Gruuk!
Before Filora could even respond to what I said, the ground suddenly began to tremble loudly.
"Shit, they're already here! Quickly, whitch do it?" Filora exclaimed as she looked inside the castle. Following her gaze, I saw that Ardia was walking towards the castle door.
"Oh boy, you've done it now, I just thought that it might been a bad Idea to giving you that task " she said, walking past me.
My eyes followed her as she walked right in front of the castle and suddenly took out her wand.
Holding the wand in her hand, she began to mutter something, and around her, a few sparks of light could be seen in the air.
But while she was doing that, the ground shaking intensified rapidly to the point that I couldn't manage to stand straight anymore.
"What... What the hell?"
It felt like the ground was slowly sinking, and at the same time, I kind of felt that something huge was emerging from the ground.
"Dammit, all this happens to be in a time when Gilda away," Filora said while looking at Ardia.
Ardia continued to mutter in some unknown language, and the glow around her began to increase bit by bit.
I couldn't understand what she was doing, but I could sense that something really terrible was coming.
Grahh!
Suddenly, another loud rumble shook the earth, almost sounding like the roar of a giant beast.
From a bit away from the castle, I saw something like giant teeth emerging from the ground, and suddenly, following that, all around the area, countless things like that began to appear. The teeth continued to surface as they moved towards the castle.
『 Dimensional swap! 』Ardia suddenly muttered out loud, and around the whole castle, a barrier-like thing appeared. In the next second, before those teeth-like things could reach the outside, the scenery changed abruptly to that of a forest.
The roaring sound disappeared, replaced by the gentle chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. For the first time, I caught a glimpse of real sunlight instead of that dreary red sky here.
"Those are the offspring of Nidhogg. If we were even a bit later, none of us would have managed to survive," Filora muttered.
"But what happens now?" I asked.
"We swapped dimensions, and she managed to bring us to a safer world," said Filora as she looked towards Ardia.
But at that moment, Ardia seemed a bit tired.
Her wand suddenly transformed into a long cane, and placing it on the ground like an old grandma, Ardia walked towards us.
"Come here," she waved toward me, and I quickly ran towards her. And As for her request I lowered my head, but suddenly she gripped my ear and twisted it painfully.
"Awww!" I winced in pain.
"You damn boy, you almost caused me to end my life with that one. Do you know how much mana I had to use for that dimensional swap?" she muttered. In that moment, she really felt like a scolding grandma.
"I forgive you for this, only this time, because you didn't know anything. But you still have to pay me back," releasing my ears, she patted my butt and walked away. She didn't speak with Filora and continued to go inside the castle.
After she walked a few steps away from us, I looked towards Filora, expecting an answer from her.
"You said you wanted answers, right? Ardia will explain all of these things to you. And to make things fair, I will make you work for her for a whole week," she said in a rough voice.
"Is this fair enough, witch?" she asked Ardia.
"Hoh, this is unexpected," muttered Ardia as she looked back. Her gaze fell on me, and I felt a little pang of discomfort at that moment.
"Do you mean to tell him all about you?" she asked Filora again.
"Well, he is now my slave, and it's not like it would harm me even if he knew," Filora said, glancing one last look towards me before walking up the stairs to the upper floor.
I watched as she walked up the stairs and disappeared. Who would have thought that the beautiful girl I saw in the park would turn out to be such a bitch?
"Enough dreaming. Didn't you hear? She gave you full custody to me, so follow back," Witch Ardia said as she walked. Obeying her words, I followed behind her.
Under Ardia's will, my days were spent in this castle. She made me clean all the decorations and stuff in it, even the light lamps on the roof. And to make matters worse, she made me clean up bathrooms that looked like they were used by some weird beast.
The stench was so disgustingly filling that I almost vomited out of disgust, but thankfully, Ardia used her wand to make the air sweet to my nose.
And As I walked around , I occasionally heard the sounds of men moaning on the upper floors, and then there was only silence. Needless to say, Gilda and Filora were still bringing men into this castle and using them as their nourishment.
I got to know all this because, following Filora's orders, Ardia told me everything I needed to know about them.
Gilda and Filora are actually a mix breed between succubus and angels, which means they've inherited powers and attitudes from both species. However, due to their mixed heritage, they are outcast from their society. After roaming for a long time, they joined forces with the Demonic, arch-nemesis of the Fallen kind, and now work under one of the most powerful demon generals' orders.
During a battle in the Nether Fields, the two of them were badly injured and were escaping from the Fallen and that's when They stumbled upon this castle and decided to hide here. However, the Fallen managed to track them down but only to be defeated by Ardia, who has lived here for a long time.
After they healed with help from Adrina, they decided to live here, even without asking her. Although Adrina didn't show dislike towards them, she didn't like them either.
But even later, after telling me all that, she didn't tell me anything about herself and refused to answer any of my questions, including those about the castle. The only answer I got was that the reason imps are living at the castle's door is because they find it safer in this place.
But out of all the things she said, one thing constantly began to ring in my mind.
"Listen here, boy. This new reality you're stepping into is not like the weak one you lived in before. Here, only the strong rule, and by strong, I don't just mean raw physical strength, like how dumb humans like you think. I also mean intelligence.
Whether one dies or not, whether this planet exists or not, or whether this universe exists or not, it all depends on the one who holds superior strength.
And to those who have strength, the pity dream you have about going back to earth is like a snap of a finger's work. So be strong, make yourself a name among the world, in that way Maybe your dreams will come true, and no one will be able to make you a slave."
Those words of hers ignited a strange force in my heart that made me refuse to look for that ghost room all this time. Am I beginning to like this new reality? Did I abandon my old world? Have I decided to strive for strength?
Huff! I don't know anymore.
---
"Aghh," with a moan, Filora fell close to me on the bed. When she wasn't seeking other men's seeds, she sometimes called for me and had rough sex with me. And this was one of those times.
Damn my life, from one side there's her, and from the other side, that witch who's always looking to suck my dick.
I got up from the bed with a curse, but of course, I couldn't say those things aloud; if I did, this woman would suck me dry.
At first, there was a bit of a problem I faced when living here: finding some clothes to wear. I can't wear that butler outfit forever, can I? And I'm not willing to ask her to make any other clothes.
But thankfully, because Filora always brings other men here, I managed to get some clothes they wore from the sucked-up bodies.
Picking up the clothes from the floor, I stepped out of the room and slowly closed the door in a way that Filora, who was asleep after our encounter, wouldn't wake up.
Walking down the stairs, I reached the lower floor and made my way towards the witch's room, as she had asked me to come after I was done with Filora.
"I'm here," I said as I opened the witch's door. As soon as I entered, I felt a deep, uncomfortable smell emanating from inside.
Looking into the room, I saw Ardia tending to a large pot in front of the fire.
"Quiet, boy, I'm doing some serious task here," Ardia said, gesturing for me to be silent.
I silently entered her room and walked toward her. While she was adding some ingredients to her... whatever she was making, I began to flip through some books she had stored.
In this week's time under her guidance, I managed to learn languages from these books thanks to her. She also allowed me to read some of her other books thanks to I accompanying her every time.
And in this books I'm reading, there's something that catches my interest.
Flipping a page, I look at another page that details a method for creating a potion bottle. The name and effect of this potion bottle are...
『 Love Potion: Makes anyone who drinks it fall in love with you for a certain period of time 』
If I wanted to know whether the ability I have is useful or not, I would have to test it with someone who loves me. Unfortunately, I know that nobody in this mansion is like that; they only care about my penis.
So my only chance is to make this potion and give it to someone. But for now, I only thought about that and hadn't even taken the first step toward that dream.
"Huh! Look at how the brat is laughing. Is it because the week of working under me is coming to an end soon?" Suddenly, the witch spoke.
Closing the book, I turned to look at her.
"Not at all. In fact, I just remembered that it's been almost a week," I replied to her, but it was a lie. I was eagerly awaiting the day I would finally be free from this witch. She made me do every single thing in this castle. I even had to learn how to cook because of her.
"Oh really? Since it's your last two days under me, I have one final serious task for you," the witch said as she walked toward a table and took out an empty book. After that, she wrote something in it for a few seconds as I waited to know what this task was about.
Creak!
After writing, she ripped off the page from the book and gave it to me.
"Here. There is a nearby town in this area. I want you to go there and bring me these items I've written down," she instructed.
"Huh! Me? Are you telling me to go outside?" I became perplexed by what she said suddenly. Did she really tell me to go outside? I thought this day would never come.
"Yes, you, who else in this room other than you and me? Usually, I ask Filora or Gilda to fetch those things for me, but I thought, hey! You're still under my command for a certain time, so why don't I let you go out there and gather those things? I think it will also be good for your health," Ardia said as she walked back toward the boiling pot and added some ingredients to it.
"But isn't it dangerous to go outside alone? I mean, look at me. I'm only a human with average strength," I said.
"Kha-kha, what you said is indeed right. Fine, I'll give you a few things to protect yourself. Come here in the morning; you're not going now anyway," Ardia said as she pushed me out of her room and closed the door.
"What's gotten into her suddenly? It's not like I would steal anything," I muttered to myself as I held the paper with the items she wanted in my hand. I walked back to the room she had prepared for me on the first day.
"Huf!" With a sigh, I leaned on my bed. Today was an unexpected day. Who would have thought I would be lucky enough to go outside like this? Maybe it's because we are in a different place than before she asked me to go. Maybe she knows about this world too. However it is, I was really getting bored staying inside this castle all this time.
While lazily leaning on the bed, I picked up another paper from my pocket and looked at it. On that paper is the list of ingredients needed to create a love potion. While witch wasn't looking, I managed to discreetly copy the ingredients into this one quickly.
Khahah, wait for me, my sweet little love potion. I'm coming for you soon.
- - - - -
As the rays of sun fell through the window onto my face, I opened my eyes slowly.
"Did I fall asleep while thinking about the potions?" I thought to myself because the list of ingredients for the love potion is still in my hand as I wake up.