— Leon Greyrat —
A year had passed, and it was now the year K425 of the Armoured Dragon calendar, meaning that I was now twenty years old.
To think that at this age I would already have four wives, three cute kids, and another on the way… well, if my younger self had heard this, he would have definitely been confused.
But I couldn't complain.
After all, I loved them all more than anything else, and they… well, they loved me just as much.
I just had to have a slightly pathetic intervention in order to truly realize that.
But now that I had… well, things were better than ever.
"What are you grinning about?" Luke asked from my side.
"Nothing," I said, shrugging. "Just thinking about things."
"Huh… I didn't take you for one who reminisces," he said.
"Well, there isn't really anything else to do, is there?" I asked.
Luke simply shrugged.
"Oh? Is looking at your beautiful lover not enough excitement to alleviate your boredom?" Ariel asked with a teasing tone. "Or perhaps… do you need two?"
She then pulled Sylphy from her side onto her lap, causing her to flush as Ariel rested her chin on her shoulder.
It was a very pleasant sight, to say the least.
Luckily, I was able to see such a sight at home as well.
"That isn't it. I'm just thinking of my love for you, is all," I said.
"O-Oh… I see… I suppose that's acceptable, then," Ariel said, a little embarrassed as she looked away.
Hmm… what did Rudy call her?
A powerful offence and a weak defence?
Yes… something like that.
Ariel wasn't necessarily weak to teasing, but she crumbled in front of my earnest expressions of love for her.
She was cute like that.
"Damn romantic," Luke muttered, shaking his head.
Yes, and I wouldn't deny it.
As for Luke… our relationship was stable, if I was to put it into words.
He was initially angry at me for being with Ariel, especially since she wasn't my sole focus in terms of romance, but that eventually calmed down with time, and after getting Perugius to our side, he had come to truly see me as an ally once more.
Well… for the most part, at least.
He still glared at me quite harshly whenever I gave Ariel a kiss, but I doubt that would ever change.
And as for me, while there was still a slight suspicion of him being the Man-God's apostle, I could at least trust his devotion to Ariel completely, and since he knew how much my kids and wives mattered to her, I could at least trust him to not harm them.
He could, of course, still be tempted by the Man-God into harming me, but, well… I was an Elemental Emperor, and he was an Intermediate rank swordsman, so I didn't feel too threatened.
"A-Anyway, did you think-"
"Excuse me, Princess Ariel!"
Ariel's words were interrupted by the sound of rapid knocking on the door, and with Sylphy swiftly removing herself from the princess' lap, the door then opened to reveal one of the attendants.
The one focused on dealing with information from Asura…
"Elora… is there something wrong?" Ariel asked, her voice prim and proper with her confident facade back in place.
"Ah! Apologies for interrupting you, but… I believe this news warranted such discourtesy," she said, bowing her head.
"Do not worry about that," Ariel said, waving off her apology. "Rather, I am interested in what news you bring to come here so urgently."
Nodding her head, Elora then walked up to Ariel, placing down a set of letters on the desk before she answered her.
"I have received word that the king… His Majesty is in bad health," she said. "It is said that there was to be a banquet in which the next heir will be chosen in a few months' time, and all possible heirs are invited, but… our information was delayed."
"Hmm… well, it is very unlikely such a letter would reach me. This is quite the bold move, dear brother…" Ariel said, leaning back as she hummed. "Well done, Elora. Do me a favour and gather everyone for a meeting tonight. It seems that our schedule will be pushed ahead."
With Elora nodding, she then departed just as asked, with Ariel releasing a sigh as soon as the door closed behind her.
"This is… somewhat troubling," Ariel said.
Yes… not only was she slightly unprepared for taking the throne, as there were still two years before her graduation, but this was also terrible timing as Ariel was currently a third of the way through her pregnancy, and would likely be in her third trimester by the time of the banquet.
Travelling in such a state, not to mention getting thrown into such a dangerous battle of succession… the timing was perfect for the other side.
"I wonder… do they know about your pregnancy?" I asked.
They must.
While we hadn't outright shown off the fact that Ariel was pregnant, there was only so long we could hide it, especially with the physical symptoms of it.
"They must. I doubt it's a spy, but rather…" Ariel said, staring at me as we came to an understanding.
The Man-God.
Of course, we didn't voice such suspicions, as Luke was present.
Hell, he could possibly be the source of the Man-God knowing about it, if the being looked into his memories.
But either way, they must have known about Ariel's condition, and to time it so perfectly…
"I highly doubt that my dear father's condition is natural, though I never expected them to be so bold," Ariel said, a smile growing across her face. "Perhaps… it seems that they feel threatened by me."
Especially if the Man-God told Darius that Ariel had Perugius' support.
"Well then. While this news is unexpected, it is not necessarily bad. It just means that our schedule will be pushed ahead," Ariel said, standing up as her hand went down to gently caress her belly. "It seems that my child will be born in the royal palace… in a way, this is a blessing, is it not?"
Indeed.
That would bring its own set of problems, considering my future son or daughter would become the heir to the most powerful nation, but first… there was something else to do.
— Leon Greyrat —
"So he has made his move… I suppose I should have expected this," Orsted said, tapping the table.
I hadn't had much interaction with the man past our first meeting, and he had remained secluded in the small house he had purchased on the outskirts of the city, but still, I had noticed that my instinctual hatred of the man had reduced over time.
Either this was the case with all curses, where once you got used to them, they wouldn't affect you as much, or perhaps it was something unique to me.
Either way, I no longer felt a deep-seated hatred towards the man, but rather a subtle dislike, like the way I felt towards Luke when we first met.
Obviously, it was nothing I couldn't look past for the sake of defeating the Man-God, and considering that Cliff was beginning to work on a magic item to reduce the curse's effects, it would hopefully be gone eventually.
Ah, and we had found out, both Rudy and I's children held no aversion to the man, which was quite… odd.
But it did explain some things.
With them not hating Orsted, this was likely the reason that my descendants teamed up with him to take down the Man-God in the future.
But as for Rudy… well, I wasn't sure.
Perhaps it was the same trait that he had, where he didn't get affected by Orsted's curse?
Anyway, those thoughts didn't quite matter right now.
"According to fate, the current king should fall ill in a few years' time. This is much too early," he continued.
So his fate wasn't all knowing… that was both good and unpleasant to know.
"Yes. Ariel suggested that Darius did something, considering her condition and new ally," I said. "The timing is simply too perfect."
"Mmm…" he murmured, nodding in agreement. "Still, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. You are strong enough to defend against most foes, and shall the Water God become your enemy, I will assist."
"I… see," I said. "Thank you, but… I would like to fight her first."
He looked at me oddly for a moment. "I suppose… but I did not take you for a person with great arrogance and pride."
"It's not that… well, not completely," I said.
There were definitely some personal feelings in my desire to defeat Master.
After all, not only was it a student's destiny, but that woman… she had also killed my two lovers in another timeline.
So I suppose there were some feelings of revenge there too, even if they were stupid.
"I see. Still, she is an opponent that can be reasoned with, especially since you already have a connection to her," he said.
"But… wouldn't she honour her duty to defend the First Prince and Darius? That's what she told me, at least," I said.
"Yes, but now that the fight for the throne has begun in earnest, she will likely take a neutral role as she has a duty to protect Ariel as well, even if her first love is blinding," he said. "However… that is only if she is not influenced by the Man-God. She would be the strongest card in terms of combat prowess he could reasonably play, so expect her to become an enemy. One that you cannot reason with."
Ah… I see.
Well, I suppose I would be able to see once we got there.
If she was intent on removing Ariel from the throne… then our battle would have to take place.
And I would be sure to end it in the most sure way possible… by killing her.
"However, there is a slight problem," Orsted said. "Fate dictated that Ariel could ascend to the throne due to exposing Minister Darius' crimes using one Tristina Purplehorse, removing him and the First Prince faction from the board… The only problem is that she is currently happily attending her final year of education at the Asuran Royal Academy."
Right… we had talked about her before, when he first gave me some brief advice on taking back Asura.
Tristina Purplehorse was originally a noble child that was kidnapped and became a sex slave for Minister Darius' perverted delusions before eventually escaping to form a bandit group…
Well, I was very glad that I was able to defend Eris back then, to say the least.
Anyway, with my actions back when I was a child in stopping Eris' kidnapping plot, and Philip, Sauros, and me finding out about Darius being the one behind it… well, while it wasn't enough to charge the minister, it was at least enough to force scrutiny onto him so that he couldn't continue his vile deeds.
And as a result of that, this Tristina Purplehorse was never captured like she was meant to be.
I was glad about that.
While it was a bit annoying that the easiest way to destroy the First Prince's faction was no longer there, I would never be upset that my actions had saved a young girl.
And besides…
"That isn't a problem," I said. "Ariel is strong enough to win on her own, and I am strong enough to protect her as she does so."
Orsted stared at me for a few moments.
"That is some confidence you have. Is it perhaps due to her being your lover?" he asked.
"No… though they aren't mutually exclusive," I said, shrugging.
After all, it was that fierce determination and charisma that had won me to her side, and as for falling in love with her… well, it was only natural to do so when such a strong woman pledges her love for you, especially when your other three wives accept it.
Huh… saying it like that, I once again remembered how much of a womanizing ass I must look like from the outside perspective.
…I felt like apologizing to Paul, for some reason.
"A-Anyway, are you coming for this?" I asked.
"Yes," Orsted said, nodding. "There are a few people I will take out in the chaos, and I will also remove the Second Prince's faction from the shadows. Your only job is to help Ariel defeat the First Prince's faction in this banquet. Anything else is to your own discretion."
I felt my hand go to the hilt of my sword.
"And these other nobles… are they important to the future of the kingdom?" I asked coldly.
"…Not particularly. As long as Ariel has enough manpower to manage their territories," he said.
Hmm… not particularly, huh?
Well… I would have to see them in person before making any hasty decisions.
"As agreed upon before, I will leave things to you, though I will be supporting from behind," Orsted said, getting up. "And as for after… well, we can have a conversation concerning Laplace, as well as how to gain Perugius' support with another ally."
And with that, he went back to his room, leaving me alone at the table of his dreary house.
All right… while it would usually take a few months to reach Ars, which would barely have us make it in time if we left now, considering we had the teleportation circles to work with, even more than before with Perugius' support, getting there should be quite easy and fast.
— Leon Greyrat —
Things should be quite easy and fast… why did I say such a thing?
"So… the teleportation circles that Lord Perugius could make use of are no longer active?" Ariel asked once again.
"Precisely," Arumanfi said. "While there weren't many to begin with, all the teleportation circles inside the Asura Kingdom have been destroyed or rendered unable to function. Still, Lord Perugius is magnanimous in offering his aid, and there is still a teleportation circle untouched on the northern borders of Asura. That is all."
And with that, Arumanfi turned into a flash of light before disappearing, leaving the rest of us slightly stunned.
"Well… this is unfortunate," I said, the rest of the group, which consisted of Ariel, Eris, Sylphy, and Luke nodding in agreement.
The teleportation circles were no longer working… this was likely a result of Darius' actions.
After Rudy and I officially turned against the Man-God, he must have used his influence to destroy all the teleportation circles he could, most of them being ones originally built for nobles to flee in case of danger.
And unfortunately for us, the ruins I used last time to get into Asura weren't regular teleportation ruins of the Dragon God, which the Man-God couldn't see. Instead, they were teleportation circles that Orsted had hijacked, much like Perugius did.
So that meant we would have to enter from the north… not only was the choke point on the northern border likely to cause problems in terms of attacks, but there was also a more important aspect to this.
Time.
"It is unfortunate indeed," Ariel said, massaging her temples. "If we use the teleportation circle they suggested… assuming it's directly north of the wall… we'll likely get there just in time for the banquet."
The problem with that was obvious.
There would be no room for Ariel to establish her roots in the capital.
In a perfect world, where the king didn't become ill until after her graduation, Ariel would have been able to do so for a year, gaining support and allies for a smooth transition to the throne.
And while not as great as that, if we were able to teleport closer to the capital, she would at least have a month to do so.
But like this… we would essentially be entering the fight just in time.
"Then… we should at least make our entrance a grand one," I said.
"Fufu… yes, I suppose so," Ariel said, leaning against my shoulder.
That was cute, my princess, but I don't know if right now was the time for affectionate gestures.
More importantly… I had to think about the enemies we would encounter.
According to Orsted, from what he knew, the Man-God was able to control three apostles at once.
We already knew that one of these were Minister Darius, especially now with the destruction of the teleportation circles, and while he was quite weak individually, his influence was nothing to laugh at.
Thus, with him, we should expect some assassins at the border upon our entrance.
Perhaps even an army, if we're unlucky.
And as for the other two… we had no clue.
It could possibly be Luke, and perhaps the Water God.
Of course, the Asuran Kingdom wasn't the only place in the world, so there could be another apostle somewhere else as well.
But either way, that didn't really matter.
If they tried to harm my wives, they would die by my blade, no matter who they were, apostle or not.
Well… maybe not Luke… but I'd at least remove his arms to ensure he wasn't a threat.
"Then… I suppose we should prepare to depart," Ariel said, turning back towards the house. "I'll leave the planning to you, Misha, but we should expect to be on the road for a month. And ensure to not account for any stops. We'll need all the time we can get"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
And so, the plan was set in motion.
— Leon Greyrat —
With all the supplies in the carriage double-checked, and everything prepared, I then went over to my family who were waiting patiently for our departure.
Well… except for a certain someone.
"I still hate it!" Eris huffed, holding Ars in her arms as I embraced the two of them in a hug.
"I know, but we can't take everyone, and we can't leave them undefended either," I said. "And who else am I meant to trust with their safety?"
Having already had this conversation a bunch of times, and me already winning every argument, she released a sigh as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"Me… but I still hate it. We're supposed to be partners…" she mumbled into my shoulder.
"Yes, and we are. This is what partners do. We support each other where we lack," I said, giving her a kiss as I separated from her. "And I lack being able to protect both Ariel and our family at the same time, which is where you come in."
"…Fine," she eventually relented. "Just don't take too long."
"I'll try," I returned.
Clicking her tongue, Eris gave me one last kiss as I then went over to Roxy.
"This goes without saying, but don't you dare die, understood?" she said sternly, her arms raising to wrap around my neck. "You made me the happiest woman alive, so it would be cruel to make me the most depressed."
"I… will try my best," I said, leaning down to peck her lips.
Only to get stopped by her hand.
"No. You will come back, understand?" she said.
"Ah… yes, I promise," I said, smiling.
And then, with her own mouth quirking upwards, the two of our mouths met as we exchanged a deep kiss as my hands accidentally went down to caress her back.
After all, it was just a great back.
But it seemed that Roxy didn't want to go any further, as she gently pinched my ear, stopping my hands from going any lower.
With her sending me an amused smile as our lips parted, I then looked back just in time to catch Anna and Aria as they both ran into my arms, having finished saying goodbye to Ariel and Sylphy.
Huh… I was a bit surprised that Anna was so eager to see me off, seeing that she was much closer to her mothers, but I definitely wasn't complaining.
Even if it wasn't to the same extent as Aria, I was very glad that my second daughter loved me.
"Dada… be careful," Aria said, clutching my shirt.
"I will, sweeties. Daddy needs to come home to you two, after all," I said, squeezing them tightly. "Be good for Roxy and Eri, okay? I'll make sure to get you something nice from the capital."
"Okay… can you get candy?" Anna asked.
"Haa… yes, I can get you candies," I agreed.
"And toys?" Aria added.
"Don't push your luck," I teased, tickling their sides.
Hearing the two of them break down into a fit of giggles, I gave them one last squeeze before letting them go, my hands reaching up to caress their cheeks as I looked at both of their cute, beautiful, and pudgy faces.
"I love you two, okay? You know that, right?" I said.
Aria smiled widely. "Love you too, Dada!"
Anna smiled as well, nodding gently. "Love you… too."
Mhm. Yep. I was definitely motivated now.
"Good, now it's time for me to go, so make sure to keep your promise about being good," I said, ruffling their hair before I stood up.
Looking back at Eris and Roxy, I gave them a smile as Aria and Anna walked towards them.
"And I love you two as well," I said.
"We know, husband," Roxy said, picking up Anna as she came close. "And I love you just as much."
"Hmph! But me more!" Eris said, her eyes softening as she looked at me. "So come back quickly, got that?"
"I got it," I said, nodding. "And stay sharp, okay? If anything happens, use that communication ring, and make sure you and Rudy stay in contact."
"We know," Roxy said. "Just focus on your side of things, okay? You didn't marry two incompetent women. We can handle things for two months, at the very least."
Right… yeah, she was right.
And so, giving them one last wave and a blown kiss each, I then turned back to the group that would be storming the Asuran Kingdom.
There was Ariel, of course, as well as her attendants, which included Sylphy and Luke.
And then, for the main combatants, there was Ghislaine and I, with the plan being for Ghislaine to defend Ariel alongside Sylphy while I dealt with any opponents in front of us.
There was still one person missing among Ariel's camp, that being my little sister Aisha. But I had forced her not to come along for… obvious reasons.
I already had to ensure Sylphy and Ariel were safe during this trip, and I did not need to have the stress of another. Much less one without any protection from 'fate', which the other two had at least.
But once everything was settled, I assumed that she would be Ariel's right-hand girl once again, and perhaps even taking the Prime Minister position, considering how it fit her strengths perfectly.
Either way… it was now time.
So, with the carriage and our group standing together, we stood in the teleportation circle as we were then pulled towards Perugius' floating fortress, ready to face the Asura Kingdom.
The first vow I had made after reading that diary of another world's future… it would soon be completed.
— Leon Greyrat —
With the sun bearing overhead, we continued down the road, crossing over the hill as a familiar sight revealed itself. One that still left me in awe despite having already experienced it before.
"Ars… so we're finally back," Ariel said from beside me, having left the carriage door open so we could talk.
Her voice was filled with emotion, a mix of melancholy and excitement. And knowing her history in this place, that was only natural.
"But this time, it will be different, right?" Sylphy added from beside her, gently squeezing her hand.
"Yes… it will be," Ariel said, her voice laden with intensity.
After a month of travel, we had finally reached our destination, and with not a week to spare.
Even with the teleportation circle, we had cut it extremely close, and without it… well, Ariel would have missed her chance, with the grand banquet being held to select the next ruler already taking place.
That wouldn't necessarily be the end of things, but Ariel would definitely be seen as a usurper if she decided to take more forceful methods.
If it wasn't for the teleportation circles, Darius would have played it perfectly, as he would have given enough time, at least by appearance, to allow Ariel to attend, while also using the king's declining health as a way to spur on the selection's timing.
But still, I guess that didn't matter now.
If it was just Darius, I would say that our arrival would be a surprise, but with the Man-God whispering in his dreams, I doubted that was the case.
On our way here, we had been attacked by a few bandits and assassins, though much less than I would have thought.
If I was to guess, they looked more like probing units, which of course caused no issues with our travel.
Bur from how everything was looking, it seemed that the final stand-off would happen in the capital, and most likely during the banquet.
There, all the nobles will be present to see the First Prince and Darius take power, either through force, politics, or most likely… both.
But that wouldn't work.
Not this time.
After all, not only did she have Sylphy and Ghislaine protecting her, most importantly… Ariel had me.
"Well then, let us make our way to my private residence," Ariel said, smoothing out her hair as we continued down the hill. "While I will not have time to form any connections with the nobles, at the very least, I should make a grand entrance to the civilian populace. That was always my specialty, after all."
With her lips curling into a practised smile, she then glanced over to me, her smile becoming a bit more genuine.
"And I suppose, like this, I will have to introduce their new king as well," she said.
Yes… and from the size of her belly, which left no imagination as to what had occurred, she would also be introducing the next heir… kind of.
"Ah, and Luke, will you be joining us?" Ariel then asked, turning to the other member of the carriage.
Luke made a sour face as he clenched his fist. "I… if you could permit me, I would like to see my father and determine what exactly had happened. And if things are as they appear… then to convince him to return to your side."
Ariel looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that would be most prudent. If he had made his choice to change sides under duress, then it would only be right to give him a chance to redeem himself. But Luke…"
"Yes, princess?" he voiced.
"Just know that I am not one to take betrayal lightly," she said, her voice cold and tense.
"Ah… yes, princess," Luke said, turning his head down.
With that, we continued silently down the road, with Ariel's return to the capital slowly approaching.
While much of the populace, which had already been endeared to Ariel, would be ecstatic about this, that was far from the case for most nobles. Especially those who had sided with the other two princes after she fled to Ranoa.
Tonight, and for the following days leading up to the banquet, I would have to keep my senses and instincts sharp, especially at night where assassins would likely attack.
So sadly, no fun in bed for me.
But that would only be for a week.
The passages from that now-destroyed diary… the butchering of two of my dearest lovers… I would not allow that to happen this time.
The Asura Kingdom… soon, it would be cleansed of its filth, and with its destruction, I could trust Ariel to form a nation out of the rubble. One worthy of my family to live in.