He caught her in his arms and spun around a few times while they both laughed. Then, she hugged each of the ladies too, stopping to curtsy in front of Althea, who hadn’t yet been introduced properly. But, before that could happen, Kindra dragged them away to a dining chamber and seated everyone down around a circular table.

  “Now, before the food is ready, come on, introduce us!” She grinned at him and the Dragon lady. “And tell me how you two met!”

  He rolled his eyes as the girls giggled at her antics. “Mom, calm down. Stop jumping to conclusions every single time. Althea, this is Kindra, my mother, though you are most likely already aware that I’m not exactly her biological son. Mom, this is Althea, she is a very wise lady who has been advising the elf rulers for a long time and agreed to become my mentor. She knows a lot about Dragons since she technically is one too, just a different kind.”

  “Fascinating.” Kindra’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I thought there were no more Dragons in this world. Suddenly, right after you come out as one to us, they start poking their noses out of hiding. I bet it has something to do with the fact that a strong, handsome, male Dragon has made himself available. Are you perhaps planning to repopulate the realm with some Dragon babies?”

  “Come on…” Asterios swiped down his face as his mates laughed lightly.

  Althea had a tiny smirk on her dazzling lips, keeping her eyes locked with Kindra, unyielding under the teasing gaze of Ast’s mother.

  “Fine. Keep your secrets.” Kindra giggled. “But, this is only one of the two ladies we felt. What about the other one?”

  As she inquisitively glanced around, Asterios sighed heavily. “She has a quite important duty to uphold back at home so she won’t be joining us directly. Though, there’s someone else who did. But… It’s complicated. Her name is Tia and she’s inside me.”

  “Oh. That’s new. It’s usually the other way.” She grinned at him.

  Asterios could only groan, asking whatever gods existed and kept following him why they were testing him so much, all the while Grea banged her fists on the table in the middle of an almost maniacal fit of laughter.

  Chapter 8

  When One Door Closes, Another Two Open

  It took a moment before Grea calmed down and they could resume the conversation. She continued to snicker and chuckle under her nose, trying not to look at Asterios, which resulted in her losing it again. Having those two teases in one room was a complete oversight.

  Thankfully, they didn’t have to sit in awkward silence as the maids chose that moment to bring in the snacks Kindra had mentioned earlier. They set up the table with a myriad of dry foods and various drinks. The servers left as soon as they were done with their duty, leaving them alone once more.

  “So, what’s the situation here exactly?” Kindra asked when Asterios glared at her to stop fueling Grea’s outbursts with her smirks.

  ~Hello,~ Tia joined in with a bright tone.

  “Oh, you sound so sweet!” Ast’s mom glanced straight at him with a wide smile.

  ~Thank you.~ The newcomer giggled. ~I’m Tia and I’m a treefolk, or a Dryad. I met your son just recently after waking up from a very long slumber. Unfortunately, the cause of that awakening was going to end my life, but Asterios agreed to shelter my soul inside him before the worst took place.~

  “You poor thing! I’m so sorry that happened to you! He will take good care of you, I’m sure! Was there really nothing all of you could have done?” Kindra’s expression turned sorrowful as her eyes glinted with unshed tears.

  “We tried.” Asterios let out a heavy sigh as the girls next to him placed their hands on his shoulders. “We almost made it but the enemy took us by surprise at the end. This was the only option.”

  ~Don’t blame yourself for this. Even without that last attack, my days were numbered,~ Tia comforted him with a gentle breeze grazing his cheek. ~I feel nothing but eternal gratitude for what you’ve done. It wasn’t without risk. As I said, being able to wander this world from within you is a blessing. And I’ll do my best to shower you in mine as much as I can.~

  “Is there no way to… fix things?” Kindra glanced at him hopefully.

  He shook his head. “Not at this moment. But, we are going to look around for one. What today might seem impossible, tomorrow could be a common thing. We’ve learned at least this much throughout our adventures.”

  “If there’s anyone who can figure something out, it’s definitely Master!” Miria exclaimed while pulling his arm into her embrace and rubbing her cheek against his. “He is the smartest person I’ve ever known! And there’s Grea too! And everyone!”

  “That you are right, kittygirl.” Grea ruffled through her black hair. “I bet it won’t take that long. Maybe we can haggle with that chocolate witch to help us out in return for her favor. There’s always hope.”

  ~Thank you. I won’t reject your goodwill but please don’t let me distract you from your current affairs. It’s quite pleasant and comfortable here,~ the Dryad added with a noticeable smile in her voice.

  “I envy you. None of us has been this deep in his soul. And it doesn’t work the same way when he goes as deep in us as he can.” The demon lady grinned impishly.

  Asterios bonked her on the head as Kindra smiled mischievously at him too.

  ~One day, you might be able to. But, I think your draconic friend knows a bit more about that than I do.~ Tia giggled sweetly.

  “I don’t think we talked about your Ancestral Plane that much yet.” Althea nodded to herself. “We should most likely start from the beginning whenever we have some time on our hands. There’s so much to discuss. Not all of it will be of immediate or any use to you too.”

  “That’s alright. I would love to learn more about myself and the history of my people.” Asterios glanced at her gratefully, mouthing the last word with a bit of distaste. “We will definitely have a lot of opportunities to cover pure theory while we work on my traversal ability. If we decide to agree to the request.”

  “Do you have something like that too?” Selene turned to the Dragon lady.

  “Not exactly like that but similar. What Asterios is experiencing from time to time is a somewhat unique characteristic of True Dragons. They inherit a lot more from their parents and the predecessors in their line than Lesser Dragons, who mainly need to earn that on their own. But, it doesn’t mean True Dragons don’t need to work for their strength like their lesser kin do. It always boils down to individual effort.,” Althea replied.

  “Interesting.” The fox lady rubbed her chin.

  “Anyway, how’s it going, Mom? Need help with anything?” Asterios glanced at his mother with a raised brow.

  “Oh, nothing to worry about. Everything is fine. Luna and I are taking good care of your little city.” She flashed him a joyful smile. “Business is booming and the shops are popular. We now decided to expand into some markets that adventurers occupy since their presence keeps growing. We’ve also heard something about a possible dungeon so it could prove to be a great investment.”

  He instantly recalled the guild encampment around the nature dungeon they had visited with Miria, Rudy, and Selene in the past, imagining a similar scenario but with stores and tents owned by Hestizos and Nobelles. Profit from such a monopoly would be insane, and if anyone had a chance to convince the Adventurer’s Guild and Glimmervale’s Committee to agree to such an operation, it was definitely Kindra.

  “We are going to investigate those rumors soon so we will let you know whenever there’s anything certain, Miss Kindra,” Silvia promised.

  “Appreciate it, dear.” Ast’s mother nodded at her kindly. “Besides that, the wall is almost done, as you might have already seen during your flight. The construction slowed a bit since they needed your elf friends for part of it, but now that they are back, it should be finished in no time. Although, I heard something about plans for more. I’m not exactly sure about the details so you’d need to ask your trusty advisors for more information. We don’t have a scheduled meeting for about two weeks.”

  “Will do. We should grab Tina first since she is technically the lady of this place as much as I am its lord,” he commented with a chuckle.

  “You should hurry up and make it official. There will be no more confusion about what to call everyone after you marry them all. And maybe then you will finally start working on those grandkids of mine. I’m not getting any younger, Asti.” She crossed her arms and squinted at him.

  Miria turned as red as a mature tomato while a few blushes surfaced on a bunch of soft cheeks around the table.

  “Soon,” Asterios agreed. “It’s going to be a huge event. I would like for Miria’s, Selene’s, and Bryn’s friends and families to be able to participate. We could technically hold a few events, but I don’t think it would be the same. Each of them deserves much better than that, including Tina, Silvia, and Grea too, of course.”

  He exchanged glances with the girls with a loving smile and even Grea seemed not to find any witty or smutty reply to his announcement. It certainly was the first one that brought them such an accurate date. They had no doubt that he would host a proper wedding for them as soon as he mastered the realm traversing ability and there were no immediate issues to be solved that could interrupt their extremely important moment.

  “So, in the end, you decided to marry them all at once.” Kindra’s wide grin almost blinded him when he turned back to her. “What about our charming princess and her priority?”

  Asterios took a deep breath. “I want to be fair to everyone. They mean everything to me, much more than what a bunch of random people might think of it. If the king is going to have a problem with that, he can take it to me. If that is going to be the moment when I will need to show this realm how serious I am about making their lives the best possible, then I will gladly do so. At this point, I don’t think there are many who are capable of raising an objection in this dimension. Nevertheless, I will face them all. And they will accept my decision or be forced to yield under the strength of my resolution, True Dragon or not.”

  A brief but meaningful silence fell onto the room after he finished. Althea had a rare, jubilant smile on her delicate lips as she looked at him warmly. The girls stared at Asterios with mild shock and tender affection, feeling the weight of his words through their bond. His body emanated a faint crimson aura, and his eyes glimmered with power, emphasizing his statement.

  “My little boy, all grown up.” Kindra sniffed while wiping away a tear from her cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”

  He sighed softly and showed a cordial smile. “There comes a time when you just need to. And that moment might come quite early if you want to fit in the boots of the Dragon Emperor your beloveds hope you to be. Because you are the one to turn their hopes into reality.”

  “Spoken like a true man,” she agreed. “Being the best version of yourself for your lover is the goal of many. Not all can achieve it. But I believe in you. And I’m sure they believe in you too.”

  “Master…” Miria started sniffling quietly while burying her face in Ast’s neck.

  “That was… touching.” Selene placed a hand over her heart as she smiled gently, her external circuits flaring softly.

  When he glanced at Grea, she pushed his face away before he could focus on her. “Shut up! What an idiotic thing to say! We should be the ones striving to be the best for you, not the other way! Idiot! Complete fool!”

  With the corner of his eye, he could see her blinking rapidly and rubbing her other hand over her nose and cheeks. As much as he wanted to tease Grea for all the mischief she had caused him in the past, he just couldn’t do it at the moment. It wasn’t right.

  “Father will have nothing to say about this. I’ll make sure of it.” Silvia took Ast’s palm into hers, looking at him with a tender expression. “I’ll be honored to become your queen and take care of our people. I always knew that’s what I was meant to do. And I’m so glad to know that I will be able to do it with someone who cares for me by my side.”

  Bryn stood up and walked behind Asterios, wrapping him in a hug. “I… I never thought I would find anyone who found me attractive enough to go this far… To hear this… It makes all that doubt and uncertainty worth it… Just… Thank you…”

  Even though Tina was absent from their group physically, he could still feel her presence right next to his heart. She had been listening and was now sending him her feelings too, matching what other women felt. He didn’t need her to speak as he was aware of just how much she adored him since a long, long time ago.

  They continued to just enjoy the close moment for a short while. Soon, the girls retreated to their proper positions and seats, save for Miria. Asterios kept her head on his shoulder while affectionately scratching around her adorable ears. The ears from which it had all begun.

  “Let me know about the date and I’ll help with preparations,” Kindra broke the silence, getting rid of the few remaining traces of her own, happy tears. “We will make it so grand people are going to speak tales of it for eons!”

  “I expect nothing less from the best merchant in this universe.” He chuckled lightly.

  They shared a few more words while casually chatting about their adventures in the Garden of Sinners and Kindra’s entertaining experiences back in Glimmervale. Then, they all shared a loving group hug, into which she pulled even Althea in, and left to be on their way to the Committee again.

  Just as they moved past the front gate, the Dragon lady placed a hand on Ast’s shoulder and nodded at him with a proud expression. “Accepting who you are truly meant to be is going to be an immense help for you to become exactly that. You have already taken many important steps to reach your real potential, but this is one of the most crucial. Never forget the oath you have just taken.”

  He took her hand and squeezed it gently. “I won’t. My mates mean the world to me. All of them.”

  She smiled at him and they continued their walk. Technically speaking, Tina could join them through a gate after they arrived at their destination, but they decided to pay a visit to the castle first, fetching her and greeting their friends and families living in the central fortress.

  On their way home, Asterios took everyone to Imadil’s smithy since it was just around the corner. The workshop was still closed to customers, but they were let in by Cynthia after notifying the elf duo about their presence. As expected, the father and daughter pair was busy preparing the hidden forge for the arrival of their special gear and contraptions.

  Radir was already there too so Grea exchanged greetings with her father the usual way, which involved lots of swearing and smacking. They spent only a few minutes discussing the formations he was currently working on for the elves and she promised him to join them soon. Asterios lent Umbra’s services to the trio before his group left. Their shadowy friend could already start moving things in, testing some of the protective arrays too.

  As they were heading to the castle, Asterios paused, stopping them all. He frowned while scanning the crowd as he believed he’d spotted someone familiar. A moment later, he found the young girl he was looking for. Pretty brown hair bound into a ponytail, clever green eyes, a short blue tunic, and leather pants. Her charming yet resolute face was hard to forget.

  When Miria and Selene recognized the little lady too, the beastfolk girls practically hauled him her way. She was currently strolling through the streets while glancing around. He noted that her gaze seemed to orbit around the town guards and sentries with a somehow longing glint.

  The sudden commotion brought her back from whatever she had been pondering about and she turned their way. Spotting who was coming her way, she quickly straightened up and waited. When Ast’s party reached her, she made a respectful bow of an honorable knight.

  “Greetings, My Lord,” she said calmly, keeping her eyes on the ground.

  “Raise your head,” Asterios requested. “Irelia, right?”

  The young girl complied. “Yes, My Lord. Irelia Richtenstein, at your service. It’s my honor. How may I be of use to you today?”

  Miria giggled and patted her head. “You can start by stopping that. It’s cute, but Master doesn’t need you to be all official with him.”

  “Okay.” Irelia nodded gently, sporting a faint blush under the panthergirl’s affection.

  Asterios stopped Miria before she made her uncomfortable. “So, your family has fully moved to Glimmervale now?”

  “That’s right. Save for my brother, of course. He is and will be away for a bit longer,” Irelia replied with a more relaxed tone.

  “And you came too? Weren’t you training to take the Knight Exam at one of the academies? You’ve been near the necessary age when we first met, right?” he questioned her politely.

  “I was. I’m almost fifteen now.” She glanced aside. “But I failed the entrance assessment.”

  “How come?” Selene frowned. “You have been such a fierce little warrior when you faced us. I could tell that you didn’t lack the skill and talent. Are the standards so high for children of this realm?”

  “Father did help me apply to the most prestigious academy, but I was just not enough,” Irelia shared, still unable to meet their eyes. “The test was a fight amongst all to inspect how the potential recruits handle chaotic situations. Offense, defense, evasion, decision-making, everything could earn you points. But, before I could show anything, a group of older boys teamed up against me, and I was injured too severely to continue. They seemed to target only younger opponents, most of them girls, as few as there were.”

  “How is that fair?!” Grea threw her arms up. “I understand that all academies can conduct their entrance assessments as they wish to but isn’t that too much? Don’t tell me that gang of cowards got accepted! For what? Bullying the others?”

  “I don’t know. There were many contestants and limited spots.” The aspiring Knight shook her head. “They might have scored some points for their teamwork but they wouldn’t have gotten many for tackling weaker opponents. Their goal might have been to reduce the number of competitors permanently. If not for my broken arm and slashed thigh, I would have been able to join rounds two and three.”