Intermission - Koritipythia Lambros

The Empresses argue loudly with each other. Women all across the social ladder, from all over the Realm, with wildly different levels of power and the most varied of backgrounds, all rattled by the revelation of an undead organization conspiring within the Empire.

It's not fully confirmed, but the Punishers are going to carry out a Realm-wide Purge, so it's serious, and it has come to the point that it can't be ignored anymore. There are enemies working under our feet, and there's still no sign of the Monster King's revival even though it's awfully late.

A storm approaches, yet I've not been given a view of the future, which tells us that it's related to the Champions.

And as for me, I'm too occupied with trying not to leak onto my seat from all the overwhelming auras clashing at the round table to even make a guess about the future! And that's my job!

If only I had an official position in the harem, then perhaps I could feel more at ease, but things have been "tense" ever since the "incident" during the last gathering of nobles, so I need to prove my usefulness before I can consider myself an equal among them. Even if I'll never be able to officially become an Empress, being accepted as at least a sister would be enough.

But my daydreaming is interrupted by Andreas' and Hayakasha's stormy arrival, and they don't look happy.

"No body parts have been recovered, and his letter to the Ryders proves that he intends to come back!" the Emperor irately exclaims as he advances towards his seat.

I feel my whole body heat up as he freely lets out his aura, but unlike when he uses it to make me submit, it's tinted with his anger, making me feel an uncomfortable chill along with guilt, as if I, personally, have disappointed him.

"Do we not have his blood from his ID?" Empress Ho'Tree calmly remarks. The composed wereowl is the most unflappable out of all of the Empresses.

Andreas tiredly sits down on his throne and takes off his crown as he negatively replies, "It's extremely easy for someone to shield his spirit from being summoned through a single drop of blood."

"But if he is being shielded, it would only further confirm the presence of a heretic organization," Empress Efsevis affirms. She's a stern-looking weredog with close ties to the temple, and I've personally learned to never mention the Gods with levity in her presence.

"The question is whether the jewel that houses his spirit was stolen… or if he left of his own accord," Andreas states sullenly and closes his eyes to meditate.

And the mood around the table becomes thick with gloom as everyone fears these heretics.

Except for Andreas.

He suddenly opens his eyes again and frowns at us. "Why are you all so distraught? This organization can't possibly threaten any of us."

"But they can threaten the Champion," an Empress worriedly states.

"Not anymore. The Punishers will keep him contained," Andreas replies dismissively.

And Ho'Tree actually snorts. "That unruly dragon? You couldn't keep him from pulling his dick out in the Throne itself!" she exclaims amusedly.

"Keep him under watch…" the Emperor corrects himself as he rolls his eyes.

"Hmph…!" the Empress snorts again. Most of the other Empresses softly chuckle in amusement, but a few stand with Empress Hayakasha in their distaste of the Ryders' antics.

Then he soberly continues, "My point is that we must continue to perform our roles as usual. We're not needed in this affair."

"Well, if it's you who's saying this, I'll believe it," Empress Mena kindly states. The gentle dwarf often represents the more fearful Empresses, who usually look for a consensus and support from each other before taking any action.

But on this matter, they quickly accept the Emperor's reassurance, so Empress Piscila moves on. "On another matter, didn't Wolf visit you yesterday afternoon?" she calmly asks me with a wild smile. It is known that the lionfolk Empress lusts after Aoi, the Azurite converted dragon, but she's also suspiciously friendly with the rest of the Ryders, which makes Andreas uncomfortable, considering her personality.

But I was prepared for this question, so the gazes of all of the Empresses and the Emperor faze me not one bit. "Yes, he did. I'd asked for him to come again so that I could study his spirit and Thread, and he complied and spent the afternoon in my meeting room," I composedly explain.

And her amber cat eyes narrow in excitement. "Oh? And what did you discover?"

Even Andreas turns to look at me curiously, so I swallow heavily and attempt to describe that abomination as clearly as I can, "His soul is simply… horrific. Warped, deformed…" -I frown- "confusing, and impossible. Our spirits, like our physical bodies, have organs and a logical structure, but Wolf's spirit doesn't. It's like there are random clusters of unknown organs all over his spirit, making for a hideous sight. Not only that, but his Gift is another mass of impossible and confusing structures that are added on top of the clusters. And then there's his ability to mold his spirit at will, adding to the chaos."

"So, his Gift is related to his spirit and its internal workings?" Andreas calmly questions, and I nod back.

"It would explain why he can summon such huge monsters without actually having the mana to do so," Empress Hayakasha wisely adds. She's concerned with all matters that could threaten the stability of the Empire, so it doesn't surprise me that she's the one who knows the most about the Ryders.

And so I continue on this tangent, "I think his spirit itself is part of the Gift. A normal humanoid's spirit simply shouldn't function with so many chaotic clusters. And he can somehow even bestow some of these clusters to his wives, though to nowhere near the same level of ridiculousness as with his own spirit."

"Is his dick the key to his Gift?" Piscila wryly remarks, drawing giggles and some glances toward Andreas. The Emperor's Holy Cock is definitely the key to the hearts of a number of the Empresses.

"I saw the clusters on his wives, but not on his subordinates," I reply as the more serious Empresses begin to turn her eyes to me.

"Could his spirit be the reason why the undead want him?" Empress Mena wonders out loud.

But Andreas promptly shuts it down, "They want him dead, not captured."

And Hayakasha adds a sober observation, "But the Ryders didn't actually use their Gift to win against Reinhold. It was one of their weapons that did that, and I find the Ryders' inexplicable expertise in scholarly matters to be their most striking characteristic."

"Are you… praising them?" Piscila teasingly questions, but it's actually a legitimate question.

And the other Empresses laugh, though they keep it under control to not offend Empress Hayakasha too much. The ascetic dragonkin Empress is very "teasable" since she doesn't riposte, but you have to be very careful not to enrage her.

Suddenly, Andreas slams his hand on his throne and exclaims, "He's a Realm Traveler! Does he come from an older Realm?!"

And we're all instantly silenced by the realization. This explains everything about him.

"He's Blessed by the Goddess of Knowledge, not the God of Intelligence," an Empress quietly points out.

"Then we have to make sure that he passes down everything he knows. Starting with [Golemancy]," Ho'Tree sternly declares.

Intermission end.

I feel a bit more reassured after our talk with Caterina. The Realm Travelers in the Sky Lands haven't been forced into slavery, and it's a pretty stupid idea to mistreat someone as powerful as a Gifted, so I don't have to worry about them. And while I was targeted by the heretics, there has been zero heretic activity in the Sky Lands for thousands of years, so they most likely aren't at risk.

Oritiki is also already over there, and she's in talks with the Chimeras about "cultural exchanges," so barging in and demanding to see the group of people that the Sky Chimeras are so carefully keeping secret would just make all of her efforts go to waste. There's no rational reason to hurry our meeting except to satisfy my emotional need for closure, and I know better than to let my emotions take control.

But it does seem like Fate is purposely keeping me away from them for a while longer.

I breathe in deeply and kill all my senses as I attempt to meditate. My mind is swirling with thoughts about the recent happenings and frustrations about our failures. But the thing that angers me the most is Alki-Alki's escape. If only we had killed him when he was traveling across the city…

I know. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. But I'm still seething.

Twice, the Emperor's rage cockblocked us from achieving our goals, so it's very important for us to stay on his good side because his approval basically gives us carte blanche to do whatever the fuck we want.

I surround an orb with my tentacles, then pop it with a dagger, making it explode into a cloud of magical dust that's instantly absorbed by my tentacles, and the burst of pleasure that follows is so great that I almost cum in my pants.

But I hold it in and focus on the mana circulation training. We'll have sex later, and it'll be so much better after letting the arousal stew than if we gave in and did it right now.

I gather all of my mana outside of my body, then attempt to cast a spell, but nothing happens except for a small "tug" on my mana organ, stimulating it to grow. Then I return my mana back into my body, only to take it out again to a different spot, and then I repeat this routine as fast as I can. This is the stupidly simple mana circulation training routine.

I've done this so many times that my mind has even created a sub-process for it, automating it to the point that I can do or think of anything else, except for casting spells. It's like there's a programming script in my mind that I can activate at will.

Which is a great thing since the girls and I can have some family time every morning as we train together.

"So, what's the schedule for today?" Ciel happily asks.

"Fucking all day long," Hana immediately replies.

"Fucking all day long," Roxanne repeats, and Yunia nods in agreement.

"We actually have a free day, so we should do something we can't normally do," Alissa tentatively suggests.

And our little Lina suddenly perks up her head as she blurts out, "A date…?"

"Where do you want to go?" I gently ask her, feeling happy that she's asking for this all by herself.

But she frowns and blushes as she has no idea where she wants to go…

"Lake. There's a lake to the north, right?" Aoi suddenly suggests, and everyone seems receptive to the idea, including inviting our friends.

And so, the second beach episode begins.

The lake north of Mac Gantus is where most of the water from the Thunderplains ends up, earning its name of Central Lake. It's a freshwater lake, making it perfect for swimming as saltwater damages the girls' hair, and the lake is so deeply rich in nutrients that it holds the most diverse flora and fauna of the whole continent.

Its north side is open to the public, while the south side is reserved for nobility or those willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money for an exclusive spot. Luckily for us, our social status is so high that we can take one of the reserved spots for ourselves.

I pull our portable house out of my "Items" with a *poof*, then I set up some cooking and grilling equipment on the sand while the girls go into the house to bring out some seats.

Jacques stops by the water, then stares at the pretty boats floating in the distance on the lake. Léonne's and Ofilia's eyes are drawn to his ass, which is quite noticeable in his (borrowed) tight elven shorts. Then he turns around, and they stare at his bulge for a second before looking up to his muscular chest, only to stop at his frowning face.

"If you start, you'll be giving the Ryders a reason to also get lewd," he states as he notices their stares.

"Sounds good to me," Léonne hungrily replies as her eyes go down his body again.

But the red beast narrows his eyes at his lustful wife. "Allura doesn't need the stimulation."

"Tch…" the fox mommy clicks her tongue but doesn't argue otherwise.

But the young fox in question simply pouts, unable to argue no matter how much she wants to get dicked by me.

I really should "give a hand" to Allura so that she can get in control of her desires faster.

I turn to the adventurers (and the Companions, both on and off-duty) as they fawn over Roxanne's, Yunia's, Hana's, and Kyora's bodies, which are perfectly enhanced by their sensuous swimsuits. Three different classes of beauty pushed to the limits. But the girls also sneak glances at the male side, the four different classes of handsomeness also pushed to the limits.

Jacques is a big, bearded, alpha daddy; Timas is a strong and elegant man; I am a youthful and charming seducer; and Alonso is a shota. My bulge is, of course, the one most stared at since I have both [Sexual Charm] and a huge harem, but I also get some suspicious glances from both Timas and Alonso that remind me of how fucking gay this world is.

Then Aoi simply walks past us, not caring for lewdness (for now), and enters the water. She feels drawn to the lake… and also to the delicious goodies that live in it.

"Fishies!" she childishly exclaims through [Bind], then simply dives in, displacing a huge amount of water, some of which splashes onto Jacques' chest. Though the day is hot, the water is chilly enough that his bulge quickly disappears.

Well, while the Verners have their eyes on him, my eyes are on them. Ofilia's pale body is comparable to Roxanne's, but my succubus is just a tad more unnaturally pale than the jade beauty. Though, I don't think Roxanne can get a tan.

Then I start to salivate over Léonne's well-balanced body, and I remind myself of her taste. Her ass is nicer than Ofilia's, and I just know it has been stretched many times before by Jacques' huge hog. Depravity runs in their family.

But my boner cries out as chilly water is sprinkled onto my exposed body, giving me a chill. I immediately turn my head towards the evil culprit and see a pair of gloomy eyes right next to a cheeky, foxy grin.

Oh, it's on!

I [Rush] into the water like a predator in a kindergarten, but Alissa does something with her hand, and a powerful squirt of water flies right towards my eyes, triggering [Battlefield Perception]. It's slow enough that I can easily [Dodge] it, but then a wide stream of water hits my chest, causing another chill.

Lina's impish grin makes me stop for a second, but Alissa doesn't play fair and casts [Mesmerizing Butterflies] as she launches another squirt at me. My instincts save me as I immediately retreat, dodging the squirt, and then manage to resist the spell.

Naughty girls…

I'm not allowed a moment to think as Lina's hand blurs as it hits the water with incredible speed, [Throw]ing another stream my way. But I cast [Earth Bullet] near her as I [Dodge], and when the spell hits the water, it sprays a chilly stream at the cute little girl's face.

"Hyi~…!" she squeaks cutely and shivers.

But I know that you should never take your eyes off a cheeky fox. And so, I use [Muscle Explosion] to once again [Dodge] the incoming squirt. Then [Battlefield Perception] triggers again, so I use my tail to jump forward, but it's not enough, and my butthole clenches as cold water splashes onto my back.

I reflexively sweep with my tail, and I'm satisfied to hear another quiet squeak come from behind me. Then I rake my claws across the shallow water, sending a shotgun splash towards the cheeky fox, who fails to dodge it all.

"Kyah…!"

My body suddenly becomes sluggish, so I glance behind me and see Lina's subtly glowing eyes as she gives me a pouty glare, her warhammer in position to strike the water.

But then, behind her, I see a huge wave coming our way as an elephant-sized blue dragon breaches from under the lake…

Aoi comes back from her swim, then stops before the grill, opens her mouth, and pukes a pile of fish onto the sand.

Ciel stares at her dumbfoundedly while Ofilia keeps a poker face, but her true feelings are the same as Ciel's. The golems also stare unemotionally, but they just lack the feelings to color their reactions.

"Aoi… what are you doing…?" Ciel hesitantly asks.

"This is lunch! Cook them, please," the dragon happily requests.

"While this looks objectionable to normal people," Ted begins their bit.

"The fish were held in a bubble of lethal, magical water," Suzy follows, as always.

And Jarn finishes, "So a [Clean] should remove any saliva that mixed into it."

Ofilia glances at Ciel, then at the Verners, who are having fun by the water, unaware of what's going on in the kitchen. "Don't ask what hides in the mist," the jade beauty cryptically states, then starts [Clean]ing the fish.

Alissa, Lina, and I limp out of the water, shivering and wet, then join Ciel and Ofilia to help them cook lunch. The open fire is perfect for us to dry off faster.

"Are you going to cook for us, Your Highnesses?" Edjo concernedly questions us as she approaches.

Alissa grins as she proudly replies, "I have [Cooking] level four, so I'm not at the same level as the chefs of the embassy, but I'm still very proud of my cooking." The cold water bath is already becoming a distant memory in her mind.

"I used to cook for the other priests and orphans," Ciel casually adds.

And the gray catgirl smiles affably as she confesses, "I know you're all former adventurers, but I can't stop thinking of you all as nobility, so I feel like it's wrong to let you do these menial tasks."

"Their easygoing ways are why I like them," Romy casually hums as she un[Equip]s her armor, now coming off-duty, then stretches and [Clean]s her hands. "Can I help? I have [Cooking] level two from my time as a mercenary."

I catch Ofilia glancing at Romy's muscular body, and I realize that the jade-like beauty has a very obvious type. I mean, the muscular Filipina is quite majestic, but Ofilia is also very reserved, except when Léonne orders her to become a slut cock-gobbler.

And I almost sigh as I'm reminded again of that wonderful day when I saw both of the fox beauties completely naked…

Easy there, Dragon Cock, now's not the time.

The Verners look a bit embarrassed that they're the only ones who don't know how to cook, but there's no need for everyone to help, so they just stay in their seats with the rest of the non-cooks.

The smell of grilled fresh fish is wonderful, and the scented elven logs make any open-fire cooking so much better. We also have a good supply of Tonsel because the not-lemon is just the perfect seasoning for seafood.

There's also a not-Nori spice from the Misty Low Forest that gives food a bit more bite. The werefoxes like to put it on bread, but even though they rarely eat fish, they know how well the not-Nori pairs with it.

And, of course, it wouldn't be Rupegia without fantasy food, like colorful algae as salad, anemone-looking things that Ciel would rather put between her legs, slime monsters that taste like oysters, and colorful coral.

After boiling and frying, the coral becomes crunchy like pork rind, but, disappointingly, it's like Froot Loops. As in, it comes in all the colors of the rainbow, but they all taste the same. It is tasty, like a very mild Cheetos, but I can't stop myself from feeling disappointed about it.

After we eat, I decide to pull out our Chimera winged airship. It's actually seaworthy, so we don't even need to keep the [Fly] gem active, and with just a push, we start drifting off, heading deeper into the lake.

I've never been on an actual boat, and the unsteady rocking is actually a bit nauseating, but I can easily handle it. Lina and the werefoxes have it the worst, though, as they aren't from seafaring races.

"Here, for seasickness," Roxanne kindly offers her potions to the suffering sailors, and the succubus has such a pure smile that Allura looks charmed, the "Status Effect" kind.

"Are you planning on stealing Ciel's role as the mythical angel?" Yunia teasingly comments as Roxanne rejoins us.

"I spent half of my life researching healing potions for diseases and poisons," she replies matter-of-factly. Potions are one of the few things that Roxanne feels a lot of pride about.

"Half angel, half devil," Hana casually remarks, and the succubus likes that analogy very much.

Then we crowd at the railing and observe the colorful underwater forest through the crystal clear water.

"I'm taking a swim!" Capri Sun cheerfully shouts, then grabs Laguly's hand and jumps, taking the squeaking mer with her.

I tell the golems to stop the boat so that we don't leave the two girls behind, but then they leave the command tower, with Hukarere now piloting the ship, and I find their behavior unusual.

"Master Wolf, we have a question," Ted speaks for them, her pitch seemingly a bit higher than normal.

"Ask it," I hum back.

"Your memories say that you didn't care for the beach," Suzy continues, her head gently tilted to indicate confusion.

"Yet now, your feelings indicate that you do," Jarn finishes solemnly.

Then Ted becomes surprisingly eloquent, "This type of change is unusual because your feelings reveal that you aren't just 'tolerating' this activity for the sake of familial unity, but that you actually enjoy being at the beach, except that the beach has too many uncomfortable details for you. For example, you don't like the sand, you don't like the heat, you don't like to sweat, you don't like to expose your body, you don't like to be outside, you don't like to be near strangers, you don't like large gatherings, and many other things. Yet now, these complaints are non-existent within your mind, so your behavior confuses us."

True, I started to enjoy the beach before I became a weredragon, so this change didn't come from my new race. But to me, the answer is clear.

"It's because the beach is a family activity, and I've become a family man," I confidently answer.

"Your fast change into a family man confuses us," Ted immediately replies.

And I grin at them. "Positive reinforcement. I've come inside my wives so many times that any activity with them activates the dopamine release in my brain, so now I enjoy even things that I clearly didn't back on earth."

But Ted insists, "Sexual activities aren't supposed to be addictive like drugs. Sex should become less rewarding the more you do it."

So I just shrug. "Then maybe this is the magic of this world. I've just become unable to get bored of sex."

"That explains his unending libido," Jarn accepts my explanation.

"Yes," Ted and Suzy reply in unison.