The return journey was very quiet.
Everyone should have been in joyous mode....with Damien surviving and the defeat of the Corrupted Spirit, a monster strong enough to be called a Fourth Great Quest by the Guild. But due to the events with Hedin, no one celebrated. The mood was heavy, the conversations few, the laughter absent.
Damien pulled supplies from his inventory, laying them out on the ground. "This is all."
Leon watched him with interest. "That is... quite the skill you have there."
He turned to Finn. "I see why you had no worries about supplies. This is enough for the expedition to go up and down again."
Finn nodded. "Damien was generous enough to help us."
Leon's gaze returned to Damien. "Damien this... Damien that... Kid, you are one hell of a person, you know that? I see now why Finn insisted on waiting for you to attack the Corrupted Spirit."
Damien shrugged. "Well, I suppose I did do some work here and there."
"Here and there, huh? Not much. Just soloing the boss that no one has ever soloed and defeating a Fourth Quest level monster on your own." Leon chuckled. "Quite the humble achievements there."
Damien smiled. "I suppose so."
"If you do not mind, the School District would love for you to show up for a lecture. We train future adventurers, and getting tips from the fastest growing adventurer in Orario would help them a great deal."
Damien considered this. "I do not mind. But I do not think I have any useful tips. Things turned out well for me because I am lucky."
Leon shook his head. "Luck does play a part. But luck is generated by the actions of the person, not random. Had you not been working hard, your luck would not be so special. So even if you do not know it, you have a lot of tips to provide to future adventurers."
He clasped Damien's shoulder.
"Anyways, take care, kid. And good luck... with, well, the surface problems."
Damien nodded and watched him leave. "He is a nice person."
Finn moved to stand beside him. "Indeed. Leon is a brilliant man. One of the few people who always tries to help up-and-coming adventurers. Many have survived the dungeon because of him. He is always ready to help."
He spread a map across a nearby crate.
"Anyways, what do you think?"
Damien looked at the proposed return route. He sighed.
"Look, Finn. I am strong, but I do not think I am a brilliant planner like you. So do whatever you see fit. I am not a fool to take command from the greatest commander in Orario."
Finn smiled and nodded as Damien walked away.
Gareth appeared at Finn's side. "What a brilliant kid."
"Indeed." Finn folded the map. "Great power and a great head on his shoulders. Not many have that."
Damien sat by the campfire, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
"I cannot believe you girls showed up here."
Chloe appeared beside him, her hand pressing against his chest. "Hey, we always take care of our own. And our favorite customer, nya."
Anya leaned on his other shoulder. "We came as soon as we heard you guys were in trouble, nya. Now that we SAVED you, nya, you will be eating at our joint forever! Deal, nya?!"
Damien laughed. "I suppose so. I never had plans of eating anywhere aside from the place that offers great food and the hottest maids."
Lunoire crossed her arms. "I bet Syr feels bad for not being here. She will be jealous of you girls fawning all over him like this."
Chloe wrapped herself around Damien's arm, acting like a cat. "Nya! Do not pretend not to be into him as well! Cool, caring, and someone who would let you laze around—nya, are not those all the qualities of the man you dream of? Nya!"
Lunoire's face flushed. "Hey! I said he does not HAVE to be cool!" She glanced at Damien and blushed deeper. "But I suppose I do not mind cool."
Ryuu, sitting nearby, sighed. "He is already mine."
Anya spun around, laughing. "He is shared by many girls of Loki and Hestia Familia, nya! You think we would not know? Just because you have him, nya, does not mean we CAN'T, nya!"
Chloe leaned in and licked his face. "Nya... we too want in on the fun, nya!"
Damien raised an eyebrow. "You girls do realize that I do not do this for fun, right? I really like the people I am with."
Anya jumped to hug his arm again. "We know, nya. And we like you too. You are like a dream come true, nya. We all discussed the idea of marrying the same man before you ever showed up. Each of us had a description and a dream of how that man would look like, nya."
Lunoire smiled. "Then you showed up. You checked every damn description and dream. A man who is caring, strong, cute, rich, handsome, loving." She paused. "What else was it?"
Ryuu sighed. "Tasty."
Chloe licked him again. "Very tasty, nya."
Damien's eyes widened. "Wow... I did not know you girls were... well, serious with all that flirting. I just thought you did it to everyone."
Chloe laughed. "And dense, nya. We care about our customers, but not enough to flirt with them, nya."
Lunoire nodded. "We also learned the rules."
"Rules?"
"Rules of being with you, nya! We investigated, nya!"
Damien blinked. "I have rules?"
Chloe counted on her fingers. "You can have as many girls as you desire, but we must be satisfied with you only, nya! We must serve you anytime you desire, nya! Oh, and we heard you like certain things in bed, nya! Tiona also said we must call you Master, nya!" She grinned. "We do not mind! Master... nya."
Lunoire blushed. "Yes, I do not mind either... Master."
Anya bounced. "Master nya! It has a nice ring to it, nya!"
"Master?" Chloe purred.
Damien held up his hands. "Wait, wait, wait. What the hell has Tiona fed you girls? No. You do not have to serve me anytime I desire. And no, I do not like certain things in bed. I just do whatever makes my partner happy. And NO, you do not have to call me Master." He sighed. "The only thing is, yes, if you really want to be with me, then accept my selfish desire of having other women, without thinking of ever having another man beside me."
Chloe pouted. "Oh, so Tiona lied, nya? I was so excited to call you Master, nya!"
Anya leaned closer. "Hey, but you do not seem to refuse us, nya?"
Lunoire smiled. "Does that mean you accept us? I thought we would have to work hard for this!"
Damien looked at each of them. "Not really. You girls were the first beautiful women I saw when I entered Orario. I would be lying if I said I was never interested in any of you. So, of course, if it is what you desire... then you can join my harem too."
He cringed. "I really hate calling it my harem."
Chloe waved a hand. "We do not, nya. A cool, strong man like you deserves his own harem, nya."
Anya nodded. "We are just glad to be a part of it, nya."
Lunoire smiled. "As long as I can laze around, I want to be with you."
Ryuu sighed from her seat. "I suppose I would not mind for my sisters to join me."
Damien shrugged, a smile spreading across his face. "Well... I suppose I really am a lucky man."
A strong hand landed on his head and dragged him backward.
Mama Mia.
She spun him around and placed both hands on his shoulders, her massive frame looming over him.
"Now, listen here, you damn fool," she said, her voice low and threatening. "I am not sure how you managed to charm my girls and turn them into obsessed, head-over-heels fools for you. But I will not judge you for that." Her grip tightened. "But if you hurt any of them, I will kill you. And none of your shadows or powers will save you from an angry mom."
Damien shivered. His Mind's Eye activated—a threat so strong that even his instincts screamed at him to submit. He nodded quietly.
"Yes, ma'am."
Mia's expression softened. Just slightly.
"Good." She gave him a small, approving smile....perhaps the only time he had ever seen her smile. "Take care of them."
She walked away.
Damien exhaled. The girls giggled around him.
He was definitely a lucky man.
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