WIEDERGEBURT Act IV: Chapter 5

It was amusing to see how everyone gawked at the massive lizard as it pulled the wagon toward the caravan. I was sure no one had ever seen a Demon Beast like this before. Giga Monsters were not native to the Endless Desert, though they were fortunately well-suited to desert environments.

The Giga Monster rumbled to a stop just next to the caravan and Kari, sitting atop the driver’s seat, secured the reins to the seat and leapt down. She landed adroitly on the ground and walked over to him.

“You’re such a show off,” she said with a smile.

“I wasn’t showing off to anyone.” I turned my head away. “I just wanted to make sure no one else in this caravan died.”

“Hmmm… if you say so, but I remember the Spiritualist Grand Tournament, and you showed off quite a bit there too.”

“I was holding back.”

As Kari teased me, a shadow passed over head. The members of the caravan all looked up, then began pointing and screaming. I also looked up just in time to see Siv set down next to me, though perhaps seeing the way everyone stared at her like she was an oddity, the young dragon girl chose to hide burrow into me, grabbing my arm and hugging it.

The door in the back opened with a sudden slam and three people emerged. Fay was carrying Raul in a baby carrier attached to her shoulders, and he seemed perfectly content to gurgle and stare at everything as he sat against his mother’s chest. On the other hand, Lin came slithering up to us quickly, her tail leaving a trail in its wake.

“Darling! Why did you face all those Sand Sharks by yourself?!”

Once more, the caravan tensed. Muscles grew stiff, hands gripped khopesh so tightly knuckles turned white, and the faces of everyone present rapidly paled at the sight of the lamia.

Lamia and the humans living in the Endless Desert were constantly fighting each other, though I wouldn’t say they were at war. They were just bitter enemies. That said, I did not appreciate anyone glaring at my wife like that.

“If I hadn’t, everyone here would have died,” I replied, even as I doused several of the Spiritualists nearby with my Spiritual Pressure. Knees buckled and several people who weren’t strong enough to withstand it even fell onto their hands. Their breathing became heavy, sweat pouring from their bodies as they struggled to retain consciousness.

I ignored them.

“But this princess wanted to show off--I mean, this princess wanted to help you!”

“We all know you just wanted to show off, Lin,” Kari said with a grin.

Lin’s cheeks turned a furious shade of red. “That’s not true! This princess just wanted to be useful to Darling!”

“You say that, but…”

While Kari trailed off, purposefully baiting Lin into overreacting, I shook my head. We didn’t really have time to do this comedy routine right now.

“The next time we’re in trouble, I will let you handle it. How does that sound?” asked Eryk.

“Deal! This princess will hold you to that.”

Just then, a cough sounded from the wagon, causing me and my wives to turn in that direction.

“Young master… perhaps you could stop releasing your Spiritual Pressure? I understand my guards made you angry with how they looked at your companion, but they meant no harm. We have been attacked by lamia many times. I’m sure you can understand why we would be wary of her.”

At the mention of how they had been attacked by lamia, I glanced at Lin to see her ears drooping and a noticeably hurt expression on her face. Even her shoulders were slumped as if they had been dragged down by gravity.

Lin had never attacked a human in her life. I knew all about the animosity between humans and lamia in this desert. They fought for resources, fought to enslave each other, and fought because they had been fighting for so long it was probably a habit by now. However, Lin had nothing to do with any of that.

“I’ll forgive them just this once,” I said, letting up on my Spiritual Pressure. “However, I want all of you to know this. Lin is my wife. If you dare glare at her like that again, I will make sure to return the favor a hundred fold.”

I could tell from the aghast expressions everyone wore that they couldn’t figure out what to make of my comment. A lamia? I married a lamia? Was I crazy? Lamia were good for nothing except killing and turning into sex slaves. That was probably what they were thinking.

While I understood their line of thought since I had at one point held the same belief, I refused to let my wife be slandered by anyone.

“I understand.” The one in the carriage was a decisive person and didn’t let on what they were feeling, immediately agreeing with my words. I really did have to wonder who was sitting inside of that carriage. “We shall not lay a finger on your wife, nor shall we treat her inhospitably. You have my word.”

“Thank you,” I said, bowing my head in the direction of the caravan leader’s carriage. “I’m grateful for your understanding.”

Since their leader had come to a decision, even if the guards didn’t necessarily want to travel with a lamia, they were left with little choice. Wearing dissatisfied expressions, the caravan began moving once more.

Kari went back onto the driver’s seat of our wagon, Fay returned inside with Raul, but Lin and Siv decided to walk on the desert sands alongside me. Since I had offered to escort these people, I decided to mingle among them. That said, no one seemed to enjoy traveling alongside a lamia, so they did not come up to us.

“Are you okay, Lin?” I asked.

“This princess is fine,” Lin said.

“You’re sure?”

“Why wouldn’t this princess be sure?”

“No reason…”

When Lin saw the face I was making, she gave me a grateful smile, reached out, and slipped her hand into mine. Her small hand was soft and warm. Of course, I knew it was only warm because of where we were. Had we been back in Nevaria, or in a location that was colder, her hand would have been freezing. Lamia were, after all, a cold-blooded species.

“Thank you for worrying about this princess, but you do not need to concern yourself with her. She really is fine.” She paused for a moment, glanced at the people around us, then looked back at me. “She understands why these people do not like lamia, but that has nothing to do with her. If they do not trust her, then all she needs to do is prove that she’s trustworthy, and if they do not like her even after she has proven herself, then they can personally take up their dislike with this princess. She will gladly beat them all senseless.”

Lin had spoken those last few words loud enough that everyone around us could hear her. Several of the men who’d been glaring at her suddenly turned their heads as if afraid that she might notice them.

The soft sand shifted beneath our feet as we traveled alongside the caravan, not only protecting it from potential threats, but also making sure they did not become a potential threat to us. High over head, the sun baked our skulls, though I used water manipulation to protect Siv and I from its intense rays. Lin didn’t need my protection. As a lamia, she naturally enjoyed the warmer climate.

“You and your companions are quite the unusual ones,” the man from inside the carriage said. “Four humans, a lamia, and a race I have never seen before make for odd traveling companions, do they not?”

“You might think so,” I said. “But these four women are my wives. I do not believe there is anything odd about traveling with my family.”

“So I see!” The man sounded intrigued. “I had not realized each of those women were yours. Forgive me for presuming otherwise. I should have realized they were spoken for.”

“Were you planning to ask if one of them would be willing to marry your sons?” I asked.

“That was indeed my intent.”

“It is a very good thing you are aware of our relationship now instead if later. The last person who tried to marry one of my wives is now buried under the ground.”

I was sure the smile on my face had become quite cold, though I didn’t know if the man riding the carriage could see it. There was a large curtain over the carriage’s windows. It served to both block out the sun and hide the one riding in it from view.

The wagons in this caravan were mostly transport wagons made for hauling large amounts of water, food, and other valuables such as fabric. This inhospitable land was a harsh one. Resources were scarce. Families like this one, whoever they were, made their living by transporting these incredibly precious resources through the Endless Desert to other cities for barter and trade. Of course, these valuable resources were also why they came under attack so often.

Seeing how the man in the wagon didn’t comment on my last statement, I decided to ask a question.

“Do you mind if I ask where we are heading?”

“Not at all.” The man’s reply was quick, as if he was happy for a change in our conversation. “We are traveling to Cairo. It is where my family estate is located.”

“Which family are you from?”

“I am the leader of the Shuruq Family,” the man said. “Alshams Shuruq.”

I soon learned that the Shuruq Family was one of the Four Great Families of the Endless Desert. On top of possessing great wealth, they owned most of the land from Cairo to Muqadas--which wasn’t saying much. There were only a few small villages and oasis located between these two cities. If I were to compare the wealth of this Shuruq Family to those of the Three Heavenly Families, they would come up lacking. However, the fact that this man had managed to create such a successful family in a place like this was worthy of admiration.

While Alshams did not seem too troubled by a lamia being present among the caravan (I couldn’t tell if he really didn’t mind or was just being polite because he feared my power), not everyone felt the same way. I could occasionally feel the heated glares directed toward us.

Of course, I was somewhat used to glares like that. I remembered a time when the people of Nevaria had responded to Lin’s presence with fear, but the time where I was willing to put up with such crap had long since past. No one disrespected my wife.

The people who glared received a healthy dose of my killing intent until they stopped.

The sun eventually began to set. With the setting sun, the temperature quickly plummeted, and Lin and Siv began shivering. Both were from a cold-blooded species. They could not deal with this cold weather since their bodies could not retain heat. Even I felt goosebumps break out on my skin.

“Why don’t you two head back into the wagon?” I suggested. “I’m going to stay out here for awhile longer, but I’ll join you when I can.”

“Mmm. This princess thinks that is a good idea. She and Siv will head into the wagon first.”

Before Lin could head off, I pulled her back by the hand and pressed our lips together, kissing her in front of the entire caravan we were traveling with. I wanted everyone here to know how much she meant to me. Perhaps if they understood that, they wouldn’t try something. That said, if someone was still stupid enough to try something against Lin, I would be more than happy to bury them in the desert sands.

“Me too,” Siv said, tugging on my sleeve.

“I wouldn’t neglect you, Siv.”

After kissing Lin until she was slightly dazed, I wrapped my arms around Siv and kissed her too. Siv made cute little noises as she leaned into me and pushed her tongue into my mouth. I could feel the saliva she was stirring up as she hooked her tongue with mine. Her body was a little chilly because it was getting cold, but I pulled her closer as though trying to warm her up, feeling her small breasts press against me through our clothes. The sound of her tail thumping against the desert sand echoed in my ears.

Only after I was sure Siv had been thoroughly satisfied did I let her go. I watched as the two girls disappeared around the wagon, then looked at the Giga Monster to see Kari unsealing several tons worth of uncooked meat from her storage ring and feeding it to the demon beast turned beast of burden.

She must have noticed my gaze because she looked at me, smiled, then gestured toward the wagon. I shook my head once, indicating she should proceed me. She nodded before turning back to the Giga Monster and rubbing its snout.

I decided to make my rounds around the caravan. It looked like everyone was setting up tents or starting fires so they could cook. We would have been doing that, but we had our own way of cooking. Thanks to Sterk and the other dweorg, we didn’t actually need a fire to cook anymore, though I wouldn’t lie and say meat roasted over an open fire wasn’t more delicious than meat cooked in a heating pan.

As I was traveling through the caravan, shouting reached my attention.

“How could our leader allow that monster to travel alongside us?! It’s inconceivable!”

“Hold your tongue, boy! Lest I rip it out of your skull!”

“But sir!”

Curious, I followed the voice to its source, where I found an older man scolding a younger boy who looked like he was maybe fourteen or fifteen years old. It was hard to tell since the people of the Endless Desert looked older than they were. The harsh environment simply made them age quicker.

“No buts. Did you not hear what Master Alshams said? That man was able to somehow kill all the Sand Sharks attacking us while they were hidden underground. That means he has at least reached the Third State of Spiritualism. Only the leaders of the Four Great Families, the emperor, and a few hidden experts have reached that level. And there’s no telling how powerful his women are. Provoking them could result in our entire caravan and leader being slaughtered. Do you understand that, Zane? If you do, then leave those people alone. Do not go near them.”

Zane? Now where had I heard that name before? It sounded so familiar to me…

As I continued looking at the young man, who possessed skin that was nearly obsidian, a somewhat flat and wide nose, and incomparably dark eyes like the night sky without stars, an image of someone slightly older overlapped with him. Yes, that strong jawline and masculine appearance very much resembled the man who saved me and Kari when we first entered the Endless Desert in our previous life. Could this Zane and that one be the same?

I stared at the two people for a little while longer before turning away.

Making it back to my wagon, I went inside to find everyone was already working on something. Fay and Siv were giving Raul a bath inside of a large bucket. Raul did not seem to appreciate being bathed and was wailing as babies were wont to do, but that was one of the thankless jobs we parents had to deal with. Lin and Kari were cooking dinner.

Our cookware consisted of several pots and pans that were made from an alloy called Adamantite, which could be mined from deep within several mountains spread across the Demon Beast Mountain Range. Adamantite was a good conductor for Spiritual Power, though not as good as Mythril, and so Sterk and Kari had inscribed Runes onto the surface of our cookware.

Thurisaz and Kenaz to create heat. Eihwaz and Algiz to protect the cookware from breaking. And Jera to control the heat, allowing one to change the temperature by channeling Spiritual Power into it.

Kari was in the process of cooking the meat and vegetables on a pan, the sound of sizzling and the scent of cooked beef filling the wagon. While she was cooking the meat, Lin had taken out one of our pots and was heating up the beef consommé we had made before beginning this journey.

Beef consommé was created by simmering roasted beef bones, mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onions), tomato puree, and several basic herbs and spices in water for hours and hours, then straining it. This created a savory, collagen-rich brew.

To turn it into a clear consommé, you had to gently simmer it with a mixture of lightly whipped egg whites and lean ground meat, which congealed and floated to the surface, forming what was often known as a raft. What was left afterwards was a crystal clear liquid that could be served hot or cold as soup. Consommé had a gelatinous consistency when chilled.

“Looks like you girls are hard at work,” I said. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“I think we’re good on the cooking,” Kari said. “Why don’t you go and help Fay and Siv? Raul is putting up quite the fuss.”

Agreeing with her, I went over to where Fay and Siv were attempting to dry Raul without much success. He was screaming and kicking his legs all over the place.

“Raul.” I knelt next to where Raul was lying on the floor, hid my face from view. “Where’d daddy go?” Raul stopped crying. I couldn’t see his face yet, but I could imagine the anticipation on it. I opened my hands like a double door parting. “There he is!” Raul giggled, so I repeated the process.

“You are very good at that,” Fay said once I’d gotten Raul to stop crying. She quickly swaddled Raul in a towel while he was still in a good mood. I kept him distracted by playing peek-a-boo.

“Some children just don’t like being bathed or dressed.” I sent her a smile. “The best way to keep them happy is to distract them with something else, though that’s not always possible.”

Fay returned my smile, her own like a blossoming flower. “You are a very good father.”

“Thank you.”

Now that Raul had settled down, Fay sat on the couch with our son resting against her bosoms. Siv had taken one side of the couch and was dozing off with her head on Fay’s shoulder. Since it looked like I wasn’t needed to help cook, I sat with Fay and spoke about our current travel plans, until it was time for dinner.

The beef consommé with seared beef and vegetables lightly seasoned with salt and pepper was delicious.

***

I looked at the sun as Kari and Lin walked alongside me. It was the day after we had met the caravan and agreed to escort them to Cairo. Fay was driving the wagon, Siv was sitting with her, and I was walking with Raul resting against my chest in a baby carrier. While some of the people in the caravan looked questioningly at me, I didn’t let that bother me. No enemy would be able to come close enough to harm my son.

As we walked up another dune, I listened into the conversation between Lin and Kari.

“Those overgrown chickens look delicious. This princess would love to cook one into a stew.”

“Those aren’t chickens. They are called Struts. They are a type of domesticated demon beast used for hauling wagons through the Endless Desert and Northern Plains.”

“Do they taste good?”

“I have never tried to eat one, but I can’t imagine they would. Their meat is too sinewy. I imagine it would be hard to chew.”

“Hmm… I guess. By the way, there is a Demon Beast heading for the caravan.”

While Lin’s words caused some of the people in the caravan to stiffen, Kari and I responded calmly.

“What kind of Demon Beast?” I asked.

Lin tilted her head and thumped her tail against the ground. Spiritual Power rushed from her body and into the earth as she became one with it, which resulted in her scales turning a lighter shade, the same color as the sand.

“It looks like a giant worm…”

“Desert Crawlers,” an older man said. It was the same one who had scolded Zane the night before. “They are worm-like creatures that grow to be at least fifteen meters long. They have mouths that can swallow a wagon whole. It isn’t unusual for them to burst right out of the ground before we can mount a proper defense and consume an entire wagon before burrowing back into the ground.”

“They sound like trouble.” Lin looked at me. “Darling?”

“I did say you could deal with the next enemy that comes along,” I said, granting her permission.

“Yay! Now this princess can finally show off!”

“I love how you didn’t even bother correcting yourself this time,” Kari said, but Lin was already no longer paying attention.

I called the caravan to a halt. While a lot of the guards complained, Alshams had told his people to listen to my orders as if they were his own, so they didn’t have any choice but to do as I told them.

Once we had come to a stop, Lin began merging with the earth, taking the Spiritual Power of the earth into herself and sending it back out into the ground. A strange sensation traveled through my feet. It was hard to describe with words, but it felt like my body was slowly being engulfed in sand. I was sure everyone else felt it. Their expressions went pale as they stared at the ground like it was something horrifying.

Barely a second passed after Lin began consuming and ejecting Spiritual Power. Several meters out, the sand started to swirl around and around, turning into a whirlpool of golden grains. Gasps echoed all around us. Those gasps turned into screams when a Desert Crawler suddenly emerged from the whirlpool.

Desert Crawlers were A-rank Demon Beasts that looked like giant worms with a gaping maw, sharp teeth, and no eyes. Their bodies were nothing more than undulating sacks of leathery flesh that could grow up to twenty meters long. This one was quite big. I couldn’t tell how big since it was still partly buried in the sand, but it was big enough that it towered over my wagon.

Lin’s eyes glowed with a golden light as her entire body became the same golden color as the sands. The giant worm squirmed as though struggling against something. It took a moment before I noticed the sand crawling up its body. It started slowly at first, but then it increased in speed, turning into large streams of sand that wrapped around the giant demon beast. Once the Desert Crawler was completely wrapped in sand, Lin thumped her tail against the ground, and black blood spurted from the encased Demon Beast as it was crushed by sand.

“There.” Lin clapped her hands together as if ridding them of dust. “This princess has taken care of a pest.”

Lin turned to me and thrust out her chest, smiling and staring at me with a look that all but demanded praise.

“You did a great job, Lin.” I reached out and began rubbing her hair. Lin closed her eyes and leaned into my hand like an affectionate house pet. Even to this day, Lin remained a very simple and pure girl.

“So simple,” Kari muttered with an affectionate smile.

Our journey continued, but this time, no one seemed willing to glare at Lin with hatred. Now it was fear. Everyone gave our group a wide berth.

Of course, there was one exception to this rule. Zane. While he didn’t come near us, I would catch him glaring daggers at our group from where he walked alongside one of the wagons containing water.

Alshams must have noticed this as well.

“Please do forgive Zane for his indiscretion. His entire family was killed by lamia, you see.” Ashalms paused. “When I found him, he was about to be raped by a lamia. I’m certain he would have been taken as a sex slave had I not arrived in time. I took him in after that and gave him a good home. He is generally a very kind boy, but his hatred of lamia is not something I can just tell him to get rid of.”

“I suppose it is not,” I admitted with a sigh. So that was why Zane seemed so different than I remembered. “Do not worry. So long as he doesn’t start trouble with us, we will not start trouble with him.”

“I am pleased to hear that,” Alshams said.

Lin was listening intently to our conversation and glanced at Zane when we were finished talking. For his part, Zane seemed to have noticed her gaze. He glared at her as if trying to kill her with his eyes, but then I sent him a burst of my killing intent, causing him to quickly look away.

“This princess will prove to him that not all lamia are evil like he believes,” Lin murmured to herself.

I hoped she would be able to make Zane realize lamia were not inherently good or evil, just like humans.

“Hey, Eryk,” Kari suddenly said as a pensive frown crossed her face. “That Zane kid. Is he the one who rescued us in our previous life?”

“I believe he is.”

“Hmmm…” Kari hummed for a moment, thinking. “I remember how kind he was to us back then. I guess traveling alongside Lin has made him view us as traitors of mankind. That’s kind of sad to think about.”

“We might have befriended him in our previous life, but that doesn’t mean the same thing will happen in this one.”

The past two years had already made it abundantly clear that our previous lives and this one were not intertwined. Too much had changed from our past lives for that. The Demon Beast Invasion happened earlier, we ended up fighting against the Sekbeist, and Kari had not been forced to marry Grant Leucht. Since the past could be changed like this, it stood to reason more changes would ocurre. Our relationship with Zane was but one of those changes.

“I suppose not, though now I wonder if there is a way to help ease the hatred in his heart.” Kari placed a hand against her chest. “If not for him, you and I would have died that day. I would like to return the favor somehow.”

“So would I,” I admitted, even though I could not think of anything to help him.

***

The journey to Cairo lasted four days. During that time, only a few Demon Beasts appeared, and all of them were dealt with by Lin, whose control over the earth element made her perfect for the job.

While her constant defense of the caravan didn’t make the people any less wary of her, no one seemed to hate her anymore. It was more like they were confused. During the day, I would catch a few people looking at Lin like they weren’t sure whether they disliked her or found her attractive.

For her part, Lin did not let the looks get to her. She already had a great deal of experience with being looked at differently thanks to the people of Nevaria. Now, instead of being afraid of how everyone looked at her, she was simply determined to show these people how wrong they were to judge her because of her race.

While Cairo was not as massive as Muqadas, it was still big enough to be called a city. The buildings were made mostly out of sun-baked mud bricks and stone, mainly limestone, but also sandstone and granite. All the buildings were built about a meter off the ground to reduce the amount of sand that got inside the house. Many of the windows were also cut high to further help keep out sand, and bars were placed on the windows to prevent wild animals from getting inside. The doors could be reached via ramps.

I soon learned why the Shuruq Family had set up their base of operations in Cairo upon entering the city. Traveling straight through this city was a large river.

“The river comes from up north,” Alshams said as we crossed over a bridge. “Most of the river is underground, but there are some places like here where the river rises to the surface because of the ground’s lower elevation. Thanks to this, Cairo is nearly as prosperous as Muqadas.”

“I can see how that would make this city very prosperous,” Kari said. “Water is the most precious resource in the Endless Desert. The fact that you have so much of it means people flock here. I’m sure it has also helped increase trade.”

“… You are correct,” Alshams said, though the slight pause at the beginning of his sentence made me frown. “In any case, we will be arriving at my home soon. Your group shall be allowed to rest in my home as a service for protecting myself and my people.”

“We appreciate your generous offer,” I said, accepting it without hassle. We could have just slept in my wagon, but I was curious to know what kind of homes the Four Great Families had. The only time I’d ever seen one was when I destroyed the Malik Family’s mansion in Muqadas--and I had been too busy wiping out the family to care about the mansion itself.

The Shuruq Family villa sat along the river. Much of the villa was surrounded by walls made from limestone, which stood at about four meters tall, meaning it was about as tall as my wagon. Speaking of, because the wagon was so big, it could not fit through the arched gateway. We had to leave the Giga Monster and wagon outside the gate, though it seemed content to drink from the river.

Fay, Siv, Lin, and Kari walked with me as we entered the villa. Little Raul was with me now, though he was sound asleep. He was an energetic baby. However, he still slept about fourteen to sixteen hours a day.

Past the gate was the villa itself, a multi-building complex of square-shaped structures. All the buildings had been painted white. There was the private chapel, the main building where Alshams lived with his family, the stables and servants quarters, and also a garden with a pool. While vegetation was still sparse, this estate did feature a number of trees and even some grass. There was even a walled off section where several people were raising cattle.

A group of people were waiting near the entrance of the main building. There were three women, two young boys, and two girls. All of them had the same dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes as everyone else who lived in the Endless Desert. The women looked like they were in their early or mid-thirties. Meanwhile, the children varied in age from not even past ten to their teenage years. One of the girls even looked about the same age as Kari and Fay.

The caravan came to a stop, with many of the guards beginning the process of removing the supplies from the wagons, carrying the barrels of water, scrolls of fabric, and painted pottery to a building near the back. During that time, one of the servants opened the door to the wagon containing Alshams, and the man I had spoken to for the past several days finally emerged.

It was hard to tell his age. At a glance, I would say he was maybe a bit older than Hilda, but she didn’t look her age at all. The woman was over forty and had the appearance of someone in her early twenties. He had a head full of dark hair. His clothes consisted of a wrap-around skirt tied at the waist with a belt and a shirt made from a linen so fine it was almost see-through. The sandals on his feet looked to be made from an equally fine animal hide.

“Father!”

The two boys, who were probably around eight and thirteen respectively, raced up to the man as he emerged from the carriage. While Alshams spread his arms as though to embrace them, both boys stopped when they spotted me… or rather, when they spotted Lin.

“L-Lamia! It’s a Lamia!”

The two boys reversed course and scurried back over to their mothers, who they hid behind. The three women--Alsham’s wives, I assumed--were already in the process of hiding their daughters.

Alshams remained standing their with his arms spread out. A second passed. Two seconds. The man slowly lowered his arms as a disappointed look flashed across his face.

He turned to us. “I apologize for this, but would you six mind waiting while I speak to my family?”

“Not at all.” I gave a polite bow of understanding. “Please do.”

“Thank you.”

Alshams wandered over to his family and began speaking with them. I could not hear what they were saying, though he made several gestures with his hand toward us, making me believe he was trying to let them know that Lin was not dangerous. Perhaps he was telling them about how she had single-handedly defeated every demon beast we came across. I hoped that was what he was saying.

“It looks like this princess has her work cut out for her,” Lin said as she stretched her arms above her head.

“Are you not disheartened because of how they treat you?” asked Fay. “I do not know if I could put up with this kind of treatment.”

“Of course this princess is disheartened, but she is not going to let that stop her.” Lin clencher her hands into fists. “This princess will not let herself be cowed because some people hate her. She will either change their opinions of her through her actions, or she will ignore them if they decide they still don’t like her.” She unclenched her hands and grinned at the four of us. “Besides, it isn’t like the opinion of these people really matters. All this princess needs is your approval and love.”

“Well said, Lin.” Kari placed an arm around Lin’s waist and pulled the lamia close. “If these people cannot accept you, they are not worth your time or consideration.”

Fay and Siv also came up to Lin and offered their support. I would do that too, but later, when we were alone. Besides, there was something innately charming about a bunch of strong and beautiful women supporting each other.

While Lin was being surrounded by her sisters, Alshams finally came back up to us. He seemed to notice what was happening between my wives. I noticed a small hint of lust entering his eyes. However, he fortunately knew better than to let himself be swept away by it.

“I’ve spoken with my family and assured them that your wife is not dangerous,” he said. “As promised, I will let you and your family stay here.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Now then.” Alshams clapped his hands and smiled at me. “I believe it would behoove us to hold a feast in honor of you and your family for saving us from those Demon Beasts.”

I wasn’t really one for feasts, but as the sect master of the Nevarian Braves, I had spent more than my fair share of time with nobles, so I knew better than to refuse.

It looked like we wouldn’t be eating alone tonight.