I spent an hour in my meditation, enjoying the love and care of my girls after that ordeal. Of course, I only used a partial activation of [Hastened Thoughts], so only a couple days passed inside.
It may seem unnecessary, but I would like to keep a semi-healthy mentality, and the girls really helped cleanse my mental state. Áine even wanted me to stay for longer due to her concern, but I promised to always rely on her and my other waifus if things became too much, just like now.
Although I can understand the necessity of killing my enemies and setting an example, I still struggle a bit with inflicting such cruelty. It felt a bit different when I did so with the porcs, but even then, I felt grateful for being able to take my mind off things by hugging Treyni all night long.
Still, I managed to hold up in the end, and I believe Hakurou was the only one who noticed.
When I opened my eyes, I could sense that many people had settled into their tents. Treyni, Shuna, and Shion were all in the human women's tent. It seemed that they were just now falling asleep.
For the first time in a while, I stretched my magic perception and focused on the state of the village. While watching the fate of those that were insubordinate, I also paid attention to the reactions of the audience.
None of the insubordinate goblins came from our village, so aside from the slight aversion to seeing such acts that some of our goblins expressed, they didn't have much of a reaction. After hearing the screams, and pleading of the orcs last time, they had developed a certain numbness to it.
The only exceptions were from the female hobgoblin mage and swordsman, who were the only ones who submitted to me from the parent generation. They were soaked in a cold-sweat and lightly trembling the whole time.
Similarly, those from the other villages had paled and concerned that they would be next. One elder was also sweating quite a bit since the ring leader had been someone he personally introduced and recommended to me.
I think I will let him stew on that and reconsider the type of people he wishes to promote in the future.
I remember after decapitating the leader, I had expressionlessly asked, "Does everyone understand now?" Everyone mechanically nodded, and a few had soiled themselves, so I dismissed everyone to relax until noon and began meditating to relax my mind.
That brings me to now. Along with me, the Kijin appeared to be the only ones awake. Souei was currently patrolling, Benimaru was maintaining his sword, Hakurou was still meditating, and Shion and Shuna were both taking care of the girls with Treyni.
That left only Kurobe, who was working on making something in the workshop we made within the caves. The other day while hunting down the porcs, I managed to collect some additional spirit stones, and one gave me the new extra skill, [Earth Control]. Using it, I was quickly able to manipulate the caves to carve out a suitable space for him.
When I last left, he was working on a prototype heavy sword for Shion. Shion specializes in a battle-junkie, berserk type fighting style similar to Áine. With her increased strength, though, she prefers using a heavy weapon to make full use of her power.
I entered the caves and walked toward the smithery while minimizing my presence. I didn't want to disturb Kurobe in the middle of his work, but I was curious to see how he worked and if there was anything I could learn for my [Craftsman] Job-class.
From the doorway, I silently watched while having Saul analyze his techniques and the item he was forging. Time seemed to quickly pass while watching him work. A couple of hours passed before I noticed and saw that I had received a notification from the world's voice for a new skill.
『You have gained: Unique Skill [Researcher]』
'Hmm? What's this?'
/-------------------------------------\
Unique Skill: Researcher
It gives the user the ability to analyze, store, and transform materials. It would not allow one to forge sophisticated constructs, but if one stored a heap of scrap iron, they could easily condense it into ingots to be further refined.
\-------------------------------------/
'Oh, it seems like an inferior version of Saul, and my [Celestial Devourer] skill.'
『Affirmative. It is not only weaker, but it also lacks many of my core abilities.』
'So it does. What would I do without you, Saul?'
『…』
'Anyways, I guess I should get going. I've already spent more time here than I originally intended.'
I quietly left Kurobe to his work and walked through the cave. On the way, I passed by the kitchen and saw Treyni and the goblinas preparing breakfast. I suppose it's not surprising that the human women weren't ready to return to work.
Seeing them happily working on lunch, I chose not to disturb them. Especially after the events of last night. No need to ruin the mood.
I left the cave and saw that many of the goblins had already been dispatched by Souei. Now that I am thinking about it, I don't recall ever canceling the parties. I wonder how long the ability will last…
『Parties formed through the follower tab will continue until otherwise stated. Due to recent events, an update has been applied: Those that harbor malicious thoughts towards you, those close to you, or your organizations will have their access revoked, and you will be immediately notified. Access may be regranted at your own determination.』
'Oh, nice work, Saul. I appreciate your help.'
『Accepted.』
On the training grounds, Benimaru and Shion were sparring while Hakurou instructed them. I still hadn't seen Shuna yet, but she is likely staying with our guests.
I walked over to the training court to watch Shion and Benimaru's spar. They were limiting their strength, and they weren't using any skills, just pure technique, even then, though, their strikes were causing gusts of wind and cracks to form in the ground.
It seems like in the future, we will need to build specialized areas for the training grounds so that they can endure more of our strength without destroying the surroundings. It reminds me of a particular book I saw in the shop entitled [Kisuke Urahara's Secret Guide to Base Building]. It may come in handy once we have settled down in our final location.
I watched them both come to a draw and retreat to opposite sides of the court. Unlike Shion's berserker fighting style, it's clear that Benimaru took more after Hakurou with his clean, speed-based swordplay.
Before the dust cleared, Shion was already dashing towards me. "Lord Orion! Did you see it? How did I do?" She asked as she barreled into me and hugged me.
Benimaru's brow was twitching, but he still came over and respectfully greeted me. "Good afternoon, Lord Orion. We were unable to find you, so Souei and I dispatched the troops as you ordered yesterday."
"Mmm, that's good. I was distracted by something earlier, so I appreciate you both stepping up. Have I explained the organization of our forces yet, Benimaru?" I asked.
"No, sir."
"Hmm… sit with me then, all three of you. I will explain it, and you can give me your feedback."
Like that, Shion, Benimaru, Hakurou, and I sat down while I began explaining my plans to them.
I had read strategy books and leadership books from famous thinkers like Sun Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli, but I wasn't particularly familiar with military and government organizations.
In fact, my current layout was a replica of the Shinigami organization, The Gotei 13, in all but its name. My forces would be divided into a number of divisions or squads, each headed by a Captain and a Vice-Captain/Lieutenant.
Each division would have 20 senior officer positions with the Captain and Vice-Captain taking the first and second positions, respectively. A squad could then have any number of junior officers that would be able to advance to the senior ranks based on the rules of that division, which are determined by the division's Captain.
Unlike the original Gotei 13, these squads will not be loosely bound to one another, and they will all answer to the Captain-Commander, attending regular meetings and having specific duties.
Another goal of mine is to create a military academy similar to Spiritual Arts Academy with Hakurou present as a combat and swordsmanship instructor. Ideally, there would also be classes to teach the students about the arts, and technical skills they wish to pursue, so that aside from military service, they can also pursue other goals.
I think having Kurobe teaching and researching there would be a good fit once things have settled down. It would be great if we could have our human guests teach there too, but I doubt they will want to ever return here after the incident I had them go through last night…
It was all a loose idea, but it seemed like a decent enough structure to begin working with. I explained how I already had two divisions planned out with Kishin being in charge of a heavy infantry division, Mia in charge of a ranged weaponry division, and I also floated the idea of leaving Souei in charge of an intelligence gathering and monitoring division.
To this, Benimaru readily agreed on despite his reluctance on the other issues. "Although, I am uncertain how this division concept will work out, I can assure you that there is none better than Souei to lead your intelligence gathering. He is a wise and loyal friend that excels in that environment." He spoke confidently. Both Shion and Hakurou nodded in agreement as well, so I may discuss this with Souei in the near future.
"I, myself, am very curious about this school you wish to build, Lord Orion. Although I see several issues, I would love to discuss it more with you in the future."
"Mmm, thank you, Hakurou." I nodded.
Shion didn't say much, but she was looking at me with a look of expectation. Finally, I couldn't bear it and asked her, "Shion, is there something I can do for you?"
"Mmm," she nodded enthusiastically. "But first, what would your role in all of this, Lord Orion?"
I raised my brow but then seriously thought about it. "Hmm…For now, I would be both the leader of the of our group as a whole, and the military head, the Captain-Commander. I think, for now, I would like to appoint you as the Vice-Captain of my division, Benimaru. What do you think?"
Benimaru's eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Me, Lord Orion? Why?" He asked, confused.
"Mmm, I've seen your leadership abilities during the defense of the goblin village as well as your behavior since you have arrived here. Despite your limited interactions with them, all of the goblins appear to respect you quite a bit. These qualities make you ideal to lead our forces in my absence."
Benimaru seemed flustered for a moment, but he quickly bowed, "Thank you for your praise, Lord Orion! I will not let you down!"
"Mmm, I'm sure you'll do great, Benimaru," I said, patting his shoulder slightly. At the same time, I saw several parties returning from the forest, so I stood to end our discussion here. "We will discuss the rest tomorrow, then. We need to bring Souei and the other Captain Candidates in as well."
Both Hakurou and Benimaru nodded in understanding, but Shion grabbed my wrist before I could walk away.
"Hmm? What's up, Shion?" I asked curiously.
"Umm, Lord Orion, I'm pretty strong, but I'm not much of a leader. Still, I want to be of use to you. If you're going to be leading both the military and governing this region, I think you will need a secretary. I would like to volunteer to assist you!"
"Oh, do you have any experience as a secretary? As things pick up around here, that would be helpful."
"None at all!" She spoke just as enthusiastic as before, though much of mine had disappeared. Once again, I recalled that even though she wasn't dumb, Shion was quite the airhead.
"Then what makes you think you would be a good secretary?" I asked, confused. "How do you even know what a secretary is?"
"Fufufu, never underestimate the capabilities of a woman. I'm not only strong, but according to your own admission, I'm also quite beautiful. Since I've already proposed to you, I'm also willing to relieve your stress and tensions whenever you need it!"
I furrowed my brows, "What exactly do you think a secretary is?" I asked.
"Hmm? Isn't it just a beautiful guard that serves beside her master and is always ready to serve him, no matter when or where, their body is always at their master's disposal?" She asked innocently.
"N-no! Of course not! A secretary is an intelligent aid to her boss that supports them by taking care of appointments, communications, and routine tasks so that their boss can focus on the important matters that require his immediate attention. Where did you even learn that crazy definition?"
Shion blushed and looked away while speaking quietly. "U-um. I-I saw it in a book that depicted various women in uniforms doing… n-naughty things… B-but I'm sure I can be a real secretary too. In fact, I was a bit nervous because there were some other things they showed that I wasn't sure about, but if it's just the things you mentioned, I'm sure I can do that and more!"
I stared blankly at Shion and sighed. "Shion… You know right now I can't return your feelings, right? In fact, I don't even understand what your feelings are. We barely know one another."
Cutting straight to the heart of the matter, Shion's head and shoulders slumped. "I-I don't know either, Orion. Ever since I first saw you, you felt different to me. I've wanted to get closer to you to try and understand it, but I guess I'm just bothering you. After all, you already have Treyni and Mia, along with all these responsibilities. I really did want to help you…" she smiled wryly and began to turn away.
Seeing her earnestly deliver herself to me like this, I can't say I was unaffected. I reached out and grabbed her singular horn to keep her from leaving.
"Ah-ah-ahh! It hurts! What are you doing, Orion?" She winced slightly as I guided her back around to face me.
"Look, Shion," I released her horn and cupped her cheeks. "Although You would be wonderful for the type of secretary you intended, I don't think you would enjoy being the type of secretary I need. I do know of a position for you, though, and it would keep you close to me like you wanted."
Her eyes brightened, and if I wasn't holding her face, Shion might've began bouncing in excitement. "Really, Orion? What is it?"
Seeing her reaction, I smiled, "You would be a member of a division separate from the military that reports directly to the leader. Officially you would be my guard, but you would simply be a close companion, confidant, and representative of mine."
She looked at me, confusedly, "Why make a separate division when you are also the commander of all the divisions?" She asked.
"Indeed, I am currently the head of the military, but it's possible that another ruler or I would need to focus on the state issues and would lack the time required for the military ones. That is why the Captain Commander is still set up to report to the king or whatever type of leader we will have."
"W-wait, why would we ever need another leader, and isn't it dangerous to leave so much power in the hands of others?"
"Hmm? Well, that's why it is important to choose my subordinates carefully. Besides," I said, caressing her cheek, "what if I wanted to spend more time with my wives and our children?"
"O-o-our ch-children?" Shion muttered and began daydreaming. I hadn't meant 'our' as in mine and her children, but thinking about such a situation seemed quite cute.
Suddenly, three cold glares settled on my back. I released Shion and turned to see, Treyni, Shuna, and the five human women all looking at me with varying expressions.
The three cold gazes came from Treyni, Mia, and surprisingly Shuna, the petite Kijin princess.
Redhead and the others were all blushing and daydreaming about something else, but it was good seeing that color had returned to their pale countenances.
"Oh. Hey honey, how was your day?" I asked, pretending that there was nothing wrong.
"Hmmm… it was fine, Orion. Why don't you tell me more today about your children? First, there's Lilith, and now you are planning more with some other woman?" She asked, pointedly looking towards Shion.
"No, no, no. I was referring to my children that I would have with my wives in the future. 'Our' just referred to my wives and I, not Shion and I." I rebutted.
Suddenly, the girls all smiled and began laughing. "Fufufu, don't worry. We were just teasing you. I'm glad you're feeling better, husband." Despite her claims, it still felt like she was understandably concerned about her position.
'Maybe tonight I should test out our compatibility. Considering that she imprinted on me, it should be pretty high, no?'
I hugged my jealous waifu, kissing her in front of everyone to make my position clear. Treyni is my woman, and no matter who else joins her, I will always care for her greatly.
"You have nothing to worry about," I whispered into her ear while hugging her tightly, "You will always be mine, and I will always be yours."
My words seemed to melt her like butter in my arms. She completely relaxed in my embrace, forgetting about everything else.
I, too, would have sunken into that atmosphere and carried Treyni away were it not for the envious gazes focused on us. Unexpectedly, Shion stepped forward, breaking from her previous trance, and hugged me from behind.
"Lady Treyni, you may have gotten him first, but don't expect the rest of us to give up on him just because of that. I will be the first to bear Orion's children!"
Despite the marvelous feeling of being squished between two bountiful pairs of breasts, it seems I have stepped on a landmine here.
It didn't stop there, though, as I was quickly surrounded by both Shuna and Mia, saying something about needing to take responsibility for my actions.
I could feel the bloody tears that the men were crying as they watched many of the most beautiful women in the camp surround me. Even the human women were not left unaffected as they were blushing and looked away, lost in their thoughts.
Rubellia looked particularly red when paired with her hair. She was gripping her dress and determinedly staring at me. 'Girl, you barely know me, and shouldn't you be more afraid of monsters?'
Despite smiling wryly, I was quite happy seeing everyone like this, and we all enjoyed another delicious dinner.
This time, it was one of the sister's specialties. They used up some of our stores of horned-rabbit meat to make a stew. It was a bit lacking compared to Treyni's meal, but it was probably quite good compared to most adventurer and traveling merchant standards.
After dinner, I asked Souei to meet me for a discussion after training tomorrow. Like the other Kijin, he has been loyally supporting me and working well with the goblins.
He and the others seemed to have a significant change upon naming them and making them my followers. The only one who hasn't really changed is Shion, who just became even bolder and more beautiful.
'Based on the feeling from my back earlier, her breasts have grown even more wonderful since I last massaged them.'
I was broken from my heated thoughts by a tug on my sleeve. Beside me, Rubellia was fidgeting and nervously looking at me.
"Umm, Orion…" she started.
"Hmm?"
"Could you…stay in our tent tonight? I am still a bit afraid…"
I knew they were still a bit traumatized, but I had expected them to request Shuna or Shion to stay with them, not myself.
It caused me to know what to say for a moment while looking towards Treyni for help. Instead of that, though, she simply nodded her head understandingly.
"…Sure, I don't mind, so long as it's alright with the rest of you," I spoke, looking towards the others.
They had been startled when they heard Rubellia's request, and they seemed apprehensive while waiting for me to answer.
Still, when I confirmed that I would stay with them, they let out a collective sigh of relief. Rubellia smiled and hugged me. "Thank you, Orion!"
Inside the tent, there was more than enough room for all of the girls and I. In fact, there was probably enough room for Treyni and Mia too, but they decided to have a girls night with Shuna and Shion.
Each of the girls had folded pelt blankets that they could lie within like a sleeping bag. They were made from the pelts I gave them, and they gave me a large blanket pelt too. I guess this is what the sisters made instead of resting this morning.
"Thank you, Felicia, Alma. I appreciate the hard work you have done. I'm sure this will be much better than the leaves I have used up until now!" I smiled warmly toward them as I laid out the blanket in the center of the girls.
The sisters nodded happy with the praise I had given them. "It's the least we could do after you saved us, Orion. Oh, pardon me, is it alright if we call you that?" Felicia asked.
"I don't mind when it's just us. With my subordinates, a level of formality is required, but when we are just relaxing like this, I prefer to drop the formalities. Besides, I promised to protect you girls, and I failed to do so, there's no need to thank me for that."
"It's not your fault, Orion. You ordered everyone to not do anything to us, and those guys didn't listen." Corrected Emily.
"Yeah! In the end, you still rescued us, didn't you." Cheered Rubellia, who had lied down beside me.
I smiled wryly, since, although I had undoubtedly saved them from a terrible fate, I still allowed them to suffer to eliminate future troubles.
"Why… why didn't you come sooner!" Spinel shouted while tossing the potion I had given her previously into the dirt. She was crying, and it was apparent she wasn't complaining so much as venting her pent up feelings.
Unlike the other women, Spinel is a cool beauty only in appearance. On the inside, she is much more kind and caring than one would expect.
The other girls turned silent at this. Indeed, they might not know about my exact abilities, but everyone knew that high ranking monsters and demi-humans have senses that should have easily detected those men before they intruded into their tent.
Combining that with the show I put on afterward, it wasn't hard for these women to understand what had happened. I had used them, and they didn't want to admit it. I was their savior not once, but twice, and even if they disliked it, they were in no position to complain.
The sobbing continued for a few more minutes before the girls calmed Spinel down. She quickly ran over and picked up the unbroken potion bottle. Then instead of returning to her blanket, she sat beside me and tried to recover her cool beauty act despite her puffy eyes and red nose.
"I'm sorry, Lord Orion… Everything that happened this week has been bottled up, and when I saw everyone trying to act like nothing happened, I just couldn't take it." She then handed me back the potion I had given her. "Please keep something like this for those who appreci—"
"Hey! Didn't we agree for all of you to call me by name, Spinel?" I frowned.
"Huh? B-but I—"
"Also, what is with regifting? Don't you know that's extremely rude? Here, take this back!" I said, gruffly placing the potion in her hands before laying down in my spot.
"I-I'm… thank you, Orion."
I had closed my eyes, so all I heard was her move away and the rustling of her blanket. Before I knew it, though, she had returned to my side. My eyes remained closed, but my magic perception could clearly see what was going on.
Next to me, Spinel lied down and draped her blanket over the both of us.
"Huh?", "Ara-ara?", "No fair, Spinel!", Emily and the two sisters resounded one after the other witnessing the alchemist's bold moves.
Redhead was the most shocked making her react last, but she quickly nuzzled up to my other side and hugged me. "I was going to do this first!"
In the end, the sisters wound up lying beside Spinel while on the other side, Emily joined Rubellia.
That night was a peaceful one, albeit mildly uncomfortable. In the days to come, I would look back on this night with fond memories…
Author's Thoughts: So, for the last few days, I have been dealing with the conundrum of dealing with polygamy. In tensura, this was explicitly banned except for specific scenarios (a widowed woman could be remarried). The reason I am somewhat concerned with this is that it would be problematic if all the women gathered around people like Orion, Kishin, and Jesus. (Side note: Just imagining actual Jesus with his harem of nuns is hilarious!) For real, though, that would probably produce a lot of discontent among the populace, so I am thinking about it. If you have any suggestions, comment here or in the comments.
On another note, there are several other relationships that I'm considering how to handle, such as Sei x Sato, Benimaru x Momoji x Alvis, and Souei x Souka. I am quite heavily feeling a Non-explicit Benimaru x Souei ship, but that is still just a gag for now.
Next up, I have come to a decision on future protagonists. I will be saving Hajime Nagumo when Orion encounters him as, by that point, I will have introduced the concept of hero eggs and Epics. I won't say much more about that other than the fact that Hajime will lose his protagonist status, and his only waifu will be Kaori. I also have fun plans for Bell Cranel, but unlike Hajime, he will not be sticking around. That is still a long way off, though.