Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Before...

"Seriously, you have to be more careful, this is the last time I'll ask," Samira said with her arms crossed. "So cute when she's afraid of losing me," Strax said, smiling. He loved provoking this woman more and more; it was great to see her reactions, and he honestly loved it more than anything.

"You'll see cute when I rip off your balls and hang them around your neck," she said, pointing a finger in his face, but he knew she wouldn't do it, even though she seemed very serious.

"I'm with her," Monica said, also staring deeply into Strax's soul, making him retreat slightly. Seeking a solution, he looked at Beatrice, who raised her hands in surrender. "I didn't tell you to take risks; you're the one playing with danger," Beatrice said. With everyone against him, Strax saw only one solution.

"No 'fun' for the three of you, then. Live without it now," he sighed. There were more things he wanted to say and resolve, but at the moment, he cared less. If they were all against him, he would play against them too, taking away what they liked most.

Samira narrowed her eyes at him. "This won't work, Strax. You know very well you can't keep us away forever," Samira said with a mischievous look, challenging her husband to endure and follow his own words, something she was sure he wouldn't be able to do.

"Maybe not forever, but for as long as necessary," he replied, his tone now more serious. "I need you to understand that I'm not risking my life for no reason. I have a plan, and this plan involves more than just our immediate safety," Strax said, being more sincere, as it was the truth.

"And what exactly is your plan, huh?" Monica asked, crossing her arms. "Killing yourself? We've talked about this; we're not starving," Monica said, and Strax just ignored her. "Let's just move forward. I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine."

Samira let out a frustrated sigh but relaxed her shoulders a bit. "Okay, I understand. Just... be more careful, please."

"I promise I'll try," Strax said, offering a reconciliatory smile.

Carlos, who had observed the interaction, approached. "Shall we join them until this mysterious woman wakes up?"

"Yes, let's go ahead," Strax replied. "I said we'd join them; I don't think anyone will attack us, at least I hope not." "Understood," Carlos responded, taking the reins of the horses as the others prepared to leave.

The carriage calmly began to move toward the convoy where Lyana was. It was a very short and calm path, considering all that huge problem.

"How is the state of the carriage?" Strax asked Carlos, who was at the front with the reins of the horses. Carlos, still a bit shaken by the revelation about Strax's true nature, wasn't very connected to the world at the moment. He tried to stay focused, but well... it was complicated to think about his situation now.

"Carlos?" Strax called, and he returned to himself. "Yes?" "How is the state of the carriage?" he repeated to the man who seemed to be returning to reality.

"The carriage is in good condition. Just some superficial damage, but nothing we can't fix later. The horses are fine too, though they're a bit agitated," Carlos responded hastily and quickly, trying to avoid talking much with Strax. He didn't want much contact with... well... dragons.

"Great. We need to be ready for anything that might come up," Strax said, adjusting his pace on Apocalypse. He turned to his wives, who were gathered around him, watching with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"So, about this deal... Do you really think this woman, Lyana, will be of any help to us?" Beatrice asked, her voice laden with skepticism.

"It's a risk, but one worth taking," Strax replied. "She has information and possibly resources that could be useful for our future. Besides, if she's after some legendary remedy or something like that, it could be an opportunity for us to expand our contacts and increase our influence."

Samira frowned. "But what if she doesn't wake up? What if the situation gets worse? We can't take too many risks."

"I understand your concern, but I already feel her waking up. I've taken precautions and I'm prepared to deal with any unforeseen events," Strax assured. "Besides, we can't just wait and do nothing. If we do, we risk missing important opportunities."

Monica, always the voice of reason, sighed. "Still, it's important to have a contingency plan. What will we do if things don't go as expected?"

"We're doing the best we can. If the situation changes, we'll adapt our approach as necessary, even if it involves killing everyone. With Ouroboros and Tiamat. Except for Lyana, dealing with the others will be easy," Strax responded. "But for now, let's focus on what we can control. Don't overthink it."

They walked a few meters and reached Lyana's convoy. The first to see Strax was the gray-haired man he had helped earlier.

"Damn... what a mess," Beatrice murmured, seeing several dead bodies, not just the bandits, but the knights as well. "You get used to it, deaths are commonplace in this world... Especially with these bandit guilds everywhere," Samira said. As the most experienced, she was well-informed about how the world worked, unlike Beatrice and Monica.

"Hey, boy! I'll let them know you're here!" The old man said to Strax, who nodded with a smile. "Don't exert yourself too much. Tell Lyana I'll wait here until her mistress wakes up," he said, and the old man nodded, heading towards the door.

Calmly, he walked over and knocked twice on the door.

"That boy is joining us. Seems like he wants to talk to you," the knight said, stepping away from the door.

Strax heard but didn't give it much thought; he still didn't know that Lyana's mistress had awakened. "They seem... tired," Monica said, and Strax nodded softly as he sat on a broken tree trunk. "I hope this is really worth it..." he murmured as he looked around.

"So... how much did you steal from those guys?" Beatrice murmured very softly, as if she didn't want anyone to hear. She was genuinely curious... well, maybe more than just curious.

"Oh, I thought I was the irresponsible one... taking risks here, worrying there..." he said, smiling. "Well, I want to know what we have here... can't I?" she asked, smiling as if she understood what he felt.

"Tsk, that's why she wasn't too concerned and used calm words. She's as greedy as he is," Samira said, clicking her tongue, watching how they were acting. "Everyone plays their own game... and it seems my daughter wants to play dirty... maybe I should pull her ear..." Monica said with a mischievous smile.

While they murmured among themselves, Strax had taken a look at his inventory.

"Well, let's just say I got a lot of things that can be sold..." he said, summoning a staff with a stone. "I stole this from a lunatic who was lurking around," he said. Beatrice looked curious; the stone had a purple hue. "Could it be a magic amethyst? That would be worth some money..." she said.

"I doubt it, I also got this," he said, making the staff disappear and summoning a platinum sword, completely chromed, as if it had just been forged and polished.

"That's... Platinum Steel," Samira said, looking at the sword. "Were these guys carrying equipment like this?" she said incredulously. "Yes? I mean, I got about five swords like this, what's the problem?" Strax questioned, he really didn't understand the surprise. Well, it was simple; Strax didn't really know the value of things; he had always been "rich."

"It's expensive equipment. Platinum Steel is sold by dwarves... Well, it might not be, it's just a layman's look. We'd have to take it to a decent blacksmith to verify, but it would be great if it really is this material; we'd earn a lot..." Samira murmured again. "Ah~ You are ridiculous, criticizing him two minutes ago, and now you're here, talking about how much you can earn.

Aren't you ashamed?" Monica said, interrupting the conversation, and the two women shrugged without responding. "Good to know, I'll go to a blacksmith in Eldoria just to have it checked. We can sell it," Strax said, completely ignoring Monica.

"Strax." Carlos called him, Strax looked at him, and he turned his gaze to the side, and Strax followed it. There he saw Lyana's carriage, but that wasn't what he wanted to show; it was Lyana stepping out of the carriage and helping a woman out... that same woman who wore a veil on her face, but now the veil was black, preventing him from seeing any trace of expression.

As she walked, the woman seemed truly debilitated, as Lyana had said... A profound illness... Strax hadn't noticed because of the lighting, but now... it was clear... This woman was at her end.

"I see you've managed to wake up. Is your health alright?" Strax asked when Lyana and the strange woman appeared in front of him. "I am surviving," she said calmly. "I am Strax, Strax Antares." Strax introduced himself first, bowing slightly out of courtesy.

"I apologize for not offering a worthy courtesy, Mr. Strax," she said, lowering her head slightly.

"My name is Evelyn."