Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

The applause was still echoing, and the mood on the command bridge remained lively despite the late hour. Then the door swung open, and the entire room fell dead silent in a fraction of a second.

"Huh?"

Dion glanced toward the doorway, but before his eyes could even land on it, "Yank!" He was hoisted right up into the air, breaking his kiss with Cleo. He looked over at Cleo, who was also floating in midair. Turning their heads back, both of them turned pale as sheets. Holding them up was Sheila, smiling sweetly while her face was swallowed in dark shadow.

"So... what exactly are you two doing?" Sheila asked in a deep, smiling voice.

"Um... there’s something we need to talk about," Dion offered.

"Sure... why don’t you take a look over there?" Sheila gestured toward the door.

Dion and Cleo turned to look. Their stomachs dropped. Standing at the doorway were Mei with her arms crossed, Luna with her hands on her hips, Aria squatting down resting her chin in her hands, and Gina hovering in midair with a baffled look on her face. Standing behind the four of them was Johan, who looked like he desperately wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

"So... what did you want to talk about?" Luna asked coldly, wearing a dark smile.

"Please explain... very slowly," Aria added.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I’ve been on the bridge the whole time. Naturally, you know... as Shadow Hand... it’s my job to monitor everything, and... of course, hear everything," Mei added dryly.

"Ugh," Cleo hung her head, completely helpless as Sheila held her up off the floor by her collar.

"Let’s move this conversation somewhere else. Brother Johan, please stay right here," Luna said.

"O-oh... alright," Johan replied nervously, pushing up his glasses.

Sheila hauled Dion and Cleo out of the bridge, through the basement corridor, and up into the mansion. Luna, Aria, and Mei led the way into the mansion’s living room. The servants could only watch in silence, having received strict orders to let Luna use any room she wanted as Olga’s younger sister. Once inside, they locked the door. Sheila finally dropped Dion and Cleo, but the four girls demanded that both of them kneel facing them.

"Alright... and then?" Luna said with a smile.

"Ugh... I want to marry him," Cleo said.

"We know that part," Aria smiled back.

"Wait, then what else is there to explain?" Cleo asked, raising her head.

"Don’t play dumb. We already discussed this, and you agreed earlier today. Well?" Aria pressed.

"No sneak kisses behind our backs, remember?" Sheila reminded her.

"Uh," Cleo hung her head again.

"Wait... agree to what? What were you guys talking about?" Dion asked.

"Allow me to explain," Mei stepped forward.

Mei explained that back in the pyramid earlier that day while Dion was outside tending to his shop, they had called Cleo out for letting her emotions run wild and spouting nonsense to Astrid. To Luna, Aria, Sheila, and Mei, it sounded like Cleo was trying to claim Dion all for herself, so they had brought her back to reality. Hearing this, Dion was utterly stunned. He turned to look at Cleo beside him.

"For real?" Dion asked.

"Yeah... at first... but... whatever, I’m willing to share," Cleo answered.

"Good. Now then,"

Luna suddenly stepped up right in front of Dion. She cupped both of his cheeks, turned his head toward her, and "Smoooch!" Dion’s eyes went wide as Luna kissed him full on the lips without warning or hesitation. The moment Luna pulled back, Aria stepped forward "Smoooch!" She planted another kiss on Dion, leaving him even more bewildered. Pulling away, Aria wrapped her arms around Dion’s neck and smiled.

"Don’t forget, I’m your fiancée."

Aria released her grip on Dion, who was in absolute shock as his brain completely froze. Next, Mei stepped up, squatted down in front of Dion, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Like I said, I’m yours."

"Smoooch!"

Mei kissed Dion, who was still in deep shock, holding him tight as he squirmed. Once satisfied, she let go, leaving Dion gasping for air as she stood up. Suddenly "Yank!" Sheila scooped Dion up into a tight embrace, lifting him off the floor "Smoooch!" She kissed Dion while holding him suspended in the air, leaving him completely helpless. After a long moment, Sheila finally broke the kiss.

"From the moment I stepped into your domain, I was already your wife."

Sheila set Dion back down. Weak-kneed, Dion collapsed onto his rear, his face pale and his mind thoroughly fried, while Gina clung to his head looking just as confused.

"Alright... I’m writing a letter to Father telling him I’m marrying my fiancé even if the engagement was canceled, so there won’t be any more arranged marriages," Aria declared.

"Yep... I’m writing a letter to my father too," Mei added.

"I don’t need to tell anyone. My father has passed away, and he already knows," Sheila chimed in.

"Same here... What about you, Cleo?" Luna asked.

"I’ll probably just inform King Alexius of the Lutherias Kingdom... he’s my uncle," Cleo replied.

"Hold on a secoooond!"

Everyone snapped their heads toward Dion, who voiced his protest as his brain finally restarted.

"Wait... wait a minute! How did I end up marrying all of you? What kind of deal did you guys actually make with Cleo? I don’t get this at all!" Dion blurted out.

"Hmm... okay, look. What we talked about back in the pyramid wasn’t everything. The five of us made a pact: if any one of us declared her intent to marry you, she would automatically be speaking for all of us. Cleo said it out loud, so now the whole thing is set in motion automatically," Luna explained.

"What?! Who even makes a rule like that? And you actually agreed to it?" Dion asked, turning to Cleo.

"What else was I supposed to do? It’s a win-win for all of us. Count your blessings—you get five beautiful wives," Cleo replied with a smile.

"You set me up!" Dion accused.

"Hey... what’s done is done! Besides, every single one of us here is dead serious, so stop complaining," Cleo said fiercely.

Dion looked at Cleo’s face, which had indeed been completely serious from the very start. Then he turned to study Luna. There was no doubt in his mind, deep down, he had known about Luna’s feelings for him for a long time. Next, he looked at Aria, recalling why she had abandoned the academy just to follow him, her face now equally serious. He looked at Mei, who had been following him ever since their academy days and had told him she belonged to him when they reunited, her expression was just as resolute.

Finally, he turned to Sheila, whom he had known since the academy. She had constantly challenged him to fights ever since losing to him when he defended Rene, and she had managed his territory for an entire year while he was in Minatheras. Her expression now matched the others, she was completely sincere.

"So... all of you really want to marry me?" Dion asked.

No one spoke, but every single one of them nodded in response, their faces flushing red, except Sheila, who looked entirely unbothered.

"You too?" Dion asked Sheila.

"Yup... I want to have a strong child with you and train them to be my successor," Sheila answered casually.

"Haah... don’t talk about children," Dion sighed, a brief echo of his past life flickering in his mind. Even though he had moved on and felt no pain from it, he remained cautious.

Dion pondered for a moment. He didn’t see the words "child support" floating across the foreheads of the five girls standing around him, and he knew they were nothing like Tessa, his ex-wife from his past life. Finally, he looked at the five of them and asked:

"If I were to set an agreement for all of us, that if any of you or I betray one another, the marriage is off and we walk away with only what we brought in, would you agree to that?" Dion asked.

The faces of Cleo, Luna, Aria, Mei, and Sheila instantly darkened. Pain and disappointment flashed across every one of their eyes. Aria stepped forward first.

"You... think I would betray you? I’ve been waiting for you and searching for you all this time," Aria said softly.

"I’ve been by your side this whole time. Didn’t you see that?" Luna added.

"You doubt me? I know I’m just a commoner who works as a spy... but my feelings are genuine, and I chose this life for you," Mei chimed in.

"You doubt me too? I quit being a royal mage because of you. I was almost executed for your sake, and I stood up for you right in front of the king. Didn’t you see any of that? I promise I will never betray you," Cleo declared.

Suddenly, "Thud!" Dion looked over to see Sheila sitting cross-legged on the floor. Everyone turned to stare at her. She unsheathed a dagger from her waist "Sreet!" She sliced a lock of her own hair off and laid it down in front of Dion. She then turned to Aria.

"Aria, do you have paper and a pen?" Sheila asked.

"Oh... yes, hold on."

Aria opened her dimensional storage, pulled out a clipboard, and set it down beside Sheila. "Riiip!" Sheila tore a sheet of paper off and scribbled something on it. Then "Sreet!" She sliced her own forearm, startling Dion, Cleo, Luna, Aria, and Mei. She dripped her blood onto the paper, pressed her thumb into it, rolled the sheet up, and bound it with the lock of her hair. She handed the scroll to Dion.

"What is this?" Dion asked.

"We barbarians don’t do written contracts. I shouldn’t even need to write one, but since they taught us letter writing at the academy, go ahead and read it," Sheila said nonchalantly.

Dion untied the hair and unrolled the paper, his eyes widening. What Sheila had created wasn’t a standard agreement, it was a blood pact. It explicitly stated that if she ever betrayed him, Dion had full right to sever her head and burn her corpse.

"Whoaaaah... why would you make a blood pact like this?! This is completely insane!" Dion gasped in shock.

Suddenly "Thud!" Dion turned to see Aria, Luna, Cleo, and Mei all sitting cross-legged on the floor, pulling out daggers and preparing to cut their own hair. Seeing all four of them getting ready to follow Sheila’s lead, Dion instantly threw his hands up to stop them.

"Stop... that’s enough! Don’t do anything! I believe you... we don’t need any contracts or pacts. Just promise me... stay by my side," Dion pleaded, raising his hands.

Dion tore up the blood pact, releasing Sheila from a ritual held sacred by her tribe, bringing tears to her eyes. Hearing Dion’s words, tears also welled up in the eyes of Luna, Aria, and Mei. But Cleo suddenly lunged "Thwaack!" She tackled Dion, sending him crashing flat onto his back on the floor, and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Hey!"

Instantly, Luna, Aria, Mei, and Sheila piled on, burying Dion beneath a group hug as he lay sprawling on the floor. "Oooof!" Dion suddenly found himself struggling for air, his eyes tracking Gina, who had narrowly avoided the dogpile by taking flight.

"One... more... agreement... never... tackle me like this again... I... could die," Dion wheezed out.

"Not a chance!" all five girls shouted in unison.

"Ugh... fine," Dion managed to gasp out, completely out of breath. He finally surrendered to his fate and passed out cold.