Chapter 154

--- 25th Day, Morning ---

Waking up with the naked body of a gorgeous woman in my arms could distract my thoughts only for a short moment before they inevitably returned to my talk with Gemma. And to the fact that I had a daughter.

Cuddling Azura close to my chest while Zoe was pressed against my back, I kept coming up with more and more questions for Gemma. It was probably best that I had some time to think things through before we continued that conversation.

But before that, I was supposed to meet with Vi. A girl… A woman I practically didn't know, yet who had suddenly become such an important person in my life. I was wondering how much of Virelia’s life I had missed when Zoe shifted, bringing her mouth closer to my ear.

“Are you okay, Master?” she whispered, tightening her tail around my waist.

“Yeah, I confirmed that Vi is my daughter,” I replied. “And I was thinking about all the lost time.”

When Azura’s eyes blinked open, I rolled onto my back, letting Zoe cuddle up to me from the other side while I held them both close.

“Nothing can give that time back, but you're meeting with her today,” the succubus murmured.

“Yeah... Should I buy her a present? What am I supposed to get an eighteen-year-old girl? She’s too old for toys...” I murmured, realizing I might never have the chance to buy her one. But what else could I get her?

“Azura,” I asked, “you're almost the same age. What would you like to get as a gift?”

“A kid,” she replied sleepily.

Zoe snorted and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but I could still see the amusement in her pink eyes.

I sighed deeply at the lack of ideas.

“It was a joke,” Azura murmured.

I looked at her in surprise, wondering if it was the first time she had ever tried to tell one around me. In the end, it brought a smile to my face.

“But I still want puppies one day,” she added, clinging tightly to me with her eyes closed, looking as if she were still half asleep.

“Hey, the fact that I have a daughter doesn't change anything, okay?” I asked. “I still want to have kids with you and Zoe. Maybe even little elves,” I added, glancing toward Amber, whose eyes had been closed so far, but they snapped open immediately as she huffed.

“But you need to make our pack strong and safe first,” Azura added.

“Yeah.”

She hummed in agreement, but as I waited for a more elaborate answer, she finally looked up at me with her dark eyes.

“I’m happy,” she simply murmured before resting her head back on my chest.

I kissed her forehead while squeezing her small, perky ass.

“I love you, baby,” I murmured.

When she hummed softly, I chuckled before shifting my gaze to Zoe.

“Do you have any ideas for gifts?” I asked.

“My mom didn't get me any presents... I-I don't know what parents give their kids...” Zoe murmured.

“I’m sorry,” I said before giving her a quick kiss.

“She’s an Ardenvale,” Amber said. “Anything she wants, she can buy herself. If she spent eighteen years without her father and then went looking for you on her own, I doubt she wants gifts from you. She wants to get to know you. So instead of wasting time buying presents, give her your time.”

I looked at her, realizing she was probably right.

“Such a smart little elf. I would kiss you if my hands weren’t occupied,” I added, groping both Zoe’s and Azura’s asses.

Amber snorted before speaking. “Only you could give a compliment and frustrate me at the same time.”

“Don’t pout. Come here,” I replied.

“Where?” she asked, looking at Zoe and Azura.

“Here,” I said, nodding toward my chest.

She hesitated, pouting for a moment longer, but then climbed on top of me, pressing her naked tits against my chest. She immediately leaned down for a kiss, and for a long moment I was surrounded by three naked demonesses, all demanding kisses from me in turn.

“God, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” I murmured. “Don’t ever forget that.”

“Don’t you dare forget it either,” Amber replied.

“Never,” I murmured before kissing her again.

Not long after, it was getting late, and we were going for another exploration. Reluctantly, I got out of bed with Zoe and Azura and started putting on some clothes, while Amber once again stayed behind to lounge around a little longer.

When I opened the door to leave the room, someone suddenly started running down the stairs.

I looked at Zoe in confusion, wondering what was going on. We lived on the same floor as Terra and Mia, and the person rushing away didn't sound like a big orc. More like a startled rabbit.

Did she get scared? Or was she eavesdropping?

If so, she did a terrible job of hiding it, running down the stairs like that. But why would Mia ever eavesdrop on us?

After a quick stop at the toilet, we headed downstairs. I wondered where I would find Mia. It wasn't like she could hide anywhere in the house after running downstairs, but I hadn't even reached the ground floor before I noticed her standing by the staircase, waiting there.

She grunted before speaking in a tone that sounded almost official. “I prepared breakfast. It’s heating up now. You can wait for it in the living room, Master.”

“You’re taking your maid duties really seriously?” I asked with a chuckle.

Mia only nodded, her long fluffy ears bobbing.

“You still don't need to call me Master, and you can speak normally,” I said. “And thank you, Mia,” I added, pulling her into a hug. Her face pressed into my chest, and her ears tickled my face.

When I let her go, she almost ran to the kitchen with her whole face flushed, while my two girlfriends and I moved into the living room to wait for our food.

Mia brought us scrambled eggs with fried sausage, chives, and tomatoes. It smelled amazing and was a needed change from the endless stew I had been eating.

“Didn't you make a portion for yourself?” I asked Mia when she placed three plates in front of us.

“I already ate,” Mia replied. “So did Terra and Mari. They're both ready for the dungeon. Hannah ate before going to work, and Anna and Alysson ate too. Miss Zelda asked me to tell her when you woke up.”

“Give me time to eat, then you can tell her. But... you talked with Mari?” I asked, worried about how it had gone.

“I-I...” Mia hesitated. “I left a plate outside her door, knocked, and... ran away,” she added quietly.

She might have wanted me to let Mari stay in the house, but Mia being scared to even be around the kitsune only confirmed my decision.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” I asked, admiring that despite what Mari had done the previous day, Mia had cooked for her anyway.

I leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, close enough to her lips to make her blush even harder.

“I-I-I hope you'll like it,” she stammered before running out of the room.

Yup. A startled rabbit.

I smiled at the thought before focusing on the food. It was delicious, hot, and something different, which made it an amazing breakfast.

We had barely finished eating when Zelda appeared in the doorway with a bag slung over her shoulder.

“Mari’s healing is done, and she can go into the dungeon today, but I’d recommend sticking to an easier floor for today. And I’m leaving. I’m heading back to the capital.”

“You knew all this time,” I said. “About Virelia and me…”

“Do you have any memories from our first meeting? Nineteen years ago?” Zelda asked.

“No,” I replied, frowning.

“I suspected as much,” Zelda nodded. “Who do you think rejuvenated your body?”

“Now I know it was you,” I replied. “Did you do it twice?” I asked, realizing that even while I was in a coma, I had probably still been aging.

“Yeah, but that’s all I’m telling you. I don't know how much Gemma has told you, and it’s really none of my business.”

“Thank you,” I said, really happy with how I looked after she worked her magic on me.

Zelda smiled and nodded before saying goodbye and leaving.

Now we had two free rooms on the first floor that had previously been occupied by Mari and Zelda, and I realized that Mia and Terra could each have their own room if they wanted. Hannah could also have a separate room from her daughters, though I wasn't really sure if any of them would want to take that opportunity.

“Can I have a moment of your time?” Anna asked, standing in the doorway and clutching a glass vial with both hands in front of her.

“Of course. What’s up?” I asked.

“I made a potion for you. Miss Amber helped me, but my potion turned out well. And I added honey to it so it would taste better. Miss Amber said it was a waste of money because it makes it more expensive, but the one she made tasted really bad, and I didn't want mine to be like that,” she babbled quickly as she stepped forward and placed the vial in front of me. Alysson, her sister appeared too, but was standing to the back, just watching.

I inspected the potion to see what I could learn about it.

[Sweet Decoction of Duskmire Daisy]

[Item Type: Potion]

[Effect: Heals fresh wounds and injuries.]

It seemed similar to Amber’s potion, but hers had Stronger rather than Sweet in its name. I wondered whether adding honey had made the potion weaker, or if it was because Anna lacked an Alchemist class like Amber. I no longer had access to the elf’s status, but I remembered she had a skill that allowed her to strengthen her potions.

“Thank you. I hope I won’t need to use it, but I’ll feel safer having it with me,” I replied.

Anna grinned, clasping her hands behind her back while rocking forward and back on her heels. She stared at me as if she was waiting.

“Do you need something?” I asked with a smile.

“Well...” she began slowly. “When we were in the forest yesterday with Miss Amber, I saw a bird, and I might have gotten a bit excited and shifted while still wearing my clothes. And I might have ripped my dress...”

I laughed softly. “Of course, I should pay you for the potion, right?” I asked, pulling out some coins.

It crossed my mind that Hannah could probably afford it with her new job, but perhaps she had been right when she talked about me being the pack leader and her daughter coming to me for help. Or maybe Anna was simply taking advantage of me after Hannah had refused to buy her a new dress.

“Here. Would ten ryns be enough?” I asked, handing her the coin, knowing it should be more than enough.

Anna’s eyes widened as she grabbed it.

“Thank you!” she squeaked, hugging me briefly from the side before running out of the room. As she did, she stuck her tongue out at her sister, who was standing nearby glaring at her younger sibling.

“Do you need new clothes too?” I asked.

“I messed up my potion,” Alysson replied. “And I don't want to make them at all,” she stated firmly.

“I was just joking. If you need something, you can ask. And Amber teaching you alchemy was only an idea. If you want to do something else, then-”

“I want to be a warrior,” she cut in. “I want to get stronger.”

“What does your mother think about it?” I asked.

“That it’s too dangerous,” Anna said, poking only her head back into the room.

“Anna!” Alysson gasped, but the younger girl had already disappeared. “Mom doesn't understand,” Alysson added, looking back at me.

“I’ll talk to her, okay?” I said. “But we can take you to the arena sometimes, and you could practice with us.”

Alysson stared at me for a moment before nodding and turning to leave. But she stopped in the doorway and glanced back. “Thank you,” she murmured before leaving.

“What do you think?” I asked Azura. “About Alysson training to become a warrior?”

“You will make the right choice for her,” she murmured.

Right... The leader of the pack. Still, I had to talk about it with Hannah, but some training could be really good for her older daughter.

“Shouldn’t she have made more than one potion?” I asked, picking up Anna’s potion again.

“Amber gave them small pots, so if they messed something up, they wouldn’t waste a lot of ingredients. There was enough for two, one test batch and this one,” Zoe explained.

After gathering the dirty plates, I carried them to the kitchen, where Mia was already waiting. She immediately refused my offer to wash them, insisting it was one of her maid duties, and got straight to work.

Back in our room upstairs, Amber was sprawled naked across the bed, snoring softly. The sight of her tempting ass made me want to stay home a little longer, but the rest of our team would be waiting for us, so instead we grabbed our things and headed downstairs, where Terra and Mari were already waiting.

The orc was glaring at the kitsune, who was glaring right back with her arms crossed over her chest. Neither of them said a word.

I groaned quietly, realizing there was yet another problem to deal with.

“You don't have to like each other, but we're going into the dungeon together. Will you be able to focus and work together?” I asked.

“I don't have a problem. She does,” Mari replied immediately.

“I...” Terra started before grimacing and lowering her head to stare at her feet. “I will stay focused,” she murmured.

“Everyone go wait outside. Terra, could you stay for a moment?” I asked.

“I’m sorry,” the orc murmured once we were alone.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I replied, stepping in front of her, though she still kept her shoulders hunched and her gaze lowered. “I’m pissed at Mari too. That’s why I’m kicking her out, and she won't be coming back after this dungeon run. But we need her. She’s a necessary evil. If it helps, think about it this way, with Mari, we can clear higher-level floors, earn more money, and pay off Mia’s debt faster, freeing both of you sooner. That’s worth putting up with her for a little while, right? Especially when we can limit our contact with her to dungeon runs.”

Terra raised her yellow eyes to meet mine and thought it over before nodding. “You’re right,” she muttered.

“By the way, now that Mari and Zelda aren't living here anymore, you and Mia can have separate rooms if you want,” I offered.

“I’ll ask Mia, but I would rather stay with her,” Terra replied. “And... she’s really happy that she can be your maid. She wants to be useful and...”

“And?” I asked when the orc trailed off.

She shook her head, before speaking, “Forget it. She’s just happy that she can repay you for helping us.”

“Okay,” I replied, deciding not to push her to explain what she had originally wanted to say. “Ready for the dungeon?”

After she confirmed, we finally left the house and headed to meet Cassia and Marcy. Both of them were already waiting for us outside the city, and after Azura shifted, we set off toward the dungeon.

“Did you talk with your parents after I left?” I asked.

Cassia groaned. For a moment, she looked hesitant to answer, but eventually she spoke. “We did, and I don't think she’s going to send anyone.”

“So it worked?”

“Not exactly. She’s not going to send anyone because we argued.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s a hypocrite,” Cassia spat.

“What?”

“She didn't believe that we're dating.”

“She saw through us?” I asked.

“No, no, no. Not through us, through me,” Cassia replied. “In her opinion, you're genuinely interested, and I'm taking advantage of your age by pretending to be interested for a few days while she's in town. Then, once she leaves, I'll dump you and go back to dating women. You're not even that much younger than me. How old are you? Twenty-three?”

“Closer to twenty, but it’s not that much,” I replied.

“And you know what’s best? She started talking about another guy! Like, what the fuck? Apparently I’m the one deceiving people because I’m using you, but when she tells some random guy that I’m interested in him and that me telling him to fuck off is my way of flirting, that's somehow okay.”

“That’s why she apologized to me,” I realized. “And here I thought it was because she had been interrogating me.”

“She apologized?!” Cassia huffed.

“Well... you are using me in the end,” I said with a grin. “Just not in the way I would like.”

Cassia didn't appreciate my joke, but at least Zoe giggled quietly.

“After she mentioned that she knew a really nice guy, we got into a huge argument, and now...” Cassia trailed off. “Well, I don't think she’ll be sending him here anymore.”

“At least there's that,” I replied. “And you’ll make up with your mother sooner or later.”

“I don't know,” Cassia murmured.

We walked in silence for a moment before I realized something.

“You’re unusually quiet,” I said, looking at Marcy.

“It feels like all of you are screaming directly into my ears right now,” she replied with a weak smile. “I don't know what happened, but you’re all buzzing with emotions. Well, everyone except Azura.”

“Will you be able to focus in the dungeon?” I asked.

“It’s the other way around,” Marcy replied, smiling. “If you can focus, your emotions will calm down, and I’ll be fine.”

“I think we can manage that,” I replied. “And we’re still sticking to the lower floor today.”

Soon we reached the dungeon and headed straight for the second floor. It had already become easy for us even without Mari, and now, with the kitsune in the party, it felt less like dungeon exploration and more like taking a walk while collecting loot along the way.