As the days grew into weeks, Alaric discovered that he had settled into a rhythm with Kara that was not only pleasant but also predictable. Their interactions continued to be fun and personal, with the little caresses and provocative moments becoming as natural as breathing to them.
Whenever they were alone, he'd push the boundaries, his hands always finding their way to her waist, hips, or even occasionally brushing against her full chest.
At this point, it appeared as though Kara had become accustomed to his conduct.
Although she would occasionally offer him a teasing look or roll her eyes, she never went so far as to shove him away.
The "Harem God System" would send its typical messages, but Alaric began to notice something peculiar: the amount of experience he got from these activities was gradually and slowly dropping.
A few days earlier, he could have been able to get 80 or 90 points for a gentle touch on Kara's waist at that time. Now, even a strong grasp of her broad hips was not enough to bring him forty points.
[+40 Experience gained for physical contact.]
"Huh," Alaric thought to himself, his hand still resting on Kara's hip as they stood by the kitchen counter. "That's... weird."
Kara looked down at him, noticing the little frown that furrowed his face. "Is there anything wrong?" she inquired calmly, not breaking stride as she sliced vegetables for lunch.
To which Alaric said, "Not really," as he removed his hand from the table and leaned against the counter. "Just... thinking."
He attempted to shake it off, but the notifications issued by the system were giving him a headache.
Over the course of several days, the number of experience points that he was gaining from Kara had been gradually dropping.
Simply put, it was illogical.
Even when he was more daring, such as the time he had managed to get a feel of her breasts while pretending to reach for a jar that was on a high shelf, he still only managed to get less than fifty points.
[+50 Experience gained for intimate contact.]
'Fifty?' Alaric had thought to himself. 'I used to get double that for just touching her waist.'
It was as if the system had grown tired of rewarding him for the same activities no matter how much Kara blushed or smiled.
There was a clear indication that something was not quite right, and he was unable to escape the notion that there was more to this than just declining returns.
---
In the later part of that day, Alaric was sitting in his room, going through one of the few ancient volumes on magic theory that were stacked on the shelf.
Nevertheless, his thoughts were not on the pages; rather, they were on the system. Under his breath, he mumbled, "So, what's the deal?" while looking at the ceiling. "Why's the experience dropping off like this?"
In spite of the fact that he was not anticipating a response, the system responded as if it had been paying attention.
[System Notice: Experience gained from repeated actions on the same target will decrease over time. To maximize growth, engage with multiple individuals.]
A minor widening of Alaric's eyes occurred. "Oh… that makes sense."
Not that Kara was no longer entertaining; rather the contrary, in fact.
It was obvious that the system encouraged him to broaden his horizons and construct a harem rather than concentrating on a single female. It was not intended to allow him to level up rapidly by focusing on a single target. He needed to diversify, and fast.
He was more excited than he would have liked to admit at the concept. Sure, Kara had been excellent practice, and she was still loving, but knowing that he might unlock more of the system's potential by broadening his circle offered him a whole new set of possibilities.
As he stood up, he walked around the room. "So… more girls, huh?" As he rubbed the back of his neck, he let out a giggle. "Easier said than done."
Kara had not only been a fortunate discovery, but she had also almost fell into his lap when she arrived to work for the family. But now Alaric was facing a different type of challenge than he had ever encountered.
The number of other ladies in his immediate network who were suitable for the role was rather low.
In all honesty, he was unable to initiate sexual relations with either his mother, Lyra, or his aunt, Cassandra. The subject was off-limits—at least for the time being.
The possibility of his cousin Fiora was also out of the question, despite the fact that she may have been appealing. It was true that she was a handful, but she was not the appropriate target just yet.
Alaric, on the other hand, required other people, a fresh face. However, where is it?
He sat down on his bed and stared out the window for a moment without moving. Suddenly, his already limited world seemed much more limited.
The town did not exactly have a plethora of lovely ladies, particularly those of his age who were available.
You might say that the majority of the girls in the area were either too young to be interested or too elderly and married.
Kara had been the one and only exception, someone who exemplified all of the best qualities—she was lovely, she was nice, and she was simple to control.
But at this point, he required more. "It's a shame," he said silently. "If only there were more girls around like her."
Dissatisfaction flooded over him for a little period of time. It was as if the system was holding up the potential of additional power in front of him, but it did not provide him with any actual means to achieve that power.
He did not precisely have a large number of social ties, and his family lived in a manner that was somewhat secluded. The expansion of his harem was proving to be more challenging than he had anticipated.
After that, a notion occurred to him. "The academy," he murmured, his eyes expanding in surprise.
Indeed, it is.
Before, he hadn't given it much thought, but now that he did, it was quite logical.
The academy of the kingdom, which was a place where young men and women from all around the kingdom would congregate to learn about magic, battle, and other talents necessary for a noble life. It was the perfect hunting ground.
However, there was a catch to it.
At the moment, he was too young to join.
For a person to be eligible to join the academy in this kingdom, they needed to be at least nine years old.
While Alaric was just seven years old. There are two more years to go.
Two arduous years passed before he was finally able to enroll at the academy and be surrounded by females of his age or, even better, older than him, whom he might pursue as potential harem members.
Despite this, it was at least something to look forward to.
A target that one should strive to achieve. When he thought about it, he could already picture it: a school full of stunning young women, each of whom might be a possible target for his expanding influence.
He had the ability to attempt new things with his "Wink of Flirtation," test the limits of his abilities, and advance in level as rapidly as possible.
However, two years was a very long time to wait for something.
While this was going on, he needed a strategy. There is no way that Kara could be his sole source of experience. He needed to find someone, anybody, to assist him bridge the gap until he could enter the academy.
---
The following day, Alaric continued his routine of strolling around the market with Kara, but this time he was not thinking about her particularly. He was glancing around the throng for anyone who may be prospective targets.
As he walked by each woman, he found himself analyzing her and mentally checking off the following boxes: she was too elderly. The age is too young. Too married.
It was a really frustrating experience. Nobody seemed right.
By giving him a little prod with her elbow, Kara was able to jolt him out of his thoughts. She gave him a sideways glance and observed, "You're awfully quiet today." as she was speaking. "Something on your mind?"
In response, Alaric said, "Just thinking," while attempting to grin. "About... the academy, actually."
Kara arched her brow in surprise. "You're already thinking about that? You've got two more years before you can even apply."
"I know, I know," Alaric muttered, dismissively waving his hand in the air. "But I like to plan ahead."
Slowly shaking her head, she let out a gentle giggle. "Always thinking ahead. You're going to be quite the handful when you finally get there, aren't you?"
He said softly under his breath, "You have no idea," as a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Kara did not appear to be aware of the change in his disposition.
As Alaric and his companions continued to stroll around the market, his thoughts kept returning to the issue that he was facing. If he did not meet someone soon, he would remain at this level for the next two years. He just needed to find someone.
Although he had briefly contemplated the possibility of attempting to woo some of the ladies who worked in the local stores, he ultimately decided against it.
The most of the women were too elderly, and the younger ones were either engaged or married off.
Additionally, the last thing he wanted was to make things unpleasant in a community where everyone knew his family. He had no reason to do that.
"Perhaps it would be beneficial for me to begin traveling to different cities," Alaric pondered to himself. "Expand my search a bit."
He sent a quick peek in Kara's direction, who was scrutinizing some fruit that was being sold at a stall.
Despite the fact that she continued to be his primary source of experience for the time being, the system had made it abundantly plain that depending on just one female was no longer going to be sufficient. There was a need for him to elevate his game.
If so, how?
---
That evening, Alaric was sitting in his room, contemplating the next step he should do. Although his choices were restricted, he was not the type of person to give up lightly.
More experience was something he needed to get, and if not right now, then at the very least in the not too distant future.
Then, he had a second thought come to him. If he were to spend the next two years cultivating his contacts, what would happen?
There was a possibility that he was unable to seduce anybody in his family at this time; nevertheless, he could certainly begin laying the framework.
It was possible for him to discreetly enchant his mother, Lyra, or his aunt, Cassandra, gradually becoming closer to them over the course of time until they became more attainable targets.
Despite the fact that it was going to be slow burn, it could prove to be worth the effort.
Also, Fiora... Well, Fiora was still a little girl, but in a few of years, she would be old enough for him to take her as a potential target seriously. All he needed to do was exercise patience.
While Alaric was feeling the usual thrill rising up in his chest, he smiled to himself on the inside. Despite the fact that it was not the instantaneous answer he had hoped for, it was a beginning.
The academy would continue to be his ultimate objective; however, in the meantime, he could focus on increasing his influence inside his own home.
When all was said and done, there was no reason why he couldn't begin establishing his harem at an earlier time.
He took a quick look at the user interface of the device, which was still lingering in the periphery of his field of view.
[Experience Progress: 312/500 to Level 4.]