We rejoin the men in their training and spar with them. After the exercises that revealed the extent of our power, even the werefoxes show us renewed respect when talking to us. Only Yunia is actually comfortable with their attitude, but the rest of us still try to remain casual.

The same can't be said for our adventurer groupies, who seem to have become even more excited about being around us.

"How hard do you have to hold back to not just trample over me?" Lolo amusedly asks as she parries my wooden sword.

We have a few more exchanges as I think, and I notice that I have difficulty fighting against her one-on-one using only melee skills, which means that her skills are more or less the same level as mine, which is pretty good for her, actually.

So I give her a sober reply, "I wouldn't say I'm 'holding back.' This is training, and it makes no sense to just unleash all of my spells at my opponent every time we spar."

Thunder thighs smiles softly as she whips back with a stunningly fast riposte, almost catching me off-guard. It's pretty obvious that she's "Speed"-focused, but I'm not used to sparring against people like her since most of my opponents have been "Strength" and "Endurance" focused, which are what armies favor.

"Fine, I get that you want to be kind to me, but how easy do you think it would be to kill me?" She rephrases.

"Why do you ask such grim questions?" I cheekily deflect.

And she narrows her eyes. "Are you always this protective of your women?"

But my grin only becomes wider. "So, you consider yourself to be 'my woman'?"

She pouts, then suddenly lunges with blinding speed as she uses [Muscle Explosion], her sword aiming to poke my chest. I feel like just letting her hit me, but the dragon wrestles control over my body and diverts her blade with my free hand, then he makes me use [Rush] to grip her sword tight, my sharp claws digging deep grooves into the wood.

She tries to pull it free, but I have the leverage advantage here, so she releases her weapon as she jumps back to gain some distance from the rapidly approaching tip of my sword.

"You can do whatever you want with me, so I'm yours," she soberly confesses. Ciel looks around, but she doesn't find Nik-boy nearby, so I guess it's safe to assume that he didn't hear that.

I cast [Grow] on her sword and fix the grooves, then I throw it to her, and she snatches it from the air. "After the 14th, you can leave at any time, but you'll always retain ownership over yourself, no matter what you choose."

She glances at the Companions watching us, then grips her sword properly again and points it at me, her face still serious and focused on our battle. I wait for her to reply, but she just strikes again, continuing our sparring match.

So I calmly add, "Why did you ask me that question?"

The bunny girl attempts another quick strike, but I deflect it with my free hand again, which seems to annoy her.

"I feel weak, compared to you," she gives me another confession after casually parrying my riposte. Ironically, I'm starting to believe that "Speed"-focused opponents are more annoying than those that are "Dexterity" or "Strength"-focused.

Anyway, her mood seems completely at odds with her other three adventurer comrades, who are having fun competing with Alissa and Hana in archery. I guess Lolo is feeling inadequate, believing herself to be nothing more than a bed doll that can't even be useful or protect the people that she respects so much.

I take a step back from the sparring and reply, "I find this tendency that people have to compare themselves with me or my wives to be very silly, really. God-Rulers don't exist, nobody is invulnerable, and no humanoid rules alone."

She readjusts her tied-up floppy ears to hear better. "God-Rulers?"

"It's what kings used to call themselves before the first emperor."

She knits her brown eyebrows confusedly as she thinks. "So, someone like you would be a God-Ruler before the Empire?"

And I gently shake my head. "No, I'm barely strong enough to be considered the child of one." Then I step forward again and lightly re-engage with her.

She slows down her counterattacks as she reflects on my words, so I slip past her guard and tap her luscious thunder thighs as I grin suggestively at her. She gives me a brief, wry smile as she catches my meaning, but then she quickly returns to being serious again.

"'No humanoid rules alone' is quite the saying," she finally replies.

I shrug. "I didn't come up with it."

"Hm…" She hums thoughtfully and goes for another quick strike that I parry, but then she quickly follows up with a spin of her wrist that's so fast that her sword bats mine away, opening me up for a stab.

I use [Muscle Explosion] along with my thick tail to lunge forward, then I grab both of her arms as she stabs my chest and pull her into a bear hug. In this position, my chin ends up right against her bra, and though she doesn't have enough of a valley for me to sink into, I still enjoy this situation as she looks down at me in surprise.

I unleash my [Spicy Charm] at her and stare intensely into her eyes as I whisper huskily, "To answer your previous question, I could kill you in the blink of an eye, but a Companion will never face a Lord unless it's to save us from certain death. The Companions will follow the Ryders into every battle, but we also expect them to always return with us."

She doesn't immediately reply, so I kiss her exposed chest, causing a visible chill to run up her spine, then I release her and start walking out of the sparring arena.

"I-I didn't mean it like that…" She hesitantly replies, then blushes as she notices the teasing stares of the observers.

After Yunia and I wash each other, we enter the bath together, then we sink into the water, and she rests her head against my chest. I promptly delight myself in playing with her elastic ears as Alissa is too busy being played with by Edjo while Laguly watches with eager eyes, too shy to barge in on their fun, but Hana and Roxanne will make a move on the young Siren girl as soon as they've finished washing.

The Companions are here too, but they're mostly talking amongst themselves right now, still excited about their recent skill ups, and that allows the wives and I to have a small moment to ourselves.

"What are we going to do after we return home?" My elven Queen whispers wistfully and starts stroking me underwater.

"Laze about for a few days? Do each other a lot more than we already do?" I wryly reply and fondle her perky pillows a few times, making her mildly excited. Then I return to playing with her ears.

And she absentmindedly replies, "Resting for a few days might actually be a good idea. I'm starting to get tired of all of this… imperial unpleasantness."

"Just starting?" Ciel questions in disbelief while patting Lina's head, who's currently motorboating her just like how I love to.

I snort and point out, "Our Subordinate Lords back home aren't any better than the imperials."

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"They certainly aren't plotting to have us killed… at least not in a timely manner," Yunia retorts with a rather bitter smile.

I hug her with my arms and tail and kiss the top of her head, both of which she finds to be very comforting. Then I decide to move the topic onto greener pastures, "Well… I'm looking forward to having enough time to study magic and develop our Institute."

"The reports coming from Escanso make me excited about the future of the Health Ministry," Ciel happily chimes in.

"I feel like the idea resonates with me, so I think I should help," Yunia thoughtfully adds.

And Ciel nods excitedly. "Yes, that'd be great!"

The Queen smiles softly and looks down at my Tool under the water as her gentle and dexterous fingers intensify the way they work.

"Maybe we should talk about something that isn't related to work?" I wryly ask and coo softly.

Romy takes her hungry eyes off of Hana and interjects, "It's hard to imagine you guys talking about something that isn't work or bed."

"Or battle, I guess…" Hukarere adds with a shrug.

"I talk about books," Lina quietly retorts.

And so, they engage in a conversation about their favorite stories, but Yunia remains awfully quiet and pensive.

"The prostitute is right," Yunia whispers bitterly and sighs. "All I can think about is work…"

So I list off a few ideas that come to mind, "Grow a garden like Gify, read books like Lina, go partying like Roxanne, socialize with others like Ciel, pursue a crafting hobby like Aoi. There are a lot of activities that could help you de-stress."

But she casually replies, "I don't feel particularly stressed. Your Tool is the perfect tool to help a hungry woman like me to relax."

"Sl-t!" Roxanne shouts at my elf teasingly, then voices loudly as Laguly's tongue hits just the right spot.

"You could start a 'hungry hobby,' then. Alissa's is to watch or help me seduce other women," I wryly suggest, grinning at the silliness of this idea.

But she increases the pace as she reflects seriously. "Hm… I do enjoy 'roleplaying' and 'fantasizing.'"

Recursion!

I swallow heavily as it builds up, then she adds after a moment of thought, "But maybe a garden of Eia plants wouldn't be a bad idea… we could evenlay with them, and that has a tendency to attract dryads."

Oh, hell yes…!

I suddenly feel it coming, so I stand up and grab her chin. She promptly opens up and pushes out her little red tongue.

Having our own garden where the dryads can come and also come would be wonderful…!

I sink into the water again and watch as Yunia and Aneta, the silver elf Companion, begin the Ryder tradition of cleaning each other with their tongues, then sharing the bounty through deep kisses. Playing with it will never get old because of the significance of marking a woman with it, so this view greatly pleases both beings within me.

But my musings are interrupted by Khepri, who approaches me with a grin. The bubbly woman has a very alluring body, and I still haven't had my (real) Tool inside her yet, so I immediately throw my [Spicy Charm] at her, and I see a hint of fear flash through her eyes, but it's quickly replaced by steamy desire.

"Lord Wolfy… can you do me again like you did yesterday?" She coyly asks, her slightly bucked teeth and juicy lips making her look absolutely kissable. "I could still walk, so I think you went easy on me."

I stand up, completely ready for it, then simply float towards her with [Telekinesis] to assert dominance. "So, you want to be done so hard that you'll need a [Heal] to even sit up?"

Then her lips part, and she utters such degeneracy that the dragon in me wakes right up, "Well, your Companions said a lot about you and how this is 'your specialty,' so I don't want to miss the opportunity to have mind-blowing love that I'll only ever get to experience once in my entire life."

I damn love straightforward women.

I turn my eyes to my loyal toys and grin. "Since you girls have been such good, loyal, br--ding sl-ts, I'll give you all a reward. If you want a Ravaging by my tentacles, just stand up."

The Companions all stand up, including Lolo and Klein, and even Ciel, who's getting a bit excited from seeing all of the spiciness all around her, so Lina stands up too with a sigh.

I summon as many tentacles as I can and let them loose. Then I turn to the juicy piece of female meat before me, and she tenses up as my eyes fall on her.

"Bend over at the edge of the pool," I order with a growl.

"Yes, my Lord," she happily replies with a nod, then obeys.

Dinner with the Verners is quite nice. Allura got a bit excited after seeing the dragon in action, and she's still struggling to control herself, so I enjoy her jealous glances as Alissa and I act lovey-dovey. Yunia acts flirty with Léonne, but nothing special comes of it, though it's nice to see the two of them getting along so well.

Khepri wakes up an hour after dinner, but she still can't sit up, so I feed her while she rests on the bed, then I focus on the wives as her companions take care of her.

Yunia's desire has built up enough, so I make her squeal in front of everyone to satisfy her humiliation fantasy. Then I tie her up, and we take turns using her body while playing against each other with the air hockey and football tables. The Queen is pretty good at these two games, so tiring her out before we let her join in helps equalize the skill levels of everyone.

Today is the 12th, Yn, day of Earth. A good day for civil construction, and since a good deal of Mac Gantus is underground, today is the perfect day to expand the city further.

I learned [Hammer Use] with 1 point and increased my [Battlefield Perception] by 1 (now 8+3). Alissa learned [Reduced Mana Cost] with 1 point (now 9+1). Roxanne increased her [Water Magic] by 1 (now 4+36). Hana also learned [Reduced Mana Cost] with 1 point (now 8+1). Ciel increased her [Wind magic] by 1 (now 11+29). Lina increased her [Cursing Magic] by 2 (now 8+12). Aoi increased her "Perception" by 1 (now 12). Yunia increased her [Spirit Magic] by 1 (now 1+25).

Small gains since the battles didn't last long enough for us to use a wide variety of skills, but the most important thing is that today, Aoi has turned three years old.

"Oh, so this is the day I was born…" She remarks quietly in her chipmunk voice.

Commoners don't give much importance to birthdays, so it's mostly Alissa, Yunia, and I who are excited for her, but she understands our love and smiles back at us, which scares our adventurer guests a little bit since it looks like she's growling.

"Wait, she's three years old?" Hukarere asks out loud in disbelief.

"Monsters are born intelligent and grow fast, so she's like the equivalent of a teen or young adult," I tactfully explain.

"Child lover…" She whispers and snorts.

Lina and I glance at each other. "Well, technically yes, but also no."

"Congratulations on growing so much. Just a couple more hundred years before you can rest," Alissa gently congratulates Aoi, and the two smile at each other.

"Heheh. Eating all those brains must've helped me grow so fast," the little blue dragon softly remarks.

"Brains…?" Lolo blurts out, so we explain how Aoi grew so fast, to the horror of everyone.

Our morning goes as usual with our orb-boosted mana circulation training, but we receive a letter telling us that Princesses Sa'Haa and Urmeie are going to visit us along with a hundred and fifty knights each and their support staff, so we need to prepare accordingly to host them. Decien Omari and Centum Mako are also going to come, but the Lords will provide their own lodging for their men.

We, specifically, don't have to do anything since the embassy is mostly autonomous and already has protocols to deal with the visits of Imperial Princes, so we just shrug and continue our training.

I make some baby golems, and I rethink my approach on how to modify their brains. I've been trying to apply Earthling knowledge to this, but a brain is basically a messy and chaotic pool of neurons randomly but also not quite that randomly connected to each other. Trying to do this manually is a huge task, so maybe I could just… I don't know, let the [Golemancy] skill do its thing?

At Rabanara's Magic University, I learned the theory of electricity before I learned [Electric Magic], so understanding the theory of how the brain works is the first step. I also know how spells are structured, though I can't explain in detail the path that a particle of mana takes to create a [Lightning Bolt] or even how to use the "Stats" to calculate how much mana is required to create a certain level of voltage with the spell, so I don't really need to sweat the small stuff.

Also, visualization is something that the professors really stressed, so I guess I need to visualize the kind of golem I want. The problem is that "a golem with amnesia" is a lot more abstract than "a bolt of lightning."

So I just mess with some things at random with [Infuse] and create a few brain-damaged golems, but I wasn't expecting instant progress, so this is fine.

Lunch is delayed for an hour as we wait for our newest guests. The Princesses were already in Mac Gantus; it's just that their men were still traveling from Faium, so the royals waited until their soldiers had arrived before making their extravagant entrance.

Leading the parade are the shiny, plated knights mounted on Rontis with equally shiny but rather light-looking barding. They're carrying two different designs of swallowtail flags with royal imperial heraldry: a white mountain in a blue field, with the Sun Man's sun above, and a black roaring bear in a yellow field, also with the Sun Man's sun above it.

The heraldry of their flags comes from their mothers, the empresses, while the sun symbol means that they're imperial royalty. The swallowtail means that they're a secondary house, which is a rare thing outside of the Imperial Princes and Princesses.

One day, our children might fly flags designed like these, but instead of the Sun Man's sun, it'll be my horns above the main symbol.

Back to the parade, behind the horsemen trotting in sync, comes a dozen horsemen wearing ornate armor, probably the personal bodyguards of the royals, and following them are the open carriages with the Princesses and their two allied Lords.

Sa'Haa is wearing a black feather dress like a perfect Disney villain; Urmeie is wearing jeweled and even more ornate, bulky armor; Decien Omari is wearing a nice black velvet suit, the standard for imperials; and Centum Mako is wearing a simple gray robe, which is as expected of the ascetic man.

And at the end of the column comes six large carriages with servants and other High Officers or High Court Mages.

The open carriage stops right before us, and we begin the pleasantries.