After taking in the shocking, quite unexpected sight, I take a look around to note any other changes that might have happened inside my mind during my brief absence. But, everything seems to be more or less as I remember it. The only other difference from the massive, not-so-family-friendly castle is the lack of the cosy cottage which served as Ailish’s little home whenever she wanted to take a rest inside me.
“Maybe it’s the result of your recent advancement?” Elea glances at me with a gentle smirk.
I scoff at her, with no ill intent, of course. “Yeah, right. We both know there’s much more to that.”
“This place responds to your mind, your imagination, does it not?” She chuckles lightly.
“With all due respect, perhaps I’m not exactly the holiest of saints inside my own head, but I’m not at the level where my brain constructs cock-castles as its most default structures.” I roll my eyes. “Come on. Let’s see what this is about before I change my mind.”
My lovely Dark Elf companion slides her arm around mine, linking our elbows, and leads the way to the pink fortress of debauchery. Thankfully, it stands proud atop a pinkish, grassy hill, without any kind of defences like a moat or an additional wall, palisade, or whatever. It’s pretty obvious that no one would expect any kind of trouble here.
But, just in case, perhaps I should ask Lumina about this too. I’m getting quite deep into the higher Tiers and the whole divine territory. If Lilith’s soul echo can find a way in, even if only after bonding with me, there’s a chance someone or something might try to do so forcefully. I’m not exactly sure what the consequence of such an event could be. I’d rather not turn stupid overnight without even realising.
We roam our gazes over the scenery, taking in the familiar sights. This entire pink world never fails at calming me down. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this is literally my soul, but I appreciate the feeling of being at peace. And while I could literally teleport the two of us to the front gate, or even inside the castle, walking side by side with Elea without the slightest hurry is more than simply enjoyable.
As we near the light pink structure, the circular gate of a much deeper shade of rosiness rumbles to life, opening before our eyes. I’m not even surprised that it recedes into the castle’s walls as if revealing its opening to us while split in the middle. I can only shake my head at the unnecessary symbolism. Thank the Goddess there’s no veil we have to push through.
Another thing we’ve been definitely expecting is the interior design and style. Everything is in various shades of pink, including the structure and the furniture. Round and oval windows decorate the walls interchangeably, with the latter adorned by bright rosy gems atop their arches. I swear the scarce window ledges underneath the circular openings resemble very specific tube-like appendages with thick tips at both ends.
I’m already getting dizzy from pure embarrassment.
Even though this whole place is new to me, it’s not exactly unfamiliar. Since it’s inside my Soul Realm, I naturally know it inside out. Therefore, I can easily lead Elea through the lewd corridors with perfect awareness of where we are heading. While moving towards what I imagine is the throne room, we pass by a hallway full of detailed statues and paintings. Obviously, they depict yours truly. And obviously, they lack any clothes.
Elea sends me a few amused smiles as I try not to glare at every single piece of art, hugging my arm closer. At least, a little bit further in, the choice of decoration stops being so monotonous and the depictions of my beloved wives, mates, and those I care about the most join my own. We pause by a few that show Elea and admire the fine works. Some do ring a bell and we realise that they almost copy Neira’s masterpieces.
I don’t know if it was harder walking through a corridor full of my naked figures or one brimming with enthralling nudes of all the ladies. The latter is certainly much harder to just ignore and the model for a portion of them is well aware of that.
Soon, we reach an inner gate with the biggest gem atop it and the double wings start receding to the sides. This time, there actually is a thin, pink, see-through curtain partially obstructing the sight of the chamber on the other side. We can still make out its general layout, including what definitely is a throne on a raised platform, but the details are hidden from us.
Elea parts the veil with a delicate smirk and we step into the throne room.
The first thing we notice is the tall, thick columns, decorated with masterfully-carved veins. I don’t need to look up to know what exactly finishes the shape under the ceiling. The edges of the hall are adorned with oval mosaics of stained glass, bathing the room with a faint, rosy glow. Finally, at the very end of the most important place in this castle, sits a gleaming throne, with a person resting against the armrest from the side. In full nude, of course.
“Took you long enough.” Ailish stretches over the fancy chair, just emphasising her perky curves. “Don’t forget to leave your clothes by the door and come join me.”
“What?” I raise a brow at her. “I’m sorry, did you mean shoes? You can’t be seri—”
As I glance at Elea by my side, I find her already mostly disrobed, finishing shimming out of her maid uniform. She bends forward to lay the neatly-folded pieces on the floor, flashing me the perfect view of her delicious secrets, and straightens up with a smile, displaying her equally enticing front. For a moment, my eyes pause at her more-than-generous bust, before rolling with a sigh.
Choosing to ignore their antics, I walk towards the naughty Succubus, my shoes echoing throughout the chamber as they hit the perfectly-polished floor. As I ascend the few small steps, it becomes obvious that the throne itself is familiar too. If I’m not mistaken, it’s been modelled after the one Neira painted in her piece with me and all the Dark Elves.
Turning to the violet-skinned seductress still lounging over the armrest, I notice that she isn’t exactly devoid of any apparel. There’s a wide, pink collar around her neck, with a darker, shiny chain hanging down from the clasp in the front. Her captivating eyes practically sparkle with mischief as I lean down to grab and examine it.
Giving it a firm tug, causing some pleasant rattling, I bring the chained Succubus to me. “So, care to explain what this entire thing is about?”
Ailish nibbles on her bottom lip while staring up into my eyes. “A king needs his castle, and a god needs his sanctuary. Where else are you going to give audiences to your loyal followers if not in your very own throne room, My Lord?”
“Did it really have to be so… explicit?” I squint at her.
She runs her hands over my things with a wide grin. “Symbolism is very important for faith and beliefs. There should be no doubt about what is the subject of your divine influence. Why give away your precious oracles in a plain, uncreative fortress made of boring, grey stone when you can ease the minds of your believers with this beautiful, lovely palace?”
“I hate to break it to you, but the majority of common people find such displays uncomfortable at the very least, not to mention awkward.” I pull on the chain stronger as her fingers near a quite dangerous region, evoking a whimper from Ailish. “I really hope you don’t expect me to jump into that seat buck naked?”
“Why would you cover your divine figure with something as unessential as unappealing pieces of cloth and material?” Her luscious lips form a sad pout as she playfully fiddles with my belt. “It’s a blessing in itself to be able to gaze upon your godly… assets.”
Before she manages to unbuckle the strap, I yank the restraints up, bringing the frivolous woman to my eye level. “Yeah? And what is the purpose of this exactly?”
Her gaze briefly skips to my lips before returning to my eyes. “There’s always a messenger by a god’s side. Shino told me the one in your old world loved to use those pure beings called angels. So, it’s only natural that you should own one too. I might lack an aureola, but I do have wings, no? I’ll be your obedient little angel. Just without the pure part.”
An angel? More like a demon instead, which she technically is. A demon of lust. But, considering my title of the Demigod of Lust, possibly God of Lust at some point, I guess it isn’t that unexpected for my messenger to be a Succubus.
Gods, I’m not going to command legions of them as my representatives after freeing Lilith, am I?
Shoving that thought into the far corner of my mind, I refocus on the salacious lady pressing herself into me with more and more movement. Making use of my brief lapse of attention, Ailish has already started rubbing her nipples against my suit, clearly breathing a bit heavier than she normally does.
Noticing me noticing, she smiles impishly. “Well? Aren’t you going to take your throne? Is this the way you should be questioning your lowly servant, right next to your symbol of authority, on very equal ground?”
I’m certain she’s going to make it harder than necessary if I don’t play along so I just sigh heavily, loosen my grip on the glimmering chain, and step towards the fancy chair, thanking the universe for at least it not being genitalia-styled. Though, knowing Ailish, I might still be in for a surprise after examining the throne in detail.
“Oh, My Lord, didn’t you forget something?” she asks and I glance her way.
Ailish roams her eyes over my figure from top to bottom with a raised brow. It’s not rocket science to figure out what she means and I groan inwardly. With a dismissive flick of my wrist, I get rid of my clothes, wanting nothing more than to move things forward. She gives me a happy nod with a beaming smile and I finally drop my butt onto the comfy seat.
“Now, allow me to just make sure you are all ready, My Lord, and we shall commence the audience.” She crawls between my legs on all fours as I frown at her sly expression. “Oh no! This won’t do! We forgot to polish your sceptre! Let me quickly rectify this mistake!”
Before I can even speak a word, she’s already swallowed me whole, the entire package disappearing between her pouty lips, including the baggage. I groan again, for a different reason this time, and let go of my usual control. There’s no doubt that she won’t end the polishing until the sceptre stands tall and proud. So, I allow it to rise naturally, choosing not to prolong her little game.
Clearly, she’s planned on taking much longer than just one or two dozen seconds, and whines in discontent while looking up at me. I squint at her with a no-nonsense expression and she obediently retreats with one last peck and a longing glance.
“Perfect.” She smiles at me charmingly.
Turning around, she rests against my left leg, embracing it lovingly. I try not to pay attention to her fingers tracing my calf and the kisses she places on my thigh. Moving my gaze forward, I find Elea standing just at the beginning of the raised platform with her hands joined over her delicious belly. She regards me with a warm, devoted expression, completely ignoring the glistening traces running down her long legs, originating at the obvious place.
I smirk at her and gesture for her to come up. She does so with grace and stops by my right side. A bright flash interrupts our moment of gazing into each other’s eyes and all of us turn our attention to the blinding shape hovering in front of us. After just a few seconds, the intense light recedes and reveals the Goddess herself, wearing her usual, Greek-themed robe.
Lumina opens her heavenly, golden eyes and regards us with a gentle glance, a soft smile curling up her celestial lips. Her gaze then jumps to Elea’s exposed chest, Ailish’s proudly displayed privates as she holds her thighs open, my similarly-uncovered waist, and finally up to my face.
“Oh. My apologies. I seem to have forgotten the proper etiquette.” The Goddess makes the slightest bow, and her robes disappear, revealing all of her sacred physique.
“Come on…” I rub my temples with a groan. “At least you could have not humoured them…”
“I might be your senior but that doesn’t mean I should forgo the basic courtesy of following the customs and rules surrounding one’s domain.” She shows the faintest smirk.
“Senior?” I ask, trying my best not to drill holes in her… hole with my gaze.
“I’m no longer the sole goddess of this realm, am I? Save for my imprisoned sister, that is.” Lumina traces a finger down her perfect waist and then hip, definitely knowing what kind of effect that has on me.
“I can’t help but feel like this has always been your plan.” I snort, dragging my eyes to her gentle face.
“What? Making you a demigod?” The Goddess chuckles gently. “You should know me best by now. It’s nothing more than an oversight, a silly mistake. I have a knack for those. It should have been nothing more than a title in your status if we were to go with my initial plans.”
“So, you have accidentally created a way for me to possibly take over, without even using that secret weapon I haven’t been ready to hear about previously?” I raise a slightly amused brow at her.
“When you put it like that, then yes, I seem to have.” An equally amused glint twinkles in her golden eyes. “Given enough time, it isn’t impossible for you to dethrone me as the only God of this world. You have received the first set of tools to directly contend with me. Though, I shall warn you, being responsible for an entire realm is not as fun as it might sound to many mortals.”
I shake my head with a snicker. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to contend with you. I was hoping to discuss a way to resolve this situation more amicably between the two of us. As a fledgeling demigod, I have no doubt that you could erase me from existence with a flick of your hand if you ever felt threatened.”
“That would be counterintuitive, wouldn’t it?” Lumina sighs softly. “I’m not saying that the other Heroes are weak, but you’ve always had the highest chances of saving this world. To get rid of you would most likely be my biggest mistake yet. One that could possibly doom Naharren.”
“Speaking of which, can I even still interfere the way I’ve been doing so?” I furrow my brows and stroke my chin. “I have all this divinity and stuff now, right?”
“Yes, you do. But, there’s nothing to worry about yet. You aren’t an ascended god taking the reins of this realm. Technically speaking, you are an outsider, an entity that has grown powerful by its own means. Mostly.”
“And what does that mean exactly?” I press on.
“It means that you have all the right to interact with the world as anyone else and even challenge me. The same laws binding me from interfering directly aren’t binding you yet. If they ever will. I’m the protector of Naharren, you could be an invader if only you wanted, wreaking havoc in my beloved world as you aim for my spot. Contrary to what you think, I won’t be able to just smite you. At least not without heavy repercussions.”
“Damn. That sounds… not too fair.” I grimace visibly.
“I took a risk pulling souls from Earth.” She shrugs. “Honestly, if you weren’t such a kind and honest person, I might have sealed my own fate with that stunt. I definitely would have fought back with whatever means I have, but considering your prowess, I doubt that would have been enough.”
“Alright, alright. We aren’t ever staging a coup against you so let’s drop this purely hypothetical topic.” I wave my hand at her. “I think we have plenty of other things that are much more important to discuss.”
Glancing to the side at my very first Apostle, I pause momentarily, my faint smile fading from my lips. Elea’s entire frame is shivering as she stands next to the throne with her wide eyes locked on the Goddess. They seem somewhat glassy too while her lips draw a tense line, trembling lightly.
She almost jumps into the air when I gently touch her forearm, snapping her attention to me. Giving her my most reassuring smile, I gesture at Lumina with my head, encouraging my devoted wife to step forward. She smiles back a little awkwardly as I stroke her dark skin and nods back at me.
Elea takes a deep breath and descends the steps, arriving right in front of the celestial beauty. She drops to her knees and reaches out to take Lumina’s hand into hers. Lumina jerks back out of habit, clearly hesitant about touching the Dark Elf. But, after a moment of consideration, she relents and allows Elea to take hold of her palm. They both shudder lightly as my dark-skinned wife places a kiss on the back of the Goddess’ palm and then presses it to her forehead.
“My Lady… I’m so, so sorry… Even after all the honour and grace you’ve shown me, I chose to selfishly break my vows and betray—”
“Shhhh, my child.” Lumina silences Elea mid-sentence, stroking her purplish hair with her free hand. “Rise. You’ve already done your fair share of kneeling and bowing to me during your long life.”
Not without reluctance, Elea does comply with her requests and stands up, gazing reverently at the Goddess’ beautiful visage, a hint of guilt in her tearful expression.
“It’s been a pleasure having a devout, loyal follower such as yourself,” Lumina continues, now holding both of Elea’s hands. “I’m proud of your decisions. All of them. I can only apologise for being unable to save you from the pain the others have subjected you to during your service.”
“No.” Elea shakes her head. “You saved me. You sent me Alastair. He’s the best thing that happened to me ever, and he’s been brought into this world by no one else but you.”
“I’m glad you think that.” The Goddess smiles at her warmly. “And I’m glad he has you by his side now. I don’t think he could have found anyone better for his first Apostle. You are a prime example of the perfect Priestess. So, don’t blame yourself anymore. Be proud. For him. And for yourself.”
In a flash, they are no longer facing each other and a chocolate-skinned bullet speeds my way, giving me just enough time to stand up so that it doesn’t crash into the hard throne. With a meaty oof, I catch Elea in my arms and embrace her tightly. But not as tightly as she squeezes me while stuffing her face into the crook of my neck. I can literally hear my ribs crack.
I let her express her feelings of relief and love through this powerful hug, listening to her quiet sobs. After a moment, I bring Elea’s face up by her soft cheeks and wipe them off from the still-running tears, smiling kindly. She shudders as I join her lips with mine in a chaste kiss and slowly relaxes, calming down by the second. After she more or less recollects herself, I turn us both back to the Goddess.
“So, this Apostle thing, how does it exactly work?” I ask with one arm around Elea’s waist.
“More or less as you’ve guessed during your talk with your companions,” Lumina answers. “She’s not exactly your Hero, but something similar. Definitely a representative. She’ll be growing even faster with the help of your divinity. She will also have the highest efficiency of gathering and transferring it to you.”
“Speaking of which, how do we do that? The skills did mention a sacred ritual but I’m unsure what that entails.” I scratch my head.
She flashes me a tiny smirk. “I’m sure it’s not that hard for you to figure it out.”
“Fuck yes!” Ailish cheers somewhere behind me, pretty much confirming my obvious guess.
I sigh quietly. “Not unexpected but I was hoping for something a bit more… normal. Since we are already on the topic of collecting and transferring whatever this energy is, what about prayers? I admit that I have no idea what to do with them. How should they look? Do people have to pray to me?”
“It would be best if they did. Prayers are the most basic way of generating divinity. As for their form, it usually depends on the god. Anything works, technically, from a few silent, random sentences spoken in the believer’s mind to loud and creative choirs. But, the better connected the praying ritual is to the god’s sphere of influence, the more efficient it is,” Lumina explains.
“Then, in my case, that would be…?” I wrinkle my face while raising a brow at her.
“Pleasure of the flesh,” she replies with a small smile.
My expression draws a blank. “Seriously? What are they supposed to do? Rub one out to sleep each night?”
Her smile widens a bit within the silence that responds to my question. I let out a groan while swiping down my face.
“Well, it doesn’t exactly have to be right before sleep,” Lumina adds.
“That’s not the point and you know it well.” I send her a mock glare.
It looks like even the Goddess is starting to join in on everyone’s teasing of me.
“As a god with a narrow area of expertise you have an advantage over me in terms of prayers,” she continues unbothered. “The divinity you will receive from slightly more themed prayers is much higher than the one that is reaching me. I’ve been introduced as the creator of this world since its beginning so the way to worship me is much more general.”
“And in terms of worship, let’s finally address the elephant in the room.” I nod to myself. “I’m sure you’ve heard the suggestions from the girls. Can we somehow make it work?”
“I certainly hope so.” A pretty excited expression brightens her angelic face. “I should be able to send out a simple oracle to the highest priests all over Naharren to inform them about your appearance and our relationship. Naturally, you should be careful with the way you are spreading your influence, but given enough time for the word to spread, the majority of people should treat you amiably.”
“That’s good to hear.” Elea exhales in relief. “As much as I’m eager to introduce people to Alastair’s greatness, I would hate to argue with the more devout followers of the current, only faith.”
“There’s no need to argue. This will work without you having to steal my followers. They can believe in both of us at the same time. They can respect us and pray to us without an issue. There’s no such thing as a cap on divinity that can be generated by a person. The two of us won’t be receiving half of the usual output but a full transfer each. Naturally, that can be more or less, depending on how much feelings have been put into the prayer itself,” Lumina continues.
“Oh, I’m sure there will be plenty of strong feelings as people pray to him.” Ailish snickers.
I ignore her comment. “Is that the only way to gather divinity from people?”
The Goddess shakes her head. “No, there are plenty of ways you can receive it from them. Prayers are just the simplest and most common. The next in line are blessings.”
“Right. Elea mentioned those briefly. What do they entail?” I glance between my Dark Elf wife and our divine guest.
“You and your Apostle have access to various blessings related to your sphere of influence. At first, there won’t be many, but they will come to you as you grow your powers and following,” Lumina replies. “Right now, you have access to the Blessing of Fertility, which makes insemination guaranteed; the Blessing of Pleasure, which raises the sensitivity of the recipient’s body; the Blessing of Stamina, which raises the endurance of the recipient’s body, specifically in the reproductive area; and the Blessing of Carnal Desire, which is a weaker combination of the previous two while also preventing conception, contrary to the first one.”
“And they all are sex-related. Obviously.” I chuckle wryly. “But, they sound like the perfect buffs for the brothel. Do you think it’s alright to use them there?”
“Why not?” The Goddess smiles back at us. “As long as they are given to your followers, they are going to function properly.”
“What would happen if someone lied about their faith in hopes of receiving our blessing?” Elea asks curiously.
“At best, it just won’t work. At worst, a completely opposite effect might be invoked. For an unpredictable duration. It could be a day or it could be a century. It all depends on the one who requests the blessing and how impure their intentions are,” Lumina satisfies that curiosity, making us both shudder a tiny bit.
“I think we should purchase one more building next to the mercenary headquarters,” Ailish suddenly suggests, arriving by my other side.
“What do you have in mind?” I turn to her.
“Right now? Something big.” She glances down and winks at me. “These blessings sound quite useful for the common folk too. Not everyone will be willing to visit a brothel to receive one from our lovely Head Priestess or the big man himself. I know you don’t want temples and shit, but a simple place where people can come to ask about you, discuss things with others and your actual followers, and just learn more in general, would be wise to have. Couples could visit without being all awkward and embarrassed about showing up in such a locale.”
“I agree with her.” Elea nods appreciatively. “A separate location for such things that would uphold all the necessary respects is very much welcome. We don’t have to turn it into anything close to the typical chapels and shrines but it would definitely make the curious and interested visitors more at ease.”
“I’ll bring it up with Lianne later, then. This is something she and Ross should know about anyway. Perhaps they will have some ideas on how to introduce this new faith without offending the entire capital,” I reply, evoking some chuckles from the women by my sides.
“Is there anything else you would like to discuss right now? Your Apostle’s soul is still in the process of adjusting so we shouldn’t expose her to my presence for too long yet. Fear not though, child. With time, we’ll be able to spend more time together.” Lumina joins her gaze with Elea.
“This much is already enough for the insignificant me.” My partner lowers her head.
“I think we are fine for now.” I nod at the Goddess appreciatively. “I can always speak to you about the entire godhood thing and stuff related to it on my own. Including the existence of this… abomination. I don’t think Ailish has enough influence over my Soul Realm to raise such a fancy structure alone.”
She just smiles at me mysteriously while the violet-skinned troublemaker avoids my eyes. Not wanting anything uncomfortable to happen to Elea, we bid our farewells and return to reality.
Well, I say we, but it’s just Elea and me. Ailish is on temporary house arrest. Or rather castle arrest. She’s going to sweep the entire thing with a mop as a punishment before going out. It doesn’t matter that all the surfaces are pristine and clean by default. You don’t raise a massive penis castle in a man’s mind without consulting him about it.
Elea decides to fill the others in on some of the information we’ve gathered from this brief meeting while encouraging me to take care of the other matters. There certainly is a lot so I can’t exactly complain. With a quick glance around my room, I confirm that my guardian spider is watching over me from hiding. Figured that it wouldn’t take her long to resume her protective duty. But, I’m glad that she hasn’t drastically changed after the recent developments between us.
Nodding at Hecate, I leave my bedroom and do a lap around the mansion. There’s still enough time in the day before the night opens so most of the girls are either relaxing or slowly preparing for the upcoming work. I find a small group of them gathered together in one of the rooms which has been redesigned into what looks like a classroom. Stopping by, I listen briefly to the lesson about acting given by Elea’s friends. When they get to the live practice segment, I escape sneakily before their saucy lines distract me from my other objectives.
Somehow, I don’t find Sirgia in her forge, which is surprising. A quick check through our bond reveals that she’s on the other side of the street with a few other women. Curious about that, I make my way to the building we’ve chosen for our mercenary headquarters. The entrance isn’t locked and I slip in without an issue.
Immediately, I spot plenty of our girls, including the mercenaries, carrying lots of stuff around. There are also people I don’t recognize, but considering that they are mainly Humans, they must be hired contractors partaking in the redesign of this place. My favourite Dwarf trots from place to place while continuously instructing everyone as she holds a packet of what must be floor plans and such.
I aim to surprise her with my presence but she clearly senses my approach and turns around with an adorable smile. Crouching down, I welcome the short cinnamon roll into my arms as she snuggles into me with a contented sigh. After a short moment of affectionately stroking her hair, I finally draw back to address my master architect.
“Tell me just one thing. There are no pussy windows and penis columns in your designs, are there?” I raise a brow at her.
Sirgia giggles quietly and shakes her head. “No, Master. I know you appreciate a more professional look so we are making this place resemble a respectful, noble-themed establishment. Since we are going to be working with the royal family, I thought it would be best to create a fitting atmosphere for any upcoming visits and meetings.”
“That’s my girl.” I peck her forehead with a big smile. “How is it going, then? Did you find enough help or are we still somehow limited and I should hurry to recruit more Dwarves from your homeland as soon as possible?”
“That would be great, but we are doing fine for now, Master.” She nuzzles her cheek into mine. “Lianne is assisting us a lot by recommending people who have previously worked with them on sensitive projects. Changing this place to suit our needs isn’t that complex. But, since we are already talking about it, there’s another issue connected to construction that I was going to bring up with you soon.”
“Oh? What’s the matter?” I gesture at her to continue.
“We are slowly running out of free rooms at the mansion. If we don’t want long queues to start forming during working nights, we would need to start using some of the girls’ private chambers as service areas. Naturally, some of the women do use their own rooms for work too, but so far it has been a choice and not an obligation. We continue to offer shelter for strangers as we did in the past, but that might get troublesome the further we develop and grow.”
“I see.” I nod at her and wait since she looks to have much more to say.
“Additionally, with the upcoming introduction of cosplay and roleplay, it has been suggested that we restyle some of the rooms to fit the most popular themes. Remember the temporary barracks for the mercenary girls in the underground? Shino is sure something like that would work for a service chamber where the customer could take a girl or girls in military uniforms, armour, and such. Cornelia confirmed that it’s a common male fantasy amongst many Humans to enjoy themselves within a garrison of female soldiers serving the kingdom.”
“Yeah. Definitely.” I chuckle to myself. “So, you would like to make more of those bunk bed rooms and other themed chambers? I can get behind it. A guild reception with a guild receptionist would definitely sell like freshly baked buns. Perhaps a store or merchant shop with a cute clerk too. You are right, this is an amazing idea. But, the problem is the available space, yes?”
She nods shyly. “Unfortunately, yes. But, we are planning to free some of it soon, including the dungeons. The mercenaries will move here, and so will the training grounds, Mari’s workshop, Neira’s studio, Velen’s lab, and my forge. That way, we will be able to expand the underground area and open it to the public. It will help a lot with the addition of the aquatic races who arrive at our establishment through the waterways connected to it.”
“Your forge too? Damn, and after we’ve put so much work into building those workshops.” I sigh lightly. “But well, you can hardly ever predict how things are going to develop in the future.”
“I’m sorry, Master.” Sirgia timidly lowers her gaze.
I quickly pull it up by her cute chin. “Why are you apologising? You’ve done the Goddess’ work on their construction until now. I’m sorry we will have to destroy all that.”
“It does hurt a little to think about it, but this is also a great opportunity to do better.” She looks deep into my eyes with strong conviction. “If we can convince my people to help, the new workshops will be ten, no, a hundred times more professional. At the same time, I’m sure they would be able to further expand the mansion’s wings without leaving a single hint that anything has been added. People would ask themselves if their memory is failing them after seeing the bigger, longer building.”
“That would be awesome.” I ruffle through her brown hair. “I was afraid it would look cheap or bad if we tried extending the already constructed parts. There’s so much space in the front yard that we could make use of. Of course, I love the pretty floral compositions and gardens, but you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do, Master.” Sirgia graces me with a cute smile.
“So, a trip to your homeland moves on top of our to-do list now?” I raise a brow at her.
“I think so.” She fidgets a little, avoiding my eyes. “But, you don’t need to hurry. We can take care of the moving and reconstruction on our own, leaving things like the mansion’s extension and more complex workshops for later. There’s still enough space to last us a while, especially with the vacant underground, which we can now expand a lot. ”
“Okay, but I’m not going to delay it forever.” I boop her on the nose. “Better start preparing for our very late honeymoon because we are leaving as soon as things are settled here.”
Evoking quite a few giggles from the tiny lady as I yank her into me for a sweet kiss, I spin us around a few times. Sirgia’s cheeks turn quite rosy by the time we stop and she pecks my cheek shyly before we separate so that she can return to work. I’ve already distracted her long enough.
“Boss!”
We both turn around as a familiar voice calls to me and find Elise walking our way with another woman by her side, waving at us with a big grin. Sirgia scurries away with one last nod and I approach my favourite receptionist to see what she has in store for me.
Saileri
Audiences gonna be lit now.
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After taking in the shocking, quite unexpected sight, I take a look around to note any other changes that might have happened inside my mind during my brief absence. But, everything seems to be more or less as I remember it. The only other difference from the massive, not-so-family-friendly castle is the lack of the cosy cottage which served as Ailish’s little home whenever she wanted to take a rest inside me.
“Maybe it’s the result of your recent advancement?” Elea glances at me with a gentle smirk.
I scoff at her, with no ill intent, of course. “Yeah, right. We both know there’s much more to that.”
“This place responds to your mind, your imagination, does it not?” She chuckles lightly.
“With all due respect, perhaps I’m not exactly the holiest of saints inside my own head, but I’m not at the level where my brain constructs cock-castles as its most default structures.” I roll my eyes. “Come on. Let’s see what this is about before I change my mind.”
My lovely Dark Elf companion slides her arm around mine, linking our elbows, and leads the way to the pink fortress of debauchery. Thankfully, it stands proud atop a pinkish, grassy hill, without any kind of defences like a moat or an additional wall, palisade, or whatever. It’s pretty obvious that no one would expect any kind of trouble here.
But, just in case, perhaps I should ask Lumina about this too. I’m getting quite deep into the higher Tiers and the whole divine territory. If Lilith’s soul echo can find a way in, even if only after bonding with me, there’s a chance someone or something might try to do so forcefully. I’m not exactly sure what the consequence of such an event could be. I’d rather not turn stupid overnight without even realising.
We roam our gazes over the scenery, taking in the familiar sights. This entire pink world never fails at calming me down. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this is literally my soul, but I appreciate the feeling of being at peace. And while I could literally teleport the two of us to the front gate, or even inside the castle, walking side by side with Elea without the slightest hurry is more than simply enjoyable.
As we near the light pink structure, the circular gate of a much deeper shade of rosiness rumbles to life, opening before our eyes. I’m not even surprised that it recedes into the castle’s walls as if revealing its opening to us while split in the middle. I can only shake my head at the unnecessary symbolism. Thank the Goddess there’s no veil we have to push through.
Another thing we’ve been definitely expecting is the interior design and style. Everything is in various shades of pink, including the structure and the furniture. Round and oval windows decorate the walls interchangeably, with the latter adorned by bright rosy gems atop their arches. I swear the scarce window ledges underneath the circular openings resemble very specific tube-like appendages with thick tips at both ends.
I’m already getting dizzy from pure embarrassment.
Even though this whole place is new to me, it’s not exactly unfamiliar. Since it’s inside my Soul Realm, I naturally know it inside out. Therefore, I can easily lead Elea through the lewd corridors with perfect awareness of where we are heading. While moving towards what I imagine is the throne room, we pass by a hallway full of detailed statues and paintings. Obviously, they depict yours truly. And obviously, they lack any clothes.
Elea sends me a few amused smiles as I try not to glare at every single piece of art, hugging my arm closer. At least, a little bit further in, the choice of decoration stops being so monotonous and the depictions of my beloved wives, mates, and those I care about the most join my own. We pause by a few that show Elea and admire the fine works. Some do ring a bell and we realise that they almost copy Neira’s masterpieces.
I don’t know if it was harder walking through a corridor full of my naked figures or one brimming with enthralling nudes of all the ladies. The latter is certainly much harder to just ignore and the model for a portion of them is well aware of that.
Soon, we reach an inner gate with the biggest gem atop it and the double wings start receding to the sides. This time, there actually is a thin, pink, see-through curtain partially obstructing the sight of the chamber on the other side. We can still make out its general layout, including what definitely is a throne on a raised platform, but the details are hidden from us.
Elea parts the veil with a delicate smirk and we step into the throne room.
The first thing we notice is the tall, thick columns, decorated with masterfully-carved veins. I don’t need to look up to know what exactly finishes the shape under the ceiling. The edges of the hall are adorned with oval mosaics of stained glass, bathing the room with a faint, rosy glow. Finally, at the very end of the most important place in this castle, sits a gleaming throne, with a person resting against the armrest from the side. In full nude, of course.
“Took you long enough.” Ailish stretches over the fancy chair, just emphasising her perky curves. “Don’t forget to leave your clothes by the door and come join me.”
“What?” I raise a brow at her. “I’m sorry, did you mean shoes? You can’t be seri—”
As I glance at Elea by my side, I find her already mostly disrobed, finishing shimming out of her maid uniform. She bends forward to lay the neatly-folded pieces on the floor, flashing me the perfect view of her delicious secrets, and straightens up with a smile, displaying her equally enticing front. For a moment, my eyes pause at her more-than-generous bust, before rolling with a sigh.
Choosing to ignore their antics, I walk towards the naughty Succubus, my shoes echoing throughout the chamber as they hit the perfectly-polished floor. As I ascend the few small steps, it becomes obvious that the throne itself is familiar too. If I’m not mistaken, it’s been modelled after the one Neira painted in her piece with me and all the Dark Elves.
Turning to the violet-skinned seductress still lounging over the armrest, I notice that she isn’t exactly devoid of any apparel. There’s a wide, pink collar around her neck, with a darker, shiny chain hanging down from the clasp in the front. Her captivating eyes practically sparkle with mischief as I lean down to grab and examine it.
Giving it a firm tug, causing some pleasant rattling, I bring the chained Succubus to me. “So, care to explain what this entire thing is about?”
Ailish nibbles on her bottom lip while staring up into my eyes. “A king needs his castle, and a god needs his sanctuary. Where else are you going to give audiences to your loyal followers if not in your very own throne room, My Lord?”
“Did it really have to be so… explicit?” I squint at her.
She runs her hands over my things with a wide grin. “Symbolism is very important for faith and beliefs. There should be no doubt about what is the subject of your divine influence. Why give away your precious oracles in a plain, uncreative fortress made of boring, grey stone when you can ease the minds of your believers with this beautiful, lovely palace?”
“I hate to break it to you, but the majority of common people find such displays uncomfortable at the very least, not to mention awkward.” I pull on the chain stronger as her fingers near a quite dangerous region, evoking a whimper from Ailish. “I really hope you don’t expect me to jump into that seat buck naked?”
“Why would you cover your divine figure with something as unessential as unappealing pieces of cloth and material?” Her luscious lips form a sad pout as she playfully fiddles with my belt. “It’s a blessing in itself to be able to gaze upon your godly… assets.”
Before she manages to unbuckle the strap, I yank the restraints up, bringing the frivolous woman to my eye level. “Yeah? And what is the purpose of this exactly?”
Her gaze briefly skips to my lips before returning to my eyes. “There’s always a messenger by a god’s side. Shino told me the one in your old world loved to use those pure beings called angels. So, it’s only natural that you should own one too. I might lack an aureola, but I do have wings, no? I’ll be your obedient little angel. Just without the pure part.”
An angel? More like a demon instead, which she technically is. A demon of lust. But, considering my title of the Demigod of Lust, possibly God of Lust at some point, I guess it isn’t that unexpected for my messenger to be a Succubus.
Gods, I’m not going to command legions of them as my representatives after freeing Lilith, am I?
Shoving that thought into the far corner of my mind, I refocus on the salacious lady pressing herself into me with more and more movement. Making use of my brief lapse of attention, Ailish has already started rubbing her nipples against my suit, clearly breathing a bit heavier than she normally does.
Noticing me noticing, she smiles impishly. “Well? Aren’t you going to take your throne? Is this the way you should be questioning your lowly servant, right next to your symbol of authority, on very equal ground?”
I’m certain she’s going to make it harder than necessary if I don’t play along so I just sigh heavily, loosen my grip on the glimmering chain, and step towards the fancy chair, thanking the universe for at least it not being genitalia-styled. Though, knowing Ailish, I might still be in for a surprise after examining the throne in detail.
“Oh, My Lord, didn’t you forget something?” she asks and I glance her way.
Ailish roams her eyes over my figure from top to bottom with a raised brow. It’s not rocket science to figure out what she means and I groan inwardly. With a dismissive flick of my wrist, I get rid of my clothes, wanting nothing more than to move things forward. She gives me a happy nod with a beaming smile and I finally drop my butt onto the comfy seat.
“Now, allow me to just make sure you are all ready, My Lord, and we shall commence the audience.” She crawls between my legs on all fours as I frown at her sly expression. “Oh no! This won’t do! We forgot to polish your sceptre! Let me quickly rectify this mistake!”
Before I can even speak a word, she’s already swallowed me whole, the entire package disappearing between her pouty lips, including the baggage. I groan again, for a different reason this time, and let go of my usual control. There’s no doubt that she won’t end the polishing until the sceptre stands tall and proud. So, I allow it to rise naturally, choosing not to prolong her little game.
Clearly, she’s planned on taking much longer than just one or two dozen seconds, and whines in discontent while looking up at me. I squint at her with a no-nonsense expression and she obediently retreats with one last peck and a longing glance.
“Perfect.” She smiles at me charmingly.
Turning around, she rests against my left leg, embracing it lovingly. I try not to pay attention to her fingers tracing my calf and the kisses she places on my thigh. Moving my gaze forward, I find Elea standing just at the beginning of the raised platform with her hands joined over her delicious belly. She regards me with a warm, devoted expression, completely ignoring the glistening traces running down her long legs, originating at the obvious place.
I smirk at her and gesture for her to come up. She does so with grace and stops by my right side. A bright flash interrupts our moment of gazing into each other’s eyes and all of us turn our attention to the blinding shape hovering in front of us. After just a few seconds, the intense light recedes and reveals the Goddess herself, wearing her usual, Greek-themed robe.
Lumina opens her heavenly, golden eyes and regards us with a gentle glance, a soft smile curling up her celestial lips. Her gaze then jumps to Elea’s exposed chest, Ailish’s proudly displayed privates as she holds her thighs open, my similarly-uncovered waist, and finally up to my face.
“Oh. My apologies. I seem to have forgotten the proper etiquette.” The Goddess makes the slightest bow, and her robes disappear, revealing all of her sacred physique.
“Come on…” I rub my temples with a groan. “At least you could have not humoured them…”
“I might be your senior but that doesn’t mean I should forgo the basic courtesy of following the customs and rules surrounding one’s domain.” She shows the faintest smirk.
“Senior?” I ask, trying my best not to drill holes in her… hole with my gaze.
“I’m no longer the sole goddess of this realm, am I? Save for my imprisoned sister, that is.” Lumina traces a finger down her perfect waist and then hip, definitely knowing what kind of effect that has on me.
“I can’t help but feel like this has always been your plan.” I snort, dragging my eyes to her gentle face.
“What? Making you a demigod?” The Goddess chuckles gently. “You should know me best by now. It’s nothing more than an oversight, a silly mistake. I have a knack for those. It should have been nothing more than a title in your status if we were to go with my initial plans.”
“So, you have accidentally created a way for me to possibly take over, without even using that secret weapon I haven’t been ready to hear about previously?” I raise a slightly amused brow at her.
“When you put it like that, then yes, I seem to have.” An equally amused glint twinkles in her golden eyes. “Given enough time, it isn’t impossible for you to dethrone me as the only God of this world. You have received the first set of tools to directly contend with me. Though, I shall warn you, being responsible for an entire realm is not as fun as it might sound to many mortals.”
I shake my head with a snicker. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to contend with you. I was hoping to discuss a way to resolve this situation more amicably between the two of us. As a fledgeling demigod, I have no doubt that you could erase me from existence with a flick of your hand if you ever felt threatened.”
“That would be counterintuitive, wouldn’t it?” Lumina sighs softly. “I’m not saying that the other Heroes are weak, but you’ve always had the highest chances of saving this world. To get rid of you would most likely be my biggest mistake yet. One that could possibly doom Naharren.”
“Speaking of which, can I even still interfere the way I’ve been doing so?” I furrow my brows and stroke my chin. “I have all this divinity and stuff now, right?”
“Yes, you do. But, there’s nothing to worry about yet. You aren’t an ascended god taking the reins of this realm. Technically speaking, you are an outsider, an entity that has grown powerful by its own means. Mostly.”
“And what does that mean exactly?” I press on.
“It means that you have all the right to interact with the world as anyone else and even challenge me. The same laws binding me from interfering directly aren’t binding you yet. If they ever will. I’m the protector of Naharren, you could be an invader if only you wanted, wreaking havoc in my beloved world as you aim for my spot. Contrary to what you think, I won’t be able to just smite you. At least not without heavy repercussions.”
“Damn. That sounds… not too fair.” I grimace visibly.
“I took a risk pulling souls from Earth.” She shrugs. “Honestly, if you weren’t such a kind and honest person, I might have sealed my own fate with that stunt. I definitely would have fought back with whatever means I have, but considering your prowess, I doubt that would have been enough.”
“Alright, alright. We aren’t ever staging a coup against you so let’s drop this purely hypothetical topic.” I wave my hand at her. “I think we have plenty of other things that are much more important to discuss.”
Glancing to the side at my very first Apostle, I pause momentarily, my faint smile fading from my lips. Elea’s entire frame is shivering as she stands next to the throne with her wide eyes locked on the Goddess. They seem somewhat glassy too while her lips draw a tense line, trembling lightly.
She almost jumps into the air when I gently touch her forearm, snapping her attention to me. Giving her my most reassuring smile, I gesture at Lumina with my head, encouraging my devoted wife to step forward. She smiles back a little awkwardly as I stroke her dark skin and nods back at me.
Elea takes a deep breath and descends the steps, arriving right in front of the celestial beauty. She drops to her knees and reaches out to take Lumina’s hand into hers. Lumina jerks back out of habit, clearly hesitant about touching the Dark Elf. But, after a moment of consideration, she relents and allows Elea to take hold of her palm. They both shudder lightly as my dark-skinned wife places a kiss on the back of the Goddess’ palm and then presses it to her forehead.
“My Lady… I’m so, so sorry… Even after all the honour and grace you’ve shown me, I chose to selfishly break my vows and betray—”
“Shhhh, my child.” Lumina silences Elea mid-sentence, stroking her purplish hair with her free hand. “Rise. You’ve already done your fair share of kneeling and bowing to me during your long life.”
Not without reluctance, Elea does comply with her requests and stands up, gazing reverently at the Goddess’ beautiful visage, a hint of guilt in her tearful expression.
“It’s been a pleasure having a devout, loyal follower such as yourself,” Lumina continues, now holding both of Elea’s hands. “I’m proud of your decisions. All of them. I can only apologise for being unable to save you from the pain the others have subjected you to during your service.”
“No.” Elea shakes her head. “You saved me. You sent me Alastair. He’s the best thing that happened to me ever, and he’s been brought into this world by no one else but you.”
“I’m glad you think that.” The Goddess smiles at her warmly. “And I’m glad he has you by his side now. I don’t think he could have found anyone better for his first Apostle. You are a prime example of the perfect Priestess. So, don’t blame yourself anymore. Be proud. For him. And for yourself.”
In a flash, they are no longer facing each other and a chocolate-skinned bullet speeds my way, giving me just enough time to stand up so that it doesn’t crash into the hard throne. With a meaty oof, I catch Elea in my arms and embrace her tightly. But not as tightly as she squeezes me while stuffing her face into the crook of my neck. I can literally hear my ribs crack.
I let her express her feelings of relief and love through this powerful hug, listening to her quiet sobs. After a moment, I bring Elea’s face up by her soft cheeks and wipe them off from the still-running tears, smiling kindly. She shudders as I join her lips with mine in a chaste kiss and slowly relaxes, calming down by the second. After she more or less recollects herself, I turn us both back to the Goddess.
“So, this Apostle thing, how does it exactly work?” I ask with one arm around Elea’s waist.
“More or less as you’ve guessed during your talk with your companions,” Lumina answers. “She’s not exactly your Hero, but something similar. Definitely a representative. She’ll be growing even faster with the help of your divinity. She will also have the highest efficiency of gathering and transferring it to you.”
“Speaking of which, how do we do that? The skills did mention a sacred ritual but I’m unsure what that entails.” I scratch my head.
She flashes me a tiny smirk. “I’m sure it’s not that hard for you to figure it out.”
“Fuck yes!” Ailish cheers somewhere behind me, pretty much confirming my obvious guess.
I sigh quietly. “Not unexpected but I was hoping for something a bit more… normal. Since we are already on the topic of collecting and transferring whatever this energy is, what about prayers? I admit that I have no idea what to do with them. How should they look? Do people have to pray to me?”
“It would be best if they did. Prayers are the most basic way of generating divinity. As for their form, it usually depends on the god. Anything works, technically, from a few silent, random sentences spoken in the believer’s mind to loud and creative choirs. But, the better connected the praying ritual is to the god’s sphere of influence, the more efficient it is,” Lumina explains.
“Then, in my case, that would be…?” I wrinkle my face while raising a brow at her.
“Pleasure of the flesh,” she replies with a small smile.
My expression draws a blank. “Seriously? What are they supposed to do? Rub one out to sleep each night?”
Her smile widens a bit within the silence that responds to my question. I let out a groan while swiping down my face.
“Well, it doesn’t exactly have to be right before sleep,” Lumina adds.
“That’s not the point and you know it well.” I send her a mock glare.
It looks like even the Goddess is starting to join in on everyone’s teasing of me.
“As a god with a narrow area of expertise you have an advantage over me in terms of prayers,” she continues unbothered. “The divinity you will receive from slightly more themed prayers is much higher than the one that is reaching me. I’ve been introduced as the creator of this world since its beginning so the way to worship me is much more general.”
“And in terms of worship, let’s finally address the elephant in the room.” I nod to myself. “I’m sure you’ve heard the suggestions from the girls. Can we somehow make it work?”
“I certainly hope so.” A pretty excited expression brightens her angelic face. “I should be able to send out a simple oracle to the highest priests all over Naharren to inform them about your appearance and our relationship. Naturally, you should be careful with the way you are spreading your influence, but given enough time for the word to spread, the majority of people should treat you amiably.”
“That’s good to hear.” Elea exhales in relief. “As much as I’m eager to introduce people to Alastair’s greatness, I would hate to argue with the more devout followers of the current, only faith.”
“There’s no need to argue. This will work without you having to steal my followers. They can believe in both of us at the same time. They can respect us and pray to us without an issue. There’s no such thing as a cap on divinity that can be generated by a person. The two of us won’t be receiving half of the usual output but a full transfer each. Naturally, that can be more or less, depending on how much feelings have been put into the prayer itself,” Lumina continues.
“Oh, I’m sure there will be plenty of strong feelings as people pray to him.” Ailish snickers.
I ignore her comment. “Is that the only way to gather divinity from people?”
The Goddess shakes her head. “No, there are plenty of ways you can receive it from them. Prayers are just the simplest and most common. The next in line are blessings.”
“Right. Elea mentioned those briefly. What do they entail?” I glance between my Dark Elf wife and our divine guest.
“You and your Apostle have access to various blessings related to your sphere of influence. At first, there won’t be many, but they will come to you as you grow your powers and following,” Lumina replies. “Right now, you have access to the Blessing of Fertility, which makes insemination guaranteed; the Blessing of Pleasure, which raises the sensitivity of the recipient’s body; the Blessing of Stamina, which raises the endurance of the recipient’s body, specifically in the reproductive area; and the Blessing of Carnal Desire, which is a weaker combination of the previous two while also preventing conception, contrary to the first one.”
“And they all are sex-related. Obviously.” I chuckle wryly. “But, they sound like the perfect buffs for the brothel. Do you think it’s alright to use them there?”
“Why not?” The Goddess smiles back at us. “As long as they are given to your followers, they are going to function properly.”
“What would happen if someone lied about their faith in hopes of receiving our blessing?” Elea asks curiously.
“At best, it just won’t work. At worst, a completely opposite effect might be invoked. For an unpredictable duration. It could be a day or it could be a century. It all depends on the one who requests the blessing and how impure their intentions are,” Lumina satisfies that curiosity, making us both shudder a tiny bit.
“I think we should purchase one more building next to the mercenary headquarters,” Ailish suddenly suggests, arriving by my other side.
“What do you have in mind?” I turn to her.
“Right now? Something big.” She glances down and winks at me. “These blessings sound quite useful for the common folk too. Not everyone will be willing to visit a brothel to receive one from our lovely Head Priestess or the big man himself. I know you don’t want temples and shit, but a simple place where people can come to ask about you, discuss things with others and your actual followers, and just learn more in general, would be wise to have. Couples could visit without being all awkward and embarrassed about showing up in such a locale.”
“I agree with her.” Elea nods appreciatively. “A separate location for such things that would uphold all the necessary respects is very much welcome. We don’t have to turn it into anything close to the typical chapels and shrines but it would definitely make the curious and interested visitors more at ease.”
“I’ll bring it up with Lianne later, then. This is something she and Ross should know about anyway. Perhaps they will have some ideas on how to introduce this new faith without offending the entire capital,” I reply, evoking some chuckles from the women by my sides.
“Is there anything else you would like to discuss right now? Your Apostle’s soul is still in the process of adjusting so we shouldn’t expose her to my presence for too long yet. Fear not though, child. With time, we’ll be able to spend more time together.” Lumina joins her gaze with Elea.
“This much is already enough for the insignificant me.” My partner lowers her head.
“I think we are fine for now.” I nod at the Goddess appreciatively. “I can always speak to you about the entire godhood thing and stuff related to it on my own. Including the existence of this… abomination. I don’t think Ailish has enough influence over my Soul Realm to raise such a fancy structure alone.”
She just smiles at me mysteriously while the violet-skinned troublemaker avoids my eyes. Not wanting anything uncomfortable to happen to Elea, we bid our farewells and return to reality.
Well, I say we, but it’s just Elea and me. Ailish is on temporary house arrest. Or rather castle arrest. She’s going to sweep the entire thing with a mop as a punishment before going out. It doesn’t matter that all the surfaces are pristine and clean by default. You don’t raise a massive penis castle in a man’s mind without consulting him about it.
Elea decides to fill the others in on some of the information we’ve gathered from this brief meeting while encouraging me to take care of the other matters. There certainly is a lot so I can’t exactly complain. With a quick glance around my room, I confirm that my guardian spider is watching over me from hiding. Figured that it wouldn’t take her long to resume her protective duty. But, I’m glad that she hasn’t drastically changed after the recent developments between us.
Nodding at Hecate, I leave my bedroom and do a lap around the mansion. There’s still enough time in the day before the night opens so most of the girls are either relaxing or slowly preparing for the upcoming work. I find a small group of them gathered together in one of the rooms which has been redesigned into what looks like a classroom. Stopping by, I listen briefly to the lesson about acting given by Elea’s friends. When they get to the live practice segment, I escape sneakily before their saucy lines distract me from my other objectives.
Somehow, I don’t find Sirgia in her forge, which is surprising. A quick check through our bond reveals that she’s on the other side of the street with a few other women. Curious about that, I make my way to the building we’ve chosen for our mercenary headquarters. The entrance isn’t locked and I slip in without an issue.
Immediately, I spot plenty of our girls, including the mercenaries, carrying lots of stuff around. There are also people I don’t recognize, but considering that they are mainly Humans, they must be hired contractors partaking in the redesign of this place. My favourite Dwarf trots from place to place while continuously instructing everyone as she holds a packet of what must be floor plans and such.
I aim to surprise her with my presence but she clearly senses my approach and turns around with an adorable smile. Crouching down, I welcome the short cinnamon roll into my arms as she snuggles into me with a contented sigh. After a short moment of affectionately stroking her hair, I finally draw back to address my master architect.
“Tell me just one thing. There are no pussy windows and penis columns in your designs, are there?” I raise a brow at her.
Sirgia giggles quietly and shakes her head. “No, Master. I know you appreciate a more professional look so we are making this place resemble a respectful, noble-themed establishment. Since we are going to be working with the royal family, I thought it would be best to create a fitting atmosphere for any upcoming visits and meetings.”
“That’s my girl.” I peck her forehead with a big smile. “How is it going, then? Did you find enough help or are we still somehow limited and I should hurry to recruit more Dwarves from your homeland as soon as possible?”
“That would be great, but we are doing fine for now, Master.” She nuzzles her cheek into mine. “Lianne is assisting us a lot by recommending people who have previously worked with them on sensitive projects. Changing this place to suit our needs isn’t that complex. But, since we are already talking about it, there’s another issue connected to construction that I was going to bring up with you soon.”
“Oh? What’s the matter?” I gesture at her to continue.
“We are slowly running out of free rooms at the mansion. If we don’t want long queues to start forming during working nights, we would need to start using some of the girls’ private chambers as service areas. Naturally, some of the women do use their own rooms for work too, but so far it has been a choice and not an obligation. We continue to offer shelter for strangers as we did in the past, but that might get troublesome the further we develop and grow.”
“I see.” I nod at her and wait since she looks to have much more to say.
“Additionally, with the upcoming introduction of cosplay and roleplay, it has been suggested that we restyle some of the rooms to fit the most popular themes. Remember the temporary barracks for the mercenary girls in the underground? Shino is sure something like that would work for a service chamber where the customer could take a girl or girls in military uniforms, armour, and such. Cornelia confirmed that it’s a common male fantasy amongst many Humans to enjoy themselves within a garrison of female soldiers serving the kingdom.”
“Yeah. Definitely.” I chuckle to myself. “So, you would like to make more of those bunk bed rooms and other themed chambers? I can get behind it. A guild reception with a guild receptionist would definitely sell like freshly baked buns. Perhaps a store or merchant shop with a cute clerk too. You are right, this is an amazing idea. But, the problem is the available space, yes?”
She nods shyly. “Unfortunately, yes. But, we are planning to free some of it soon, including the dungeons. The mercenaries will move here, and so will the training grounds, Mari’s workshop, Neira’s studio, Velen’s lab, and my forge. That way, we will be able to expand the underground area and open it to the public. It will help a lot with the addition of the aquatic races who arrive at our establishment through the waterways connected to it.”
“Your forge too? Damn, and after we’ve put so much work into building those workshops.” I sigh lightly. “But well, you can hardly ever predict how things are going to develop in the future.”
“I’m sorry, Master.” Sirgia timidly lowers her gaze.
I quickly pull it up by her cute chin. “Why are you apologising? You’ve done the Goddess’ work on their construction until now. I’m sorry we will have to destroy all that.”
“It does hurt a little to think about it, but this is also a great opportunity to do better.” She looks deep into my eyes with strong conviction. “If we can convince my people to help, the new workshops will be ten, no, a hundred times more professional. At the same time, I’m sure they would be able to further expand the mansion’s wings without leaving a single hint that anything has been added. People would ask themselves if their memory is failing them after seeing the bigger, longer building.”
“That would be awesome.” I ruffle through her brown hair. “I was afraid it would look cheap or bad if we tried extending the already constructed parts. There’s so much space in the front yard that we could make use of. Of course, I love the pretty floral compositions and gardens, but you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do, Master.” Sirgia graces me with a cute smile.
“So, a trip to your homeland moves on top of our to-do list now?” I raise a brow at her.
“I think so.” She fidgets a little, avoiding my eyes. “But, you don’t need to hurry. We can take care of the moving and reconstruction on our own, leaving things like the mansion’s extension and more complex workshops for later. There’s still enough space to last us a while, especially with the vacant underground, which we can now expand a lot. ”
“Okay, but I’m not going to delay it forever.” I boop her on the nose. “Better start preparing for our very late honeymoon because we are leaving as soon as things are settled here.”
Evoking quite a few giggles from the tiny lady as I yank her into me for a sweet kiss, I spin us around a few times. Sirgia’s cheeks turn quite rosy by the time we stop and she pecks my cheek shyly before we separate so that she can return to work. I’ve already distracted her long enough.
“Boss!”
We both turn around as a familiar voice calls to me and find Elise walking our way with another woman by her side, waving at us with a big grin. Sirgia scurries away with one last nod and I approach my favourite receptionist to see what she has in store for me.
Saileri
Audiences gonna be lit now.
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