As I get up, the ladies leave their seats almost simultaneously. We circle the desk that separates us from our guest, who takes a step back with wide eyes.
"Right now?" Mia asks in faint disbelief.
"Not immediately, of course." I smile earnestly. "There are way too many parts to this moving machine before it can take off into the sunset."
"We'll need to inform my father about most of this, if not everything." Cecil strokes her chin thoughtfully. "It might actually be smart to include as many trustworthy allies as we can so that our stories align."
"Give me your kit." Daisy struts up to the other woman and holds her palm out. "Come on, we don't have the entire year. The sooner we finish here, the sooner you'll be rid of your problem. You can talk while I take care of your face."
A tad hesitant at first, the golden-haired female does as she's told and brings out her makeup utensils. Our noble heiress doesn't waste time and gets to work right away, giving her a quick glance over first to spot any signs of the layers being disrupted. From how she then operates the paints, dusts, or whatever is in the kit, it's obvious she knows a thing or two about the craft.
Which isn't that surprising considering her high standing.
"And me, your hand." I extend my palm to Mia too, whose face snaps up to meet mine with wide eyes.
"W-What?" She almost takes another step back, but Daisy doesn't let her move an inch, fully focused on her job. "Is that… non-negotiable?"
I frown slightly, then figure out the problem soon after.
"Ah, not in that way." I chuckle amusedly.
"Get in line…" Cecil mutters under her breath while throwing Mia a jaded look, who blinks back at her owlishly.
I glance at the fierce adventurer, but she escapes with her eyes to the side.
So, there's a line now. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I've been blueballing her for a while, and it's quite apparent she's getting a tad frustrated by someone potentially jumping in front of her.
Well, that's something to take care of after we solve the current issue. I'm sure she would agree wholeheartedly.
I turn back to the mistreated lady. "I'm going to heal up the worst of your injuries, leaving all external marks and blemishes untouched. Since we don't want your mother to notice too easily, I will leave some persistent aches behind, as much as it bothers me. I assume it would be troublesome if she picked up on your much less strained gait by accident. Thus, I have to ask you to let me touch your hand again."
Mia considers my words for a moment, and I can tell she sports a tiny blush under her cosmetic mask, thanks to my fairly specialised senses, then reluctantly offers her arm. It wasn't my intention to embarrass her, but it seems that I might need to be more careful with my words. Having in mind my true identity, those could carry a rather significant weight.
Taking her fingers into mine, I get into the right mindset and dive into her abused body. It screams at my ability, and if there were a visual indicator of how bad its condition is, it would have been glowing bright red all over. But, just as promised, I don't get rid of all of the issues. It's actually more challenging this way. Following my subconscious will, my power is almost intent on not listening and doing its job properly. I have to keep focus or I might let it.
The effects show up in a flash. Mia's posture shifts gently, her figure relaxing to a certain extent. A shuddering breath leaves her lips, almost making her stumble. I can't imagine how tough it must have been to live like this day to day. Thankfully, and I don't believe I'm saying this, she is capable of returning to how she held herself before my aid, giving it a few tests, changing the way she stands and moves. She should be able to fool her mother with this much.
And we will ensure she doesn't have to keep it up for long.
"Thank you." She ducks her head with a quiet appreciation. "I apologise for blowing up at you earlier. I know you had good intentions back then too."
"You weren't in the wrong either. I should have asked first." I give her a few pats before pulling away. "I wish I could do more for you, but I understand why you are reluctant to let me."
"Here." Sirgia slips past me and holds something resembling a ring to her. "Put it on and read these words aloud."
Taking the trinket from my artificer mate curiously, she scans the phrase being shown to her on a piece of paper and follows the instructions. It sounds like some kind of incantation to me. When the final word leaves her lips, the ring glows for a few seconds, then settles down.
"Memorise this phrase. Each time you say it, this artefact will heal you up to the current state. It's not strong enough to regenerate fatal or serious injuries since a big part of it is dedicated to a concealment spell, but it's just enough to be useful under your current circumstances," my lover explains with a serious expression. "The mentioned enchantment makes this thing appear ordinary to everyone besides the bound wearer. If your mother still finds fault with you using an unsanctioned piece of jewellery and gets rid of it, the ring will find its way back to you, and you can start using it in secret."
"Amazing. You always come up with the best stuff." I ruffle through her brown hair affectionately.
"I'm just doing what I'm good at, Master…" She looks down bashfully.
"Now, just to clear up all possible misunderstandings, I do not require your hand in marriage as a payment for our services, Mia." I turn to the star of the morning again.
"Not Mia…" She cringes slightly. "That's… what she uses to address me…"
"I see." I nod in understanding. "Anything else you would like us to use?"
Taking a moment to think, the troubled girl shows a shadow of a smile at the corner of her lips. "Zira… I think… Or you can just use my full name if that's too much…"
"Alright, Zira." I grin at her openly. "What I need from you is your word that you will carry on cooperating with us, mostly through the Forgegraver Household, after we wrap up all the work related to your predicament."
"Wait. Me?" She points at herself dubiously. "You want me to continue leading the clan after everything is done?"
"That much was obvious." Daisy snorts near her, still tickling her face with a number of delicate brushes.
"What else did you think was going to happen?" I tilt my head at her.
"That, after cleaning up the worst people in the family, you would reveal everything we did and force the Dwarf Sovereign to disband our house," she replies, mirroring my actions.
"Wouldn't that mean there's a high chance you could end up in jail for life, at the very least? Or something like a criminal slave?" Cecil crosses her arms over her chest.
"I mean, yes, but that's already leagues better than where I currently am, isn't it?" Zira looks back at us like she's just described what she's going to eat for lunch, while the four of us freeze.
"We are moving the timetable ahead." Daisy snaps the cosmetic kit shut with a louder-than-necessary smack. "Get your act together. We better make it look like we've been intensely arguing in here to sell it to your escorts."
"I haven't agreed to take over—"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Cecil steps forward and helps her kin-sister push the protesting lady towards the door. "You have five seconds to think of what to say."
Mortified that they aren't joking around, Zira hastily takes a few deep breaths before she's literally thrown out of the chamber. She stumbles over her legs while waving her arms, then whips around with a snarl.
"I'll make you pay for this humiliation, Human!" The Stockhawker heir falls into her role almost naturally. "If you think you can make a fool out of me, you are out of your mind! I'll have you grovelling at my feet in days, hear me?! Days!"
Making a show of fixing her clothes, she stomps towards the exit, completely ignoring her entourage. After a moment, the group chases after her, breaking out of their stupor. We move to the window facing the front of the building and watch her shout at them in fury some more. They get into their carriage and ride off into the city.
"Everything okay, Boss?" Ressia shows up behind us with most of her girls present. "Should we follow them?"
"No need. It all went according to plan." I wink at her. "You'll be getting your next assignment really soon. It's an extremely important job and I'll need you to follow my instructions to the letter. Can you do that?"
She straightens up, puffing out her chest. "We'll jump into fire if you order us to, Boss!"
"That will never happen. Unless it's somehow beneficial to you." I snicker and give her ass a few smacks. "You are free for now. There shouldn't be any more unexpected guests, but we'll see."
Taking that as their dismissal, the wolfgirl herds her squad away.
"The last bit of our conversation with Zira just reminded me, how did your trip to the slave market go?" I take a peek at Cecil and Daisy. "Or whatever the equivalent in the Dwarf lands is. Does it even work the same way as the Human one does? Which iteration, the version before we introduced the novelisation or after?"
"You revised the slavery laws in the Human Kingdom?" The former looks at me with both brows high up her forehead, somehow catching on that I didn't mean we as Humans in general.
"I would expect nothing less." The latter gives me a knowing grin, making the other girl even more confused.
"It's a long story. I promise we are going to talk about it and a few other things real soon." I offer her a reassuring pat, which she doesn't fight. "As for those laws, there are still various categories of slaves, from debt to criminal, but other races can no longer be managed without their consent. Previously, it was a free-for-all, no rights, males and females treated like objects."
"It's not that far off, I guess." Daisy pushes up her glasses a bit. "First of all, the trade is tightly controlled by the government. Second, the majority of products are Dwarves. Our people simply aren't too interested in other races. And there's another aspect that speaks for this tendency."
"She means the second variation of debt slaves." Cecil takes over, temporarily shelving her curiosity. "Here, you can technically sell people into slavery as collateral. The banks then are obliged to pay out an evaluated sum depending on many factors, like the person's standing, fame, background, blood relations, and so on."
"What?" My forehead creases immediately. "How the hell does that even work?"
"It's a common practice amongst bigger households, but not only." The bookish girl sighs softly. "The family head can sell almost anyone into slavery for the benefit of their clan, starting with their children, who are technically the property of their parents. Usually, it's to solve a sudden crisis, but this option is also used for things like punishing disobedient descendants who, for example, don't want to marry the arranged person, and many other more selfish reasons."
"Including just getting rid of the kids you dislike." The strong mercenary huffs to the side. "Almost anything goes as long as it's within the written rules. And you can imagine how proficient at navigating those fine lines our people have become."
The idea of selling your own family for a quick influx of money sends me reeling, but there are still questions related to the whole operation that pop into my head.
"Okay, sure, but what happens when the sellers can't pay back this loan? Or if they go bankrupt?" I voice out one of them.
"The slaves are removed from the family tree and receive a new surname that's associated with a Slave Household, a non-existing clan that encompasses all those who have lost their ties. They become full property of the crown, and then the pool of who can use them grows greatly instead of being limited by conditions set by their previous guardian," Daisy explains. "It's not uncommon for people to intentionally not pay back their debt to get rid of someone."
"That's… messed the fuck up…" I rub my forehead in pure astonishment. "And these people make up the majority of the products?"
"Kind of, yeah." Cecil shrugs. "The moment you are sold as collateral, you automatically assume it's the end for you, forced to stay a slave for life. Those who lose their surnames practically never get out of it. The amounts their families received tower over what they can earn back through service. And the public prefers to stay clear of such individuals, never sure about what it was that brought forth their situation."
This shit might be even more insane than what we had back at Evalitia before the reforms. To a certain extent, of course. It's hard to compare those two situations.
"Ummm…" Daisy's uncertain tone brings me back from my internal musings. "Does this prospect make you… uncomfortable?"
Getting a hold of myself, I shake my head. "I assume this is part of what you have been looking into today, isn't it?"
"Yes." The raven-haired girl confirms. "We figured out that those who have nothing would be the best fit for your forces. At least we thought so after talking with those females you lead. Is that going to be a problem? We can still seek another solution."
"No, I guess it's not that much of an issue. On a cellular basis, we would be helping them out in the end. Just make sure they know what they are getting into before making any promises. I would like to be involved in the process too." I run my palm down my face, already imagining the bureaucratic mess to dance through. "And you are sure that how they are perceived by your kin won't cause issues for the company, right? I would like to say that it doesn't matter, but such a thing would earn me quite the scolding from a person or two."
"Your subordinates assured us that there is no image that you can't flip around," Daisy says with confidence. "They talked about how the hate for other races has lessened impressively since the day you introduced them to the Human world."
"They are exaggerating as always." I allow myself to snicker lightly. "But, this would be an outcome that's beneficial for everyone."
"That's what they said." Cecil nods.
"Let's put a pin on that. We don't need to rush the whole mercenary thing anymore now that an almost perfect solution to our troubles has dropped itself at our doorstep." I slap my cheeks to refocus. "After we deal with what we agreed to, I'll switch spots with a few people and bring our instructors here to have a say in how things go. Plus, Siriga should have enough time to finish a gate there for a more seamless transition. Is that good with you?"
"What do you mean by switchspots?" She looks at me weirdly.
Instead of spelling it out for them, I reach within myself and invoke Heart Swap. The target of the ability is Sirgia, who seems to have snuck away somewhere near the moment I first addressed the pair of heiresses after Zira left. I find her near Mev's and Niel's presences, so that must be the kitchen. She notices the pull of the skill and doesn't fight it. A flash of swirling darkness later, I appear amidst the mercenary girls, the mentioned duo, and my father, the latter three staring at me dumbfoundedly.
"Yo. Dropping by just for a second. Don't mind me." I wave at them joyfully and steal a cookie from the purple-haired beauty's paralysed hand.
Giving my sweet mate another warning, I repeat the jump and reappear in front of my previous conversation partners, taking another bite of the delicious pastry.
"I'm back." I wave at them too. "Sorry, I didn't think to take some for you."
Their gaping mouths don't move even a bit as I finish off the last crumbs.
"What… did you just do?" Daisy looks me up and down.
"Swapped places with Sirgia, as you have seen." I make a theatrical bow for them. "Neat party trick, huh?"
"How far does this ability reach?" Cecil admires me with even more newfound respect.
"From what I've been told, as far as I want." I smirk, taking a peek into the sky, where a certain generous lady resides.
"Bullshit." The one down on the ground cackles openly. "So, you can just throw us around whenever and wherever you want?"
"Ah, no, there are certain conditions." I hold up a hand. "Let's just say… My passengers need to be rather close to me…"
"Oh." Daisy's eyes flicker with realisation, figuring out the crux of the matter thanks to her recent experiences with my person.
The other woman isn't as clear on it, though, staring daggers at her distant family member.
"So, yeah, you'll see more of this soon." I dust off my clothes and clean my hands. "Time to move on."
Both of them turn their attention back to the really important matters without a peep.
"I'll contact Grandfather as soon as we get to the outer branch compound," Daisy announces.
"And I'll speak with Father in case you need our side to cooperate," Cecil adds, still visibly a tad reluctant to work alongside her old enemy. "We'll see you in a bit?"
"Naturally." I whistle sharply, and Diana hops out of my shadow. "Our four-legged friend will give you a ride home. The rest of us shall follow shortly."
Not too happy about the arrangement, the two Dwarf girls huddle up together nevertheless and ride along on the puppy express. Not long after they are gone, someone approaches me from behind. Turning around, I find my father on his way here, holding a few more of the cookies I stole from them.
"Thought you might like another." He tempts me using one with a smirk.
"I'm afraid I can't join the dark side yet." I swipe it out of his fingers faster than he can perceive the insane movement. "Though some already consider me a villain here and there."
Connor stares between my mouth and his hand for a second before shaking his head. "The fact that you can move this fast shouldn't surprise me after seeing you literally pop out of nowhere in someone's place."
"I can tell you that I'm capable of slowing down where it's needed." I wiggle my brows at him, making him choke mid-bite from laughing out loud. "I'm sorry, but I'll need a rain check on our date in the city. I feel like shit, but some concerning things came up."
His hand is on my shoulder in a flash, squeezing it fondly. "Don't sweat it. I could tell things didn't go too well earlier. What are you up to now?"
I debate how much to tell him, but ultimately decide that I don't want to lie to my father after long years of not even being able to speak to him.
"I'm going to murder someone." I meet his eyes firmly.
His smile drops in an instant.
"I see." He hums quietly.
"That's it?" I blink at him vacantly.
"I'm a soldier, son. A paid killer. The only difference from an assassin is in the hand that passes on the money. Plus, I don't get to choose when and on whom to pull the trigger." My badass dad snorts. "And from what I heard about you from the others, homicide isn't part of your hobbies, so the target can't be that clean."
"Remember the Bitch?" I let out a heavy sigh, seeing him nod severely at the mention of my mother. "Throw in a pinch of rather spicy domestic abuse into the mix and you get the idea."
His grip on my shoulder grows tight enough that it would cause any other person to wince in pain.
"I can squeeze a bolt through a keyhole from over a kilometre away," he replies evenly.
I stare at him, too stunned for a moment.
He takes my silence as disbelief and bobs his head from side to side. "Granted, I have a proper vantage point. I've had worse than a city developed this aptly."
My response is to burst out laughing, which takes him aback.
"I think I always knew who I take after more, but this is a solid confirmation." I wipe a few tears out of my eyes. "I appreciate the sentiment. I really do. However, this is going to be quite a special endeavour. And I'm surrounded by a plethora of capable allies who are more than eager to prove themselves to me. You won't have to dirty your hands any more."
"I would rather live in a world where you are the one who doesn't have to do that, but that possibility is long gone now that we are both here." Connor chuckles somberly. "You'll be safe, right?"
"Yeah. We'll be exceptionally careful. This has to go exactly as we want it to for the friend that we are helping out to rest without any complications." It's my turn to squeeze his shoulder. "We'll get our tour soon. For now, I have to skedaddle. There are people who rely on me."
As I finish speaking, Ressia approaches us, notified to come here a while ago.
"Assign a pair to accompany my father wherever he wishes to go. Just to make sure no one thinks of messing with him because of his race," I command my captain.
"Sir, yes, sir!" The Wolfkin salutes to her chest.
"I think I heard those two girls in the kitchen saying that they are going back to the Pleasure Queen, which they run together. Might tag along. They are nice to talk to." Dad makes a show of thinking it over.
I direct a knowing smirk at him. "An interesting choice. If you do, maybe you can pick a souvenir Mom would like. As long as you can handle the selection process."
He doesn't seem sure what I'm talking about, so it seems they haven't yet told him what kind of shop it is. And his mind is still too pure to arrive at the most likely conclusion.
That won't last long in his current company.
The two of us share a manly hug and part ways. Sirgia finds me brooding a few minutes later, gingerly taking hold of my hand.
"I'm ready to go, Master." She peers up at me adorably.
I lean down to steal those dainty lips of hers. "Let's start the preparations, then. This won't be quick. I expect the entire thing to take a few days or so."
"It all depends on Zira's mother and how easily she will get provoked." My tiny lover tugs me down for one more peck. "We'll definitely help her. Don't worry. Cecil and Daisy might be at each other's throats on a daily basis, but this is something all of us are willing to set our differences aside for."
"I almost feel bad that we get a juicy deal out of it." I throw my head back.
"This might be the best for her too." Sirgia snuggles into my front. "You saw her current spirit. She doesn't care about anything besides revenge on her abuser. She would agree to burn alongside the entire household if it granted her wish. She doesn't see the world past the minute her goal is achieved. Without a new purpose, she would wither away in a blink."
"That's the feeling I got from her too," I agree with her wholeheartedly. "I don't like forcing people into doing things they don't want to, but having her take control of the family could give us enough time to at least attempt to fix her worldview. She doesn't deserve to just… disappear from the world only because someone hurt her this much."
"I have no doubt you'll be able to heal her heart, Master." She stares deep into my eyes as I glance down at her. "Just like you healed mine."
"You little…" I get to one knee in front of her and brush my palm along her soft cheek. "I can't even refute that without disrespecting everything we've gone through together… You are way too sincere for someone like me, my cute little Dwarf."
My longtime lover giggles timidly and rubs her cheek into my hand. We spend a few more seconds in our private world before moving on. Making use of Diana's shadows, I bring us to her family residence. The mercenary company matters should be resolved for the foreseeable future. I'll keep an eye on how they develop, but we should be okay redirecting most of our resources towards the other big thing.
We join Cecil and Daisy in the Patriarch's office, where they are all part of a shared conversation with the Grand Patriarch. The latter's granddaughter has revealed the existence of her communication artefact, and they are using it to discuss the plan we came up with. I can tell the rusty-haired scholar wants to give most of the credit to me, but I manage to convince her just with my gaze that they should take it for now. It's not yet the time for me to reveal too much of my influence to the big players of the clan.
No offence to Cecil's dad.
Daisy's gramps agrees to our ploy rather quickly. He does throw a few questions in regarding some details of the long and complex process, but his worries are appeased by the foolproof designs of the incredible trio. He even admits that the operation is fairly impressive in his eyes and that he might not have been able to develop and see through such a master plan. Naturally, we don't see a reason to clue him in on Zira's abuse, so we leave that part out, only going after the Stockhawkers in general, presenting the clan head's daughter as our pawn.
This important discussion takes most of the day, but we are more than ready to take our time. It's all hashed out by the evening, and the Grand Patriarch retreats to handle things on his side. If we are lucky, we might hear about his moves tomorrow or the day after. We'll be slowly preparing our response, but everything ultimately boils down to us waiting for Zira's confirmation that the fish took the bait. Everything else should be just a formality.
During a moment of respite later this night, I invite Cecil for a drink, aiming to bring her up to speed before the operation. The well-toned warrior woman arrives in my chambers wearing a tight pair of shorts and one of those tops that cut off in the middle, hanging off her pert breasts in a way that any sudden movement could flash those ample peaks to the world. She seems to like dressing that way. And I'm sure she never picks a bra for it.
Taking a spot by my side on the sofa, she stays close enough to be friendly but not cross the line just yet, taking my warnings from our first more intimate encounter seriously. I'm glad she is willing to respect the boundaries we set up. Even if it's obvious that she came here hoping for a certain outcome. The glances she sneaks at me are more than telling.
"So… What did you want to talk about with me privately?" Cecil drags her words out in an attempt to sound a tad implicative.
"What if I simply wished to have a sip with a fair Dwarf damsel while looking at stars?" I raise a brow at her, causing the fair lass to snort. "Well, I figured it would be good to tell you who I really am before all shit hits the fan. I owe you this much, at the very least, for being so patient."
She squints at me thoughtfully until I realise she's deciphering the modern idiom.
"It means to devolve into utter chaos," I clarify, watching her head kick back in understanding. "The saying will start making more sense after you hear me out."
"Got it." Cecil nods, the intrigue sobering her up in no time. "Let me guess. You are actually the Human King."
"Not that bad of a guess after today, but you missed." I scrunch my nose at her. "It's a little bit higher on the ladder if you want to try again. You might have recently heard about me, even around these parts."
She falls into deep thought, going through her memories in search of an answer.
"I give up." Cecil groans in defeat. "It's not like there's suddenly an emperor around or anything. Just give it to me straight. You are killing me with the suspense."
"I guess you aren't that religious of a person." I snicker.
Her pupils grow into massive pools. "Nooooo…"
I let some of my divine aura leak out, a rosy mist wafting off frame. From what I remember, my eyes should be glowing the same colour. My companion shudders while exhaling deeply. The way she squeezes her thighs together proves that my little stunt works on her sturdy body.
"I'm the newly appointed Demigod of Lust. In the flesh." I wink at her. "And I'm also from another world."
"Holy shit…" She stares at me with awe. "That does explain your reluctance to let me jump on it… Would my pussy have exploded if you nailed me down like I wanted you to that night…?"
That brings a laugh out of me. "Nothing as drastic. I'm in full control of my godly side and most, if not all its effects. The only problem is the natural aspect. Meaning, I can't unfuck someone and erase the best sex they have ever had in their life. Anything after that simply can't compare. And let me boast a little by saying that I was nearly as good even before my ascension."
"I'm inclined to believe that…" Cecil openly drills holes in my crotch with her laser-focused attention. "This is so hard to process, but at the same time, so cool…"
Withdrawing my brief show, I return things to normal. As much as possible.
My companion's mind clears up and her face whips up at mine. "Wait one fucking second. She knows, doesn't she? That's why the bitch has been so submissive in the last few days. Have you already ruined that prissy princess' tight hole?"
"No, I haven't. And when it comes to intimate interactions with me, you have quite a leg up on her. Though it was you lifting your legs during that." My redirection makes her cheeks gain quite a cute splash of red. "I planned to tell you about myself first, but we had an unexpected artefact accident that triggered my divine powers. Had to come clean because of that. And yeah, she did start being a bit more respectful from then on."
Cecil scoffs to the side. "No shit. She must be flooding at the thought of your thick spear spreading her tiny, stuck-up slit."
"Good thing you aren't." I tease her a tad.
She shifts her position while dropping her eyes to her thighs.
Guilty as wet.
"Well…" The brave adventurer looks at me with some hope. "I mean, I've been gushing for you even before knowing the truth, so… I'm better, am I not…?"
"It's not about who is better and worse, but I certainly appreciate the treatment." I give her leg a reassuring squeeze. "However, as far as I remember, the change came after I showed off once or twice, had it not?"
She groans as her face falls into her hands. "Ah, fuck… I was such a dick to you in the beginning…"
"Many had been." I pat her on the back. "Don't let it get to you too much. You aren't off the list with just that."
Peeking out from behind her fingers, she searches my face for a moment, then inhales and exhales heavily. Right after, the gorgeous woman hops off her seat.
"You okay?" I follow her retreating figure with a kernel of concern.
Cecil turns her profile to me, midway to the door.
"I want that dick badly. But I don't deserve it. Not yet." She shakes her head, then points a finger at me with a fierce expression. "Be ready, because I'm not giving up. I'll prove myself. Then, you are going to wreck me. After decades of forced celibacy, you will use that massive thing to destroy my pussy. Just you wait."
Shaking her fist at me, she marches out of the room.
And just like that, she leaves me wondering if that was a threat or a promise.
Because to me, it sounded like hell of a good time.