After parting with Cassia and Marcy at the city’s gate, we returned home and washed. As I sat down in the living room to eat something quickly, Terra entered with a question.

  “Can we talk?” she asked.

  “Sure, what’s up?”

  “I want to talk about the deal you offered back in Antranth, if you have time right now.”

  “Right, of course. The debt is 1500 ryns, with ten percent interest. I need to pay 30 ryns every week. When the debt is gone, I’ll free Mia,” I shrugged, as it was quite simple.

  “Why?” Terra asked. “Even if you want to get rid of her, you can sell her.”

  “I ensved her, and I want to fix that. That was the deal we made.”

  Terra stared at me with her yellow eyes, without an answer.

  “I know that it doesn’t look like this,” I started to speak again. “But I’m not a fan of svery. Zoe had to convince me to do it. Azura wanted it, because in her opinion it’s a pack symbol. Mari… I wanted to save her, and we made a deal simir to what I offered you. Only that she’s paying for her healing. But I’ll free her too. And both of you… Again, it kind of happened, not that I sought to have more sves.”

  “Okay,” Terra replied slowly. “Does going to the dungeon pay the debt?”

  “Of course. We share loot equally between everyone. If your share is more than thirty, I can give you what’s left. But as we stick to lower floors right now, we don’t earn as much. It would be better when we go deeper.”

  “And after paying the debt, we can just walk away?”

  “Sure,” I replied. “Or you can stay around and continue to explore with us. Your choice.”

  “Can I take additional jobs in the evenings?” the orc asked.

  “If you want,” I shrugged.

  “And how much would you take from it?”

  “Nothing,” I replied. “What you earn is yours, but you might need to pay for food.”

  “Okay… I agree to that deal,” Terra said. “Can I be blunt with you?”

  “Sure.”

  “What are your expectations for us?” Terra asked.

  “I don't have anything specific in mind. I mean, you need to pay the debt, of course.”

  “What about Mia’s virginity?”

  “What about Mia’s virginity?” I asked back.

  “She promised it to you as a part of the deal.”

  “She offered it,” I corrected. “But I didn't agree on that part. She’s not obligated to sleep with me.”

  “So, you don't want to have sex with her?” Terra asked, sounding doubtful.

  “Mia is cute and pretty, but I won’t force her. If she’s interested, then maybe something will happen.”

  Again, Terra stared at me for a moment in silence before she spoke. “If something happens, can I ask you to be gentle with her? She’s… fragile, and I know that you like to do it… not gently. So, if you have… urges like that, I can offer myself. I know I’m not pretty, but I’ll be eager to do anything if you spare Mia from that.”

  “Wait, who told you that I don't like it gently?” I asked, squinting my eyes, suspecting that Zoe had her hand in that.

  “No one told me,” Terra replied. “But I can hear, and you are not quiet during the night.”

  “And you heard that I’m not gentle? How?”

  “With the sounds they are making?”

  “Those are sounds of pleasure.”

  “I know, but I don't believe they are caused by you being slow, gentle, and careful. It sounds like you are fucking the life out of them, and I’m worried it might be too much for Mia.”

  “I promise that if something happens, I’ll make her happy and satisfied, with her well-being in mind, okay?”

  “Thank you,” Terra replied.

  “What about you?” I teased.

  “I’m at your service, sir,” she replied. “Whatever pleases you.”

  “And I can be as rough as I want?”

  “Yes. I can handle it.”

  It really sounded too much like a challenge for me, and she had no idea what she was signing up for. “Do you like it this way?”

  “I don't know. I have never done it. But my pleasure is not important.”

  “So, how can you know how Mia likes it?”

  “It's not about how she likes it, it’s how much her body can handle.”

  I believed she was exaggerating, but if it was going to calm her down, I didn't have a problem promising to be careful. “We’ll see what the future brings, but I promise I’m not going to hurt either of you.”

  “Okay,” Terra replied. “Are you going to need me for something today?”

  “No.”

  “Can I go train at the arena?”

  “That would be perfect.”

  “And, can I look for a job after that?”

  “Sure. Terra, you can go out whenever you want, just be back when we’re heading to the dungeon. And don’t come back super te at night. I’m not sure how safe it is out there for a woman alone.”

  Terra frowned, but with a little smile on her face. “I can handle myself. And I don't have anything that would be worth stealing.”

  “Still, be careful, okay? I don't want anyone else getting kidnapped.”

  Terra nodded. “That’s all I wanted to talk about. Sorry for asking all those things, and if I was too blunt or offended you in any way, it’s just… I’m trying to understand the situation we are in with Mia.”

  “If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask,” I said, getting up from the table.

  “Thank you,” the orc replied.

  As we stepped out of the room, Zoe was in the corridor, talking with Mia. I wondered if they did it on purpose, to have two conversations at once, or was it just an accident. Even then, whatever they wanted to get out of Zoe, with her mind completely focused on sex, I doubted they would learn something beyond what was my favorite position.

  And looking at Mia’s blushing face, I knew that I wasn't wrong. I could only hope Zoe didn't go too far, especially since she was probably already scheming how to pull the bunny girl into my bed. Should I stop it? Should I wait and let it happen? Should I make a move myself?

  I should find time to talk with Mia one-on-one ter on, to get to know her better, but also expin the situation. That she wasn’t obligated to do anything, while also suggesting and flirting so she would know that the doors are open. But that would need to wait for ter.

  “Is Zelda still healing Mari?” I asked Mia.

  “Yes,” the bunny girl replied, nodding. “It’s going as pnned, and she’ll finish it today.”

  “Great.”

  “Mia, do you have a moment to talk, or do you need to help Miss Zelda?” Terra asked.

  “I can talk.”

  “Let’s go,” the orc said, and both of them moved upstairs, probably going to discuss both conversations that had just happened.

  “What did you talk about with Mia?” I asked Zoe.

  “Girl stuff,” the succubus replied, grinning.

  “I’m guessing it was more about a certain guy rather than actual girl stuff.”

  “A very handsome one,” Zoe said, pressing her body into me.

  “Don’t corrupt her, okay?”

  “Why? It’s fun.”

  “I don’t want her doing something she doesn’t really want, just because she thinks she has to.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “Master, that’s not how I work. I’m not going to force her to do anything. She’ll come begging for your cock on her own,” she murmured, kissing me and grabbing my dick through my pants.

  “It’ll be so hot if you’re her first,” she whispered against my lips. “Make her yours… and make sure she never even looks at another man again.”

  “You’re crazy,” I murmured softly before kissing her again. “And I love you for it.”

  Zoe moaned before kissing me again, pressing her body even closer into me.

  “What secrets are you talking about?” Amber asked suddenly. She was standing behind Zoe, with her hands resting on her hips. And just behind her was the edge of Zoe’s Silent Dome that she must have summoned while we were kissing.

  “No secrets, just chatting,” I replied.

  Amber squinted her eyes, staring at me, but she asked about something else. “Where are you going?”

  “To the forest outside the city, to train mana control,” I replied, taking advantage of the dome around us.

  “I’m going with you,” Amber stated. “Wait here.”

  She didn't wait for my answer, turning around and running up the stairs. But I didn't mind her tagging along and spending more time with me. And she could actually be useful in my training, as she was also able to summon mana.

  “Why did you put the dome around us?” I asked Zoe, waiting for the elf.

  “I was going to make a joke about your css.”

  “What joke?”

  “It seemed funnier when I was thinking about it, but something about you getting a Virgin Syer css with how many virgins you are taking.”

  I snorted, and then returned to what we were doing when Amber had interrupted us.

  I was groping Zoe’s ass, as her back was pressed into the wall and our lips were connected in a deep kiss, when Amber grunted, interrupting us again.

  “Ready?” I asked, stopping the kiss, but with my body still pressed into Zoe.

  “Yeah,” the drow said, patting the bag she was carrying. She’d also changed into clothes that covered her a lot more - long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

  I knocked on Hannah’s door, and Azura slipped out of the room for a moment, giving me a short kiss, but she stayed at the house to spend more time with her family.

  “What do you have in the bag?” I asked Amber, as we headed out of the house.

  “Nothing,” Amber replied. “Literally. I was at the market to check what potions they have on offer. The prices are a bit higher here, but that’s the same for ingredients. If we are going into the forest, I can look around, maybe I’ll find some basic stuff.”

  As we headed toward the gate, Zoe grabbed my hand, as she had always done, but when Amber noticed it, she grabbed my other hand. I looked at her, but she refused to look at me, staring ahead.

  I ended up with two pale demonic beauties at my sides, and I caught a few people staring at us. It was really hard not to draw attention when I was surrounding myself with such gorgeous women. I just hoped it wouldn't bring any trouble.

  As we walked, I was gncing between Amber and Zoe, and I realized that I don't know anything about the dark elf.

  “Amber, do you have any family living around?” I asked. I didn't know a lot about Zoe’s family either, but a public pce was not a spot to talk about that, and I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to bring that up, as it would probably make her sad.

  “No,” the drow replied. “My parents live up north, a few days’ travel from here.”

  “You probably don’t see them very often.”

  “Two-three times a year, why?”

  “Do I need a reason to learn more about you?” I shrugged.

  “We were never close,” Amber added. “We aren’t arguing or anything, just… I don't know. Two times a year seems enough.”

  “Any siblings?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Weren’t you alone living in Antranth?” I asked.

  “A lot of people come and go there, especially in a tavern. That’s how I met you,” she expined. “What about you, any family?”

  “No,” I replied. “I don't have any siblings, and my parents died some time ago. I don’t really have any family left.” Zoe squeezed my hand, and I gnced at her. “I’m building a new one now,” I added, smiling at the succubus.

  “You’re building a harem, not a family,” Amber snorted.

  “A harem and family,” I replied. We stopped talking as we were passing guards, leaving the city.

  “Do you really think you’ll find something just growing randomly in the forest?” I asked, as we moved away from Ortas.

  “Where else would I find it?”

  “At the market,” I replied. “After someone has grown it on the farm.”

  “I don’t hope to find anything rare or expensive. But, for example, nettle grows everywhere, and I need it too. Sure, it’s not expensive to buy, but I have time to look for it, so I can save a bit.”

  It wasn’t long before we walked off the road, turning into the forest, getting far away to make sure that no one would catch me using mana. I was checking behind us to make sure we weren’t followed.

  Soon after, Amber stopped us as she spotted something she wanted to collect. To me, it looked like a common weed, and perhaps it even was, but she had a way to use it somehow.

  “Actually, you can help me with training,” I said.

  Amber gnced at me before she returned to cutting the pnt. “Sure, but first I’ll look around.”

  After she collected all she wanted, we continued moving through the forest until we found a spot far enough to be safe. Amber walked away, searching for ingredients as I prepared to train.

  “Okay, today I need to train a new skill, and I don't really need your help right now,” I said to Zoe, who just nodded, watching me.

  I let out my breath slowly before focusing on the mana inside me. The previous time, I summoned the Earth Shield out of nowhere, but this time I wanted to use the actual earth around me. I wasn’t sure how that would work. Did I need to touch it? Pick it up?

  But as I focused on the skill, looking down between my feet, I felt a faint pulling sensation between the ground and my hand. And the more I concentrated on it, the more I realized I could pull it closer.

  Focusing harder, pushing more mana into the skill, the ground suddenly rose. While it flew toward my hand, it shaped itself into a shield, completing its form just as it reached my palm.

  It was much faster than creating one out of nothing, but it required actual ground nearby, and judging by the hole it left, quite a lot of it. Definitely not something I could carry in a bag.

  “I didn’t know you had a skill like that,” Zoe said, watching the shield.

  “It’s a new one from my Mage css,” I replied, letting the shield crumble. The ground that I used dropped in a pile by my feet. I repeated everything, trying to do it faster.

  It still took two or three seconds - much better than over a minute, but still too much. This time, rather than creating it in my hand, I made a slightly different version with buckles already wrapped around my forearm.

  “Hit it with your dagger?” I asked Zoe, raising the shield between us, wanting to test how tough it truly was.

  Zoe summoned her shadow dagger, and I smiled when the realization hit me out of nowhere - we were literally wizards summoning shields and weapons from thin air. I had done so many magical things already, but for some reason, this moment made it sink in.

  I was a fucking wizard.

  Like, actually. For real. I was standing in a forest with an actual succubus-vampire, lifting pieces of earth into the air and shaping them into a shield with nothing but my mind, while Zoe casually formed a dagger out of the shadows like it was no big deal.

  This wasn’t a game. This wasn’t a movie. I was really doing it. And gods, it felt insane in the best possible way.

  “Master?” Zoe asked, when she must have realized that I got distracted.

  “I’m ready,” I replied, raising the shield again, wanting to finally test my skill.

  She struck, not holding back, the impact pushing my arm back. My excitement about being a wizard was repced by wonder at how strong Zoe actually was. She had her css and points in Strength, but I hadn’t really experienced her raw power before.

  Looking at the shield, I saw a cut where Zoe struck, but she hadn’t managed to pierce through, and it didn’t crumble.

  “Thanks,” I murmured, dropping the shield again. This time, I summoned a shield not on my arm but hanging between me and Zoe. It rose from the ground, but the moment it was completed, it dropped straight to the ground.

  I would need to time it perfectly to block an attack. Unless…

  I tried again, slowing down the formation of the shield, hoping it would hover longer if I didn’t complete it. And it worked, kind of. It stayed up, but the unfinished shield wasn’t anywhere near as durable as the completed one.

  “Okay, that was the easy part,” I said and focused on the mana inside me, trying to summon the shield out of nothing again. But it was much harder, especially with so much earth around me. The pull toward the ground distracted my focus. It felt like the skill wanted me to use what was avaible and resisted forming the shield from pure mana. It took me even longer than when I had used the skill with Gemma.

  “Good job, Master,” Zoe said, gncing at the finished shield.

  I snorted at her attempt to reassure me. “It’s way too slow. At least with ground around, it’s not that bad.” I let the shield melt into mana again and began forming shields using the earth repeatedly. I would need to train the version without earth in pces where I truly had no other choice.

  After many tries, it felt like I was getting a bit faster, pulling the ground more quickly and shaping it with less hesitation. I wasn’t sure if I could make a fully formed shield in under a second yet, but it wasn’t taking much longer either.

  “I’m done,” Amber stated when she returned.

  “Have you found anything?” I asked, while holding a formed shield and turning toward her.

  “Yeah, actually, I found a lot of basic stuff, so it's a good pce. I might come look for more ter on.”

  “Maybe we should take Azura next time,” I suggested, letting the shield drop to the ground. “She might help you in her wolf form. She probably has a better sense of smell than us.”

  “That might work,” Amber replied. “If she will know what to look for. What css do you have?” she asked, nodding toward the pile of ground by my feet.

  “Mage.”

  Amber squinted, looking at me.

  “And a few more,” I added.

  “A few?! How many csses do you have?”

  “Let’s make a deal. We’ll fight using only mana. The loser has to tell the other person about their csses. Or css, in your case.”

  Amber huffed, frowning as she thought about it. She had lost against me before. Twice. We both knew she didn’t really stand a chance, but I wanted the training and she would never refuse a challenge.

  “Are you scared, little elf?” I asked. That was all she needed to make up her mind.

  “I’m gonna beat your ass,” she growled. “What are the rules?”

  “Only mana attacks until you’re out of mana. Whoever nds more hits wins,” I replied.

  I should’ve predicted that, but Amber’s answer was a burst of mana flying straight at my chest. We were too close, and I didn’t manage to block it in time. She had used only a tiny amount, though, so aside from a light push, it didn’t bother me at all. Since the number of hits mattered more than the actual damage, using small amounts was clearly her tactic.

  “One for me,” Amber said, summoning more mana in her hands.

  I quickly took a few steps back, increasing the distance between us.

  “Enjoy the point. It’s the only one you’re getting,” I said, mana dancing around my hands, ready to attack or block.

  Amber didn’t reply. Instead, she sent another attack toward me, aimed at my chest. I turned my body, letting it fly past me and smash into a tree behind me.

  She followed up immediately. This time I was forced to block, using only a small amount of mana to form a thin shield. On contact, all mana dispersed. I unched my own mana strike at her, but she dodged to the side.

  But I was ready. I’d seen Sage fight, and I copied her. As my mana shot past Amber, I halted it mid-air and pulled it back toward her. Amber realized what was happening too te, her eyes widening just as it hit her back.

  “Fuck!” she gasped angrily, not from pain, since I had used only a small amount, just enough to push her forward a little.

  “Draw,” I said, grinning at her.

  She summoned more mana, anger brewing in her eyes, and attacked again, but this time she fired in a barrage, shot after shot, so quickly that the attacks started to blur together. I actually had to focus to keep up and block all of them.

  I could have summoned one big mana shield, but that would’ve cost more, and I’d have to constantly refill what was getting chipped away. And while I knew I could outst her, I didn’t want to waste any. So I kept forming smaller shields, just strong enough to block each hit.

  She even tried the same trick I’d used on her, attacking from behind me, but I was ready for that too. Still, blocking behind me was harder. It was so much easier to defend against attacks I could actually see. If she sent more from my blind spots, I’d probably let at least one slip through.

  She kept firing, attack after attack, and I managed to block all of them. But I was too focused on defense to counterattack. On the other hand, she was burning through her mana fast without scoring any points.

  At least… until she suddenly connected all the small attacks into one right before they hit me.

  I realized too te that my shield was too weak to stop something that strong. Her combined shot smashed through my mana, dispersed it, and smmed into my chest, pushing me back.

  “Only one I’m getting?” Amber asked with a satisfied smile.

  “Maybe you are going to put up some resistance this time,” I replied.

  Amber growled and attacked me again, but this time I didn’t let her put me on the defensive. I blocked her hit and immediately countered with my own. It wasn’t meant to nd, just to force her to defend, so she blocked it easily. But after all that defensive training, it was my turn to attack.

  While blocking her strike, I gathered a rge amount of mana in my hands, then unched a much stronger attack toward her right shoulder. She summoned a big, thick shield of mana. It looked oversized, like she panicked when she sensed the strength of my hit and wasted more mana than necessary.

  I followed up with a second strong attack. Amber stepped back and blocked it, but using another trick I learned from Sage, I split the rest of my gathered mana into several smaller blobs. They flew toward the elf but stopped short, circling around her, waiting for an opening.

  She gnced around, realizing what I was doing, and surprised me with her counterattack. Instead of shooting at me, she fired her mana at my orbiting missiles, destroying several before I could send them at her.

  But she didn’t get all of them.

  I sent another strong attack her way. She created a shield to block it, but at the same time, I commanded all the small blobs to strike from every direction. She tried to summon a second shield, but she wasn’t fast enough, and several of my shots hit her.

  “What’s the score now?” I asked, now leading by a few points, gd that it worked out. It was much harder to control all of those attacks at once, but thanks to that, our little game was already won by me.

  Even after training Earth Shield and fighting, I still had around six hundred mana left. I didn’t know how much she had left, but I was sure she couldn’t win.

  “Fuck you!” Amber growled, firing several shots at me. This time, I summoned one bigger shield, blocking all of them at once. It cost more mana, but it required less focus, letting me attack her at the same time. She blocked my hit with her own mana, but I decided I was done pying with the small projectiles.

  I started using more mana to strike harder. She had to use even more to block. We exchanged a series of strong blows, blocking everything. Amber began getting closer, forcing both of us to react faster, but with single hits, it wasn’t too difficult.

  Until I sent a big attack at her, then split it apart right before it reached her. Dozens of smaller projectiles shot toward her whole body. She couldn’t block all of them again, and several hit her.

  That only seemed to enrage her further. She practically threw herself at me like a wounded animal, firing attack after attack with no pn or tactic behind them, even missing a few without me moving. I blocked them one by one, holding back my own attacks now, waiting for her to run out of mana.

  And finally… she did.

  She stopped attacking, now standing really close to me, panting, her angry gaze locked on mine. We stared each other down for a moment. Then she suddenly rushed at me.

  She threw her arms around my neck and crushed her lips against mine, pressing her whole body into me. I wrapped my arms around her waist, kissing her back, pushing my tongue into her mouth, only for her to pull away immediately.

  “Take me!” she gasped before she kissed me again, lips wide open, our tongues meeting in an erotic, hungry tangle. She jumped, wrapping her legs around my waist, but I dropped to my knees right away, lowering her onto the ground on her back.

  In that moment, neither of us cared about comfort. Getting her ass kicked by me had clearly made her horny, desperate, and ready to fuck. And that raw passion, that wild need in her eyes, worked on me instantly. I was already hard before I even managed to pull my pants down. Then it was only her pants in the way, and in a second, I was pushing my cock into her body.

  She was drenched. My shaft slid in easily, her hot, soaked insides wrapping tightly around me. She must’ve gotten worked up during the fight, and while this wasn’t my pn for how our spar was supposed to end, I wasn’t going to compin about ciming my win this way.

  She moaned lewdly when I filled her completely. I began fucking her immediately - fast and hard - driving my full length into her with every thrust, doing exactly what she’d asked for - taking her.

  The adrenaline from the fight still pumped through my veins, mixing with the heat of sex, and I was probably too rough, still half in battle mode as I smmed my cock in and out of her tight heat.

  But she kept kissing me, pulling my chest down against hers as I plundered her pussy. She was the first to break - moaning into my mouth, digging her nails into my back even through my shirt as her pussy clenched around my shaft and her orgasm hit her hard.

  I didn’t stop fucking her. Not until I took her completely and filled her with my cum. It didn’t take long after her climax for mine to crash into me, my cock throbbing as pleasure exploded through my entire body. I broke the kiss with a groan, eyes closing as bliss rushed through me.

  Buried as deep as I could, I filled her pussy. Amber wrapped her legs around my hips tightly, holding me in pce until I was completely spent and her pussy was full. When her legs finally rexed, I pulled out, sliding my cock free and kneeling between her thighs as I looked at her.

  Her cheeks were flushed, her chest rising and falling quickly, and she looked at me with a dreamy expression.

  “That was so hot,” Zoe breathed out, kneeling a few feet away, her eyes dark purple as her tail swayed behind her.

  I smiled at the succubus, then turned back to the elf, leaning over her body until our lips met again.

  “What got into you?” I murmured, looking into her pale blue eyes from up close.

  “You,” she replied, then let out a girlish giggle.

  I smirked, realizing she was no longer her bratty self - at least not right after losing the fight and getting fucked. It probably wouldn’t st long.

  “Come on, princess,” I said as I got up, reaching a hand to pull her off the ground. She grabbed it and rose, pressing her body into mine, already searching for another kiss.

  I pulled her in, kissing her again as I squeezed her still-naked ass, groping it for a moment while we stood there half-naked in the middle of the forest.

  Honestly, that should be an achievement - fuck an elf in a forest. Sadly, it wasn’t. But I still had a few others I needed to take care of.

  Amber sighed when we broke the kiss, looking at me silently for a moment while staying close. Then we shared one st soft peck before we finally separated and put our clothes back on.

  “Let’s head back,” I said once we were done. Both women nodded without a word, and we moved through the forest toward the road. But before we reached it, I couldn’t resist teasing Amber a bit more.

  And train. It was all about training, after all.

  I was summoning mana and firing it at the trees as we walked, practicing my aim in motion. It wasn’t really harder when I controlled it with my mind, but I kept going until I dropped down to around a hundred mana - enough in case something happened, and enough to feed Zoe ter.

  Amber watched me as we walked through the forest, but she didn’t comment on me showing off how much mana I still had left.

  When we reached the road again and headed toward Ortas, I finally spoke. “So… your css?”

  “Dark Alchemist,” she replied. “Level fourteen.”

  “How much mana do you have?”

  She gnced at me, thinking for a moment before answering. “Three hundred fifty.”

  “And only one css?”

  She shrugged.

  “What about your skills?”

  “Standard alchemist stuff. I can identify ingredients and potions. I have alchemical knowledge skills, poison resistance, and skills that let me prepare potions faster and better.” She paused, then brought her hand forward. “And a dagger I can’t really use in a fight.” A small dagger appeared in her hand, only to disappear again as she dismissed it.

  “Is that all? Not a lot of skills for someone at level fourteen.”

  “Most of my skills are for making potions,” she shrugged.

  “How does it work?”

  Amber frowned, looking at me. “Some things you can make by just mixing herbs or pnts, but most potions require a skill to create. Even if I have every ingredient for, let’s say, a contraception potion, I still need mana in a specially prepared form, and you can’t make that without a skill.”

  “Are you taking one?” I asked, realizing I might have forgotten to tell her I had a skill that prevents her from getting pregnant.

  “Yeah, I don’t want babies right now. And that’s why I brought it up. They’re not taking anything, are they?” She flicked her gaze toward Zoe.

  “No. I take care of that.”

  “How?”

  “I have a skill.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What css do you have?”

  “First you need to win a fight. Then I’ll tell you,” I replied with a smirk.

  She pouted but didn’t push further.

  “So, you don’t have to drink those potions either. I can block it and make sure you won’t get pregnant,” I added.

  “But if you turned that skill off, I wouldn’t know, right?”

  “I wouldn’t do something like that without talking to you first,” I replied.

  “I’ll think about it,” Amber said.

  “Do whatever you want,” I told her. It didn’t really change anything for me whether she drank the potions or not. And while we had sex and lived together, we hadn’t known each other for long, so I couldn’t bme her for hesitating to trust me with something like that.

  When we reached Ortas and passed the gate, I grabbed Amber and pulled her in for a kiss. “We’re going to the library now, with Zoe. Go back home, okay?”

  “Sure,” Amber replied with a shrug.

  I smiled as I watched her ass sway while she walked away. She really just needed to be reminded who was stronger and be fucked regurly to become much more pleasant. She hadn’t even bothered to ask why I was going to the library, and she still didn’t know it was more because of a woman than the books. Especially today, as it was getting te and I was heading there to talk with Selira rather than read.

  Zoe and I headed toward the library in comfortable silence, but she spoke up before we reached the building.

  “Are we going to fuck her?”

  I ughed at her question. “Someone’s in a mood after watching me and Amber?”

  “I’m always in a mood, Master,” Zoe purred. “But now I’m a bit more in the mood.”

  “We’ll talk with Selira, but then we can make one more stop, and we’ll see how things go.”

  “Where?” Zoe asked.

  “That’s a secret for now,” I said, winking as I opened the library door for her.

  Selira, as always, was sitting behind the counter. When she lifted her gaze and saw us, she grinned widely and stood up.

  “Hey, nice to see you,” she said. “I thought you got discouraged after working here and not getting paid, and that you wouldn’t come back anymore.”

  “You were thinking about me?” I asked with a smile, leaning toward her over the counter.

  “Ugh, I mean… when I was sorting the books you marked. It really helped me a lot, by the way. Thank you again. It’s a drop in the bucket, but still something.” She paused, then added, “And I lent you that book, so I was thinking about that too. That maybe I’d never see it again. But you came back, so I guess I worried for nothing. Are you here to help again?”

  “Sorry, I don’t have time. I came because I was thinking about you.”

  Her green cheeks darkened. “A-About me?”

  “Yeah. I had to leave the city for a day because of some trouble, but I kept thinking about the library and all these amazing books,” I said, gesturing toward the shelves. “And about all the treasures hidden here,” I added, keeping my gaze locked on her.

  “Oh, right. Of course.” She cleared her throat softly. “Is everything okay? I mean… with the trouble? Did you solve it?”

  “Yeah, my girlfriend was kidnapped, but I saved her.”

  “Oh my god! What happened?! Are you okay?!” Selira asked, looking at Zoe. “Why would they do that?! Did they hurt you?! Or did they kidnap the other girl?! Is she your girlfriend too?”

  I chuckled at the barrage of questions thrown at me.

  “Azura is my girlfriend too, but it was Amber who was kidnapped. And yes, she’s my girlfriend as well.”

  “How many girlfriends do you have?” Selira asked.

  “Three so far.”

  “Is Amber okay? What happened?!”

  I expined everything, and the sea nymph absorbed my every word. Her eyes stayed completely focused on me, nodding along, getting more and more passionate about the story, yet remaining silent until I finished.

  “God, you’re like one of those knights from the stories,” she breathed out, eyes shining. “Setting off on a journey to save your sweetheart. It’s exactly like something out of a fantasy book. It’s so romantic. She’s so lucky to have you.” Her gaze flicked to Zoe. “I mean, you are too, Zoe. And Azura as well. Ugh… You’re all… lucky to have him.”

  “Even if they need to share?” I asked, smiling, watching as she got flustered.

  “I mean, Zoe seems happy,” Selira replied.

  “I am,” Zoe confirmed. “Every girl would be. He’s more than enough for all three of us. Even four would be fine too. So there’s a free spot.”

  “Ugh… some lucky girl will probably fill it,” Selira murmured.

  “Maybe if I find someone cute,” I said.

  Selira blushed even harder, averting her gaze.

  “How have you been? Was everything okay while I was gone?” I asked when she didn’t reply.

  “Yeah,” she said with a shy smile. “Same old. Every day spent in the library, reading and working. But I’ve been reading this amazing new book about history tely. It goes into detail about Liraveth. Not that we actually know a lot, but I think the author really talked to some succubi, because she knew so much about their life there. Maybe you’d want to read it too? But I can’t lend it to you, so you’d have to stay in the library while reading.”

  “That does sound interesting, and if you liked it, it’s probably worth reading. But maybe you can summarize it for me some other time?”

  “Oh, sure! Gdly!” Selira said, brightening instantly. “We could compare what I read with what Zoe knows and her feelings about living in Liraveth.”

  “It’s a date then,” I said with a smile. “But we’ll have to do it another day. I need to get going, but I still have one question I wanted to ask.”

  Selira blushed again when I called it a date. She licked her lips before speaking. “Go on.”

  “Do you know anyone named Virelia?” I asked, hoping that if she was someone important, Selira had heard about her.

  The sea nymph frowned, her green forehead wrinkling. “Virelia what? Do you know her surname?”

  I shook my head. “Any Virelia that comes to your mind.”

  “I don't remember any that was important in the history, and right now, only Ardenvale’s daughter comes to my mind, but she’s like eighteen and doesn’t hold any important position.”

  “And who is her mother? Ardenvale?” I asked.

  “You don’t know?” Selira asked, sounding surprised. “The head of the mage guild? Leader of Tenebre?”

  “Gemma?” I asked. “I mean, Gemma Ardenvale?”

  “So you heard about her,” the sea nymph said.

  “Yeah… it slipped my mind,” I murmured.

  Gemma had a daughter. And she was hiding her from me. Why? I would understand if she was hiding her from everyone, to not put her at risk as a daughter of an important figure, but Selira knew about her, so it was common knowledge.

  She was hiding her specifically from me. And Sage knew that it was a secret, that was why she had asked about Virelia. She wanted me to learn about her. But again, why?

  “Why are you asking about Virelia?” Selira asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “Someone mentioned her, and I was curious. Thanks for telling me.”

  Selira shrugged, smiling softly. “If you want to learn something more, you know where to find me.”

  “I’ll remember,” I replied, distracted with the new knowledge. “But I need to go. It was nice to see you.”

  “I’m gd you came by. It’s nice to talk with someone sometimes, not just with clients, and not spend the whole day reading books. Not that I don’t like it. I love it, but sometimes it gets lonely, and-”

  I interrupted her by reaching out and gently taking her hand over the counter. “Sorry, but I really need to go.”

  “Oh… of course, sorry, I was rambling.”

  “No problem at all. I’ll see you soon, and then you can ramble as much as you want, okay?”

  “Y-Yeah… see you,” Selira murmured, blushing.

  After that, Zoe and I left the library.

  “Master, what’s going on with this Virelia?” the succubus asked as she walked beside me, holding my hand.

  “Don’t use names when we’re in public,” I said, gncing around, though no one was close enough to hear. “I don’t know,” I answered. “For some reason, her mother is hiding her existence from me. I mean, it’s not like she had to tell me when we first met, but when I asked, she refused to expin. So yeah… she’s hiding her from me.”

  “Maybe she’s pretty,” Zoe said with a smile, her pink eyes locked on me.

  I smirked, shaking my head. One of the reasons Zoe and I fit so well was that she had sex on her mind even more often than I did. But could she be right? Was Gemma worried I’d seduce her daughter?

  It happened with Zelda, so maybe Virelia was the same. Gemma and I had been flirting, and there were prospects of more happening in the future. Maybe she was afraid I’d go after her daughter instead of her.

  “Maybe,” I said. “But I don’t know if that’s enough reason to hide her existence.”

  “What else could it be?” Zoe asked.

  “Her father,” I replied. “I’m flirting with her mother, but if she has a daughter, then there must be a father somewhere in the picture.”

  Maybe she wasn’t really hiding her daughter, but her husband, or boyfriend, or whatever partner she had. That would expin why Gemma avoided meeting me in person, and why our contact happened only in dreams. This way, her partner had no chance of finding out about me.

  Was that why Sage mentioned Virelia? For the drama?

  I could’ve asked Selira whether Gemma had anyone officially, but I decided not to go back to the library and leave that for next time. Or confront Gemma myself in a dream.

  “Are you jealous, Master?” Zoe teased.

  “I’m confused why she hid it,” I replied. “And yes. I don’t want to share women with anyone.”

  If she had a husband, I doubted she’d leave him for me, and in that case, I’d just be a fling, and she’d be a cheating whore. For a one-time fuck, that would be whatever, but not if I was supposed to keep meeting her afterward and work for her.

  But she’d already shown me her tits and flirted with me hard. Doing that while having a husband?

  But there was another possibility. Maybe I shouldn’t judge so fast. Maybe he left her. Or died. Maybe she was single.

  But then… Why hide her daughter?

  It seemed we’d have a lot to talk about the next time we met in the dream world.

  But before that, there was still a lot of sex waiting for me to end the day in style. Only this time, instead of heading back to Sage’s house, I walked toward another familiar pce, to meet with someone who had shown interest before, but we never had the chance to go beyond flirting.

  And I hoped tonight, we finally would.