Chapter 387: The Flower Blooming apitol
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"Wow..." Ravel muttered in awe as she looked around curiously, drinking in the sights of Fiore's Capitol city, Crocus.
The buildings around them were built in the typical fashion that worlds in these types of time periods adopted, with exceptionally pointed roof tops peaking above them. In the distance, on a cliff overlooking the city, was a massive coliseum that was built to host a tournament between the Mage guilds for publicity and prestige, the Grand Magic Games. Instead though, almost immediately after the grand structure was finished, Darius's forces attacked and the colosseum was instead filled with the refugees that had fled to the Capitol city.
The attention of Alex, Grayfia, and Ravel however wasn't on the great colosseum that was surrounded by several great statues, or even the majestic castle located in the center of the city. They were looking at the numerous crops that were growing up and down the streets, and in every available plot of soil within the city, instead of the many flowers that had given Crocus its nickname of the 'Flower Blooming Capitol'.
"So this was how they managed to keep from going hungry during the siege...." Erza muttered as she looked around, where even now many of the women and children were working on the crops within the city, while the men worked to replant the fields outside the city walls.
While Darius had prevented the forces of dark mages and mercenaries from sacking the Capitol cities as well, each kingdom on the continent had been forced into siege conditions due to being unable to send their citizens out to work the fields and grow food. Though many had found various solutions with varying results, Crocus had done the best out of them due to the numerous plots of well maintained soil they used to grow the flowers up and down their streets.
Even if that was the case though, they still had their fair share of struggles since even then they could only provide so much food to their people, while the number of residents in Crocus had significantly gone up due to the amount of refugees they had taken in before closing the gates.
However, as Erza led them through the city, Alex couldn't help but notice they weren't the only ones staring at something in awe.
"Is that...?"
"It is!"
"It's Titania!"
"What's she doing here?"
"I heard that Fairy Tail were the ones that fought the Dark Emperor!"
"Do you think she was the one to fight him herself?!"
Everywhere they went gazes and whispers followed them, or more specifically Erza.
Even though no one knew that much about her anymore after the last eight years on Tenrou Island, whispers had started circulating after 'Fairy Tail' liberated the port town Hargeon. It didn't help that during the battle the only known groups that participated in the battle were the few surviving Mage guilds, as even after all the help they provided no one knew about Alex or the Asorans.
This had been a part of their plan before Edith had been kidnapped and things went sideways, now however Alex planned to reveal them first to the higher ups of Fiore, and through them the citizens. Afterwards, the plan was to become Fiore's allies and business partners, and through them Asora would become more widely known and influential throughout the continent.
Currently, as she led Alex through the city with Grayfia and Ravel, Erza was attired in one of the new armors she had acquired from Hajime that wasn't designed for typical combat, but was created to appeal to those around her. In video game terms, it was an outfit that drastically raised her 'Charisma', drawing the attention of everyone around her while also making them more susceptible to anything she had to say.
The armor itself was a shiny silver that had a scarlet trim to match her hair, which was current braided and wrapped into a bun on the back of her head. Meanwhile a majestic scarlet cape flowed from her shoulders down to the back of her knees, which bore the Fairy Tail emblem in the center while flapping despite the lack of wind, yet another example of Hajime quality.
Meanwhile Alex was also dressed up in a dark purple suit with golden trim and accessories, while Ravel was dressed in a formal gown that resembled orange and yellow feathers, and Grayfia was in her usual maid attire.
So even though Erza was the one drawing most people's attention with her reputation and new armor, everyone's gazes was drawn immediately to Alex and co afterwards as they wondered who they were. The fact that Alex and Ravel even had a maid with them meant that they must've been fairly important people, right?
Their curiosity was stoked even further when one of the kingdom's knights soon approached them, and declared,
"Lady Titania! King Toma has requested your presence in the castle for an audience!" Rather than to immediately follow the knight's lead as he turned towards the castle though, Erza stated in an authoritative voice,
"Please inform his Majesty we will visit the castle in just a little bit, but currently I am escorting the Dragon Emperor around the city." Though his brows twitched at Erza's initial refusal, when he heard the words 'Dragon Emperor' the parts of the knight's face that was visible under his helmet paled as he looked upon the only person who could possibly fit that title, Alex.
Glowering down at the suddenly tongue tied knight, Alex said in a low voice,
"I believe my knight asked you to do something." Jumping in fright at his words, the knight quickly stammered,
"R-r-r-r-right away! I-I-I-I will immediately report to his Majesty!" Without waiting to see if Alex had anything else to say, the knight quickly ran off lest he offend someone claiming to be an emperor even more.
As they watched him flee their line of sight, Alex suddenly felt someone nudging his side and looked over to see Ravel gently elbowing him with a smirk.
"Way to act all authoritative and important~. Keep this up and I'll end up being all hot and bothered by the end of the day." Alex simply rolled his eyes at her teasing before he continued after Erza, while Ravel chuckled at his expense as she and Grayfia followed.
They then continued to follow Erza through the Flower Blooming Capitol for well over an hour as she pointed out various places she'd visited in the past, either from escorting Markarov when he visited the Capitol on business, or when she had taken a job from here and met with a client. It wasn't until nearly two hours had passed since the knight left them that the group finally found themselves approaching the palace steps, which the guards who saw them immediately stood at attention to avoid giving the visiting Emperor the wrong impression regarding their city.
Without even so much as a sideways glance though, Alex and the rest walked right by them as the knight they had met earlier quickly approached them, and declared,
"His Majesty is waiting in the throne room, along with the Crown Princess and the ministers of defense and finance. Please follow me!" The knight then turned and nervously began to escort their group through the castle, during which Alex noticed numerous whispers following them as they went, the word that an Emperor had come to visit having already spread like wildfire.
They quickly arrived at a grand entranceway that beyond, was the throne room filled with hundreds of important and influential figures from not just the city of Crocus, but all of Fiore. They had been regularly meeting with the king and his advisors to discuss getting their country back on track, but currently they were all incredibly tense with the arrival of a so-called Emperor.
With every eye focusing on him the second he entered the throne room, Alex completely ignored them as he kept his gaze on the incredibly short man currently sitting on the oversized throne, Toma E. Fiore, the current King of the kingdom of Fiore. Standing next to him to the right was the Crown Princess, Hisui E. Fiore, while on his other side in full armor except for his head was the chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron, Arcadios.
The king was dressed in various robes that one might expect a monarch of this era to wear, and was also adorned in various matching finery while his already white hair was only a few inches long and parted down the middle, with a small matching mustache. His daughter was wearing a fairly short purple dress that was adorned with several floral patterns, coupled with white gloves that extended up to her elbows and matching leggings, while her green hair was tied up in a short bushy ponytail with two strands of it framing her face and a small tuft covering her forehead.
As they studied Alex and the rest of his group, along with the rest of the officials in the throne room, a page stepped forward and loudly declared,
"Introducing his royal majesty of the great nation of Fiore and his heir, King Toma E. Fiore, and his daughter, Crown Princess Hisui E. Fiore!" As one the crowd within the throne room bowed respectfully to their king and Princess, before rising like a great wave of people while their king and Princess kept their piercing and curious gazes on Alex and his companions.
With their introductions finished this time Erza stepped forward, surprising everyone within the throne room, and declared,
"Introducing the slayer of gods, Devils and everything in between! He who commands even dragons and phoenixes! He who personally ended the Dark Emperor and three of his generals in direct combat! I present to all of you his imperial majesty, ALEX, THE DRAGON EMPEROR!"
Her introduction finished, Erza immediately kneeled before him alongside Ravel and Grayfia, before even Alex was surprised as the entire throne room, sans Toma, Hisui, and a few others, followed suit.
As they watched their own people bow to this foreign emperor, the king and his daughter couldn't help but worry.
***
"So what was that?" Alex asked Erza after being escorted to a private room to speak with Toma in after they had formally met one another, and now they were simply waiting for the aforementioned king to arrive. Erza however furrowed her brows before saying,
"I'm.....not sure.... I only did what I felt was required for my role, but then the next thing I knew everyone else was kneeling.... The only thing I can think of is this armor." Surprisingly, Grayfia was the one who then said,
"That is the most likely explanation. When wearing it you should never underestimate the power of 'Charisma' and 'Influence' on other people, as with it you could sway entire nations to your whim." Having already witnessed Alex do exactly that in the world of Tortus, turning almost the entire population against the god they had believed in for millennia, Ehito, there was no doubt in her mind that such an ability was extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to worry about such a thing with the righteous Erza.
Though they were going to continue their conversation, Alex shushed everyone when he noticed Toma appear outside the door with several others.
"Please pardon the delay, I needed to send my people to work on various projects throughout the city. There's...so much to do right now..." As Toma thought on how much work needed to be done to essentially rebuild his country after it had been destroyed by Darius, Alex simply nodded in understanding until the short man asked as he seated himself,
"So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" With Hisui taking a seat next to him while the ministers of defense and finance stood to the side and Arcadios stood attentively behind them, it was obvious that they were ready to start the discussion.
Surprising them though, Alex's response wasn't anything like they feared it'd be.
"I wanted to officially establish peaceful relations with the kingdom of Fiore, and discuss the possibility of trade between our two nations." When they heard that Toma and the others were of course more than a little surprised, as they couldn't imagine that someone powerful enough to supposedly take on Darius and his generals simply wanted to trade. Hisui was the first to recover first as she asked,
"Where exactly is the nation you come from? Is it accessible by boat or train?" Alex however shook his head and said,
"Not yet, but I would assume that you're aware of Edolas?" While Hisui didn't know what Alex was referring to, Toma nodded his head and said,
"Indeed, I became especially concerned about them after the entirety Magnolia disappeared for a short while, but as I'm sure you're aware other matters needed my attention." Alex nodded in understanding before he went on to explain,
"Well the nation I rule over is similar to Edolas in that it is not of this world, but I also have the ability to travel back and forth at will. In the very near future I intend to open a gate there in Magnolia, through which we will hopefully be able to lay down a track for trains to run through." While Toma and the others were somewhat relieved to hear that this Asora wouldn't be too far away to trade with, there was something else in what Alex said that concerned them.
"So part of why you came here is to request permission, and go through the proper procedure to build on foreign soil, right?" Darton, the minister of defense and a shriveled elderly looking man asked warily. His heart practically froze though when Alex shook his head and stated,
"Nope, we're going to build regardless of what you have to say. We just came today to let you know about the opportunity that'll be available, and to give you a slight heads up." As he finished speaking Alex accepted a teacup from Grayfia before taking a sip, and complimenting her on the excellent tea.
Normally when two monarchs meet they maintain their own sense of status while also giving the other at least a little bit of face for the sake of propriety. Evidently, Alex wasn't even doing that. Instead, he was apparently just doing whatever he felt like doing, and expected everyone to go along with him, regardless of their own status.
While this would be considered unacceptable if it were anyone else, Alex was supposedly the slayer of Darius and even three of his generals. If he was anywhere as powerful as he claimed to be, then Alex was the last person anyone on Earthland would want to anger.
Wanting to test this particular claim, Toma then hesitantly asked,
"And you say that Darius died by your hand?" Without even looking up from his teacup Alex nodded and said,
"Yep. While we originally planned to quietly support Fairy Tail and the other remaining Mage guilds from behind while they did most of the fighting, Darius and his generals did something to piss me off. So we ended up wiping them out in a single day."
Hearing Alex talk as casually as one would regarding their day over dinner, a cold sweat started running down the backs of Toma and the others, reinforcing their idea that Alex was a someone they did not want to antagonize.
From there their talks continued as Ravel and the minister of finance, a bespectacled man with straight black hair and a sharp suit, discussed the specifics of their trade. Firstly was that the area around the gate would be converted into a bazaar of sorts, where Magnolian merchants would be able to sell goods from Asora that they had acquired via contracts from suppliers in Asora. It would also be through them that customers from all over Earthland, not just Fiore, would be able to make requests for specific items or bulk orders.
From there they discussed the specifics regarding things such as the exchange rate for money, regulations for travelers through the gate from Earthland, and how to handle any other countries wanting to trade with Asorans through Fiore. As the discussions continued though, Toma couldn't help but to become increasingly worried regarding their relationship with the Dragon Emperor.
Throughout the discussions he managed to learn certain specifics regarding Alex's circ.u.mstances, such as how he was building the gate in preparation for when they 'moved on' to the next world in a little less than a years time. And that the reason for building the gate, was so that he and those who joined him in Asora could be able to return to Earthland to visit whenever they felt like it, as well as to acquire any materials or so on that were only available there.
The thing that Toma was becoming increasingly worried about though, was that there was nothing about the kingdom of Fiore to tie Alex's good graces to them. He had helped those who suffered under Darius due to a sense of responsibility at the injustice, but if something happened to them in the future would he be so willing to help them out again?
If the other countries on the continent of Ishgar decided to declare war on them would he intervene? Or what about if there was a significant disaster? Or even the appearance of a second Darius?
From what he had learned about him, Toma deduced that Alex would readily help those he was close to that needed it, such as apparently the mage guilds, but was unsure about them as a kingdom. If the situation was another war with the scarcity of resources, then would the Mage guilds participate to help defend them, or will they continue to honor the old magic councils's decision to ban Mage guilds from participating in their wars? And if that was the case with the mages staying out of any possible future wars, would Alex simply sit at the sidelines to watch the battles unfold? All while preparing a new contract with whoever the victor happened to be?
With his scouts and informants sending troubling reports back from the neighboring countries, these and similar such theories plagued Toma's mind even as the discussions continued, and he desperately tried to think of a way to tie Alex to them. It was then that Toma caught a glimpse of his daughter's green hair out the corner of his eye, and he mentally whispered,
'Gods forgive me...'
He then waited for the proper moment, before saying to the emperor sitting across from him,
"As gesture of good faith between our two nations, would you be willing to accept the hand of my daughter, Hisui, in marriage?"
...
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?!?!" Arcadios bellowed at the tiny king in rage, his face completely red while even one of his eyes was splotched with red after he burst a blood vessel.
Despite the drastically larger man yelling at him though, Toma didn't even flinch as he calmly asked,
"And do you have any better ideas for tying the Dragon Emperor to us for protection if the need arises?" The great knight only continued to fume angrily at his King, even as Hisui, Danton, and the minister of finance watched anxiously from the side.
After Toma suggested the marriage of Alex and Hisui, naturally the mood of the room was completely disrupted and destroyed as Arcadios exploded onto him, making Toma call a temporary break as they left to discuss his sudden proposal in private. While Hisui herself was red faced and anxiously fidgeting at the side, and the ministers watched on silently, the king and knight repeatedly went back and forth.
"There's no reason to tie them to us to begin with! Darius is gone, as well as his generals, and the threats that plagued the world such as Zeref and Achnologia!" Toma nodded in agreement at Arcadios's point, but then added,
"What about the threats from the other countries?" Arcadios was silent as Toma held his hand out to the Danton, who silently handed his king a thick stack of doc.u.ments before Toma then held them out to Arcadios.
Confused, the knight quickly began looking through the doc.u.ments as Toma said,
"One of the first things I did after hearing about the defeat of Darius was sending my scouts out to investigate the status of the other countries of Ishgar, and these are the reports they brought back. Of the nations that have started getting back on their feet, many have began preparing their militaries to march due to the lack of available resources in their respective lands. War IS on the horizon."
Arcadios gripped the papers as a flood of emotions surged through him. On one hand he felt conflicted that his king hadn't yet mentioned these reports to him, while on another he desperately wanted to argue against offering their own princess as payment for security.
Before he could say anything though, Toma cut him off and continued,
"Hisui is my daughter, and as such she is the heir to my throne and will inherit its responsibilities, and duties... Even if not the Dragon Emperor, then she will have to take a husband someday for the sake of our kingdom...something I've had to struggle with ever since the day she was born."
The great knight was silent at his king's words, as for the first time he recalled that this must have been harder for Toma to decide than it was for him to hear. At the same time he was also filled with gratitude for serving such an understanding king, as any other would've had more than enough grounds to imprison him for his previous attitude.
As a last resort he turned towards the princess herself, who had simply been watching from the side, and asked her in soft voice,
"And you princess? Are really going to just accept this? Taking that man as your husband is the same as signing yourself, and the entire Fiore kingdom over to him..."
Disheartening him even further, Hisui nodded slowly as she said,
"Yes, I will accept it if it will help secure the safety and well being of the people I will one day rule over. Such is the duty of one who will call themselves king or queen." Even if it meant signing over her kingdom to Alex, Hisui would readily do whatever it took to secure their future from those who would seek to do them harm.
...
While Toma and his group were discussing his offer in the room they had moved to, Alex was doing the same with Erza, Grayfia, and Ravel.
"You're not going to accept it, are you?" Erza demanded as soon as they were left alone, to which Alex shook his head and replied,
"Of course not, I don't do one sided arranged marriages." When she heard that though, Ravel adopted a teasing look on her face as she playfully asked,
"Oh? So what about what you did to that swordswoman last night?" Alex c.o.c.ked a brow at her before he stated,
"That was different. Even if Kagura didn't realize it, I helped her more than anything." Despite her pride compelling her to resist Alex's continued pleasuring of her the night before, once she experienced the sensations Alex's tongue could give her the proud swordswoman caved pretty quickly. Not only was he able to get her to completely drop her strict and cold demeanor during their time together, but Alex's skill 'Lover's Embrace' had also helped to relieve the majority of the tension and fatigue that had built up in Kagura's body.
(A.N. For those who forgot, 'Lovers Embrace' can be considered a form of hygiene that'll improve the health of those who sleep with someone who has it(or does s.e.x.u.a.l stuff), increase their lifespan, and even help their descendants 'prosper'.)
Though Ravel rolled her eyes at his excuse, whatever she was about to say got cut off as Grayfia uttered,
"I think you should accept the offer." Dead silence greeted her words, before Alex said,
"Can you repeat that? I'm not quite sure I heard you correctly Grayfia." Though her brow twitched at being asked to repeat herself, Grayfia looked Alex dead in the eye before saying,
"I think you should accept his offer, and take Hisui as one of your wives." Again silence met her words, though Alex noticed Ravel nodding in agreement beside him, before he asked,
"And why do you think that?" This time Grayfia sighed before explaining,
"Aside from the fact that you'll probably end up bedding her eventually to begin with? Because through marrying her we can essentially guarantee that complete control of Fiore in the near future since she is the crown princess, and possibly later the entirety of Earthland." As she finished speaking Ravel then piped up,
"The best way to avoid future conflict is through ruling over them to begin with, but as 'outsiders' we will probably always be met with suspicion if we tried to do so, or simply be considered the next Darius. The princess can not only become our perfect 'puppet', but the children you two will eventually have together can ascend to her throne without any issue, before moving on to subdue the rest of the world for us."
With each word the two uttered Alex's frown deepened, before he finally asked,
"And what makes the two of you think I'd agree to such a plan?" Not only had Ravel blatantly admitted that Hisui would be their 'puppet' in ruling Fiore, but she also directly stated that she's readily use his own children to pave the way to dominating the entirety of Earthland. If there was one thing Alex couldn't stand, it was parents using their own children like they were nothing more than convenient tools for their own gain, which was exactly what she was suggesting he do now.
The answer she gave him though stunned Alex, as Ravel simply replied,
"Because it's what we're already doing." With his face morphing into one of disbelief, Ravel sighed and continued,
"You were entirely aware that most of us were planning things like this with our children, so don't act so surprised."
As she said, Ravel, Rias, Serafall, and even Gabriel were already planning to use Regal, Ryuto, Lizzy, and Edith to help spread the influence of Asora once they returned home. Ravel in particular intended to use Regal to help cement her position as head of the Phenix family once she managed to claim it from her brother, while Rias and Serafall planned to use their children, along with Shuri and Mai, to raise awareness for how Asora was able to help resolve the devil population issues.
Gabriel on the other hand was intending to use Edith to show the angel populations that they too could have children without the fear of 'falling', as well as to use the fact that Edith was both angel and devil to try and smooth any remaining tensions between the two races.
Despite knowing this though, Alex couldn't help but to shake his head as he said to her,
"There is still a difference between that and telling someone they were literally born to be king one day, and take over an entire planet for their father." Surprisingly Ravel nodded in agreement as she said,
"Of course, it's not like we'll make them do so regardless of their own wishes, that is simply the most ideal outcome in this situation." With her ending her remark with a shrug of the shoulders as if to say 'what can you do?' Alex's brow started twitching as he realized everything she and Grayfia had been saying was a simple 'what if' of the most optimal outcome.
Though he had quite a bit to say regarding their way of phrasing things and explaining it, Alex simply decided to ignore it since he knew their objectives and personalities wouldn't change as 'Devils', and instead looked at Grayfia before saying in a slightly teasing tone,
"I'm quite surprised though, to think the 'Silver Haired Queen of Annihilation' would actively try to expand my harem~." With even Ravel smirking at her expense, since Grayfia had been somewhat infamous due to her refusing to allow Sirzechs to have more than one wife, the silver haired maid simply shrugged and explained,
"My goal was to further extend our reach of power while also taking the future into consideration, not just needlessly adding to the number of holes for you to screw." With Alex and Ravel both nodding slowly as if in understanding, Grayfia's brow twitched in mild irritation before a sudden idea entered her head.
Surprising the duo and Erza, Grayfia then made her way around the couch she had been standing behind, before slowly and sensually crawling into Alex's l.a.p until she was straddling him. Successfully peaking Alex's curiosity regarding what she was doing, Grayfia then leaned forward while linking her arms around Alex's neck until her face was less than an inch away from his.
Hovering there for a second to make him wonder if she was going to kiss him, Grayfia then turned her head to the side as her luscious lips approached his ear, and whispered,
"If it was that surprising, then perhaps I should demand compensation?" His curiosity rising by the second, Alex's hands disappeared into the bottom of her long skirt to slowly rise up her smooth legs, before he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her p.a.n.t.i.e.s and slipped his fingers under them to massage her fleshy behind.
Ignoring the slightly painful sensation on the back of his neck as Grayfia pinched him for his behavior, Alex smirked before he whispered into her ear while exhaling his hot breath,
"What did you have in mind?" Shivering from his touch on her backside and his breath in her ear, Grayfia then whispered something else into his ear so quietly, that neither Ravel or Erza had been able to hear any of it despite being so close to them.
Though he paused slightly at the contents of her request, Alex's smile widened before he put more force into the hands gripping her a.s.s as he said,
"Deal!" Before she could say anything about his hands squeezing her b.u.t.t, Alex suddenly sealed her lips with his own while she tightened her hold around his neck.
The two's kiss continued for several seconds until,
"EH-HEM!" Toma once again coughed to get their attention, forcing Alex and Grayfia to break off their kiss as she suddenly realized that their host had rejoined them.
"Oh? How long have you been standing there?" Alex asked without moving his hands from her b.u.t.t.
"Well over a minute..." Toma replied with undisguised annoyance, along with Arcadios Danton, the minister of finance, and a very red faced Hisui.
"Can you come back in about an hour or two?" Alex asked shamelessly, making the newcomers even more red faced while Grayfia simply stood up from Alex's l.a.p as stone faced as could be.
"Please excuse our disgraceful behavior, and especially that of my master's." She then bowed respectfully to those who witnessed such an improper scene, which incidentally gave Alex a brief glimpse of the Crimson tips of her ears.
While smirking from how embarrassed the usually cool, calm, and collected maid was, Alex watched as Toma hopped back up onto his previous seat before coughing lightly to regain the serious atmosphere from before.
"So," He began eventually. "Have you put any thought into my previous offer?"
Instead of answering the tiny king before him, Alex instead turned towards Hisui herself, who was still red faced from embarrassment at what they had walked in on, and asked her,
"What is your opinion Hisui?" The princess jumped slightly when she realized that Alex was talking to her, before she adopted a slightly serious look and said,
"If it is for the sake of my people, and kingdom, then I will do whatever it takes for their future." Though he was tempted to point out that her attitude was reminiscent of a soldier marching off to war, Alex nodded before returning his attention to Toma and saying,
"I accept then."
***
Several hours after the meeting with Toma and Hisui ended, and the details regarding their engagement were decided; Alex was sitting high in a tree with a very young boy in his arms, who's untamable black hair was extraordinarily like his father's, while his skin was healthy shade of brown like his mother's.
"Now remember Alec, if mommy asks I didn't spoil your dinner." Alex said as he handed his oldest son yet another of the many fruits that were growing around them, which the young boy greedily accepted before biting into it excitedly.
Alex smiled fondly as he watched his son devour the fruit, which was comparable to a peach in appearance and texture, but was a dark green color and had a more earthly aroma and taste.
Currently they were seated in a tree that was growing towards the peak of one of the many mountain ranges within Asora, watching the sun as it sank lower and lower in the sky. Though Alec was only a little over three years old by this point(thanks to all of the time he'd spent in the space-time orb), Alex was still incredibly happy to get to spend time with one of his sons like this.
However, a three year old Saiyan boy was still a three year old Saiyan boy.
Instead of remaining still in his father's arms, the tiny monkey boy squirmed his way free, before he began to expertly make his way through the tree to collect more fruits. Alex smiled warmly as he watched Alec swing and leap around the tree with his hands and tail, with all the agility and skill that a three year old shouldn't possess.
"Your mom would kill me if she saw us now..." Alex muttered to himself as he watched his son wrap his tail around a tree branch to dangle from, before he started to leisurely pick fruits from the one below him.
He then nearly jumped when he suddenly received a call, making Alex think that Anne had somehow known what they were doing, before he answered it to see Shizuku's face pop up.
"Shizuku? What's up?" Alex asked somewhat worriedly since Shizuku rarely called him unless something was wrong. He never would've guessed the first words to come out of her mouth though.
"Ai-Chan just went into labor! Vali's baby is about to be born!"
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"Wow..." Ravel muttered in awe as she looked around curiously, drinking in the sights of Fiore's Capitol city, Crocus.
The buildings around them were built in the typical fashion that worlds in these types of time periods adopted, with exceptionally pointed roof tops peaking above them. In the distance, on a cliff overlooking the city, was a massive coliseum that was built to host a tournament between the Mage guilds for publicity and prestige, the Grand Magic Games. Instead though, almost immediately after the grand structure was finished, Darius's forces attacked and the colosseum was instead filled with the refugees that had fled to the Capitol city.
The attention of Alex, Grayfia, and Ravel however wasn't on the great colosseum that was surrounded by several great statues, or even the majestic castle located in the center of the city. They were looking at the numerous crops that were growing up and down the streets, and in every available plot of soil within the city, instead of the many flowers that had given Crocus its nickname of the 'Flower Blooming Capitol'.
"So this was how they managed to keep from going hungry during the siege...." Erza muttered as she looked around, where even now many of the women and children were working on the crops within the city, while the men worked to replant the fields outside the city walls.
While Darius had prevented the forces of dark mages and mercenaries from sacking the Capitol cities as well, each kingdom on the continent had been forced into siege conditions due to being unable to send their citizens out to work the fields and grow food. Though many had found various solutions with varying results, Crocus had done the best out of them due to the numerous plots of well maintained soil they used to grow the flowers up and down their streets.
Even if that was the case though, they still had their fair share of struggles since even then they could only provide so much food to their people, while the number of residents in Crocus had significantly gone up due to the amount of refugees they had taken in before closing the gates.
However, as Erza led them through the city, Alex couldn't help but notice they weren't the only ones staring at something in awe.
"Is that...?"
"It is!"
"It's Titania!"
"What's she doing here?"
"I heard that Fairy Tail were the ones that fought the Dark Emperor!"
"Do you think she was the one to fight him herself?!"
Everywhere they went gazes and whispers followed them, or more specifically Erza.
Even though no one knew that much about her anymore after the last eight years on Tenrou Island, whispers had started circulating after 'Fairy Tail' liberated the port town Hargeon. It didn't help that during the battle the only known groups that participated in the battle were the few surviving Mage guilds, as even after all the help they provided no one knew about Alex or the Asorans.
This had been a part of their plan before Edith had been kidnapped and things went sideways, now however Alex planned to reveal them first to the higher ups of Fiore, and through them the citizens. Afterwards, the plan was to become Fiore's allies and business partners, and through them Asora would become more widely known and influential throughout the continent.
Currently, as she led Alex through the city with Grayfia and Ravel, Erza was attired in one of the new armors she had acquired from Hajime that wasn't designed for typical combat, but was created to appeal to those around her. In video game terms, it was an outfit that drastically raised her 'Charisma', drawing the attention of everyone around her while also making them more susceptible to anything she had to say.
The armor itself was a shiny silver that had a scarlet trim to match her hair, which was current braided and wrapped into a bun on the back of her head. Meanwhile a majestic scarlet cape flowed from her shoulders down to the back of her knees, which bore the Fairy Tail emblem in the center while flapping despite the lack of wind, yet another example of Hajime quality.
Meanwhile Alex was also dressed up in a dark purple suit with golden trim and accessories, while Ravel was dressed in a formal gown that resembled orange and yellow feathers, and Grayfia was in her usual maid attire.
So even though Erza was the one drawing most people's attention with her reputation and new armor, everyone's gazes was drawn immediately to Alex and co afterwards as they wondered who they were. The fact that Alex and Ravel even had a maid with them meant that they must've been fairly important people, right?
Their curiosity was stoked even further when one of the kingdom's knights soon approached them, and declared,
"Lady Titania! King Toma has requested your presence in the castle for an audience!" Rather than to immediately follow the knight's lead as he turned towards the castle though, Erza stated in an authoritative voice,
"Please inform his Majesty we will visit the castle in just a little bit, but currently I am escorting the Dragon Emperor around the city." Though his brows twitched at Erza's initial refusal, when he heard the words 'Dragon Emperor' the parts of the knight's face that was visible under his helmet paled as he looked upon the only person who could possibly fit that title, Alex.
Glowering down at the suddenly tongue tied knight, Alex said in a low voice,
"I believe my knight asked you to do something." Jumping in fright at his words, the knight quickly stammered,
"R-r-r-r-right away! I-I-I-I will immediately report to his Majesty!" Without waiting to see if Alex had anything else to say, the knight quickly ran off lest he offend someone claiming to be an emperor even more.
As they watched him flee their line of sight, Alex suddenly felt someone nudging his side and looked over to see Ravel gently elbowing him with a smirk.
"Way to act all authoritative and important~. Keep this up and I'll end up being all hot and bothered by the end of the day." Alex simply rolled his eyes at her teasing before he continued after Erza, while Ravel chuckled at his expense as she and Grayfia followed.
They then continued to follow Erza through the Flower Blooming Capitol for well over an hour as she pointed out various places she'd visited in the past, either from escorting Markarov when he visited the Capitol on business, or when she had taken a job from here and met with a client. It wasn't until nearly two hours had passed since the knight left them that the group finally found themselves approaching the palace steps, which the guards who saw them immediately stood at attention to avoid giving the visiting Emperor the wrong impression regarding their city.
Without even so much as a sideways glance though, Alex and the rest walked right by them as the knight they had met earlier quickly approached them, and declared,
"His Majesty is waiting in the throne room, along with the Crown Princess and the ministers of defense and finance. Please follow me!" The knight then turned and nervously began to escort their group through the castle, during which Alex noticed numerous whispers following them as they went, the word that an Emperor had come to visit having already spread like wildfire.
They quickly arrived at a grand entranceway that beyond, was the throne room filled with hundreds of important and influential figures from not just the city of Crocus, but all of Fiore. They had been regularly meeting with the king and his advisors to discuss getting their country back on track, but currently they were all incredibly tense with the arrival of a so-called Emperor.
With every eye focusing on him the second he entered the throne room, Alex completely ignored them as he kept his gaze on the incredibly short man currently sitting on the oversized throne, Toma E. Fiore, the current King of the kingdom of Fiore. Standing next to him to the right was the Crown Princess, Hisui E. Fiore, while on his other side in full armor except for his head was the chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron, Arcadios.
The king was dressed in various robes that one might expect a monarch of this era to wear, and was also adorned in various matching finery while his already white hair was only a few inches long and parted down the middle, with a small matching mustache. His daughter was wearing a fairly short purple dress that was adorned with several floral patterns, coupled with white gloves that extended up to her elbows and matching leggings, while her green hair was tied up in a short bushy ponytail with two strands of it framing her face and a small tuft covering her forehead.
As they studied Alex and the rest of his group, along with the rest of the officials in the throne room, a page stepped forward and loudly declared,
"Introducing his royal majesty of the great nation of Fiore and his heir, King Toma E. Fiore, and his daughter, Crown Princess Hisui E. Fiore!" As one the crowd within the throne room bowed respectfully to their king and Princess, before rising like a great wave of people while their king and Princess kept their piercing and curious gazes on Alex and his companions.
With their introductions finished this time Erza stepped forward, surprising everyone within the throne room, and declared,
"Introducing the slayer of gods, Devils and everything in between! He who commands even dragons and phoenixes! He who personally ended the Dark Emperor and three of his generals in direct combat! I present to all of you his imperial majesty, ALEX, THE DRAGON EMPEROR!"
Her introduction finished, Erza immediately kneeled before him alongside Ravel and Grayfia, before even Alex was surprised as the entire throne room, sans Toma, Hisui, and a few others, followed suit.
As they watched their own people bow to this foreign emperor, the king and his daughter couldn't help but worry.
***
"So what was that?" Alex asked Erza after being escorted to a private room to speak with Toma in after they had formally met one another, and now they were simply waiting for the aforementioned king to arrive. Erza however furrowed her brows before saying,
"I'm.....not sure.... I only did what I felt was required for my role, but then the next thing I knew everyone else was kneeling.... The only thing I can think of is this armor." Surprisingly, Grayfia was the one who then said,
"That is the most likely explanation. When wearing it you should never underestimate the power of 'Charisma' and 'Influence' on other people, as with it you could sway entire nations to your whim." Having already witnessed Alex do exactly that in the world of Tortus, turning almost the entire population against the god they had believed in for millennia, Ehito, there was no doubt in her mind that such an ability was extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to worry about such a thing with the righteous Erza.
Though they were going to continue their conversation, Alex shushed everyone when he noticed Toma appear outside the door with several others.
"Please pardon the delay, I needed to send my people to work on various projects throughout the city. There's...so much to do right now..." As Toma thought on how much work needed to be done to essentially rebuild his country after it had been destroyed by Darius, Alex simply nodded in understanding until the short man asked as he seated himself,
"So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" With Hisui taking a seat next to him while the ministers of defense and finance stood to the side and Arcadios stood attentively behind them, it was obvious that they were ready to start the discussion.
Surprising them though, Alex's response wasn't anything like they feared it'd be.
"I wanted to officially establish peaceful relations with the kingdom of Fiore, and discuss the possibility of trade between our two nations." When they heard that Toma and the others were of course more than a little surprised, as they couldn't imagine that someone powerful enough to supposedly take on Darius and his generals simply wanted to trade. Hisui was the first to recover first as she asked,
"Where exactly is the nation you come from? Is it accessible by boat or train?" Alex however shook his head and said,
"Not yet, but I would assume that you're aware of Edolas?" While Hisui didn't know what Alex was referring to, Toma nodded his head and said,
"Indeed, I became especially concerned about them after the entirety Magnolia disappeared for a short while, but as I'm sure you're aware other matters needed my attention." Alex nodded in understanding before he went on to explain,
"Well the nation I rule over is similar to Edolas in that it is not of this world, but I also have the ability to travel back and forth at will. In the very near future I intend to open a gate there in Magnolia, through which we will hopefully be able to lay down a track for trains to run through." While Toma and the others were somewhat relieved to hear that this Asora wouldn't be too far away to trade with, there was something else in what Alex said that concerned them.
"So part of why you came here is to request permission, and go through the proper procedure to build on foreign soil, right?" Darton, the minister of defense and a shriveled elderly looking man asked warily. His heart practically froze though when Alex shook his head and stated,
"Nope, we're going to build regardless of what you have to say. We just came today to let you know about the opportunity that'll be available, and to give you a slight heads up." As he finished speaking Alex accepted a teacup from Grayfia before taking a sip, and complimenting her on the excellent tea.
Normally when two monarchs meet they maintain their own sense of status while also giving the other at least a little bit of face for the sake of propriety. Evidently, Alex wasn't even doing that. Instead, he was apparently just doing whatever he felt like doing, and expected everyone to go along with him, regardless of their own status.
While this would be considered unacceptable if it were anyone else, Alex was supposedly the slayer of Darius and even three of his generals. If he was anywhere as powerful as he claimed to be, then Alex was the last person anyone on Earthland would want to anger.
Wanting to test this particular claim, Toma then hesitantly asked,
"And you say that Darius died by your hand?" Without even looking up from his teacup Alex nodded and said,
"Yep. While we originally planned to quietly support Fairy Tail and the other remaining Mage guilds from behind while they did most of the fighting, Darius and his generals did something to piss me off. So we ended up wiping them out in a single day."
Hearing Alex talk as casually as one would regarding their day over dinner, a cold sweat started running down the backs of Toma and the others, reinforcing their idea that Alex was a someone they did not want to antagonize.
From there their talks continued as Ravel and the minister of finance, a bespectacled man with straight black hair and a sharp suit, discussed the specifics of their trade. Firstly was that the area around the gate would be converted into a bazaar of sorts, where Magnolian merchants would be able to sell goods from Asora that they had acquired via contracts from suppliers in Asora. It would also be through them that customers from all over Earthland, not just Fiore, would be able to make requests for specific items or bulk orders.
From there they discussed the specifics regarding things such as the exchange rate for money, regulations for travelers through the gate from Earthland, and how to handle any other countries wanting to trade with Asorans through Fiore. As the discussions continued though, Toma couldn't help but to become increasingly worried regarding their relationship with the Dragon Emperor.
Throughout the discussions he managed to learn certain specifics regarding Alex's circ.u.mstances, such as how he was building the gate in preparation for when they 'moved on' to the next world in a little less than a years time. And that the reason for building the gate, was so that he and those who joined him in Asora could be able to return to Earthland to visit whenever they felt like it, as well as to acquire any materials or so on that were only available there.
The thing that Toma was becoming increasingly worried about though, was that there was nothing about the kingdom of Fiore to tie Alex's good graces to them. He had helped those who suffered under Darius due to a sense of responsibility at the injustice, but if something happened to them in the future would he be so willing to help them out again?
If the other countries on the continent of Ishgar decided to declare war on them would he intervene? Or what about if there was a significant disaster? Or even the appearance of a second Darius?
From what he had learned about him, Toma deduced that Alex would readily help those he was close to that needed it, such as apparently the mage guilds, but was unsure about them as a kingdom. If the situation was another war with the scarcity of resources, then would the Mage guilds participate to help defend them, or will they continue to honor the old magic councils's decision to ban Mage guilds from participating in their wars? And if that was the case with the mages staying out of any possible future wars, would Alex simply sit at the sidelines to watch the battles unfold? All while preparing a new contract with whoever the victor happened to be?
With his scouts and informants sending troubling reports back from the neighboring countries, these and similar such theories plagued Toma's mind even as the discussions continued, and he desperately tried to think of a way to tie Alex to them. It was then that Toma caught a glimpse of his daughter's green hair out the corner of his eye, and he mentally whispered,
'Gods forgive me...'
He then waited for the proper moment, before saying to the emperor sitting across from him,
"As gesture of good faith between our two nations, would you be willing to accept the hand of my daughter, Hisui, in marriage?"
...
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?!?!" Arcadios bellowed at the tiny king in rage, his face completely red while even one of his eyes was splotched with red after he burst a blood vessel.
Despite the drastically larger man yelling at him though, Toma didn't even flinch as he calmly asked,
"And do you have any better ideas for tying the Dragon Emperor to us for protection if the need arises?" The great knight only continued to fume angrily at his King, even as Hisui, Danton, and the minister of finance watched anxiously from the side.
After Toma suggested the marriage of Alex and Hisui, naturally the mood of the room was completely disrupted and destroyed as Arcadios exploded onto him, making Toma call a temporary break as they left to discuss his sudden proposal in private. While Hisui herself was red faced and anxiously fidgeting at the side, and the ministers watched on silently, the king and knight repeatedly went back and forth.
"There's no reason to tie them to us to begin with! Darius is gone, as well as his generals, and the threats that plagued the world such as Zeref and Achnologia!" Toma nodded in agreement at Arcadios's point, but then added,
"What about the threats from the other countries?" Arcadios was silent as Toma held his hand out to the Danton, who silently handed his king a thick stack of doc.u.ments before Toma then held them out to Arcadios.
Confused, the knight quickly began looking through the doc.u.ments as Toma said,
"One of the first things I did after hearing about the defeat of Darius was sending my scouts out to investigate the status of the other countries of Ishgar, and these are the reports they brought back. Of the nations that have started getting back on their feet, many have began preparing their militaries to march due to the lack of available resources in their respective lands. War IS on the horizon."
Arcadios gripped the papers as a flood of emotions surged through him. On one hand he felt conflicted that his king hadn't yet mentioned these reports to him, while on another he desperately wanted to argue against offering their own princess as payment for security.
Before he could say anything though, Toma cut him off and continued,
"Hisui is my daughter, and as such she is the heir to my throne and will inherit its responsibilities, and duties... Even if not the Dragon Emperor, then she will have to take a husband someday for the sake of our kingdom...something I've had to struggle with ever since the day she was born."
The great knight was silent at his king's words, as for the first time he recalled that this must have been harder for Toma to decide than it was for him to hear. At the same time he was also filled with gratitude for serving such an understanding king, as any other would've had more than enough grounds to imprison him for his previous attitude.
As a last resort he turned towards the princess herself, who had simply been watching from the side, and asked her in soft voice,
"And you princess? Are really going to just accept this? Taking that man as your husband is the same as signing yourself, and the entire Fiore kingdom over to him..."
Disheartening him even further, Hisui nodded slowly as she said,
"Yes, I will accept it if it will help secure the safety and well being of the people I will one day rule over. Such is the duty of one who will call themselves king or queen." Even if it meant signing over her kingdom to Alex, Hisui would readily do whatever it took to secure their future from those who would seek to do them harm.
...
While Toma and his group were discussing his offer in the room they had moved to, Alex was doing the same with Erza, Grayfia, and Ravel.
"You're not going to accept it, are you?" Erza demanded as soon as they were left alone, to which Alex shook his head and replied,
"Of course not, I don't do one sided arranged marriages." When she heard that though, Ravel adopted a teasing look on her face as she playfully asked,
"Oh? So what about what you did to that swordswoman last night?" Alex c.o.c.ked a brow at her before he stated,
"That was different. Even if Kagura didn't realize it, I helped her more than anything." Despite her pride compelling her to resist Alex's continued pleasuring of her the night before, once she experienced the sensations Alex's tongue could give her the proud swordswoman caved pretty quickly. Not only was he able to get her to completely drop her strict and cold demeanor during their time together, but Alex's skill 'Lover's Embrace' had also helped to relieve the majority of the tension and fatigue that had built up in Kagura's body.
(A.N. For those who forgot, 'Lovers Embrace' can be considered a form of hygiene that'll improve the health of those who sleep with someone who has it(or does s.e.x.u.a.l stuff), increase their lifespan, and even help their descendants 'prosper'.)
Though Ravel rolled her eyes at his excuse, whatever she was about to say got cut off as Grayfia uttered,
"I think you should accept the offer." Dead silence greeted her words, before Alex said,
"Can you repeat that? I'm not quite sure I heard you correctly Grayfia." Though her brow twitched at being asked to repeat herself, Grayfia looked Alex dead in the eye before saying,
"I think you should accept his offer, and take Hisui as one of your wives." Again silence met her words, though Alex noticed Ravel nodding in agreement beside him, before he asked,
"And why do you think that?" This time Grayfia sighed before explaining,
"Aside from the fact that you'll probably end up bedding her eventually to begin with? Because through marrying her we can essentially guarantee that complete control of Fiore in the near future since she is the crown princess, and possibly later the entirety of Earthland." As she finished speaking Ravel then piped up,
"The best way to avoid future conflict is through ruling over them to begin with, but as 'outsiders' we will probably always be met with suspicion if we tried to do so, or simply be considered the next Darius. The princess can not only become our perfect 'puppet', but the children you two will eventually have together can ascend to her throne without any issue, before moving on to subdue the rest of the world for us."
With each word the two uttered Alex's frown deepened, before he finally asked,
"And what makes the two of you think I'd agree to such a plan?" Not only had Ravel blatantly admitted that Hisui would be their 'puppet' in ruling Fiore, but she also directly stated that she's readily use his own children to pave the way to dominating the entirety of Earthland. If there was one thing Alex couldn't stand, it was parents using their own children like they were nothing more than convenient tools for their own gain, which was exactly what she was suggesting he do now.
The answer she gave him though stunned Alex, as Ravel simply replied,
"Because it's what we're already doing." With his face morphing into one of disbelief, Ravel sighed and continued,
"You were entirely aware that most of us were planning things like this with our children, so don't act so surprised."
As she said, Ravel, Rias, Serafall, and even Gabriel were already planning to use Regal, Ryuto, Lizzy, and Edith to help spread the influence of Asora once they returned home. Ravel in particular intended to use Regal to help cement her position as head of the Phenix family once she managed to claim it from her brother, while Rias and Serafall planned to use their children, along with Shuri and Mai, to raise awareness for how Asora was able to help resolve the devil population issues.
Gabriel on the other hand was intending to use Edith to show the angel populations that they too could have children without the fear of 'falling', as well as to use the fact that Edith was both angel and devil to try and smooth any remaining tensions between the two races.
Despite knowing this though, Alex couldn't help but to shake his head as he said to her,
"There is still a difference between that and telling someone they were literally born to be king one day, and take over an entire planet for their father." Surprisingly Ravel nodded in agreement as she said,
"Of course, it's not like we'll make them do so regardless of their own wishes, that is simply the most ideal outcome in this situation." With her ending her remark with a shrug of the shoulders as if to say 'what can you do?' Alex's brow started twitching as he realized everything she and Grayfia had been saying was a simple 'what if' of the most optimal outcome.
Though he had quite a bit to say regarding their way of phrasing things and explaining it, Alex simply decided to ignore it since he knew their objectives and personalities wouldn't change as 'Devils', and instead looked at Grayfia before saying in a slightly teasing tone,
"I'm quite surprised though, to think the 'Silver Haired Queen of Annihilation' would actively try to expand my harem~." With even Ravel smirking at her expense, since Grayfia had been somewhat infamous due to her refusing to allow Sirzechs to have more than one wife, the silver haired maid simply shrugged and explained,
"My goal was to further extend our reach of power while also taking the future into consideration, not just needlessly adding to the number of holes for you to screw." With Alex and Ravel both nodding slowly as if in understanding, Grayfia's brow twitched in mild irritation before a sudden idea entered her head.
Surprising the duo and Erza, Grayfia then made her way around the couch she had been standing behind, before slowly and sensually crawling into Alex's l.a.p until she was straddling him. Successfully peaking Alex's curiosity regarding what she was doing, Grayfia then leaned forward while linking her arms around Alex's neck until her face was less than an inch away from his.
Hovering there for a second to make him wonder if she was going to kiss him, Grayfia then turned her head to the side as her luscious lips approached his ear, and whispered,
"If it was that surprising, then perhaps I should demand compensation?" His curiosity rising by the second, Alex's hands disappeared into the bottom of her long skirt to slowly rise up her smooth legs, before he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her p.a.n.t.i.e.s and slipped his fingers under them to massage her fleshy behind.
Ignoring the slightly painful sensation on the back of his neck as Grayfia pinched him for his behavior, Alex smirked before he whispered into her ear while exhaling his hot breath,
"What did you have in mind?" Shivering from his touch on her backside and his breath in her ear, Grayfia then whispered something else into his ear so quietly, that neither Ravel or Erza had been able to hear any of it despite being so close to them.
Though he paused slightly at the contents of her request, Alex's smile widened before he put more force into the hands gripping her a.s.s as he said,
"Deal!" Before she could say anything about his hands squeezing her b.u.t.t, Alex suddenly sealed her lips with his own while she tightened her hold around his neck.
The two's kiss continued for several seconds until,
"EH-HEM!" Toma once again coughed to get their attention, forcing Alex and Grayfia to break off their kiss as she suddenly realized that their host had rejoined them.
"Oh? How long have you been standing there?" Alex asked without moving his hands from her b.u.t.t.
"Well over a minute..." Toma replied with undisguised annoyance, along with Arcadios Danton, the minister of finance, and a very red faced Hisui.
"Can you come back in about an hour or two?" Alex asked shamelessly, making the newcomers even more red faced while Grayfia simply stood up from Alex's l.a.p as stone faced as could be.
"Please excuse our disgraceful behavior, and especially that of my master's." She then bowed respectfully to those who witnessed such an improper scene, which incidentally gave Alex a brief glimpse of the Crimson tips of her ears.
While smirking from how embarrassed the usually cool, calm, and collected maid was, Alex watched as Toma hopped back up onto his previous seat before coughing lightly to regain the serious atmosphere from before.
"So," He began eventually. "Have you put any thought into my previous offer?"
Instead of answering the tiny king before him, Alex instead turned towards Hisui herself, who was still red faced from embarrassment at what they had walked in on, and asked her,
"What is your opinion Hisui?" The princess jumped slightly when she realized that Alex was talking to her, before she adopted a slightly serious look and said,
"If it is for the sake of my people, and kingdom, then I will do whatever it takes for their future." Though he was tempted to point out that her attitude was reminiscent of a soldier marching off to war, Alex nodded before returning his attention to Toma and saying,
"I accept then."
***
Several hours after the meeting with Toma and Hisui ended, and the details regarding their engagement were decided; Alex was sitting high in a tree with a very young boy in his arms, who's untamable black hair was extraordinarily like his father's, while his skin was healthy shade of brown like his mother's.
"Now remember Alec, if mommy asks I didn't spoil your dinner." Alex said as he handed his oldest son yet another of the many fruits that were growing around them, which the young boy greedily accepted before biting into it excitedly.
Alex smiled fondly as he watched his son devour the fruit, which was comparable to a peach in appearance and texture, but was a dark green color and had a more earthly aroma and taste.
Currently they were seated in a tree that was growing towards the peak of one of the many mountain ranges within Asora, watching the sun as it sank lower and lower in the sky. Though Alec was only a little over three years old by this point(thanks to all of the time he'd spent in the space-time orb), Alex was still incredibly happy to get to spend time with one of his sons like this.
However, a three year old Saiyan boy was still a three year old Saiyan boy.
Instead of remaining still in his father's arms, the tiny monkey boy squirmed his way free, before he began to expertly make his way through the tree to collect more fruits. Alex smiled warmly as he watched Alec swing and leap around the tree with his hands and tail, with all the agility and skill that a three year old shouldn't possess.
"Your mom would kill me if she saw us now..." Alex muttered to himself as he watched his son wrap his tail around a tree branch to dangle from, before he started to leisurely pick fruits from the one below him.
He then nearly jumped when he suddenly received a call, making Alex think that Anne had somehow known what they were doing, before he answered it to see Shizuku's face pop up.
"Shizuku? What's up?" Alex asked somewhat worriedly since Shizuku rarely called him unless something was wrong. He never would've guessed the first words to come out of her mouth though.
"Ai-Chan just went into labor! Vali's baby is about to be born!"
"Wow..." Ravel muttered in awe as she looked around curiously, drinking in the sights of Fiore's Capitol city, Crocus. The buildings around them were built in the typical fashion that worlds in these types of time periods adopted, with exceptionally pointed roof tops peaking above them. In the distance, on a cliff overlooking the city, was a massive coliseum that was built to host a tournament between the Mage guilds for publicity and prestige, the Grand Magic Games. Instead though, almost immediately after the grand structure was finished, Darius's forces attacked and the colosseum was instead filled with the refugees that had fled to the Capitol city. The attention of Alex, Grayfia, and Ravel however wasn't on the great colosseum that was surrounded by several great statues, or even the majestic castle located in the center of the city. They were looking at the numerous crops that were growing up and down the streets, and in every available plot of soil within the city, instead of the many flowers that had given Crocus its nickname of the 'Flower Blooming Capitol'. "So this was how they managed to keep from going hungry during the siege...." Erza muttered as she looked around, where even now many of the women and children were working on the crops within the city, while the men worked to replant the fields outside the city walls. While Darius had prevented the forces of dark mages and mercenaries from sacking the Capitol cities as well, each kingdom on the continent had been forced into siege conditions due to being unable to send their citizens out to work the fields and grow food. Though many had found various solutions with varying results, Crocus had done the best out of them due to the numerous plots of well maintained soil they used to grow the flowers up and down their streets. Even if that was the case though, they still had their fair share of struggles since even then they could only provide so much food to their people, while the number of residents in Crocus had significantly gone up due to the amount of refugees they had taken in before closing the gates. However, as Erza led them through the city, Alex couldn't help but notice they weren't the only ones staring at something in awe. "Is that...?" "It is!" "It's Titania!" "What's she doing here?" "I heard that Fairy Tail were the ones that fought the Dark Emperor!" "Do you think she was the one to fight him herself?!" Everywhere they went gazes and whispers followed them, or more specifically Erza. Even though no one knew that much about her anymore after the last eight years on Tenrou Island, whispers had started circulating after 'Fairy Tail' liberated the port town Hargeon. It didn't help that during the battle the only known groups that participated in the battle were the few surviving Mage guilds, as even after all the help they provided no one knew about Alex or the Asorans. This had been a part of their plan before Edith had been kidnapped and things went sideways, now however Alex planned to reveal them first to the higher ups of Fiore, and through them the citizens. Afterwards, the plan was to become Fiore's allies and business partners, and through them Asora would become more widely known and influential throughout the continent. Currently, as she led Alex through the city with Grayfia and Ravel, Erza was attired in one of the new armors she had acquired from Hajime that wasn't designed for typical combat, but was created to appeal to those around her. In video game terms, it was an outfit that drastically raised her 'Charisma', drawing the attention of everyone around her while also making them more susceptible to anything she had to say. The armor itself was a shiny silver that had a scarlet trim to match her hair, which was current braided and wrapped into a bun on the back of her head. Meanwhile a majestic scarlet cape flowed from her shoulders down to the back of her knees, which bore the Fairy Tail emblem in the center while flapping despite the lack of wind, yet another example of Hajime quality. Meanwhile Alex was also dressed up in a dark purple suit with golden trim and accessories, while Ravel was dressed in a formal gown that resembled orange and yellow feathers, and Grayfia was in her usual maid attire. So even though Erza was the one drawing most people's attention with her reputation and new armor, everyone's gazes was drawn immediately to Alex and co afterwards as they wondered who they were. The fact that Alex and Ravel even had a maid with them meant that they must've been fairly important people, right? Their curiosity was stoked even further when one of the kingdom's knights soon approached them, and declared, "Lady Titania! King Toma has requested your presence in the castle for an audience!" Rather than to immediately follow the knight's lead as he turned towards the castle though, Erza stated in an authoritative voice, "Please inform his Majesty we will visit the castle in just a little bit, but currently I am escorting the Dragon Emperor around the city." Though his brows twitched at Erza's initial refusal, when he heard the words 'Dragon Emperor' the parts of the knight's face that was visible under his helmet paled as he looked upon the only person who could possibly fit that title, Alex. Glowering down at the suddenly tongue tied knight, Alex said in a low voice, "I believe my knight asked you to do something." Jumping in fright at his words, the knight quickly stammered, "R-r-r-r-right away! I-I-I-I will immediately report to his Majesty!" Without waiting to see if Alex had anything else to say, the knight quickly ran off lest he offend someone claiming to be an emperor even more. As they watched him flee their line of sight, Alex suddenly felt someone nudging his side and looked over to see Ravel gently elbowing him with a smirk. "Way to act all authoritative and important~. Keep this up and I'll end up being all hot and bothered by the end of the day." Alex simply rolled his eyes at her teasing before he continued after Erza, while Ravel chuckled at his expense as she and Grayfia followed. They then continued to follow Erza through the Flower Blooming Capitol for well over an hour as she pointed out various places she'd visited in the past, either from escorting Markarov when he visited the Capitol on business, or when she had taken a job from here and met with a client. It wasn't until nearly two hours had passed since the knight left them that the group finally found themselves approaching the palace steps, which the guards who saw them immediately stood at attention to avoid giving the visiting Emperor the wrong impression regarding their city. Without even so much as a sideways glance though, Alex and the rest walked right by them as the knight they had met earlier quickly approached them, and declared, "His Majesty is waiting in the throne room, along with the Crown Princess and the ministers of defense and finance. Please follow me!" The knight then turned and nervously began to escort their group through the castle, during which Alex noticed numerous whispers following them as they went, the word that an Emperor had come to visit having already spread like wildfire. They quickly arrived at a grand entranceway that beyond, was the throne room filled with hundreds of important and influential figures from not just the city of Crocus, but all of Fiore. They had been regularly meeting with the king and his advisors to discuss getting their country back on track, but currently they were all incredibly tense with the arrival of a so-called Emperor. With every eye focusing on him the second he entered the throne room, Alex completely ignored them as he kept his gaze on the incredibly short man currently sitting on the oversized throne, Toma E. Fiore, the current King of the kingdom of Fiore. Standing next to him to the right was the Crown Princess, Hisui E. Fiore, while on his other side in full armor except for his head was the chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron, Arcadios. The king was dressed in various robes that one might expect a monarch of this era to wear, and was also adorned in various matching finery while his already white hair was only a few inches long and parted down the middle, with a small matching mustache. His daughter was wearing a fairly short purple dress that was adorned with several floral patterns, coupled with white gloves that extended up to her elbows and matching leggings, while her green hair was tied up in a short bushy ponytail with two strands of it framing her face and a small tuft covering her forehead. As they studied Alex and the rest of his group, along with the rest of the officials in the throne room, a page stepped forward and loudly declared, "Introducing his royal majesty of the great nation of Fiore and his heir, King Toma E. Fiore, and his daughter, Crown Princess Hisui E. Fiore!" As one the crowd within the throne room bowed respectfully to their king and Princess, before rising like a great wave of people while their king and Princess kept their piercing and curious gazes on Alex and his companions. With their introductions finished this time Erza stepped forward, surprising everyone within the throne room, and declared, "Introducing the slayer of gods, Devils and everything in between! He who commands even dragons and phoenixes! He who personally ended the Dark Emperor and three of his generals in direct combat! I present to all of you his imperial majesty, ALEX, THE DRAGON EMPEROR!" Her introduction finished, Erza immediately kneeled before him alongside Ravel and Grayfia, before even Alex was surprised as the entire throne room, sans Toma, Hisui, and a few others, followed suit. As they watched their own people bow to this foreign emperor, the king and his daughter couldn't help but worry. *** "So what was that?" Alex asked Erza after being escorted to a private room to speak with Toma in after they had formally met one another, and now they were simply waiting for the aforementioned king to arrive. Erza however furrowed her brows before saying, "I'm.....not sure.... I only did what I felt was required for my role, but then the next thing I knew everyone else was kneeling.... The only thing I can think of is this armor." Surprisingly, Grayfia was the one who then said, "That is the most likely explanation. When wearing it you should never underestimate the power of 'Charisma' and 'Influence' on other people, as with it you could sway entire nations to your whim." Having already witnessed Alex do exactly that in the world of Tortus, turning almost the entire population against the god they had believed in for millennia, Ehito, there was no doubt in her mind that such an ability was extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to worry about such a thing with the righteous Erza. Though they were going to continue their conversation, Alex shushed everyone when he noticed Toma appear outside the door with several others. "Please pardon the delay, I needed to send my people to work on various projects throughout the city. There's...so much to do right now..." As Toma thought on how much work needed to be done to essentially rebuild his country after it had been destroyed by Darius, Alex simply nodded in understanding until the short man asked as he seated himself, "So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" With Hisui taking a seat next to him while the ministers of defense and finance stood to the side and Arcadios stood attentively behind them, it was obvious that they were ready to start the discussion. Surprising them though, Alex's response wasn't anything like they feared it'd be. "I wanted to officially establish peaceful relations with the kingdom of Fiore, and discuss the possibility of trade between our two nations." When they heard that Toma and the others were of course more than a little surprised, as they couldn't imagine that someone powerful enough to supposedly take on Darius and his generals simply wanted to trade. Hisui was the first to recover first as she asked, "Where exactly is the nation you come from? Is it accessible by boat or train?" Alex however shook his head and said, "Not yet, but I would assume that you're aware of Edolas?" While Hisui didn't know what Alex was referring to, Toma nodded his head and said, "Indeed, I became especially concerned about them after the entirety Magnolia disappeared for a short while, but as I'm sure you're aware other matters needed my attention." Alex nodded in understanding before he went on to explain, "Well the nation I rule over is similar to Edolas in that it is not of this world, but I also have the ability to travel back and forth at will. In the very near future I intend to open a gate there in Magnolia, through which we will hopefully be able to lay down a track for trains to run through." While Toma and the others were somewhat relieved to hear that this Asora wouldn't be too far away to trade with, there was something else in what Alex said that concerned them. "So part of why you came here is to request permission, and go through the proper procedure to build on foreign soil, right?" Darton, the minister of defense and a shriveled elderly looking man asked warily. His heart practically froze though when Alex shook his head and stated, "Nope, we're going to build regardless of what you have to say. We just came today to let you know about the opportunity that'll be available, and to give you a slight heads up." As he finished speaking Alex accepted a teacup from Grayfia before taking a sip, and complimenting her on the excellent tea. Normally when two monarchs meet they maintain their own sense of status while also giving the other at least a little bit of face for the sake of propriety. Evidently, Alex wasn't even doing that. Instead, he was apparently just doing whatever he felt like doing, and expected everyone to go along with him, regardless of their own status. While this would be considered unacceptable if it were anyone else, Alex was supposedly the slayer of Darius and even three of his generals. If he was anywhere as powerful as he claimed to be, then Alex was the last person anyone on Earthland would want to anger. Wanting to test this particular claim, Toma then hesitantly asked, "And you say that Darius died by your hand?" Without even looking up from his teacup Alex nodded and said, "Yep. While we originally planned to quietly support Fairy Tail and the other remaining Mage guilds from behind while they did most of the fighting, Darius and his generals did something to piss me off. So we ended up wiping them out in a single day." Hearing Alex talk as casually as one would regarding their day over dinner, a cold sweat started running down the backs of Toma and the others, reinforcing their idea that Alex was a someone they did not want to antagonize. From there their talks continued as Ravel and the minister of finance, a bespectacled man with straight black hair and a sharp suit, discussed the specifics of their trade. Firstly was that the area around the gate would be converted into a bazaar of sorts, where Magnolian merchants would be able to sell goods from Asora that they had acquired via contracts from suppliers in Asora. It would also be through them that customers from all over Earthland, not just Fiore, would be able to make requests for specific items or bulk orders. From there they discussed the specifics regarding things such as the exchange rate for money, regulations for travelers through the gate from Earthland, and how to handle any other countries wanting to trade with Asorans through Fiore. As the discussions continued though, Toma couldn't help but to become increasingly worried regarding their relationship with the Dragon Emperor. Throughout the discussions he managed to learn certain specifics regarding Alex's circ.u.mstances, such as how he was building the gate in preparation for when they 'moved on' to the next world in a little less than a years time. And that the reason for building the gate, was so that he and those who joined him in Asora could be able to return to Earthland to visit whenever they felt like it, as well as to acquire any materials or so on that were only available there. The thing that Toma was becoming increasingly worried about though, was that there was nothing about the kingdom of Fiore to tie Alex's good graces to them. He had helped those who suffered under Darius due to a sense of responsibility at the injustice, but if something happened to them in the future would he be so willing to help them out again? If the other countries on the continent of Ishgar decided to declare war on them would he intervene? Or what about if there was a significant disaster? Or even the appearance of a second Darius? From what he had learned about him, Toma deduced that Alex would readily help those he was close to that needed it, such as apparently the mage guilds, but was unsure about them as a kingdom. If the situation was another war with the scarcity of resources, then would the Mage guilds participate to help defend them, or will they continue to honor the old magic councils's decision to ban Mage guilds from participating in their wars? And if that was the case with the mages staying out of any possible future wars, would Alex simply sit at the sidelines to watch the battles unfold? All while preparing a new contract with whoever the victor happened to be? With his scouts and informants sending troubling reports back from the neighboring countries, these and similar such theories plagued Toma's mind even as the discussions continued, and he desperately tried to think of a way to tie Alex to them. It was then that Toma caught a glimpse of his daughter's green hair out the corner of his eye, and he mentally whispered, 'Gods forgive me...' He then waited for the proper moment, before saying to the emperor sitting across from him, "As gesture of good faith between our two nations, would you be willing to accept the hand of my daughter, Hisui, in marriage?" ... "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?!?!" Arcadios bellowed at the tiny king in rage, his face completely red while even one of his eyes was splotched with red after he burst a blood vessel. Despite the drastically larger man yelling at him though, Toma didn't even flinch as he calmly asked, "And do you have any better ideas for tying the Dragon Emperor to us for protection if the need arises?" The great knight only continued to fume angrily at his King, even as Hisui, Danton, and the minister of finance watched anxiously from the side. After Toma suggested the marriage of Alex and Hisui, naturally the mood of the room was completely disrupted and destroyed as Arcadios exploded onto him, making Toma call a temporary break as they left to discuss his sudden proposal in private. While Hisui herself was red faced and anxiously fidgeting at the side, and the ministers watched on silently, the king and knight repeatedly went back and forth. "There's no reason to tie them to us to begin with! Darius is gone, as well as his generals, and the threats that plagued the world such as Zeref and Achnologia!" Toma nodded in agreement at Arcadios's point, but then added, "What about the threats from the other countries?" Arcadios was silent as Toma held his hand out to the Danton, who silently handed his king a thick stack of doc.u.ments before Toma then held them out to Arcadios. Confused, the knight quickly began looking through the doc.u.ments as Toma said, "One of the first things I did after hearing about the defeat of Darius was sending my scouts out to investigate the status of the other countries of Ishgar, and these are the reports they brought back. Of the nations that have started getting back on their feet, many have began preparing their militaries to march due to the lack of available resources in their respective lands. War IS on the horizon." Arcadios gripped the papers as a flood of emotions surged through him. On one hand he felt conflicted that his king hadn't yet mentioned these reports to him, while on another he desperately wanted to argue against offering their own princess as payment for security. Before he could say anything though, Toma cut him off and continued, "Hisui is my daughter, and as such she is the heir to my throne and will inherit its responsibilities, and duties... Even if not the Dragon Emperor, then she will have to take a husband someday for the sake of our kingdom...something I've had to struggle with ever since the day she was born." The great knight was silent at his king's words, as for the first time he recalled that this must have been harder for Toma to decide than it was for him to hear. At the same time he was also filled with gratitude for serving such an understanding king, as any other would've had more than enough grounds to imprison him for his previous attitude. As a last resort he turned towards the princess herself, who had simply been watching from the side, and asked her in soft voice, "And you princess? Are really going to just accept this? Taking that man as your husband is the same as signing yourself, and the entire Fiore kingdom over to him..." Disheartening him even further, Hisui nodded slowly as she said, "Yes, I will accept it if it will help secure the safety and well being of the people I will one day rule over. Such is the duty of one who will call themselves king or queen." Even if it meant signing over her kingdom to Alex, Hisui would readily do whatever it took to secure their future from those who would seek to do them harm. ... While Toma and his group were discussing his offer in the room they had moved to, Alex was doing the same with Erza, Grayfia, and Ravel. "You're not going to accept it, are you?" Erza demanded as soon as they were left alone, to which Alex shook his head and replied, "Of course not, I don't do one sided arranged marriages." When she heard that though, Ravel adopted a teasing look on her face as she playfully asked, "Oh? So what about what you did to that swordswoman last night?" Alex c.o.c.ked a brow at her before he stated, "That was different. Even if Kagura didn't realize it, I helped her more than anything." Despite her pride compelling her to resist Alex's continued pleasuring of her the night before, once she experienced the sensations Alex's tongue could give her the proud swordswoman caved pretty quickly. Not only was he able to get her to completely drop her strict and cold demeanor during their time together, but Alex's skill 'Lover's Embrace' had also helped to relieve the majority of the tension and fatigue that had built up in Kagura's body. A.N. For those who forgot, 'Lovers Embrace' can be considered a form of hygiene that'll improve the health of those who sleep with someone who has itor does s.e.x.u.a.l stuff, increase their lifespan, and even help their descendants 'prosper'. Though Ravel rolled her eyes at his excuse, whatever she was about to say got cut off as Grayfia uttered, "I think you should accept the offer." Dead silence greeted her words, before Alex said, "Can you repeat that? I'm not quite sure I heard you correctly Grayfia." Though her brow twitched at being asked to repeat herself, Grayfia looked Alex dead in the eye before saying, "I think you should accept his offer, and take Hisui as one of your wives." Again silence met her words, though Alex noticed Ravel nodding in agreement beside him, before he asked, "And why do you think that?" This time Grayfia sighed before explaining, "Aside from the fact that you'll probably end up bedding her eventually to begin with? Because through marrying her we can essentially guarantee that complete control of Fiore in the near future since she is the crown princess, and possibly later the entirety of Earthland." As she finished speaking Ravel then piped up, "The best way to avoid future conflict is through ruling over them to begin with, but as 'outsiders' we will probably always be met with suspicion if we tried to do so, or simply be considered the next Darius. The princess can not only become our perfect 'puppet', but the children you two will eventually have together can ascend to her throne without any issue, before moving on to subdue the rest of the world for us." With each word the two uttered Alex's frown deepened, before he finally asked, "And what makes the two of you think I'd agree to such a plan?" Not only had Ravel blatantly admitted that Hisui would be their 'puppet' in ruling Fiore, but she also directly stated that she's readily use his own children to pave the way to dominating the entirety of Earthland. If there was one thing Alex couldn't stand, it was parents using their own children like they were nothing more than convenient tools for their own gain, which was exactly what she was suggesting he do now. The answer she gave him though stunned Alex, as Ravel simply replied, "Because it's what we're already doing." With his face morphing into one of disbelief, Ravel sighed and continued, "You were entirely aware that most of us were planning things like this with our children, so don't act so surprised." As she said, Ravel, Rias, Serafall, and even Gabriel were already planning to use Regal, Ryuto, Lizzy, and Edith to help spread the influence of Asora once they returned home. Ravel in particular intended to use Regal to help cement her position as head of the Phenix family once she managed to claim it from her brother, while Rias and Serafall planned to use their children, along with Shuri and Mai, to raise awareness for how Asora was able to help resolve the devil population issues. Gabriel on the other hand was intending to use Edith to show the angel populations that they too could have children without the fear of 'falling', as well as to use the fact that Edith was both angel and devil to try and smooth any remaining tensions between the two races. Despite knowing this though, Alex couldn't help but to shake his head as he said to her, "There is still a difference between that and telling someone they were literally born to be king one day, and take over an entire planet for their father." Surprisingly Ravel nodded in agreement as she said, "Of course, it's not like we'll make them do so regardless of their own wishes, that is simply the most ideal outcome in this situation." With her ending her remark with a shrug of the shoulders as if to say 'what can you do?' Alex's brow started twitching as he realized everything she and Grayfia had been saying was a simple 'what if' of the most optimal outcome. Though he had quite a bit to say regarding their way of phrasing things and explaining it, Alex simply decided to ignore it since he knew their objectives and personalities wouldn't change as 'Devils', and instead looked at Grayfia before saying in a slightly teasing tone, "I'm quite surprised though, to think the 'Silver Haired Queen of Annihilation' would actively try to expand my harem~." With even Ravel smirking at her expense, since Grayfia had been somewhat infamous due to her refusing to allow Sirzechs to have more than one wife, the silver haired maid simply shrugged and explained, "My goal was to further extend our reach of power while also taking the future into consideration, not just needlessly adding to the number of holes for you to screw." With Alex and Ravel both nodding slowly as if in understanding, Grayfia's brow twitched in mild irritation before a sudden idea entered her head. Surprising the duo and Erza, Grayfia then made her way around the couch she had been standing behind, before slowly and sensually crawling into Alex's l.a.p until she was straddling him. Successfully peaking Alex's curiosity regarding what she was doing, Grayfia then leaned forward while linking her arms around Alex's neck until her face was less than an inch away from his. Hovering there for a second to make him wonder if she was going to kiss him, Grayfia then turned her head to the side as her luscious lips approached his ear, and whispered, "If it was that surprising, then perhaps I should demand compensation?" His curiosity rising by the second, Alex's hands disappeared into the bottom of her long skirt to slowly rise up her smooth legs, before he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her p.a.n.t.i.e.s and slipped his fingers under them to massage her fleshy behind. Ignoring the slightly painful sensation on the back of his neck as Grayfia pinched him for his behavior, Alex smirked before he whispered into her ear while exhaling his hot breath, "What did you have in mind?" Shivering from his touch on her backside and his breath in her ear, Grayfia then whispered something else into his ear so quietly, that neither Ravel or Erza had been able to hear any of it despite being so close to them. Though he paused slightly at the contents of her request, Alex's smile widened before he put more force into the hands gripping her a.s.s as he said, "Deal!" Before she could say anything about his hands squeezing her b.u.t.t, Alex suddenly sealed her lips with his own while she tightened her hold around his neck. The two's kiss continued for several seconds until, "EH-HEM!" Toma once again coughed to get their attention, forcing Alex and Grayfia to break off their kiss as she suddenly realized that their host had rejoined them. "Oh? How long have you been standing there?" Alex asked without moving his hands from her b.u.t.t. "Well over a minute..." Toma replied with undisguised annoyance, along with Arcadios Danton, the minister of finance, and a very red faced Hisui. "Can you come back in about an hour or two?" Alex asked shamelessly, making the newcomers even more red faced while Grayfia simply stood up from Alex's l.a.p as stone faced as could be. "Please excuse our disgraceful behavior, and especially that of my master's." She then bowed respectfully to those who witnessed such an improper scene, which incidentally gave Alex a brief glimpse of the Crimson tips of her ears. While smirking from how embarrassed the usually cool, calm, and collected maid was, Alex watched as Toma hopped back up onto his previous seat before coughing lightly to regain the serious atmosphere from before. "So," He began eventually. "Have you put any thought into my previous offer?" Instead of answering the tiny king before him, Alex instead turned towards Hisui herself, who was still red faced from embarrassment at what they had walked in on, and asked her, "What is your opinion Hisui?" The princess jumped slightly when she realized that Alex was talking to her, before she adopted a slightly serious look and said, "If it is for the sake of my people, and kingdom, then I will do whatever it takes for their future." Though he was tempted to point out that her attitude was reminiscent of a soldier marching off to war, Alex nodded before returning his attention to Toma and saying, "I accept then." *** Several hours after the meeting with Toma and Hisui ended, and the details regarding their engagement were decided; Alex was sitting high in a tree with a very young boy in his arms, who's untamable black hair was extraordinarily like his father's, while his skin was healthy shade of brown like his mother's. "Now remember Alec, if mommy asks I didn't spoil your dinner." Alex said as he handed his oldest son yet another of the many fruits that were growing around them, which the young boy greedily accepted before biting into it excitedly. Alex smiled fondly as he watched his son devour the fruit, which was comparable to a peach in appearance and texture, but was a dark green color and had a more earthly aroma and taste. Currently they were seated in a tree that was growing towards the peak of one of the many mountain ranges within Asora, watching the sun as it sank lower and lower in the sky. Though Alec was only a little over three years old by this pointthanks to all of the time he'd spent in the space-time orb, Alex was still incredibly happy to get to spend time with one of his sons like this. However, a three year old Saiyan boy was still a three year old Saiyan boy. Instead of remaining still in his father's arms, the tiny monkey boy squirmed his way free, before he began to expertly make his way through the tree to collect more fruits. Alex smiled warmly as he watched Alec swing and leap around the tree with his hands and tail, with all the agility and skill that a three year old shouldn't possess. "Your mom would kill me if she saw us now..." Alex muttered to himself as he watched his son wrap his tail around a tree branch to dangle from, before he started to leisurely pick fruits from the one below him. He then nearly jumped when he suddenly received a call, making Alex think that Anne had somehow known what they were doing, before he answered it to see Shizuku's face pop up. "Shizuku? What's up?" Alex asked somewhat worriedly since Shizuku rarely called him unless something was wrong. He never would've guessed the first words to come out of her mouth though. "Ai-Chan just went into labor! Vali's baby is about to be born!"
