This time, there's a Chimera maid joining us in the bath. She's only wearing a transparent shawl on her head to show that she's a maid while her slender, aqua blue body is entirely exposed. She has a bony frill on her head, like a fan that moves according to her mood, and right now, it's wide open in what we assume is expectation.

With the issue of nudity not being a clear matter for the temple, and the elves being not-so-closeted perverts, there isn't an explicit law against nudity itself, so the Chimeras will be allowed to be as nude in public as they wish, and I'll even encourage the custom. If we can normalize public fucking, then that's even better.

We enter our tubs and get our bodies washed again, then the "fluffers" prepare Ciel, Osaria, and I.

The new maid is overeager, and she gets a bit too into it. She strokes me a tad too much, and I can just barely stop myself from jumping on her.

Her mouth hangs open as she stares at it, her red and long tongue peeking out, twitching as she salivates in yearning for something. Her face flushes, and the aqua blue of her skin starts to shift red.

She licks her lips, which pushes me over the edge. I pull her head towards me, and she doesn't resist the sudden movement at all, even bending over to reach it better.

As the Chimera maid works, I play with her bits, and Ciel tells Osaria about what I want them to do, then my milf smirks with delight.

Another maid hands them their sets of sexy sleeve gloves, stockings, and garter belts, all white and made with the delicate and stretchy Snow Weave.

Osaria observes as Ciel puts hers on, and we both notice how her thighs get tenderly squeezed by the hem of the stockings, giving her skin a slight bulge line.

She breathes in deeply, then grabs Ciel and takes her over to one of the beds. Osaria immediately pushes her down onto it and climbs on top of her.

Without giving Ciel a chance to utter even a single word, Osaria silences her with her tongue.

The Chimera maid swallows it all as she opens her yellow eyes wide in surprise, her vertical slits becoming oval, then she lets my cock go and awkwardly straightens herself out again once she's certain that I'm done.

"M-m-my L-Lord, I-I'm s-s-so-sor-… hngh!" She tries to apologize, but my fingers haven't stopped moving.

I stop playing with her and stand up, the dragonator still armed and ready. I smile gently at her and cup her cheek, which is a bit awkward since she's very tall, then I warmly console her, "I still have a lot of Blessings to give. Don't worry, and just enjoy what I gave to you."

She nods sheepishly, then I get out of my tub and join my thick goddesses. Their slits are lined up for me, but today, they aren't the focus, for Osaria will handle them. What I want right now is some juicy, bouncy ass.

The maids activate an enchantment in the bed, which slickens the floor underneath it, then they push it towards one of the bubbly pools.

It contacts the water, then sinks down just a bit, which allows the two defiled women to contact the magical water and be cleansed of the hallowed seed covering their bodies.

Considering how I'm the only weredragon in existence, my Blessings might actually be valuable.

"Yes, and there'll be a lot of women wanting to bear your children," Yunia comments and smiles wryly. She massages her fingers inside Roxanne, casually wringing out moans from her while pretending to not care.

I enter the hot bath with them and put Lina on my lap.

Alissa snuggles up to me and gives us a mischievous smile as she whispers, "I hadn't thought of that. The temple would definitely encourage you to spread your 'inheritance' as much as possible."

"Well, well, well. I guess I'll be breeding quite a lot of women in the future," I joke with a smirk.

"Spread the glory of your cock," Alissa adds, then rests her head against my shoulder.

Anton and Krysta join us for dinner. They aren't Rande's employees anymore, so he'll have to replace them, but he now has enough money to easily do that and much more.

I extend my hand to Anton for a handshake, and he hesitates. The sharp claws and scales seem threatening, even for someone with a hand as thick as his.

"No offense, but won't my hand get cut? Those look like dragon scales, and I know they can be very sharp," he worriedly asks, his permanent frown a bit deeper than usual.

Hana grabs my other arm and runs a finger along the sharp edge, but I've padded them all with a thin, transparent layer of flesh.

"Looks fine to me," she casually comments and shrugs.

He narrows his beady eyes at Hana, suspicious of her. "I know for a fact that your skin is tougher than mine," he grunts.

"Trust me, you won't get cut," I assure him and grin.

His suspicious eyes turn to me. "You never trust a dragonkin to not fuck with you, and you look awfully similar to one right now."

Hana laughs out loud and agrees, "Yeah, you've got that right!"

Krysta comes right up to me, then boldly grabs my hand and shakes it. She's confident because she knows that I wouldn't play a trick like that on her.

"Good to see you again, my Lord," she greets with a warm tone and grins.

"No need to call us 'Lord' in private," I casually reply and release her hand.

She chuckles softly and gently nods, then her monkey tail stops swaying, and her expression warps into one of concern. "Klein and Lina told us about what happened. We wish you well and hope that you can find a way to adapt to your 'condition.'"

I lift my hand and cover it with a thick, rubbery black glove. "Thank you. I'm working on it." Then I offer it to Anton.

He snorts and finally takes it, then I remove the glove, but keep it padded.

He feels it and grunts annoyedly, then quickly releases my hand. "I knew it," he grumbles.

Hana and I chuckle, then they greet Mimi. Klein was the only one who had the opportunity to talk to her when she was bought back, so they have a lot to catch up on.

We take our seats, and the twins join us for dinner, seemingly glad that Hukarere isn't here this time. They've been seen a few times near the mansion that the Chimeras are being housed in, so it seems that they aren't xenophobic, it's just that they're a tad more prudish than the average elf.

Anton smiles wistfully at Mimi while they chat and comments, "I didn't expect that we'd meet again so soon, or that it'd be inside a castle… or that Klein would want to become a knight…" -He frowns, and the wistfulness is gone, replaced by irony- "I should really stop having expectations."

"Nothing about our situation is normal. You should expect the unexpected," Mimi responds cryptically, then she cracks a smile, and they both chuckle.

After their discussion slows down somewhat, Hana is the one to make the offer.

"Krysta, how about you work for us as a chef?" Hana just blurts it all out immediately. Yunia wanted us to do it with a bit more tact since this is no simple offer. Working for a Lord is a big deal.

Krysta's eyes open wide, and she stammers, "M-me-me?" Then her mouth and tail both freeze in place.

Hana smirks and nods repeatedly. "We know how much of a good cook you are, and while we have trained elven chefs working for us, we lack someone who can make something truly imperial or sommerlande like you can."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

A smile slowly blooms on Krysta's face, but she still can't speak.

Anton gives her a knowing look and snorts. "You'll be fine. They're the least 'Lord-like' Lords I've seen," he comments reassuringly, and his huge hand gently pats her back.

"I'll do it," she finally responds with a weak voice.

Hana grins like a little girl and shares a look with Mimi, who has a more subdued version of her expression. All the people they love are slowly coming back into their lives, so there's only a bright future ahead of them.

I start to feel a bit nostalgic as we eat. There's a spicy dish with not-tomato, not-eggplant, and not-carrot that reminds me of my past, so I take my time savoring it and try to guess at the spices.

I end up recognizing Tabasco sauce. It's very subtle, but I'm certain that it's something very similar to it. That spiciness is just so unique that it's difficult to ever really forget it.

I might talk to the chef that made it and get the recipe they used because I have no idea how to actually recreate it on my own.

Now that I've been reminded of spicy food from Earth, I feel like eating some Tex-Mex. I haven't seen nachos here yet, but I'm certain that we can recreate it.

After that, we part ways with Anton and Krysta, and we go down to the plaza in the inner circle, the same one where we greeted the skeleton crew that was taking care of the castle.

We have the new recruits of the Lordsguard and the Court, and the veteran knights to greet.

Salbotica and Sandoro are waiting for us on the balcony, and a strong spotlight is shining down on us, completely repelling the darkness of the night. The psychedelic moon is shining in the sky, but it's nowhere near enough to let them all see our faces.

We repeat our introductions in the same way as we did yesterday, though we decide to also include Osaria. As my Lady, it's important that they recognize and respect her. She won't have the same responsibilities as a Lord, but can still act in our stead.

"I'm Osaria Parado, first Lady of Wolf Ryder. We shall reach bliss through our commitment," she announces herself rather cryptically, in an uncharacteristically stern manner. Once the crowd starts moving to return the proper respects, she explains herself with a serious tone, "I'm not a fighter, but I'm fairly experienced in dealing with the common soldiers, and I won't have any mercy on those who slack off and endanger us."

I feel like slapping dat ass, but from my grin alone, she recognizes my approval.

Salbotica gets up from his chair and stops beside us. Once we direct our attention to him, he starts his report, "I see that you have enough men now to retake control, but Sir Sandoro suggested that we keep some of my men inside the castle until the chain of command is stable and the men are ready to serve."

"That's fine," I simply nod and agree. Yunia trusts Sandoro's judgment, and so shall I.

Salbotica salutes and leaves, then Sandoro comes forth.

"My Lords," he respectfully greets and lowers his head.

"Sir Sandoro, good work," I tersely praise him with a smile.

Yunia nods in agreement, and I let her continue, "We have a lot of preparations to make, so we're glad that we can leave the organization to you."

She looks at him kindly, and a few memories surface in her mind. Sandoro was devoted more to the Lordship than to Mavel himself, but he was one of Mavel's most reliable officers. In his pledge of loyalty, he stated his belief that Lords deserve all the support they need, for it's certain that it'll benefit civilization as a whole. He seems like a man more concerned with practicality than tradition, and I sincerely respect that.

He raises his head and puffs up his chest as he salutes vigorously. "Thank you, my Lords," he replies coolly.

Though he may be a good man, there's something that I'm very curious about, "Sir Sandoro, there's something I must ask you. Why did you volunteer? I fought you, and we almost killed each other, not to mention that I helped kill your Lord, Yulania's father."

He barely even takes a breath before he responds, "Forgive me for my insolence, but why is Lord Yulania beside you, when, as you just said, you helped kill her father?"

Yulania frowns, and the gentle smile gracing her beautiful face fades, leaving her only with a cold expression.

Most elves might answer that with something implying that she's a traitor to her family, but with everything she went through and how well she prepared the twins for the worst, I'd put a sword in anyone who'd dare to say that, though I would [Heal] them afterward.

"Be it Wolf or anyone else, it doesn't matter who participated in their deaths; we all knew that it was all just a matter of time," Yunia replies with a sad tone, though she doesn't let it show on her face.

Sandoro nods gently, and for a moment, he seems like he's about to cry, then he controls himself and continues, "Yes, we knew. I'm sorry for your loss, and I beg for your forgiveness for not being able to protect them, but we were never going to win against the Elder Council."

Yunia turns to me, and I grab her hand and rub it lovingly. Her blue eyes stare into mine, and we find comfort in each other. Our first meeting was… awkward and a bit confusing to say the least, but we welcomed her into the harem, and everyone kept their minds open, allowing her to find her place among us.

We've reached a level of mutual trust that's so important for this harem to properly function that none of us will ever consider jeopardizing it. What happened between us in the past just doesn't matter anymore.

She lets her genuine smile come out and confesses her feelings, "I'm here now because I know that Wolf will help me reclaim my family's lost glory, and it's the least I could do for them. But I'm also here because I love him… and the sister-wives."

I notice the recruits slow down, curious about what's happening. To outsiders, it's certainly a striking scene to see her acting so lovey-dovey with me. An elf and a… "draconic human" would certainly raise eyebrows among most elves.

Sandoro takes a step forward, and we turn our attention back to him. He keeps a hold of himself to not let his emotions appear on his face, but his tone is full of respect, "I'm here because I'm fascinated by his strength and inconceivable growth." -He scans over everyone around us, then he turns his gaze to the ships floating near the outer wall. Even now, we can see small lights from the spirits and Spirit mages working- "Not only that, but I also believe that there must be something special about all of you. You don't attract so many allies like these by being a wicked person."

I raise an eyebrow and smirk as I jokingly question, "What makes you think that I'm not working for Confiel?"

He snorts softly and readjusts his tight shirt gracefully. "Lord Yulania is too smart to ever let herself be manipulated like that," he responds confidently.

Yunia smiles wryly and nods respectfully. "Thank you."

He returns the nod, and we both turn our eyes to the Lordsguard. I feel a bit nostalgic looking at all these races willing to serve us, but the number of elves here seems a bit low. It's not a problem, and it won't become one because of how we'll be changing the High Forest.

Yunia feels the same as I do, and it causes our minds to sync, then our wills become one.

She opens her delicate mouth and confesses our aspirations, "There are nowhere near as many elves in the Lordsguard as there were during Mavel's rule, but one day, that will change. Arreira's will lives within us, and we will make the High Forest change, force them to take a step forward."

"Father… you never believed him?" Arturus questions meekly.

Yunia and I turn our heads in sync towards the twins, and Yunia shakes her head gently, making her drills bounce.

"About the Elder Council? About elven exceptionalism? No, I never did…" She replies bitterly, then she lets out a sigh. "It's ironic because he had even sent me as far as Dyrmorder to see how far 'ahead' our elven civilization was, but it had the opposite effect. I couldn't see what he saw, not in the way he wanted me to."

Antares glances at me. He sees my horns, my tail, my sword. We seem to be about the same age, and I dare say that I'm just as cute as he is, but I can't say that I know what he's thinking. Yunia would likely guess that the twins envy me.

"'Hubris in a leader will lead all to ruin,'" Lina suddenly cites the God of the Sun, her small voice both striking and devoid of shyness.

Sandoro smiles bitterly at her and nods. "Yes. We all just hoped to survive the ordeal to live another day," he mutters, his eyes filled with guilt.

But Lina is still not done. She had been quiet so far, but the elven disdain for outsiders is starting to get to her. "All civilizations ebb and flow. Each time they do, they reach further forward, but there's always a step back. The High Forest is one of the richest nations we know about, but right now, they aren't ebbing and flowing, they're stagnating."

She frowns and looks towards the gatehouse, where the rest of the elves are comfortably going to sleep in their warm and well-crafted beds.

"The High Forest was once on the brink of destruction with their only God-Ruler too weak and tired to hold back the horde of monsters, until the other God-Rulers united and killed Ender; the wereowls once ruled the realm, uniting all races under their banner, but now they've locked themselves in their gray towers, almost forgotten by everyone else; the dragonkin were the strongest nation before Ajax conquered them, and he won with a battle in an open field, showing everyone that race means nothing in face of real power; Bestiaram, once a united and prosperous continent, was reduced to a land full of barbarians, but they actually managed to unite once again to push Avgi off their land; and the Merfolk were the last race to build a proper civilization, contented with just being roving tribes until Kiki-Aaa united them and conquered the northern seas, founding their first great kingdom."

She turns her determined eyes towards Sandoro, who understands her intentions and nods appreciatively, then she stares at the twins to convince them of her words.

"Unity is our strength. Isolationism leads to decay," she states.

"Even monsters unite to kill humanoids," Aoi adds, and her fearsome double voice shakes the twins.

They glumly nod, then turn towards the Lordsguard.

Arreira was right, the Elder Council was right, Confiel was right, and Mavel was wrong. The High Forest needs to change to keep its position, or else it'll eventually be overtaken.

We remain silent as the Lordsguard finishes paying their respects soon after that, then Sandoro bows and excuses himself, "I must take my leave, my Lords. Sleep well knowing that your Lordsguard will stand beside you no matter where you go."

"Then we'll be in your care," Yunia replies kindly and smiles.

After that, we go down into the plaza to meet the knights, and they all kneel before us. There are over twenty-five of them here, but there were nearly one hundred families working for Mavel before, so this is a low number in comparison.

It'll take me a while to memorize their names and faces, but Yunia will help me with that.

"Rise, my knights," I order, and they immediately obey.

Their demeanor is calm, their eyes are sharp, and their actions are brimming with confidence. They're men and women we can trust with any task, just like Sandoro.

Yunia provides the appropriate words in my mind, and I say them aloud with a stern and commanding tone, "You'll all be sworn officially during the Lordship ceremony, but you're still to act as befitting our knights until then. We're still building our retinue, so you're expected to work for two until we've stabilized our position, understood?"

"Yes, my Lord," they all respond in unison.

I grin with pride. The Lordsguard will shield us, and these knights of ours will carve a path so that we may strike at the heart of our enemies.