Upon checking on the fatigued Raum slumbering in one of the ground floor chambers—the little rave used too much mana—Aron proceeded to his master chamber on the third level. Along the way, his thoughts drifted to the revelation and essence surrounding those red pills.

Crafted from the heart of a mage, giving a temporary boost to magic at the cost of an unnatural addicting and damaging one's well-being.

A theory seized his attention abruptly. A dark one.

'Could the abducted children be connected to these pills?' He couldn't help but wonder.

All the pieces seem to line up. The pills were made from the heart of a mage and the children were mages. The pills are a creation of alchemists and the children were taken by mages and alchemists.

It seemed too much to be mere coincidence, especially knowing of the inhumane experiments conducted on these unfortunate children.

'I'll leave this matter to Thyra; she can handle it better than me,' he resolved, shaking his head before pushing open the door to his chamber.

"Hmm?" he paused, taking a step back. Seeing the statue of the lion's head above the entrance Aron was confused.

"Yup, this is my room, but what happened?"

The room had undergone new décor changes, new curtains, a small table with flowers, a wardrobe, and a desk. However, the most striking change, one that surprised even Aron, was the bed.

The previously king-sized bed now expanded twofold, taking up a significant portion of the room. It was adorned with luxurious silk sheets and plush pillows, a stark contrast to the simple bedding he had before.

Walking further into the room, Aron couldn't help but comment on the size of the bed.

"This bed could comfortably accommodate ten people."

"And that's the point," a familiar voice came from behind.

Startled, Aron turned around to see Pethra standing at the doorway, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Little witch," Aron said with a hint of surprise. "What's the meaning of all this?"

Pethra stepped into the room wearing only a charming loose black nightgown, her gaze sweeping over the newly decorated bed with a satisfied smile.

"Consider it an upgrade," she replied cryptically.

Aron raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "An upgrade? But I see no need for it."

Pethra regarded him blankly. "Who said it was for you?"

Aron's confusion deepened at Pethra's response. "Then who is it for?"

Pethra smirked, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Of course for us, dumbass, your treasures."

Aron's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Are you going to sleep here? And the others as well?"

Pethra sauntered further into the room, her movements graceful and confident. "Yes, and I'm doing it for you."

"Explain?"

Pethra sat on the edge of the bed, "Well since we learned that dragons prefer to keep their treasures close, especially when they sleep, we thought of this way to help."

'Please fall for it. We didn't do it with the intention of us getting closer to you,' she was crossing her fingers inwardly.

Aron nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him. "I see. So, you all want to be closer to me, like treasures in a hoard."

"Hmm…makes sense. Do as you wish."

"YEEEESSS!" Pethra exclaimed, jumping on the bed unable to hide her happiness.

'I did it! He fell for it...hey? Is this step four or five?....hmm? Naahh, screw it, I'll think about it later.'

Aron chuckled at Pethra's excitement, finding her enthusiasm infectious. He watched as she bounced on the bed, her joy evident in every movement. Despite his initial confusion, Aron couldn't help but feel touched by the gesture. After all, he was a dragon, and like any dragon, he liked to be close to his hoard.

"Alright then, make yourselves at home," Aron said warmly, removing his boots and jumping on the bed.

He was desperate for a well-earned rest, even if previously he couldn't sleep in a bed, only on the floor; now he cared only about closing his eyes regardless of location.

As Aron settled into the bed, Pethra sneakily crawled to his right side, using his arm as a pillow. Feeling Pethra's warmth against his side, Aron couldn't help but smile. Her presence was comforting.

"You're quite the sneaky one, aren't you?" Aron teased, glancing down at Pethra as she nestled against him.

Pethra grinned up at him, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "What can I say? I haven't experienced such comfort since that night in the warehouse," she confessed, snuggling closer. "And I crave that sensation once more."

"Grrr... Pethra, how could you?!" a stern voice interrupted, sending a shiver down Pethra's spine. Glancing towards the doorway, she beheld Freya's formidable figure, her countenance darkened with fury.

Instantly, Pethra's mind raced, trying to come up with a plausible explanation for the situation.

"Freya, I-I can explain," Pethra stammered.

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"We agreed to proceed together," Freya's gaze was icy as she surveyed the scene before her, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. Their intention was to spend the night with Aron together; they even selected matching nightgowns. Yet Pethra's actions had jeopardized their agreement.

"I-I'm sorry, Freya," Pethra began, her voice wavering slightly. "I-I know we agreed to go together, but... but... I couldn't resist."

Yes, she couldn't resist having a head start before Freya. Pethra knew how much Aron liked strong people, and Freya literally embodies that word, from the mindset to her power and the most important thing—in a girl's eyes—the well-defined figure with the perfect six-pack abs and muscles.

Despite Freya unable to take the wolf form, her genes pushed her human body to its fullest potential, and with Aron's blood and potential, it was even higher.

Aron interjected, his voice calm but firm. "Enough, both of you."

"Tsk," Freya clicked her tongue, averting her gaze.

Through their connection, Aron knew that Freya wasn't angry at all; she was just frustrated. Knowing the right thing to do to please her, Aron extended an invitation. "Freya, come join us."

Immediately, her anger and frustration disappeared, and she literally jumped high in the air landing on the bed, claiming Aron's left side for her.

With a soft chuckle, Aron drew the two girls closer, fostering a sense of unity.

"Are we good now?" he inquired.

The two girls' eyes met, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. Despite their differences, they shared a bond forged through their shared experiences and their affection for Aron.

"Sister?" Pethra addressed, mindful of the significance of the term in their relationship that was formed by that suffering.

"Yeah, we're good," Freya said, her tone softened.

"...*Yawn*… don't forget about me too." A muffled yawn interrupted their exchange, drawing their attention downward. To their surprise, they beheld a shadow wrapping itself around Aron's legs.

A hand emerged from the shadow, grabbing tightly onto his right knee. The shadow expanded, allowing for another hand to emerge, grabbing into his pants. Slowly and in a creepy way, Kasumi pulled herself out from the pool shadow right into Aron's chest.

She gazed at him half-asleep. "I want… *Yawn*… to be close to Master toooo." She planted a small kiss on his lips then… she fell dead asleep on top of him.

"Well… Ahem… let's get some sleep, okay?" Aron suggested, trying to avoid thinking about the soft 'things' pressing against his chest.

Pethra and Freya nodded, pressing their soft 'things' against his skin in the process. It was like they were competing against each other or something.

"Hmm?" Suddenly Aron saw from the corner of his eyes the door slowly moving on its own.

Confused, he raised his head a little, staring at the door, and then he saw Scarlett crouching and pulling the door with a curved iron stick, which was used to rearrange burning logs or move them around within the fireplace.

She stared at him, smiling and saying voiceless words.

Aron read her lips: 'Sleep well?... What do you mean by that? I don't think I'm going to get any sleep with all of this softness.'

Surprisingly, after just ten minutes, sleep claimed him swiftly, enveloping him in its embrace alongside the girls.

…

Morning came with a soft light filtering through the curtains, gently illuminating the room. Aron stirred from his slumber, feeling more refreshed than he had in a long time. Slowly, he opened his eyes, taking in the sight of the peaceful room.

As Aron blinked away the last remnants of sleep, he scanned the room, half-expecting to see Pethra, Freya, and Kasumi still nestled beside him. But to his surprise, he found himself alone in the vast expanse of the bed.

Guessing that they may have slipped away early in the morning, he stretched his muscles for a bit before walking to the wardrobe, selecting a simple shirt and changing the pants to a new one.

Heading to the main hall, he was surprised to see the long table already prepared with a vast collection of different dishes and the girls waiting for him.

"Good morning, Master," they greeted in unison.

Aron smiled warmly, thinking 'I could totally get used to this.'

"Morning everyone," He responded, taking his place at the table's head.

Aron didn't forget to ask about Thyra and Victoria, noting their absence. Mia the maid told him that Lady Thyra left for the town, saying that she had an urgent business to take care of. Aron guessed that it must have to do with the red pills.

Enjoying himself with the delicious meals, Aron was one step away from crying in joy. For a whole three months, he ate nothing but small balls of a mixture of meat and some other ingredients like herbs and mushrooms.

Thyra said that they were good for the mana flow in the body while also providing a great amount of nutrition.

But C'mon. Could you really compare a small ball of gods-know-what to a delicious steak?

"Scarlett, how far is that project going?" Aron suddenly asked the redhead.

Scarlett swallowed her food and allegedly whipped her mouth before replying to him.

"The project is progressing smoothly. That mage was more than happy to assist us and concentrate on researching more potent magical barriers. I mean I didn't even get the chance to threaten him or anything."

Aron was mildly taken aback, recalling the mage he kidnapped… cough… I mean borrowed for an unlimited period during that Inn fight.

"That's good… and the others?"

"For Balin, we set up a workshop for him, and the dwarf was of great help, fulfilling every request and more."

"Excellent. Just make sure to pay him honestly and provide protection. Understood?" Aron was happy to hear that Balin agreed to work for him, and from the way Scarlett spoke about him and the gear he saw during the mission, Aron recognized that the old dwarf was a hidden gem, and he wasn't going to lose this gem at all.

"Crystal clear, Boss."

"Anything else?"

Scarlett paused, stealing a glance at the women seated around the table. She did this to help mentally organize the suggestions and the requests that some of the girls made and to make a decision on which one was the most important at the moment.

"Boss, Elina proposed something I believe could greatly benefit us."

Aron's interest was piqued; he ceased eating and leaned forward. "Go on."

Scarlett gestured to Elina, urging her to speak, after all, it was her idea

"M-Master. I suggest we invest in several shops and establish a business."

"Interesting." Aron stroked his chin in contemplation. "I assume you have a plan in mind?" he inquired of the merchant girl with the captivating honey eyes.

"Yes, Master. With our resources, we could acquire an entire street, but to avoid drawing unwanted attention, I propose purchasing five shops, generating a stable income, and gradually expanding our influence in the town," Elina explained with enthusiasm.

Building a thriving trading empire had long been her aspiration, one she had pursued alongside her merchant father before the fateful night that altered her life forever at the hands of Vincent.

Aron nodded thoughtfully, considering Elina's proposal. "That sounds like a solid plan. Do you possess the resolve to see it through, Elina?"

Elina nodded firmly. "Yes, Master."

Aron smiled, impressed by Elina's resolve. "Very well, Elina. I believe in you. Scarlett, I want you to assist Elina in her plan."

Scarlett nodded in agreement. "Consider it done, Boss. I'll make sure everything runs smoothly."

Before turning their attention to breakfast—if you could call it that, it was more like breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in one—there was one remaining matter.

"Boss, we've received no word regarding those hooded mages and alchemists, They have yet to make contact with the former Rats. What should we do?"

Aron pondered for a moment. "For now do nothing. Keep our eyes and ears open and dispatch your men into town to search for any rumors. I suspect they will show up soon."

Scarlett nodded, "Understood, Boss."

With the matter settled, Aron turned his attention back to his breakfast, consuming nearly everything Mia had laid out. He informed the women that he would be occupied for the day. Scarlett handed him a communication orb in case something happened.

He nodded and exited the mansion, with Kasumi swiftly joining him, slipping into his shadow.

"Master, where are we headed?" she inquired mentally upon noticing Aron's northward trajectory, the mansion receding behind them.

"We're going…" Aron paused, fixing his gaze on their destination with unwavering determination. With a resolute step, he began the ascent toward the mountain that lay behind his mansion.

"To the heart of the mountain"