I Own a Brothel in Another World

Chapter 247 – Sisters By Fate

As the question leaves my lips, my dainty lover drops her gaze to the ground with a thoughtful expression. Still, her feet move on a clear autopilot. Years might have passed, but she’s never forgotten all the twists and turns of her home. 

Some of it might have been ingrained into her memory with a slight influence of anxiety and fear. I can imagine a young, timid girl walking these hallways after being called in front of the Patriarch for whatever reason. A trip like that can get on one’s psyche a fair lot. Like the walk of shame to the principal’s office but without any idea if it’s for a good or bad thing.

Nevertheless, she has no trouble setting her feet one in front of another while racking her brain.

“It’s a bit of a long story, Master, but I don’t exactly remember Niel ever considering a change in occupation,” my lovely Dwarf wife finally speaks up. “She might have been even more withdrawn than me in that period, but like most of the children in the family, she’s also strived to rise in the ranks and achieve some recognition, even if minor. Even if she wasn’t part of the clan initially.”

“Oh?” I take a curious peek at her.

Sirgia nods delicately. “Niel wasn’t born into Forgegravers but taken in. By my parents.”

“You didn’t lie about this being a big tale, then.” I gently brush through her hair. “These kinds of events usually aren’t simple. I assume it wasn’t anything as plain as her just wishing to become part of your clan and managing to figure out a way in.”

“She lost her family.” My lover lets out a wistful sigh.

“Yeah. What I was expecting, more or less.” I shake my head gloomily. “Never a happy story.”

My attention returns to her after sensing a tiny squeeze as she finds my palm again.

“Unfortunately, the majority of tales in this world have ill-fated beginnings. But, some still get a chance to find a pleasant ending.” Sirgia looks deep into my eyes with visible gratitude and affection.

I can feel the extent of her appreciation for everything we’ve gone through and can’t stop myself from leaning down to capture her lips with a very delicate kiss, which she reciprocates lovingly. We might not be alone in the corridor, with a few servants scurrying around, but neither of us cares anymore.

As I draw back, she keeps staring at me, contemplating something.

Before I tell my sweet mate to get it out already, she does exactly that. “Do you think we could create a good ending for her too, Master?”

From the tone of her voice, it’s obvious she means it in the most earnest way possible, no insinuation in there. She truly cares about that girl.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“If that’s what she will want, our family shall gladly welcome her,” I answer softly.

Once more, there’s no need for me to clarify the exact meaning of those words. Sirgia gets it without an issue, knowing I mean that as her simply joining a place where she can experience feeling valued and cared for, with multiple choices of future developments laid out in front of her. Any other time, I would need to emphasise that this isn’t a statement of my intentions toward the purple-haired lady.

A dazzling smile lights up Sirgia’s face and she gives my side a small hug. “Thank you. We will know for sure after she shares the rest of her story. There is a bit of it missing from the point where we parted ways.”

“Care to fill me in on the first part?” I raise a brow at her. “If it’s nothing so personal that it requires her permission beforehand.”

“I don’t think she will mind as it’s not exactly a secret and most people know. Which was part of the reason why she was somewhat of a loner like myself.” My girlfriend looks ahead again. “They found her on the streets. From what we know, her parents lost their lives in a lab accident. Unfortunately, her clan was a much stricter and more unforgiving place than ours. With all the responsibilities falling solely onto her, she was crushed by their weight and didn’t produce meaningful results.”

“She was kicked out,” I note, imagining the situation from a common clan’s perspective.

“Her only other option was to marry someone not blood-related inside the clan with the role of producing offspring, which as you can imagine, Master, wouldn’t do a lot for her standing,” Sirgia reveals. “And she had no intention of becoming someone’s property, to put it bluntly.”

“The recent event seems to contradict that,” I point out, referring to our first meeting.

A ghost of a smile touches Sirgia’s cute lips. “She’s changed a lot since then. I was still shocked since she didn’t show any signs of developing such impressive courage, but I understand where it came from. We’ve grown close. All four of us.”

I brush her hair tenderly. As quiet and introverted as she is, there’s no doubt there’s an incredible strength of character in my short and sweet wife. For Niel to pick up on it and emulate that strength isn’t something unthinkable, even if it happened subconsciously.

“Nevertheless, as I was saying, Mother and Father spotted her trying to survive in one of the alleys. He is a kind man so he approached her to make sure she wasn’t in pain. They took her in for a bit of cleaning and healing, learning her story meanwhile. As expected, Father pitied her greatly, and bargained with the Patriarch to recognize her as one of our own,” Sirgia finishes her tale.

“At which he succeeded.” I nod happily.

“She couldn’t become part of our personal little family as my sister, having to start from scratch on her own just like she had to back at her real home, but that didn’t stop us from quietly supporting her from the sidelines. Thankfully, she showed great manual talent and drive when properly drawn out so we didn’t get in much trouble, from time to time working with me on group projects, but mostly alone. Her previous clan produced many artists from all fields. The trauma and atmosphere must have suppressed her innate gifts,” she adds with a reminiscing sigh.

“For a moment there, I kind of expected her to have been a merchant, coming straight from our enemy’s doorstep.” I chuckle lightly.

My Dwarf lover snorts adorably. “That would be ridiculous.”

“True. But so is my entire life, isn’t it?” I raise an amused brow at her.

She giggles quietly. “I still think that’s way too cliche, even for us, Master. But, I have to admit, using their mistake to destroy them from the inside by orchestrating Niel’s return and takeover of the Sockhawkers would have been extremely fitting and satisfying.”

Reaching to the side, I pinch her plump cheek delicately. “You sly little devil. Or is it my fault you are becoming such a menace to society?”

Looking up at me, she blushes beautifully. “Your influence on me is only the best, Master.”

Recognising the hints in her pretty eyes, I lean closer to let her present me with another warm kiss. She puts her entire heart into it, conveying her feelings without any words. Or it’s just my own talents that let me sense such things. It doesn’t matter.

We reach our destination soon after and Sirgia takes a deep breath, her cheeks still tinged with a trace of rosiness. I fix her hair and uniform a little before opening the doors for her. She struts inside with a light step, refreshed and relaxed from our loving moments on the way, ready to tackle the rest of the issues we still might have ahead of us.

So relaxed that she makes a quick spin to glance at me with a sly smile, her skirt hiking up from the centrifugal force to flash me her enticing panties. It falls down in a flash, but she knows my eyes made the jump in time, this cunning little vixen. She’s lucky the others only just turn towards us. If not for them, I would have immediately answered to such a frivolous provocation, what she notices in my squinted gaze, gingerly nibbling on her bottom lip as she peeks at me over her shoulder.

What have I done to turn this pure cinnamon roll into such a debauched girl…

“That was quick.” Sirgia’s father stands up from the cleaned-up table on the side, and so does the female pair. “How did it go?”

While her parents pierce into their daughter with their intense and full of anticipation eyes, her young friend can’t bring herself to look in our direction without staring at the floor, face reddened and posture awkward. Niel has clearly learned about her mistakes and feels deeply embarrassed in regard to her quick and rash actions.

“I’m back.” Sirgia offers them all a wide smile.

Lady Siriel’s shoulders sag with visible relief as Lord Giacolo exhales slowly. The woman jogs up to Sirgia and pulls my little wife into her arms. Though, considering they are all of similar height, there’s not that much little about her in this situation. I’m the outlier here, a giant of a kind.

“Great news.” The man rubs his hands together. “I’m sure you are eager to start working on your admission for the next term, but let us celeb—”

“That won’t be necessary, Father,” Sirgia interrupts him. “I’ll be receiving my title in three days.”

The woman draws back a bit, frowning at her daughter. “He gave it to you just like that? There is no way. The Elders would never approve, not to mention folks.”

“There isn’t.” My girlfriend nods. “That’s why I called for the Heir Showdown.”

Her mom lets out a literal squeak as she jerks back. “Are you mad?! I knew it, there was something wrong with your—”

“Mother,” Sirgia cuts her off sternly.

“Do you even know the risks?” The woman spreads her arms to the sides, but it’s obvious to everyone that the question is rhetorical. “And still went with it?”

“I don’t.” I raise my hand, capturing everyone’s attention.

“It’s not something people attempt just to give it a try.” Surprisingly, Niel is the one to reply. “The opportunities are great, but failing to deliver often results in lifelong embarrassment and destroyed potential as it’s a public display. If things go wrong, one’s entire career track can crumble, going even as far as losing already earned ranks and titles.”

“More than that, the person invoking the Showdown is always put under the most stress and scrutiny,” Lord Giacolo continues after her, eyeing his daughter with concern. “They are considered the cockiest and proudest of their achievements, so if they don’t match their declaration of superiority, they almost always end up… exiled for their audacity.”

“That’s heavy.” I stroke my chin thoughtfully. “And I guess not many will be happy for a fresh dropout initiating this respectable tradition.”

“To put it lightly.” He rubs his forehead. “She’ll be a target for the Elders. Easy prey for the challengers. Anticipation of entertaining failure for the onlookers. There will be no allies in this venture.”

Lady Siriel squeezes Sirgia’s shoulders tightly. “Things can still be salvaged. The Patriarch wouldn’t have had enough time to spread the word. If you go back—”

“No.” She doesn’t get to finish again. “I already said this to the Patriarch. This is just a formality. We don’t have the time to wait months.”

“How can you be so sure?” The woman shakes her head.

“Did anyone achieve a realm-altering breakthrough while I was gone?” My lover asks calmly.

The man scrunches his nose while his wife looks aside, slightly sheepish at the moment.

“Gideon is almost done with his enhanced mirror camouflage tech from what I’ve heard,” he answers. “Other than that, I don’t think there was anything of significance. It’s not exactly easy to revolutionise the field.”

“Or revive long-lost techniques,” Sirgia throws in with a tiny grin, though the others miss the insinuation, definitely agreeing with her. “That’s why I’m not worried. I know many are stuck inside concepts our kin is used to. Without external interference, it’s almost impossible to make a breakthrough. And that can’t really happen without stepping out of one’s workshop.”

“Bold coming from the likes of you.” I smirk at her, evoking a timid flush from my shut-in workaholic wife.

“So that’s what this is about,” her mother says. “The design you were robbed of. You came up with something groundbreaking.”

The two of us share a glance. I wouldn’t use that expression personally, but our products do tend to sweep the customers off their feet now and then.

“Not exactly. I have other, more appropriate things prepared for the examination,” Sirgia responds. “But, since you brought it up, Mother, we should probably talk about that as it’s the reason why we are seeking the support of the clan.”

She escapes the other woman’s grasp and tries to lead her back to the others. I follow after them and we all sit down in the comfy corner. Sirgia’s parents take the sofa opposite to ours and Niel plops down next to them, still a bit anxious about her blunder.

Without further ado, Sirgia whips her cock out right onto the wooden surface separating our groups.

The fake one, of course.

She hasn’t sported anything new between her gorgeous thighs just yet, as far as I’m concerned.

Naturally, the action is met with a plethora of reactions.

Her father frowns at first, then turns slightly redder as he figures out what he’s looking at.

Her mother’s eyes widen briefly before she freezes.

Her friend squawks indignantly, then shoots the pair a quick peek, hastily covering her eyes next, but still stealing a glance or two through her fingers, unable to hold back her curiosity.

“What do you think you are doing pulling this thing up, young lad—wait, you made it?” Lady Siriel quickly switches from somewhat angry to utterly flabbergasted.

“No, not specifically this one. I would have never used such brittle and dangerous materials for something of such a role.” Sirgia grunts in mild annoyance. “Just imagine how it would feel to have this glass tube shatter while surrounded by highly sensitive and delicate muscles of a woman’s inner flesh.”

All females in the room wince in perfect sync and even I can’t stop myself from picturing such a tragedy. It’s not exactly that hard to do either. Perhaps calling these kinds of accidents common isn’t right, but you did hear about them on the Internet now and then even amongst the male population.

Human creativity knows no bounds when horny takes over.

“It’s enchanted, though,” her mother points out.

“No enchantments are infallible, Mother, nor are they everlasting. You know that well. I learned that from you.” Sirgia shows a fond smile, then her adorable brows furrow. “How do you know this? You aren’t wearing your crystal spectacles—oh.”

As she inevitably catches on, the mature lady squirms under the younger girl’s scrutiny.

“Well… You know… Your father is a very busy man sometimes… And there are moments when… You just can’t take it… Right?” Lady Siriel works her fingers together while searching her daughter’s eyes for feminine understanding.

And she certainly finds what she’s looking for as my bashful mate looks to me with her dark pink cheeks. It’s not a secret she experiences similar needs whenever I’m not around. I’ve seen her lively ways of fixing that problem not just once.

Lord Giacolo clears his throat. “It’s how things are, isn’t it? While it’s my first time seeing this, it’s not like it’s happening behind my back.”

What a good man. He’s fairly embarrassed himself but still makes it his priority to save his wife’s face.

“Anyway!” The lady in question draws our focus back to her. “What do you mean by not this one?”

Another quick swing, another dick on the table, this time made of rubber instead of glass and with proper colouring. The difference is staggering. You can tell just from looking that the sensation will be incomparable between the two. Thankfully, it’s not mine. Sirgia has enough tact not to flash my junk in front of her dad.

Before the trio gets a chance to react, she slides her hand over the wooden surface and a plethora of other dildos pop into existence. The artificial penises come in all sizes and shapes, including some more fictional ones, but she keeps it decently vanilla. I’m glad she doesn’t bring out any bad dragons and other fantastical creatures.

“These are the ones I made by hand,” she announces, immediately realising her wording and pausing for a shameful moment. “The glass one imitates one of them, but it’s produced by Stockhawkers or their contractor. Even so, they still use my signature at the bottom.”

Lady Siriel picks up the stolen one and peers at the flat end. “You are the Pleasure Queen?”

It’s her daughter’s turn to squirm and I lay a supporting hand on Sirgia’s shoulder.

“I go by other names in the Human lands, but that’s what the locals seem to have been calling me here,” she replies softly. “But, after exposing them, we plan to take the brand back to who it belongs to. It won’t be an easy fight for an individual or a small group.”

“Much harder than for a reputable clan,” her father ponders out loud. “You plan to utilise inter-family politics as a shield for yourself.”

“Not for myself as Master is more than capable of protecting our group, but for everyone who will work alongside and for us,” Sirgia clarifies. “One of the artisans we recruited already has a history with Stockhawkers exactly because she tried imitating their product with her own spin to it.”

“As thoughtful as usual…” Niel whispers under her breath, looking at her friend with an adoring gaze.

“Did you already discuss this with the Patriarch?” Lord Giacolo asks.

My wife shakes her head. “I should get into the clan’s good graces first. After that, I can focus on convincing him of this extremely profitable venture. It shouldn’t be too difficult considering its popularity in the city. Or even the clan. I bet Mother isn’t the only one partaking in the trend, is she?”

The woman’s lack of response is a response on its own.

Then, I spot a cunning twinkle in Sirgia’s charming eyes.

“You should take a few,” she suggests.

“What?!” Her mother’s voice cracks a bit as its pitch rises fairly high.

“I’m still worried about the counterfeit’s quality and would hate to see you in pain, Mother. Even if Master should be able to heal you up from most injuries and wounds,” my lover introduces her reasoning. “And you could do us a small favour by sharing them with ladies that you know also partake in the glass products. We’ll slowly build up approval amongst our people. As long as you think they can be trusted to keep it a secret for now. But, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

The woman before us shows a great deal of thought towards her daughter’s smart proposal and I can’t miss the semblance here. They are both extremely crafty and intelligent girls. Not to discredit the man in this family, of course.

Still, the first half of the speech gets the better of our proud motherly lady and she flushes in a trace of shame.

“Fret not. The lifelike ones aren’t modelled after my husband. They are just generic moulds. The selection amongst the simple ones is just as wide if that’s what you’d like to peruse,” Sirgia adds quickly.

“The audacity to tell your mother in front of everyone to go fuck herself with a stick!” Lady Siriel huffs madly, trying to hide her embarrassment behind the offence. “I bet you stuff yourself with them all the time, you little slut!”

“I do,” Sirgia confirms, throwing her mom off a bit, her face heating up a tad nevertheless. “Mostly with Master’s copies, though, unless it’s for testing. Sometimes with two even, when Master enters my—”

“—workshop.” I hastily clamp a hand over her supple mouth. “This little minx tends to get excited over her work and entering her dark den can spark a thing or two.”

There is no need to tell anyone here that I stick it in her ass, no thank you. I appreciate the courage she seems to have suddenly found, but some things are better to keep private. Like the fact that someone’s daughter is railed anally with a toy stuck in her tiny pussy.

Picking up on my thoughts, she turns crimson but continues as if nothing happened, taking hold of one of the lewd tools. “They even vibrate, see?”

The silence broken only by the faint buzz of the twitching vibrator is almost deafening.

After a while, her father lets out a gentle laugh. “It’s good to have you back, dear.”

Their trio chuckles together, exchanging smiles, and I swoop the pervy display off the table, the topic skilfully changed.

“Your room is exactly as you left it…” Niel chimes in from the side, still fairly quiet.

“Right.” Their mother smacks her fist into her palm. “Our kind Niel kept good care of it. You can take it again. Would you like to see it prepared for tonight?”

Sirgia blinks at them a few times. “Ah. Ummm. You see, we are currently staying with the artisan I mentioned earlier and I would hate to leave her alone in case something happened. I didn’t think you would do something like this for me so we have our own place.”

Niel’s expression falls a bit, even though she does her best not to show it.

“What about your workshop? You’ll definitely need it for the Showdown preparations. Even if you think you are ready, I know you never stop checking on things until the last minute.” The corner of Lady Siriel’s lips curls up knowingly.

My mate considers it shortly, takes a peek at me, sees me smile tenderly, and nods back. “That would be nice. I’m sure our friend would appreciate more space to work with so I don’t disturb her with my preparations. I’m not sure how much of a use we will make of it, but thank you.”

That makes the young girl excited again, clearly looking very forward to spending time by her old friend’s side once more.

“The same offer stands the other way too,” Sirgia adds, meeting her parents’ eyes. “I would love it if you pay us a visit whenever you feel like it. There’s enough space in our mansion and I would be so happy to cook something for everyone. The time I have been away was difficult, but I learned so much. You won’t have to act like my burned toasts are the most delicious thing in the world anymore.”

She chuckles at herself. 

That must have been something. This culinary genius wrecking food? Impossible.

“Mansion?” Her mother tilts her head in confusion. “You live in the noble district?”

“Something like that.” My lover looks away sheepishly. “You’ll see. I’ll give you the address in a moment. Don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

They leave it at that and another silence descends upon the room, this time a much more comfortable one.

“So, this is it.” Lord Giacolo releases a deep breath, letting his head tilt to the back. “Our lost daughter has finally returned to us. Healthy. Happy. Husband-sworn.”

“Praise the Goddess.” Lady Siriel clasps her hands over her heart, then looks at the purple-haired woman next to her. “At long last, we don’t need you anymore.”

She delivers those words with such a genuine, heartfelt smile that it makes me feel like the pressure around my body suddenly mutes all the noise. As for the poor girl on the receiving end, Niel stills completely, her eyes shooting open to their limits. I can sense her heart skipping a beat, and not in a good way.

Before tears threaten to flow like a waterfall, Sirgia’s father catches on this immense fuckup and slides off his seat, falling to one knee in front of his and his wife’s adoptive daughter, taking her petite palms into his hands.

“What my impressively eloquent wife truly means is that you don’t have to be the filler to the indescribable void that has taken hold in our hearts after Sirgia’s disappearance for any longer,” he corrects hastily, peering deep into the girl’s wide eyes. “You have no idea how much we cherish your passionate sacrifice, how much it has helped us go through. But, you aren’t her. You never should have had to be. To replace her. Act like her. Serve us with such devotion.”

His other half appears in a similar position in a blink with an anxious expression.

“I’m so sorry.” She brings their fingers to her lips and places a delicate kiss upon them. “He is right. On all ends. It is a pity you discarded your own future for this, but we deeply respect your hard choice. Please, let me rephrase myself. With Sirgia back, we don’t require your beautiful efforts at taking care of our emotional needs anymore. You don’t need to stay by our side all the time from now on. With this, you can finally return to where you truly belong. Where you always have been. To her side.”

Niel’s gaze flickers between their faces. As her lips start to tremble, she launches herself at them, wrapping both of her adoptive parents in a massive hug. They embrace each other, muted sniffles escaping the tight hold. Sirgia reaches for my palm and squeezes it lightly as we watch them.

I guess that partially explains the girl’s story. She saw how distressed their parents became and dropped everything to support them, taking the place of her beloved stepsister. The only viable way of doing that must have been becoming their maid. I’m not sure if it’s as permanent as they made it seem, but it clearly was a big deal, impacting her life greatly.

After the trio wraps it up and separates, the parental pair gives Niel a small push. 

With one last glance at them, she timidly walks up to us and does an awkward curtsy towards Sirgia. “M-Mistress…” 

My mate sighs wistfully, then brings up a sunny smile onto her sweet face, standing up to match her friend.

“None of that.” She plops her hands atop Niel’s shoulders. “If anything, you should call me senior.”

Keeping her grin up, Sirgia changes her attire through her spatial artefact, and in a quick flash of her bare skin, she turns into a maid too. Her uniform is slightly different, obviously, but their profession is undoubtedly of the same nature.

With her maid-sister utterly shocked, she twirls around to stand next to her, facing me, and meets the other girl’s gaze again.

“I don’t know about you, but becoming Master’s maid was the best thing that happened to me in my long and troubled life,” Sirgia states, shooting me a loving peek with a fair blush. “Master.”

She curtsies my way very slowly. Niel catches on, and with a hesitant gaze, mirrors the motion, making them both show me their respects at the same time.

Rolling my eyes, I reach out to roughly ruffle through my naughty lover’s hair. “Whatever this one says, you don’t bow to me. But, if you want to serve as her right hand, you are more than welcome to. She needs a peer of her age. And we need trusted allies. So, if both of you wish for it, I’ll gladly welcome you into our small family. No obligations.”

“You trust me?” the purple-haired beauty asks incredulously.

“With my everything.” Sirgia hugs her from the side, pressing their cheeks together. “I missed you so much, Niel.”

Fighting away tears again, Niel gives back the love she’s receiving. Swaying together, they stumble over my feet and I catch them into my lap, chuckling softly. They continue hugging each other on my chest while I caress their hair and foreheads. Their parents gaze upon the reunion with contented smiles. The father nods at me approvingly.

Damn. He’s already convinced I’m stealing his other daughter too.

After a while, I slip them off me, placing the girls at my side. They whisper amongst themselves for a moment longer, before straightening up a bit and directing their attention back to the meeting. Their fingers remain intertwined, though. And Sirgia’s fingers wrap around my palm too.

“What are your next steps?” Lord Giacolo asks both of us.

“The Showdown first so that Sirgia properly makes it back,” I answer. “Then, we have to finish setting up our friend’s shop under the banner of the Pleasure Queen. After that, we might need to start involving the clan, depending on the result of those trials. The end goal is to push the Stockhawkers back or completely destroy them so they can’t threaten young and aspiring merchants and artisans anymore. Through legal means, I mean. I could topple their family overnight on my own if needed, but I don’t want to brand myself as an enemy of the nation. It wouldn’t be good for Sirgia’s reputation.”

The married couple shivers at the declaration, glancing at their born daughter to check if I’m embellishing things. Her firm nod proves otherwise.

“Master is a powerhouse on a national scale. No, continental at this point, I think.” Sirgia taps her chin ponderingly. “And that’s without all the connections he made with numerous communities and different races. Plus, there’s the faith too, but we’ll cover that another time. Too much isn’t good.”

I spot the other girl gazing up at me with half-wondrous half-fearful eyes. “Who are you really, Mister?”

“Just a random guy who doesn’t care for racism as much as the others.” I smirk at her. “Everyone makes mistakes. I try to look past them after generations have passed.”

“In terms of mistakes, taking care of the memorial will be costly.” Lady Siriel rubs her eyes. “We might have to pool some change.”

“I can cover it myself,” Sirgia announces. “Our business does well and even my own salary and pocket money are more than enough.”

“Too bad we can’t just erase the name and patch the stone ourselves.” Niel groans quietly.

“Stone?” My brows rise to my hairline.

Sirgia’s head swivels to me and she makes the connection right away. “That could work!”

She hops off the sofa and runs behind it.

“Diana!” she calls excitedly.

The shadow on the floor ripples and our fierce lupine companion surges out of it, looming over everyone. Niel squeezes herself into my side, grasping at my clothes. Their parents almost topple their sofa as they sink into the backrest as hard as they can.

Shaking my head, I offer everyone an apologetic smile. “She looks scary but is as docile as a kitten. As long as we are near. That’s Diana, our proud animal companion. And guardian, I guess. She’s been keeping an eye on us all this time.”

Sirgia doesn’t pay any attention to their distress, rummaging through the pouches attached to our mount’s saddle. A few seconds later, she locates what she’s searching for and turns around with a bright grin.

“It’s doable! I have the right tools! Let’s get it done before we leave!” she says excitedly.

“Fine.” I get up, gently helping Niel along. “Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Giacolo, Lady Siriel. Our business partner will be expecting us so it’s time to depart. I look forward to our future conversations. I’m sure I can learn a lot about Sirgia from the many stories you must have gathered over the years. As you know, she isn’t one to talk much about herself.”

“Please, forgo those stiff titles, son.” Giacolo comes closer to pat my elbow since reaching for my shoulder is a tad difficult. “Thank you for returning our daughter to us and for everything you have done for her in the meantime.”

“Yes, thank you.” Siriel joins him. “Come often. I’ll gladly trade stories with you. One from your life for one from Sirgia’s life. I’m curious to hear about the man who stole my withdrawn daughter’s heart.”

I feel a tug at my sleeve and find Sirgia dragging me away from them, her face completely pale. “We have to go. I heard the guards mention it was going to rain soon.”

Snickering to myself, I nod politely at her parents. Looks like they do have a number of juicy tales from her childhood that they could spare.

Niel stops and glances their way. I catch them urging her to go with us if she wishes to, making sure she understands that they aren’t kicking her out and that she’s always welcome here, just not bound to their servitude anymore. She technically still is a servant of the household until fully dismissed so leaving this relationship open like this is better since it doesn’t give the management the chance to transfer her somewhere else or fire her.

Diana hides away once more and our trio enters the hallways. The sight of a guy accompanied by two Dwarf maids catches a few gazes but the girls seem oblivious to them, lost in their own little world as they walk side by side and chat daintily. It is a cute sight, for sure. Sisters not by blood but by fate. I’m happy for their reunion.

A few minutes later, we step into a spacious, round chamber with a high cupola. The only thing present in this room is the massive amber obelisk in the centre. It’s of an irregular shape, but the way it broke off whatever it had been attached to created sharp edges and corners. A ring of gold surrounds it on the floor, and as we step onto it, I realise that this has to be an elevator. In the end, you have to ascend to the end of the recorded names, which is located way above our heads.

“Ianthe?” I speak our gray-skinned friend’s name and the lady of the earth rises from the ground. “Can you or your girls manipulate this mineral?”

The emergence of the exquisite and very nude female garners us even more attention from the passersby. Niel attempts not to stare at the firm assets on full display, but once more without much success.

Can’t blame her. The Nymphs are a sight to behold. For both genders.

“Hmmm. It’s wreathed in powerful magic. It might be troublesome to affect a small part of it without risking damaging the unity of the entire structure,” Ianthe answers.

“I’ll take care of that.” Sirgia pulls up a bunch of handheld tools tipped with crystals. “You just need to mend the carving.”

“Very well.” The Oread leader nods.

My lover touches a nearby plate with glowing patterns and turns the platform on before the nearby priests—or whoever the robed figures are—confront us on the basis of desecrating this holy place with lustful displays. The golden ring slowly climbs around the obelisk, countless names zooming in front of our eyes. It’s a nice thing everyone is going to be remembered after their departure. Big cemeteries tend to wither away, but this reinforced list should last till the end of the clan.

Somehow, we find ourselves at the right spot. Seeing my living lover’s name engraved on this monument of death makes me feel uncomfortable. It must be even worse for her, obviously. Giving Sirgia a reassuring squeeze, I make some more space for her to work.

She infuses four pen-like tools with mana, their crystal tips glowing blue. Testing one against the amber surface, she confirms that it can melt it away. I’m not sure how that’s going to help us, but she’s the smart one in this relationship so I simply watch her efforts.

Charging each of the tools long enough, she stabs them all around her name, forming a neat rectangle. Holding onto two in each hand, she keeps supplying them with energy until they sink as far as the crystals reach, leaving four wooden sticks poking out of the mineral.

“Do it now. The array should be locally disrupted inside the space I created,” Sirgia instructs Ianthe.

The respected Oread wastes no time and touches the obelisk, closing her eyes. Less than five seconds later, we see the separated space rippling. Bit by bit, the lines fill up from within, and soon, the writing is gone, replaced by a smooth surface once more. Sirgia then pulls onto her tools and slowly extracts them from the monument, her pace unhurried so that Ianthe can fill up the newly created holes too.

I catch the gorgeous Dwarf in my arms as she stumbles from the sudden exit, the crystals fully freed. 

The final bits of the amber stone heal up and Ianthe withdraws with a charming smile. “It is done.”

“Thanks. We owe you one.” I grin back at her, helping Sirgia find her balance again.

The sexy lady rakes my form with her warm gaze, biting into her lower lip. “I would consider the debt paid… with a quick transfer. It wasn’t much work, Master.”

I glance at Niel, who looks up at us with some remaining traces of a faint blush. Then past the edge of the platform, spotting the ants gathered at the foot of the rusty mountain.

Ah, to hell with it.

Using my free arm, I hook it around Ianthe’s slim waist and pull her into me, joining our lips in a passionate kiss. Making sure to put myself between her and our new companion, I secretly slip a finger past the seductive Nymph’s other pair of lips, earning myself a breathy moan in return. She accepts the reward happily, absorbing my affection and sexual energy at both ends.

Not wanting to drag it out too much, I draw back after a minute, bringing my palm to her alabaster cheek. Ianthe cleverly sucks my finger into her mouth and gives it a few sensual, mischievous licks, therefore covering up the reason for its wetness from our witness. A moment later, the elevator touches the ground, with me somehow missing Sirgia activating it amidst this amorous moment.

“It’s been a pleasure, Master.” The noble Oread bows low. “Call for me or my sisters whenever you are in need. You as well, Master’s new friend.”

Niel nods absentmindedly, not comprehending the full meaning of the given oath just yet. Her mind might be too busy trying to shove away the indecent images of us kissing deeply right now. 

As Ianthe sinks into the ground, Sirgia drags us away towards the exit, taking advantage of the shock and surprise at the flashy party trick that seems to give us a chance to slip away unbothered. No one stops us until the very gate we have used to enter the clan complex. Diana joins us at that point, the sentries eyeing her up cautiously, and I sit both girls atop her back, walking by the big wolf’s side while scratching under her muzzle.

Niel and Sirgia continue to talk about their respective time in separation and I give them some privacy, tuning myself out. I can tell the former is so glad to converse with the friend she’s been looking up to so much in the past that she doesn’t consider my presence. I’ll hear it from her someday if she deems me worthy of her personal experiences. Or Sirgia will share anyway.

They don’t even notice the passage of time, yanked back to the present only at our very destination. At the edge of her vision, Sirgia still notices a change in the storefront of our new shop. She frowns deeply, cutting herself mid-sentence.

“What kind of plants are those?” she asks with a tiny snort.

There are two unconscious Dwarves bound tightly to the checkered wooden fences covering the sides of the entrance by vines riddled with colorful bulbs, and two conscious but gagged Dwarves buried neck-deep in the planters at the bottom of the porch, frantically shaking their head to beg for mercy, elegant roses growing out of their hair.

“Weeds.” I snicker lightly. “It seems we left our front yard unattended for too long. Let’s check if our gardener is okay.”