Chapter 587

As Queen Aberis collapsed on the bed, a sweaty, exhausted mess, I sat back, breathing hard. It had really been touch and go there for a bit. The battle had taken nearly two days, and even my party were all exhausted to the point of barely being awake. In the end, it was she who had submitted, so it was all worth it.

“Congratulations.” The voice of the Dark Fairy came from nearby.

Unlike the others who had done their best to give me their energy and support, Astria, who wasn’t a party member or even a slave hadn’t provided me with much support. Although I had tamed her as a monster, I still wasn’t completely sure what that meant. Monster taming wasn’t like slavery. The orders weren’t absolute. I could exert my will, but the skills didn’t exactly match up perfectly.

Rather, because Astria was such a high level, I actually didn’t have much control over her. If she hadn’t already possessed an abnormal obsession with me, she likely would have never allowed herself to be tamed. In fact, if I recalled what happened that night, it was more like she extorted me out of sex. If I gave it to her enough to satisfy her, she’d allow me to tame her. That bond was trepidatious and weak, and it was already clear that she could break it at will. I hadn’t even gained experience in Monster Tamer for taming her. That already said enough. For the likes of the Siren and the Giantess, they were much closer to my level, and thus much more easily tamed.

“What is it that you want? Really?” As I said that, I was looking at Celeste, who had her eyes closed, and seemed to be sleeping peacefully, having passed out almost at the same time as Elaya.

“I know that you’re a bit distrustful…” She began.

“If I truly distrusted you, then I would have done something about it back at the beach. I think you really love Celeste in your own way, and I don’t think you’ll hurt anyone. I need the help of any capable woman I can get. I have a feeling my life is only going to get more complicated from here, so an experienced woman who had stood on the edge of darkness and light might be able to help.”

“Master gives me too much credit. I was just a foolish fairy who liked the feeling of being in love.” She blushed, looking away. “I came to this dungeon for selfish reasons. The fact I was able to help you capture a powerful ally is only coincidence. Besides, my feelings for you are somewhat artificial. You see, you created the mana spring. The waters of life you poured into it were created with your mana. It carries your signature. It means very little to humans and animalkin, but to a fairy who is sensitive to magic, continuing to be exposed to your magic starts to affect us, body and mind.”

“S-seriously?” I sat up in surprise.

She nodded. “Mm…. you’ll find all the fairies you have attracted to the spring will grow a deepening affection for you. I’ve been keeping them in line, but a few have already snuck into your room and stolen your underwear or some other trinket.”

“Is that where my stuff keeps going?”

I thought I was going crazy. I started keeping everything in my ring because some things I left out disappeared the next day. At first, I believed I was just forgetful.

“It’s the same for your dungeon. It feeds on that same mana pool, and since that dungeon was also made by you, that miasma has your signature too. To all the creatures made by your dungeon, they not only won’t threaten you, but they’ll also be extremely loyal. The bosses you keep in your dungeon will grow only more in love with you the longer they breathe in your miasma.”

“I-is that so…” I didn’t know how I felt about that; it felt a bit like brainwashing.

“So!” She puffed out her cheeks. “How do you think I feel, the one who is exposed to both Miasma and Mana with your signature! Is it any wonder I can’t stop thinking about you?”

“Can’t you… I don’t know… cure it?”

“Don’t wanna!”

“…”

She giggled. “I already said. I’m a hopeless romantic. I like this feeling. I only like to feel it grow stronger. So… if you can tolerate this old fairy’s selfish desires, I’d like to stay around you and my daughter, and watch how far you can grow.”

She was genuinely asking a question here. Her eyes held just a hint of worry that I might reject her. She was a Dark Fairy, after all. Like Shao, she had the potential to cause untold destruction. However, that didn’t matter to me.

“Astria… will you become my slave?”

Her mouth turned sideways. “I see… so there are still trust issues…”

“You misunderstand.” I shook my head and glanced at the girls behind Astria. “Do you think I distrust any of the girls there?”

Her eyes widened. “I’d hope not.”

I smiled while looking fondly at each sleeping girl. “I love them, with all of my heart. Maybe, to this world, the Slave Bond is a means of control. To us, it means something else. It’s a bond I share with these women to allow us to be as close as possible. If anything, the women who are my slaves are the women I trust the most. I will give my life for them, and I expect them to give their life to me. It’s a commitment for life. They will never have another, and I won’t either. Not because I’m afraid they’ll leave, but because I know they won’t!

“I suppose that was why it took me so long with Faeyna. When she ended our slave bond, I felt like I had been slapped. She had agreed to be with me forever, and then suddenly she wasn’t. For the longest time, I had fought to try to free the girls from this slavery. You see, I have a blessing that makes anyone who becomes my slave unable to leave it. However, none of the girls wanted to be free. I finally realized that was the point. They are my girls, and I am their Master. The only thing I can do is be the man they need me to be.”

“Yes.”

“Ah!” When I glanced to the side, I realized she was on the bed staring at me intently, and only an inch away from my face. “Wh-what?”

“I want to be your slave!”

“Oh…” I laughed, scratching my cheek, “In that case… uh… it’s really just using Slave Master, but I suppose that doesn’t feel climactic. How about this? Astria. Will you be mine, heart and soul? Will you join my family, and stay by my side for all eternity?”

Her body shook and tears well in her eyes. “I do…”

Why did this feel like marriage? I let out a cough, then moved forward and kissed her lips. I tried to make it a quick kiss, but she grabbed the back of my head and wouldn’t let me pull away. I activated the Slave Magic from Slave Master, and an insignia, a form I recognized as my insignia, formed on her chest. Once the light flashed, it quickly faded away and disappeared. From then on, the seal could only be seen with special magic, although anyone with enough magic sense could feel the bond and recognize her as a slave. It was the same basic thing all of the girls had. I’d still need to register her with the Slave Guild. Shao, who already was a slave, was pretty easy, but how was I going to explain a Dark Fairy? Well, Figuro would figure it out.

When our lips parted, Astria was panting, and she licked the saliva from her lips, a look of pleasure on her face.

“So, this is what Celeste feels all the time,” She giggled. “Naughty girl should have said something. If I knew it felt so good, I’d have done it sooner!”

I smiled back at her. “Welcome to my family.”

She lunged and wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you!”

“So… it’s like that, is it?”

I stiffened as I heard the voice next to me, glancing over to see the naked Elaya sitting up. “E-Elaya? Y-you’re up!”

Her hair which had been messed up in our tumble was covering her eyes, so it made it difficult to see what kind of expression she was making.

“You’ve managed to tame me.” She said, her voice somewhat dry. “I am your monster now.”

“T-true…”

“But you haven’t broken me.”

I went cold. “R-really?”

Like Astria, the Queen was just too high level to be easily subdued. Even though I tamed her, I didn’t have complete control of her. I hadn’t earned any levels with her either. I had been relaxed like I had won, but the battle wasn’t over yet!

Astria’s hands that were on me tensed. She looked ready to throw me behind her and throw down if the Queen so desired. Two dungeon bosses battling to the death. It definitely wasn’t a safe place to be, especially for all my girls who were exhausted and defenseless.

“I-if… if I’m good. Can I be a part of Deek’s family too?” these words were spoken so softly, I barely heard them.

“Huh?”

She looked up, and I realized she had tears running down her cheeks and her eyes were red. “C-can I love you completely, and you’ll accept me? All of me?”

I smiled awkwardly. “Elaya… I already have…”

She broke into a smile. “Then… I’ll do it!”

She spoke loudly enough that it woke up the girls who were napping nearby. They drowsily yawned, looking at the bed, which contained me, with one girl, the Dark Fairy, hugging my naked body, and the other, Elaya, just as naked and holding my arm.

“Is the dungeon not finished yet?” Terra asked bleary-eyed.

“I’ll work hard for Master!” She declared, “And then, one day… maybe I can be your slave too!”

Finally processing what she said, I could only respond with a nod. “Mm! Work hard!”

A bright light suddenly filled the room, and a glowing orb started to descend from the ceiling. I let out a laugh of relief.

“Look! We did it! You’re detached from the dungeon! We can finally destroy the lore!”

The Queen blushed and looked away. “Um… actually, it isn’t that I was separated from the lore. Rather, it was more like the lore was completed?”

“Eh?”

“Deek said it himself! You said you would tear down my husband’s lore, and forge a new story! You actually did it! I have put my time with my ex behind me. I’m ready to start a new life, and a new story, with my new love! So… the lore of this dungeon is finished!”

“Oh… cra-!” The lore suddenly shot down at me like an arrow.

As for the spot it hit, whether it had anything to do with how I spent the last two days finishing said lore or whether it was just because it was out in the open, burning text appeared wrapped around my crotch. It seriously burned! I collapsed in the fetal position as the lore flooded in my mind… through my dick.