Part 3: The Saint's Struggles

Aria squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, her heart thumping like a drumbeat at a lively party.

Just the single act of showing her cleavage at the King’s wedding had felt like crossing a line for her back then.

Now she was even showing him her sacred collarbones, something that should be reserved exclusively for their God.

“You see…” 

Taking a deep breath, she began, her voice unwavering despite her inner turmoil while her beautiful long legs swung.

A sense of pride filled her chest as the most influential man in the world followed them without blinking.

“After the war against the Gemcrabs started, our God delivered a divine decree, commanding us to refrain from intervening and ordered us to remain secluded.”

Hearing her words, Alex couldn't help but chew on the inside of his cheek, trying to regain focus on the conversation.

Leaning a bit forward, he interjected. “I’ve heard the tale from my people. This decree created friction among the Elysians.”

Aria's eyes glistened with a hint of nostalgia, her voice adopting a soft, gentle tone as she shared her memories. 

“I was just a child back then.” She confessed, her gaze drifting to a distant point in the ornate church. “But I remember many of our loyal supporters pulling back their financial aid for our daily needs.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, looking at the many gaudy and expensive things in the place.

It was abundantly clear that material wealth wasn't lacking here. 

Seeing his questioning eyes, Aria had no other option than to explain to him their plight. 

“You see, all the items you see within this church once belonged to the saints of past generations. After their passing, these items became possessions of our God. No sane person would dare buy them, fearing divine retribution.”

Aria’s pitiful expression, adding to her charms made Alex more receptive to her charms.

Sure, he could see beneath her facade.

It was obvious she was trying to earn his aid in these hard times for her religion.

Fortunately for Aria, his pent up lust favored her.

“Saint Aria. I’m sure you must know that our aid will require certain conditions.” Alex explained, his last words pronounced clumsily.

Aria leaned back, emphasizing her large breasts. Something that drew Alex’s attention.

“We are aware of that.” She replied with grace, her voice maintaining its gentle tone. “But I am willing to sacrifice myself for my people's happiness.”

And it was true, she was willing to sacrifice everything for the future of her people.

Just seeing the pitiful expressions of the devout women that couldn’t repair their musical instruments to play songs for their God; Or the pitiful faces of their children as they had to eat bitter berries repeatedly in a week, weighed heavily on her heart. 

She felt like she was failing her people.

That’s why she strengthened her resolve.

And so, she stood hastily from her couch and made her way before Alex with fast, resolute steps.

Her gentle eyes shook as her gaze met Alex’s.

“What are you…” Alex's words stopped midway, understanding what was happening.

“Please, save our children.” Aria pleaded.

Her knees met the floor, her beautiful back arched as her forehead hit the cold red carpet under them.

“Please." She continued, her voice laced with sincerity. “I am more than willing to become your most devout and loyal follower.”

“This.” Alex scratched his hair, not knowing how to respond.

He could understand how important loyalty was for the Elysians, even if they were nutjobs about a flame God.

However, he never expected the leader of such a religion to lower herself to such an extent.

Something was not adding itself up.

“Is your situation really that bad?” Alex asked, his gaze soft as he focused on the back of Aria's resplendent golden and purple hair.

Tears dampened the red carpet as Aria cried out of impotence.

“Yes, it truly is. Our healers are the best in the realm, and still, our children are falling ill due to malnutrition. They will perish if we continue down this path!”

She spoke with a mixture of frustration and desperation, tugging at Alex's heartstrings. 

Until now, he had held her in high regard, almost as highly as the nobles he had had dealt with.

But that was wrong, she was just another young woman trying to survive the horrible situation created by the Gemcrabs.

With this revelation, a wave of empathy washed over Alex. 

He couldn’t help himself as he lowered to her level, despite the protests from his old injuries that resurfaced as he knelt before her. 

As gentle as he could, he embraced her into his arms, his touch light as his hand touched her back.

“Silly!” He berated her. “You didn’t have to create such a scenario to declare your loyalty to me.”

Alex’s voice was gentle, entering her ears softly and making Aria’s heart beat with each syllable.

“A simple report would have been enough for one of the Astraliths to mobilize an entire army for humanitarian help.”

“I…”

Aria, at a loss for words, broke into a fit of tears. She buried her face deep into the crook of Alex's neck, dampening it as Alex gently caressed her back.

“It's okay!” He murmured soothingly

Under Alex's support, Aria managed to regain her composure.

“Sorry!”

Aria, with a deep red face, apologized for her behavior.

Her hands lightly pushed Alex backward as she tried to stand up.

However, that was a bad idea as Alex with his clumsy and weary legs fell backward onto the cold carpet.

“Ah!”

Alex let out a sharp cry as he used his hands to cover his head.

“I’m so sorry.” Aria apologized, bowing her head as much as possible. “To do such a thing right after swearing my loyalty to you.”

“Ouch!” 

Alex winced, gripping his hair as he tried to lift his head. His eyes closed and frowning as he attempted to raise.

In that awkward moment, Aria happened to notice something abnormally big about her King. Something she was not supposed to see.

Her eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply as she saw a tent in the middle of his pants.

Her blush returned more furious than before.

Hastily, she spun around, using both hands to cover her crimson cheeks.

Her words stumbled out in a flustered manner. “Th-that... That's...!”

She stopped midway, gathering her wits. “You’re in heat!”

Her shout made Alex’s ears sting as he rose to his feet.

This made it impossible for him to hide his boner as he protected his poor ears with his hands.

“Please, calm down, Miss Aria.” Alex stumbled over his words, trying to ease the situation. “It's, um, a human thing, you know? We're always like this...” 

He paused, trying to find the right words. “How to say this… We are always ready to impregnate the girl we like.”

Aria continued holding her cheeks between her hands, but she sneaked peaks at Alex’s pants from time to time.

“That’s… I already decided to dedicate my loyalty to you…” She stammered, her voice quivering with sincerity. “But I'm still not ready for this… My heart isn't ready.”

Alex blushed a bit, feeling like a teenager caught by the teacher while he masturbated inside the restroom.

“Don’t worry.” He raised his hands in an appeasing way. “You don’t have to do anything, we have ways to deal with these matters.”

Finally, Alex sat down on the uncomfortable chair once again.

This seemed to calm Aria down, who regained her gentle smile, although a faint blush still lingered in her ears.

“So, it's true that you're not an Elysian?” Aria inquired, her eyebrows raised in wonder. “I always thought you had your ears rounded in a horrible accident.”

Alex waved his hands dismissively..

“No, no, it was not an accident. We, humans, are naturally like this! I’m just part of a different species!”

“I see.” Aria nodded, seemingly pleased by the revelation.

“I'll have to reprimand the maiden who keeps telling the priests that you're a heathen by our God for sleeping with blue skinned women.”

That rumor was irksome to Alex, to the point where he started to rub his forehead in frustration.

“Damn, I hate that rumor.”

Alex sighed, his shoulders slumped as he remembered the lively bunch who had changed his boring life.

“See, the thing is.” Alex hesitated, trying to clear things up, "the Astraliths... they sort of, well, forcibly adopted me.”

Aria blinked, her mind coming to a screeching halt. “What? But from what I've observed, they act like your wives, always handling your affairs.”

Her surprise was so great that she jumped, falling back into her couch.

“I can’t believe it!”

Alex continued to rub his forehead, trying to explain further.  “No, they are quite ancient, and they are always nagging me to work or have children for them to play with.”

He paused for a second, remembering the oldest of the Astraliths. “Well, except for Pyra. She wants to tie my babies to jetpacks…”

“What? No way!”

And so, on that day, the most unlikely relationship formed, amidst casual conversation and laughter.

Part 4: The MC's Unusual Idea

A few hours later, the sound of robust transport ships reverberated through the courtyard of the Church of the Keepers of the Flame.

The anticipation grew as the massive cargo doors slowly creaked open, revealing metallic barrels brimming with an array of fruits, all replicated from Alex's homeworld.

Slowly, they were pushed by the telekinetic powers of a group of Boys until they arrived in front of a crowd of Big eyed, thin children and their haggard mothers. 

“Mom, look! It's food!” One child exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with delight.

“Wow, so many shiny things.” Another marveled, reaching out as if he could already touch the fruits.

“Thanks, ugly metal boy!” A third child shouted at a Boy with an infectious giggle.

A joyful and chaotic atmosphere filled the place as the children eagerly pushed their mothers closer to the barrels.

“Children!” Alex demanded their attention. “Don't rush. This is just the first of many meals we have for you.”

The children had their eyes shine with awe as they gazed at the shining figure of Alex in his sleek armor. 

Of course, there were some mutterings about the “round-eared King”, understanding that they were simply children.

Meanwhile, Aria, with her innate aura of authority, organized them.

“Mothers! Please form a line with your children!” Aria, radiating a holy authority, commanded them. “One line for each ship, totaling twenty-five!”

“Hai!” A chorus of obedient responses filled the courtyard.

Under synchronized steps, the families organized themselves into orderly lines, resembling a disciplined military formation.

Their gazes, from the youngest to the oldest, were serious, almost eerily. 

“Wow, that’s a great formation, not as good as my Boys’, but it is something else!”

Alex smiled at the scene, but deep down he felt weirded out by the display.

It was not normal to witness a group of children be so obedient, especially when they were so young.

“I know what you mean!” Aria chimed in with a pleasant tone, her eyes forming gentle half-arcs. “Our children are taught the Godly discipline from the moment they take their first steps. I remember mine quite fondly… those times spent under the warm sun with my dear friends…”

She sighed weirdly, remembering what must have been a traumatizing memory as something else, something distorted.

Still, Alex decided to not pay it any mind.

He had had a few run-ins with religious nutjobs in the past and he was not that fond of the idea of offending the beautiful girl standing before him.

Instead, he turned his attention to organizing his own group.

“Good, boys.” He placed his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. “You can begin the food distribution!”

“Right!” A synchronized, electronic sound echoed from the metallic floating fishes who were overlooking the barrels.

Their big eyes and the contents inside the barrels started to shine.

“Whoah!”

Under the awestruck eyes of the children, all kinds of fruits like bananas, apples and pears floated into their eager hands. Simultaneously, mothers received things like tomatoes, potatoes, and various other ingredients.

“The children can eat their fruits right away.” A cold, artificial voice announced from a ship's speaker. “Mothers, feel free to approach the Boys to learn how to cook the ingredients we provided.”

Seeing the happy smiles of the children, a radiant, pure smile blossomed into Aria’s face.

It was such a captivating smile that Alex became dumbstruck, his eyes reflecting only Aria’s image.

“I don’t know how to repay you for this.” Aria interrupted Alex’s momentary trance. “This moment couldn’t be more perfect.”

Alex grasped his chin, a foolish grin forming on his face.

“Well, there's always room for improvement. We could introduce superheroes, fighting for justice!”

Aria’s eyes widened in wonder, along with that of her subordinates who broke their self-imposed training out of surprise.

“Super what…?”

Aria tried to speak, but the highly fired up King before her cut her off. 

“We can have the priests wield flame whips to punish the evil of this world.”

Alex waved his hands, mimicking a cowboy wielding his whip.

“Punishing evil?” Aria’s bewilderment grew, her face filled with confusion as she tried to make sense of what he was saying.

“But, King Alexander, how would that even work? And what do you mean by 'flame whips'?"

Alex, undeterred by her questions, continued his spirited pitch. “Picture it! Priests in dazzling flame robes, their whips igniting with righteous fury, meting out justice in the name of your religion!”

Aria exchanged bewildered glances with her subordinates as they attempted to process this unusual proposal. “It would certainly be... unique.”

“Unique and thrilling!” Alex beamed. "Imagine the headlines: 'Priests of the Flame: Guardians of Justice!'"

He waved his hands, making a fake show of a news headline.

“It would be a hit with the public, and you seriously would earn points with the population!”

Alex finally stopped his tirade, glancing at the confused Aria and the deadpan religious people behind her.

“Cough!”

Even the boisterous children remained silent.

Alex felt his cheek twitch with embarrassment, but he refused to let it show, maintaining a strong front.

Fortunately for Alex, Aria broke the somber atmosphere by waving her hands awkwardly.

“Forgive us, King Alex.” 

She apologized on behalf of her people's dark expression, particularly the stern-looking men who continued to cast disapproving glances his way.

“You see, according to our doctrine, we are forbidden from intervening with non-believers unless our God, Ignitus, permits it.” 

She paused, her gaze shifting slightly to the left.  “And, well, he hadn't granted permission.”

Alex ran his fingers through his hair out of frustration, while keeping a stern face.

It was truly exasperating how these believers would follow their God’s mandates to their graves. 

The only reason they hadn't met their doom already was because they had someone capable like Aria around, who was willing to humiliate herself to protect them.

With this in mind, Alex decided to compromise.

“Fine, I’ll ask my Astraliths for a solution. They've got loads of experience dealing with all sorts of peculiar situations like these.”

The religious group in front of him exchanged uncertain glances among themselves, contemplating this unexpected offer from the non-believer who had just gifted them food.

Part 5: The Beginnings of a Connection

“Hugh! That was embarrassing!”

Alex complained with a soft voice. 

Out of frustration, he clumsily kicked a nearby tree, only to get a pair of throbbing toes in return.

“There, there.” His trusted and somewhat simple-minded guard, August, patted him via telepathy.

The pat didn’t lessen his pain or his sense of shame, but it was a nice gesture.

Alex knew August's intentions were pure, even if he lacked the grace to truly sooth his wounded pride.

With a weary smile, Alex nodded at him. 

“Thanks.” He thanked his subordinate.

August said nothing in return, but he shared a knowing glance with Marco.

However, just as Alex’s guards were recording new memories for their mothers to enjoy, a gentle, melodic voice broke through the air, scattering their silence like autumn leaves in the wind.

“Here you were, my king!” 

Aria's voice was as warm and bright as sunlight breaking through the clouds.

Her hair was stuck to her forehead by sweat, but her eyes shone with intensity as they found Alex's figure among the trees.

“I have been searching for you everywhere!” Aria exclaimed, her tone filled with relief.

The way she said 'my king' carried a hint of something more, something that hinted at a deeper chaos within her.

“Oh! Aria!” Alex fumbled as he righted himself up, showing a proper posture. “Sorry about that, I needed some time to think about some of my plans.”

It was actually true, but he was so embarrassed that he had forgotten to do so.

His mind was often a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas, and it was the best excuse he could come up with in a single second.

Aria's gaze softened as she watched him, and her smile remained kind and understanding. Her eyes seemed to hold a glimmer of something more, a hint of admiration for his dedication to his role.

“Don’t worry!” Aria waved her hands, reassuring him. “My people can be so bothersome, and they would sooner face death than defy the mandates of our God.”

Alex chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “I see.”

Seeing him like that, Aria had her cheeks puff up playfully.

“Hump! You shouldn’t make fun of the closest person to God Ignitus!”

Alex couldn't hold back a mischievous glint in his eye as he responded. 

“Hai hai great leader!” 

He conceded with a playful military salute, then he cleaned a single tear that had escaped from his right eye with his finger. “I will properly respect you.”

Both of them erupted into spontaneous chuckles.

Aria, apparently distracted, found herself stealing a glance at Alex's happy face, and she couldn't help but find it endearing.

“But you know.” She began. 

Her words carried a hint of vulnerability that made Alex turn to face her directly, his gaze locked onto her eyes with genuine interest.

“I really envy you.” She confessed.

Alex was taken aback, his surprise evident in the stunned gaze he fixed upon her. 

“Really? How?”

He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Aria sighed softly as she settled herself on the ground, her delicate face cradling into her bare thigh.

“Well, you have all kinds of people who are willing to follow you, to believe in you.” 

Her eyes, filled with a mixture of admiration and longing, met his.

“I barely managed to make my people accept your help with much persuasion and concessions.”

Seeing her forlorn look, Alex couldn’t help but glance at the sky.

“Envy huh?” He mused, smacking his lips thoughtfully. “Yeah, I suppose I've been lucky so far. To be honest, I've been just going with the flow of events without fully understanding everything.”

Alex turned to face Aria once more, a soft, brave smile in his face.

“That's why it's perfectly fine to envy me. Longing for the fortunate is not a bad thing, as long as you don't intend to hurt them in the process.” He admitted. 

A proud purple spark passed through his eyes.

As she met his gaze, Aria felt herself getting lost in that spark, her heart beating like a drum against her chest. 

Her fingers fumbled awkwardly, betraying the emotions that swirled within her.

“You shouldn't say that kind of thing to a young girl.”

Her voice was soft and tinged with a mixture of embarrassment and vulnerability.

“I shouldn't, huh.” Alex hummed. “I don’t really get it. I have always had problems communicating with others.”

He scratched his head, trying to hide the awkwardness of the confession.

It wasn't easy for him to open up about his struggles, but something about Aria made him want to be more honest.

Maybe it was her holy aura, or maybe it was his lust taking control over him.

He actually didn’t care.

Suddenly, Ale’s eyes widened as he felt warm, thin fingers interlock with his.

Startled, he looked down to find Aria holding his hand in her soft, caring grip.

Aria smiled warmly at him, her eyes reflecting a genuine kindness. 

“But that’s fine. We can learn together. I can teach you how to communicate properly, and you can help me learn to project a brave aura before my followers.” She said softly, her thumb gently caressing his hand. 

Alex sighed, a soft crackle of electric elemental energy dancing on his right palm, created by his armor.

The gauntlet, a gift from Ashlyn, allowed him to harness the supernatural powers of this world.

Looking at it, Alex hesitated, his mind filled with conflicting emotions.

“I'm already married, Aria.” He finally spoke, his tone carrying a touch of regret. “You are late.”

Aria bit her lips, the words she had been preparing for days finally escaping her trembling lips.

“Yes, I’m late to be your wife.” She accepted. “But you must learn more about our culture.”

“Culture?” Alex gazed back at her.

“We, the Elysians, have always been at war.” She explained with shame. “This has caused men to be more scarce than women. In our society, we don't frown upon a man having a second or even a third lover, as long as the wife approves it to help maintain our population.”

At that revelation, Alex disengaged his hand from hers. 

His mouth opened wide, a mixture of disbelief and incredulity clouding his mind for a few seconds.

Then, he remembered the stories of whole civilizations where a few men had to repopulate their kin after a crisis.

He shaked his head. “I always forget how messed up you guys are, even without the Gemcrabs.”

Aria sighed, moving closer to him and embracing his side, resting her head upon his shoulder.

“We are… That’s why we need you.”