Rupegia

Chapter 195: Setting Up – Part 1

This afternoon, Hana joins her mother in training with the Lordsguard, and the two have a really good time… an unusually good time.

"How's Dad?" Hana suddenly asks as they stop for a drink.

Mikuri gently turns her head to her daughter, her expression content as her pale skin and emerald scales shine gloriously with sweat. "Hm? He's very tired today, why?"

And Hana blinks, stopping herself from immediately telling the truth, so we give her a hand to tell a white lie, "I… just wanted to talk about the 'coffee restaurant' that Wolfy gave to him."

"Might want to… leave that for tomorrow. He drank too much yesterday," Mikuri hesitantly answers, keeping her head turned away.

"'Drank,' huh…?" Hana teasingly repeats and raises an eyebrow.

And her mother smirks, a beautiful expression on her gorgeous face that gives me a boner because it's strikingly similar to Hana's. "Yeah, it's a 'hangover,'" she replies, and her expression becomes blatantly suggestive.

I fucking love dragonkins, and I love fucking dragonkins.

As for the other girls, Alissa is training her own "rangers" as our battle doctrine is changing now that we're outfitting everyone with rifles; Roxanne is just having a fun time with the pseudo-elemental mana orbs because she doesn't want to talk to either Aisco or Kelloggs right now; Ciel is training with the Horns to learn how to better control her angel wings; Lina is studying the Looping Winds and testing stuff with her Gift-boosted enchanting skills; Aoi is machining some new rifle designs with better ergonomics; and Yunia is with Hana to train her [Spirit Magic].

We aren't going too hard on work/training today. We're all slowly acquiring more administration jobs, so doing practical stuff is also becoming a de-stressing activity for us. And there's also the Gestalt training that we resume doing at the end of the day, and even Roxanne is starting to get some dopamine out of it.

We're… becoming office workers!

The revelation strikes me hard, and I stagger as I reel back in pain, requiring Jarn to hold me to keep from tripping forward. It hurts; it physically hurts.

I can't escape my past; it always comes back. Everything returns to office work. The gray and boring cubicles, the sterilized environment, the permanent stiffness in demeanor, the mundane small-talk to keep the mind sane, and the relentless dehumanization as every worker just turns into another standardized gear that fits into the self-perpetuating human grinder. Lobotomize me, please, before I become like that again.

"Wolfy…" Alissa complains about my melodramatic monologue, but it's her fault for wanting to listen to my every thought.

Maybe we can make more golems that will manage our administration jobs for us, but there's still the need for us to supervise things and keep up-to-date on how things are progressing. There's really no escape from office work, and I've been happily strolling right into it with all my plans about creating laws and government ministries.

But if that's what this world needs… then I shall.

Anyway, we also get news that the spirit pilot who got lost in the battle for Kini Kaina has been found. He was rescued by some mer, who showed him a good time in their underwater caves until they managed to translate what he wanted to say.

Of course, we pay for his [Eternal Gate] and also a small fortune to the mer who were so kind to him. All in all, this incident only gave us good publicity, so handing out so much money isn't a problem.

Today is the 1st, Genn, day of Light, and also the beginning of the month of Death. This is a wistful holy day, even though the theme may be grim, so there's no better way to start it than with a cute fox gently sucking on my tip as I open my eyes.

But this day of the Cycle of Mana is affecting us all, so my head is pulled to the side, and Roxanne steals my first kiss of the day. Her tongue invades my mouth and pushes mine back, then begins to massage me all over, but the sudden influx of pleasure wakes the dragon up, and he immediately wrestles back control.

I'm the one in charge here, which means I've gotta kiss her better than she kisses me, so I pull her lithe body towards mine and hug her tight like a protective husband, activating her womanly neurons and making her womb crave my seed. All the while, Alissa continues to suck my Cock while massaging my balls, and it feels so good that I get one of those heavenly full-body stretches as every muscle wants to happily wake up at the same time.

But there's still a number of other wives to kiss, so Hana rips Roxanne off of me so that she can have her own tongue-fucking, and the rest of the girls go for the concubines to share the love. It wouldn't be a Certified Ryder Family morning without lots of free love and lesbianism.

Roxanne turns to Caterina, who realizes what's about to happen, but the succubus hesitates. The Punisher's sluttification still hasn't been completed, so this is a delicate situation.

One thing we must not forget, though, is that Roxanne has actually had more experience with women than men, so she sultrily bites her lip, then whispers, her tone mischievous and flirty, "Just a morning kiss."

And she doesn't wait for Caterina's answer; she just steals it from the milf's stunned lips. Then Hana quickly finishes having her way with me and turns to her girlfriend to give her what she needs: fiery kissing and a few fingers up her cunt.

But this has been a successful operation. Little by little, we continue to push Caterina's boundaries.

Thankfully, we have the whole morning for ourselves, but after lunch, it's time for us to show ourselves at the Black Parade. It's another Festival of Seasons event, so the temple loves it when we appear, as that means more commoners participate, which also makes the merchants happy.

Really, it's one of the few events that we shouldn't miss. It's also the beginning of summer, so we get a nice sunny day with lots of heat and very little clothing, not that elves wear much, to begin with, but it improves the "view," and the parade also looks nice with all the black and silver banners on display, so that's another plus. One color represents the dead, and the other represents us, but everyone else is wearing white.

We don't get to fully enjoy the parade as we're a part of it now, but the dancers around us are all attractive and wearing lavish costumes to represent nobility, so we have some eye candy to distract us as we wave to the commoners. Woe is us, complaining about having to wave to the crowds as they cheer for us, but it is boring work.

The priests are revealing all the spirits that have been gathering in town for this holy day, and the new [Solidify] (created by Sainalai, which was based on Gify's and my [Materialize], which was based on [Spirit Magic]'s [Materialization]) is being used, allowing the dead to actually interact with the living, though their spirit bodies are very weak, but that's all they need.

"I wonder if Azador will come," I hum absentmindedly in my soul space.

But Yunia harshly answers, "After his burial, he'd better not. We do these ceremonies so that they move on to Paradise without any unfinished business." It sounds like she'd be offended if he came back.

And I snort. Paradise appears to have quite the revolving door.

"Your idea of a prison-like Paradise is concerning," Ciel priestly lectures.

"A lot of Earthling things are concerning," Alissa wryly follows up.

I internally roll my eyes and retort, "Cultural differences, as always. You girls know how basically everything in this world is concerning to me."

"All I care about is 'cultural enrichment,'" Hana chimes in as she stares at some shaking booty.

"Yes, but in a non-sexual way," Ciel flatly adds.

"That's not possible. Sex must always be present," Roxanne hums while staring at the same booty, and she feels like resting her head on Hana's round chest.

"It is the way," Alissa follows up with a nod, and the other girls echo the feeling.

Except for Ciel, who just internally rolls her eyes at our joking. Then we quiet down and return to focusing on the parade.

Eventually, I stop focusing on the eye candy and notice that the mood of the day is a lot happier than the Parade we participated in back in Rabanara a year ago because now the spirits can give one last hug to their loved ones. It does wonders for their sense of closure, I believe, and Roxanne wishes that she could've given Mithra a final hug.

We also see a lot of Spirit chimeras and nature spirits around, both seemingly just observing things out of curiosity, though the latter was expected. I wonder what the Chimeras are feeling right now, as even Kaatohe seems pensive, but that can wait for later.

The parade does a lap around town, and then we return to the castle for a gathering of nobles. We haven't talked to The Four yet, so we won't announce that I'm an Earthling this time. Instead, we'll just focus on getting up-to-date on the scheming our Subordinate Lords are involved in.

It's another standard affair in the gardens around the castle. Music, finger food, and dancers, while the mood is casual and even cheerful. Our victorious return has made everyone more receptive to us because not even the elves are snobbish enough to snub that, and most Root Lords already like us anyway.

To be honest, I'm starting to like our Subordinate Lords, even though we know there are a couple of snakes in the leaves.

And I start with our favorite Heart Lord, Ira Saponaria, the "Bloody Lord."

"Your Highness," the big daddy with the big 'tache greets as I stop before him, and he and his wife give me a respectful bow.

"Rise," I calmly order. Then I promptly continue, "Heart Lord Ira, how have things been while we were away?"

He seems very collected now, quite different from the stiffness he's displayed ever since the "event" between us. "You haven't been away for long, and the elven lands are as peaceful as always."

"They always are, but I want a more nuanced answer."

He stares at me for a second, then turns to his wife, and both of them covertly glance around in a perfectly casual way for a moment, making sure nobody's close enough to overhear us.

Then he lowers his tone and soberly answers, "The predictions are that you'll now begin talks with Heretic's Rest. I'd… watch out for interference."

My tail waves on its own as I attempt to hide my impatience, but my tone comes out normal as I reply, "Yes, that's something the commoners are also picking up on, especially ever since the Dark Elf Luor participated in the Festival of Glories."

And he lowers his tone further to make it clear how serious he is. "But I must repeat my caution. The diplomatic landscape is messy."

"I see…" I hum. Rather than saying "I understand" and looking too much like a smartass know-it-all, it's better to look pensive so he feels like his advice is appreciated.

He's also not wrong. Heretic's Rest involves Glorampina, and the Lords against us also have enough power to interfere. We have Confiel on our side as we promised to get him a seat in the Elder Council if we get ours, but that's the only real connection we have while I'm pretty sure that Lotus (Western Antano) doesn't want anything to do with us due to Bastico being Yunia's ex.

Herbaco Marealma is the Crown Lord of Western Glorampina, so we definitely need to secure some support from him as it'd make movement between Rest and our territory much faster. He isn't here right now as this is a gathering only for Subordinate Lords, but it's good to keep this in mind.

Next, Yunia is having a talk with the Iquezas. They're responsible for Ostoum, to the west of Escanso, which is a large inn town and the last stop for caravans coming from the rest of the continent before they get here. The Iquezas are also extremely gorgeous elves, with stern stares and sharp jaws like Tolkien elves.

"The Carlanto escort company is complaining about favoritism to the Tribunal," Rador Iqueza quietly remarks.

Yunia is sitting with them in a gazebo that provides some privacy as it's a bit closed up.

And she slowly swirls her glass of Eia, exactly like how you're imagining it, as she casually answers, "We only use the Este company to supply us with a few specific items. For everything else, it's their own prerogative where they spend their profits."

"Yes, I feel that they're merely getting restless," Rador replies in kind.

But Yunia needs to make our intentions clear. "They should. We can't let unpious rot take root so shortly after a Purification," she more sternly adds and puts her glass down as she waits for their reaction.

The two obviously tense up a bit, but Rador's answer is somewhat unexpected. "Perhaps some appeasement? Keeping them satisfied would be less troublesome for our future," he delicately suggests.

"There isn't much we can give them," Yunia tersely replies, not very pleased.

"Lowering the tax rate always works," he insists, but this time, he's right, and he knows it, so his tone is more confident.

Unfortunately, that is the one thing we can't do as we'll have to reverse it since we want to increase taxes. Still, she has to tell them the truth, "Not possible anymore; it's against our priorities now."

This makes them reasonably concerned. "Not possible? We… need to trade benefits so that they'll remain in our territory," he anxiously remarks.

So she composedly answers, "We'll trade opportunities, not preferential treatment."

"They'll leave for the other territories," he retorts.

And she snorts. "Which ones? Fleeing to the east won't help as Confiel is on our side, while the other territories don't have the same advantages they need to thrive. They need the High Forest more than we need them."

This makes them pause, and they share a look. Again, their expressions reveal nothing, but Rador's very hesitant answer says everything we need to know, "Very… bold."

Yunia knows that the Iquezas have always been careful, but now I feel like they're cowardly and afraid of the rich merchants. It's understandable that a smaller Lord would be afraid of them if they're alone, but why are they like this when we are the ones saying we'll fight the merchants?

"It's not the elven way," Yunia actually defends the Iquezas because she respects them after hearing so much praise of them from her parents. So she turns to the not-blonde-Elrond and reassures him with her Queenly aura, "You worry too much, Rador. Our allies grow while our enemies dwindle."

This makes them pensive, and now they share another look, almost as if they can speak telepathically. It's a short conversation, though, and they seem to be appeased.

"You speak the truth," Erpente soberly accepts. She's a not-Galadriel, and her extreme case of Resting Bitch Face gives her a strong air of confidence, even though her tone is perfectly neutral.

I don't know what's up with them, but Yunia wants to reassure the pair because their territory is the most well-managed out of all the Heart Lords, and they're proud of it. Stability is very important for elves, after all.

Next, there's old Amada Anquili, but she's a bit of a bitter widow, and even Ciel finds it hard to approach her. She's immune to my [Sexual Charm] in a way that makes Caterina look like a whore… Well, that one's only a matter of time, but still. We have a polite exchange with her, but we don't try to get any kind of information out of her.

Osaria is getting chummy with the Mendecassa sisters, but I feel like I'd "cock"block her if I joined them, so I just listen to their flirting through my bird on my coffee milf's shoulder. It's nothing important since the sisters already keep Osaria up to date, so it's basically all just flirting.

But I do have plenty in common with Iril Laribeiro, Legolas' older and rougher-looking brother. He's always with his harem of wives, and his youthful, big Dick energy vibes with me.

"How have you been, Lord Iril?" I casually greet him as I approach.

He bows and answers in kind, "The wives are happy, so I'm happy, Your Highness."

And the two beautiful women that he has on each arm narrow their eyes at him, but he just grins like a Chad.

"Indeed. We live to please them," I engage with him. Fawning over the girls will never get old.

"And their happiness brightens our lives," he romantically states.

"A cycle that keeps us at our peak," I reply in kind.

But he has more poetry to share, "A peak that has led us to where we are."

This is actually a good hook for me, so I smoothly switch the topic, "And where are you, really? I keep up-to-date on the reports, but they're just reports."

He promptly answers with a positive tone, "I've been preparing for change. It's obvious that you want your 'health care' system to expand, so I'm studying it and seeking administrators."

And I calmly hum, "Exactly, we want to standardize it all over the elven lands and maybe even the empire, so you won't have to worry too much about setting everything up yourself."

"That's great to hear. I leave the details of management to my wives, though, and they wish to hear more about it," he cheerfully replies.

"Ciel is free, so I'll call her for you," I suggest.

I could explain things myself, but I'm pretty sure he'd prefer it come from someone who isn't a sexual predator.

This little gathering doesn't last into the night, though, so we finish it up before sunset.