-IMPORTANT NEWS: I'm changing the release schedule
Things will be "release when ready" from now on.
I've tried to keep up the same "three parts per week" schedule totaling 9k words per week for years now, but it's simply not possible anymore, and more effort than it's worth. It's pressuring me so much to just keep writing at every moment that I dropped all the other little fun things I could be doing. I need more flexibility in my schedule so that I can build healthier habits that let me increase my productivity.
The other thing that I'll add is a rule of no writing on the weekends so that I actually force myself to work on something that isn't writing for once, like the Character Compendium, Maps, Spellbook, Bestiarium, and the AI pics.
Now that I've released this chapter, I'll start the usual two-week break. After that, I'll focus on catching up with patron advance chapters, and I'm not sure if I'll make any chapter public while that's going. At most, I might make public one part a week to give something to the non-patrons.
The last concern is how I'm going to fit Heretical Magus and Patreon side-story chapters in this new schedule. Maybe I can do one chapter of each every three weeks, or maybe after a certain number of releases, but I have to think about that some more.
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We can easily enter the Succubi Holy Land due to already getting the permits once, but after that, we're forced to wait.
The succubi have a tenuous relationship with the angels while they're neutral towards the estekabar and the gorosnegee, but none of the latter two have an [Eternal Gate] treaty with the succu-girls, so we need to take a gate south to the hers-type race Holy Land before we can get one to the estekabar's. We also have a letter of recommendation from old bird Dokkanchee, so they easily allow us in, and then we get a gate directly to Basaree.
Of course, Osaria cleared things up in advance, so the previous paragraph is more about her work than the difficulties of our journey, and it only takes us a short time to get through. But it's unfortunate I couldn't stay longer in the hers-type Holy Land as they're like dwarves but with bigger eyes, shorter tempers, and wild hair. Very cute and fuckable.
The hers demon race Hub room seems to be underground as everything is made of stone, but the abstract decorative carvings feel both rough and also "artistic" at the same time. Like the "wildness" or "randomness" is part of the theme. I find it curious, but it doesn't please Lina too much.
Then the Kabare Hub feels like it's high up as we hear the whistling of the wind, and the room seems to be made of boards that creak along as they're strained. It has a very rickety feel, but at least the colorful draperies everywhere are nice.
Next is the Basaree Hub, and this one feels less windy and rickety, but it's also less colorful, though that means it hurts our eyes less. I do love their use of vibrant color, but it's everywhere. It's like they have a thing against using a limited color palette, as even the colorful and diverse Chimeras have a better sense of aesthetics than the Kabare.
I'm not exactly saying it's ugly, just tiresome for the eyes, so I hope that this is a mere matter of adjusting to it.
I have the concubines with me, including Nono, and I also invited Hukarere to be one of the guards, so our party is pretty big. We could even be considered an invasion party considering how powerful the wives and I are, and the soldiers that guide us do look tense at first, but the overwhelming amount of feminine auras seem to calm them down, or at least charm them and give them boners.
Their steps become lighter as they show us the way out of the Hub. Then we spot a small welcoming party waiting for us at the exit, and I can see that it's led by two hot birb women.
This is going to be good.
The woman on the left is a slender, dark-skinned peacock woman wearing a full feather outfit, complete with a feather crown and feather bra that holds her juicy, teardrop-shaped tits. It's basically a bikini with a cape and an open skirt that shows her delicious dark legs and crystal high heels, along with pretty blue nails.
Her face is also that of a noble with a strong jaw, and I immediately get hard imagining skull fucking her to the point that she chokes and almost pukes. Almost, because actual puking is gross. Her hair is basically the same as Alissa's, as it's shoulder length and bob cut, but the cutting lines are more noticeable, and she also has perfectly straight hair bangs that barely go past her eyebrows, making her look more fashionable.
I prefer my cum slut fox slave slut, though. It's like Yunia with her drills; it's hard to keep such perfectly-shaped hair, so while it does look stunning, one super-fashionable woman is enough.
She also has a bit of feathered extra skin connecting her arms to her flanks like a wingsuit, but it doesn't sag when she folds her arms, as if it's very stretchy. I think that it must be a fashion thing because old bird Dokkanchee's was extremely saggy, as if she carried a cape of feathers on her arms.
The other bird woman is shorter (though still taller than me) and even thinner. She has the same feather bra but smaller (and not small) tits, no cape, and she's wearing a cigarette skirt, making her look like a stern secretary, which also makes me horny as I imagine ruining her cold expression with ahegaos from continuous orgasms. I already did that to Mimi, but I'd love to do it again. No woman shall be frigid in my presence.
Both of them use heavy eyeliner, and now the fetish that's activated is about ruining their makeup.
"It's an honor to have you here, royal Ryders," the gorgeous bird greets as both of them bow.
"Rise. We appreciate the respect we're being shown," I immediately answer composedly.
The hotter birb smiles and still lowers her as she introduces both of them, "I'm Reshiraah, Prime Holy Diplomat, and this is Miss Tahmemel, the representative for the Kabara Basaree Illusion Magic School."
Roxanne's Trivia: a "Holy person" is a demon who has been recognized as being special or as having done something outstanding for their race. Most experienced researchers are Holy people, as are all of the higher officers of the Holy Daemonic Council.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I reply with a handsome smile, deeply infusing my "Charisma" and [Sexual Charm] into my tone.
Reshiraah shows zero reaction, but Alissa sees her hairs (the non-feather ones) stand on end, while Tahmemel's feather hairs all stand up in clear arousal, but she remains perfectly still, likely stunned. It'd be impolite to chase after Memel, considering how weak she is to my charms, so I'll focus on having fun with Resh, instead.
Then I introduce them to the wives to give them time to recover, and Memel just nods along like a robot for the first half before she returns to normal and actually starts smiling politely.
"Now, if you'd follow us, we shall begin this tour," Resh smoothly states, and she motions with her arm for us to walk along her, but then she offers one arm to me.
Oh, you slut!
And I can't hold back the sway of my thick tail as I take it. I immediately sense that she's wearing the thickest perfume I've ever smelled, and it makes my Cock hard, but what doesn't, really? I'm not against such strong perfume, but, Gods, this is almost an attack on my senses.
Huh… I guess it makes sense, considering the décor.
The only real problem is how our height difference makes us look a bit like mother and child. I mean, I'm into that, but I have to admit it's not the best image for a king.
Then I give her the subtlest soul touch because she seems like she can handle a bit of a push from me, so I want to have a little fun. They know what I'm like, so you don't offer a steak to me if you don't want me to take a bite.
"May one of my wives have your other arm?" I huskily add.
"Most certainly," she gently replies with a nod that makes her crown of feathers bob.
I think about ordering Alissa, but Roxanne immediately goes for it, and she grins excitedly at Resh like a submissive bottom eager to get pegged. This is fine with me because I just want to maximize happiness, and my slutty succubus is almost salivating about the peacock's cunt.
"Let us begin, then," Resh confidently announces like the cool fucker she is.
And we walk across the (mostly) red carpet, our steps muffled by its surprising fluffiness. The Hub room is a mess of colorful tapestry with geometric patterns, epic depictions, and LSD-fueled abstract art… but the room outside isn't much better.
Now there are statues of Holy people, which we believe must be the previous Governors of Basaree. These aren't as masterfully crafted as the elven statues, though, and they've also been painted, but the lesser craftsmanship makes them seem more "lifeless," while the coloration gives them an "uncanny valley" effect, but the worst is that… the people being honored just don't look that attractive.
The seating Governor also has a huge portrait behind the front desk where the receptionists sit, and he looks like a standard fat old man. We call them Mayors in the empire, but it seems that the ones here have powers similar to a Lord without the need to participate in battle, allowing them to fatten up like this.
"Avgin Lords always make comments on the appearance of our leaders," Resh wryly remarks, perfectly reading past our blank expressions.
"I'd rather not when I know so little about your ways," I answer politely and pat her hand with a bit of a stronger soul touch.
"You're very considerate, Your Highness," she replies, still perfectly hiding whatever arousal must be creeping into her.
"But I know, and I find this slovenliness disappointing," Yunia sternly interjects.
And Resh nods in understanding, then calmly explains, "We don't need many warriors inside the Holy Lands, so our leaders are allowed to have weaker bodies."
"You don't need a strong body to use magic at a high level," Roxanne smugly adds just to annoy Yunia, but Resh wisely stays out of this as anything she says from now on could "offend" either of the two.
"Then I shall merely outlast you through constant harassment with my men, pushing you to insanity as your body breaks down from exhaustion," the elven Queen haughtily retorts, accepting the invitation to banter.
But the succubus takes another path. "Okay," is all she says, merely nodding along.
Then the two just stare at each other, both daring their enemy to show a sign of weakness, but they've done this bit a few times before. They're going to fuck like mad during the bath today, and I can't say I understand them, but if they're fucking, then it's fine, I guess.
"Don't mind them. They enjoy this sort of verbal spar, but they'll soon be using their tongues for something else," I suggestively remark to reassure Resh that she won't easily step on a landmine.
And she nods appreciatively. "I understand. When your pride is high and strong, it may feel good to relax and let it fall for a moment," she sagely replies.
"Exactly. I'm surprised you understand," Roxanne remarks, legitimately impressed, and Yunia secretly agrees.
Which makes Resh smile in satisfaction. "It's no secret that many of the officials enjoy switching roles once in a while."
Holy shit.
"The Succubi are worse," Roxanne states in my soul space.
Oh, right.
Then we walk out of the building and finally get a view of Basaree.
Have you ever seen one of those beautiful pictures of Nordic landscapes where tall mountains flank a river that leads into the sea? That's called a fjord, and Basaree is located in one. The town has been built around a delta of a river as it splits into two, so there are three distinct "slices," with most of the buildings located on the walls of these mountains, connected by bridges that later became the foundation for even more houses.
And everything is super colorful.
We quickly notice that there are different styles for each of the three slices. The angels favor white, gold, and red colors while their buildings are made mostly of stone; the gorosnegee favor green, black, and brown as their buildings are made of wood; and the estekabar have no distinct style except for variety taken to the extreme. The only thing they have in common is that they enjoy hanging lines with colored sheets flowing in the wind.
"Is this normal? It feels like we're at a festival," Ciel remarks out loud as we all marvel at the sight.
"It is. It'd be shameful if we allowed the other cities to be more beautiful than ours," Resh proudly hums back.
I'm not sure how healthy it is to have a permanent city-wide competition like this, but it seems to be working, considering how prosperous this place is.
"Do you wish to take a walk across town before we begin the tour of the school?" she continues after giving us an appropriately long time to take everything in.
I share a few quick thoughts with the girls, and it's unanimous. "Sure. Show us a place for sweet snacks, please," I politely request.
And she gives a wide smile full of perfectly white teeth. "I know just the place."
--
The only problem with the town having such "rich vertically" is that… it's a pain to get anywhere. We decide to go on foot, and Aoi has to change into a human because the roads are too narrow. I also cast [Swift Foot] on everyone, and both of our guides seem to really appreciate it.
The races here are even more varied than those in the capital because there are just so many demon races, but I think that the beastfolk continent might have an even wider variety. We've really gotta visit it one day. There are some imperial colonies in Bestiaram that might be safe enough for a vacation.
My furry arc hasn't even started yet.
This area around the Hub is like the Nobles' Quarter as it's tailored to travelers with enough status to use an [Eternal Gate], so there isn't much traffic, and we soon reach the chosen tea shop. It's staffed by estekabar birb girls, and they have a similar sense of "appropriate skin coverage level" as the elves, so I immediately approve of it, even if their sense of décor is garish.
We could ask for the shop to be emptied, but just the entourage of Companions with us is enough to keep everyone away. Thankfully, the waitresses are already used to serving such illustrious guests, so they don't even blink at our presence, and then we enjoy some tea and sweets on the balcony.
I think there's some alcohol in my tea because it's spicy. The Kabare teas are also all blends, so I'll need to read the ingredient list to know what's in it, but they don't state it on the menu because that's "unfashionable" for a high-class establishment, which irks me.
As for its flavor, I ask for a not-orange blend with what seems to be apple, cinnamon, and maybe even banana. It's pretty nice, and the little spike of alcohol does bring everything out for a nice finish, but it requires a bit too much sugar for it to be palatable, so it doesn't fit with the sweets too well, requiring savory snacks, instead, and that's not my favorite combo.
Then I taste the snacks, and they have some savory pastries with dried fruits that actually work quite well. Hana loves these things as she's more of a Sommerlande, who have a great selection of fresh fruits, and Ciel does too, as she also loves fruit mixes. Roxanne is more of a spicy and savory enjoyer, so these wild mixes don't do much for her.
The sweets, surprisingly, mostly don't have fruits in them, but they do have lots of herbs, which is rather novel. They also freshen our breath and enhance the flavor and sweetness of the tea, which is a neat effect but not that great, considering it requires sickeningly sweet tea.
Overall, estekabar cuisine is great but not something I'd eat on the regular due to it being a bit too unhinged. I believe elven cuisine should be universally well-received because of how perfectly balanced everything is, so it's a good fit for our everyday meals.
"What is your verdict, Your Highness?" Resh curiously questions, slowly savoring her tea.
"Hm? What do you mean?" I kindly ask back.
And her smile seems to have a hint of earnest kindness to it. "Your Highness is a known gourmet, and your Chef has contacted us about a variety of our spices."
Now she's just deepthroating my ego, so I clear my throat and prepare myself to give the answer she deserves.
"I love the novel use of ingredients. Your race has an interesting idea of how to mix savory and sweet, and the results are very unique. Still, everything is too foreign for our palates, so we'll need to acquire your taste before we can fully enjoy estekabar cuisine."
"'Acquired taste'… what an interesting expression," she curiously remarks, unsure how to respond to this.
So I kindly add a little bit, "It's true for many people. We're capable of learning to enjoy new things, but we need some familiarity with it first."
And she hums thoughtfully. I don't feel like she's genuinely interested in this topic; she just wants to entertain me, but my last remark has made her actually think about it.
--
Next, we finally go to the school. The east of Basaree leads to the sea, and there's a few km of river before the fjord ends, but before that, there's another "entrance" in the mountain range to the north, and that's where the school is located. It's technically within the angel part of the territory as they control the north (the estekabar control the west, and the gorosnegee control the south), but that area was settled by the hers-types first as they're the only ones that like living inside the mountains, so it ended up being considered an "unregulated" area since nobody wanted to take it from the hers-types.
We board a carriage that takes us down the mountainside and then through an [Eternal Gate] that crosses the river and exits inside the mountain. Now this area is where all the business happens because it's less regulated, so it looks like a fantasy cyberpunk dystopia due to the excess of neon signs everywhere.
But the trip across it is short, and then we exit the mountain, and the carriage stops, for we've arrived. Kabara Basaree Illusion Magic School is only one section of the Basaree Magic Complex, and following the town's style, each school has been built with its own theme, size, architecture, and location, turning the space above the river and between the two mountains into a… mess.
At least the bridges between the three "slices" of Basaree are full of houses. This is just confusing, especially because there are many small bridges connecting everywhere to everywhere, and there's even a big-ass pillar at the center that goes into the water. It's just crazy.
"Confusing, isn't it?" Resh remarks, seemingly happy that I'm touching her again.
"I was going to say 'impressive,' but if that's what you're saying, then I won't disagree," I wryly reply.
Then she turns to the slender birb beside us. "Miss Tahmemel, you can begin."
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Hall of Fame of Patrons
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