Idris held the beautiful woman in his arms and looked down at her calmly.
"Getting into this room was easy for you. Getting back out, though — that will be considerably harder."
"Are you ready?"
Curled against Idris' chest, Nilou nodded shyly, cheeks flushed.
"Yes, Great Sage… please, do as you will. I'm ready."
"And… Great Sage Idris," Nilou added in a small voice, "there's something I want to tell you."
"Sorry…"
She snuggled closer, voice trembling. "I judged you too simply before. I thought you were just a bad man. But what I've seen since — the outcomes and the truth — proved me wrong. I was too shallow. I'm sorry."
Idris waved the apology off without caring much. "You won't be the first to misunderstand me."
"Is your little plan tonight meant as an apology too?"
"No—" Nilou shook her head, blushing. "I know it sounds shameless, but I truly like you, Great Sage Idris."
"I realize, given who you are, I probably won't become empress even if you become king. But… could I at least be one of your consorts? Is that possible?"
Idris: "That's your choice to make."
He snapped his fingers. The lamps in the resting chamber winked out. Even without light, other kinds of brightness remained.
…
The next morning Idris woke refreshed and left his resting room. He glanced back — the woman still lay on the bed, exhausted but smiling contentedly beneath the covers. After tucking her in, he headed toward his office.
Not long after Idris exited, Nahida came up, cheeks pink, giggling: "Heehee — how was last night, Great Sage? Was it… good?"
Idris rolled his eyes. Without a word, a soft suction formed in his palm; Nahida was drawn toward him and pressed onto his lap. With a sharp smack on her backside he admonished her.
"Ugh…" Nahida squealed; though the blow wasn't hard, the spot was… sensitive, and she couldn't help the odd little sound that escaped her.
Idris chuckled. "Little Princess—your nerve has grown. You actually helped Nilou sneak into my room and plan that."
Blushing and half-protesting, Nahida scolded, "You're so all-work-all-the-time. You're brilliant, but you can't only think about statecraft; you must consider… matters of the heart too. If you want, call it one wild night. You're the King of Sumeru now; even if you're a cad, who would say otherwise?"
"Wasn't the Traveler always calling you a cad before?"
Idris just smiled and continued the playful lashings. Nahida knew he'd never actually do anything improper—this was her design to push him—so she accepted the reprimand, face burning.
At that moment the Great Tree King drifted in on the mental currents, intent on reporting. She stopped short at the scene — Nahida on Idris' lap, being spanked — and immediately recognized the scent of another woman. A memory of last night's plotting flashed across her mind. She stifled a laugh and stepped aside.
"Oh? I didn't see anything. I didn't hear a thing. Carry on, carry on!"
The three locked eyes in varying degrees of mortification and amusement. Idris, with his famously thick skin, wore no embarrassment; instead he shot a sly look at the Great Tree King. She read the look, flushed, and bolted.
"Don't you dare run!" Idris called. "You too — you're in on this!"
Idris suspected the Great Tree King had a hand in setting Nilou up. She tried to escape — but her speed and strength couldn't match his. In a blink the door slammed and she, too, found herself pinned on the sofa.
Minutes later, after "disciplining" the two princesses, Idris was in high spirits. He turned to the Great Tree King. "Princess, what did you come here for?"
"Hmph. I did not come to be beaten," she muttered, rubbing her rear in embarrassment. Being spanked by her own Sage was humiliating, especially in front of a junior like Nahida. But seeing both of them share the same sheepish shame softened it somewhat.
Nahida, lying obedient on the sofa, asked sweetly, "So — what will you do about Nilou?"
Idris answered plainly, "As for Nilou… let things take their course. She can have the title of consort if she wants, but not the power. The harem must not meddle in governance; you all know that. If you came for something else, Princess, speak."
The Great Tree King—still pink-faced—cleared her throat. "Yes — I heard you plan to enter the Red King's Golden Slumber to rescue people?"
Idris: "An errand while we're in the desert. Besides the Golden Slumber, there's the matter of the grass-element Dragon Apep."
Great Tree King: "I am not well versed on Apep, but I do have some knowledge of the Red King's Golden Slumber. Beware: the place hides remnants of the Red King's soul. It's more dangerous than it appears. Be cautious."
Idris: "Thanks for the warning."
No sooner had Idris accepted the Great Tree King's counsel than his Auricle Terminal pinged. A flustered scholar had rushed into Aru Village and sent an urgent message: a strange ruin had been found in the desert; people were trapped inside, and the scene was so bizarre that even Great Sage Idris would find it interesting.
Most scholars would have ignored such a message as fanciful—Sumeru's academic circles were notorious for sensational reports just to attract attention. But Idris spotted it instantly and smiled.
"Let's go, Nahida. Someone's holding out in the Golden Slumber. Let's handle it."
"Mm-hmm!" Nahida nodded eagerly and stood by Idris' side.
Idris understood the value of speed. He scooped Nahida into his arms, leapt out of his office, climbed onto the boughs of the Sacred Tree, unfurled his elemental wings, and shot across the sky. He also sent a short note on the Auricle Terminal: [Great Sage of the Academia: I accept this commission.]
…
At the desert's outer barrier, the weary scholar who had sent the plea had nearly given up when a message arrived that made him want to cry with gratitude.
[I accept this commission.]
[Golden Slumber of the Red King? I've heard the legends. I'm intrigued.]
"Praise the heavens! The Great Sage is coming!" the scholar cried. "You're saved!"
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