The early morning light slightly illuminated the bedroom when I woke up with my lips sucking Irisa’s nipple. Sekh was in a deep slumber, her chest pressing firmly against my back and hands gently holding on to my penis, which brushed Irisa’s toned stomach. It was like we were a pack of sardines, but I didn’t not like the feeling.   

It appeared I had another wet dream last night, the evidence quickly wafting to my nose. It was nothing a bit of slime couldn’t handle, so after cleaning up, I slipped out from their loving embraces after getting dressed in the black outfit. I gently kissed my lovers on the cheek after wrapping the waist cloth as a skirt. Turning around, I saw Primrose and Niva had fallen asleep towards each other while holding hands. That spirit could look peaceful when she wasn’t trying to bust my balls. I smiled and went to the kitchen, shutting the door slowly so I wouldn’t wake them up.   

“You’re up early, sweetie,” said Ichiha—mom.    

She’s my mom now, not Ichiha... You gotta remember that, Mila. 

She was sitting on the couch next to Erin, using one hand to lightly pat her head while the other held a steaming cup of coffee. Her light green robe was tied loosely, showing tasteful cleavage. From her beauty to her kindness, Irisa was her mother’s daughter. “Good morning...mom.”   

“Good morning to you, too. Here, let’s go to the table, and I’ll make you a cup.” I nodded and followed her, and it was to engage in some idle conversation with just the two of us. Her black hair was folded at the side, giving her a youthful vide, especially for someone over 160.   

“Hey, can I talk to you about something?”   

“Anything, sweetie. What’s on your mind?” she asked, sitting down and passing me the cup. The dark, black liquid seemed imposing, but we didn’t have cream or sugar to add to it. We only had some fish chilling in my storage and a handful of coffee beans I snagged from Karen’s shop.

I told mom I wanted to get Sekh and Irisa a present for our date, but I wasn’t sure what to get. Well, for Sekh? I did, but I didn’t know if it was a good idea.  

I pulled out the collar I made back when I forged her mace and shield. It was bent, uneven, and wasn’t even a perfect circle. I hadn't even shown her. “A collar?” mom asked.   

I nodded, explaining that I knew it didn’t make sense. “Even if it’s a symbol of oppression, Sekh only wears it because she knows she can take it off at any time. She has that freedom... But there’s a second reason, I think... It’s kinda embarrassing. She’s awfully submissive. She likes to be held, coddled, and embraced, and she loves to cuddle. And she always blushes when I call her a good girl when I’m petting her head when she lays in my lap.”   

“Hmm...” Mom took a sip of coffee. “I don’t see a problem with it. Especially since it’s a gift from you." She put a hand to her blushing face and smiled. “Between us, there isn’t anything with her being submissive... Take it from personal experience.” She closed her eyes, probably thinking about something lewd between her and dad. 

I heard moaning last night. I didn't spy, but they were probably having sex. 

“Oh, I forgot I had some mythril. I’ll use that to make the gifts. Hey, AI?”   

“Yes, my lord?” said a robotic voice from a wiggling stone of rainbow. I asked it about Enap, and it replied that it always had a map window in satellite mode on him. I couldn’t see it because it was tinier than a pixel and out of the way, but it replied, in great confidence, that it was about 30% of his skill level.   

“Shall the plans be drawn up with mythril as the material?” I nodded, and it almost seemed like the little hologram bowed before vanishing in rainbow dust. We talked about Irisa’s gift, but the best thing we came up with was a new forging hammer. But I did have that helmet with that ruby in it. I showed it to mom, and she thought it was pretty. Then she offered a mythril necklace with that ruby on it. Maybe I could cut it down a bit? Then place it in a locket? That would be a pretty gift.   

The ideas were there. I just had to decide on something.   

“So, what about last night? Irisa wasn’t sleeping out here, so she must’ve shared your bed.” She playfully glanced at me. Then she giggled. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Or sorry about, if I know how you think.” 

Ah! 

“Yeah... We... We did it. Then we took a bath and fell asleep. The three of us. You aren’t mad?”   

“Perish the thought. You love Irisa, she loves you, and that’s all I have to say about it. It would be one thing if there was no connection, but it’s easy to see the tenderness you two share. But with two women? You’re a stud, aren’t you? Haha! You’re so cute when your cheeks blush like that.” Mom teased me a little, but I didn’t mind it. “Ah, if she’s anything like her mother, the tips of her horns are something you want to focus on... Here’s a little secret, sweetie. When an oni’s horns flash crimson, you’re doing something right.”   

“Then what does it mean when they’re constantly glowing?”   

“Eh?!” Mom almost seemed surprised. “You’ve...done that? Last night?”   

“I did. Is that bad?”   

“No, sweetie, it isn’t. That means you’re doing something very, very, very good. Keep at it!”   

“I’m glad,” I confessed. “I’m...so glad. Umm...?”   

“Yes?”   

“I don’t know how to ask this, so I’ll just ask it. Do...I have a grandmother? Or...any other relatives?”   

“You want to learn about our family history?” I nodded, timidly reacting since I didn’t know how best to approach this situation. Mom said her mother and father were alive. They had evolved into ashura—the last line of the Ogre Evolutionary Path—after their children were born. This came with extended lifespans, and it was from them Ichiha learned how to become a merchant. She had siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.   

A big family.   

But once Kokan’s accusation reached them, they cut mom off from familial support because she wouldn’t leave her husband. They lived in the Heptarchy of Parthina, a country to the south, but mom had no intention of reuniting until they apologized for their harsh insults towards her husband.    

As for dad, he was an only child. His childhood was rough, having lived in a small settlement where he was forced to work in a mine. He abandoned that for greener pastures, met mom while studying under a scholar, and the rest was history. He eventually got a job with the guild, mom became a successful merchant, and Irisa was born with blessings and love from all. Mom’s parents cared for Kokan, but their support vanished almost overnight after the incident.   

Irisa hadn’t spoken of any other relatives. I never questioned it, but I understood why her lips were shut.  

But Erin was here. She could refute their claims and confess her mother was behind it.  

However, would they recognize that?  

Or would they regard me as family? Or would I remain a stranger—a stray with nowhere else to go? 

---

We talked until the AI told me the plans were finished. I hugged my mother and headed to Smithy’s Corner. It was like I was walking through a ghost town.    

After reaching Irisa’s forge and realizing I was alone, I got to work. Like always, the AI’s plans were spot on in the written instructions and augmented reality to show me exactly what to do.    

But I started second-guessing the collar for Sekh. Instead, I decided to make her a necklace. The ruby would fit perfectly with it. And for Irisa? A nice locket. I could pay an artist to draw the three of us, and she could keep it inside it. Then once I had the materials to bless the gifts, I could enchant them. After the AI revised the plans, it was time to get started.   

I spent about three hours following the guide in front of me. The reason I couldn’t continue? The tools Irisa had in her shed weren’t exactly meant for jewelry, even though I did my best. I managed to take a small chunk of mythril and forge it into the locket shape, but I couldn’t cut the ruby into the precise size, nor could I make the actual necklace links for both.    

At least, not how the AI told me to. Even if you had the best plans and instructions, you needed the proper instruments. After a few minutes of talking and searching, the AI had marked a jeweler’s shop. I didn’t want to steal the gifts—I wanted to make them, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t steal the tools required.   

So, off we went. It was a little past 10AM, the streets marginally fuller of fishermen taking their daily trip to the dock to catch food for the day. Even my clones were having difficulty because there just weren’t that many left. It wasn’t rare for brawls to break out at the harbor. You had to keep a watchful eye on your fish bucket to prevent anyone from stealing it.    

My lord, the clone has completed its task. A fragment of the chimera’s shell has been stored.  

That was great news! It took two days, but Clone!Rat succeeded. I felt it return to me, but it was time to get this show on the road. With the physical attributes and Status Menu copied from a Bellerophon soldier in Aetos Village named Myrica, I stealthily created a clone of her after ensuring the coast was clear. The AI’s visual download came in handy when recreating her emblem and armor, which I took from the soldiers hanging around Ria. The eggshell, white-colored fragment from the chimera’s protective hibernation appeared in my clone’s hand after a spear appeared on its back.    

Hopefully, I can end this today. I don’t really like my chances of fighting against Bellerophon and the chimera at the same time. Especially not when I can’t rely on my Divine Skill.   

She was off to go towards the structure Bellerophon was using as a base. The two guards standing in front of the large house blocked her way. Clone!Bell revealed her name, rank, and ID, which I found by searching that woman’s titles with [Analysis], and explained her ‘discovery' after the guards used a Scan Stone to verify the clone's identity. 

“I know where the foul monster has been hiding over the past few days. Please, I desire to speak with Sir Flaf and inform him,” said my clone in a voice that wasn’t my own before creating an excuse for why she wasn’t in Aetos Village.   

It didn’t matter that the excuse was flimsy because it was more vital for Clone!Bell to know where the enemy was.   

The guards shared a look and opened the door, personally escorting her through a large living room filled with bedrolls. Heading up the stairs, they came to a set of double doors leading to a meeting room. Sir Flaf, the aged wizard with a demon core to summon a hellhound, looked up from her weathered journal.   

Clone!Bell expertly repeated what she told the two guards and displayed proof of the chimera’s shell fragment. Immediately, he sprang into action with haste adverting his supposed age. And really, my enemies all moved like a well-oiled machine. Everyone had their jobs and tasks to do before departing, and I fit in the best I could by getting out of their way.   

I rushed outside and waited. In a handful of minutes, other soldiers lined up beside me. They all had mysterious masks hanging from their belt, and the man next to me handed me one of his extras and said I needed to always keep it on me. There were about ninety of us standing in front of the building. Flaf, dressed in enchanted robes, instructed me to lead the group.   

I did, and as we walked, the group became smaller and smaller until it was just me, Flaf, and seven others. When we were thirty seconds from turning the final corner, I noticed the marked target was moving. It hatched from its shell with a fully restored HP bar. The chimera waddled out from its hiding hole, took the shape of a dwarf with a bald head, and walked our way.   

When I saw him, I shouted and pointed him out. A breath later, someone else confirmed a positive response from [Detect Chimerism].  

And the fight was on, but this battle quickly morphed into an escape attempt. 

At first, the chimera transformed into that gross form I saw at the dock. It ran like mad throughout the city square, eventually cutting down a street and around corners, but each place he ran was blocked by the Bellerophon soldiers that broke off from the primary formation. Next, it grew wings and took flight, keeping low to the ground and cutting in and around frightened citizens to use a shield. That worked for a while, but then someone used a wind spell to create a localized burst of air under the speeding chimera. It threw him into the air, where numerous arrows and piercing magic pelted and destroyed his wings. The group I was with was running like hell to keep up with him, and I didn’t want to be the odd one out and not attack. I joined the barrage with numerous casts of [Fireball] to help bring the chimera down. It was a stroke of luck that there was so much chanting and shouting that I didn’t have to worry about casting using my thoughts.   

The flying enemy took lightning spears and icy blades to the throat and back, carving his body into thick pieces. A purple-colored mist surrounded his wings and exploded. Unable to regenerate them, the chimera smashed through a pair of buildings, eventually skidding to a stop in front of a High Elf in a black and gold outfit.   

“Shit, that’s me!” I exclaimed, my consciousness back in my own body.