The imperial air docks are at the south-eastern corner of Mac Gantus, right next to the bay because most airships are also sea-ready. The air docks itself is a simple grid of rectangular parking spots as there's really no need for anything complex without the need for a runaway or any sort of taxiing.
Curiously, it seems that there's a second level being built for the metal eggs of the imperial airships, making it one of the few structures that rise above the strictly regulated height of all buildings.
Our reserved spot is one of the smaller rectangles at one edge of the air docks, at the opposite side to the imperial army's warships, and also neighboring the lavish-looking airships that are seemingly owned by other nobles.
By my quick calculations, there must be about one hundred rectangles, of which about half are occupied by the metal eggs, and one-third are occupied by noble-owned airships.
Merchant airships get a dock of their own because they're forced to either land in the water or in a grass field outside the town so that they can go through customs like water ships or wagon caravans.
But the crew, especially the Chimeras, are more interested in staring at the Throne of Ascension than the spot we're about to land on.
Built during the Dawn of Mankind, it predates written history, and it's believed that it was raised before the other races were created, making it the oldest known construction in existence.
Unfortunately, the rulers that succeeded its creator wiped out all traces of its previous history, and even the first emperor completely overhauled it once he had removed the veritable mountain of gold and silver that was used to decorate it, so it doesn't hold anywhere near the amount of historical value it could've.
Still, it's quite impressive to look at from the outside. It has a "staircase" shape, with the middle being a solid pillar of yellow bricks, and the "steps" are filled with medium-sized white mansions as it spirals upwards and continues into the clouds. Though thicker than my sword, it isn't by much, but it can definitely house more nobles than the ring of mansions we have back in Escanso due to its extreme verticality.
Ciel sighs at my joke. It's far from being "heresy" since the Throne isn't a holy structure, but it still annoys her.
The ship finally lands, and we're the first ones out. There's a set of elven carriages ready to take us to our accommodations, and because there's nothing to see around here due to our parking spot being a walled courtyard made of bricks, we just get comfortable in our seats and prepare for another round of shaking.
"What's the party about?" Hana curiously questions the elven guide in our carriage.
"Hiyoku Hara has been reconquered after the Emperor defeated a Symbol of Might leading the dragons," he answers matter-of-factly.
We all raise our eyebrows in surprise, but Hana becomes quite excited at the news.
Something happened without us being involved? How unusual!
"So that's why the Emperor isn't in the capital," Yunia remarks thoughtfully, but the guide isn't able to confirm or deny it. The Emperor does as he pleases, and it's believed that only his harem can reliably inform us about where he is at any moment due to the fellowship bond.
Hiyoku Hara was lost a few hundred years ago, sending the dragonkin homeland of Yukiyama into a sort of depression since they lost their only truly fertile piece of land, so perhaps now, they'll make a comeback.
Alissa feels a bit hopeful, too, because that'll re-open trade routes that go through the Misty Low Forest and the Colored Sands once again, making it in the empire's best interest to see that the neglected desert isn't brimming with raiders and slavers like it is right now.
As the sun begins to set, our carriage departs from the docks, and the sound of merrymaking reaches our ears, immediately distracting Hana as she starts to get in the mood for another party.
We come out onto a wide boulevard, and the loud music interrupts our casual chatter. This is a nobler part of town since it's the main road between the air docks and the Nobles' Quarter in the north of Mac Gantus, so there are plenty of Townsguard on patrol to ensure that the street remains open, but the party-goers just fill the sidewalks, instead.
"So many catgirls…" I mumble in awe and mild desire as I observe the scantily-clad women (and a few catboy twinks) dancing atop illuminated pillars as if this was an open-air club. Then I look ahead and frown in confusion. "Seriously, the whole street is full of them."
The guide nods diligently and explains, "These are prostitutes from the brothels that surround this boulevard. If you see someone you want, we can stop and ask her to come with us."
Makes sense that the brothels are near military installations.
While having a catgirl would be really nice, our bodies are a bit tired from the constant shaking of the ship, so I just want to enjoy a private evening with my wives and possibly all of the Companions. I also prefer to give notice ahead of time to the brothel that I'm going to so that they can prepare someone who'd be more eager and willing to entertain me than just a random, tired worker.
But by the Gods, it's quite tempting to ask a pretty, sweaty catgirl dancer to come in, and then plow her brains out.
Alissa senses quite a lot of people far underneath us, and just like in Escanso, the boulevard occasionally has holes in the middle, allowing us to peek down at the underground levels of the city. Building up is limited, so they built down, but even deeper in, there's a dungeon, the Great Labyrinth.
The first emperor was born there, in a random dark corner of the Labyrinth, and the extreme environment seemingly provided him with the opportunity to rise until he became a literal God. It's the perfect stereotypical Isekai starting scenario (not saying that mine isn't), making me wonder if Ajax was someone like me.
"I want to explore the Labyrinth," Lina shares, and we all agree that it'd be a good use of our free time.
The Throne acts like a giant sundial, and so we eventually cross its stunningly massive shadow since we're now passing through the east side of the city.
Once we reach the Nobles' Quarter, the crowd immediately goes away, though the quality of the prostitutes seems to increase.
Hana salivates over a cute halfling boy dancer, and I give her a playful slap on the face to remind her of her "training."
Shortly after, we reach the embassies. The road is officially called "Union Street," but it's informally known as "Bickers Street" due to the embassies regularly sending their representatives to each other to complain about every little thing.
The empire actually prefers that they do this instead of having to deal with border disputes locally, which would require costly infrastructure and even waste the Emperor's time with teleporting around since he's occasionally forced to be present to mediate disputes.
We pass by a forest of giant, glowing mushrooms, which is Gnomeria's embassy, but most of it is underground; then a complex of the Misty Forest's raised houses made with their characteristic black, ashy wood and with red-tiled, sharp-angled roofs; then a single, gigantic, Gothic mansion for Maplethorne's embassy; then a pastel-colored not-Taj-Mahal for (currently Fallen) Aremut.
And then we finally reach our destination.
On one side of the street, we see a rectangular, mansion-sized box curved in a convex shape made of obsidian that's dotted with countless, shining, Fire-attuned crystals and has a visible crack going through its middle. This is Mountainhome's embassy, and it looks exactly like how that one comedy book Lina once read describes it. Like Gnomeria's, most of the Embassy is actually underground.
On the other side of the street, we see a forest of mini High Trees. Each tree is made of thousands of branches that are twisted into a spiral until they form a thick, tall pillar of wood, each the size of a large house, all with countless little windows letting out some light. This is our embassy.
Right beside ours is Elaria's, which is also a forest, but of the usual grassland elf tree style with their rotund, house-sized trunks.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
There are more embassies ahead, but they're partially obscured by the high walls and tall buildings.
Our little column of carriages stops, and we finally reach the end of our short journey.
A group of pretty elven maids receives us, and I immediately begin to miss our home because I can't touch any of them. They're paid by the Elder Council, so there's a good chance that they're xenophobic elven elitists with no appreciation for draconic swords.
Caterina disembarks from another carriage along with the High Officers, and after a surprisingly alluring stretch, she approaches us with a content expression.
She's kind of beginning to unnerve me with how friendly she is because I know she can turn that around and become as ruthless as her mother at a moment's notice.
"Thank you for taking me along. You allowed the Punishers to save a lot of funds this way," she earnestly states.
"It was a pleasure to have you with us," Ciel cheerfully replies.
And Caterina glances at Hana. "I know." Then her smile becomes slightly bitter. "But I believe we'll have to part ways for now. I'll be busy for a few days as I deal with the reason for why I came here."
"There's a chance we might stay here for a full day-cycle since it depends on the whim of the Emperor," Yunia soberly explains.
"We might even get the chance to explore the Labyrinth together," Hana adds with a grin.
Caterina stares at her for a couple of seconds, then she hums softly and nods. "With luck."
Then we say our goodbyes and start making our way to our personal mini High Tree.
Hana sighs and smiles absentmindedly. She made some progress with Caterina, but that doesn't quench her thirst for her own milf. Though the Templar isn't motherly like Osaria or Poosh, her confident and experienced demeanor is quite attractive to Hana.
The fiery dragonkin shrugs while she shows her characteristic proud grin. "Ciel is my 'motherly milf,' and I can always get a piece of your milfs whenever I want," she asserts, making the resident angel frown worriedly.
Roxanne raises her eyebrows, then adjusts her glasses as she remarks, "I know Wolfy is insatiable, but you're a close second."
And like a true dragon's kin, Hana feels absolutely no shame.
But then I notice Roxanne's thin black tail waving like cat's, full of mischief, and I brace for impact, but I'm not the target this time, "Klein comes third because she's a crazy sl-t." And the poor monkey girl's jaw goes slack, completely caught off-guard by the sneak attack.
Alissa's eyes go to Aoi, then she looks back at Hukarere. "You sure about that? Even you are thirstier for milk than Klein is," she snobbishly shoots back, and Roxanne is left without a reply.
Klein gives Alissa a thankful look, and the two cute animal girls hold hands as a little alliance begins to form.
Our quarters here are small considering that our bath back in Escanso is so big that it even has an echo, but we're not spoiled enough (yet) that we think anything of it. It smells and looks like home, so, aside from the view and size, our homesickness is quelled quite thoroughly.
I look out from the small balcony, and my eyes are drawn to a group of cute halflings as they make their way to Elaria's embassy. Halflings and the grassland elves of Elaria don't see eye to eye, so I know what's about to happen.
Lina stops beside me and observes the dwarven embassy, appreciating its sublime beauty. Our room feels very comfy for her, so this balcony is like the prime spot to geek out over history.
"You and your parents continue to surprise me. I didn't expect that dwarves would adapt so well to the elven way of life," Yunia amusedly remarks and comes to stand beside her little sister-wife.
Lina frowns and glares at her annoyedly. "Dwarves aren't as hard-headed as you think they are," she grumbles and pouts.
"Evidently," Yunia awkwardly replies, worried her words sounded too offensive.
"Hmph. On the other hand, elves are as dainty as I imagined them to be," Lina snaps back and returns to admiring the dwarven embassy, ignoring Yunia's dazed stare.
"She has learned from the best," Roxanne smugly remarks and raises her eyebrows repeatedly.
Could Lina have a hidden talent for banter? She certainly has a bit of a dark personality to draw from.
Ciel hugs her wife from behind and pouts annoyedly at me. "Stop corrupting her," she mumbles, struggling to keep a straight face.
"It's far, far too late for that," Alissa replies out loud as she picks some elven sweets from one of the tables near the wall.
I turn around and see that our male elven guide has been replaced by a hot elven maid, and a bit of the homesickness comes back.
Oh, my lovely Poosh, how I miss you…
"Prepare the bath, please," I politely request.
She bows diligently, making her long ears and nice pair of pillows bounce, then leaves without a word.
The maids offer to wash and massage us, but we decline because we'll just get the six Companions to do it instead. They aren't skilled washers, but they make up for that with eagerness. All of the Companions and maids know what happens when too many women are called into the bath.
We turn on all the enchantments, then we let out a collective sigh as we enter the not-Jacuzzi. The magic water gives us a nice, soothing experience by massaging our souls, so I decide to be a bit more subtle today.
I summon as many tentacles as I can, then I slowly spread them out across the floor of the bath, making them slither as spicily as possible.
Hmm… feet…
Lina's little feet, Ciel's, Melanie's, and Atawha's well-rounded feet, Alissa's, Klein's, and Edolie's cute feet, Hana's and Romy's large and feminine feet, Roxanne's alluring and skinny feet, Yunia's and Aneta's sublime feet, Aoi's and Hukarere's big and scaly feet. The variety makes me really, really happy, and also quite hard.
They don't even notice my tentacles gently licking and sucking on their feet due to all the stimulation the bath gives them, so I start to itch for something to stroke me.
Then I run them up their legs. Thin, athletic, toned, and thicc, in a variety of different colors. I control myself to not squeeze these calves and thighs because that would alert them right away, but I make sure they all feel my soul touch to get them in the mood.
Their breathing subtly quickens, and they close their eyes in relaxation as their folds warm up in desire.
For each of the girls, I create a very small, fuzzy tentacle that sneaks between their bits and vibrates, giving them the subtlest level of stimulation that I can. The differences in the shapes of each of their legs and bits remind me that Almaria should be working on the flower for the golems' plant bodies right now, and the idea of choosing the perfect one for them gives me a renewed appreciation for the variety I have here in the bath.
They're all beautiful, they're all alluring, and they all have a craving for me.
I don't have time to individually give each of them the D, so I let the tentacle monster make an appearance. It's more intense to have them all screaming my name at the same time, anyway...
Once we finally get out of the bath, everything is forgotten, and we all go back to normal.
Our calm and happy meal reveals no hint of their desired-crazed cries, their drooling expressions, or the humiliating positions they all went through just half an hour ago.
Honestly, that gap in their behaviors, their "gap spiciness," if you will, is what makes it even sweeter.
But while we all bask in the afterglow of our wild plowing, Yunia's mind is somewhere completely different as worry and suspicion begin to rise to the surface of her heart.
"I find it odd that no other nobles have come to greet us," she shares a thought, and I come to the conclusion that anxiety is one of the few negative emotions that don't fit well with her dignified elven beauty. Anger, disgust, smugness, and arrogance all enhance her allure, unlike anxiety. Then she rolls her eyes and pleads, "Wolfy, please."
"You're the one reading my thoughts," I mumble with a pout.
"Let's wait until tomorrow," Alissa appeases her, and she begrudgingly agrees. There's no need to work or scheme for today.
I cast [Gate] and receive a letter with the daily news.
Osaria reports that there's nothing to report. Seriously, everything is going according to plan. The Health Ministry is functional, courtesy of the temple and Teresina transferring experienced scribes and administrators to us; the tax-payer clinics are booming with traffic, but they're well prepared to deal with it; and the Crown Lords are ready to strike at Katasko.
Poosh tells on Osaria, informing me that my thirsty milf is going after the maids, so I write a letter telling her to control herself, though I have the golems do the actual writing because my calligraphy sucks while they were taught by Arreira in how to write like an elf. She's an aggressive predator, and I don't want her harassing my maids even though I know they're all thirsty c-m sl-ts. She is allowed to proposition, but not to insist on it or flirt too aggressively.
Sai has made some observations about the baby golems, and she shares her ideas with me. She's having Jarvis learn how to work together with a Celestial Horn while being worn, so she's learning a few things about golem psychology.
She also gives a suggestion for a good halfling/dwarf brothel, and I make a mental note to flirt with her more aggressively.
Almaria is asking about what shape I want for the flowers of the golems' plant bodies, and I instantly get an unsheathing as I start to deliberate on the fine details of a woman's hidden beauty.
While we all may think that a neat "Volkswagen Beetle hood" looks cute, meaty flaps like Klein's have a bit of an alluring air to them that I also enjoy. Now, the question is, who gets which?
I think Jarn deserves the meaty flaps because her body is already a bimbofication based on the wives. Suzy is going to be a not-vampire, so maybe she should get the cute and innocent "Beetle hood" while Ted gets something in-between the two other golems'.
"What an enlightening discussion," Ciel dryly remarks, and I give her ass a playful slap.
Sandoro reports a quick improvement of Brett's situation, and he's already training with the other men like normal again, though that doesn't mean that he's ready for a real battle.
I tell Sandoro to encourage Brett to always keep us informed if he has another of those "episodes." It's better if he stays on the bench than risk messing it up if he's still not mentally sound.
I remember I almost messed up when we were attacked by the rapists back in Rabanara, but Brett doesn't have a supportive harem ready to take over in case he locks up.
Then I write that we all love and miss them all very much.
Osaria, Poosh, and the maids stare at the letter with a variety of reactions, but the most common is a sad moan as they clutch their hearts (and a few even touch themselves between their legs).
Like the insatiable sl-t that she is, Osaria immediately goes for a spicy payback. She takes her summoned little bird off her shoulder and then pushes it in between her pillows, so I activate the sense sharing with it, but she's not done yet.
She gets Poosh to take off her top, and the two of them press their large bits against each other while Osaria pushes the bird up and down suggestively. That does it for me.
I turn to Ciel and grin. She immediately notices my spicy stare without even having to peek at my thoughts, then her eyes fall on my hard-as-diamond Weapon, and she lets out a sigh.
"Fine…" She mumbles and crawls over to me, with Hana following her juicy behind like a good, submissive, slave.
Alissa slowly oils it up for me, then my two big-chested wives sandwich it between their massive pillows.
This will be the cherry on the cake to end my evening.