a bit hesitantly. “Or even she doesn’t.” “Of course. We all have secrets or very private matters. It’s not like you know everything about me either,” I respond. “Though, I don’t know how much did Elise blabber out to you. Besides most likely the fact that I'm a lecherous womaniser who runs a brothel and keeps playing around with girls of all races, unable to keep his hands to himself.” “I don’t know about that.” Lyona takes one more peek my way, quickly averting her gaze. “She usually keeps talking about how incredible of a man you are and how her life changed after you hired her, and then took her in as your woman.” “Don’t believe everything she says. The girls tend to exaggerate things a lot. Especially when it comes to size.” I wink at her. She graces me with a quiet giggle as my little joke succeeds at easing the tension a little. Still somewhat awkward, Lyona doesn’t keep her gaze to the side, now mostly looking ahead or sneaking some peeks my way. Watching her pretty face from the profile, I notice her quite visibly quickened breathing. After that, another detail becomes apparent to me, the sweat slowly gathering over her forehead and flushed cheeks. Her hands are joined over the stone railing and keep rubbing together anxiously. “Are you alright?” I ask, slowly moving a little closer and leaning over the balustrade to take a better look at her. “Get away!” Lyona screams in panic, raising her voice for the first time ever, and jumps away. I hastily step in the other direction while raising my hands in the air. “It’s okay. I apologise. I’m not going to touch you or come anywhere close to you. If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I’ll leave right away.” “No!” she shouts back at me, almost turning my way but stopping herself at the last second. “It’s not your fault. It’s me. Well… Maybe it is a little bit…” I follow her quick, skittish glance and mentally slap myself on the forehead. I totally forgot that I ran out of that room with my top half completely naked. “Fuck. I’m so sorry. I’m really on a marathon of mistakes today, aren’t I?” I chuckle wryly. “I’ll get myself covered right away.” “It’s alright. It won’t really make too much of a difference,” she replies. “What?” I frown at her. “Why?” “Because… It’s the smell…” She shows a trace of an uneasy smile from the side. “Damn. I stink so much?” I give myself a quick sniff. “No.” Lyona chuckles sweetly at my actions. “It’s not bad but… enticing.” “Oh. Well, that’s actually part of my Class. I wanted to play a trick on your friends and make them a bit bothered with my abilities. Even when toned down, this is still a tiny bit noticeable to girls with good senses.” I rub the back of my head nervously. “No,” she disagrees for like the hundredth time. “This isn’t about that. Elise told me a little bit about your abilities and how amazing they are. Actually, I should be a little more resistant to your charms than others. The enticing smell comes… from your blood.” “My blood?” I smile at her confusedly. She studies me as much as she can without directly facing my way. There’s some inner turmoil taking place in her head for sure as she squeezes one hand with another anxiously. Coming to some kind of a decision, Lyona takes a deep breath, closes the additional distance we have recently created, and turns to me. “I… I’m a Vampire…” she admits, looking up at me with those deep, ruby eyes of hers. But, this time, they also glow with a scarlet hue in the light of a full moon. She swallows heavily, rolling her slender hands into fists, awaiting my reaction. “Really?” I smile softly. “That’s amazing.” “That’s… amazing?” Her adorable mouth hangs open in disbelief. “Yeah?” I smile at her warmly. “What else would it be?” “You are not… afraid?” she asks. “Does one’s race have to always dictate if they are good or bad?” I ask her back. “Though, honestly, this is my first time meeting a Vampire. I didn’t think humanoid Vampires existed in this… realm. All I could read about was mindless monsters craving for blood looking like a cross between a vulture and a wolf.” “That’s because our existence is closer to a secret,” she answers. “We don’t really have a country or even an established society. We hide amongst other races without ever revealing ourselves, concealing our unusual abilities or features behind our Classes. Only a Vampire can really recognize another Vampire on the streets.” “I see.” I nod at her, continuing to admire her gorgeous, bright red eyes. “Can you turn others into a Vampire with your bite?” “What?” She chuckles adorably. “No, why would you think that? We are born like any other humanoid race.” “Nevermind that.” I snicker awkwardly. “But you still need blood to survive, right? What about normal food?” “Blood is like water to us. Try not drinking any for an extended period of time and see what happens,” she replies with a gentle smile. “With the only difference being the fact that we can actually live just off blood, ignoring any other sustenance. For most other races, ignoring either is often a big problem.” “I guess that’s a nice perk. Depending on one thing.” I stroke my chin thoughtfully. “Do you need specific blood? Like… humanoid blood?” “Any blood works, as long as it’s not toxic or poisonous.” She shakes her head. “Animals do just fine, and even some monsters too. You might even find a bunch that can be considered delicacies. But, it’s true that blood from most humanoid races is the most nutritious and also tastes great.” “Do you suck people a little without them noticing?” I raise a brow at her. “Goddess, no!” Lyona waves her hands dismissively. “My family is a long line of medicinal alchemists and drug-based healers. We have contracts with many individuals or groups who deliver us samples of their blood for our research, in exchange for our products. And if we ever run low on our supplies, we hunt outside the city for deer or other game.” “That’s… actually super smart.” I nod to myself. “So, I guess I belong to those rare delicacies you mentioned earlier?” “It’s more than that,” she answers, her eyes roaming around my neck as she swallows lightly. “I think you can imagine how scenting a delicious meal can feel like. Just walking down the street and the wind wafts the mouth-watering smell right in your face. You salivate a little bit, perhaps your stomach rumbles, and you are drawn to it or reminded about your hunger.” Lyona slowly and sensually licks her pouty lips. “This is much more powerful.” She tries to compose herself with a deep breath but it might have a completely opposite effect as she inhales more of that scent and shudders. “As you might have heard from Elise or my friends, I’m not usually like this. Your blood is so potent that it affects my body. Just your mere presence makes me… hot. It’s like my blood answers to yours. Yearns to be united. But also knows it’s somehow inferior so it feels a bit anxious. It becomes… submissive. Yet the yearning is unfathomable.” That explains a thing or two. Now I understand how she can so quickly turn back to her neutral and cold persona right after leaving my close vicinity. It turns out that Lyona isn’t exactly extremely shy around me but it’s my blood that makes her a bit timid, like a star-struck fangirl being in the same room with their idol, I guess. Or a young girl in a room with the boy she’s crushing hard on. “I’ve never felt like this until the day Elise brought me in front of you,” Lyona continues. “I was so taken aback that I don’t think I uttered more words than my own name. No one in our family has either. It’s like in our legends, the tales of our ancestors, the ones we hail from.” Oh fuck. Here we go again. “It’s almost like you are a Primordial.” She chuckles softly and shakes her head at the hilarity of her own statement. Fucking knew it. I snort at her and rub my forehead. “Oh boy, do I have something to tell you…”
Chapter 186 – Just a Sip Spoiler: Chapter “What is it?” Lyona frowns gently at me as I try my best to hold back my laugh. “You won’t believe it.” I grin at her. “Do you have some special condition that makes your blood unique?” She tries to guess the reason behind my reaction. “It would honestly not be that surprising. You are very charismatic for a Human and it’s not often that one attracts the attention of other races. Not to mention convincing them to work in a brothel.” “You can say that.” I chuckle. “And while it certainly plays a small role in our quick development, this condition isn’t congenital but acquired. I was just lucky enough to approach the other races with a slightly different worldview. I’m glad to see that it’s slowly being spread throughout the kingdom too. We never expected to see the results so soon.” “Wait…” The beautiful Vampire lady strokes her chin. “You are behind the recent changes in legislations related to slavery and general treatment of demi-humans and monsterfolk?” “Well, the King and Queen are, to be perfectly accurate. But yeah, I did have some indirect influence on that topic.” I nod softly. “They’ve been supporting my endeavours for a long time. I could not wish for a better backer after arriving in this place the way I did.” “Are you a noble, then? I did not hear of House Carter in the capital and our family is quite long-lived as you can imagine.” Lyona ponders briefly, examining my face with her wise eyes. “Elise hasn’t mentioned anything about your status either. She did make you sound like someone extremely important, but I assumed she’s just found a really good boss.” “Not a noble. Though, I’m fairly sure the Queen will rectify that as soon as she can.” Shaking my head as the petite nymphomaniac appears in my mind, I chuckle lightly. “You get a certain level of influence when you are one of the Heroes.” “You are a Hero?!” The white-haired girl gasps quietly. “I’ve heard about and seen the Hero Party a few times in the city and during various official events, but I’ve never noticed you amongst them.” “It’s a long story.” I smile at her warmly. “We split up even before leaving the castle after our adaptation period. My Class ended up as something incomparably weak to theirs so I decided to stay behind and start a business instead. Well, it turned out that we’ve all been mistaken about it.” “I see. That’s why the Heroes visit your brothel that often. They come to reunite with you. I thought they were a very open group considering that they are otherworlders.” Lyona responds with a delicate smile too. “Your blood must be special because you are one too. I’ve never gotten close to them enough to catch a good whiff. It explains everything. Also, please don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell a soul without your explicit permission.” I laugh at her openly and she raises her brows at my small outburst. “That’s not it. My secret is much bigger. While it’s true that they are High Humans, I started as a normal Human for some reason. I wasn’t really supposed to get summoned alongside them. But, you can say that I’m no longer Human due to certain circumstances involving our benevolent Goddess.” Watching Lyona attentively, I bring up my status window, limiting it just to the section with general information, and make it visible to her. She focuses on the pink rectangle right away and her eyes widen in a flash as she quickly stumbles on my race. Her mouth hangs open with a cute oval as she takes the new information with a bit of shock. “This… This… Impossible…” Her ruby eyes jump to mine and she shivers lightly. “You are a Primordial?” “In flesh and blood.” I chuckle at her, shrugging a little. She swallows heavily and her whole body trembles. Noticing it early, I cross the distance separating us and catch her before her legs give in, resting the lithe Vampire on my chest. Lyona lets out an adorable gasp as she ends up with her cheek pressed to my skin. I catch her taking a deep breath and shivering once more, for a different reason entirely. Uh oh. “My Lord…” she whispers softly. “Nothing of that.” I delicately squeeze her waist. “I don’t need you to worship me or anything. Let’s just try to remain where we stood before our secrets came out of the shadows. Do you think you can do that?” After a silent moment, she nods in agreement and uses my body to correct herself. She still stays fairly close to me, resting her dainty fingers on my muscles, but manages to stand by herself now, looking up into my eyes with a plethora of thoughts and emotions swirling in her crimson irises. “Would it be easier on you if you grabbed a taste?” I snicker at her somewhat absent expression. “What?” She blinks a few times before actually focusing on me, a rosy blush colouring her pale cheeks. “Oh. Ummm… I think so? I’ve never really drunk Primordial blood. But if it works like any other, it will definitely be easier for me to control myself after satisfying the… hunger.” “How does this work exactly?” I raise a curious brow at her. “I only know bits that might not be true since they come from stories made up by my people. You already corrected me about how your people come to be. Our tales consider vampirism a disease.” “How awful…” Lyona grimaces softly before meeting my gaze once more. “There are various ways to consume blood. The freshest and most delicious comes straight from one’s arteries. You could either cut your wrist and let the Vampire press their lips to the wound, or allow them to use their fangs to pierce into the vessel.” Taking one hand off my chest, she moves it to her enticing lips and uses a finger to uncover one of her sharp fangs. I have to admit, seeing such a ferocious spike on a sweet little lady like her awakens a thing or two in me. I feel very aroused and quite anxious at the same time. She emanates an aura of a deadly predator and the sweetest prey just begging to be cuddled and pampered at the same time. “Damn, that’s hot…” I chuckle wryly, trying not to stare at her teeth all the time. “You aren’t recoiling.” She comments with a slightly awkward smile due to the finger between her plump lips. “Before you ask, our people are a thing of legend, a secret society as I’ve mentioned before. Humans or even other races often listen to exaggerated tales of our… conquests and hunts. The common reaction to seeing our fangs is usually… less favourable.” “We might not know each other that well yet, but I would have been sure you’ve listened to enough of Elise’s blabbering and heard things about my business from the noble ladies paying us a visit now and then to understand what kind of person I am.” I wink at her, deepening that lovely flush on her face. “That’s true. I apologise.” She glances away. “It’s alright.” I give her mesmerising hair a few pats. “Would you like to take a sip, then?” “Is that truly fine?” she asks a bit anxiously. “Are there some social or interpersonal rules this kind of arrangement has to follow?” I ask her back, wondering if perhaps this whole thing isn’t more intimate than I can imagine. “Nothing too serious.” Lyona shakes her head. “I’m just… a bit overwhelmed. To be given the chance to taste the blood of someone this important… I don’t know if I’m worthy enough.” “You are clearly struggling right now and there are still at least a few hours of taking care of your guests ahead of you.” I smirk at her knowingly. “And, if you want, you can consider this a job benefit. Since you are clearly quite rich, I’ll allow your payments to be taken in blood instead of gold. What do you think?” Her bright eyes widen briefly at my words before a determined and confident glint takes over. Lyona nods firmly, takes a step back, and makes a respectful curtsy in front of me. “I will perform my duties to my utmost ability, Lord Carter. If you truly decide to honour me with such an invaluable arrangement, I shall follow your wishes to the end of my time. I vow on my blood and the blood of my ancestors to devote myself to your cause,” she recites a quite serious oath but I don’t stop her in case it would be offensive to reject it. “I hear you.” Nodding politely, I reach out to place my hand on her shoulder, but she takes it midway and brings it to her lips to place a kiss on its back. Afterwards, she straightens up and takes a deep breath. “It’s my first time taking a blood oath. I don’t think anyone has made use of it in decades. My mother would faint if she learned of this.” “Did I get you into trouble with your family?” I ponder out loud. “Not in the slightest, Maste—ekhm, Lord Carter.” She blushes again after correcting herself. “If they learned who it is that I pledged my support to, my parents would be thrilled. But, I don’t intend to reveal your secrets to them and they might not be too happy about me dedicating myself to a normal Human.” I sigh softly. “You know you didn’t have to do that, right?” “Yes.” She nods a little timidly. “But I felt that it was only proper. The blood of a Primordial is considered the rarest of elixirs. To be perfectly honest, many would use the oath to bind themselves to one with their intentions not being so virtuous. They would give anything to receive it as often as they can. I promise though that it was not my goal to make you feel obliged to share it with me. I only wanted to offer something of equal value. And no, my work as your representative and receptionist doesn’t come even close to the value of your blood.” “It’s alright. I’m a fairly good judge of character and I can tell that you are a good person.” I smile at her gently. “Well, then. I should not make you wait so much after such a show of respect, huh?” She nibbles on her bottom lip as her eyes roam over my exposed front and I chuckle to myself. Glancing down at her, I consider how to approach this. I could cut myself without a problem. I could also let her sink her teeth into my wrist. That sounds quite alluring too. Or, I could go with something a bit more traditional… Looking to the side, I smirk to myself. Lyona offers me her hand as I reach out and I bring us closer to the stone balustrade. She observes me curiously and with some faint confusion as I put her between me and the short fancy fence. “May I?” I place my hands on her petite waist and she nods pensively. With one quick pull, I bring her up onto the balustrade and sit Lyona on its edge. It ends around my waist so she doesn’t tower over me that much with her relatively small frame. Her palms rest on my shoulders as she stares down at me with a faint smile. Then, as I pull her closer, her eyes dart to my fully exposed shoulders and she finally catches on. “You would… allow me to drink straight from your neck?” She swallows delicately. I chuckle and wink at her. “All yours for the taking. Don’t be shy now. Just promise not to drain me dry.” “I would never!” She hastily shakes her head and licks her lips afterwards, locked on my smooth skin. “Alright… I’ll begin… Please, let me know if I make you uncomfortable at any moment…” She checks my eyes one last time and leans forward. I tilt my head to the side to give her better access to my neck and support Lyona with my hands on her soft thighs. Her body presses into mine a bit, as much as it can with her a tiny bit hunched forward due to the faint height difference. Soon, I feel her lips touch my skin as she places a delicate kiss on it. Her tongue lightly flicks over my flesh, covering it with some of her warm saliva, before she opens her mouth and two sharp points graze my neck. With a faint prickling sensation, she sinks her Vampire fangs into me, followed by a deep, shuddering sigh. “Oh, Goddess…” A muffled whisper makes it out of her attached mouth. Lyona’s fingernails dig into my chest as she takes the first sip. It’s an incredible sensation when I can feel the light suction drawing on my blood. It’s neither too strong nor too weak. She knows exactly how much pressure to use to achieve her goal without disrupting the flow of blood through my system. It’s almost like she lets the blood itself dictate how quickly it comes to her. A sweet moan reaches my ears as she finishes the first swig. Her breathing hitches a little and Lyona has to wait a moment before she can make another draw. Suddenly, her legs spread a little and I watch her calves capture my waist, pulling me closer. Her hands wander to my back too, doing the same. She embraces me lovingly but firmly, clearly intending not to let me escape. I can feel her fingernails as they drag themselves down my spine while she relishes the taste of my blood. I hug her more too and she takes another sip. A small chuckle escapes my lips as she trembles from what I consider to be ecstasy. She definitely isn’t aware of just how much her slender limbs are squeezing me. If I were any normal Human, I would have quite some trouble breathing or keeping my ribs from getting crushed. But, that’s what I get for treating a Vampire girl to what can only be considered the ultra-rare and never before seen in the current age delicacy. At the same time, I can’t really complain too much. The current white lolita dress Lyona is wearing doesn’t belong to the thickest category. She isn’t big, but her feminine charms clearly make themselves apparent through the material, and I swear her hard nipples even manage to push through it. As expected, this is slowly turning into something more erotic than it possibly should have been. As if that wasn’t enough, her legs pull me in so strong that our waists are pretty much glued together. While her girly parts are definitely positioned a bit above my side of things, the heat that emanates from her core makes itself quite apparent over my lower abdomen. I have a feeling that if not for the multiple folds of her dress, I would be experiencing some fragrant wetness at the same time. Another shuddering moan graces my ears as Lyona wraps up the second helping. She sighs blissfully into my neck, exploring my back with her palms. I move my fingers up her spine and over her own neck, causing her to shiver once more as I thread them into her long hair, scratching her scalp. “So… Delicious…” she murmurs breathily. “One more?” “Go ahead.” I chuckle amusingly. “I can take it. Trust me, I will stop you if I have to, so just enjoy yourself.” “Thank you, Masterrrrrrrrrrr…” A light groan pushes it past my throat as Lyona sinks her fangs a tiny bit deeper into my flesh. I did not expect that sensation to feel so… good. She pulls more blood in, feasting on me just as I instructed her. Slowly but surely, I start noticing the strength and vitality she sucks out of me alongside the scarlet delicacy. Observing the exchange with my focused mind, trying my best to ignore just how erotic this entire thing feels, I cast Rejuvenate to check if the spell will have any effect on me. Immediately, I feel much lighter and unhurriedly regain the lost blood. Lyona gasps adorably, following that with a quiet, sultry whine. It looks like mixing my magic with my blood altered the taste or experience for her a tiny bit. She drains me quicker and stronger, taking a sip and releasing an unbearably cute moan after. That combination of alluring actions continues for a good while, until I finally feel her take a massive pull of my blood which lasts for almost half a minute. A massive sigh of pure relief leaves her lips after and no more draining follows. A slightly itchy sensation tickles my neck as she withdraws her fangs from my flesh and veins. As they plop out completely, something warm caresses the two holes and it doesn’t take me long to understand that she is affectionately licking the wounds. I push more Rejuvenate into that part of my neck but it seems like either her saliva has a healing effect too or she cast some silent spell or ability to mend the evidence of our little fun. Bit by bit, the tiny dots close up and disappear from my skin. Loyna presses a caring kiss into the place and lazily leans back. “That was… Impossible to describe…” she comments after finding my eyes, her cheeks now so scarlet red they basically glow with heat. “I don’t know what to say…” “Then say nothing.” I smile at her warmly, watching her delicious lips work for those shallow breaths. “I enjoyed being in your care too. I don’t know much about Vampire drinking habits, but I could tell that you cared for my experience even as much as you were consumed in your own bliss.” Lyona glances down at our joined bodies and graces me with a cute, fleeting giggle. Unfortunately, with her face as flushed as it already is, there’s no way for her to blush even more, but I just know she would if she could. “There were moments when I felt like I was gone,” she admits while looking deep into my eyes. “It worried me as I didn’t want to show you my unsightly side. But, through your touch, I could feel your support and encouragement. It allowed me to plunge into the depths of my craving without the risk of hurting you. I’ve never experienced anything like this with any other blood, even the most expensive one.” “I’m glad to hear that.” I bring my fingers out of her fragrant hair. “How do you feel now? Will it be a bit easier to rejoin your guests?” “After this immense heat leaves my body and face, it will.” She smiles timidly. “I still feel a tad dizzy and perhaps am in a bit of disbelief that all of it really happened.” Shaking her head lightly, she suddenly loses balance and I hastily grab her lithe waist before she leans too far back and slides off the balcony. Lyona gasps adorably and wraps her arms around my neck too, latching onto me for support. I end up with her pert breasts in front of my face and snort to myself quietly. Not wanting to keep her in an uncomfortable position, I slowly help her down to the ground and let Lyona continue resting against me. Bit by bit, she gradually recomposes herself and the crimson fades off her cheeks. She proceeds to examine her hands and clench them into fists repeatedly. “I feel so invigorated now. And powerful. It’s like I can punch holes in buildings,” she says with awe. Taking a few quick test swings and jabs, they clearly turn out to be much faster than she anticipated and her knuckles brush over the stone balustrade. Instead of scraping over the rough surface, they blow part of the railing into pieces, sending it hurling down towards the garden behind the mansion. Lyona yelps in shock and jumps closer to me, staring at the hole in the short stone fence with wide eyes. I laugh openly while shaking my head. “Well, it looks like you can.” I still snicker to myself as she turns her embarrassed gaze to me. “I assume that’s not the usual follow-up?” “No. Are Humans suddenly capable of snapping boards into two after drinking the best wine in the realm?” She shows the tiniest of smirks. “As I said, your blood is like an elixir. It’s so potent. And it looks like it gave me a new skill.” “Really? What kind?” I raise a curious brow at her. Lyona explores her status privately before responding. “I can consume your blood to strengthen myself greatly for a period of time. Also, the more I absorb it in general, the stronger I get overall, and it might result in some changes to my physique.” “Sounds like you can evolve to reach the state of the first Vampires to walk Naharren, most likely.” I stroke my chin. “No doubt things were different with Primordial blood being a staple element of your kind’s diet back then.” “I’ve never dreamed of such a possibility.” She glances into my eyes with pure amazement in her scarlet irises. “I’m receiving so much more than I should.” “Get used to it.” I shrug with a smirk. “I like giving more than receiving. Just ask any of the ladies at my home.” A comfortable silence falls onto us. We both stare into the distance, unbothered by the fact that we are leaning quite heavily into each other. And, that my top is still fully naked, with Lyona’s smooth fingers gently trailing all over it. “So, Elise doesn’t know, right?” I ask after a while. “As I said before, no, she doesn’t.” Lyona shakes her head. “She is a friend. I didn’t want to risk upsetting her by revealing myself. I don’t have many peers amongst other races, especially Humans. Does she know about you?” “Yes. I accepted her as one of my women and she is privy to everything.” I nod. “What about the ladies we left behind?” “They are Vampires too,” she explains. “I don’t really get along that well with them but it’s my duty as the daughter of House Altcroft to foster good relationships with other nobles and Vampire houses. Therefore, I couldn’t avoid inviting them. If it were up to me, I would have simply spent my birthday in an inn with Elise, just talking about our work.” “I see. How come my blood doesn’t have a similar effect on them?” I wonder out loud. “Oh, it does.” Lyona chuckles quietly. “Didn’t you notice how quickly the situation turned from simple curiosity into much more heated and unashamed requests? They demanded you to strip and clearly had no intentions of stopping above the belt. Due to all the alcohol they consumed, they might have not realised what was happening, but instinctually, they desired your blood, showing it by their crass carnal craving.” “Fair enough,” I agree. “Will it be safe for us to return to them, then?” “Definitely,” she replies confidently. “I’ll take my role as the host seriously from now on. They won’t harass you or your mercenaries anymore under my watch. I apologise once more for my actions from earlier in the night.” “Everything’s good.” I reassure her with a few pats, watching as she becomes the calm and collected Lyona I know from the guild. “While being timid and skittish certainly makes you adorable, I love that confident and cold demeanour of yours even more. Fits the whole Vampire Princess setting rather well.” Some fair rosiness returns to her cheeks as she graces me with a faint smile before nodding in thanks and schooling her expression a little. I dress myself up properly and Lyona offers me her elbow. Acting like the escorting knight which I am supposed to be for this request, I link my arm with hers and we walk out of the balcony together. We pass by a few servants, both male and female, who seem a bit anxious, so Lyona stops us to talk to them for a moment. She explains that something upset her earlier and I came rushing to comfort her, ignoring even my poor and shameful state of attire to lend her my support. We supposedly talked some in the fresh, evening air and everything is now back to normal. She makes it clear that they shouldn’t blame me for anything as all I wanted and did was in good faith. “Thank you,” I whisper to her after we move away. “It’s the least I can do to avoid unsavoury rumours from spreading amongst them. The maids can have a very active imagination. I’ll speak to Father about it later. There’s no doubt someone reported the sightings to him. I don’t want you to be seen as anything other than the hero who rushed after me with respectful worry,” she replies with a ladylike smile. “Considering my reputation as a brothel owner, this might be a stretch.” I chuckle quietly, eliciting a soft giggle from the pretty Vampire girl too. We reach the doors leading to the festive chamber and I hold them open for the star of the evening. Stepping inside, we take a glance over the room. The colourful ladies lay sprawled on the three sofas positioned around the main coffee table while sipping on wine, clearly more than tipsy already. Yuru, our full-blooded leopard girl, stands next to them with a big metal tray and keeps waving it vertically like a fan, cooling the women down. Ressia takes the spot on the other side, holding bottles of wine and some tasty grapes on hers, currently refilling the girl in yellow’s glass. Lyona frowns delicately as we approach them. “What are you doing? They are our guards, escorts, even guests, not your personal servants.” “Look who made it back!” The woman in blue giggles to herself. “Did the handsome sir help improve your mood? I’m glad to see he isn’t too quick, considering how long you were gone.” “Oh, come on! Why does he have more clothes on than before!” The one in blue groans and hiccups lightly. My new Vampire friend walks up to Yuru and takes the silver tray away with an apologetic smile, putting it on the side. “Hey! I was enjoying that!” The girl in green huffs and gets up. “What the hell, Lyona! First you take away the eye candy, then you return with it fully covered, and now you even interrupt our fanning service? You are ruining—” Lyona’s figure suddenly blurs and a powerful breeze hits the complaining noblewoman as she reappears in front of her with a hand around her throat. She stares at the slightly taller woman with a completely calm and impassive expression, showing coldness and indifference I recognize from her guild work. “I think you are forgetting whose birthday party it is, Ucelle. I will not tolerate any more disrespect towards our escorts and their leader. If you are dissatisfied with my hospitality, you are free to leave at any moment. If you decide to stay and continue causing trouble, I will have to leverage my rights as a host and deal with you accordingly.” She speaks firmly and slowly. Ucelle gazes down at her with wide, panicked eyes as her toes dangle in the air. Before her face can turn purple from the lack of oxygen, Lyona lets go of her and she stumbles back, falling onto the couch while coughing and massaging her throat, fear visible in her fully focused now eyes. The other guests fall into a fearful silence too as she drags her cold gaze over them and they shrink into themselves a bit. Lyona moves to Ressie and takes her tray too, thanking the wolfgirl for her help quietly. Inviting my girls to join them in turns and enjoy the snack and drinks too, she sits on the empty sofa and directs a polite smile my way. Sending a quick mental ping back home to check if everything is alright, I decide to stay at her place for a little longer. The rowdy ladies rein themselves in a tad and mostly listen to me and the mercs talk with their host about various things connected to our work and adventures. They do join in from time to time but are clearly more hesitant now, afraid of angering the white-haired lady. Lyona has really shown them who is the boss here and it doesn’t look like she does that too often, judging by the still confused and shocked glances they direct her way. Since everything seems to continue just fine, I excuse myself after a while and choose to head back. Exchanging just a few more words with my girls, I bid farewell to Lyona with a sneaky wink, and bow towards the other ladies. The kind host escorts me to the exit even though I insist that it isn’t necessary. “Thank you for everything again, Mas—Alastair.” Lyona clears her throat. “While I would prefer you to continue calling me Alastair or Al, if it gives you this much trouble, feel free to call me Master when we are amongst our own. It’s the oath, right?” I raise a curious brow at her. “Yes. I’m sorry, it’s just everything that’s ingrained into us from a young age. The blood oath has mostly been used for Vampires to offer their servitude to the stronger individuals of our race after the disappearance of Primordials. We are taught to respect it greatly. As I told you, it’s not common in the current age,” she explains further. “I’m fairly used to being called Master now so it’s alright. Just try not to slip up behind the counter and we are good.” I wink at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the headquarters. Don’t rush in early. Take proper rest after wrapping up the party.” “I don’t think I will sleep tonight after the boost you have given me, Master.” She sighs softly while absentmindedly tracing a finger over her pouty lips. “I feel like I could go on for days.” “Since it’s your first time, just take it easy. We’ll have plenty of time to test the effects of my blood on your body later,” I reply. Her cheeks flush a tiny bit under the moonlight and she nods. Taking one glance away, she turns her miraculously calm and beautiful face my way, quickly steps closer, and leaves a soft peck on the corner of my lips. “Thanks. I look forward to it. And to working for you. Have a good night, Master.” She curtsies respectfully and slowly walks back, disappearing behind the front door. Shaking my head, I smile to myself and look into the starry sky. There’s no day without a surprise, isn’t there?
Chapter 187 – Dressing Up ❤❤ Spoiler: Chapter After taking a quick glance back at the Altcroft family mansion, I shake my head with a light chuckle and get on the move. With a faint glimmer, a petite silhouette appears right next to me and I jump a little. Hecate stares back at me with those deep, black eyes of hers as I move my gaze to the source of the spooky effect. I really should get used to her jumpscares. Especially since I know that she’s always with me. Now I wonder if she had a nice view of our little blood transfusion session on the balcony. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she was hanging right above us, ready to strike Loyna down the moment things started getting out of control. Reaching out, I gently brush through her short, whitish hair. “Thanks for always looking out for me. Anything to report?” “No. Peaceful night. One thug. Dispatched now. Master no worry,” she responds, closing all pairs of her eyes to enjoy the delicate caresses. Well, I guess one bad guy caught can be considered a peaceful night in this world. “Good work. Let’s go home now. Would you like to accompany me or return to the sidelines?” I raise a brow at the cute spidergirl. “With Master.” She opens her eyes and looks up firmly. “Alright. I have an idea. Come here.” I smile at her. Hecate steps closer and I turn around, crouching to the ground. Glancing over my shoulder at her, I gesture at her legs with my eyes and then nod at myself. She processes the signs for a few seconds, but as expected, the smart Arachne figures out my intentions fairly quickly and places her thighs on my shoulders, letting her feet dangle in front of my chest. Without further ado, I stand up and she naturally buries her slender fingers in my hair. With one last glance at the sweet pale lady, I begin our journey back. No surprise there, we don’t really talk much while on the go. Hecate is the silent type and she’s only just learning some proper words so it’s all good. I can’t neglect my little vigilante just because she can’t easily reply to every single question and statement, can I? Her smart and curious eyes wander over the people and buildings surrounding us from a nice vantage point. I’m sure part of the reason behind that is her desire to take the role of my guardian seriously. She doesn’t stop scanning the area for threats and suspicious signs. I affectionately caress her soft thighs as we move, showing some of my appreciation for her efforts. It takes a bit longer for us to get back than the trip to the Altcroft mansion, but that’s natural with my more casual pace. The streets at night are very charming and climatic. It would be a waste to rush through them again when there is no reason to hurry back home. I’ll still make it a good hour or two before the closing time so the patrons will get a chance to approach me. There were no reports of any incidents so we can take things easy. Soon, we reach our own pretty residence and Hecate jumps off me. Before she can escape to disappear behind her light-bending curtain, I catch her waist and pull the adorable spidergirl in for a delicate kiss. She rests her slim body on me while reciprocating the few pecks I shower her with. After making sure that my amazing bodyguard is rewarded properly, I pull away and nod at Hecate with a warm smile. Surprising me a little, she wraps her arms around me and gives me a quick, loving hug before stepping back and phasing out of sight. “Slowly but surely we are making progress.” I stare into empty space she’s left behind for a little while and turn to the mansion, switching back to my suit. The noise of a good time reaches my ears as I approach, and the sight that greets me past the entrance confirms that everyone is having lots of fun even without me present. Thankfully, our continuous test runs of the cosplay and roleplay services are keeping the most loyal of our guests entertained. At the same time, we are collecting some valuable data. Our amazing masters of craft and art are already working on some of the suggestions gathered from the patrons. Catching Elise’s attention, I nod the young madame’s way and she blushes a tiny bit. I’m very tempted to walk up to her and let her know where I’ve just been to tease our incredible receptionist, forcing her mind to keep thinking about the reasons behind it, but I try my best to hold that urge in. We’ll have to share a good, long conversation later with all three of us. If Lyona is going to stay, Elise and the others deserve to know about her circumstances. Better avoid a situation when someone discovers the secret on their own and gets spooked. For now, though, I slip into the crowd and mingle with the patrons. There’s still work to be done tonight. A few dudes notice my return and I’m quickly dragged into a decently interesting discussion about the superiority of priest mommies over military mommies. A cultured conversation for sure. The gentlemen seem pretty respectful of each other even though their exchange is full of strong emotions and feelings. And imagination, of course. Moving through the floors, I also bump into a girl or two from our side, and that pretty much always ends up with some light teasing and even a little inappropriate touching. Those hidden perverts get off to making fun of me and also receiving some secret affection in the middle of the crowd without getting caught. Tieflings are the worst. They are too skilled in the use of their tails. I’ve long lost count of how many Tiefling pussies flashed me during walk-by with raised skirts. Because of course, many girls still love the thrill of going full commando. Time flies rather enjoyably and we soon reach the finishing hours. Our guests slowly trickle out of the main hall and the other chambers. It’s always an amusing sight to see groups of noble women leaving together all giggly and rosy on the cheeks. Noble in the streets, freak in the sheets, as they say. We could write quite saucy books with what Mafaris and others have seen while overseeing the Pleasure Chambers or lending a hand to their customers. After seeing everyone out by the door like the proper host and business owner, I close the entrance and move to help the girls tidy things up. As expected, literally anyone I approach tries to shoo me away, but they are dreaming if they think that I will just laze around while they not only work during the open hours but also tire themselves out cleaning. It’s appreciated, but I do need to have some part in it. Before long, things are all taken care of. We’ve gotten pretty good with post-work cleaning and it doesn’t take ages to complete with everyone chiming in with whatever they are the best at. Magic and abilities certainly help. And, when you add all the boosts most of the women received from me, it just stacks up to absurd levels. I bet there aren’t that many maids in the kingdom who can lift and carry sofas and other furniture like they are made of feathers. Now, the only thing left is the debriefing and we all can grab a well-deserved nap. “Al?” Cornelia’s voice interrupts my train of thought and I spin to face my beautiful and smart wife. “Yes, my dear.” I grin at her. She rolls her enchanting eyes but shows a pleasant smirk on her delicious lips. “I remember someone reporting a slight damage to one of the roleplay chambers earlier. Do you want to check it yourself or should I send someone there instead?” “Well, now that you brought my attention to the issue, I’ll naturally see how bad it is.” I wink at her. “People really need to chill. It’s not even fully released to the public. The girls are fine?” “Yes, don’t worry. Sounded like a simple accident.” She waves my concerns off. “Take your time. As much as you need.” Moving closer to place a peck on my cheek, she briefs me on the location and walks away with a somewhat amused smile. I raise a curious brow at her but she disappears behind the corner without addressing it. Shrugging to myself, I make my way to the correct room and step inside. And the very moment I close the door, turning to face the stylized chamber, I freeze. But, it’s not because of the extent of damage, or the intricately detailed theme of a wooden dressing room before a bath. No, it’s due to the two unexpected figures present inside. Shino and Mari hang out by one of the dressing benches going through the middle of the room. My Japanese lover smiles my way slyly while our talented seamstress does her best to look at me but keeps dropping her gaze to the floor with rosy cheeks. While Shino wears her usual adventuring getup of a white shirt and black skirt with stockings, Mari has been put into what looks like a neat, styled uniform I'm pretty sure I've seen plenty of times in Shino's arts of university-themed collections. The cute tomboy wears simple red shoes, dark grey kneesocks, a short black skirt and a matching black top, adorned with a red collar. It’s quite ridiculous just how well it fits her. And I don’t mean in terms of the correct size and all. It’s hard to drag my eyes off the boyish cuteness. My samurai girlfriend giggles quietly and steps closer to the blushing student. “See? I told you Sensei would be speechless if you wore this, Mari-san. His brain can barely work after getting a dose of your beauty.” Mari gets even redder as she squirms under my gaze and Shino’s teasing fingers, which explore the tailor’s uniform. But, a happy smile does push through her shyness as she eyes me up too, focusing quite a lot on a certain point in the middle. Hell, there would have been a serious problem with me if there was nothing to focus on there after witnessing such a miraculous display. “It doesn’t look like there’s any damage to check.” I smirk at the sly shortie, crossing my arms over my chest. “Not yet.” She giggles again with a playful grin. “So, what’s the deal here?” I move my eyes between them. “Isn’t that obvious, Sensei? You’ve just walked into a women's changing room by accident. Since we are not shouting, screaming, and throwing things at you, there’s only one other way such an incident can move forward, isn’t there? I’m sure you have studied enough research material to figure it out.” “Is that right?” I chuckle to myself, doing my best not to roll my eyes at the scheming minx. “Is that the way where I apologise, turn around, get out, and continue with my responsibilities, which are giving everyone a quick debriefing before they retreat for the night like the proper boss that I am?” “That would be a quite sad and disappointing end of the story, wouldn’t it?” Shino shakes her head softly. “Especially since you don’t need to do any of that, Sensei, as Cornelia-san is already taking care of it at this very moment.” Curious about that, I prod my lovely magician with my senses and confirm that she seems to be talking to a lot of people. Because of course, she’s been in on this since the very beginning. What do I have to go through with these women… “So, what do you think of Mari-san, Sensei?” the teasing shortie asks. I take a short moment to properly admire Mari’s outfit and general charms before nodding approvingly. “If I was still a professor in this situation, I would have quite the dilemma regarding the commonly-enforced student-teacher relationships.” Shino leans in to whisper something to Mari and the other girl’s smile grows even more proud and charming. Then, she brings them both a few steps back and seats them both at the edge of one of the benches. Her left palm twirls over Mari’s covered tummy while her right hooks the outfit’s skirt and daintily pulls it up and up. “And now?” she asks with an impish expression. My brows rise as her shameful action reveals the bottom of what definitely seems to be a full-body sports swimsuit of navy blue colour. Its tight and stretchy material hugs the pouty edges of Mari’s girly mound in the perfect cameltoe. Her exposed, delicious thighs only add to the enticing and extremely erotic image. “Now, I believe I would need to look for a new job in another country because there’s no damn chance they are letting me into another nearby academy after this somehow gets out to the public.” I whistle appreciatively. Shino chuckles sweetly while Mari’s cheeks start to rival a tomato. She doesn’t seem to need a translation from my mischievous girlfriend this time. Unfortunately, my response evokes a slightly disappointing reaction as she closes her thighs in a faint wave of shyness that flows through her. “And here you have it.” The teasing minx smiles at the artisan girl. “What are you going to do now?” Mari clearly considers her reply for a moment while staring up at me intently before whispering something back to her, bringing an even wider grin onto the Japanese lady’s lips. Shino helps her up, guides her to the side, where a wall of fake wooden lockers is located, and then trots up to me. “Come, Sensei.” She giggles at me and I let her lead me by hand. She sits me down on the bench in front of Mari and jogs to rejoin the taller woman. They both direct one more glance my way before facing the lockers and… starting to undress. I watch as the two beauties slowly and sensually shed pieces of their uniforms right in front of my eyes. Shino does it with practised movements while Mari struggles a tiny bit to quickly wiggle out of her top. Receiving some help, she soon gets past the initial hurdle and removes her skirt and stockings too. In no time, two gorgeous girls stand in front of me in nothing but firm full-body swimsuits which emphasise their charms to the limits of the elastic fabric. Their plump behinds, perky breasts, hard nipples, and tender girly parts leave almost nothing to the imagination. Shino sends a sly wink my way and I shake my head with a light chuckle. Whispering something again to the slightly shy tomboy, she makes Mari step forward and the tanned goddess of adorable athletic perfection approaches me with her hands joined behind her back. “Could you help me… stretch a little… Sir?” she asks a bit nervously. I stand up and slowly close the distance separating us, placing my palms on her covered hips. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll happily oblige.” “It is.” She nods softly. “I… When I was briefly attending a school in the capital… I had a crush on one of our teachers… And—” “Shhh… That’s enough.” I silence her by pressing a finger to her delicate lips and smile warmly at her confirming her wishes. Even if Shino clearly instigated this, it doesn’t look like Mari has just been dragged into the entire thing without proper thought. So, before we continue, I walk to the lockers and remove most of my suit so as not to appear overdressed for the occasion. Naturally, I leave my underwear on since we are technically heading for a bath or a pool. According to the setting, of course. Then, I approach Mari again. “I’m with you.” She smiles at me sweetly and turns around. Seeing the obvious invitation as she starts stretching her arms above her head, I step closer and press myself into her from behind, delicately placing my fingers on her sides and trailing them up and down. Over her shoulder, I find Shino sitting on the bench in front of us while watching us with rapt attention, following the path of my fingers intently. No doubt her own digits are going to start their own journey in just a bit. As Mari continues her pre-fun workout, I drag my palms higher and run into the tender swell of her moderate chest. She lets out a heavier sigh and presses her butt more into me, definitely feeling the bulge in my shorts through the thin, elastic fabric. I follow her stretches to the side with my fingers tickling her hard nipples correspondingly with the direction, one per rep. When she leans forward to reach the ground with her fingers, I push myself into her more and drag my hands down her front and to her thighs, avoiding her girly parts for now. She shudders lightly as I caress her soft skin and I can tell how she rubs her ass in my crotch while bent forward, masking it as the motions of her repeated stretching. As she raises herself, I graze up her front again, ending at her breasts, giving them a fair squeeze. She glances at me over her shoulder while nibbling at her bottom lip and gestures down with her eyes while slightly widening her stance. I catch on right away and move one hand to the small of her back, staring her straight into those pretty gems as my palm slides down to her perfect ass. It doesn’t stop there and I watch Mari shiver again as my digits slide over her covered pussy, noticing a hint of disappointment when they move to her thigh. Nevertheless, she grabs the arm I’m holding for her at the front and extends her leg to the right, keeping her adorable face locked on mine. I squeeze her soft thigh while helping her raise it and show an impish grin. When she holds it steady on her own, I trail back to her stretched mound and start running my fingers over that tiny valley, causing her pupils to grow bigger. Her breathing hitches a bit as she struggles to keep her leg in the air and receive my gentle caresses. My other hand reaches one of her breasts and massages it affectionately. Her eyes skip briefly to my lips as she breathes at me quickly and I move my face a bit closer. She leans in too, but before our lips can meet, I change the course and leave a peck on her heated cheek. A quiet whine escapes Mari’s throat as I back off and make it obvious that she should swap legs. We both hear an adorable giggle, coming from the obvious person. One glance forward confirms that Shino is smiling at us while her dainty fingers work the fabric between her legs too. That little devil is enjoying the show to the fullest. Mari obediently switches her leg and I help her raise it again. She naturally looks back at me once more, from the other side now, and I meet her expectant eyes just as my palm presses into her feminine mound with a bit more strength. She bites into her lips as I tease her through the fabric, but leaves it be to raise the pace of her breathing when even my other hand moves south. With both of them below her belt, I use the fingers of my back hand to drag the bottom part of her swimsuit aside, uncovering her quite drenched folds for all to see. Mostly Shino since it would be difficult for me. Then, my front fingers slide down and one of them slips into her hot embrace. I’m graced with a delicious moan as my digit sinks into Mari’s gentle inner flesh. She trembles lightly and grasps my forearm with one hand while the other upholds her leg in the air. She drills holes in my face with her intense gaze as I delicately finger her wet pussy faster and faster. Soon, a different tone of moans joins the lewd symphony but we ignore those for now. “I… Can’t… Hold on…” Mari struggles to say in between her laboured breaths. It looks like she’s on the verge of a very good time after all that teasing so I guide her leg down for her to be able to stand properly, lend her my left forearm for additional support, and keep plunging my fingers into her hot channel from the front as we lean slightly forward. She continues to moan sweetly while on her tiptoes, bucking her hips lightly. “Ahhhh… Ahhhh… Sir…” She glances back at me again and I capture her lips with a deep kiss this time. “Mhhmmmmmm!” Mari shudders strongly and whines into my mouth as I tickle her shy pearl alongside my strokes. Her climax washes over her in a few powerful waves as she coats my fingers with her love nectar more and more. Kissing and fingering the adorable tomboy, I glance to the front and meet Shino’s eyes just as she reaches her peak too. The little samurai sinks her teeth in her lip and shoves her digits into her petite snatch while holding my gaze, shaking slightly too. The two girls slowly come down from their highs as Mari continues to nibble on my mouth. She then stumbles a little as her legs shake and I catch her quickly. An embarrassed chuckle escapes her lips but I just smile at her reassuringly. Guiding her forward, I lay her lithe form on the bench by Shino’s side. She gradually catches her breath as I step over the wooden plank and hover over her with my hands stroking her cute cheeks. The sweet tomboy glances down my front before finding my eyes again. “What should we… stretch next…?” I smirk at her. “I think we need to work on your core muscles. From what I felt earlier, you seem a little bit tense down there. They are quite tight.” She rewards my playful dirty talk with a beautiful blush and nods expectedly. “I’ll bring Sensei’s equipment out for you and get it ready,” Shino chimes in and makes a move before either of us can say a word. The small girl slips between the two of us, going straight for my underwear. She drops it in a flash and I feel her dainty fingers wrap around my member with tender care, starting to rub it up and down. Her sneaky play puts her cute butt right between mine and Mari’s faces, with her knees on the sides of the tomboy’s head. Mari stares at the tiny, dripping slit hovering over her nose with wide eyes as I chuckle at her. Sensing a warm, wet tongue around my tip, I exhale softly and gesture at Mari with my eyes to help me out a bit. She nods and I press Shino’s butt down. Then, I use my fingers to spread her fragrant lily, pulling the curtains to her secret place aside, causing Mari’s eyes to widen even more. But, she gets to work in no time, meeting my eyes as she begins tickling Shino’s pink insides with her tongue. A throaty moan hits my cock and I grin at the gorgeous tomboy. She understands the praise and licks with some more vigour. I keep Shino’s petals away as she laps her tender muscle over the shorter girl’s entrance while looking at me for guidance. I don’t hide anything, showing just how good Shino’s tongue is making me feel as I watch the little minx being eaten out for some additional entertainment. But, this isn’t about her this time so I slap the adorable butt after a while. “That’s enough. We have more stretching to do. Help your colleague a little. You have more experience with this equipment.” With one last suck, she plops my tip out of her mouth and moves back, smushing Mari’s face with her drenched slit in the process, causing the sweet tomboy to chuckle in amusement. She then grins at me mysteriously and pulls the other girl up a bit by her armpits. Mari ends up resting her back on Shino’s soft thighs while the petite samurai caresses her short hair. Figuring out her intentions, I put my hands under Mari’s knees and bring them close to her chest, relinquishing their control to the boyish girl as Mari holds them by her frame. “Ready?” I ask while aiming myself at her girly mound, coated with lots of sexy juices. “One moment,” Shino replies instead and slips the straps of Mari’s swimsuit off her shoulders, revealing a pair of moderate and perky breasts, also displaying her modest chest next. “Now it’s perfect.” “You damned pervert.” I shake my head at her and she giggles innocently. “Go on, Sir. Stretch me good,” Mari adds while attempting a confident grin. I lean forward and invite the sexy tomboy for a deep kiss as I slowly enter her hot passage. A quiet whine tickles my lips when I push past the initial boundary, but thanks to my saliva and all the previous teasing, Mari doesn’t seem in too much discomfort. She chases after my tongue as I fully sheathe myself in her marvellous pussy to the very hilt. “Haaaaah… Are all cocks so big? I feel so full,” she comments after breaking the kiss. “Sensei is special and you know it.” Shino chuckles. “But, he also knows how to use it.” Prompted by her comment, I start moving, slowly at first. Mari watches my face with a big smile as I slide in and out of her soft channel, occasionally glancing at her girly mound and pouty folds being stretched by my shaft as she holds herself open for me like the most lovely invitation. “Ahhh… Ahhhh… It feels good already…” She doesn’t hide her beautiful voice. “You can be rougher if you want… Ahhh…” Cupping up her gorgeous face, I thrust with more strength and her voice grows louder. Her sultry moans are joined by the noise of our lovemaking. My pelvis slaps into her thighs and cute pussy with each slam, bumping the boyish girl up constantly. Her pillowy hills bounce to the motion too, creating a pleasant show for me. Moving my fingers to her sides, I hammer her hungry snatch even more, making the bench squeak a little from our intense coupling. Shino keeps grinning proudly at both of us while enjoying the spectacle too. Looking forward, I meet her flushed face and she steals my lips greedily. I fight for dominance with her, letting our tongues dictate the course of the battle. At the same time, I never stop pounding the stretched tomboy underneath us with deep strokes. “Ahhh… Ahhh… Ahhh… I can’t believe… I’m already… Ahhhh…” Mari paws at my chest to recapture my attention and I drag myself away from the tiny seductress. Sensing her encroaching orgasm, I offer Mari my lips so she can peck and nibble on them as I take her knees from her and spread her even further. She moans and whines into my mouth as I aim for the most sensitive spots in her snug passage. Then, she suddenly tightens even more as Shino decides to chime in and starts flicking Mari’s bean with her sneaky fingers. “Ahhhh! Ahhhh! I’m coming! I’m coming! Please! Inside! Ahhhhh!” Mari breaks the kisses to shout at me and instantly gets back to assaulting my mouth. I groan into her as she squeezes me like a vice with her exploding climax and make the last, powerful thrust the moment we both cum. My milky seed coats her heated passage from inside as she squeezes everything out of me burst after burst. I unload completely without spilling a drop outside of her tight snatch. Mari sighs blissfully into my lips as we slowly finish. She opens her eyes and stares back at me with an adorable blush on her tomboyish face. A joyful grin curls the edges of her mouth up and we both chuckle together. “Sensei…” Shino’s breathy voice makes us glance up and we find the petite samurai girl biting on her lip as she rubs her small breast. “May I… have a turn too?” I snicker at her craving expression. “Well, it’s only proper to take little breaks between exercises so I could assist you while Mari rests. If she doesn’t mind.” “I don’t.” Mari smiles at my foreign girlfriend. “Please, enjoy yourselves.” Shino lunges after my lips in a flash and I gently extract myself from Mari’s amazing pussy. Carefully stepping over the lying beauty, I pick my short lover up and we kiss fervently as I carry Shino by her plump ass, her legs wrapped around me possessively. “I’ve dreamed about this scenario so many times…” she admits quietly, daintily pecking my mouth now. “Yeah, I’m sure you did.” I smirk at her. “And knowing you and your fantasies with my desk in our classroom, you most likely pictured something like this.” I let go of her and she plops her bare feet on the wooden planks beneath us. Before she can react, I firmly spin her around and aggressively push her lithe body forward. Shino gasps softly as I press her petite chest into the closed lockers and arch her back by pulling her butt to me, teasing the lips of her pussy with one hand. Widening her stance and holding one of her arms behind her back, I poke her dripping slit with my tip. “Yessssssss… I’ve been a bad girl, Sensei…” Shino shivers and looks back at me with a reverent glint in her charming purplish eyes. “I slacked off with my training and got fourth place in my last competition… I disappointed our team soooooo much…” “Looks like you need some disciplinary… lessons!” I shove myself into her narrow canal in one move, bumping her up to her toes. “Ahhhnnnnnnnn! I dooooo!” Shino whines lustfully with a joyful smile. “Ahhn! Ahhnnn! I need the coach! Ahnnn! To correct my behaviour! Ahnn!” “I know perfectly well how to handle delinquents like you,” I growl into her ear. “You’ll be a model athlete when I’m done with you!” She throws her pert ass into my thrusts with almost animalistic intensity and loud slapping fills the air. It’s been a little while since we had our moment but it looks like Shino has really been looking forward to it. My lovely little pervert. I’m going to make all your dreams and fantasies come true. Especially now that we have the means to recreate even some of the Earth settings. I continue to pound her slender frame into the lockers as Shino stares into the distance with an ecstatic expression. Since she already has my support, we don’t need to be as gentle as I was with Mari’s first time. The closets squeak and creak a lot as our bodies bang on them repeatedly. Shino’s perfect pussy grips me with unbelievable tightness and pressure. Yet, my cock plunges in and out of her wonderful channel with ease thanks to how wet with arousal she is. And, of course, some of my own influence which makes it more pleasant for both parties to take a deep dive into a dance of depravity. Her fresh nectar splashes and drips down my thighs as we slowly create a small puddle underneath us. I hammer her little pussy with enough might to throw her into the air for the briefest of moments. “Ahhn! Ahnnn! Ahnnn! I will do my best! Ahnn! Ahnn! If you cum in me, Sensei! Ahnn! Ahnn! I will always win! Ahnnn! If you fill me uppppppppppp!” Shino shouts at me and we lock gazes. Understanding passes through us within a fraction of a second and I pull out for just a tiny moment right after bumping her up with my strong thrust. She easily flips herself around in the air and lands back on my cock with a shuddering moan as I meet her pussy with another slam. Her legs pull me in by wrapping themselves behind my back and her arms hug my neck with equal intensity. I fuck her right into the lockers with double the effort and Shino proceeds to moan into my lips, tickling them with pleasant vibrations. Her already tight insides attempt to rip my cock off and I blow in her right away. The first hint of my cloudy seed throws her into a mighty orgasm and she releases a sweet, carnal cry, partially muffled by our kiss. “Mmmmmmmmmhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm!” I fill her up according to her wishes with a few more pumps, evoking a tiny whimper out of her each time. We stay connected while gasping into each other’s lips, and even so, I can feel our mixed love spilling from our connection. That’s just how much semen she’s coaxed out of me. This little perfect vixen. Still holding her impaled on my cock, I walk back to the central benches and sit down gently next to Mari. “Wow… You guys really were intense back there…” the tomboy comments with a delicate flush. Shino groans sweetly as she slips herself off me. “I’ll take a little break now. It’s your turn to do what you always wanted to, Mari-san.” She pecks the corner of my lips and lies down with a satisfied sigh, shooting me a dazzling smile as I look down at her sweaty, lithe frame. The evidence of our fun escaping her almost fully sealed slit. A hand on my shoulder captures my attention and I turn to Mari, who is glancing at me a bit shyly. I chuckle softly and take her hand to kiss it lovingly. She responds with a brief smile and then pushes me down gently so I fully oblige. Then, she daintily steps over me, puts her feet on the sides of the bench around my waist, and lowers herself on me in a cowgirl position, humming quietly as I enter her. Moving my arms behind my head, I grin at the bold tomboy and let the gorgeous girl do as she pleases with me. We share excited smiles as she starts to ride me to her own rhythm, trailing her fingers over my chest. I feel like we’ll be here for a little while now that she is gaining some real confidence.
Chapter 188 – Love Bite Spoiler: Chapter “I’m completely spent…” Mari sighs heavily as I brush my fingers through her short hair. Both of us lie on the wooden floor, with the sexy tomboy seamstress resting on my chest. We didn’t bother picking ourselves off the ground after we were done for the day. Or the night, rather. Glancing up, I find Shino looking at me from above and she shows a warm smile while grazing my cheek with her slender fingers. It’s a little tough focusing on her charming face with that gorgeous, perky chest of hers being in the way and she smirks at me knowingly, puffing herself out even more to emphasise her modest bust. Her soft thighs embrace my head lovingly to complete this heavenly composition. I don’t think there’s any need to state the fact that all of us are still completely naked. “Now that you’ve fully accepted Sensei, Mari-san, you will tire out much slower,” my wise samurai says, capturing our friend’s attention. “And that’s only one of the many benefits you get from him. I’m sure your work will be much easier now too.” “I’ve heard from the girls that it’s really incredible.” Mari glances from me to her before sporting a faint blush. “Thank you.” I chuckle lightly and press a gentle kiss on her cheek. “No, thank you. You knew well that you didn’t ever have to take this step if this kind of relationship wasn’t what you wanted. I’m really glad I had a chance to spend this precious moment with you.” Shino giggles quietly and taps my forehead a few times. “Sensei can be really dense sometimes, but now you don’t have to worry about it anymore.” “I’m not dense, just respectful.” I huff at her, trying to playfully bite her fingers as she dangles them in front of my face. “You still keep forgetting that this isn’t our world, Sensei. You aren’t going to be reported for showing honest interest in a girl just because she felt offended.” She pouts at me adorably. “Rather than that, she might feel like you find her unattractive if you keep your distance so much.” I shake my head, which proves to be a bad move as my face smushes her tender thighs to the amusement of us both. “I know. And trust me, I’m much more aggressive than I would have been out there. Did you already forget how many women I have? Not counting the ladies who like to spend some quality time casually.” “And more than half of them had to take the first step on their own,” Shino points out, booping me on the nose. “Who knows how long Mari-san would need to wait too if I didn’t step in?” “Hey. I’ve been pretty open with her recently, right, Mari? Last time in your workshop?” I take a peek at the brown-haired cutie just to find her sealing her mouth with her hands. As our gazes meet hers, she seemingly can’t take it anymore and bursts out into a giggly laugh, burying her nose in my chest to try and stop it. A moment passes before she raises her eyes back to us and I wipe off a few tears off her plump cheeks. “I’m really sorry… You just sound like an old married couple when you argue… I didn’t mean to laugh…” Mari smiles at us with a tinge of embarrassment staining her face. I look up to look at Shino and both of us snicker at that. She leans down and places a chaste peck on my lips. “I’ve always considered myself Sensei’s wife so maybe you aren’t wrong, Mari-san,” she replies, staying close so that I can reciprocate the kiss with my own. “You and your fantasies.” I smirk at her. “But I can’t deny that we hit off rather well right from the start.” For a little while, no one else says anything as the two of us exchange pecks, not wanting to be the last one who ends the sessions as if there is some kind of an unspoken rule that the person who does that loses or even loves the other less. But, our little contest gets resolved peacefully as Mari pulls herself up with the use of my shoulder and inserts herself into the equation, pushing Shino’s face away with her own and stealing my lips. My petite lover whines at her but lets the tomboy take over and drag me into another kissing session. “Careful,” I whisper in between our sensual pecks. “You’ll get me in the mood again.” “I heard you are always in the mood.” Mari sighs into my neck, snuggling her face into the crook of my shoulder. I laugh openly and land a light smack on her round booty, evoking a surprised gasp from the owner. “Not so shy anymore, huh? Where did my cute and timid tailor girl go?” Sitting up, I support Mari with my hands on her lower back so that she doesn’t fall away and she ends up straddling my waist. We look each other in the eyes briefly before her attention switches lower and her cheeks colour a bit more. A moment later, I feel her delicate touch around my member. “I… I think I really liked what we did earlier…” she admits a little hesitantly. “If I want to do it more in the future, I need to be bolder, no?” “See, Sensei? This is exactly what I was talking about.” Shino presses herself into me from behind and her fingers join Mari in caressing Al Junior. “Your cute and timid tailor girl wouldn’t have gone anywhere if you were more straightforward.” “Give me a break.” I groan, though I’m not entirely sure if that’s due to their actions or my response to her words. “I’ve been through this conversation plenty of times already. So what, I can’t have normal female friends who like me anymore? Do I really have to walk right into their personal space and shove my cock into their pussy the first chance I get, even as they are in the middle of work?” Mari’s blush deepens heavily as she escapes with her gaze to the side, making the answer to that question rather obvious. “I’m not going to make any promises,” I continue, glancing at Shino’s face over my shoulder. “Well, besides the one that I’ll definitely visit you often to lend you a hand, Mari.” “Fine.” My Japanese lover pinches my cheeks and pulls on them. “Just don’t make any new girls that seem like they like you wait too long, Sensei.” I think for a moment as a certain scene from earlier in the evening flashes through my mind. “Sure.” The ever-so-observant beauty doesn’t miss that second or two of pondering and scoots to my side to stare at my profile while squinting her enchanting violet eyes. “Is there a new girl, Sensei?” “I guess so.” I sigh again. “You most likely don’t know each other that well but might have passed each other on the streets. It’s Lyona, my new assistant for the merc business.” “I see. And you must have thought something along the lines of, I won’t make a move on her this fast because she doesn’t yet know me well,” she says. “Hey, hey, hey. Cut me some slack.” I raise my hands in surrender. “Sensei, you dummy!” Shino pouts with a cute frown and gives me a bit more aggressive tug, making me groan once more. “Her case is special, alright?” I defend myself against her verbal and physical attacks. “She was affected by something during our meeting and wasn’t exactly in the most natural state of mind, which could have influenced her decision-making, possibly pushing her towards a choice she wouldn’t have made this easily otherwise.” “What if that something one day turns out to be a cultural matter where the next step during that occurrence is to embrace the one who made them feel like that and you will offend or even break the girl's heart by rejecting it?” My petite girlfriend glares at me firmly. “We are in a world full of magic and monstergirls, Sensei. It functions on its own rules.” “I know that. Nevertheless, it really was a special case. Not to mention that she is a noble lady who seemed like she cared about her family and status greatly,” I push back. “Special how, then?” Shino squints more. “What do you know about Vampires?” I ask with a raised brow. “Vampires?” Mari gasps, rejoining the conversation. “You mean those beasts and monsters that feed on blood?” “We did stumble on a pack once during our travels.” My summoned girlfriend assumes a thoughtful expression. “They are really scary-looking but aren’t that difficult to defeat. At least for us, of course. As long as you don’t give them a chance to draw enough fresh blood. Though the starved ones are the most dangerous.” “No, not these. Think of something… closer to our terms.” I smile at her wryly. That sweet frown returns to her forehead but this time in a show of faint consternation and being deep in thought. As I awkwardly rub my neck, I can literally pinpoint the moment when she realises the implication of my words and her eyes open wide as her brows soar to the top of her head. She stands up in a blink, spooking Mari a bit, and stares at me with shock. “Sensei got his blood sucked by a real Vampire girl?!” Before I can react, I’m already tackled to the ground with Shino straddling my stomach, peering down at me with literal sparkles of excitement in her eyes. “Are they really real? What did she look like? Did it hurt? Did it make you aroused? Why don’t I see any marks?” She starts raining relentless questions at me. I chuckle at her lively expression and put my palms on her narrow waist. “White hair, red eyes, pale skin. She did not sparkle, though. Well, save for her hair under the moonlight.” Shino sighs in relief. “Good. I really hated that part.” “So the legends are true?” Mari asks, crawling to our side and I watch her attractive chest sway enticingly. “Are you alright?” “Yes, I am. And I’m not sure how much from the legends you’ve heard is true. How does it make you feel right now?” I raise myself and the cute samurai lady up. “I don’t know. They are supposed to be scary and dangerous, no?” She looks between the two of us. “In the past, I might have been a bit more terrified, but after spending so much time around you and the women of so many races, I’m not so sure about anything anymore.” “Wait.” Shino presses on my shoulders. “You are not turning, are you, Sensei?” I snicker and grin at her. “No, not in the slightest. She does have a sexy pair of fangs but they don’t turn like in our stories. This world’s Vampires are more like mosquitoes.” “No way…” She looks me in the eyes with an expression full of wonder, and perhaps maybe hope. “Does that mean I could also…?” I raise a brow at her at first before figuring out what exactly she means. It doesn’t take me that long and I snort to myself. Because of course, that was on her list too. I should have expected that with how many arts representing women getting bitten with expressions of utter ecstasy were on her profile. “As far as I know, there aren’t really any reservations preventing that from happening,” I answer and her own face immediately lits up with a mix of emotions. “But don’t throw yourself at her at the first opportunity, okay? I learned that she exists literally a few hours ago. There is still a lot about her race and customs that I don’t know.” “I swear, I won’t, Sensei. But, can I meet her? With you? She is going to be your woman, right? Maybe I can ask after you two get together?” Shino continues her downpour. “Calm down. Jesus.” I roll my eyes lightly. “Nothing is yet set in stone, though she does seem insistent on following me. You can come with us in the morning since we were going to talk anyway.” “Okay! I love you, Sensei!” A lovely giggle escapes her lips as she hugs me tightly, pressing her modest chest into my skin and clearly intentionally rubbing her girly parts all over my thigh. “We should most likely retire for the night, then,” Mari suggests and stands up, starting to walk away. “But we are so sticky a bath is definitely a must.” The sexy tomboy arrives in front of a simple sliding door and places her hands on the handle. We watch as she gives it a strong tug, letting out a gasp of surprise as she almost throws herself onto the floor. Shino’s chuckle echoes through the room. “Silly. Did Sensei fuck your brains out so much that you forgot this is just an imitation of a bathhouse dressing room?” Maria glances back at us over her shoulder while still holding onto the handle. Her face is beet red with embarrassment, which makes the two of us laugh again. I get up too, separating from my beloved samurai wife, and catch up to the delicious tomboy, cuddling the ashamed girl a little before we head out. Visiting a real bath this time, we take a moment to wash ourselves and each other up. The pools are pretty much empty since everyone should be resting after the busy night so we can comfortably chat while soaking up in the hot water. It’s not that much of a problem for me and Shino, but Mari is definitely not as used to being open with her nudity around a large number of people. When we are done, she attempts to escape back to her assigned room, but Shino hastily knocks that idea out of her head. Even my intervention doesn’t change anything and Mari ends up coming with us to the master suite. I make sure that she isn’t too uncomfortable with that, but while a tad shy, she seems happy to be included in our tight family circle. In the bedroom, I find the full set of my local lovers waiting for us in bed, save for Lianne, of course. Cornelia slips out of it and approaches us with a smirk, wearing a mesmerising, lavender negligee. “Did that bastard finally sink his claws into you? I knew he wouldn’t be able to keep himself away for long,” she says, meeting my gaze. “And this is exactly why you are part of the problem too, Cornelia-san.” Shino shakes her head. “What?” My smart magician looks at her incredulously. “You being like that is the reason Sensei isn’t more aggressive,” my petite lover explains. “Him? Not aggressive enough?” Cornelia snorts, crossing her arms over her bra. “Just look around. What guy who can keep it in his pants can amass this many females of all races as his harem?” “Yet Mari-san had to rely on my assistance to actually have Sensei make love to her.” Shino mirrors the motion, though covering her naked breasts and enticing nipples. “If I remember correctly, you also almost made a blunder because you waited so long. It wouldn’t have happened if Sensei was more aggressive with his desire for you, wouldn’t it?” My tsun researcher stands there with her mouth opening and closing repeatedly until Elea shows up by her side and places a hand on her shoulder with a soft chuckle. “Now, now. Let’s not argue. I think we all know that there is some truth in what Shino says. Alastair can be a bit too considerate for his own good at times, isn’t that right, Sirgia?” “Do we really have to go back to that time? I was very new to this world, alright?” I show a wry smile. “If you feel like talking so much, I have a more serious topic to discuss, which concerns all of you. Though, a few of you especially.” I roam my gaze over my Human lovers and end on Cornelia. Her eyes widen for some reason and she swallows thickly, directing a slow look at the others. When she turns back to me, a somewhat awkward smile paints her face. “What do you mean?” she asks anxiously. “It’s a bit of a sensitive topic but one we have to touch upon. I just need to know what your stance is on a certain matter before a specific new presence can join us. It concerns some of you more due to your upbringing, but—” “I’m really, really sorry. I should have told you sooner instead of leading you on like that. I’m not actually pregnant,” Cornelia interrupts me, dropping her eyes to the floor. “What?” I frown at her. “What?” She looks up and frowns a little too after seeing my bewildered expression. “You… You are not talking about children?” “Why would I be?” I tilt my head. Her skin blooms in the shade of a juicy tomato as she once more faces the floor. The questions which previously seemed like just our usual banter float through my mind once more with a new perspective. With a new realisation, I step forward. “Is everything alright? Did something happen?” “No, it’s all fine.” She briefly meets my eyes before timidly looking away. “Just… Do you remember when we had a lot of fun with you on the ship after the battle?” “Of course.” I nod, waiting for her to continue. “Well… You felt like you couldn’t do a thing… And your skills weren’t exactly responding… So…” Her words make my brows rise to my hairline in turn as I catch what she’s getting at. “Thankfully, it seems like that specific part of them remained off through all of that so everything is okay.” “Come here…” I pull my lovely wife into a tender hug. “It must have been so stressful for you…” She embraces me back as I graze my fingers over her spine. “I admit that it was at first but you reassured me a lot. But it was mostly because I didn’t want to spring onto you with a kid out of a sudden. Anyway, if this is not what you had in mind, then what is that sensitive topic you mentioned?” We step away together as I turn to everyone. “Does anyone here have any problems with Vampires? And I don’t mean the monstrous ones?” A few ladies gasp while others exchange curious glances. As expected, the gasps come from the Humans. “No way! You found a real, past-era Vampire?” Ailish bounces up on the bed from her lying position. “I didn’t know any of them still existed!” “Aren’t they evil?” Cornelia asks. “My mother always said that they kidnap naughty kids who run away from their guardians to feed on their blood.” Heh. No matter the world, parents always find a way to turn some kind of fairy tale into a monster story to keep their unruly kids in check. Looks like Vampires might be even more misunderstood than I first thought. “My gram did that too,” Mari agrees. “What are Vampires?” Astrea opens one eye as she lazes on the edge of the bed, half of her body actually past it. “The legends say that they are a race closely resembling Humans but sustain themselves on the blood of others,” Teffith replies, rubbing her chin. “The only Vampires I stumbled on were the vampiric monsters so I don’t think it’s about those.” “I don’t know anything about them too,” Meru chimes in, actually surprising me a little with her presence. “Many aquatic species like blood and flesh but I haven’t heard about any that feed solely off the former.” “Why do you ask?” Neira glances my way. “Because I just discovered at least four or five families of Vampires in the capital.” A wave of murmurs rolls through the room. “And one of those individuals is actually working for us now.” That brings out more gasps as such a fact is clearly the more shocking one. “Are we in danger?” Ria addresses me with mature calmness. I shake my head. “No. It doesn’t look like the stories and legends most of you have grown up on do them any justice. Because of that, they need to remain in hiding amongst the other people, but they are not different from them. How do you feel about that?” A moment of exchanging glances later, Elea seems to have been chosen for their representative as she captures my attention by walking closer, her massive chest simply demanding all the focus. “If it’s coming from you, everyone here trusts every word that comes out of your mouth. It might be tough to completely get rid of instinctual reactions, but we aren’t going to antagonise a different race because of our misinformation,” she replies. “And you don’t have anything to worry about from us if you are planning to add a female Vampire to your harem. We will welcome her with open arms.” I chuckle while shaking my head. “Always straight to the point. I appreciate it, though.” “Who is it then, Master?” Sirgia directs her caramel eyes my way. “It’s Lyona. I’m kind of surprised none of you had any inkling about that. From those who have met her, of course.” I look at Ria, who meets my gaze with a thoughtful expression. “Her kind supposedly emanates some real charisma and charm.” “She did seem somewhat special, but even normal Humans can be with how their Class functions. Perhaps our connection to you protected us from being affected by any auras she could be exuding,” my resident MILF responds. “Well, I’m glad no one has any more serious issues with her race, then. We’ll need to fill the others in on this too. I don’t want any of the girls to learn Lyona’s secret on accident and feel like we’ve been keeping them in the dark in front of a supposed blood predator. Can I leave it to you ladies?” I roam my gaze over my most reliable aides. “Consider it done.” Cornelia grins at me. “Too bad we didn’t know about this before we took over the debriefing after you snuck out to get your stick wet.” “Wait a moment. Who was it that told me to go check out that room?” I squint at her and she snickers mischievously. “What about Elise?” Ria asks, recapturing my attention. “Oh, right. I have completely missed how she isn’t here. My brain has just automatically assumed that if you are present, she’s by your side.” I blink a few times while scanning the room. “Gods, good that she’s absent. I would have dropped quite the bomb onto her out of the blue considering that they are friends. Where is she, by the way?” “She should be at Lyona’s, actually. They promised each other to meet after the official birthday party. It wouldn’t be the first time she stayed overnight. They are good friends. Are you worried about her now?” My accountant raises a concerned brow at me. “No, I don’t think so. While Lyona is definitely buzzed up a bit after our meeting, I don’t think she would ever do anything to Elise that could damage their relationship. Well, maybe besides creepily staring at her for the entire night since she told me that it might be impossible to fall asleep with so much raw energy coursing through her veins.” I laugh to myself under my nose. “Alright. We can talk about this and lots of other things later. I kept you girls awake long enough. Time to hit the bed for real.” No one voices any objections and we pile up on the giant mattress. I bring Mari with me to the centre, enveloping her in a loving hug from behind while Shino snuggles to my back. That little minx keeps teasing my little friend for a good while, which in turn makes Mari glance over at me with rosy cheeks due to my tip constantly poking her butt. I somehow manage to pacify the horny samurai and all of us fall asleep shortly after. As I wake up, half of the girls are gone, but that’s nothing surprising. Only the lazier ones remain under the sheets like Astrea, Ailish, Shino, and Mari because she didn’t want to rouse me from my sleep by wiggling out of my grasp. We get up, put some clothes on, and join everyone in the dining hall for some breakfast. I notice that Lianne is present at our designated table and the nympho queen waves at us happily. “Al! What took you so long? Did the ladies finally manage to tire you out?” She grins at me slyly. “I don’t think anyone other than Ailish has even a start to you.” I snicker while sitting down. “Perhaps we should host a contest one day to determine the winner.” Lianne giggles impishly. “No, thanks. I want to live for a little longer. Even a god of sex wouldn’t be able to handle both of you at once,” I instantly shoot her down and the ladies laugh openly. “You won’t be able to run away forever.” She winks at me. “Anyway, I’m here to congratulate you on your first successful commission. The client already reported to me that you went above and beyond to assure that his request was fulfilled to the best of your capabilities. They were extremely happy and sang many praises of you and your girls. He is quite the doting father so his daughter must have been very impressed.” “And most likely very biassed.” I snort. “It turns out that she is literally our new receptionist at the headquarters.” “What? No way.” The Queen looks at me incredulously before exploding into another giggle. “You really know how to make connections. It’s honestly unbelievable.” “You tell me.” I exchange glances with my lovely mates, and noting that Elise is nowhere in sight, making sure I’m not blind with the use of our connection, I lean forward. “Say, were you aware… who they really are?” She furrows her brows slightly. “I don’t think I understand what you are talking about?” “I see. For now, forget I said anything. I’ll let you know after having a chat with their daughter,” I reply. The Queen scrunches her nose cutely but nods. “Fine. Have it your way. Returning to the topic at hand, you did great and earned yourself a bit of an honest advertisement. With this next job, I have for you, your little team should gain even more recognition.” “You are really handing this to him on a silver platter, aren’t you?” Cornelia rolls her eyes. “Shush, my dear Cornelia. This time I simply want someone reliable whom I can trust for the job.” Lianne clicks her tongue at the magician. “A delegation from Ronerulle will be visiting us soon and we offered them our escort. They have been the first to support the new reforms and actively work on reintroducing other races to society. We will be discussing the next steps of this initiative and what we can do together to make sure the change is universally accepted.” “Hold on a moment, isn’t that Vanessa-san’s family?” Shino perks up, pausing mid-bite of her sandwich. “The princess that has been travelling with you? Yes, that’s right.” The Queen nods. “Um, would it be alright for us to join Sensei on this request? I’m sure Vanessa-san would appreciate the chance to ensure the safety of her parents with her own hands. I know that Sensei’s mercenary party is more than enough, but I still would like to ask.” My petite girlfriend lowers her head. “Since she is an adventurer, there shouldn’t be any problem with that…” Lianne taps her lips. “I’ll see what we can do. No promises, but you can be sure that I’ll do my best for my sister-wife.” Shino’s cheeks flush a tiny bit at her teasing smirk and I shake my head. “Let me know the details when they are available. We’ll need to host a strategy meeting with the girls before departing on such an important task.” We proceed to talk a little about it while continuing to eat, but not in that much detail. One by one, the girls leave to take care of whatever they are up to. Lianne stays the longest and I escort her with Shino to our hidden tunnel. Bidding farewell to the Queen, I bring my samurai and head for the mercenary headquarters. Elise joins us at the entrance, instructed by Ria to wait for us as I want her to be present during this crucial conversation. A big smile slips onto her radiant face as she waves at Lyona, who sorts some documents behind the reception desk. The white-haired girl spots us quickly and I spot a faint tug of a smile at the corner of her lips, but when our eyes meet, her cheeks grow a little rosier too. Other than that, she keeps that calm, somewhat indifferent expression on without turning into a skittish mess as we reach her. “Welcome back, Leader, Elise, Shino, if I’m not mistaken.” Lyona nods respectfully. “No one is around so don’t be so formal!” Elise chuckles quietly. “You really are so thrilled to work for Alastair. Can you believe that she was up hours before me and doesn’t look the least tired? We stayed up so late while chatting about how you crashed her birthday.” The two of us exchange another glance and I barely hold in my laughter. Only we know what is the reason behind that. For now. “I’ll take her professional attitude over the shy one any day.” I plop my hand on Elise’s hair and ruffle through it gently. Sparing a glance at Shino since she seems awfully quiet, I snicker mentally. She’s literally devouring Lyona with her eyes, her mouth hanging slightly open as the Earth girl takes in the Vampire lady’s otherworldly beauty. I bet she is trying her damnest to spot her fangs too. “Are you busy right now?” I ask the scarlet-eyed dame. “No, Ma—Sir. If you need anything from me, I’m at your service.” She covers her slip-up with a little cough. “I’ll have to steal you for a moment, then. We have an important matter to discuss if you are going to work here.” I gesture at Elise with my eyes and Lyona certainly gets the memo. “Very well. Let us move to your office, Sir.” She becomes slightly anxious, but who can really blame her? It does feel like she drags our trip out a bit but Elise doesn’t seem to notice. Soon enough, we arrive at our destination and I guide us to the couches on the side. I sit down on one with Elise and Shino by my sides while she takes the one opposite us. “Alright. I talked about you with my wives and trusted companions. They are going to inform the girls at the brothel about it so that there aren’t any misunderstandings that could be harmful to either side. I hope you can forgive me for sharing this,” I begin. “I trust that you wouldn’t have done so without having my best interest in mind so there is no need for any forgiveness since the grudge is missing,” she replies calmly, taking a peek at Elise. “Naturally. As for Elise, she was obviously missing at that time, and it doesn’t look like you girls talked about it. So, would you like to do the honours, or should I take this responsibility off your shoulders?” I ask. “What are you guys talking about?” Our receptionist friend frowns at us. “Is there some problem already? Is it because Lyona is a noble?” “Thank you, Master, but as you said, this is my responsibility. Both as who I am and as Elise’s friend. She deserves to hear it from me.” Lyona takes a deep breath and turns to Elise. “First, I need to sincerely apologise. I understand if your opinion of me may change for the worse and it may even influence our friendship. I haven’t been honest with you about myself since the very beginning.” “Why are you getting so serious? Lyona?” Elise glances between me and her friend, seemingly sensing the tension in the air. “I’m not who you think I am. I’ve been lying to you about my identity. And I would have kept lying to you until you passed away if not for Lord Alastair’s arrival. Or actually, my arrival here since you brought me to him,” Lyona continues, wavering a bit near the end. “Elise, I… I’m a Vampire…” “W-What?” Elise stiffens visibly and her hand moves to my thigh, grabbing it firmly. “What do you mean?” “Remember how we joked about a version of our world where Vampires weren’t actually scary humanoid predators but normal people living amongst everyone? And how we came up with tales of them coming out of hiding in our world and what that would mean for the realm? Well, a lot of those were actually very close to the truth.” Lyona shows a glimmer of a reminiscent smile. “I’m one of those blood-drinking people hiding in the shadows of other races.” To emphasise her point, Lyona shows her sharp fangs and a gasp reaches my ear. But, surprisingly, it comes out of Shino rather than Elise, who just keeps staring at her friend with a shocked but pensive expression. “But… Why? Why didn’t you tell me? Am I really that untrustworthy?” she asks tensely as I delicately place my palm over hers. “Mainly for two reasons.” Lyona smiles sadly. “First, I can see you shaking. And I can also smell your fear, though I haven’t been able to do that so accurately before.” “I’m sorry—” “Second, I was forbidden,” Lyona cuts her off. “It’s a safeguarded secret. It’s not a matter of trust. I trust you with my life. But I would put you in danger by telling you about our true nature. If my family learned of this, there is a possibility that they would get rid of you to protect our people. Besides, some other Vampire would definitely notice that you started paying attention to them and assume that you know too. I did it to protect you, as much as it pained me.” A brief silence falls over us before she speaks up again since Elise doesn’t seem to find it in herself to respond. “The world isn’t safe for us. Many people would react much worse than you to this revelation. If this got out, we could end up being hunted like in the old days. I have a duty to protect my people, my family, my loved ones. I’m really sorry.” She bows her head low. “It’s… It’s just a lot to take in… I’m sorry I look scared… I really don’t want to… You are not a monster… But I can’t help it yet…” Elise takes a deep breath. “It’s so hard to believe…” Shino leans into my side, bringing her lips to my very ear. “You were right, Sensei. Her fangs are so sexy.” “Thank you,” Lyona says, making us both flinch, a shadow of a flush creeping onto her pale cheeks. “Do Vampires have super hearing?” Shino chuckles awkwardly. “I’m not sure. I didn’t. At least until last night.” The white-haired lady casts a short glance at me. “Hmmm… Perhaps a little presentation could help?” I look between her and Elise. Shino bolts up, raising her hand into the air. “I volunteer!” “For what?” Lyona blinks a few times. “Lyona-san! Bite me!” The samurai shortie states with strong resolution. “What?!” Elise squeaks by my other side. I rub my eyes with a deep sigh. “Pardon her, please. It’s one of her kinks.” “Ummm… If you are sure?” Lyona moves her scarlet eyes between the two of us. Shino’s head almost flies off as she shakes it up and down, making me snort. I also give our Vampire friend a nod of confirmation and she slowly stands up. Both of them meet at the side of the coffee table while the slightly stunned receptionist remains seated. “Alright. What should I do? Do I undress? Turn around? Does it happen from the front? From the back?” Shino starts her overwhelming barrage as excitement boils inside her, drawing out an actual chuckle from the quiet Lyona. “How do you want it?” she asks. “Front. I want to see it coming.” Shino giggles shyly. “Okay. Master, will you assist us?” Lyona takes a peek at me and I shrug, moving closer to support Shino’s figure from behind. “I’m beginning, then. Thank you for this honour, Hero.” She slowly loosens Shino’s collar and exposes more of her smooth neck. Shino’s breathing grows quicker as Lyona bares her sharp fangs at her skin and she watches the dazzling Vampire girl sink them in her flesh. A quiet moan escapes her lips and a faint shiver runs down her entire frame. Shino’s subdued whimpers tickle my ears as she rests herself on me. “Sensei…” I notice her butt rubbing against my crotch and snort mentally. Having a good idea about her needs, I let one of my hands roam down her front and slip into her panties. Shino shudders when my fingers graze over her precious place with no obstruction, which greets me with quite the heat and humidity. Her breathing grows more and more laboured as she tries to hump my fingers and I assist her in feeling better and better. Soon, moans escape her throat, getting louder and louder, and she makes one last frantic thrust with a strong whimper of need, impaling herself on my digits. A trickle of warm nectar sprinkles my hand and runs down her thighs at the same time as a faint gush of blood escapes Lyona’s mouth and the Vampire girl backs off, letting the two holes made by her fangs squirt more scarlet liquid flow down Shino’s shoulder. I keep my petite lover steady as she trembles in post-orgasmic bliss, infusing her wound with my healing spell to close it up faster. Shino lets her head fall back onto my shoulder and directs a silly smile at me. “That was… Amazing… I came so hard…” She giggles. “I’ve never felt such a rush of blood before either. It’s like it gushed at me faster than I could drink,” Lyona admits. “Damn. Am I going to get NTR’ed by a gorgeous Vampire girl?” I chuckle. Shino pulls on my hair to bring my lips to hers and kisses me deeply. “Sensei makes me cum much, much harder…” “And while this was unexpected, it also wasn’t anywhere close to how I felt while drinking your blood, Master,” Lyona adds. I shake my head. This world’s Vampires are simply crazy.
Chapter 189 – Passion of a Maestro Spoiler: Chapter While I help Shino regain her balance after the quite alluring and draining act, a somewhat awkward silence fills the office. She slowly works on taming down her heavy breathing, glancing up at me as I continue to hold her from behind, my hand still pressing into her now much more pronounced wetness. We will really need to wipe off the floor before we forget. Extracting myself from her panties, which evokes a blissful sigh from the cute girl in my arms, I aid her recovery with my Rejuvenate and bring us back to the sofa. Shino lets me guide her and plops into my lap, resting her back against my chest. I fix her skirt a little to hide her secrets and earn myself a quiet giggle of appreciation. We certainly can go without displaying her underwear to Lyona after it went through a massive crisis. Glancing at the quiet Vampire lady, who followed our lead and also took her place once more, I find Lyona sneaking some apprehensive and anxious glances at her Human friend. No surprise there. She must be a bit too scared to directly ask what Elise thinks of her after witnessing the whole ordeal. Even though Shino turned it sexual. But, someone has to break the stalemate so I take that responsibility onto my own shoulders. “So, you mentioned a difference between my blood and Shino’s. Care to elaborate a little in that regard?” Lyona’s pretty scarlet eyes focus on mine and she gives me a gentle nod. “Save for yours, Master, her blood was the most exquisite out of the Human blood I have consumed in my life. It still can’t compare to yours, but how do I say this without sounding weird, it has quite an exotic taste. It lacks the energy yours provides. Though, it would definitely be an expensive and highly-sought commodity if a Vampire family decided to trade it with others.” Then, after a moment, a flash of concern appears in her eyes, and she turns to Elise. “Not that I have ever preyed on any Humans. Master was… my first. What Human blood I tasted in the past has come from bottled supplies,” she adds with her composed face. “I noticed that you call Alastair master now,” Elise replies hesitantly. “Is that because of the job, or…?” “It’s the only appropriate way to address him besides lord,” Lyona answers, giving me a brief look. “I pledged myself into Lord Alastair’s service. He did emphasise that extremely formal language and greetings aren’t enforced so I decided to settle for something simple like master.” “Lord?” Shino raises a curious brow at her. “With his status as a Primordial, Master is more or less equal to a Vampire Lord, of course,” the crimson-eyed beauty expands. “If the truth would be revealed, most of us would follow him devotedly.” “Speaking of secrets, as I mentioned before, I told my wives-slash-mates about you, but I did keep the matter of your lineage from one of them. Namely, the Queen. Would you be alright with her knowing? I assume that your people haven’t exactly been pronouncing their race to the King and his retainers.” I stroke my chin with a free hand, the other one currently caressing Shino’s thigh. “You assume correctly. We kept ourselves hidden from the authorities. Our houses attained noble status to make sure that our secret remains safe,” Lyona confirms. “I would be grateful if you agreed to keep these matters between us, Master. Though, if you trust that the Queen can do the same, I have no objections to telling her. I apologise for making a demand of you.” I wave her off dismissively. “No, don’t do that. Why would I choose to give away your entire race just like that? Trust me, I know well how that would inevitably end. And I also know that the process of reintroducing you guys to society would be a long and arduous one. All in all, we are in the middle of doing that but with less scary races.” “Lyona-san, there is no need to worry.” My cute samurai shifts a little in my lap and takes a more dignified position, sitting straight. “The Queen and the King wouldn’t ever betray your secret. They work with Sensei and follow him too. Lianne-san is his woman and Ross-san also worships Primordials. Rather than hurt you, they would definitely be able to help you at least a little. In my personal opinion, we should tell them. You won’t have to be so careful around them then. And so won’t your people.” Our Vampire friend locks gazes with her as she contemplates the suggestion. As usual, it’s hard to get a read on the cool visage of the ethereal, white-haired lady. After a moment of consideration, she nods lightly. “You speak wisely. I trust Lord Alastair. Therefore, I also trust the women, subordinates, retainers, and servants he chose. After you let the royal family know, I would like to inform my parents about this change so that they can prepare themselves accordingly and spread the news,” Lyona replies. “Sounds good. We might even end up arranging a meeting with the family heads of the Vampire households you know of. As Shino said, the King and the Queen might be able to help a bit and make your lives somewhat easier. Maybe even aid you with your blood supplies or such.” I smile at her softly. “But… If that doesn’t work out… I wouldn’t mind doing this regularly…” my dirty-minded samurai adds with rosy cheeks. I bonk her on the head. “Calm yourself. Why are you so insatiable recently?” Lyona shows a hint of a smile and a trace of a blush makes it to her cheeks. “I appreciate the offer, but…” Shino giggles and grins at her in understanding. “Right. Compared to Sensei, who is like a gourmet meal from a five-star restaurant, I’m just a mere snack from a random street stall.” Snorting to myself, I glance to the side and reach out to place my palm over Elise’s hand, which is resting on her thigh. She turns to me and tries to smile charmingly. “In any way, how are you faring?” I ask, stroking her delicate skin. “It’s a lot… to wrap my head around.” She chuckles tensely, which makes Lyona’s shoulders slump a tiny bit, clearly enough for her to catch it. “No, no, no! I don’t hate you or anything! I just need a moment to readjust! We are still friends! I hope?” “I would love to,” Lyona replies, raising her face a bit higher. “Thank you, Elise. I always worried how you would react after finding out.” “I’m definitely shocked. But, in a good way. Compared to my secret, it’s really something extremely serious and anxiety-inducing.” Elise laughs it off. “Your secret?” Her Vampire friend tilts her head, showing a rare sign of curiosity on her usually collected face. “You didn’t tell her?” I ponder out loud, recalling that they have definitely gossiped about our love life. Elise turns fully red in a blink, pointing to an obvious answer to my question. We exchange glances with Shino and chuckle together, which makes her even more embarrassed. “Come on, you’ve gotta say it now. It’s only proper. Lyona trusted you with hers.” I smirk at her, tracing a bit more sensual circles on the back of her hand to tease her. She keeps her gaze down for most of the time, only occasionally glancing up at Lyona, who keeps her attention on our perverted receptionist without a second lost. Whatever Elise thinks about her own tastes, she’s clearly grossly exaggerating the topic. Unfortunately, it looks like it will take a longer moment before she grows used to embracing that side of hers. “We are amongst friends here, Elise-san,” even Shino urges her to spill. “And you even watched me cum shamefully in front of Lyona-san while she drank my blood. Is there anything that can be worse?” “I didn’t see any shame on your face when you were grinding your pussy on my fingers earlier.” I squint at the depraved little lady, making her squirm a bit, now plagued with some post-act bashfulness. That doesn’t stop her from sneakily grinding her ass into my crotch without looking back, though. Cursed vixen. I’m no match against this lecherous Japanese girl. Or maybe I am. But, before I can fight back, Elise finally decides to raise her head enough for Lyona to face her properly. “Ummm… I never told you this before… Uhhh… I… I like it more… In the butt…” The last bit of her admission comes out as no more than a whisper, but Lyona’s super hearing, as Shino has called it, picks up on her words without any issue. The two of us notice her pupils expand in surprise but she manages to school her expression rather quickly. I can tell that she is amused or happy to learn a new thing about her best friend. “That is… certainly something you haven’t shared with me,” she replies calmly. “I think… that it’s a worthy secret. Thank you.” “Now you are even.” Shino grins at them joyfully. “I admit that I haven’t ever tried… approaching that side of things. Is it really…?” Lyona looks at Elise with a somewhat inquisitive gaze, making the poor receptionist girl shrink into herself and the sofa from pure shame. “Lyona-san, do you like Sensei?” My petite girlfriend suddenly interrupts. “We’ve literally just met.” I pinch her naughty cheek and pull on it gently. “Plus, we are in front of her best friend. Let’s start having some tact.” “But Sensei,” she slurs while struggling to speak. “I don’t want her to end up like Mari-san.” “Are all your thoughts revolving only around sex?” I shake my head. “Looks like I haven’t been giving you enough appointments as our resident artist and designer. Maybe I should leave you behind to catch up on those when the rest of us go on the escort mission soon.” “Noooooooooo…” Shino whines playfully. “Nothing but that, Sensei... I won’t be able to sneak into your tent by accident, mistaking it for Natalie-san’s, and start masturbating to you while unknowingly lying right at your side…” “Sometimes I wonder when it was that you’ve become so corrupted.” I snort to myself, releasing her aching cheek. “When I met you,” she quips back with a lewd smirk. “Yeah, no. You’ve been drawing that horny bait for longer than I taught you.” I flick her forehead. Ignoring her pointedly, I return my focus to our other companions and find them both looking at us with smiles. At least on Elise’s face. Lyona is a bit more reserved, but I’m starting to recognize the slight motions of her calm visage that indicate various emotions. “You are such a good couple, being able to talk openly about your intimate time like that,” our receptionist friend comments. Shino giggles and I roll my eyes. It’s the second time in like twelve hours we’ve heard that. “I have nothing to hide from Sensei or his other women,” the Japanese cutie replies. “I know he will love all of me no matter what.” “To answer your question, yes, I do,” Lyona chimes in right after, and I meet her pretty eyes as she directs them at me. “Then I will give you a piece of advice, Lyona-san. If you don’t throw yourse—mmmhhhwwhmmm!” I seal Shino’s mouth before she gets too far in her attempt and smile amusingly at the fair-skinned beauty in front of us. Certainly, I won’t be opposed to getting to know a gorgeous Vampire lady more personally, but there are still things we should keep in mind instead of purely impure thoughts. “Now, I believe this meeting is about Lyona and Elise, not Lyona and me. I’m happy to expand on the latter at a different time. Are there any other topics related to the former that we still need to address?” I ask, roaming my gaze over the other two. They look at each other in turn and both nod softly. My sweet, backdoor-loving receptionist glances at me. “I don’t think so. For this very moment, at least. It’s still very shocking and I bet I will have many questions later. But, now that Lyona shared her secret with me, I know that I will be able to talk about it with her anytime. Well, anytime that it doesn’t put it at risk of exposing her, naturally.” She chuckles quietly. “I did add her to my Partners after she officially joined us so you can converse privately,” I point out. “Though, her messages might be a little special since, you know, she isn’t, while you are.” That gets a melodic laugh out of her. “Ah, yes, I understand. I remember hearing about that issue from the girls who haven’t taken the next step into the bond. It will be fine. Lyona usually talks in short sentences. It’s me who always gushes at her. I still have no idea how she tolerates my rambling.” “I like listening,” Lyona answers the rhetorical question. “And what’s this about?” “Try sending a mental message through the skill you received from Sensei.” Shino smirks at her knowingly. Thankfully, at my current level, and their current level, most if not all the women I have made intimate contact with can avoid this specific peculiarity of Sweet Whispers. It’s been a true pain in the ass in the past. But, those who haven’t rolled in the sheets as Elise stated, still struggle with that feat. And it looks like that includes Lyona. She sends a private whisper to Elise, most likely, and her friend giggles at its arrival, confirming our theory. Then, to illustrate the problem, Elise sends something back while consciously applying that filter to her words. Lyona’s eyes widen visibly and a more apparent flush colours her pale skin. “And I will always sound like that to others?” She glances between the two of us. “Unfortunately, there is only one way to fix that.” Elise chuckles wryly, also growing more flushed. From the few seconds of attention Lyona gives me, skipping with her gaze below my face, I’m fairly sure there is no need to further expand on what fix is being talked about. She’s clearly aware. “Anyway, with that out of the way, we might as well cover some actual business.” I correct my position to sit more comfortably, pulling Shino up a bit and wrapping my arms around her slender waist. “We’ll be having another job from the Queen.” “I see.” Lyona nods curtly, easily switching to her composed, professional persona. “What’s the request?” “Escort of arriving royalty from another region. The Hero party will be accompanying them so I don’t think we need to send our entire force. In the end, there aren’t many threats that could give them trouble, not to mention our ladies,” I explain. “That’s good. We’ve received a few commissions that can be taken care of by two-person teams. If you wish to take half of our second division, that would leave six people available to be split into three parties. No one would have to stay behind by themselves,” she notes. “So, best to go with even numbers. Either six or four. Since Shino’s party will be there, including their companions, I think me and four girls will be enough.” I stroke my chin ponderingly. “I agree.” My Vampire assistant nods. “If you allow me, I shall contact the commissioner in your name and discuss the details of the request. The more we know, the better we can be prepared, and the better-suited members I can suggest we assign to this mission. That is, if you want me to do that for you, Master.” “Great idea. You’ll be able to have a chat with the Queen that way, maybe discuss some of your personal matters with her.” I smile at the gorgeous lady. “And please, I’ll always welcome your assistance and opinions. This might make me look like a lazy boss, but feel free to do everything and then just drop the documents I need to read or sign onto my desk. I hired you not only because you are a beautiful girl, but because you are passionate and knowledgeable in this area. I trust your judgement. And I do want to see it in action.” Some more faint rosiness surfaces on Lyona’s cheeks and she nods appreciatively. “If I may ask, are we even needed if the Heroes, and you, are going to be protecting the caravan?” Lyona ponders out loud. “Technically, we were commissioned first, and this little gremlin wormed her way into this.” I ruffle Shino’s hair with quite some force. “Plus, having both Human and non-Human groups escorting this particular trip will be a smart move. The clients are coming here to discuss matters of the recently raised status of other races. I’m sure you are aware of all that stuff considering you are a noble.” “Yes. It was a big change. And I understand. It’s a good opportunity to show us working together. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that this mission succeeds.” She bows low before me, and unfortunately, I’m too far away to stop her. Besides, a certain horny gremlin obstructs my reach. “Alright. This would be all for now. I do have some other things to take care of today. We will soon have another establishment next to yours. I hope having a religious site right by your side won’t be a problem for you.” I snicker to myself. “A temple? Here? I didn’t hear anything about it from the other nobles or royalty.” That makes Lyona’s brow furrow a little. Shino giggles impishly. “The Goddess is going to announce Sensei’s ascension as the Demigod of Lust soon and he needs his place of worship, doesn’t he?” “What?” The Vampire lady displays more shock than ever. “A new faith?” “Not exactly.” Elise chuckles. “It’s more like part of the Goddess’ divine domain is being delegated to him. They are working together. People will be able to pray to them both, but from what I understood, Alastair is actually allowed by the rules of our world to interfere with mortals more directly through blessings and other gifts.” “Are we expected to convert?” Lyona asks, glancing at me. “That’s not required.” I shake my head. “I respect everyone’s beliefs. You are free to simply ignore me and remain devoted to the Goddess.” “But you can become Sensei’s Apostle or Devotee!” Shino adds. “The mercenary girls all joined to spread the word about how great he is!” “Hopefully, that won’t end in a disaster.” I sigh heavily. “But yeah. If you wish to know more, ask me or Elea. Oh, that actually makes me remember, you mentioned knowing someone good with a chisel. Can we reach out to him?” “I already did. Should I schedule a meeting? Or would you like to visit them personally, Master?” The ever-so-dependable assistant doesn’t disappoint. “I’ll meet with him if you don’t need a week-long appointment.” I nod at her. “Very well. Here are the details.” She takes out a clean note and a pencil from her inner pocket and scribbles down what I need to know. This reminds me that we need to get her a spatial storage ring or something. It will help her out for sure. After that, I get up and leave with Shino. Elise decides to stay behind so they can chat a little longer. Lyona looks at me with some faint concern but I assure her that I don’t mind if she has company while working. Especially if it’s one of the ladies I trust explicitly. So, they head out to talk with the mercs before most likely getting in touch with the Queen. “Crap. Was that actually a good idea?” I say to myself as we leave the headquarters. “What, Sensei?” Shino looks up at me. “Sending her to the Queen.” I glance down to meet her charming violet eyes. “Why not?” “It’s Lianne.” She snorts cutely, that single statement being enough. “Worst case scenario, you won’t be able to push her away for much longer, Sensei.” I roll my eyes at her poking fun at me and we move on. “You just want her to join my harem so that you can ask her to bite you in bed.” I smirk at her, landing a light smack on her tender behind. “Well… I am kind of sad I can’t experience it a bit more…” she confesses, rubbing the place where Lyona’s fangs previously pierced her skin. Realising something, I grin to myself and quickly navigate through my menus. Locating what I’m looking for, I bring up the description of a certain skill of a certain scarlet-eyed woman and push it towards Shino. She takes a glance at the floating window in front of her face and freezes. Stopping a few steps ahead, I turn back to her and waggle my brows. “Behave.” She straightens up and hastily joins my side without any snappy or salacious comments. The barely contained bounce in her step almost makes me chuckle out loud. She’s practically buzzing on the inside, that’s for sure. With some luck and acting like a good girl, she might get to see me borrow something she desires before we head out for our next assignment. We walk into the neighbouring building to check on the place being repurposed. No surprise, Elea seems to be leading the charge here. As my Apostle, she’s certainly taking the matters of my faith seriously. But, save for her, there is one more person who has some knowledge and experience in the field. Field of sex. I catch Ailish’s thin tail as she floats by us without spotting either me or Shino. She yelps in shock and falls from the air, landing on all fours while shivering slightly. Shooting a fierce glare over her shoulder at the offender who dared to assault her, she instantly recognizes that it’s me and moans in ecstasy, biting her lip alluringly. I snort at her obvious display and tug her up. “Masterrrrrrrrrrrrr~” She purrs seductively, rubbing her thighs together as I keep her tail in my grip. “I was a baaaaaaad girl~” “I bet. How many penis knobs or pussy windows have you installed here already?” I squint my eyes at her while Shino giggles amusingly. “I was just getting to—” “No.” I yank her tail again, making her shudder and groan in bliss. “You are not turning this place into another Castel de Erección. We can’t have people walk in and the first thing they see is cock and balls. This is going to be a place of worship.” “But it’s going to be. They will worship your co—fuuuuuck…” I give her bonus appendage a good squeeze and she almost crashes to the floor as her knees buckle underneath her weight. Admirably, she manages to regain her strength just before that happens and slowly stands up with a wobble. “Don’t overdo this. It’s already as bad as it is with me being the literal God of Sex. Make it a bit more family-friendly. Are we understood?” I knead her spade while emphasising the last sentence. She trips onto me and lands on my chest, nodding vehemently while breathing heavily. “Just… One statue… In the middle… Please…?” I sigh softly and shake my head. “Keep it truthful. Based on facts. Not your vivid imagination.” She proceeds to nod like crazy so I assume she’s gotten the point and pull her in for a deep kiss, at the same time, quickening my fingers, jerking off the tip of her tail furiously. In no time, she moans into my mouth as her eyes roll to the back and I have to hold her steady during the crazy high she experiences. After we part, she stays leaning on me, catching her breath, her knees shaking. “That’s always so hot,” Shino comments next to me with a big smile. “I wish I could turn into a Succubus for you, Sensei.” “You already can turn into a demon or two as far as I’m aware.” I laugh at her. She blushes shyly and meets my gaze. “Would you… like to do it… with me like that?” “You bet.” I lean down to peck her forehead. “That’s a promise.” She smiles sweetly. “Next time.” “Now, off with you. And remember your lesson.” I push Ailish away a bit roughly, knowing she will enjoy it. Elea shows up behind her and catches the Succubus by the shoulders. “I will make sure she does, My Lord. Don’t worry. Everything will be perfect. It can’t be any other way.” “Great. How is progress?” I glance around. “According to the assumed schedule. We are going to finish the most important rooms and facilities first to launch early and then finish the less crucial areas afterwards. Not much is needed right away besides a prayer hall, a chamber to receive blessings, a library, a storeroom and shop, and your private auditorium,” she answers dutifully. “We are mostly working on decorations now. While I’m taking care of this, Cornelia assumes most of my duties at the establishment. She might need to continue that for a while after we start since I will need time to find and train your priestesses to aid visitors alongside me.” “That’s understandable. We’ll figure things out. This is definitely the place you belong to so you gotta prioritise it.” I step forward to embrace my loyal Dark Elf Princess, joining our lips in an affectionate kiss. “We have Ria, Elise, me, and many others to manage the brothel. I want to see you thrive here.” “I’m so glad we haven’t departed for your journey yet, My Lord.” Elea smiles amusingly. “Now, I will be able to bring the news about you to my people like a true Apostle whenever we go. Patience truly rewards.” I snicker and peck her soft cheek. “I won’t let you delay it forever. After Sirgia, you are next. Ailish’s quest can use more developed mercenaries and perhaps some priestesses of our own.” “I will need something to keep my mind off it, though.” The lewd woman winks at me. Shino gives her a slap on the ass for me and I grin at them. “I’ll head out to meet our recommended mason. If things go well, I’ll send him here for you two to talk details. And remember. Keep it in moderation.” We part ways after some more kisses and our two-man group lands on the street again. “Do you want to keep me company or is there anywhere you need to be?” I turn to Shino. She makes a pondering face, tapping her finger against those plump lips of hers. “Hmmm… I would love to, Sensei, but maybe I should meet up with everyone and tell them about the commission. And other things.” “Off you go, then. We’ll get to spend lots of time together again so you don’t need to cling to my arm every moment.” I chuckle at her and lean down so she can kiss me goodbye too. “Don’t cause too much trouble.” My lovely samurai girlfriend giggles mischievously and disappears in a coat of shadow, plunging into my own shadow. Taking a deep breath to deal with the sudden feeling of loneliness, I hail one of the two carriages which always remain in front of our mansion and give the address to the driver. I can enjoy a different ride once in a while, can’t I? We reach the house of the sculptor Lyona mentioned in about fifteen minutes. You can tell it’s the correct place with all the decorations and art made of various minerals in front of the small shop. Ceramic noise echoes from deep within. I admit, I have been expecting a wise old man with years of experience which shows in more than just his work, but what greets me is a charming and quite handsome guy with a more than decent body. And I can tell that because he is wearing only a pair of brown suspender work pants similar to Mari’s. Dude is decently ripped and lean, having perfect short blond hair and the face of a Greek demigod. And yeah, judging by that bright red eyes of his, I can only assume who he really is. But let’s not judge the book by its cover. Even if this one is damn hot. I stand a distance away from the figure he is currently working on, keeping myself safe from any marble splinters and ricochets. Knowing better than to disturb a master in his artistic trance, I simply observe. Even to my untrained eye, his movements and technique look very skilled. Years of experience. Perhaps more than his appearance lets on. Ready to wait for quite a bit, I’m surprised to see him pause only after like ten minutes and roll his shoulders, locking his piercing gaze on me, definitely being aware of my presence since the very first second. “Thank you,” he says with a voice that could drop ninety-nine percent of panties with a single word, placing his tools away. Dude is going to give me complexes. “What for?” I raise a brow at him as he nears my position, walking around his current work-in-progress. “Waiting without rudely interrupting me. I could tell you were ready to stand there as long as necessary,” he replies, extending his arm for a handshake with a friendly smile. “Petros. How may I help you?” “You can’t rush art.” I shake hands with him, seeing the appreciation in his expression. “I’ve gotten here by a recommendation. Lyona sent me.” His face turns stone-cold in a flash, and I swear his hold on my hand becomes quite firmer. “Alastair,” he mouths with forced indifference. “I’ve heard.” Uh-oh. His crimson gaze examines me from top to bottom before returning to my face. “All good things, I hope?” I smile wryly at him. “All good things,” he parrots. “A very special customer. She talked about you. A lot. Which is very uncharacteristic for her.” Ah, shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Homeboy is piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissed. I squeeze his hand stronger to not let him think he can intimidate me. “I’m looking for a professional sculptor. I’ve been told I can find one here. Can I?” He stares at me indifferently, continuing to put more pressure into our hold, but I can note the hidden glare in his almost glowing eyes. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong opponent. After realising that he can’t go any stronger, he drops his hand before getting hurt. That would definitely impede his work. Petros rubs his fingers while walking away from me, trying to hide it. “I take only orders that are worth my time. If you are looking for another pair of simple nudes in front of your mansion, I’m afraid I can’t help you,” he responds with a slightly deeper tone, one which I assume is meant for not-friends. “Trusting your professional confidentiality, I’ll let you in on a little secret,” I reply, going after him but stopping on the side by a work desk. “The Goddess will announce the ascension of a new Demigod soon. We have an entire temple to decorate. That includes both his and her figures. Amongst other things. Plus, there’s also a newly opened mercenary company which will need some busts of its members. Perhaps you might be familiar with it if Lyona really spoke more than usual. She’s working there.” Even without looking, I can feel his gaze on my back. Finishing examining some of his tools, I do face him and cross my arms over my chest. “Is this some kind of a joke?” He openly glares at me. “Is Lyona someone who vouches for jokers?” I stare back unamused. “Never,” he answers after a moment. “Then the question is simple.” I push myself forward and stop in front of him. “You either believe her and can work to the high standards she seems to hold you up to, or you don’t and I leave to find someone else. Let’s not waste our time.” Our face-off continues for a good minute before he looks aside and strokes his chin, smudging it with a bit of white powder that covers his fingers. “I’ll do it,” Petros finally answers. “But my prices—” “I have money,” I interrupt him. “What I need is quality.” He meets my gaze once more. “The very royal palace has to turn red in embarrassment in front of our sculptures,” I continue. “This is a serious business. Are you up to the task?” After one more stroke of his chiselled chin, he reaches out to me again. I catch his hand and we shake it, holding each other’s gazes like there’s war to be held. Petros retreats first and starts picking up tools, which, unsurprisingly, disappear into a spatial storage. “We start today. I know where. If you have open space, I can work on-site.” “Lyona will guide you. And my other employees.” I turn around too, starting to head for the exit. “I’m looking forward to your honest efforts.” I leave his workshop without glancing back and stop only after taking two turns. With a deep breath, I sigh heavily. “Oooooooooh, boy… I really can’t sleep with her until he is done…”
Chapter 190 – The Hopes and Fears of Parenthood Spoiler: Chapter Sparing one last glance in the direction of Petros’ workshop, I head back. A single check through my connection with my girls confirms that my amazing duo of receptionists is currently busy talking to Lianne. Judging by their moods, they are actually speaking about business instead of business, which is nice. I bet Lyona’s presence influences that a little. Even that little nympho queen wouldn’t let her shamelessness out of its confines in front of a newcomer. Right? Anyway, with a light sigh and a shake of my head, I wave at my driver, who has been patiently awaiting my return, and jump back into the carriage. I don’t think there’s anything important for me to still take care of in the city so I direct him back to the mansion. Plenty of stuff requires my attention at home. We really can’t catch a moment of rest. Sea monsters, mercenary company, a new religion, and the grand task of escorting Vanessa’s family. No rest for the wicked as they say. My journey back passes uneventfully and we soon reach our destination. I thank the driver and tip handsomely. They are all paid decently well, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with a little kindness between the employee and employer. Many of these men and women have their own families to support and they are even working multiple jobs to scrape by since being a carriage driver isn’t the most lucrative profession in the capital. There’s lots of competition. Therefore, we hire many different people who rotate constantly so as to allow everyone to earn some good coin once in a while. If I’m not mistaken, Ria pays them like three to five times more than their usual rates. Naturally, we don’t pick up any random driver off the street and seat them on the front bench. Helping out people in need is good, but the safety of the clients and professionalism are very crucial in every field. There is lots of screening and other procedures to ensure that there are no accidents. Unfortunately, not all poor citizens are honest in heart. But, there’s nothing to worry about with my lovely wives and companions, and other partners taking charge of these things. They love what we have managed to build together just as much as I do. And many of them are much more talented than me in multiple fields of expertise. I’m so glad I got to meet them. After bidding farewell to the driver, I walk out of the mansion’s premises and step into the building which will soon function as our cosy temple. While I did just say that the ladies are talented and knowledgeable and I definitely trust them with my business and life, there are things I actually have little to no trust in with some of them involved in that particular aspect. Therefore, I’m going to make sure that Ailish doesn’t go overboard with decorations and design this time. Personally. My arrival clearly surprises the sly Succubus but she tries to downplay it by acting her usual slutty self. Humouring the lascivious woman for a while, I join her and Elea in preparing our new sanctuary. The horny demon figures out why and does her best to behave in front of me, promised with either a good reward or a fitting punishment for her behaviour and actions. When the abundance or lack of dick is on the table, Succubi tend to turn really, really obedient and meek. What a shocker. They take me on another tour to show what is already finished and what needs more attention. The entrance hall is more or less done, lacking only some sculptures we have been planning for, but that’s going to be solved in just a moment. Currently, the spacious chamber is decorated with lots of purple tapestries bearing my crest. At some point, the heart with horns and tail became our symbol and I didn’t argue. The new addition is a flat, vertical, monk-like handprint of a neat palm inside which the sigil is located. Yep. Feels like a damn cult. We only lack flyers adorned with ‘We Know’ on them. Besides the hanging cloth and fabric, we currently have four big paintings on the side walls. My eyes tell me that half of them are Shino’s work while the other half belongs to Neira. They must have prepared them ahead of time because there’s no way they can paint this fast. Or maybe I’m just mistakenly putting my Earth Human standards on them. They are both something much more. Especially with my bonuses. Either way, one side is dedicated to Lumina, while the other displays me. The first pair is a simple bust to focus on our faces. They are warm and inviting. It seems like Shino managed to secure the rights to do my depictions this time. I can imagine them competing over that privilege. As for the second pair, it’s a full body of us covered only by a single, decently wide sash going across our bodies from shoulder to waist. Hers is heavenly white while mine is royal purple. Those pieces of fabric barely hide our privates, but somehow manage to create a somewhat adequate appearance without veering too hard into the too sexual side. The hall ends with a raised stage for public speaking and other events. The room will be filled with benches at a later time so that people can sit down comfortably and listen in or wait for their turn to receive whatever service they came for. In terms of those services, the majority will take place here, but we will offer more private locations for anyone too anxious about being seen or recognised. So, the three of us move to the corridors leading to the sides and visit a few simple rooms dedicated to just that. Not much is in them. A bed in case someone would be tired or experienced anything unusual during blessings or other things. A small corner with comfy chairs and sofas to talk casually. And what seems like a little altar to offer prayers in front of, most likely bearing tiny statuettes of me and Lumina soon. Then, we head back to the entrance hall and move through the ornate door at the back of the stage. Each wing of the grand gate represents a person. It’s again me and Lumina, of course. We hold hands where the doors meet and extend our other arms towards the observers, welcoming them into our home. Elea and Ailish explain that every temple needs its sacred chamber, accessible only by the highest priest and their direct subordinates, which would be me and her in this case. In theory, this would be the place where we go pray to our god, so where she would go to pray to me, perhaps with some help from my side if she fancied it. We all know what kind of prayers this would involve. After some tough convincing, they let me in. Their reason for being hesitant is nothing else than it being unfinished and unworthy of my presence. I wave them off and don’t give up. No matter what, I’m going to inspect everything. As far as I’m concerned, they could have erected a giant statue of my dick there and I would learn about it on the day of our new beginning. Turns out that I’m thankfully wrong and there’s nothing wrong with this chamber. It’s not as big as the entrance hall, but it’s clearly meant to be much more decorated. And yeah, I can spot the places where at least two statues are going to stand, judging by the elevated platforms. Something also exists in the very middle but that’s harder to guess. Maybe another statue, but of who? Statues aren’t the only thing missing, though. The chamber lacks windows, it is for a good reason. From the metal frames I can see, it’s pretty obvious someone decided to put in stained glass mosaics instead. The framework is done, just waiting for the colourful filling. I honestly can’t wait to see them in action. At the end of our tour, we visit some of the staff and service areas, which obviously aren’t as well-decorated, but are still kept in the same theme of white-gold-purple. One day, someone might live here, so such arrangements are being prepared ahead of time. Elea mentioned finding priestesses to work in here and it sounded like a serious idea. Only she will be able to grant blessings and such for a while, but some technical help is welcome. Even better if it comes from various races. Hitting two birds with one stone. Shortly after we return to the entrance hall, someone knocks on the door and I go check. As expected, it’s Petros. He is a bit more dressed this time, which is appreciated. I was kind of wondering if he would show up almost bare-chested everywhere or if he has some more decorum outside of his workshop. Hey, don’t blame me, masters of art tend to be… quirky. I bring him to Elea and Ailish to introduce everyone. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to put up an attitude after our earlier encounter and treats them professionally. I don’t spot any prejudice either, but maybe because of what he is, he just isn’t one to look down too much on his fellow oppressed races. Keeping the fact that he doesn’t know that they know in mind. I don’t want to risk him turning on us after we reveal that we are aware of his true nature. His natural charm clearly doesn’t work on my lovely girls but they try to act kindly and without focusing too much on his vampiric features. After spending some time next to Lyona, I have a bit easier time spotting those hidden cues. Will we tell him one day? Who knows. It would put Lyona under the bus too so this should be her decision first and foremost. I can’t risk Petros figuring out that she is the source of the leak. There’s no guarantee he will believe us when we say that we learned about his kind on our own. So, we’ll see how things go from this point and decide later. The gorgeous duo launches into a detailed explanation of what we expect while whipping out a few sketchbooks full of, surprise, sketches portraying me and Lumina in various poses and states of dress and undress. They really came prepared, courtesy of our resident artists. I have a feeling that even our brothel will gain a few new decorations by the end of this cooperation and I might not have much say in that regard. While talking, they lead him through the temple and point at various spots. Petros doesn’t only listen silently but chimes in with his own comments, suggestions, and ideas like a true pro. No one has any doubts that he is much more knowledgeable and experienced in this field than all of us combined. No offence to Shino and Neira, of course. Their artistic minds are as beautiful as their gorgeous figures. Since everything is looking to be under control, and I don’t hear anything about massive dicks or vaginas in any chambers, I excuse myself politely and leave them to their own machinations. My anxiety has been eliminated and I can now fully trust them on this matter. I hope. Also, I’ve sensed Elise and Lyona returning so I stroll to catch them in the headquarters. They are both in the staff room behind the reception counter, with the white-haired Vampire girl taking down some notes. My kinky brothel madame turns to me with a pretty smile and I present her with a tender peck while squeezing her rump. We both wait for our friend to finish. “Man, you never mentioned anything about a devout admirer when introducing me to your guy,” I say with a snicker as she finally looks up at us. “A what?” She furrows her brows lightly. “You had to know, right? Dude is so obvious the whole kingdom must be aware.” I raise one of my own brows at her. “He is crazy in love with you. Or at least desires you over anything else in this realm.” “Did Petros cause you trouble?” Lyona asks with a twinge of anxiety in her beautiful eyes. “No, not really.” I shake my head. “But it seems like he isn’t happy that we know each other. He feels like you became quite talkative after meeting me. It might have hit him where it shouldn’t, really.” “What’s this about? Another secret you’ve been keeping from me?” Elise smirks at her best friend, clearly without any bad feelings behind her words. Lyona sighs softly. “He did court me once in the past but I rejected his advances. I wasn’t interested in him romantically. I thought we parted on good terms but it looks like I was mistaken. I apologise for not thinking this through, Master.” I rest a hand on her shoulder. “That’s not something you could have expected or predicted. He clearly pays much more attention to you than you do to him. He seems to be taking this professionally, though, so all is good. Do you think he might try to fuck us over out of spite?” “He isn’t someone like that,” she denies confidently. “We’ve known each other for a good while. He’s always been a focused and respectful man. That’s why your words surprise me. I’ve never seen him act rash or emotional.” “Maybe in front of you.” I grin at her. “Anyway, we just need to avoid appearing too close before him and it should be fine. I’m not sure what his limit is before he snaps.” “There is a way for him to stop bothering you and accept his position but I don’t think we should take it at this moment,” Lyona ponders out loud. “Telling him what Alastair is, right?” Elise taps her lips. “Certainly, that could work. You do call him Lord for a reason.” “With all due respect, guys like him are… unpredictable.” I glance at them both. “It might have an adverse effect or no effect at all. If he is crazy in love with Lyona and gets fed up with others being all mushy with her and not him, nothing will stop him from lashing out.” “I feel like I’ve brought you only trouble since the moment I joined, Master.” Lyona looks down at her desk. I chuckle and kneel down by her side, cupping up her delicate chin to meet her eyes. “This is nothing compared to the level of usual issues that pop up in my life whatever I do and wherever I go. Just let Elise tell you how much trouble I’ve gone through to secure Ria’s cooperation. And I’m always up for it.” She responds to my gentle smile with a tiny tug of the corners of her mouth too and I lean in to place a peck on her smooth forehead. Shino would most likely have berated me for not going after her sweet-looking lips, but that’s just not my way. And we have to be careful for now. Standing up, I put my hands on my sides. “I don’t think he will try anything unsavoury but I’ll have Hecate stationed as your guard for the duration of his assignment.” “Hecate?” She glances up at me curiously. I snap my fingers and a certain spidergirl flashes into existence in the corner of the ceiling right behind me, causing Lyona to flinch. Holding back my chuckle, I look at our lovely vigilante and nod at her to climb down. She rappels herself onto the floor and stands next to me, inviting my hand to start caressing her short hair. “Are you okay with that?” I ask my silent guardian. “Yes,” Hecate replies softly. “I will protect Master’s new mate.” Leaving it misinterpreted like that for now, I turn to Lyona. “I hope you don’t mind. You won’t even notice she is there. She is a very nice girl, though not too talkative since she is still learning how to actually speak.” “But why, if I may ask?” Lyona looks between the two of us. “As I said, I don’t think he will do anything, but it’s just in case. He is definitely playing the long game right now. Where I come from, we have a saying that there are no female friends, and as embarrassing as it is to admit, it’s true in ninety-nine percent of cases. He is keeping himself as your understanding and trusted friend but deep down he is hoping that one day you might get burned by one of your relationships and come to him to find reassurance and comfort. Hoping that such a situation might create chinks in your previous belief, making you reconsider your stance and perhaps think if maybe he actually was the right guy for you from the very beginning. And he will be ready for that day to shower you with his undying love. The only question is, how long can he persevere in that conviction of his.” “That sounds a tad… creepy.” Elise smiles wryly. “If you liked some guy a lot, perhaps even fell in love with him, but he kindly and respectfully informed you that he isn’t interested in being together, would you just simply forget him and move on or would you hope that maybe someday or something might change his mind?” I turn to her with a raised brow. “Well… When you put it like that…” She giggles shyly. “I would like to say that it depends…” “Of course.” I laugh lightly. “It always depends. But you get the idea. It’s a bit more common for guys. They are often the ones who have to fight for affection through their effort where I come from. Things seem to be a bit more balanced here thanks to different social norms and Classes.” “I understand.” Lyona nods softly. “I have just one question.” “Yes?” I turn to her. “Was she there when we…?” she asked, examining the other pale beauty with her scarlet gaze. Hecate gives a delicate nod and I chuckle quietly. “She is my guardian and practically never leaves my side unless I ask her to. You can safely assume that she is watching me at all times.” “That’s impressive,” Lyona comments. “I felt like my senses were strengthened beyond comprehension thanks to your and your friend’s blood, but I have not had the slightest idea she was around.” “With time, you will be able to use the bond that connects all of us to locate her, but without that, it’s true that Hecate is the master of stealth. I guess Arachnes are just that good at it.” “It’s kind of exciting.” Elise giggles, joining me in patting the cute spidergirl. “Anyway, we got lots of information from Lianne and should start briefing the squad. They need to be ready in a few days. We are going to depart together from here and head for Vanessa’s homeland on horseback. Carriages will join us on the way back.” “Got it. I’ll leave you to it.” With an appreciative smile, I pull her in for a tender kiss that lasts quite a moment and retreat from the room. Now, with these aspects more or less taken care of, I guess I should return to my main business and help out the ladies there before we have to depart on a brief journey once more. Even if it will be short and pretty self-explanatory, without any interesting deviations, I’m still excited about it. Mostly because I’ll be joining Shino’s team like in the past. I’m super curious about their growth, and about their new friend. They seem to have a knack for finding capable and trustworthy teammates. I know it’s delusional, but I keep hoping that they won’t really need me to take down Umbra in the future. Well, no one knows what’s going to happen. As I walk the paved path to the entrance, Cornelia opens the door for me, already waiting. She invites me inside and snuggles to my side, entwining her elbow with mine. Presented with so much loving affection from my dear wife, I lean to the side to join our lips in a chaste peck. “Do you have a moment to talk?” she asks gently. “With you? Always.” I kiss her once more and start heading for our chambers. “What about?” “You remember our conversation about the ship? And in the bedroom recently? You see, I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Having kids, I mean,” she begins, looking firmly ahead. “I see. Are you still worried about something?” I use my free hand to caress her cheek. “No. Yes. I don’t know.” She sighs heavily. “I’m not sure how to say it.” “Then don’t,” I reply with a little grin. “Say it, I mean.” She finally looks at me and scans my eyes for a moment. We come to a stop right in front of the door and she turns us to face each other. Putting her slender hands on my chest, Cornelia leans forward and joins our lips in a slow, sensual kiss full of unfiltered love. Her palms unhurriedly trace my front before heading to my back and squeezing me tighter into her body. We exchange gentle pecks for a solid minute before she reluctantly draws her lips back, keeping herself close. “You want children,” I whisper, getting the unspoken message clearly. “Yes,” she whispers back, resting her forehead on my shoulder. “I think.” Delicately scooping her up into a princess carry, I get us inside and sit down on the bed, setting Cornelia in my lap with her side to me. “Well, you know me. I’ll gladly oblige if you think we are ready.” I lovingly brush through her hair. “I’m not so certain about that, but I feel like I never will,” she admits. “You are definitely going to be a great father, but me? I’ve always been so focused on my research and studies. What do I even know about real motherhood?” “Hey, that’s too harsh. It’s going to be a first for me too. We would be experiencing it together. There’s only so much that knowledge can help with in regards to parenthood. You can never feel truly ready.” I bring her eyes to mine. “But, if we are talking about getting ready, I think you have much better prospects for that. Are you forgetting about a certain experienced lady amongst our ranks? She will gladly answer all your questions about motherhood. Me? See any dude around here? I’m totally on my own. And that’s not super reassuring.” She chuckles beautifully. “Do you mean to say that you worry even more than me?” “Woman, I’m shaking in my boots at the very thought of it.” I laugh and steal those delicious lips of hers. “I can only hope to use my own father as a role model, just without the constant lack of presence and the sudden disappearance.” Cornelia’s smile fades away and she starts brushing her fingers against my cheek. “You worry that you won’t always be by his or her side due to your work and all the journeys?” “That thought did pass through my mind once or twice, yeah,” I admit. “This is different, though. You weren’t left with a mother but a pretender. Things would have been different if she was a real mother with bottomless love both for you and your father. It’s completely different here. Your children will have not just one but like a dozen of loving and doting mothers. And that’s without counting all the women who simply respect you and will do anything to make your children feel loved and cared for. You were alone, they won’t be. And I have faith in you and your ability to always return. Plus, you are training the mercenary girls, are you not? In the future, they will be able to take care of your matters whenever necessary. You will be able to stay here and do nothing as much as you want.” She peppers me with loving kisses. “And who is reassuring who now?” I chuckle. “I know you are right, just as you know I’m right. But Human brains are shit, aren’t they?” She laughs sweetly. “They are. So to redirect them away from these negative thoughts, there is something else that made me bring this up.” “That’s curious. Go on.” I smirk at her. “The grand opening of your new temple. Lumina will share the news with her priests, and they will share it with others, but this is all just word of mouth. People will learn that you can give blessings, but some will definitely need proof that they work. So, we could use the Blessing of Fertility on me as that proof. It’s a bit embarrassing, but I can pull some strings in my academic circles and spread rumours that I’m trying for a child and will make a serious attempt at it on that day,” she explains. “Now, that would be a lie.” I snort at her. “How?” Cornelia furrows her brows a tad. “We are both aware that my abilities assure a hundred percent success rate of insemination when consciously triggered that way. Especially now that I’m Tier 6 and kind of ascended. I’m a damn demigod. I’m fairly sure I can knock up anything at this point, knowing the history of Primordials,” I reply with an amused smile. “You are not wrong.” She wrinkles her cute nose. “Then maybe we can test that. The power of your seed, I mean. See if it can pierce the anti-conception magic if you put enough thought into it. I’m actually curious. We can use that along with the blessing, right? I still think it would be a good idea to do one publicly and then show the results right after with that verifying spell we figured out in the past. And I think Elea got access to something similar from your divine patronage too.” “Hmmm… Lumina?” I glance up to the ceiling. ~The magic you are using in the brothel does not collide with the Blessing of Fertility. The former prevents conception by disabling semen and eggs, while the latter guarantees that the recipient gets pregnant as long as they are physically able to,~ the Goddess responds in my mind. “So, it won’t help those who are infertile for any physical reason?” I rub my chin while thinking of a certain person. ~No, it won’t. Think of it as your own ability to ensure pregnancy, only as something you can share with others. It helps those with weak seed or reproductive organs and their surrounding aspects or with compatibility and other potential issues. The power to aid true infertility comes later. It’s too much for your current divinity at this moment,~ she expands further. “Then I will be able to do it, just not now. That’s still great news.” I nod to myself with a smile. “Thanks for clarifying everything. It will be easier to explain to the people without misleading them.” ~I believe Cornelia’s idea of using the blessing on her as a trial run is worthy of consideration. You might be cheating a little, but the result would be the same even if you didn’t have your abilities. If there is even the tiniest chance of fertilisation, the blessing will make it happen,~ Lumina adds. I thank her once more and repeat everything to my lovely wife. “I guess she isn’t wrong. We just have to make it clear what the blessings do and it should be fine.” I scratch my head. “So, ignoring all that for a second, are you sure you are okay working a bit and staying behind with a baby? I kind of considered asking if you would like to join us with Sirgia when we go to her homeland.” Cornelia smiles at me and boops my nose. “You know me. I’m not going to sit idly, at least for as long as my condition allows for it. And even if I wouldn’t get that round in the period of your trip, I believe it should be exclusively Sirgia’s turn. I accompanied you just recently and it was great. She deserves her time too. To be completely honest, I’m kind of excited about this. Staying behind with our child slowly growing inside my belly. I’ve been on numerous expeditions, but this is something I’ve never even dreamed of.” I pull her closer and wrap her in a loving hug. “Very well. Let’s agree on this before either of us gets second thoughts and chickens out. Just don’t blame me if my super seed puts twins or triplets in you.” She laughs openly and smacks me on the chest. “Do you want to kill me? Bastard. They would wreck me so hard on their way out I would lose feeling in my pussy for a year.” “Good thing you enjoy the other exit much more.” I grin at her and she smacks me again, this time with a fierce blush surfacing on her cheeks. Then, she takes a deep breath and grabs my wrist. “Alright. Let’s go.” “What? Where to? Hey!” I chuckle in shock as she yanks me up and starts dragging me away. We move through the mansion with a clear purpose, Cornelia’s hand locking my wrist firmly the entire way. After getting under the ground, we travel through the unfinished tunnel linking the brothel with the headquarters and arrive in front of Sirgia’s relocated workshop. Cornelia stops for a moment, takes another breath, and steps inside. Our adorable Dwarf work addict is currently handling some minor elements necessary for the construction of the projects we have recently undertaken. The pieces seem to be connected to the headquarters, but it’s not like it matters right now. Cornelia brings us closer to Sirgia’s little frame and we wait for our friend to pause her work. It doesn’t take long and we are greeted by her gorgeous brown eyes. “Yes?” “Sirgia, do you want to have children with Alastair?” Cornelia asks. I look at her with raised brows, quite unsure of where we are getting with this exactly. “Yes,” Sirgia responds without a hint of hesitation in her quiet voice. “Okay.” Cornelia nods to herself. “In technical terms, you are his first wife, so the privilege of giving birth to his first descendant belongs to you. Do you want to retain this right until the moment you conceive or are you willing to allow others to step forward before you?” My cute cinnamon-haired shortie looks between the two of us before a spark of realisation flashes in her smart gaze. “You want to have a baby with Master?” In turn, my usually composed magician takes another deep breath. “Yes. I want to try for a child with Alastair. No, that’s wrong. I want to have a child with Alastair. There is no trying with him.” Sirgia takes off her blacksmithing gloves and struggles out of her heat-resistant apron, appearing in her usual shirt and shorts. “Did you really come here to ask for my permission?” “As I said, you are his first wife by right. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Our communities might have their differences in terms of family matters, but I believe this part is more or less similar in both harems,” Cornelia explains. “It is.” Sirgia nods adorably. “I do want to have a baby with Master, but… not yet. I can’t. Not until my family acknowledges me. I have been disgraced by my capture and disappearance. I need to regain my honour. And I need to prove to them my worth, which was the goal of my journey as a blacksmith. I want our children to have the support of my clan. Master’s children deserve it. So, until my creations get acknowledged enough to secure me a place amongst the most respected individuals in my family, I will be happy to see you give birth to Master’s children first, happy that you can give him something I can’t.” Sirgia launches into a quite long and unusual for her speech, which makes Cornelia sniff more and more. By the end of it, my lovely magician yanks the short girl up and squeezes the Dwarf lady to her chest with a powerful hug. “Thank you! Thank you, so much! I’m so sorry for ever being rude to you! I swear I’m going to do my best for him!” She keeps shaking them from side to side and I can’t help but chuckle a little. As for Sirgia, she returns the affectionate embrace and I spot a hint of a warm smile curling her petite lips. These two have always been close but it seems like the matters of motherhood might bring them even closer. And I have another thing to think about. The matter of Sirgia’s family. If I’m not wrong, she might be planning to shock them during our upcoming trip. I better do whatever I can to help her out. Having nothing better to do at this very moment, I join the two ladies with my own hug, enveloping them both in my embrace. We stay like that for a minute or two before Cornelia starts raining kisses on Sirgia’s cute cheeks and all over my face. That results in lots of chuckling and giggling. And one smouldering gaze after. The following night becomes so intensive that I start wondering if Cornelia hasn’t given up on waiting until the big day, but I make sure I’m still shooting blanks for the entire session. Hearing the news, all my current mates and wives who are present in the capital join in and it turns into a massive orgy with Cornelia in the centre. It’s all so bizarre, especially with her chatting about parenting stuff with Ria and Lianne while I pound someone else right next to them, or even right when she is getting her backdoor blasted open, mid-moan. In the next few days, things progress like clockwork. Petros handles his part of the contract amazingly well and brings us statue after statue of unbelievable quality at a rapid pace, almost impossible for a living being. The furnishing and decoration of the temple come along gorgeously well too. Things are all clicking into place bit by bit. The mercenary girls get a few small commissions around the city to raise their fame a bit and not remain idle until our upcoming assignment. The brothel is developing fabulously too. We get more costumes, rooms, and roles from the gathered feedback, slowly inching towards the grand opening of that service too. Though, many already consider it open, I guess. But we haven’t advertised yet. In the meanwhile, a revelation descends upon Lumina’s top believers, priests, and prophets. It’s kind of amazing that she includes all of us in it too, but maybe it shouldn’t be that surprising considering the fact that she most likely can choose anyone for that. The change in the capital’s mood is instant as people start discussing the news amongst themselves, attending the kingdom-hosted announcements, and in general pondering about the future. Lumina gives them details such as my name, appearance, race before ascension, aspect of godhood, how we are in a good relationship, what it means for all her believers, and most importantly, where to find my first temple. Plenty of curious residents stop by even before it's open, even if only to gaze upon the new structure. Although, her revelation made me realise one thing. Hopefully, having started in the Human Kingdom and as a Human won’t push other races away too much from us. That would be counterproductive to our current efforts. She did emphasise that we view all beings as equal, but who knows how various people receive this news. It’s too late to go back now and we need to do what we can to salvage the situation if the need arises. So, the day of our first official introduction to the masses arrives. I should have foreseen the fact that the temple would not be enough to house all the interested in its relatively small confines. A massive crowd fills the nearby streets and our mansion’s front yard, which we opened for everyone to take their spots in too. Thankfully, Sirgia whipped out a few voice-transmitting artefacts so the message should reach most if not all of them. As for me, I’m currently standing on the small stage in the entrance hall, which is filled to the brim, as mentioned. I decided to remain in my suit to appear a bit more relatable rather than super divine. I can spot plenty of familiar faces, starting from old friends like Barren, through various acquaintances like Lord Jericho, ending at the King and Queen and some other nobles in the very first row. Talk about stage fright. One small step for a man, one giant leap for Naharren.
Chapter 191 – The First Sermon ❤ Spoiler: Chapter So. We are really here. I am really here. The whole cult and faith thing is here and there’s no coming back from this. The news will still need lots of time to spread fully to most of this realm’s population, but it seems like a lot of people have already heard a thing or two about this most likely once-in-a-lifetime event from the kingdom’s announcements and gatherings. Thanks to the fact that Ross and Lianne acted immediately and decisively, no one had a chance to panic or worry about the sudden change and revelation. To be honest, it does feel a tiny bit like manipulation or propaganda, but who am I to dictate what the kings and queens do? Well, except for classifying as the same being as the entity that started this entire nation, of course. Anyway, their efforts to present the Goddess’ decision in an even more positive light and announce that the kingdom fully accepts both of us as valid and respected deities certainly had an effect on the general population. I can only hope that the situation isn’t any worse in other regions of the world, populated by different races. I’ll get to experience that very soon, most likely. The Dwarves did receive the revelation too, obviously. But well, I’ll have the chance to talk more about the details of this entire grand reveal with Ross and Lianne a bit later. At this very moment, we have gathered here for an official confirmation from the other side mentioned in the revelation. Our side. Honestly, I thought about how to approach this situation for many hours, assisted by my incredible wives, of course, and I still have plenty of doubts about the correct approach here. None of us could agree on a single one, with our votes pretty split between all options. In the end, it looks like I’ll just have to wing it. Thankfully, they all seemed to be confident in my ability to convey my unusual, otherworldly beliefs and aspirations to the inhabitants of this realm. So, I can only do what I can and act as myself. What happens next is in the Goddess’ hands. Figuratively speaking. Taking a deep breath which is easily concealed by the curious and excited whispering filling the entrance hall, or prayer hall as Elea insists on calling it, I take a good look around. It has come a long way in these last few days. I’ve seen my fair share of temples and churches back on Earth and I can admit without a second thought that ours is no short of magnificent while trying to remain as modest and approachable as possible. The idea was to appeal both to proud nobles and anxious commoners without making either uneasy. And we shall see if we succeeded in that goal. Besides the beautiful paintings and portraits displaying my and Lumina’s visages, the outside ends of the multiple rows of benches are close to the distinguished white, black, and marble statues respectively. Petros did a great job, even with the mean stink eye he had directed my way each time I came to check on his work. If looks could kill, I would be long dead. Especially after the moments the two of us were present in one room with Lyona. His godly creations were worth it, though. We now have a pair of full-body statues of me and Lumina, positioned one per side. They are white and depict us inviting the guests further while wearing fairly distinguished robes. Another set of statues follows them, the same size but from black material accentuated with gold, this time showing us in more modest and even slightly worn clothes. Then finally, to complete the arrangement, a final pair stands on both sides of the stage, made of mesmerising marble, and presenting us in heavenly togas which clearly accentuate our respective charms as we direct our hands towards each other longingly. Gods, I know my aspect is lust and so on but he couldn’t have made it more obvious that I have the hots for her. Or both of us have for each other. Nevertheless, our bodies are works of art in every single sculpture. Petros can easily put Michelangelo and the other masters to shame with his technique. I can already see a certain rowdy Succubus rubbing herself all over my arms, hands, fingers, even face or other body parts. If not for the fact that these monuments are scaled up, they could pose as a real thing with some paint. Besides those grand six, a bunch of busts decorate the hall at various places all over the hall. They are more modest but still capture Lumina’s beauty perfectly. Though, I certainly can’t complain about my own visage. Personally, I think I look too normal right next to her, but everyone tried to convince me otherwise every time I brought that up. I can’t really see what they see in my sculpted appearance. I can’t even blame it on my skills or race as stone doesn’t seduce everything like my body can if I simply let the restraints go. Noticing that the murmurs are starting to fade, I note that we are nearing the time of the big event and recompose myself again. Let’s just hope I don’t screw this up. As I slowly and deliberately walk to the centre of the stage, the noise fully dies out and all the eyes land on me. Spreading my arms in a warm and welcoming gesture, I try to smile without looking too kind like the artificial masks professional presenters or spokespeople use to wear. “Welcome to our humble temple, people of Evaneheim and Naharren,” I begin slowly and gently. “That includes everyone gathered inside as much as our precious visitors filling the streets and nearby front yards. I have just received confirmation that my voice travels far and wide so everyone should be able to hear me clearly. Though, I’m not so sure that’s a good thing now that I think about it as at least a few matters I’m going to mention today are of… a delicate nature, to put it lightly. Ones that I certainly wouldn’t go shouting shamelessly around the city.” That draws out an amused chuckle from the crowd, both the noble and common side. As far as good signs go, this can be considered one. No better to warm people to you than having them aware of your public embarrassment. In the worst-case scenario, they will enjoy me trying to sound dignified while talking about bees and flowers. “As you might already know, my name is Alastair Carter. Some people might recognize my voice or visage as I’ve been a fairly active resident of the capital with a fairly thriving business. Yes, I’m the man behind Utopia and its diverse crew of lady companions who are more than happy to heal the wounds of the heart and lead both gentlemen and ladies into figurative heavens of physical affection,” I continue, starting to pace around slowly. “I bet you are starting to see a pattern here already, are you not? Let’s just say that it’s not the first time I have been titled the Demigod of Lust. It’s just that the location might be different and a bit more… clothed.” Some giggles travel through the female half of our visitors while the men either grunt in approval, look aside with some mild embarrassment, or try their best not to react, most likely attempting not to betray the fact that they understand where I’m coming from. “Now, I’m sure you have noticed that the way I’m addressing you and talking about everything doesn’t exactly feel that… divine. And that’s because I have no plans of hiding my past, trying to conceal who I was before I got here and was honoured with such unbelievable grace and responsibility at the same time. I’m still the same person and everything until this point has made me into who I am. And who exactly am I? Well, I’m one of the Summoned Heroes who have descended upon this kingdom and realm slightly less than two years ago.” This, in turn, evokes a round of gasps and shocked glances. Yes, I’m going to play this card. While the exact identities of all the Heroes weren’t spread to every single common person and even noble in the kingdom and further outside of it, most of the Humans and some other people are well aware of our existence and summoning. In the end, it was their beloved Goddess who brought us into this world. And I will not let such a beneficial notion simply pass by without taking some good old advantage of it. Before silencing the crowd with a kindly raised hand, I lock eyes with the petite Queen and her cultured son. They both nod at me with excited smiles. We’ve obviously discussed this move beforehand. It wouldn’t do me any good suddenly spilling maybe not the kingdom’s secrets but quite valuable information without consulting the source. “As such, I’m a healthy Human male who has been blessed by Goddess Lumina during my arrival in these beautiful but troubled lands.” I refocus on the gathering. “But, it happened not just once. I’m standing before you after being so generously offered another blessing. I can’t fully fathom the Goddess’ kind and affectionate mind, but she’s been happy with the assistance I willingly offered to her children enough to allow me to affect even more of them. Yes, through my recent ascension into the rank of a Demigod and being gifted the honour of watching over the aspect of love and pleasure.” I can catch a few whispers as people wonder what I’m talking about and their neighbours explain that I most likely mean the other races I’ve been employing in my services. Some rumour exchange takes place too with them considering if everything I’ve been doing was for the good of all races and if that’s what the Goddess wishes to see, her children reunited. It’s damn near impossible to keep a giant smile from forming on my lips. That would certainly betray the fact that I can hear them even with how quiet everyone tries to be. Good. Good. You talk like that and think about it more. That’s what you call hitting a jackpot. No better way to raise the status of the poorly treated monster and beast races than to appeal to the general population through their faith and beloved Goddess. Manipulative? To some extent, yeah. Effective? I hope so. As long as it will make the streets safer for girls and guys of races other than Humans, I’m willing to take the blame. “We could sit here and talk about the details of my ascension and my role and everything connected to this arrangement for days, but I don’t think anyone would like to suffer that.” I chuckle lightly to bring the attention back to me. “Just know that I’m still me and while I will respect all shows of respect and manners, no one should worry about approaching my person with their usual business or inquiries regarding my new field of expertise. I have been given this position to help first and foremost, not to demand and gather worship and reverence. The powers the Goddess shared with me are meant to be of assistance to you. I’m both the Alastair Carter many of you knew, and also…” Spreading my arms to the sides, I close my eyes and activate one of my new abilities. Powerful warmth surges out of the core of my body, soon coursing through its entirety. I can feel my feet rise off the ground and loud gasps reach my ears, quickly muffled by powerful whistling of quickly moving air. Powerful spiritual pressure descends upon the prayer hall as pinkish mist starts rolling around my ankles, heading up my legs, torso, neck, and the top of my head. Everything goes pink, even through my closed eyelids. The warmth expands past my physical frame and I become one with it, embracing it like the extension of my own being. No, that’s a wrong expression. It’s like a powerful part of me that has been locked away under restraints no mortal can place on another. When I open my eyes again, I’m levitating slightly above the stage and everything has a gentle rosy tint to it. There are various levels of denser and thinner emissions coming from the bodies of the gathered people, originating from points like their hearts, brains, or genitals, but I firmly ignore those for now. We wouldn’t want me going all demigod on them even more than I already am by taking the form of a slightly glowing figure of pink spiritual matter. In everyone’s eyes, I’m a figure of pure energy, sculpted like the finest statue, but without that much detail put into its soft planes. My body is smooth and I lack any equipment at the place of my rounded crotch. To be perfectly honest, I lack any kind of mortal appendages or orifices. Besides the pink energy forming my smooth body, only my eyes and the inside of my mouth are represented with a brighter tone. “Alastair Carter the Demigod of Lust and Love,” I finish the sentence I left open before the transformation. Most of the witnesses stay completely flabbergasted, but a few people move and kneel in their own way, either lowering themselves to one, two knees, or even fully bowing their heads to the ground, if the space in front of them allows for it. Naturally, Elea and some other ladies from my circles belong to the last category, including Lianne, Ross, and some of my old friends. I slowly withdraw the transformation and float back down onto the stage as the rosy energy dissipates, returning me to my everyday body. I shiver lightly and catch myself before falling forward due to the sudden dizziness that accompanies the shift. Even without doing much, going in and out of my Avatar mode is utterly exhausting. “Please, rise, everyone, and don’t be afraid or intimidated,” I address the crowd with a warm tone. “As I said, I have ascended to serve and to aid. As for how exactly? Today, I wanted to introduce you to three blessings that I and my Head Priestess can grant to the followers of not only me but also Goddess Lumina. In the end, the two of us are in perfect harmony and the power I use originates from her like everything in this world.” It takes a moment for everyone to recollect themselves and I wait a moment before moving forward. In the meantime, Elea climbs onto the stage too, wearing an even more regal and priestly version of the violet robes she showed me right after my return from the sea. A true Eastern fairy. All mine. “The first blessing we can offer is the Blessing of Pleasure,” I continue. “Anyone either looking to enhance their love life or is troubled by physical issues of their personal intimacy which unfortunately don’t allow them to enjoy the affectionate acts just as much as everyone else can now experience the pleasure of their life. This is a temple of lust, love, pleasure, and sex. We don’t judge. If you just want to spice up your usual marriage activities or finally feel good in your own body, we are here to aid you.” Elea turns to me and I lightly press my palm to her chest, right between her breasts. A faint pink glow emanates from underneath it and she sighs softly. My fingers then roam up towards her neck and she shivers as they trace over her now sensitive skin, reaching and caressing her cheek. She lets out a quiet moan as I bring it back down to her chest and give her impressive breast a gentle squeeze through the thin material of her robe. Her knees buckle under her and she supports herself on me for a moment. Not wanting her to stay like this for a long time, I dismiss the blessing. We don’t want to embarrass anyone, only to make a short presentation. “The second blessing might go well with the first,” I say with a smile. “It’s called the Blessing of Stamina and it does exactly what you think it would. You won’t ever have to worry about performance issues or matching your partner’s libido. Always tired about a day of hard work, exhausted so much you can’t show proper love to your wife or husband? Not anymore! A simple blessing will fill you with enough vigour to stay up an entire night! What’s better, there are no side effects such as completely uncontrollable duration of the enhancement. You decide when it activates and ends so there is no worry about the lack of sleep if all you and your partner wanted was a short, sweet, intimate hour before bed.” This gets some attention and it’s not unexpected. The issue with aphrodisiacs is that you hardly can expel them from your system after taking them. Such cleansing solutions are extremely costly and rarely actually work. It’s no surprise that some people would get excited over the prospect of having a horny switch at their disposal without having to walk around with a raging boner for twelve hours after taking the sex potion. “Since the effects of this blessing can’t be easily displayed, we’ll move on to the final one, which is… the Blessing of Fertility,” I announce with a brief pause for dramatic effect. A complete silence falls upon the temple and the gathered people lean forward with rapt attention. “Now, let me precede the explanation with a clarification that it unfortunately can’t make those physically unable to bear or sire children have one. Yet,” I clarify to curb some expectations early. “That might come later, after I grow more as a Demigod through offering my blessings to you or receiving some honest prayers.” “How do we properly pray to you?” a man asks hastily, a hopeful edge to his tone making it obvious he belongs to the troubled category. “I’ll explain it very soon.” I smile warmly and nod at him politely. “As for the blessing itself, it ensures a one hundred percent chance of successful impregnation. If you can make or have a child, you will.” The loudest murmurs echoed through the spacious chamber as of yet and we exchanged smiles with Elea. There might have been solutions and maybe even magics to raise the potency of one’s seed, but I don’t think there was ever anything so easy and certain available basically for free. Many families are going to be very happy very soon. “And to show everyone that I’m not exaggerating or even lying, we have a willing candidate to prove the effectiveness of the blessing right here, right now,” I add and the people fall silent. Everyone’s eyes turn to the small stairs leading up to the stage and every single step my dearest Cornelia makes resounds off the high walls with weight of significance. She’s wearing flowing, white robes in the form of a long waistband made of three wide sheets of cloth that reveal her toned legs and simple top hiding her fair breasts behind two crossing strips. I can easily say she looks like a goddess herself. As she stops by my side with a slight blush, I wrap my arm around her smooth waist. “I will place my blessing on this brave lady, have a professional mage from the kingdom appraise her to show that she isn’t expecting right now, and escort her to the inner sanctum where she will consummate her relationship with her beloved. When we return, she will be appraised once more. I beg all of you to be patient and understanding for the next half an hour. Priestess Elea will answer any questions you might have. Now, Your Majesties?” Lianne nods and a man dressed in official wizarding robes joins us on the stage. He presses his palm to Cornelia’s exposed belly and activates a magic spell of our design. His hand glows gold before the light fades away. We wait for about three seconds, staring at her beautiful tummy before he turns to the audience. “The spell I used transfers mana into another’s body and examines it for signs of life. That life will glow back if it exists in a lady’s womb,” he explains calmly and nods respectfully at the two of us. Then, the Queen also climbs onto the stage with a clearly pregnant woman by her side. The mage repeats his spell, and this time, after three seconds, the golden glow shines from within her belly, even going as far as to illuminate the silhouette of the forming foetus. People gasp, murmur, and some women coo and hum sweetly. “We’ll be back shortly.” I bow respectfully and escort Cornelia to the ornate gate behind us. She steps in first while I turn around to close the massive slabs of metal. After achieving that great feat, I take a good look at the chamber. I’ve been here before but this is the first time after it has been finished. I was forbidden from entering it before today’s grand presentation. And I can certainly tell why. The inner sanctum now contains three massive statues reaching the very ceiling. The first one depicts the Goddess in all her glory. And I do mean all. She wears nothing as her nude divinity graces the admirer. And with how perfectly lifelike her depiction is, it’s hard not to admire her charms, from the perkiest and most tender pair of breasts with diamond-hard nipples to the masterfully-chiselled bare slit of her immortal pussy. The second one stands on the opposite end of the room and obviously depicts me. Same as her, all my glory is displayed to the viewer. With the emphasis on a certain very glorious aspect. Unsurprisingly, my bare cock stands at very apparent attention. I can only imagine how massive of a snarl must have decorated Petros’ face as he had to work on my dick. I try my best not to smirk. Thankfully, he presented it without any sneaky alterations. The final statue stands at the very end of the inner sanctum and represents both of us side by side, embracing each other’s waists, and extending a hand towards the entrance, inviting the kind arriving souls into our warmth. Of course, I’m still hard out there and almost poking the divine belly of the heavenly lady. But, while these figures have been more or less expected, there’s one thing that surprises. A short distance from the final statue, I find what definitely looks to be a fancy, waist-high, rectangular altar. I guess it would have been fine if it was any normal altar, but each side seems to be depicting… me and Lumina in various very stimulating positions. The side facing the entrance shows us in a simple but sensual missionary, the left wall shows us in a lotus position, the right in a standing spoon, and the back in a quite wild doggy. I don’t know if I should be angry or happy that this is all and there is nothing more of such fashion in here. Shaking my head, I drag my attention away from the masterful carvings and notice that Cornelia has fallen a bit behind in our approach. “Everything alright?” She finds my eyes, blushes sweetly, and releases a quiet sigh. “I just can’t believe this is really happening. I will… We will…” I quickly retract my steps and pull her into a loving hug. No more words are spoken, just our bodies talking through the affectionate embrace. We stay still for about a minute before she reluctantly pulls away and looks me in the eyes with a slightly shy smirk. “All right, big guy. It’s time you put a baby in me. We are on a tight schedule here.” She pecks my lips and starts walking towards the altar. That’s when I notice that she wears no underwear with this extremely alluring outfit of hers. She takes a knowing peek at me over her shoulder and continues to place her feet just the way to make the material of her waistband flash me her enticing privates through the vertical cuts in it. Arriving at the altar, she turns around and rests her butt against its edge, crossing and uncrossing her legs to even further tempt me with her already glistening crevice. “What are you waiting for, husband?” Cornelia asks with an inviting purr. “Do you need a Blessing of Stamina to help you out with caring for your sexy wife?” Smirking at her, I cross the distance separating us and lean forward with my hands on the altar too, joining our lips in a loving kiss. She practically moans into my mouth as I explore hers with pure devotion, and it certainly doesn’t come from the Blessing of Pleasure. “Take me,” she whispers with a deep sigh. “That fast? Let me at least show you a tenth of the proper love and care,” I whisper back, nibbling on her lip. She grasps my clothes and rolls us onto the altar, with her landing on her back and me on top of her. “If you don’t fuck me right here, right now, I will freeze your cock solid and put it on display as a holy relic.” Cornelia glares at me intensively and my clothes suddenly disappear most likely into her spatial storage. “As you wish, my love.” I kiss her full lips before moving to her delicious neck, holding her wrists above her head while trailing my other hand down her delicate skin. When my fingers reach their destination and brush against her heated folds, it’s of no surprise that I find her positively gushing in anticipation. Already a tiny puddle of love nectar formed on the surface of the altar underneath her incredible ass and a trail of it still flows out of her perfect pussy. She shudders as I tease her a little and start lining myself up with her eager lower lips. The unfiltered and raw emotions that flood my mind through our bond are additionally drilling holes in my soul as her charming eyes peer into mine. The tension between us can almost be seen by the naked eye as it warps our surroundings. Or it might be just me being so captivated by this otherworldly beauty willing to start a real family with me. A faint shiver passes through my entire body as I switch my mindset from a complete and unshakable prevention of conception to a raging desire for certain impregnation of the lady beneath me for the very first time in this life. In my life. There will be no stopping me. I can instinctually tell. No spell or barrier will withstand my will to make her a proud mother. Even with those powerful emotions tugging at our heartstrings, I still slip my tip into her scorching hot embrace with a slow and gentle motion. Cornelia sighs in pleasure and shudders as I gradually fill her up to the very brim. We both grunt as I bottom out in her and look each other deep in the eyes again. “Goddess almighty… Your cock feels so… Good…” She pants into my face. “Placebo effect.” I chuckle at her and start with a little thrust. “It’s still the same.” She tries to chuckle back but it gets broken by a thrilled moan and I feel a warm liquid gush upon my divine member. Cornelia’s cheeks burn even redder as she understands that I know she just came from a single movement due to how horny she is from the thought of babymaking sex. I say nothing, instead sealing her lips with mine and pounding her hungry pussy into the altar like I mean to shatter it into pieces. “Ahhh! Ahhhh! Yes! Ahhhh! Ahhhh! Deeper! Ahhhh! You need to make sure all of your seed shoots straight to my womb! Ahhhhh!” She moans to the heavens while locking her ankles behind my waist, using them to drive me into herself with every swing I make. “Don’t worry. You aren’t getting off this altar until you are knocked up.” I grin at her and she trembles at the deep emotion and conviction in my voice, pulling me into an almost reverent kiss. Our bodies slap together amidst our carnal throes and the altar ends up coated with Cornelia’s liquid love with how wet for me she is. Her bottoms are already completely soaked and still get splashed with each collision of my groin with her girly mound. If not for the silencing formations, I bet even the people outside of the chapel could hear the loud smacking of flesh from how hard and fast we go. It doesn’t take long before she practically sprints into another orgasm and Cornelia screams in ecstasy as her tight channel chokes my cock with an unbelievable strength I haven’t ever experienced from her, clearly doing its best to milk me dry to the very last drop without taking any hostages. Groaning from the intense massage, I let everything go and blow the largest load of my life into my incredible and very fertile wife. I practically see stars for the next five or more seconds as I pump my cock deep into her welcoming pussy to paint her furthest depths white. Through my blinding pleasure, I can see her writhing underneath me in another peak, her eyes almost rolled to the back. Not caring about anything, I collapse on top of her and we both pant heavily as final spurts of my love trickle into her slick passage. Cornelia turns her face to me and we share a few silent pecks full of unconditional love. But, when I try to get up, her feet drive me back into her with a wet squish. “Do not dare.” She glares at me with overbearing determination. The next second, our positions are flipped and it’s her now sitting on top of me with my dick still buried deep in her alluring slit. “This is nowhere near enough,” Cornelia adds, locking my wrists together this time. I have to be honest. Seeing her so dominant is not that small of a turn-on. “But, love. You are already pregnant and we both know it.” I smile at her warmly. “There’s still twenty minutes left and we are going to make sure my pussy is so full of your seed that you can’t even put it in anymore,” she announces with a rough slam of her hips, evoking a pleasant groan from me. “I will not be taking any chances.” On, boy. This will be the longest twenty minutes of my life.
Chapter 192 – The First Flicker of Life ❤ Spoiler: Chapter “Ahhh! Ahhhh! Fuck! Ahhhh! Ahhh!” It’s been almost fifteen more minutes since we’ve finished our first attempt with Cornelia, and here we are, still trying to get her pregnant on the quite lewd altar. I say trying, because after stuffing her hungry snatch with so much of my seed, we should be certain she is going to pop out a whole damn football team when we are done, including the coach. Currently, my beautiful magician rests her tummy on the surface of the altar while strongly gripping the far edge of it as I pound her right into the divine counter from behind. Her tender buttcheeks are already fairly red from how much my pelvis has been smacking against them with our quite passionate coupling. The chamber is still filled with echoing slapping of flesh as she throws her ass back at me with relentless vigour. I have long lost count of how many times I exploded inside Cornelia’s tight channel, which seems just oh so much more desperate to squeeze me in its excited contractions than usual. But, we have already established that long ago. This incredible lady is just that eager for us to finally enter the next step in our relationship. Even though we might have skipped one, involving a few public vows. That can still be fixed later, though. “Al! Ahhhh! Ahhhh! Ahhhhh! Don’t slow down, you bastard!” Cornelia shouts at me while shooting me a glare over her bare shoulder. I snicker and shake my head. She’s become so damn sensitive to pick up even the slightest hint of my thoughts wandering off. And she still has to clench her teeth from the massive pleasure we are both involved in. “I pity all the men of this world if our daughter inherits her mother’s temper.” I smirk at her and lean forward to reaffirm my grip on her shapely waist. Cornelia clearly aims to snap back at me with one of her witty responses I love so much, but I shut her mouth with a mighty shove that takes away her ability to form coherent words. Hammering into her pussy fast and hard as per her wish, I rain kisses and pecks on her shoulders and neck, enjoying the mighty moans and cries my beloved releases into the air. Sensing another wave of pleasant contractions around my cock, I move my mouth to her cheek. “Here goes another. Take it all.” As I time my last swing with her orgasm, Cornelia’s eyes almost roll to the back of her head, her knuckles going white from the force with which she grabs the edge of the altar. A long, alluring cry breaks out of her throat as she peaks for the n-th time. My load fills any remaining space in her wrecked love nest before leaking out in copious amounts as I pull out. A literal waterfall of white pours from between her spread folds, and from how it looks, it can continue for hours. “Haaaah… Haaaaah… Goddess almighty…” The charming mage pants heavily with her chest slammed into the altar’s surface. I place a kiss on her flushed cheek, consulting my mental clock. “We need to start getting you cleaned up, love, or we won’t make it in time. We have less than five minutes.” Before I can step back, she catches my wrist with a surprising speed and strength. “No… Please… Just one more… For a good measure…” A small chuckle escapes my lips but I smile kindly at the definitely somewhat desperate woman under me. I can’t help but want to reassure her even more, even further. I really didn’t think trying for a child would affect my dear Cornelia so much. Again, with trying not being the correct word in our case. Or maybe she is just this much into a fertile act. “We’ll be late. And even with my boosts, your pussy can take only so much pounding. Don’t worry. I know you are pregnant. I’m sure of it. With how hard you worked for it, there is not the slightest shadow of doubt. Come on. Before you end up bedridden because of too much dicking.” I affectionately brush our lips together while threading my fingers through her hair. “It will be way too suspicious if we step out at exactly the thirty-minute mark… We should finish late, just a minute or few…” Cornelia looks at me with the most adorable puppy eyes I have ever seen from her. “Though, you are right… Maybe I really should let my pussy rest a little… So, you know, just this last time, we could make absolutely sure I’m pregnant… with you filling my other hole?” I roll my eyes at that. She’s getting ridiculous with it. But, I can also tell that she is not lying about her initial reason. “All of this seed will burst right out of you the moment I thrust up your ass.” I smirk at her. Cornelia’s eyes go wide and she hastily pushes me away. Turning around in a flash, she changes her position from lying on her front to sitting on the edge of the altar with her feet on her sides. A single flick of her wrist later, a replica of my cock appears in her hand and she shoves it into her leaking entrance, sealing the flow by impaling herself on the dildo so far and hard that only the last bits of its bottom end remain outside of her body. Of course, quite some of my cum escapes during that motion, but she effectively blocks the rest in her snug passage. A shudder passes through her entire body right after the quick stab and Cornelia lets out a half-moan half-sigh of pleasure. She then looks up at me, pushes herself off the altar, and immediately stumbles on her spaghetti legs, letting me catch her before she falls. Somehow, the replica keeps itself firmly lodged in the embrace of her spread folds, which looks both comical and alluring. Cornelia meets my eyes with a slightly shy look. “Thank you. For going with my silly antics. I still stand by my earlier words, though. You should put it in my butt for the finale. Simply enjoy yourself.” I steal a loving kiss from her. “You are still silly if you think I haven’t enjoyed fucking you silly for the last thirty minutes. Your pussy is as magical as you are. Trust me.” She chuckles with a sly grin. “Maybe, but I know just how much you love fucking my ass. And… I love it too…” The last bit is nothing more than a whisper but I catch it perfectly clear nevertheless. With a light sigh, I peer deep into her enchanting violet eyes. “Fine. I would be a horrible husband if I continued to reject a special reward from my beautiful and magnanimous wife.” Her smile grows in response. At least until I look past her and she definitely notices the impish spark in my eyes. “But, we are not going to waste time this round. We are gonna pray hard.” Cornelia yelps as I lightly throw her up, putting her body in a spinning motion, and catch her back with one arm around her belly as her back now snuggles to my chest. Using the other hand, I cover my member with the necessary substance to aid our prayer. She shivers faintly when my tip pokes her upper ring, holding onto my arm and glancing back at me with yearning, expectation, but also a bit of curious confusion. I start walking ahead, teasing her closed anus with a little prod at each step, but not slipping it in yet. Calling forth my Void Chains shaped as wide and firm belts, I position them in a way that creates stairs towards the centre between the two main statues. Cornelia’s eyes widen as we leave the ground and her feet dangle in the air, only mine finding purchase on the purple steps. If not for my hold on her, she would have been sporting a pleasurable invader in her backdoor long ago now. We arrive at the height of my and Lumina’s faces and I nibble on Cornelia’s neck just as we land on the final step, allowing myself to slide into her narrow back passage. She groans softly, gripping my hair with one palm and pulling my head to the side so we can kiss as I fill her up. With a quite strong pillar upholding her weight now, I let go of her body and grab her ankles, pulling them up at the front. Cornelia shudders as I spread her open and guide her own hands to her legs so she can hold them for me instead. Retracting my own hands, I brush a finger against the bottom of the replica stuffed in her pussy and smile as it starts vibrating, evoking a surprised gasp from my eager lover. “Now, come on. Pray to our benevolent Goddess to make you pregnant. Pray for a healthy and strong baby. Pray… for us!” “Ahhhhhhhh!” A throaty moan escapes Cornelia’s lips as I pound into her butt for the first time. I start hammering her backdoor at a regular pace. With both of her holes busy with their respective pleasures, I need to control myself if I want her to be able to speak. “Ahhhh… Ahhhh… Our dear…. Goddess… Ahhhh… Ahhh… Your devout believer… Ahhhh… Ahhhh… Wishes to offer… Offer… Ahhh… Offer you this prayer…” My smart and talented wife manages to play along and does her best to come up with some nice and polite prayer before coming herself from me pummeling her anus. She keeps her eyes locked on the Goddess’ face, though she does take a peek or two at my own depiction now and then. I don’t admonish her since I’m a god technically too so I guess she can do a double prayer. “My humble self… Ahhh… Directs these cries and sounds of love… Ahhh… To you and your brother in godhood…” she continues, getting quite creative. “Please… Ahhh… Let this… display… of our faith… reach you…” I barely hold my snort. Yeah. Lumina is certainly getting a great show if she looks at us from her statue’s perspective. Dropping Cornelia’s ass on my cock with a single hand under her thigh, I use the other one to caress and fondle her perky breast, still nibbling on her collarbone from behind. “Ahhh… Ahhh… Our loyal pair… Ahhh… Has but one wish… Ahhh… We beg you… Bless this coupling… To bear us the conception we desire…” Cornelia really gives her best. “As my beloved husband… Fucks my asshole open… Make sure that his virile seed bears fruit in my fertile womb!” She peeks at me over her shoulder with a smug smile, showing that she can dirty talk proudly in the middle of a serious prayer. I grin back at her, nodding in approval. “Ahhh! Ahhh! Goddess Lumina! Ahhh! We offer you this upcoming climax! Ahhh! For your merciful blessing! Ahhh! Ahhh!” Cornelia wraps it up and kisses me. “Now, my husband! Fuck me! Fuck me like the Goddess deserves to see me fucked!” I very much oblige and move both of my hands to her thighs, spreading them open just a little more while supporting her own hold on her legs, and start pistoning into her ass like a machine. Cornelia throws her head back over my shoulder and screams in pleasure at the top of her lungs, her voice wavering with each powerful thrust. She is giving the prayer her all, and so should I. Making use of all my safe and comfortable abilities, I tune our boiling orgasms to their limits, and we burst into a cacophony of shuddering groans. I flood her constricting anus with a tsunami of milky delicacy while Cornelia peaks so hard her pussy squeezes the magically-glued dildo out of her spasming channel and sends it flying right at the Goddess’ face, leaving a trail of white in its wake and bouncing off Lumina’s cheek. Knowing that Cornelia would be ruined at the loss of our grand efforts of filling her up with my cum to the brim, I hastily shove my fingers between her folds and smack my palm against her girly mound to seal it shut. She squeezes my digits a few more times before her high finally recedes, leaving both of us out of breath. We stare deep into each other’s eyes while panting, feeling amazingly good, unsure if due to our massive mutual orgasm or an actual blessing coming from Lumina after she listened to our heartfelt request. Then, we glance at the Goddess’ statue and freeze for a moment, witnessing her divine visage… facialed hard with our combined liquids. After a second, we burst out laughing together, which evokes a few muted moans from my beloved Cornelia as it causes her body to bob up and down on my cock still deep in her backdoor. “Somebody will have a hell of a mystery to solve to figure out how the fuck did that get there while they are cleaning up the chamber.” I snicker into Cornelia’s mouth as we find each other’s lips for a post-coital kiss. “Elea will have to warn her acolytes not to lick it off, I bet.” She snickers back. Gently holding onto my dear magician, I take us back to the ground and set her on the edge of the altar, sure that she might need a moment before being able to stand properly. Naturally, with my fingers stuck in her pussy, I keep myself pretty much in her chest so we continue to kiss like teenagers in first love. “Alright. Let’s clean you up and go.” I finish it with a peck on her nose. “No!” Cornelia protests immediately, holding my wrist in place. “Don’t remove it!” I roll my eyes at that. “Cornelia, you will drown everyone in the hall of prayers with that Decanter of Endless Seed between your legs. No panties will withhold that amount of cum.” She gives me a slightly embarrassed glance, but then her eyes sparkle with a new idea. I’m pushed back while she slaps her own hand over her lower lips to keep them shut and brings the pointer and middle fingers of her other hand up in deep concentration. I watch her mutter a few magical words before their tips turn blue with visible white frost. My brow rises curiously as she brings them down too and brushes them alongside her slit, from back to front, shivering just a tad. Where she touches, a thin layer of ice forms, pretty much glueing her folds together. It looks like a bluish bandage has been slapped on her crevice to preserve the last bits of her modesty. Kind of hot. While clearly being damn cold. “Will that be okay?” I ask with just a tiny bit of concern, stepping forward to brush my fingers against the magical seal. She snorts at me. “Did you forget who I am? Ice and cold are my second nature. It’s quite pleasant, to be honest.” “If you say so.” I shrug. “Let me take care of the other side, then.” She flushes again after barely calming down her red face but doesn’t reject my offer and I get rid of all the evidence between her tender butt cheeks. Before I can magically wash myself too, Cornelia supports herself on my thighs and slides down to her knees so that she can give me a parting blowjob. Caressing her hair, I accept this kind gift and wait a minute as she cleans me up with a stretched smile. “Done.” She releases me with an audible pop. “Now your seed is everywhere in me. We can’t be more sure.” I chuckle and help her up. We exchange a loving kiss and get dressed. Taking one last look at the chamber, and the defiled face of our lovely Goddess, we give her the last snicker and move to the exit, noticing the intense buzzing a little bit too late. I hastily close the gate before anyone has a chance to hear the dildo we totally did not forget about. Hopefully, anyone with better hearing will just assume it’s a simple fly. Dead silence falls upon the main hall as all attention turns to us. Cornelia clearly gets super anxious under their gazes so I gently wrap my arm around her shoulders and squeeze her arm as I guide her to the front. Lianne and her mage join us again and the two of us hold Cornelia’s hand each as the man repeats his spell for us. After the golden glow fades from his palm, we literally drill holes in Cornelia’s smooth tummy, awaiting the inevitable. Honestly, even I get a little worried that maybe half an hour is too fast as nothing happens for what seems like an eternity, just to experience the heaviest wave of relief I have ever lived through when a tiny little spark of yellow light twinkles inside her pelvic area. Intense murmuring takes over the chamber in an instant, joined by some enthusiastic applause from the women present in the audience. Cornelia trembles as all the strength flees from her legs and she stumbles into my chest. I hold her firmly as she first touches her belly before both of her hands fly to her face and cover her lips and nose as a downpour of tears descends upon her noble cheeks. She sobs happily as her shoulders shake and Lianne is embracing her in an instant. I spot other of my women run onto the stage and join the loving hug, whispering sweet words to my beloved magician. Elea, Neira, Sirgia, and Shino are the closest, while the rest aren't deterred by the lack of space around us and simply stand nearby with huge smiles. If I didn’t know any better, I could think that Cornelia has been trying for a child for months if not years. But, I can’t disagree that this is a very emotional moment. I wonder how many people notice me shaking underneath my suit. Knowing that she is in good hands amongst her fellow sister-wives, I leave her with them and slowly step forward. The show must go on, as they say. Taking a deep breath, I follow them walking off the stage with my gaze and turn my attention back to the crowd. “Thank you everyone for your patience. I apologise for taking a little longer than intended, but I’m sure you can understand that it would have been improper to rush a lady. But, we are back. And as you might have seen, we are back with a little seedling of a new life. I’m proud to have witnessed this moment, and this brave woman who was willing to share her most intimate event publicly with all of us. I’ll be praying to our loving Goddess for the child’s bright future,” I start my speech before I start thinking about running after my ladies and joining them in pampering Cornelia. “When can we get our blessings?” one woman asks immediately after the last word rolls off my lips. “How do we pray properly?” a man repeats an earlier question with even more reverence. “How much do we need to donate for your services?” another chimes in, looking to belong to a less wealthy category. “Slow down, please. Let’s not shout over each other.” I try to take control of the situation before it descends into pure chaos. “First of all, you don’t need to pay anything. Our temple will be supported by the earnings from the business on the other side of the street so there is nothing to worry about in financial terms. As for when we are going to start, later today. But, you don’t need to wait in front of the temple for hours. Our acolytes will accept reservations for specific hours at all times so you can put your name up even now and simply come later to receive your blessing or talk if that is your wish. You are always welcome in this prayer hall, though.” Everyone listens intently and no more questions come in so I continue to the last of the previous batch. “As for praying specifically to me, I would like to ask everyone to have an open mind to what I’m going to explain.” I try to show a warm smile. “As you might know, I’m a Demigod of Lust first and foremost. While simple words of appreciation, polite wishes, and heartfelt requests are very much welcome, there is a more efficient way. And by efficient, I don’t mean that the other method gets more of my attention or that I ignore the simple way, but just that my divinity grows quicker and stronger, thus my future blessings also become more diverse and powerful.” People lean forward at that, awaiting the big reveal. I swear, they are going to be so fucking disappointed, hah. “The other method is… making love. Fucking. Sex. Copulation. Coitus. Intercourse.” I release a quiet sigh. “Take care of your and your partner’s pleasure, and I’ll hear you. You don’t need to explicitly think of me during the deed. Simply enjoy it. You may even treat vocal appreciation as devoted prayers, so don’t hold back. As long as you have me and Goddess Lumina in your hearts, we will receive your feelings clearly, no matter how small and quiet and insignificant in your eyes the prayer is.” The silence prevails as I scan the attendees with my eyes. I don’t think I spot any extremely disgusted or displeased expressions, though obviously, not all are straight-up happy about the news. I do find a bunch of shy smiles, flushed cheeks, and amused glances between intimate partners. “If there are no other important questions, I think we will wrap up this first sermon here. I would like to offer our lucky lady my assistance and also take care of the other matters connected to our first day. The stands to sign up are present on your sides and also outside of the temple, just for today. Please, don’t rush to the acolytes and remain respectful in this house of the Goddess. And mine.” I end and wait for a bit to see if anyone speaks up again. Thankfully, people begin to disperse and try to stay civil while pushing forward to the registration booths. Not everyone, of course, but it looks like at least over half of the current visitors do have the intention to at the minimum ask about the blessings as our priestesses are briefed to introduce more details and answer more questions. At first, I simply walk off the stage and mingle with the crowd, exchanging a few words with my close friends and other random people, but then I move outside so that the gathered there can have a chance to see me for real and match the voice with the person. I take about half an hour, waiting for the inside of the church to clear out a bit, and then return. Seeing none of my ladies around, guessing that they took Cornelia out of sight into one of the closed rooms, I notice Petros leaning over one of the walls in the back with his arms crossed over his chest. I honestly didn’t think he would come but I guess it’s a big event. And as the master behind our sculptures, he might have wanted to see how people react to them. Nevertheless, I decide to join him and express my thanks once more. He didn’t cause much trouble during our cooperation and his work was most likely the best we could have gotten. He spots me rather quickly but only his eyes move to meet my arrival. “So, a demigod, huh?” His gaze wanders my figure with the same coldness as usual. He did know ahead of today, of course, since he made my depictions, but anyway, before I can open my mouth, someone else reaches us, and I find Lyona standing by my side. Ah, shit. “That is correct.” My Vampire receptionist nods. “And it’s definitely earned, not given, from what I’ve heard and seen myself.” Petros glances at her briefly, Lyona holding his gaze firmly without a flinch, before he grunts to himself. “I came here to clarify something,” she continues. Oh no. “It recently occurred to me that, even after my rejection, you might still be hoping to become my Blood Mate if I change my mind sometime in the future,” Lyona says, which makes his eyes widen in shock before shooting to me, around us, and back to her. I’m pretty sure she’s just dropped a bomb she isn’t supposed to even spell out in public. “Do not worry, Petros. Do you really think we need to hide before a demigod? That we even can?” She delicately raises a brow at him and he frowns, perhaps realising that she might be onto something. “Alastair knows of our nature. He’s seen through me in an instant. And through you too. And he doesn’t detest our people. He, just like the Goddess, cares for us.” The Vampire guy does become a bit less tense, but his secretly furious glare doesn’t change as he looks my way. “But, I’m rambling.” The tiniest hint of a blush tinges Lyona’s cheeks. “What I wanted to say is that I only see you as a friend, Petros. A good friend. And an amazing artisan. But, I can’t do my part as a good friend of yours to support you and your talent if you continue to act poorly towards males who come in contact with me.” For the first time, I see him wince. Barely, but he does. Seems like even a hardass such as him can’t be immune to his crush’s words full of disappointment. Deep down, he has to know he fucked up. “Therefore, I ask of you to stop viewing me as your candidate for a potential mate. I would like to retain our friendship, but I’m not romantically interested in you. My blood… is already sworn to someone else too,” she adds. His brows bolt for his hairline at that admission and I feel Lyona’s fingers gently intertwining with mine. He spots that little gesture, obviously, and that makes it certain who is that sworn someone. I assume she means the oath she took. Before she can open her mouth again, Petros shoots me one more firm glare and pushes himself off the wall. He walks past us and heads straight for the exit with a hasty and clearly agitated step. A heavy sigh brings my attention back to the scarlet-eyed girl. “That was much harder than I thought it would be.” Lyona offers me a tiny, wry smile. “It’s only natural. He is your friend. I could tell you didn’t want to hurt him, no matter how he acted in the past.” I squeeze her hand reassuringly. “I hope he doesn’t make any trouble for you.” She looks at the way our friend escaped. “I hope he doesn’t make any trouble for you,” I repeat her words. “I’m a stranger. I can deal with him easily. You might be strong and talented, but I can tell you are kind and loving in your heart.” “Thank you.” Lyona nods softly. “Congratulations on your first child, Master. It’s a happy day.” “It is.” I grin at her. “I’m still kind of in denial. Who would have thought?” “I am confident that you will be a great father, Master. You care for those close to you greatly. The mercenaries adore you so much,” she adds and I can’t help but feel warm inside. “What are your plans now, Master? Do you maybe have a moment?” “Yeah, I should. Why?” I glance down at her calm face. “The escort task begins soon. The Queen is here and we could discuss the final details together,” she explains. “Sure.” I shrug. “It shouldn’t take too long and you do deserve some of my time after bravely confronting your secret admirer like that.” I lean forward and place a chaste kiss on Lyona’s pale cheek, which gains a bit more colour. Her fingers stay interlocked with mine as we make our way to the headquarters on the other side of the nearby wall. As usual, I don’t want to rush anything, but she has already declared herself as my woman as far as I’m aware, and she deserves proper affection in return. Especially now that the overly-attached suitor is out of the picture. When we step out of the temple, Ross stops us for a moment with my good friend Barren, the shopkeeper. The three of us banter for a moment while Lyona remains mostly silent and mysterious as per her usual character. I try to ignore the knowing looks both of them give me after noticing our hands and steer the conversation onto the topics of the new faith and similar stuff. But, I sense that Lianne is somehow already in the headquarters, awaiting our arrival, so I excuse us and promise to talk later. They shoot me thumbs up as we depart and I can only shake my head at those two perverts. Do they really think I’m going to bed Lyona less than an hour after making child-bearing love to Cornelia? Do they really think I’m that much of a leecher, unable to keep it in my pants? I swear... We reach our destination and step into my office. The Queen quietly sips on a cup of tea, most likely brought by one of the girls currently standing by the walls. The whole team is present and they smile at us as we enter. Plus, a few appendages wag and twitch too. “Wouldn’t you rather stay with Cornelia?” I ask as the two of us sit opposite her. “I already flooded her shoulder with my tears of happiness and squeezed dear life out of her for long enough. She will be fine without me pestering her for a minute or two. Our big family will make sure of that. We all love her so much. And in the meanwhile, someone does have to continue being a responsible leader.” Lianne giggles giddily. I can see her hands shaking faintly, still full of emotions, for sure. I bet the tea has a calming effect on her. She is right. As a Queen, she needs to at least appear composed and confident. And so do I. “Well, then. Let’s get to business and not waste this precious time. The sooner we get this done, the sooner both of us can get back to celebrating with our family.” I smile at her warmly. “Lyona? Would you be so kind?” “Of course, Master.” My Vampire receptionist makes a respectful bow. “Here is all the information about the convoy, the route we chose for this mission, the nearby towns and settlements, possible dangers and threats, and my suggestions for the participants.” A few document folders materialise on the table as she waves her hand. I open them and slowly go through the contents. “I’ll study all of this diligently. Thank you, Lyona. Amazing work.” I place another peck on her soft cheek, causing Lianne to smirk at us impishly. “I’m just doing my job, Master,” she replies with a hint of a smile. “Her Majesty assisted us in gathering this information greatly. In the future, we will have enough numbers to send our own scouts ahead of time, but right now, we need to rely on external help if we want to provide the best services. May I present my thoughts on the party you will be leading while you check the other aspects, Master?” “Go on.” I nod. “I believe you should take Ressia as your ranger. She has great senses, is skilled with her bow, and has experience in the type of terrain you will traverse most of the time. She can fill the spot of a scout and ranged attacker. Nothing will escape her attention,” she starts. The person in question puffs her chest out as her tail swings from side to side like mad. “For the main melee attacker, I suggest Yuru. She has already proven herself to be very effective against heavy targets. She is quick, and most importantly, small. No one expects such a tiny girl to swing a giant greatsword with the strength of an Orc and obliterate their shields,” Lyona continues. Yuru doesn’t react much, though I’m pretty sure she is blushing hard under that cute fur of hers as her colleagues pat her head and bump her shoulders. When our eyes meet, she smiles shyly and looks away. “Then, your ambusher. Oniri. She is the most stealthy of our troops right now. Her techniques to remain unseen and unheard are pretty much unheard of. As a Foxkin, her sight at night is near perfect and her agility is unrivalled. Her steps make no noise, resulting in her target’s death before they even realise that they are in danger,” the Vampire lady suggests. Ah, yes. The golden-haired foxgirl in a ninja outfit. Why am I not surprised? Looking around, I can’t seem to find her, until she does want to be found and I spot a fraction of her long ear behind one of the other girls. It twitches and disappears silently. I can imagine a sweet smile on her pouty lips as she shows me what she is made of. “They are the core of the party, and most fitting in my humble opinion. The other three are a more flexible choice, though I suggest a healer, a defender, and a mage for a complete spectrum of roles since we don’t know what we can expect in terms of hostile encounters. I suggest Fullenn the High Elf as the healer, Besfi the Tiefling as the heavy-armoured defender, and Suna the Dark Elf as the lightning mage. But, that is only one of the combinations I came up with,” Lyona wraps it up and looks at me with that collected expression of hers. “Perfect. Since you are going to be assigning teams a lot in the future and I have to trust you on that, let’s make it a real test of your mettle. I’ll go with your main suggestion. Girls whose names have been called can consider themselves chosen.” I nod at her appreciatively before glancing at the not-mentioned mercs. “I’m sorry ladies, but your big time to shine will have to wait a little longer.” They all shake their heads while congratulating their chosen friends. They haven’t been working long together, but it looks like they are already forming nice bonds. I really love to see that. Now, we’ll see how those bonds fare in the field.
Chapter 193 – A New Quest Together Spoiler: Chapter “I think this will be all,” Lyona says as she slides the last few pages into their respective folder. “I’ll make sure nothing has been missed and let you know about any updates or discrepancies later, Master. Would you like to add something, Your Majesty?” “No, I’m alright. Thank you, Lyona. Amazing work. I knew you were perfect for this the moment you and Elise paid me a visit to discuss the commission. Alastair truly has eyes for the best.” Lianne giggles and shoots me a wink. “I hope he will reward you appropriately for your hard effort.” A tiny hint of pink tinges the dainty Vampire’s cheeks as Lyona keeps her gaze on the documents she is currently handling. From the impish grin that I can spot on my horny wife’s lips, I’m fairly certain the trio’s conversation wasn’t limited only to the upcoming expedition. Honestly, I would be delusional to think that it would have been. “You don’t need to worry about that, dear.” I squint at the playful Queen. “I intend to show my appreciation for everything Lyona does in the way she considers the most appropriate. Besides proper salary and benefits, of course. She is under me now and she can expect her wishes to be fulfilled.” “Oh, can she? That’s what I like to hear, my beloved.” She smirks at me before shooting one more glance towards Lyona. “If he doesn’t, you know where to find me. I’ll whip him back into shape for you. And lend you a hand or something else.” Still retaining her very inspiring calm and collected expression, the unapproachable lady takes a peek at me and makes the slightest nod while meeting my eyes. I can tell she is thinking to herself that our little Queen is just being too much and that she would appreciate any rewards from me so I should not worry. I’m really getting better at reading the expressions of the quiet girls, aren’t I? Nevertheless, I meant what I said. Whatever she wants, she will get. “Alright. I gotta go. I want to visit Cornelia once more before I have to head back. Your fun announcement is certainly going to bring another wave of chaos into our official channels and other aspects. Nobles will expect further opinions from us and another, post-announcement speech is necessary. It will take a few more days for everything to stabilise.” The Queen stands up and I follow her lead. She trots up to me daintily and leans her lithe body onto my chest. Without further ado, I bend myself forward and let my beloved nymphomaniac steal my lips for a tender kiss. Of course, she doesn’t miss the chance to sneak a hand behind my belt and squeeze her favourite part of me a few times in the meantime. I let her have the pleasure before she gets to her boring and exhausting royal responsibilities. As we part, she gazes into my eyes with visible hesitation and need, but in the end, Lianne withdraws her fingers too and sighs softly. I peck her cheek for staying strong and resisting her sinful urges. It’s certainly an impressive feat. With that one last kiss, I bring her to the door and hold it open to her. The Queen waves at everyone to bid farewell to Lyona and our merc girls before being on her way. I close the door after she disappears behind the first turn and face the office again. All the eyes are on me, full of expectation and reverence. Chuckling to myself, I walk back to one of the sofas and sit down, patting the cushion next to me for the Vampire lady to join. Lyona does so without stopping to think and I meet her bright scarlet eyes. They truly are something out of a movie. “I might have already said it, but good job. This is exactly what I needed and wanted from you. Therefore, you deserve a reward, Lianne was right. Would you like to receive it right now?” I ask the pale beauty. She roams her enchanting gaze over my face for a moment, but finally, it skips down a bit, though not to my lips. A more apparent blush taints her whitish cheeks as Lyona looks away. “May I… take it from behind?” she requests quietly. It takes most of my willpower to drag the impure thoughts and images out of my dirty mind, knowing well she doesn’t mean it like that. Thankfully succeeding, I nod at her gently and a tiny smile curls her pouty lips up. Nodding back in thanks, Lyona stands up and slowly goes around the sofa as I lean back and relax on the comfy couch. Soon, I can tell she is standing behind me. Her delicate but strong fingers slide down my collarbone before continuing over my front. Lyona’s hot breath tickles my skin at the connection between my right shoulder and my neck. A moment later, she makes up her mind and two sharp fangs pierce into my flesh with a weirdly pleasant stinging sensation. A quiet hum reaches my ears as Lyona’s palms join over my chest, her arms embracing me affectionately. I put my hand over hers and she lets it join the small pile. Her fingers mingle with mine as she slowly relishes the blood I’m offering to her. Sip after sip, Lyona drinks her fill, making sure she isn’t going too strong or fast, always keeping my well-being in her mind, already chastised by herself after our first meal together. All the ladies around me have such strong wills. A few lazy minutes later, she finishes for good and withdraws her cute fangs from my skin. As expected, her warm tongue takes care of the tiny wounds right away, licking at them kindly and tenderly. Her saliva and my regenerative powers seal the holes shut in a matter of seconds. Done with that too, she places an appreciative kiss on the healed-up spot and rests her chin atop my shoulder, nuzzling her face to the crook of my neck. Still holding her hands, I rest my head against hers. “How was it?” Lyona takes a deep breath and releases a very slow sigh full of bliss. “Delightful. Thank you, Master.” “Since we might take a few days with this request, you can drink a bit more if you would like. Consider it an advance payment for the commissions you take care of in my absence,” I say, brushing my finger against her smooth skin. “I shouldn’t indulge in my bottomless craving for blood. Given the chance, no Vampire would be able to resist an offer of unlimited access to something this delicious,” she replies calmly. “My thirst has been sated. Although… My hunger…” She trails off a little by the end and I don’t need more to understand what she means. Rotating my face to reach her cheek, I place a loving peck on it, which has become quite hot and flushed from the recent process of willing transfusion. “Tell you what. If you still think about me the same way after spending a few days without the scent of my blood around, I’ll see to it being properly sated too. For all eternity,” I promise the quiet Vampire girl and certainly mean to uphold it. I feel Lyona nod softly after a moment and I kiss her cheek once more. Looking up at the dozen women spread around the room, I find them all staring at us with flushed cheeks, slightly panting mouths, or hands inching towards certain places. This time, they don’t freeze or stop whenever I meet their eyes. A grin finds its way onto my lips. “Naturally, every single one of you is entitled to a proper reward too. Show me just how much during your respective tasks and I swear to see those interesting vouchers of yours fulfilled without any exceptions.” That makes a bunch of them shudder in anticipation and I can literally smell the arousal of the Beastkin part of the group. Only their proud uniforms prevent me from seeing it too. I wonder if Mari and Sirgia came up with some kind of liquidproof panties for them. I know from experience just how flooded some races can get down there at the slightest hint of affection. It might pose a problem during official outings and battles. After Lyona releases me from her pleasant hug, I get up and thank her for the tingly experience with a peck on the forehead. Then, I move to motivate our troops before their assignments a little bit. Each amazing lady receives some passionate kisses and a few light gropes here and there as a promise of something more in the near future. Naturally, not forgetting about ear rubs and chin scratches for the owners of such. In the end, no one is left unsatisfied, at least in a certain way, and I bid farewell to everyone, looking really forward to going on a quest with them. As I step out of our headquarters, the streets aren’t as crowded as before but a lot of people still hang around the temple. The booths with our acolytes rarely have someone next to them but that’s not surprising. I don’t expect more than a handful of people to be instantly convinced to sign up. It will be the desperate first most likely. I take a peek inside to check up on Elea and the others and find a similar sight in the prayer hall. Some residents talk with our priestesses and even my chocolate-skinned representative, but the benches aren’t as full as before. I watch Elea guide a pair of Humans into the inner sanctum, most likely to receive at least one blessing. They must be important if she doesn’t simply take them to one of the smaller rooms, or something. Well, let’s just hope that they’ve cleaned it up after our own ceremony. Since everything seems to be alright, I take a dive into my bonds and locate Cornelia. Finding her in our master bedroom, that’s where I head to. Passing by a few of our working ladies, I exchange some pleasantries with them, but it seems that the news has already spread as they don’t stop me for too long and almost urge me to be on my way, knowing well that I’m aiming to speak with my pregnant wife. Looks like the mansion will become much more lively in the upcoming days and months. Arriving at my destination, I try to slip inside without much noise so as to not disturb the women currently occupying the bed and its close vicinity. I succeed partially as a few of the ones further away from it take notice of me, like Meru and Ailish. Shino and Sirgia sit on the big mattress with Cornelia between them, resting their shoulders together. I can see Neira and Astrea by the edge. Lianne is nowhere to be found so she must have left already. The others might be doing their stuff too as Elise, Ria, Teffith, and Mari are missing. No need to mention Hecate. I share a few quick kisses with the first two before moving closer. The kneeling trio notices me only after I lean onto the bed and gently hop onto it too, raising their faces to meet mine. Shino and Sirgia grace me with warm smiles while Cornelia simply blushes and avoids my eyes. “Al… I… Ummm… I’m sorry…” My magician wife tries to smile a bit hesitantly too. “Now, what’s that for?” I sit in front of them and place my hand atop their joined ones, which rest on Cornelia’s thighs. “For exploding like that during the presentation…” She turns even redder. “I couldn’t stop crying…” I sigh softly and pull her in for a tender kiss. “Trust me, I barely stood straight. It’s good you let it out. Honestly? It made me feel warm because of how much you care. I know our children will feel really loved.” Some more tears threaten to stream down her dazzling face again and wipe them off before they get a chance to do that. As we rub our noses together and chuckle lightly, Shino’s other hand brushes over Cornelia’s exposed stomach, rubbing it with the gentlest care. “I was always afraid of how I would feel when meeting Sensei’s children in the future since it was just a matter of time until he fell in love with some amazing woman,” my Japanese lover admits. Cornelia reaches out to graze her cheek with equal affection. “Now you don’t have to worry about that because you will have yours anytime you want to too.” Shino’s cheeks grow rosier at that and she shoots me a timid glance. “I know. And I knew I would have been happy back then for him, but I also knew I wouldn’t be able not to feel sad that it wasn’t me. Thanks to being part of Sensei’s family, I feel only joy for you. And for us. I can’t wait to see the little ones.” “Me too,” Sirgia quietly joins in. “After I learn how to be a good mother from you. I only know how to care for artefacts and weapons.” My lovely magician laughs openly at that. “You are looking at the wrong person to learn about that from. I’m as clueless as you two. Hopefully, Ria will share her wisdom with us.” “Being a proper wife and mother were actually very important lessons my family forces upon their female descendants.” Shino giggles shyly. “I’ll try to help too, Cornelia-san. Even if my knowledge comes from a different world.” “I’m sure all of you will do great.” I smile at them and pull the trio into a group hug. “And that includes everyone in our small family. Though, I would kindly ask you not to plan pregnancy all at once, okay?” The room chuckles and laughs at my wry smile but I’m only half joking. No doubt a dozen or two newborns is a parenting nightmare. At least by Earth standards. It might be different for royal harems in fantasy settings such as this, but we aren’t exactly royalty either. “Speaking of children, how are you going to fare now that most of Elea’s attention will be directed towards the temple? It might take a moment before you start showing, but I’ll naturally want you to take it easy at that time, and after birth too. Should we start considering some backup for the brothel? An assistant for you?” I ask curiously. Cornelia waves her hand at me. “Come on. I’m not doing anything nearly as straining as the others for you to need to shove me aside and rope me to the bed.” “I know, I know. But, while I hope it won’t sound offensive, my father made me plenty aware that the following months might be complicated for the lucky lady and I just want to make sure that you never lack anything, including proper affection and care, at all times.” I look at her lovingly. She sighs heavily and smiles fondly. “I’m not offended. I appreciate it. It’s not a mystery to me how exactly many women behave during pregnancy. Just promise me one thing, okay? Whatever I say or do, please know that I love you so much and don’t really mean it. Goddess, with how much of a bitch I am to you sometimes, I can’t imagine just how much worse I might get…” I snicker and hug her tightly. “It’s not a rule. Everyone reacts differently to that. Hormones are a bitch, not women. Most of the time. So, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll gladly endure everything for you.” We just embrace each other in silence for a while before parting. Neira speaks up next. “The brothel will be fine. Even if Cornelia will be unable to work or help out at times, we have many more hands on board than before. There’s Ria, who used to go toe to toe with Elea in supervising the mansion. There’s also Elise, who can easily handle the reception on her own. There are plenty of others who will do everything in their power to make sure that Cornelia can focus on caring for the baby without any worries. Leave it to us, Alastair. We will let you know if we need any more help.” “I’ll do just that. I trust you.” I nod while meeting the gazes of the ladies present in the chamber. For the next hour, we chat about various topics related to parenthood and exchange some stories from our lives related to it. It’s a blast hearing about the different views coming from various races and communities populating this fantasy world. They are often so distinct from what we are used to with Shino that it’s fascinating. And it goes both ways too. When she brings up some of the teachings and rules ingrained into her by her teachers and nannies, many of the women are almost befuddled. We all slowly return to our responsibilities and other stuff. Cornelia is talked into staying in bed for a bit longer and simply resting. She is still a little bit shaky and everyone wants her to relax, calm down her emotions, just lie down and freely think about things. So, we leave her after some more loving hugs and kisses, receiving a promise that she will try to listen to our suggestions. That’s as good as we can get. As for me, I follow Sirgia back to her repositioned workshop. The crafty Dwarf welcomes me into her kingdom as usual, starting to tend to her own children right away. But, man. Things really have changed since we started out. I know I’m not as knowledgeable in all the technical and magical aspects of her craft, but even I can tell just from looking at the various hanging blueprints or the prototypes lying around that she’s come a long way. Some of those are related to sex toys, yeah, but the majority is now focused on REAL artefacts. “Is that my armour?” I point at one of her standing mannequins. “Yes. I upgraded it a little before your next expedition, Master. I was going to give it back to you before you left but it’s already finished so you may take it,” she explains quietly, coming closer to the set of equipment. “How did you even get it out of my storage?” I raise a brow at her. Sirgia blushes slightly and sways her cute hips. “I took off your ring at night and pulled it out…” I snicker and ruffle through her brown hair. “You sneaky devil. Thanks. I have a question, though. Is it waterproof?” “All fabrics and materials are capable of absorbing moisture from both external and internal sources. It can be then used to regulate the humidity of the owner’s body in scorching climates. Unfortunately, it can’t filter drinking water yet, but I’m already working on that enchantment,” she explains. “I see. All fabrics and materials? Underwear too?” I smirk at her. She turns even more rosy. “Yes, Master…” “You really don’t miss a thing.” I chuckle and kneel down to share a loving kiss with my petite Dwarf lady. “Thank you for your hard work. I’m sure your family would be proud of your achievements.” “Thank you, Master.” She smiles prettily. “But, not yet. My best creation is yet to be finished. Do not worry, though. It will be ready for our journey. Failure is not an option. I will win the support of my family for you.” We hug tightly as I pick the short girl up and Sirgia wraps her legs and arms all around me. She’s always so good to me, thinking of ways to further help me out. I’ll have to make sure she is happy with the end result too. That her family understands her efforts and talent. And hopefully, they won’t be averse to our relationship. “Let me know whenever you need anything,” I whisper to her sharp-angled ear. “You have my full support, no matter what you choose to do.” “What if I choose to take over my family by force after they are rude to you?” she asks while staring deeply into my eyes with those big, caramel irises of hers. “The Dwarf King better not find any faults with that because I’m not stopping for anyone until you get them on a silver platter.” I grin at her and Sirgia’s eyes widen briefly before her cheeks flush strongly and she drowns me in fluffy kisses. After we nibble on each other’s lips for a while, she moves her mouth closer to my ear. “I’ll need a successor after becoming the head of the house too... Preferably at least six of them so that all branch families end up with good supervisors…” It’s my turn to stare at her blushing visage wide-eyed, having literally been asked to at best knock her up six times and at worst give her sextuplets. At worst because I have no idea if her petite body can even handle such a number. I don’t know much about Dwarf pregnancies yet but it looks like their families tend to end up quite numerous. “Whatever your wish is,” I whisper back, kissing her small ear and making my little lover shiver. Not wanting to waste too much of her precious time, we have some more fun together for a little while before I move out of the workshop, taking the armour with me. I really hope I’m not going to be asked to start such grand families by every single one of my lovers. I can barely wrap my head around the prospect of three or more kids. I would honestly like to find a balance somewhere between a few and repopulating the world. Though, considering my Class and everything, I shouldn’t be surprised if I end up doing exactly that, bringing Primordials back to Naharren. Time flies for the rest of the day as I busy myself with various tasks either at the brothel or at the temple. Elea comes back to us very late and completely exhausted. It looks like blessings take a lot out of her and I do my best to pamper and revitalise her. While Rejuvenate works great, she only accepts it initially, demanding a more powerful shot later, which I simply can’t deny her. She ends up pumped up when we are done, and thankfully doesn’t request a soccer team worth of kids afterwards. Might be related to the fact that she is now my Apostle. Still, I don’t keep my hopes up with that. Who knows? It might turn out that being constantly knocked up is a symbol of status as an Apostle of the Demigod of Sex. For the late night, the girls leave me alone with Cornelia so that we can cuddle with just the two of us. We appreciate their thoughtfulness and spend that time expressing pure affection to each other without getting too heated. It’s all just kisses, snuggles, romantic whispers, and lots of pleasantries. The next day is quite unremarkable. I spend it mostly amongst the mercenaries to prepare for the trip as we are heading out the morning after. We train together some more to practise our cooperation and I showcase a bunch of skills and strategies I came up with in the past so that they can get accustomed to my chaotic way of fighting. We also discuss the details related to our six or seven-man team if we include myself. Obviously, they want me to be their leader, which is to be expected. Ressia becomes my second-in-command after a vote. We create a few sub-groups, mostly pairs, in case we end up split. Though, of course, we have our mental communication. But, it’s always good to have plans ahead of time. My other free time is spent hanging around the brothel as I usually do before leaving the town. Whoever needs anything from me has the last chance to get it or will need to wait a little for the next opportunity. Not many girls come but I’m aware that they also don’t want to burden me with additional troubles right before the expedition. Still, I do spend a moment or two with some amazing ladies, either simply talking about their lives with us or providing them with some physical comfort. I don’t forget my amazing Slimes and pamper the colourful duo for quite a bit. Now that they have returned to the mansion after our last journey, they have their sights on reclaiming their top spots in the Employee of the Month rankings. The next morning arrives fairly quickly and I run a quick check through my supplies and equipment, provided by our amazing alchemists, tailors, blacksmith, and many more. With everything being as it should, I go to fetch my team of badass beauties. As expected, Ressia, Yuru, Oniri, Fullen, Besfi, and Suna are already waiting for me, bidding farewell to their battle sisters. “Good luck, Master.” Lyona makes a polite bow as we prepare to head out so I give her a peck on the cheek. No one can see us inside the headquarters so I can indulge. Two carriages are enough to comfortably fit us all and we ride to the meeting point by one of the gates. Even though we have been aiming to show up rather early, we aren’t the first ones to arrive. Leave it to Paul to drag his team out of bed at an early hour to complete sortie. Shino might have taken part in it too. We step out of our carriages and thank the drivers. The girls form two rows behind me as I approach the other group. Shino, Natalie, Marcia, Kamil, and Paul are talking to each other. Vanessa keeps herself mostly quiet while hanging around the first two. But, I can also spot one more woman I’m not familiar with who seems glued to Paul’s hip. Not in a weird or sexual way, of course. She isn’t draped over his arm or anything. She exudes a specific presence with her posture, basically screaming military, and stands right next to him like his assistant officer. Her dark emerald uniform certainly matches the theme, and her black hair too. I can see two hand crossbows on her belt and one quite long, almost ballista-sized one on her back. She is the first one to spot us and her brows rise a little at our sight. Her blue eyes wander over our formation and gear before returning to the front. She whispers something to Paul and they all turn to face us as we arrive in front of them. “Sensei!” Shino shouts happily as she charges my way, jumping right into my arms. I laugh openly and catch her firmly, supporting her soft behind as she locks her legs behind me. “What are you, a kid? We are on an official mission.” She snorts and seals my lips with hers, starting a passionate exchange which definitely isn’t missed by anyone with how lively she gets. “Still think I’m a kid, Sensei?” Shino grins at me and I roll my eyes, dropping her to the ground. Of course, she lands on her feet and snuggles to my side. Marcia comes in next, smiling at me impishly. “Hi there, handsome! Long time no see. Do we plan on going woodcutting this time too?” She waggles her brows and I can only shake my head at that reference. Kamil snorts, knowing well she is up to no good, but he sends a light nod my way as a greeting. It’s good to know he hasn’t reverted to his quite troublesome ways. “Good morning, Mister Carter.” Natalie greets me with her melodic tone and starts peeling the unruly samurai girl off my arm, rebuking her best friend for acting out. She isn’t having much success with Shino’s boosted strength and other attributes. As for Vanessa, she directs a wry smile my way. It’s understandable. There’s always going to be some sour feelings between us no matter how much time passes. I don’t blame her. “It’s good to see you again, sir.” Paul finally joins in and extends his hand so I shake it respectfully. “And this is Catherine, our recent addition. She is a Tier 4 Headhunter and a military officer. Though, she’s on leave while she helps us.” “Oh? Tier 4? That’s impressive.” I nod at her respectfully. “Someone this skilled and experienced is a rare sight. Even my team has only one Tier 4 right now.” She takes one more glance at my ladies, most likely wondering which one is our ace. Before she can say anything, Shino giggles and interjects. “You make it sound like your Tier 6 isn’t part of it.” That makes Catherine go wide-eyed as her gaze snaps to me. It looks like it’s her first time hearing about that part of my profile. To her credit, she gets a hold of herself fairly quickly and sends a polite salute my way. “It’s an honour to meet you, Sir Carter. I’ve heard a lot about you and I’m looking forward to personally seeing you in action. I admit that while your students have drawn a quite impressive picture of you with their stories, I did not expect you to possess such raw power. Especially considering the fact that you arrived in our world at the same time,” she says. I smile at her and spread my arms. “I’m sure a lot of what you heard was exaggerated, but I’m just a little special. Did they introduce you to the inner workings of my Class?” “Yes, sir. You provide enchantments and buffs to those you have sexual intercourse with, also supporting their growth.” Catherine glances at Shino and Marcia. “That’s part of it, yeah. I also grow stronger the more powerful the feelings between me and my partners are, so it’s not just about a brief quickie and forget. But, that’s details. You aren’t wrong in assuming that the more women I bed the stronger WE all grow. That includes all of those women,” I clarify it a little. “I’ll try to match your expectations, though I most likely won’t interfere too much unless it will be inevitable. This is going to be the first field test for my subordinates and I intend to evaluate their performance while mostly aiding them as their commander. These are Ressia, Yuru, Oniri, Fullen, Besfi, and Suna. We’ll be in your hands.” My girls salute in perfect sync, hitting their chests with their fists and stomping once on the ground like one man. Thankfully, they don’t shout our motto. Nevertheless, Catherine and Paul look at least slightly impressed. “Right. I assume you want me to take the lead on this expedition?” the latter asks. I can feel my women tense a bit but they obediently stay silent. “Technically, we were commissioned for this task so I would like for our side to lead if you are alright with it this time,” I reply. “Fine with me.” Paul nods with a smile. “I’m honestly curious how well-trained your unit is. I’ve seen only glimpses of their rigorous practice whenever I was invited to the range.” “Whenever a fight breaks out, you are free to direct your own team,” I add. “We might need a bit more experience together to work perfectly well as a single regiment. I honestly don’t know if I want us to get any on this trip or not.” He chuckles and nods. “Same. We shouldn’t wish for any trouble, though. We are escorting important VIPs. Let’s focus on moving them from point A to point B as safely as possible.” “Agreed.” I smirk back at him. “Ressia! Assume command! Prepare to head out!” “Sir, yes, sir!” she shouts back and spins around to face the rest, barking orders at them as they start moving with clear purpose. “Finally, a new quest with Sensei.” Shino giggles excitedly. “This is going to be fun!” Judging by the glances she and Marcia are directing my way, yeah it will. Let’s just hope we won’t get ourselves in too much trouble. It’s a simple escort quest. What can go wrong? Right?
Chapter 194 – A King’s Abode Spoiler: Chapter For a little while, Shino trots to join Paul and the rest of the Heroes as their main strategist calls for a quick briefing. I do the same, retreating to Ressia and the girls. The commanding wolfgirl is overseeing her subordinates as they bring in and prepare horses, loading a few things into the saddle packs. As I stop next to her, she tries not to show any reaction on her fierce face, acting like the proper, undistracted captain, but naturally fails to fully get a hold of her swishing tail. I hold back my smirk so as not to jeopardise her efforts and watch the swinging appendage only from the corner of my eye. It’s way too cute not to, in the end. With everything ready, Yuru the pure-blood Leopardkin brings me my own horse and the ladies gather for our quick pre-journey meeting too. I’m not surprised that all the animals are more or less the same colour, dark grey in this case. Save for mine. Yeah. They couldn’t just simply get me the same, could they? So, I end up with a pure black steed and accept their gift respectfully, showing my appreciation to the short beastgirl through the gentle ruffling of her fluffy hair and ears. A few other women stare at me with longing gazes, even though the vast majority of the squad is missing such special features atop their heads. I might have been spoiling them too much with my pats recently. But hey, when you are surrounded by so many Beastkin girls it kind of becomes a habit. One that I’m not regretting. Ressia gives me a glance and I nod at her. I’m here mostly to observe so she should assume most if not all responsibilities of the leader during this expedition. In the end, I won’t be accompanying them every single time. I might try whenever I’m able to, of course, but there are plenty of other things to take care of. Anything related to my lovely wives takes priority. Therefore, I listen to the short speech my canine second-in-command gives, admiring her attempts at motivating the others. It’s not like she needs to do that as they are all fired up to prove themselves, but she still seems to hit a few good notes when addressing each person, showing that they are a tightly-knit family already. They have gotten quite close during training and it was time to show just how much in real situations. Paul’s group is done around the same time as us and we all jump on our respective horses. Shino takes a regretful peek at me and I show her a warm smile. There’s no doubt she wanted to join me in the saddle but the others must have talked her out of it, most likely to keep the professional appearance. She has her group while I have mine. As for our formation, we mix our members to achieve the best result. Kamil, Marcia, Yuru and Catherine take the front in a chevron whenever possible. Natalie, Paul, Fullen, Suna, Ressia, and Shino stay in the centre as the core of the team. Then, Oniri, Besfi and Vanessa take the back with me. That way, there’s a tank on both sides while the ranged and support members are safe and sound. Naturally, this might change depending on the road or path we will take, tightening the formation a little as a result. But, everyone knows their role and things should be fine. Paul can spot most of the dangers and threats from the middle thanks to his sharp eyes while I spread my senses from the backline. I’m technically the highest Tier here, additionally boosted by a great number of great ladies, so I’m kind of a jack-of-all-trades amongst them. Without delaying too much, we move out and ride at a decently fast pace. Thanks to Natalie’s Symphony of Wind and Besfi’s healing spells, our horses can comfortably push themselves close to their limits without straining their strength and stamina. To the onlookers, we might be dashing like mad, but we know that it’s nowhere close to what we can achieve if the ladies really put their all into making us go fast. Because, while moving quickly is all good, we aren’t pressed on time. Arriving too early would be an issue too. Plus, we might be safe, but the other people on the road might not be. It would be a pity to trample some poor traveller and scare the horses of some random caravan by zooming past the cart or carriage like a bullet. Thank gods there are no speeding tickets in this world. We cover a good distance during the day, uninterrupted by any random events. Honestly, it would have been a shock to stumble on some kind of trouble less than a day of riding away from the capital. The last time, we had to reach a more or less remote village for that to happen. The kingdom is relatively safe and well-protected. And least for Humans. But, we are making good progress on the other races too. When the evening comes, Paul announces rest time and no one argues with him. I can tell that my girls can easily ride a day or two more thanks to everything they get from me, but we aren’t alone on this trip. And I’m glad to see that they aren’t straight-up crazy about showing results, instead showing proper restraint and moderation. Stepping off the busy road, we find a decent spot for a camp. The moment we agree on it, my squad jumps off their horses like one man and starts setting up the tents. Only Ressia remains by their animals, dutifully finding them a nice place to graze and tying them up to the trees. She makes sure that the knots are rather easy to solve. Good thinking. And well, I might have said tents, but after turning back to the team again, I find all five of them popping out multiple metal frames and rods, creating one single pavilion the size of a small circus consisting of three main sections. Even Paul and the others just stand there while watching them move with practised precision. It doesn’t take the girls longer than ten minutes to finish creating a camping masterpiece with a solid skeleton, purple material walls, and even soft lanterns illuminating both outside and inside. It’s just something you could expect a very pompous noble to bring on their trip. Yet, when they all run to stand in two rows in front of the parted entrance, it becomes clear that this noble would have been me. Someone has clearly thought this out very thoroughly. And only a few someones are capable of bringing up such ideas to the minds of these ladies, who have certainly lived quite poorly for a decent chunk of their existence in this world. I will need to have a word with their instructors after we are back. Since it would be rude to have them stay bowed in wait for too long, I try to not show my shock and confusion as I walk the purple carpet leading inside. Curious about the interior, Shino follows me shortly, and after my squad doesn’t react, the others give in to their curiosity too. The moment I pass through the thin, see-through veil protecting the entrance from the assault of bugs and other nosy intruders, I get a tad dizzy. This entire thing is fully furnished. Starting from the front, you enter the main area, the main lounge you could say, with plenty of sofas, chairs, benches, tables and other stuff. In the very middle, a sizable firepit stands proudly. Thanks to the cascading, two-part roof above it, the fumes can easily escape through the gap in the shape of a ring. Now, this area has three more exits. Left, right, and back. To the left is what seems to be a communal bath. I can spot a bunch of tubs, chairs, buckets, and other wooden furniture and appliances. Some steam escapes through the privacy curtain already, so it’s obvious that everything is prepared for use. To the right, they set up a kitchen. Some simple counters, cupboards, utensils, and so on. There’s a smaller fire in there, with a hanging grill above it, so it’s pretty clear that the central one is mainly for aesthetics and to keep everyone warm. It’s hard to see, but I bet the kitchen is fully stocked and I can expect someone to come and ask for requests in just a moment. As for the last compartment, it looks to be an additional bedroom in case someone didn’t want to crash on the comfortable rugs and couches around the giant bonfire. The very familiar bunk beds peek out of that section. I have a feeling that it’s also enchanted with the Hall of Serenity, providing the tenants with uninterrupted rest. I can imagine at least one boisterous use of the central section right now. And if even I can, there’s no doubt it has been preemptively planned. “Where the hell did all of this come from?” Marcia is the first person to question this incredulous sight. My girls walk to the middle and turn to us. They all expose their necks if anything covers that part and bring up the necklaces they have decided to wear as their dog tags. Rather than the standard, quite blocky, oval shape, their two badges obviously resemble a heart with horns and a tail each. The core is shiny purple while the edge is encased in black wood or some other material. From what I can tell, one dog tag is metal and one is crystal. Ressia holds the crystal one between her fingers. “Each of us carries a spatial storage capable of fitting an entire warehouse of goods and items, courtesy of Mistress Sirgia. We are equipped with plenty of camping utensils and housing arrangements. This is just the main marquee intended for the use of Master and his troops during special circumstances. Without his presence, we can raise a much simpler structure that will fit our basic needs, or a similarly grand pavilion for a VIP or other important person we might be escorting.” “I don’t know who you would need to escort to need something this grand,” Catherine comments next, looking around in awe. “I can proudly say that I had a chance or two to march alongside the King and even he didn’t camp in something this complex and well-equipped.” “Sensei deserves nothing less.” Shino nods to herself and my ladies follow suit in full agreement. I sigh while rubbing my eyes. “It would have been nice if someone warned me about this, honestly. I appreciate the gesture, though. Since this thing is so big, should we just all use it together? I don’t think there’s a point in you all putting up your own camp. Is that alright with you, Ressia?” The Wolfkin bows politely. “Of course, Sir. We can take our quarters for the night while the others can rest in the main section. If anyone requires a separate compartment, we can quickly set it up in a matter of seconds.” Glancing at Paul’s team, I see them shaking their heads. “Great. We’ll share, then. And one more thing. I have a feeling that your instructors insisted on all of this being brought out only when I’m around. Personally, I think it would be a waste so feel free to use this camp formation whenever you feel like it. You girls deserve the best too. That’s an order.” The six of them look at each other before the captain nods. “Yes, Sir. We shall keep that in mind. Now, please make yourselves comfortable while we prepare the food.” We do exactly that. I also planned to talk all of them out of acting like servants, but they have clearly thought ahead and only three people get delegated to the aforementioned role while the rest join us in touring this magnificent structure. Ressia is one of the three. She serves everyone drinks while Fullen and Suna take care of cooking. No one knows what they want when asked about preferences so we all agree to simply let the pros bring us their best and the ladies quickly come up with a variety of dishes. They don’t prepare too much, clearly mindful of not wasting the ingredients. That’s a good sign. I would have been disappointed to see them prepare a lavish feast just for me. But, it looks like they have been taught well, even if still a bit too much in some areas. As I’m sipping on some chilled orange juice and enjoying the gentle massage Yuru gives to my shoulders from behind while purring adorably into my ear, Catherine breaks out of the encirclement of Heroes. She walks up to our spot, taking a seat next to me. Even though we are all out of our armour and outer apparel, she still has this militaristic, regal aura in her very posture. Yuru eases her kneading and pauses her purring but doesn’t shy away just yet. She regards the woman with an inquisitive glance before refocusing on me. It’s kind of sweet how protective and serious this bundle of cuteness can get when it comes to my person. She’s usually so withdrawn and timid, save for when she fights with her life on the line. “So, the legendary teacher of the Heroes. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s an honour to finally meet someone this respected in the flesh,” Catherine begins calmly with a faint hint of a smile. I smirk back at her. “Then you hold an advantage over me. I know almost nothing about you. But, I guess it’s not that much of a problem as I’m fairly sure everything you’ve heard was grossly exaggerated.” “The Heroes claim otherwise. Each of them does nothing but sing your praises all the time. A few might be much more enthusiastic than others, of course.” She glances back at her group. I mirror her motion, singling out Kamil amongst the crowd. It’s of no surprise that Shino and perhaps Marcia sing me a litany of compliments, but she very clearly indicates that all of them do. Our relationship might have somewhat recovered, but I wouldn’t have ever imagined hearing anything too kind from his lips. I guess that’s good. “Still, exaggerated,” I reply. “I was no one in our world. I was no one at the beginning in this world too. What I taught them has barely any impact on them in this new life of ours. Thus, I can’t really call myself the Teacher of Heroes. They were no Heroes when I assisted their education.” “Some of us are just late bloomers,” Catherine answers with a shrug. “From what I’ve been told, you never really stopped being their guardian and saved them a bunch of times, still trying to impart wisdom in their young minds. You aren’t going to say that they are still your responsibility after jumping worlds and training for a year to become monster hunters, are you?” “Old habits die hard, I guess.” I chuckle wryly. “They are all full adults already. They might not attend my classroom anymore but I just can’t help myself from acting like a teacher. Even though they might be more experienced in these topics than I am.” The conversation stops for a moment as we simply enjoy the mood and watch the others mingle around. Marcia is slowly getting drunk while hanging off Kamil and Paul and the other three ladies sit together to gossip most likely. Shino, Natalie, and Vanessa seem to find each other’s company quite relaxing and comforting. That’s great since the latter certainly has a lot of heavy baggage and needs someone to just be out there, available to listen and simply interact. Meanwhile, I can already tell that Marcia and Kamil are going to interact quite intensely in just a few mugs more. Hopefully, they’ll take the bath since no one is currently using it. Otherwise, the girls would most likely need to add one more compartment to this setup. She might be quite open and lively, but others might not wish to witness everything. “So, how do you find yourself in your new party?” I ask, deciding to talk a little more with the battle-hardened lady. “Rather well, I must say.” She sighs softly. “I certainly had doubts, even though the first impression they left on me and my subordinates was nothing but bad, but it turns out that I didn’t have to stress over it too much. Yes, the group has one or two individuals with tendencies to run wild, but the others are capable of reigning them in whenever necessary. It’s clear that Paul has a great grasp on their strengths and weaknesses, efficiently and effectively leading those even much stronger than him without a hint of hesitation.” “Yeah, you can say he came prepared.” I snicker, remembering his hobbies from Earth. “It took a moment for him to adapt, but Naharren gained a valuable commander on that fateful day. Sometimes I feel like his mind is playing multidimensional chess during the fight.” “I agree. He is very smart and attentive, keeping his attention on all the pieces across the board no matter the situation. He has knowledge and some experience but isn’t arrogant. He easily defers to others and their own wisdom, taking all the advice and introducing it into his plans. At the same time, he isn’t scared of rushing to the frontlines and fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades. He does prioritise his role as the commander but doesn’t put himself on a pedestal of protection, stepping away from safety when that action is logically the most effective, even if dangerous,” she continues praising him and I smile to myself. “Yep. All in all, he is a great guy. He is a man who knows who he is and what he wants. A rare breed even in our world.” I nod along. “Indeed.” Catherine stares into the distance, though I don’t miss what is located in that distance. “Because of that, you will have your work cut out for you,” I say and she pauses for a split-second. It’s not as significant as a jerk or freeze, due to her intensive training, but I’m also quite experienced in these matters already and can distinguish the signs. The past me would have most likely missed it. She has quite a good control of her reactions. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” She turns her collected face to me. “He is an amazing guy on all accounts, but everyone has their weakness,” I continue casually, swirling the cup with my tasty juice in front of me. “His turns out to be social and intimate interactions. Specifically with women. While his beliefs and values are honourable and impressive, they do hold him back a lot and make him quite unapproachable. One will have to put in quite a lot of effort to prove to him that they are the one he is looking for.” “I’m afraid I still don’t follow why we are talking about this,” she says, doubling down. “Are we really going to do this?” I smirk at her knowingly. “Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Out of everyone I’ve met since the day he walked into my classroom, you have the highest chance to succeed. I’ve honestly never heard him bring up a woman’s name out of his own volition during random conversations. Yet, he often speaks of you during training with my other subordinates, and I myself got to know a few bits about you during my meetings with the Heroes. So, in all honesty, if you really are serious about this, I think I can give you my blessing to try.” We stare at each other in silence for a few long seconds and I start expecting her to deflect for the third time, but I catch her faintly relaxing, finally deciding to let it go. “And who are you to give me your blessing to pursue him? I thought you were no longer his guardian?” She shows a sign of a light smirk. “Sensei is the new Demigod of Lust, after all.” Shino makes an appearance behind our sofa, right next to the cute Leopardkin girl. Her sudden arrival manages to catch Catherine off-guard and the military woman twitches a little. As far as this goes, I can consider it a win. At least before her eyes snap to mine and they widen briefly, soon narrowing back to their natural state as things clearly click in her mind. “So, that’s what the whole capital was buzzing about. I guess I should have gone to that introduction,” she says cooly. Shino giggles and slides her arms down my chest, resting her chin on my shoulder. “As the appointed God of Love, I think Sensei is right where he needs to be to offer his blessings to future couples. Besides, we still view him as our legal caretaker in this world. We have no one else. Sensei stood up for us, going against a real king to assure our wellbeing. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been viewing Sensei as a kind of parental figure. Well, maybe not exactly parental, but…” The heavy blush on her soft cheeks as she tries to backpedal from the hole she’s dug herself in makes me chuckle quietly. Her love for me has never been quite filial and she knows it. But, we know what she meant to say. “In the future, I might be able to grant actual blessings of this kind, but unfortunately, I’m currently limited to ones ensuring fertility and stronger sensations. I’m fairly sure you don’t necessarily need either right now.” I wink at the military woman. “Though, if you’ll even find yourself having a hard time keeping up with a Hero, I can at least offer you a good boost to stamina.” Even the quite stoic lady seems affected by all that intimate talk as the hint of rosiness tinges her skin. She looks away to save her face and I try my best to keep Shino from getting to tease our new friend unnecessarily. I’d rather she doesn’t ruin the rare chance of Paul having someone he might actually be able to end up together with. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Catherine surprises us both by not fighting back but instead openly admitting everything through those few seemingly insignificant words. “Thank you.” With a firm nod, she gets up and slowly walks away. We notice that she’s heading in the direction of Paul and the others just as Marcia drags Kamil away for an obvious reason. I meet Shino’s eyes and we grin at each other, silently rooting for her to succeed. They seem like a good match. After that, the needy samurai rolls onto my lap for some belly rubs and kisses while we wait for the bath to be free again. It might take a while, judging by the noise. Someone forgot to activate the silencing barrier before they began and we can now hear almost everything here, though they might possibly have not been aware of that function of the tent. Nevertheless, no one seems to be bothered too much as Shino’s group must be quite used to it. My girls do glance my way a lot and my Japanese girlfriend continues to grin at me teasingly, spotting their faint blushes and nibbled lips. When the raunchy duo is done, the women take their turn. That means Natalie, Vanessa, Catherine, and Shino, who reluctantly leaves my lap. But, I don’t remain idle for too long after she is gone. Yuru becomes a bit bolder with her affection and starts gently biting on my ear while her fingers wander under my clothes. With the obvious interest of the others too, I excuse myself to their quarters as my squad hastily follows. What follows next is rather obvious. Ressia first politely requests my aid, for me to enhance them for the trip so that they can be stronger and fulfil their roles better. I let them know that they don’t need excuses and show some appreciation to the brave captain first, remembering to silence our surroundings. We break in each of their bunk beds with the respective owners in what ends up as a quick and very animated orgy. I’m surrounded by horny ladies all along, brushing and rubbing their heated parts against me even as I pound one of them into the bouncy mattress. Everyone gets the fill they deserve after a day of hard work. Since we are still on a mission in the wilderness, I don’t tire anyone out to the fullest. That would be rather stupid. I do ask about who is watching over the camp after we are done if all of them are here, lying on top of me as a heap of naked, sweaty bodies, and Oniri assures me that she’s set up plenty of traps and alert artefacts around the perimeter to know when a fly gets anywhere close to us. No one has to keep watch for the night with this, but Ressia still volunteers to do it. I don’t discourage her and she receives one more round for her sacrifice, getting jealous looks from her colleagues, who wonder if that was her plan all along. Letting them rest for a moment longer, I dress up and get back to the main section. Confirming that Shino and the ladies are done, I let my girls know and join the others on the side. As we are chatting about random things, they suddenly stop mid-sentence and their eyes widen to the brim. Confused a bit, I look over my shoulder and freeze. All six of my female mercenary squad members parade out of their quarters buck naked and head for the bath, various marks and light bruises very apparent on those who do possess visible skin, alongside some other evidence of what has transpired just recently staining their bodies, especially near the bottom parts. They nonchalantly walk forward with towels in their hands as the other women gaze upon them in disbelief and consternation, Shino pouting at me heavily, clearly disappointed for missing out on fun time while she was bathing. Somehow, the next half an hour passes by in a rather noticeable silence and I can’t really blame anyone for that. Save for those naughty six. They thankfully get out in their underwear and I jump in next alongside the guys. Surprisingly, Kamil offers me a fist bump with a knowing smirk as we soak all together so perhaps things are slowly mending together. For the night, I end up sleeping with everyone in the central segment, taking one of the side sofas for myself. I would have gone with my squad but Shino insisted on staying by my side, or rather on top of me, so I granted the clingy samurai her wish. We doze off together while the rest also find a good place to crash down either solo or in pairs. In the morning, we eat a light breakfast and pack up. My girls deconstruct everything in about ten minutes, shoving all the parts and things back into their spatial storages. It’s quite a sight watching them touch stuff and then making it disappear in front of your eyes. But, I’m definitely much more used to that than Paul’s party. We are back on the road in a flash. Again, the road ahead is rather peaceful and we pass only a bunch of other people travelling both ways. It gives us a chance to chat a little with our neighbours. It’s always a pleasure to listen to the happy stories from the girls’ lives or how their respective communities usually function. Naturally, not all of them led comfortable lives before their capture, but some do, and either kind still seems interested in sharing their experiences with me. About half a day later, I can see Vanessa discussing something with Paul and he signals for us to stop. Gathering close around him, we all listen to what the duo has to say. “Vanessa mentioned to me that she knows a different path to her home, a slightly less populated trail but still as civilised as this one. According to her, we can cut some time if we use it and go easy on our steeds, taking one or more breaks along the way,” he explains. “I see no problems with that if there are no problems with the path itself,” I reply as my group looks to me as their leader. “It might be good to verify alternatives while we can so that there’s at least one backup plan on our way back.” “I agree.” He nods. “Everyone?” No one seems to confront the idea and Vanessa instructs the front on where to go and which turn to take. The change comes an hour later and we move off the main road. The path we take is still quite wide and paved but the trees are definitely much closer and the forest is very lush in this area. Hopefully, we won’t stumble on any wild beasts. But, I guess Vanessa would warn us if there really were some dangers here. As it starts getting darker and darker, we slow our pace a bit more and start looking for a decent resting spot. It’s a much harder task now with the space between trees being narrower than before. We could technically cut or uproot them with ease, but why should we damage nature? Unless we really don’t find anything, it’s better to just wait a little longer. When the sky almost fully loses all colour, we finally spot something. But, it’s the orange glow of a campfire somewhere to the side. That means a few things. First, there are other people around. Second, they have taken a camping spot for themselves. Third, there might be more space out there than they need. After a brief discussion about it, we agree that approaching them peacefully and asking is better than setting ourselves up in close vicinity and making someone potentially stressed about our unexpected presence. So, we lead our horses towards the light, following a bunch of deep tracks going off the path. They seem to be new so we might be dealing with merchants and their loaded carts and wagons. Our guess proves to be somewhat right as we find an encirclement of big wooden carriages resembling those prison transports from fantasy and wild west fiction, sporting a single barred window in the front and back. Seven coaches make up the formation as a bunch of people walk around the inner part where a big fire has been started. They have strategically left one length of a coach open and that’s where we show up, making sure that they see our approach. Some tension fills the air as they observe our group which almost matches their numbers. I take the lead and jump off my horse first, wanting to reassure them a little. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Apologies for the interruption. We are simply passing by and looking for a good spot to settle down for the night. Noticing your fire, we decided to see if there isn’t a bit of space next to you. The more the merrier as they say, and strength certainly lies in numbers.” I smile at them while spreading my arms. “We are a fresh mercenary company heading to Ronerulle for a private request. If you agree to share this place with us, we can offer you protection for the night. Unfortunately, I don’t think you would be able to match our pace with your wagons so I can’t extend it further onto the road even if we were moving in the same direction.” We wait for their reply as the few guys who seem to be the leaders exchange glances with their subordinates. “We could use a few strong horses,” someone whispers in the back but my keen hearing easily picks it up. “Right. The cargo is heavier than we expected. Might be a good idea,” another person replies. I can see some men trying to nonchalantly lean onto the coaches while eyeing us up. Whenever they are sure that none of us are watching, they edge closer to either the front or back. Things seem a little strained for a group of merchants and I don’t think they take us for bandits in disguise. In the end, our gear is quite fancy and flashy. I let Shino and my girls know to be wary. Then, as one of those sneaky guys almost reaches his assumed target, the cart behind him rocks heavily from side to side with a few loud thuds, making him jump in fright. I’m fairly sure I hear growling and scratching from the muted interior. “What’s that?” Paul asks as all our attention shifts to the naughty carriage. “Nothing,” the assumed leader answers quickly. “A barrel must have loosened up during our travels. We’ll check it in a moment.” A metallic click echoes through the air, coming from the other side of the formation, and we watch as one of the caches opens up in the front with a squeaky noise, the entire panel swinging out like a door. In an instant, a dozen or more dogs rush out of it while snarling and barking, locking right onto us. “Poachers!” Vanessa shouts. “Show those bastards no mercy!” A javelin of earth follows, spearing the dude who opened the carriage into the wooden structure, and everyone takes that as a signal to begin. Oh, well. I guess I shouldn’t have mentioned that we are a fresh company. Their loss.