"What are you doing?" Rin sat down next to me.
"Hmm, what?" I blinked her way.
"You've been like, staring off into space for a while now."
"Just thinking."
"Did ya hurt yourself?" It was Mordred this time who plopped down on my other side, casually leaning back.
"Funny."
"Yeah, I'm a fucking riot." She rolled her eyes.
"I was just taking the time to think." I replied. "It's been a while since I've sat down and just enjoyed this."
"And by this, you mean…?"
"The fact that I have a harem." I said completely seriously.
I was watching as the majority of my girls were hanging around, not really doing anything in particular, but just being friendly with one another. Salem and Meridia were absent, but that wasn't really surprising.
Meridia, obviously, was for the obvious reason. But Salem was much more anti-social, and it would take time to break her out of her shell. But even then, she probably wasn't someone who would have ever been bubbly.
"God, you're such a cunt." Mordred snorted.
"You jealous, MoeMoe?" I grinned.
"I will fucking stab you if you call me that again." She growled.
I reached over and patted her on the head. She swiped at my hand a few times, but eventually she reluctantly gave in.
"What's wrong Rin? You also Jealous?" I elbowed her slightly because she looked like she sucked a lemon.
She was more or less like a sister figure to me, if I didn't tease her, what was the point? Gramps's student, Artoria's closest friend…..should I call her sister-in-law?
"Fuck off, Schweinorg." She crossed her arms with a huff. "Not everyone is a horndog like you."
"Don't be like that Rin. Find anyone that catches your eye? Do you want help? There's no need to rush into anything, you have your entire life ahead of you, but I can set you up with some people if you're interested. Boy, or Girls, whatever you prefer." I was…half teasing her.
"S-shut up." She flushed slightly.
Hah.
"What about you, MoeMoe? You looking for a partner? Boys? Girls? Interested in anyone?"
"You really have a death wish, don't you?" She glared.
I made a bring it on gesture.
She scoffed, crossing her arms like Rin was. "Well if ya backed down from a threat, I'd kick your ass. Father deserves better than some pussy bitch."
"Mhmm." She was changing the subject.
"Fuck, I don't know." She huffed, cutely breaking eye contact. "I ain't never thought about that sort of thing."
I shifted gears. "You don't have to. You're free to do whatever you want, however you want." I patted her head again, much to her chagrin. "If you ever start considering it, I'll help you however I can." I smiled.
I was teasing her, but I wouldn't actually push beyond certain lines. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable after all. If she was seriously struggling with the idea of any kind of romantic relationship, I wouldn't dwell on it just to get a reaction out of her.
Her life was complicated enough without me forcing my own perspective onto her.
Let her figure it out herself in her own time.
She did relax slightly.
"How has Skyrim been treating you both?" I asked.
"I like it." Mordred perked up with a casual grin. "The Necromancer Bastard's been liking it too. That thing you gave him that lets him teleport is bullshit."
"The what, oh the Sacred Gear?" I forgot about that in all honesty. The one I got from that Magician when I rescued Venelana. I didn't even know its name and it was one of the lowest tiers without any direct combat ability. Though, the ability to teleport in line of sight was significant to any proper battle hardened Magus like Mordred's Master.
"Yeah, that thing." She nodded. "Fuck, you should see him. He makes these bomb things out of Hearts he gets from things he kills, right? Well, we killed one of those nasty trolls and he cut the heart out and made it into a bomb. Shit blew up like half a forest we were in!" She threw her hands up excitedly. "He almost died, but it was fucking awesome!"
It's easy to forget that Mordred was actually very young mentally. Her growth was forced, and she was technically less than 10 years old. She was forced to mature at a rapid rate by her mother, so that left some imprints on her mentality.
She slipped into this kid-like state sometimes, and I couldn't help but indulge her when she did.
It also showed that she was comfortable enough around us too.
"So he's just teleporting around dropping bombs on things?" I asked.
"It's hilarious!" She laughed. "And then he'll just pop some assholes in the face with his shotgun and they have no idea what's happening!"
Even Rin was smiling a bit.
"Find anything big enough to give you trouble?"
"I wish." Mordred huffed. "We mostly just go into some old tomb or something. I like getting all the Gold and shit. It means I can buy more food and stuff. But I want a challenge! It's not fair that those other bastards got to fight Dragons!"
"You haven't found a single dragon?" I responded.
"Well…" She looked downtrodden. "We found one that was attacking some town. But It tried to run as soon as it saw me running over. The assholes." She pouted, and it was adorable.
"Well, If I was that dragon, I'd probably run away too if you came over screaming in excitement while waving around Clarent." I pointed out.
"….I wasn't screaming in excitement." She flushed a tiny bit.
Righttttt.
"But you did good, you saved that village, right?"
"Of course." She puffed her chest up. "I'm just pissed that I only managed to knick the edge of its wing!" She looked down. "I wanted to give the corpse to Father."
Jesus Christ, this girl was way too cute.
"Have you told her yet?"
"Of course not, why would I tell Father about my failure?" She scoffed.
"I think, that Artoria would be thrilled to hear about how you chased away a dragon and saved a bunch of people."
"Hmph." Mordred huffed. "…I guess I'll tell Father later."
I pat her head one more time before standing up. "Speaking of your Father, I should go say hi."
"Oh God, are you gonna go flirt." Mordred bleched.
"Do you even have to ask?" Rin rolled her eyes.
I just chuckled, and walked over to where my girls were standing around.
They noticed me, but they were still focused on their own things. So, I just walked up, and swept Artoria up into my arms.
She made a cute little sound of surprise, but settled in my arms. "Did you do something to Mordred and Rin?" She looked at me.
"Maybe." I kissed her head.
"Don't tease them too much." She smiled lightly.
"No promises." I put my chin on top of her head. "What're you girls talking about?"
"This and that." Yasaka said cryptically.
"We were talking about you." Jinn smiled.
"It's all bad things, of course." Izzy added.
"Of course." I nodded. "Raikou, were they talking about me behind my back?"
"Yes, Master." Raikou smiled happily.
"Jeez, you even corrupted her?" I was mildly surprised.
"Fear not, Student. If we have something bad to say, you will know it." Scáthach lightly patted my cheek.
It sounded ominous when she said it.
"Oh stop fussing." Venelana giggled. "I was just telling them about what's been going on since the whole fiasco you were a part of."
"Ah." That's understandable. "We're still on for Dinner, right?"
"We are!" Venelana's eyes brightened. "I'm glad you're still coming. I've wanted you to meet Zeo for so long~"
You know, in hindsight, it's still a little bit awkward to meet her Husband – Ex Husband, with him knowing full well that we're together….
Oh well.
I'm not going to think about it too much, Devils are weird.
"Will!" Artoria suddenly squeaked. "D-don't squeeze my rear while Mordred and Rin are watching!"
"Actually, they left moments ago." I replied, having noticed out of the corner of my eye.
"Ah?" Artoria's face turned a hint of red. "T-then it's okay I suppose."
I think I needed to take a few more breaks sometimes and just enjoy that I have a Harem. None of them even batted an eye at the fact that I was molesting Artoria's perky butt.
I was lucky that they were so comfortable in front of each other.
Speaking of each other, I glanced towards Izzy.
"Izzy~"
"Are you not satisfied with just her?" She huffed.
I held a free arm open and she begrudgingly walked closer. Artoria in one arm, Izzy in the other.
At this moment, I am happy.
"By the way, what's your take on Nuwa?" I asked while my hand slid down her waste.
She trembled slightly, but didn't outright reject me. "She is….old fashioned."
"Mmm, she seemed amicable from what was revealed." Yasaka mused. "Perhaps we should look more into the Celestial Bureaucracy in the future?"
"It's shown that we are at odds with Indra, that is enough for her to show good will. While on the surface, the Jade Emperor and Indra treat each other as equals, there is an undeniable hostility that is not openly spoken about." Izzy explained. "Not to mentionnnnn –" She let out her own little squeak as I squeezed her rear just like I was doing to Artoria.
She slowly turned her head to me. "You are unrepentantly lecherous."
"Well, who told you to be so desirable?" I shot back.
"Hmph." Izzy huffed in response.
I leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She tried to hide it, but she was smiling happily. "Do you want information, or are you just using this opportunity to feel me up?"
"Both?"
She pinched me.
"Alright, I was just curious because she invited me to her home." I replied.
"Should we be worried about a new sister?" Jinn curled an eyebrow.
"Hey, I'm not going around looking." I quickly defended myself.
Scáthach chuckled, and pulled the Genie into a hug. "You need not worry, silly girl. Our man knows how to act now."
"Well, I wouldn't mind." Jinn settled into the hug happily. "I just want to know them beforehand."
"You need not worry." Izzy interjected. "Nuwa's preferences, while not public, are known within certain circles."
"What do you mean?" Artoria asked, tilting her head. At this point, she was completely used to my touch.
"I think she's saying that the Goddess Nuwa likes women." Venelana responded to her. "She made a move on me that I thought was just in good fun, but now I'm wondering if it wasn't."
"Probably both." Izzy just shrugged. "I don't really hear any rumors of her being lecherous." She paused, looking at me.
I gave her a little spank.
She stiffened and glared, a tiny bit of redness adorning her cheeks. "I will remember this for later." She grumbled. "I have only met her a handful of times in my years, and we were never on speaking terms, so my knowledge is limited. However, she is known as a kind and gentle Goddess, so you do not need to overly worry. Her invitation was most likely to offer a reward."
"A reward?" My eyes lit up. "That reminds me, Zeus owes me a Golden Apple!"
"Good luck actually getting that." Izzy snorted. "But yes, a reward. She practices the concept of Karma, along with most in that part of the world. You protected her wards, thus she owes you a favor."
Ah, that made sense.
I guess I'll find the time to head over there and check it out. A reward from one of the most powerful Deities in the world couldn't be something simple.
"Interesting, but in all honesty. I'm more interested in hearing about this dinner you're going to~" Yasaka's eyes were filled with a mischievous gleam. "Venelana was sparse on the details. But I could just feel the awkwardness from the outside."
"It won't be that bad." Venelana playfully swatted at one of Yasaka's tails that was swaying around.
"I am happy that you are doing this." Artoria looked up at me. "I know better than most that confronting certain things can be difficult…"
Right, she would know, wouldn't she? It seemed like just yesterday that she awkwardly navigated the reunion between herself and Mordred.
Fuck, they literally killed one another.
It made me feel guilty that I was being hesitant over something so mundane in comparison.
But It also made me feel warm knowing I have support like this.
"Should I take the opportunity to ask for some Evil Pieces?" I mused.
"You could probably get them if you wanted." Venelana answered.
"Why do you even want them in the first place? You haven't been silent about your dislike." Yasaka asked.
"Because he wants to give us the same treatment as Jinn." Izzy glared.
At the same time, everyone looked at me with different expressions.
"Woo!" Jinn threw her arms up in a cheer.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense, my student?" Scáthach raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not gonna deny it." I said shamelessly.
"How bold." Yasaka grinned. "But if we get the Jinn Treatment, then I think it's only fair that you do as well~"
"Ara, I think that sounds fair." Venelana smiled.
"Ah?" Artoria didn't look like she knew what to say. "T-that sounds like an even trade." She covered her face.
"Hmph, dare you accept that deal." Izzy crossed her arms, looking at me.
"Mommy would like to see it too." Raikou flushed.
Well now. It seems like I've come to the crossroads of choice. I was…somewhat joking, but here I am present with a decision.
"Say yes, say yes!" Jinn practically threw herself at me. "Look!" She reached over and pulled up Artoria's skirt. "Don't you want to put something in her little tushy?"
"J-Jinn!" Artoria squeaked in embarrassment.
…..Well, I certainly did.
But, at the same time…..
"How about a wager?" I offered. "Loser gets the Jinn plug."
"Us vs you, Student?" Scáthach clarified. "That does not seem to be in your favor."
"Well, we'll just do something to make it fair." I replied.
They all looked around as what started with a joke was now being something considered.
"Of course, only if you want to participate. I don't want to force anyone." I made sure to clarify.
"…if they accept, I will as well." Izzy said simply.
"Awesome, we accept!" Jinn seemingly answered for everyone. "I'll go talk to Salem too, see if she wants to join!"
You know what?
Fuck it, let's ball.
We can figure out the details later.
[***]
"My, you look handsome." Venelana adjusted my collar.
"And you look beautiful, as always." I returned.
"You charmer~" She smiled, putting a kiss on my cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Uh….a lot of things." I answered honestly, not quite sure the direct answer to that question. It helped that I had time to just relax today after everything that happened yesterday at the gathering.
"It's not too late to back out." She told me. "You don't have to force yourself to do this."
"I want to do this." I took her hand, bringing it up to my face for a kiss. "You've been meeting me halfway while I haven't even taken steps to meet you as well. I can't promise anything, but I will try."
"That's all I want." She smiled beautifully. "Would you like to know who's going to be there, or just let it be a surprise?"
"A surprise?" I blinked, frowning. "Would that be better or worse?"
"Well, it might make you feel less anxious if you didn't know ahead of time."
I let out a sigh. "It's fine, just tell me."
"Zeo, of course. Rias will also be there. As will my son and his wife."
I closed my eyes briefly, letting myself relax. "Not your Grandson?"
"Well…." She drew out. "I figured it would be best to not let your first meeting be….in this kind of situation."
"Ah." I nodded in understanding. "Do you expect this to go pear shaped?"
"I am prepared for it to do so. I'm not oblivious to all the tension that's going on and the turbulent feelings." She replied.
"That reminds me, I need to confess something."
"Are you cheating on me? Is there another woman I need to be aware of?" She quirked an amused smile.
"Sorry, there are actually several others." I admitted.
She let out a faux gasp, putting a hand on her chest. "I'll forgive you if you bring them to bed with us."
I snorted, nudging her. "For real though."
"You can tell me anything."
"I….said some hurtful things to your daughter and her friends."
She frowned. "I see…"
"I apologized already, but I didn't want to hide it from you. I know one of the cornerstones of our relationship is that I don't make you have to choose. I don't think I quite reached that point, but I crossed a line I shouldn't have."
I was expecting her to be upset. But instead, she tugged a little bit on my shit to pull me down enough that she planted a kiss on my lips. "I knew already." She stated. "And I know you handled it appropriately in the end. I can't say I'm pleased when someone attacks my daughter, verbally or otherwise, but I'm not stupid, Wilhelm. I know that you don't like them and my Daughter sometimes has the grace of a camel when it comes to certain delicate matters."
"Still, I'm sorry."
"I know you are." Her expression softened considerably. "Which is why I didn't feel the need to say anything. Besides, you did save her, didn't you?"
"I'm not going to use that as leverage when I mess up somewhere else."
"And that makes you all the more sweet in my eyes." Her beautiful smile was captivating.
I was lucky to have her.
"Shall we get this over with?" I asked.
"You sound like you're walking to your execution." She giggled.
"I mean…we're literally going to hell." I pointed out.
"Oh shush, those jokes are so overused." She rolled her eyes.
"Oh alright." I relented. "Do you have the coordinates?"
"Of course." She threw down a Teleportation Circle.
It wouldn't work on me, due to my Campione Magic Resistance, but I just needed a few looks to see where it was connected to for my own methods.
Taking out Mirage, I casually swiped it through the air, opening up a Portal.
"After you." I held out my arm.
"Oh what a Gentleman." She happily stepped through.
I followed suit, stepping onto a bricked pathway.
"This is beautiful." I couldn't help but admire.
"Thank you, I spent a lot of effort cultivating this garden." She grinned.
I looked around a bit more, it was a singular path that broke into a circle about halfway, before combining again towards a large manor not too far away.
All around, however, were various plants and flowers all carefully managed to create a vibrant and elegant appearance.
"Come here, let me show you my favorite." She gently pulled on my arm, situating us in front of a bush full of purple flowers.
"These are Starlight Roses. It took me decades to get this color, but they're called that because when it's night time, they release a pollen that looks like little glowing stars." She excitedly explained. "They also have a nice taste when extracted and added to tea or alcohol."
"What about this tree?" I pointed to the side. "The leaves are almost perfectly round."
I loved how her eyes were lighting up while pulling me around. "This is one of mine! I cultivated an offspring between a Devil Lemon and an Underworld Apple."
I….questioned the feasibility of those two fruits being crossbred, but then again, this is literally Hell. "…Devil Lemon and Underworld Apple?"
"I didn't name them, alright?" She seemed a little bashful at the comment. "The older Devils weren't exactly the most talented when it comes to naming things. They originally started from the normal variants you would find topside, but became contaminated by Hell's aura and mutated."
Huh, that's actually interesting.
"So this tree produces an unholy combination of a Lemon and an Apple? Lapple? Aemon? Appon? Should I add a suffix depicting Hell to it?"
She playfully smacked my shoulder. "I just call it a Circle Fruit, due to its shape. Less sour than a lemon, but sweeter than a normal apple."
"Let me guess, good for Alcohol?"
She giggled.
"I'm starting to see a pattern." Not that I was at all against it.
A shame that it didn't seem to be the season for it to produce fruit.
"Come on, we can see all this later." She grabbed my hand again, leading me towards the house. It was…odd, seeing her with such a vivid look of excitement. Not in a bad way, just noticeably different.
I liked it.
"A random question."
"A random answer." She responded.
She was definitely in a playful mood. "Do you guys have Camels?"
"We do in fact have Camels." She laughed. "Do you want to see them?"
"Yes." I found myself curious. "But that can wait until later."
From the Ars Goetia, the Demon Gremory was known for its Camels, or something like that.
We walked up to the front door, and there was an older gentleman waiting for us. He didn't speak, but his aura was rather impressive. He silently bowed his head and opened the door for us to enter.
I was expecting the ostentatious, but there is a difference between expecting it and experiencing it.
I can't really throw stones in regards to hoarding treasure, but I never really showed it off in the same way.
It wasn't even really the Gold intertwined with the decorations, there were materials used to craft the furniture and decorations that went beyond mere Gold.
"Wow." I simply said.
"If there's one thing you should know about Devils, it's that they like to show off." She grabbed my arm. "Come on, Zeo is waiting in the study before dinner starts. He wanted to meet you."
"Lead the way." I didn't resist as she continued to cheerfully pull me throughout the mansion.
It was…more of the same, in all honesty. I was aware she lived in an elaborate and expensive Mansion, and this was just about what I imagined.
I was peeking at every room we passed by, just to get a feel for the place, and I was impressed.
"Don't worry, I'll show you my room after dinner~" She whispered.
Calm down, little Wilhelm.
But that distracted me long enough that we came to the right room.
She pushed it open without a second thought, and dragged me inside.
There was one person there, sitting down in a ridiculously/extravagantly plush couch/chair as he casually read a book. A small smile on his face as he snapped it shut once we entered.
Getting a good look at him, we did look extremely similar.
Venelana did make a comment about how she had a certain type, and I couldn't deny it here. Not that I was put off by that, it's not like I too don't have a certain type.
The main difference was that his long red hair was in a ponytail, and he had a small beard, which gave him a bit more maturity in my opinion.
Honestly, he gave off a rather gentle aura, similar to Venelana.
He immediately stood up and offered his hand. "You must be my Grandson. It's good to finally meet you, I'm the Head of the Gremory Family, Zeoticus Gremory."
I accepted it politely enough. "I'm Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, it's a pleasure."
"Let me go make sure dinner is getting sorted, and I'll give you two a moment to talk." Venelana kissed me on the cheek.
"Thank you, Vene." Zeoticus Smiled.
She quickly left the room, but I wasn't sure it was entirely to check up on dinner.
"She's quite the woman, isn't she?" My Grandfather, laughed.
"That she is." I couldn't help but agree.
"I'm sad to see her go."
….now I felt awkward.
He tilted his head. "Is it strange?"
"Was I that obvious?" I responded.
"You had a certain look. I can't say that I'm familiar with your expressions, but you were not raised under our customs and society, so I can understand that the whole situation must feel rather strange." He gestured to an open seat across from him and I took it as he retook his own seat.
It was…odd, I didn't really feel any negative feelings as I talked to him. I guess, deep down, I never really attributed anything to him as he was never a person involved.
"I guess I'm just wondering if there's any bad blood." To say I was skeptical about him willingly stepping away from her was still something that I wanted clarification on.
Because I was definitely no homewrecker. I didn't want there to be a situation where he was still pining for Venelana and I was causing problems.
"Hmm." He tapped his cheek. "If you're wondering if I'm jealous? The answer is complicated. From the perspective of a man, I would say yes, simply because she's a one in a million woman who can't be replaced. From the perspective of a Husband and a dear friend, I'm happy that she's found someone else."
"….that still feels awkward to hear so bluntly." But also rather sweet.
He let out a chuckle. "I'm sure it is. You're still young, you won't understand it yet. We've been together for over a thousand years. Sometimes, you simply drift apart and those feelings of love slowly fade away. Perhaps it will happen to you eventually, or perhaps not. But while I may no longer be Venelana's Husband in that sense, I will always be her family and friend and wish her happiness."
"I see." I…admired him for that, I think.
I don't know if I could ever willingly let go of someone I loved. Just remembering what happened with Scáthach hurt me enough that I had to push those memories down.
"Vene probably set this up before dinner to clear the air." He smiled. "I assure you, that I have no hard feelings nor am I harboring resentment. I too was curious to gauge you myself. But seeing Vene with that excitement and spark in her eyes, that's all I need to know. You have my full blessing, and I hope you take good care of her."
I nodded. "I still think it's weird to be told that so bluntly."
"Haha!" He chuckled loudly. "My kids are the same, they get so hung up on such things. It's not as strange as you would think, should I tell you about when Vene and I were….what do the humans call it, swingers? Yes, we paired up with other couples some centuries ago for a bit of fun for a few years before we got bored of it. Why, we even –"
"Please don't" I mentally cringed. "I don't like to think about my woman and hear about how she was sleeping with other people."
He just chuckled again. "Kids these days, so restrained and prude. By the time I was your age, I had already been with the wife's of all my friends and even their mothers!"
"….I find myself oddly respecting you right now, while also being horrified."
Oh my god, I thought only Venelana liked to do things to mentally scar those around her, but he's the same, wasn't he?
"Would you like some advice? I know Vene's preferences." He offered with complete sincerity.
"Huh, I guess I do have some shame hidden deep down…." I came to the immediate realization after I processed what he said.
…..fucking Christ, this dinner was going to go horribly, wasn't it? And not just for me.
He stood up from his chair, before I had time to digest everything he just told me even with how little it actually was.
"Come on, my boy." He patted my shoulder. "Everyone should be ready. I want to know my Grandson better, I have many questions for you."
"Yeah…okay." I just stood up blankly.
I followed him a few rooms away, and I could smell the food as we got close.
The Dining room itself was as expected. A large table with many places set about. But the people there are what caught my attention.
Venelana was sitting at one end, and a little look let me know that I was to sit beside her.
But the others, well. I had mixed feelings, but I wasn't going to stick my head into the sand at this point. I knew they were here, and I came here anyway.
Venelana's Daughter, Rias was sitting down with a hesitant smile as our eyes met.
Nothing more than a glance sent her way.
But opposite of her was….him.
My Biological Father.
He had an expressionless look about him, but our eyes met. And then there was 'that' woman at his side. I nearly scowled just seeing her. She was still wearing her maid attire, and it took significant self-restraint for me to not run my mouth immediately.
I simply took a deep breath.
My Grandfather, took the seat at the head of the table, flanked on both sides with his children while I went to the opposite end, next to Venelana.
"I hope he didn't drill you about anything too hard." She took my hand into hers as soon as I sat down, basically making a declaration.
"Nope, he was just regaling me of stories about how you two used to swap partners with other families. And how he slept with all of his friends, and their moms too." I replied.
Venelana, well, she just smiled humorously.
But everyone else at the table, there were mixed reactions of shock, disgust, and utter awkwardness.
Fuck, I wasn't going to be the only one that had to suffer through those images in my head.
But I had a strange feeling that this wasn't nearly the extent of the awkwardness I was going to experience by the end of the night.
[***]
A/N
Just a nice family dinner, nothing bad will happen.
If you want to read 9 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a Boosty under the same name for those who can't access the above.
Lewd based on the wager mentioned in the chapter will be coming up soon.