Charming Beauties

From a moment that has long haunted me 6 years ago, the last memories of that very scenery were the screams of my mother who did nothing else but punch and desperately cling to my father.

Her tears soiled the floor, and her hands were trembling-- as if she were doing her best to keep her calm amidst the turmoil that brewed that very moment.

And...I could remember that cold look my father had in his eyes. With his ever-stern countenance, he stared directly at both me and my mother. His eyes were both a shrouded haze of relief and an icy glare that bore right into me.

It was at that moment that I could tell, that my father...the one who has raised me for 13 years, the one who has always reminded me to stay upright and true, and the one who has broken my family in hopes of chasing a woman that caused our once happy household to grow apart from one another...no longer wanted anything more to do with my mother. Or me, his child, for that matter.

With a strong grip on his briefcase and a rough push on the woman he used to love dearly, he left our house to chase his "true dreams", leaving both me and my mother to fend for ourselves.

A barrage of tears and wails of cries echoed through the living room-- an unforgettable scenery witnessed by the 13-year-old me. Since then, my mother has only commanded me to do one thing.

"Rodrick, never become like your father. Never become a bastard who would end up cheating on your partner."

And those very words were the first time my mother had ever declared me to follow her wishes. After all, ever since childhood, she has always told me to live my life happily and make choices that would appeal to what path I want to partake in, but this...

Was her one and only plea.

The plea of my happy and quiet mother...and also the plea of my destitute mother whose back has arched and whose knees are bent.

I promised her that I would never break that promise...

But if so, then why...

Why am I...

Why am I holding the VR Console Game "Charming Beauties"?!

It doesn't even make sense that I would even hold this type of VR Game in the first place! I've never had a girlfriend, and you're telling me that the priority of this game is to marry multiple women and create an army that would help you defeat beasts and monsters?!

It's absurd! How would I even go around my way of marrying one person when I have absolutely zero interest in my love life?!

But then...this game is also my only hope. The money I get from working part-time as a student will no longer cover my college tuition...but besides that, how can I work when there's no workplace available anymore?!

Yes! No workplace! The small shop I used to work at as a cashier, was just demolished two months ago! And this happened after my senior high school life ended...a time when I could have spent this summer working to save some money.

...and as much as I would love to work elsewhere, it would be risky. Especially if my mom finds out, god forbid what she would do if she did...

So, the most logical option would be...to just earn money from this game, right?

Especially when it's the game that most people are playing right now...a game that never faded through time despite its first release being a year ago.

I mean, take a look at most of the men playing the game...they splurge their money to obtain and marry all the waifus they want-- or alternatively, on gear and equipment to enjoy their power-trip adventures.

I mean, they gotta make use of the RPG features the game has!

And let's not forget its most appealing part...the fact that you can do almost everything with the women in your harem. Yes. Even that.

Now, with that in mind, think of everything this game is made up of...

You can already imagine how it's advertised. It's a complete package of lewd degeneracy and nuanced adventure-like features.

I tell you, it's a type of madness! 

But it's also an opportunity! It's my only opportunity...so why the heck am I hesitating on something like this?

It's a possible lifeline. And this is all a win-win situation...I get to earn money, and my mom won't notice a thing.

...and so, with a sigh, I take a look at the VR console game with a look of annoyance and hesitation.

"...I won't be forced to marry many women, right?..." I question myself, hoping that, at the very least, this option could be up to my predilection.

Thus, bracing myself for the awaited moment, I take out my head gear and place it on me. "My savings...I've spent them all to play this game and buy the gear...I hope I make at least enough money this summer to last for one semester in college...maybe more if I'm lucky." I think hesitantly, hoping that this could change things a little bit.

After some moments, I start to see the loading screen boot up, instinctively making me sweat profusely. Time only made it worse, as I grew more and more nervous...and the title screen popping up did not make it any better!

Like sure, it's a pretty logo that was made with the game's name in mind...and sure, the oriental engravings in the center brought more interest to the gameplay...but it doesn't help shake off my nerves.

Nonetheless, it seems like it's still an RPG game to its core, despite the rather debaucherous advertisements I've seen of this game. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this...please forgive me, mother..."

And with a single tap of my finger, I get transported to some ethereal haven that's comparable to ones that are seen in mythologies and religions! It seemed like I was floating on clouds with white, blue, and yellow hues. The air that was swirling around left a trail of misty scents that made me feel oddly comfortable.

But I couldn't get too comfortable. Not when something interrupts me from my daze.

"Oh, an adventurer," A feminine voice remarked, her voice echoing in the vast medium of clouds. As a response to my own curiosity, I take a look around and try to look for the source of the sound...only to find a beautiful woman descending from above.

She had an ethereal and mystical cloak that draped down her body, covering not only the back portion of her body but also her visage. She was also wearing a white dress with a small slit, revealing her smooth chocolate-colored skin.

Somehow, I could feel her eyes boring down on me...and not even in a good way. She sighs, resembling the same displeasure I had when I thought about even entering the game.

"Welcome to the world...of Charming Beauties," The woman says...almost unwillingly. She lets out a scoff and summons a bag to hand it to me. "Today marks an epic adventure, one that would signify the start of a hero and his harem of beauties," She says again, this time, with a particular distaste for the word "harem".

I look at her puzzled. She seems...too real, as if she was to be developed, not as a goddess that aids happily in the adventures of players as shown in other typical games, but as a goddess whose monotonous job is to welcome adventures, henceforth, the lack of enthusiasm in her tone and actions.

However, I'm still hesitant. I want to ask her questions about the marriage options in this world...do I have a choice in the matter? Or will girls just be given left and right when I accomplish certain quests? Do I even have a girl to be married to in the first place?

"You will be teleported to a random continent in the world of Belunia," The woman snaps her fingers, casting a spell that covers my body with a bright glow. "May you bring glory and honor to Belunia," She says with annoyance, as I look at her puzzled.

Glory and honor? So this truly was an RPG game despite its main appeal being harems...perhaps I thought too wrongly about this game? Maybe I can just enjoy the RPG aspects and avoid the harem one...

I quickly reverted my confused expression into that of a neutral one as soon as the realization hit. I have to maintain dignity in front of a goddess.

And in just a few seconds after the glow of light was cast-- I was teleported into a world I have never stepped into...

"So this is the world of Charming Beauties, Belunia..." I thought to myself, enraptured by the mystical scenery in front of me. It's as if the mundane everyday things in life were revitalized to become this very scene in front of me-- a medieval world comprised of a mix of beautiful colors and magical objects.

And just as I was about to explore the world, I thought to myself...of the most important thing to do before proceeding...

Sh*t! I'm an idiot! How do I only toggle an option to have one wife instead of a harem?!