Malrik rose with a slow, deliberate grace, brushing a final caress across Saelira's belly before stepping away from the mound of furs, his tail flicking lazily behind him as he summoned the silver map closer with a snap of his fingers.
It shimmered before him—a wide, floating plane of translucent silver light. Tiny chess pieces, crafted in the likeness of his wives, Saelira and Aiki, glowed faintly atop it. Aiki's piece moved gently across the surface, mirroring the real thing as she traveled through an undisclosed location.
Malrik's eyes narrowed as he traced the map, ignoring Saelira's piece and staring at Aiki's. Her figure stood tall, its hair and armored clothing carved with meticulous detail, a miniature dragon wand tucked at her side as it walked slowly toward the center top-view image of a mountain.
Saelira's piece began to float off the map, and its previously translucent surface became more detailed. Green valleys and forests emerged, along with other chess pieces: small mountains, knights, wizards, and witches trailed across the map. A sun and white clouds floated above the image.
But what caught his attention was the five metallic pins lined at the base of the mountain. Below them were descriptions:
+15k Veyrunth Knightsb+27k Veyrunth Knights +11k Witches & Wizards +400 Witches & Wizards +300 Black-Iron Guild Officials / Veyrunth's Adventure & Machinery Guild
This was the power of Lovers. Not only did it allow for high-level information gathering by showing the locations of the user's wives in accurate geological detail, it also recorded the space and environment of the user and his wives who had performed an Oath of Devotion. It created a fully functional map of any location they had visited, rendered in even greater detail, and allowed him to find items or hidden locations they had once been blind to—natural minerals, springs, monster remains, hidden artifacts and treasures.
Lovers I in and of itself was a godsent ability, but when paired with its other half...
It became something beyond mortal comprehension.
A smirk curved his lips.
He focused, and the world around him blurred.
In an instant, it was as if he stood beside her.
"Let's get this done with," Aiki muttered to herself, her boots clinking as she walked up the side of the rocky mountain with careful grace. Her hips swayed with almost deliberate slowness, causing her bountiful assets to bounce with each step.
Whether her actions were deliberate or not, the result was the same. The gazes of a hundred royal knights and thirty-two magic users—fourteen witches and eighteen wizards—climbed the mountain with her in stunned silence.
Goddammit! Why couldn't we find a smoother mountain to trail on!? Aiki cursed, feeling their eyes on her. She assumed they were judging the way she climbed, but in truth, they were staring at her outfit, which did little to hide the curves beneath. Her underwear was visible through the tight fabric that clung to her figure.
The mountain was steep, footing was uncertain, and her fear of heights only worsened her balance. She tripped, landing on all fours.
Her clothes tightened even further as she hit the ground.
Her admirers' gazes remained fixed on her rear. Their pants tightened as their "dragons" roared at the sight of the caves before them. The mouths of the women watered just as much, their collective focus locked on the scene unfolding.
If it had been any other group of subordinates or heroic aides, someone might have rushed to help or at least warned her that her dress was see-through. But no such decency existed here. The only thoughts filling the heads of this perverted group were praises for the second princess's choice of outfit.
"Aiki-sama~!" Lunaria beamed, her gift proving its worth. She practically drooled at the lips, her eyes locked on Aiki's behind as she moved to help. "I told you to ask if you needed help. You know how you get with steep heights," she added, her tone soft and nurturing.
She reached for Aiki's arm—but came up short.
Aiki's horse bit onto her collar and pulled her upright. The creature's neck was thick as a tree stump, its body the size of two stacked horses.
"No need," Aiki muttered, allowing herself to be hoisted upright. "Thank you, Sunny~." She reached between her breasts and pulled out a small pouch of sliced carrots. "Here, you deserve a treat~."
Better luck next time, princess, the cavalry cheered silently as Aiki handed three lavender root-skinned carrots to Sunny. Lunaria glared daggers at the warhorse, as if it were her mortal enemy.
Sunny greedily ate the carrots in one bite, then tried to nuzzle into the bag for more.
"Woah there, you only get three purple root slices as a treat," Aiki said, pulling the bag away. "If you want more, you'll have to earn them by helping me climb the rest of the way up." She tucked the bag back between her breasts.
The beast neighed and stomped its hooves with vigor.
"I knew I could count on you, Sunny~." She grabbed the reins.
The horse tugged forward.
"Hmm, you know, Sunny, I should really gift you something nice when we get back. What do you think about getting you a nice mare to start a family with~?" she asked playfully, intentionally ignoring Lunaria's presence as she continued climbing without help.
Of course, if Sunny were an ordinary horse, she would never have attempted this. But Sunny was no ordinary steed. He was one of the Veyrunth Kingdom's warhorses—a monstrous breed that had fought in the great war and earned enough experience to survive any battle.
But strength in this world came at a price. What stood beside Aiki was but a colt, yet despite its strength, time had already begun to take its toll. Its body was still muscular, but each stride faltered. Its once-flawless mane had grayed, but still it refused to rest. It would rather die galloping through a horde of monsters.
This should be high enough, Aiki thought, having climbed close to the summit. She looked out over the valley, forests, and ruins buried by time. She took a deep breath, steadying her hands as she reached for her dragon scepter-like wand. She gripped it between the wings at its center, pushing mana into its core and into the amplification stone embedded in the mouth.
Magic circles lit up along the spherical stone. The spells within began to unravel. Multicolored glyphs spun around her as her mana surged.
"Tenth Tier, Barrier Magic: Yalsel's Judgment!!"
Millions of mana threads shot from her body, snaking into the dirt, weaving through grassy plains and forests, forming intricate patterns and glyphs. Some threads wrapped around her army, while Aiki began to hover slightly off the ground. The runes in her garments activated, amplifying her mana a hundredfold.
The threads spread far and wide, forming a colossal, region-spanning magic circle that shifted between two powerful effects.
"RISE!!"
Her voice boomed. The circle rose into the sky, manifesting dark and blue light. The wind howled. The sky darkened. A dome of magic took shape, swirling with interlocking spells.
RUMBLE! Thunder cracked. Clouds churned.
And then—
Rain.
Sniff~
"Argh... I've had enough of this rain," Airi muttered, wiping her face. She'd had another prophetic dream a week ago and tried to tell her brother. But he had shoved it off on the queen and ran off to the Verdant Kingdom with other heroes.
He left his pregnant girlfriend with his sister while he fucked off. What kind of brother does that?
If anything, he should be the one investigating while I look for a way home! Not me, sitting in the rain!
"Airiiiii~?" Lunaria, the second princess and an excellent healer, called out. Her expression turned childishly bitter, like someone whose favorite toy had been stolen. If one could peek into Fujikawa Airi's head, they'd find that was exactly the case.
"Hmm? What is it?" Airi asked, irritation sharpening her voice. "I'm not in the mood for your nonsense."
Lunaria looked wounded. "Airi-sama~," she said dramatically, letting go of her horse at full gallop. "Wait, hel—!"
She was nearly thrown off, but Airi stabilized her just in time.
"Idiot!" she snapped, her wand already glowing from the reflex. Her annoyance flared—and then a mischievous idea struck her.
"You know what? How about you ride sideways the rest of the way."
Panic spread across Lunaria's face as her saddle turned. "Ahhhh, Airi-sama, stop this!!" she screamed. Her hat flew off, rain soaking her hair and face. "I'm sorry for whatever I did! I promise I won't do it again~!"
"How can you treat your future bride like this~?" she cooed.
Airi's eye twitched. Her wand glowed brighter, and her horse surged ahead through the storm, dragging Lunaria behind.
"..."
The cavalry remained silent.
Only the commander trotted forward.
"That girl really doesn't know how to act her age," she muttered, removing the facepiece of her helmet. Her skin was soft but heavily wrinkled, a deep scar marring her left cheek. Her features were aged, 80 if not 90, yet regal.
Her beauty had not faded—it had evolved. Deadly. Alluring.
This was the Wolf Commander, Aero of the Veyrunth Kingdom.
"You can say that again," another rider sighed, ceasing the spell on Lunaria's horse. "Say, Aero-chan, why don't we nag the queen about Lunaria getting married~?"
A smug smile appeared.
"She's always talking about getting married, so why don't we make it a reality~?" she continued, turning to the woman beside her. "What do you think?"
Aero was momentarily speechless—or maybe she just hadn't expected the hero to say something like that, especially after so openly denying the princess's advances before. A slight blush crept across her face, feeling as if she'd just heard something absolutely scandalous.
So Airi-sama does fancy the princess, the soldiers thought, following behind and clearly overhearing the conversation. They intentionally pulled their horses back a little, giving their commander and the ever-revered Airi-sama some space.
After a moment of thinking it over, Aero realized that it might actually be good for both Lunaria and the kingdom. The war was over, and peace was within reach, but that didn't mean the realm was safe from future internal or external threats. A political marriage with someone like Airi—and her brother—could be a significant advantage.
"That might be a good idea. I'll send your wishes to the queen," she replied, guiding her horse to the side and slowing down to fall back into formation. She looked ahead and saw the familiar silhouette of the princess's horse—Lunaria was rushing back.
"It seems your future bride-to-be is coming back, so good luck with that," Aero said with a smile. "Who would've thought this day would come?" she whispered under her breath, she and her platoon completely misinterpreting Airi's intent, assuming their princess had finally won the hero's affection.
Airi, oblivious to all this, looked ahead. Lunaria was waving frantically. I found it, I found it, was what Airi could make out from the distance.
"Let's hurry up," she said, picking up speed. "This princess has finally been useful."
That was all she said as the others followed suit. Lunaria turned her horse back around, just as the roar of a silver dragon cub broke through the storm, cheering as it flew above them.
Airi took a deep breath and stilled herself. It's time to get serious, she thought, her mana swirling around them all—greatly enhancing their strength, speed, and durability for the march ahead.
They hadn't been riding in the rain for nothing. Ever since her brother left, she'd been searching, piecing together the scattered memories of the noble crests she'd seen in her dream.
At first, she couldn't find any family crest that matched the fragmented image she had seen. Even after enlisting the Queen's help and utilizing the kingdom's resources, nothing came of it—only a series of tedious meetings with nobles whose crests bore superficial resemblance, each ending with a vague promise to "look into it."
Eventually, she discovered an old custom that tied everything together. In the kingdom's past, it wasn't uncommon for newly appointed nobles to copy and alter the crests of those closest to them. This sparked a new idea.
What if that dream wasn't a premonition at all? What if it had been a vision of the past? Perhaps that family had once existed—so thoroughly forgotten or disgraced that their crest had been copied, twisted, and buried in time. Had they been forsaken for working with demons?
She hadn't seen a single human noble in the massacre…
Could there be lingering consequences from that forgotten family, now bleeding into the present?
Haunted by the possibility, Aiki began researching fallen noble houses. That's when she stumbled upon a crest once belonging to a minor barony. The baron had been executed for gross negligence—he'd failed to report the emergence of a dungeon within his territory, a mistake that had cost over a thousand lives.
Although the dungeon was eventually cleared by a party of adventurers and a priest, the surrounding town never recovered. It was later overrun and claimed by monsters affiliated with demonkin. Their leader was never fully identified—only described in fragmented accounts as something between a dampire and a daemon. What was clear, however, was that it had served as a general in the first wave of the Demon King's invasion.
Aiki felt a chill run down her spine as the pieces clicked together. Could her dream have been connected to that very dungeon? Was it possible remnants of the Demon King's army still hid there, preparing to revive it?
Panic took root. She acted swiftly.
With royal permission, she mobilized a portion of the kingdom's military and set off toward the horizon.
Unbeknownst to her, the demon she now hunted was already watching her every move, anticipation curling in its thoughts like cold mist born from unending rain…
Minutes passed. Their platoon soon arrived at the remains of a forgotten town—its bones laid bare by time. Moist patches of moss clung to crumbled walls and collapsed beams. Roots twisted through the stone, and wildflowers thrived in cracks and shadow. The rain-softened air carried the scent of damp earth and overgrown grass.
Birds took refuge from the downpour, nesting in the abandoned rafters. The wind sang low and cold between broken homes.
Aiki and her party marched carefully through the empty streets of the ruined town, scanning the surroundings before making their way toward the forest, where the dungeon was said to lie hidden.
But they never had to search the forest.
The dungeon found them first.
"Hero-sama! I found something!" a voice called out.
It was one of the knights—clad in metal armor different from the rest, a silver plate slashed with green blood hanging from their neck like a badge. The knight pulled back the leather hood sewn into their armor, revealing sharp eyes. In one hand, they held a glinting sword. In the other—a decapitated giant ant's head, still dripping.