Harem Troubles

"Wait, so you don't want to join my harem?" I stare at the slime controlling my right hand. She pauses, before bringing my first two fingers and tapping them into my thumb, signaling 'no'. Shit... "Does this have to do with your girlfriend?" She pauses again, this time nodding my fist up and down, signaling 'yes'. I sigh. I was really hoping for Blobby to be the third for this quest... I woke up too soon to see what the time limit was, but I'd prefer to get this done sooner rather than later. "Alright. If you change your mind, let me know, but so I don't annoy you, I won't ask again." I feel a slight pressure in my hand, up my arm, and around my torso. From my time in prison, I'm pretty sure this is a hug.

I begin walking back out of the forest's edge, only to be stopped by a flowered guard before I get back to working on houses. "Dusk, the Empress requests your presence."

I look around, before mentally shrugging. "Fine. I'll head right over, no need to escort me."

She salutes. "Yes, sir." Then she wanders off toward the barracks.

. . .

I come up upon Rose, finding her...just as I always do, honestly. "You called?"

"I have a few questions."

I shrug. "Not sure why you couldn't have had one of your thralls ask me, but sure, go ahead."

"I heard you have a 'quest'. What does that mean?"

I squint. "Where did you hear that?"

"When you asked Camilla and Eve, you were close enough that I could hear through you."

My lips press together. "I'll have to keep that in mind... If you have to know, Ramel is one of the gods of the world, and apparently sent me a quest to 'officially' make a harem. I need to get three women to swear in Ramel's name to join my harem, or...I'm gonna be honest, I woke up too soon this morning to find out the reward for the quest, or if there are even consequences if I fail."

"Hmm... I suppose it's a good thing I overheard. Walk around me. I've got a 'gift' for you."

My brow furrows as I take a few steps. "I'm...surprised. I wouldn't have expected you to be so-" I blink as I spot my 'gift': Roger is naked, bound and gagged with vines, having them wrapped around ankles, thighs, pelvis, wrists, shoulders and mouth. Their own eyes widening upon spotting me. "What's this about?"

"Poetic justice. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it... Come on, she won't resist..."

I step nearer, taking a closer look at the bound blond. They're pulled so they can't cover themselves, lifted a couple feet off the ground by Rose's vines. Their eyes are full of hatred looking at me, but when they glance to their liege, they look conflicted. I can basically hear them asking, 'Please don't make me do this'.

I bend down as Rose lifts up the captain's head. "I can't say I haven't..." ...but not again. "I'll give you a chance, Roger. If you don't want this, just shake your head." As soon as the blond looks over to Rose, I grab their jaw and turn it back toward me. "Don't look at her; look at me. Her opinion doesn't matter when it comes to your choices. I'll ask you this once, and I won't ask again. Do you want to have sex with me?"

Roger closes their eyes hard for several seconds, before shaking their head 'no'.

I stand up straight, looking to Rose. "While I appreciate the intent, don't do this again, Rose." I glance to the side, seeing Roger's equipment lying next to a tree. Grabbing the gambeson off the top, I lay it over the naked woman. "Get dressed captain. And Rose? Don't punish Roger for their choice here." I look up to the pinkish sky. "I'll see you both tomorrow. I've got somewhere to be right now."

. . .

"You're here." Bel sounds a bit surprised when I walk up to the house assigned to Monsquad. She stands next to a wagon, but it's more of a wooden box on wheels.

"We all take turns, don't we?" A yawn escapes my lips.

"Are you alright, sir? I can take your place if you-"

"I'm fine." I wave her off. "Just take care of her for me." I tap Blobby, motioning for her to unwrap herself from me and to go over to the undead. As she does so, I point to the box-wagon. "She in there?"

Bel nods. "I'll make sure you aren't disturbed."

I step up and open the door, shutting it behind me as I'm immersed in the darkness. After dropping polymorph, I conjure a light bolt and will it to stay in my hand, brightening my surroundings and revealing the petrified gargoyle in front of me. "Hey, Demona...long time no see..."

. . .

I groan, lying flat on my back. "You...really don't hold back, do you?"

Demona chuckles before rolling off of me. "I don't think I can. Besides, you can heal up."

"Doesn't make it hurt less..." The soft glow from my hand fills my bruises with soothing energy. "Between you and Xerxes, I'm gonna need some new bones..."

"Finally got on his bad side?" She chuckles.

"Then kinda on his good side, I think?" I cough. "He sorta stopped suddenly in the middle of our duel?"

"Did you lift him off the ground? It's a minotaur quirk. If you can lift them off the ground by yourself, without magic, they'll be a bit more...agreeable toward you." She chuckles. "How I got him to stop rampaging across the prison when he showed up."

"Huh...good to know..." I sit up, reaching for where I think my clothes are in preparation to head back outside. "Sorry, but I've got a 'test' I need to pass, and I feel like I'm gonna pass out if I stay in this dark shed any longer..."

"I assume it's my job to patrol the area at night?"

"If you can. The town was attacked last night, and while we fixed that problem, I'd prefer to nip these things in the bud next time."

"On it, 'captain'." She chuckles.

No sooner am I out the door than does Belinda approach me. "Sir...permission to speak freely?"

I pat the dullahan's head (for some reason attached to her body). "I'd prefer if you always speak to me freely."

She nods, her face still serious. "Of course, sir." She clearly just ignored that... "I was informed of your...quest." Blobby, what did you say? "And if you'll let me, I'd like to assist you. Before you say anything, I know you want to make sure you're not taking advantage of our...particular arrangement."

"Yeah..." I sigh, rubbing my eyes.

"Then I propose we start slow. Dates, handholding, getting to know each other, the traditional speed of such a relationship, instead of...what I've been told you've done with some others."

I pinch my nose. She's offering me the complete solution to my problem...why am I hesitating? With a sigh, I continue. "We need limits..." Wait...did the quest say anything about conditions of the oath? I rack my brain trying to find out, but am too tired to remember exactly what it said. "Fine. I assume you were told that this needs to be an oath to Ramel? Well, I'm going to tell you exactly what to say." Putting together some probably correct oath, I tell it to her word by word.

"I swear by Ramel that I will join your harem, but also that if I ever feel like our relationship isn't working, that I will work with you to try to come to an amicable solution, even if it means we are no longer romantically or sexually involved."

I smile, patting her head again. "Good. If I'm being honest, I'm probably going to steal that wording for the others, but we'll see." After a pause, I lean down and kiss Belinda's cheek. "Hmm, a bit chilly, but I think I can get used to it."

"Thank you...Dusk. Now sir, I apologize for this in advance but..." All of a sudden, she whacks me across the side of my head. I collapse, and with how little sleep I got last night, I'm already blacking out. In my last few moments of consciousness, I hear her say, "you'll thank me in the morning..."

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry if the quality seems to have dropped the past few chapters, but I honestly need another mental health break. Without going too far into things, I'll post a couple mini-chapters, but no major chapters until April 24th. See you then!

In addition, the side chapters published here (and anywhere else from me, actually) are intended to be read in the top-down order.