Surviving a Harsh Fantasy with Cheat Items (WN)

「Again, Takeru?」

Oracle let out a sigh as I lay sprawled on the king-sized bed, completely immobilized.

I knew it wasn’t a good look.

This time, I’d been up against five of the toughest, most physically capable female knights. My legs wouldn’t even hold me up anymore.

Once more drained of energy, I found myself on Oracle’s lap, sucking on a bottle of her breast milk tonic. It felt like drinking sweet cream.

Though pleasant to taste, it was actually a potent elixir packed with restorative properties. I could feel my body refilling with lost energy.

「Ah, I’m alive again. All set now.」

「All set, you say? At this rate, your lower back must be feeling the strain. Here, let me have a look.」

As Oracle’s hands began to massage my waist, a sharp jolt went through me. Her fingers sank in, releasing the tension, and I couldn’t hold back a groan.

「See? My channeling massage does wonders, doesn’t it?」 「Thanks.」

「Oh, I’ll be expecting a reward later, too.」

「Ah—that spot is intense!」

「Hehe, this point relieves back tension.」

「Ouch! Oracle, that—that’s too much!」

「Can’t handle it, hmm?」

「Nggh!」

Somehow, her touch sent an electric tingle through my body, hitting me so hard in the back I couldn’t help but arch upward.

Just then, a green-scaled dragon lumbered into the bedroom.

「What’s this?」

Oracle barely raised an eyebrow at the unexpected dragon. I was already used to surprises like this, so I remained unfazed.

「Is that… Hydra?」

「Yes!」

The beast-tamer Hydra jumped off the dragon’s back. As always, she was dressed in a bold bondage-style armor.

The straps barely held together around her hips, giving off a vibe so daring it was hard to imagine her staying covered during any action scenes.

Maybe the tight black leather stuck well enough. Though honestly, I wondered if there was any practical purpose to this outfit for a beast tamer—it might just be her personal taste.

「Hydra. The dragon’s in the way, so leave it in the garden.」

「Got it! Alright, Midori-chan, wait in the garden for us, okay?」

A female, huh? Named her Midori because she’s green… not exactly a creative choice.

The dragon lumbered out. They say dragons are intelligent creatures, but Hydra’s command of them is something else.

「So, what brought you here?」

「‘What brought me here’—some greeting that is, King General-sama. Leaving me behind in the respawn zone like that was awful!」

Oh, right. I’d left Hydra behind, hadn’t I?

「I figured you’d be fine flying here with a demon beast.」

「Well, yes, I can fly here on a demon beast. And so, hearing the King General-sama was worn out, I flew in with a little gift. Here, open up!」

Hydra peeled a massive citrus fruit, about the size of a summer orange, and popped a piece into my mouth before I could react.

「Sour!」

「It’s a citrus fruit. They grow abundantly on the Abyss Continent, and I’m planning to plant saplings on our ranch, too.」

By ‘our ranch’ she meant the land I’d granted her for the demon beasts. She really put a lot of thought into this.

「You’re growing these now too?」

「Midori-chan loves citrus, after all.」

「Dragons eat this kind of thing?」

「Yes, indeed! For demon beasts to stay healthy, it needs more than meat; it’s essential they eat fruits and vegetables too. Just like people, right?」

「I see, so even dragons need their vitamins.」

The fruit, though intensely sour, seemed to be leeching the fatigue right out of my body.

「Fufu, I’m not sure what this ‘vitamin’ is, but as you say, King General-sama. By the way…what do you think of this?」

With a smug grin, Hydra held up a piece of paper in front of me.

「Ehto…marriage certificate? What is this!」

I tried to stand up in surprise, but Oracle still had her grip on my waist, pinning me down. My back arched involuntarily once again.

「I worked hard in the last war, but I never expected such an incredible reward! Once I’m part of the royal harem, my rise in status will be assured, won’t it?」

「No, I don’t recall issuing any such thing. I thought I arranged for your demon beast unit’s efforts to be rewarded with upgrades to the ranch facilities.」

Marriage certificates required an Inner Palace Council’s approval. Yet there it was, stamped with the royal seal of Silesie—a fully official document.

「Oh, I have no objections at all!」

「Hold on, Hydra. Listen to me.」

「Yes, I’ll listen to anything…darling.」

With that, Hydra rolled onto the bed next to me, wrapping her arms around me in a close embrace. She was moving way too fast.

「Oracle, please, stop holding my waist already.」

「Oh, now, are you sure it’s not still feeling nice?」

She pressed down on my pressure points again, sending another wave of relief and pleasure up my spine.

「Ah! It’s nice, but too nice. I’m fine, really!」

「Well then, shall we move on to the foot massage?」

「W-wait! No—aaagh!」

Suddenly, she dug in with relentless pressure. My back arched yet again.

At this rate, we’d never get anywhere. It felt incredible, but still!

「Hmm. Judging by your reaction, I’d say you’re pretty worn out physically.」

「Would you like me to do it too?」

Oracle’s foot massage was soothing, but Hydra’s version tickled like mad.

「Ah! Stop it, both of you! Haha!」

Unable to take it, I squirmed in laughter, but Hydra only tightened her embrace.

「Your bed is quite cozy, King General-sama. I can stay here, can’t I?」

「You seem awfully eager, Hydra. I haven’t given my answer yet, you know.」

「Of course, King General-sama dislikes me, I understand. After all, I am a demoness, and there is the difference in race.」

Despite her words, she pressed even closer in a rather tempting manner, contradicting her own statement.

Tempting as her form was, I wasn’t about to just…give in…

「Kyah!」

Suddenly, Hydra let out a high-pitched yelp.

「Hey, I haven’t done anything yet!」

「Hydra, I am Takeru’s wife and I’m also a demoness. Hmm, you’ve got a nicely-shaped pelvis there—perfect for bearing strong children.」

It seemed Oracle was touching Hydra from behind. Once Oracle’s curiosity was piqued, she’d relentlessly, methodically explore until she was satisfied.

「O-Oracle-sama, please…not my rear so much…」

「Takeru isn’t one to fuss over differences in race. Being from another world, he’s not like ordinary humans.」

「Eh? King General-sama is from another world?」

My origins were supposed to be a secret, but Oracle mentioning it likely meant she acknowledged Hydra.

「Demons like us have a hard time distinguishing between humans, but even among them, Takeru is a rare sight. Bloodlines grow stronger the more distant they are. It stands to reason that the children of Takeru, who came from another world, would be exceptional.」

「That’s incredible news! But, uh, if you could stop with the…」

Hydra, cheeks flushed, squirmed under Oracle’s probing hands.

What exactly is Oracle doing?

「Oh, and apparently Kaara is busy on the Abyss Continent, preparing to establish a new demon kingdom. It seems she’s determined to make my and Takeru’s child the next Demon King.」

「Really? That sounds like a big promotion opportunity!」

Hydra clung to me tightly.

「Yes, you should bear Takeru’s child as well. That child would surely be a high-ranking noble of the demon kingdom.」

「A high-ranking noble!」

「Indeed. And with the new kingdom short on talent, with your capability, you could choose any position—General, Minister, whatever you desire.」

「General! Minister! Ahh! That’s…that’s an unparalleled promotion!」

Hydra, whose ambition knows no bounds, was practically drooling with delight at this seductive proposal, utterly melting in rapture. Just why was Oracle even trying to win Hydra over?

「Hey, stop ignoring me and moving this discussion along without me.」

「Oh, King General-sama, I can’t take it anymore.」

「Excuse me?」

「My waist can’t support me anymore! Without some mercy, I can’t move!」

But we were talking about marriage before this!

When did this conversation jump past marriage to…well, the next stage?

This was shaping up to need another round of Oracle’s stamina potions.

It felt like, without my knowledge, I was sinking deeper and deeper into some elaborate scheme. Why are Oracle and the others so determined to increase my number of wives and children?

Some kind of shadowy Harem Council seemed to be at work here. Just where on earth was this council being held?

※※※

Meanwhile, just next to Takeru’s bedroom, where he was fumbling around with Hydra and Oracle, the Harem Council was in full swing in the grand hall.

It wasn’t that there was a permanent room for the Harem Council; it was simply that any meeting chaired by Takeru’s first wife, Queen Silhouette of Silesie, was referred to as such.

This time, ranking members from Princess Caroline of Transylvania, ranked second, all the way down to Neneka, who oversaw palace security in the twelfth position, were present.

Moreover, the new wife candidates like Sherry and thirteen slave girls, as well as Sarah-chan, Rara-chan, two covert scouts from palace security, and the guard knights, had also assembled for this joint meeting.

「Oracle-sama is presently intervening, so it seems that Hydra, captain of the Demon Beast Corps, has successfully joined Takeru-sama’s wives.」

Silhouette, who was chairing the meeting, nodded at the report from Juliana, the scout who had been observing the scene next door.

「Well then, since everyone who is about to become Takeru-sama’s wife is now gathered, let’s commence the joint council meeting.」

At Silhouette’s opening words, the meeting began.

Silhouette’s role as chair was mostly symbolic, as progressing the actual discussions fell to Lyle, the Regent of Silesie and sixth in rank.

In many ways, it mirrored their public political roles.

Given that Takeru’s wives included all the rulers of the Eura Continent, this Harem Council had practically become a clandestine Continental Alliance meeting, overseeing the world’s politics and economics.

After Lyle began seamlessly outlining recent events and future prospects, Sherry, seated near the end of the table, raised her hand.

Speaking up here took a great deal of courage…or perhaps only Sherry could interject in matters of politics.

「Yes, Sherry?」

「Your Excellency Lyle, why do you try to increase oniisama’s wives? Wouldn’t adding more only heighten the risk of family feuds and such?」

Partly jealous that more wives might lessen her own share, her question was, nonetheless, valid. Smiling, Lyle responded with, ‘An excellent question.’

「Indeed, the more Takeru-dono’s lineage spreads, the more those problems could arise.」

「Exactly!」

「But that is only when the numbers are increased halfway.」

「Halfway, you say?」

Even the astute Sherry couldn’t quite follow the explanation.

「For example, do you know how many people today claim descent from the founding king of the Kingdom of Silesie, Hero Renz?」

「Ehto, well, there’s the Kingdom of Silesie, the Transylvania Duchy, as well as….」

Sherry began, counting on her fingers.

At that, Eleonora, the Princess of the Duchy of Lanct and third in harem rank, raised her hand.

「My ancestors, too. They’re a very distant branch, but still.」

Queen Celestina of the Kingdom of Aragon, fourth in rank, also raised her hand.

「Well, although I can’t be certain, many tribal leaders here claim descent from Hero Renz. In fact, there’s even a village in Aragon where everyone is said to be his descendant.」

「A whole village?!」

Sherry was astounded.

「Exactly. If we limit the number only halfway, it becomes an issue. However, if Takeru-dono marries and fathers enough children to fill the royal and noble lines across the Eura Continent, it won’t seem rare anymore. Then, maternal bloodlines will naturally become the focal point for legitimacy, bringing stability to governance.」

This would bind royals, nobles, and even the financiers of the Sawatari Company, who share Takeru’s lineage, into a powerful blood alliance.

This was part of Lyle’s long-term strategy—not to raise Takeru as a king or emperor, but as the consort of queens throughout various nations.

「But…um, will oniisama’s body be able to handle all this?」

Sherry asked, wondering if she’d ever even get a turn.

While the renowned Hero Renz had often taken fleeting companions for just one night, Takeru, more serious by nature, felt obligated to treat each of his partners as a wife, which made Sherry worry for him.

「There, I’m afraid we’ll have to rely on Takeru-dono’s own efforts.」

It seemed she had left that entirely up to Takeru without a plan.

When it came to such matters, Lyle’s thoroughness fell a bit short. Takeru certainly had his work cut out for him.

「Well, we’ll consider Takeru-dono’s stamina gradually. For now, however, there’s one bloodline we must ensure promptly.」

Lyle added, pointing with her baton at the map on the table.

The pointer landed on the newly established Germania Empire, a nation ruled by the young Empress Elizabeth.

「Wait, but Eliza is only nine, right? That’s absolutely out of the question!」

As her friend, Sherry knew this well—no matter how wise, Eliza looked every bit her age. Takeru would never agree to marry someone so young. He held firm to his rule of waiting until a partner was at least fifteen (especially given that even Sherry herself hadn’t been taken to bed, as she appeared younger than her age).

Even if it were just a formal engagement, Takeru would doubtlessly find it bothersome, saying things like, ‘Political marriages are unacceptable.’ or ‘Deciding her future at such a young age seems wrong.’ She could practically picture it.

「I have a plan for that. Empress Elizabeth will soon be visiting us from the Germania Empire to celebrate our recent victory. Rest assured, the groundwork is already in place.」

Lyle said with a sly smile, resting the baton against her cheek.

So, would Takeru ultimately fall into Lyle’s scheme and marry Eliza?

To be continued.