Chapter 919: Valena’s Tears

"Ngh...!?"

He slapped her ass one last time, the excess of his seed spurting onto the floor as Ciela gasped powerlessly. Asmodeus couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled away from her exhausted body.

For all the vulgar things she said, the dark elf could barely keep herself upright now, her legs trembling as she remained sprawled over Simon’s desk with her hair a complete mess.

"Next time? You’re lucky to have survived this one. Arrogant little elf... look at how much your hole is gaping. What a delightfully disgraceful sight.

"Hmph..."

Ciela pushed herself upright and immediately winced, reaching behind her with one hand and closing the hole leaking his cum. "...Totally worth it, eheheh."

Asmodeus shook his head and gently stroked her shoulder. "Please take more care with your body, Ciela. Though I do not mind indulging in your size fetish... today was a bit abrupt and dangerous. It could’ve left lasting damage."

Her eyes widened at his words, her lovely green eyes narrowing into slits.

"I know~ but I was just so... jealous."

"Yeah, yeah, I can’t tell you to change; when we got married, I said I would accept you."

Ciela didn’t come back with a smart line or strange sound; she just stared at Asmodeus, quietly smiling to herself as she muttered. "That’s why I love you."

Asmodeus began fixing his clothes while Ciela cleaned herself with magic, her expression gradually returning to the stern, composed face she’d worn when entering the office. It was almost ridiculous how quickly she transformed from the woman who’d been screaming beneath him with a huge cock in her ass to the commander of twenty elite demonic archers.

Elena watched from nearby with a strange mixture of admiration and uncertainty.

Ciela first rushed off to the latrine, holding her buttocks.

About twenty minutes passed.

She finally returned, fully clothed and back to her usual self.

"You."

"H-Huh?"

"Come with me."

Elena pointed at herself.

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

The lioness immediately looked towards Asmodeus.

Ciela’s eyes narrowed.

"Stop asking him for permission with your eyes. If you’re going to become one of his women, you need to stop acting like a servant."

Elena’s ears twitched.

"I wasn’t..."

"Whatever, Darling. I am going to take her into my group; please don’t be angry or think I will bully her. It’s just that she’ll be important and useful for me."

Ciela fastened the last silver clasp around her armour before turning back towards Elena. "You’re physically strong, you understand Beastmen better than any of my archers, and I’m curious about you."

"...Curious?"

"To a woman who can charm our husband, we always show interest and welcome." Her little mouth curled into a grin. "Don’t worry, since I’ve accepted you, I will be your first ally in the harem."

Maybe the way she spoke made Elena turn pale and stiffen.

Asmodeus sighed, while trying to hide his growing amusement at Ciela acting mature.

"Don’t bully her."

"Hmph." She folded her arms before adding, "Besides, if she’s coming into our family, I’d rather see what kind of woman she is with my own eyes."

Elena listened to Ciela without speaking, but this time she didn’t look to Asmodeus for approval and instead stepped forward. "I am but a mere middle-aged beast, but if you have a place for my skills. This beast named Elena will follow you!"

Ciela moved towards the door, but Asmodeus caught her wrist before she could leave.

Her green eyes shifted towards him.

"The reason you came here?"

"Ah."

For the first time, the lingering softness disappeared entirely.

"My scouts are ready to spread through the city for now. But there’s something strange about the movements outside Baltimore."

"What do you mean?"

Asmdoeus lost all traces of the debauched emperor instantly.

"They aren’t concentrating forces anywhere."

Ciela lowered her voice.

"Small groups. Merchants, pilgrims, refugees, mercenaries... They’ve all been travelling to the three kingdoms apart from Lumeria. The Elven forests, Grigor and of course the Beast Kingdom... I don’t think Baltimore was the main target."

Asmodeus remained silent as he sat on his chair, tapping the messy map now stained and wet with Elena and Ciela’s fluids and sweat.

’Tsk, why did I lose myself to lust...’

"The Elven forest, Grigor and Beast Kingdom... I might need more of you to move. Can you contact Erika, Yumiko and Asmodea?"

Ciela’s bright pupils shimmered for a second as her expression changed immediately.

At the moment, she held superiority as his wife.

But those three women were close to him before she was, especially Yumiko and Erika, who came from the same world as Asmodeus.

"..."

"Erika is well-versed in Grigor, along with Asmodea, and their abilities are better for controlling and defeating large numbers rapidly."

His finger shifted south.

"Yumiko should return to the Beast Kingdom. Yuina can help her if necessary, but I want Yumiko personally involved. She can help with the situation here and escort the injured beastmen to the kingdom safely."

Ciela glanced towards him.

"Why her?"

Asmodeus stared at the section representing the Beast Kingdom.

"And because whoever planned this Baltimore incident wanted humans to hate Beastmen. If they’re attempting something similar there, I would rather have someone the tribes already know and trust standing in front of them."

Ciela seemed to reluctantly nod at his words.

"I understand, Yumiko makes sense... especially with Yuina there. Even now, plenty of the older tribes wish that she would take another term as Empress and revere both of them as the golden rulers."

"Mhm, well, I don’t plan to go that far. Yumiko’s first job is to bring these people home and figure out whether the same drugs, resonators or traffickers have already entered the Beast Kingdom."

Asmodeus dragged his finger back across the map.

"As for Grigor... send both Erika and Asmodea."

Ciela’s eyes narrowed as she examined the marked territory.

Asmodeus leaned back in Simon’s chair. "The people behind this aren’t concentrating military strength, so neither will we. Asmodea understands Grigor and its people better than anyone, while Erika can handle anything that requires force without turning the entire situation into a fucking massacre."

Ciela smiled before stepping closer to the desk.

"And the Elven forests?"

Asmodeus remained silent because that region worried him more.

Grigor had established governments and cities that could be monitored. The Beast Kingdom possessed tribes, settlements and people whose movements could still be traced with enough manpower.

But the elves were strange.

He might’ve helped restore their world trees and united the two elven tribes, but who knew whether that crazy queen and king would act like normal people.

’They are Ciela’s parents after all...’

It wasn’t meant as an insult, but since he married Ciela, they’d been asking if he was interested in your younger siblings too... trying to marry them off to him.

’Forget it...’

"You."

Ciela’s smile vanished.

"Me?"

"You know the forests better than anyone I trust, and those archers behind that door were born there."

Her eyes shifted towards the entrance.

"Take Elena with you."

Asmodeus hated sending Ciela to the forest, though she was an elf; this strange girl preferred the dungeons or cities humans built. They managed to save the elven kingdom from destruction.

But he’d noticed that Ciela didn’t visit or hold her people in high regard after everything that happened to them in between.

The lioness straightened immediately.

Asmodeus continued before either woman could interrupt.

"If Beastmen are being transported through the forests, she’ll notice things your elves might not. Scents, animal tracks, or their behaviour... even small cultural details..."

Elena placed a hand against her chest.

"I will do everything I can."

Ciela seemed ready to shout and scream at first, but as he continued to speak, she managed to swallow her breath and hold back. In reality, he would’ve accepted it if she asked to spend a day or two in Baltimore with him. He’d truly neglected her, Erika and many of his women.

"F-Fine... I just wanted to spend more time with you."

"I know. Let me promise to give you a proper weekend date when it’s over."

"Mhm."

He then tossed her several parchments with hurried writing.

"I hope you can contact Alice before heading to the west."

Alice was far too useful to waste chasing individual infiltrators.

"Give her every report we have. The drugs, the resonators, the merchant movements, everything Riel recovered from those men’s memories. Tell her I want her to focus on nothing but the information and possible patterns."

"....I’ll contact her tonight."

She watched him slowly push himself from his chair and asked. "What are you going to do?"

Asmodeus sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"For the next few hours, I’m going to sleep."

"You actually intend to sleep?"

"I’ve spent most of today dealing with poisoned Beastmen, infiltrators, politics and two excessively horny women."

Elena suddenly became fascinated with the floor.

"Liar! You enjoyed the last part so fucking much!" Ciela joked, but she still stepped back towards the door and didn’t approach Asmodeus. She blew him a kiss before taking Elena’s hand and darting out of the room with none of her previous atmosphere.

"Sleep well, darling."

"Ah..... Good night, Your Majesty."

The door closed with a thud as he leaned against the desk, rubbing his forehead, apparently more exhausted than he let on.

’Erika... Asmodea... Yumiko... things are never easy.’

Perhaps Ciela was right.

He’d allowed too many of the women who built this life alongside him to remain comfortably in the background for far too long.

That needed to change.

But not tonight.

Asmodeus finally left Simon’s office and crossed the quiet castle towards the chambers prepared for him.

The moment he opened the door, however, his plans for sleep disappeared.

A thick, sweet alcoholic smell flooded his nose.

It was so dense he felt dizzy himself. "... What the hell?"

His eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Several empty bottles lay scattered across the floor.

And on his bed sat Valena.

The usually cheerful dragoness hugged her knees against her chest, another bottle hanging loosely between her fingers while messy hair covered half her face.

She slowly looked towards him, staring at him with her once beautiful, red eyes now a misty, swollen mess.

"...You’re late."