~ Chapter 28: Epilogue ~
[Yandrea’s point of view]
I could have run all the way to the top. I could have flown like a bird in the sky. I could have even warped there with Tuby’s spell, however, what I wanted to do was to experience the most mundane of activities… I wanted to walk.
For the first time in centuries, I was taking a walk. There was no beautiful scenery to accompany me nor were there friends and family with whom I could have a pleasant chat. It was just me, the steep ramp, the cold walls of a lifeless tunnel, and my own thoughts.
The path behind me was now blocked off by a tunnel collapse, and I triple checked to make sure that I did not leave anyone behind. Right now, in my dungeon’s lower floors, there was no one left alive, not even a wandering monster.
How tragic it was, though? As soon as I was born in my new body, the first thing I had to do was to take a life.
I defended myself, I defended everyone, however, I took a life… I took a lot of lives… and I liked it.
Of course, as a Dungeon, especially one as old as myself, I could not expect my hands to be clean of blood. I was no saint; I had my times when I went… a little crazy. This was what I saw in my Darkness. There was potential there to do both good and evil, it was a simple matter of choice and circumstance.
There were times when I leaned more towards the evil side and other times when I leaned towards the good side, yet as much as I tried to rationalize my actions, they still felt icky, murky, disgusting.
As I took one step after another, I thought back at what had happened in this war.
Who was Kasimir for me? Was he a terrible nightmare, an unspoken fiend, or simply a mistaken man who was lost in his own obtuse way of thinking?
When thinking back at all he said and did, he was a villain for many, but he was also the hope and pride of others. He wore two or more masks with the same calm and ease as Samraus portrayed the role of the rebel leader that I assigned him to.
For those on the surface, unaware of the truth hidden by the royals, we were the enemies. For the leaders of those countries, we were tools, assets, and slaves. For those at the very bottom of my dungeon, we were their friends, their family, their heroes.
There were a lot of things that the Darkness showed me. Memories that were tainted by my immense prejudice born out of fear and confusion. Actions taken because of traumas and uncertainty. There were tears that were hidden because they showed weakness. There was anger, wrath, and hate, all gathered and bundled up in a package with my name on it.
So, who was Kasimir for me? Who was this enemy that I killed with my own hands?
He was a non-important character in my life, who appeared for a single fraction of a second as an actor in my life’s play, who forced me to take the next step in my evolution. Anyone could have taken his place. His words carried no threat. His insults carried no depth. His screams were just a sonic reaction to the torture I inflicted upon him.
The army that came down, for me, was bait and food. The enemies on the surface, they were at this point unimportant. There was no need to remember them or be concerned of them.
As for my dungeon, which was now just a step away from collapsing into a gigantic crater, it was a tomb. At the bottom of which the warped and haunting memories of Yandrea were preserved for a little while longer.
I had a strong feeling that while in the past there were those who listened to me regarding the dangers of my dungeon, now there was no one left on the surface who would be bothered to question what sort of forces I had to keep at bay to keep everything as it was, to the point where my own level never increased even by a value of 1 all this time.
They strongly believed that it was their threats and my own fear of them that kept me at bay. Now with my memories back, I knew this was not the case. It was not long after they captured me that they figured out the process of my leveling system. It was easy to do so as I told them anything I could so that they would not harm Anyetta. They used that information to make rules for my building process so that I would never become more powerful than what their cage could contain. Rules which I followed to the letter even long after they were dead and even their research buried by the greed of royals.
Tuby freed me from those rules… this was why it was so easy and fun to build like he suggested. This was also why I was quickly gaining levels.
As for my now abandoned dungeon, once all the Magic Energy in the walls was consumed by the enchantments designed to keep the outside elements at bay, everything would come crushing down.
There were structures in there which defied the attraction of the ground, the heat of magma rivers hidden behind them, the high-pressure underwater veins knocking against them, the cracks of the ground from earthquakes, and the instability of the tunnels I dug out when I mined for resources.
The temperature they were feeling inside and even the air they were breathing was circulated with the help of my enchants hidden in the walls.
A dungeon was an enclosed system designed to keep everything in a stable form… it was the perfect underground bunker which would continue to exist even if the world around it was ravaged by the outside elements.
In my memories there was a line that I read on my birth platform with regards to this: “A dungeon is the Ark of Life that keeps everything inside safe, while the Dungeon is its manager and designer.”
There was some more text around it, but it had been destroyed for some reason. However, whether it was because of this one line or because of my own instinct as a Dungeon, I always seemed to follow it to the letter. It felt more natural to me, more logical.
At this point, considering how the elements would end up affecting my abandoned dungeon, I would not be surprised even if a volcano formed inside. After all, I was forced to dig so deep under the surface that cracks formed in all directions. To make matters worse, to create all the rewards for conquering the dungeon for so many centuries now, I had to spread out from time to time to mine the nearby areas. The area around my dungeon had long since been drained of any and all precious materials. When the surface dwellers would decide to dig for them, they would be surprised to find empty caverns with not a single scrap of metal left.
In the past, the kingdoms on the surface were my jailors. The prince and his cohorts were my nightmares. The armies that they brought over were my whip. The play that we carried out every single Ritual of Subjugation was my sentence.
After all this time, I am free from that dungeon… this single thought sent a shockwave through my entire being.
I stopped in my tracks and looked up at the ceiling, then I turned around and looked at the path that I walked on. I was almost halfway to the surface.
“Free from that dungeon…” a smile formed on my lips.
It never occurred to me that maybe… I was truly jailed in my own dungeon. It crossed my mind because I was a Dungeon who built a dungeon, but… I was also the convict, the criminal they had imprisoned.
“I was a bird in a cage… I was a prisoner who built her own prison brick by brick until she could no longer see the sky.” a feeling of both relief and joy of freedom washed over me. I began to laugh out loud while tears formed in my eyes, tears of sadness for my meaningless suffering all this time.
I cried and laughed… a strange sight to behold, but I was lucky there was no one around me to witness my pathetic state.
It took me twenty minutes to calm down… the emotions were that powerful. I was finally free.
“I should take Tuby out…” I told myself as I went inside my Inner Mind and then took out my silly sleeping husband.
He cuddled in my embrace, and I kissed his forehead.
“Everything is because of you… that’s why I will never let you go. I will never let anyone have you… You are my treasure.” I smiled and then continued to walk.
All of his wounds have been healed in time. If I stayed locked up in my Inner Mind crying in my own self-pity, and lamenting my losses like a coward, I would have missed the opportunity. If I saw that message that told me Tuby died… I would have been even more angered at myself, more saddened… maybe I would have just died right then and there overwhelmed by my pain.
She saved me… no, she saved us…
With each step I took now, I was farther away from this dungeon. The chains that held me down were now loose. The weights that pinned me to this place have been pushed off my back. The sky that I was never meant to see… I could finally see it with my own two eyes.
“Ugh… w-where am I?” Tuby’s voice reached my ears, pulling me out of reverie.
I looked down and saw him stirring in my arms, slowly opening his eyes. A smile formed on my lips, and I greeted him with a soft “Good morning.”
“Huh? This voice, Yandrea? This…” he looked at me, blinked twice and then looked around us. “Erm, can you put me down?”
“Sure.” I nodded.
Once he was back on his feet, he stretched his body and looked around.
“This is the tunnel leading to the surface.” he noticed “You… you have a body now?” he asked, his eyes scanning me from top to bottom.
“Yes.” I nodded and smiled.
“You look beautiful!” he smiled back and then moved his arms around me.
Tuby pulled me into his embrace, and I felt myself melting. My own arms moved on their own and embraced him.
“I was afraid, Tuby… that I would never see you again.” I confessed as tears gathered in the corners of my eyes.
My emotions, which barely calmed down, resurfaced once more, this time with a spark of joy.
“I was also afraid that I would lose you, Yandrea.” he held me tight “When I saw that sword going for you, I… I acted without thinking. I put myself before you and the sword and gave it my all to stop it.”
“You should have moved out of the way.”
“NEVER!” held me tighter “The thought of losing you… terrifies me.” he confessed.
“I… I love you, Tuby.” I looked up at him, tears flooding my eyes.
“I love you too, Yandrea.”
We kissed. Our first real kiss was marked by our reunion in this cold tunnel that led towards the light of the surface.
We parted lips and locked eyes for a moment, then we kissed again.
It was a moment that words could not describe. I felt my own emotions intertwining with his. I felt my heart resonating with his. I felt his warmth and scent embracing me.
“You look quite different from how you looked in your Inner Mind.” his eyes moved up and down my body.
“In a good way?” I sheepishly asked as my four ears moved back.
“In a good way.” he nodded, I perked up my ears in surprise.
Did he know it was a trap question?
“We should head up; the others are waiting.”
“We should. Erm, what happened to me after I was knocked out?” he asked as we walked side by side, holding hands.
“I thought I lost you. I met a cat, who was most likely a goddess in disguise, otherwise I can’t explain it. She saved me from myself. I made peace with myself and remembered my lost past… It was as you said, Tuby. Everything was as you said. I was running from myself, and I was ignoring what I could do as a Dungeon, but not anymore.” I shook my head “I’m finally free…” I showed him a smile.
“That’s a lot to take in… A goddess in the form of a cat. Hm, there’s nothing like that in all the myths and legends that I know of.” Tuby rubbed his non-existent beard, making me wonder if he’ll ever lose that habit of his.
I do not like my man to have a face that looked like a forglore’s bottom. That beard was banned from existence!
“W-What?” he flinched.
“Nothing~!” I smiled.
“Erm, so… then you made your new body?” he asked.
“Yes.” I nodded “I took parts from here and there, mixed them up really good, and then I changed into this form. The process itself is… complicated.” I titled my head to the left for a second then looked back at him “I then fought with the one who dared to harm you. He’s dead now… I made sure he suffered.” Just remembering that moment made my heart turn cold.
“Then, we won.” he let out a sigh of relief.
“We won.” I nodded.
Tuby took a moment to take all of this in. We were now close to the surface. The gate at the end was within sight, so I spread out my Dungeon Territory to check our surroundings.
The survivors were spread out outside and formed small camps. The ones who were still able to fight formed a defensive circle around them, with the stronger ones placed at the tunnel’s exit.
These doors were so massive that only I, a Dungeon, could order them to move with ease, anyone else had to force their way out, which would be easily noticed by the ones outside. I made sure to make this place sturdy enough to resist most attacks. In case of our demise, the survivors only had one order. After activating the self-destruct system, an automaton built within the wall itself, they were to flee as far away as possible from this place. They were to scatter to the winds and do their best to survive.
“Let me open the doors.” I said when we reached them.
“We’re finally here…”
I raised my arm up and triggered the opening system.
The massive doors were pulled to the side, allowing the light outside to flood the tunnel, pushing back the dim light of the crystals.
We both then took a step forward and were greeted with the many cheers of the survivors. Our very presence here was the declaration of success they were waiting for. No matter if we defeated the punitive force or if we fled from them, just the fact that we survived was a good enough reason for them to rejoice.
“So, what now?” Tuby asked.
Looking up at the sky, the endless horizon was painted with a familiar color. The air was rich and refreshing, different from the one I circulated underground with the help of magic. The sound of nature around me was different yet sweet. Far into the distance, the endless mass of water, the ocean that surrounded this entire continent, was stretching out as far as the eyes could see.
“Now, we rebuild everything… far away from here…” I said and smiled.
[Tuberculus’ point of view]
I was running away from something or someone…
My steps were lost in the abyss that seemed to have swallowed everything around me.
On my path, I saw the countless people I met throughout my life. Some of them I disappointed, while others I made proud. I did not stop to greet them, I just kept running.
The more I ran, the more I felt that my intention changed from running away from someone to running towards someone… I was trying to catch someone…
In the far distance, I saw a person with long black hair, but she never turned around, she kept walking towards the horizon. No matter how fast I ran, no matter how loud I screamed, my voice could not reach her.
Eventually, I was chasing after her more out of curiosity, and when I managed to reach her, I simply went past her.
It was Nanya… She smiled and pointed forward.
I kept running… and I met the ornaks, the ellyarians, the lion emperors and the automatons I have befriended in these past years. All of them were connections I treasured, friends which I wished had survived the war.
In the far distance, I saw someone again. I could not make up her shape or size, I just knew there was a connection with her, a deep connection.
As I got closer, I realized that she had no body to speak of… she was just a floating sphere of light.
I caught up to her, and I was now standing at the top of the Golden Pyramid. It was daytime and behind me was her Crystal Body, a beautiful polished pink sphere. There were no scratches on her and there was no sign of the sturdy glass barriers she added later. Looking outside, I saw the Light Crystal that illuminated the entire Core World, acting like the sun it never had. In the far distance, I could see the bridge that I often had to cross to reach the villages on the other side. However, there were now various buildings spread across the entire forest, as if multiple villages had sprung up in the time I was gone.
Stepping out on the ledge, I saw a single book placed on the ground. The title was in Shorayan and it read “Of Conspiracies and Fallen Rulers”. I picked it up, but I could not open it.
“Are you curious?” her voice came from behind me, and I turned around.
There, I saw her, floating above the ground in a sphere of light. Her face was clearly visible now, greeting me with a gentle gaze and a gentle smile.
“Yandrea…” I said as I walked closer.
“Do you know who the main character of that book is?” she asked.
I looked down.
“I can’t open it.” I replied as I tried to prove it to her.
“Who do you think it is?” she asked again.
Looking back at her, I tried to think hard, but there was no name that came to my mind, just something that I once heard from an old friend of mine who fell in love with his plants.
“The one who rules the life of a man is their Ego. The bigger it is, the more it twists and turns the conspiracies of the mind, to make it so that you forget about your true self. My friend, rather than be guided by fear and hate, I would rather have a small Ego and be guided by love and trust.”
These words of his had a powerful influence on me back then, but I never could really grasp their true meaning.
In the end, while I did not forget them, I also did not pay them the attention they deserved.
As I brushed my hand against the cover, I replied to Yandrea “The Ego is the main character of this book…”
At this point, I could open the book and the first line was exactly the same one my friend told me.
I smiled and looked back up at Yandrea, she floated close to me, and I reached up to her, trying to hold her in my palm.
“In the end, you chose me, Tuby.” she said “And for this, I will always love you…”
“I love you too…” I replied, my genuine feeling reflected in my eyes.
The dream world faded to black, reality pulling me out of my slumber. The world around me changed and was replaced with the vision of a cold tunnel. However, my body was warm, as it was taken into the embrace of someone with whom I felt an unexplainable connection.
Although I did not recognize her at first sight, my heart told me who she was, Yandrea…
[Two days later]
Not long after we reached the surface, we made the decision to leave this continent behind. It was not as if it was the only one out there. From what we knew, neither the Reiss, the Forglore, nor the Negvar Elves were explorers of the seas. Their ship building knowledge was minimal at best, amounting only to fishing boats.
Yandrea had to design and build the boats for us with the help of the little knowledge we both had. They had to be large enough to carry hundreds of people and strong enough to face the seas.
Thankfully, a Godlike Dungeon like her did not have to worry about the possibility of building something that was not enchanted by magic. If she wanted to, she could even make a building float on water. She had enough power to do so, however, there was no telling what sort of creatures we would confront out there, so she had to build something that would still float even if she happened to run out of magic or was too far from them.
Two days later, we had our first boat. It was as big as a galleon, with a rather strange bottom, which reminded me of a metal tube with rounded ends. The ship floated and was sturdy, but unlike the ships I had seen before, this one had metal plating on the inside.
“You made it out of metal? Yet it still floats?” I asked curiously as I knocked on a plate.
“Yup! I made it sturdy like you asked! Metal is better than wood for this. It’s easier to enchant to. The outside is still made out of wood, but I had to change the bottom to a bulbous bow because I saw the water flowing better around it when the ship was very heavy. It also confers a better overall stability!” she replied with a cheer.
“Well, if you say so… I really have no idea how it works. I would need to study the flow of shapes underwater to get a better understanding of the principles behind it. Guess, I found a past time activity while we’re sailing.” I laughed and then turned towards the group of onlookers who were observing the boat from the distance. “Do you think we’ll be able to fit them all on one ship?” I asked.
“Not one but several.” she shook her head “The number of beds inside one of these is 562. We would fit around 500 and leave 62 for emergencies. There’s also room for cargo, so we can stuff them with supplies or materials or recondition the lower decks into compartments for housing creatures.”
“Unfortunately, I won’t be going with you.” Queen Skara said as she popped her head out of the nearby forest.
With her beautifully colored scales and her flicking forked tongue, she looked back at us with what made me think was a soft smile.
“What do you mean?” I asked furrowing my brow.
“Unlike the ellyariansss, the ornaksss, or the lion emperorsss, the monssstersss do not require to gather asss a civilized people. We prefer the wild. We prefer to explore. And to be honessst, I jussst want to explore thisss continent rather than sssail on the vassst sssea!” She looked back to the mountains where we came from. “There are dangersss, of courssse, but there’sss alssso a lot of prey to hunt here.”
“Are you sure?” I asked her again. “We were intending to build a boat just for you and your people and…” I said but stopped when I saw her flick her tongue in the air and looking back at me.
“That isss why. They need to be free. Without me, they are monssstersss. They revert back to their natural inssstinctsss.”
“If this is your choice, alright.” I nodded.
“Hm…” Yandrea looked up at her and then at the pack of monsters far in the distance, who, for now, were just looking around dumbstruck. “What will you do when they are gone?”
“I will wonder… and I will wait… for my time to come… for a change in the world…” she lifted her enormous head up and looked towards the mountains.
“Is this what you really want?” she asked to make sure.
“Yesss.” Queen Skara nodded and showed us a snake smile.
“Very well. You may do so.” Yandrea nodded.
“Thank you for everything, Queen Skara.” I bowed my head to her.
“It wasss my pleasssure! It wasss my duty!”
“Everyone has their own journey… I wonder if there are others here who want to stay on this continent?” I wondered as I came to realize something.
Yandrea looked at me and then at our camp site.
“We should find out then. I don’t want to force anyone to come with me if they do not want to. There was enough of that.”
“We should.” I nodded.
[4 days later]
It was early in the morning.
A fleet of 23 ships were now waiting to sail towards the unknown. We designated a captain for each of them and created a signal system using colored magic flares through which the whole fleet could communicate. We also made protocols for different weather types. On stormy days or when the wind was too strong, the weaker ones had to stay on the lower decks.
As I was standing on the flagship, looking down at the makeshift docks, I watched as those who wished to stay on this continent bid their farewells to their friends and family that were coming with us.
“I was expecting more.” Yandrea told me when she looked at the shore, resting her elbows on the rail.
“A little over two thousand, not counting the monsters and Queen Skara, chose to stay…” I said.
“There are still a lot coming with us, but I just can’t understand why they would want to stay on these vermin-infested lands.” she let out a sigh.
“That’s their choice. We have to respect it.” I told her.
“That’s not the problem.” she shook her head and then let out a sigh “They better survive…” she grumbled under her breath.
Yandrea was worried, and she had a good reason to be. While we were far away on the sea, there was no way we could help them. Once we set sail, we would never come back here. Even if we wanted to, there would be no way to sail back for the foreseeable future.
Of course, with how Dungeons were ageless and how Yandrea could restore my youth anytime, there was no telling what would happen… This was why we were genuinely worried.
Returning to this continent only to find out that it would have been better to convince them to come with us… that did not sit well with us. However, everyone had their own path to take. This was the freedom we all gained with our cumulative efforts. If they wanted to stay here, this was their choice, their right.
“May luck be with them and may the gods watch over them all.” I said.
At noon, we set sail. The fleet of 23 ships departed from the continent that brought us together. Free and unrestrained, we now wished to see what was out there in the world. Whom we would meet, what we would see, what other choices we would make.
As I was pondering about this, Yandrea hugged me from behind and whispered “Let’s go back to our room, I want to test the soundproofing.”
My cheeks turned red, but I was a man, as such… my desire to hug my wife was boundless and unrestrained! We also had to check the soundproofing, true… it was all for science!
[Several years later…]
[Illsyore’s point of view]
There was nothing like fishing on top of my pet Leviathan! The cool air of the morning breeze, the gentle splash of water against the thick hide of a beast that could literally devour an entire continent if it wanted to, and the scent of salt water that invigorated my lungs, everything was a serenade of blissful experiences which I had the pleasure of enjoying as the leader of my own island nation, Illsyorea.
Best of all, I had no need to worry here about being dragged left and right by my wives! It was the perfect place to run away from work!
That being said, I was quite sure that a certain demoness was already on the hunt.
The line was pulled and the float sunk deep. I felt the nudge on my fishing rod, and I pulled it back. The fish was caught, so I released the pressure just a little bit and then reeled it in. If I enchanted the fishing rod, I could catch it immediately. A single zap from a lightning enchant was more than enough, but where was the fun in that? I let the fish struggle, tiring it out, giving it room, pulling it back. The game of fishing was a test of patience, strength, and ingenuity!
“Just a little bit more!” I said as I was preparing for the last pull. “Aaand… GOTCHA!” I shouted as I pulled up the fish.
“Grrah?” the Leviathan heard my voice and looked back at me, tilting his head in curiosity.
“I caught a big one!” I showed him the fish.
“GRA!” the big guy made a smile and rejoiced with me, although without any sudden movements so as not to cause another tsunami.
“Huh? What’s that?” I said as I noticed something in the far distance.
It was just a dot on the horizon, but that dot grew bigger and multiplied. It could only be two things either a fleet of ships or a pack of monsters.
“I guess my fishing time is up.” I let out a disappointed sigh and set aside my fishing gear.
My catch for today was just a 6,4 kg scarlet carp, a juvenile that was begging me to let it go. If I did that, Tamara would end up scratching my face. She was the family cook and when it came to fish, that was when my wife smashed her foot into the floor, literally.
About 20 or so minutes later, the fleet of ships was finally within sight. However, there was something rather unique about them. While I could spot 25 vessels with designs similar to that of a galleon, they were all conjoined together by makeshift bridges of wood and bone. Several other floating platforms could also be spotted between them and around them.
In front of them was a pack of monsters with the head of a seahorse. They were pulling the fleet or rather floating island behind them.
When they were about a nautical mile away from me, they slowed down. They had no other choice; my pet Leviathan was not going to budge an inch unless I told him so.
I then waited for another five minutes or so until I saw someone fly towards me.
It was a man with a handsome face, sharp eyes, and an imposing presence similar to a king’s. His attire was clean but filled with enchantments of all kinds. Although he did not carry any sort of weapon on his person, with the advent of storage crystals, there was no telling what he was hiding. This made me remember that annoying fellow who kept pulling out healing item after healing item like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat.
“Greetings! My name is Tuberculus Firerage, and I am looking for my son, Illsyore. Have you heard of him?” he called out, his voice powerful and confident, showing no fear for the giant monster I was currently standing on.
However, his question… fell on my head like a safe from a skyscraper.
“You are who now looking for what now?!” I blinked and tilted my head to the right, fearing that my hearing was now deteriorating with the amount of screams Nanya released every time I accidentally Colly Tos-ed her.
“Erm, did you not hear me?” the man claiming to be my father blinked surprised and approached me. “Then allow me to repeat myself, my name is Tuberculus Firerage, and I am looking for my son who goes by the name of Illsyore. Have you heard of him?”
Ah yes… it was not an auditive illusion… I heard him right. I looked up, feeling drained of sanity and will. Who knew that going out fishing would summon the ghost of my dead father? I thought.
“Erm… hello?” he blinked confused and looked at me.
“One moment... My brain is trying to catch up with all… this…” I waved my hand at him and the fleet behind him.
The man furrowed his brow.
Letting out sigh, I got up and aimed my palm at the sky.
“COLLY TOS!” I chanted.
The spell was ignited and above me five exquisite pairs of panties floated down slowly, landing on top of me. Nanya was wearing a black pair today, Tamara’s was simple, white with a green leaf print. As usual, Zoreya was wearing something remarkably erotic despite the massive armor she wore as an Apostle of Melkuth. Ayuseya wore a pink pair that was elegant in style. As for Shanteya’s, hers were black but with a rose imprint on them.
“T-This spell! C-Could it be!?” the man shouted in surprise.
“And 3… 2… 1…”
“ILLSY!!!” Nanya’s shout roared louder than a dragon’s as she came flying across the sea with pure rage in her eyes and an anvil in her hand.
Seriously though, why an anvil?!
“Illsy?” the man furrowed his brow as tiny pieces of information were being put together.
She flung the solid projectile at me with supersonic speed, which I was able to effortlessly dodge. Unfortunately, I was soon met with the powerful strike of her palm that sent me flying in the air.
“Ungh…” I groaned after falling down face first on the back of the Leviathan.
The giant pretended as though he saw nothing. The coward would not dare stand between me and my wife.
“So? Why did you call us? You never use that stupid spell unless for some unusual events or a very ridiculous emergency family meetup!” Nanya glared at me, her black eyes pierced me like javelins, while her long black hair tied up in a ponytail was waving in the wind.
“So, do you remember that old pervert with a long beard, a pointy hat, and the strange desire to peep on the girl’s bathroom?” I asked.
“Tuberculus? What about him?” she asked raising an eyebrow.
The man in the air looked up at the sky with dead fish eyes as if contemplating the meaning of existence.
“Well, that man over there introduced himself as Tuberculus Firerage, the father of Illsyore.” I said as I sat down.
“What?” she looked up and narrowed her eyes at him.
Meanwhile, my other wives arrived as well. Shanteya appeared behind me, showing me a dangerously cold smile.
“I was on a ladder.” she told me and then snatched her panties.
Zoreya landed on the Leviathan’s back not far from me. The poor thing flinched but pretended as if he did not notice the extra weight. Heavy armor combined with a heavy shield would ultimately result in me trying to pull her out of whatever hole she managed to get herself stuck in. She was brave, she was strong, and cutely clumsy.
“I was teaching a class, Illsy!” she complained with tears in her eyes.
Her pouting expression really triggered my desire to tease her some more.
Ayuseya arrived as well, landing next to Zoreya. With a cold smile that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Seriously! It’s for a good reason!” I excused myself.
“There is never going to be a good reason for stealing the panties from your wives while they are in public.” Ayuseya shut me down, her cold smile never leaving her lovely face, while she snapped her tail in the air, making me flinch.
“I’m sorry…” I bowed my head.
“Nya~! It’s windy…” Tamara said as she was already munching on my fish.
“AH! I just caught that!” I called out.
“Nya~! Punishment!” she poked her tongue out at me.
“So, while I apologize for the unsightly display of our family, I would appreciate it if you introduced yourself and told us what’s with the fleet behind you?” Nanya asked raising an eyebrow at the man in the sky.
The man approached us, floating down to our level without taking a step on the back of my pet. He was probably worried that the giant beast was going to get startled or act defensively.
“My name is Tuberculus Firerage.” A soft smile formed on his lips as he looked at Nanya “I have not seen you in years, my friend. The last time was when we were attacked by the forces sent after miss Ayuseya Pleyades.”
“Tuberculus? That can’t be… he died.” Nanya said with a visible shock in her eyes.
“I used the experimental Teleportation Crystal and ended up on another continent far from here. There, I was picked up by my wife, who healed me. As for the fleet behind me, those are my people. We are refugees in search of a home. We learned of the existence of this place from sailing merchants. While I do not know if you will welcome us on your land, at the very least, I wished to meet with my friends and well… my son.” he explained with a gentle tone in his voice.
“But… you look… where’s your beard?” Nanya asked furrowing her brow.
“My wife does not approve of it’s existence.” Tuberculus looked up at the sky, longing and sadness filling his gaze.
“So where is your wife?” I asked as I looked behind him at the fleet.
“She told me that she will require approval from you before she takes a step closer. Her Dungeon Territory is currently enveloping our fleet.”
“Dungeon Territory? So, she’s…” Nanya looked into the far distance at the fleet.
“A Dungeon… Well… Alright, I can do that.” I nodded.
After my battle with my father-in-law, I continued to practice the control of my Dungeon Territory, so I did not fear a possible confrontation.
“Thank you.” Tuberculus nodded and then turned around towards the fleet, casting a small sphere of light with his left hand.
Almost immediately, someone flew from there and approached him. It was a beautiful woman with long pink hair, four ears, and a sharp gaze in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Tuberculus and glared at Nanya.
“He’s mine now!” she declared.
“Erm… No worries, you can keep him, I have my own pile of troubling headaches right here.” Nanya pointed at me.
“Hey! What do you mean by pile of troubling headaches?!” I retorted.
She shot me an ice-cold glare, and I made myself small.
“This lovely woman by my side is Yandrea. She is my wife and a Godlike Dungeon like you, Illsyore. I guess, you could say that she is your mother?”
“You did tell me about your son, but I never expected him to be so… promiscuous.” Yandrea said as she looked at me and then at my wives. “I apologize, we did not teach him any better.” she bowed her head to them.
“Hey! What do you mean by that! Also, a pleasure to meet you as well.” I retorted.
“Oh, don’t worry, while he is a bit of a goof and a pervert like his father, we are holding him in a tight leash! He’s not getting into anyone else’s panties from now on!” Ayuseya said with a giggle.
“Yes, Illsy’s a pervert, but we love him, nya~!” Tamara jumped on my back and hugged me.
“Hey!” I swallowed my pride and tried to accept my fate.
“My shield was made to hold him down!” Zoreya declared proudly.
“Wasn’t it meant to defend the innocents?!” I shot her a dumbfounded gaze.
“Yes, innocent women from your overwhelming lust!” she nodded and tapped the shield.
“I am not that much of a pervert or a beast in heat?!” I retorted.
“Nya~! How cute, he thinks we don’t know.” Tamara rubbed her cheek against mine.
At this point, it felt like everything I said was a joke, so I just decided to grumble to myself.
“While all the jokes are pleasant, we should not keep our guests hanging or rather… floating like this. Do you wish to join us for some afternoon tea?” Shanteya suggested.
“Your fleet can dock at our harbor. You are more than welcome to stay and become a part of Illsyorea if that is your wish. Our only request for now is that for you and all of your other present Dungeons to pull back your Dungeon Territory, as there are children on the island, who do not yet know how to properly control theirs.” Ayuseya offered, speaking with a calm voice while displaying her nobility.
“Yes, we can do that. My son will do the same, but we’ll need to make a few preparations for the fleet before we proceed. It’s barely stating afloat right now.” Yandrea replied.
“Son?” I asked furrowing my brow in confusion.
“Yes, Alkelios would be your younger brother!” Tuberculus answered.
“Nya~! A hero’s name!” Tamara said as she looked up at Yandrea, who, for some strange reason bowed her head to her.
“Alright! Let me move my pet out of the way so that you can dock your fleets. We’ll head back and prepare for your arrival. How about we continue this lovely family reunion inside!” I said as I got up, Tamara perched on my back like a giant parrot.
I had to say, when I woke up this morning, I did not think I would get such a surprise visit from my thought to be dead father! While I still retained my memories of my past life, the feeling of having a family… of having someone I could call father and mother was… unexpectedly pleasant.
Was this a divine reward for having made Illsyorea into the Island Nation that it was today or were we their reward for having endured the seas to reach this place?