From Ashes To Scales

As the castle began to collapse, the death of Volkos sent a shockwave through the battlefield. The once imposing and relentless undead army started to fall apart, one by one. Skeletons crumbled, zombies turned into heaps of rotting flesh, and ghostly apparitions faded into the ether. Without the dark magic that bound them, every creature Volkos had summoned became nothing more than lifeless remains.

Down below, Lydia and the village warriors watched in amazement as the horde that had seemed unstoppable was reduced to dust. For a moment, there was silence—stunned, disbelieving silence. Then, slowly, a cheer rose from the villagers. It began with a few voices and quickly spread until the entire village was celebrating their hard-won victory. Ephiria was finally free.

But up above, within the crumbling castle, Magnus was having a far less triumphant experience. The ground shook beneath his feet as debris rained down from above. He stumbled through the ruins of what had once been Volkos’s throne room, coughing as a thick cloud of dust enveloped him.

“Who the hell decided that making a castle out of bones and rock was a good idea?” Magnus muttered, his voice muffled by the dust. He waved a hand in front of his face, trying to clear the air, only to be met with another wave of dust and falling debris.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of dodging falling stones and trying to keep his footing on the unstable ground, Magnus made his way out of the collapsing structure. He emerged into the open air, covered in dust and visibly annoyed, coughing and sputtering as he tried to catch his breath.

As he stood there, trying to regain his composure, he was suddenly greeted by the sight of Leona, Saphira, Rose, and Rusalka rushing toward him. Despite the exhaustion from their fierce battle against the undead, their faces lit up with relief and admiration as they saw Magnus safe and sound.

“Hubby! You did it!” Leona exclaimed, her eyes bright with gratitude.

“You were incredible! As expected of my lord!” Saphira added, her voice full of awe.

“Guess betting all my money on you was worth it!” Rose chimed in, her smile wide despite the weariness in her eyes.

Rusalka, ever stoic, nodded in agreement, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “Impressive work, Master. I believed in you until the very end.”

Magnus grinned, despite himself, and shrugged. “Well, you know… someone had to clean up that mess,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’m just glad all of you didn't get hurt fighting that army. You girls have grown so much in such a short time… it makes me proud.”

As they exchanged smiles, Lydia, who had been directing the villagers throughout the battle, approached Magnus with a look of deep gratitude. Her eyes were filled with tears, but they were tears of relief and joy.

“Magnus… I cannot thank you enough. After 300 years, Ephiria is finally free from Volkos’s tyranny. We owe you everything.”

Magnus, not one to dwell on emotional moments, waved his hand dismissively. “It was nothing, really. Just another day’s work.”

Lydia smiled warmly. “And your insight, Magnus! You knew the prisoners were out in the mines, far from the castle. Destroying Volkos’s fortress was the perfect strategy to eliminate any trace of his dark magic without risking innocent lives. Truly, your wisdom is as impressive as your power.”

Magnus straightened up, trying to appear as confident as possible. “Naturally,” he said with a proud smirk. But inwardly, his thoughts were racing, and his heart pounded in his chest.

*Wait… the prisoners? Mines? Oh crap… I didn’t even think about that! Thank the gods I got lucky this time…*

Lydia took a step closer, her eyes gleaming with admiration. “Magnus, I know I’ve said this before, but after everything you’ve done… I must offer once more: please, allow me to bear your children!”

Magnus nearly choked on the air he was breathing.

“W-What?! Seriously, this again?” he sputtered, his face turning a shade of crimson that matched his robes.

Leona, Saphira, Rose, and Rusalka all burst into laughter at Magnus’s flustered reaction.

“Oh come on, Magnus,” Saphira teased, “Surely you can’t resist such an offer. Think of the magical potential of your offspring!”

Leona grinned, adding, “And Lydia’s quite serious, you know. You might not get a better offer!”

Magnus waved his hands frantically, trying to calm the situation. “Hold on! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here! We’ve just barely escaped a crumbling castle, and you’re already talking about kids? Priorities, people!”

But Lydia wasn’t deterred. She took another step forward, her eyes full of determination. “Magnus, I’m serious. Your strength, your wisdom… You’re exactly what Ephiria needs. We could build a future together—stronger, brighter than ever before!”

In reality, the 4 girls once again stepped in to bail Magnus out.

“All jokes aside, Lydia, you should know there is a pecking order. There's no way I’m letting hubby in bed with you before me!” (Leona)

“That's right! Master must not be tainted! We were first.” (Rusalka)

“Although it might be an interesting experiment, I would be a better candidate to mix genes with.” (Saphira)

“Don't look at me! And don't think of bringing me in this twisted harem you’ve got going. But… don't get me wrong. I do like you, Magnus… but just… oh shit! I just can't!!” (Rose)

Magnus scratched the back of his head, trying to find a way out of this increasingly awkward situation. “Uh, look, Lydia, I appreciate the offer, really, but let’s just focus on rebuilding Ephiria for now, okay? We can… discuss other matters later.”

Lydia nodded, though her eyes still sparkled with that same admiration. “Very well, Magnus. But know that the offer stands.”

Magnus breathed a sigh of relief, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that this conversation was far from over.

*Why do these things always happen to me? I’m still a virgin and although even in my past life I wanted a girlfriend… these girls are scary. I get the feeling that they would tear my dick apart if I bedded any of them.*

As they continued their walk through the ruins, Lydia’s expression turned more serious. “When we deliver the news to the council, I have no doubt they will accept you as the new ruler of Ephiria. You’ve proven yourself worthy, Magnus. All hail King Magnus!”

The villagers and warriors, overhearing Lydia’s declaration, quickly picked up the chant, their voices rising in unison. “All hail King Magnus! All hail King Magnus!”

Magnus’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden turn of events. *King? Me?* He forced a confident smile, though his thoughts were in turmoil. *Oh, great. Well I can't deny that this was my goal to begin with. But why do I get the feeling that actually building a kingdom is harder than light novels and anime make it look?*

“Thank you… I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations,” he said aloud, raising his staff slightly as if to acknowledge their cheers. But inwardly, he was already scrambling to figure out what on earth he was going to do next. *Being a king is going to be a lot more complicated than taking down a necromancer… But it's a necessary step. I can't back down now. To create my ideal world… my vision of an utopia… I’ve steeled myself long ago for this, but I’m still getting goosebumps. But I will pull through!*

As the villagers continued their celebrations, Magnus couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the situation. He glanced over at his companions, who were all grinning at him with amusement.

“Looks like you’re stuck with us now, Your Majesty,” Rose teased, giving him a playful nudge.

Magnus sighed, though a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Yeah, I guess so. But let’s get one thing straight—if anyone’s going to be making the big decisions, it’s going to be a team effort. No way I’m doing this alone.”

“Agreed,” Saphira said with a grin. “But remember, Magnus, as king, you get the final say.”

Magnus groaned. “Why does that sound more like a curse than a blessing?”

The group laughed, the tension of the battle finally giving way to a lighter mood. As they made their way back to the village, Magnus couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of contentment despite everything. He had no idea what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, it felt like it might be something worth looking forward to.