Enslaved - Enslaved Sister Harem - V2 - Chapter 3
The first day of travel occurred across a trail that seemed
to have hundreds of various divisions. The forest was extremely hot and humid,
and instantly gave me the feeling of entering a tropical climate without the
pleasure of a beach. The journey certainly felt like a slog. The road turned
twisted and even doubled back a few times. The forest was thick and ever
ceasing, and I was quickly getting the feeling like I was in a maze, not a road
to the capital city.
βOne such reason no one is allowed to enter our forests unescorted is that the entire road system is designed to be intentionally confusing and maze-like. Anyone who entered would become lost and likely never make it to their target.β Saria gestured to a road that shot off to the right. βThat road ends only a few miles from here in a dead-end.β
βActually, that road leads to Rendall, itβs a small farming community.β The lead escort casually said, but when he noticed Sariaβs red face he admittedly held up his hands. βI mean no disrespect. It is very easy to lose the way for any who donβt venture it regularly. This is why even princesses must have an escort.β
Saria sniffed, turning back to me. βEither way, I hope you
can see how powerful our defenses are and how difficult an invasion would be.
The forests are thick and impassible, and there are various poisonous plants
and animals that could attack at any moment. Even if someone wanted to forge a
direct path, they would be slowed to a crawl and lose most of their men in the
attempt.β
βI seeβ¦β I nodded thoughtfully. βIn that case, the best
solution would be to burn down the forest.β
βEh!β
βItβs too humid now, but a spell that created a drought and
enough heat, and the forest would catch easy enough. In fact, if we took
advantage of the wind and current, and the forest is truly as toxic as you
suggest, the fleeing animals would definitely cause a great devastation in the cities.
A well-timed fire attack and I could clear cripple the nation in a single actβ¦β
βOnly a devil-like you would think of such a shameless act!β
Saria spat, turning away in a huff.
βAre the devils not the ones most likely to attack?β I muttered.
Saria didnβt bother to look back. It seemed odd to me that
she recognized devils as the enemies of all the northern countries, but refused
to acknowledge valid strategies they might use. I must have said something
taboo, as the elvish escort were all giving me dark looks as well. I coughed
lightly and then fell back, allowing them to stay ahead of me.
βSweety, youβre much too worried. You should relax and come
rest with mother.β Mother beckoned me.
She was sitting in the cart, peacefully drinking a cup of
tea. After the dangers in the previous city, I had a mind to send Mother back
to the Capitol where she was safe. She vehemently refused to do that. Since
then, she must have been so afraid that Iβd change my mind that she had remained
quiet for the last couple of days of travel. She remained quiet in the back of
the carriage, silently taking in all the sights of the world while almost acting
zen-like. This was the first time she had spoken to me in a while.
βIf Mother is tired, there is room to lie down back there.β
Mother put on pouty lips. βI canβt sleep without my son
holding me. How can I rest as long as your shouldering so many burdens on yourself?β
βMotherβ¦β I sighed. βI only burden myself as much as I need
to.β
Motherβs expression suddenly turned slightly dark. βI have seen
the things son burdens himself with at night. You have a different woman in
your bed every night!β
βAhemβ¦β I cleared my throat. βThat isβ¦ of courseβ¦β
βAnd your poor mother hasnβt been one of them! Have you been
filial as a son?β
I let out a noise like a strangled cat. After a few days of
her silence, I had almost forgotten that Motherβs personality bordered on the
obsessed. How was bedding my Mother being a good son? Rather, why is that the
thing she has a problem with? Her words seemed to imply that she didnβt mind
that I slept with many women, only that she wasnβt one of them.
βVery well, mother, tonight, I will sleep with mother tonight.β
Her eyes brighten. βDo you mean it? Truly?β
I let out a sigh. She was supposedly a homunculus, and not truly the person who had birthed Prince David. Even so, she had been the one who raised him and brought him to his current state. She had protected him relentlessly and was probably the reason he had managed to reach adulthood before being killed. For me, this woman wasnβt my true mother at all. I kept her at an arms-length exactly because I knew I couldnβt keep an appropriate boundary between us. With Aeryn sleeping with me most nights, and Bala the other nights, I wasnβt such a man that I felt I had to pursue this woman for sexual gratification.
Still, upon seeing the uplifting smile on her face, I couldnβt
help but desire to see this woman happy. If sleeping next to her in bed was
what is required to bring her happiness, I would just need to control myself
for a night. Afterward, I could release all of my built-up desires on Aeryn, as
I had done in the past. Was it fair that I had made Aeryn the source of my stress
relief? Probably not. However, it was a burden she would have to bear.
βOf course, Mother, I would gladly stick by your side,β I promised,
drifting off into thought.
My eyes ended up landing on Aeryn. I found myself wondering
how it would be to have Aeryn act like my mother. Wouldnβt it be a lot easier if
Aeryn was eager and willing to please? It would definitely make my life easier
if her situation was reversed with my motherβs.
βWhen you look at me like that, it makes my skin crawl.β
Aeryn suddenly spoke, shooting me a glare.
I let out a sigh. Alas, it wasnβt meant to be. And none of
this really mattered, because neither Mother nor Aeryn were part of my primary
goals. They were my emotional support, as turbulent and shameful as that was to
admit, but my ultimate prey had to be my sisters themselves. The only reason I
was coming to the elvish country was hoping to pull her out and enslave her to
secure a part of the kingdom. Olivia had come to the elvish lands to learn
nature magic. Well, that was the official claim. She was more like a political
captive to anyone smart enough to put the dots together.
βMother, do you know much about Olivia?β I asked.
βHmm? Your sister?β even though she is a homunculus of Mother who also had my sisters, when she spoke of them, she spoke with a complete lack of luster or care. βWhat of her?β
βIβd like to know what kind of person she was, back in the
castle.β
Mother made a face. βYour sister had violent tendencies and
a short fuse. She blamed you for everything. Iβd rather hope you can avoid her
on this trip if at all possible.β
βShe hated me, then?β
Mother grimaced. βShe was just a foolish girl. I had to
discipline a few times for trying to hurt you.β
I let out a noise. βTrying to hurt me?β
Mother shrugged. βI caught her trying to smother you in your
sleep a few times. Sheβd try to slip sharp objects into your food. This sort of
thing.β
βNo, wait, why are you saying this so casually! This seemed
like a very big deal!β
βWas it so surprising that she was one of the daughters your
father sent away first? Besides, if you disavowed every sister that tried to
murder you when you were younger, you wouldnβt have any sisters.β
I let out a cough. Just how had Prince David survived so
long? Rather, Mother certainly needed an award for managing to keep me alive without
severely punishing any of the people transgressing against me. Then again,
knowing Mother, I had to assume she was exaggerating. She was likely extremely
paranoid and defensive when it came to any other woman in my life. It wouldnβt
be that surprising that she saw my sisters as a distinct threat.
βThat doesnβt sound like the Olivia I know at all.β Saria
had let her horse fall back as she responded to my Motherβs words.
Mother shot her an angry expression, but she knew enough not to speak over or openly argue with the princess either. Mother had grown up as an outcast in a noble society that all but disowned her as a freak. She was well versed and knew when to keep her mouth shut and how to lay low.
βYou are familiar with Olivia?β
βWe practically grew up together?β Saria gave a sniff and an
incredulous look. βDid you not realize we were close friends?β
I knew the two had lived in the same castle, but for some
reason, the idea of the two of them being close never occurred to me. I felt
kind of foolish now that I thought about it. Two girls of roughly the same age,
of course they must have been close. It was simply the fact that Saria had been
in my kingdom for as long as I had been here, and her extreme disdain for humanity,
that had given me the impression she and Olivia were distant.
βOlivia came to Greenvale at the age of twelve. Sheβs been
living with the elves ever since. Sheβs more elf than human, I must say.β
βTechnically, sheβs a catgirl,β I responded
βHmph! Outer appearances can be deceiving. Itβs what is on
the inside that matters.β
βIs that why youβve looked past my devilkin body and come to
truly love me for who I am?β I responded wryly.
Saria jerked, seemingly more caught off guard by my comment than
she expected. After a moment, she sniffed.
βYouβre just as vile on the inside! Truly a devil! An
exception that makes the rule!β
βThen my fiancΓ©e is truly a benevolent woman to look past by
bad character.β
βHmph!β She turned away. βDo you want to hear about your
sister, or do you want to continue to tease me?β
βSince you have graced me with a choiceβ¦ tell me about my
sister.β
She looked at me with a displeased expression, but after a moment she let out a sigh. βVery well, Olivia is a talented girl. Magically, she is more talented than I am. Sheβs very passionate, and thinks with her heart. She doesnβt like you, and I admit that it was her stories about you that made me soβ¦ resistant when we first met.β
βWhat else?β
She had been looking to get a reaction out of me, so she seemed
disappointed. As for me, I was looking for anything that could be useful in
gaining her trust. It sounded like I was going to be working from nothing. She
was a woman who absolutely hated me. That was already abundantly clear. I didnβt
need Saria or Mother to tell me that. All of my sisters had an issue with me. I
had faced that rage personally when I had encountered Lucy.
Β Iβm not even sure I
had the time to truly gain these womenβs trust. I might have to be extremely
heavy-handed. I understood why God said I simply needed to impregnant my
sisters. Once they were enslaved, Iβd be able to control them just as I had
done to Bala and Aeryn. Even the God of this world appeared to not think there
was another way to maintain the balance of this world.
Of course, when it came to Bala and Aeryn, things were
different. They had little choice but to fall in line with my desires. Aeryn
was a maid and loyal to my kingdom. After infecting her with an aphrodisiac, she
never really had a choice. As for Bala, she was isolated in another country and
unable to count on her sister. She, too, was forced by my hand. My sisters had
other resources and support to fall on. Olivia might be able to acquire a cure
to the aphrodisiac using her knowledge of magic. The stubborn and battle-hearty
Lucy might very well choose insane before allowing my blood to influence her
choices.
βI remember once, my brother took Olivia and me out to a particularly
beautiful clearing during a butterfly bloom. Of course, he was just trying to
impress the pair of us. It was Gantar, the womanizer. There was a time he
chased after both of us simultaneously. However, a particular powerful monster
ended up appearing. It was a vicious Bloodrayne Bear. They rarely show in the
forest, but this one had been driven into the forests because of a bad year.
βAs soon as it let out one terrifying roar, Gantar fled,
abandoning the both of us to be potentially eaten by the monster. He was always
more of a flirt than a fighter. Actually, itβd be more accurate to call him a
coward. I was no better. I had completely frozen. The bear began to charge at
me, and all I could do was sit in the grass and stare into the eyes of death.
βYour sister, she suddenly leaped in front of me. She
created a firewall between the bear and me. She cut its charge in half. It was
so angry that it had been blocked, burning itself twice trying to leap through
her wall. The bear was smart though. It could see the wall was only temporary.
Rather than run back into the forest to find a different prey, it decided to
wait for the wall to collapse. Of course, I could have run like my brother, but
Oliviaβs spell was one that required eye contact. As soon as she turned away to
flee, the monster would charge her and kill her.
βSo, she attacked the bear instead. Yielding her magic, she leaped across the very firewall that he had failed to breach. The sight scared the bear so much that he had frozen, giving her plenty of time to unleash a dozen spells on it. By the time the guards finally appeared whom Gantar had fetched, the bear was already breathing its last breath. Do you know what she said after selflessly saving my life and recklessly charging to destroy a monster far outside her ability?β
βWhat is that?β
βCan we cook it? Iβm hungry.β Saria smiled softly, her eyes
clearly holding a memory she saw fondly.
I think I was starting to understand the kind of person that
my sister was by that story. Fierce, indeed. She was a woman who would rather go
on a suicidal offensive than give up. It was exactly the kind of thing I needed
to know.
βThank you, I appreciate your help,β I said.
Sariaβs smile shrank as she remembered who she was talking
too. βIβm just telling you that when it comes to Olivia, youβre definitely outmatched!
Donβt think you can easily seduce her as you did to my sister!β
βI wouldnβt dream of it,β I responded wryly to her critical attacks.
However, as I was speaking, my eyes wandered to a bush. It caught
my interest because unlike the majority of the forest, that bush was completely
dead. For all the life and beauty this seemingly enchanted forest had, to
suddenly be confronted with something decaying was a bit of a surprise. The
elvish guards seemed to eye it with frowns too, so I suspected that my eyes
werenβt deceiving me.
We continued on our way, and it wasnβt more than an hour
before we ran into a dead tree that had collapsed across the path. We had to
move it, which would have gone much faster if Baba would just use her magic,
but she was quite obstinate and I didnβt want to push the issue. Not soon after
I saw more dead things. It wasnβt just plants. There were dead animals lying in
the path. First, there had just been a few, but soon, the path was lined with
various creatures. Some were just bugs, while other larger creatures like bats
and snakes became more frequent.
Eventually, the forest all around us started looking decayed
and unhealthy. The green vibrancy that we entered in had dissipated to a sickly
yellow. It appeared like every tenth tree was either dead or dying. The guards
now wore open worry on their faces. Bala and Saria had tense expressions and were
eyeing the area very worriedly.
βYou guys donβt know about this?β I asked the escort.
βWe typically patrol the border. Most reports are sent to us
by bird or magic. We havenβt had any announcements of the forest coming under a
sickness.β
βA sickness, is it?β I asked, looking around at the dead plants
around me.
βYes? What else would you call it?β Saria snapped, her eyes
clearly filled with worry and just a bit of fright.
βRemember how I said if I attacked this forest, Iβd do it
with fire?β
βWhat of it?β
βThat was just a knee jerk reaction.β I shook my head. βIf I really thought about it, any external attack would always be seen as an external attack. As soon as I lit a fire, the elves could always send an army. They could fight against the flames with magic or their own weather control. Noβ¦ if I was truly going to choose a means of destroying the forest, Iβm afraid it would look something a bit like this.β
βWh-what are you trying to say?β Saria demanded with a shaky
voice.
βIt looks like Peri is already under attack. It looks like
weβre late. The first move has already been made.β