With that thought, Damien turned his attention to the other figures in the room.
His room was spacious, nearly a hundred square meters, larger than most living rooms, easily accommodating a crowd.
Aside from the familiar faces... Snow Empress, Ice Empress, Ogerpon, Shion, and the expected Rigurd and his sons... the remaining figures caught Damien by surprise.
Near the door stood nearly twenty individuals, all kneeling on one knee, respectfully awaiting Damien's inspection.
Leading them was a rugged middle-aged man draped in a beast pelt coat, his body covered in thick fur, giving off the vibe of a Viking warrior.
Fortunately, not everyone shared his aesthetic.
Among the eighteen others were young men, teenagers, mature women, young girls, and even a cute girl with a moe charm.
Without exception, they all had beast ears and tails.
Their hair colors varied... red, blue, green, pink... but didn't feel garish like a punk style.
Instead, the colors complemented their auras and appearances, highlighting each one's unique traits perfectly.
"The Direwolves?"
Damien sensed the soul bond between them, guessing their identity.
"Yes, my lord!"
Hearing Damien recognize them, Hoshiga lifted his head excitedly, eyes gleaming with joy.
As for how his subordinates addressed him:
Those closest, like Ogerpon, Snow Empress, and Violet, called him by name.
Shuna, Shion, and others preferred "my lord." Treating him like a feudal ruler, forming a lord-vassal bond.
This was common among humanoid monsters like the Ogre and goblins, who saw themselves as Damien's subjects.
As for "master." Damien wasn't fond of it... it felt too much like slavery.
Thus, the title "my lord" became the norm.
Those calling him "my lord" were mostly non-human races, like the Star Wolves.
Compared to humans, they saw themselves more as Damien's pets, viewing him as the "master" of their pack.
The title "Lord Damien" was universal, except for the Ice Empress.
She preferred "master" as a sarcastic jab at Damien's forceful contract.
"Your transformations are even more dramatic than Rigurd's."
Though he'd anticipated it, seeing a pack of giant wolves turn into beastmen was still astonishing.
Especially the fluffy beast ear girls... Damien's gaze lingered on them for a few seconds before reluctantly moving away.
Of course, it wasn't their beauty he coveted.
More than their looks, he wanted to touch their ears and tails. 'The texture must be amazing.'
"Lord Damien."
Shuna brought over washing supplies, followed by two shrine maidens carrying trays of delicious dishes she'd prepared herself.
As expected, Shuna knew him best.
After his slumber, Damien indeed felt hungry.
It wasn't a true need for food, but a habit of maintaining a regular three-meal routine.
"Snow Empress, Shuna, stay."
After washing up, Damien dismissed the others. "Ogerpon, you and Ice Empress go have fun. I'm fine now."
Damien remained in bed, and Shuna naturally took the tray from the shrine maidens, serving him the food.
"…"
The indulgent scene made the Snow Empress chuckle. "Should I join in?"
"Ahem."
Damien caught the teasing in her tone.
"Get me a portion too."
The Snow Empress smiled, shaking her head, and casually took a dish from the tray.
Together with Shuna, one on each side, they attended to Damien.
'This heavenly life feels like a dream…'
Having two beautiful women care for him... could there be anything more fulfilling?
"Snow Empress, I can handle this." Shuna said.
"It's fine."
The Snow Empress didn't mind. "Caring for our master is what we Familiars are supposed to do."
Among Damien's Familiars, Ogerpon was like a daughter, Ice Empress a rebellious teen, Shion a goofy older sister, and Shuna a caring younger sister.
The Snow Empress's relationship with Damien leaned toward that of an older sister and younger brother.
Taking care of her "little brother" made her happy.
'Hmph!'
With that thought, she glanced at a certain empty spot. 'A mere latecomer, hmph!'
"Alright, I'll eat on my own."
Damien halted their affectionate gestures, taking the food himself. "Violet, come out too."
"I was planning to appear after you finished eating."
Violet materialized at the foot of the bed. "Would you like a status report?"
"Yes."
Damien was getting used to Violet's personality.
Much like the template of an automatic writing doll, she was cool and detached, a meticulous secretary awaiting her master's orders.
"We currently have a total of 3.02 million magicules."
Violet continued, "Of those, 2.02 million are stored with me, available for your use at any time."
"Additionally, your forces now consist of 270 Ogres, 8,200 goblins, and 560 StarDirewolves beastmen."
For convenience, Violet referred to them as the Star Wolves.
"StarDirewolves beastmen, huh?"
"Yes."
Violet explained, "They've collectively evolved into beastmen, gaining the ability to shift freely between giant wolf and humanoid beast forms."
Hence, she used "560 individuals" rather than "560 heads" To describe them.
"That's an unexpected bonus."
Pairing goblins with wolves to form cavalry, like in the original story, was a good idea.
But Damien felt the goblins' potential was limited.
Aside from exceptions like Gobta and Gobya, the Goblins hadn't produced any remarkable figures.
Rather than making them combatants, they'd serve better as logistical support.
With their large population, even if their reproduction rate dropped due to evolution, they could maintain C- rank.
"However…"
Violet added, "The Star Wolves isn't accustomed to human lifestyles."
"Some, especially the males, prefer their original forms over human living habits."
"Is that so…"
Damien asked, "What's the split?"
"Most males prefer their original form, while females tend to favor their beastman form."
"Hm."
Damien didn't mind their preferences. They could live as they pleased... he wouldn't force Hoshiga and the others to stay in beastman form.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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