After Yasenia told them to sit around, she was about to call Angel over, but Drasha's tail snatched Angel into her embrace.
Angel was also about to go to Yasenia's side, but a thick snake tail suddenly surrounded her, carrying her into the soft and warm embrace of the lamia, making her blink in confusion.
Yasenia was stunned and then laughed. "I see that you like Angel quite a lot."
Drasha didn't hide it. "This little human you've raised is one of the cutest things I've seen in my life~. Moreover, her proficiency in formations is a big plus. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be this enthusiastic."
A purple-scaled lamia with mature facial features and an elegant disposition was surprised. "Oh? Drasha dear, you didn't say anything about her skill."
Drasha smiled. "I wanted to give you a surprise, Mom."
Yasenia blinked and remembered that Drasha was the mother of Meiren, the other blue-scaled lamia. 'Oh? So we have grandma, mother, and daughter here.'
Yasenia smiled. "Madams, it is a pleasure you've come to my small clan. Should we enter discussions, or would you like to eat something before we start?"
Drasha took the lead and spoke. "Matriarch Yasenia, let's skip pleasantries. If our talk goes as we want, eating later won't be a problem at all."
Yasenia nodded. "Sure, go ahead."
Drasha patted Angel's head and massaged her scalp as she spoke. "All the lamias here are rogue cultivators. I ask you not to underestimate us since all of us have reached extreme proficiency in our crafts. Until now, no Sect or Clan was attractive to us because their benefits were insufficient. After getting to know Angel, I knew you could provide something other clans cannot."
Yasenia leaned back in her chair and asked. "And what would that be?"
Drasha smirked. "No need to act mysterious. We know that you have some hidden or lost knowledge. No matter how talented, someone under 70 years old can't reach the skill levels little Angel has. Moreover, I could tell that she was holding back."
Angel flinched.
Yasenia's interest was piqued, and she didn't hide it. It would be an insult to their intelligence to do so. "You are right. She didn't go all out during the tournament. Her skill is much higher."
There were another four formation masters within the group of 20 lamias, and they all lifted an eyebrow. "Are you really not lying to us, Matriarch Yasenia?"
Yasenia smiled. "I'm not. Also, calling me Lady Yasenia is enough. All seniors here are proficient in their crafts and people that command respect."
Drasha smiled. "We'll do so, Lady Yasenia."
Yasenia nodded. "If I understand correctly, you want to join our clan in exchange for giving you knowledge that the rest of the Continent doesn't have."
Drasha nodded and spoke calmly. "This group of twenty is just the leaders of each respective talent. We, lamia, have always been talented profession-wise. Today, we've come to you with four formation masters, three blacksmiths, three alchemists, a spiritual chef, two tailors, two Spiritual Tattoo masters, a gardener, a medical practitioner, and two experts focusing on planning and building large and small structures."
Yasenia rested her chin on her hand. "That's really not bad. I suppose that most of you are in the level of a Nine Sect Elder in the top twenty."
Drasha nodded confidently. "Some of us can even qualify in the top ten."
Yasenia asked. "How is your strength?"
Drasha communicated. "Four of us are in the low level of the Epoch Core Body Realm, while the rest besides my daughter are at the peak of the Ethereal Soul body realm. Our group naturally doesn't end with us twenty, as we are more like representatives. Our numbers are in the high hundreds, but besides the juniors, who comprise about sixty percent of our group, all of us are strong and proficient cultivators."
Yasenia nodded. 'A delicious pie fell from the sky.'
After thinking for a few seconds, she spoke. "Our knowledge about Tattoo masters is null, and our knowledge about structures is also null. Therefore, we wouldn't be able to promise anything to those sectors. Is that okay for them?"
A brown-scaled lamia nodded. "We are okay with it as long as you allow me one thing."
The other lamias had their eyebrow twitch.
Yasenia motioned her to put her demands forward.
The lamia was in the Epoch Core Body Realm, so she basically disappeared from Yasenia's perception and appeared before her with an excited face. "Please, allow me to investigate your body and tattoo it! The moment I saw you, I wanted to touch and imprint this precious and creamy skin you have with my colors~."
"Ahn~, seeing you up close is even better. Such soft and supple skin, so perfect and devoid of any blemishes. Who knew that the Heavens could create a celestial being with such perfect skin~. You are like a perfect canvas! Also, even if you don't like them, don't worry. Our tattoos don't stay on the skin's surface; they meld with the body after painting them. How could I stain your perfect skin with drawings? No matter how perfect, a drawing has no right to desecrate your lustrous body! Do you have a partner? If not, I'll marry you!"
Yasenia was stunned for real this time as the senior began touching her face and arms with an entranced expression and blushing cheeks.
The other lamias had their lips twitching.
Drasha spoke. "Fascia, stop bothering Lady Yasenia before you scare her."
Yasenia snapped out of her daze and looked at the heavily breathing woman with a weird gaze. "What will those tattoos do?"
Fascia's eyes seemed to glitter with starlight as her passion soared and pierced the clouds. "I would never place something harmful on your body, Lady Yasenia. They would increase your strength, perception, energy absorption, capacity, and more! There are nothing but benefits for letting me lick and play with your body, wife!"
Yasenia felt a chill climb up her spine. 'Maybe I should not accept these women.'
Drasha saw Yasenia's twitching eyebrow and coughed. "Although Fascia is like that, she is actually the second-best Tattoo Master of the Continent. She is pretty eccentric as she doesn't Tattoo those she doesn't deem worthy… Well, she was the person that worried me the most in this deal, but it seems that I was thinking too much."
Fascia rubbed her face with Yasenia's as she spoke. "Drasha, how could you not have presented her to me earlier!? My wife is so beautiful and has such lick-worthy skin!"
Yasenia saw that the woman was really about to lick her and used a hand to stop her. "L-Lady Fascia, although I'm very flattered about your intentions. I already have a partner. So I would like it if you didn't try to lick me."
Fascia blinked a few times before smiling widely again. "Don't worry, my love. I can take part of in a harem. I'm not greedy!"
Yasenia and the lamias were stunned and speechless.
Seeing her face approach her arm again, Yasenia hastily stopped her. "No, no, no. I mean, I do not have any intentions of adding more partners. Lady Fascia, please understand."
Fascia pouted. "At least let me have one lick, and I'll follow your Astral Sky Clan forever."
Yasenia smiled widely and presented her arm. "Go ahead until you are satisfied!"
'I would be retarded if I didn't agree to have an Epoch Core Body Realm senior join me for a few licks on my arm.'
Yasenia then ignored the moist and long tongue slobbering her skin, accompanied by moans, and turned toward the stupefied lamia group. "I agree to all of you joining us. I hope you have no regrets, though."
Angel hugged Drasha a bit closer and muttered. "Big Sister Fascia is a bit strange."
Drasha patted Angel's head and laughed. She didn't expect Yasenia to be this accepting of her biological sister's eccentric manners, so it was honestly a big plus for them.
Most people recoiled and didn't understand that Fascia was quite an honest and pure woman who dedicated her whole life to her craft, making her a bit strange.
'Although… It is her first time trying to wife someone as soon as they meet. It's quite strange for this six-hundred-year-old virgin.'
"Well, Lady Yasenia. We'll be in your care from now on… Also, you can ask her to stop whenever you feel uncomfortable."
The long brown tail of the lamia coiled around Yasenia and her chair, and her arm was at Fascia's mercy as the tongue explored everything, even between the fingers.
Yasenia smiled at Drasha. "Ah, it doesn't matter. Besides tickling a bit, Fascia is a beautiful enough woman that I don't really care about this."
"Lahdy Yhaseina cadded me beautiphul!? Sho Happy!"
Fascia's exclamation of joy did not interrupt her… feast?
Meiren exclaimed in embarrassment. "Second Aunt! Stop, you are embarrassing me!"
Fascia stopped and blinked a few times while hugging Yasenia as if she was her precious treasure. "Embarrassing you? Why?"
Yasenia burst into laughter. 'She is quite cute in her own way.'
Fascia looked at Yasenia's laughing face and blushed. "Lady Yasenia. You are beautiful. Thank you so much for allowing this unworthy woman to lick your sacred body. It was a delicacy I've never tested before."
Yasenia patted the tail around her and smiled. "Thank you, Fascia. Can you let me go for now? I want to ask you about a good location and materials for Tattoo Masters. I have to also lead your sisters and friends with me."
Fascia nodded quickly and untangled her. Then, she stood at her side with an obedient look and a wagging tail.
Yasenia couldn't help but ask. "Is my skin that good?"
The other tattoo master with them, Fascia's first disciple, nodded with a solemn expression. "Lady Yasenia, you are the second woman I've seen with quality skin as perfect as you have."
"Oh? And the first?"
"The Matriarch of the Harpies."
Fascia became downcast, and Yasenia asked. "What's wrong?"
Drasha answered. "Well, Fascia also got excited with that woman, but she was blasted away with the wave of her wing."
Fascia sighed. "It was about two hundred years ago, but I still can remember that white and beautiful alabaster skin, as if the Moon's beauty was transformed with flesh and bones."
Yasenia laughed and smiled. "As long as you don't cross the line, you can ask me anything."
Fascia smiled widely. "Thank you, Lady Yasenia."
Our dragoness picked up Kaleina and kissed her nose.
"Mommy!"
Yasenia smile as her eyes bent into crescents. "Let's go, my love."
Kaleina repeated with her crisp and milky voice. "My Luv!"
The lamias looked dignified, but their eyes were looked on the adorable dragon cub. 'Lady Yasenia's daughter is so cute!'
The dragoness stood up. Then, she shook her arm once and cleaned the saliva with energy. As she walked by Drasha, her long tail snatched Angel and placed her on her shoulders.
"Let's go. I'll give you a tour around the house. Also, I know that many of you like to run around. So we'll speak about quotas to be kept and other methods to avoid restraining your freedom as much as possible. We'll include the needed cooperation with external powers and many more details."
Drasha smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much, Lady Yasenia."
Yasenia smiled and guided them around. The doors were more than high enough to carry Angel on her shoulders, so she didn't place her down at any moment.
Fascia was inseparable the whole day and kept looking at Yasenia up and down.
After dinner with the girls, Drasha dragged her crying sister away by her tail.
"I want to be more with Lady Yasenia!"
"Big sister, she is going to spend the night with her lovers. We can't disturb her."
"Wuwuwu, little sister. I don't want to stop looking at Lady Yasenia."
"Stupid girl, we are now part of their group, so you'll be able to see her almost daily!"
Their purple-scaled "grandma," that looked like a well-nurtured and charming thirty-five-year-old laughed softly. "Silly girl, we'll add a few benefits for you in the contract, so cheer up."
Fascia was quick to regain her bearing and smiled. "If Mother says so, who am I to continue being ignorant? Let's go, little sister."
Drasha was stunned as Fascia turn things around and garbed her, carrying her away.
Meiren exclaimed as she chased behind. "Second Aunt! Stop being so embarrassing and dragging my mom!"
Fascia laughed loudly as she proudly slithered away.
**************************************
Author: Quite a wild person.
Yasenia: She is very amusing.
Cecile: *Stare*
Yasenia: Hm?
Cecile: *Stare*
Yasenia: Sweetheart, why are you looking at my arm so intently?
Cecile: Come with me.
Yasenia: W-Wait, isn't the Celestial Theater time now?
Author: Don't worry, Yasenia. I'll choose a question that doesn't have either you or Cecile.
Yasenia: Traitooor!
*Sounds of something very pure ongoing in the distance appear.*
Author: Well, and as we ignore the not-at-all-strange sounds, I summon you!
Dante: Tada~.
The girls: Hello!
Dante: Hello… Hm? What's this moa-.
Author: This not-at-all-strange sound is the wind.
Dante: Wind? In space?
Author: You can talk. What's wrong with wind blowing in space?
Tatyana: So, Dante dear, what's your question?
Dante: Cough. I'm coming to ask you today, Tatyana.
Tatyana: Sure, ask away!
Dante: What were your other options/what would you have done if you didn't find the ritual leading to Yasenia's birth?
Tatyana: Hmm… That's a tricky question.
Dante: Oh? Did you have no plans?
Tatyana: Not that. It's just that I didn't actually think I would ever be able to give birth.
Dante: How so?
Tatyana: Do you know I might be the only human cultivator to get pregnant from nothing but a ritual and survive the birth of the child?
Dante: Is it that dangerous?
Mirrory: If a demi-goddess was able to get pregnant and create life with just a ritual, what do you think would happen?
Mirrory: Remember that the higher the cultivation, the more talented a child is at birth to a certain extent.
Dante: How is talent affected?
Tatyana: Limits. Let's put it in LitRPG vocabulary.
Tatyana: Imagine that everyone has a maximum level at birth
Tatyana: This level would depend on many factors, but the biggest one is the parents' strength. If two level five people give birth, the child will probably have a maximum level(potential) of level five, and to increase that cap, they would have to work very hard.
Tatyana: However, if the parents are level one hundred. The child will probably also be born with a limit level of one hundred.
Dante: I see. So if a demigoddess or something stronger could get pregnant with a ritual at will, the balance of the world would be destroyed.
Evelyn: *Whispers* Andrea, do you know what she is talking about?
Andrea: I have no idea, but Dante seems to be understanding what she is saying.
Angel: As expected of Mommy Tatyana, she is the best!
Kali: I'm lost… Valeria, do you understand?
Valeria: Nop~. Tatyana is a bit touched in the head. Just ignore her.
Mirrory: Well, the context is understandable, right?
The others: Well, that's true.
Evelyn: The bigger the number (Strength) of the parent, the bigger number the child can naturally reach.
Tatyana: That's right. Also, answering Dante's question. My plan was to continue searching for someone until I got completely tired or died along the way.
Dante: Oh...
Author: Well, this is all for today. Bye-bye, little lurkers~.
Dante: Goodbye!
The girls: Bye~.
Yasenia: *Sprawling all over Cecile* Sweetheart, we missed it.
Cecile: *Radiantly smiling* It doesn't matter.
The others: …