~ Chapter 17: Did I just enslave a royal princess? ~

Waking up in Shanteya’s soft bosom was the best! Holding her so close to me, hands wrapped around her, cuddling her like a soft body pillow was absolutely divine! Her round behind also felt nice every time my hands slipped a little lower than they should have. Although I knew she wouldn’t have minded if I let myself go with the flow, I restricted my perverted actions from going too far.

Staying in Shanteya’s embrace made me feel calm, relaxed, at peace. Although I feared that I might lose that important feeling once I went and did it with her, that wasn’t the reason why I hesitated. I may have been a fool, or I may have thought as I should have, but I believed that when it was time to do that sort of thing, the feeling of love had to be mutual. Wasn’t it more natural and more beautiful if I felt the same way for her as well?

Indeed, the wolf inside me was itching to have a go, but my heart remained empty when it came to the feeling of love. Maybe it wasn’t there because I also believed that part of Shanteya’s willingness was thanks to the slave bond between us, but then again, wouldn’t that enter in conflict with [Bond of Trust]?

This debate wasn’t a recent one though. Ever since Shanteya started sleeping with me, I kept pondering if I should start a relationship with her or not. Technically speaking, I was dead in my previous world, so there was nothing between me and Alina anymore. Even if she reincarnated into this world after she died on Earth, hopefully from old age, there wasn’t any guarantee that she would remember us and try to find me here. Chances were she wouldn’t even know I was here. Then again, we weren’t married back on Earth, we were just… together. I never proposed to her… That was probably my only regret from that world, but if things would have continued as they did no matter my choice in life, then moving on would have been harder for Alina. In that situation, she wouldn’t have lost a boyfriend, but a fiance or maybe a husband.

I didn’t want to put her through something like that and when I thought about it that way, my behavior towards Shanteya and Nanya ever since I reincarnated into this world was certainly disrespectful, perverted, and certainly not that of a faithful husband or lover.

While my mind struggled with those thoughts, I looked up at the sleeping Shanteya. She looked so relaxed as if everything that happened to her in the assassin’s guild was nothing but a very bad dream.

Maybe I should stop my perverted actions and act like a refined gentleman? I thought, but then I found myself burying my face in her comfy bosom. When I do that, it’ll be the first sign of the apocalypse…

To be honest, even when I was with Alina, I still gazed around at the round behinds and bouncing Holy Mountains of other beautiful women. When it came to touching them, it was another matter though, I was completely loyal to her.

When thinking about what I felt for Shanteya exactly, it was hard to put my finger on it. There was a sort of ‘like’ feeling there, but there was no ‘love’. Her physical aspect was delightful to gaze upon, with or without clothes, and I didn’t mind the fact that she wasn’t a human. I was a Dungeon Lord if I were to put it that way. When it came to the excitement I felt when looking at a woman’s body, it was there, but the reaction stopped just a little below my bellybutton, meaning it didn’t go all the way down. No one raised the flag. That area was a complete dead zone.

The fear of being impotent was the biggest one ever, but while I was crying in self-pity, I remembered something about myself. My REAL body was actually a BIG GREEN CRYSTAL. There was no flag there… In my Inner Mind, I looked like a normal human, but it felt like I was missing all the right nerves down there.

Putting the two and two together, I realized that it might also have something to do with my current body. I could only hope that once I got a humanoid form, things would change, but not even Nanya knew how a Dungeon Lord gained the ability to change their Crystal Body. Maybe there were certain conditions I had to fulfill, such as level or age?

Thinking about age, I had the mind of an adult, but the body of a young core, no older than a month or so. If age was a factor, then certainly, I was too young. Still… body age wasn’t a reason for me to have such a strange heart, one that liked and protected, but couldn’t reciprocate the love of another.

Am I broken? I asked myself as I looked at my cute slave.

I kept thinking about it for a couple more minutes until Shanteya woke up.

Good morning, Master… she said with a sweet voice as she opened her eyes and then gently stole my lips.

I think you are getting better at this… I said after she pulled back.

Because Master is the only one to accept my kiss. Back in the assassin’s guild, the kiss was considered a woman’s deadliest weapon. No man touched our lips, so… Master is also the first. she said shyly.

I blinked surprised.

First? I asked like an idiot as if I didn’t know what she meant.

The first one I wished to offer my lips to without being forced to take his life. she told me.

I smiled and kissed her again. She closed her eyes and accepted my lips.

Shanteya… I asked after I pulled back.

Yes, Master? she smiled.

Do you know at what age a Dungeon Core or Lord is considered to be an adult? I asked.

Adult? I don’t think I understand, Master… she said with a furrowed brow.

When their body matures? Erm… How many years have to pass after a dungeon is born until their coming of age ceremony? When are they old enough to drive and get drunk? I asked thinking the last remark more as a reference from my previous world. As a side note, my 18th birthday back then was spent on a hospital bed thanks to appendicitis.

Hm, I don’t think you need to be a certain age to drive a carriage, ride, or fly, just to be tall enough to get up on the saddle, however, I do believe Dungeons below Ancestral are believed to be mature, or rather challenging, when they are at least level 75 and have over 20 floors to offer in their dungeon. If we are to go by these terms, Master would still be considered rather young? she told me and patted the top of my head like one would do with a kid.

Ugh… I only have two floors, and I didn’t check my level since I started building two weeks ago… I sunk my face into her breasts. They were comfy.

Worry not, Master! With only two floors, your dungeon is strong enough to face Emperor Rank adventurers! I believe you are quite challenging already, Master! she told me with a bright smile.

Thanks, I guess? I replied.

Then, Master, I will be heading off now to check on the teachers. she told me and released me from her embrace.

I will go check on the damage they did to my dungeon… Two floors, huh? I wonder if in dungeon terms I’m still just a kid? Maybe that’s why? I thought as I release Shanteya from my Inner Mind.

With a respectful bow, my cute el’doraw slave left, and I flew out of my crystal body.

This is frustrating… I thought as I kept thinking about my current situation. Why am I bothered by my past life relationships anyway? This is supposed to be a free start! I grumbled to myself.

Stopping in midair, I looked back at the academy and saw the students happily minding their own business, Tuberculus was heading to the dormitory together with Paladinus, who kept laughing at him. Things appeared to be going back to normal, but most importantly, none of them had past lives to worry about.

I’m sort of envious about them… I thought and then let out a long sigh.

Instead of heading back to my dungeon, I looked around at the scenery and tried to relax, to clear my head for a bit. Going to work with a troubled mind was never a good idea. Low work performance was the most likely result.

When classes started, I was still there. All the students gathered inside to partake on their lessons. I wondered how Rufus and Angius were going to teach like that.

Getting closer to the building and taking a peek at their classes, I saw the students barely abstaining from laughing, especially at Angius’ monobrow. Paladinus used some really hard to wash off ink. Speaking of which, Tuberculus took a day off. I doubted anyone could keep a straight face if they saw their teacher with a badly drawn monobrow and swirly mustache like some 80s villain. At least Nanya’s classes were going smoothly.

Who can hate the teenage girl? Or rather, would anyone have the guts to do it? I asked myself as I took a peek at her.

In that moment, I heard the lovely tune of a violin. The gentle play was one I knew well and followed it to the one who played it. The beautiful draconian lady was there. She was smiling and enjoying the song she shared with the vibrant nature around her. Even the birds and a few critters were listening to her. It was truly like a fairy tale picture, the only difference was that the dragon wasn’t the one attacking, but the one playing.

When she was done, I opened my mouth and said: “That was beautiful…”

She jumped and looked around frightened, holding her violin to her chest. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, but there was no one there besides me.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you…” I said, and she blinked surprised. She followed the sound of my voice up in the clear sky. “I’m sort of invisible… Rest assured, I’m not someone suspicious! Ah! Wait… that’s exactly what someone suspicious would say. Erm, I’m the Dungeon Lord who takes care of the Magic Academy and by no means a ghost or an assassin! Just ask Nanya! She’ll tell you! Erm, you can also ask Shanteya, she’s my sl… maid.” I said, almost having a slip of tongue there.

The draconian lady didn’t say a single word, just blinked surprised and looked my way with her red, slit eyes.

I wonder if she’s confused? Maybe she’s scared? I would start running and screaming like a little girl if something like this happened to me… Hm, now that I think about it, ever since I came here I was unusually calm about the whole reincarnation thing. I didn’t freak out much… Huh? What is she doing? I thought and noticed she bent down and picked up from the ground a small blackboard the size of a student notebook.

With a piece of white chalk, she wrote something on it in the shorayan language and then showed it to me.

‘Hello. Teacher Nanya mentioned you.’ after a moment, she erased it and wrote again.

‘She told me not to be scared of you, but if you steal my panties, I should let her know.’

Steal her panties? Why would I? Ah the Colly Tos… ugh… What is Nanya telling these girls? I thought.

“Don’t worry… that was just the mistake of a spell, Co…” I stopped immediately. “That was close! Whew!” I exhaled in relief.

The girl started writing again.

‘Were you listening to me play?’ she lifted the blackboard up and hid behind it, peeking from above while her tail decorated with big pink ribbons coiled in front of her.

“Erm, yeah. It was quite beautiful. Astounding actually! You really have talent for it. Well, it’s not the first time I dropped by… I came whenever you played. I found it really pleasing to listen to.” I confessed, but it wasn’t something worth hiding anyway.

‘Thank you. It’s a bit embarrassing to play in front of others.’ she wrote.

“Why? You have a real talent there! And you are beautiful too! I doubt there would be a fool who wouldn’t listen to you play!” I told her, and I actually believed those words.

Her violin play wasn’t something to joke about. It could win countless contests and the hearts of many classical music lovers.

‘Beautiful? No. I have red hair and eyes.’ she wrote quickly, but I already saw her cheeks turning pink. She was embarrassed.

“I actually find those features quite attractive! Hahaha!” I said with a laugh.

‘You are weird.’ she wrote.

“Maybe? But anyway, why don’t you speak?” I asked curiously.

She was about to write something, but she quickly erased it.

“If you don’t want to tell me, it’s alright.” I told her, I didn’t want to force the poor girl.

She shook her head and then wrote down her message.

‘I’ve been cursed. If I talk, I’ll feel a horrible pain.’

I read the message and looked at her for a long moment.

What is it with the people of this world and curses of silence? I asked myself.

‘Thank you for listening to me play. You can come again.’ she told me and then packed her violin carefully.

Now that I looked at it a bit carefully, it wasn’t an expensive piece, but rather something quite simple and worn out. Even so, I could tell it was treasured. She handled it carefully just like one would a most valued and fragile treasure.

“Wait…” I said when I saw her about to go.

She tilted her head and looked back at me.

“I may be able to help with that curse… Do you want me to give it a try?” I asked.

After placing the violin case down, she wrote on her blackboard: ‘Thank you, but I know it’s impossible to remove it. Father tried and failed.’

“Sigh, well… I can understand why you would be hesitant about it, however, I have proof! Do you know Shanteya, my maid?” I asked her with a big smirk on my invisible face.

She nodded.

“Well, you heard her talk, right? I was the one who made it possible for her to talk again. So, what do you say? Want to give it a try? I mean, what is there to lose?” I tried to persuade her.

If one were to ask me why I tried so hard to help her and not simply ignore her, I could probably toss in the excuse that it was payment for listening to her play, but that wasn’t it. I just wanted to help the girl because I had the power to do so.

It was one of those things: If you had the power to fly, would you save a complete stranger from a burning building or let them fall and smash into the ground? Well, I would save them. You could even call it a whim.

‘Will it hurt?’ she asked me after a long moment of hesitation.

“If it will, you can tell Nanya.” I said.

‘Teacher Nanya, who is she to you?’ she asked, but then quickly erased what she wrote.

I blinked surprised at the question. Maybe she was just curious as to why the teenage-looking teacher had so much influence on me? It was a good question though…

Hm, I never thought about it… Isn’t she my friend? She’s also one of the first people I met in this life, but… is that it? I asked myself and in that moment, I felt a thump in my heart. It was the touch of an emotion, one which I knew well. It’s like… back then… with Alina… I thought, but before I got to look more into that sensation, I saw the draconian lady lifting the blackboard up with something written on it.

‘Very well. I’ll believe you.’

“Ah! OK. Thon Or Non!” I chanted the voice command for [Make Slave] spell.

The draconian lady didn’t wait too long to accept the spell, but she flinched when the slave tattoo collar formed around her neck, shining just like it did with Shanteya. It didn’t last long, but when it was over, she carefully touched her neck, looking for any sort of injury.

“Absorb with all the items on her.” I said and then she vanished.

I looked around for any leftover items and then flew back to my crystal body. Once there, I entered my Inner Mind and looked for her.

She was awake and appeared to be quite curious in regards to where she was.

Ah! There you are! I’m Illsyore, the Dungeon Lord. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you face to face! I offered her a polite bow and a typical greeting.

She nodded in reply and showed me a small smile. It was obvious she wasn’t expecting any of this and looked at me a bit confused, probably because I looked like a typical human peasant in those clothes of mine. Well, it didn’t really matter to me.

I’m going to fix you up now. I thought and with that being said, I opened her status screen.

[Name]: Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades <Slave name not selected> slave of [Illsyore]

[Species]: Hybrid of Draconian and True Dragon

[Race]: Gold

[Level]: 24

[Strength]: 37

[Agility]: 24

[Intelligence]: 194 <unaffected by curse>

[Magic Energy]: 970-691 (279 max usable)

[Magic Energy regeneration]: 0.1 points per second

[Available points]: 0

[Skills] > List all skills? Y/N

[Available skill points]: 0

[Allegiance]: Omniak Drekar Gladarash, God of the Ancient Dragons

[Spouses]: Politically Engaged to Dankyun Alttoros

[Slaves]: None

[Pets]: None

[Minions]: None

[Unique Stats] > Show list? Y/N

Yes.

[Unique Stats]

[Curse of a Thousand Generations] <Through the sacrifice of over 10000 innocents, a curse had been cast upon the Pleyades family to have all of their children suffer from mortal lives and decreased stats. Passive Debuff -70% Decreased Stats. 1000 Generations of Mortal children with short lives <current generation at 298>. Years remaining: 7> Do you wish to remove this? Y/N

[Curse of Absolute Silence] <Through the sacrifice of 1000 flesh eating worms and forcing the cursed person to drink their remains, a curse has been cast on Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades to keep her from speaking again. If Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades speaks, the worms will manifest in her throat and for 5 minutes, she will feel the pain of being eaten alive. If Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades will try to chant, the worms will manifest in her brain and heart and kill her> Do you wish to remove this? Y/N

Someone really doesn’t want you talking. This is absurd… But seeing all of this… why did you enroll at a Magic Academy? I asked as I looked back at her.

‘To flee from Dankyun. I don’t like him. He is a bad man.’ she wrote on her blackboard.

If he comes here and tries to do anything to take you back, I’ll send him straight to my dungeon! I said with a confident smile.

‘Thank you.’ she wrote down.

I decided then to remove the [Curse of Absolute Silence].

[Removing [Curse of Absolute Silence] will cost 2700 Magic Energy Points. Do you wish to proceed? Y/N]

Yes.

The Magic Energy was drained from my pool, and I immediately felt tired and a bit drowsy. It was the effect of the sudden drop of Magic Energy, although, it wasn’t that bad. I waited for a couple of minutes to regenerate what I used up, then I selected the other curse.

[Removing [Curse of a Thousand Generations] will cost 6490 Magic Energy Points. Do you wish to proceed? Y/N]

Do me a favor, will you? After I remove this curse, let me sleep for 10-15 minutes or so and then wake me up. This will require quite a bit of Magic Energy. I explained to her carefully.

She nodded in reply.

Alright, here it goes… I said and then selected Yes.

My magic pool was immediately drained, leaving me with no more than 1180 Magic Energy Points. From what I experienced in the past, I already knew what sort of side effects to expect. They hit me like a rock. From head to toes, my whole body was simply numb, my head felt heavy, and I could barely keep my eyes opened. There was still quite a bit of Magic Energy left there, so I was hoping I wasn’t going to faint, but the tiredness was incredible. I struggled hard to keep myself awake while Ayuseya had no idea what was happening to me. In general, most mages avoided spending so much, but because of that curse, there was no way out of it for me.

True, I could have refused, but after reading those details, there was no way I would have done such a thing. To punish a thousand generations for the mistake of only one? Who would see such a heinous thing as just? Who would dare say that the yet unborn soul must pay for the crimes of their families?

Maybe because I was born as a Romanian in the 21st century of Earth that I couldn’t accept such a thing. Maybe in this world, curses of such magnitude and for countless future generations were a thing of the norm. Honestly speaking, I didn’t care. I saw it as unfair, unjust.

In the end, I couldn’t keep myself awake and fainted…

When I woke up, I was in a rather strange position. I was looking at an upside down draconian lady blushing strongly. My right cheek stung, and I had a strange regret lingering in my heart as if I was just denied something good.

What happened? I asked as I resumed a normal floating position.

Ayuseya turned red like a tomato and immediately looked away. It wasn’t anger, but embarrassment.

‘You touched me.’ she wrote on her blackboard.

The violin case was there too, floating in the darkness not too far from us.

My brain began to turn its gears, and I remembered that first time with Shanteya.

Did I by chance unconsciously hugged you when I fainted? I asked tilting my head to the left.

If I did that, it was quite normal for a lady like herself to react that way. Well, Nanya would have probably punched me in the face, and Alina would have punched me in the stomach, but out of all of them, Shanteya was the only one who actually reacted affectionately.

‘Yes. But I didn’t mind.’ she wrote.

Huh? I blinked confused.

She erased the words and wrote something else on the blackboard.

‘I let you hug me for a quarter of an hour. You were just sleeping.’

‘But’

‘A moment ago you touched my chest and squeezed.’

‘Sorry. I just reacted.’

I what? I… I what? Touched… squeezed? I said a bit shocked and then looked at my hands. So that’s what that feeling a moment ago was?

A single word was written on her blackboard now, which my mind translated as: ‘Ecchi…’

I had to say though, Ayuseya looked rather cute with her tail coiled in front of her and looking at me with shy upturned eyes all the while hiding her face behind that small blackboard. It could really make one’s heart skip a beat, but not mine, unfortunately.

Well, in any case, both of your curses are now removed. You should be able to speak freely. Just try it out! I told her with a big smile.

Blinking surprised, she quickly shook her head, making her beautiful red hair wave around her.

‘I’m afraid. What if…’ she quickly wrote on the blackboard.

The pain of a 1000 flesh eating worms attacking your throat and death through the torture of being eaten alive if you cast magic right? That’s gone. Trust me! If you feel anything, like I said before, tell Nanya! I laughed and showed her a confident smile.

Nodding once, Ayuseya placed her blackboard next to her and then took a big gulp of air. She closed her eyes and spoke.

T… Thank… Thank you… and clenched her hand, gripping on her frilly dress.

See? Nothing happened, your curse was removed and so is the other one! I told her after a minute had passed.

You mean… you mean that the curse… the curse that plagued the royal family of the Teslov Kingdom for generations is gone too? she asked with tears in her eyes.

I had a deja vu from when I first cured Shanteya. Did I attract cute, cursed, mute girls by any chance?

Yup! That one is gone as well! Hm? Wait, what? You are what now? Royal family? I asked surprised.

A strange chill ran down my spine, and I prayed I misheard that.

Yes, my name is Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades, one of the three children of King Greytusk Pleyades of Teslov Kingdom. Pleased to meet you, Dungeon Lord Illsyore. she said with a gentle smile.

When she said that, I remembered something Nanya once told me, that my very existence as a Godlike Dungeon Lord could shift the fragile political balance on both the Allasn continent and Thorya. Taking that into consideration and the fact that Ayuseya here was an actual royal princess from the Teslov Empire, the very one I saved from the assassin’s attack unless there was another one I wasn’t aware of yet, I may have if not surely just tossed my big crystal behind in a continental-sized trouble. Well, even if I knew that beforehand, I would still have probably tried to help her out, but probably went through Nanya and the other teachers first.

Wait a minute… Did I just enslave a royal princess? Sigh… I really need to find that ‘Common sense for dummies’ book… I said.

Erm, yes? she replied with a cute smile.