Winter arrived back at his own chambers. Although his room was larger than an entire flat, it was not as expansive as the Queen's quarters, which was hardly surprising. Even within the royal family, status held weight, and he was merely the Crown Prince, next in line to the throne. Truthfully, however, he cared little for such distinctions.
His sole desire was to continue hunting milfs across different worlds, and judging by the welcome message the system had bestowed upon him, it appeared that he could indeed travel between worlds to pursue milfs of varying races and status.
Even so, a question weighed heavily upon his mind.
Could he ever return to his original world at will?
Logically, there was no reason to speculate when he could simply inquire of the system itself, especially since it had granted him a question reward.
Winter frowned as he seated himself upon his enormous bed, large enough to accommodate ten people with ease.
"Hey, talking computer, where precisely is my former body?" he demanded.
[You have used a question.]
[Answer: The user's original body has been disintegrated into residual matter and repurposed to fertilise the soil of another world. Consequently, the user has been entirely eradicated from their original world. The Land of Peace is now designated as your primary home base, from which you may freely traverse other worlds to complete quests, expand your harem, and return thereafter. Incidentally, your remains proved infertile when applied to the soil of the other world.]
His eyes twitched in horror, and for a brief moment, Winter felt on the verge of losing his composure. Firstly, he had now confirmed that there was no possibility of returning to his original world. He had been erased entirely, and the Land of Peace was now his permanent home base.
However, the part that stung the most was the revelation that his bodily remains had been used as fertiliser for another world's soil, only to prove infertile in the end, incapable of making anything grow. That was a profound violation, and though he wished it would not trouble him so deeply, it did.
How could his precious, meticulously maintained body prove infertile to soil?
'Ah, damn it. What nonsense am I even thinking?'
Well, since this was now his new home base, there was little cause for concern. At the very least, he had not been reborn as a commoner, but as a Crown Prince.
Naturally, that afforded him a considerable advantage from the outset, and with a system at his side, constructing a harem of milfs drawn from countless worlds would hardly prove difficult.
He exhaled softly.
Some time later, Winter realised that he had not yet examined his Main Status. The mere mention of the word Status within his thoughts caused it to manifest instantly before him.
A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes, presenting an array of information.
Name: [Winter Miguel]
Title: [Crown Prince]
Rank: [Grade F (Level 1)]
Job: [Milf Hunting]
Skills: [ — ]
Memory Items: [ — ]
Milf Harem Count: [1]
[Description: The more women you collect, the stronger you grow.]
Quest: [1 (Active)]
In this world, ranks were assigned to every Awakened who had succeeded in harnessing magical energy. They were graded from F to S, the latter being the pinnacle one could attain. Naturally, among the warriors blessed with special abilities, even the twenty most exceptional, none had achieved Grade A; the highest observed was Grade B, which was still formidable. As Winter bore the rank of Grade F, it signified that he commenced from the very bottom, as was customary.
Furthermore, one's job dictated the type of warrior they would become. For instance, a warrior with the Fire Mage vocation would acquire skills pertinent solely to fire. Since Winter's designation was Milf Hunter, he remained uncertain as to the nature of the skills he might obtain…
Cock Breathing First Technique, Supreme Thrust?
Or perhaps Rapid Cock Stamping?
No matter.
He would simply have to await the revelation to discern their true form.
Winter was not particularly impressed by the details hovering before him. Still, the notion that conquering more women would allow him to grow stronger enticed him more than anything else. Come to think of it, the system had stated that the time limit for his current quest would become available once he returned to the palace. Since he was already here, it ought to be visible now.
He opened the Quest tab.
Quest: [Active!]
[Description: Restore the Land of Peace to its former grace, claim dominion over its subjects, and conquer the Royal Queen, who is also your stepmother and the secret last daughter of Poseidon.]
[Reward: New skill, Memory item, (Hidden)]
[Failure penalty: Death]
[Time limit: 1 Year]
The moment his eyes settled upon the time limit, a surge of relief and satisfaction washed over him. He possessed more than sufficient time to restore the Kingdom to its former splendour and even elevate it beyond its past heights.
Moreover, he had already conquered the Queen, yet he had not received any of the listed rewards. This was likely because the quest had not been fully completed, though he found himself wondering what the Hidden reward might be.
'Could it be the "Ask a Question" reward that was granted to me? If so, that is an outrageous deception,' Winter cursed inwardly, his expression darkening.
He was not entirely certain that the Hidden reward was truly that, yet the mere possibility stirred such irritation within him that he felt tempted to stride to the window and shout his frustrations aloud at the very top of his voice.
Upon further reflection, he realised that the true reward lay not in any of those things, but in the pleasure he derived from bedding milfs and subjugating them. If he were to compare, Charlotte's intimacy surpassed anything he had ever experienced. There was something almost magical about it, a sensation far more intense than any pleasure he had known before. To continue indulging in such encounters was, to him, the greatest reward imaginable.
Thus, it was not so terrible here after all. His agitation subsided, and he managed to summon a faint smile as he reclined upon the bed, gazing blankly at the ceiling while recalling the encounter he had shared only moments earlier with the Queen, a demi god.
It still baffled him why she would choose to conceal such a truth. Frankly, if she possessed power of such magnitude, she could have joined the battlefield against the demonic race and aided in their eradication. Her reasons for maintaining secrecy were unknown to him, and it was not as though magic was forbidden within this world. It simply did not add up in his mind.
Nonetheless, that secrecy now served as his advantage over her, and he found that he cared little beyond that.
Winter suddenly jolted upright upon the bed as a singular thought struck him.
'If the Queen is a demi god, then is it possible that Rose, her biological child, also carries traces of that bloodline? Does she know of her mother's secret as well? That is highly plausible.'
It was, in truth, a thought of considerable importance. If the Queen was indeed the daughter of a god, then there existed a very real possibility that Rose might share that divine lineage, however faint, bearing traces of the same bloodline.
***
The following morning, Winter began discreetly observing both Rose and Charlotte. Throughout the day, the Queen betrayed neither her usual expression nor her demeanour, nor did she avoid him. If anything, she did not so much as cast him a glance that suggested reproach for what had transpired between them the previous night. He found this pleasing, for he fully intended to share further moments with her, and it would have been tiresome had she begun to behave coldly or kept her distance.
Rose, on the other hand, remained the unrivalled beauty of the palace and beyond. She was presently by the fish pond, scattering feed for the fish, while Winter watched her from afar, concealed behind a wall. She was entirely alone, and though he felt a faint temptation to approach her, he could not quite determine why. In truth, he was not foolish enough to walk up to her and inquire outright whether she was a demi god.
'Ugh. Foolish thoughts truly do plague the mind in the morning.'
After a brief period of observation, he turned away and left the area, with her still lingering by the water. She appeared to possess a natural affinity for aquatic creatures and bodies of water, for from all he could observe and recall, this place served as her preferred refuge. That, at least, was unsurprising.
Viewed through a more fanciful lens, one might attribute it to her bloodline.
Honestly, it very well might have been.
He did not particularly care.
Hunting down the beautiful princess might indeed prove entertaining if he so desired, but she was not a Milf, and curiously for that very reason, he felt no stir of carnal inclination towards her.
On his way back, Winter encountered some of the nobles hastening towards the Presence Chamber, the same direction he himself was bound. They rendered him due respect as they hurried past, and he followed them from behind with composed grace, intrigued by the purpose of so urgent a convocation with the King.
Presently, he observed William approaching, raising a gentle hand in acknowledgment, though without the slightest trace of a smile.
"Good morning, brother. What occasion brings you hither?" William inquired with curiosity.
"Good morning to you likewise. I was merely on my way to pay my respects to Father, though it appears he is presently engaged with the noble officials," Winter replied.
He then held his hand courtly behind his back as he prepared to turn aside.
William smiled.
"A little bird hath apprised me that their assembly pertains to that which we deliberated upon yesterday. Father is eager to execute it, yet harbours apprehension for our safety should he dispatch us to the field of battle. Nonetheless, the noble officials appear to take no exception, and a resolution shall be reached this day, at the latest."
Winter cast him a casual glance.
"Oh, is that so?"
"Indeed. We should accompany them, brother, do you not concur?"
"Very well."
Together, they proceeded to the Presence Chamber and entered.