Alexander had been feeling increasingly uneasy as the end of his century-long contract with Bastion drew closer. At first, it was just a passing thought when he realized Bastion still hadn't sired any children, but the feeling only grew stronger as time went on.
Then Bastion surpassed him in Rank, level, and overall strength, and began using him as a sparring partner. That alone would have been acceptable if they were still relatively even. Leveling at their stage was painfully slow, and both of them were only at the early levels of Rank 2. But Bastion was outmaneuvering him far too easily. Fighting him felt like facing someone in the middle stages of Rank 2 rather than someone at the beginning.
It even reached the point where he alone was no longer enough. Bastion began sparring against him and multiple opponents at once and still defeated them. It was humiliating at first, but after he grew used to it, he realized something troubling. Bastion was far more ready to leave the kingdom than he and his own harem party were.
It meant that until the debt was fully paid, he would have to ensure his family's obligations never fell back onto him after he left. To do that, he would have to stay for centuries and start siring children to protect his freedom. He would end up accepting the responsibility of becoming the next duke, even though he had already escaped that fate when their father accepted his decision.
Worst of all, he didn't have a choice in the matter, because Bastion was well within his rights as the contract holder to demand it. Cold sweat ran down his back as he stood atop the wall, staring into the Great Forest beyond the kingdom's border.
He hated this sight, loathed it with every fiber of his being. Over the past century, this position had become a prison. It was just supposed to be a great way to earn money and levels until he was ready to leave, but his ignorance and hubris had turned it into a cage that had lasted for a century.
"He's brooding again," Flora said. "He's probably thinking about how Bastion will screw with him this time."
"Can you blame him?" Fauna asked. "He's less than five years from the end of their contract, and we're about to leave this kingdom now that we're Rank 2. Can you imagine how depressing it'll be if he's suddenly told he has to stay and sire children? I'd be close to considering leaving myself."
"Oh, shut up. Everyone knows you'd be the most eager to have kids, you horny freak."
"I don't want to hear that from you, plant fucker!"
The pair bickered within plain earshot of Alexander, who was starting to get a headache. He had assumed he would grow used to their constant complaints or squabbling over time, but there was something grating about their tones that never failed to wear him down. If only they weren't such amazing lovers, he would have already asked them to leave his side.
Suddenly, a familiar green whispering owl materialized and perched on the battlements in front of him, its claw holding a piece of rolled parchment. He took the parchment from the creature and read its contents. It was a simple summons from Bastion.
"Odd," Flora said. "Bastion stopped summoning him after he started going to the castle for regular sparring sessions. If he had any business, he would have just told him while he was there this morning."
"He probably forgot or something," Fauna said with a shrug. "Or maybe he's just trying to catch him off guard."
Eager for any excuse to get away from the two for a bit of peace and quiet, Alexander rode to Castle Diamondhart, leaving his post to the girls. They handled it most of the time anyway, so it was nothing new.
He arrived at Bastion's office soon enough and found him looking over some paperwork. The prick deliberately took his time while Alexander knelt in front of his desk like a loyal knight.
"I'm sorry to do this to you, Alexander, but I'll be passing the duchy over to you in a week while the girls and I leave the kingdom," Bastion said suddenly, catching Alexander completely off guard.
While Alexander tried to come up with anything to say after hearing the shocking news, Bastion continued, "Everything you need to know about the territory has already been laid out for you, along with a plan that will guarantee the greatest amount of profit per year. As long as you follow it, the debt will be paid off in about 13 centuries, give or take 2. Of course, you're free to leave everything to your children if you wish, but if they follow my plans, you'll eventually be able to live freely as well."
"You can't—" Alexander stammered.
"I can and I will," Bastion interrupted coldly. "We still have a contract in place, and I believe there are still 3 to 4 years left on it, so you will do as I say and become the next duke after we leave."
Alexander shivered with rage at being treated this way, but he could only suppress his anger as best he could. He was still under contract, so there was no point in resisting. The very outcome he had long dreaded had come to pass, a consequence of a bet he had lost nearly a century ago. Now, he was forced to swallow the repercussions of his past.
"I understand this will be a big setback for your plans, so I'll be leaving you with some parting gifts that should more than make up for your suffering. I'll be leaving you with this," Bastion said, waving his hand and producing an autocannon on the desk, the same one he had been using before reaching Rank 2, along with a magic bag.
"This is the weapon I used to massacre an entire stampede on my own. With it, you should be able to gain levels quickly for yourself and your girls. There's enough ammunition in this magic bag to allow you to wipe out an army of Rank 2 creatures. Use your bullets wisely and you might even reach Rank 3."
Alexander's eyes widened in pleasant surprise at the magnanimous gift. It was the very same weapon Bastion had used to overtake him and reach Rank 2 almost 8 decades ago. With it, whatever time was lost producing heirs would be more than made up for.
As for the problem of producing heirs and finding one willing to remain behind and take up the mantle, it likely wouldn't be a problem. As Flora had pointed out, Fauna would be more than eager, given her feral nature.
"I'll also be leaving you with some equipment for you and your girls, all Rank 2 and fully enchanted. I highly doubt you could find anything better on the market without placing a custom order."
"Thank you, my lord," Alexander said with a bow.
He couldn't deny that the Rank 2 equipment he used for sparring was leagues better than his own armor. He also had to admit that he and his girls had long been envious of Bastion and his girls' gear. It was impressive enough as top-of-the-line Rank 2 equipment, and even more so considering they had made it themselves. It was yet another reminder of the massive difference between them.
Bastion then continued to explain the specifics of how he had been running the duchy. Alexander was eager to learn given that he had resigned to his fate. After their discussion, Alexander had to admit there was nothing to it. So long as he followed Bastion's plans he barely even needed to think.
The next day, Bastion and his girls made their way to the capital, and a few days later, they reached Aurenthal. There, they made the rounds, saying their goodbyes to everyone they knew. Lilia's parents were sad to see their daughter go but happy to know she was in good hands. Damian and Cyrus had received a heads-up and came to see them off. And of course, Queen Aurelia and King Tobi finalized the formal request to renounce the title of duke, passing it to Alexander, who, according to the family tree, was next in line as the eldest son of the previous duke.
Once they finished, they returned to Castle Diamondhart and found Alexander and his girls already settling in. Fortunately, even as a duke, Alexander was still under contract and couldn't cause any trouble for Bastion.
They left the duke's official carriage behind and boarded their own Rank 2 carriages. At first glance, they resembled larger medieval carriages, but both were made entirely of Rank 2 blood iron and fully enchanted to the limits of Lilia's skill.
One was for private use, allowing them to sleep during travel, while the other was for public use, storing and transporting goods for sale.
Bastion's Diamond Steed, Steve, was more than powerful enough to pull them, and thanks to his telepathic connection with Bastion, no driver was needed. The only downside was the constant mana drain, which slowed Bastion's regeneration, but it was far preferable to spending resources on regular travel or maintaining a stoneblood horse.
Once Bastion bid his brother farewell, he set course for the Great Forest. They had planned to travel via the public road northeast of the kingdom, but Bastion's instincts flared, signaling danger. It was best to avoid the main road until the threat passed. Instead, they would move through the Great Forest, making their first stop at the Kingdom of Spores, a place said to specialize in cultivating mushrooms, which Seraphina insisted on visiting.
Along the way, Bastion considered visiting Nysera's Hut but remembered she had already left. He had tried visiting years ago, only to find that both she and her hut were gone.
Thus began their Great Journey, a step Seraphina called leaving the starting village and ending the tutorial to finally enter the main game. Ahead lay danger, adventure, fortune, and the promise of discoveries that would change them all, and this was only the beginning.
-----
This officially marks the end of the Duke Arc. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far.
The next arc will follow travel from kingdom to kingdom across the Central Empire, which is known for its farming specialization. You can expect plenty of interesting resources being cultivated by the kingdoms.
As with previous arcs, there will be a new hero to follow, and possibly more than one.
A new harem member might be delayed until the next arc, though. The harem is already quite bloated, so I plan to focus on developing the existing characters rather than adding more. Don't take my word for it, though. I'm a pantser, so even I have no idea how this will turn out.
I'm not yet sure whether to end the next book at Rank 3 or wait until the following arc. In my view, Rank 3 should mark the point when they leave the Central Empire, so depending on pacing, it could fall at the end of Arc 3 or 4. I will aim to keep the progression engaging for readers invested in their status. I understand the frustration of going through hundreds of chapters without a power-up, so I plan to have them grow stronger through other means that I believe will be interesting.
On another note, I tried preparing the first arc as a book but ran into so many issues that I know for sure it needs an editor to review it. Unfortunately, that is beyond my budget, so it will be back-burnered for now. If a book release does happen, I plan to add and remove certain chapters while strengthening each one. By the end, there should be enough change in content to make it worth $3 dollars for those who have read it. At least, that's the hope and the goal.
As always, let me know what you think, leave reviews and ratings, and thank you for reading.
Support me on Patreon
pātreon/babywrath