Harem System In A fantasy World

As the woman set foot on the ground, Eva panicked and hurried back toward Elion before hiding behind him. The woman’s expression darkened into a scowl, making it clear that the two did not see eye to eye.

"That’s her," Eva murmured from behind him.

’Her? Who?’ Elion wondered, glancing down at the little girl.

"You, girl," the woman said. "I thought I told you not to return to town until the master said otherwise. Do you realise what coming back here means?"

Eva didn’t answer, merely grumbling under her breath as she lowered her gaze to the ground. The woman waited for a few moments before finally sighing.

"I see you’ve brought some guests with you," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Is that why you’ve come back?"

Eva nodded slowly from behind Elion. The woman looked over the group, and a pleasant smile gradually replaced the scowl on her face.

"Welcome, travellers," she said. "Might I ask what you seek from our humble town?"

As she spoke, Elion noticed something else that made him uneasy. Her tongue was completely black.

Putting the odd observation to the back of his mind, Elion cleared his throat. "Apologies for the intrusion. We came across this young girl while exploring the ruins above, and she told us about a powerful sage known as the master dwelling in this place."

He bowed lightly, a curious, slightly reverent expression forming on his face.

"We thought it would be disrespectful to explore the ruins above your home without paying our respects to the master, lest we bring his ire down upon us."

The woman’s smile widened. She seemed pleased with both his manner of address and his open admiration for their master, whom he had yet to meet.

"Ah, yes, of course," she replied. "The master is kind and magnanimous. It is only natural that you would feel the need to meet him, and I’m sure he would be delighted to meet you travellers as well."

An odd light flashed in her eyes, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Elion. However, she continued before he could give it much thought.

"I will need to inform him of your presence first, and then we shall see whether he wishes to meet with you. If you don’t mind delaying your journey for a few days, we would be more than happy to accommodate you in our humble town."

Elion held her gaze for a moment, keeping the pleasant expression on his face while he considered her offer.

A few days was considerably longer than he or the others intended to spend here. In fact, a few hours was plenty already, but the woman was watching him quite closely.

He doubted a sudden change of heart would pass unnoticed. He had to show her that he was eager, earnest, and desperate enough to meet this master.

If it came to it, they would just ask to leave even without seeing this master and solving this mystery before them.

He had a feeling that whatever was going on here was beyond the current him.

"We would be grateful for somewhere to rest tonight," he replied, bowing his head again. "We’ve travelled quite far, and your hospitality would be most welcome."

"Of course." The woman clasped her hands in front of her, the loose sleeves of her robes falling over her fingers. "You must be exhausted. We have rooms set aside for visitors, though it has been quite some time since we’ve had the pleasure of accommodating travellers."

Her gaze passed over them once more, lingering on their weapons before returning to Elion’s face.

The smile remained, but something about the scrutiny beneath it made him feel as though she were taking stock of much more than their travelling equipment.

"I shall speak to the master about your arrival. In the meantime, these men will see you to your lodgings and make sure you have everything you need."

She gestured toward two of her followers, who calmly stepped forward.

Their polearms remained upright beside their shoulders, and Elion noticed that neither spoke nor looked directly at the woman.

The woman’s gaze settled on Eva again.

The little girl shrank farther behind him, her fingers grasping around the loose fabric at her side. Perhaps feeling that this much was not enough, she pinched into Elion’s bodysuit with one hand.

Elion felt the slight tug and glanced down, finding that her earlier enthusiasm had deserted her entirely.

"As for you..."

"She’s been very helpful," Elion interjected gently, drawing the woman’s eyes back to him. "Would you mind allowing her to accompany us while we settle in? There are a few things about the town I’d like to ask her."

For a moment, the woman’s expression flashed with a hint of rage, but she concealed it well. The only way to see it was in her crimson eyes, as nothing more than a sharp gleam.

Even quicker, the pleasant smile returned to her face, smoothing away whatever rage had briefly shown beneath it.

"Very well. She may accompany you for now."

"Thank you," Elion replied.

He didn’t miss the qualification, and judging by the way Eva continued pinching his side, neither did she. Still, the woman appeared satisfied, and after instructing the guards to take good care of their guests, she rose into the air again.

Her robes stirred beneath her feet as she ascended, and Elion watched her travel back toward the distant spire.

Among all those faint threads stretching across his vision, there was still none he could associate with her.

"Please follow us," one of the guards said, turning toward the street.

Elion exchanged a brief look with Maya before moving after him.

She followed without speaking, though the look she gave Elion told him she had quite a few things to say once they were alone.

The crowd gradually closed behind them.

As they walked, Elion found himself examining the people more closely.

Their clothes varied considerably, from patched garments and worn aprons to relatively fine robes, but almost every face shared the same pallor, the unhealthy colour of people who had lived too long without sunlight.

Some watched the visitors with undisguised curiosity. Others lowered their heads as the guards passed, continuing with their work only once the group had moved beyond them.