""We are all his wives.""
As Kyuushou and the others spoke in unison—clear, loud, and beyond doubt—as they revealed their relationship with Lucian, Bronya's entire body went rigid. Now, her eyes, which were always calm and rational, were wide as bells, while her mouth hung slightly open and refused to close for a long time.
Wives?
Twelve of them?
Lucian had twelve wives on the outside?
Bronya felt as if her CPU had completely burned out, as the information load was too large and caused the system to crash.
"WHAT?!!!"
Seele, standing beside Bronya, reacted even more dramatically as she stretched out a hand and pointed at the twelve women across from her with a shaking finger.
"W-What the heck?! Twelve?! Wives?! Lucian?! My master?!"
Seele had already struggled when competing with Bronya over Lucian, feeling anxious and powerless, and now she was being told that the number of women vying for him had increased by twelve—and that their progress was already maxed out!
"One, two, three..."
Seele began counting on her fingers while pointing at the twelve women one by one, and her eyes grew wider with each count.
"Holy shit! It really is twelve! Not a single one missing!" Seele exclaimed while clutching her head. "Hey, Bronya! Did you hear that?! Twelve wives!"
Seele's shout finally snapped Bronya back to partial awareness, and she mechanically turned her head to look at Seele with a gaze that was still unfocused.
"I... I heard..."
Bronya's voice was dry and flat, without any emotion.
However, Bronya's horror hadn't ended yet, as Kiana, who proudly puffed out her chest, revealed another devastating truth that further worsened her mood.
"Actually, there are thirteen! Mei isn't here!"
As Kiana's words fell, Senti put both of her hands on her hips and then added cheerfully.
"Yeah, yeah! Boss's amazing! All of us get along really well, y'know!"
Hearing this, Bronya's vision darkened.
Thirteen!
Thirteen wives sharing the same man, yet they get along well?
Bronya quickly recalled her mother's words again about 'a family's benefits should not be given to outsiders,' but in the current situation, the so-called 'benefits' were no longer flowing into someone else's field, instead directly into the open ocean.
As a result, the careful calculations in Bronya's heart shattered with a clatter before an indescribably complex emotion surged up from within.
Shock?
Absurdity?
It was something Bronya could not clearly define, but maybe it was disappointment?
"Bronya? Hey, Bronya."
Seeing Bronya standing there in a daze, Seele shoved her shoulder hard and whispered tensely.
"So what now? They said there's actually one more, so that makes thirteen women."
Hearing this, Bronya slowly turned her gaze toward the leader, Kyuusyou, and tried to make her voice sound normal.
"Ahem, then... Madams?"
Given that these twelve women were her lord's wives, Bronya had no choice but to address them with courtesy, yet it sounded so awkward that even she couldn't help but clearly feel just how awkward it truly sounded.
"Regarding... this matter, I will first report to my superior..."
Bronya silently took out her special communicator, feeling that this explosive news absolutely had to be reported to her mother immediately so that her mother could experience the impact of these 'thirteen bolts of heavenly thunder' as well.
===
Jarilo-VI, Belobog, Qlipoth Fort.
When Cocolia received Bronya's report about Lucian's thirteen wives, unlike Bronya's expectation, she remained unexpectedly calm.
"Bronya, this is the second lesson I'm teaching you."
"Lucian is not an ordinary man—there will never be a shortage of women around him. No matter how many there are, do not be surprised. Always maintain your elegance."
"What we must do is not worry about how many women he has, but strive to occupy a place in his heart. Do you understand?"
[I understand, Mother...]
Just like that, when the call with Bronya ended, Cocolia quickly took two large gulps of cold water, then let out a helpless sigh.
"It was only one or two before—how did it suddenly increase sixfold this time...? Thirteen women—that should be enough to drain him dry, right?"
Remembering Lucian's prowess in bed, Cocolia began to consider whether Belobog should also adopt 'thirteen' as a standard.
However, those were matters for later, because right now, she needed to inform Lucian of this matter first.
===
Penacony, Lucian's Bedroom.
At this moment, the chaos that had unfolded in this room had only just settled.
On the bed, Serfina lay against Lucian's chest, Robin slept in his embrace, and Acheron leaned against the headboard, her gaze distant.
*Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—*
As Lucian was enjoying the warmth radiated from his wives' bodies with his eyes closed, his phone on the nightstand vibrated.
Lucian carefully withdrew his arm and picked up his phone.
"Hello?"
[Lucian, something's happened. An unknown planet has appeared near Jarilo. After Bronya investigated it, she discovered that there are... twelve of your wives on it…]
Hearing Cocolia's words, Lucian froze for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"Ah, I know. Don't worry, that planet is called Izumo, a planet under my command. Tell Bronya to get along well with them. I'll go take a look ASAP."
Lucian gave brief instructions and ended the call.
"Something happened?"
Serfina, already awake, stood up and understandingly brought Lucian his clothes while asking him gently.
"Yeah, something good. Just an unexpected gain," Lucian replied with a faint smile as he began to dress, then looked at Acheron. "Mei, your tragic past has changed. Do you wanna come with me and witness it?"
"...Yes."
Acheron's distant gaze instantly focused as she answered without hesitation, light shining in her eyes.
"Well, travel safely, both of you."
Gazing at the two of them, Serfina spoke with a gentle smile and did not ask further.
"Lucian… you're heading out?"
Robin, waking from their conversation, rubbed her eyes and asked in a tired tone.
"Yeah, just stepping out for a while. You and your mother just keep resting," Lucian replied as he bent down and kissed Robin's forehead, then looked at Serfina. "Fina, help me keep an eye on things at home."
"Mm, of course," Serfina replied gently while helping Lucian put on his black coat. "Don't worry, just do your thing."
After finishing dressing, Lucian created a new set of clothes for Acheron, the design quite similar to her original clothes but appearing more modest, as it covered her entire body except for the head.
"My gift for you. Try it."
Acheron gazed at the clothes for a moment, then took them and put them on right on the spot without any hesitation or embarrassment.
Soon enough, when Acheron finished dressing, Lucian couldn't help but give a thumbs-up in his mind. Compared to her original sexy clothes, which really accentuated her body shape and showed a lot of skin, the current ones looked modest, beautiful, and elegant.
Lucian walked to Acheron's side, then took her hand.
"You ready, Mei?"
Hearing Lucian address her by her original name, warmth filled Acheron's heart, and she squeezed his hand tightly in response before nodding.
In the next moment, Lucian activated Absolute Hit, and the two of them vanished from the room in an instant.
Serfina and Robin had both been thoroughly exhausted by Lucian, so without thinking much about it, they quickly fell back asleep.
===
On Izumo, on the outskirts of Wagatsuma, Lucian and Acheron suddenly appeared out of thin air, floating in the sky.
"Lord Lucian?!"
Bronya, noticing Lucian's familiar aura, quickly looked up and called out in surprise.
"Master! You really came?! Are these people seriously your wives?!"
Seele also looked up, her eyes widening as she directly voiced the question that had been bugging her mind.
Lucian smiled and nodded in response, but both Bronya and Seele's attention had already shifted toward the purple-haired woman beside him, who was holding his hand. Seeing her beautiful features, her powerful presence, and her excellent figure, the woman, in their eyes, could be said to be flawless from every angle.
A sense of alarm instinctively rang in both Bronya and Seele's hearts, as they felt as if they had seen her silhouette somewhere in a dream.
Clasping Lucian's hand, their fingers intertwined, Acheron's gaze immediately focused on Izumo's sky, land, and buildings, and then shifted to her sisters below.
In that instant, the final missing piece in her heart was finally filled.
'Lucian, thank you for everything you've done for me...'
Acheron thought emotionally, gazing lovingly at the man and savior beside her.
Now, there were only three words that could express the joy in her heart and her gratitude toward her husband by her side.
'I love you...'
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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