Novel Rupegia

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by Manasong, Oct 10, 2019.

  1. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Hana, Roxanne, and I sigh as we are finally free from the mental assault of the Weepers.

    "I thought that with my high 'Sanity,' I wouldn't be so vulnerable to monsters fucking with my head," Hana says.

    "That stat protects against illusions, but the Weepers play with our guilt, so they don't need believable illusions to take hold if they can break us down with just a few words," I say.

    "What did the Weepers use against each of you?" Ciel asks.

    "Well, I have a lot of things to feel guilty about," Roxanne answers.

    "Same," I say with a nod.

    "I only have one: Macht," Ciel says and I notice that she doesn't look pained anymore when she mentions his name.

    "It's my family, I still feel like I failed them," Hana says.

    "We can use Confiel's spy network to get information about where they are," I say and pat the scales on top of her hand.

    "Yeah, but I still feel… unresolved about it." She shrugs. "I guess that my heart won't let me rationalize myself out of this one."

    "Why?" Aoi asks.

    Hana shrugs again and chuckles. "I don't know. Sometimes we just can't control our own hearts."

    "Hm…" Aoi tilts her head repeatedly in deep thought.



    Now that we're all naked, I pull out the tent and the bathtub for us to relax in.

    It feels ironic to me that the safest place we could be right now is inside a dungeon.

    I unsummon all of my Hollys and Shads and delight myself with the sight of Klein and Osaria taking a bath together. They sit beside one another in the hot water, and Klein looks very uncomfortable.

    "Should I call you 'sister' from now on?" Osaria teases Klein and slings an arm over the monkey girl's shoulder.

    "I-I'm not a wife and I didn't know that he proposed to you, too," Klein answers and looks away.

    Osaria smirks and licks her lips. "I know that Anton considers him responsible for your future. To me, that means you're a wife."

    She shrugs, a little awkwardly. "I'm just going to be his knight when he becomes a noble. But you still haven't told me how you became a 'wife.'"

    "I simply got fucked hard until I couldn't walk anymore, and I want him to do it again, repeatedly. It doesn't matter if he proposes or not, I'll make sure that he puts in the effort to keep me happy." She finishes with a devious chuckle.

    Klein eyes the summoned bird nervously, who chirps a simple song to them.

    Osaria gently pulls Klein's head towards her breasts. Then her free hand delicately touches her face and softly traces it before searching its way down along her neck, then shoulders, then ribs. My brown monkey looks increasingly nervous, but a small bite of her lips shows what else she's feeling about the current situation.

    Then Osaria's arm dives underwater and suddenly stops moving. Klein gasps and closes her eyes.

    The milf's voice turns into a sultry whisper that instantly gives me an erection. "I've been a good girl, Wolfy. I haven't touched another dick since yours, not even Rande's, but I can't hold myself back from playing with one of your toys. So make sure to come back soon and stain me with your seed again."

    "T-toy…?" Klein asks with a cracking voice. She shivers and fidgets as small moans escape her mouth, but she lacks both the energy and the motivation to escape Osaria's claws.

    "Shh… don't talk, just enjoy it," Osaria whispers in her ear just before she seals Klein's lips with a possessive kiss.

    "Wolfy, long dick. I want you to reach my womb," Hana orders.

    "Okay," I obey absentmindedly.

    Hana, as usual, slams herself onto me. At least she makes sure that she's wet enough to do it, but it's still fucking dangerous.

    My annoyance vanishes as I feel my tip hitting her cervix, with Hana's grunt of pain sounding like enough of a punishment for her.

    The touch of my soul on both it and her womb is what leads her to a toe-curling orgasm, but there's still the "empty" feeling of having nothing physically touching her deepest parts. Now that I have the skill, I can properly stimulate her cervix while also covering her womb with my soul.

    Ciel comes over to help Hana move her hips since the dragon girl's legs become weak quite quickly. This comes just in time as Osaria moves on to the main dish and spreads Klein's juicy black lips with her tongue.

    I add some very small barbs, causing Hana to not last much longer. To finish me off, I use Aoi and pound against her cervix, too. For her, I need to increase the length and girth of my dick, but it works out in the end.



    I sink into the bath and sigh.

    It feels like it's the first time that I've fully relaxed after the [Meteor].

    "Her first skill might end up being [Oral Technique]," Alissa comments.

    "For us, that's certainly the most useful skill," Roxanne says and chuckles.

    My mana drains as Aoi pumps shot after shot out of me. Without the need to hold back this time, she drains me dry and my eyes roll back into my skull as I nearly pass out.



    Alissa helps me out of the bath and we start making dinner.

    The three golems use cooking time as an opportunity to test their own dexterity and control over [Telekinesis]. The two adorable dolls make simple movements to aid in manipulating their tools while Jarn is a lot more awkward and struggles to use her individual fingers.

    We make beef roulade with not-carrot and orc bacon and cook it in a thick broth. As a side, we make some not-garlic-bread toasts along with crunchy veggies and squeaky beans.

    After we eat, we store what's left in my "Items" and I smirk at the convenience. The lack of a microwave to reheat meals seemed quite inconvenient at first, but with [Item Box] and my "Items" freezing things in time, there's no need to refrigerate anything or even to reheat our leftovers.

    It's hard to think of anything more convenient than this that doesn't involve just creating food outright, and even for that, mid-high level [Conjuring Magic] has a spell for making food.



    It seems that Anton does not approve of Klein becoming Osaria's plaything, but it's not like he can stop it anymore. Klein's already been corrupted by our hedonistic lifestyle, and there's no turning back for her now.

    I even approve of their relationship. This will keep both of them from searching for other dicks, and I really don't want to watch as they get railed by another man.

    The thought that Klein will likely one day marry Hana's brother makes me uncomfortable. I know that I'll have to learn to "share" her, but that doesn't mean that I have to get comfortable with seeing Osaria and Klein lay with strangers.



    We fill our bellies and replenish the energy that we used by jogging all day long. Then we take the bed out of the tent to sleep under the stars since there's no wind here. After we sit down, I get a lineup of delicious legs and feet to [Massage] and suck on.



    I start with Alissa, my ever-present lover. Her feet have that cute air of the comely girl-next-door. Her legs are slightly athletic, which perfects her look and makes her taste like milk chocolate: delicious and pleasant, just as simple as that.

    Then comes Roxanne's slender feet. She's taller and thinner than Alissa, so her feet are bonier but more elegant. She has both the body and the feet to be a model. I put a pair of her high heel sandals on them just so that I can feel the refined taste in her thin legs and feet. She's like a gourmet dessert: beautiful and delicious, but you're not supposed to feast on it.

    Next comes Hana's feet. Being the tallest of all my wives, her feet are large, strong, and meaty. Her air is bold, so regardless of footwear, I feel a little more like having her step on me instead of sucking on her toes. Her legs are delicious, though; I just love licking muscles, and hers are divine. She's like steak: the main course that you have to bite because licking is just not enough.

    Roxanne's feet wrap around my rod and make praying motions, asking the God of Sex to paint her slender legs and feet with his hallowed seed.

    "You're bordering on blasphemy, Wolfy," Ciel complains.

    "Boo," Hana boos.

    I smirk and say, "I'll keep it contained… but not… this." I reward Roxanne's prayer and bless her legs with my holiness.

    Alissa and Aoi each get one of her legs to clean, but neither of them stop until they reach Roxanne's sacred landing strip and I reward their backs with another blessing.

    Now comes Ciel's turn. She tries to hide her excitement, but she's giving in to her fetishes. Her feet are a mix: she's cute, adorable, and sexy, all at the same time. There's a cute plumpness to them, an adorable smallness to her little toes, and curves that scream "sex appeal." With her fetish being fulfilled, her sacred spot lets out the green light for me to stretch her heart and fill it with my love. She's like a dessert: complex-flavored and perfectly made, which makes it hard to have had enough of her.

    Now it's Lina's turn. She's pure adorableness because, for some reason, small things always look cutesy. Her perfect skin and well-trimmed nails (courtesy of Ciel) just make her look otherworldly, divine, even. She's a cute little strawberry cupcake: so adorable that you don't want to eat it.

    Then finally, I play with Aoi. Hers are… well, lizard's feet. I shouldn't ever think about calling her a lizard again, but it's honestly the most apt comparison. They are rough, scaly, and have sharp claws that are almost blade-like, which are dangerous for my tongue. And her legs aren't much better.

    "I need to become more human!" Aoi exclaims in frustration as she barely feels my tongue run along her scales.

    "We have to study Alissa's [Fox Transformation] and invert it," I say.

    "Yes! Study!" -then her head hangs low and smoke escapes her nostrils- "But I can't use [Sense Soul] like you can…"

    Her eyes gleam with mischief, but before she can chomp down on her pacifier, I stop her with [Bind] and offer her my finger instead.

    "Roxanne has to pray some more," I say and Roxanne happily nods in agreement, her horns flopping about adorably.



    I use the very last of my mana to repair Aoi's halberd with [Grow]. The shaft is covered in scratches and a few grooves where her sharp claws have gripped the wood. They are blade-like to aid in combat, and they help with cutting through meat when she wants to eat, but maybe she doesn't need those blades anymore.

    "Aoi, what if we dulled your claws? It would make it much easier for you to use a weapon," I suggest.

    She releases my finger, then clacks her claws and looks at them a little sadly. "These claws make things harder, but I still like them," she answers.

    "It's not like I'm asking if we can remove them," I say and pat her head.

    "I don't think it's necessary; she's not supposed to stay in melee for long, anyway," Hana says.

    "But crushing things is easier than casting, spells," Aoi says.

    "You have more potential with magic than physical combat," Roxanne says.

    Hana crosses her arms in thought and says, "But dragons are partially magical beings. Couldn't getting stronger physically make her become more 'magical,' too? There's a limit to pure muscle strength, after all."

    "We don't know which is the cause and which is the effect. Though, I guess that it wouldn't hurt to do both," I say with a shrug.

    "Yay!" Aoi happily exclaims.



    I cover Alissa's body with my soul and get her to transform repeatedly while I observe her with [Sense Soul]. I see that her cells all seem to "sink" into the mana solidification of her body somehow.

    I cut away a piece of her fur and it decays into free mana particles. I focus on their "signature" and feel that they seem quite familiar. They are different from Alissa's usual mana "signature," but still feel "similar."

    After Alissa turns back, she seems to have lost an MP point, something that doesn't happen with [Fox Transformation] unless she exerts himself.

    "Interesting," I mutter and hear a muffled chuckle. Ciel is staring at me with a loving gaze and a hand covering her mouth. "What's so funny?"

    She gets a hold of herself and shows me a wide smile. "The way you look so serious while you work, but you still seem so cute. It just looks adorable to me."

    "I'm glad that I can make you happy without trying, my love."

    She fidgets a little as she recovers from my critical hit and continues coaching Roxanne in controlling her [Water Spirit].

    Returning to my study, there's definitely some form of abstract concept in [Fox Transformation] that sends Alissa's body "somewhere." When she transforms, her physical body disappears, but any damage dealt to her fox form will still be transferred to her physical body if she returns to normal while she's still wounded.

    She can use mana to heal herself, but it takes time, and dismemberment severs the corresponding parts of her physical body. Though, at least with dismemberment, the limb reverts to normal and can be reattached after she changes back.

    Piercing her heart or brain makes her pass out and immediately start to "regenerate" until either the wounds are healed, or she runs out of mana and dies. The only way to instantly kill her is by cutting her in two in a way that separates her heart and brain, like decapitation.

    Another interesting thing about [Fox Transformation] is that the integrity of her body depends on the amount of mana that she currently has available. The more mana, the "tougher" her body can become. She's also been getting much stronger because of her mana training routine, so perhaps one day she might even be able to reliably participate in melee combat in her fox form.

    "How did you gain your [Fox Transformation]?" I ask Alissa.

    She fidgets and groans, but I use [Bind] to hold her back from pouncing on me.

    "I was born with it, so it was always instinctual for me," she finally answers.

    I scratch my chin. "Then how would you describe your transformation?"

    She lowers her head, making her ears bob cutely, then clenches her fist close to her heart. "There's… something 'wild' inside of me. It's what fuels my anger and rape fetish. I just let it loose and 'coat' myself with it."

    "At least you're honest about your fetishes," Ciel comments, blinking repeatedly in surprise.

    Alissa smiles wryly and shrugs. "It's not what I am, but I know that it belongs to me, as if it were something separate. I guess that makes sense since we are called wereanimals: part human, part animal."

    "Yeah, and we are dragonkin, which means that we are a kind of dragon. But we are still a mix of dragon and human," Hana says.

    Hm, a "part" of her… Should I study Hana or Alissa?

    "Gih."

    "You think so?" I question.

    "Gih."

    Look at that, Gify is giving me encouragement.

    She morphs her beak into an angry pout. "Gih!"

    I chuckle and raise my hands in defeat. "Sorry, sorry, I won't tease you about that anymore."

    "You really see him being able to become like that?" Roxanne asks.

    "Gih," Gify answers with a nod.

    Ciel pouts anxiously and says, "As long as you remain cute and gentle. I don't want a second Hana being born."

    "I wouldn't say that he's gentle," Hana says with a chuckle.

    Ciel frowns. "He's rough with you because you ask for it."

    "Then you just have to ask him to be gentle," Hana responds with a smirk.

    "I don't think that I'll become 'rough' or violent like you're imagining," I say.

    Alissa grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. "Your heart is more important than your behavior. Remember my promise: I want you to remain kind, to not take pleasure in killing, to be someone who always aims to make the realm a better place; but that doesn't mean that you have to look weak."

    I bring her hand up to my lips, then I look down at my free hand. "I have to look powerful…" I whisper as I clench my fist.

    "You have to wield and exude power," Hana says.

    "Look at you, using big words," Lina teases and Hana snorts. Then she adds, "Being more confident would help."

    "But it can't be misguided. You need to know your place in the world," Hana continues.

    Dragons are all about hierarchies, after all.

    "It feels like it makes sense, but in practice, it's not so simple," I say with a chuckle.

    "It's not like you have to learn it now," Alissa says.

    I hum and enter deep thought.

    As Gify said, to become a dragon, I have to become a symbol of "power."



    "But what about becoming a human?" Aoi asks, pulling me out of my trance.

    This one is easy for Ciel to answer, "Our purpose is to always strive to become better. To change, improvise, adapt, and overcome. Our bodies may not be malleable like certain monsters or elementals, but we have this:" -she raises her hands, then taps her head- "we have the tools and the intelligence to change our environment to better serve us. We are capable of building anything we need to help us overcome any obstacle that comes our way."

    Aoi looks down at her claws that vex her so much. "So I don't have either," she says in a low tone.

    Hana flicks Aoi's head. It seems like Hana hurt herself much less than when I did it.

    "Ow…" Aoi complains, barely feeling any pain.

    "If you lack both, then you just need to work hard to get them," Hana says.

    "I already am!" Aoi complains.

    Hana gives her a fearsome smile. "Then work harder!"

    "RAAGH!" Aoi growls cutely and fire lights her mouth.

    "Aoi…" Alissa says in a dangerous tone.

    The flames are immediately extinguished, but she retains her mean look.

    "I want to fight, and crush, and help, and make things! I'll work hard!" She exclaims.

    "Then start by observing me," Alissa says just before she transforms into a fox.

    I spread my soul over Alissa again and stop her with [Bind] before a lewd fox can try to mate with me.



    Lina starts practicing [Sap Power]; it's a spell that reduces "Strength" and "Magic Power." Hana studies [Mesmerizing Butterflies] and catches up with Alissa as she can now create wisps of the butterflies. The golems all cast [Regeneration] on me to help me recover the blood that I gave to Aoi. And the rest of the girls continue their practice. Alissa, of course, gets nothing from me tonight and has to meditate to contain herself.

    Tonight, we use the light elemental as a blanket. Since she'll be in constant contact with us, her mana will drain continuously, so we'll get at most one hour of the softest blanket that ever blanketed us, but that's enough to put me into a deep and calm sleep.



    Today is the 6th.

    Gify wakes the girls, who take their turns abusing my "special condition" until they've had enough and then Lina wakes me up.

    The sky is still dark since we're in space and there's no sun, but I feel like I'm waking up from a deep and comfortable sleep. Ciel uses her [Holy Spirit] as a mini sun for us, so we get plenty of light to help us clear the fog of sleepiness from our minds.



    Hana leveled up to 39. She also increased her [Mana Control] by 1 (now 2), and Lina increased her [Cursing Magic] by 1 (now 2).



    I see that the Este caravan is already back on the road. Holly is back to patrolling around the beautiful green grasslands, and Klein is already cracking jokes along with the others.

    After an energetic breakfast, we armor up, then we stretch and do a quick warm-up.

    The stone door at the edge of the infinite abyss is a little heavy, but we manage to open it regardless. On the other side, we see another stone platform, but it's larger than the previous entrance area, although it does have the same stone door at the edge. In the middle of the platform, there are five naked orcs masturbating in a circle.

    They quickly notice us and grab their rusty swords.

    "The fuck?" I reflexively ask.

    "Underestimating us, I see," Hana says and scoffs.

    We make short work of them and move onwards through the next door.

    Ten naked orcs this time. Same shit.

    Then the dungeon throws four Storm Chargers at us, so we bum rush them before they can fling a single spell since the arena is too small for them to run away.

    Next comes an Uspidor, the modern High Forest acid spitter. I get an idea and we push it off the edge of the arena with spells. Then after a minute or so of waiting, it plummets back down onto the center of the arena, right on top of an earth elemental in the shape of a cone. It impales itself, then it immediately explodes into chunks, spreading blood and innards everywhere.

    "Yeah, stupid idea," I say before anyone can remark about it.

    [Wind Shield] protected us from the gore, but not the smell, so we quickly enter the next arena.

    This one has ten Sky Stalkers circling above us, far beyond Alissa's range.

    "Okay… now what? We wait?" Hana questions.

    Lina pulls on the hem of my armor and says, "Electric elemental on the back of a Kite Dragon."

    "Nice!" I exclaim and snap my fingers.

    The plan goes flawlessly; the birds drop out of the sky one-by-one, then Alisa effortlessly kills them in mid-air.

    Next, the arena becomes large enough to accomodate a line of fifteen armored orcs with swords and shields.

    I use the electric elemental and Kite Dragon combo to stun and kill them one-by-one while we hold off the rest ourselves.

    The orcs are quite unskilled in combat, so we don't have much trouble while staying on the defensive, but actually attacking them is a bit problematic for us. With all the armor and padding that we have, I barely feel anything when full-on blocking an orc's strike. They need hammers to get to us, not swords.

    Then the next floor is eerily empty.

    "Is it over?" Roxanne asks.

    "I… don't think so? The exit should be a wooden room like all others," I say and we get extra cautious as we slowly make our way in.

    Neither Alissa nor the Hollys see anything. Then my Shad catches a whiff of mana coming from right in front of me.

    [Battlefield Perception] triggers and I use [Telekinesis] to glide backward. I feel a small and very painful scratch on my skin. I reflexively cast [Discharge] in front of me and feel it "hit" something small.

    "Oh, fuck! Spirits!" I exclaim and cast [Spirit Eyes]. I see nine glowing fuckers floating all around us with manic grins on their ugly mugs and a menacing dagger in each of their hands. Spirit Watchman Tons.

    The girls immediately cast [Fireball] in front of themselves and flail about wildly to keep the spirits away. Alissa gets a "cut" in her waist and Lina gets one in her arm. Ciel's [Holy Spirit] keeps them away from her, and Roxanne luckily [Explodes] hers just a few centimeters above her head.

    I guide Aoi and Hana to breathe fire in wide arcs and the Tons are all instantly turned into more EXP for us.

    The "scratch" that I received damaged my soul and hurts like a bitch, so I immediately put more points into [Spirit Magic] and cast [Soul Touch] on us to heal the soul damage.

    I focus on Alissa first since she's lost most of the feeling in her right leg due to the "cut." Then it's Lina's turn, whose left arm is trembling so wildly that she can barely control it.

    "Getting interesting," Hana comments.

    "Nah. The background isn't changing at all, it's boring," Ciel comments.

    "I'm getting a bit of an End of Time vibe from Chrono Trigger, so I'm feeling nostalgic," I say.

    "You should work on a way to show us your memories through [Bind]," Alissa suggests.

    "Good idea. No idea how to even start, though."

    "You'll manage, you haven't disappointed so far," Ciel says and chuckles.

    "No mention of cheating?" I question and raise an eyebrow.

    "Did I even need to? You did it yourself." She chuckles, quite pleased with herself.

    I roll my eyes and we continue on to the next door.

    We open it and see a three-meter tall suit of armor carrying a longsword so thick that it's more like a metal club. Red glowing eyes stare right through our souls and we immediately close the door again.

    "Did I just hear boss music?" I question and chuckle at myself.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Joxsan Herrera.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Vampmire.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Kalsted.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nevarec.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Nobleman Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
     
  2. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    "Was that a reference?" Alissa asks.

    I nod. "Yeah. From video games."

    "Why are their eyes glowing red? How cliché," Roxanne comments.

    "It's certainly not a monster. Its presence felt similar to a Living Armor," Alissa says.

    "And it didn't look like there was anyone inside that armor, so I think I agree with you," Hana says.

    "So it looks like I'm mostly useless," Alissa comments with a wry smile.

    "You can still, uh… 'distract' it with [Illusion Magic]," Ciel comments while cringing.

    Alissa scratches her fox ear awkwardly. "So, I'm bait, huh…?"

    "You're kind of the nimblest of us. I'm bad at turning," Hana says.

    Totally not feeling hurt at being ignored, I say, "With [Telekinesis] I can dodge nearly everything."

    Alissa frowns and says, "But if things go wrong, you can use [Bind] to pull me out of danger. If you get yourself into a bad spot, then there's nobody that can help you."

    Now I am the one who frowns. "[Gate] still works and Ciel's [Holy Spirit] can keep itself latched onto me."

    "That's still risky," Ciel warns a little worriedly.

    "But… how are we even going to fight it?" Roxanne asks.

    "There's no guarantee that it'll behave like a Living Armor if we 'stab' it," I say.

    Lina hands me her switch-axe, currently in its hammer form. "Then we turn it into scrap metal," she says.

    "That'll take a while. We need to find its weak spot," Hana says.

    "Joints: knees and elbows," Lina says.

    "But what if it moves like Jarn? If it does, then even if we destroyed the joints, it would still use some form of [Telekinesis] to stay upright," Roxanne ponders.

    "So… no weak spots?" Hana asks and we glumly nod.

    Something tells me that there's a blood symbol inside it at the neck area, but I'm sure that the girls won't appreciate another reference…

    "I still have to study the Uspidor acid and the Symbol of Decay's goop," Roxanne says.

    "The Symbol of Decay melted the armor off of the metal dragonoids that I summoned, so maybe we can use it," I say.

    Roxanne claps her hands, making a loud noise. "Ohoho! It's time for me to shine!" She exclaims with a manic smile as her glasses gleam.

    "Make sure you're protected; those things are toxic," I say and grasp her delicate hand.

    She smiles proudly and fidgets in excitement. "Yes, yes. To calm your tender and worrying heart, I'll make sure that my perfect body remains pure."

    My expression goes a little stiff and I release her hand. "Yes… do that…"



    I pull out the Symbol of Decay donut and we quickly cut off a tentacle, then I store the rest back in my "Items" so that no more blood is wasted.

    So… how do you contain something that corrodes everything? By making it float in the air.

    We use Ted, Suzy, and Jarn to suspend a small amount of goop inside Roxanne's workbench while she analyses it.

    Even though there's no vacuum enchantment yet, the gloves and glass window protect her against spills and fumes.

    "This goop is not an acid, but it's definitely magical since there's no known physical substance that corrodes things as fast as this does," she comments.

    "Can we replicate it somehow and weaponize it?" I ask.

    "We can replicate it easily with [Alchemy], but weaponizing it would be much easier with [Alchemicism]," she says the last few words with a sour face. "But make no mistake, if you want 'repeatability,' and by that I mean, to be able to manufacture things with any reliability, then [Alchemy] is the answer."

    "What's the difference between them?" Alissa asks.

    She adjusts her glasses and acquires a stern demeanor. "[Alchemy] is simply magical chemistry. We analyze the properties of matter and how it interacts with itself and with mana. [Alchemicism] is the utilization of the abstract concepts of mana-rich matter to transmute one 'thing' into another, and that includes transfer of 'abstract concepts,' so the transmutation can get very complex. The problem with that magic school is that you never really know what you are getting until it's done. Each mage practices [Alchemicism] a bit differently, so it's unreliable."

    "I see. So, for improvising something on the spot, it could be useful? And can I learn it?" I ask.

    "Exactly, but I don't know enough to teach you and I'd prefer that you didn't blindly test it with your Gift."

    "Agreed," Alissa says with a nod.

    "We don't need a perfect weapon to use this stuff, we just need a container that will last long enough for us to spread the goop on the Living Armor," Lina says.

    "Right, yeah, that's doable," Roxanne says.



    She tests a variety of materials on the goop and it seems that steel really is the most resistant to it, but it's still too expensive for us to use that as a consumable.

    "What if we used a weaker material for a container, then stored it in our [Item Box]es until it was time to throw it?" I ask.

    "Cover the container with something sticky, then we can be sure that the goop will end up covering the Living Armor," Lina says.

    "The Uspidor's tentacles are quite sticky," Alissa says.

    "I collected some of the tentacles from the one we turned into giblets. I meant for us to eat them later, but I guess we can part with a few," I say with a wry smile.

    "Wolfy, put a point in [Alchemy] for me so that I can learn [Transmute]," Roxanne requests.

    "Can't you use [Extract Pus] to… extract whatever mana signature it is that's corrosive?" I ask.

    "There are quite a few, so it's just easier to copy everything rather than test them one-by-one."

    "Alright, but don't you have a magic tool for [Transmute]?"

    "Actually knowing the spell helps with its efficiency."

    I nod and fulfill her request. She now has five points in [Alchemy] and the spell [Transmute] appears in her "Magic" tab.

    She pulls out an MP potion and the [Transmute] magic tool, then she holds the potion close to the floating glob of goop while keeping the magic tool in between them.

    "Ted, you'll be responsible for holding the goop in place after I transmute it, okay?" She asks.

    "Understood," Ted answers.

    She activates the magic tool, and something oddly similar to a soul starts to seep out of it. It's so similar that my [Sense Soul] itches but doesn't detect anything. Then the pseudo-soul splits into two. One of them envelops the goop while the other envelops the MP potion.

    Roxanne feeds a large amount of mana to the magic tool and the glowing blue liquid turns white, then disappears. In its place, more of the goop replaces it and immediately starts to corrode the glass flask of the potion.

    Ted casts [Telekinesis] on the new goop and combines it with the glob.

    We repeat this a few more times until we have a sizable amount of goop.

    "That cost you a lot of mana and potions," I comment.

    Roxanne shrugs and responds, "Better than using the corpse of the Symbol of Decay and wasting more of its ingredients. I can still use [Redirect Mana] to replenish myself, and we can easily replace the potions back in town."

    We wrap ceramic pots with Uspidor tentacle skin, making them quite sticky, then we fill the pots with the goop and immediately store them in our [Item Box]es and my "Items."

    "Now we just need a strategy to distract it while we throw our little gifts," Hana says.

    "I'm bait," Alissa says, without hesitation.

    "I'll fly around it and throw the pots at the more vulnerable spots," I say.

    "I can do that, too," Hana says with a frown.

    "You yourself said that you lack the turning speed to dodge it in mid-air. I can do it," I repeat.

    "Well… I think he can," Lina agrees, a little apprehensively. "We can't all go wasting these pots just randomly throwing them at the Living Armor."

    Alissa sighs. "Fine, let's do it like that, then," she finally accepts.

    "I'm not that fragile, mom," I say and pout at Alissa.

    She narrows her eyes and sends me a side-eyed glance. "We'll see about that."

    Aoi holds a pot in her hand a little precariously. "I don't want to throw these things. I'll miss," she says.

    Ciel looks at the pots with uncertainty, too. "Yeah. Only Hana and Lina should try to throw them, we aren't confident that we won't just waste them," she says, and Roxanne nods along.

    I grab the [Holy Spirit] and it shrinks, then it crawls up my chest, slips into my helmet, and stays near the back of my neck. It feels like a warm, watery cushion that tickles me once in a while.

    "We're ready, let's go," I say.



    We open the stone double door and see the Living Armor standing still, in the same combat stance as before. It has no decorations, making it rather plain, except for the two glowing red balls floating right behind the slit of its sallet's visor. But it doesn't need decorations to look menacing when its size dwarfs even Hana and its sword effortlessly plows through the air as it gets ready for a strike.

    It's too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it's a mass of raw steel.

    Gih.

    I'm sure the girls wouldn't want to hear a reference right now, so I'm grateful for your appreciation of culture.

    I put ten points in [Throw], then Alissa transforms into a fox and we march forward.

    Ciel, Roxanne, Aoi, and the golems wait behind the door, safe from the Living Armor; Lina stands ready at the doorway, prepared to retreat if the Living Armor targets her; Hana will circle near the edge of the platform, far away from the Living Armor; Alissa and I charge the middle, but I let Alissa reach the Armor first to grab its attention.

    As soon as Alissa gets in range, the Armor strikes downwards and the platform trembles from its stupidly high raw strength. Alissa easily dodges the attack and circles around the Armor.

    Its sallet silently turns in a creepy manner so that its red glowing eyes can remain staring straight at Alissa. It lifts the sword and we see a large groove left in the stone platform that was caused by the previous strike.

    It swings the sword horizontally and Alissa jumps out of its way.

    I get in range and cast [Discharge]. The sallet immediately turns backwards to face me and [Battlefield Perception] triggers. I jump back as its body spins with incredible speed to strike at me one-handed.

    [Discharge] didn't cause any damage, so I stop using it.

    Alissa runs in and tackles its leg, making it momentarily lose its balance. The sallet immediately spins around again to face her, with its body continuing the spin to strike down at the nimble fox.

    She dodges sideways and another groove appears in the stone platform.

    I pull out a Decay pot and throw it at the back of its sallet. The pot breaks and coats the helmet with goop. Thanks to how sticky the pot is, both it and the goops stay on the helmet and hardly any of the goop flies off.

    The sallet spins back around to face me and its sword arm swings backward. With [Telekinesis], I dodge to the side and my legs shake as the lump of steel impacts the platform beside me.

    Can this thing hold? Will the platform get destroyed by the Armor?

    Before my mind can arrive at an answer, the flat part of the thick blade slams into my flank as the Armor tries to launch me off of the platform. I grab the rough blade and easily manage to resist being batted away.

    Hana throws a pot that hits its sword shoulder and Lina throws one that hits its thigh. The Armor decides to turn to Hana and then kicks Alissa away as she comes in for a tackle. Since she's in her fox form, she doesn't feel any pain and gracefully lands on her paws a few meters away.

    The [Holy Spirit] heals the small amount of pain in my flank, and I release my grip on the blade just as the Armor decides to swing the flat part down to try to flatten me against the floor.

    With [Telekinesis], I float in the air and ready another pot. The sallet immediately turns to face me, and my pot hits the sword's blade as it swings at me again. As I was almost out of its reach, just a little nudge with [Telekinesis] is enough for me to dodge this slash.

    "IT CAN SEE WITHOUT LOOKING AT YOU, BUT THE RED EYES SHOW WHO IT IS TARGETING!" I yell.

    Alissa gets up off the floor and charges towards the Armor again, only to stop midway as she casts a spell. The helmet follows Alissa's illusion and kicks at the air, then its sword comes down for a slash, still targeting the same illusion.

    Hana throws a pot at its other shoulder and Lina throws a pot at its face. The Armor immediately targets Lina and runs towards her. She retreats behind the door, which the girls start to close as soon as she's safe.

    I fly towards the Armor with [Telekinesis] and strike the helmet with Lina's switch-axe. It caves halfway in, which is much more damage than I expected.

    The red eyes immediately face me and its chest spins in place for a two-handed slash at me.

    I dodge the attack just as Alissa comes in for another charge. The Armor ignores her and she successfully hits one of its knees, making it kneel and miss its attack. Not that it would've connected, but with this, I don't have to waste any mana to dodge it.

    Then I strike downwards at the helmet again and its red eyes warp out of place, making it look funny.

    As I fly away to land, Lina hits the back of the sallet again, but it's Alissa's second attack that draws the attention of the Armor. She casts [Double Image] again and the Armor's red eyes jump between the two Alissas, trying to discern who is real.

    It decides to attack the one moving closer, only for its sword to hit nothing while the real Alissa runs out its reach, completely safe.

    Hana and I each throw a pot. Mine hits the sword again while hers hits the back of the Armor.

    Its red eyes turn back to me, but then immediately turn to Alissa, who's charging at it again.

    Gify, play some metal for me.

    Images of dragons fighting and mating flood my mind, giving me an instant erection, but also filling my heart with energy.

    Not what I wanted, but okay, this works, too.

    The Armor attacks Alissa, only for its sword to whiff again and hit nothing but an illusion. It stays still for a second, and I chuckle at imagining how confused it must be feeling—if it can feel anything at all.

    I charge forward and its bent eyes face me, then it kneels again as an [Ignorance]-clad Alissa tackles the back of one of its legs.

    I hit the weakened thigh and bend it backward, almost fully crippling that leg.

    It swings the sword horizontally, and we duck under it. Then I jump with [Telekinesis] and use its knee to jump even higher again. With a mid-air somersault, I strike down with my hammer onto its sword shoulder, which bends so much that the arm is stuck in place.

    I continue on and fly upwards as the Armor spins its entire body to try to strike at me. The telegraphing is so obvious that I easily dodge it just as I deactivate [Telekinesis] to come back down for another strike.

    I crush its huge helmet into a lump of steel, leaving its red eyes buried behind its chest. It suddenly stops moving and switches the sword to its still-working arm. Then it starts swinging the sword wildly at us, so we stop to watch it for a moment.

    "Can… can it see us?" Hana asks.

    "It seems so," I say as Alissa dodges backward to avoid a clumsy attack.

    "I don't think it can see us very well. Its attacks have lost their precision," Alissa says.

    "Ooh… The helmet gave its vision 'focus,'" I say as I hit a fist against my palm in understanding. Then I grab the hammer again and smirk. "Well, now it's time to turn it into scrap!"

    The parts not covered in goop barely bend from my attacks, but the ones that have been seem to bend like a tin can. Of course, I only hit the areas where the goop has already dried up, otherwise, I'd be greatly damaging Lina's expensive enchanted axe.

    The Armor apparently uses its joints to move, so as we slowly bend them further out of shape, it loses more and more of its range of movement.

    The power of the dragon visions fuel my attacks as I release a barrage of blows. With [Bind], I weave in Hana and Alissa to always keep the Living Armor busy while we aim at its blind spots. Relentless and merciless, the dragon does not measure its efforts to subdue its prey. My sole focus right now is to end the threat with all of our power.

    The Armor strikes again at Alissa's illusion and the sword finally breaks at its base. Without wasting a single second, it drops the hilt and starts to awkwardly punch at us.

    Hana pulls out her own war hammer and smirks. "Now, I can fight too!" She yells.

    We hit the other shoulder that was weakened by the goop and crush it to the point that it can't move, then we slowly crush its hips so that it can't walk anymore and has to crawl around instead.

    "Well… now what? How do we actually kill it?" Hana asks.

    "Alissa, lure it to the edge of the platform," I say.

    "Understood."

    The Armor crawls towards Alissa and desperately tries to strike at her. It's becoming increasingly creepy to fight this huge monstrosity.

    With everyone working together, we cast blunt attack spells to push it over the edge. Then, we just rest for a minute and watch as it crashes onto the middle of the platform with a resounding thud.

    Its legs get bent beyond recognition, and now, it can only move one arm, which seems to have become a lot slower.

    We watch it for another minute as it struggles to chase after us while the glow of its red eyes embedded in its chest slowly fades.

    Then finally, the red light is snuffed out, and it stops moving.

    "It's dead," Alissa announces and sighs in relief.

    The bloodlust still courses through my veins, but a disgust starts to grow inside of me.

    What did Hana say…? Control my anger, let it fuel my actions, but don't let it take control over me.

    I control my breathing and start to meditate with my eyes open. The bloodlust starts to lash out and tries to take hold of me, but my own will and my disgust at bloodshed keeps the lust in check.

    With a groan of frustration, my erect dick finally goes limp and the visions of dragons fade from my mind.

    These visions are messing with my head. Are you sure this is safe?

    Gih.

    Oh, Gods…

    It might not be safe, but it's damn effective.

    I approach the huge lump of steel and store it all in my "Items." Since it didn't rot away after its "death," this steel is still very valuable.

    "You feeling okay, Wolfy? I noticed some very intense feelings coming from you," Alissa says.

    "I used Gify's dragon visions to help motivate me to fight. It was quite effective, but also a little scary."

    "We call that 'power lust,'" Hana says in a knowing tone and chuckles. "You want to make others submit to your power so much that it probably makes your dick hard."

    "That seems… an apt description," I say.

    "I guess that's a good way to learn how to be a dragon." She shrugs.

    Aoi nods and says, "Yeah. Power lust is the core of my energy."

    "So I better start learning how to control it," I say.

    "It's like I always say," Hana starts, then we say in unison, "Control your anger. Let it fuel your actions, but only when you need it."

    We both smirk at each other, then we start laughing out loud together.

    "Weepers' dream! I told you that we were going to get a second Hana!" Ciel exclaims in horror.

    "I'm just learning to understand her more. I might end up being more like a wereanimal than a dragonkin," I hurriedly say, trying to appease Ciel.

    She groans and shakes her head. Roxanne gulps and looks a little worried about the future of her body's integrity.

    "We'll just have to work harder to contain him," Alissa says, and Lina nods.

    "It's not like you girls were trying very hard to begin with," I say.

    "It might even be a little too late to start trying," Hana says and chuckles.

    "You haven't seen true Misty Fox ferocity," Alissa says, confident.

    "You're the last person I'd bet on to be able to contain him," Ciel says.

    Alissa narrows her eyes at Ciel and smirks. "You underestimate my power," she says.

    Sometimes the memes just write themselves.

    Ciel remains unconvinced as we approach the next door. Our shoulders drop, all the tension in our bodies releasing as we recognize what's before us: the barren wooden room that will take us to the next level.

    We enter the room and close the door, then the floor glows and our awareness is cut off again.


    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Joxsan Herrera.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Vampmire.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Kalsted.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nevarec.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Nobleman Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
     
  3. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    We wake up and find ourselves inside a pantry. We see a variety of not-food on shelves upon shelves of white wood with a light brown wavy grain. This wood seems to be what almost everything else is composed of: the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and the furniture.

    I look at my pocket watch and say, "How odd. We spent about a minute in 'limbo.' I don't know of any kind of teleportation magic that would take so long."

    "'Limbo'?" Alissa asks as she cutely tilts her head.

    I scratch my head in thought. "A… well, it's an 'in-between' place. Somewhere between here and our previous location where the concept of time and space doesn't exist. Ah! Think of it like being inside an [Item Box]."

    "I was going to say that you were talking like a goblin, but [Item Box] makes it really easy to grasp," Hana says.

    "But time didn't stop while we were in 'limbo,'" Lina says.

    "Not even teleportation is 'normal' in this dungeon. Nothing is," Roxanne says.

    I nod in agreement and continue looking around.

    Aoi grabs a not-apple and chews on it cautiously. Shortly after she swallows it, the not-apple in her claws turns into dust and she shudders. "That felt weird," she says.

    "You shouldn't eat solidified dungeon mana food. It'll upset your stomach," Ciel says.

    Aoi quickly makes her way to the smoked meats and grows large enough that she can fit a whole sausage in her mouth. It would've looked suggestive if she didn't immediately start chewing on it.

    She swallows almost the entire sausage, only leaving a small stub that turns into dust. Then she shivers and says, "But it tastes good!"

    The not-apple reforms and I take a bite. It tastes just like an apricot. Then I swallow and feel my throat get tickled by the not-apple dust scratching against it just before it disappears.

    "Yeah, it does," I say.

    I approach the string of sausages and pull out a knife. I cut off a slice and notice that it seems to have the consistency of a paste and should be easy to spread on some bread. I eat the slice and enjoy a very strong flavor: pork and perhaps garlic?

    "Mettwurst," I say and eat some more.

    After a few seconds, the whole string turns to dust, and I feel an unholy tickle deep inside my body that makes me shiver all over.

    "Ciel… you should try some," I say with a malicious grin and offer her a fresh string of sausages.

    She pushes them away and eyes them with wariness. "No, thank you. You're going to get some 'stomach burns' before long."

    "Just cast [Purify Body]," I say.

    "Gastric acid isn't a poison, so it wouldn't be removed by that spell."

    "But I know there's an abstract concept in it that removes anything that 'could be harmful to the body.'"

    She frowns. "Well… the temple advises healers to not use that concept for common cases since the side-effects are unknown."

    "I trust that you'll do what's best for your beloved husband," I say with a smirk.

    Ciel scoffs and gets a little sassy. "Old man, soon you'll see that even old people like you can learn their lesson."

    I try to attack the other girls with puppy dog eyes but even Alissa shrugs.

    "HP potions can help with that," Roxanne says, trying to sound casual, and Hana starts laughing at her.

    I feel like I'm being treated like a child who just ate toothpaste.

    Gify pops into existence and gobbles up a not-apple in one go, making her small body stretch into a ball.

    "No fair," I pout and we walk out of the pantry.



    We pass through a cute little house, which is filled with small plants and colorful flowers growing out of the white woodwork all around us. Then we exit into a familiar white town, although this version has a low, gray stone ceiling.

    Crystals light up the streets and the interiors of the houses, so we get the feeling that it's the start of the evening, but we saw a clock that was stuck at nine inside the house that we just came from, so it might actually be a different time of day.

    "This feels like Goloria," Roxanne says with a small smile threatening to appear on her face.

    "A little claustrophobic, though," I say, staring at the boring gray ceiling just a meter or so above our heads.

    "I feel comfortable," Lina says.

    "Figures," I say with a shrug.

    Not-Goloria has such a low ceiling and such a messy topography that we can barely see much beyond our street. The buildings don't have a set height, and most of them are so tall that they hit the stone ceiling and block our view.

    With Holly's utility being very limited here, I spread spirit elementals around to try to map the area with Lina's assistance. Our attempt is rather unsuccessful because we quickly realize that this is not not-Goloria, this is worse-Goloria, much-worse-Goloria.

    A few buildings are so warped and precariously built, that not only Lina, but even I feel unsafe near them. It's an irrational feeling because we know that these buildings don't collapse; they're being held up by magical matter, after all. But still, they look wrong, in an engineering way.

    One spirit elemental goes up, past the gray stone ceiling, and instantly dissipates. It reached the "end" of the dungeon, and some funky shit can happen beyond that boundary.

    Another one goes down below the floor and quickly reaches the "end," too.

    I guess that we can't just tunnel our way up or down…

    Before long, my stomach starts to ache as the sausage that I ate tricked my body into thinking that more food was coming. I drink an HP potion and feel it ease the burning almost immediately, then we stop for lunch.

    I pull out our leftovers, and it feels like a party due to the wide variety of food laid out.

    After filling our bellies, we don't waste any more time and quickly resume our exploration. Meeting with Confiel takes priority and we still have the energy to spare, so rest days will be kept for later.



    As we walk, we notice how the atmosphere of the town feels "neat" and "tidy." Different from the Roulette of the Morning Dew dungeon, with levels of either abandoned ruins or towns that were instantly turned to stone, this area feels like everyone left things all prepared and ready for visitors, but there isn't a single soul around.

    The food stalls are all open and ready for cooking; the oil pots are on the stoves and only need a little mana to heat them up; the shops are open and all their best products are on display without a single speck of dust to blemish them; the plants and hedges on the streets are all trimmed, with some of them looking freshly watered; the alchemists' workshops have ingredients organized on the tables, ready to brew potions; and the kitchens have meat and veggies cleaned and seasoned on the counters, ready to be cooked at any time.

    The eeriest part of all of this is that in the houses of the commoners, we see full sets of formal clothes, underwear included, neatly arranged on the beds. It's as if everyone was getting ready for a formal occasion, but then they simply vanished without a trace.

    Inside a poor commoner's house, Aoi finds a very small elven coin embedded in the wood below the bed. This is most likely an emergency fortune, the fantasy equivalent of storing money under the floorboards.

    Even after scratching it, the coin doesn't turn to dust, so we know that it's legitimate gold and not a mana solidification.

    "Kweh! Treasure!" Aoi happily exclaims as she rubs the coin against her scales, making clinking sounds.

    "Can I see it for a second?" Lina asks and extends a hand to Aoi.

    My greedy dragon feels like saying no for a moment, but remembers that she has to share with her fellow wives, so she hands it to Lina without complaining.

    My cute little dwarf applies a bit of [Manipulate Metal] to repair the scratch that we made in the coin. "Don't bite or scratch this coin. It's truly ancient and an important piece of history. You can have it, as long as you promise to preserve it," she says.

    "Okay," Aoi immediately accepts, and Lina returns the coin to her. She delicately turns it over repeatedly with her sharp claws, then she stares at it intently, keen on unraveling its mysteries.

    "That coin was minted during the reign of Ristova, the Wealthy. That's about eight hundred years before the fall of the last high elven king," Lina continues.

    "So, this dungeon is somehow related to Ristova?" I ask.

    "No. That king set up a better coin maintenance system so that old coins could be restored and it reduced the number of new ones that had to be minted. That's why he got that Title, which is a bit mean, to be honest." She chuckles softly.

    "This doesn't help much in narrowing down the time period in which this dungeon was made, so I think it's unlikely to be a clue," Roxanne says and we agree.

    Aoi stores the coin in her [Item Box] and we move on, only to soon find the first clue. At a crossroads, there's a placard written in Ingua floating two meters or so above the road.



    "It is our hope that the oceans calm into peace, so why do the winds raise up the waves in anger?"



    "That sounds familiar," I say.

    "Odd to hear an elf talking about the oceans…" Alissa comments.

    "The Elven Bay wasn't named that just because the elves lived near it. Before Heretic's Rest, their wooden boats were the fastest around, and they dominated their region of the sea," Lina says.

    Lina's Trivia: North of the High Forest, there's a rather short strip of land called Glorampina. That region wasn't so small in the past. A few hundred years ago, the remnants of the elven royal family tried to make a comeback and start a secession movement in the High Forest.

    They failed and retreated to Glorampina, where they managed to regain their support. As punishment for their heresy, the God of the Sun turned most of the bountiful grassland into a desert and shattered the revolt without the Empire having to send a single soldier to fight. The royal family went back into hiding after that.

    "So, we follow the wind again?" Hana asks.

    "Exactly, it should take us to the palace. Or at least close to it," Lina says.

    Just to reinforce the clue, we feel a breeze; this is the first time that we've felt it on this level.

    I feel a slight itch inside my head.

    The "winds of anger" guide us to the palace? That sounds… bad.

    "Would you girls accept a detour? I want to find an ocean," I say.

    "Send a Holly to follow the wind, then," Ciel says, looking interested in my suggestion.

    "And set a [Gate] 'coordinate' so that we can come back here," Alissa says.



    The breeze blows to the right of the crossroads, so we go the opposite direction. Along the way, we avoid two other adventuring fellowships who are following the wind.

    I feel extra anxious about meeting another fellowship on this level since everyone here is most likely searching for riches, like the coin that we found. It isn't a good idea to get involved with grave-robbers, not that we aren't grave-robbers, too.

    Thankfully, there are no monsters on this level. I also don't think it would fit with the theme. If you were a proud elven Lord and you recreated one of your towns in your tomb, you certainly wouldn't want it tainted by a monster infestation, which would give the impression that it was overrun due to your weakness.

    We also find a few scattered white doors in the middle of the streets. These are exits out of the dungeon.



    Alissa's ears suddenly flicker cutely and she turns her head away. "I hear water running," she says.

    We wait a little longer to make sure that the source isn't a fellowship using [Conjure Water], or someone urinating, but it doesn't stop, so we decide to go check it out.

    A small public fountain is overflowing, sending a trickle of water along the white wooden floor towards the lower levels.

    It's only now that we realize how odd it was that there were no public fountains anywhere before we got here. They aren't super common in any town, but they do exist among the commoners' houses. They're generally used by those who don't have the mana to cast [Conjure Water] often enough to satisfy their needs.

    The fact that it's overflowing is even stranger. These fountains are public magic tools filled with mana by the Lord's men, so to have one of them wasting water like this would be quite literally a waste of mana, and mana is money.

    We follow the trickle of water down to the basement of a house, and after going down a trapdoor, we find ourselves in another building.

    Feeling confused, we cross through this simple home and exit onto a white street. It's different from the one we were on previously, but it's still the same much-worse-Goloria. We just went down a level, and this information is in none of the books that we've read.

    "Ohohoh! This is interesting!" Roxanne exclaims and Ciel agrees.

    "We crossed through a dimensional door or something since the spirit elementals couldn't go so far down before," I say.

    Ciel nods and says, "It was probably made this way so that people wouldn't just be able to dig down to reach this level. Also, there's something more to that trickle of water."

    We turn to look at the trickle and continue to follow it. It exits the house and flows into a drain on the side of the street. What's even weirder is that the drain doesn't split the trickle into two. Instead, it picks a direction and continues on, like a trail for us to follow.

    We go down a few blocks by following the trickle of water, and encounter another overflowing fountain, which merges with the trickle.

    The trail of water continues on, and more and more overflowing fountains add to it, quickly turning it into a stream. The drains then become channels, made specifically to guide the water in a certain direction.

    Our cautious walk shifts into a curious march that speeds up into an excited jog. We're just dying to know where this stream ends.



    Suddenly, the stream enters a very large hole in the middle of the street and we kneel near the edge to see what lies beyond.

    There's an endless ocean of dark blue water only a hundred or so meters below us, and in the distance, we see other streams pouring into it as they fall from similar holes to the one we're looking through.

    The ceiling of this ocean is filled with light crystals, but the water below is entirely dark and ominous despite them.

    Feeling a little dizzy, Lina most of all, we stand up from the edge of the hole and look at each other. An adventurous smile creeps up on our faces as we wonder about the significance of this place.

    I summon a water elemental and order it to jump in. The almost-naked Roxanne blows me a kiss and lets herself fall backward into the hole, making me smile.

    Strong and turbulent winds blast against her, which makes me feel like using the dinghy here might be risky. Then she hits the water and swims over a dozen meters down before she touches the muddy dirt.

    "Dirt, huh? It seems like the underside of Goloria, then," Roxanne comments.

    "All that's missing are the trees," Lina says.

    "But we could consider these waterfalls as the trees," Alissa says.

    "Anyway… the wind is way too strong; we probably shouldn't use the dinghy," Hana says.

    "Can't you use water elementals to make an air bubble for us?" Roxanne asks.

    "That would take quite a bit of mana… and we don't know how far we'll have to walk," I say.

    "Time for another Holly," Alissa says and I agree.

    I spread out four Hollys, one in each of the cardinal directions, but I already know which one is right.

    "Following the breeze led us to the second level, but now 'the winds raise up the waves in anger,' so maybe there's something at its source," I say.

    I already know which Holly will be the one to find out where we need to go, so I'm not surprised when it starts to hear a low hum. The humming grows until I identify it as the howling of the wind. Soon after that, we find its source: a ginormous tree glowing green with Wind-attuned crystals.

    This magnificent tree looks more like an ornament than an actual tree. It doesn't even have roots digging into the small dirt island it's sitting on. It's been fully "tree-knitted" in the usual elven style, making it look like a sort of tubular netting.

    In the center of the island, there's a simple brown wooden door without a handle. That's likely the dimensional door to the next level.

    Fuck, we have to meet with Confiel, but this is too exciting!

    "Alright, using water elementals to make an air bubble will work, but I want us to run towards the island to save mana," I say.

    Roxanne's face stiffens, but she nods in agreement.

    I unsummon the spirit elementals and all the Hollys, except for the one searching for the palace, and then summon a wind elemental. "Carry me to the water," I order.

    I'm slowly brought down in a safe bubble of air. The wind elemental hemorrhages mana to protect me from the turbulent wind, but succeeds in carrying me down without a problem.

    I summon three more water elementals and order them to make a small air bubble for us on the ocean's floor. Then the wind elemental deposits me in the muddy dirt and I open a [Gate] back to the girls.

    "Well… I guess I didn't think this through," Roxanne comments as she scrunches her nose at the mud sticking to her fashionable boots. She also has to lift her robes so that they don't get muddied.

    Hana rolls her eyes so dramatically that I easily see it behind her helmet, then she pulls Roxanne up into a princess carry.

    "Awn. Thank you, my love," Roxanne says and kisses Hana's exposed neck.

    "I'm going to need much more than that," Hana says, and Roxanne starts licking her.

    "I want some of that, too," I say and pout.

    "I'll do it to your dick, don't worry," Roxanne says and returns to playing with Hana's neck.

    "Right… Become faster!" I say in [Godly Language] and we start to run.



    It takes us a few minutes to reach the tree, and the view of its slowly-growing size makes us feel just a little small. Being the only landmark for Gods-know how far significantly intensifies the overwhelming presence of this tree.

    Once we climb up the muddy slope to the dirt island, the howling of the wind becomes so overwhelming that it blocks us from progressing. It feels like a solid wall of wind that pushes us back whenever we try to go further.

    If only I knew how to play the ocarina.

    "I can do it!" Aoi exclaims in my mind. The loudness of the howling makes it nearly impossible for us to talk normally.

    "What? You can play the ocarina?" I ask back.

    "Silly! I mean that I can help us cross the wind barrier."

    "Exactly when I'm expecting you to be reading my mind is the only time when you aren't. Anyway, let's get started."

    "Order the wind elemental to help me split the wind in two."

    I approach the tired-out, almost-naked Alissa and scream the order in her non-physical ear. The elemental grabs my head with her not-air hands, gently tickling my face with them as she makes me look at her, then she nods with an adorable smile.

    Aoi grows larger than Hana and spreads her wings wide. With the elemental following her, they use their willpower to create a barrier against the wind. It takes the shape of an aerodynamic cone that gently pushes the air to the sides, creating a corridor for us to walk through.

    We slowly make our way up the island and then finally cross into the ginormous tree. Instantly, the howling dies down and becomes a weird muffled sound, allowing us to talk freely again.

    Aoi reduces to small-Aoi and flops on the ground, letting her halberd thump beside her. "Kweh! So tiring!" She exclaims, more annoyed than tired.

    "Since when are dragons so lazy?" Hana says and frowns.

    I snort and say, "Since always? At least in my world, they were said to be greedy hoarders who spent every day sleeping in their lairs."

    "That sounds right," Aoi says and scurries over to me. I pick her up and bundle her up in my arms, then I tickle her belly and she licks the exposed part of my wrist, where my scar is.

    "Start to get fat and you'll see how hard I can push someone," Hana says and glares at Aoi.

    "Uh-oh," Aoi mutters and starts to grow worried. "M-maybe I should start exercising with Wolfy and Lina?" She gives a toothy smile to Hana.

    "Hm. Not a bad idea." Hana nods.

    Aoi seems a little nervous, so I calm her down with more belly tickles.

    Ciel's hand suddenly lands on my shoulder and she quite gently nudges me forward. I look at her and see a slightly stiff smile. "Can we investigate the door, now?" She asks.

    "Uh, sure…" I say.

    We cast quick [Clean]s on our muddied boots and walk closer to the door. Now that we're this close to it, I can clearly see that it doesn't have a handle. There's also something carved on it, which makes it clear that this is different from the other doors we've seen.



    "The wind came from the storm.

    Not from the ocean, not from the shore, not from the forest, and not from the sky.

    The wind came from the storm.

    A storm made from the hate, pride, greed, ambitions, and fears of elvenkind."



    It's in Andraste, how odd.

    Below the poetry, there's a carving of a ball with squiggly lines surrounding it, and the lines pointing down are longer than the others; below the longer lines, there are four identical rectangles and another smaller one; below the rectangles, there's a number: 20,162; beside that number, there's a cane.

    And below all of that, there's a single phrase: "What did my death accomplish?"



    "Oh jolly, poetry!" I exclaim and Ciel chuckles.

    "What's 'jolly'?" Lina asks.

    "Merry, cheerful," I say.

    "Oh hey, that's the same meaning as in Brume," Alissa says.

    "How much do you know about that language?" I ask.

    "I'm an okay reader, but my speech is awful. All the official documents are in Brume, so I learned enough to fill out the necessary paperwork, but not that many people in Roubaix speak it aloud."

    Lina's Trivia: Roubaix is the Misty Low Forest capital.

    "Focus. Door, please?" Ciel asks, a little excited and anxious.

    "Right…" I say and chuckle, then we all turn to Lina.

    She points to the drawing below the poetry and starts talking quickly, "Before the ascension of the God of the Sun, time was kept differently. The high elves used a plant called Sugaragua to keep time because it grew so fast that you could hear it grow. Every two hours or so, a new notch would appear on the plant, so they used these notches, called 'Talhas,' as a measuring unit.

    "Then there's the body-cycle. Everyone has a twenty-four-hour cycle where our bodies react in predictable ways. For example, we feel like sleeping at night, then waking in the morning, then working during the day, and then sleeping again. That's a body-cycle. Due to how the days and nights didn't follow the natural body-cycle, they tracked the cycles by counting Talhas instead.

    "Also, see this cane-like carving? It's actually a dried flower without petals, their symbol for death. This carving is a date of death. It shows that it was during a Long Day as the sun is showing long rays towards the earth, that the time of death was around nine in the morning as there are four and a half Talhas, and that it was 20,162 body-cycles since the beginning of their king's reign. Which king, I don't know."

    "The elves mostly revolved around their king. So, with all this drama about his death 'accomplishing something,' what if this is a king's tomb?" I ask and point to the number. "Is there an elven king who lived this many days?"

    With a *poof*, Lina pulls out a thick notepad and starts flicking through the pages. She finishes going through them all, then sighs and says, "We'll… have to check the records. I didn't record that specific detail in my notes."

    "We can do it right now, actually. Once our Holly finds the palace, I can open a [Gate] to Goloria, and then open another back to the white town above us."

    Alissa's ears flicker. "Someone's here!" She sends the warning through [Bind] and it jolts us into action.

    Hana summons her wings and Aoi jumps out of my arms, then grows into big-Aoi. She grabs her halberd from the floor and I guide both of them to fly towards the source of the sound that Alissa heard. At the same time, Alissa fires an arrow and Roxanne prepares an [Ice Lance].

    The projectile reaches the target first and seems to stop mid-air, then we hear a grunt. Next, Hana and Aoi swoop down at him with their weapons as I throw a [Lightning Bolt].

    "WAI-…!" The unknown man's plea is cut short by my spell at the same time that his [Invisibility] is dispelled by himself and a ninja-like man is revealed with an arrow stuck in his waist.

    Hana's long sword and Aoi's halberd are parried by the man's short sword, but he lacks the power to fully defend and is slammed against the ground by their furious chops.

    The man hits his back hard against the floor and groans in pain. Lina and Ciel finally have enough time to react and ready themselves. Lina protects me while Ciel protects Roxanne.

    Hana and Aoi draw back their weapons, then get ready to deliver another strike.

    "I WORK FOR LORD CONFIEL!" The man desperately screams and then coughs and groans.

    We tense up as we think of what we should do now.

    "Why were you spying on us?" I ask.

    The man catches his breath and readjusts himself into a more comfortable position. I see clear blue eyes and a hint of golden hair peek out from behind his balaclava, a golden elf. "I'm spying on anyone that comes here," he says.

    "So… do you know that we want to meet with Lord Confiel?" I ask.

    "Yes, and he's already coming."



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

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    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
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    Noble Evil.
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    Noble Maurice.
     
  4. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Well… this is awkward…

    Aoi and Hana back off, then I summon a Holly, and one nature and two earth elementals.

    "Hold him in place," I order the nature elemental and we move into a circle formation around Alissa and Roxanne.

    The man warily eyes the approaching curvy dryad, but doesn't resist the vines as they wrap around his limbs.

    "Forgive me if I don't believe you immediately, but I'll ask that you remain still and avoid making any sudden movements," I say and smile apologetically.

    "Can I… at least remove this arrow?" The man asks and grabs the shaft of the arrow sticking out of his waist.

    "Sure… but we can't get close enough to heal you."

    The nature elemental allows him to move up to a point, so, with a yank and a heavy groan, he pulls out the arrow and throws it towards us. Since it's a bodkin arrow, it didn't get caught on his insides, making it easy for him to remove it.

    "I have potions…" The man says and drinks something out of a metal flask hidden below his shirt, then he pours the rest on the wound and applies pressure on it so that the bleeding stops.

    The man sighs and relaxes in the dirt. Then he removes his balaclava and I see a mature, but still very pretty, golden elf man with cheek-long hair. With his short, whitening beard, he's got a bit of a "classy dad" kind of charm, so I feel a little bad about his situation.

    "How did you find me?" He asks.

    I get a nudge from Alissa in my soul space that directs me to say, "I'd prefer not to reveal that, for now."

    He chuckles once. "Fair enough."

    "But how did you?" I whisper to Alissa.

    "I smelled anti-scent, something that only happens if there's somebody else using one. Then I felt an odd lack of presence in this mana-filled place and thought that there could be someone there, so I decided to act," she whispers back.

    She had so little evidence that it was almost paranoia, but I'm thankful that she's that aware of our surroundings.

    "What's your name?" I ask.

    "Ervo," he says without hesitation.

    He's not lying.

    Curiously, he doesn't have a last name. Perhaps he's a Blood Slave or an orphan.

    "I see a few daggers under his clothes," Alissa whispers.

    "I'm more worried that he might try to escape after hearing what we talked about," I whisper.

    "Yeah. We also mentioned [Gate]. It wouldn't be good to let that leak just yet," Lina whispers.

    I pull out our scrubber, keeping the onyx disk hidden behind my shield, ready to activate it the moment that I see or feel anything resembling a [Gate].

    "He seems physically weak, but I'd bet that he's at least fast," Hana whispers.

    "If he attacks, I'd be more concerned about poison than lethal blows," Ciel whispers.

    "If anything happens, I'll immediately [Explode] his arms and knees," Roxanne whispers.

    "Don't get too nervous. Remember to breathe and stay calm, but alert," I whisper.

    "Always," Lina whispers with confidence.

    I whisper an order to the Holly near me, and she perches herself on one of the branches of this ginormous tree that we're inside.



    After a few awkwardly silent minutes, the Holly sees a white, nearly transparent bubble with a bunch of people inside flying down from a similar hole to the one that we came from.

    The ball floats towards us and takes two more minutes before it enters Alissa's senses.

    "Seven people," she says.

    "Why didn't he come through [Gate]?" Ciel asks Ervo.

    "It would leave him vulnerable to you. No offense, but it's better to not risk it," he says and smiles cordially.

    "None taken," I respond.

    The ball lands effortlessly at the shore of the island and I feel mana escaping from one of the female mages as she bends the air to her will and allows all seven to walk towards the ginormous tree unimpeded.

    The party crosses into the net-like tree just before the ball is dispelled, allowing us to properly see them.

    The most striking one is in the middle. A mature golden elf man with thin eyes and an oval face. His graying golden hair is conservatively styled and the lack of a beard makes him look rather youthful, but confident. He walks forward with a slight smirk, but his posture is impeccable and his presence is slightly humbling.

    His armor is a pure shining white that makes me uncertain if it's the usual wood or actual metal. Multiple gems are proudly displayed in his armor, shield, and sheathed sword.



    Soul Info​
    Name:Confiel RincipioRace:Golden ElfLevel:90
    HP:100MP:9,120Magic Power:2,250
    Strength:18Endurance:23

    On his sides, there are two similar-looking mature women with cute eyes and round faces, his wives. One is a golden elf, while the other is a silver elf. They look kind, but a hint of smug and refined pride makes them look mischievous. Their presence is the opposite of Confiel's, and looking at them makes me feel slightly at ease.

    They wear fine mage robes that are faintly transparent, revealing a set of chain and padded leather armor below. Both hold simply-designed staves, each composed entirely of a single crystal that slowly pulses with light. Luz, the golden elf, has a red staff while Lua, the silver elf, has a blue staff. Their hair is tied up in a bun so that they can wear helmets, but still look regal. Alissa and Roxanne take mental notes about that hairstyle.


    Soul Info
    Name:Luz RincipioRace:Golden Elf Level:77
    HP:100MP:15,340Magic Power:5,005
    Strength:13Endurance:19


    Soul Info
    Name:Lua RincipioRace:Silver Elf Level:77
    HP:100MP:15,340Magic Power:5,005
    Strength:13Endurance:19

    The fact that their stats are exactly the same is very interesting.

    Diamond dragon scales… they are basically half as powerful as Werner Rizek…

    Beside Confiel's wives, there are two tall and buff soldiers in armor similar to Confiel's, their personal bodyguards. Behind them, there's an old mage holding a vine staff adorned with a white gem, likely the healer. And behind them all, there's a tall dragonkin man in dark metal armor. He has lustrous long brown hair and scales, and a scarred face, making him look like a handsome barbarian.

    The bodyguards all have their swords drawn, but the blades are pointing down in a non-threatening posture, so we mirror them.

    Confiel's eyes scan over our party and his gaze slightly unnerves me. It's far from being as powerful as the Anaras' piercing eyes, but it's still a mysterious power that makes me wary. I feel like it's different from the Anaras' mental attack; it's a feeling that he represents "danger."

    His smirk turns into a normal smile. He nods respectfully as he says, "Greetings, Helios. I am Crown Lord Confiel. Ruler of the Eastern High Forest."

    I bow to him and the girls repeat the gesture after I'm done. I summon all my courage to speak with clarity. The memories of Gify's vision about dragons seem to release whatever hold Confiel's presence was gaining over my heart. "Greetings, Lord Confiel. I am Wolf Ryder, and these are my wives."

    He nods in response and his eyes turn to Ervo, still being held by the nature elemental. "First, I'd like to apologize for unknowingly spying on your fellowship, but you must understand the importance of this door. My intention was to know if Lord Mavel would ever find this place, not to spy on you, specifically."

    I turn to Ervo and say, "You can stand." He obeys with a slight grunt as his wound is still not fully healed, then I continue, "Apologies accepted. I also apologize for wounding your agent. Lately, we've been very wary of ambushes, but unfortunately, he did hear some things that he shouldn't have."

    "Has he heard something sensitive enough that requires his death?" Confiel asks, still in a calm tone.

    That nearly throws me off, but I remain composed. "No, but if we are to negotiate, his return must be postponed until we are done."

    He nods once. "Agreed. But can you finish healing him? From what I know, your fellowship has two healers."

    I unsummon the nature elemental, then Ciel nods and walks towards Ervo, who straightens his posture as she approaches. He still holds his hand over his wound, and I see that it's bleeding slightly.

    After a short chant, Ervo nearly releases a sigh of relief and his posture relaxes. He [Clean]s his hand and inspects the now perfectly closed wound.

    The bodyguards sheathe their weapons, and the mages store their staves inside their [Item Boxes], so we do the same. Aoi doesn't have a sling, so she just stores her halberd in her [Item Box], provoking a short look of surprise from Confiel, his wives, and the old mage.

    Ervo kneels and looks down. "Forgiveness, my Lord, I have compromised your position with my failure," he says.

    "I don't fully fault you for that. Misty Foxes are famous for being spy-killers," Confiel says and sends an amused glance towards Alissa, who simply smiles proudly, though I can feel that her heart is also being affected a little by his presence.

    Then he smiles and his threatening presence fades. "With that done, I believe that we have some business to discuss," he says.

    "Mr. Bastico has suggested that we might benefit from working together," I say and give him my best business smile.

    He nods and responds without hesitation, "Indeed, we might. But this is not a comfortable place to talk about such things. Would you accept a [Gate] to our castle in Goloria?"

    "Certainly."

    Luz seems to become pleased while her sister(?) maintains a calm expression.

    "Ervo, follow them," Confiel orders, then turns to the old mage behind them. "Ceiro, if you please."

    The man licks his lip, a little impatient, then walks towards us and casts [Gate], creating a black circle in front of us.

    Aoi reduces to small-Aoi, provoking a twitch of surprise from everyone, then she climbs up onto my shoulder. The brown-haired barbarian seems slightly amused by Aoi.

    Hana walks in first and disappears. Through [Bind], I see that she's inside a grand white hall made of wood with stairs everywhere and three thrones in front of her. I assume that this is the main hall of Goloria's castle.

    After a moment of hesitation, we follow and appear beside her with Ervo coming through right behind us. Confiel and his party appear a moment later a few meters away from us and closer to the throne.

    The hall is carpeted with blood-red velvet that caresses our feet after these long days of walking in boots; it feels largely empty, but I see marks where the chairs and benches are usually set out for events. The stairs lead to dozens of corridors, reminding me of the branch-like style of this castle. Behind us, there's a huge oval double door that's currently closed, but we can see a well-lit corridor through the red stained glass in it. Behind the three lavish thrones, the wall is made entirely of clear glass that allows us to see the dark "Shell" of Goloria. The ceiling is full of dark beams making a beautiful web-like design that seems to be on par with the elven fascination with patterns.

    They all untie their weapon belts and store them along with their shields in their [Item Box]es, so we follow suit.

    After waiting a short while for us to get acquainted with our surroundings, Luz smiles and says, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Wolf Ryder." Then she extends her hand to me.

    Her voice has nothing special to it, which I'm thankful for since the presences of these three Lords are already intense enough for our hearts.

    We walk forward and start the custom of kissing hands. Confiel's hand is barely distinguishable from Luz's and Lua's. Aside from it being larger, there's no significant difference; his nails are even painted with the same light silvery shade as that of his wives.

    After the girls and I are done, Luz motions for me to come forward, then grabs my hand for a return of the same slow and gentle kiss that I gave, one signifying respect. She's the only one that returns the kiss, but for us, who are mere commoners, this is a significant gesture.

    Confiel gestures to the bodyguards and mages, who then leave the room, except for the brown-haired Conan.

    Then Luz smiles brightly at us and says, "Follow us, please. The meeting hall is this way."



    We pick a large set of stairs and climb for about the height of one or two floors before we enter a light brown corridor. The walls are all carved with Celtic knots, giving the impression of an infinite corridor. The walls are full of wide windows that allow the light to come in and let us see the outside.

    The sunlight is beginning to turn orange as the sun starts to set. We see a few colorful gardens and guest houses dispersed in a circular arrangement around the castle. Other branch-like golden corridors extend above us and end in leaf-shaped rooms with green walls.

    This castle is certainly odd-looking.

    We soon reach the meeting hall and see a tall and wide room with a long circular white table and a servant at the ready near the wall. A recreation of Goloria is carved into the table and covered by glass.

    The Lords sit in three lavish chairs, Conan stands behind them, we sit at the opposite side in some very comfy chairs, and Ervo stands beside us with his back turned to the Lords. Then Confiel makes a gesture and the servant serves us some fresh cold tea and juicy sweets, then leaves the room.

    Luz and Lua start enjoying the food along with us, but Confiel merely waits.

    After we've wet our throats and eaten some delicious sweets, Confiel starts speaking, "As you should already know, we've collected all readily available information about your fellowship. We know all about the skills that you've shown publicly. After all, we're interested in working together with you for mutual benefit."

    His tone turns a little more serious and that makes us become a bit apprehensive. "But there's something that must be adfirst. How did you escape the Innocent Nymph? We don't know how it was possible for you to survive that."

    We all look at each other somberly. The memory is still fresh and painful, but it also means that if Confiel is too cautious, he might consider us "cursed" and refuse to work with us.

    I breathe in as Gify gives me a small boost in confidence by faintly connecting us all together. Then I say, "I'm a summoner and I always keep eyes around me wherever I go. We've fallen into ambushes a few too many times to not be constantly worried about them. And this time, this vigilance was justified since it was this early warning that saved us."

    Confiel continues to pressure us, "And what happened? Not even the Punishers seem to have found closure, even though they've found a dozen Wicked to execute."

    I wet my dry lips and prepare for the lie. "Four groups of seven robed and masked men and women suddenly appeared around the Inn. Then they huddled at the four corners of the building to cast [Meteor] in just a matter of seconds.

    "Feeling the immense amount of mana being gathered, we all immediately bolted out onto the balcony and jumped. With my [Telekinesis], I guided myself and the girls that can't fly towards the ground safely. Then we ran away from the masked heretics and safely escaped the blast zone.

    "We didn't know if they were after us, specifically, so amid all the confusion, we slipped out of town."

    After I'm done, the three Lords remain silent as they process what I said.

    Lua suddenly fiddles with her system and with a *poof*, she pulls out an Identification Crystal.

    She holds the crystal ball in her hand and calmly says, "Forgive us for this, but we have to make sure that you're not Wicked. Too many people with enemies died in that attack and you seem to be the only survivor." Then she rolls the ball towards us.

    After everyone has been checked, Confiel turns very pensive and scratches one of his long and flexible ears. Then he shares a look with his wives, who nod at him.

    "Considering what you are, I don't suspect that you're responsible, but I suspect that you're involved," he says.

    My stomach sinks and I feel a little bit of dread. "What do you mean?" I ask.

    "You must be a Gifted person. A Hero in rising that will have the power to accomplish something great. The heretics must have gained a whiff of that information and responded with extreme force."

    Denying that I'm a Gifted person would be counterproductive to bargaining with Confiel, so we remain quiet about that. But our faces harden with resolve as we become even more convinced that we're being hunted.

    "Where would the heretics find so much power that they could cast four [Meteor]s?" Ciel asks.

    "Aremut," Confiel answers immediately.

    I look at the others who frown and look worried. I don't know much about Aremut.

    "I thought that place was a repeat of the Deadlands. With everything there being dead, the undead can't grow more powerful because there's nothing to absorb," Ciel continues.

    "It is like the Deadlands, but it's also their only foothold in the entire realm, so it makes sense to suspect that the heretics came from there. The Emperor himself found evidence that there are or were heretics doing something in Aremut. But he can't find anything meaningful since he's just a single person searching a whole kingdom."

    So, we'll have to "visit" Aremut one day.

    I sigh softly and say, "It seems that we are at a disadvantage, then. Since the Emperor himself can't find these heretics and the Punishers have no meaningful leads, we are forced to go into hiding."

    Luz looks a little sad, which is a bit heartbreaking, and Confiel nods sympathetically, then he says, "I'd say that these heretics lack critical information about you. They used a flashy, crude, and heavily imprecise method to try to kill you. That is, if we are assuming that they are targeting you, specifically. So, a Lord's protection should be enough to keep them away."

    I hold back a sarcastic smirk. "And that Lord would be you?"

    He narrows his eyes gently and his mouth twitches. I'm not sure if he was going to smile or look annoyed. "Not precisely. Any of the higher Lords of the Avgi and the higher-ranking governors of Maoka have enough power to keep you safe. Considering your skills, trading protection for your services is an easy deal to make."

    I force my sarcasm to go away and make my expression become more pleasant to look welcoming. "So what kind of services do you desire from us?"

    Luz smiles and says, "If you are here, you must have a good idea of what we need."

    "We do," I say with a nod.

    "Then think of it as a small test. We don't want just your Gift, we want to know more about Helios' judgment and discretion."

    I reflexively glance at Hana and her posture straightens even further. Through [Bind], I feel it when she bites her tongue a little painfully.

    "You don't have to literally do it," I say in her mind.

    "Helps me not forget," she answers.

    "Speaking of tests, how many times have you tested us? Our first stay here wasn't that pleasant due to all the staring," Alissa asks.

    "We did all sorts of tests. Gifts can be very peculiar, so we had to come up with ways to narrow down what it might be," Lua answers.

    "My powers are very peculiar, indeed, so I need a better idea of what you want to do with it, exactly," I say.

    Confiel becomes very serious, and the feeling of "danger" comes back. "If we tell you about our plans, we won't allow you to leave until the situation is resolved or you agree to help us. We cannot afford the risk of this plan leaking."

    So it might really be something related to killing Lord Este.

    "Then we still have more to discuss. There are a few minimum assurances that I need before we continue on to talking about your plans," I say.

    Confiel nods. "List them."

    "First. How did you find out about my Gift?"

    The three Lords smile gently and Confiel starts speaking, "One day, we came across some information in Goldcross about a request to 'subdue' a fellowship called Helios. This request almost instantly went wrong, very, very wrong. The poor girl that witnessed the fight was traumatized, but fortunately, she entered the temple and stopped using opioids because of that."

    The girl saw us! She saw the Symbol of Darkness defend the girls from the thugs!

    I sigh internally.

    There was no reasonable way for us to find that girl… It's lucky for us that Confiel was the one who did.

    "A day after that happened, we got information that Katasko's headquarters was leveled in the middle of the night. An astounding attack to their pride that left no witness and no victims. A remarkable feat."

    Lua nods in agreement, Luz smirks, and Confiel smiles, but we only feel a little shame about their "praise."

    "Then, two day-cycles later, Katasko seems to have found some 'evidence' that Helios was responsible for the attack. I managed to take a look at the 'evidence' provided, and let's just say that it's 'flimsy.'"

    "Putting it that way, anyone would make the connection to us," Roxanne says.

    "Only if they had the first bit of information. Otherwise, it would be more correct to assume that Katasko merely wants to throw the blame at someone to recover some of their pride," Luz says.

    That seems to be all they have to say about that for now, so I ask something else, "How is Katasko seen by the nobility? We don't know much about them, after all."

    Lua wrinkles her nose for a moment and says, "A disease. Imperial nobility trying to hoard power and influence for themselves and infringe upon our right of self-governance."

    "With the way that the Western High Forest is right now, we lack the unity to block their advances," Confiel says, becoming more serious.

    "Katasko tried to recruit us, but after we refused, they immediately turned hostile, so I assume they're trying to aggressively gain power?" I ask.

    Confiel nods gently. "Indeed. Their method of operation is the same at all levels."

    "We don't seem to need help with the trial against Katasko, but a letter of commendation from you would be a nice guarantee in case things go wrong."

    Confiel doesn't hesitate to answer. "That will cost us very little, so I'll allow you to use our [Eternal Gate] network to go to Goldcross for the trial at any time."

    I smile and bow shortly. "That is appreciated, but we will also require more."

    Confiel leans forward and interlaces his fingers over the table. Luz seems a little amused and Lua remains neutral.

    I become serious again and continue, "We have a certain crafty and resourceful enemy that wants us dead. His name is Darean and he's a former member of the fellowship Great Destiny that operates out of Rabanara. We have reason to believe that he's the one that guided Dawn of Fire to attack Este Escort Company's caravan."

    Luz and Lua open their eyes wide and hum in unison. "Ooh…"

    Confiel sighs and says, "It really was too reckless for Dawn of Fire to do such a thing without outside influence."

    "We require assistance in finding Darean so that we can kill him once and for all," I add.

    Confiel relaxes a little and says, "That should be simple. Dawn of Fire assured us that the 'agitator' responsible for their 'mistake' is inside Escanso. Even Crown Lord Este seems to show some willingness to help hunt him down. I'm assuming that this Darean and the person that Dawn of Fire is hunting are one and the same."

    A collective sigh resounds inside my soul space. Darean is a problem that was becoming too big for us, so it's very reassuring to know that he's finally finished even without our help.

    Feeling a little more sure about this deal, I continue, "In addition to that, I'd like access to your spy network, or whatever you might call it. We are tired of being in the dark about our enemies, so we'd like to receive information about matters that pertain to us."

    Now Lua seems to be the one more amused while Confiel and Luz are pensive.

    "I can arrange this for you," Lua says, then both Lords turn to Lua and look at her questioningly. "I'll censor sensitive information about us, but you can be sure that it's in our mutual interest to keep you informed."

    I'll just have to trust that they'll really never lie about or omit anything relevant to us.

    Confiel and Luz seem satisfied and say nothing, then return to looking at us, so I continue, "There's also the need to define the length of time that we'll work with you. We have plans to leave the High Forest at some point, so we won't swear to become your knights."

    Confiel answers, "We also do not want that kind of relationship. After our plans are complete, there will be a time of instability in the High Forest, so we want you to stay for a few months, at least."

    I nod. "That's acceptable, but if we are going to behave like knights, then we'd like to be paid as such."

    Lua's mouth twitches and her stare intensifies, then she says, "You won't be official knights, so you'll have your pay reduced by thirty percent. It's still more than the average fellowship is paid for this sort of job."

    "That is fair," I say and bow shortly again. "Now, lastly, I want you to swear to the Gods that you will not try to kill us."

    The three Lords freeze and even Conan, the barbarian, reacts with mild surprise. Both Luz and Lua let a small smirk form, but Confiel remains impassive.

    "I can't promise you that, not with those exact words, at least," Confiel says and finally drinks some of the cold tea to wet his throat. "Such a simple promise to someone of your potential would be irresponsible of me. What I can promise though, is that if our paths ever bring us against one another, then I'll make sure to warn you of that and give you ample time to change your ways. If you continue on your path despite that warning, then I'll kill you."

    We spend a few seconds processing his words, but we don't find any fault in them.

    "That'll be enough," I say with a nod.

    "You ask for a lot," Confiel says.

    I smile with confidence. "You know that our price is worth it."

    Confiel readjusts himself in his seat, and we all unconsciously stiffen our postures in expectancy. "Very well… I'm going to tell you our plan, so after this, you're not allowed to leave if you reject it." I nod in agreement, and he clears his throat. "We request that you use your Gift, that we assume might be [Monster Summoning], to break the Shell around Escanso's castle, so that we can invade and execute Crown Lord Mavel Este and his wives."

    We assumed that he probably wanted something like that, but we didn't know exactly what.

    We've already discussed this, so there's no hesitation in my words as I bow and say, "We accept your request."

    The three Lords get up, and their faces turn stern. "Then we depart. Immediately," Confiel says.

    "W-what? Immediately?" I ask.

    "Immediately," he repeats with a nod.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Joxsan Herrera.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Vampmire.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Kalsted.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nevarec.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Nobleman Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2020
  5. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    His suddenness makes me freeze as my brain scrambles to prepare for what's to come.

    Confiel grabs a small gem, and a minute amount of mana leaves his body, then he turns back to us and says, "Lord Mavel may be desperately trying to find powerful artifacts in the Legado dungeon, but he's not blind to the outside world. If he wasn't paying attention to you before, just knowing that you've gotten closer to us will make him alert and assume that you're a threat to him.

    "He must be fortifying his position, so the longer we wait, the more difficult it'll be to kill him. It'll take twenty minutes to mobilize my forces, you have until then to prepare."

    Roxanne gets up and speaks before I can respond, "If we are to break the Shell, then it might be advantageous to us if we can test its sturdiness beforehand."

    Confiel's hands clench nervously as he responds, "You can use our castle's Shell to test that while we prepare. Just… don't open a hole in my wall."

    Roxanne smiles very stiffly. "I can't promise we won't damage it, but I doubt we'll be able to 'accidentally' open a hole," she says and bows slightly.

    Confiel nods and returns to me. "I, Confiel Rincipio, True Noble and Crown Lord of the Eastern High Forest, give you my word that I'll fulfill my part of our agreement. Let the Gods observe me and judge me for my actions."

    I feel a tightening in my heart that tells me that I also have to fulfill my part of our bargain. Then we both nod at each other in understanding.

    Confiel touches a gem embedded in the table and the servant immediately comes back. "Take them to the private gazebo and then to the Shell. Dismiss any guards nearby and hold on to this," he says and hands a lithograph to the servant.

    The servant casts [Gate], then we step on the black circle that appears.

    The cool air of the meeting hall is replaced by the stuffier atmosphere of the outside. The sun paints the well-mowed grass and the small water streams with a faint shade of yellow, and the shadow of the Shell slowly creeps closer to us.

    We're in a covered large octagonal platform made of ashen planks with several lounging chairs, couches, and a bed. Eight pillars support the conical roof, where a mesmerizing kinetic sculpture spins without the need for wind.

    The servant motions for us to follow, so we cut our sightseeing short. We walk along a tree tunnel until the servant suddenly stops us. He crosses through a metal gate at the end, then Alissa hears him dismiss a guard outside.

    After even Alissa can't hear the guard's footsteps any more, the servant comes back and motions for us to follow him.

    We exit the gate onto a wide cobbled path and see the pitch black color of the Shell in front of us. Then we walk far enough away from the path so that the servant can't hear us talk.

    "I'll spread my soul over it. Roxanne, do your thing," I say.

    While the rest of the girls maintain their equipment and temper their minds, Roxanne and I start studying the Shell.

    I spread my soul over a part of it and "taste" the bark. Within it, I find minute amounts of mana and a very dense material. I can't see the atomic structure, but the feeling that I get from it is very similar to metal.

    This is truly a shell with a capital "S."

    I walk forward, then I knock on it and in return, I receive the feeling and sound of knocking on concrete.

    "Hm~… The Shell is tough, but I think that with the amount of mana that Confiel and his mages have, they should be able to knock it down."

    Roxanne readjusts her glasses as she says, "Remember that they'd have to spend time chanting and use all their mana on something big enough to breach the wall. Even a simple [Earth Bullet] big enough to open a hole in this would require a long time just to gather the necessary mana. I'm guessing that Confiel wants something more 'instantaneous.'"

    I cringe as I say, "Which brings us to our specialties… instantaneous spells."

    Roxanne sighs. "Yeah… put my extra points into [Mana Overuse Resistance]."

    I pull out one of the Decay pots and throw it at the wall, then I observe the effects with my soul.

    Have you ever eaten a rotting corpse? That's what I think this feels like. The Decay goop sickens me, and I need Ciel to cast [Refresh] so that I can continue my observation.

    And I see something fascinating. It's like watching a complex web simply "unravel" in front of me. I can't even understand how it unravels, it just works.

    The Shell starts to puff up and warp a little as it becomes less dense, and some of its components become gas or liquid that then slowly seeps out of the wall, leaving it porous.

    I chant and cast, "[Earth Bullet]."

    The ball of rock hits the wall and gets embedded in it, then it starts to get dissolved by the goop.

    We observe for not even a minute before the servant suddenly spurs into movement and marches towards us. "I've received a report about something tampering with the Shell."

    I merely nod to him and the servant returns to his previous position.

    "I see… so we don't have much time to let the goop work," I say.

    "How deep did it penetrate?" Roxanne asks.

    "Barely one-tenth."

    "We can use it, but… it wouldn't be wise to rely on it.

    "Cast two small [Explosion]s. One in a place with goop and the other in a place without."

    I pull out a barricade, which everyone hides behind. Then Roxanne casts the spells. After making a small mess and spreading some of the goop over the cobble path, we assess the damage.

    The goop-covered part of the wall received a visibly deeper scar than the part without it. I focus deeper into my "soul vision" and notice that the outside layer of bark seems to be tougher than the inner bark. The outer bark seems to have gone through some sort of treatment, possibly something to make it better resist the elements and small scratches.

    In the time that we have left, we use the golems to transfer the goop from the Decay pots into a repurposed leather jacket that's been sewn into a container by Lina. Then we discuss our plan.

    The girls don't like it, but I convince them to go big or go home.



    Alissa senses someone coming just as we finish our preparations. I look back and see both a mage and the servant looking at the Shell in horror.

    There are a few grey blobs of slime on the wall slowly dripping towards the floor and many small white globs all over the cobble path.

    "The… Lord awaits us…" The mage mutters, his eyes still glued at the sullied Shell, the symbol of the Lord's unassailableness.

    "We are ready," I say and the mage casts [Gate].

    We are taken to a dimly lit building where multiple knights are moving about and making preparations. The sounds of footsteps and wooden armor hitting and rubbing against itself resounds through the building, giving us a sense of urgency.

    Not-Conan, the barbarian, appears before us and says in a soft, but imperative tone, "Helios, come with me."

    We pass through a lavish living room and climb a set of stairs, then we enter a guest room with a wide view of the street outside.

    Confiel's group that we met previously in the dungeon is all here. Confiel is looking impatiently out of the window towards the dark Shell of Escanso; his wives are sitting on the bed as they meditate, doing something similar to our mana circulation training; Ervo is looking out of the window, too, but he's staring at the empty streets below us; Ceiro, their healer, is chanting [Blessing Magic] in an area, covering the entire room; the two bodyguards are standing by the doorway and merely glance at us when we enter.

    There is a Wind, Fire, Water, and [Earth Spirit] on the bed, adorably dancing in a circle. The [Wind Spirit] is a transparent, green little guy with long, thin shoes; baggy pants; a round face with cute, round eyes; and long, winged ears.

    We walk towards the middle of the room and Confiel asks without looking at us, "You think that you can do it?"

    "We have a plan, but we don't have enough information to make any sort of reliable prediction," I say.

    "If you fail, then we'll do it the hard way." Then he turns to look at me in the eye. His stern face and "danger" aura blow away the last shred of levity I had within me. "I want you fighting close to me, but when the time comes to fight Lord Mavel himself, I want you to stay away and focus on taking out his reinforcements. Also, I know that it's dangerous to ask this of you, but I want you to keep in mind that the only ones that need to die are the three Este Lords. Anyone that you can spare will benefit the entire High Forest."

    "We'll keep that in mind," I say and bow slightly.

    He nods. "Good. We are ready. You can attack this wall in any way that you see fit, but I advise you to let Ceiro finish Blessing us all. We have enough time; the patrols around this area have been diverted for ten minutes."

    I nod respectfully. "Thank you for the aid."

    "There's more. Your weapons and armor may be good enough for this battle, but I can give you better ones, though I'm not sure if you'll be able to fight as effectively with something you're unfamiliar with."

    Hana and Ciel nudge me to say, "It's better for us to keep using our own equipment. We are fine the way we are."

    He nods and resumes staring at the Shell.

    We wait four more minutes for Ceiro's Blessings to be cast on us. We sit in comfy chairs and slowly feel our heart rates rise as the sounds of the men getting ready downstairs wanes.

    So fast… so sudden…

    We receive [Wind Armor], [Swift Foot], [Rainbow Shield], [Rainbow Crystal], [Warrior's Respite], and [Mage's Respite]. They are all stronger Blessings than what I can cast.

    Then we nod appreciatively at Ceiro, who snorts a little smugly and returns the nod.

    We go down the set of stairs and huddle up in the corridor that leads outside. We see Escanso's night mist slowly seep in from under the door.

    My skills are like this:



    Wolf Ryder Skill Report​

    Physical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use12+9Dodge4+5Parry4+5
    Block1+8Shield Bash0+1Battlefield Perception1+1
    Muscle Explosion1+1Acrobatics5+0Ekrano Style (creator)1

    Magical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sense Mana0+6Mana Control0+15Mana Recovery6+0
    Mana Efficiency0+7Reduced Mana Cost0+7Mana Overuse Resistance0+3
    Fire Magic1+4Earth Magic0+3Water Magic0+1
    Wind Magic0+2Electric Magic6+14Light Magic2+8
    Space Magic7+23Summoning Magic13+24Blessing Magic8+22
    Nature Magic2+18Conjuring Magic0+1Spirit Magic0+2
    Illusion Magic0+2Golemancy0+9Redirect Mana (creator)3
    Sense Soul (creator)6Soul Manipulation (creator)3Godly Language30+0

    Miscellaneous​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Cooking0+4Andraste Language4+6Dismantling0+4
    Massage0+1Mana Genitals (innate)1

    But I temporarily shift my points around for our plan.

    Aoi gets down from my shoulder and grows into big-Aoi, then stands on her hind legs in a way that reminds me of a bear. She has to use her wings for stability, but this posture is much safer for her in melee combat than staying quadruped.

    "What a day," Ciel comments.

    "So fast," Roxanne adds.

    "No rest for the weary, or the hunted, or the wary," I say, absentmindedly.

    Ciel chuckles and says, "From fighting a sequence of monsters, to walking through a mysterious city, to nearly unraveling the riddle of the dungeon, to a meeting with the three of the most powerful Lords of this region, to a battle to kill other three of the most powerful Lords of the region. What's next after this?"

    "An encounter with heretics? I want payback," Alissa asks. Her ferocity seeps through [Bind], but I easily keep my anger in check.

    "Maybe we'll meet with the Monster King, too," Lina says.

    "Or another one of the Symbols of the Elements," Alissa suggests.

    She means someone like Gecynd.

    I shift some of my points in melee skills into [Mana Overuse Resistance] and [Blackout Resistance]. I can only put ten points in each because any more makes me feel "heavy," which I believe means that my soul isn't ready for more.

    I close my system and smirk as I say, "You girls are thinking too small. Remember that I had a vision of something beyond the Everlasting Storm. We are going to explore the unexplored! Conquer the unknown! We'll explore strange new lands. Seek out new life and new civilizations. Boldly go where no man has gone before!"

    "No hu-man-oid," Ciel corrects with a slight pout.

    "I bet that was a reference," Alissa says and smiles at me.

    "Why would we bet against that?" Hana asks.

    "Silly, she wasn't serious," Roxanne says in a slightly condescending tone.

    "I… I know!" Hana protests and Roxanne chuckles evilly.

    Lina hugs my chest and starts, "United, day and night,"

    We smile at each other and continue reciting our vows in unison, "In pain and pleasure, success or failure, life or death. Wherever we may be, we will never abandon each other. All for one, one for all."

    The levity lightens our hearts, making me realize how tense my shoulders are. Then we join in a group hug, and this time we don't even need Gify to connect us to fill our hearts with determination. But I still need one last push.

    "Gify, hit me with the good stuff," I say.

    "Gih!"

    I get an instant erection as visions of dragons fill my mind. Then I open the door and we walk outside.

    The world is my oyster and I'll take charge of my Fate.

    "Lina, the goop," I order.

    She pulls out the leather bag filled with goop and immediately throws it across the street. It hits the Shell, rupturing the leather and spreading the goop all over it.

    I'll do whatever I must to keep these women safe.

    I start counting in my head. When I reach 30 seconds, Roxanne starts gathering her mana, then I hold the "button" for [Monster Summoning] and choose the Grim Giant.

    I'll go as far as necessary to get the power I need to kill the fucking heretics.

    The Grim Giant that I killed was old and decrepit. As scary as it already was at that age, it was even more powerful when it was young.

    I can't modify the monsters that I summon that much, but I can choose to summon a younger version of them, so I choose to summon the [Grim Giant] at its prime.

    A dragon doesn't measure efforts to vanquish their enemies.

    My soul locks up and my body goes limp, yet I remain conscious. Hana holds me in place as the pain explodes in my head, then my body convulses as my life force is drained away to feed the Grim Giant.

    Ciel casts [Heal] multiple times, making my HP shoot up, then crash down as my spell continues to drain me. My veins burst, bruises appear along my body, my nose bleeds, and my eyes become bloodshot.

    My lack of control over my body at least prevents me from screaming and crying like a little girl over this extreme level of pain.

    I feel like my limbs are being slowly ripped from my body while something is chewing into my chest, aiming to eat my heart.

    When my MP reaches minus one thousand, the pain vanishes as suddenly as it came, and an enormous mass of glowing matter appears in front of me. In the next instant, a grinning, muscular, and naked gigantic man appears kneeling in front of me. The street can barely contain his massive body, with his arms brushing against the houses near us.

    I summon all of my strength and use [Godly Language]. "BECOME STRONGER!"

    The muscular man turns into a bodybuilder, and my own body feels like it's made of steel.

    "KICK IT!" I order.

    The Grim Giant stands up and easily reaches twenty meters tall, yet he's still smaller than the Shell. But that's enough for us.

    The Giant slams his fingers against the Shell and pierces it lightly, giving him the leverage to bash against the wall with more of his strength.

    Alissa makes me chug a few of Roxanne's Moonlight Moss MP potions while Ciel continues [Heal]ing me and then casts a few [Purify Body]s to counteract the side effects of the potions.

    The Giant draws its foot backward, then slams it against the Shell, right where all the Decay goop is splattered.

    The street trembles with the loud bang of the impact, and Roxanne's barricade protects us from the spray of goop. I immediately feel multiple [Gate] scrubbers being activated all around us.

    Come on…

    The Giant pulls back its foot again and I can see that the skin of its toes is melting off.

    Another bang blasts through the area, and my ears start hurting from the noise. In the distance, we see civilians running away from this place with all their energy.

    Come on...

    The Giant readies its foot again and I see that it's bleeding. Another slam and the wall is painted red with the Giant's blood.

    Come on…!

    The Giant kicks the Shell again and breaks his toe.

    "ROXANNE!"

    "[EX-PLO-SIOO~N~]!"

    Goop flies everywhere and starts melting our wooden barricade. Then the Giant bashes the wall again, and I wince from the extreme loudness of the thump.

    Something cracks, and the Giant's foot enters the wall. Then he wrenches the foot free, and we see some light coming out of the wall, a hole.

    Ciel casts a quick [Heal] on everyone's ears so that the buzzing goes away and I unsummon the Giant, finally stopping the horrible strain on my body and soul.

    "CHARGE!" I hear Confiel's magically enhanced voice boom across the street.

    Knights burst out of windows and doors of the surrounding houses, then a stampede flows around us as they all pour through the hole.

    We give Roxanne one of the Moonlight MP Potions, and Ciel casts [Purify Body] on her so that she can recover from the paralysis.

    Soon after I'm starting to feel strong enough to fight again, Confiel appears beside us. "Let's go," he orders and rushes into the hole.

    Without any hesitation, we follow him into battle.



    On the other side, we see a hellish scene as Confiel's knights plow through the hastily organized defense without much of a problem. Elves fall left and right from arrows and blunt weapons. Whether they are alive but unconscious or actually dead, only Alissa and others like her would know.

    There's a corridor of stunningly arranged formal gardens between us and the castle, but the destruction has already tarnished all of the beauty of this place. The geometric patterns of the gardens and the trees surrounding them are already up in flames or broken apart by the crossfire of spells.

    Enemy archers and mages use the guest houses scattered along the straight corridor of garden space as cover, which means that the destruction is brought upon these houses, too.

    "Through the middle!" Confiel yells. The men make way for their Lords' party, and numerous enchantments protect them from any harm coming from above.

    I summon three Hollys and spread them out to get a complete view of the battlefield.

    Escanso's golden castle is similar to Goloria's. It has a thick, cylindrical trunk where most of the rooms are located and dozens of branch-like towers extend outwards, making it look like a dried bush. Currently, each of these branches holds a powerful archer.

    As we run, I help Alissa and Roxanne fire long-distance arrows and spells towards the men in the towers, forcing them to hide behind cover.

    Confiel's party notices what we are doing, and their three mages start to help, too, but none of them can cast spells as fast as Roxanne can, and nobody can reach the same level of accuracy with their aim the same way that I can by guiding the girls with [Bind].

    Near the end of the corridor, we reach the front line and Confiel assumes command.

    He slashes his sword at the elf in front of him, and his sword is stopped by the enemy's shield, but an ethereal arm and sword passes through the defense and completes the slash. The enemy elf yells in pain, and his shield arm loses strength.

    He's a Spirit spell sword!

    The soldier is clearly not prepared to fight a [Spirit Magic] user and tries to parry the next strike, only to get his throat cut by the [Soul Blade] and immediately fall unconscious.

    The soldiers make room for us to fight alongside them, and Hana opens up with a strike that sends her opponent to the floor.

    I cast [Lightning Bolt] to freeze my opponent and slash at his leg. My strike gets stopped by his wooden armor, but with the aid of [Telekinesis], his knee gets twisted and he falls on the ground.

    Lina comes in right beside me and bashes his helmet in. The man stops moving, but is likely only unconscious.

    [Battlefield Perception] triggers, and I make Hana protect herself with her shield. A light shines out of one of the towers, and a bolt of light is launched. It's aimed towards Hana's head but is intercepted by her shield.

    Once the light is gone, we see an arrowhead peeking through her shield. The Godsdamned enchanted arrow went through [Wind Shield] like it was nothing.

    Luz aims towards the tower with her red crystal staff and lets loose a [Fireball] the size of a person. A few seconds later, we hear an explosion and see that the top of the tower is no more.

    Preoccupied with swinging her halberd to plow her way through the enemies, Aoi doesn't activate her [Wind Shield] in time before an arrow cracks one of her scales. Even with my ample field of view over the battlefield, I still missed that arrow coming at her, and that makes me unreasonably angry.

    "RAAAAH!" Aoi and Hana receive the brunt of my anger, and both of them blow their flames at the men in front of us, who drop their weapons and roll on the grass, trying to put out the fire covering their bodies.

    Lua casts [Water Wall] on top of the men, which extinguishes the fire. Fortunately, they all decide to remain on the ground, moaning in pain from the burns, which allows us to continue on.

    Confiel, not-Conan, Hana, and I detach from the main force and strike at the scrambled men in front of us before they can make a shield wall capable of slowing us down.

    [Battlefield Perception] triggers again, but my view of the offending mage gets obstructed by a small wall of fire that blocks the spell. Luz's [Fire Spirit] absorbs the [Fireball] and starts a short exchange of spells with the opposing mage's [Fire Spirit].

    A longswordsman bars my way. I let him attack me, and I dodge to the side, allowing Alissa's arrow to pierce his gut. I glide my way into the stunned man's guard and cast [Rush] as I sink my sword into his armpit, right through the opening of his armor. The padding wasn't enough to stop my powered thrust, and he wasn't wearing chainmail, so he paid the price.

    The next soldier in front of us is a shield user, so I slide under his guard with [Telekinesis] and stab his crotch. The shriek that comes in response makes me realize that it's actually a woman. Fortunately for her, my sword can't fully pierce through this kind of padding without [Rush].

    I slide a bit sideways and push myself off the ground, then I float in place and spin my legs, kicking the back of the soldier's helmet and making her crash on the ground. [Acrobatics] plus [Godly Language] is amazing.

    I feel a large amount of mana coming from the enemies in front of us, so I get wary.

    A few spearmen manage to land blows on Aoi, but they are all deflected by her scales. Then one scale breaks, and another wave of anger hits me.

    STOP HURTING MY DRAGON!

    Lina disrupts their footing with [Earth Wall], then Ciel and Aoi strike together at the spearmen, breaking their little formation apart and giving Lina a clear line of sight to me.

    The next target is a young elf, who desperately charges towards me while screaming expletives in Ingua. I trade a few blows with him before he suddenly grows tired. Lina's [Weaken] saps his stamina, and he runs out of breath.

    I sweep his legs out from under him, and he falls backward, hitting his head against the stone path. I let anger empower my actions, then I stomp at his face until he stops moving.

    The next soldier is an officer who is wearing ornate dark wooden armor and is using an enchanted sword. I control my anger so that I won't make a mistake.

    I dash towards him, and we clash with fury. There's barely any time to gauge your opponent's level of ability in a battlefield; the intention of every strike must be to maim or kill.

    His eyes are cold and calm, and his strikes are confident and lethal. He's more experienced and much more skilled in swordsmanship than I am.

    Getting this taste of real experience gives me chills and washes away the anger. But the worst thing is that he doesn't even use his enchantment, which unnerves me.

    Then I see a figure rise up against the orange sky of sunset. [Battlefield Perception] triggers, and I activate [Dead Zone].

    Like a wave, lightning washes all around me and the others, then continues towards the bulk of our forces behind us.

    Confiel's men are prepared, and they all activate [Dead Zone] to stop the massive [Discharge], but everyone has to spend a copious amount of mana to keep the spell away.

    I didn't have the time to fully recover my mana before we started this battle, so this makes me especially wary.

    While the officer in front of me doesn't act, I drink an emergency MP potion from one of the metal flasks in the bandolier secured firmly across my chestplate.

    The spell ends, and the battle continues. In one moment, the officer is standing with his sword pointed at me, but in the next, [Battlefield Perception] triggers as his sword pierces my throat. [Wind Armor] suddenly triggers, and I feel a burst of wind pushing us apart.

    I need a fucking neck guard!

    I push his sword away and glide backward, then I feel something warm running down my skin from my throat, and at the same time, the pain hits me, making me grunt.

    Ciel's [Holy Spirit] inside my helmet glows, and the wound is healed in just a few seconds. I cough a little and spit out some blood, but then I'm ready to fight again.

    Even from behind his helmet, I see the officer's surprise at my quick recovery.

    Heh, I won't go down so eas-…

    The sky above us explodes with particles as Luz's and Lua's four Spirits fight Mavel's wives' four.

    I shift my head to the side, and an arrow flies past me, then it sinks into the shield of the officer, who has to block his view to not get hit.

    Impressive reflexes.

    At the same time that he raises his shield, I cast [Rush] and drive my sword into his neck. I get a good way in before he simply disappears from my sight and reappears a few meters away with a hand covering his wound and his bastard sword clanking heavily on the ground.

    Mavel's men finally reform a proper shield wall, and our advance is stopped. Their formation also blocks the elven officer from view.

    The soldier in front of Hana falls on the ground in pain as an [Ice Lance] pierces through his shield and into his arm. Then Hana casts [Earth Bullet] at his face and chops at his helmet with her sword, knocking him out.

    The spells stop flying above our heads, and an eerie silence falls around us, but the battle still continues in the distance.

    The shield line in front of us makes way for a man in golden armor to pass through. A single white feather adorns his "close" helmet. I see hints of white grain in his armor, which means that his armor is wooden and not actually coated in gold.

    "CONFIEL!" Lord Este bellows and points his sword towards the Lord in white. Both of the Lords' swords glow with a faint sheen of blue. That's Kanal, the perfect metal for enchanting.

    "SURRENDER AND EVERYTHING ENDS!" Confiel yells.

    Mana starts to be gathered all around us, worrying me a little.

    Lina and Aoi catch up to us along with the rest of Confiel's men. Ciel is a short distance behind us with Ceiro and a few other healers, making sure that the wounded men don't die immediately. Alissa and Roxanne are a few meters behind Ciel, taking cover along with a few of Confiel's men that are pushing mobile enchanted barricades for protection.

    The battle spreads out to the sides as the allied soldiers encircle the last bastion of our enemy and start to take over the Shell. The white and gray of Confiel's men outnumber the gold and white of Mavel's men, and no reinforcements are coming to Mavel's side any time soon.

    The air starts to feel cold and I see the enemies in front of us sweating with heat. The sounds of the battle start to fade away, and it becomes harder to breathe. I see dust coming out of the cracks in the bricks, and it starts sticking to our bodies. The wives of both Lords are trying to wrestle for control over the weather.

    Fuck! Too many spells!

    I summon a wind elemental and order, "Give us air!" The atmospheric pressure immediately returns, and the [Vacuum] is countered, allowing us to breathe.

    Confiel and Mavel charge towards one another and start their duel. I blink and Mavel suddenly appears in front of Confiel. Mavel cuts downwards, but the white Lord was waiting for that and defends himself. Then an ethereal sword extends out through his shield and aims to jab at Mavel.

    Another [Blink] and Mavel appears a meter away.

    The men yell, and the officers sound their whistles to order their charge.

    "LINA! DISRUPT THEIR LINE!" I yell.

    She casts multiple [Earth Wall]s at the men's feet, making them stumble and fall.

    I cast [Rush] and charge ahead of our shield wall. I stop at the first soldier, who's stumbling forward, completely open. I sink my sword into his shoulder and see the elven officer behind the enemy line, still with a bloodied hand covering his neck wound. His eyes lock with mine, and I keep my attention fixed on him.

    "WOLF!" Confiel's voice gives me chills, and I reflexively protect my neck with my shield.

    I turn my head to the side and my vision gets partially obscured by a faint golden light, then I feel something cold slide into my armpit. In response, I extend my soul out from the wound and cast [Shocking Touch] on Mavel's sword.

    Suddenly, the cold sword inside my body is gone, and through Holly, I see that he's back to fighting with Confiel.

    I smirk as the [Holy Spirit] heals me immediately, then I summon a Nalusa.

    The two-meter tall monster stands before me. A horrifying human-like thing made of charred flesh with bones protruding out of its back.

    "PUNISH THEM!" I yell an order.

    Each of its four eyes focuses on an enemy, then it swings its hand, and the sharp claws make deep grooves in the wooden armor of one of the soldiers. Then the claws reach an exposed spot and slice through the skin, letting the blood flow.

    The blood that the Nalusa draws starts to float around it, then the droplets dart away like bullets. They create chaos, opening more wounds and causing even more bleeding.

    My summon starts a chain reaction, drawing more and more blood that it can control, rapidly increasing its power. A vicious spiral of red expands outwards from our position, sweeping through our enemies and piercing their exposed skin.

    The two shield walls finally clash, and Mavel's men are quickly overwhelmed as they get randomly wounded by the Nalusa. They don't know from where or how they are being attacked, so they can't even defend themselves.

    Mavel's sword glows and grows to ten meters in length, then he tries to sweep at Confiel's men, only to be stopped by the white Lord himself.

    Confiel's shield glows with the heat that it absorbs from Mavel's sword, then the energy is expelled outwards in an explosion, pushing the sword away.

    The dust gathering at my feet starts to slow me down, but then it suddenly stops, and the cold air returns to its normal temperature. At the same time, four figures rise up into the sky, and they all start to gather mana for massive spells.

    The elven officer [Blink]s in front of the Nalusa, and I immediately cast [Lightning Bolt] at him. His muscles seize up, and the Nalusa sweeps at him, sending him flying away.

    I don't need to look to see you, fool!

    Then I guide Roxanne, and she casts, "[EXPLOSION]!"

    One of the flying figures has her spell interrupted as the explosion near her waist burns her robe and violently pushes her away.

    Mavel's eyes turn to Roxanne, and his angry glare gives me chills. We've hurt one of his wives, and now he needs to return the favor.

    He [Blink]s forward towards Roxanne, but he's still very far away from her.

    HAH! I GOT YOU, YOU FUCKER!

    I guide Roxanne, and she casts another [Explosion]. Mavel [Blink]s again, and the air explodes a few centimeters from his face. Taking effect too quickly for [Wind Shield] to activate and protect him, he's sent backward to the ground, and Confiel catches up to him with [Rush].

    An ethereal and naked Confiel crouches down and grabs Mavel's head, then he pulls Mavel's soul out of his own body.

    Hana, Lina, Ciel, and Aoi surround me and the Nalusa, keeping us safe from any other attacks.

    With [Telekinesis], Mavel's physical body rises up and strikes at Confiel, but the strike is dull and easily parried.

    A blade appears in the ethereal Confiel's other hand, then he slices it at the ethereal Mavel's neck. Mavel's physical body falls limp, and Confiel sinks his real sword into an opening in the back of Mavel's golden armor.

    The sky explodes with three spells. A huge torrent of fire hits an equally huge boulder and explodes. The chunks of debris never hit us as they are gathered up by the wind, and along with the fire, they converge on Mavel's wives and consume them.

    Like a shockwave of silence, the men stop fighting, and the stunning stillness spreads outwards quickly. After just a minute, the only sounds left are the moans of the wounded and the crackling of the fires.

    Confiel flourishes his sword through the air, instantly cleaning it of all the blood, then he yells, "THE ESTE CROWN LORDS HAVE BEEN DEPOSED! THE BATTLE IS OVER!"

    Mavel's men drop their weapons and start to cry. Confiel's men simply stare at their defeated foes in muted sympathy.

    "You are now level 26," the female announcer says in my soul space.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Joxsan Herrera.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Vampmire.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Kalsted.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nevarec.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Nobleman Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
     
  6. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    These men aren't part of the town's guard; these are men that swore loyalty to their Lord. They were followers that believed in their Lord's vision for the future, and they were pillars that supported the Este family so that their Lords could exert their immense power and keep others safe.

    Their Lords gave them training, food, shelter, and safety. All that they required in return was loyalty, protection, and the promise that they would fight their Lord's enemies when the time comes. And they all failed, indubitably so.

    A few of the soldiers try to lash out, to continue fighting so that they could die in a blaze of glory. But the God of the Sun makes it clear: "there's no glory in death, only in life"; "so live to fight another day"; "live with the shame of defeat so that you can achieve glory one day."

    The soldiers attacking in a blood rage are quickly put down by Confiel's men and also by their own comrades. There's no need for any more death here today.

    I unsummon the Nalusa, then we take off our helmets and exhale in relief. Aoi shrinks into small-Aoi and crawls up to me, so I take her into my arms and start to cast [Regeneration] on her broken scales.

    My erection fades as I clear myself of the dragon's anger, and the disgust quickly takes hold of me. I suddenly feel like a weak and frail old man who just needs a long, long nap.

    "Kweh! I understand! I want armor!" Aoi exclaims and nods.

    I chuckle and say, "Your scales are too beautiful to have them get broken in every battle."

    "Exactly!"

    Alissa runs up to me, and Roxanne struggles to catch up. My foxy worrywart immediately inspects my bloodied neck and armpit.

    Her angry eyes are like daggers stabbing at my face. "If you're going to continue fighting so recklessly, I'll make you wear full metal armor," she chastises me and pouts. Even when she's angry, she's cute.

    I cringe a little and smile apologetically. "Yeah… I will," I say.

    Roxanne finally reaches us, wheezing for breath.

    With everybody here, I inspect our wounds. Hana's armor has a number of new scratches and a few small dents. Alissa, Roxanne, Ciel, and Lina look perfectly fine; at the most, their armor got dirtied by the smoke and debris. Aoi has a few blemishes on her beautiful body: her broken scales; such disrespect for her perfect form will soon be corrected by my [Regeneration].

    It really seems like I was the most reckless out of all of us this time.

    I see Confiel pull out a golden flag with Este's heraldry: six white flowers arranged in a circle, with each flower different from the others. Then he covers Mavel's body with the flag, and two temple priests appear to carry the body away on a stretcher.

    Ciel sighs and [Clean]s my armor, but it doesn't remove all of the blood that seeped into the padding.

    "We'll have to wash it," Alissa says.

    "I'll go take care of the wounded," Ciel says and pats my sweaty head. I smile and nod at her.

    Go spread your love, my angel.

    Luz suddenly lands beside us and greets us with a sad smile. "Helios, can you accompany us? There's something we want you to see inside the castle."

    Ciel clumsily stops walking away, and after she thinks things through for an awkward few seconds, she comes back to us and stands beside me.

    I stop myself from narrowing my eyes in suspicion at Luz. I don't really have the emotional capacity for anything intense again today, but my curiosity gives me enough energy to nod respectfully anyway.

    Luz smiles and starts walking towards the castle. Her heels clack against the stone path as she walks with confidence and a perfectly straight posture. Her presence exudes authority and the power to enforce it; she inspires her men to salute her and intimidates the subjugated soldiers to kneel in her presence.

    In a way, I envy her, since that's exactly the kind of aura that I want for myself. Not only to help with my dragon transformation, but also to assist me against those that would normally underestimate me.

    Confiel's men strip the defeated soldiers of their weapons and armor, then herd them away towards the Shell's gate, likely to release them so that they can return to their families.

    I see the elven officer that I fought. He's removing his armor and keeping his head hung low with an impassive expression concealing his gloom. He's an old man that looks almost sixty years old, but with the slowed aging of higher-level people, he could be older.


    Soul Info​
    Name:Sandoro IrmeRace:Golden Elf Level:60
    HP71/100MP220/1,120Magic Power505
    Strength17Endurance17

    He notices us walking close by and merely nods, then his neck bleeds a little more since the wound is not yet fully closed.

    A nearby healer notices him and starts to chant a [Heal], then we pass him by, and I look forward again.

    We quickly reach a short wall, well, a small wall in comparison to the first layer of the Shell. It's about ten meters high, but it doesn't hide the barracks behind it. This is where most of Mavel's men were stationed when we attacked.

    We cross the gate and pass by a few sets of ornate, but identical tall buildings, then we cross through another gate and enter Este's private garden.

    We walk along a short and fluffy grass lawn that feels like pillows under our feet. Beautiful hedge sculptures of small monsters and animals flank the comfy path, but most of them are more cute than beautiful. I recognize Rabid Rabbits, Ploms, Dragolites, and kitten Gatuns.

    Gify pops onto my shoulder, and Luz glances curiously at her. The elf rewards us with a small smile and continues on as if nothing happened.

    A few alluring paths branch away towards sightseeing routes or resting areas. I feel drawn to stray away from the main path as the old man inside of me begs for rest, but we move on and get closer to the bush-like golden castle. Quite a few of its "branches" have been blown off or charred, blemishing its indisputable beauty.

    As we walk, I finally feel the [Gate] scrubbers being turned off, calming my heart a little. I hear a commotion on the wall and see a few gems light up near the top of the Shell. I think that Confiel's men are preparing for the other Lords who might be coming to "liberate" Escanso.

    We climb a long set of stairs and finally reach the castle's entrance. A huge double door welcomes us to its main hall.

    White velvet covers the floor with a color so pure that it feels like a crime to dirty it with our shabby boots. Painted statues of all of the previous Lords of this castle populate the walls of the hall, with stairs to its "branches" positioned between each set of statues. The ceiling is decorated with a painting of the usual elven-like patterns. At the end of the hall, a huge portrait of the Este family hangs over a double doorway.

    In the middle, there's a man with glacial blue eyes, soft features, and a round face, Lord Mavel Este; he looks kind and calm, more like a gentle father than a strict Lord. Two similar-looking women with sharp features and square jaws flank Mavel, his wives; they are both golden elves and have a much more severe gaze, making them look noble but strict. Below Mavel, there's a young girl with a soft face and very sharp blue eyes, his first daughter; her hair is styled in long and fluffy drills, and her slightly fleshy lips give her a bit of a pout. Beside the daughter are two twin young boys with very similar faces to the Lord; they look like normal boys, but they still seem to be very cute and energetic.

    I don't even feel like teasing Ciel, not even in my thoughts. Seeing their portraits only brings me dread.

    We somberly walk under the portrait and cross through the double doors to another room. It's initially rather dark, but then Luz activates an enchantment on the wall, and it lights up.

    Multiple portals covered in white veils appear out of thin air. Behind each veil, I can see that they lead to other parts of the castle. They are all arranged in a circle and have identification plaques above them on the wall. This is an [Eternal Gate] network hub.

    The room becomes a mix of colors as the different natural lights coming from all the rooms connected to this hub blend into one vibrant mix. The orange of the sunset is the most prominent of all, but it doesn't detract from their combined beauty.

    Thankfully, [Eternal Gate] only gets forcefully turned off when a scrubber is on. I don't even want to think of the chaos outside that was caused by every [Gate] coordinate in the entire town being wiped out by Confiel's scrubbers.

    Luz crosses a portal without hesitation and we follow her through. We exit into a meeting hall rather similar to Goloria's. The table also has a recreation of Escanso carved into it, but this one has the buildings painted with its adorable multitude of colors instead of being mostly white.

    The portal behind us fades into nothing, and behind where it was, I see a white gem embedded in the wall. It likely holds the enchantment that will activate the portal again when it's needed.

    "Take a seat," Luz says and we obey.

    She sits across from us, but doesn't take one of the three lavish seats reserved for the Lords.

    Just as we all sit down, an [Eternal Gate] materializes out of thin air near the one we came through, and Confiel and Lua emerge out of it. Right after they cross, the portal disappears into nothing.

    "She's coming," Confiel says and takes a seat beside Luz, who nods and smiles with a little bit of pain hidden behind it.

    Lua then sits beside Confiel, and her eyes scan us. Her stern gaze gives me a chill, and I straighten my posture instinctively. Once her scan is complete, she says, "We are about to meet with Yulania Este. Keep in mind that she just lost her parents, so be very tactful about what you say."

    Wait… since she's the first-born, she's automatically considered the Chosen Descendant unless stated otherwise. By imperial law, when a Lord is deposed, his Chosen Descendant is also executed.

    So, why are we here…?

    All the girls, except Aoi, seem to understand the meaning of this, and their expressions stiffen. Alissa, most of all, seems rather displeased to be here.

    A few seconds later, another [Eternal Gate] opens, and one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen comes through. Flanked by one of Confiel's men, Yulania looks like a delicate flower wilting away.

    Light blue transparent Cinderella shoes cover her delicate feet. Thin and rosy legs peek out from underneath her deep blue dress, which tightly hugs her body, but opens up at the waist and ends at her knees. The lower part of the dress flows through the air with loose folds and frills, while the upper part looks smooth and leaves little of her curves to the imagination. Her considerable bosom is held tightly together by the dress, which also shows off a dangerous amount of cleavage. Her drill-like hair bounces like springs as she moves and almost hides her long elven ears with a volume as impressive as Hana's wild mane. Her face is delicate and pouty, her lips are bright red and fleshy, and her makeup is perfect, but it all looks like a mask through which her lifeless, vibrant blue eyes look out at the world with detachment.

    She stops for a moment to scan us, then shows no reaction and continues walking. The man escorting her stops midway and salutes the Lords before returning through the [Eternal Gate], which again fades into nothing.

    Without any hesitation, Yulania sits in the middle of the three lavish chairs reserved for the Lords, her father's seat.

    "Yulania," Confiel greets her softly, and his wives warmly nod. His expression looks severe, and without his smirk, he appears much older than his mature face would imply.

    "Confiel, Luz, Lua," Yulania returns the greeting with a crystalline voice devoid of any emotion.

    We wait to be addressed so that we can introduce ourselves, but neither Yulania nor Confiel's group looks at us, so we remain silent.

    After a few seconds, Confiel breaks the silence, "Did you prepare as I told you to?"

    "How could I even start preparing for the death of my parents?" Yulania asks back with a hint of venom in her tone.

    Confiel sighs softly. "You knew that your father had no other way. He could've just resigned, of course, but that was never an option for him."

    Yulania's face remains unchanging, unnaturally so. "Even though it was inevitable, it doesn't mean that I could prepare myself for it."

    Confiel shakes his head, and Luz gives her a sympathetic frown. "We tried, my dear, we tried."

    Yulania stares at Luz with dead eyes. "You killed them… and that will always be the truth," she says.

    Now even Confiel and Lua start to look sad. Then Confiel's face gains its own mask, and he looks sternly at her as he asks, "So, are you prepared?"

    Yulania closes her eyes and looks like she's praying. "Yes, I am," she says, resigning herself to her fate: death.

    "It is good that you're prepared for this, but there are a few different paths that you can take, Yulania," Luz says.

    The elven girl opens her blue eyes wide in surprise, and we do the same.

    Before Yulania can ask anything, Confiel continues, "Your first path is to simply run away. You can abandon everything and start a new life on another continent. We recommend Maoka since it has better living standards than Bestiaram. We'll help you start a business that will sustain you, and as long as you stay away from nobility and avoid accruing too much power, you can lead a fulfilling life."

    A hint of anger enters her eyes, giving them a spark of life. "And abandon my brothers to be Blood Slaves forever?!" Yulania asks, offended that Confiel would even suggest such a thing.

    Confiel smiles faintly, regaining some of his youthful air. "Your second path is to be sent to Elaria and become a Blood Slave yourself, then try to become a True Noble and recover your family's honor."

    That's just like Silvane's story.

    Yulania looks skeptical. "And the Empire would allow that?"

    Confiel smirks and responds with enthusiasm, "Consider that our way of saying 'fuck you' to the Empire and their brutal laws."

    Alissa subtly narrows her eyes, displeased at the elves' shyness when it comes to executing their enemies.

    Light returns to Yulania's eyes, and she looks like she's awakening from a stupor. She stares at Confiel for several long seconds, seriously thinking through this option. "And the third path?" She finally asks.

    "Become Wolf Ryder's Blood Slave, and then acquire the True Noble Title. I have the word of the Council that if you acquire the Title, then you and Ryder can return as the Crown Lords of the Western High Forest."

    Wait, what the fuck…

    Yulania's eyes turn to me and stare deeply into my soul. A small fire in them makes my cheeks burn with shame at my own lack of ambition. Then I put on the mask of the dragon and stare right back at her. I feel like I can hear the resounding ring of a glass being struck, then Yulania averts her eyes, and the feeling fades.

    Gify, did you do something?

    Gih.

    That means "no."

    The beautiful elven girl notices Lina's slave necklace and raises a thin eyebrow as she gives Confiel a questioning look. "How many slaves does he have?" She asks.

    "Lina, the dwarf, and us two," Alissa responds, then she and Hana bare their wrists to show their Blood Slave mark.

    Yulania narrows her eyes slightly and questions Confiel again, "What's so special about Mr. Ryder that you'd bring him here?"

    "He has a Gift. He's a Hero in the making," Confiel responds immediately.

    "Wait!" I interrupt and collect my thoughts. "You want us to become Crown Lords?!"

    Confiel smiles in a way that makes him seem slightly smug, which is rather annoying to look at. "Exactly. There are many reasons why we chose you for this, but the main reason is that we don't want to punish Yulania for her parents' mistakes."

    Yulania's face distorts a little as her mask cracks, and she shows true anger. "Your concern for me is appreciated, but my opinion of you will never change."

    Lua turns her head away, looking displeased, Confiel's face returns to being impassive, and Luz seems a little disappointed.

    "Your opinion of us doesn't matter. All that we want is to keep you safe," Confiel says.

    I massage my eyes while a long internal sigh courses through my body. "We need time to discuss this. I mean, me and my wives," I say.

    "Very well," Confiel says and nods. "We want to slightly change our agreement, so think of it like this: we want you to take Yulania as a Blood Slave and conquer a dungeon in the High Forest to become a True Noble. Once you do, you'll become Crown Lords and rule over the Western High Forest. Yulania is completely capable of being the governor and managing all the boring parts of being a Lord. And through her, you'll have a strong claim to Lordship while also being a shield against plotting from Mavel's former allies."

    Luz's frown turns into a hopeful smile as she says, "We hope that you don't just view her as a servant, but as a fiancée."

    Yulania and we are taken aback at Luz's suggestion.

    Now, this is unexpected… or was it, really?

    God-sanctioned harem…

    "That… is a very big decision you want us to make," I say.

    Confiel nods. "Take as much time as you need. We'll prepare a guest house for you in Goloria that you can stay in."

    I feel him send a small amount of mana to a gem near his wrist, and the same servant from before appears out of an [Eternal Gate].

    "Prepare the imperial guest house for them," Confiel says.

    The servant bows and starts chanting, so we get up and bow respectfully to the Lords.

    Yulania scans us one last time, and her expression grows impassive. The surprise of this situation is still affecting me, so I merely nod at her, which she returns, then we wait for the servant to finish chanting.

    After the black circle appears, I'm the first one to cross it due to my impatience.

    I exit into a beautiful living room. A brick house with an interior entirely composed of colorful ceramic tiles, with the most common colors being red and yellow, the imperial colors. The doorways and windows are rounded, leaving no right angles or straight lines, but they instead have a lot of small, pointy triangles where the curves meet, which reminds me of some sort of Arabian architecture.

    The girls come through right behind me and start to take in the room.

    Lastly, the servant appears, then he clears his throat and says, "This will be your private property until one of my Lords says otherwise. We clean the house every day, one hour after noon; if you need privacy at that hour, then we can reschedule the cleaning for any other time. The pantry and ice box will be filled with food shortly, but everything else is ready for you. Would you like a tour of the house?"

    "No, thank you, we'll be fine on our own," I say.

    The house is big, but it's not huge, so there's no need for that.

    The servant nods and continues, "Very well. You can use these enchantments to call for a servant." He gestures his hand over a white gem embedded in the wall. "We shall hear your every wish and try to fulfill them to the best of our abilities."

    "If we want to meet with Lord Confiel again, we just have to ask?" Ciel asks.

    The servant nods. "Yes. He or the other two Lords may be busy at the time and not able to answer, but you can ask whenever you want, and we'll check their availability."

    We stay silent after that, so the servant asks, "Any more questions?" I shake my head. "Then I'll take my leave," he finishes, then bows and leaves.

    I immediately turn towards the nearest sofa and start to remove my armor as fast as I can. My limbs feel like lead, and it's only when I finally remove all the armor that I feel "light" again.

    Gify pops out of existence and then pops back on top of a lavish, cushioned armchair.

    I let my armor fall heavily on the floor and hope that the tiles don't break, then Aoi deftly manages to stay on top of me as I throw my body onto the sofa and close my eyes with a sigh. My whole body immediately shivers due to the comfort, and I moan in pleasure.

    "Well… that was an interesting day," Roxanne comments. I hear her remove her robes and armor as she shuffles towards a place to relax.

    "'Interesting,'" I say and make air quotes with my hands. The girls don't understand the hand symbol, but they understand my tone.

    Then the rest of the girls also take off their armor at varying speeds and find a place to unwind. A few moans of pleasure escape their mouths as they discover the wonders of a perfectly cushioned piece of furniture.

    Alissa calmly walks over to me, and I turn myself belly up, then she lifts my head and positions herself on the sofa so that her athletic thighs become my pillows.

    "So… why shouldn't we?" Hana breaks the silence.

    "Can it wait until after dinner?" I ask. I almost feel a headache coming on.

    "Alright," Hana answers.

    "Will give us time to… process things," Ciel says, also sounding very tired.

    Alissa's hand lands on my head, and she starts to play with my hair, then I roll sideways so that I can grab her tail and return her affection.

    The fluffy pillow starts to twitch, but it's stuck between the sofa and my hands, so her calm wagging isn't enough for it to escape my grasp. She loves when I lightly grasp it and gently pull from the base, letting the fur slide through my hand, while still applying enough pressure that she feels her tail stretch. Then, when I reach the white tip, I squeeze it tighter and give it a small tug. That nearly makes her moan.

    Her delicate fingers rub along my scalp with increasing strength as she surrenders to the pleasure and slowly gets aroused. She has a different touch compared to Hana's brain massage, but it's just as effective at rubbing my thoughts and worries away.

    The holy fluffiness of her tail is entrancing, addictive, and fascinating. The vibrant orange color and white tip is just the perfect combination for a cute & fluff devotee like me.

    Roxanne moans sensually from Hana's [Massage]. "I want a baath!" She complains.

    I release Alissa's tail and silently get up.



    We split up to search and quickly find the bath on the first floor.

    The room is covered in tiles painted with simple geometric patterns in white and blue. The enchantments are very similar to Gecynd's and very efficient, so we only have to spend a small amount of mana to get our hot bath ready in just a few minutes.

    I enter the bath and sigh again.

    I'm feeling exhausted. My body must've been drained so much that neither [Heal] nor [Refresh] are enough to fix what I've done to myself.

    "Sorry, girls. I don't have much nectar to give to you right now," I say.

    Aoi nods repeatedly and says, "I understand. You must not break, so rest because tomorrow I want my sha~re!"

    Alissa fidgets a little and shyly makes her way closer to me. I sling my arm over her shoulder and cup one of her juicy breasts, then she lays her head against my chest and slowly covers it with kisses.

    I see her tail making waves on the water's surface with its faint, shy wagging, and I get curious. The slow cadence, but high speed of the wags tell me that she's anxious about something.

    I pull her face up to mine and give her a kiss. She coos softly in happiness and smiles adorably.

    I smile at her and ask, "What is it? Did you want to ask me something?"

    Her voice becomes a whisper, both shy and sensual at the same time. "Can I, uh, can I get your thick cock inside my throbbing pussy?"

    I smirk and send some mana downstairs. Hana and Aoi will have to content themselves with the other girls because today, I only have enough cum for Alissa.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Joxsan Herrera.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Vampmire.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Kalsted.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nevarec.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Nobleman Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2020
  7. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    No extra dick, no ribbing, no nipple suckers, no soul rubbing on wombs or cervices. Just me inside Alissa.

    I hold her waist and the back of her neck as I impale her. She hangs on me by hugging my neck, struggling to maintain her grip. Our foreheads touch and her amber gems stare into my dark eyes. Our hot breaths mingle and mix with the smell of our sweat and perfume.

    Her scent is familiar, nostalgic, and calming. The last remnants of the smell of oranges from her perfume are as relaxing for me as the smell of coffee that lingers in the air long after you've finished brewing it.

    Our lips feel drawn to one another, but our haggard breaths prevent them from sealing our kiss for longer than a few seconds.

    My hips move on their own. Their constant cadence and speed creates a stable level of pleasure. There's no need to fry our nerves and pleasure receptors this time. Each impact gives her breasts that adorable little jiggle that's characteristic of her size.

    She bites her lip, and her cute little fangs make their appearance.

    She's irresistible. I grab her chin and open her mouth so that I can invade it with my tongue.

    Her fangs may look sharp, but they are perfectly safe. I even once saw Alissa sanding them down to further reduce the danger of hurting me.

    I get another taste of her and end the kiss so that we can breathe again.

    She hugs me tighter so that her mouth comes closer to my ear. "I'm yours, master. Fuck me, master," she whispers. Her voice feels like a sensual lick on my ego, giving me the energy to continue for even longer.

    I smirk and ask, "I thought you had stopped calling me master?"

    "But I'll always be yours," she whispers and nibbles on my ear lobe.

    I grunt at her attack that pierces my heart.

    Her sharp nails find their usual spots on my back, and her moans quiver sensually with the pleasure wracking through her body.

    "Impregnate me," she whispers another attack, and I cum.

    My glorious, bountiful, and hallowed cum fills her sacred womb and gives it a holy coating. Her legs wrap around my waist, restraining me from vacating her so that my mark can penetrate deeper into her flesh.

    "I'll carry your children, master. Give it to me!" She whispers again and another long orgasm squeezes my balls for the rest of the semen and mana left in them.

    "Bless me with your cum, my Lord," she finishes me off, and I groan as I'm forcefully emptied by her sweet words.

    The hallowed seed overflows, and before a single drop can be wasted, Aoi's tongue makes its appearance to clean up the mixture of Alissa's cream, her nectar, and my seed.

    The dexterous tongue rubs all over my shaft and penetrates Alissa, stretching her further. Then it rubs against her lips as she cleans around my shaft and enters deeper and deeper into Alissa, scooping out all the cum that she can. The tongue finally rubs against the head, and I groan in pain as I have no more blessings to give today.

    I pull it out of Alissa and allow Aoi to have her fill of tongue-fucking my fanatical follower.

    I sink into the bath and drink some cold and delicious juice as I observe Roxanne and Hana use Lina and Ciel. The two worshippers of the God of Sex felt every single thing that Alissa and I did, and now they need to let loose their lust on some unfortunate soul.



    I'm nearly carried out of the bath due to my tiredness. Lina is the one with the most stamina remaining since she's using [Spirit of Gaia] to be able to walk, so I lean on her to make sure that I don't trip and fall.

    A proto-maid wearing a not-bikini awaits us in the kitchen.

    "Would you like us to prepare dinner for you?" She asks.

    I look around, and the tired faces of the girls tell me all that I need to know. "Yes, please," I respond.

    The maid bows, making her jugs jiggle freely, and I feel a pain downstairs.

    I've really become a sex fiend… there isn't a woman that I don't think about shagging anymore…

    We go to the living room to rest while we wait.

    Lina decides to worship my chest and fills my body with kisses. Her little hands caress my body, and I kiss every single of her pink, painted nails. They're also decorated with little, light blue flowers, giving her a very girly air. She and Roxanne are the ones that protect their nails the most, so they are always impeccable.

    I want her nails painted with something new. Too bad I'm not a manicurist.

    Hana isn't fully satisfied yet. Today she seems in need of thickness, so, on the sofa, she fondles Ciel all over as they kiss.

    Aoi didn't get any, so she's itching for something. She shrinks down to small-Aoi and shows me her belly, then she spreads her little legs enticingly. I sink my finger into her extremely small pussy, and she immediately starts moaning. Her intense stare pierces my heart and makes my penis pulse with pain.

    "Don't try to charm me, please," I ask Aoi and she nods, then closes her eyes.

    Just as Roxanne starts to feel left out, Alissa comes over to cuddle with her and worship her body in the same way that Lina is for me.



    The maid comes to tell us that dinner is ready, and Roxanne hurriedly covers her chest. I have to use [Bind] to hold Hana back because she's far too drunk with thickness to care.

    The dining room has a Victorian air with all the ornate details, but there's still a very strong Arabic flavor with the vibrant tiles and curved lines everywhere.

    There aren't that many different plates for this meal because we didn't ask for anything lavish. We just want something fast that will fill our bellies and replenish our energy.

    From the few dishes they brought us, the best one is certainly the elven casserole. It's a staple of commoner cuisine, but still something that not even the nobility is snobbish enough to pass on. Aoi finds it "okay," which is kind of a compliment for something without meat.



    I unfasten the belt of my pants and groan softly in satisfaction. Lina lets out a cute burp and lowers her head to try and hide the intense redness that immediately creeps onto her face.

    Hana suddenly feels like one-upping Lina's burp, but a quick glance from Alissa and Roxanne, who had read her mind (but not through [Bind]), is enough to force her to reconsider.

    Without that silliness clouding her mind, Hana remembers what she was eager to discuss. "So, we need to talk about the goblin knocking at the door," Hana says.

    Lina's Trivia: that's Rupegia's "elephant in the room." Something that we have to deal with, but nobody wants to.

    "We can start with your opinion," I say and look at Hana.

    "Do it," she says in almost a whisper.

    "Why?"

    She smiles softly and with confidence. "It's obvious: it's everything we need."

    "Adding a stranger to our harem, as a wife no less, is going to be quite a complicated affair."

    She shrugs. "We just have to seduce her like you seduced us."

    "I didn't really sedu-… wait, 'we'?"

    "Most of the nobility, and especially the higher-ranking Lords, are bisexual so that their harems won't rule out powerful people due to gender," Roxanne says.

    Roxanne and Yulania… together…

    "You just made my opinion so much more biased…" I say and facepalm.

    "Well, Hana's right. If we're going to accept her, we'll all have to work on getting along with her, in more ways than one," Alissa says with a wry smile.

    "She'll have to adapt to our ways more than we'll have to adapt to hers," Ciel says in a serious tone that contrasts with Alissa's.

    "We have far more secrets than the average person. To become associated with us is no simple decision," Lina says, matching Ciel's tone.

    "Why would she even want to stay with us?" I ask and look around. "She'll be in danger forever because of the heretics that are after us."

    Ciel answers my question without hesitation, "Being close to a Hero means that you'll face hardships, but you're likely to survive if you have the will to fight through them, and then, after everything is done, you'll be able to reap the rewards."

    So, plot armor?

    "Well, ambitious people will always be drawn to someone like a Hero, but it's not necessarily an attractive characteristic to us," Alissa says.

    "Does anyone have high ambitions here?" I ask and look around.

    The girls awkwardly look at each other.

    "Why do you all follow him?" Alissa asks.

    "You first," Roxanne says to Alissa.

    "Fate," Alissa answers immediately and smiles. "I've sworn to serve my master with my body, mind, and soul. That I fell in love with him is just a bonus."

    Hana nods in agreement with a fearsome smile and says, "I just want us to stay together. Life's been so much better after meeting Wolfy that, heretics or not, I don't think that we'll ever want to separate."

    "Do we need a reason to want to be here? We just love being together," Ciel asks and smiles shyly.

    "I guess not," Alissa says and deflates a little.

    "And that's the difference between us and Yulania. She has an ambition," Lina says.

    "Just wanting to become the Crown Lord isn't that high of an ambition," Hana says.

    "But that's still different from us," Lina says, and Hana's face scrunches up as she thinks deeply about it.

    "We have to make sure that her mindset is the same as ours," Ciel says.

    "Can't we change, too? We could also align our goals with hers," I suggest.

    Ciel looks worriedly at her empty cup, then looks forward, towards nowhere in particular. "For that, we'd first have to learn what she wants. But even so, she might not fully know what she really wants right now, and that could cause strain to develop in our relationship in the future."

    Lina continues with a stern look on her face, and I already know she's concealing her own worry with a mask of cold objectivity. "What if she doesn't fall in love with Wolfy? What if she has a lover and asks us to include him in the harem? Would Wolfy or even any of us be comfortable with her sleeping with another man?"

    I'm very possessive, so that would be a little complicated, but it's already something I'll have to learn to accept with Klein… Well, it's not like she was ever considered to be a true wife. At most, Klein is a "close friend with benefits." Even though we both love one another, we don't want to commit more to this relationship…

    Alissa hums in understanding and says, "So, we have to influence her to surrender herself to us. That would kind of be a prerequisite for [Bind] to work on her, right?"

    "Hana and Aoi are the most 'willful' of us and have the strongest 'feedback' with [Bind], so I believe it's quite possible that she'd unconsciously reject it," I say.

    "I still think she'll accept it," Hana says.

    "What do you mean?" Ciel asks.

    "She'll have to give up a lot, but we'll also replace it all with much more. Power, safety, Fate, endless love, and a fucking huge amount of fun," Hana ends with a smirk.

    "It depends on what her ambitions really are. She didn't seem to hate Confiel for killing her father," Roxanne calmly says.

    "That's true. She might be more similar to me than any of you," Alissa says with a slightly pained smile.

    Roxanne nods and continues, "Her ambition might simply be to gain enough 'glory' to offset the shame of having her parents deposed, not vengeance, nor a desire to conquer the entire High Forest."

    "Elves aren't known to be ambitious, to begin with," Lina says.

    Ciel smiles wryly and quotes, "'Power nurtures Wickedness in the unfaithful,' a teaching from the Goddess of Piety. 'Power is a sword, and we do not give sharp swords to children,' a teaching from the God of Law. 'Break the traditions that fail, reinforce the ones that serve a purpose,' another teaching from the God of Law."

    "Wait, that last one could go either way," I say.

    "There hasn't been a change in the borders of each of the Lords' territories in the High Forest for a thousand years," Lina responds.

    "Confiel taking control of the Western High Forest would cause a civil war. He killed Lord Mavel, but he didn't kill any of his other allies or their armies," Roxanne adds.

    "Everything they did seems to be in line with the objective of only removing the three Este Lords," Ciel continues.

    "And they seemed to be very friendly to Yulania. Friendly enough that they went to great lengths to test your potential as her fiance," Lina finishes.

    "But why us, non-elves, instead of searching for another elf?" I ask. No answer comes, so I smile wryly. "We'll ask them about that tomorrow, then."

    "So, everyone is in agreement with continuing to consider Confiel's offer?" Alissa asks.

    "Yes," Hana answers immediately.

    "It's going to be a lot of effort for all of us, but I agree," Roxanne says. Her tone was serious through this entire talk, which is quite the record for her.

    "Same," Lina says with a nod. "I'm worried that we'll have to rely on Confiel to hire aides and people for other key positions. We don't have enough connections to be truly independent."

    "We can always ask them to become our Blood Slaves," Roxanne says and Lina agrees. "They might not be happy about it, but it's something we need to do."

    "Then I'll demand that from Confiel," I say and turn to Ciel. "What's your opinion?"

    "I'm… okay with all of this," Ciel says and smiles a little bitterly.

    "You seem like you have some reservations."

    "Mostly the problem of forcing her to join us, and the fact that we'll have another wife to share with."

    "I think that Confiel has probably prepared alternatives. We might not be the only fellowship he has in mind," Lina says.

    "So it's possible that she won't accept us," Roxanne says.

    "Hm…" Ciel hums, and her face relaxes a little. "That makes it a little better."

    "Still, if you're uncomfortable with another woman joining, you can always say 'no,'" I say.

    Ciel shakes her head gently. "We can't just say 'no.' This opportunity is too good for us."

    "We could go our own way and attempt to ally with Alissa's parents."

    She gives me a pained smile. "Wolfy… I know you want to make us all happy, but this is an offer that we can't refuse. Our safety is more important than our happiness."

    If I had some proper support, then maybe we could find a reason to say no… But she's right, we can't pass up this chance for power, even if it isn't the choice that will make us all the happiest.

    I sigh and nod weakley.

    "So, we'll all have to accept her with an open, sympathetic, and understanding heart, understood?" Alissa questions us all, and we nod.

    We turn our heads towards Aoi, who has just been patiently observing us so far.

    "What?" She asks.

    "Your opinion on this matter?" I question her.

    "Oh! Okay! I'm fine with this. Dragons start with big families, so this one is small."

    I raise an eyebrow. "'Start'? They don't stay together forever?"

    "Food runs out, so they have to separate to stay alive."

    "That's sad," Ciel says, softly.

    Aoi tilts her head repeatedly, then says, "Hm~… Yes, it is. Good for me that we won't separate, then!"

    I smile warmly and pat her scaly head.



    We spend the rest of the evening merely relaxing and ruminating on our discussion.

    I return Lina's love from earlier and caress her entire pale and delicate body. She causes me waves of pain every time she presses her cute derriere against my Rod of Love, but I endure it because she seems to love feeling my length between her cheeks.

    The girls start talking about something, but I become too absorbed with Lina's nipples to pay attention, eventually falling asleep while hugging her.



    Today is the 7th.

    Alissa wakes me up, and I glaze her face.

    "So, you feeling better?" Hana asks.

    "Yeah, come get your breakfast," I say with a smirk and slap my Rod against Alissa's face.



    Lina leveled to 26, too. She increased her [Cursing Magic] by 1 (now 3) and her [Hammer Use] by 2 (now 12).

    My [Summoning Magic] increased by 2 (now 7+25), my [Mana Overuse Resistance] increased by 1 (now 0+4) and I gained [Blackout Resistance] with 1 point. That was kind of expected.



    We take a look through the pantry and see a not-strawberry jelly pie, so of course, we eat it while sipping some not-earl-grey tea. We eat the entire pie and feast on some savory snacks, too. Nutrition be damned, we deserve this indulgence.

    Then we activate one of the many white gems embedded in the wall and after a minute, a servant knocks on the door.

    "We'd like to meet with the Lords and Miss Yulania," I say.

    The servant bows and leaves. We wait for about fifteen minutes before he returns and opens a [Gate] to Goloria's meeting hall.

    Confiel and Luz are seated in their designated chairs and receive us with gentle smiles. They're both wearing lavish traditional elven clothing. White for Confiel and red for Luz. Their clothes have long strips of gold and silver weaved into them.

    Luz's outfit shows off her abs, a nice amount of cleavage with her small not-bikini, and her long, delicious legs, which makes me slightly uncomfortable until I get mini-me under control.

    "Good morning to you all, Ryders," Luz says.

    "Good morning," Confiel says.

    "Good morning, Lord Luz, Lord Confiel," I say and bow quickly.

    The girls bow, too, but it isn't necessary for them to repeat the greeting.

    Then we sit on one side of the round table and Alissa asks, "Lord Lua is not joining us?"

    "She's dealing with the aftermath of Mavel's death. A few angry Lords are throwing a tantrum, but after their little fit is done, things will return to normal," Confiel responds.

    I feel mana coming from behind us, and we turn around. An [Eternal Gate] appears, and Yulania enters the room.

    She's now wearing an even more ornate, transparent yellow dress that lets us clearly see her figure, along with her frilly black underwear. She's between Alissa and Ciel in curviness, with a slightly muscular body, but she also has the gift of "good genes" that makes her bouncier in all the right spots.

    I swallow heavily as she approaches us and stops before me with an impassive expression. She extends her hand, and the thick scent of her perfume invades my mind. It's sweet, sensual, and strong; something that Roxanne would love to wear.

    I get up and gently take her hand for a kiss. I press my lips against it to give her a proper kiss and hold it for a moment longer than normal. A kiss means respect and admiration, length translates into the intensity of respect, and the pressure of the lips translates into the intensity of admiration or romantic feelings, if there are any.

    Before I can release her hand, she grabs mine and hesitates. I look her in the eye and see her expression tremble slightly, then she quickly lowers her face towards my hand, hesitates again for a second and mirrors my kiss.

    She straightens her posture, and her hesitation is gone, returning to her previous, impassive expression.

    "I am Wolf Ryder," I say and nod.

    "Yulania Es-… just Yulania," she says and flashes a faint wry smile.

    She releases my hand, and we continue the greetings.

    "I am Alissa," my soul mate says and touches her forehead against Yulania's hand. Touching the forehead means neutral respect. The more haughty of the nobles feel offended when you don't kiss their hand, though.

    "Not a Ryder?" Yulania asks and mirrors Alissa's gesture. Clearly, she's not part of that arrogant faction.

    "Not yet," Alissa responds with a gentle smile.

    The rest of the greetings go the same way, then Yulania walks around the table to her seat. I try to study her entire body before she sits across from us and hides most of it from my view.

    The elves "dress to be seen," so they don't feel offended if others stare at them, but damn, I'm already salivating.

    She scans over us again, and I notice that her eyes have a lot more life to them, but I see a hint of bags under them as well, which are not covered by makeup.

    "So, Mr. Ryder, what would you like to discuss?" Luz breaks the silence.

    "There are a few things we'd like to ask you, Lords," I say.

    "Please, ask away," Luz responds with a kind smile.

    "Why us? Why not a fellowship of elves? They would certainly be more well-received as Lords than we would."

    Yulania stares at Luz with a hint of interest in her answer.

    "An elf of the High Forest would have family, friends, and a history here. That would mean that their alliances would be more easily manipulated by vengeful former allies of Mavel."

    "And since we're outsiders, we have no allegiances…"

    "Exactly." She nods.

    "But we're also more vulnerable. We'll have to lean on you until we have enough trustworthy allies to protect us."

    Confiel flashes a smile and says, "It's in our mutual best interest to hold no influence over the Western High Forest."

    Yulania scoffs and asks, "And why would that be so?"

    He turns more serious as he says, "I want to join the Council of Elders one day."

    Yulania quickly becomes shocked, and her long ears twitch in surprise.

    "You did all of this just so that the Council would pay attention to you?!" She exclaims and grits her teeth.

    Confiel narrows his eyes, and his aura of "danger" shows itself again. "I did this because I wanted what was best for the High Forest. If I didn't care for the Elder Council, I would have been much more ruthless in deposing your parents."

    Yulania straightens her back and bites her tongue. She matches his glare, but it seems like she's more frozen than defiant.

    Confiel's aura quickly fades, and the atmosphere slowly loses its tension.

    "Speaking of that, why did you depose the Este family?" I ask.

    Confiel is the one to answer. "Over the course of a decade, I've gradually convinced the Elder Council that the High Forest needed outside talent to grow and improve. Their opinion finally changed when we learned that the halflings of Lorelai had managed to surpass us in the yield of their magical farms.

    "The Council then decided to heed my reforms, but not everyone liked them. Mavel actually put forth a different reform to focus on enriching us further, but he didn't have the same patience as I did to influence the Council, so he decided on acting independently when he was rejected. As you might have guessed, the Council does not like when their authority is challenged."

    So, just some political differences that grew until there was no path left other than war.

    Yulania's face turns dark, and she looks down as she clenches her fist. "His reform would've worked if you didn't plot against him."

    Confiel sighs and looks at her with a stern face. "If we analyze his plans on their own, they look like they definitely would've worked. But if we put them in context with the current situation of the High Forest, then it's obvious that they would've failed. The fact that he didn't account for my interference tells us how naive he was."

    "Your father was idealistic and too stubborn to change his ways," Luz adds in a soft tone.

    Yulania's anger is snuffed out, and she slowly rebuilds her look. Once her anger seems fully contained, I continue.

    "If we don't agree to become Lords, what will happen to the Western High Forest?" I ask.

    "The Council will choose a noble without land or a powerful fellowship and then slowly groom them over time to replace the Este family. It would likely take a decade for another Crown Lord to be inducted," Confiel answers.

    "So, none of Mavel's allies will rise to Crown Lord?"

    Confiel nods and his face suddenly becomes very somber. "We don't want to give any of them the hope that killing those above them would grant them a chance to elevate their position."

    I see…they're hoping to keep greed from starting wars…

    "Now I want to ask about something different. We want to travel the world, but wouldn't becoming Crown Lords impede that?"

    Yulania leans forward in a small gesture of interest.

    "It's not like you'll be bound to the High Forest all the time," Confiel answers.

    "We've traveled the entirety of the Empire, Maoka, and some more with the [Eternal Gate] network. You'll be rich enough to do the same with ease," Luz says.

    Roxanne's heart skips a beat. This would make visiting her family trivial, but I'm not sure if she thinks that she's ready yet.

    "You said that you wanted to change our agreement?" I ask Confiel.

    He nods and says, "We did. We don't need you to stay and help deal with the aftermath, and there's no need for you to continue hiding. We want you to go find a dungeon to conquer with Yulania, but you should stay hidden from the public eye since there's still a chance that she may be kidnapped and used as a pawn."

    Yulania doesn't seem very pleased with Confiel's words, but she begrudgingly accepts them.

    I've run out of questions, so it's time to make our demand. "So, if we are to become the Crown Lords of the Western High Forest, we demand that our close aides will all be Blood Slaves. I won't take the risk of someone close to me and my wives potentially being a traitor. We don't need them to be sex slaves, we just want them as Blood Slaves for our own safety."

    Confiel smiles widely while Luz seems a little annoyed.

    "It's the right choice," Confiel says and glances at Luz. "This will lower the number of possible aides available for you, but it won't negatively affect your rule."

    "That is all that we had to ask of you. Now, we'd like to talk to Miss Yulania in private," I say.

    Confiel and Luz get up and nod.

    "Use the enchantments on the table to call for us or a servant," Luz says, and they walk away. They open an [Eternal Gate] and disappear through it.

    Yulania turns to us, and her impassive expression holds, but this time I catch a glimpse of a subtle trembling of her hand before she gets it under control.

    "What have they told you about us?" I ask, not wanting to let an awkward silence fall between us.

    Her voice is casual and soft, different from her fierceness when talking to Lord Confiel. "About your backgrounds, or the lack of one in your case, Mr. Ryder; your accomplishments; your… sexual appetite;" -she raises an eyebrow as she speaks, as if she doesn't believe what she's heard- "your supposed Gift; something about [Godly Language]; your interactions with Katasko and Darean; and your encounter with the heretics."

    Oh, I may have yelled a bit too loudly during the attack. I didn't particularly want Confiel to ever actually find out that we can use [Godly Language].

    "And you still want to join us?" I ask.

    She eyes each of us and then says, "You're my best choice."

    "So you have other options?"

    She nods. "But I agree with Lord Confiel. Your situation makes you a good choice, even though there are… dangers that come with associating with you."

    "We know more about our Fate than we've told Lord Confiel. There's that and a few other matters that we can't discuss with you until you've become our Blood Slave," Alissa says.

    She narrows her eyes in suspicion and confusion. "What does that mean?" She asks.

    "We are even more special than the Rincipio Lords believe us to be," I answer.

    "Our bonds with one another go far beyond those of marriage," Alissa says.

    "We've opened our hearts and minds to Wolf. He has absolute control over us," Hana says.

    "But we aren't below him. He treats us as equals, and each of us can veto any action we might take," Lina says.

    "So, it's important that you understand how our relationship works. You won't be a slave, you'll be another equal," Ciel says.

    "And I just have to submit absolute control to him?" Yulania asks and frowns. "That's what I'll already have to do if I'm to become his Blood Slave."

    "Not just control. We've given him our trust, loyalty, and love," Lina says.

    Yulania's eyes stay on me, ruminating on Lina's words while also measuring my worth.

    I won't back down from this small challenge, so I return her gaze. Her lips deserve loving kisses, her eyes deserve peaceful rest, her smile deserves a reason to shine.

    It's obvious how strong her mind and will are, but she's not infallible. Her small flashes of weakness make her endearing to me, and my pity for her increases as I notice them. I want to protect her, to make her happy, to make a nest for her in my heart.

    Her eyes regain their focus again, and she notices my stare. Her face tenses, and I get the feeling that I can hear the resounding ring of a glass being struck, as if something fragile is about to break. Then she averts her eyes, and the feeling fades.

    Alissa's sympathy for her also starts to seep through [Bind], and this motivates her to say, "In a way, he's special, in many ways, he's not…"

    "Heey…" I complain and look at Alissa, feeling a little hurt.

    She smiles warmly and squeezes my hand, then she continues, "But that doesn't matter. I've chosen to give him my love, and he returned it all and more. Not only him, but the other wives, too," -she looks around and grabs Ciel's hand- "they've all given me love, and I returned it and more to them as well. We all love each other, we're all connected."

    I get an itch and immediately recite our vows, "United, day and night, in pain and pleasure, success or failure, life or death. Wherever we may be, we will never abandon each other. All for one, one for all. Those are the vows that we made to one another."

    "That's… cute," Yulania says in a low tone and shows us a shy smile.

    "And very corny. Oh, so corny," Ciel says and chuckles.

    "But they fit us perfectly. I may not be an expert in healthy relationships, but ours is certainly… special," Roxanne says with a wry smile.

    "Love! We give love with every breath!" Aoi exclaims, nearly making Yulania jump out of her seat.

    "I knew that you talked, but knowing about it and hearing it myself are two completely different things," she says.

    "Oh, yeah, she's also another wife, so… we are all in a physical relationship with her, too," Alissa says.

    "With a… dragon?!" Yulania's mouth hangs open as she looks at me with fear and disbelief.

    "She's special, too," Roxanne says and giggles.

    "Wait, so, you're all… bisexual?" Yulania asks.

    "Yes. We all love each other quite deeply," Hana says, emphasizing the last word very suggestively.

    "We also have an open relationship. You can bring any woman you want to the bed only for sex as long as all the others agree, but men will never be allowed," Alissa says.

    Yulania blinks twice. "Oh…"

    "Did you… have a lover?" I ask, tentatively.

    Her surprise quickly fades and gets replaced by almost completely concealed sadness. She looks down at her perfect silvery nails and starts to scratch her index finger against the glass in anxiety. "I did… but I 'prepared,' as Lord Confiel suggested, so I broke off our engagement a long time ago."

    "That's something I won't back down. If you're to be a wife, no other man will lay with you," I say.

    "I don't mind," she says softly as she shakes her head. Her long drills bounce so perfectly that all the girls, except Aoi and Gify, feel envious about her. Damn, even I want that glorious hair!

    "We want to accept you with open arms, so we hope that if you choose us, that you'll do the same," Alissa says.

    "Now you've heard what we want. But what do you want from us?" I ask.

    She shyly averts her eyes, then stares down at her own hands, and finally, lets her head hang low.

    Her voice starts low and timid as regains her confidence and gradually raises her head again, "I want to save my brothers. Once they are old enough, they'll continue the Este family name and be our sworn allies.

    "I've already had an uncle turn Wicked... and now my parents will be known as failed nobles. I want to reclaim the honor of our bloodline! I want enough power to dictate history!" She ends with a yell as her eyes burn with determination.

    Alissa grins and mirrors the fire in Yulania's eyes. Her voice makes the hatchling dragon inside of me gently stir awake as she says, "Once our Fate is achieved, you won't need to grow any more powerful. Our own accomplishments will be enough that our names will be immortalized. Whatever dishonor your family suffered will be washed away many times over."

    "So, will you choose us?" I ask.

    Yulania stands up and bows at a right angle to us. "I formally request that you, Wolf Ryder, and all of your wives, accept me as a fellow wife and help me become a True Noble. I swear on my name, worthless as it is, that I'll give all my love to you and to my fellow wives in return for this favor. Let the Gods observe me and judge me for my actions."

    That last part is a surprise. We didn't expect her to commit so heavily to us.

    I look around and the girls all nod, even Aoi and Gify.

    "Very well. We'll protect you and rule together. We'll regain your honor and fight alongside you so that you receive your just rewards. Our house will grow in fame and power, and we shall leave our mark on this realm, together. Let the Gods observe me and judge me for my actions."

    Yulania straightens her posture and a faint smile graces her beautiful face. For the first time, a glimmer of hope lights up her eyes.

    This time though, I don't feel a tightening in my heart, and this confuses me.

    "Promises about love aren't the same as business deals. So you can't swear on love so easily, but if we screw up too badly, then the Gods can still punish us through our Fate," Alissa says through [Bind].

    "Well, we all have big hearts. I'm sure that we'll have enough space in each of us for her to make herself feel at home."

    I get up and bow, then I say, "Welcome, Yulania, to the Helios fellowship and the Ryder family."



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Joxsan Herrera.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Vampmire.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Kalsted.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nevarec.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Nobleman Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2020
  8. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    "[Mark of the Master]," the slave trader casts the spell, and a slave mark with my name appears on Yulania's wrist.

    "[Tongue of Obedience]," the trader casts another spell, and I fidget anxiously.

    I'm not sure if that one was really necessary. I don't even know how it actually works.

    Yulania exhales deeply in relief, and her expression seems calmer than it was a few moments before.

    Through [Sense Soul], I see her last name, Este, fading away.

    "Anything else?" The elven slaver asks me, and I shake my head. He nods and leaves through an [Eternal Gate].

    "Trust in each other, and you'll achieve something beautiful," Luz advises us with an enchanting and warm smile.

    "I'm sure you'll all work fine together," Confiel says with a youthful smirk.

    "We've sworn to do our best," I say and nod respectfully.

    "That's very good," Confiel says, and his face becomes more relaxed. "Now, what do you plan on doing next?"

    "We'd like to continue exploring that Legado dungeon. After going so far, it'd be a shame to abandon such a mysterious tomb."

    Confiel chuckles once, and Luz shrugs while smiling. "Even we are stuck at that door, but you can do as you please. Also, as you've guessed, that tomb belongs to an elven king, the last elven king, to be precise."

    Ooh… that's the king that was killed by the first emperor. The emperor's spells were so powerful that they created Ultirei's tomb and Loyalist Lake.

    Even Yulania looks impressed.

    "You know that much, but you couldn't get past that door?" Lina asks, suddenly feeling very bold and excited.

    Confiel shakes his head gently. "The elven historians all agree that Arreira's death caused the High Forest to realize how outmatched they were against the Empire, and thus, they avoided a drawn-out war that would have razed our land. But apparently, that's not the answer."

    "We've nearly recited an entire book on history in front of that door for nothing," Luz says with a wry smile.

    "A different perspective is probably necessary, then," I say.

    "Considering that it's you saying that, I'll be eagerly awaiting your success," Confiel says. I grin in response, and he continues, "I've already given your identity to the guards so that they'll let you in and out of the castle at any time. You can also use the [Eternal Gate] hub as you wish, but try not to go somewhere outside of the High Forest unless it's truly necessary."

    "Thank you for your support. I think that we'll go to Goldcross and give our testimony as soon as we can," I say.

    "The Tribunal would appreciate that." -He flashes a smile- "Anyway, here is your letter of commendation." He pulls out a piece of paper and pushes it towards us. Once I grab it, his face turns serious. "Another thing, we've found someone at Escanso's dungeon that would be of interest to you: Darean."

    So, it's finally going to end…

    "The mad man," Yulania comments softly.

    I raise an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?" I ask.

    "He weaseled his way into a meeting with my father. He spun a complex lie about how he was a spy and had sensitive information about imperial encroachment on the High Forest. But one of my father's spies recognized him as being the man who was wanted by the Dawn of Fire, so after hearing his drivel, my father arrested him."

    "Not everything he said was necessarily a lie," I say.

    Yulania suddenly remembers that Mavel is dead, and the color of her face slowly drains. "He… knew that, but there were many lies weaved with the truth, so it was too much effort to try to discern them apart."

    I hold back the need to reach over and hug her, then I turn to Confiel. "I'd like to interrogate Darean, then I'd like to… present him as a gift to Vanea Anara." Confiel and Luz seem a little shocked at the mention of Vanea, so I continue, "Darean has been after us ever since we killed his brother, who had joined a band of Wicked men that attacked us with the intent of raping my wives. We temporarily allied with Vanea to drive him out of Rabanara, but we couldn't kill him.

    "It's true that he's a spy for someone in the Mainland, and since we're going to be Crown Lords one day, I'd like to build more goodwill with the Anara family."

    Confiel evaluates my words and seems to become slightly pleased, then he says, "I don't know why the Anaras are ostracized by the nobles of the Mainland, but as long as you don't overtly declare an alliance with her, then it should be fine."

    I nod in agreement and remember that one last thing I was going to ask them about, "I would also like to ask if you could search for Hana's family members. They should either be in prison or serving as Blood Slaves to someone, and we'd like to reunite her family with ours once we are Lords."

    Hana holds her breath in surprise, and through [Bind], I feel her heart almost trying to smother her with happiness.

    Luz brightens up and says, "I'll take care of that. We know that they aren't near the High Forest, so they might've been sent to Wideberg or Dyrmorder."

    "Thank you," Hana says, and her voice nearly cracks.

    Luz and I both smile gently at her and go silent.

    "I believe that's all that we had left to discuss," Confiel says, and we all get up out of our chairs.

    "I'll send your belongings to your new place," Luz says to Yulania, who nods without much energy.

    "I'll go to Goldcross with Alissa. You girls can… get acquainted in the meantime," I say and smile at them.

    "Find the 'Network' room. The official there will guide you to a portal to Goldcross," Confiel says, and I nod. "Well then, until another time," he finishes, and we bow, then the two Lords leave through a portal.

    Yulania feeds mana to a gem in the table and gets up. I stare at her sexy, dark, and lacy underwear, noting how it contrasts with her yellow and transparent dress. She's a bombshell. I'm also starting to hope that her fashion sense rubs off on the other girls, especially Ciel, who still doesn't take advantage of her "assets" as much as she should.

    Aoi and Gify leave my shoulders since they're also eager to interact with her.

    The girls stand beside Yulania near the portals, and my new elven goddess starts to fidget nervously. I stare at her ass for a few seconds, until the usual servant appears.

    "To our house, please," she requests, and the servant chants [Gate].

    "Don't any of you dare steal the first bite from me," I warn the girls through [Bind].

    "My fetish only gets fulfilled when it's Wolfy fucking another woman, so don't take this from me," Alissa also sends her own warning to them.

    The three sex fiends on the other side of the line nod silently and swallow heavily.

    Before Yulania enters the black circle, she sends me a curious glance, and I smile warmly at her in response.

    She makes me feel a little silly and naive. She managed to touch my heart when she said that she'll give all her love to the girls and me, but I can't grow lazy, just thinking that our relationship will be simple. I hope it will, but I have to be very careful to make sure that she at least likes us.

    I grab Alissa's hand, and we go towards the white gems embedded in the wall. A small plaque above each of them identifies which destination the portals lead to.

    I feed mana into the one that says "[Eternal Gate] hub."

    A rectangle materializes, and now that I've seen it so close up, I notice how it's like it went from being fully transparent to fully opaque over a single second as if it was always there and someone just moved the "transparency slider" to zero.

    We cross through the white-veiled portal and exit into a similar hub to Escanso's castle. With it still being mid-morning, the strong sunlight coming from all of the portals makes the room almost uncomfortably bright, but still very beautiful as the glimpses through the portals give us a good idea about where they lead.

    Four guards are standing at the corners of the room. They stare at us for a few seconds before they resume their duty like statues.

    We start inspecting each of the portals. Most of them seem to lead to either a garden or a secluded house somewhere in the Empire. A grassland of dark green with a hint of silver; a rocky and humid place where only moss grows; a colorful jungle with huge pink mushrooms and many other weird plants; a cave where a multitude of glowing plants provide illumination; a balcony overlooking somewhere in the High Forest; another balcony facing a huge snowy and misty mountain; a mountainous region full of jagged rock faces and thick jungle…

    "That's Fledgling Falls!" Alissa exclaims. We approach the portal, and the plaque confirms her words.

    "Where's that?" I ask.

    "Right next to the… Misty Low Forest!" She exclaims again as she reads the plaque next to the portal to Fledgling Falls.

    Through the second portal, I can see a forest with normal, Earth-sized trees, except that the tree leaves look more like sombreros being held up on a thick stick. I see some juicy, round fruits hanging from these trees, and Alissa salivates at the sight of them.

    "Chapefruit…" She mutters nostalgically.

    "Escanso's castle should have a similar hub. When we become Crown Lords, we'll be able to use portals like these whenever we want."

    Alissa nods and hugs my arm lovingly.

    The room is huge, and there are more portals to explore, but we've endured enough temptation that we decide to move on before we give in to it.

    There are only two doors here, one to the outside of the hub, and another with a large plaque saying "Imperial Gate Network," so we cross the latter.

    We enter a large room where five well-armored guards stand at the ready near an elven official that's currently sitting behind a counter, waiting.

    Beyond them, there's a long corridor full of heavy-looking, huge doors with many, many locks.

    We approach the official and notice an Identification Crystal on top of the counter.

    "Good morning," the official greets us with a soft smile.

    "Good morning. We'd like to go to Goldcross," I say.

    "Touch the crystal for a few seconds, please," the official replies and checks both our identities, then he compares it to some paperwork. After a few seconds, he lifts his head and gives us another smile while he motions to the guards. "Everything is in order, you may pass."

    The guards escort us to one of the huge doors that magically unlocks itself as we get closer. It opens inwards and reveals a huge portal, then we cross through it without hesitation. The wooden and carpeted interior is replaced with bricks and tiles, and the air immediately becomes damper and hotter.

    We see a similar huge door, now made of stone, slowly unlock itself for us and open without any visible help. We walk out of the room and see a similar scene to the previous hub.

    Five guards escort us to the counter, where another official registers our names in his log.

    "You're not allowed to wander inside the Lord's mansion, so you'll have to exit through the portal to the Lord's Hall," The official says and points to a white gem embedded in the wall near the door that leads out of this room.

    We simply nod, and the guards lead us to it, then they activate the [Eternal Gate] and we cross through.

    We're now in another brick building, a place called the Lord's Hall. This is where the commoners go to request audiences with their Lord.

    Another guard seems to have been waiting for us and guides us to the outside. We see that only two people here are waiting for a meeting. Most towns have a government efficient enough that direct meetings with a Lord are rarely necessary.

    Finally outside, we see that we're in the Nobles' Quarters of Goldcross.

    The elven "tree house" is the dominant style here. They're grown from trees that have had their trunks enlarged to the size of a house, then hollowed out while leaving the crown of leaves intact. The other buildings follow the imperial style, having bricks that are mostly painted with red and orange. The Lord's Hall also follows the imperial style.

    We enter onto the main road and see the Lord's baroque mansion peeking up from behind the houses. Its white bark makes a striking contrast against the landscape of green, red, and orange.

    The town is as bustling as ever, but fortunately, we don't have to walk for long before we reach the Tribunal.

    We wait in line, and when my turn finally comes, I explain my situation to the attendant, "Good morning. I'm Wolf Ryder, and I've been accused by Katasko of destruction of private property. Our trial is set for the next 25th. I'd like to meet with the Judge responsible for our case and deliver my letters of commendation to him."

    The attendant nods, then leaves her booth and vanishes through a door.

    While we wait, I share with Alissa how the girls are interacting with Yulania.

    They started telling her about our adventures together, and they've reached the part where I told them that I'm from another realm.

    "What…?" Yulania asks, and the girls repeat it again.

    Ciel chimes in, incapable of containing her grin, "I know that it's almost impossible to believe, but we know that there are other realms beside ours. Wolfy was sent here and given all those Gifts for a reason."

    Lina grabs Yulania's hand and helps her sit down in a chair before her knees give out.

    Yulania starts mumbling, "This… is why you've all been so… 'mysterious' about his Gifts and his destiny. He's not just a hero, he's The Hero that will save the realm."

    "Okay, that's, uh… that's a bit much. You girls embellished my story too much," I say through [Bind].

    "Nonsense. We've only told her the truth from our perspective. You think too little of yourself," Alissa responds.

    "Yeah. That Gift of yours is kind of wa~y too powerful. I still think that our future is going to be ridiculous," Roxanne says.

    "It kind of already is. He's barely level thirty, and we're already destined to become Crown Lords," Alissa says.

    "And soon he might become a shapeshifter if he manages to become a dragon," Hana says.

    "And he's making me into a humanoid," Aoi says.

    "But you girls are going to scare the shit out of her if you talk like that!" I protest.

    Yulania smiles widely and brightly. "This is incredible! Amazing! I'm in a True Hero's party!" She exclaims.

    My soul space goes silent.

    "Right… you're all crazy. I should've expected that."

    GIHIHIHIHI~!

    "Crazy about you," Hana says, and I tune them out.



    After a long time, the attendant finally comes back and says, "Judge Arbido would like to meet with you now."

    We are guided to an office on the second floor with the Judge's name on the door.

    We knock, and an old, raspy voice answers, "Come in."

    We enter a cozy office decorated with many simple potted plants and flowers, a circle of sofas made from Uspidor skin, and a simple desk in front of a very wide window. Sitting behind the desk is an old man with a very stern expression. His short hair is so white that if I didn't have [Sense Soul], I wouldn't know whether he was a silver or a golden elf.

    For his apparent age, his body still exudes a lot of vigor as he swiftly gets up from his chair.

    "Wolf Ryder and… Alissa…?" Arbido asks.

    "Yes, my fiancée," I say.

    We nod respectfully at each other, and he motions to the sofas, "Please, sit."

    The old man marches forward and takes a seat facing ours. He wears a very neat black robe that's made to look as smooth as possible, giving him a very strong air of "orderliness."

    He feeds mana to a heating enchantment below a tea kettle and uncovers some biscuits for us. We all eat a few of the simple sweets and drink some mild not-orange tea.

    "So," he starts and stops for a moment, then he gives me a cold and calculating look. "The first thing we need to discuss is: how are you alive? How did you escape the destruction of the Innocent Nymph?"

    I feel a cold hand grasp my heart, and I search for Alissa's hand for comfort.

    Then I breathe in deeply and prepare to tell the same lie I told to Confiel. I summon a bird without chanting and say, "I'm a summoner. For me, keeping an eye out on my surroundings is effortless, so why shouldn't I? Since we sleep in the wilderness so regularly, I've made it into a habit."

    "So, you saw them, the heretics?"

    "Yes. Four groups of seven robed and masked men and women suddenly appeared around the Inn. Then they huddled at the four corners of the building to cast [Meteor] in just a matter of seconds.

    "The amount of mana used was greater than anything I'd ever felt before. Forgive my language, but after feeling that absurd amount of mana, we shat ourselves and jumped out of our window."

    His gaze remains unwavering, and he asks without wasting a heartbeat, "How did you leave town without leaving a trace?"

    I shrug. "Things were chaotic. With my summons as scouts, we waited for a breach in the wall's security, and I used [Telekinesis] to fly all of us over it."

    "Why did you leave like that?" Another immediate question.

    "Why is that even a question? Why wouldn't we run as fast as we could from those immensely powerful heretics?" Alissa asks, looking stupefied.

    His cold eyes turn to her, giving me a moment of rest. "It never hurts to make sure that you've explored all the paths."

    "Hmph," Alissa snorts, a little annoyed.

    His eyes turn back to me, and the assault continues. "So, you wouldn't be able to recognize any of the heretics?"

    "No," I answer, confidently.

    "Do you have any idea why they might have attacked?"

    "No," I answer confidently, again. I may have a Gift, but I still have no idea why they attacked the Inn, aside from simply being mustache-twirling villains.

    "Are you involved in the incident in any way, shape, or form?"

    My twitch is masked by a sigh as I answer, "Didn't you already check if I'm Wicked or not? You know that we still have our Blessings!"

    "And those Blessings are the only things preventing me from calling the Punishers and letting them take you for interrogation."

    I shudder a little, and even Alissa shivers from his voice. The Punishers aren't the Inquisition, but they'd still extract every little secret that we have, which would expose all of my Gifts and probably my world of origin to them.

    I glare at Arbido and force a flare of my hatchling's anger to come out. "Of course we aren't involved!" I exclaim.

    He hums, a little pleased, and the cold stare fades from his eyes, leaving only the intense severeness. "Just exploring all the paths."

    "And have you?" I ask, a little flippant.

    "Yes." -He nods, looking pleased- "Let's move on to other matters. You said that you had letters of commendation to deliver to me?"

    I sigh and calm my heart. "Yes," I respond and pull out Rudito's and Confiel's letters, then I hand them to him.

    He spends a long minute meticulously reading them both, then he returns them to me and maintains his severe tone as he says, "A fellow Agent commended you, and now you have the support of a Crown Lord… By themselves, these letters won't absolve you of the accusations, but they will annul any charge of malicious intent against you.

    "If you were to be found guilty of the charge of destruction of private property, then at most you'd have to pay a fine." -His face twitches, and I swear he held back a smile- "But I'm dropping Katasko's case against you due to a lack of credible evidence."

    Alissa and I let out a groan in sync.

    "That's wonderful. Thank you," I say and nod respectfully.

    Arbido's severe face softens a little, and he looks a few years younger as his wrinkles reduce in depth.

    Then he straightens himself and lets his head hang low as he salutes. "As a member of both the Tribunal and the Seekers of Justice, I'd like to apologize on their behalf. We've discovered a few 'irregular' actions of some of our members, and we're working on correcting the flaws in our system." -He raises his head again and stops saluting- "We're also disciplining Captain Taavi for his abuse of power. His use of force wasn't proportional to the danger that someone like you, twice Blessed by the Gods, poses to the population at large."

    Alissa squeezes my hand, and I can't hold back a smile.

    But there's still something that I need to do, so I ask, "Is there anything we can legally do against Katasko? For us, it's obvious that they were pulling some strings to try to coerce us into… well, something. I'm still not sure what their goal was."

    Arbido frowns and sighs. "Unfortunately, companies like Katasko know how to cover their tracks very well. For us, it's obvious that they were bribing our officers, but there's not enough evidence to prove that and not enough cases against them to make them a target for the Seekers of Truth.

    "Perhaps with time they'll make enough mistakes that will allow us to act, but they're mostly limiting themselves to political bickering with the elven Lords. So, they are always close to the border of legality, but they never cross it."

    At least we'll be able to face them on more even ground when we become Crown Lords.

    "I see…" I whisper and sip more of the tea. "Well, at least this matter is resolved, for now."

    He nods. "Indeed. The Tribunal swears to fight for the safety of the commoners, so I'm sorry that we weren't able to do more."

    "Thank you, you've helped us enough." I show him a faint smile. "If everything is in order, I'll be taking my leave."

    "Until next time, and may it be under better circumstances." He gives me a sympathetic look, and we leave.



    We sigh in relief and fatigue.

    "So many things, all happening so quickly," I whisper.

    "And there's still Darean," Alissa says with a wry smile.

    I chuckle once, then I remember how I told Confiel that I want him sent to Vanea, and it makes me shudder.

    No, killing him would be a mercy that he doesn't deserve. He's a madman obsessed with murdering us.

    We make our way back to the Lord's Hall, and I give Goldcross one last nostalgic look before we enter.

    After Rande reaches this town, they'll spend a while resting, which would be the perfect opportunity to meet up again with Klein and Osaria, but they are still a long way from here.

    We talk to the receptionist at the Hall and give her our names. She checks them against a list of people authorized to use the Imperial Gate Network under Confiel's name and finds ours, so we're guided back to the room from whence we came.

    A minute later, we exit from the Hub Room in Goloria's castle.

    It's pretty incredible that we've traveled so far and didn't even feel it.

    The girls are sparring with Yulania and testing her abilities. It's almost mid-day, so it's time to have lunch, then we'll visit Darean.

    Lina tells her about [Bind] and how Aoi is becoming a humanoid.

    She misses a strike, and Hana backs-off, not feeling like taking advantage of a distracted opponent.

    Yulania stands still and stares at Aoi, then her eyes lose focus, and she starts asking out loud, "You know what? This is stupid. What is Wolf Ryder? A Humanoid God walking on the land? How… how am I supposed to interact with him? He's a completely different person from all of us."

    "Suck his dick long enough, and he'll give you a Blessing," Hana suggests.

    "Less blasphemy, please," Ciel says.

    "You'll soon realize that he's quite 'normal,'" Roxanne says.

    "I wouldn't say that he's normal," Ciel says and tries to hide her smile.

    "Wow, you girls are kind of mean," I say through [Bind].

    "Hey, they are complimenting you," Hana says.

    Roxanne chuckles. "Okay… he's just like us, though he's a little odd from time to time, you just treat him like you'd treat a friend. He's pretty casual about most things."

    "Except when he's fucking," Hana says.

    "Except when he's fucking," Roxanne agrees, and the girls all nod.



    Intermission 14



    "Excuse my presence, Centum Fluminis, for I have grave news. Crown Lord Confiel Rincipio deposed Crown Lord Mavel Este from power yesterday. Today, we've received a notice from our informants that the Helios fellowship has been allowed to fully utilize the Imperial Gate Network under Lord Rincipio's name."

    I hear Sebastian's words and laugh with the wind. The man slumps, and his old face frowns.

    Sebastian doesn't stop there, he continues, "The other shareholders have put forward a motion to limit your powers. They solely blame you for the loss of Nero and the 'sympathizers' that we had in the Enforcers."

    "It matters not! Nothing matters! No more!" I exclaim and exclaim, and I laugh and laugh.

    "Master?" Asks Sebastian as confused as a pebble.

    I cough and recover my voice. "Helios was my last opportunity. I have no more options. Deciens Alkimeonids will order me to the front lines because he's unsatisfied with me. I'll die in the Purification."

    The man's old and familiar face distorts into one of pain and anger. "You're a Centum! Why would he sacrifice someone of your rank?!"

    "As I said, it matters not. Alkimeonids will have his way, and I will die."

    I get up and stare out the window with a smile.

    "I'm dead."


    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Vampmire.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nevarec.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
     
  9. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    We make our way out of the castle and stroll through the colorful formal gardens. The complete absence of any guards nearby and the huge dark wall surrounding us make it seem like we have the garden entirely to ourselves. But through a Holly, I know that there are many guards all over the Shell that can see us from far away.

    I feel uncomfortable being under the care of the Rincipios, but we are undoubtedly safe from heretics while we're here. The wall is nearly unbreakable, and the sky is covered in protective enchantments that would certainly stop four [Meteor]s, so there's not that much to worry about.

    My stunt of kicking a hole into Escano's Shell has certainly shaken up the perceived invincibility of the elven castles, but I won't be able to repeat that feat so easily. And if I can't do it twice, then it's likely that the heretics also won't be able to.

    Our house is on the inner circle, close to the castle's entrance, which means that we are in a favored position in Confiel's eyes. I'm not sure how loyal the nobles living in this area are to Confiel, but living this close to a Crown Lord's castle implies a great amount of trust.



    We reach the red and yellow brick mansion and cross through the gate. The guard posted at the entrance barely spares us a glance, already familiar with our faces, somehow.

    "How did he recognize us?" I ask Alissa through [Bind].

    "Well, I find it unlikely that Confiel would be hosting more than one couple composed of a half-imperial and a werefox."

    "I'm half-imperial?"

    "Your hair says that you're from the Mainland, but your pale skin and freckles indicate an inheritance from Maplethorne."

    I think that "inheritance" means genetics.

    "Why is hair color more important than skin tone?" I ask.

    "Because in Faium, Maplethorne, and Dyrmorder, everyone has the same skin tone but different hair colors. However, freckles is a Maplethorne thing."

    Huh. Well, I was already a mix of a Brazillian native and an eastern European immigrant, so it's not like I was a "pure breed" to begin with.

    Once we get far away enough from the guard, we start speaking normally again, so I ask, "Don't people mix with different races fairly often? Hair color being specific to a region would eventually stop being a thing as more and more people mix."

    She assumes a serious persona and starts lecturing me, "You can pray for children to be born with certain characteristics the same way that we pray for their race. But mixed children aren't that common outside of places like Rabanara. In many parts of the Empire, only children born with specific characteristics or races can inherit land. For example: only the elven children that you might have with Yulania will be able to become Crown Lords."

    "Oh… and the same goes for the Misty Low Forest?"

    She nods. "Only our children that are born as werefoxes would be able to inherit land. Over there, you have to be a werefox to even buy the land.

    "Could Confiel's and Mavel's disagreements come from these sorts of laws? He said that he wanted to bring in outside talent, so maybe his reforms would have loosened some of these laws."

    She nods, and her fox ears bob cutely. "It's quite possible. People are pretty protective of these laws that prevent imperial 'influence' from corrupting their customs."

    "Even on Earth, this sort of thing happens."

    She hugs my arm tighter, and we enter our mansion. The air is cooler and fresher than the outside. The high ceiling and tile-covered interior help a lot with that.

    We cross through and exit into our backyard: a large concrete patio with a bright blue pool and a few hedge statues around a grass garden. The pool catches my attention due to its unnaturally blue color.

    But that attention is quickly redirected to the girls. Hana and Yulania are sparring with training longswords, with the elven goddess fighting Hana to a standstill.

    Their white shirts stick to their sweaty bodies, showing off the contours of their underwear. Not that Yulania was hiding hers, as her dark bra and bouncing breasts are exposed by her almost fully unbuttoned shirt. Her dark pants are tight and elastic, almost like yoga pants. The open fly and the loose waistband of her pants let her small panties peek out enticingly.

    Damn, girl, you look like a fine steak.

    It seems that the pervy elves even managed to make Snow Weave into almost-yoga-pants. But wait, shouldn't all that bouncing hurt? Sports bras were created for a reason.

    After I stop drooling, I notice how oddly Yulania is fighting. No matter how she moves, she makes no sound. The way she fights is also rather defensive, and her defense is seemingly impenetrable.

    Her blade occasionally touches Hana's skin, but Hana's aggressive style lets her inflict a quick counterattack and even the score.

    They are following not-fencing rules, so small touches earn them single points. But those types of wounds wouldn't actually debilitate someone, so the fight is dragging on with neither contestant gaining the upper hand.

    On Earth, sure, a strike on the thigh could lead you to lose a duel, but in Rupegia, you'd need only to stall until the HP potion takes effect for you to recover. Small wounds aren't the way to end a fight, only strong and clear cuts count towards victory.

    Eventually, Yulania starts to slow down, and her face distorts from exhaustion, then Hana smirks and pushes her even harder.

    It takes only a few more seconds for Yulania to trip and finally be defeated.

    "I surrender…" Yulania says weakly, and I become able to hear her produce sounds normally again.

    "Hah!" Hana raises her fist in victory, and then offers a hand to help Yulania get up.

    "Wolfy, I'm horny! She's so ho~t!" Roxanne complains in my soul space.

    "She's mine, you slut," I reply and receive the mental image of a comically large pout.

    Then Hana turns to me and narrows her eyes in annoyance. "My style isn't 'aggressive'; it's based on tiring out the opponent, not winning with brute-force," she says.

    "First, alright, I get it. Second, get out of my head!" I exclaim and poke her through [Bind], eliciting a sensual moan from her. "Aw, fucking hell…" I shake my head and pout.

    Yulania blinks blankly in confusion for a few seconds, then Lina hands them towels and she awakens from her daze. "Oh, thank you," she whispers.

    "I'm a masochist!" Hana exclaims proudly to Yulania.

    "Oh, right, obviously," Yulania responds and shakes her head, making her hair and ears bounce. Then she turns to me and says, "So, 'realm traveler,' once I've had a little bit of rest, would you care for a spar?"

    I unconsciously lick my lips and say, "I'll be delighted to."



    Hana copies Yulania's lack of shame in exposing her underwear and completely unbuttons her shirt and pants.

    There's nobody that could see us here, and the soldiers in the Shell aren't allowed to look into the properties, so I'm extremely tempted to fuck Hana right here, right now. But I'm not sure how Yulania would react to that, so for once, I keep it in my pants.

    I also get a feeling that she might have a gaydar or something since she decides to sit between Roxanne and Hana, who give her body their full, undivided attention.

    The girls continue telling our story, and they finally reach the part where I fuck an entire inn of ravenous women.

    The elven goddess that everyone, even Ciel and Lina, is salivating over stops drinking her iced tea and sighs softly. "I have no more ribbing comments to make; I'm actually impressed," she says. I smirk, and she chuckles at my current state.

    I pat my lap-loli while I rest my head against my chocolate pillow. Two tail-hands protrude out of my neck: one to caress the head of my pillow and the other to [Massage] the ears of my foxy slut.

    Alissa is almost falling asleep as she imagines me lovingly fucking Yulania while she's tied up and ignored.

    If only we were naked right now, I-…

    Damn, I'm thirsty!

    Ciel lets out a soft and happy sigh that only I can hear, then she looks at the solidified-mana-hand giving her angelic delight and smiles wryly. "You'll get used to it quite fast," she says.

    "I… hope so," Yulania softly adds with a nod.



    After rest, we prepare for our spar.

    The perfect woman stands before me with an evil glare, giving me an erection and playing with my domination fetishes. I don't even need Gify's help to get myself into the right mindset to fight her.

    She smirks and leans forward, ready for battle.

    I need to subdue her and show her who's in charge.

    "Do you mind if I use some Eia? My basic [Weaverism] isn't enough to compete with you without it," She asks, surprising me a little.

    Her innocent compliment might actually be part of a plan to make me underestimate her. But I want her to fight me with her full power, so I nod in agreement.

    She opens her [Item Box] and materializes a small green candy on her palm with a *poof*. She slowly uses her adorable little tongue to scoop it into her mouth. A shudder courses through Roxanne's body as she watches Yulania's sexy lips and tongue.

    I stare into her eyes while she plays around, and I get a feeling similar to hearing the resounding ring of a glass being struck. Then Yulania's pupils start to dilate, and the feeling fades into nothing again.

    Is she… using [Weaverism] on us?

    Gih.

    Even if it's only on herself, I want to know what it is.

    "Ready?" I ask, and she nods.

    I slide forward and strike. She meets my sword and pivots, bringing the point of her blade towards my face. I move to block with my shield, and she slides around it, scratching my left cheek exactly where my vertical scar is. Since she only lightly touched me, she gains a single point.

    That was odd.

    She's also not making any sound as she moves, throwing me off a little.

    I strike again and defend myself from her counter, only for the tip of her sword to slide perfectly around my defenses and scratch me again.

    This repeats four more times as I probe her defenses. I start to get the feeling that she's untouchable, not because she's skilled, her attack pattern is simpler than mine, but because she seems to predict my attacks.

    Ooh… is this something related to [Weaverism]? Well, how about I do this…?

    I cast [Rush] and strike as fast as the spell allows me to. She winces before I even touch her and struggles to keep up with my attacks.

    "Point to Wolf," Ciel announces.

    "Point to Wolf."

    "Point to Wolf."

    "Point to Wolf."

    This will take ages. Even though I have speed, I don't have enough to finish this duel, and I hate attrition battles, unlike Hana.

    I shift tactics.

    A light [Earth Bullet] at her leg to distract her. A [Lightning Bolt] that, although it gets partially absorbed by [Rainbow Shield], is enough to make her flinch. I spin and float with [Acrobatics] and [Telekinesis] and land a sneak attack with [Soul Manipulation] that touches her calves but doesn't slice her ankles.

    She really is predicting my attacks, but she can't react to them all at the same time!

    I simultaneously pull her sword up with [Telekinesis] and blind her with [Spirit Light], then I strike down at her leg with all of my strength and easily pass through her [Wind Shield].

    "Major point to Wolf."

    Suddenly, I feel heavy, and it becomes difficult to stay upright. I cast [Telekinesis] to make myself light, but it doesn't help. A sticky feeling starts to spread across my skin and pull me down.

    She sweats heavily, and her face pales as she starts chanting [Entangling Vines], but that was a mistake. I instantly cast the same spell and bind her in place before she can finish chanting.

    She grits her teeth, and I cast [Vine Weapon], creating a blunted javelin in my hand. She raises her sword to parry, and I pull it down with [Telekinesis] so strongly that she can't raise it back up, then I throw the javelin.

    It hits her square in the chest, and she falls backward. Suddenly, I don't feel sticky anymore, and I return to being able to move normally. She didn't surrender yet, so I [Rush] forward.

    While gasping for breath, she swings her longsword at me, and I bat it out of her hands with a [Telekinesis] powered counter. Suddenly, my sword hand feels so heavy that I can't move it to attack her anymore. I don't lose my grip on my sword or get pulled down, I just lack the strength to lift my hand.

    Yulania gets on her knees, and I use my shield to bash her face. She uses an arm to protect herself, but still gets sent to the ground again.

    I straddle her chest and use my knees to press her shoulders against the ground. I release my shield since it's too big for this situation and punch her perfect face.

    I miss the jaw, and she doesn't pass out, so she's able to push against the floor and slip up a bit from under my knees. Now, I'm merely straddling her waist, and her sweaty body is pressing against mine. My nose is filled with the alluring smell of her sweat and intoxicating perfume.

    Her resistance is making my anger quickly flare up inside of me, greatly lowering my inhibitions about causing her pain.

    I grab her neck and cast [Shocking Touch]. She goes limp for only a few seconds, but that's long enough for me to start choking her and push her against the ground again.

    She doesn't tap my arm in defeat, continuing to resist me and trying to undo my grip on her neck. I cast [Shocking Touch] again, and she loses most of the strength in her hands, but doesn't go limp this time.

    She's really good at resisting [Electric Magic].

    [Entangling Vines] fades, and her legs are no longer restrained, but their thrashing accomplishes nothing as my legs are perfectly wrapped around her waist.

    Her mouth hangs open, and her eyes roll back as she struggles to breathe and finally passes out. My right arm instantly returns to normal, and I hold my sword against her neck. I notice that her legs are randomly spasming.

    "Pass out! Victory to Wolf!"

    I loosen my grip on her neck, and she wakes up, then notices the practice sword, and her body goes limp. She sighs and closes her eyes. I remove the sword but keep my fingers wrapped around her neck.

    "Victory to Wolf!" Ciel repeats so that she can hear.

    I cast [Heal] on her and lower my head closer to hers until our noses touch, then she opens her eyes and I see a hint of fear within them. The feeling of a glass being struck comes back, but now it's so strong that it drowns out everything else.

    What is that…?

    She breathes in slowly and deeply and closes her eyes, then she raises her face to meet me and kisses my lips. The resounding ring instantly disappears, and I open my eyes wide in surprise. The way she forces her eyes shut makes her seem like an innocent girl who's forcing herself to kiss her boyfriend for the first time.

    This was not what I was expecting her to do, but I'm not one to say no to a kiss, so I respond and pull her face closer. I part her lips with my tongue, and she responds, showing me how thirsty she really is.

    I instantly feel her need for care and love, and start hugging her body. Her hands rise up and slip under my shirt. They glide over my skin and move towards my face, pushing my shirt up as they go.

    I break the kiss, and she pulls off my shirt, then her hands go down, caressing my pecs and abs. She looks at my body with a bit of hunger and fear. I'm still not sure why she's doing this.

    Then her hands stop at my belt and start to undo it. I look down at her chest and see her white shirt exposing her dark lacy bra to me. In between her perfect breasts, there's a small hook, so I eagerly release it.

    Her glory breaks free from its chains, exposing her pink nipples to me.

    There's a perfect woman below me with her majestic, drill-like hair sprawled out on the ground and her delicate hands undoing my belt. This is another scene that I need a painting of.

    She throws my belt away and unbuttons my pants, then reaches into my underwear and pulls out my cock. She stops and stares at the thick meat rod in her delicate hands.

    I immediately freeze Alissa with [Bind] before her hand can finish sneaking towards her pussy.

    Then I reach behind me and rub a finger against her panties, causing her to squeak out a girly moan. She starts stroking me while I rub her drenched entrance.

    I push my hips towards her, and she pulls back the foreskin, exposing my red head. Then she opens her mouth wide and swallows me whole. She deepthroats me as her tongue rubs strongly against my shaft and balls, begging for the symbol of my virility.

    I push her panties to the side and penetrate her with my index finger. She starts squeaking adorable moans as I fingerfuck her, and her voice makes her throat vibrate against my head.

    Due to how thirsty I am for her, I don't last long.

    "I'm gonna cum," I warn her, and she pulls it out, then I glaze her perfect face and mark her as mine. She manages to swallow some of it, then immediately starts cleaning her face and eating the rest.

    She releases my cock, and I stop straddling her. I go back and pull her pants and panties off of her, exposing her deep red lips to me. An adorable golden landing strip adorns her wet promised land.

    She casts [Clean] on her mouth and takes her boots off by herself. She spreads her legs to me, her dripping entrance presented like an enticing invitation. Then I lean over her again, making our noses touch. I stare into her eyes, then she averts her own.

    Feeling annoyed, I grab her face and order, "Look at me. If you don't want to do this, then say so, but look at me."

    Her scared eyes turn to me, and I feel like I can hear a glass window shattering. She winces and whimpers, then her hungry face warps with pain as tears form in the corner of her eyes.

    "What was that?" I ask.

    "Sorry…" She mutters and looks away guiltily.

    "What was that?" I repeat.

    "Sorry…"

    "Yulania! I'm not chastising you, I just want to know what you did!"

    She hugs herself but doesn't cover her breasts, which only makes her look even more enticing, which I don't think was her intention.

    "That's called [Mask]. It helps me… keep my emotions under control," she whispers, and a silent tear runs along her cheek. I release her face, and she turns her head away.

    "Why would you need that?" I ask, and she sends me an angry glance. "Oh… right, sorry. I just… didn't know what it was."

    She weakly nods twice and frowns, her face showing a hint of anguish.

    Her confidence, magnificence, and even some of the shininess of her hair seem to fade as the proud woman now looks like nothing more than a wounded and vulnerable girl alone in the world.

    She… reminds me a little of myself.

    I sigh and sit in front of her, then I pull her up into a hug. I start to caress her head while applying some of my soul touch to it.

    She sniffles, and my shoulder starts to feel wet.

    "You can let it all out now. Cry, cry as much as you want," I whisper into her ear.

    "I hate crying," she mumbles amid her whimpers.

    She sobs for a while, then her arms wrap around my back, and she hugs me tight as her legs wrap around my waist, making my penis rest against her crotch. My shaft feels her intense heat and twitches.

    She grabs my dick and shifts around, then rubs my head against her labia.

    I loosen the hug so I can look at her face, my eyebrows raised in surprise.

    She narrows her deep blue eyes in annoyance. "They said you can be too gentle, so don't you dare stop now. I need this," she whispers to me.

    Right, Ciel said that people here use sex as a way to find comfort. That's what she wants, so that's exactly what I'll give her.

    I pull her towards my lap, then I grab her waist and help her lower herself onto me. I gently spread my soul out of my dick, causing her to gasp, then her legs tremble as my head parts her lips.

    Her warmth wraps around me, and she starts to breathe heavily. She grabs my head, and her deep blue eyes link with mine.

    She pulls my head closer and gives me a hungry, messy kiss as I slowly bounce her up and down my length.

    Her body is surprisingly light. She's taller and physically stronger than Roxanne, but weaker (and lighter, but don't tell her that) than Ciel, making it quite easy for me to use her as a cock-sleeve.

    She wants to touch me with everything she can. She wants to fuse with me and open her heart. She wants to share her pain and receive my happiness.

    I feel like casting [Bind], but then I think about Lina and how eager she is for that.

    Sensing my torn feelings, Alissa calmly says in my soul space, "Don't. She can deal with this pain by herself. Lina's happiness is more important."

    I nod internally and focus on Yunia. I share with all the girls exactly how amazing it is to fuck her, causing Alissa's words to quickly become a garbled mess as sexual frustration wracks her mind.

    The other girls start their fivesome while watching us. Yulania momentarily freezes as she sees Hana eating Aoi out, but the rising heat in her cunt is enough to tell me her opinion about this sight.

    Roxanne's tail fucks Lina while the succubus herself uses everything else on Ciel, making her convulse by intensively stimulating her clit and g-spot at the same time.

    My soul touches Yulania's cervix, and her high-pitched girly moans increase in intensity.

    "Ah… fuck me… fuck me harder… fuck that… pussy…!" She mumbles between moans.

    Her feet kick against the floor repeatedly as her whole body quivers and her toes curl. I subtly add a clit rubber and some light ribbing to my dick, then I elongate it to make sure that it slams against her cervix with every thrust.

    Her eyes soon roll back into her head, and she starts to go limp, then I decide that she's had enough and shoot rope after rope of my white paint deep inside her.

    My lap gets coated in my dye, then I lower her onto the floor and take out my brush. I continue cumming continuously, staining her clothes and marking her whole body as mine with my seed.

    She slowly starts to recover her lucidity and begins to absentmindedly scoop out my cum to eat as if it were candy.

    Aoi wants to dart towards us, but I stop her with [Bind]. This time, Yulania is mine, solely mine.

    The body of the elven goddess still twitches randomly as the last remnants of the strongest orgasm she's ever had still courses through her body. Her face relaxes, and her tears dry, bringing back her majestic aura, now completely sullied by my mark.

    I stand above her, still erect as my Symbol of Power drips with ambrosia. I notice the imprint that my hand left on her neck is becoming more visible as a faint bruise forms.

    Oh… I'll [Heal] you in a minute. I just need to burn this image into my memory.

    My first time with Alissa (in both forms), Hana, Roxanne, Ciel, Lina, Aoi, and now Yulania. I'll never forget any of these historic moments of my life.

    The defiled elf's eyes regain their focus and look at my grinning face, then at my still erect and dripping cock. "You're a monster," she says.

    "Thank you," I respond and bow, then I cast another [Heal] on her.

    "Thank you," she says shyly.

    Once I see that her bruise is completely gone, I turn around and walk past Alissa without even looking at her.

    I stop before the frozen Aoi and smirk. "You thirsty, thirsty slut. Who'd have imagined that dragons were such cock-slaves?"

    "Fuck me!" She demands.

    "Alright," I say and release her from [Bind].

    Yulania witnesses firsthand the glory of high-impact sexual violence. Perhaps that might have traumatized her just a little.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Maurice.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
     
  10. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    Alissa and Lina worship their Idol of Love so that my Endless Hunger could be satisfied. Their little tongues make it erupt repeatedly with the Source of Life, Blessing their perfect faces with its holiness.

    Meanwhile, the other girls enter the pool completely naked to cool themselves off. Aoi shrinks into small-Aoi and spreads her wings to help her float in the water, then joins Gify who had entered the water a long while before her.

    Roxanne approaches Yulania while grinning from ear to ear. "Would you care for a 'special massage' from the two of us?" She asks.

    Yulania lazily lifts an eyebrow, then closes her eyes and lets her body float on the surface. "Do as you wish," she says.

    Two lions pounce on a vulnerable gazelle and eat her up. The soft and gentle cries of the delicate animal resound through the yard and cause another eruption of the Source of Life.

    Hana looks rather gentlemanly with a golden mustache, which seems like it might be the perfect adornment for her face.

    While they play, I take a look at Yulania's stats that have just been unlocked for me.

    Info
    Name:YulaniaAge:18Race:Golden Elf
    HP:100MP:204/1,010Magic Power:500
    Level:44
    Stats
    Strength:12Endurance:14Dexterity:19
    Speed:16Intelligence:16Wisdom:16
    Willpower:14Charisma:20Piety:12
    Perception:20Sanity:17
    Other
    Status Effects:Heightened Connection to Life, Source: Eia, Time Left: 1MTitles:NONE
    Affiliations:Blood Slave (OwnerWolf Ryder)
    Companions:NONE
    Crimes:NONE

    That "Heightened Connection to Life" is quite interesting.



    Yulania Skill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use8Two-Handed Sword Use10Parry8
    Dodge9Silent Shadow Style4Battlefield Perception5
    Enhanced Reflexes5Sense Presence1Hide Presence4
    Muscle Explosion2Quiet Steps2Quiet Action6
    Magical
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sense Mana5Mana Control4Mana Recovery2
    Mana Efficiency8Reduced Mana Cost4Fire Magic1
    Light Magic5Spirit Magic15Illusion Magic10
    Space Magic6Nature Magic10Conjuring Magic1
    Weaverism23
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Riding5Acting3Dancing2

    Spells
    CleanSpirit Light (weak)Conjure WaterConjure Bland Meal (weak)FireballTelekinesis
    Item Box (weak)Fire BreathSummon Wings

    How fascinating! She seems to be a bit more of the sneaky kind, but she's also a Spirit and Nature mage!

    I'm very interested in her spells. [Chain Life], [Life Perception], and [Disruption Field] are completely novel to me. By the order they're listed in, they must belong to [Weaverism].

    As our lust subsides, we join the rest of the girls in the pool, all of us soaking naked in the refreshingly cool water. Its deep blue color is kind of pretty, but it also makes me think that it might be contaminated with something.

    "Why is the pool so blue?" I ask.

    "It's to mimic the color of the water found in the Thunderplains," Yulania responds in a soft voice.

    "There's a mineral in the water there that gives it its color. It isn't harmful, though," Ciel adds.

    Yulania opens her eyes, and their fogginess slowly fades, returning them to their beautiful bright blue. "You've been to the Thunderplains?" Yulania asks.

    Ciel nods and smiles. "Yes, just once. I was with the Templar Knights of the Wandering Order. It's a beautiful place that I'd like to visit again sometime."

    Yulania closes her eyes again and smiles bitterly. "It is. My favorite hidden retreat is there, too. My silver mother said that I'm truly half silver elf because of how much I enjoy the grasslands of the Thunderplains."

    "The grasslands have the freshest air, so it's my favorite place, too," Lina comments, and Yulania chuckles once. "What?" Lina asks and tilts her head.

    "It was just that your comment was very… 'dwarfy.'"

    Then Hana's brain massage makes Yulania softly moan.

    Lina shrugs and snuggles against my chest.

    Gify cutely paddles towards Yulania and climbs up her shoulder. The elven goddess lazily opens her eyes, then they shoot open as she stares at the little griffin with surprise. As an initiate Nature mage, she understands the significance of having a nature spirit decide to touch her for the first time.

    We all move towards her and hold on to a part of her body, which startles her a bit, then Gify does her thing and connects us all together.

    I see a palace in the middle of a lonely island. The sunset makes it shine with gold and orange, but the lower light also hides many of its details. The paint is starting to come off in various spots, moss is growing in the corners, small cracks are appearing in the walls, the luster of the gold is fading, and the decorative metal is scratched and worn.

    "Ah!" Yulania gasps as she perceives what's inside all of our hearts at the same time.

    Her eyes lose focus again, and she smiles faintly as her body is "massaged" by Gify.

    She had her womb massaged by me, then had every erogenous zone stimulated by Hana and Roxanne, and now she's receiving a "soul massage." If this doesn't make her feel "refreshed," then nothing will.

    The connection slowly fades, and we all return to normal. Yulania looks a little embarrassed, but Hana's brain massage quickly washes that away.

    "Is every day going to be as intense as this?" She asks and looks around with an intense gaze.

    "Well, not really, but it happens quite often," Ciel says and chuckles.

    "Especially if you ask Wolfy to not be gentle," Alissa says.

    "I see…" Yulania says in a low tone and looks at me a little fearfully. "You have some strange… skills, Wolf. I'm still not really sure what that was that you did to me."

    Call me Wolfy, please.

    I smile gently and answer, "That was my 'soul touch.' As the girls have told you, I can move my soul at will, and I coated my… penis with it. My soul touching yours causes pleasure, for some reason."

    She narrows her eyes. "You mean 'spirit' instead of 'soul,' correct? The soul is merely the inner part of the spirit, like your inner organs. You can't use your soul to 'touch' anything else without rupturing your spirit, which is like your skin, because doing so would cause instant death."

    Of course, a Spirit mage would be the one to push me to use the right terminology.

    I smile wryly and say, "R-right, yeah, I've been using the wrong term, but my skill is called [Soul Manipulation]. I believe that I actually move my spirit by moving my soul, but I only actually touch things with my spirit."

    She opens her beautiful eyes wide in surprise. "So, you've developed something like 'soul muscles'?"

    I nod repeatedly. "That's a good analogy."

    Her expression returns to being slightly stern. "Impressive."

    "Thank you."

    "Uh… can we start making lunch? I'm getting hungry," Roxanne suggests.

    Yulania becomes a little uneasy.

    I smirk, and Roxanne instantly understands her reaction, then smirks, too.

    "Have you ever prepared a meal?" Roxanne asks Yulania.

    "Yes…" The elven goddess responds and swallows heavily.

    Roxanne pulls up Yulania's hands towards the surface of the water and gently inspects them. Then she succumbs to her lust and starts to sensually suck on her fingers.

    Yulania immediately licks her lips and stares intently at Roxanne. It seems that elves are quick to recognize lewdness.

    Before we all start getting in the mood again, I poke Roxanne's soul, and she stops being so lewd.

    "Yulania…" Roxanne starts with a low, teasing tone. She approaches Yulania and gives her cheek a slow and strong lick. "This taste… is the taste of a liar!"

    The little liar shivers in fear of Roxanne and closes her eyes.

    "Tell us the truth. You don't want to ruin the first meal we share together," Alissa warns her.

    "Oh no! My meat has to be perfect, like always!" Aoi exclaims.

    "Gih!" Gify agrees.

    "Three of us have [Cooking] as a skill. We'll discover the truth sooner or later," I say with a severe tone.

    "I've never touched a knife in my life!" Yulania finally admits, and her pink skin quickly turns red with shame.

    "What an innocent Lady you are…" Hana says and pats her head softly.

    "I'm not a Lady," Yulania protests without much energy.

    "Sheltered for her entire life from the evil taint of the Cilrag and Remmidy. What a pure existence you are," Roxanne teases.

    Those are not-garlic and not-onion.

    Yulania pouts slightly, making her juicy red lips a little juicer. "They do smell terrible," she mutters.

    We chuckle at her expense, and she sinks her face underwater, then makes bubbles in frustration.

    "Alright, children, enough playing around. It's time to prepare lunch," Ciel says.



    We start getting out of the water and drying ourselves off.

    Yulania's hair has become almost completely straight, giving her a much colder air, similar to her mothers' portraits. Then she pulls out a long, drill-like piece of metal with a small gem at its base. She wraps her hair around the magic tool then activates it. It instantly dries her hair, and when she takes it out, her hair remains in the same drill shape it had earlier.

    I kneel beside her, and she looks at me with a hint of wariness.

    She has [Acting], so it's possible that her actual emotions are much stronger than this.

    "Would you like me to help?" I ask.

    She hesitates for a moment, then hands me the magic tool.

    "Don't you have to brush it first? It should help maintain the shape, right?" I question.

    "Y-yes, it does. But I didn't think that we had the time," she responds.

    "For you, we do."

    She nods twice and pulls out two brushes. While the girls dress and walk towards the mansion, we stay here while we bring her hair to its former glory.

    "Didn't expect you to be interested in such things," she says in a low tone.

    "Why?" I ask.

    "You have five… uh, six other women to take care of. I'll completely understand when you need some time alone."

    I stop brushing her hair and think for a few seconds.

    She stops, too and turns to look at me with curiosity.

    "Ever since I met my wives, I've never been alone," I say.

    She lazily lifts an eyebrow. "Okay…" She says, not really believing me, and resumes brushing her hair.

    "No, seriously. I'm always with one of the girls, so there's always someone getting some quality time with me."

    "That's…" She turns around and looks at me a little annoyedly, then immediately stops and shakes her head. "No, you're a monster, of course, you'd be like that. You're an incubus-type demon in disguise, that's what you are."

    I smirk. "I prefer the nickname 'incubus' much more than 'monster.'"

    She chuckles once. "I'll start calling you Mr. 'Good Luck' then."

    I let my mouth hang open with a sad frown. "No~, please don't."

    Now she smirks, and her narrow eyes give her a "cool beauty" vibe. "Ha! They told me that you'd be annoyed with that one."

    "Why would… traitors!" I shake my fist in the air. "Let's stop with these nicknames then, just call me Wolfy, please," I plead.

    "Hmph, fine. Call me Yu, Yula, or Yunia, then."

    Oh, Yunia sounds really cute.

    "I prefer Yunia," I say.

    "Good choice," she says and resumes brushing her hair once again.



    We spend a few more minutes naked while restoring the work of art that is her hair.

    Once we finish, we regretfully have to get clothed again. Though at least there's a certain allure to a sexily dressed woman that doesn't remain when clothes come off, so it's not like the eye-candy diminished. Then I get my little me under control and go towards the mansion to help prepare lunch.

    Okay, I'll never use "little" to refer to my thunder cock ever again.

    To show Yunia some of the commoner cuisine, we prepare poutine. Nothing but simple ingredients that make for a very hearty meal.

    "It's not very healthy, though…" Yunia says a little shyly.

    "Exactly," I agree with her and grin.

    Both Hana and Lina pout. The two of them have some slightly unhealthy eating habits, and I really don't know how Lina maintains her perfect, lithe figure.

    Then, as we eat, Osaria finally receives the news about Mavel's death.

    She rushes towards Klein and tells her the "good news." They both look at the bird with hopeful eyes.

    "So, you did it? You've gained Confiel's support?" Osaria asks gently to the bird and lovingly pats its head.

    "Now you just have to survive the dungeon," Klein says and their excitement deflates.

    "I hope that you're fine…" Osaria says in a low tone, and Klein nods.

    "Wasn't Mavel your not-blood-brother?" Klein asks Osaria.

    Lina's Trivia: that means brother-in-law.

    Osaria smiles bitterly. "We've never been close, and our relationship worsened when my ex-husband… started to become sick in the head. I'm actually only sad for Yulania. She was a good girl and didn't deserve to get dragged into Mavel's stupid war."

    We have to tell her that Yunia is still alive.

    Klein nods in grim understanding.

    I clear my throat and start, "So… Yunia…"

    "What? Is that her nickname, now?" Hana interrupts me.

    "Yes, I… prefer that," Yunia responds with a nod.

    "Nice! I like long names, but cute nicknames are even better!"

    "Anyway…" -I send a short glare towards Hana- "Yunia, I have to tell you that your aunt Osaria is my…. Uh… sex friend? Concubine?"

    "Concubine," Alissa agrees with a nod.

    "You mean that she actually likes you and not just your… dick?" Yunia asks and uses [Acting] to keep her expression straight.

    "She definitely likes him. A least a little," Ciel says.

    Yunia raises her eyebrows and leans back in her chair. "Wow. Your… uh, penis is not really on the bigger side of things. I mean… it's thick and has a nice length, but…" She stops talking and facepalms while she bites her lip. Her face starts to gain a stronger shade of pink

    I chuckle and say, "I get it, it's average. Now, where were you going with that?"

    She sighs and strains her facial muscles to keep her face neutral. "I mean, Osaria likes it big, and aside from Rande, I don't think that anybody would be able to make her 'happy' consistently enough for her to become something like a concubine."

    There are some things about Osaria's life that I think I'll just continue to ignore, but there's one important detail here that I need to know.

    "Okay, why do you know that?" I ask and struggle to not laugh.

    It immediately dawns on her, and her brilliant blue eyes stare deeply into mine. "No! I've never slept with her or Rande! It's just… that she doesn't really keep these things secret." She cringes so hard that I feel a little bad for her.

    "He didn't even need to make his dick bigger. He made her become addicted to his cock with just his soul-, erm, 'spirit touch,'" Alissa says and corrects herself.

    Yunia rolls her eyes. "Of course you did… Well, it's fine. She's a good woman who's had a hard life, and she deserves some comfort."

    I smile gently at her. "She thinks that you're dead, so we should tell her what's happened to you to let her heart be at ease," I say.

    Yunia nods in agreement, and a small smile adorns her red lips.

    "Huh… so, she's our not-blood-aunt now," Roxanne comments.

    "We're also related to Rande!" Hana exclaims and laughs.

    "Oh…" Lina lets a shy exclamation escape from her mouth when she remembers Oura.

    "Hm… so there will be many more chances for you and Nito to meet?" Roxanne asks with a teasing smile.

    "I never told anyone that Nito has a thing for me," I say as I narrow my eyes at her, and she grins.

    I watch the faces of Alissa, Hana, and Aoi. Then I feel a very small hint of guilt coming from Alissa and glare at her.

    "Aren't you compelled by [Tongue of Obedience] to keep my secrets?" I question her.

    Alissa freezes completely and starts talking robotically. "The fact that Nito 'is smitten' with you isn't really a 'secret' since Lina is the one that gave me that suspicion first. The fact that I shared this information with Roxanne isn't a breach of the contract since you tell us everything."

    Lina lowers her head and stares intently at her hands, deeply embarrassed.

    "You little shit," I grumble while the rest of the girls and Gify laugh.

    "Wait, did you sleep with Oura and Nito?" Yunia asks.

    "No. Also, Nito is a man, and I'm not gay," I answer matter-of-factly.

    Yunia looks slightly amused. "But he's not really that manly; he's almost a girl. All that he's missing is a vagina."

    "Traps are totally gay, no question about that," I confidently state.

    "Trap?" Alissa asks and tilts her head.

    "'Gay' is translated but not 'trap'? This world lacks culture." -I shake my head dramatically- "A 'trap' is a man who looks and dresses just like a girl."

    Yunia nods in understanding. "O~h… well, I don't think it needs to be translated. Plenty of girly men love to bait manly men into sleeping with them."

    "The presence of a dick makes it gay. I'll never suck a dick or drink cum," I state.

    "Well, you don't really have to do that much. You just have to fuck his tight little back hole," Roxanne says and delights herself with each word.

    "Why don't you sleep with men? It's fun!" Aoi asks.

    "Personal preference," I answer immediately.

    "Insecurity in his identity as a man," Ciel says, casually.

    I scoff and look at her in surprise. "Even you?"

    Now she scoffs and gives me some sass. "Hey. You made me bisexual. Why can't you become one, too?"

    "Personal preference," I repeat with a nod.

    Roxanne clicks her tongue as she says, "Tch. He'll see the light one day."

    "Never." I deny.



    We put the dirty dishes in the sink, with Ciel and I casting multiple [Clean]s on them. Alissa and Lina then give them a quick wash, just to clean away the last bits of dirt that might've escaped the spells.

    Once everything is done, we sit back down at the table to discuss our plans. Yunia fidgets, uncertain about what we're doing, but too insecure to ask us about it.

    "Right, now we have to decide what we're doing today," I start.

    "Didn't you say that you were going to visit Darean?" Alissa asks.

    "I did."

    Her expression becomes more serious and a little anguished as her memories of Darean resurface. "Then I'm coming, too. I'd like to give him one last glare before he's sent to Vanea."

    "He's brought too much grief to our family. We should all give him one final look," Hana says.

    I look around, and the girls all nod, then we stare at Yunia, and she nods sheepishly.

    The elven goddess has a "resting bitch face," but she doesn't seem to act like it, and even that "cool beauty" air of hers isn't holding up for long. She keeps up a serious persona because it was expected of her as Mavel's Chosen Descendant, but her true nature seems to be far more humble.



    We call the servant and tell him that we'd like to see Darean.

    "I have a message from Grand Bastico," the servant says.

    "What is it?" I ask.

    "He would like to inquire if you're available for him to come visit you this evening for dinner."

    "That's fine…?" I say as I look around. The girls nod, and I see Yunia smile smugly.

    The servant leaves to get the details about Darean's current location, and I turn to Yunia.

    "What's with that smile?" I ask.

    Her body twitches, and her smile warps awkwardly. "Oh, i-it's nothing… I just felt a little pleased that I now have a very good reason to thoroughly reject Bastico's proposal."

    I blink blankly.

    "He… proposed to you?" Ciel asks in my stead.

    "Him and more than half of the High Forest…! Ohohohoh…" Yunia says and laughs smugly like a lady while covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she coughs and forces herself to become impassive. When our confused stares don't relent, she quickly explains herself, "I admit that I take pleasure in rejecting men."

    Hana laughs once and says, "Ha! I get what you mean. I like the attention, so I don't reject them, but it certainly felt really good to repeatedly say 'no' to Rande."

    "That's rather mean to men in general," Ciel says, disapprovingly.

    They both shrug in sync.

    "But we can't deny that it feels good," Hana says.



    The servant comes back and guides us to an [Eternal Gate] to Goloria's dungeon, which is where Darean has been relocated.

    The dungeon is deep underground, below the town's lake. The only way in or out is through the portal, so you can be sure that it's never had a prison break.

    The place is made of pure black, damp stone. Enchantments recycle the air, giving a cold "air conditioner" feel to it. The rooms are all brightly lit since darkness would only help the prisoners to sneak around if, for some reason, they managed to escape their cells.

    That last part has always bothered me in sneaky-type video games. I know that an environment full of dark spots makes it easier to walk around, but it just makes no sense!

    We approach a gate, and the heavily armored guard behind it gets up to greet us.

    The guard makes us use an Identification Crystal, then he logs our names in a ledger. He lets us through, and another guard guides us towards Darean's cell.

    There are only four other prisoners here: three Wicked men and one woman. I recognize that one of the men is from Dawn of Fire. These prisoners are currently more valuable alive than dead, so their executions have been postponed for a short while.

    After a few corridors, we enter a dead end. In the last cell on the right, there's one miserable person sleeping in a simple, rough bed, Darean.

    We stop in front of his cell, and the disgusting smell makes us wrinkle our noses. The prisoners are allowed to wash themselves, but Darean hasn't been doing so. He's filthy, and his once white clothes are now yellow and have many dark and humid spots where the dirt has stained them. I can even recognize the foul smell of urine coming from him.

    Alissa growls in anger as her nose is assaulted by his stench.

    But I can't even recognize this person. I just see a thin man with dirty and frizzled blonde hair, a long beard that messily blankets most of his face, and sullen cheeks and eyes. [Sense Soul] doesn't lie, though; that's Darean Arnald.

    A flicker of life enters his eyes, and he scans our faces. "Who are you…?" He asks with a hoarse voice.

    "You've forgotten my face, but you still kept hunting us, Darean? I'm Wolf Ryder, and these are my wives," I growl, brimming with anger.

    His eyes widen, and his filthy teeth appear from behind his maniacal grin.

    "He's Wicked, so don't get too close to his cell," the guard escorting us warns us and walks away.

    Darean starts to laugh out loud, but then a fit of dry coughing begins. After it's passed, he's left gasping for air.

    "He's going to die from disease within a matter of days," Ciel says.

    Yunia scoffs and glares at him like one looks at a pile of excrement. "He lost his will to live after my father locked him up, so I'm not surprised. But since he's valuable to us, I don't believe that Confiel would let him die so easily," She says.

    Darean's grin comes back, and he stumbles towards his cell's grating. I notice an emellanat collar around his neck. Interrupting the flow of magic between the brain and the heart is enough to completely block all but the most powerful mages from casting any spell.

    "Hello~…" He says and scans us all again. "Wolf Ryder… Alissa… Roxanne Succubus… Hanafuria… and, uh… who are the new sluts, again? Ciel and, uh, Lana? Nala? Whatever, you're sex slave number five! HAHAHAHA-…" Another coughing fit starts up, but he quickly recovers. "Please don't make me laugh, my lungs can't take it."

    "My name is Lina…" She says in a low tone. Her eyes are cold and dark in a way that I've never seen them before. She's definitely not cute right now. I don't want to see her like this any longer, so I want to get this over with quickly.

    "I don't care. You're Whore Five to me," Darean responds and shrugs. "And now I see he's got a sixth, too, huh? You fucking man-whore, stealing women from all over the land! How was Farana's tight little pussy?! Did you enjoy raping her, too, you fucker?!"

    Hana slams her open palm against the cell, making it shake and startling Darean, who falls back on his ass. "Offend us again and you'll experience how agonizing it is to be burnt alive!" She growls at him, with fire escaping her mouth as she talks.

    Darean prostrates himself on the ground and shivers. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't hur-…" Another coughing fit interrupts him.

    She snarls, disgusted at his lack of backbone.

    "But… what a fortunate coincidence that you're all here, right in front of me. With this, it's time t-…" His words are interrupted again as he starts to retch. We frown, disgusted, and a little worried that he might die here right now.

    Then a ball of phlegm as big as a tennis ball launches out of his mouth and splosh against the dungeon floor.

    "What the fuck," I mutter.

    He grabs the ball and wipes it with his filthy clothes, revealing a cracked dark red gem. He feeds it what little mana he can, and a high-pitched alarm resound through the dungeon.

    Aoi suddenly grows into big-Aoi, then she, Hana, and Ciel stand in front of us while pushing us back. They desperately search their [Item Box]es for their weapons.

    Lina casts an [Earth Bullet] at Darean's hand, which crushes it and makes him drop the gem. But the magic tool has already activated, and a dormant pool of mana instantly rises into a storm.

    Darean clutches his crushed hand and looks at us with a maniacal grin as he starts laughing out loud, louder than even the alarm.

    A guard comes rushing towards us, sword drawn. "Who cast a spell?!" He yells.

    The mana inside the magic tool is growing so wildly and so quickly that we freeze up. I get a flashback to the [Meteor]s, but then something else enters my memory: Farana's explosion of Darean's warehouse, the second time we fought alongside Vanea.

    Darean kicks the gem, and it rolls past the grating. "Don't even think of storing this in your [Item Box] if you don't want to make things worse!" He yells.

    The gem starts to glow, then Roxanne pales, and the guard freezes in his tracks. "Runaway mana reaction! It's going to blow!" She yells.

    I jump forward and open a [Gate] to our secret resting spot near Goloria. The gem enters the black circle and disappears. Three seconds later, the ground trembles slightly, then we hear the rumble of an explosion.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2020
  11. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Darean is stunned, then his expression goes from supreme delight to absolute horror in an instant. "NOOO~…! YOU RUINED IT ALL! HOW, HOW CAN YOU CAST [GATE] INSTANTLY?!" He bellows.

    "STOP!" I yell in [Godly Language], and he freezes.

    "WAIT! WHAT HAPPENED?!" The guard questions us.

    I guide Hana and Aoi to stand in front of the guard and to look menacing.

    "Call Lord Confiel, but leave us! This is more important than your life!" Alissa yells.

    "Do you have any other hidden tricks?" I question Darean.

    "No, they took away my [Wind Blade] gem that was hidden between my ribs. This was my last chance at killing you," he immediately admits.

    A bunch of other guards arrive, and a standoff begins. The initial guard runs off down the corridor, hopefully to report to Confiel.

    "Were you involved with the heretics that destroyed the Innocent Nymph inn?"

    "I don't know anything about that inn. The only heretics I met were Wicked men working in the Dawn of Fire… Stop! You're messing with my head!" He grabs his long hair and starts pulling hard on it.

    "Did you manipulate Dawn of Fire into attacking us?"

    "Yes. I convinced them that the Este Escort Company had some very, very valuable targets to capture."

    "Did you incite a mob of thieves to attack us?"

    His face distorts in exertion, but he can't resist my skill. "Yes, I wanted to test your capabilities and hired a Summoning mage to spy on you. It didn't work very well… ARGH! STOP!"

    "Back in Rabanara, did you hire a group of kidnappers and use Farana to lure me into an ambush?"

    "Yes, I did. And because of you, I lost my FUCKING [GATE] SCRUBBER! BECAUSE OF YOU, MY MASTER TRIED TO KILL ME!"

    "Who's your master?"

    "He used a fake name, obviously. I only know that he's likely imperial royalty."

    Royalty? Does he mean part of the emperor's extended family?!

    Ciel winces and looks at him with disbelief and anger. "You are lying!" She yells.

    "It's only logical! He had wa~y too many resources to fuck with the Anara-…!" Darean yells back at her, and another coughing fit starts.

    "Baseless speculation! Slander!" Ciel yells.

    "Ciel, stop," I warn her, and she bites her tongue, then returns to glaring at the line of guards in front of the girls. Yunia stands behind them, perfectly still, and completely unsure of what to do.

    "Why did you target us?" I continue the interrogation.

    This time, he answers without [Godly Language] forcing him to do so, "Because you killed my brother! He was the only family I ever had, and you fucking killed him like a goblin! I HOPE YOU DIE TO A BREEDER!" He crawls forward to the cell grating and slams his good hand against it, barely making it rattle. "AND THEN YOU STOLE FARANA FROM ME! YOU LEFT ME ALL ALONE IN THIS REALM! YOU TOOK AWAY EVERYONE I'D EVER LOVED…! I'VE BEEN DEAD ALREADY FOR A LONG TIME, SO FINISH THE JOB THAT YOU FUCKING STARTED!"

    That tirade took all of his energy because as soon as he finishes, he collapses, gasping for air and coughing heavily.

    I kneel and glare at him with more anger than I've ever had.

    All this pain and suffering, all this manipulation that caused so many innocents to die, it was all the work of a mad man turned Wicked. He deserves no pity, he deserves no mercy, he only deserves to pay.

    The women that saved me from depression and insanity were repeatedly endangered by his evil thirst for revenge. He wanted to avenge a Wicked brother that was rightfully killed for being a fucking rapist!

    Scum of the earth, with a broken mind, a darkened heart, and a complete lack of morals. An existence too pitiful to be left alive. But with crimes too heavy to receive the mercy of death.

    Darean clutches his broken hand, and his face pales. His whole body starts shivering, and his scared eyes remain locked with mine, as if he simply can't look away.

    "You won't die so soon. You'll be sent to Vanea for her to extract whatever she might need from you," I say in a calm and deliberate tone, but still seeping with anger in every word.

    "No… no… please, not her! She's as Wicked as me!" He begs.

    I get up and look down at him with contempt. In the end, we're all responsible for our actions, and the dark path he chose was bound to only bring misery onto himself.

    "She's not Wicked, Darean. She… is what you deserve."

    That final word breaks his mind. He slowly lays himself down on the ground and curls into a fetal position as he whimpers incomprehensibly.

    I turn to the guards, and they flinch.

    I don't have the patience to wait for Confiel, so I state, "He tried to kill us with a large, cracked magic tool. I merely saved all our lives by teleporting the gem to the outside."

    The guards mumble between themselves with uncertainty.

    They need some more "persuading," so I grit my teeth and release some of my anger, "Out of my way! I have no more patience to deal with any of you! If any of the Lords want to talk to us, we'll be at the imperial mansion that we were assigned."

    With a nudge, the girls sheathe their weapons. Ciel and Lina immediately copy them, then we make a single-file line. We walk forward with Hana in front, and her glare is the last warning that's needed to convince them to move out of our way.

    We quickly reach the first guard we met here and order him to open the portal to Goloria.



    I sit down on the sofa and sigh. My whole face feels cramped, so I massage it with my hands.

    Hana walks up to me and suddenly straddles me. I look at her with a bit of confusion, then I see her hungry eyes as she bites her lip, and I immediately understand. She loves it when I show power and confidence, and my expression from before was enough to make her wet.

    I move my hands under her shirt and feel her tight abs as her lips repeatedly brush against mine with unusual gentleness. These kisses are like small waves heralding the storm to come.

    One hand goes up to cup a large, juicy breast while the other goes down within her panties, and I'm greeted by the slick moistness of her desire.

    The rest of the girls sit on the other chairs and sofas around us to watch the show.



    With a moist noise, I slide out of Hana and stand up, feeling refreshed. Then I sit beside Aoi and pat her head while she cleans Hana. Alissa sets out a tray of tea and sweets on the "technically not coffee"-table, and I start drinking a mild one while Alissa polishes the Rod.

    Roxanne twitches and wakes up, then she yawns happily, spiritedly pats her lap loli, and gives a loving squeeze to her breast pillow. "Hana's moans are a lullaby to me," she says and giggles.

    Yunia sips her tea and subtly averts her eyes when I look at her. Her skin is a deeper shade of pink than normal.

    "Meeting with Darean certainly didn't go the way I planned," I comment as I smile wryly.

    "It was never going to go well," Ciel says and bats Roxanne's pervy hand away because she squeezed too hard.

    "Well, you certainly weren't expecting him to try to kill us all with a hidden weapon, right?"

    She rolls her eyes and gives me a sassy glare. "No, but I was expecting it to be a terrible experience for our hearts."

    "You think we shouldn't have gone to see him?"

    "I think we had to. We shouldn't avoid experiences just because they bring negative emotions."

    "'Pain always brings an opportunity to learn,' a teaching from the God of Endurance," Hana says.

    "Oh? You know the teachings of the Gods, now?" Roxanne teases her.

    She sits and crosses her arms, pressing the weaknesses of men together. "Hmph. My 'Piety' is eleven. I know some things."

    I lovingly kiss Alissa's forehead once she's done, then she sits beside me and I finally force the Rod to go flaccid.

    Alissa serves me a cup of tea and I take it gratefully. I'm not necessarily hungry yet, but the tea and sweets calm my heart.

    "Even though it was necessary, I didn't like seeing you so angry," Alissa says to me, and Roxanne, Ciel, and Lina nod.

    "You know my opinion," Hana says and moans in satisfaction.

    "You looked beautiful!" Aoi says.

    "Beautiful is used for women. Handsome is used for men," Ciel corrects her.

    In Andraste, "beautiful" is used for things that look gentle and delicate. "Handsome" is for things that look menacing, but not aesthetically displeasing.

    Aoi nods. "Okay. You looked handsome, Wolfy."

    "It wasn't that he looked better than usual, but that his eyes were brimming with 'Charisma,'" Hana adds.

    Oh. It'd be nice if I got something like Confiel's "danger" aura.

    "Gih," Gify encourages me.

    Slowly, the dragon awakens.



    Not long after that, we hear a knock on the door.

    "It's probably the Lords," Yunia says, and we hurry to make ourselves presentable again.

    Then Alissa answers the door, and Luz comes in.

    "Can you spare a moment for us to talk?" She asks.

    We go back to the living room, and Alissa serves more tea, which Luz thanks her and sips once.

    She puts the cup down and says in a serious tone, "We've confirmed a large explosion outside of Goloria, seemingly caused by a huge and malformed [Fireball] spell. No one has been hurt, and nothing has been damaged except for some of our decorative trees.

    "The dungeon's guards thank you for saving them, and we offer you an apology for not being thorough enough in our search for weapons on Darean Arnald's body."

    "I'd like to apologize as well," Yunia comes forth, and we look at her questioningly. "My father's men also didn't search deeply enough, so they've failed, too." Her long elven ears, almost hidden behind her majestic golden hair, flop a little with anxiety.

    "We accept your apologies. Nobody has been hurt, so everything is fine," I say with a respectful nod.

    Luz smiles gratefully, which makes us feel more at ease. "We've also already contacted Vanea Anara, she'll receive Darean tomorrow. She has expressed 'deep gratitude' about your 'gift.'" Her smile gains just a hint of awkwardness as she finishes.

    "That's fine with us," I say and nod again.

    "Well, that's all I had to say. If you'll excuse me, there are many scared citizens that I have to calm down," she says and finishes her cup, then she gets up.

    We all nod at her and she walks away.

    Yunia still looks a little sad, so I get up and sit down beside her.

    "May I?" I ask and gently hold her hand.

    She nods, not fully understanding what I'm asking, and I start caressing her delicate hand with a hint of my "spirit touch." Her nails have a faint golden shade to them, nail polish, of course.

    "So, what are we doing with the rest of our day?" I ask and look around.

    "Can we rest? It's been quite the… eventful day," Ciel suggests, and Lina nods emphatically.

    "Alright, then," I respond with a nod.

    Yunia quickly becomes much less anxious, and her ears return to their normal straightness.



    We go out to the backyard again and make ourselves comfortable in the shade.

    I pull out the Delicious Horror to study it some more. I use a frozen-by-[Bind] Alissa as a test subject for the "micro-vibrator." I don't know how to make a soul organ that vibrates automatically, but at least I can manually achieve the effect. Perhaps I can learn how to make it into a "sub-process".

    My tentacles cause Alissa to feel tickled, which slowly grows into arousal. She meditates and forces herself to remain calm while simultaneously practicing [Mesmerizing Butterflies]. It's quite a feat for her.

    Hana also practices that same spell alongside her, and the two achieve some progress as they manage to fully form the butterflies. They only last for a second, but even so, they are still a little distracting. In my case, the distraction is a welcome one since I'm trying to force myself to maintain the micro-vibrator without deliberately thinking about it.

    I put all sixteen SP that Yunia has into [Earth Magic] so that she can learn [Earth Bullet], after which she can start learning how to chantlessly cast her other spells. She closes her eyes and meditates to aid in recognizing the "itch" from chantless casting.

    Roxanne and Ciel coach her while they practice their own spells too. The three golems also practice [Earth Bullet] alongside Yunia so that they can have a simple means of attack.

    Lina reads a book in the grass while she practices wrapping her cute little feet with hardened earth to lock herself in place.

    Aoi forces herself to flap her wings as fast as possible to gain altitude. Since she's a few meters away, we just feel a pleasant, refreshing breeze on this hot day.

    We may be training, but the intensity of our effort is very low, so it's kind of a "rest" for us.

    Since Lina is the one acting more casually, I put my lap loli on her reserved spot: with my shaft between her buns. I extend a tentacle-like tail and rub it all over Alissa's body, then I observe her reaction with [Bind] and adjust it.

    Gify decides to be useful and connects herself with me, guiding me towards the right path.

    Then I kiss Lina's head, smell her fragrant hair, and sigh in satisfaction.

    Life's good™.

    She grabs my hand and blesses it with an innocent kiss. I giggle internally and respond by caressing her head.

    I grow another tentacle and use it to massage her shoulder. She looks oddly at the suggestive limb, then realizes what I'm doing and returns to reading. I decide to grow another tentacle and caress her thigh with it, pushing her sundress up a little bit.

    I feel like I'm some sort of monstrosity that gobbles up little girls. I just want to expand and "envelop" her, and touch, and taste and lick every inch of her body. I want to open my Abyssal Maw and swallow her up entirely. I want to tie her up and worship my Symbol of Cuteness.

    I slowly grow a fourth tentacle and extend it towards her bottom. It's sluggish and floppy, so it slaps against her thigh and she tilts her head in confusion.

    I put a little more effort into controlling it and manage to caress her gently with the bulging appendage. I can only maintain the micro-vibrator with one tentacle, so she only feels a squishy thing rubbing against her a little suggestively.

    Unfortunately, her cute feet are getting wrapped in earth, so I can't use my suckers on them.



    Time goes by, and I content myself with caressing my loli.

    The sunlight starts to turn orange, so we get up and breathe in the cool, fresh air. We stretch in sync, and I kiss her forehead.

    We turn to the rest of the girls, then I get their attention and say, "I think we should just ask the servants to prepare dinner. I'm not sure that we have [Cooking] high enough to please a Lord's son."

    "Your cooking is definitely good enough," Yunia says with a faint smile. "We are taught to not be fussy about food since it's not a good idea to bring chefs into a dungeon that you plan to conquer."

    "We don't know what he likes, though," Ciel says.

    Yunia nods. "True. The servants would know that."

    I stop teasing Alissa, and she breathes a sigh of relief as her ordeal finally comes to an end. She silences the fire between her legs and very grumpily gets up.

    "You're not getting any today," I gently say to her, delighting myself with every word.

    She gets even grumpier, but the fire is re-lit, and she struggles for a minute before she's back in control.

    Tomorrow, she's going to fuck me raw…



    We all enter the bath together, and Alissa kneels in front of Yunia as she starts to wash herself.

    "We have a tradition of washing one another," Alissa says and gently takes Yunia's sponge from her hands. "I, specifically, have five points in [Washing], so it's generally me who washes the others. But if you don't want it, then you can say so."

    "Oh… please do, then. Just… don't touch me 'down there,' I'm feeling very sore," Yunia says and stiffens her posture a little as Alissa starts washing her.

    I give Lina a wash and then worship her body. I create new hands to hold her legs closed tightly together and to also move her up and down my length while I stand.

    Once she's filled with my love, I gently deposit her in the water and go towards Ciel to give her some of my love, too.



    After we dry ourselves and start getting dressed, Yunia calls my attention, "Hey, Wolfy-…" She says, still a little uncertain about using the cuter version of my name. "The others said that you have an 'infinite' [Item Box], so… can you store my luggage?"

    "Sure. Where was it delivered?"

    She awkwardly walks towards the room in question then stiffly stands in front of the doorway. I look inside and chuckle.

    The room is completely packed. There's no furniture among it, but there are piles upon piles of wooden chests that fill most of the room. The piles are so tall that they even reach the high ceiling.

    "I'm thankful that they've allowed me to keep all of my things, but… maybe it was unnecessary…" She comments and clears her throat.

    "It's fine. Like the girls said, my 'Items' is seemingly infinite."

    "Hopefully," she says in a low tone.

    "Probably," I say and smirk.

    They all fit. Thankfully, they are all labeled, so it's easy for me to take out the right one. She chose the one labeled "Clothes for a casual meeting in the evening." After reading all of the different labels, I'm convinced that she has many different dresses for every conceivable situation.

    I pull out a table and a sofa for her, then I start walking away.

    "Can you stay…? And help me choose?" She asks, with that last part seemingly added in a hurry.

    "Sure," I say and pull out a chair for myself.

    She nods subtly and undresses. Her pink lips look enticing as she bends over. Her cute nipples catch my eye as they move while she puts on a bra. Her glorious hair briefly covers her perfect face, then reveals her pink skin and adorable elven ears.

    "You feel embarrassed, yet you still do this. Why?" I ask.

    "You're my master. It's normal," she calmly answers and puts on a tiara, pushing her hair back and tidily revealing her ears.

    "But you don't have to force yourself."

    "If I don't force myself, then I may never be able to do it naturally."

    I frown. "You don't have to 'do it.'"

    She looks at me with a subtle smile, and I feel her [Mask] peeking out from behind her eyes. "I chose to love you, so give me the chance and the time I need."

    I feel a lump forming in my throat. "I'm not sure how healthy it is for your mind to rely on [Mask] to hide your feelings, or to force yourself to love someone you barely know."

    She shakes her head gently and blinks slowly. "It isn't healthy for anyone to know that their parents will get murdered one day, but that's just how life is. I may feel alone now, but with you, that'll pass, like all things. 'All wounds can be healed,' the God of Endurance once said."

    "Your 'piety' isn't very high." I smile softly.

    She narrows her eyes slightly. "Neither is yours, yet you're still Blessed by the Goddess of Knowledge."

    I don't know what to say to her. I just don't really approve of what she's doing to herself.

    "Why did you choose to love me?" I ask.

    Her smile becomes a little pained, and I hear the screech of the [Mask] threatening to break. "It's what's best for all of us. I won't be the one to drive a wedge between you and the other wives. Your relationship with them is… too perfect, too pure. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ruined it."

    Saying that there's anything "pure" about the relationship between me and the girls feels very wrong, but okay, I'll accept it.

    I get up from the chair and approach her. I look up into her deep blue eyes and softly hold her cheek. Then I gently caress her with a hint of my spirit touch.

    "Thank you," I say with genuine gratitude.

    The [Mask] shatters like brittle glass, and silent tears start flowing down her cheeks.

    I feel like kissing her, but our relationship isn't at the stage where there would be any love in it, so I just hug her, instead.

    "I'll never let you feel alone again," I whisper.

    "I'll never allow us to stray apart," she whispers and hugs me back, holding my head nuzzled against her neck.

    "But don't forget to be yourself, too."

    "Okay…"

    She readjusts her chin and rests it on the top of my head.



    Our words were like vows. Private, simple vows that conveyed more about our intentions and feelings towards each other than what we wanted from this relationship.

    She may be forcing herself, but true love and trust only come with time. We'll cultivate this relationship and let it grow into something beautiful.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
     
  12. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Her skin starts to grow cold, so I let go of her and allow her to dress herself. I glance into her eyes and hear the glass ringing again, then I notice that her MP has decreased by two hundred.

    "How can I dispel your [Mask] even though I couldn't do anything to your [Chain Life]?" I ask.

    She answers without turning to face me as she puts on a very small not-bikini, "You just can't see it yet. You have good insight into my feelings, but not into Life in general."

    "You used a different word for 'life,' what does it mean?"

    "It's what we call the connections that every living being has with each other. It's extremely similar, but not entirely the same as your Thread of Fate. The Thread deals only with your past, present, and future, and the people that you meet along the way. 'Life' encompasses your Thread, spirit, soul, and physical body."

    I frown and hold my chin. "Huh… Well, I'm a Nature mage, so I think that I should've learned something about this back in the magic university."

    "Nature magic is more concerned about interacting with nature than understanding the underlying foundation of everything. That's what Life truly is."

    She finishes putting on her clothes, and I raise my eyebrows. The bottoms of her not-bikini are so small that they're merely a centimeter above her pubes. Her top covers a few centimeters around each of her nipples, but it's still so small that the entirety of the shape of her breasts is visible. The hanging strips of cloth don't even hang over any part of her chest, abs, or navel, but they still cover most of her arms and legs.

    "I want the girls to learn to dress like you," I say.

    "Really?" She smiles, slightly pleased.

    "You know very well how to bring out the… best parts of your physique."

    She bows gently. "Thank you."

    "I'll get changed, now," I say and get up, then I pull out my wardrobe.

    As I get naked, she comes behind me and traces her fingers along the scars on my skin.

    "Do you enjoy fighting?" She asks in a faint voice.

    "No," I answer in the same tone.

    "Neither do I."

    "Then why do you fight?"

    "Because I have to."

    "So do I."

    She stares at my private parts, and I stop dressing, letting her look as much as she wants.

    "You're going to get cold," she says, and the corner of her lips curl into a smile.

    "So are you, with how little you're wearing."

    "The hungry stares of others will keep me hot," she says innocently.

    I put on my elven clothes and give her a smile. "Let's go."



    We wait for a short while before night falls and Bastico appears.

    The design of his clothes is similar to mine: a thin vest, and baggy shorts. But his are made with a much more delicate material than mine. There's also an intricate pattern created by the transparency of the cloth. I don't pay that much more attention to it since I don't really feel like staring at a man's chest.

    Roxanne and Yunia think otherwise and observe every detail of his outfit. Yunia gets a little embarrassed from her staring, so she won't get punished, but Roxanne, on the other hand…

    Well, I don't entirely blame them. This dude is stylish with his sweptback hair and youthful grin.

    Bastico smiles at us and nods respectfully. "Greetings, Ryders. It's good to see that you are all doing well," he says and becomes serious as he looks at Yunia. "Especially you, Yu."

    "I'm stronger than you think," Yunia answers in the same tone. Her cold and cool aura is back, a mask for her true personality.

    He smiles faintly. "I'll pray that your strength lasts."

    She scoffs smugly. "I don't need you to give me encouragement."

    "Well, another small push doesn't hurt, right?"

    "Hmph," she turns her face away and points her nose up.

    After some simple greetings, we enter the dining room and begin our meal.

    Thankfully, we asked the servants to prepare a meat-heavy plate for Aoi, otherwise, our hungry "little" dragon would be very unsatisfied with the typical high-class elven cuisine. For us, there's a wide variety of fruits, salads, and spices, but not much in the way of carbs or protein.

    "I heard about what happened this morning. Your fellowship just doesn't stop with the surprises. Everything you've already been through would make for a great start to a book," Bastico comments.

    "I'm writing one, in fact. It's actually a diary, but it can be thinned down to a book if we hire a writer," Alissa says.

    Bastico's eyes glimmer, and he grins at her. "If you give it to me, I'll ensure that it's made into a wonderful book!"

    Alissa smiles wryly. "There are… quite a lot of personal details, so I'll edit some of it myself before we show it to anyone else."

    Ciel freezes while chewing and slowly turns to Alissa. She covers her mouth and exclaims, "What?!"

    "We said that we didn't want these things published," Lina says and looks even gloomier than normal as she frowns.

    "Yeah, well. I'm writing about it just in case you change your minds," Alissa says.

    Bastico claps his hands and calls for our attention. He looks at all of us with a maniacal grin. "If you allow the erotic parts to be published, you'll definitely become a legend in the High Forest. Perhaps even in the rest of the empire since your harem has such a wide variety of backgrounds."

    "There aren't many erotic romances about a large harem that doesn't involve an emperor, so I can see the novelty," Lina says.

    Our eyebrows go up a few centimeters, and we all look at her.

    "I agree…" Yunia says in a low tone, and Bastico grins widely.

    Lina's eyes lose focus, and she freezes into a statue that slowly gains a shade of red.

    "I didn't know you were studying those kinds of books back at Rabanara's university," I say with a grin.

    "I wasn't… that was Oura…" Lina whispers.

    "She was corrupting my daughter's mind, I see," Roxanne comments.

    Bastico's long ears twitch. "She's your-…" He starts.

    "No, she's not. It's a… inside joke," Ciel interrupts.

    She almost said "fetish," instead.

    "You've explained nothing and only increased my curiosity," Bastico immediately responds.

    "Then please bear with your curiosity because I'm not going to say anything else about that matter," Ciel says and forces a smile.

    "A-apologies…" He says and nods respectfully.

    "No offense taken."

    "Even though I've been in this harem for a very short time, just take my word that nobody is… 'normal' among us," Yunia says and smiles wryly.

    "I don't even care about the money. I just think that the realm of erotic literature needs to know about your harem," Bastico says.

    Ciel massages her eyes. "Maybe when we're older, but right now, we don't want to share this," she says.

    Bastico nods calmly. "It's fine. Your story is just starting, anyway," he says.

    "How can you be so sure?" I ask.

    "Well, you've made even father feel unsure about what exactly is your gift after the events of this morning. If you hid [Gate], then what else are you hiding? Just having [Monster Summoning], [Gate] and [Godly Language] as a Gift sounds rather… 'odd.' Gifts always have an underlying 'logic' to them, and the only thing we know for sure about yours is that it has something to do with magic."

    "You seem very knowledgeable about Gifts."

    He nods. "Every Lord must have a keen eye for the Gifted. Either to bring them to their side or to avoid them at all costs due to their 'interesting' Fate. Gifts can also be very specific, so we first try to collect as much information as possible."

    "How about just asking what someone's Gift might be?" Hana questions.

    "Some Gifts are so abstract that it's too easy to lie about them. We want to know their exact limits so that we can use them as efficiently as possible."

    "And some people might not even fully understand their own Gifts," Yunia adds.

    "I think that you two might know more about Gifts than even I do," Ciel says, a little impressed.

    "We are the Chosen Descendants, after all," Bastico responds with a grin.

    I think for a second and smirk as I say, "Now you've got me wondering about how far you really went to get more information on us. Did Root Lord Ricardo join our caravan just to watch us? Did Seigneur Ento antagonize us deliberately? Was even our duel a farce?"

    He lifts his hands in surrender and continues grinning. "Whoa there. The justification to challenge you was forced, but the duel was legitimate. I put all my effort into that fight, though since I'm a spell sword, fighting without all of my enchantments put me at a disadvantage against a magic swordsman."

    "Even with all of your enchantments, you wouldn't have been able to defeat him," Yunia says, a little smugly.

    I smile but also look at her a little worriedly.

    Bastico's eyes shine, and he says, "Oh? Then I'd like a rematch one day."

    That's precisely what I didn't want to happen.

    "I'm not much for duels. I like to spar, though," I say, and Yunia looks away with an awkward smile.

    Bastico nods and smiles cordially as he says, "That's fine, maybe one day you'll change your mind… Anyway, Father sent Root Lord Ricardo to your caravan because he wanted to extract Ricardo safely and because he wanted to know how you would interact with nobility."

    "Well, from what I've heard, I don't think that Ento was faking the way he acted. He's been known to be odd," Yunia says.

    "You know him?" Aoi asks, suddenly mildly interested in the conversation.

    "He sells the best dragons. Every noble in the High Forest should know about him," she answers.

    Bastico's smile turns mischievous, and he leans over as he says, "Don't share this with anybody, but I heard some rumors that Ento might be in love with one of his dragons. That's why he doesn't sell the only Rubelite dragon that he has."

    "Awn… He is fat, but every dragon deserves a humanoid," Aoi says.

    "Uh…" Bastico's face goes blank as he processes Aoi's words.

    "Well, none of them are as smart as you. That makes it more difficult for them to interact with other races," Alissa says.

    "Yes. That's why I want many, many children! Azurite dragons must spread everywhere!" She exclaims proudly, and smoke escapes her nostrils.

    Yunia smiles at Bastico smugly and says, "See?"

    "And who's going to give you children?" Bastico asks Aoi.

    "Wolfy!" Aoi answers.

    I just smile and delight myself in imagining how the world will react when I marry Aoi and have her walk beside me in her big form.

    "Okay…" Bastico says with a faint voice.

    After traumatizing Bastico, we share some small talk until he recovers. Yunia talks with him about the knight's academy, and he shares how much he'll miss dueling with the other students.



    Once Bastico fully recovers, he turns to me and says, "Right, Father asked me to tell you that you can use our armory to improve your equipment. We only have wooden armor, but at least it's better than your current armor."

    "Yeah, that'll be perfect," Alissa says and sends me a knowing look.

    I nod respectfully, and Yunia says, "We both know [Nature Magic]; we can maintain wooden armor with a little guidance."

    We do have a resident expert in nature and wood.

    "Gih!"

    "Ah, that's great," Bastico says with a smile. "So, when are you leaving?"

    "We haven't decided that yet, but we don't have any remaining business here. So, tomorrow we'll gather more knowledge on the Legado dungeon, and after that, we'll continue exploring it."

    His happy expression fades, and he turns to Yunia, looking impassive. "Tomorrow afternoon will be your father's funeral, so I think that you should attend as commoners. Your brothers will be there, but they'll be with the nobility."

    "I'll meet with them after the funeral, then. I can at least do that, can't I?" She asks.

    "I think so," Bastico says with a nod.



    We enjoy our meal while Yunia and Bastico share banter back and forth.

    She smiles smugly at him and says, "If Wolf-…-y won't duel you, then I'll do it in his stead. After we come back from the dungeon, we'll certainly have become much, much stronger."

    I think she's betting on instant casting being enough for her to win.

    He smiles back at her, and I see a bit of Luz and Confiel in his expression. "I'll be waiting for that fateful day, then. But will we fight with armor or simple clothes?" He asks.

    Yunia scoffs. "I'll never give you the chance to expose me. I'll be using metal undergarments."

    Wait, like, actual bikini armor?! It has a real use?!

    Bastico laughs. "I've never had any such intention!" He protests.

    Yunia looks away and raises her chin in a snobbish way. "And I'm as ugly as a Ton. Please, I know that you'd have easily taken that opportunity if you had the chance."

    He lowers his head. "I am a man. Please do not place fault on us for merely seeking the simple pleasures of life."

    She scoffs again and sends him a withering glare, then slowly it turns into a gentle smile. But her eyes never truly seem "gentle." At most, they now look only slightly cold.



    We finish our dinner, and Bastico pulls out a cold bottle of some kind of alcoholic drink. He uncorks it, and a very sweet and intoxicating smell wafts out of it.

    I immediately feel weird. My skin tingles, and touching things causes an odd and indescribable feeling; things become more colorful and vivid; and a warm feeling starts to grow in my heart.

    I open my "Status" and see a new "Status Effect":



    "Slightly Heightened Connection to Life, Source: Eia, Time Left: Unknown"



    "Eia extract?!" Yunia exclaims, brimming with happiness.

    "High-grade extract spiced with the five flowers," Bastico says with pride.

    "Oh! Rande had a medium grade bottle. This will be goo~d!" Hana comments.

    Alissa's senses get enhanced far more noticeably than mine. The rest of the girls just feel an odd, but pleasant feeling from the smell.

    Bastico pulls out shot glasses, smaller than the ones on Earth, and pours a few millimeters of Eia into each.

    "Since none of you have ever tasted a high-grade Eia extract, just this much should be enough for a pleasant feeling," he says and pushes the glasses to each of us.

    I still don't care much for alcohol, but this one is special, so I drink it eagerly. Its flavor is incredibly complex, and it also seems to be constantly shifting. I first feel a strong taste of chocolate, then hazelnut, then honey, then the chocolate and hazelnut fade, then strawberry starts to rise, then something flowery overpowers everything else, then my tongue starts to go numb, so I swallow it.

    My body absorbs it so fast that I can barely feel it going down my throat before it's all gone. Then it hits me.

    My vision goes blurry and warps, as if I had just summoned something. I start to feel every single fiber of my body with absolute clarity. My muscles respond perfectly to my commands and move in a crisp way, but they also feel heavier and slower, requiring more effort to make them obey.

    Within the new area that appeared with my expanded field of view, I see nothing but darkness and morphing dots of white. The dots move, appear, disappear, and merge with each other, seemingly at random. But the more I focus on these dots, the more I start to see a pattern. It's as if they were dotted lines, representing something much larger.

    As I focus on the white dots, a relaxed sigh suddenly escapes my lips, making me giggle. Then the whole table starts giggling too, and the room is filled with the heavenly music of cute female laughter.

    Long minutes of giggling pass by, and the bliss from the Eia starts to fade. The giggles of silly happiness become giggles of embarrassment as we regain our senses.

    "Oh wow, this is addictive," Ciel says as she stares at her empty cup.

    "But the second shot will never be the same as the first," Yunia says while smiling warmly at Ciel.

    "You build resistance to Eia extract quite quickly, and it takes quite a long while to lose it," Bastico says.

    "Don't you use Eia pills regularly?" Roxanne asks Yunia.

    "They are flavorless and don't give you a high. It's the spicing of the extract that makes it addictive, not the Eia itself," Yunia answers.

    "That's good. If you felt like this every time you used one of those pills, even I would feel jealous."

    "I don't think you should feel like that about addiction," Ciel says in a slightly serious tone.

    Roxanne shows her tongue to Ciel. "If someone can remain sane like Yunia while heavily addicted, then count me in because that sounds amazing!"

    "That's not…" Ciel shakes her head with a wry smile and lets it go.

    "Eia is too expensive to get addicted to. Remember that this is the finest extract that you can get," Bastico says as he corks the bottle shut again.

    The smell fades, then my connection to Life starts to disappear, and my field of view returns to normal.

    "Wow. What was that… thing that I saw? Like, it was a dark spot in my view where I saw white dots moving about."

    "That's Life. If you managed to see it on your first try, then maybe you have a slight aptitude for it," Bastico says.

    "I saw something like that, too," Alissa says.

    "So, can we learn [Weaverism]?" I ask, a little excited.

    Yulania chuckles. "Maybe you can, because, you know…" -I think she's talking about my Gift- "But seeing Life is different from understanding it, and it's very different from being able to manipulate it."

    "It would take a decade, at least," Bastico says, and Yunia gives me a phony smile, hiding it from Bastico.

    If it's going to take a few years to get good at it, then I'd prefer to focus on something else instead.

    "Anyway. I'll give this to… you," Bastico says, then hesitates for a moment before extending the bottle to me.

    "She's the one who deserves this," I say and gesture to Yunia.

    Bastico smiles and hands the bottle to Yunia. The elven goddess looks legitimately grateful, and her expression nearly melts with joy.

    "I refuse to drink this alone. We'll share this, slowly," she says and stores it in her [Item Box].

    "Well, it's time for me to leave. We'll see each other again soon," Bastico says with a charming smile, and Yunia nods a little shyly.

    I'm getting just a little jealous.

    At the doorway, he extends his hand to Yunia. She accepts and gives her hand to him.

    "Remember this: Blood Slave or not, your friends and allies will always be here," he says, then bends and kisses her hand strongly for a few long seconds.

    We all stare and wait for him to finish. Then he straightens and smirks like a little shit as he says, "No offense to you, Wolf, but I simply needed to convey my emotions one last time. It hurts my heart, but I'll accept that you'll be forever unattainable to me, Yu."

    She narrows her eyes dangerously and crosses her arms, pushing her dangerous cleavage upwards. "You never had a chance," she says in a cold tone and lets a hint of a smirk appear on her fleshy red lips.

    "Keep lying to yourself. Now, goodbye Ryders, until another time," he finishes and turns around.

    A little stunned, the girls mutter their goodbyes while I glare at his back as he walks away.

    "You'll get your duel one day!" I yell, and he laughs.

    "Oh. I think he did that one on purpose, just to get you angry," Yunia says and looks at me a little guiltily. "I'm sorry. I should've rejected his kiss."

    "It's fine," I say and gently pat her shoulder.

    Both the mask and the [Mask] fade away, and she lets a more shy demeanor surface.

    "He's quite the fun guy. Maybe I should duel him, too," Hana comments.

    "He's more shrewd than I thought him to be," I say as I narrow my eyes. "No, he's exactly like a younger Confiel, isn't he? Maybe just more horny than Confiel, but he's still his father's son."

    "He makes you feel jealous, so I think that he's fine," Roxanne comments.

    "You like to see Wolfy suffer?" Lina asks and glares at Roxanne.

    "Just as much as he likes to torture Alissa," Roxanne responds with a wicked smile.

    Lina pouts. "Mother, you're a bad person."

    Roxanne's eyes gleam with evilness as she leans down to bring her face closer to Lina's. "And how are you going to punish me for that?"

    "You two are really going to continue that fantasy?" Ciel asks.

    "I'll tie you up and give you to Father to punish," Lina says and returns the evil glare.

    "That's hot," Alissa whispers as she watches the two of them roleplay.

    "You have a thing for your own mother?" Yunia asks, incredulous.

    Alissa looks away, very embarrassed. "Well… no. I just really like roleplaying."

    Yunia turns to Ciel and asks in a neutral tone, "Okay, what's your fetish?"

    "She's a pedophile and a foot fetishist. She may also have some secondary licking fetish or something," I answer immediately.

    Yunia looks down at Ciel, as if she was disappointed in her.

    Ciel shrugs with an unapologetic smile. "You'll soon learn all about your fetishes, too."

    Yunia chuckles like a lady, but I notice a hint of anxiety coming from her.



    While Roxanne and Lina wrestle, we quickly wash the dishes.

    Once done, I pick up Roxanne's tied up body and carry her to our huge bedroom. Lina and I then spend our evening "punishing" Roxanne with [Massage]. I consider our job complete when the succubus can't speak or move her hips anymore.

    She wraps her tail around my member and decides to sleep with her face near my crotch. "The smell is calming to me," she says and after a few minutes, she's already dozing off.

    Yunia looks quite impressed at the soporific effect of my cum and subtly inches closer to smell it.

    "I don't get it," she whispers.

    "She's a succubus. That's all you need to know," Hana says.

    Yunia frowns and takes a while to accept it.

    I pat the pillow beside me and say in a low tone, "Here, for your first night you'll get to sleep at my side."

    "You… rotate that spot?" She asks.

    "Yep. Alissa's spot is permanent because… of those nightmares that I used to have. But at any other time, if you want to snuggle or something more, feel free to ask. Just like Hana did today."

    "Okay…" She responds and nods sheepishly.

    She straightens the drills of her hair with another magic tool and lays down beside me. Her eyes stare at my face, and she starts to count my freckles.

    "He has twelve faint ones, five medium ones, and two dark ones," Alissa says.

    "W-what?" Yunia asks.

    "Freckles. I'm listing his freckles."

    Yunia chuckles and confirms Alissa's number.

    "Sleep…" Aoi pleads, and we turn off the lights.

    Alissa and Yunia each hug one of my arms, nestling them between their breasts.

    I don't really understand Yunia, but I can at least appreciate her efforts in trying to fit in.

    My fantasizing about our future together continues on as sleep takes me, and I dream about having my own elven princess with Yunia.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
     
  13. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Today is the 8th.

    I wake to a grinning Alissa and an impassive Yunia looking up at me.

    I glance at my MP and frown. "Stop abusing me," I pout, and they both nod guiltily.

    As we move to get up, Yunia takes out her brush and the drillifier magic tool. Alissa and Lina stop dressing and pull out their own brushes.

    "Let us help," Alissa says, and the golden elf accepts. Together, they shine in the morning light as they work her long and precious hair. This scene feels like it could be found in a renaissance painting.

    "I'm so envious of her hair!" Roxanne exclaims to us under her breath.

    "Why are we, humans, so boring?" I ask in the same tone, and Hana snorts.

    "We are perfect as we are," Ciel states, though she doesn't seem very confident about it.



    We calmly eat our breakfast while partially naked, and I enjoy the view. The castle grounds outside are so silent that it even feels a little eerie until we get used to it. Not even in the wild were things so quiet since we could still hear the sounds of nature. Jungle-like areas are quite noisy, actually.

    Yunia's choice for breakfast seems to be something close to muesli, a not-oat cereal with bits of unknown fruits mixed in. It piques Ciel's interest since it seems quite healthy and kind of tasty with all the fresh fruit that's in it.

    "So, we have the morning free. What do you girls want to do?" I ask.

    "I want to visit the library. Do they have one inside the castle?" Lina asks.

    "They do. Though the knight academy's library should have less erotic literature and more history about the elven kings than the ones in the castle," Yunia says and sends a subtle teasing glance towards Lina.

    "O-okay…" Lina says and pouts.

    "I think I should take this opportunity to read up some more about [Alchemy]," Roxanne says and gently lands a hand on Lina's head.

    "I could read more about [Air Magic], too," Ciel says and nods towards Lina.

    "Ah, those books could help me fly. Read them to me!" Aoi asks.

    "No, I'll teach you how to read them," Ciel responds and smiles at my little blue dragon.

    "Muuh…" Aoi groans in frustration but nods begrudgingly.

    "I'd like to see the bows they have in the armory," Alissa says, a little unsure of herself, and glances towards Lina.

    "Oh! That's right. We can find some enchanted goodies there!" Hana exclaims.

    "Bring me some good enchantments; I want to learn more. If you find any enchanted bows without [Loosen], then I'll just enchant them with it for you," Lina asks.

    "Oh… Alright then!" Alissa cheers up, content that she didn't offend Lina.

    "Can I spend some time walking around Escanso? I'll miss that town once we leave," Yunia asks.

    "Do you want to go alone, or can I go with you?" I ask.

    "It'd be lonely to walk alone," she answers and smiles, though her eyes look a little pained due to nostalgia.

    I nod gently and smile warmly at her.

    "Gih," Gify says. She wants to come, too.



    We enter the [Eternal Gate] network, and the guards all immediately recognize Yunia. Nobody says anything to her, they only look down sadly in respect.

    We exit into Escanso's castle. Yunia looks around nostalgically, and her face slowly saddens.

    I match her pace and let her take in the sights before we move on. She doesn't linger for long though, only enough to refresh her memory of the area, then we move on.

    We walk across the inner circle and enter the outer, which is where we fought two days ago. The destruction is still evident, and being this far from the castle allows us to notice how damaged it is.

    Missing chunks, burnt walls, cracked and bent corridors. The golden castle looks like a sad, dying bush instead of a glorious symbol of elven culture.

    The mansions around us are also badly damaged. The fighting was mostly contained within the eastern side of the outer ring, but there's still damage on the buildings to the west from stray spells and projectiles.

    Both in the castle and in the mansion, many elves are working tirelessly to repair everything. The air is filled with Nature and Earth mana as they mostly use magic to repair the damage.

    We decide to wrap a shawl around Yunia's head to contain her hair so that she isn't as instantly recognizable. Though if one stares at her for long enough, it's easy to realize how much more perfect she is than the average elf.

    I get a few curious looks and decide to wrap a shawl around my head, too. My black hair stands out like a sore thumb among all the gold and silver hair around here.

    Yunia observes the damage and suddenly asks, "You participated in the battle, too, right?"

    "Yes. I summoned a Grim Giant to open a hole the Shell."

    "That makes you even more dangerous than Confiel…" She says absentmindedly.

    "I also met your father on the battlefield… Do you hate me for conspiring against him?" I ask, feeling insecure.

    "Do you hate a monster or animal for attacking you due to hunger?" She answers without thinking. I hesitate for a second, and she suddenly turns to me, her deep blue eyes staring intently, filled with guilt. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to imply that you're a monster or an animal."

    "You've already called me a monster before, so I wouldn't be offended by that," I say and chuckle.

    "But I was joking before."

    "I'm not that easily offended." I shrug.

    "Okay…" She whispers, still with a tinge of guilt lingering in her voice, and turns forward again. "Hating monsters and animals, even when they kill those who we love, will only cause you to succumb to anger. That is not the path of the righteous."

    "I feel like that's a teaching."

    "Not his exact words, but it's from the God of War."

    Really? Kratos certainly wouldn't say anything like that.

    Gih.

    I chuckle internally.

    "What makes someone 'righteous'?" I ask.

    "I…" -she turns to me and hesitates, then smiles- "well, I think that Ciel would be able to give you a more complete answer."

    I smirk. "Well, what if I want your answer to that, even if it's 'incomplete'?"

    "Hmph." She turns her head away snobbishly. "'Righteous' means someone who doesn't fight only for themselves. Someone who doesn't take death lightly. Someone who strives for what's best for civilization."

    I tap my cheek in thought. "That's quite vague. You could justify the mass murder of humanoids with that. If you start a revolution to create a 'perfect' nation, you could 'righteously' kill anyone that even slightly opposes you if you follow that definition."

    "You can trust that the God of Existence wouldn't let such crimes happen."

    "Hm…"

    "The Gods are there for anything too complicated for us to solve."

    "Wouldn't that just limit us? If we aren't forced to face these problems and find our own solutions to them, wouldn't we be forever dependent on the Gods?"

    She stares at me in confusion. "They are the only things allowed to be immortal precisely so that they'll always be there for us. This way, we can be forever dependent on them and improve civilization beyond what we could do with just ourselves."

    "Hm…" I tap my cheek again.

    She chuckles softly. "The way you think is interesting. You seem curious about everything."

    "I'm a scholar, after all."

    She nods. "Yes, that you are."

    "But we've drifted from what I actually wanted to talk about. I…" I look down at my own hands, and I can't stop myself from feeling guilty for having helped kill Mavel and his wives. I don't even know the names of Yunia's mothers."

    The mood instantly changes as she realizes what I'm feeling.

    She glares at me, and I feel a hint of the anger that she expressed to Confiel. "What? Out with it. Say it! Say what's making you look so weak right now!" She presses me to confess.

    I grit my teeth and let it out, "I helped kill your parents, and I personally wounded your mother."

    Her voice wavers, but she remains resolute. "Even if you killed him yourself, I would still be here."

    I don't understand her.

    I stare into her eyes and ask, "Why? You said that you hate Confiel."

    She sighs. "I don't hate him as much as you think."

    "Why? How?"

    She cringes and looks away. "Can we not talk about this anymore?"

    I frown and press on, "But we need to. Yunia, we need to talk through our problems if we hope to remain together for the rest of our lives."

    I know this could be pushing her too much, too soon, but I can't stop myself now.

    "I… I know!" She frowns at me, exasperated, then her face scrunches up in anger and frustration. "I just… I forgive you!" -she suddenly grabs my shoulders and looks into my eyes, and I feel her ironclad resolve, then she starts spilling a torrent of words- "I don't care about what you did, I forgive you. Because even I didn't believe he could survive defying the Council; even I preferred to take Confiel's warning seriously instead of hoping that my parents would survive; even, I, didn't support my parents as much as I could've. I preferred to stay with my siblings rather than getting involved with my Father's projects. For me, they didn't die the day that Confiel killed them, they've been slowly dying ever since I lost faith in them!"

    She pours her heart out all in one go, then she catches her breath, and we remain still, staring at one another for a few long seconds.

    I smile gently and cup her cheek, then I say, "Okay. I'll accept your forgiveness. I won't feel guilty about this anymore."

    She cups my cheek, too, and touches her forehead against mine. Her sharp blue eyes draw mine in and keep them from looking away. "And I don't want you to pity me anymore. If you want to be my… husband, you'll have to match my determination."

    I smirk and look at her like a maniac as I let the hatchling within me spew fire. "Fine, I'll stop being gentle and show you how a dragon treats their mates."

    She knits her eyebrow, and her face turns smug. "A dragon? You're still a human, are you not?"

    I grab her face and kiss her lips. I invade her mouth and pull her body closer to me. I sink the fingers of one of my hands onto her ass, and the other holds her head to keep it glued to mine. Then I spread my spirit over her skin, and she starts to respond.

    Her tongue is dominated by mine since she can't find the energy to return my caresses. She lacks resolve, so her small tongue only weakly rubs against mine, like a child trying to pat an animal twice her size.

    Her arms wrap around my neck and pull me into a tighter hug. Her squishy cushions are completely squashed against my chest. There's also only two thin strips of cloth between her nipples and my skin, so I can clearly feel her pointy bits getting hard.

    Her fluffy hair escapes her shawl and falls over my face, caressing my skin. Its sweet smell is the perfect perfume to enhance the experience of our kiss.

    Feeling like teasing her. I stop just as things are getting good and give her a shit-eating grin. "What are you looking so disappointed about? Do you want me to continue ravaging your mouth?" I ask.

    She hurriedly readjusts her hair, and her sharp eyes become stern. She huffs like a snob and says, "Hmph. You have no shame, wanting to ravage me in public. It's quite likely that many people around here have already recognized me."

    "Let them stare. Let them see how my woman is happy with me." I offer an elbow to her, and she takes it, hugging my arm and keeping it between her twin jewels. "Also, I know that you elves like to show off. You wouldn't wear so little clothing if you were ashamed of your bodies."

    She huffs again and makes a cute, snobbish pout, but I also see the small curve of a smile form in the corners of her mouth.

    The thing that makes me the happiest, though, is that she's not using [Mask].



    After giving the guards my ID, we are instantly allowed to cross through the gate. The old castle guards have been replaced by Confiel's people while Escanso lacks a Lord, so these guards would never try anything against us.

    We exit into the Noble's Quarters, and Yunia starts to look around, savoring the sights. I let her guide me, and we take the scenic route, passing by the most beautiful mansions of the town and the expertly maintained public parks. I also spread some Hollys around us just in case.

    I maintain a very subtle spirit touch on her arm. I just can't stop myself from wanting to make her feel good.

    The elven equivalent of a mansion is to grow multiple of their tree-houses into one large complex. Some of them are even raised into the air, creating a whole floor at the ground level that's used in a variety of ways, like dancing halls, stables, covered pools, and shaded gardens.

    "I spent my childhood walking down these streets. All of my friends live around here," Yunia comments.

    "Do you want to visit them?" I ask.

    "No!" She whisper-shouts. "It's already a bit of a risk just coming here. I don't want to make a scene!"

    "Then we might want to walk faster since there's already someone looking at us."

    She cringes and pulls me towards the exit of the Quarters.



    We enter the common area and relax a little since the streets are bustling, and we can easily disappear into the crowds.

    Every street, even the alleys, is filled with hundreds of flowers. They're in the crowns of the trees, mixed in with the leaves; randomly growing in the walls of the buildings; neatly arranged on the sidewalks and in the holes in the middle of the streets; and also on the clothes and in the hair of the people, including the beards.

    While Goloria has a more chaotic urban plan and a more dignified style, partially due to how all the buildings are white, Escanso is a neatly arranged town with cute-looking buildings. It has plump tree-houses, an abundance of curved patterns, and a color palette that's pleasing to the eyes.

    I kind of get why she wants to walk around the town. I miss Rabanara, and I miss Earth towns, too. It just feels nice to walk around a familiar environment where you have plenty of eye-candy to look at, and I'm not talking about the semi-nude elves everywhere.

    "I actually hate crowds, let's go somewhere quieter," she says.

    We start walking through dimly lit alleys. They aren't dirty or dangerous, they are just more difficult to walk through, so people avoid them most of the time.

    Public cleanliness is generally higher here than on Earth due to everyone being able to cast [Clean] to instantly make most of the visible dirt vanish. Also, trash disposal is handled the same way as sewage: they make shit simply disappear.



    We pass by a Snow Weave shop, and I strain my neck looking at the mannequins in front as we pass by.

    "I have a lot of Snow Weave. You don't have to worry about that," Yunia comments.

    "Hm… which chest are they in?" I ask.

    "The ones labeled as 'nightwear,'" she responds and shyly looks away.

    I open my "Items" and find five chests with that label.

    "Oh boy," I whisper and start salivating.



    Her breathing starts to speed up, and her pink skin becomes flushed. She squeezes my arm tighter, and I subtly let my hand land near her not-bikini bottom.

    "Have you been using your special touch with me?" She suddenly asks.

    "Yes, I have," I answer with a mischievous grin.

    "Damn you… but dwarven beard… it's working," she whispers through gritted teeth.

    "Want to stop somewhere?" I ask with complete innocence.

    She looks around to orient herself, then turns in a specific direction and pulls me forward into a hurried pace.

    We continue at this pace for a few minutes before we stop in front of a secluded and comfy inn.

    "How did you know about this place?" I ask.

    She smiles nostalgically, and her gaze softens a little. "Well… I never needed to sleep in an inn, but my friends did when they were going on 'escapadas' in secret from their parents."

    Huh, I recognized that she used the Ingua word "escapadas," which means "escapades."

    "You can't really stop young people from loving," I say and chuckle.

    She stares at me, looking a little curious. "You don't mind that your future daughter might lose her virginity to a common boy?"

    "She'll be allowed to make mistakes. I'd prefer that she be very careful with who she lays with, but I don't plan on stopping her, except in extreme situations, like if she falls in love with a heretic or something."

    "Hm… You also don't mind that I wasn't a virgin before you?"

    I shake my head. "It feels nice being the first, but even if I can't be, why should I care?" I shrug.

    "It seems like you Earthlings have some interesting ideals."

    "I wouldn't say I'm a 'normal' Earthling."

    She smiles wryly. "Oh, bother. Then it's good that the better Earthling was sent here."

    Alright, Pooh.

    "I guess…" I scratch my head awkwardly.

    "Let's go," she says in a sultry tone, and the two "me"s stand at attention.

    We enter the inn and see a modest but pleasant dark blue interior with comfy furniture laid out. A mature elven woman stands behind a counter reading a book and smoking from a long and thin pipe. I sense a faint smell of chocolate that slowly morphs into honey.

    "Is that high-grade Eia?" I whisper to Yunia.

    "Too faint. It's at most medium-grade," She answers.

    The innkeeper notices us, and Yunia asks for a room for only half a day. The innkeeper raises an eyebrow as she notices the mismatch in our pairing, but stays silent as I pay up the required silver.

    The inn has a few people walking about, and they seem kind of well-dressed. If I had to make a guess, they are probably middle-class.

    "The food here is pretty good, too, or so I've heard," Yunia comments, and I glance towards the restaurant and confirm that there's a significant number of people there.

    We enter the room, and I see a simple, blue double bed. The blanket is made of brown Miasmatic Gambo fur, the pillows are filled with high-quality harpy feathers, and the mattress feels like high-quality not-cotton. All in all, it's quite a comfy place, and it might just be on the level of "acceptable" for a snobbish but horny teenager.

    "The rooms here are soundproof," she comments and turns around to look at me with an expectant smile.

    I close the door behind me and pull her into a firm hug. I turn up my spirit touch and kiss her, letting my hunger drive my actions.

    Gify jumps off of my shoulder and goes to the corner of the bed to take a nap. We can be as loud as we want since she only wakes up when she wants to.

    I grab her ass and pull her up, then she wraps her legs around my waist. She's taller than me, so our kissing gets a little awkward since she has to bend down a little to reach my lips.

    She grabs my face and pulls me deeper into our kiss, trying to swallow me whole.

    I carry her to the bed and suddenly drop her onto it, eliciting a high-pitch yelp of surprise. Then she glares at me and subtly curls her lips into a smile.

    We undo our belts and throw our swords to the side, then I unsheathe my Great Sword and point it towards her.

    I climb on the bed and slowly bring the tip closer to her face. I pull her down onto the bed and climb on top of her, then I grab her face and shove it down her throat.

    She swallows my Sword like a seasoned adventurer, and I skullfuck her. I love this position.

    Without taking my Sword out her mouth, I spin in place and land with my face on her crotch.

    I simply pull her not-bikini to the side and expose her scabbard. I spread her lips and chomp down on her clit, wrenching heavenly, but muffled cries out of her mouth.

    She hugs my waist and drives me further down her throat. I spread her ass cheeks and crawl a finger up around her second entrance. I try to stretch it, but the resistance is so great that I can barely get a pinky in. She's an anal virgin.

    Her orgasm makes her body lock up, and she nearly passes out from suffocation as she loses the strength to push my Sword out of her mouth-scabbard.

    I get up and allow her to breathe, then I spin around again and slap the Sword against her lower scabbard as she coughs and gasps for breath.

    I gather my savagery and glare at her, making her mouth twitch in fear. I grab her face and say, "You're my bitch, and I'm going to fuck you until you can't move. This is how dragons mate: you submit to me in all senses of the word; in pain and pleasure; in battle and love; in body and soul. You're mine! YOU'RE MY BITCH!"

    I thrust into her, and it slides in perfectly with a moist sound.

    With a Holly, I see Silvane coming towards the inn. She's carrying a white rabbit while two fully armored bodyguards flank the silver elf girl. Even though her shawl makes it more difficult to recognize her, there's no way that I'd ever forget a face as beautiful as Silvane's.

    Oh, wow! Silvane and Nononya! What a coincidence!

    "Yes! I'm your bitch!" Yunia yells. Then she grabs my hips and helps me fuck her.

    I grab a fistful of her hair with one hand and use it as a handle.

    "Fuck me! Fuck my little elven pussy! Fuck my cunt! Fuck this worthless elven pussy, Master! FUCK MEE~, MASTER! FUCK THIS LOWLY ELVEN CUNT!" She yells with each thrust. Her words become dirtier and dirtier as she starts to worship me and denigrate herself.

    Uh… okay…

    Silvane enters the inn and marches up the stairs. Her face is severe, matching that of her bodyguards.

    Wait…

    I cum all over Yunia's body, sullying her clothes that we forgot to take off. At the same time, Silvane stops in front of our room, and one of her bodyguards kicks the door open.

    FUCK!

    I pull my sword out of its scabbard and into my hand with [Telekinesis] while I summon two spooky skeleton-like earth elementals behind us.

    Yunia's face goes from bliss as she yells profanities to panic as she leaps towards her longsword.

    I turn around, dick still shooting cum, and face the intruders with a glare of pure anger.

    One of Silvane's bodyguards comes in, sword and shield at the ready, then Silvane comes in behind him, wand in one hand and Nononya in the other.

    I cast [Lightning Bolt] and hit the first bodyguard, making them freeze and stumble. Then Silvane sees me and pales. She freezes on the spot, and the bodyguard coming in behind bumps into her.

    "NOO~! BACK!" Silvane shrieks and jumps back, pushing the second bodyguard out of the room and tripping over him.

    "Kick him out!" I yell and point to the stunned bodyguard. The elementals leap forward and literally kick him out of the room.

    Oops, that was too much.

    The bodyguard flies away as a kick to the chest and another to his head cracks his wooden armor.

    "Close the door!" I yell, and the elementals obey.

    My dick finally stops cumming, and an awkward silence falls over us.

    "Wolfy, what just happened?" Yunia asks. She's in a combat stance, and her body is still dripping with my seed.

    "I'm… not sure," I answer.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
     
  14. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    I stop Alissa from rushing towards us. The situation is under control now, so I calm them through [Bind].

    A muffled and gentle voice comes from the other side of the door. "Mr. Ryder?" Silvane asks.

    Her bodyguard helps her get up, and the other sits down, clutching his head.

    "Yes, that's me. Miss Silvane?" I ask.

    She gets closer to the door and stores her wand, shawl, and necklace in her [Item Box]. The white rabbit in her hand, who I assume is Nononya, is completely frozen with fear stamped in her eyes.

    "Yes… that's me," she answers and sighs.

    I walk closer to the door, and Yunia starts to [Clean] herself.

    "What did you just try to do?" I ask.

    "A mistake… Can we talk?"

    "Alright, but the guards stay outside."

    "Yes! Yes…"

    "Wait. Is that guy okay? The elementals kicked him pretty hard."

    "He's… fine. I'll heal him myself."

    "Alright. Just let me… clean this first, then I'll let you in."

    "Let me clean it with my tongue…" I hear her mutter through a Holly.

    Nononya's rabbit ears suddenly twitch. "Silf!" She complains under her breath.

    O-ka~y…?

    I force myself to go limp and cast [Clean] on all the cum that spilled everywhere, though I couldn't remove the stains.

    I pull out another trunk of clothes, and Yunia changes into something not painted with my "Wolf's Pearls"™ color. Alissa and the other girls calm down and return to their previous states.

    We hurriedly groom ourselves, and I put two chairs in front of us, then I unsummon one elemental, and we sit on the edge of the bed. Yunia crosses her arms and legs, making her look like a haughty noblewoman.

    "Open the door," I order, and we make our expressions turn stern as the elemental obeys.

    Silvane comes in first, looking as pretty and delicate as ever. Her silver hair is not as majestic as Yunia's, but her blue and slightly upturned eyes give her a gentle look. Her delicate face is warped into a stiff apologetic smile.

    But it's her clothes that catch my attention. She's wearing very little, exposing most of her pretty, pale skin. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say that she's wearing a light blue "slave Leia" cosplay: an ornate not-bikini top, and a light blue ornate skirt that's completely open on the sides. She doesn't appear to be wearing the bottom part of the not-bikini.

    Dayumn, son. I've never seen her wear so little.

    Then I notice something odd.


    Soul Info
    Name:Silvane Andera Race:Silver Elf Level:49
    HP100MP2.510Magic Power840
    Strength10Endurance13

    She regained her last name! Does this mean that she's a True Noble now? But why is it not "Anara"?



    Nononya turns back into her humanoid form and shyly walks in while looking down. Her long, white bunny ears bob as she walks; her cute whiskers seem limp, revealing her emotions; her short, white hair is raised in a way that makes her head look very fluffy; her turquoise eyes glance at me shyly, then return to looking down; and her snow-white skin is now a bright shade of pink.

    She's wearing a not-bikini, too, exposing her cute mid-riff and delicate little curves, but her outfit has far more cloth hanging around her body than Silvane's.

    I motion for them to sit, and they gracefully accept.

    I start the introductions, "Silvane, Nononya, this is my… newest Blood Slave, Yulania. Yunia, these two are my friends from Rabanara. Silvane is a Blood Slave of Haaran, the Lord's son. Nononya is a [Summoning Magic] researcher."

    "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Silvane, Miss Nononya," Yunia says with a severe gaze as she offers her hand.

    The social standings of all present in the room is rather mixed and complex, but Silvane and Nononya don't hesitate and immediately go towards Yunia to kiss her hand. Both of them bow and give Yunia a gentle peck and remain bowed for a little longer than necessary, implying that they wish to ask for forgiveness.

    They don't ask for Yunia to kiss their hands back, implying that they don't feel worthy of that.

    Then they sit, and I smirk as I say, "It's always a delight to see both of you, but I didn't expect it would be under such circumstances."

    Silvane's pretty face twitches, and she sighs. "Neither did we. But in the end, our encounter is rather fortunate as I'm sure that Nono missed you very much," she says, and Nono sends a desperate glance at her.

    I chuckle. "Right. Since nothing truly bad happened, we can say that it is indeed a fortunate encounter. But I want to hear why you barged into our room in such a manner."

    Silvane's face relaxes, and now she, too, looks down, feeling embarrassed, then she starts talking, "I received information that Miss Yulania had been sold as a Blood Slave to an 'elven collector,' and that he may be trying to strongly coerce her into having sex with him. As someone who knows very well the danger that these 'collectors' present to elven Blood Slaves, I immediately responded in this manner."

    "'Elven Collector'?" I ask.

    Yunia answers, "Other races worship elven beauty so much that certain individuals collect elven slaves. The temple and the Tribunal are always keeping an eye on elven slaves since they are the most commonly mistreated group."

    "And someone at the temple or the Tribunal gave you information about us?" I ask Silvane.

    Silvane bites her thin red lip, and I get a twitch inside my underwear, telling me that I didn't get my fill of elves yet.

    "No. My informant… is from the High Forest," Silvane admits.

    Well, apparently, we should've been more cautious about showing Yunia's face in public.

    "Who?" Yunia demands.

    Silvane's ears droop slightly, and her expression starts to turn sad. "I can't say… it would ruin my relationship with the informant."

    "Do you know who my father was?" Yunia asks, with her tone still severe.

    Silvane nods shyly. "Yes. Crown Lord Mavel Este. I'm here for his funeral."

    "Precisely, which means that we are the future Crown Lords of the Western High Forest," Yunia declares.

    The face of both Silvane and Nono goes blank, and they let their mouths hang.

    "Wait… Oh…!" Silvane realizes the truth and goes silent.

    Yunia continues pressing her for more. "Whoever gave you this false information wanted to cause an incident. And the culprit is likely one of my father's former allies. We need to know who this person is because they clearly harbor hate towards humans. No one with kind intentions would've tried to frame Wolfy as an 'elven collector.'"

    Silvane sighs again and chuckles, but it quickly loses energy, and she becomes disheartened. "Vanea is going to be mad at me anyway…" She mutters.

    "Why would Dame Vanea be angry? Aren't you Haaran's Blood Slave?" I ask.

    Silvane nods and answers, "Yes, but I'm working for Vanea on 'improving' the relations between the Shore of Leaves, the Wetlands and the High Forest. Acting righteous only resulted in me getting involved in a conspiracy, and that's exactly what Vanea wanted to avoid."

    "Hmph. Getting in the good graces of future Crown Lords is only advantageous for you," Yunia says.

    Silvane smiles wryly. "Yes, but Vanea already has a bad enough reputation that she's feared by many. It's becoming increasingly important for her that this reputation doesn't worsen."

    "'Increasingly important'?" I ask.

    Silvane's smile becomes gentle. "She's in the capital and has managed to acquire some support over there. My job is to ensure that Rabanara doesn't get even more isolated."

    "Well, even if you don't tell us who it is, we are bound to find out who dislikes Wolf so much," Yunia says.

    "Even so, my informant will know that I've failed in freeing you and will likely spread this knowledge," Silvane says and becomes a little sad again.

    "It'll end up just fine. I'm planning on keeping a good relationship with Vanea anyway. I even delivered Darean to her," I say.

    Silvane's eyes light up with hope. "Oh…? I haven't heard about that yet."

    "After fostering an incident between the Crown Lords and the Dawn of Fire circle of magi, he went to my father to beg like a maniac, but he threw the mad man into the dungeon," Yunia says.

    "After Confiel took control of Escanso, we found Darean in the dungeon and decided to send him to Vanea," I say.

    Silvane chuckles. "How convenient for us."

    Yunia nods. "Indeed."

    Silvane's face softens, and she becomes the gentle girl that I've always known. "Very well, I'll tell you the truth. The information came from Heart Lord Ira."

    I don't recognize the name.

    But Yunia does as she scoffs and shakes her head. "Foolish man. He has a big heart, but his emotions cloud his mind far too often."

    Silvane "He gave me an excuse about why he wasn't able to come here personally, and I believed him since we've been building a 'relationship' lately."

    "Hm… I didn't expect him to be so cunning," Yunia says and graciously runs a hand through her golden hair.

    "Was he really so cunning since his plot failed so spectacularly?" Nono shyly asks.

    "If you look at it that way, I guess that he seems incompetent," Silvane says with a smile and pats Nono's head.

    "His emotions took hold of him, and he did something stupid, even though it seemed cunning at first," Yunia says and nods in agreement.

    The mood of the room relaxes as the worst has passed. With everyone going silent, I take this opportunity to change the topic.

    "So, Nono, how have you been?" I ask.

    She jumps in her chair and raises her head, caught completely off-guard. Her skin tone was returning to white, but it quickly becomes pink again as she says, "I-I've been well, Wolf. Your papers on [Monster Summoning] have helped me gain m-many levels! I've been hired as a permanent researcher because of you! Maybe I can improve my position some more and become a teacher in a few years…"

    The three of us smile endearingly at her, and her ears start to flop as her shyness skyrockets.

    "This sounds amazing. I'm glad that I could help you progress," I say, and she smiles adorably. "Your own notes helped me a lot, too. I'll certainly want to trade them with you again once we've become Lords," I suggest, and she nods.

    "I've heard that some huge human-looking being attacked Escanso's Shell. Was that a Grim Giant?" She asks.

    "It was."

    Silvane and Nono open their eyes wide.

    "That's quite a lot of power you have. If you can open a hole in a Shell by yourself, then no elven Lord is safe in the High Forest," Silvane says.

    "That'll serve as a deterrent against rebellion for quite a long time," Yunia says.

    "H-how did you get enough mana to summon something so big!" Nono exclaims.

    Ah… I love how she said that.

    "I didn't. I had Ciel heal me continuously while it consumed my HP until the summoning was complete," I respond.

    The three girls become stunned by my words.

    "How did you not pass out?" Silvane asks.

    I wink at her while I smirk, and her right ear twitches. "That's a secret," I say, and she pouts.

    "Do you have [Blackout Resistance]?" Nono asks.

    I smile proudly. "I can only say that I gained a point after that summoning."

    "Gifted people are indeed on a different level than we are," Silvane says as she smiles wryly, and Nono nods.

    "Oh, you have no idea. He's not 'average' at all," Yunia says.

    The two elves smile gently at each other, and Nono shifts uncomfortably.

    The way she said it was kind of suggestive.

    Silvane's face suddenly becomes serious, and she says, "Hm… There's one thing that's making me confused. Weren't you supposed to be the Chosen Descendant?" She asks.

    Yunia nods and answers, "Yes, but Lord Confiel and his wives convinced the Elder Council to allow me to live. The condition was that I'd have to become a True Noble."

    "Hm… I wish that my brother had been offered such an opportunity." Silvane hums again and looks down, deep in thought.

    Yunia's gaze softens, and she empathizes with Silvane's situation. "I'm very fortunate. Nobody in my position has ever been offered so much mercy."

    Silvane nods weakly, and they stare at each other with pained looks.

    The sad eyes of the gentle silver elven girl pull on my heartstrings. I can't stop myself from wishing that I came into this world with more money so that I could've bought her alongside Alissa.

    With the way that I was back then, I'm not sure that I would've been a good master to her, but it's always hard to predict how things could've been. Maybe we would've helped each other the same way that Alissa helped me.

    Silvane starts talking, and her voice gains a hint of weakness that I haven't heard before from her, "The hardest part of it all was knowing that it wasn't even my mistake that caused all of this. I barely had any magical skills yet, so I could only watch as my parents failed to keep the monsters away, then the empire came and 'deposed' them…"

    "I feel for your loss," Yunia says in a soft tone.

    Silvane sighs and slaps her face, trying to give herself a boost of energy. "I'm tired of feeling. I've already fulfilled my goal and reclaimed my family name. It's time to move on and look forward to my future."

    "Wait, so you're not a Blood Slave anymore?" I ask.

    She smiles gently at me and says, "I still am, and I always will. I've sworn to serve the Anaras, but it'll be in the form of a noble servant family. I've returned to being Silvane Andera, currently the only member of my house."

    Oh wow… that's incredible. But wait…

    "I don't think I can follow your path. I've already received the mercy of being allowed to become a Blood Slave. The best that I can hope for is to become a Ryder one day," Yunia says.

    I grab her hand and give it a warm squeeze. She glances at me and flashes a small smile, then returns to her more stern, natural look.

    "I wish you good fortune. Seeing how Wolf treats those that he loves, you two will be fine together," Silvane says and bows quickly.

    Nono nods repeatedly and says, "Helios is a pretty nice bunch of people. I hope that you all do well together. But, oh… I don't know if their lifestyle is on a high enough level for nobility…" -She smiles wryly and scratches her head shyly- "sorry, Wolf."

    "I'm not snobbish," Yunia says and calmly shakes her head. "I can handle some rough living since I was raised as the Chosen Descendant. Besides, it's not going to be like this forever."

    Nono nods in understanding, and Silvane caresses her ears again.

    "I think that we should be going. I have to report this to Vanea so that we cut ties with Lord Ira," Silvane says.

    "Alright," I say and nod. "We'll see each other again soon. After we become nobles, there will be a marriage ceremony, so look forward to that."

    We get up to shake hands, but Silvane instead pulls me into a quick hug, then Nono does the same. The smell of their hair is delicious, the touch of their exposed skin against my own is stimulating, and their breasts squashed against my chest is arousing.

    Calm down, other me, they are friends, not food.

    "We're staying in a guest mansion within the castle grounds in Rabanara, but you can come to visit us at any time," Silvane says.

    "Alright, then. If we decide to rest for a few days, we might take up on your offer," I respond.

    "Please do," she says with a gentle smile and turns to Yunia. "Stay well, Miss Yulania."

    "You too, Miss Silvane, Miss Nononya," Yunia gracefully says, and they share a delicate handshake.

    They leave the room, and their bodyguards follow them without a word.

    I throw myself on the bed and sigh. "These have been some pretty hectic days, huh?" I ask rhetorically.

    "Always listen to the singing of the birds," she says and lays down beside me.

    I turn to the side to look at her. "What does that mean?"

    She smiles smugly. "I want you to take a guess."

    "Something about enjoying the good times while they last?"

    "Good guess. Also, when the birds stop chirping, it means that something bad has passed through the area."

    "What does that have to do with our situation?"

    "Misery never affects only one person, it always spreads around, but what you should pay attention to is its source."

    "I still don't see how this relates to us."

    She turns her head to the side to look at me. "Vanea was feared for being ruthless, but when I looked at Silvane, I saw that she was disappointed in herself, not that she feared Vanea's punishment. Maybe Vanea is changing?"

    "Huh… that'd be good news. I'm also one of those scared of Vanea."

    She turns to the side and lands a soft hand on my cheek. "You don't have to meet with Vanea; I can deal with her if we ever need to talk with her again."

    I hold her hand and give it a small squeeze. "Thanks, but I'm not so frail anymore."

    She smiles smugly. "The other wives think otherwise."

    "Then I'll prove them wrong."

    She chuckles, then moves her hand to my hair and starts caressing it soothingly.

    "We haven't finished what we started. Want to continue?" I ask, innocently.

    She pulls at a few strings of her not-bikini, and it starts to unravel, revealing her perfect body to me. "Show me your oh-so-famous-[Massage]. You can start with my feet."

    I lick my lips and look down at my meal. Delicate, small, and cute little toes are ready to be sucked.



    Intermission 15 - Silvane



    I let a sigh escape my lips as we leave the inn.

    "So… he got another one," Nono says, sounding disappointed.

    "Well, he has a Gift. Heroes are known to be 'vigorous,'" I respond with a smirk.

    "I don't want to be his seventh." Nono's ears flop completely.

    I caress her ears as we walk, and she tilts her head closer, wanting to be petted more.

    We return to the main street, and I pull her into a hug.

    "W-what?" She asks, confused.

    I kiss her nose, and her whiskers twitch adorably, then I smile and say, "We'll find a wonderful man for you one day, don't worry."

    She smiles weakly and lowers her head against my shoulder. "But I'm tired. I want a man, I want to lose my virginity, and I want to marry," she says in a low tone.

    "Then marry me!" I suggest and kiss her cheek.

    She lifts her head and looks at me with worry. "Silfy… I told you that I want to stop with these games. I could barely stop myself from jumping on Wolf. I can't hold back my lust anymore."

    I chuckle. "We don't have to play with my fetishes all the time! And I'm serious, marry me!"

    "But you don't have a…" She trails off and looks away.

    "A penis? So what?! We can still ask Haaran, Wolf, or some other man for that!"

    She turns back and starts to smile, but the worry doesn't disappear from her face. "You have many men around you. I don't want that, I don't want a big harem."

    I shake my head. "They're just 'work' for Vanea; I'm not going to sleep around all the time, and I certainly don't need more than one cute toy…"

    Her lips tremble, and she hugs me back.

    "I love you, Nono. Marry me, please."

    "Yes…" She whispers an answer.

    I squeal and squeeze her chest against mine.

    "I love you, Silfy!" She exclaims, and the people around us stop to stare. Hopefully, she won't notice that for a while because when she does, she'll freeze in embarrassment for a solid hour.

    We loosen our hug and lovingly gaze into each other's eyes.

    "Now, we have to solve the matter of your virginity…" I start.

    She groans shyly. "I don't think I want Haaran to do it."

    I nod. "I agree. We should ask Wolf."

    Her ears deflate again in dismay. "Would he even accept? He has so many women around him…"

    I smirk. "Once he's a Lord, ma~ybe we could 'strike a deal.'"

    She frowns. "I don't want to 'sell' myself like that."

    "It's just a pretext. We need this so that his wives don't feel too jealous about him ravaging you. And if it works… then we can actually 'negotiate.'"

    "Hm…" She moans and puckers her lips in thought.

    I put my mouth near her ear and whisper with all the gentleness that I can muster. "Nono, he's a Gifted person, a Hero of legends. Imagine if he impregnates both of us!"

    "Ah!" She exclaims and looks at me, wide-eyed. "W-would Haaran accept that? Weren't you going to give him a child?"

    I grin slyly. "Of course he would. I can have more than one child, can't I?"

    Nono seems at a loss for words, but slowly, I see lust and acceptance growing in her eyes.

    "I love you, Nono," I say and smirk.

    "I love you, Silfy," she shyly says.

    I kiss her cute red lips, and even more people stop to stare at us with envy.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Lord Brennon Goetz.
    Lord Amelgar.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
    Nobleman Lassiter.
     
  15. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Yunia lays in my arms as I play with her springy ear. It's squishy like our lobes, but more elastic, and without any of the harder cartilage like a human ear. You can easily roll it up, and it immediately unfolds itself with a "sproing" when you release it.

    I flick her ear, and it goes all "boing, boing" on me. She slaps my hand hard, and I return to [Massage]ing her head. It's so adorable and fun to play with her ears, but I still prefer Alissa's fluffy ears and tail.

    She slowly strokes me with her thin and long fingers. I send an image of her hand wrapped around my rod to Hana and Roxanne, and they both protest because the image is too arousing for their current situation.

    I shoot upwards, and Aoi complains, "What a waste…"

    Her hand continues stroking me, but gradually stops. After a few minutes, she actually falls asleep.

    Am I for her what Alissa was for me…?

    Not long after that thought, I drift off to sleep with a warm feeling in my heart.

    I'll treasure you, Yunia.



    We slowly wake up together. My left arm pinned under her has fallen asleep, but after a quick [Heal] on the nerves, it returns to normal.

    She sits up on the bed and stretches, giving an alluring display of her perfect form. "How long did we sleep?" She asks.

    I pull out my pocket-watch from my pants by the bed and check. "About an hour," I say.

    "We still have some time to walk around, right?" She asks, expectantly.

    "Sure, but we'll have to eat out, then."

    "Oh… May we do that, then?" She asks, unsure of herself.

    I smile warmly at her, and her expression stiffens. "We could end the walk in a restaurant and call the girls so we can all eat there together."

    "Okay." She smiles and nods awkwardly.



    I have a Holly crawl on the ceiling as we go down the stairs. I notice that the innkeeper frowns a little as we walk away; Silvane already paid for the damages to the door and a bit more, but it's obvious that the innkeeper would've preferred that we didn't cause such a ruckus to begin with.

    I also notice an intense stare from a middle-aged silver elf man following us, but he immediately goes back to reading his book when I look in his direction.

    Just as we are about to leave the inn, I stop and say, "I think I found our spy." Then I snap my head to the silver elf man, and he jumps in his seat. His hand trembles, and he fumbles his book.

    Yunia raises an eyebrow at me as I guide us both towards the man. Then I release her arm and approach him alone, making him panic further.

    I stand right in front of him and glare down with unbridled anger. "Be very careful about whom you spy on," I say with a growl, and the man weakly nods. "Hmph," I mimic Yunia's scoff and walk away. The man immediately gets up and runs away towards his quarters upstairs.

    We finally walk out of the inn, and Yunia asks, "What was that about?"

    "I'm almost completely sure that he was the one that told Lord Ira about us," I respond.

    "Hm… But why would you confront him like that?"

    "I'm rather tired of being spied on."

    She narrows her eyes disapprovingly. "You're always being spied on."

    I shrug. "Doesn't mean that I can't dislike it."

    "Are you going to be angry all the time when we go outside, then?"

    "I'll just try to intimidate them to stop."

    "And when that inevitably fails to stop them, how are you going to escalate things?"

    I look at her with a bit of surprise on my face. "Why do you think that it will fail?"

    "There are few ways to stop spies from doing their job that doesn't involve the potential for a Sin of Reckless Murder," she answers with a little tiredness.

    "I'll find other ways. But that's something for when we are Lords, so I don't have a concrete plan yet since I lack a lot of experience in espionage."

    "The Lords hire commoners as spies, but if you start targeting the commoners, then the Tribunal will come after you."

    "Then we'll find other ways that don't punish the commoners."

    "That's acceptable." She nods and pats my hand.



    We go to the lower level of the town, and the day instantly turns to night. Slowly pulsing lights decorate the signs of the shops; the ever-present ceiling gives a more claustrophobic or comfy feeling to the streets, depending on who you ask; a slightly damp and cool air forces us to put on our cloaks to warm ourselves up; wisps of smoke and mist occasionally appear from of the ducts of the city-wide air conditioner network; more plants, vines, and moss cover the walls of the tree-houses here than on the upper level; less cheery, but calmer elves walk through the streets; small streaks of light comes through the holes of the upper level, giving our environment a very moody atmosphere.

    Gify finds this level "okay." She prefers sunny and open-air areas rather than the darker and moody places like this one.

    A few children play with the [Float] enchantments on the holes in the middle of the streets above us. They throw themselves into the hole, and the enchantment activates, pushing them back to the street.

    "You've played around with one of those, haven't you?" Yunia asks gently.

    "Of course," I answer.

    "If you hadn't, then I'd say that you were as cold as a summon," she says, and we chuckle softly.

    I notice that the priests set up shop in a few spots. They seem to be selling both contraceptives and fertility drugs.

    We're in the month of Birth, and the temple suggests that people try to conceive in this period so that the children are born in the month of Combat, which is seen as a good omen. But also, a lot of children are conceived during the month of Drink and, therefore, are born in this month, also giving its name an unintended meaning.



    Unfortunately, we reach the end of our walk as we stop in front of a restaurant called Aldo Uente. It's a comfy restaurant attended by some kind-looking old elven women that don't speak Andraste. I put ten points in [Ingua Language] and impress them a little with my fluency in their language.

    Then we sit at our table and wait for the girls.

    Yunia frowns and becomes increasingly anxious. I raise an eyebrow at her, confused, and she glares at me.

    "What?" I ask.

    She clicks her tongue and says, "This Gift to change your skill points at will is, frankly, ridiculous. Did Ciel ever call it sacrilege that you can just 'play' around with the God's Blessing in such a silly way? Instant casting spells is one amazing Gift, but being able to become a master of any sort of skill at will is simply too much.

    "Do you know how long I spent practicing [Weaverism] to be able to cast [Precognition]? My entire life! Even though I always had a large positive soul potential, it still took me more effort to reach this level than a normal mage would to learn their first Spirit familiar spell. And you can just spend a few seconds re-arranging your points to be able to cast those same spells! Madness!"

    I smile wryly and say, "I can't learn any spell from [Weaverism] since it doesn't automatically give me the spells, though."

    She turns her head to the side and looks at me with the corner of her eye. "But you can still cast something like [Fire Spirit] whenever you want just by changing your build."

    "Actually, that one I can't. For some reason, I can only automatically learn spells up to level forty, so I can only cast up to [Heart of Fire]."

    She scoffs and mocks my tone. "Pah! 'I can only cast up to level forty.' Still ridiculous!"

    "Well, I'm only a cheater, after all," I say in a low tone and hold back my grin.

    She clears her throat and holds back a cringe. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to belittle your accomplishments."

    "No, that's…" -I smile wryly- "that's just a joke that Ciel says whenever she remembers how ridiculous my Gifts are."

    "At least you admit that they're ridiculous," she says in a low tone and glances at me from the side of her eye.



    We only have to wait for a few minutes while pecking on croutons before the rest of the girls arrive.

    "Good timing," Yunia comments.

    "Don't underestimate my ability to track down Wolfy," Alissa proudly says, and I chuckle.

    They sit down, and we order a soup party. Aoi and Gify have the most trouble eating their soup and dipping the side dishes in, until they start using magic to help them. The people around us become a little mesmerized as they watch a small dragon and a nature spirit using [Telekinesis] to control their spoons and to dip bits of food in their soups.

    "So, how did your research go?" I ask Lina.

    "I've found an enchantment to create a vacuum in Roxanne's workshop. Also, they lent me a copy of the biography of Arreira," she answers looking proud of herself.

    "Great, I wanted to try out some 'totally safe' things with the Decay pots that we have," Roxanne says with an excited grin.

    "We'll discuss Arreira after we're done eating," I say and pat Lina's head, then I turn to Ciel, who's sitting at my other side. "And how did Aoi do?"

    "Kwah!" Aoi suddenly lifts her head out of her bowl and looks at us with fear and surprise stamped on her face.

    Ciel smiles and answers, "For a first-time reader, she did pretty well. Not well enough to fully read by herself, but she took your advice to heart and will keep observing us to learn more. She's perfectly capable of learning how to read with enough time."

    Aoi gives us a toothy grin when she hears Ciel's praise. Hana pats her head, and we smile.

    Then I turn to Alissa. "And how did it go in the armory?" I ask.

    "I've found a [Mana Arrow] bow," Alissa answers quite happily.

    "Does it have [Loosen]?" Lina asks.

    "It does. It's even stronger than the one in my current bow, but the quartermaster was impressed with yours," Alissa answers and smiles. Lina doesn't know how to respond to the compliment, so she just nods and retreats into her mind.

    Hana chimes in and excitedly reports, "They also have a lot of armor, even a set for dragons, but it's for a much larger dragon than Aoi's current battle-size. The quartermaster said that they can adapt it easily to a smaller size, though."

    I nod and say, "Let's all get fitted for armor tomorrow, then. I want Aoi to be able to fight at a size slightly larger than you. If she's too big, it might be hard for her to navigate in certain environments."

    "They also have some chain armor that doesn't interfere with casting spells," Alissa says and looks at Roxanne, who nods without much spirit. "It looks kind of pretty, though," she adds, and the vain succubus perks up a little.

    "Any new enchantments?" Lina asks, a little hopeful.

    "Only [Searing Blade]. Anything better than what we have already is custom-made, so we'd have to order it and wait for a day-cycle or so," Alissa answers.

    "That's good enough. Our equipment was already pretty close to a knight's," Ciel says.

    "I've also found a metal halberd for Aoi, so it shouldn't get damaged by her claws anymore," Hana says, and Aoi perks up, looking excited. "I've asked them to make the texture of the grip rougher so that it doesn't slide out of her claws."

    "Good! Now I can smash without holding back," Aoi says with a satisfied nod.



    We finish our meal, but decide to linger for a little longer and order some desert.

    "So, Lina, what can you tell me about Arreira?" I ask her.

    She smiles gently and brightens up from her usual moody expression as she says, "His story is very interesting. The generals were vengeful and wanted to fight the Empire to the bitter end, while the God-King admired the Empire and didn't want war. But together, his generals held more power than him, so he was forced to fight."

    "God-King?" I ask.

    "That's how the rulers called themselves back then. They were so powerful that they thought of themselves as gods," she answers.

    "Something the temple outlawed after the God of the Sun Ascended. They were all false gods, arrogant mortals who didn't know what a real Humanoid God was," Ciel says.

    "Ah, right. I think that Alissa is a descendant of a God-Ruler," Lina says. I chuckle in surprise, and the other girls mumble, looking impressed.

    Alissa plays with her ear, deep in thought as she says, "Hm… I think it's possible. The Verners have been in power through most of the history of the Low Forest in some way or another, so even the times they weren't at the top didn't last long."

    "Aren't your leaders elected by the Elders?" I ask her.

    Alissa nods, making her cute ears bob, and answers, "Yes, the best of us is chosen, but once you're the best, you gain resources to remain the best forever. In the case of my Mom, she was the best Verner of her generation, and she tied with my Dad. Lucky for them, they fell in love and married, so there was no need to choose between them."

    "So, tell the truth, who do you think would've won if they hadn't married?" Hana asks.

    "Dad may be the best hunter of the Forest, but Mom is much smarter, so who knows?" She shrugs.

    Yunia props herself forward, looking proud, and says, "I'm a direct descendant of the last elven king, though I'm only part of a branch family, but we could still make a claim for the status of High Royalty since the real royals disappeared." Then she becomes a little embarrassed at her own pride.

    Roxanne chuckles and says, "So, we have two princesses in our harem. Now, what's next? Ciel is a long lost descendant of Sommerland royalty? Lina is the bastard child of dwarven nobility?"

    "I'll be a dragon queen one day," Aoi says and lifts her claws shyly.

    "Does 'merchant queen' count? I can still make a comeback," Hana says with a grin.

    Before the girls start joking around, I put the conversation back on track. "Since the royal family became heretics, didn't Arreira's death mean nothing? They fucked up so badly that barely any elf wants them to come back, right?" I ask.

    "I wouldn't say that his death meant nothing, but the second part of your statement is correct," Yunia says, matter-of-factly.

    "But that happened many generations after his death. I don't think that the dungeon's riddle is about that," Lina says.

    "But the dungeon only appeared recently," Roxanne says.

    I smirk and point towards Roxanne. "Exactly," I say.

    "But how would this 'Dungeon Master' know all this? How could he keep someone alive inside a dungeon for so long?" Ciel asks.

    "[Golemancy]?" Alissa suggests.

    "He'd still need some way to know about the status of the royal family," Ciel says.

    "Can't he observe us and eavesdrop on our conversations since we are in his dungeon?"

    "That's… possible," Roxanne mutters as she starts to imagine the possibilities.

    "Having to rely on hearsay to grasp the status of the outside world seems quite unreliable," Yunia says.

    "Indeed," Ciel agrees with a nod.

    "The coincidence of it appearing around the same time that I came to this world can't really be ignored," I say.

    "Coincidences are allowed to happen sometimes," Yunia says with a shrug.

    "Not when it's related to a vision that Gecynd saw. There's at least some significance for our Threads of Fate to be so intertwined that she saw the dungeon, not me."

    "But so many generations have passed for Arreira's family that I don't think that him living or dying would've had that much effect on their Fate," Ciel says.

    "If the royal family hadn't gone into hiding after his death, then the other elves would've turned to them to keep the war with the empire going," Lina says.

    "So he did save the High Forest from destruction," Hana says.

    Lina nods. "Yes, that's what all the scholars agree about, but apparently that's not the answer to the riddle."

    "Okay, then why did he sacrifice himself, to begin with?" I ask.

    "To stop the war," Lina answers.

    "That's it? No other reason?"

    "Hm…" She hums, and with a *poof*, she pulls out a heavy book out of her [Item Box]. She flips through it, then stops at a particular page. "Here: Arreira lost control of his generals when the skirmishes started, then the generals decided to retaliate, contrary to Arreira's orders.

    "He tried many times to turn the generals against one another, but that only backfired as they all banded together and started the war without his approval. He couldn't forcefully remove them as the generals threatened to fight together if he tried, and that would only result in Arreira's defeat. Now, without anyone else with the power to make his generals stop, he could only watch as the elves started losing Glorampina to the Empire.

    "As the Empire started to encircle the High Forest, Arreira decided to participate in the war. He eventually spearheaded a campaign that concentrated the largest elven army ever gathered. Then he led it south, towards Antano, to stop the Imperial campaign taking over the region, and met with the Emperor there.

    "It's said that when they met face-to-face, Arreira fought perfectly in a one-on-one duel, but he didn't have the immense 'Magic Power' of the Emperor, and couldn't manage to interrupt his casting. The Emperor cast [Fissure] and split the land, creating a ravine into which Arreira fell, then the Emperor slammed it, creating Ultirei's Tomb, and Arreira was never seen again.

    "Even though the elven troops tried to attack in revenge, the Emperor dealt with the entire army by himself by casting a huge [Meteor] that created Loyalist Lake. That battle was seen remotely by most of the elven leadership, and it finally humbled them, leading them to negotiate the terms of surrender."

    "How did he see the Empire? Why did he admire them so much?" I ask.

    Lina flips through a few more pages, then she finds the correct passage. "Arreira was against elven isolationism. He believed that the purpose of civilization is to work together and to continue growing more and more intertwined. He created the first few permanent trade deals with Maoka and tried to eliminate the self-sufficiency of Aloresta, that's how the High Forest was called back then. Without self-sufficiency, the elves would be forced to interact more with the rest of the realm if they wanted to keep their economy stable.

    "This angered his generals, as they were fearful of the Empire. At the time, they correctly believed that the Empire was aiming to conquer them next, so they didn't want to weaken Aloresta just before the war. But Arreira thought that defeat was inevitable, and he campaigned for the elves to strike a deal with the Empire in the same way that Gray Roost and Gnomeria had. The Empire's rule over other nations was rather lax, but elven desire for independence was too strong for Arreira to gain any significant support.

    "He saw an opportunity for the Empire and Aloresta to interact and learn from each other. Both nations had a strong desire to protect the common humanoid as they forced the strong and the rich to stand on the front lines to protect their weaker countrymen. He saw more similarities than differences between their nations.

    "He wanted to bring the Empire's standards of system magic and science to Aloresta, which was bogged down by the overly-obtuse [Weaverism] being glorified too much and holding back progress in other fields. He also coveted the wide range of products that the Mainland had made available to themselves, and tried to mimic that by opening trade with Maoka and the Chimeras, with a small degree of success.

    "But he saw the Empire's ruthlessness as barbaric and wanted to influence them to become more like the Tribunal. He saw no need for all the killing and spent most of his life working together with the Tribunal to make their laws fairer for everyone. This is what gave him the title of 'Unyielding.' Even though he went against the entire elven nobility, he still managed to get many laws approved and enforced, to the acclaim of the commoners."

    "I can see a few points where he failed, though," I interrupt.

    "What do you mean?" Yunia asks.

    "The Tribunal continues to be something only present in the High Forest, and the Empire continues on with its 'brutal' laws."

    "But there's the temple and the Seekers of Truth for that. We don't need the Tribunal to exist in the rest of the Empire," Ciel says.

    "Have you ever heard about a Mainland noble paying compensation to commoners?" Roxanne asks, and Ciel frowns. "Root Lord Rico did for getting us caught in a struggle between Lords without warning us of the danger beforehand."

    "The Wandering Knights protect the commoners, but they aren't as organized and effective as the Tribunal," Hana says.

    Ciel puckers her lips and nods. "Yeah, I get it," she says.

    "But that's not all. He also failed at making the elves more open-minded," I continue.

    Yunia frowns and gives me a smug side glance as she says, "Oh, please. We've improved greatly since then. Non-elves couldn't even enter the High Forest before Arreira's death."

    "Just two days ago, two Crown Lord families fought because one wanted a more open society while the other didn't," Hana says, a little bluntly.

    Yunia's smugness fades instantly, and she becomes inexpressive. She grinds her teeth, and her eyes lose focus, then the table goes silent.

    "I'm sorry. That was too much," Hana apologizes while cringing.

    Yunia shakes her head slowly. "No, that's not it. I'm just… I'm just tired. But you're right, elves haven't really changed that much…" She rests her head against her palm and closes her eyes, then she waves her hand dismissively. "Anyway, please continue."

    Alright, then.

    I shrug and sigh while looking at the other girls.

    "There has been some progress in elven society, but it doesn't look like Arreira's dream was fulfilled," Lina continues.

    Oh!

    "He didn't just die to end the war, he sacrificed himself to show how delusional the elven pride truly was," Roxanne says, and we hum in understanding.

    "He sacrificed his dream just to end the war, but the elves didn't understand that, so in the end, his death failed to accomplish what he wanted. Maybe he didn't need to spy on us since he knew exactly what would've happened once he was dead," Alissa says.

    I grin in excitement. "Did we crack the code?" I ask.

    "I don't think it should be this easy," Yunia comments in a low tone.

    "It did require an outside perspective, though. One that neither an imperial nor an elf would usually have," Roxanne says and looks at me with a warm smile.

    Ciel nods in agreement and says, "You'd need a neutral view on history. Something that the temple and the elven scholars both lack."

    "Tomorrow, after we're done with the armory, I want to try to open that door," I say.

    Lina nods repeatedly. "I can't wait," she says, softly.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Lord Brennon Goetz.
    Lord Amelgar.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
    Nobleman Lassiter.
     
  16. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    We make our way across the lower level. We have the time, so we walk leisurely to enjoy the sights.

    The town slowly becomes quieter and quieter. The people stop walking across the streets, and even the shops start to close. Today, the day will end early.

    The priests also close shop, and the public lights are turned off, forcing us to cast [Spirit Light] to see.

    The mood of the town suddenly changes as the dark environment of the lower levels is quickly filled with dotted lights from the commoners coming out. Most of them stay in front of their doors with their heads down, muttering prayers. The rest join us in a procession towards any of the town's exits.

    We are early, so we easily pass through customs before a crowd forms. Across this gate, there's a spiral ramp that leads to many levels of farms. Our feet get massaged by the grass planted on the floor, but unfortunately, we won't be going down on foot.

    I pull out the dinghy and we get in. With Yunia, things get a little more cramped, but it's not too uncomfortable yet. Lina and I might work to expand it one day, though.

    We fly down and land on the lake. The dinghy is heavier now that it's reinforced, but Roxanne just needs to use a small amount of mana to keep it stable.

    We find an agglomeration of boats and gondolas and join them. In the middle of the mass of boats, we see two sets of ropes that form a lane. It starts at a spiral ramp that leads up to the town, and ends at one of the giant trees inside the lake.

    In the vessels around us, other elves occasionally mumble something between themselves, but everyone is silent most of the time. The lake is so quiet that the swish of the boats and the occasional dewdrop falling onto the surface can easily be heard.

    We are all forced to wear cloaks since the dew dropping from the bark shield wall above us is quite consistent and annoying. The upside is that it makes us blend in perfectly with the other elves around us.

    A few ultra-bright crystal lights illuminate the lake, but they aren't strong enough to let us see the bottom. Fish regularly pass by near our boat, mostly attracted by some of the elves, who feed them crumbs of food. Occasionally, I see eyes watching us from behind the cover of the deep, dark water. I have a feeling that these aren't normal fish.

    Half an hour after we've arrived, there's a sudden uptick in the number of boats coming towards the lane, then we see movement on the spiral ramp that the lane connects to.

    Through Alissa's eyes, I can see a procession coming down the path. Countless scintillating little lights slowly make their way down the spiral. Many levels of farms surround that pillar, and the [Spirit Light]s passing through cause faintly-colored lights to bounce off the plants on each level of the farms. The lights mix and form a magical image, then a small amount of Eia mist starts to accumulate along the procession's path, making the lights glow ethereally.

    The procession reaches a jetty at the end of the spiral ramp, and three gondolas are loaded, each with a single coffin. Many more gondolas follow the first three, and the huge crystal lights floating above allow us to perfectly see who is in each of them

    Confiel, Luz, and Lua each row a gondola with a coffin while standing. Their faces are stony and their postures are perfectly rigid; if it weren't for their arms moving, they could easily be mistaken for statues. As they're the ones who killed Mavel and his wives, they have the responsibility to ensure that their fellow elves find rest where they deserve. On top of each of the coffins, there's a large portrait of the deceased to remind us of their beauty and dignity.

    On the first gondola coming right behind them, there are two twin boys with gentle and pretty faces. Their hair is messy and long, amplifying their feminine air. They stand on the gondola and look forward with grieving faces, but are still trying to look strong. They barely look twelve; at most, they could be fourteen due to their level delaying their physical growth a little.


    Soul Info
    Name:Arturus EsteRace:Golden Elf Level:25
    HP100MP150Magic Power60
    Strength12Endurance13

    Soul Info
    Name:Antares EsteRace:Golden Elf Level:25
    HP100MP200Magic Power110
    Strength12Endurance13

    Yunia looks calm. There's a hint of melancholy on her face, but at least she's not using [Mask]. Her eyes follow her brothers, but theirs don't stray, so they pass us without them noticing her. The boys are looking forward, but without focus; perhaps that could be an apt description of what they feel about their future.

    Behind them come many gondolas with the nobles that were Mavel Este's allies. None of them are wearing anything luxurious since the situation calls for everyone to humble themselves over the inevitability of death.

    Alissa notices my observation and whispers, "'We enter this realm naked, and we move on to the next in the same state. Nothing material will come with you in your next life, not even your physical bodies.' A teaching from the Goddess of Piety."

    Then a name jumps out at me.


    Soul Info
    Name:ira SaponariaRace:Golden Elf Level:59
    HP100MP840Magic Power210
    Strength20Endurance18

    High MP, but not a lot of "Magic Power." That's the usual consequence of being a spell sword.

    Ira is a tall, middle-aged man. He sports a golden dad mustache, stubble, and a buzz cut. His face is blocky, and his eyes are permanently squinted. He looks slightly displeased, and I'm not sure if that's an expression or just his natural face.

    Barely any of the nobles look around, focusing solely on intensely staring at the Rincipios' backs. Some show anger, but most keep an impassive expression, reminding me of Yunia when she's trying to hide her emotions.

    Silvane appears on one of the gondolas near the back. She's one of the few who glances around, but there are so many people in the crowds that she doesn't manage to find us.

    The gondolas pass us by and stop in front of the huge tree at the end of the lane. Then Confiel rests his oar on the gondola and turns around.

    "Lords, Nobles, Knights, and the common folk of the High Forest!" He starts, gesticulating as he speaks and slowly increasing the speed of his movements. His voice resounds across the lake without being too low or too loud, no matter where we are, clearly aided by magic. "Today we bury Crown Lords Mavel, Deva, and Dalia of the Este family. It was us, Crown Lords Confiel, Luz, and Lua of the Rincipio family that deposed them. There were multiple reasons for why we did what we did, and each one of you might know a few of them, but we aren't here to tarnish the name of the Este family. We are here to see that our fellow elves receive their deserved rest, and to offer one last prayer to their name before we move on with our lives.

    "Now, let us pray and wish that these Lords are awarded long stays in Paradise. Let us thank them for their hard work in protecting and ruling over us. Let us thank them for fulfilling their duties the best that they could. Let us honor their accomplishments and recognize their strength. Let us learn from their lives so that we may climb up on their shoulders and see further than we did before.

    "Their efforts shall not go to waste, and their mark in the realm shall not be erased. Their lives end here, but their legacy shall continue on, influencing us for generations to come!" He finishes with his hands high above his head in a supplicating gesture.

    His "legacy," huh? Now that he's dead, his vision of the future will be supplanted by Confiel's. Maybe something will last, but it won't be much now that he isn't here to continue spreading it. Just like Arreira's dream…

    An elven woman starts to softly sing, and her voice resounds the same way that Confiel's does. It's so gentle that it sounds ethereal, and it tickles my ears. It reminds me of the way that the Weepers whisper into your mind, but in a good way.

    I've removed my points in [Ingua Language], so I don't know what she's singing about.

    Most of the other elves lower their heads and mutter their prayers. Yunia remains silent, still staring at her brothers, who are now praying along with the nobles. The melancholy in her eyes slowly gets replaced with determination.

    Mages stand on their gondolas and start chanting. They open a hole in the water and deep into the lake bed, then the coffins are lifted by magic and slowly brought down into it. After a minute or so, the coffins reach the bottom and the mages release the water, allowing it to close the hole.

    The coffins were buried below the mud of the lake, near the roots of the huge tree in front of us. They will slowly dissolve in a few days, then the ashes of the diseased will be absorbed by the tree. With this, their bodies will forever be part of their dear town that they worked so hard to protect.



    After around ten minutes of listening to the elven woman sing, the melancholy that was building in my heart starts to fade. Her voice reminds me of a mother singing a lullaby to their child, and it makes me a little sleepy.

    "Let's go," Yunia suddenly says, finally looking somewhere besides her brothers.

    I look around and see that a few of the boats and gondolas are starting to leave. Some of them take flight and return to the town's gates.

    "Alright," I say, and Roxanne makes us fly again.



    We return to our house in Goloria, and the gloomy mood fades as we rest in our living room and enjoy some refreshments. The servants left some steamy pastries for us, so of course, we're going to eat it all.

    "You girls want to do something? We still have a few hours until dinner," I say.

    "I want to train. I need that instant cast Gift of yours," Yunia answers immediately.

    "Sweating a little might do us some good," Hana says and looks at me.

    I sigh and get up. "Alright, let's spar," I say.



    Alissa tries out her new [Mana Arrow] enchanted bow. She can create arrows with any shape, weight, and color that she wants. This removes the need for arrows but uses mana, obviously, so it isn't a straight upgrade. The draw weight increased, though, and with a stronger [Loosen] enchantment, she can pierce armor deeper than before.

    The bow is made from not-ebony and decorated with green wavy patterns to disguise the glitter of gold from the enchantments. Now I realize how eye-catching her previous bow is since it's pure white. Our own emerald weapons aren't the perfect camouflage, but they lost their luster from being new, so they are good enough for us.

    Monster hunters also don't really need camouflage when there's hardly any monster that would run away once they've spotted a humanoid.

    Ciel is testing the wooden sword with [Searing Blade]. This one basically turns the blade into a lightsaber while also protecting the sword from the heat. It sucks mana like Alissa, Hana, and Aoi combined suck me dry, so it's only used in bursts. It's also extremely dangerous to yourself if you don't know how to use a blade.

    Yunia is meditating. After some coaching from Roxanne, she's putting her all into searching for the "itch" inside her soul space.

    Lina is adding a [Vacuum] enchantment to Roxanne's workbench. It's quite simple, so it should be ready today.

    Inside the house, Roxanne is testing some of her poisons on a group of summoned goblins and a dragonoid. The Decay goop is allowing her to make some very toxic substances, so it's good that the workbench is almost ready.

    Aoi puts what she learned today to practice and tests new ways to bend air around her wings to produce lift.

    Gify is watching us in amusement, as always.

    The golems practice their spells while also observing us.

    Meanwhile, Hana beats the shit out of me.

    "Come on, where's your ferocity?! Where did that dragon soul go?!" She yells at me, and I force myself to stand up.

    Bitch, imma stab you and make you cum.

    I lower my own gravity and jump, then I strike from above and spin in the air to avoid Hana's counter.

    I pull out a dagger from my back with a tail, and it gets cut down by her sword. I increase my gravity again so that I catch up with the dagger, allowing me to reattach the tail, and at the same time, I strike at Hana.

    She immediately goes for the tail again, and I detach the tail myself, making her sword only cut through air, then I immediately reattach it. Once she turns the blade to cut upwards, I meet it with my own and stop her.

    My dagger thrusts towards a chink in her armor at her waist, and she dodges to the side, making it bounce ineffectively against the plate.

    With a click of my tongue, I cast [Ghost Lights] and blind us both since I lack fine control with this spell. Then I use Holly's sight to guide the dagger towards the chink again.

    She jumps back and tries to cover the chink with her arm, but I jump forward at the same time and bash her with my shield, making her stagger and open her guard.

    I change my target and sink the dagger through the opening below her armpit, then I leave it there, almost fully disabling her arm. She moans out loud, and I smirk.

    She suddenly spits fire, making the area between us become covered by smoke and flame. Then two swords emerge through it, each aiming to strike at a different angle. One of them is an illusion, but I don't know which.

    Fuck.

    I try to cast [Rush] and retreat, but the tiredness of controlling the tail and casting multiple spells makes me too slow, and I'm forced to defend before the spell can activate.

    The left sword disappears into nothing while the right one hits my shield, then pivots. [Battlefield Perception] triggers, and I lean back, but it's not fast enough. Her sword slides over the top of my shield and sinks into my neck.

    Once Hana feels her sword cutting flesh, she stops herself and pulls the sword back.

    The wound was shallow, but it still hurts like a bitch.

    The smoke and fire dissipates, and a smug Hana appears from behind it. "Hah! Got you!" She exclaims and grins.

    I need a fucking neck guard!

    I pout and [Heal] my neck. "I'm trying to do too many things at once, and the mental overload is slowing my reactions," I say, then I go to her to [Heal] her armpit.

    She nods. "Which is why we need to train your style as much as we can until you adapt to it."

    I groan internally. This training with sharp weapons makes me too anxious. Also, I can only do it with Hana because she's a masochist. Imagining myself stabbing any of the other girls is just too much for my heart.

    She cleans her sword and gives me a fearsome smile. "Again!"



    Alissa delicately massages my muscles with her soft and cute hands. They glide along my skin, aided by the soap, and caress me with love, then they find a sore muscle and stimulate it gently, giving me that combo of dull pain and pleasure. I let out a low, satisfied moan with every press.

    She straddles me and starts using her body to wash me, too. She sinks my hand between her breasts and moves it up and down while also pushing me against her bouncy cushions. Then she makes sure that each of my hands feel her hard and pointy nipples.

    She lowers her chest and rubs it against mine. Her smiling, lovely face comes so close that we almost kiss, then she backs away. Whenever our nipples touch, a small jolt of pleasure makes my raging erection twitch, again and again.

    She locks my thick cannon between her legs and uses her arms to pull herself forward and back, making it rub all along her athletic thighs. Her smile becomes predatory, and she rinses me off, then she licks my skin like one licks a delicious ball of ice cream.

    Her orange eyes lock with mine, and we have a staring contest. It seems that Gify's visions are having an effect as my glare is becoming much more potent. So, predictably, I easily win, then she immediately begs, "Fuck me, master."

    "Do what you want with me, my body is yours," I answer and relax.

    She chuckles evilly and licks my cheek, then her tongue brushes against my lips, parting them, and invades my mouth. My vision goes orange as her short, fragrant hair covers my face.

    Her legs spread, and she reaches over with a hand, then aims my Stake towards her moist and delicate entrance. She slams her hips down, and her tongue vibrates inside my mouth with a long, sensual moan.

    Her fingers wrap around my neck and squeeze, trying to suck everything out of me, even my life. Her nails sink into my skin, and the nostalgic pain calms me down. She raises her body and yips in a high-pitched tone like a fox.

    She's starving, and this is not enough.

    She releases my neck and pulls my arms, forcing me to sit up, and yells, "Not enough! I need more! Mount me! Fuck me from behind!"

    I smirk and obey. I wrap my body and soul all around her, then I choke her and use my tails to tie her arms together. Then she changes into her fox form while I'm fucking her, and my mind goes blank with the information overload.



    Fuck!

    I cum inside her womb immediately after the transformation is done, and a blinding rage takes over me. I bite her neck to keep her in place, and hug her body, lifting her paws off the ground. Then I plow her like I've never plowed before.

    The Ring of Fertility feels like a sore on my finger, and I almost rip it off. The need to impregnate her is so great, so wild, that minutes of fucking go by like seconds. Then the orange fox impaled on my cock goes limp, and I feel frustrated.

    I want more, so I don't stop after just her.

    She's left gasping for breath on the bath's floor as I make my way towards Aoi. The little blue dragon looks at me with expectant eyes and grows into a "fuckable" size. She turns on her "charm," and my sole focus becomes her and solely her. The cheering of the others fades away, and their surprised faces disappear from my mind.

    I'm going to fuck this dragon.



    I soak in the bath and try to process what I saw and felt. It was almost like when our minds tried to merge through [Bind]. But this time, there was something more. There was a "raw" feeling, something pure and strong. It was similar to the dragon visions, but it had a different flavor to it.

    This one made me feel small and energetic, and the energy fueled a need to fight and struggle, to make sure that I was never stepped on, that I was never the prey. While the dragon visions made me feel massive and majestic, it gave me the energy to act with confidence and certainty, to always strike true and to never hold back.

    I think I just felt Alissa's "fox essence." But why was this time so different from all the other times that I observed her transform? Well, this time she did it while I had my thunder cock inside her…

    Of course! [Mana Genitals] has turned that part of my body into something more "malleable" and mana sensitive. It would certainly have a special interaction with her "transient form," where her body is made of raw and unstable mana.

    I adjust Ciel's breast under my head to make myself more comfortable and look down at Lina, who's worshiping my chest. I gently rub her scalp with my fingers, and she closes her eyes in happiness. I can't see Ciel's face, but I know that her expression is either one of happiness due to my tail-hand massaging her head, or one of awkwardness due to my tail-hand massaging her head.

    But the amount of mana that I felt was incredible. It was so much that it felt like I was fighting Mavel again and one of his wives was casting a spell. Though, we only sense the mana that escapes the spell, not the mana used for the spell itself, so I guess this is why I sensed so much more mana, I was in the source.

    Hana tiredly deposits an exhausted Roxanne beside us, and Ciel casts [Refresh] on them both. It seems that Hana won the duel this time. Because I couldn't control my [Bind], they became sex-crazed, so to compensate them, I extend two tail-hands towards them and massage their heads.

    Yunia scooches closer to me, and I extend a fourth tail-hand to caress her, then her usual stern expression softens a little.

    But there was something interesting that I noticed about Alissa's transformation.

    "Alissa, transform for me, please," I ask.

    "Huh…? Okay…" She wakes up from her nap and obeys diligently.

    I use [Sense Soul] to keep a close look on her mana organ. Once she starts to glow, I notice something interesting: her mana organ expands and covers her entire body, then it changes in a way that reminds me of my and Gify's custom [Materialization] spell, and she becomes a fox.

    That's it! She doesn't just create a new skin and cover herself with it. She uses her own mana organ to become the fox. She uses her own will and inner "animal" to control the mana organ and transform it.

    Fox-Alissa adorably paddles her way to us and curls up on Lina's lap, increasing the spooning chain by one. Then Aoi curls up on top of Alissa, and finally, Gify curls up on top of Aoi, completing the cuddling chain.

    Also, this might be the most efficient use of mana that I've ever seen. I don't think there's any actual waste of mana since it's never "taken out" of her mana organ. Of course, some of it is spent during the transformation, but it's a very small amount. She even recovers far more mana than when I recall a completely undamaged summon, it's actually pretty impressive.



    After dinner, we do some mana training.

    "I've heard of this secret imperial technique before, but I never imagined that it would be so simple," Yunia comments.

    "But it's not something you'd normally think about doing. We are taught to focus mana in our hearts, not outside of our bodies," Roxanne says.

    "It seems that the average mage knows very little about mana organs," I say.

    "Only after you created [Sense Soul] did we become able to see into someone's soul like that, so it makes sense that most mages know very little," Alissa says to me.

    "Not even [Spirit Magic] has this much insight into the soul. If we pierce into someone's spirit, then it instantly dissipates and kills them, not to mention that it makes the Gods angry," Yunia says.

    "Once we become Lords, there might be people trying to pry into our secrets about the skills that Wolf has created," Alissa says.

    "Just another monster for the Lord," Yunia comments and shrugs.

    Roxanne claps the tip of her fingers repeatedly in excitement as Lina presents her with the finished workbench. It's usable, but it's not completely safe yet. She can still add some enchantments to protect against explosions and such.



    Then, after another long day, we go to sleep.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Lord Brennon Goetz.
    Lord Amelgar.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
    Nobleman Lassiter.
     
  17. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Today is the 9th.

    Ciel wakes me up, and we start the morning kisses. Yunia gives me a morning kiss of her own will, even though I wasn't going to ask her for it. I guess that it would be awkward if she was the only one not doing it, except for Gify, who only gets a morning pat.



    Yunia learned [Earth Magic] with one point, though she still can't instant cast.



    Yunia quickly adapted to the "naked breakfast" rule. Being able to gaze upon such a perfect, naked body surely improves everyone's morning.

    I look outside the window and see the faint streaks of a light rain hitting it. The day is cloudy and gloomy, but for me, it's relaxing. Then the glass starts to get foggy as the air conditioner heats the room.

    "If we're going to the dungeon today, then I think that we should all meet my brothers before we go," Yunia says.

    "Yes, that'd be for the best," Ciel says.

    Hana turns to Yunia. "Should we expect something?" She asks as she smiles gently. "I know that my own brother might challenge Wolf for my freedom when they meet."

    I raise an eyebrow at Hana, and she chuckles.

    "He's very protective and very grumpy," she adds.

    "You'll be fine. Well, at least I'm pretty sure that something like that won't happen," Yunia responds and shakes her head, then she smiles wryly. "I coddled them, so they may seem… immature for their age."

    "Oh, that's alright, we can deal with young boys, no problem!" Ciel exclaims excitedly. Then Yunia looks at her oddly, and she hurriedly adds, "Not in that way!"

    Yunia lowers her head, a little embarrassed and says, "Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that-…"

    Ciel interrupts her, "Yes, I know. We are a family with a few sexual predators, so I don't blame you." Then Ciel glares at Hana and I for a moment.

    "But you are a pedophile," I say.

    Ciel groans for a second and stares at me with a scowl. "So are you!" She accuses me.

    I smirk. "Yes, but I don't sleep with underage boys. Only girls who look underage, like Lina."

    "They aren't underage-…" Yunia tries to chime in.

    "And neither do I because I don't sleep around with men," Ciel continues.

    "So you sleep around with women?" Roxanne asks, grinning evilly.

    "N-no!" Ciel denies.

    "You've actually slept with more women than I have. That loli harem you had at the Nymph inn was impressive," Roxanne comments innocently.

    Ciel glares at her. "But have I slept with more women than you have with men?"

    "No," Roxanne calmly admits.

    Ciel grins maniacally. "A-ha! There!"

    "But would you sleep with boys who look underage if our agreement didn't say 'no men'?" I ask and stare at her intently.

    She stops and leans back a little, not wanting to answer. Then she puckers her lips, and her face turns redder as she admits, "Yes. I'm a pedo, you said so. I love young boys just like I love young girls!" Then she sinks her head into her hands.

    Lina taps Ciel's shoulder repeatedly. "There, there, you've finally admitted it. Wolfy will grow old, but I won't. Even then, we can always get halfling or dwarven prostitutes for you," she says in a gentle tone.

    "I'm not like that~…!" Ciel moans, her voice muffled by her hands.

    "But you can be. If you're happy, then I'm happy," Lina responds.

    "Maybe we can make Wolfy de-age in her eyes with [Illusion Magic] one day," Alissa suggests.

    "I'll make that my graduation project if we ever take that offer to study at the Kabara Magic School," I say and nod in agreement.

    Ciel sighs and reveals her blushing face, then glances at Yunia worriedly. She's looking in Ciel's direction, but her striking blue eyes have lost focus a long time ago.



    We call the servant to arrange a few things for us. Osaria and Klein will enter a town connected to the [Gate Network] in a few days, so we send them a message saying that we'll meet with them there.

    Then we make our way to the castle grounds' middle ring. This is the area that divides the inner and outer grounds, and also where the barracks and the armory are located.

    The guards finished their breakfast a long time ago, so the area is quite empty. There's only a few men around, standing guard, and a few squads training.

    The armory is a big building, different from the others as it has no windows and the walls are as thick as the Shell. It's a high-security place where some of the most powerful weapons of the entire region are stored, so this amount of security is understandable.

    We pass through a dull hall and approach a locker-like room. I look at the plaque above the entrance and nearly freeze. I barely know anything about Ingua, but I have a pretty good hunch that the plaque says "female locker." I notice that even the guard escorting us is female.

    Ah, fuck it.

    We enter the room, and fortunately, it doesn't smell like an Earth locker would. Inside, we see a well-dressed female elf, a few older elven women who look like commoners, and many elven proto-maids wearing much less clothing than everyone else. Behind them, there are over a dozen stands displaying a variety of full sets of wooden armor.

    "Greetings, Ryders. I am Assistant Quartermaster Istante," the well-dressed woman says and bows. She's a tall and slender woman with a square face, an impressive jaw, and a slightly smug smile. She could definitely be a model back on Earth. She straightens her posture and asks me with a gentle smile, "Sir Ryder, do you mind changing in front of other women, or would you prefer to go to the men's changing room?"

    "I'm fine," I say and nod.

    "Very well. Also, if any of you, Ryders, would like privacy to change, that can be arranged." The girls nod, but no one says anything, so Istante continues, "We've prepared armor for all of you, as requested."

    The proto-maids come towards each of us, and I let Aoi down from my shoulder. She grows into big-Aoi, and the maids freeze for a moment, then their training kicks in, and two maids guide her towards a stand in the shape of a dragon that's nearly twice her size.

    Three of the common elven women join Aoi and start taking measurements of her body. They must be armorer mages.

    "It tickles," Aoi says and chuckles gently. When she's in her large size, her voice gains a low rumble that frightens those who are unprepared for it, but her chuckle is so innocent that the women around her quickly recover from their shock.

    The other maids provide sets of folded white clothes for us. The material has a bit of stretchiness to it, reminding me of Yunia's not-yoga pants.

    As we receive and inspect these clothes, Istante says, "These sets of clothes go perfectly with our armor. They're very resistant to wear and tear, while also providing a lot of comfort and ventilation, increasing the effectiveness of [Breeze]."

    Then I see that there's also underwear.

    Yunia is the first to get completely naked due to how easy it is to undo the ties of an elven not-bikini.

    Then all eyes fall on her. Istante is a beautiful woman, but neither she, nor any of the other elves can compare to Yunia. They all stare at her without a hint of shame and also with a lot of desire, then two of the proto-maids lick their lips in hunger.

    Hana and I are the next to get naked. The maid aiding her sighs while staring at her abs, and the maid aiding me has her eyes drawn to my dick. Since I'm a grower, I keep it at 3/4 mast, so it's at a respectable length, but still pointing downwards so that it doesn't get in the way of my clothes.

    The maid looks disappointed when I put on the set of clothes, obscuring my body from her lecherous eyes.

    Alissa gets naked next, gaining confidence in herself when she notices my stare.

    Roxanne, Ciel, and Lina get undressed last, all three of them feeling rather shy. I know that Roxanne wants privacy, but she's enduring it because of how much it pleases me to see other women salivating over her body.

    What a good girl; I need to reward her later.

    Then the maids start to bring us the armor and help us put it on. Meanwhile, the armorers cast spells on Aoi's armor to shrink it enough to fit her properly. Yunia is the one most comfortable with this situation; she's like a queen getting ready for battle.

    First, we receive padded black dragon scale jackets and pants. The padding is rather thick, but more comfortable than what we had before. I don't have points in [Armor Appraisal] right now, so I don't know what they're made of.

    These scales are smaller than the emerald scales on our previous armor, and they're also stronger. Both of these characteristics make them less fragile to blunt impacts.

    Then comes the plate armor. Its color is a dark brown, with many thin, parallel black circles all over it. This wooden material feels and sounds exactly like steel, except that it's a better heat insulator than metal.

    There's a thin padding under the armor to reduce the noise that it makes, and the same goes for the dragon scales. Thanks to that, the high pitched jingle of walking around with this amount of armor is gone, so now we can sneak around far more effectively while fully protected.

    I finally get a neck guard, called a bevor, and a sallet-type helmet. This whole armor set reduces my range of motion, but even with my style, it's better to be protected than not since my defense isn't perfect, which Mavel's [Blink] clearly showed.

    Now, the only vulnerable spots are the armpits, crotch, and a few slits where a blade could possibly stab through. But since we have the black scales and the padding underneath the plate, there's very little that could actually hurt us. Perhaps a [Rush]-boosted blade could pierce through, but I know that it won't pierce all the way since I "tested" that during our fight in Escanso.

    The weight has increased, but not that much since it's distributed over my entire body. I can deal with it, but we have to be careful with stamina now since long battles could be the end of us, except for Hana, who has ridiculous "Endurance."

    Roxanne's armor is lighter than ours, but it doesn't get in the way of her casting anymore, so she's gained a small power boost. The advantages that elven armor has over imperial metal armor are that metal slightly disrupts casting and that the elven wooden armor is lighter.

    Aoi's armor is the same as ours, but there's a saddle on her back for someone to ride her and straps to tie the rider down. Now that it's smaller, it might be a little awkward to sit on it, but it's doable, especially for me… who's smaller than the average elf…

    Aoi looks curiously at herself in the mirror, then she strikes a heroic pose and exclaims, "I'm beautiful, yay!" And flaps her wings, sending a gust of wind through the room. "Oh, sorry."

    The armorers chuckle nervously. They seem to have problems accepting that Aoi can speak.

    "You're always beautiful, armor or no armor," Hana says and slaps Aoi's back, but they are both so heavily armored that neither of them feels anything.

    An armorer goes over to Lina and shrinks her armor to fit her properly. Even though they have smaller sets of armor, they still aren't at the size of an average dwarf. There may be many halflings around due to Confiel's reforms, but that doesn't mean that any of them have joined Confiel's elite guard.

    The last armorer checks each of us and adjusts the armor to fit us perfectly. She casts [Grow] and an inverse version of the spell to shape the wood at will.

    "I actually feel quite snug inside this armor," I say.

    Alissa pulls out her bow and tries it out. Hers has a flat chest so that she can fire arrows while ours are convex. However, she'll rarely use this plate armor since she isn't supposed to be in melee combat, and the same goes for Roxanne. But, knowing that they do at least have some heavy armor to use brings me great comfort.

    Aoi pulls her metal halberd out of her [Item Box], scaring the shit out of her armorer, and strikes a menacing pose.

    "RAAR!" She roars. "Hahaha!" Then she shows a toothy smile, and even the proto-maids start sweating cold.

    "I've never thought that Aoi looked threatening, but now that I see these women cowering around her, I realize that she is quite threatening," Hana comments through [Bind].

    "That's right!" Aoi agrees.

    "I want a male dragon to curl around me, then cover me in his wings," Roxanne says and sighs.

    "Wolfy, work harder!" Hana demands.

    "Enough mind conversations. The others can't join in yet," Alissa warns them.

    After a little while longer, the fitting is finished, and we undress again.

    The proto-maid in front of me helps me undress. When she goes for my pants, she kneels and pulls it down along with my briefs. She freezes, her eyes locked on the rod of flesh in front of her.

    I force it to become fully erect, and the tip stops just centimeters from her mouth. Her hot breath tickles my head, and I make it twitch, startling her. She looks away and bites her thin lip.

    "Maybe another time," I whisper to her, and she nods shyly.

    She grabs my real underwear and stops. She buries her face in it and breathes in deeply, then, with a face as red as a pale butt after a spanking, she opens it up and readies it for me to put it on.

    I pass my legs through the openings, and she pulls it up as she stands. She's much taller than me, but she stops when our eyes meet. Then she smiles mischievously and grabs my cock and balls. She gently adjusts them into a more comfortable position for me and strokes me twice before letting it go.

    I hate teasing. Can't I just fuck her right here, right now?

    I smirk at her, then she suddenly freezes again and looks towards my wives. Alissa's wide smile and empathetic nod calms her down, and she looks at me again. She's a pretty, young girl with a bony, oval face, thin lips, narrow red eyes, a cute and small nose, and braided, long golden hair.

    Alissa suddenly nudges me through [Bind], and I blurt out, "We are going to conquer a dungeon to become True Nobles, and we are looking for loyal servants to join us when that happens. If you ever feel interested in serving us, we'll gladly negotiate a position for you." I let Alissa's words flow through me, but it takes all of my effort to maintain my smirk and to not look at Alissa.

    Recruiting another Lord's servants so openly could be considered rude, right?

    The maid looks at me with a blank face, completely caught off-guard.

    Before I can say something to salvage this situation, she nods repeatedly and says, "Y-yes, I'll think about it." Then she smiles shyly and blushes again.

    Istante raises an eyebrow in curiosity, but some of the other maids don't seem pleased with their fellow co-worker. Not all elves are so accepting of non-elves, and some would even find it "beneath them" to lay with outsiders like us.

    The maids help us get dressed again, and I store all of our armor. They know that I can use [Gate], so it's only logical to assume that my [Item Box] is as large as my thunder cock.

    "Thank you for your help, Miss Istante, and the others, too," I say and nod respectfully.

    "It's our pleasure to aid future nobility," Istante responds and bows.

    "Tell Lord Confiel that we appreciate his support," Alissa says.

    "We shall," Istante says with a nod.

    Then we leave, and a servant takes us to the castle's [Eternal Gate] hub.



    We cross through a portal and exit into a grassland atop a hill. There's a tree-mansion almost fully surrounding us. Down the hill, we see a small elven town with many colorful farms around it. After a few rings of farms, there's only green grassland as far as the eye can see.

    "Glorampina…" Yunia says, nostalgically.

    "Yunia!" A youthful male voice exclaims.

    We turn around to the mansion and see two blonde boys rushing towards us. Yunia smiles warmly, nearly all of the usual sternness of her expression gone. She bends her knees a little and receives the two boys with a wide hug. They bury their heads on her neck and rub their wild blonde hair all over her.

    "Tutu, tata," she whispers.

    Antares glares at me briefly with the side of his eye and hisses at her, "Don't call us that!"

    "You didn't complain when I did so a half-cycle ago," Yunia responds.

    Both of the boys look up to glare at her and Arturus whispers, "Not in front of them!"

    Yunia chuckles evilly and smiles smugly. "Ohohohoh… don't be so shy in front of them. They don't bite, well, some of them don't."

    The boys calm down, and they break the hug. They straighten their postures and stare at us with intense eyes, reminiscent of Yunia's.

    "I'm Arturus," says one boy.

    "I'm Antares," says the other.

    Looking at them this closely, I notice how androgynous they are.

    Since they don't offer their hands, we bow shortly and introduce ourselves. They are still nobility, so a short bow is the precise amount of respect a young noble deserves.

    They get surprised by Aoi's ability to talk, but quickly get over it to continue glaring at me.

    "So you're the one that…" Antares starts talking but loses his motivation.

    "Antares," Yunia says in a dangerous tone, looking down at him with stern eyes, and I notice that she's using [Mask] again.

    The three of them have such similar eyes.

    He bites his lip in anger and turns to glare at her.

    "You didn't have to do this. We'd gladly take up being a Blood Slave in your stead," he says.

    Arturus turns around and stares intently at his sister, adding to his brother's intensity.

    I feel a cold determination in Yunia's voice as she says, "I made a decision that was mine to make. Now you have to make the decision to keep the Este name alive or not."

    They start a staring contest that Yunia wins after a few seconds as they avert their eyes to look down.

    "Perhaps you three should spend some time alone to talk," Ciel suggests.

    Yunia shakes her head and responds, "We came here to talk to them."

    "And we will have our entire lives to do that. But what you need to talk about with your brothers can't wait," I say, then I stare into her eyes, threatening to break her [Mask]. She looks away after a mere moment to save her spell from me.

    I don't really like it when she uses that spell in situations like this one.

    The twins nod towards her, also agreeing with us.

    "Hmph, fine," Yunia accepts and points her chin up snobbishly.

    They grab her arms and almost drag her towards the mansion.

    "We'll be waiting back at home!" I yell.

    She turns her head to the side and smiles brightly. "Understood!"



    I take this free time to make a quick stop at the hunter's guild to sell off the corpses of the monsters we killed in Legado: four Leixe Campi, seven Storm Chargers, two Criatuas, one Sky Stalker, one Legado-type Giant Centipede, and five Legado-type Feral Goblins. All of that together nets us four gold coins.

    The Chargers and the Sky Stalkers are worth more due to how dangerous the first level is and how difficult it is to kill a Sky Stalker. The Symbol of Decay is worth four gold coins by itself due to how valuable its goop is, but it's even more valuable to us, so I don't sell it.

    When I get back to our mansion, I practice juggling with the tail-hands. I need to learn to use those tail-hands as if they were limbs themselves, so for now, I'll always keep a tail and two horns active. I'll also try to use them as often as possible.

    Roxanne is the one who agrees with my idea the most emphatically, then Aoi comes in at a close second.

    "Horns are handsome!" She exclaims. Male dragons have horns and spikes while females generally don't, so I get why she likes them.



    Yunia spends the rest of the morning with her brothers, and I don't blame her. We're about to enter the dungeon again, and even though I can still use [Gate] to take us back out on demand, who knows what might happen?

    She comes back right on time for lunch and gives us a genuine smile.

    "Did it go well?" Ciel asks.

    Yunia nods and whispers, "Thank you."

    I pull up a chair for her, and we eat our lunch.



    We all put on our new armor and get ready to continue our adventure.

    Confiel included Yunia's weapon in her luggage. It's a beautiful gray wooden longsword with four colored gems in the cross guard. These gems hold four enchantments: [Extend], [Bleed], [Dead Zone], and [Searing Blade].

    Confiel was kind enough to give us her sword, but he couldn't give us her armor due to how valuable it is. Once he deposed Mavel, he could only take a limited number of valuables out of the Este family coffers as compensation for his losses, but that couldn't cover the many rose coins that Yunia's armor is worth.

    I interlace my fingers with Yunia's, and we recite the words, "We swear to share our war and our soul and to always keep each other's company." Now she's finally part of our fellowship, and we can all feel her direction and distance from us if we concentrate on her.

    Now that we're ready, I finally open a [Gate] to the door riddle, and we teleport there one-by-one. At this distance, I can only do one person at a time, so it takes a while for all of us to pass through.

    We are back on the dirt island. A dark place, but a little cozy since the humming of the storm outside of the tree is quite calming. Also, these gigantic trees that the elves love so much have been growing on me.

    Alissa's head suddenly snaps towards a direction, and someone appears out of thin air.

    "Hello, Helios," Ervo says as he dispels his [Invisibility]. I notice a hint of anxiety in his tone.

    "Hello, Sir Ervo," I greet him back.

    "It seems that Confiel is still very interested in this location," Alissa comments.

    Ervo nods and responds, "But of course. Not even the Lords have managed to pass through this door. Anyway, I'll give you some privacy. Excuse me."

    He fiddles with a magic tool, then a few seconds later, a [Gate] opens in front of him. He vanishes through it without another word, and we are finally left alone.

    Just to make sure, though, I order our Shads to scan the area.

    "Now then," I say and grin towards the door. "Let's finally open this."

    "Hm… the suspense is making me anxious, too," Ciel says as we walk towards it.

    "Nothing like a little mystery to get the blood pumping," Roxanne says.

    Hana frowns and says, "I don't think I've ever heard that saying combined with 'mystery' before."

    "Of course, a muscle brain would never understand the thrill of a good mystery," Roxanne responds and shakes her head while Lina nods emphatically.

    "Bitch," Hana mouths.

    "I know," Roxanne whispers with a wicked grin.

    I clear my throat to silence the girls, then I state out loud, "You, God-King Arreira, sacrificed your dream to end the war with the Avgi Empire. But your fellow elves didn't understand your reasoning, so in the end, your death failed to accomplish what you wanted: to have the High Forest learn from the Empire while also teaching the Empire what they could, an exchange that would only benefit both nations."

    Nothing happens.

    "Uh…" I grumble.

    "Well, shit," Hana says.

    "Heh, I thought it was too easy," Yunia says.

    "Confiel did say that he must've read an entire history book to the door, and nothing happened," Lina says.

    "So… it's not a history riddle?" I question.

    Lina shrugs and says, "I guess, but I don't know what it is, then."

    "Try other variations of what we know about his history," Roxanne says.

    While she and Lina try out different phrases, I stay silent, deep in thought.

    What is the answer, then? Is there some obscure book out there that tells us what Arreira really wanted? Is there something else, something deeper to his dream?

    Gih?

    Yes, of course! What is the point of this riddle? "A test of someone's historical knowledge"? Or "a test of someone's interpretation of history"?

    This is a gauntlet, not a tomb, it's a place full of trials to see if we are worthy of Arreira's "Legado." This is how games get it wrong; an arbitrary logical puzzle doesn't say anything about someone's "worth." A riddle tailored to judge our personalities wouldn't be "passed" with a technical answer, but through a heartfelt one. Or whatever that means, I'm just letting my mind go wild here.

    I stop the girls and spill my heart out. "To me, it seems that you accomplished all that you could. You saved the High Forest with the ultimate sacrifice: your life. Hardly anyone will ever be able to fulfill their dreams, and even you, a God-King, is powerless before… I don't know… destiny? Your Thread of Fate? Whatever. If you look down on yourself because you couldn't help the elves become something better, then you're kind of a whiny bitch since it's hard to see how that would trump fucking saving your whole nation from destruction!"

    "Oh, wow…" Yunia mutters.

    I look around at the girls. "Go on, say it, spill your heart out. Let's see how this goes."

    "I agree with Wolfy. You did what your people expected of you: you saved them, even though they might have not understood its significance," Alissa says.

    Roxanne is next, "Maybe you could've struck a deal with the Emperor and survived somehow so that you could rule from the shadows. Then you could've fulfilled your dreams without committing suicide. I think your sacrifice is noble, but I don't agree with it."

    "Didn't know you were this much of a schemer," Ciel comments.

    Roxanne shrugs. "I'm smart, I just don't feel like acting like it."

    "In my book, that still means that you're dumb," Hana says.

    Roxanne glares at her and crosses her arms. "Fuck you."

    Hana smirks. "With pleasure."

    "I think he did the right thing. It'd be risky to try to fake his death with all of his generals watching," Ciel continues.

    "The book did say that he was crushed by a ravine created by [Fissure]. Nobody ever actually saw his body," Roxanne says.

    "There are other ways to know that a person is dead than just seeing their body," Alissa says.

    "Fair enough," Roxanne responds and shrugs.

    "I hate stupid deaths like this. He let the loyalists die, okay, that helps weaken the power of the warmongers, but maybe he should've fought his generals and died there. It would've made more sense," Hana says.

    "Elves despise fighting each other. Him attacking his own generals would've turned the commoners against him," Yunia says.

    "Then fuck them… Argh. I get what you mean, but I still think that it would've been better if he'd tried to remove the rebellious generals," Hana says and looks down while pouting.

    Lina is next, "I think he should've prevented the generals from hating the Empire to begin with. He's the one who put those generals in power in the first place. It's his fault that they turned against him, too."

    "Yeah, the generals betrayed him," Aoi says and puffs smoke, displeased.

    Yunia looks down, deep in thought. "There were only wrong choices…" She says in a low tone, then her deep blue eyes pierce each of us. "So many mistakes, so many things that could've been done differently. He saved the High Forest, and the elves are changing. Even though the speed is slow, it's irrelevant, they are changing. His dream will still come true one day, and that's what matters."

    I nod and look towards the door.

    Nothing.

    Now I'm getting angry. "What is all this for?! We are all grave robbers, no 'righteous' person would ever come here. We all need your legacy, your power, and that's it! That's why everyone's here! Let us in, you fucker. Let us in! Or at least give us a sign that you're listening!"

    The entire island starts to glow, just like when the teleport for the next level is charging up.

    "OH! WE DID IT!" I exclaim.

    Alissa glares at me and growls, "You just offended the Dungeon Master, so why do you think that 'it worked'?!"

    Oh, shit.

    Then we all lose consciousness.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Lord Brennon Goetz.
    Lord Amelgar.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
    Nobleman Lassiter.
     
  18. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    As soon as we wake up, we draw our weapons and get ready to fight. Gify pops out of existence, then I re-summon the Hollys and Shads, and we observe our situation.

    We stand on a cobble floor, covered in shallow water that barely reaches our knees. A faint mist makes it difficult to see very far. Strange pillars of black rock dot the area.

    I cast [Spirit Eyes] and see nothing. Neither does Alissa, Yunia, nor the summons detect any presence besides ours.

    We start to relax and observe our environment with curiosity.

    The air is chilly, the water has the salty smell of the ocean, the wind is weak and chaotic. The floor is definitely man-made, but the rock pillars aren't, or at least they don't look like it. The oddest thing is that we see light coming from above, but there's no clear source. It's like the entire sky is faintly glowing.

    I tell a Holly to fly upwards, and it keeps going up forever. The atmospheric pressure also doesn't drop as it flies up, which implies something magical.

    "Well… I'm a little disappointed, but also a little relieved," Hana comments.

    "What are you talking about?" Roxanne questions.

    She shrugs. "Thought the Dungeon Master was going to punish us, or something."

    "You really think that there's someone controlling the dungeon?" I ask.

    "Well, this is the tomb of a God-Ruler. They were known to be very prideful," Alissa says and puckers her lips while staring at me.

    I cringe and awkwardly play with my tail. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that a humanoid or something with an ego was controlling it; I was imagining that it was more like a construct or something like Ted."

    "It's better to not risk offending… whoever this Dungeon Master is," Lina says, and I nod.

    Lina's Trivia: It's possible to engineer a dungeon in a way that you can control certain aspects of it. The person controlling it is colloquially known as the "Dungeon Master." Though it's possible that Legado has a Dungeon Master, the way that it's being controlled is much more mysterious than the norm.

    "So… now what? Where do we go?" Ciel asks.

    The water is perfectly still, the only disturbance is caused by us; the direction of the wind changes randomly; the mist prevents us from seeing that far; there's no sound coming from anywhere, except from us; there's no sun to follow; and the compass is not working, it's spinning around randomly.

    I summon twenty small birds and have them fly as fast as they can in all directions.

    "Now, we go anywhere," I say with a shrug.

    "Pay attention to these rocks, they could mean something," Roxanne says.

    "Right. I'll start drawing a map," I say and pull out some paper.

    Lina raises the earth and creates a dry platform for us to stand on while I draw a map of the rock formations that the birds can see.

    After a good half-hour, we notice something interesting about the map.

    "There are fewer rocks in this direction," Lina says and taps the top of the map.

    "Point of interest found, let's investigate," I say.

    Yunia chants and casts [Ignorance] on herself. She's pretty good with the spell since it has no effect on us, but it does on my summons, though Holly is not affected by it.

    I pull out the golems. Ted and Suzy will protect Alissa and Roxanne, respectively, while Jarn will protect our backs.



    The birds eventually start to encounter the stone pillars again, which means that the area of interest doesn't go on forever.

    I re-summon half the birds and map that area in more detail. In front of us, there's a circle half the size of Rabanara where there's barely any stone pillars, but they seem to be the only things that the birds have found.

    "How curious," I comment.

    "Get ready for trouble," Hana says, and we nod.



    As we make our way deeper into the empty area, we start to feel tense.

    Don't tell me that it's another of those damn mental attacks.

    Alissa suddenly notices something and tells us to stop. A second later, we see a ripple coming towards us. There's something in that direction.

    We stand still and wait. The ripple becomes stronger and touches us, distorting off our legs and causing a bit of turbulence on the water's surface.

    Then Alissa sees it first. A four meters tall human-like creature. Its long legs have no feet, making it look like it walks on stilts. The legs are thick, but quickly become as thin as a sword near the bottom. Its large naked torso is of a man with the same dark color as the dark rock pillars around us. Its long arms hold a huge greatsword as tall as its own body, and it looks dangerously sharp. Its head is covered by a tightly wrapped dark cloth.

    Holy fuck, that's creepy.

    We start fanning out, not wanting to all get caught with a single swing of that huge sword.

    It keeps slowly walking towards us. Its thin legs cause minimal disruption of the water.

    Suddenly, it attacks.

    Hana tanks the hit with her shield. It passes through [Wind Shield] and hits the metal, then she tilts her shield, and with the help of the golems casting [Telekinesis], they deflect the blade upwards.

    "[Explosion]!" Roxanne casts, and the monster's head is blown off. Blood, brain matter, and bone fly everywhere, but thankfully, we are far enough away that it doesn't get on any of us.

    Then the giant freezes on the spot, and we stand still, wary of any movement. Even though it should have fallen forward in that position, it still remains standing, defying gravity.

    "Shouldn't we do something?" Yunia asks.

    "Wait, let's observe it for a little while longer. It doesn't seem like we are in any grave danger against it," I say, and she nods.

    The giant suddenly starts to melt into a black sludge, including the pieces that were blown off, which all quickly starts to gather around its sword and then forms into another of the dark rock pillars that we see everywhere.

    "Considering how many of these pillars there are around us, I'm starting to get a little bit worried," I say and chuckle nervously.

    "They didn't turn into these stilt giants when we passed near them, though," Alissa says.

    "This area is special," Ciel says.

    "I can feel it. There's a faint presence of Life in this area," Yunia says.

    "I can't feel any sort of presence," Alissa says.

    "Yes, the Life is in the area, not in the giants. They must be something like puppets," Yunia responds with a nod.

    I start walking towards the pillar, and Alissa gets anxious. Suddenly, the pillar melts and starts to shift into the shape of a Stilt Giant.

    "[Explosion]," Roxanne casts again, but with much less power. The Giant's face splits open, and a bloody mush of brain matter seeps out. Then the Giant freezes again on the spot.

    I jump and glide towards it, then I slice its wrist off and the sword drops in the water with a small splash.

    "Lina, crush the sword," I order.

    She morphs her axe into a hammer and whams the greatsword's hilt. It immediately gets bent out of shape, but after a few more full-powered strikes, it breaks in two.

    The Giant turns into a sludge that seeps between the cobble and disappears.

    "How curious," I say.

    "How creepy," Ciel says, and Yunia and Roxanne both nod.



    We continue walking towards the center and soon meet another Stilt Giant. This time, it comes running towards us.

    "Wait, it's not really coming towards us," Alissa says.

    We stand still, and I notice that the Giant is going to pass behind us.

    "Can it even see us?" I question.

    "It doesn't seem so," Yunia responds.

    The Giant suddenly stops beside us and swipes at me, who's at our right flank. I duck under the swipe, and Alissa fires a [Mana Arrow] at its brain.

    The Giant freezes, and Aoi flies towards it, then she severs its wrist with her halberd, and Lina breaks its greatsword in two again.

    "Odd behavior, I think we're missing something," I say.

    "I'll pay more attention to it, then," Alissa says.



    We soon meet the third Giant, and the direction that it's coming from coincides with the position of one of the rock pillars on my map.

    It walks towards, and we don't attack, waiting for it to strike first. Then Hana tanks its swipe, and we easily dispose of it again.

    "It attacks when a ripple reaches one of its legs," Alissa says.

    "How peculiar," I say with a grin.

    "Should we try flying with the dinghy, then?" Roxanne suggests.

    "Lazy demon," Hana whispers.

    "We'll test how the Giants react to it, but they are so harmless that I'd prefer to kill them for their 'Experience,'" I say.

    "I'll use a Ring of the Servant, then. I'm not in need of any more skill points, for now," Yunia says, and I agree.



    We enter the dinghy and slowly fly forward. I send a bird to the nearest rock pillar and watch it shift into a Stilt Giant after we get to about 100 meters from it. Then it quickly makes its way towards us.

    Hana, Aoi, and the golems stay on the ground, waiting for it. Once it appears in front of us, it dashes towards the dinghy in a mad rush.

    "AH!" Roxanne shrieks in fear and flies us upwards. The Giant suddenly stops and throws its sword like a javelin.

    "Weepers' dream!" Yunia exclaims.

    Ciel casts [Wind Hammer], Lina casts [Earth Bullet], and I cast [Telekinesis] at it. With an oddly large amount of effort, the sword is diverted.

    Then the sword stops mid-air and black sludge gushes out of its hilt. It quickly takes the shape of the Giant while the one on the ground melts and seeps into the cobble.

    "DOWN!" I order Roxanne, and we nosedive.

    WE NEED SEAT BELTS!

    The Giant instantly gains speed and falls towards us, ready to swing its sword at us.

    Alissa fires an arrow into its brain, and we push it away with magic again.

    Roxanne hurriedly lands in the shallow water, and Lina hops out, chasing after the sword, which falls near us with a loud clang.

    Hana strikes at the sword with her war hammer, but the power of her attack isn't comparable to Lina's. The sludge starts to gather around the sword, but they break it before it has enough time to solidify.

    "Well, I guess that means that we aren't allowed to fly," Roxanne says and sighs.



    We decide to walk, so I store the dinghy back in my "Items." Thankfully, elves dislike getting their feet wet, so the boots fully protect mine, and the girls' perfect and delicious feet from the salty water.

    A few more Giants come towards us, but Alissa easily pierces their brains, and we make short work of their greatswords.

    "I leveled up," Alissa says.

    "Nice. We'll level, too, soon enough," I say.

    Then, after a long and boring march, Alissa notices a light source directly in front of us. I immediately summon a bird to scout ahead, and we increase the pace of our march.

    The bird sees a lighthouse on top of a rocky island. They're both pale gray, like normal rock. As it watches, a white sludge seeps out of the cobble floor around the island, taking the shape of a pier. Then the pier gains the same color and texture as wood.

    After that, more sludge rises from the floor and takes the shape of a ship with wings. It's long and thin, like a Roman galley. It has large wings positioned vertically, their span is around six meters tall, and they're bony, like a dragon's. The cabin is a wide tent with a small wooden tower reaching up from it. Behind it, there's a large mast with a single fastened sail. A large number of dim and small crystal lights hang loosely from the beams.

    Then the boat gains color: its body becomes bright yellow, decorated with light blue lines; the wings become blood red; and the cabin becomes a deep purple. Finally, a rope trimmed with gold grows from the back of the boat and snakes its way towards the lighthouse.

    After everything is done, the beacon of the lighthouse starts rotating.

    "How curious," I say and smile.

    Our increased pace calls the attention of a few more Giants that we easily dispatch, then we finally see the lighthouse in person.

    Its beacon seems to be clearing the mist for a short distance around it, allowing us an unimpeded view of both the ship and the pier.

    "Huh… that's a chimeric airship," Alissa comments.

    "You've seen one?" Yunia asks.

    "Only pictures in books."

    We climb the pier and split up. Alissa, Yunia, Aoi and I will take a look at the ship, while the others will take a look at the lighthouse. Then Gify pops back into existence, now that we aren't in immediate danger.

    We climb up into the ship, and I immediately get a Bazaar's vibes: colorful pots, crates that waft the smells of spices, beautiful tapestries, and numerous rolls of cloth, all tied down to the boat by ropes.

    The other girls follow the golden rope and enter the lighthouse. Inside, they find a huge, floating, rainbow crystal brimming with light. They discover that the golden rope enters the crystal, and that gives me an idea.

    We walk to the stern of the vessel and climb down the stairs into the hold. The air is stuffy, and the strong smells of spices irritates Alissa's nose. Then we see the golden rope and follow it deeper in.

    Right in the middle of the ship, the rope enters a large green crystal, but this one doesn't glow. It's fixed to the ship by some sort of metal mechanism full of gears. I realize that these gears control the wings of the ship. So this must be the main "battery" of the ship and what makes it fly. The rope must be used to transfer mana to the crystal, like a fuel pump.

    "This is the ship's core. If we can charge it, we can get this airship to fly," Yunia says.

    "Any idea how much MP is needed?" I ask.

    "A lot. Tens of thousands, if I had to make a guess."

    I wince. "Ouch."

    She nods. "Yeah. The lighthouse must have a source of mana if this golden rope came from the crystal."

    The other girls climb a spiral stairway around the crystal and enter a room above it. Inside, there are a few large metal levers and some writing.

    "Hm… wanna bet that the Giants will swarm us when we start the mana transfer?" I ask with a grin.

    "That'd be a stupid bet," Yunia says.

    Alissa nods and asks, "But can either of you fly an airship?"

    "No…" Yunia responds and looks at me.

    I snort. "Why are you even asking me?"

    Yunia shrugs. "Who knows. Your world has some odd technology, maybe you'd know something."

    I smile and shake my head as I say, "Well. In fact, there is something like airships back there, and I do know a little about how to fly one. But I'd be irresponsible if I said that this knowledge qualified me as an airship captain."

    "Better than any of us, I guess," Alissa says.

    "Well, I know how to fly," Aoi says and lifts a claw.

    "You can act as an advisor, but you don't know how to control one, do you?" I ask.

    "Oh, right. Roxanne and Ciel would know that better," Aoi says and nods twice.

    "I just have a little knowledge about how they function," Yunia says.

    "You both can advise him, then," Alissa says.

    I sigh and shrug. "Anyway, let's go up top and see the bridge."

    Roxanne and Lina try to decipher the controls of the lighthouse. Curiously, the plaques identifying each lever are written in Andraste. Hana and Ciel go upstairs to inspect the top.

    We go up and enter the tent cabin. Inside, we see a fully-fledged magic tool kitchen, a magic tool bathtub, a low table, and a huge mattress on the floor.

    "Our tent is better," Alissa says, sounding disappointed.

    "Totally," I agree.

    We climb up the ladder to the small tower and Aoi goes outside, then flies around it. At the top of the tower, there's a bunch of levers and a flight stick.

    "Okay, I kind of have an idea how this thing works," I say.

    "See?" Yunia asks with a smug grin.

    "At least there's a control station. Controlling the [Fly] gem directly is so dangerous," I say.

    "This looks complicated, though," Alissa says.

    "Eh. Once you get used to it, you'll see that it's a better way to control vehicles. At least with this, you can limit the input so that you don't self-destruct with stupid maneuvers."

    "If you say so."

    The controls are rather simple. There are multiple levers, one for each function: controlling the power, up-down movement, sideways movement, forward-backward movement, controlling yaw, sail deployment, wing folding, and wing tilting. There's also a gyroscope, and a glass meter that says "power," which is currently sitting on "Empty."

    "Actually, controlling all these levers will be annoying," I say and smile wryly.

    "Use me through [Bind]. If we work in sync, then it might be easier for you," Alissa suggests.

    Yunia raises an eyebrow but says nothing.



    Lina and Roxanne quickly identify the correct levers to pull to charge up the ship, so we get ready for battle: birds will be patrolling around our position to spot incoming Giants; Alissa and Roxanne will stay on top of the lighthouse and attack from a distance; Gify will stay on the bridge to check power levels; the rest of the girls and I will fan out around the area to protect it; and the golems will support us in breaking the swords.

    I summon three earth elementals, then I order both them and Lina to start forming small boulders with [Earth Wall] all over the battlefield. This will disrupt the Giant's senses pretty well.

    I set up three [Gate] coordinates: one on the lighthouse for Alissa and Roxanne, another on the pier that the girls will use to retreat, and the last one on the deck of the ship.

    "Alright. Alissa, turn it on," I order through [Bind].

    Alissa pulls the two levers to the correct position, and a low rumble resounds through the air. The water was completely still, but now it's gaining a hint of turbulence, and small waves start to crash on the stone island.

    Through a faraway bird, I see a frightening number of Giants slowly awakening.

    First comes the stragglers. It requires little effort from us to kill them all and break their swords.

    Then comes the first wave. We see their silhouettes first, slowly coming into view from within the mist. The Giants completely encircle us, walking towards us in an oddly synchronized manner. The ripples that they produce add to each others' instead of disrupting them, becoming small waves that crash against our boulders.

    The waves reflect back and reach the legs of some of the Giants, who then rush forward. Many of them freeze midway, "killed" by Alissa's small [Mana Arrow]s or Roxanne's precise [Ice Lance]s. Those who survive, stop in front of the line of boulders and slash at nothing.

    We charge forward and start butchering them.

    Yunia eats an Eia pill and starts dancing between them. Even when they aim at her, their attacks always whiff through nothing. They are too simple-minded to counter her [Precognition], she's untouchable.

    I step on top of the boulders to avoid creating more ripples in the water, but even so, they still manage to identify my position.

    Their attacks are dull and simple, but if I get hit, it'll hurt like a bitch.

    The second wave of Giants appears from within the mist, but we aren't even done with the first.

    "DON'T HOLD BACK WITH YOUR MANA!" I bellow an order.

    I use [Rush] to weave in between them, leaving a trail of blood behind me. Hana and Aoi burn everything around them with their fire breath, not actually killing the monsters, but definitely crippling them. Lina breaks their fragile legs, and then their swords, each with a single savage strike. Ciel chops off limb after limb, bathing herself in their blood. Yunia holds the arms of the Giants in place with [Chain Life], then severs them without any effort. Roxanne starts to aim [Explosion]s at their swords, heavily damaging them, even the ones still being wielded.

    "You are now level 27," the announcer says in my soul space.

    Gify, how much longer?

    Gih.

    Good, my mana is running low.

    The third wave comes, and I change gears. "STALL!" I order and unsummon everything to recover as much mana as I can.

    We switch to a more defensive style, using the boulders to confuse the Giants, then cripple them instead of killing. Alissa switches to normal arrows and aims at their joints.

    "GOLEMS THROW ROCKS TO DISTRACT THEM!" I order.

    They fire weak [Earth Bullet]s near the Giants, who respond with immediate counter-attacks towards each rock. With my gliding style, I'm the one who has the easiest time getting close to the Giants while also avoiding disrupting their ripples.

    I use my tail to disturb the water beside me, making the Giant respond with an attack, which creates an opening. I lower my gravity with [Telekinesis], then I use my tail to launch off of the floor and spin to dodge the Giant's clumsy attack, which was caused by the ripple. My sword slides through its throat and paints my arm red. Then I use its shoulder as a platform to leap towards the next Giant.

    I glide slowly and with patience. The Giants all move in a predictable pattern, so there's no need to rush. One-by-one, the third wave is stalled as I slice through throats and the other girls fight while retreating.

    GIH!

    "RETREAT!" I yell and land.

    I open a [Gate] to the ship and cross through, then I open a [Gate] to the lighthouse, and Alissa and Roxanne join me. Finally, I open a [Gate] to the pier for the girls to retreat through.

    Alissa and I dash towards the bridge while Roxanne goes downstairs to detach the golden rope.

    We climb the stairs and get our hands on the controls. We both breathe in and calm our hearts, trying to match each other's rhythm and mood.

    "Ready?" Alissa asks.

    I chuckle and respond, "No, but there's no more time to waste. ENGINE ON!" I push the power lever up. The lights all over the ship turn on, making it almost shine like the beacon of the lighthouse.

    "Engine?" Alissa asks as a wave of mana hits us. This wave came directly from the [Fly] crystal.

    "Somet-…" My voice dies out as every Giant suddenly turns their head towards the boat.

    "I'll go down and keep them away!" Alissa immediately reacts and jumps off of the bridge. I cast [Telekinesis] to slow her fall, and she gracefully lands, then she pulls out her bow again and rushes to the bow.

    "Roxanne, come back immediately!" I order her through [Bind].

    She responds with a huff as she pulls a lever that detaches the golden rope from the [Fly] crystal. Then she breaks into a desperate dash towards the back of the ship.

    The Giants can be frighteningly fast, so much so that I have to summon an electric elemental to help keep them at bay.

    I pull the lever to go up, and it starts to rise agonizingly slowly.

    "No! Forward first! We need speed!" Yunia yells right after she teleports to the deck via [Gate].

    FULL SPEED AHEAD!

    I push the "forward" lever all the way up, and we all stumble as the ship instantaneously reaches its full speed.

    Oops, this thing is fast!

    The golems appear on the deck and start chanting [Earth Bullet]s.

    Hana carries Ciel to the [Gate] while Aoi carries Lina. Then the golems finally appear on the deck, too.

    Alissa and the electric elemental clear a path in front of us, then I spread out the airship's wings.

    The force that the wings produce is so strong that the vessel creaks and protests, but it obeys, and the wings launch us upwards.

    Hehe, as gentle as drag racing.

    Gih.

    I grab the flight stick and gently start to pull it back. The ship responds and we tilt upwards, giving us an impressive climbing speed.

    I hear multiple dull "thunk" sounds coming from the bottom of the airship, then a few huge greatswords pierce through the wings.

    "[Earth Bullet]," the golems calmly cast in unison.

    "[EXPLOSION]!"

    "[WINDSTORM]!"

    "[EARTH BULLET]!"

    "[EARTH BULLET]!"

    "[EARTH BULLET]!"

    I close the [Gate] and cast [Telekinesis] to push one of the greatswords away from us. Aoi spits a ball of fire that explodes near another, blowing it away. The electric elemental expends all of its mana to stun the Giants that were oozing out of their swords, then the elemental dissipates into nothing.

    A storm suddenly blasts around us, pushing away any incoming greatswords. I take a glance at Ciel's MP and see that it's rapidly draining away.

    Two Stilt Giants crash onto the deck, stopped dead by the [Mana Arrow]s in each of their brains. Lina and Hana take care of their swords before they can revive.

    "BEHIND!" Roxanne shrieks and runs away from the back of the ship, clutching her head in pain from overuse.

    Four Giants climb up the stern of the ship and throw their swords at us. I stop the first with [Telekinesis] and send it off the ship. Jarn receives the second with her body, which does no damage to her thick metal chest, then she throws it overboard. The third is stopped by Yunia's [Chain Life] before he can throw his sword, then he receives an arrow in the head from Alissa and falls backward over the edge. Aoi slams her halberd against the fourth, and it crashes onto the deck, then she grabs the greatsword and bends it with her bare claws.

    "RAAAAAAH!" She roars like a barbarian as she blows fire onto the sword, making it glow red-hot, then it snaps in two.

    Ciel stops her [Wind Storm] and falls to her knees beside Roxanne.

    Alissa runs around the boat, looking over the edge and searching for enemies.

    "CLEAR!" She yells after a full lap.

    Ciel and Roxanne clutch their heads and sit down, then they each chug an MP potion.

    The tenseness we've been feeling suddenly disappears, so I reduce the speed of the ship and level it off.

    "VICTORY!" I cheer, and the girls join in.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Lord Brennon Goetz.
    Lord Amelgar.
    Lord Krawn.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
    Nobleman Lassiter.
    Noble Aclys.
     
  19. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Our excitement fades, and the cheering stops, but then we start to chuckle, and allow ourselves to relax.

    I spread a few birds around the ship as scouts. Then I set the boat to continue moving slowly forward and upwards while we meet up inside the tent.

    "Excellent piloting, Wolf," Yunia says sarcastically.

    "As gentle as when you raped my ass," Hana says and grins.

    "No bullying," Alissa says and gives a dangerous look to Roxanne before she can pile on.

    I smile awkwardly and say, "Considering the situation we were in, I just didn't want to be slow."

    "I'd have done worse if I was at the bridge," Lina defends me.

    "We get it, it was just a joke," Hana says and pulls me into a hug. If only she wasn't wearing armor I'd be motorboating her right now.

    Then Ciel asks the question that everyone's thinking, "Okay, but now what?"

    We are quite literally lost in a sea of mist. The only direction that has any meaning for us is down. There's no reason to go in any other direction.

    "This is a Chimeric airship, so why don't we keep going up? That's where their sky lands would be," Lina suggests.

    "The scouting bird that I sent upwards hasn't found anything," I say.

    "But we only found the lighthouse when we got near it."

    "Well, at least we knew that there was something interesting in that area."

    She shrugs. "We don't really have any other hints, so we might as well try."

    I rub my chin in thought. "True… In any case, we can still try to recharge the crystal with our mana to increase how long we can keep flying."

    "Well, this could take a while, so I'll go rest and recharge my MP," Roxanne says.

    "Same," Ciel says and sighs, then lays down on the bed, armor and all.



    The girls spread around the boat, and I return to the bridge with Alissa.

    Hana opens a crate and finds salted meat inside. She nibbles on it, and the meat doesn't shift into sludge or dust, no matter how long she waits.

    "Oh, shit, this is real meat!" She exclaims and eats the whole slice.

    Aoi suddenly appears beside her and stares at the crates as if they were my seed.

    "Don't eat everything, we have to share," I tell her through [Bind].

    "O-ka~y!"

    "I'll sort and store all these crates and pots. That should make the ship lighter," I say, and Alissa nods, then I hop off the bridge and get to work.

    This is the dream of many adventurers: finding loot. Dried and salted meats that none of us recognize; lots of alcoholic drinks that make Hana salivate; tapestries with all kinds of patterns, just like how the elves like them; a variety of strong and aromatic spices; incenses, oils, and possibly medicinal herbs, though their smell reminds me of our elven scented candles for sexy times; dozens of rolls of textiles; super fluffy feather pillows; assorted colorful feathers; and assorted dried fruits.

    Among the fruits, I find four full crates of dried cocoa fruit.

    Cocoa.

    Actual cocoa.

    "Oh… oh, Gods… oh, yes. Hm-hmm, hm-hmm! Yes, yes, yes!" I mumble as I hug the crate and rub it tenderly.

    "Are you going to fuck that fruit?" Hana asks.

    "I wish I could," I answer, and she laughs.

    The rolls of textiles aren't anything special, but Lina showed a bit of interest in them since they'll probably be useful for the cosplay costumes that I wanted her to create.

    "Hm… how odd that there aren't any valuables," Hana says.

    "What do you mean?" I ask.

    "Most caravans always carry a small amount of gold or other highly valuable goods. It might be risky because they're a prime target for theft, but the payoff from trading these goods makes it worth it."

    "I think that the gold would probably be at the end of the dungeon, no?" Yunia asks.

    "I guess." Hana shrugs.

    Then I go to the bridge and get Alissa to identify the herbs. She quickly learned that she has to keep her hands on the flight stick or the ship will quickly drift off course. Good thing that we have the gyroscope to know the ship's attitude, otherwise it would be much more awkward to control it.

    "Oh, those are Tonique leaves," she says and points to the crate with the most pungent smell. "I don't recognize the others."

    "What do you do with Tonique?" I ask.

    "A very strong tea. It helps you wake up in the morning," she answers with a warm smile.

    The smell reminds me of mint and lemon, then I remember Ciel's feet.

    Oh… this smells like Ciel's foot lotion…

    "Smells delicious, actually," I say and grin.

    Alissa raises an eyebrow, and a small prod into my thoughts is enough for her to catch my meaning.

    "We'll all need a good [Massage] after today," she says and grins while her feet fidget anxiously.

    I kiss her lips and climb down the ladder.

    Ciel was convinced to brush Roxanne's hair during their break. Her slightly annoyed pout quickly melts away and turns into a smile as I walk towards them.

    "I heard from Hana that the cargo was a good haul," Ciel comments, a little excited.

    "Indeed, it was. I'll give you girls the full list later, but for right now, I'd like you to identify these goods," I respond and pull out the crates with the possible medicinal herbs.

    "Well, this crate is useless," Ciel immediately says and grabs a bag full of dried leaves. "This plant is an aphrodisiac. We really don't need any of this."

    "Maybe I don't, but what about you girls?" I ask with a shit-eating grin.

    Ciel raises an eyebrow and pouts. "Isn't it your job to get us aroused?" She asks.

    I scoff. "How sexist. Why do I have to do all the work?"

    "Because you have every sexual skill known to civilization. Also, you'll always have your spirit touch."

    "Don't stop brushing, please," Roxanne asks, and Ciel obeys.

    I chuckle and raise my hands in defeat. "Alright, I'll make it my reason for existence to satisfy all of you."

    "Ohohoh, you better," Roxanne says as she smiles.

    "Right, next crate," I say and open it.

    "Penis hardener," Ciel answers and looks away.

    I raise an eyebrow and say, "Like… something you give to old men who can't… get it up?"

    "Exactly."

    "O-kay… next."

    "Fertility enhancer."

    "Next."

    "Contraceptive."

    "How does that work?"

    "The 'life' inside of the semen dies, and it becomes clear."

    "Right, next."

    "I don't recognize that one."

    "Smells really good, though," Roxanne says, and she starts to breathe heavily.

    I stare at Roxanne's perfect, unnaturally pale skin, then I focus on her thin, red lips. She licks them with that cheeky tongue of hers, and I swallow heavily.

    The mast tries to stand at the ready on its own, and I get a pretty good idea about what this herb does.

    "Another aphrodisiac, the kind that you make into incense," Ciel says.

    "We have a crate full of a variety of incenses with different names, I bet one of them uses this herb," I say.

    "Don't worry, we'll find out which one it is, eventually," Roxanne says and leans on Ciel's chest, who stops brushing and switches to caressing Roxanne's head.

    "Alright, there's only a few crates left," I say and continue pulling them out.

    "Oh, now that one is actual medicine," Ciel says, and Roxanne nods.

    So, it seems that we got some rare medicinal components. The Chimeras aren't the most pious of the races, so they rely a lot more on potions and other things to heal themselves.

    "Are we done?" Roxanne asks, impatient.

    "Yep. I'll show you our booty, if you want," I say.

    "No need," Roxanne replies and covers Ciel's lips with her own.

    The aromatic aphrodisiac is strongly affecting her, possibly due to her race.

    I sit on a cushion beside the low table and watch Roxanne molest Ciel. Slowly, Ciel's armor is removed as she melts in Roxanne's grabby arms.

    Then I start to notice a change outside: the mist is clearing.

    I walk out onto the deck to see things with my own eyes just as Yunia comes to warn us of the change.

    "Oh, right, summons. You're always watching," she comments, and I only smile in response.

    We move up to the bow and look around.

    Blue, there's only the color blue around us. We don't see any clouds, or the sun, or even the ground. If it weren't for the wind, it would be very hard to notice if we were moving at all.

    Now that we're out of the mist, I summon some Hollys to help scout.

    Suddenly, a strong gust of wind hits us and tilts the boat to the side.

    "The next challenge has started?" I question out loud.

    "Looks like it," Yunia says and holds on to the balustrade just as another gust hits us.

    Roxanne groans as her sexy time is interrupted and helps Ciel armor herself up again.

    "I'll go to the bridge and help Alissa," I say, and she nods.

    Lina inspects one of the many lasso-like ropes around the deck, then she gets an idea just as she almost loses her footing again.

    "Wolfy! I think that we should tie these ropes to our waists so that we don't fall off the ship!" She shouts.

    "Good idea!" I shout back and relay that information to the other girls.

    On the bridge, there are precisely two of these ropes for us. They may as well be "proto-seat-belts."

    I take control of the flight stick and try to counteract the wind gusts. Alissa and I calm our hearts and hold onto the [Bind], sharing control of our bodies with each other. I work the flight stick and the power lever while she works the rest.

    The wind is hitting us mostly from behind, so I get an idea. I unfurl the sail and lower the power, then I tilt the wings down so that the gusts hit the flat part and help push us forward.

    The ship creaks and protests, but I've pulled the power lever back by 30%, so I think that it increased our efficiency. It also becomes harder to control the ship, so we strain ourselves trying to improve our skill as fast as we can.

    I take a look through the system and find the [Piloting] skill, so I take out the five points I had in [Acrobatics] and put it in that instead.

    Our reactive piloting immediately becomes proactive. I focus all of my senses on feeling the wind, which is quite easy to do on this open bridge. Any small shift in direction or speed gets an equal and gradual response to counteract it. The bumpy ride quickly becomes much smoother, though the ship is now constantly swaying.

    "Hey, I'm getting the hang of this," I say, and Roxanne's mind immediately screams "cheater" in Ciel's voice as she chuckles.

    The chaotic gusts become a current that snakes through the air and brings us… somewhere.

    The current slowly starts to point downwards, then it becomes stronger and stronger. The ship creaks louder as the turns become tighter.

    "I don't like this!" Hana yells as she sees how hard the wings are shaking. "Too much turbulence!"

    Dust starts to appear within the current, allowing us to see it: a massive tube that descends towards the infinite blue, slowly becoming a chaotic spiral that I'm certain would rip the ship apart.

    "Time to escape this current," I say, and Alissa nods.

    The current pushes us back to the middle, trying to keep us from escaping it, so we start to gently sway from side to side, gaining momentum.

    We drive up the side of the torrent, almost rolling the ship sideways, then we dive downwards and gain significant momentum. We straighten the wings and fold them upwards until they're vertical.

    Like an arrow, we shoot out of the current and rapidly start to lose speed. We increase the power and straighten the wings again before we stall. Then we see a tornado forming.

    Dozens of other tubes of dust start to grow out of the infinite blue into a spiral. All together, they create a massive tornado of dust. Even though we're now out of the current, we are still being slowly dragged towards the tornado.

    "Okay, now that looks bad," Hana says.

    "It's dinner time already… let me rest!" I complain, then one of the Hollys spots something at the "base" of the tornado. "Bad news, girls, our target is at the bottom of the tornado!" I yell.

    "That's fine, I can fly!" Hana yells.

    "I DON'T!" Lina screams, almost panicking.

    Hana opens her arms wide and says, "Come to me, then!" Lina immediately jumps into her arms, shaking in fear.

    "Your tits are too fat, I won't be able to carry you," Roxanne says to Ciel.

    "I-I'll go with Aoi, then," Ciel responds, unsure of how to take that, and walks towards my large armored dragon.

    "But you're mine!" Roxanne says and winks to Yunia.

    "Okay…" Yunia responds, a little concerned about the frustrated sexual predator coming towards her.

    Then I call the golems to the bridge and store them.

    With our preparations for the worst case completed, I partially fold the wings and let the ship start to fall downwards. Folding them seems to reduce our susceptibility to the air currents, so it's the best way to descend without being dragged into the tornado.

    The building at the base of the tornado gradually becomes more visible. It's a large dome-like metal structure. Four arms ending in smaller domes stick out from the bigger dome and spin at high speeds. It doesn't take a genius to understand that the spinning domes have something to do with the tornado.

    The Hollys start to have problems resisting the pull of the vortex and get sucked into it one-by-one, so I unsummon them. Then I resummon some birds and post them around the ship, looking out in every direction.

    Aoi notices something odd about the wind, then she and Ciel yell at the same time, "The winds are changing!"

    "How so?!" I question.

    I get my answer when we all watch a current of dust unroll itself from the storm and start to swing in our direction.

    I spread the wings again, giving us some forward momentum, and avoid the torrent. The wind starts to have more of an effect on the ship, making us drift so much faster towards the tornado that I'm forced to maneuver away to maintain our distance.

    Then two more wind currents detach from the tornado and start to swing at us. They all miss, but then their "heads" turn towards us and give chase. Three angry giant worms of dust and wind chasing after a widdle boat with wings.

    "They are going to catch us," Aoi says through [Bind].

    "I can see that."

    "We need to do a stall maneuver."

    "Alright."

    We keep flying downwards until the wind worms are just ten meters behind us. Then I suddenly pull the "up" and the "backward" lever while tilting the wings, increasing our drag and slowing us down.

    The boat creaks again and threatens to break apart, then the worms fly past us and immediately start to turn around to give chase again. I straighten the wings and accelerate forward with full power.

    We fly past the worms and they make a full loop, struggling to catch up with us. Then they split up in three directions.

    Two of the currents still part of the tornado dissipate into nothing, and the three worms chasing us gain speed. They start to catch up with us again, and I hesitate from pushing the boat any harder, fearing that I'm going to break something.

    We start to get close to the metal domes. The lack of a point of reference makes it difficult to guess its size, but I know that it's huge.

    One of the birds spots a floating pier-like structure attached to the bottom of the main dome. That's our true destination. Then the dust tornado fully wraps itself around the dome, blocking both our view and our passage.

    Shit.

    "Ciel, can you make a hole in the tornado for us to pass through?" I ask her through Aoi.

    Her face pales, and she looks at Aoi with a frightened expression. "That's asking a lot! I'm not sure!" She answers.

    I summon four wind elementals.

    "What about now?" I ask again.

    She holds her forehead in anxiety. "W-we might!"

    I smile, and Aoi copies it, though hers is much more threatening. "I believe in you."

    "I love you…" She mumbles.

    "Odd time to say that, totally not ominous. But yeah, I love you, too."

    Then I breathe deeply and relax. Alissa glances at me with a gentle smile. The other girls aren't as happy as she is, though.

    "HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTTS!" I yell and grin. "Now, do a barrel roll!" Then we pull the levers. I use a bit of [Telekinesis] to keep Alissa and myself at the controls, while the girls hold onto the boat for dear life.

    One after the other, the three dust worms miss us and loop around repeatedly, trying to catch us.

    With the boat upside-down, I pull the flight stick down and we nosedive. The ship creaks, but we manage to make the turn, then I start a corkscrew descent.

    "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Aoi and Hana laugh out loud together.

    Yunia is frozen, stuck to one of the ship's beams while hugging Roxanne with all her strength. Lina is like a statue in Hana's arms, so immobile that it doesn't look like she's even breathing.

    O~~H FUCK! WE'RE GONNA DI~E!

    I laugh out loud with the girls, and Alissa chuckles, too.

    When we're close to the bottom of the tornado, I pull the wings back and aim the airship forward, then I push the "forward" lever to full power.

    We gain lots of forward momentum, but we're still falling, so I slowly pull the wings open again, and the drag reduces our falling speed.

    "CIEL! NOW!" I yell.

    Aoi carries her to the prow, and the wind elementals follow. Then Ciel starts to chant.

    "What happens if she fails?" Alissa asks.

    "The ship gets wrecked, but we'll survive," I respond.

    "Unless we get dragged into the spinning domes."

    "I'll [Gate] us out the moment it all goes to shit."

    "Alright."

    I show a fearless grin. We've made it through worse; we aren't even in real danger of dying here. I also won't let a stupid dungeon best us so easily.

    As we get closer, the tornado in front of us becomes frighteningly enormous. Our boat is a mere ant in comparison to it. It's a huge, angry storm of dust that wants to wreck us.

    I'm on a boat, motherfucker, outta my way!

    "[WINDSTORM]!" Ciel casts. A hole as tight as Lina's opens up in the tornado, one that the boat should just barely fit through.

    Oh, boy.

    Big, long objects ramming into small holes: boat edition.

    I pull up a little, giving us some altitude, then I pull the lever to tie up the sail. We lose a quarter of our speed, and the worms start to catch up.

    Fuuuck…

    I unsummon all birds, then I summon another wind elemental.

    My mana…

    "STOP THE WORMS! USE ALL YOUR MANA!" I order, and the wind-Alissa obeys.

    The worms slow down, giving us enough time to get to the hole, then I fold the wings.

    All of my focus is on that tight, virgin hole. Mine and Alissa's hands are as stiff as rocks; any wrong movement would ruin it all. I'm gonna pound that entrance right in the center.

    I hold my breath in, and we cross into the hole. The top of the wings clip against the tornado and break with a loud crack. The sudden force of it makes us spin. I immediately turn off all translatory motion and focus on counteracting the spin.

    This is fine, we are fine, I can deal with this.

    I chuckle nervously as I look at the gyroscope and see that it's going fucking crazy, but the spin is stable. It's mostly pitch, plus a little bit of roll, with some faint yaw mixed in.

    I stop the roll first, then the yaw, then when we're pointing upwards, I activate the "forward" lever again.

    There, done!

    The left wing is snapped a third of the way from the ship, with the rest hanging loose, while the right is just a little bent and cracked. We can still fly perfectly fine, though.

    The girls are also fine; it would take a much stronger spin to make them lose their grip.

    "AHAHAHAHAHA! WE DID IT!" I scream. Aoi, Hana, and Gify are the only ones who laugh. Everyone else is sweating cold, but Alissa does chuckle nervously.

    The domes are above us, and I can see that none of the dust worms are following us anymore. We awkwardly make our way to the dock, and I slow down. The wings are only necessary to improve the mana efficiency of flying, so we can approach the landing zone without any rush.

    With some help from the girls, I maneuver the airship sideways onto a metal platform to avoid snapping off the broken wing. Then we land successfully.

    With a sigh, I turn off the power completely, and we assess the damage.

    The wing is large but it's also light, so we can lift it back into place and fix the broken beams with [Grow]. There's some internal enchantment inside the wood, but Lina is confident that she can repair it. The enchantment lines are simple to repair; there would only be a problem if the crystal was cracked.

    Repairs will have to wait, though. My watch says that it's 9 PM, so now we'll rest.



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Lord Brennon Goetz.
    Lord Amelgar.
    Lord Krawn.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
    Nobleman Lassiter.
    Noble Aclys.
     
  20. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    There are a few landing platforms around us, and an array of walkways connect them all to a stairway that leads up to an opening in the underside of the metal dome.

    We use all our senses, but we can't find a single living thing, not even a trace of Life, so we have to assume that we're completely alone. We all take off our armor and relax. Though, if we were in the wild, we wouldn't get so comfortable.

    We eat a light snack to stave off hunger, then we take a bath in the open.

    As soon as we're washed and rinsed, Roxanne glues herself to me, begging for some attention.

    "You have… no idea… how frustrating… it is to… be left… unfulfilled," she says between moans.

    I fill her up, and she sighs in satisfaction. Then she enters the bath with a silly smile and keeps her legs tightly closed so that my seed won't escape her womb.

    She wraps her arms around my neck, and I pull her onto my lap, then we share some gentle kisses.

    "Having your babies inside of me feels better than it used to," she says.

    "Really?" I ask and raise an eyebrow.

    "[Mana Genitals] makes it taste better, too," Aoi says, and Alissa and Hana nod in agreement.

    "Hm… I wonder what else I can do with this skill. It's been at level one for a while, now," I wonder, then my mouth is sealed by Roxanne's lips.

    Hana and Alissa massage the others, wringing moans of tiredness and satisfaction out of their sore muscles and tender erogenous zones.

    Then Roxanne melts in my arms, a clear sign that my job is complete, so I look for my next target.



    The dark-skinned maiden relaxes in the lake after a long day of work. She has her eyes closed as she floats aimlessly along the surface. But even if they were open, she wouldn't be able to notice the dangerous being approaching her from the depths.

    With her belly facing upwards, her precious dark mountains of joy jiggle sensually with each breath. She only exposes herself like this because she's confident that she's safe, otherwise, any man that saw such an alluring sight would have their virtues tested by the temptation. But even so, she only knows what lies on the surface and not what's coming from underwater.

    Something gently touches her round, wide buttocks, pulling her out of her trance. She barely pays any attention to it, though, thinking that it must be some algae or a fish.

    The second touch lasts three seconds, and she feels its sliminess on her back. This time, she opens her eyes and looks down, but doesn't see anything.

    She brings her body upright and starts scanning the water, curious about what's going on. She gets a little flustered when her large milk jugs suddenly float to the surface, blocking her view. She pushes them down and continues looking around.

    The next touch is on the sole of her feet, causing an electrifying jolt of pleasure to shoot through her leg and up her spine. The feeling wasn't bad, but it was… exotic.

    Again, she doesn't see anything, but now she starts to question what it is and if it's dangerous. But she has never felt anything like this or heard of any creature capable of such a thing before, so she doesn't particularly feel that she's in danger.

    Then something comes up from the dark depths, and she holds her breath. One long, very long, pink penis rises to the surface and stands very erect. The chocolate maiden stares at the cock with fear, but also with a lot of curiosity.

    The penis starts to move and wiggle slowly, then it bends down, facing her as if it was capable of sight. The maiden is too entranced to look away, too fascinated to feel the "danger" approaching her.

    Then something else rises from the depths: a tentacle, a thick, purple tentacle with large suckers all down its length.

    The maiden remembers to breathe, but she remains stunned. Even when the tentacle starts to approach her, she doesn't have the courage to move.

    The tentacle rubs against her flank, causing another jolt of pleasure to run through her, and she starts to breathe heavily. Another tentacle rubs against her back, then another against her belly, and finally a fourth runs along her inner thigh.

    A frightening feeling washes over her: I'm going to get raped. The tentacles are already surrounding her, the penis is watching her intently, and she's far too deep to swim away. She's in the jaws of some horrible creature that wants to mate with her.

    Just as she predicted, the tentacles wrap around her arms and legs, keeping her in place, then they raise her above water.

    Just as she's thinking about resisting, a large figure rises from underwater. The pink cock shrinks down to a normal size as a purple man surfaces and stands before the maiden.

    His head is bald and slick; his eyes are sharp and entrancing; he has no nose or mouth, but instead, he has many small purple tentacles hanging from where those should be; his body is lean and muscular; his pink penis is thick, but it's now normal-sized; and where his legs should be, there are multiple tentacles, instead.

    A male Scylla? No, he's different.

    He crosses his arms before her, striking an imposing figure. Then his lecherous gaze runs along her naked, chocolate body, making her shiver in fear.

    She struggles against the tentacles, and they quickly loosen, nearly dropping her back into the lake. This confuses her, and she stares blankly at the man of the deep.

    A noise similar to a snort comes out of the man, then he points to his cock with a webbed finger, and the maiden's gaze follows. She becomes entranced by it again, but then she gasps as the pink genital suddenly changes. It bulges, increasing its thickness, and its veins become visible. Then the ball sack balloons to match its new size. It's not "a penis" anymore, it's a Penis.

    Something inside the maiden's heart cracks and she loses her will to escape. The sole focus of her mind becomes the pleasure of the tentacles slowly rubbing against her body and the need to have that… Dick inside of her.

    The tentacles slowly grip her limbs harder, then gently spread them. Like a doll, she doesn't resist, and her legs are spread, exposing her beautiful dark flower for all to see. It glistens with a special juice whose smell makes the man's Genital twitch with pleasure.

    The tentacles then start to wrap around more than just her limbs. They painfully squeeze her soft and tender ginormous breasts and rub against their black nipples, forcing cries of pleasure to erupt from her throat.

    Then she's silenced as the slimy and densely textured tentacle snakes its way into her mouth, plunging in and out suggestively. She tastes the sour and slimy substance covering the appendage, but instead of being disgusted, it only makes her more aroused. She rubs her tongue against the suckers as if she was kissing someone, showing her thirst for love. And love is what she's about to get.

    The tentacles spread her ass cheeks, and she cries out in surprise. A thick and extra slippery tentacle worms its way down her spine and between her cheeks. Its cold and slimy touch makes her shudder all over. Then it pokes her dark black flower, and she instantly orgasms.

    Now that she's felt it, there's no turning back. She surrenders and lets her whole body be slowly wrapped in tentacles. Even her feet are fully enveloped, as the tentacles slip between each toe, then the suckers swallow them. Just as she's recovering from the first one, a second orgasm wracks through her body, and she hasn't even been penetrated yet.

    She's raised up out of the water and It touches her flower, making her cry in fear. She looks at the man of the deep, but instead of sharpness, she sees a gentle amusement in his alien-like face.

    She merely stares at him, and he waits for her to calm down. Although the man frightens her, her lust has clouded her sense of disgust. Every erogenous zone is being stimulated, except for one: her pussy. She doesn't just want him, she needs him inside her. Now.

    She calmly breathes in, and her body relaxes again, then he grabs her waist and eases his hips forward. Both of her flowers gently bloom as a tentacle and his Cock easily slide into them at the same time. They make an obscenely moist noise as they penetrate her, reminding the maiden of her lost innocence. But she doesn't have any regrets.

    Both her pussy and her asshole threaten to tear apart as the man of the deep stretches her to the limit. Then a sinking feeling swells in her heart as the long stroke of the man tells her that his cock is going to slam against her cervix. But it never comes.

    After several long seconds, the man pulls back, and another unusually long stroke brings her to orgasm. She looks down and sees a meter-long obscene cock delving into her flower.

    How could that fit inside me? She asks herself, but the only answer that comes to mind is that it does, somehow.

    Her thoughts are interrupted when a sucker swallows her clit, and another long stroke makes her mind go blank.

    Every tentacle, every thrust, follows a rhythm, like a heartbeat. His hold over her is so strong that her own heart syncs with his. Her mind is invaded by the man's strange powers. His essence seeps into her core, forever tainting her and binding her to his will.

    She's no maiden anymore. Now, she's a Worshiper of the Pink Penis. As a reward for converting, the man of the deep uses her as a sex toy for a long, long time. She's used and abused until she passes out, which is precisely what every Worshiper deserves.



    The maiden is gently deposited on the shore. Every one of her holes is left completely filled with semen and slime, and every inch of her skin is sore from overstimulation.

    Then the man of the deep gives her one last glance full of meaning before he sinks back to where he came from, taking the maiden's heart with him. For every day of the rest of her life, the Worshiper will come to this lake to receive his touch, no matter what.



    "Ah… ah… ahn~…!" Alissa reaches an orgasm, and Hana stops fingering her. She sighs in satisfaction and melts in my dragonkin's arms. "I love these scenarios."

    I check how much MP I have left, then I let Aoi have her fill of me.

    I look at Roxanne and smirk. "You'll be next, sometime soon," I say.

    "D-don't tease me before it's time," Roxanne says and fidgets nervously.

    "What was that thing that you did with your penis?" Yunia asks.

    I force a little mana downwards, and Aoi rises out of the water as my dick elongates. She flails helplessly, but doesn't lose her grip on it. She keeps her mouth tightly wrapped around the tip while her tongue pumps me dry.

    "It takes some effort, but I've managed to elongate it using mana. I tried to make it purple, too, but that was too much mental effort, so I only managed to make it pink," I answer.

    "So, you don't need [Soul Manipulation] to alter it anymore?" Hana asks.

    "I still do. I did the bulging with that skill, not [Mana Genitals]."

    "Oh, I see. But how did you fill her up with the insanely long cock? It's way too long to have fit inside her unless her womb is huge." Hana grins.

    Yunia pouts and says, "My womb is small."

    "I call it the 'longstroke,'" I answer and smirk confidently. "As I entered her, I reduced its length, so it felt like one long, continuous stroke. A stroke of genius, if I must say so."

    The girls chuckle as that pun was translated quite well into Andraste.

    I return my dick to its usual size and continue, "Alissa's [Fox Transformation] is what gave me that idea. 'Willpower' is used for magic that doesn't follow the laws of physics. 'Intelligence' is used for spells that copy physical phenomena. Alissa transforms by covering her body with her mana organ, then she 'forces' it to change to her will. So, since my dick is already made of mana, I thought that I could make it transform in any way that I wanted if I wished hard enough."

    "Your 'Willpower' is pretty high, so something like that should be simple for you," Yunia says.

    "Can you try to transform into something else, now?" Alissa eagerly asks.

    "Not yet. I'm still not sure how your physical body is preserved within the magical one," I respond.

    "I bet it's going to be soon," Hana says with a smirk, and I respond with a smile.

    "Once you do it, could you transform into anything?" Lina asks as she nurses Ciel back to life.

    "Possibly. But just changing into a dragon is taking quite a lot of effort, so trying to transform into something else would likely take just as much effort."

    "You have anything in mind, little Lina?" Hana asks teasingly.

    She shakes her head twice. "N-no… just thought it would be nice to be able to take any form you want."

    "It would…" I say, gently.

    I finally relax in the bath and enjoy the view. The tornado has disappeared, so only the dome above us blocks part of our view, but there's still plenty of sky to look at. Staring into the infinite blue is so calming that even Lina feels at ease here.



    With our "recreation" time over, we prepare tonight's dinner: shredded dry meat with not-onions, not-corn, mashed not-potatoes, and mild spices. With Ted, Suzy, and Jarn starting to help out, our workload is very low, allowing us to relax while the meal is made.

    The low rumble of the tornado above the metal dome and the perpetually spinning four metal arms make for quite the novel background for our meal.

    "I feel like this day was so short," Yunia comments wistfully.

    "Maybe the lack of a sunset is affecting us," I say.

    "Maybe, but it really felt like the day went by so quickly," Lina says.

    "Is every day going to be like this?" Yunia asks.

    "While we stay inside the dungeon, probably. Our lives were much calmer before," I answer.

    "But we are still way more active than the average adventurer," Alissa says.

    "I'm fine with it," Ciel says wistfully while staring out to the infinite blue.

    Out of all of us, she's the one who should be the happiest right now.



    I send Lina back to our mansion in Goloria to retrieve the dessert that the servants left for us: a not-blueberry cheesecake. If there's just one thing that the elves do right, it's desserts. I can only imagine the sweets that they'll come up with once they start to import chocolate.

    We have a little time before we have to sleep, so I spend it massaging everyone's feet. This time, I apply some not-vanilla lotion that should keep their skin from cracking under the stress of walking and fighting all day.

    "Thank you…" Yunia shyly says after I'm done with her.

    "No, thank you for having such delicious feet," I say with a smirk.

    "I'm not sure how to take that…" She smiles wryly.

    With her hair straight, she does resemble her mother's portrait quite a bit. She just needs some small glasses, a cigarette skirt, and a jockey whip to look like a strict teacher who "rewards" good students.

    After having my fill of their feet and legs, it's time for the most important event of the night.

    "Lina, I'm ready," I say and grin at her.

    "Oh…? Okay," she answers in a low voice and gets on all fours, then parts her lower lips with her fingers for me.

    "Hah, no, not that." I chuckle, but I don't stop her. She sits down, then tilts her head in confusion. "[Bind], I'm ready for one more."

    "O~h…!"

    She scurries over to me and sits in seiza, her gloomy eyes locked with mine, brimming with expectation.

    "Alright, here it goes," I say and cast [Bind].

    I pull her soul into mine and release it there, then her "string" appears. I pull on it, and her "blanket" comes out, then I immediately start to feel anxious and fidgety.

    "Uh… you have to calm your heart, Lina, you're too anxious," I say.

    "Sorry…" She answers and closes her eyes to meditate.

    As if a soothing breeze is washing over me, her blanket slowly stops transmitting her anxiety.

    "That's better now," I say, and she sighs in relief, then I wrap myself around her blanket and dive into her mind.

    I see memories of her childhood. Her brother, her father, and her mother are all cute-looking children like her. It's actually hard to tell who is the oldest of them all.

    But her memories are… fuzzy, blurry. They seem like they've lost some of the color, details, and emotions that were attached to them.

    Then Hildegard, her former master, appears in her memories. These are all black and white, but at least they're crisp and clear. Her memories of Helganst, Hilde's mother, are especially darker. I don't see straight-up abuse, it's just that Helganst is an unpleasant woman.

    Then we appear in her memories, and they regain all of their color and vibrancy. While Hana's memories focus on my dick, Lina's focus on my face. She stares at me more often than I'd realized.

    After a while, I finally reach the area where she "speaks." She nervously hums a song, trying to calm herself.

    I pick up a string and return to my soul space with it.

    "Hello, Lina. It's me," I say through [Bind].

    Her eyes lose all gloominess as she opens them wide in excitement. "OH! W-WOW! This is so simple, it's incredible! I-it's actually so much easier to talk this way!"

    "Calm down a little, Lina. You can't go crowding my mind space so much with your enthusiasm," I say as I smile wryly.

    "Okay," she responds with a nod.

    "You stole her spirit?" Yunia asks. She seems to be using [Spirit Eyes].

    "I think I just took a small part of it, somehow. It creates a sort of 'bridge' between us," I answer.

    "Without rupturing her spirit? This spell is incredible, but I'm also worried about how it might've been created…"

    I nod in agreement. "[Summoning Magic] is very useful, but imagining how someone came up with these spells is… frightening."

    "So, you can 'summon' her now?" She asks.

    There are two ways to control the "string" that appears in my soul space. One is to tug at it gently, which would pull Lina's "blankets" into my soul space and allow me to control her; while the other is to grab the string and pull with all of my strength while allowing my mana to escape through it, which would 'summon' her to me.

    I do the latter with Lina's string and wish her to appear beside me.

    "I'm coming…" she mutters. Then she glows and disappears, immediately reappearing beside me.

    I pull her into a hug, and my hand instinctively goes to cup her little breasts. Lina lays her head against my chest and almost sighs, feeling supreme sense of comfort.

    "Impressive," Yunia mutters. "How long until you can do this to me?"

    "Maybe a day-cycle. It's been getting easier to manage the multiple [Bind]s, and it's not as distressing anymore when the girls' emotions seep into me."

    "Even I'm starting to feel like I'm missing out," Ciel says with a wry smile.

    Lina's soft little hands start to run along my chest, and her cute tongue licks my nipple. I look down, and she smiles up at me like an imp.

    "I wanna make Ciel jealous," she says through [Bind].

    All aboa~rd! The Train of Pleasure is about to depart! Destination: Lina's tight pussy!



    Today is the 10th.

    Hana wakes me up in her own special way. I pat her head lovingly as she finishes, and then I start the morning kisses.

    Even though I wake up fulfilled, I don't really want to leave the bed today. This place is just so calming, and the fact that we're about to start another hectic day is already making me feel tired.

    I slap my cheeks to drive the laziness away. No rest for the wicked, so we can't rest, either, lest they manage to find a way to overpower us.



    Lina increased her level to 27. Her [Hammer Use], [Parry], [Earth Magic], and "Sanity" increased by 1 (now 13, 1+8, 5+6, and 14).

    I also increased my level to 27. My [Sword Use], [Dodge], [Battlefield Perception], [Mana Genitals], and "Speed" increased by 1 (now 12+10, 4+6, 1+2, 2, and 14), and I learned [Acrobatics] with 1 point (now 5+1).

    Alissa leveled up to 32. Her [Hawk Eyes], [Enhanced Reflexes], and [Mana Control] increased by 1 (now 5, 4+2, and 4).



    Breakfast is enhanced by Alissa brewing some Tonique tea. Its taste is very strong, but it goes perfectly with mild fruity sweets. It really does help us wake up and wash away the laziness growing within me.

    First, we start the repairs of the ship. It's better to have it ready for an escape, just in case.

    The golems lift up the broken wing, then I summon an earth elemental that holds it in place for us while Lina, Yunia, and I take a closer look at the damage.

    The beams are made up of smaller beams that were glued together with [Grow], so Yunia and I undo the "gluing," allowing Lina to weld the tubes of gold together. Then we [Grow] the beams back into their original position until they are firmly glued together.

    Istante, the Assistant Quartermaster, gave us a book that fully explains how to repair any sort of wood with magic. It even seems to have more information than we previously knew about this subject, so it's very useful for us right now.

    During repairs, we have to supply the wood with nutrient-rich soil, water, and light. We use Ciel's [Spirit Light] as a light source, and it helps speed up the repairs by quite a lot.

    Yunia has more experience with using [Grow] in non-standard ways, so she takes charge of the repair while I'm just the support.

    The other wing of the ship isn't broken, but there are visible cracks, so we repeat the process. We split the beams open, and Lina takes a look at the enchantment lines, then she does some simple repairs to them.

    "I think we overdid it. The wood seems stronger than before," Yunia comments as she taps the repaired beams.

    "Alright, we'll be more careful next time. This 'repair soil' is rather valuable, so I don't want to waste it," I say, and she nods in agreement.

    Repairs are completed after about half an hour. After that, we test the airship a little to see if our repair job holds. Then we put on our armor and do a warm-up, getting ready for another day full of challenges.



    We walk up the stairs leading into the underside of the metal dome and cast [Spirit Light]s since there's a complete lack of any sort of lighting around. There are crystal lights, but they're all turned off.

    We enter the dome and see a very long, dark corridor that leads to a double door. The floor is composed of white tiles while the walls are made of peach-colored concrete, giving it a very "sterile" feel. The only source of light besides our own is an ominous glow escaping from the edges of the door at the end of the corridor.

    I summon Shads, Hollys, and a spirit elemental, then I spread them out to map the area. I put on [Reo Language], and the information plaques become readable.

    There are many rooms and facilities that seem to have been designed to sustain a sizable colony. I see barracks, mess halls, storage rooms, an armory, an entertainment area with shops and sports fields, a greenhouse, and a residential area. Some areas are open to the sky, but I couldn't see them from above because there seems to be an enchantment that's cloaking them.

    Then the spirit elemental dies as it crosses through the wall into an area called "engineering."

    "So, the spirit elemental just died when it tried to enter 'engineering.' Apparently, there are areas that we don't have access to," I say.

    "A point of interest for us," Roxanne says.

    "The closest point of interest is still down the hall," I say and point to the glowing door.

    "Let's continue, then," Alissa says.



    I stop at a plaque that's pointing to the door at the end of the corridor. "Looping Winds Control Station," I say.

    "Oh, I see. The Looping Winds are the Chimeric equivalent to rivers or roads," Lina says.

    "So, someone was controlling that tornado?" Alissa asks.

    "Or something," I say.

    We approach the door, and beside it, I see a small glass panel protecting a small gem.

    I summon a spirit elemental, and when it tries to pass through the door, it gets destroyed instantly.

    "Well, that's warded against spirits, alright," Yunia says.

    "Just in case, I'm going to do this," I say and summon a goblin. "Open the door," I order it.

    The ugly green thing grabs the door handle and turns it, then a buzzer plays, and a female voice says, "Access denied. Repeated attempts will trigger the alarm. Please use a blue keycard for access, thank you for your understanding."

    I grin and say, "This will be interesting…"



    Hall of Fame of Patrons

    The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:

    Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
    Prince PreownedFIN.
    Lord Andrew Meyers.
    Lord Hope.
    Lord Samuel Lim.
    Lord Bill.
    Lord Novgarod.
    Lord DJ.
    Lord Cidant.
    Lord Ashadun.
    Lord Michale Erwin.
    Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
    Lord Braidborn.
    Lord Bakerdea.
    Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
    Lord D4rk Sheep.
    Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
    Lord Andrew Heffelbower.
    Lord Markus.
    Lord Maurice.
    Lord Badger.
    Lord Brennon Goetz.
    Lord Amelgar.
    Lord Krawn.
    Noble Salty Panda.
    Noble Evil.
    Noble Yamibomb112.
    Noble Mild Fracas.
    Noble Geminus.
    Noble EESDESESESRDT.
    Nobleman Lassiter.
    Noble Aclys.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2020