A Queen's Request

Haruki picked up his spear and looked back to his two companions. Medea hurried over and wiped his sweat. While her hood concealed her expression, a soft smile on her face was all but guaranteed, considering the loving care in her hand.

Haruki couldn't help but feel fuzzy from her ridiculous attention to his being. He took the cloth from Medea's hand and gently hugged her. "No need for this. I'll shower when I return."

Medea nodded enthusiastically in response to his whispers without an ounce of embarrassment. "I'll clean everything."

Haruki looked toward Semiramis, half-expecting the former empress to pout as a display of jealousy. Semiramis, however, carried an uncharacteristic solemn look.

'What got her serious?'

He separated from Medea, who seemed very reluctant to leave his embrace. "Semi?"

"My master, do you know anything about the monster you fought? It gave me a very familiar feeling. As if I've seen it before."

Haruki thought over Semiramis' unexpected nostalgia with Uridimmu. As a former queen, Semiramis had great judgment. She couldn't possibly mistake Tiamat's offspring for some ordinary beast.

'Tiamat's spawn Uridimmu and Semiramis.'

He wrecked his brain and found a connection between the two.

"Their roots."

The former queen of Assyria and Tiamat originated from the same place—Ancient Mesopotamia. Assyria, the empire Semiramis ruled, existed in an ancient Mesopotamian Civilization. And Tiamat was a goddess that hailed from the Mesopotamian religion. It made sense Semiramis found the beast familiar.

"Genius." Arch gave a rare word of praise.

'It's common history bullshit.'

"..."

"My master, where did you go?" Semiramis waved her hand in his face. "You can borrow my chest if you want. Just don't fall asleep while standing."

She patted her chest, causing her mature bosom to shake. It wasn't a gesture to seduce, yet it grasped Haruki's attention. The endless ravine descending in her black dress firmed its grip on Haruki, pulling him in and never letting go.

The former queen didn't miss the momentary distraction her gesture caused. Her lips curled mischievously.

'Look at my serious master trying to sneak a peak at my chest.'

It would be a sin to not capitalize on her 'small victory.' Leaning closer, she slightly lowered the black cloth covering her breasts. Bit by bit, the black fabric moved, revealing more and more of fair flesh. The extreme contrast of her skin and the jet black dress kept Haruki's eyes glued as though he was under a spell.

Semiramis' smile turned into a grin. 'This is so wonderful.'

Teasing Haruki was the most fulfilling thing she did after getting summoned. The satisfaction was on par with the exhilaration of standing over the masses.

"Semiramis," Medea growled at the witch trying to steal her man right under her nose. "You shameless wench."

Only a few moments had passed since Haruki discovered the link between Semiramis and Tiamat. The few moments seemed forever under Semiramis' tease. In all honesty, her recent change had raised her charm more than she could imagine. It was impossible for him to not be attracted to the lovely lady.

Haruki sighed to himself. He let his guard down.

"I think I already told you this," Arch said. "As you approach completion, your desires will become harder to contain. The hardest breakthroughs are… spiritual. You need to stay true to yourself… or you'll never reach my level. Remember, the basic instinct of every dragon is… to never compromise."

He could understand Arch's brief analogy on desires. That didn't mean he'd let his urges get the better of him. His goal remained the same—claiming the grail to create a vessel for his mother. The goal of expanding his harem was nowhere near as important as protecting his current family.

Arch chuckled. "I thought you wanted to be a harem king."

Haruki gave a wry smile. 'Fantasies are just fantasies.'

He felt overwhelmed when he thought about his everyday life with three women. Adding more would add more chaos.

"You'll still fuck more women. I just know it."

Arch knew Haruku better. He wouldn't be able to stop himself when beautiful women like Semiramis would tease him so openly. He wouldn't be able to resist them for long. It was impossible.

Semiramis stepped back with a bright smile and turned to Medea. "You sweetie, are you scared? That I'll steal your man?"

Medea despised the sheer confidence oozing from Semiramis' grin.

She despised the way Semiramis had smitten Haruki.

'Haruki-sama will fall for her…'

Semiramis was different from the Creüsa, the princess who seduced Jason and forced her to commit slaughter. Yet Medea felt unease and her buried nightmares surfaced.

Medea's silence was unexpected for Haruki. He took a closer look at her, only to find her shaking. He glared at Semiramis, who gave an apologetic smile.

"I went too far…"

Her apology saved her from the punishment Haruki had in his mind.

"Medea," Haruki muttered as he took the sorceress into his arms and patted her back. "No one is taking me from you. Medea is my first woman, okay?"

His warmth and his words poured cold water on Medea's raging nightmares. "I'm sorry, Haruki-sama… for being so insecure. I-"

"Medea, if you said sorry again, I—" he leaned down and bit her ears hidden under her hood. "I swear on my mother, I'll fuck you here. Right before Semiramis' eyes. I'll not stop until I fill your womb with my semen."

He took used his mother's method against Medea.

Medea shivered. "T-That is too much."

"We, dragons, don't know where to draw the line between tame and extreme."

Medea gave a stuttering nod. "I won't do it again."

Haruki gave her a pat on her head to cheer her up and moved away. Medea took a deep breath and flipped back her hood. Remorse was written all over Semiramis' face. Had it changed Medea's mind from taking revenge? Not so much. Medea had to make a statement to maintain her 'position.'

Her mouth twisted into a wicked grin that had earned her nickname 'Witch.' "Semiramis, Haruki-sama and I share the deepest bond. I advise you to seek someone else to satisfy your lustful urges… this dungeon is not for utterly perverted specimens such as you."

Medea's sharp words of insult stunned Semiramis. Regaining her calm, she laughed and pointed at Medea's crotch. "You are no less perverted than me, Miss Witch."

Blush was easily noticeable on Medea's pale skin. "What are you trying to say?"

Haruki blinked his eyes. 'Did she get wet from that?'

Medea wanted to run away and hide somewhere. For the sake of her pride, she stood there with a calm face, despite the sweat trickling down her forehead.

"Medea, let's not continue this fight," Semiramis said and extended her hand in an attempt to signal a ceasefire. "I want us to be friends."

Her request caught Medea and Haruki by surprise.